Welcome to The Novel Approach, and thanks so much for visiting our site! In case you haven’t noticed yet, TNA is an LGBT supportive blog, focused on M/M fiction and non-fiction, and is dedicated to the celebration of books, our shared addiction to reading, and to our strongly held conviction that Love Is Love. We are, each of us, dedicated to being a source of honest, well thought out, and respectful points of view on the books we read.
Meet the TNA team!
About Tina:
Hello my name is Tina and I am an addict. Isn’t that the way I was supposed to introduce myself? Oh, but I am. I love to read. As far back as I can remember my mom would take us to the library each Saturday and I could take home as many books as I could carry. I built some biceps in my younger years.
Since the advent of the e-reader, life is much lighter, if not easier.
While real life sometimes is hard, reading gives me a place to go where it is safe and comfortable. If there isn’t a Happily Ever After, at least there’s a Happy For Now. Books give me a place where I can cry without having to explain why. And stop crying when the book ends. Between laughing out loud and crying, my son thinks I am a crazy old book lady. Well, he may have a point.
I have a husband of 26 years and two wonderful children. I am also biased.
Having attended a fundamental Baptist church for 20 years, I came away with two things; Closed minds should come with closed mouths and I am proud to be straight but not narrow.
About Jackie:
My name is Jackie McKenzie. I am a 38 yr. old mother to the two most beautiful girls in the world. I have been married for 15 years to the best man ever. I have two of the hardest jobs in the world: I am a Navy wife and a stay at home mom. I wouldn’t trade either job for anything…well maybe for Sam Winchester!!!
I spend most of my day reading while the kids are at school, then it is homework, trips to the library, mall and whatever the rage is this week. When I want to relax, it’s a cup of coffee, a soft lap blanket, and a good book.
About Lynn:
Hi everyone, my name is Lynn and I’m happy to be here with you all. I’m a wife and mother, and obviously, an avid reader. I generally have a few books going at a time, and just jump to whichever book fits the mood I’m in. A few things I love (and a few I don’t) about books are:
Love…
1. hot guys who love hot guys
2. fast paced storyline
3. gritty, grimy, and angsty
Don’t Love…
1. ugh, fluff!
2. predictability
3. unrealistic “Happily Ever Afters”
I also post reviews over at MANtastic Fiction. I can’t wait to share my thoughts with you here, and find out what you have to say, as well.
About Lana:
20 things you didn’t know about me but will now.
1. I am a Taurus. If you look up the description, my picture is there. J
2. I met my husband on a blind date. We’ve been together for almost 21 years!
3. I have two kids. A boy 9 and a girl 11.
4. I’m a geek. I will read any book and see any sci-fi movie out there.
5. I collect Star Wars and Star Trek stuff!
6. I’m a “housewife”, you know the one that goes out to lunch and shops. lol :) And I’m a jeweler.
7. I like to make pretty things.
8. I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades. Yes, I can do lots of things, not all very well but that’s not the point! :)
9. I love to read.
10. I’m pretty easy going but please don’t piss me off!
11. I don’t eat cheese but everything else is a possibility.
12. I’m a child of the 80’s. But I will never wear those clothes again. LOL
13. I sometimes quote lines from my favorite movies.
14. I sometimes quiz my husband on lines from my favorite movies to see if we’re still compatible. We are.
15. I like taking pictures and putting them on instagram. I’m still not sure what is instagram is for but I like it.
16. I discovered Facebook about a year or more ago. Yes, I was deprived. But I think I’m making up for lost time. :)
17. I have two tattoos. I plan to get more.
18. I don’t believe in conforming to society.
19. I’ve always been drawn to freaks, misfits, individuals who don’t fit in cause that’s how I see myself. That’s why I have a very small circle of friends!
20. I stumbled upon m/m fiction by accident. And HOLY SHIT never want to put it down!!!!!
About Kim:
Hi, everyone!
I’m a 20 year old trapped in a 54 year old body and still married to same man for over 35 years now. Temporary insanity, romance novels, and wine helped produced four children (two boys, two girls). My oldest is 35 and my youngest is 17.
I would rather read than watch TV. Living in the Great Northwest gives me plenty of time for my reading addiction, especially during our rainy season – 1/1 through 12/31.
My favorite types of romance books these days are M/M. Since I’ve discovered manlove romance, regular het romances seems kind of blah, but still love to read stories by J.R. Ward, Karen Marie Moning, and Kresley Cole. And…I have the perfect job for a reader like me. For the last 10 years, I’ve worked at a library. And yes, we have M/M romance, YA, and mystery!
About Sammy:
So, what to say about a woman who leads a lovely, simple, ordinary life…
I used to be a stripper and did pole danc…wait….maybe that’s an overshare?
Let me begin again…
I love dogs, but I have a restraining order out against both of my cats…
ok….this is not going as I planned…hmmmm….third time’s a charm?
Hello, my name Is Sammy Goode. It’s lovely to meet you! I teach small people who never cease to surprise me and I write plays for them as well…sometimes the plays garner me a boat load of money, sometimes they languish on my “this is such a flop-no one in their right mind will buy it” pile but always the writing is the thing I enjoy the most. I read almost as much as I sleep–lots of genres but M/M is by far my favorite.
I am an empty nester except I’m really happy that the nest is, well, empty. I think that either makes me a bad parent or a well adjusted woman. I’m opting for the latter!
And finally? I am so very happy to be here discussing books with you.
About Jules:
Hi! I’m Jules, and I’m thrilled to be here. :)
I live in the beautiful city of Seattle, and have a fabulous husband, and two kids I adore. I was introduced to the M/M genre by a dear friend a little over a year ago, and immediately fell in love – with the books and the community. I am very passionate about reading (that’s why we’re all here, yes?), and LOVE discussing books/ideas/themes with friends. I’m so happy to be able to review and possibly introduce great reads to others!
About Chris:
“Sorry, excuse me, oops.”
“And you are?”
“Oh, I’m not, I’m just here to, I don’t have…”
“I’m here with Chris, Chris, I’m Chris!”
Hi! I’m Chris! I happen to be a RENT-head *points up*, book loving, music addicted, tattooed 40 year old living in conservative Missouri. Add in a healthy side of sci-fi/fantasy geek, gamer girl, and aspiring writer. In my early years I worked at a bookstore which fed my reading addiction, allowed me to push books to the unsuspecting masses, and let me meet and greet lots of authors. I love M/M romance (obviously since I’m here) but still read traditional M/F and menage romance books.
Social media has become one of my favorite ways to share my addictions and find new authors to stalk for more books. So if you ever see me on one of my social media sites be prepared for sexy men in kilts, lots of loud hard rock music (Shinedown, Halestorm, and FFDP anyone?), and talking about books.
About Kathie:
Hi, my Name is Kathie!!! I would describe myself as an Onion. The outer layer looks dry and has blemishes on it. When you start peeling away the layers, it makes you cry, but with every layer the onion gets less blemished and tastes sweeter. That’s me!!!! On the outside I have a pretty smile and even comedians won’t make fun of me. Really! I look too much like their moms and apple pie. But start pulling away the layers and watch out! I like to swear really loud, go to gay bars to watch/stare at the go-go boys, and read hot hot gay romance. And when I am in the car on my way to work, I listen to audiobooks and giggle!!!!!
About Rena:
I eat, drink, and breathe speculative fiction and historical fiction (LGBT and mainstream). When I open a book or watch a movie, I want my disbelief suspended in the best way possible. I want to revel in the writer’s imagination and enjoy his/her vision of how the impossible can be possible – and real. Give me fantasy, folktales, sci-fi, superheroes, gothic fiction, horror, and every gray shade within. Whether intentional or not, speculative fiction is more than escapist reading; it can work as a mirror image of the modern world, exploring contemporary values, issues, etc., while being detached from it. I’ve always likened speculative fiction to the modern world in cosplay costume.
Historical fiction tends to be treated like the red-headed stepchild, and I think that genre (and especially its writers – have you any idea how difficult it is to write a historical novel with limited information available about day-to-day things from different time periods?) deserve more attention and respect than what they get now. The LGBT community doesn’t exist in a 21st century vacuum. Their story goes well before Stonewall, Oscar Wilde, and Lord Byron. Historical fiction offers us some background context on LGBT struggles: where they are now and where they’d been. Romance allows them their happily-ever-after, but the difficulties they faced were real and don’t deserve to be erased, ignored, or dismissed.
That said, I look forward to giving Lisa a hand in bringing books from these genres (and their myriad sub-genres) to the front. The possibilities these books offer us are endless.
About Taz:
The largest carnivorous marsupial in the world is characterized by its stocky and muscular build, broad head, pungent odor, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell and apparent ferocity when feeding. That’s me! Voracious lover of romance, I keep a wealth of good books in my pouch to keep my appetite satisfied. But when I read, it’s with a hunger. So bring on the stories. I can’t get enough of ‘em. Oh, but I don’t have a pungent odor…or so I’m told.
About Angel:
Angel is a 38 yr. old married, working woman that loves to read just about anything she can get her hands on, taking short walks and curling up with her tablet for a round of simulation farming. She used to do this with books, but since the advent of ebooks, she has exchanged the paper and ink for the digital world. It makes for a much neater house. Or at least this is the excuse she uses when she is trying to justify another ebook purchase to her husband.
While Angel also still enjoys reading the ‘old fashion way’, as her teenaged daughter says, she doesn’t miss lugging about the heavy load or the toll that huge library bag had on her back. She is thrilled to join The Novel Approach team and can’t wait to share the next fabulous read with everyone.
About Janet:
Janet is a middle aged (53), white, married (30 years) lady with one daughter who has ADHD, one grandson with moderate/severe autism, and one granddaughter with CP and Celiac Disease. I work full time driving a school bus as a charter (trips) driver. I had a major Cardiac event 2 years ago and found m/m in rehab. I have read since I was a small child, and now MUST read at least a book a day…or I get cranky. I like to have music playing in the background but hate TV, and the last movie I saw in a theatre was Ghost.
I have traveled around the world but no longer do much as Hubby has been partially disabled since 1995 with early onset arthritis, and has been pretty miserable since then with chronic pain. Despite all that, I think I am a pretty happy person, easily pleased by a good book, massive amounts of coffee and places to go and people to see. I am well educated, hopelessly out of fashion, and generally a bit of a nerd, but I can talk to anyone from anywhere, as I am always learning. So, I travel through books and meet new people every day.
I could babble more but that covers most of me.
About Jennifer:
Hi, everyone, my name is Jennifer! Like everyone else, I’m addicted to reading and buying books. I support my habit by being a teacher. Because hey, my students really do NEED that new book that just came out. I’m not buying for myself, so really, it’s okay. Right?
I’m a teacher by day, grad student by night, retail worker on the weekends and a published author (Andy Squared, Meeting Chance, and Tristant and Elijah), but I will always find the time to read. Who needs sleep? Not me!
When it comes to books, I love gay fiction and m/m romances. Any genre. And when I mean any, I mean it. Give me a book with a unicorn shifter who goes on a murdering rampage after his detective lover is taken hostage on a space station, and I will read it. Actually, someone should get on that…
About Pia:
So I’m supposed to write about me, hmm, ok, let’s see.
My name is Pia; I’m a 28 yr old Aussie stay at home mum of 3 wonderful babies, as well as 1 teenager(the verdict is still out on that one).
I’m so happy to be here at The Novel Approach, and I can’t wait to meet everybody! Reading is my happy place and I’m a strong believer that there is something magical about losing yourself in a book. Life can be harsh, so let’s be happy and remember love is love. xxx
About Karen:
Well, Hi, I’m Karen! I am a 36 year old from Michigan. I have a great husband who’s only complaint is that I am addicted to reading (still trying to figure out why this is a problem…I don’t get it) but, he’s right, I know I’m addicted (hey! at least I admit it, well to you, not to him!). For about the last 2 years or so I have read pretty much exclusively MM. Reading is an escape for me, it is what i use to get out of my head and just relax, which is why you can usually find me on my breaks at work sitting with my Kindle, who am I kidding any free moment I have is usually spent with my Kindle. I am looking forward to trying out doing reviews and I am really happy to be here! Alright…enough about me…back to my book :o)
About Sadonna:
Hi I’m Sadonna. Just like Madonna, but with an S ;) Yes, that’s my actual legal name. I used to hate it when I was a kid, but then I learned to embrace it! I’m 52 (when the heck did that happen??) and I work in downtown Chicago as a corporate type in HRIT – but I have a 60 mile commute each way, so I have a LOT of time to read and watch the world go by from my express Coach that has wifi. :)
I’m a long time voracious reader who read nearly every book in my grammar school library and left the public library with stacks of books each week. My sister was always mad that I wouldn’t play with her because I was reading. As an adult, for years I read pretty much historical and literary fiction (history major in college) and nonfiction. I was introduced to m/m in 2010 when I saw one of my friends had Special Forces on her Goodreads feed. Now 2300+ books and counting later, I still blame her and Aleks Voinov (and I have told him so :D). I currently have over 9000 books in my Calibre library as well as over 1000 physical books in my house. So I guess you could say I have a problem. ;)
Besides reading, I love to travel all over the US and the world – 15 countries and counting. I’m a big art lover and I spend a lot of time in art museums whenever I travel. I used to say I could live in bookstores and art museums, but it seems bookstores are practically becoming museums now! I also love the opera both live and at the movie theaters and have seen some gorgeous productions in Chicago, the Met and Covent Garden. I dream of Vienna and La Scala someday! I also like to go to the theater and see live music whenever possible. I also have my own art in the form of tattoos – two so far, with plans for lots more. :P
About Maryann:
Hi I’m Maryann. I am retired and have lived in West Palm Beach, Florida for 5 years. I can say I have come full circle. I started in New York , spent a few years in New Hampshire and was uprooted again and lived in California for a very long time. Now I am back on the east coast again!
I’ve always liked to read, I remember going to the library and reading the Doctor Dolittle books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of Stephen King.
When I came to Florida, I started riding shotgun with my niece to Tampa. She was an RN and was working on getting her degree for Nurse Practitioner. I would read her medical books and review notes to her while we traveled. We also got hooked on Game of Thrones and listened to it on audio CDs. The medical book reading came in handy because the first M/M book I read in 2011 was Zero to the Bone by Jane Seville. The doctor had to repair a gun shot wound and I actually understood the medical terms. This was the book that got me started on M/M genre.
Seen a lot of Florida since I’ve been here, of course Tampa, Orlando, Naples, Miami and the Keys. Took my first cruise in December to the Caribbean. It was great!
I love my Kindle and Audible! Have both apps on my ipod, ipad, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I was interested in editing books but when I saw Lisa’s request for reviewing books, I thought I would give it a shot. I have hopes to do a good job for The Novel Approach. Happy reviewing everyone!
About Amy:
Hey All! My name is Amy Di Martino and I am a New York transplant living in Florida…… I am a Coffee addict and a complete extrovert.
I am a fiction lover from way back, my all-time favorites are very diverse, from Jane Austin’s sweet love stories to Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart to Shakespeare’s Sonnets’, I love all types of fiction. In the early 90’s I was introduced to Laurel K. Hamilton and found a passion for Mystery, Romance, and Paranormal.
For a while in the early 2000s I lost my literal way. I stopped reading for almost five years, letting my corporate job make me forget my love of literature. I know a lot of people will think this is silly, but I attribute my road back to fiction all to Twilight. I moved to Florida and met a lovely lady by the name of Jennifer who introduced me to that series, and that, folks, is all she wrote. My love of fiction rekindled, and I became a voracious reader again. I discovered M/M in 2008 after J.R. Ward opened my eyes with Blay and Quinn, and haven’t looked back since.
I do love all types of stories but do tend to love Mysteries, Gritty love stories, and beautiful tragedies the most. The things I dislike are recycled ideas and super sweet fluff.
I have been commuting 12 hours a week for over a year, and the only thing that has kept me sane was MULTIPLE audiobooks.
What better way to combine my love of M/M and Audiobooks than to review for The Novel Approach?
About Carrie:
Hello, everyone, my name is Carrie! I am a mom to three wonderful college boys- 2 already there and one beginning in the fall. We are a bicoastal family with 2 kids on the east coast and home central being in Seattle. Don’t get me wrong – I am a southern girl. I grew up with formal dinner every Sunday after church and sweet tea. I learned good posture with Emily Post’s book of Etiquette on my head quite literally. So what am I doing in Seattle? No clue. I can say that I love books like my grandmother loved her gardening club. I read. A lot. I tend to have a voracious appetite for books which can get expensive since I was taught to speed read in third grade and I have never looked back. As such I love it when a book makes me pause- slaps me mid sentence and says slow down and enjoy me – let me tell you a story……
I want to start writing about and sharing those books with you. I will read just about anything but gravitate towards romance and mystery with a little erotic sci-fi thrown in for good measure. If you come by my house I will make you a mimosa and we can talk books – I can’t wait!
About Lisa:
I’m a reading junkie. There, I said it. I’m addicted to the high of living other people’s lives and traveling to other worlds on the words from an author’s imagination. I read for pleasure, read to learn, read to escape, read with the hope that when I finish a book I’ll have found characters to fall in love with, stories that will have touched me emotionally, made me laugh, made me feel.
I’m a wife and mom to three amazing little humans (yes, I’m biased), and I eat and breathe and love by the single mantra, “live and let live.”
Please Note: If you’re an author who is seeing a review of his or her work on this site, the titles have either been purchased by us or were offered to us by your publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
If you’re an author/publisher and would like to inquire about submitting work for review, please see our submission page.
Welcome and Cheers!