I’ve been both a friend and fan of Dave Hughes for quite a few years now. He’s the founder of RetireFabulously.com, a recurring guest on my One Thing or Another Podcast, and now a fiction author with an upcoming release, Maybe Next Year:

“Bryan and Chris are high school juniors who have been inseparable best friends for three years. Now, they are discovering that their feelings for each other run much deeper than mere friendship.

Chris, whose open-minded family is completely supportive, is ready and able to live his life out and proud. For Bryan, whose father is the pastor of a very conservative mega-church in a Kansas City suburb, being gay simply isn’t an option. Bryan hopes that maybe next year when they leave Kansas to go to college together, he will be able to live more openly. In the meantime, they must learn how to navigate their conflicting family dynamics and boundaries if they are to fulfill their dream of spending the rest of their lives together.

Everything changes when Bryan is outed. His father will stop at nothing to force Bryan to “leave the homosexual lifestyle,” requiring Bryan and Chris to make some very difficult choices.”

From Steve Hayes on YouTube

CLASSIC MOVIE REVIEW : All of us at STEVE HAYES: Tired Old Queen at the Movies honor the work and memory of the great SIDNEY POITIER. He joins Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll in 1960’s swinging Paris in Martin Ritt’s romantic PARIS BLUES. Shot on location with a terrific score by Duke Ellington and an amazing appearance by Louis Armstrong. It’s sexy, nostalgic, and romantic – just like Paris.

PARIS BLUES, DVD https://amzn.to/3pm5qbb
“Great Summit / PARIS BLUES Tracks”: Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington CD https://amzn.to/3JVyL3S
PARIS BLUES original 1961 27×41 one sheet movie poster PAUL NEWMAN/SIDNEY POITIER/LOUIS ARMSTRONG https://amzn.to/3hkmQ3D
“The Measure of a Man : A Memoir” by Sidney Poitier https://amzn.to/3584pg8 “This Life” by Sidney Poitier https://amzn.to/3HlR6FK

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

How effective is the shingles vaccine and what is the CDC recommendation for getting it? My older brother and sister, both in their fifties, got COVID a few months back followed by shingles. Do you know if there is a connection between these viruses, and would the shingles vaccine have protected them?

Scared of Shingles                                                               

Dear Scared,

Great question! Many healthcare professionals across the country have been urging their older patients to get the shingles vaccine (in addition to the COVID-19 vaccinations) during the pandemic because getting COVID-19 can increase your chances of developing shingles. And the more severe case of COVID you get, the greater your risk for shingles.

As my retirement from full-time work fast approaches, my options grow. I’ve been sending out The Weekly Readlines and content updates on Wednesday morning because it’s been one of my days off. With more choices available soon, I’m moving the delivery to Saturdays. You can enjoy the news roundup, soon to include a podcast edition for those who like to listen, and any content updates. I’ll also be expanding the content, with a lot more time to do it! SUBSCRIBE HERE. See you Saturday – Mark

Welcome to the return of Q Audiobooks, a regular feature offering audiobooks of interest for the LGBTQ+ listener.

As someone who has published 12 audiobooks, I understand the attraction of providing free download codes for audiobook fans and the authors and narrators who keep them listening. I’ve given away well over 1,000 audiobook codes over the ten years I’ve been making audiobook editions available for my books, and I have two sites to recommend. I’ve used both of them to great effect, and if you search “LGBTQ” you’ll even find a lot of the audiobooks in your favorite not-so-mainstream genres. Codes are specific to each book and can only be redeemed at ACX/Audible links provided when you get the code (US or UK), or on the Authors Direct app if you’re getting a code from Findaway Voices.

It’s a one-day-only sale on Kindle for ‘Cupid Shot Me: Valentine Tales of Love, Mystery & Suspense (A Queer Mystery Anthology Book 1).’ Show yourself or someone you love a little murder for this special day! The anthology includes my own ‘Paper Hearts: A Marshall James Thriller,’ along with 10 other short stories from some of the best writers in the genre. (You can read about my story here.)

About ‘Cupid Shot Me’

Eleven award-winning queer authors come together to spin tales of murder, horror, and suspense all during a Valentine’s Day you won’t soon forget!

From the Introduction by Michael Nava, celebrated author of the Henry Rios mysteries:

The stories in Cupid Shot Me fall somewhere between the classic Richard Rodgers tune “My Funny Valentine” and the gangland Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. You’ll find bushels of red roses but some may be lethal, and watch what you eat at that romantic dinner because that exquisite morsel on your fork may be poisoned. You’ll definitely want the bomb squad to inspect that enormous box of chocolates before you open it.

Enter HERE to win one of 5 paperback editions of the just-released ‘Cupid Shot Me: Valentine Tales of Love, Mystery & Suspense (A Queer Mystery Anthology Book 1).’ The anthology includes my own ‘Paper Hearts: A Marshall James Thriller.’ Winners will be selected and notified March 1! Only ships within the U.S.

About ‘Paper Hearts’

It’s now or never, as Marshall decides to search for the love of his life thirty years after he’d been told they were finished forever. Mac McElroy was an LAPD homicide detective back when Marshall lived in Hollywood and trouble came calling for him once, twice, three times over. The third time was not the charm: it nearly got Marshall killed, and it put their love on ice for the next three decades. Will he find Mac? Is Mac even still alive? And exactly what happened that Valentine’s Day, 1992, when it all came crashing down? Find out in ‘Paper Hearts.’

Nothing says ‘I love you’ quite like murder! Prepare for a bloody Valentine’s Day with a heart stopping new collection of LGBTQ mysteries, thrillers and suspense short stories – mine included! With an introduction by iconic gay mystery author Michael Nava, and including eleven top-notch short stories from some of the best writers in the genre, ‘Cupid Shot Me: Valentine Tales of Love, Mystery & Suspense’ will keep you on the edge of your seat with each journey into love and homicide. NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON and at select locations listed below.