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Browse my short fiction, sample my novels.
Let me know
what you think!
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Novels
Discreet Young Gentleman--Now
available from Seventh Window!
Dean Smith needs help repairing his
shattered engagement--but he never expected to find it in the person of Rob, a
devastatingly handsome male prostitute. Sidetracked by highwaymen,
ghost-hunting, and a spot of fishing--not to mention an increasing attraction to his unconventional companion--Dean's trip to Bath to recover his fiancée
turns into a journey of self-discovery.
Read the first chapter here.
Where to
buy--a list of online vendors
Seventh Window
Publications
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Reader reviews:
An All-Nighter, November 2, 2006
As a kid, I used to secretly go through my sister's stash of Harlequin
Romance novels. Since there's a high probability that my sister will see
this post, so much for secrets! Well, a few days ago, I heard about
"Discreet Young Gentleman." A trashy romance novel (I use the term
lovingly), but with two guys?! It was a dream come true! I ordered it,
received it yesterday, and only planned to read a couple of chapters. Well,
I kept telling myself I would put it down... and then before I knew it, it
was 5am in the morning and I had finished the book.
It's got dashing young men, ghosts, class conflict, internalized homophobia,
severe body image issues (yes, really), and some rather hot lovin' romance
novel-style. The author, MJ Pearson, injects a great deal of humor into the
novel, but it's never saccharine. The comedic moments are done just right,
and add to the poignancy of the lovers' dilemma. MJ Pearson is quite
talented and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work!
Charming M/M Romance!, December 16, 2006
MJ Pearson has done it again and I am delighted to add this to my list of
favorite historical gay romance. This love story of a gentleman and a
prostitute is a delightful read. The characters of our 2 heroes could not
have been more different and MJ has done a great job developing them. Dean
and Rob are endearing and I just have to find out what happened to them
next. Like the previous reviewer comment this book is simply addictive. Good
thing it is short enough to finish in one night!
I prefer this to MJ's previous effort as I like my romance to keep the
lovers together throughout the plot. MJ has also done a fine job exploring
Dean's and Rob's attraction towards one another and the initial crossfire is
fun.
She's done it again!, December 22, 2006
Yes, fans of Price of Temptation, the author M.J.Pearson is a "she" and
she has indeed done it again. I started reading Discreet Young Gentleman
rather late in the evening and kept trying to put it down so I could get to
sleep at a decent hour. But it became a losing battle as I could neither
resist reading the rest of the ghost story (more than one ghost story as it
turned out), nor leave Rob and Dean bereft, carriageless, (and barefoot)
after being robbed. And then there was the mounting tension of the growing
romantic attraction between the two midst all their trials and tribulations.
Again M.J. tells the tale with great historical accuracy and unrelenting
humor. So I read it all the way through and the price of that temptation was
a grouchy, sleepy day at work. Ah well, I'll just start her next book early
in the day. On a Saturday. Can't wait.
Lambda Literary Award Finalist!
Visit the book website
here (or click picture).
What readers are saying
about Price:
Don't Have to be Gay to Play
Decidedly slashy, somewhat trashy. But, not nearly as trashy as that
shameful cover suggests. Just about the perfect slash historical
romance. Definitely recommended.--Sandy "Sombra del Monte,"
Amazon.com
Close to perfection!
That book is everything I wanted. The style is neither pretentious
nor wordy - the easy, flowing style ideal for a light, happily
romantic story - yet it is precise and elegant as well (especially
the dialogues, both subtle and witty). As to the characters, they're
all coherent and quite loveable (with the exception of Julian the
Antagonist, exquisitely loathsome). As to the smutty parts, they
were just delightful.
If you purchase only one gay romance on this site, this should -
must - be it. I wish there were more work of such quality in this
category.--Henry Jones, Amazon.com
Fresh, fun and lively
It is so fun to see a new twist on the old historical romance genre.
Perfect characters and plot; I read it in one evening and wished
despertly it was longer. The author's note says that M.J. Pearson is
at work on another book; I will be sure to purchase it! A wonderful
story, even for a non-gay reader. I just wish there were more books
as entertaining as this. Thank you M.J. Pearson for all the reading
pleasure.--Moni, Amazon.com
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Short stories
Four of my short stories are
currently available online: "Of Cabbages and King" in the May 2006
The Harrow, "Full House" in the February 2006
Amarillo Bay; "The Contest", 2nd-place winner in the 2004 Saugus.net Halloween
Ghost Story Contest; and
"1974",
a 70-word microflash that was singled out for special mention in the BBC
Magazine 1974 Challenge (scroll down to the third story).
In addition, here is a link
to "Age Difference," first
published at Wild Child, where it
was Editor's Choice for March, 2005, and appeared again in January, 2006 as part
of their Best of 2005 issue.
The May/June 2006 issue of
Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, which contains my short story "The
Civilian," is available for purchase
here.
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| Reviews |
Oliver Stone's
Alexander
Alexander
Hephaistion:
Don't worry, Ptolemy--we can always take shelter beneath Alexander's
massive eyebrows.
I can't help it--I saw
Oliver Stone's Alexander
on Monday, and it won't leave me alone. What a mess of a movie! Full
of gorgeous eye-candy, of course, but as a writer I'm going to come
right out and say the script was terrible.
Oliver Stone and his fellow writers seemed to be following the George
Lucas School of Stilted Dialogue (it didn't help that there were so
many minor characters that to remind us who was who, every line
addressed to a person had his name in it: "By the beard of Zeus,
Cleitus, we must not falter now!" "Philotas, listen to your wise
father Parmenion, who was long an advisor to my father Philip the
King." "But valiant Cassander, you'd look so much better if you'd let
noble Hephaistion do your eyeliner.")
Even so, if you didn't go into the movie with some knowledge of who
these guys were, you wouldn't have been able to keep them straight (so
to speak, but it's obvious the studio did their best to cut as much
gay content as possible--Alexander and his life-long love Hephaistion
don't even get a kiss).
The structure was clunky, too. Near the end of the film, there's a
flashback, which I at first thought was there to remind us who a
particular character was, since his death was significant. But then
the flashback just went on and on, including relevant information that
would have been put to better use earlier on. Just so many bad
decisions...
Curiously, I kept thinking many of the characters had wandered in from
other movies. As Olympias, Angelina Jolie decided to show the world
that she'd have been a much better Queen of the Damned than
poor Aaliyah--she was pure, evil vampire, right down to the apparently
Transylvanian accent. Jared Leto, as Hephaistion, in his eyeliner
(okay, it really did look good!) and furs seemed to be auditioning for
Velvet Goldmine II, and Bagoas--tall, willowy, with long dark
hair--looked not so much like a Persian eunuch but a leftover
elf-prince from Lord of the Rings. Not that I've seen so many
Persian eunuchs, but still.
Word has it Bagoas' big love scene with Alexander was cut shortly
before the film was released when the studio got nervous about it,
leaving him with exactly zero lines in the whole movie. At one
point Ptolemy (Anthony Hopkins) narrated "As Bagoas once said..." and
I almost fell out of my chair. Who knew the boy could talk?? (I
actually had to run off to the library and re-read Mary Renault's
The Persian Boy to give poor Bagoas his voice back. Wonderful
book--much recommended.)
One last thing: with all the wonders make-up and special effects can
do, and a budget on this film that ran to 150 MILLION dollars...isn't
there any way they could have made Colin Farrell a convincing blond?
The man is DARK. They didn't bother to dye his brows, or lighten his
stubble or anything. Cassander's hair kept changing color, too, from a
tawny brown to jet black, but hey, I can accept that the Hellenic
world had hair dye. Alexander was just supposed to be a natural blond,
okay?
Sorry to rant on about Alexander, but it wasn't merely a mess, it was
a kind of glorious one. Would I recommend it? No, it's awful. But it's
stuck with me for the past few days, and I might...just...see it
again.
Pity me. But hey, I can always recommend Mary Renault's
Alexander books:
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