Fire Dragon Reviewed at Shelly's LGBT Book Review

"M. Kei may be the best fantasy/adventure novelist you’ve never heard of… unless, of course, you read gay themed pirate fiction a la his Pirates of the Narrow Seas series. Or, maybe you’re a poetry fan and you are familiar with Kei’s award winning work. I, in all honesty, had never heard of him prior to reading his latest novel (not in the pirate series), the May, 2012 release, Fire Dragon. [...]

"I occasionally decide to step out of my comfort zone and read something that I wouldn’t normally choose. From the first page of this book, I got sucked into the story. It was really hard to put it down."--Shelly's LGBT Book Review Blog

Read the complete review at: http://shellysbookstore.com/2012/10/04/new-fiction-fire-dragon-by-m-kei/

M. Kei Interviewed by Our Story GLBTQ Historical Fiction

M. Kei, author of Pirates of the Narrow Seas, interviewed by Yancy Carpentier for Our Story GLBTQ Historical Fiction. He talks about his latest novel, a gay Asian sf/f tale called 'Fire Dragon,' as well as historical fiction, poetry, and what fiction can offer LGBT readers.

An excerpt from the interview:

The novel takes its name from the ‘Fire Dragon,’ who may or may not be real. It might be a new rogue Spirit, or it might simply be a superstition, or it might be the delusion of a deranged firefighter, or it might be an outright fraud to disguise acts of arson. Shuibai discovers a lot of arson fires set to cover up murder, terrorize the populace, and to destroy munitions belonging to rival forces, etc. No spoilers, so I will simply say, it’s near the end of the novel before we really find out what’s going on and the question of the Fire Dragon is resolved.

Read the complete interview at: http://bookworld.editme.com/M-Kei-Interviewv

Fire Dragon reviewed by Jade at GLBT Bookshelf

"Just when you thought there was no such thing as entirely original fantasy novel, here comes M. Kei -- better known for "iron men in wooden ships" tales of gay heroes under sail -- with a most enjoyable work, FIRE DRAGON.

"The great strengths of FIRE DRAGON are in the sheer originality of the idea -- the formation and development of a fire service in a frighteningly vulnerable city -- and the author’s creative decision to stage the project in a fantasy Asian setting. Picture a lavish cross between China and Japan, anything between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries, in which the height of technology is gunpowder for fireworks. Over the border are enemy hordes … showing up in the city are quite advanced and totally illegal firearms -- not pistols, but revolvers (telling us clearly that this land of swords, clan politicking and bushido has been left behind, in an industrial sense, by the world outside). The Emperor himself is concealing an enormous secret, while the feudal nature of this society is built, pagoda-fashion, from the untouchables on up to the Celestials -- with one more twist."

Read the complete review at: http://bookworld.editme.com/Review-Fire-Dragon-by-M-Kei

Fire Dragon goes on sale June 1, 2012

But readers of this site can get it early by following the links below:

Fire Dragon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Dragon-ebook/dp/B008555OMG/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338294833&sr=1-6

Fire Dragon (Paperback): https://www.createspace.com/3784966

Subscribe to Our Story GLBTQ Historic Fiction to catch an interview with author M. Kei, talking about his new novel, Fire Dragon. Our Story is not only inclusive of GLBTQ fiction, they have a broad definition of 'historcal' that includes fantasy and other alternative treatments with a strong sense of history. Visit Our Story at: http://bookworld.editme.com/Our-Story-GLBTQ-Historical-Fiction-Edited-by-Nan-Hawthorne-0

The blurb:

In an exotic and magical land, Shuibai, a lowly bucket-maker, is appointed Fire Warden. He surprise--and annoys--everyone by taking his job seriously. Yet as he attempts to keep his city safe from fire, he finds his own life in peril as he stumbles across dangerous secrets.

Mysterious foes are smuggling illegal guns into his city, and they will stop at nothing, not even arson, kidnapping, and murder, as they wage their secret war. He is helped by the man he loves, the handsome but crippled ex-firefighter, Zashi, a man tormented by demons of his own.

Is the Fire Dragon real, or is the truth far more sinister?

Pirates of the Narrow Seas at Amazon Europe

Good news for all of you in Europe: CreateSpace has enhanced its Amazon offerings, and Pirates of the Narrow Seas now appears on Amazon.co.uk, as well as other European Amazon sites. Fans in the UK and other countries will find it easier to obtain copies of the books now. This is something I've been wanting for a long time, and I'm pleased that the distribution has improved and expanded. In other good news, Bristlecone Pine Press has an ETA of June 1 for PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak. This has been a long time coming, so I'm really looking forward to it. ~K~

Fan Review of Iron Men

Yancy Carpentier has posted a lovely review of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 3 : Iron Men at Goodreads.

"I’m a great admirer of M. Kei’s nautical tales. “Iron Men,” book three of “Pirates of the Narrow Seas,” is a grand and powerful seafaring adventure. [...] I love these stories and have read them often. Rapidly paced, the momentum never falters, and the characters are endearing. “Pirates of the Narrow Seas” is a wonderful seafaring adventure. The nautical detail is extensive, and the ships are magnificent characters in their own right. The Sea Leopard you’ve met. The Amphitrite is called Queen of the Sea and has her own story to tell. I recommend “Iron Men” highly."

Read the whole review at: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/315194646

Our Story GLBTQ Historical Fiction email list launches

Our Story: GLBTQ Historical Fiction is part of the GLBT Bookshelf, a wiki where GLBTQ authors, publishers and artists can share their work, and where those who love to read GLBTQ historical novels can find information and reviews and leave their observations. Learn more about Our Story at . To make this easy for you to follow and keep up with, subscribe to this group to hear about the latest features on Our Story, as well as receiving reviews, interviews, press releases, giveaways, and other items of interest in your mail box. The mailing list is moderated and announcement-only. Authors, Artists, and Publishers who are members of the GLBT Bookshelf are welcome to submit items for consideration by the list. (Not all items will be published.) To learn more or sign up just go to: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/our-story-glbtq

These are characters I love, and books I want to keep.

"These are characters I love, and books I want to keep. [...]

Exceptional in style and quality, M. Kei’s “Pirates of the Narrow Seas” have won a prominent place upon my bookshelf. The stories are a grand seafaring adventure, and the characters – Peter and Tangle, chief among them – are true favorites.

The momentum never stops. These are tales of daring, heroic leaders of men who are also honorable, vulnerable, and caring. The characters are well-defined, and many are intriguing. There is humor in unexpected places. The clothing is beautifully depicted. The routine and activity aboard ship are spiritedly illustrated.

The battles at sea never cease to thrill me, as I follow the action, tracing the map from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. The warships are vividly described, and the nautical detail is extensive! The vessels – the Ajax, the Amphitrite, the Arrow and the Sea Leopard – are magnificent characters in their own right.

M. Kei is a sailor-poet in the finest tradition. The imagery he creates is a celebration of the tall ships he loves, and a gift to all of us who have ever wished to sail them."--Yancy Carpentier.

Read the full review, covering the whole series, and Heart of Oak in particular, at: http://bookworld.editme.com/Review-Heart-of-Oak-by-M-Kei

New Novel : Fire Dragon

I am currently stumped in the middle of writing Man in the Crescent Moon, so I have set it aside for a while and worked on other things. In particular, fifteen years ago I wrote a novel that didn't quite gel. Pulling it out and re-reading it, I realized what was wrong and how to fix it, so I did. The novel is a gay Asian fantasy/science fiction story called Fire Dragon, and you can read it for free (for a while anyhow), as I post it to Fictionpress: http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2991636/1/Fire_Dragon

It concerns the struggles of a lowly bucket-maker named Shuibai who is unexpectedly appointed Fire Warden. He actually takes his job seriously, much to the surprise--and annoyance--of other people because he pokes his nose into other people's business. He discovers a conspiracy involving contraband guns and a plan to overthrow the government while falling in love with a crippled ex-firefighter.

Speak Its Name Review PONS 3 : Iron Men

Nan Hawthorne has joined Speak Its Name and her review of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 3 : Iron Men just appeared.

"Like the first two novels, number three is full of exciting sea battles, with nautical detail that provides a backdrop without leaving you feeling like you missed something, cleverly imagined and written. Thorton is an unusual protagonist — he is not the preternaturally gorgeous and heroic seafaring man, but instead a refreshingly human, flawed but earnest striver."

Read the complete review at: http://speakitsname.com/2012/01/03/review-pirates-of-the-narrow-seas-iii-iron-men-by-m-kei/