Bryl R. Tyne

Another great book from Bryl Tyne. This is my version of how it came about....

“Thwack.”
I opened my eyes, or tried to at least. What, in God’s name had I drunk last night? A large shape loomed before me, tapping what looked like a large stick against one hand. He didn’t look happy.
“Who.. who… are you?” I swallowed. If he was who I thought he was. I was in deep shit.
“I believe you refer to me as Big Daddy, Bryl.” He glared at me. “I’ve had it up to here…” He stopped show more to make a menacing cutting motion against his throat then resumed tapping, harder and faster this time. “.. with you taking my name in vein.”
I untangled the sheets from around my legs and struggled to sit up. Once an editor always an editor. “Um, it’s V-A-I-N not….”
The stick… no, now my brain had started functioning properly I could see it was a rolled up bundle of papers… sped up. The voice thundered. I winced and covered my ears. Turn down the volume, dude. You’re the all seeing, all knowing… you know what my head feels like!
“I’d get you to do three Hail Mary’s, but somehow I don’t think that’s your style.”
He threw the bundle on the sheet beside me and, as they spread out, they made a neat fan shape. Well, I suppose if anyone could pull off that trick, he could.
“Instead you’re going write me a story.”
That didn’t sound too hard. I was a writer after all. I picked up the top photo. Dark, curly hair, short clipped beard, white Chesty Bond singlet, an impressive set of muscles. I could do him. “Afro-American?”
Big Daddy snorted. “Mexican, Brazilian? I don’t give a damn. Dark, tough though. Nothing like your sweet Zigzagel. Name’s Travon.”
Okay. I picked up the next photo. White, blond shaggy hair flopped over an impressive pair of shades. Enough fuzz on his chin to stop him looking too girly. Cool. Hot.
“That’s, Drew.”
“So what’s the plot?”
“I don’t give a shit.”
My eyes… no gaze… Bryl, get it right… jerked up from my contemplation of the next photo. If Travon looked tough, this guy looked downright dangerous. All attitude and power. Big too. Huge. Menacing. Below him was someone who looked like Danny de Vito’s twin brother.
“So I can write whatever I like?”
The smile that curled Big Daddy’s lips made me swallow. This was not good.
“As long as you include…” He started ticking points off against his fingers. “Jewellery, a car chase, blackmail, handcuffs, sex, lot’s of sex…” He paused and the smile turned into a downright leer. “You do like writing about sex, don’t you, Bryl?”
I nodded. Yeah, this guy knew me inside out.
The ticking off continued. “Bribery, armed robbery, adultery…”
This was starting to sound like a warped version of the Ten Commandments.
He looked confused for a moment. He was running out of fingers. He’d used one for sex and another for “lot’s of sex”, but I wasn’t going to correct him. I had a feeling my job was going to be hard enough as it was.
He shrugged as his forefinger struck the last digit. “… and Brut deodorant.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” I scrambled to my knees. I hadn’t been in this position since… what the devil had the guy’s name been??? His dick had been nice though.
Big Daddy shook his head. “Nope. The story must include Brut deodorant.”
I sat back on my heels and groaned. Just including something like that would wreck my street cred. The almighty, all powerful sure knew how to turn the screws. One last photo stared up at me from the pile. Whereas the other characters seemed like they belonged in the world Big Daddy had portrayed, this guy seemed different. Like an accountant. Conservative, short hair, straight, boring.
“Who’s this?”
“Tray.”
“Like in one of those flat things you use to carry stuff?”
“T.R.E.Y.”
An idea started taking shape in my mind. He thought he was punishing me for writing stories about his minions with pinions. He was dead wrong. It sounded like just the sort of fucking challenge I loved. Guns, murder, mayhem.
He started to turn but stopped. “Oh, and it has to have a happy ending for everyone.” He glared at me for a second. “They are possible you know, Bryl.”
I buried my face in my hands. Now I was well and truly fucked.

(I'm pleased to report, that Bryl succeeded.) show less

What a wonderful and deeply moving story.
The sheer depth of the author's understanding and the vivid depiction of the bleakness in Bret's mind as he stood on the edge of the building was gut wrenching.
Yes, you felt for the young boy rejected by his parents, but you also felt for Zagazagel as a war raged within him whether to interfere or not.
In the end he could no more walk away than anyone could blessed with the ability to stop tragedy.
If only there were more Zagzagel's around. If only show more there was less need for them. show less

Yes, I've been on a sad streak, but I swear it's not because of my mood! This was just a crappy book!

The relationship between the two MCs in [b:Rite of Passage|229021|Rite of Passage|Alexei Panshin|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334659898s/229021.jpg|2160570] was literally forced. Seriously, John, a writer who is medicated because of severe panic attacks, is set up in an isolated house in the middle of no where in Colorado (not even any postal service) with a gay, hunky neighbor, by his show more publicist with the hopes he will produce a manuscript for her. The neighbor is sent specifically to keep an eye on John and make sure he doesn't wig out. Yeah, they are attracted to each other, despite a 20 year age difference, but it just didn't work for me. Once the two MCs fell into bed, the story pretty much ended and we didn't get to see how John worked out his many, many issues. He was just so sad...

Can't recommend this book. John was too pathetic and I didn't believe the attraction for one minute.

Yes, I've read a string of not-so-great books lately, but I'm still having fun reading them! Don't you dare feel bad for me. I know there's a "fuck yeah!" right around the corner... show less

This book probably wins the prize of most original book of 2009, and I don't believe that in the next nine months I will be able to find another book as original as this one. Maybe I'm wrong, and out there there are other transgender story like this one, but sincerely I have never stumbled upon them and so feel free to correct me.

Kendra is a woman; she is a beautiful woman, a woman her female colleagues at school "friendly" envy and his male colleagues desire; she also loves her work as show more fifth grade teacher and she is always gentle both with kids than adults. But Kendra is not exactly a woman: she is born with the body of a woman but with a penis, even if small it is always a penis and it works like that also. And so Kendra, who believes in true and forever love, has always thought that for her it's not possible to have it, and always lowered herself to be content with seedy and dreary relationships that clash with her persona and her work.

Then Valerian, Val, enter her life; the new principal of the school, from the first day he seems to fall over heels for Kendra. He is insistent but charming, he vows Kendra with flowers and music, and he treats her like the woman she felt. But Kendra couldn't believe that their story has a future, and always tries to dirty this true love making it only a question of sex.

I like the contrast between Kendra as a woman and her approach to love, and sex. Kendra is a woman in toto, the author is very good in describing her in front of a mirror while she is taking care of her, hair, make up and dresses. Not only that, the author spends time to describe her dresses, even her shoes, and all of this allow the reader to see Kendra as a woman. But, and this is strange, Kendra is also a "man", since what she has of a man, she can't ignore; it's a part of her that always remind her that she is not a "lady", that she is not allowed to have the forever love she wants. And so Kendra is a woman but also a man.

I like also Val, even if he has not the development of Kendra. He is the classic Prince Charming, and behaves like that; he is perfect and being perfect maybe he is a little less interesting than Kendra. But Val has a final turning that made me almost cheer up for him.

Finally my doubts: first I really didn't understand the final dark "turn", but maybe it allows to give a background to Kendra so the reader can understand why she is so eager to find true love; second I felt the second part of the story a bit rushed, like the author realized that she had only few pages still to complete and tried to packed all in them. I believe this would be even a better story with some pages more, but as it's, for me it is something you should try.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/555403.html show less