Michael Jensen (1) (1963–)
Author of Frontiers
For other authors named Michael Jensen, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Image credit: via Goodreads
Series
Works by Michael Jensen
Associated Works
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Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1963-10-17
- Gender
- male
- Relationships
- Hartinger, Brent (partner)
- Short biography
- Michael Jensen is the author of two gay historical fiction novels, Frontiers (Pocket Books 1999) and Firelands (Alyson, 2004). Frontiers was hailed as “...a breathtaking novel”...“racing narrative, high drama, vivid images, keen dialogue, even hot sex”...“the creation of a new genre...written with passion, wit, and a heart as big as the continent...”
Mr. Jensen is the co-founder of IGLOO, a gay and lesbian employee group that successfully fought to bring domestic employee benefits to the airline where he has worked as a flight attendant for fifteen years. In addition, Mr. Jensen also co-founded a successful gay and lesbian authors group that has brought together a diverse group of writers to help promote gay and lesbian fiction.
He is currently researching his next historical novel.
Mr. Jensen lives in Tacoma, Washington with another novelist, Brent Hartinger, his partner since 1992. [author's website]
afterelton@gmail.com - Places of residence
- Tacoma, Washington, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Washington, USA
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Reviews
Cole Seavey knew it might not be the best idea to venture west on his own. But he needed to get away from his life back east and he figured he might see if he could catch up with his brother out on the frontier. But a run-in with a cougar as he tried to save a young child in the middle of the woods left him in the path of a much more dangerous and mysterious creature. And it also left him on the run without any of his supplies. He's saved by a Delaware Indian name Pakim and he quickly finds show more himself pulled into the politics and drama of the local community. But the creature he encountered in the woods isn't going away, and more people are going missing or reporting sightings of something strange in the forest. When it finally makes a move that could bring them all down, Cole and Pakim realize they might be parted--just when they've started to connect on a deeper level. Is this just Cole's luck? Or is there a chance they will both make it out alive?
This is a very well-written historical m/m romance, which is a genre I absolutely think we need more of in the world. We know that there were certainly LGBT people during these eras in history, but because they had to keep their lives hidden most of their stories are lost to us. I love the idea of thinking about what life may have been like and filling in those gaps with good stories just like this one.
This is the second book in a series, but there is no need to have read the first book to dive into this one--it can live as a stand-alone novel. I've not read the first book, and I had no problems understanding what was going on or following the story.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.] show less
This is a very well-written historical m/m romance, which is a genre I absolutely think we need more of in the world. We know that there were certainly LGBT people during these eras in history, but because they had to keep their lives hidden most of their stories are lost to us. I love the idea of thinking about what life may have been like and filling in those gaps with good stories just like this one.
This is the second book in a series, but there is no need to have read the first book to dive into this one--it can live as a stand-alone novel. I've not read the first book, and I had no problems understanding what was going on or following the story.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.] show less
Man, I had really high hopes for this book - gay characters in a frontier setting! correct use of Wendigo mythology! - but I had to give it up after about sixty pages. The writing was stilted, and the characters talked endlessly around pointless things, like the writer had maybe enough material for a short story and was padding it out to novel length.
I don't know why, but I think of this book as the gay "Cold Mountain." Even though, historically speaking, it's about 100 years BEFORE that Civil War book.
I found myself really liking the protagonist in this book. Sure, he can't seem to do anything right, but you grow fond of him anyway, even though you are left confused on the first location of the book and how he ended up bedding with an officer. But then you see how haphazard his life is, so you figure you've just jumped into his life in show more the middle of it.
The travels he takes and the experiences he has really make you root for him in the end, hoping he finds his homestead and meets someone he can settle down with. This guy really gets into some predicaments and he sure is jumpy.
I usually don't like books that have flashbacks to when the main character was younger, told as a journal entry would be told, but the ones in this book, at the beginning of each chapter, were not very long and were usually pretty comical. I liked them.
My problem was with the ending. Granted, they leave you believing it's going to be a happy ending, but the book ends with Palmer going to the fort with his family, so he's actually leaving at the end. Sure, he says he'll be back, but it doesn't change the fact the last scene with him in it, he's leaving. And they just assume Gwennie is okay and the she survived the fire, Chapman just "knows" she's alive somewhere, but they don't actually PROVE IT! I don't like that just left hanging.
Overall though, it was a really enjoyable book to read. I'll rate it a 7.5 out of 10. show less
I found myself really liking the protagonist in this book. Sure, he can't seem to do anything right, but you grow fond of him anyway, even though you are left confused on the first location of the book and how he ended up bedding with an officer. But then you see how haphazard his life is, so you figure you've just jumped into his life in show more the middle of it.
The travels he takes and the experiences he has really make you root for him in the end, hoping he finds his homestead and meets someone he can settle down with. This guy really gets into some predicaments and he sure is jumpy.
I usually don't like books that have flashbacks to when the main character was younger, told as a journal entry would be told, but the ones in this book, at the beginning of each chapter, were not very long and were usually pretty comical. I liked them.
My problem was with the ending. Granted, they leave you believing it's going to be a happy ending, but the book ends with Palmer going to the fort with his family, so he's actually leaving at the end. Sure, he says he'll be back, but it doesn't change the fact the last scene with him in it, he's leaving. And they just assume Gwennie is okay and the she survived the fire, Chapman just "knows" she's alive somewhere, but they don't actually PROVE IT! I don't like that just left hanging.
Overall though, it was a really enjoyable book to read. I'll rate it a 7.5 out of 10. show less
After his father's death, Cole Seavey travels to the isolated community of Hugh's Lick in western Pennsylvania where his elder brother was last heard from only to find his brother has died and the whole community on the verge of panic.
A good quick read, even if at one point thoughts of a certain cartoon dog did come to mind. These thoughts were quickly dissipated, however, by what happened next as we moved to the climactic struggle and a satisfying epilogue.
A good quick read, even if at one point thoughts of a certain cartoon dog did come to mind. These thoughts were quickly dissipated, however, by what happened next as we moved to the climactic struggle and a satisfying epilogue.
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