It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 27: Bill Hulseman!
Bill Hulseman shares his essay collection: Six to Carry the Casket and One to Say the Mass. We dive into belonging, birth order trauma, pride parades, identity, pop culture (Madonna & Golden Girls as spiritual!), and reconciling religion with queer health!
Bio:
Bill Hulseman is a writer, ritual designer, and former educator whose work explores identity, belonging, and personal agency. His debut book, “six to carry the casket and one to say the mass,” is a collection of deeply personal essays examining the identities we inherit, the traditions we navigate, and the power we have to shape our own narratives. Through reflections on family, Catholicism, and queer identity, Hulseman offers a nuanced exploration of what it means to carve out space for oneself in a world that often seeks to define us.
Aformer middle school principal, teacher, and campus minister, Hulseman holds degrees in religious studies, the comparative study of religion, and education leadership. His time in Catholic schools gave him both a profound appreciation for faith and a firsthand understanding of the tensions between personal identity and institutional tradition. His writing is informed by this background, as well as his deep love for pop culture—where figures like Madonna and “The Golden Girls” helped him see himself long before the world was ready to.
Hulseman now lives in Seattle with his husband, Jonathon, where he continues to write, design rituals, and lead meaningful conversations about identity, faith, and belonging.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 25: Christopher Rice (writing as C. Travis Rice)!
Christopher Rice returns to share his summer romance novella: Party of Three. We dive into the Sapphire Cove Suite Secrets novella stories, how gay romances are different but can have all the elements that romance fans crave, and the importance of telling our own stories!
Bio:
CHRISTOPHER RICE is the recipient of the Lambda Literary Award. He is the Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author of: A Density of Souls; Bone Music, Blood Echo, and Blood Victory in the Burning Girl series; and Bram Stoker Award finalists The Heavens Rise and The Vines. An executive producer for television, he also penned 2 novels with his mother, Anne Rice: Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra and Ramses The Damned: The Reign of Osiris. Together with his best friend and producing partner, New York Times bestselling novelist Eric Shaw Quinn, Christopher runs the production company Dinner Partners. Among other projects, they produce the podcast and video network TDPS, which can be found at www.TheDinnerPartyShow.com. He lives in West Hollywood, California, and writes tales of romance between men under the pseudonym C. Travis Rice.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
June 28, 2024
It gives us great pleasure to present a Season 9, Episode 26 Interview – Christopher Rice
Christopher Rice (writing as C. Travis Rice) returns to share the next novel in his Sapphire Cove series: Sapphire Dawn! We discuss writing a summer romance for a character who’s had a career in porn, how to show the truths of the industry, and how that character is more authentic than ones with a more acceptable pedigree. We then discuss the true crime murder of Billy Newton that Christopher and his podcast partner Eric Shaw Quinn had a hand in solving on The Dinner Party Show!
Christopher Rice is a recipient of the Lambda Literary Award. He is the Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author of: A Density of Souls; Bone Music, Blood Echo, and Blood Victory in the Burning Girl series; and Bram Stoker Award finalists The Heavens Rise and The Vines.
An executive producer for television, he also penned 2 novels with his mother, Anne Rice: Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra and Ramses The Damned: The Reign of Osiris.
Together with his best friend and producing partner, New York Times bestselling novelist Eric Shaw Quinn, Christopher runs the production company Dinner Partners. Among other projects, they produce the podcast and video network TDPS, which can be found at www.TheDinnerPartyShow.com.
He lives in West Hollywood, California, and writes tales of romance between men under the pseudonym C. Travis Rice.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen Right Here:
OR Watch on YouTube:
March 24, 2023
It gives us great pleasure to present Bonus Episode Season 8, Episode 13: Christopher Rice writing as C. Travis Rice!
Christopher Rice, writing as C. Travis Rice, joins us to share his latest Sapphire Cove novel: Sapphire Storm. So if you’re looking for a romance novel where a fitness celebrity tries to exact revenge on a pastry chef, and where the author subtly takes a stand against ageism, then tune in!
Christopher Rice is the recipient of the Lambda Literary Award and is the Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author of A Density of Souls; Bone Music, Blood Echo, and Blood Victory in the Burning Girl series; and Bram Stoker Award finalists The Heavens Rise and The Vines. An executive producer for television, he collaborated with his mother Anne Rice on the novel Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra and Ramses The Damned: The Reign of Osiris. Together with his best friend and producing partner, New York Times bestselling novelist Eric Shaw Quinn, Christopher runs the production company Dinner Partners. Among other projects, they produce the podcast and video network TDPS, which can be found at www.TheDinnerPartyShow.com.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 24: Michael G. Williams!
Michael G. Williams returns to share his collected novellas: Servant Sovereign AND his latest novel, Children of Solitude. We talk about real estate demons being thwarted by witches dipping through time, and then about supernatural horror as a genre that truly peels back the human experience and forces characters (and us) to find joy and love through the dark times!
Bio:
MICHAEL G WILLIAMS writes queer-themed speculative fiction celebrating the unexpected ways we outsiders find ourselves and our people at the heart of the mysterious and the macabre. He’s a member of HWA and SFWA and is on the NC Writers Network Board of Trustees.
He also co-hosts Arcane Carolinas, an award-winning podcast about the myths and legends of his native region. Michael studied Performance Studies at UNC Chapel Hill and Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State, and is a brother in both Mu Beta Psi and St. Anthony Hall.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
September 23, 2022
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 7, Episode 38: Michael G. Williams + Our Review of Wildhood!
Michael G. Williams returns to discuss queer futures and queer joy as seen in his SERVANT/SOVEREIGN and Autumn noir detective novels. We then review Wildhood and share who won our week.
Bio:
Michael G. Williams writes queer-themed science fiction, urban fantasy, and horror celebrating monsters, macabre humor, and subverted expectations. He’s the author of three series for Falstaff Books: the award-winning vampire/urban fantasy series The Withrow Chronicles; a new urban fantasy series featuring real estate, time travel, and San Francisco’s most beloved historical figures, SERVANT/SOVEREIGN; and the science fiction noir Autumn detective novels. Michael also co-hosts Arcane Carolinas, hosts and produces Social Distancing Radio, and contributes to tabletop RPG development. He strives to present the humor and humanity at the heart of horror and mystery with stories of outcasts and loners finding their people. He lives in Durham, NC, with his husband, a variety of animals, and more and better friends than he will admit to deserving.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to welcome Michael G. Williams as the guest on Season 6, Episode 26 – Probably Selectively True!
Michael G. Williams joins us to discuss relating the queer experience through horror, science fiction, and urban fantasy. We dive into empowering queer voices rather than exploiting queer identities, and laugh about some of the joys of writing queer stories.
Michael G. Williams writes queer-themed science fiction, urban fantasy, and horror celebrating monsters, macabre humor, and subverted expectations.
Michael is an avid podcaster, activist, and gaymer, and is a brother in St. Anthony Hall and Mu Beta Psi. He cohosts Arcane Carolinas, a podcast about the strange and unexplained found on the backroads of North & South Carolina, and Data at Rest, an information security podcast. He also hosts Social Distancing Radio, a podcast intended to recreate the experience of author readings at science fiction and fantasy conventions. Michael lives in Durham, NC, with his husband, a variety of animals, and more and better friends than he will admit he deserves.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 22: Patricia Grayhall!
Patricia Grayhall returns to share her new romance: A Place for Us. We dive into connecting with lost loves, building a life together in the face of obstacles, and endings that bring happiness and hope!
Bio:
Patricia Grayhall is a medical doctor and author of the award-winning memoir, Making the Rounds; Defying Norms in Love and Medicine and a romance novel, Golden Years and Silver Linings, with wife and author Linda M. Ford. She has authored articles in Queer Forty, The Gay and Lesbian Review, The Millions, Lesbian Game Changers, The Seattle Lesbian, and Seattle Magazine, and has been interviewed on NPR.
Currently, Patricia is working on her third novel, an environmental crime novel. All of her novels are inspired by real-life experiences, one of the advantages of being an older author. Patricia lives with the love of her life on an island in the Pacific Northwest where she enjoys other people’s dogs and occasional sightings of orca, eagles, otters, and black bears.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
January 20, 2023
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 8, Episode 3: Patricia Grayhall + Sense8 review part 3!
Patricia Grayhall, author of the memoir Making the Rounds: Defying Norms in Love and Medicine, joins us to discuss her training to become a doctor before Roe v Wade, and her lifelong lessons about sustaining relationships. Then Albert Nothlit returns for part 3 of our review of Sense8’s first season!
Patricia Grayhall is a retired medical doctor and author of Making the Rounds; Defying Norms in Love and Medicine that garnered a starred review in Kirkus Reviews, as well as positive reviews from Katherine Forrest and Radclyffe. She’s published articles in Queer Forty, The Gay and Lesbian Review, The Millions, Lesbian Game Changers, The Seattle Lesbian, and Seattle Magazine. In addition to a recent NPR interview, her book is among Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books of 2022.
Patricia lives with the love of her life on an island in the Pacific Northwest where she enjoys other people’s dogs, big nature, and her second career as an author.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 21: Mo Fanning!
Mo Fanning returns to share his new novel: Rainbows and Lollipops. We discuss setting a story close to home – Birmingham in this case, healing from loss, and friends growing into found family!
Bio:
Mo Fanning is a Birmingham-based novelist whose character-driven fiction explores the complexities of love, identity, and human connection through the lens of LGBTQ+ experiences. With his signature blend of humour, heartbreak, and hope, Fanning creates deeply relatable characters whose journeys reflect the universal search for belonging in an often-challenging world. Drawing inspiration from his Midlands roots, Fanning infuses his writing with authentic voices and settings that resonate with readers seeking stories that celebrate the beauty of imperfection and the transformative power of resilience. His innovative narrative approaches and genuine emotional depth have earned him a dedicated following among readers who appreciate contemporary fiction that balances entertainment with meaningful exploration of human relationships.
When not writing, Mo lives with his husband Mark and their beloved Labrador Ernie, continuing to find inspiration in the streets, stories, and people of his beloved Birmingham.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
August 30, 2024
It gives us great pleasure to present a Season 9, Episode 34 Interview – Mo Fanning!
Mo Fanning joins us to share his latest novel Husbands! We discuss the dark side of Hollywood, telling stories while protecting identities, and finding happiness in the end.
Mo Fanning is a part-time novelist, part-time stand-up comic and full-time ageing homosexual. He currently lives in the Black Country backwater town of Stourbridge but aspires to something more rural without neighbours.
With a unique talent for blending romance and comedy in intriguing settings, Mo is an emerging voice in the contemporary fiction scene and aims to be the best-known writer of LGBTQ romance.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 20: Robert Raasch!
Robert Raasch shares his novel: The Summer Between. We discuss coming out in earlier decades, the importance of location shaping story, and why we have to learn who’s harmful to us and who’s loving and supportive!
Bio:
Robert Raasch was raised in Northern New Jersey. He is a writer, architect/designer, and visual artist who is an active participant in 24PearlStreet and the Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He divides his time between Chicago, New York, and Copenhagen, where he is working on his second novel.
Robert is spearheading a grassroots campaign this summer to promote his critically acclaimed novel The Summer Between. Recent appearances, interviews and reviews have included The Bay Area Reporter; The Harvard Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide; Andrew Rimby’s The Ivory Tower Boiler Room; Matt Baum’s Sewers of Paris; and in New York, at The Bureau of General Services Queer Division: Robert was in conversation with acclaimed Author, Christoper Bram.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 19: Jonathan Lerner!
Jonathan Lerner shares his memoir: Performance Anxiety. We discuss the civil rights era, why being LGBTQ+ was even more lonely, and what it was like to find community while realizing you were different!
Bio:
Jonathan Lerner is the author of the novels Caught in a Still Place, Alex Underground, and Lily Narcissus, and the memoir Swords in the Hands of Children. He is a journalist focusing on urban design and environmental issues and a longtime contributing editor at Landscape Architecture Magazine. He lives with his husband, the nonprofit leader and community advocate Peter Frank, in New York’s Hudson Valley.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 18: Sophie Haeder!
Sophie Haeder shares her novel: The Land Within. We discuss being inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, the romantasy genre, and the prominence of LGBTQ+ characters in this literary style!
Bio:
Born in 1992, Sophie Haeder lives in the picturesque countryside of Bavaria, Germany, where she embraces her nerdy nature alongside her roles as a wife and a mother of a little girl. With a lifelong passion for fantasy, encompassing everything from fairies to witches to trolls, she has found solace in imaginative play since childhood. Serving as a gamemaster for her Dungeons & Dragons group brings her immense joy. This love of storytelling eventually led her to writing, a natural progression from her professional career as a content marketing manager. She loves fantasy and art, and her writing combines all of her interests into one. That’s why she does all the artwork for her books herself, including the cover, the map, and every other illustration in her book. If you play D&D yourself, you may recognize some of the mechanics of magic and world-building that follow this kind of vibe. But of course it is not necessary to know anything about D&D to enjoy her book.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 17: John R. Gordon!
John R. Gordon shares his novel: Mother of Serpents. We discuss evil spirits & madness, blending history & myth, and why it’s important to write queer, interracial families!
Bio:
John R. Gordon lives in Shepherds Bush, London, England. He is a screenwriter, playwright and the author of nine novels, Black Butterflies and Warriors & Outlaws, both of which have been taught in the USA; Faggamuffin, Colour Scheme, Souljah, Drapetomania and the interracial YA romance Hark. He writes for the world’s first Black gay television show, Patrik-Ian Polk’s Noah’s Arc, for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination. He is the creator of the Yemi & Femi comic, for adult readers.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 16: Margaret Gardiner!
Margaret Gardiner shares her novel Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar. We discuss being raised to be silent, finding one’s way through damage toward healing, and the dark side of fame!
Bio:
Model. Speaker. Panelist. Host. Journalist. Author.
Margaret Gardiner became an international cover girl at 16, Miss Universe at 18, and ultimately, the fashion editor at goldenglobes.com.
She’s worked with A-list stars from Angelina Jolie to Zendaya. She knows what it is like to be on the red carpet, in the spotlight – and what goes on behind the scenes.
With a degree in psychology, and a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, her debut novel is for every person who has ever been made to feel less.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 27: Bill Hulseman!
