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new book available!

Exciting news today—my new book will soon be out. I’ve finally finished it, had it proofread, and even the formatting is done and over. I’m so happy I could scream.

Launch date is January 10, 2024. It’s the first book of a new paranormal series (with a slow-burn, slow-grow romantic subplot) called “Uncommon Adventures”. 

This first instalment has the title “Simon Dale and the Pink Hippopotamus.”

Here’s the blurb, without further ado:

“Young Brit Simon Dale has just obtained his master’s degree in political science and moved to his mother’s hometown Paris to look for a job. Unexpectedly, he is hired by an international agency he has never heard of before—the UNBUA or United Nations Bureau of Uncommon Affairs.

His new boss, Undersecretary Rodelio de Montferrat, turns out to be devastatingly handsome, reckless, and more than just a bit odd. Only an hour after Simon’s job interview, they are both on a plane headed to Luxor. It seems that the Egyptian president has been attacked, and they are supposed to investigate the incident.

Little does Simon know what awaits him. Even in his wildest dreams, he couldn’t have guessed it, either. “Odd” doesn’t even begin to describe the creatures he’s about to meet, the adventures he’s going to live, and the dangerous situations he must face.

Probably, the word “uncommon” should have set him thinking from the get-go…”

I promise you a whole lot of unexpected twists and turns, a funny and breathtaking romp that will hopefully make you gag for the quick release of book #2 (which I will start writing ASAP).

You can preorder your ebook copy on https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPYTMCH4 or https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/simon-dale-and-the-pink-hippopotamus

I’ve been nominated!

Wow! My most recent novel “How to Bed a Prime Minister” has been nominated on Goodreads for the 2022 Members’ Choice Awards in the category Best Humorous (in the M/M Romance group)!

Thank you, Sophia Soames, for nominating me!

And to all my friends—don’t forget to nominate your favourite books in the different categories (you can do so until November 30) and then vote for the books of your choice!

FYI, I went on a nominating spree myself, proposing fabulous Sophia for Best Family Drama and All-Time Favourite M/M Author, amazing Harry F. Rey for Best Historical as well as Best Sci-Fi, etc. And I’ll make sure to vote for other books where someone else was faster in nominating then me

Alfred Nobel and I

Don’t worry, I didn’t have a session with a spiritualist to chat with good old Freddy-boy (“Cheers for the dynamite, mate!”). I wasn’t awarded any prize, either, and probably will never be. Last but not least, physics, chemistry, and economics being complete terrae incognitae for me, I’m not going to talk about those fields nor their laureates, even though they are certainly very important and wise people—I’d make a total fool of me, I’m afraid. No, this is a post about the Nobel Prize in Literature, of course. I know I’m a teensy bit late to talk about this year’s laureate and would feel preposterous to discuss Annie Ernaux, anyway, as I’m not (yet) familiar with her work.

But I thought, why not have a look at the list of laureates, check which writers I know, and share my thoughts about them with you.

The Nobel Prize in Literature is an odd institution. Sometimes you get the impression it’s just the result of a bunch of Swedes playing darts with several names of World Literature pinned to a board. Criticism about the laureates abound. True enough, the list (check it out on Wikipedia) shows an ill-disguised eurocentrism with a heavy nod toward the USA and a polite glance at the rest of the world. Moreover, it’s doubtlessly an expression of male chauvinism (119 laureates in all, with only 17 of them women). But the prestige! The media buzz! The dough (870,000 euros if you please)!

The first Prize was awarded in 1901 to the French writer Sully Prudhomme. If you do the math, you’ll notice that 2022 – 1901 = 121; yet there are only 119 names on the list. In fact, the prize wasn’t awarded several times (1914, 1918, 1935, 1940-1943), but in 1966 and 1974 to two laureates. I guess that adds up in the end.

My list won’t be exhaustive, of course. I didn’t read all the books of all the 119 writers thus honoured, so if someone is not on my personal list (even though they’re world-famous, e.g. Frédéric Mistral or Rudyard Kipling), it’s not an oversight nor snobbism, just a question of not enough time versus too many books to read. I also realise while looking at the complete list that some of those I haven’t tackled yet should absolutely be on my TBR. 

Here we go. In chronological order. And yes, the very first ones (1901-1904) are not on my list.

1905—Henryk Sienkiewicz (Poland/Russian Empire)

Surprisingly, he’s the first author of the list that I’m familiar with. Who doesn’t know, at least by name, “Quo Vadis”? Ancient Rome, Nero, love story between a Christian woman and a heathen patrician. I admit I have no deep-rooted memories of the novel, but that means I don’t recall any negative things, either. I guess I should give it another read (in German, probably) one of these days.

1909—Selma Lagerlöf (Sweden)

When I was a kid, we had that cartoon show on TV called “Nils Holgersson,” based upon Lagerlöf’s novel “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.” I loved the show (and loved the book I read at the same age, too), and after my sister offered me my Kindle at Christmas a few years ago, I bought Lagerlöf’s complete works (in German). I don’t know when, but I’m sure I’ll get to reading at least Nils’s story again some day and hopefully check out more of Lagerlöf’s work, too. As I remember it, Nils is a perfect Christmas read for those who have kept a child’s spirit (my case).

1912—Gerhart Hauptmann (Germany)

Did I read Hauptmann’s best-known naturalist play “Die Weber” (“The Weavers”) in school or not? I couldn’t say. I guess so as Hauptmann is pretty much compulsory reading in German-speaking countries. If I read anything, it hasn’t left much of an impression, I’m afraid (shame on me).

1925—George Bernard Shaw (United Kingdom, Ireland)

Of course. And, alas, another writer the work of which hasn’t left much of an impression. But I’m pretty sure we studied his play “Saint Joan”. As we also did Friedrich Schiller’s “Die Jungfrau von Orleans” (pretty intense and modern) as well as Brecht’s “Die Heilige Johanna der Schlachthöfe” (I remember that one as “yawn”), it’s not surprising Shaw’s take on the same subject was pushed to the background of my mind. I should probably check out more of his plays, even though reading plays is always less thrilling than seeing them on stage.

1929—Thomas Mann (Germany)

I admit, I had kind of a literary crush on Mann in my teenage years, reading loads of his novels (in German) while at school. Voluntarily, too. I’ve always loved “Buddenbrooks,” which I wholeheartedly recommend, found “Lotte in Weimar” quite boring, oddly liked “Der Zauberberg” (“The Magic Mountain”), and was puzzled by “Doctor Faustus.” Btw, “Der Erwählte” (“The Holy Sinner”) is almost unreadable in German (I managed to get through, don’t ask me how), and the tetralogy “Joseph und seine Brüder” (“Joseph and His Brothers”) must be amongst the dullest series of books I’ve ever read. One of the few Mann books I never finished. I’ve also read quite a lot of Mann’s short stories—er, am I allowed to admit I’ve never understood the hype around “Death in Venice”? Not my favourite… But Mann should be on anybody’s TBR, in my humble opinion.

1936—Eugene O’Neill (USA)

If I had to name my favourite playwright, I’d probably come up with him even though I only know one of his plays (“Long Day’s Journey Into Night”) and only read it. But I did so a good dozen times over the years. It’s amongst the most powerful, most touching pieces of writing I’ve ever come across, and it never fails to move me to tears—the ineluctability of the tragedies happening in it, the helplessness of the characters, the glimmer of hope so heart-wrenchingly crushed…

1946—Hermann Hesse (Germany)

Ah, Hesse. Which German-speaking youngster who loves reading hasn’t dug into Hesse? “Siddhartha,” “Der Steppenwolf,” “Narziss und Goldmund” (“Narcissus and Goldmund”), and above all my favourite, “Das Glasperlenspiel” (“The Glass Bead Game”). This latter is a genuine gem. Hesse—a must-read, and if you can, read his work in German!

1947—André Gide (France)

Argh, I only read “Les faux-monnayeurs” (“The Counterfeiters”; loved it, by the way), and wanted to read much more ever since. Definitely on my TBR.

1954—Ernest Hemingway (USA)

“The Old Man and The Sea,” naturally. Not my cup of tea, even though I recognise the man was a wonderful writer. It’s the topic that doesn’t do anything for me. But I’ll make sure I’ll reread it when I get older. And I know I should check out his novels.

1957—Albert Camus (France)

Again, someone I discovered at school and immediately fell in love with. Not “L’Étranger” (“The Stranger”) but rather “La Peste” (“The Plague”). Strong writing.

1964—Jean-Paul Sartre (France)

“La Nausée” (“Nausea”), “Le Mur” (“The Wall”), “Les Mouches” (“The Flies”), and probably many more. I loved the sometimes bleak Sartrian concepts and still quote some of them nowadays (“Hell is other people”), but always found him less a humanist and an optimist than Camus. Nonetheless a writer who deserves to be checked out.

1969—Samuel Beckett (Ireland)

Right behind Eugene O’Neill in my “favourite playwrights”-list. “Waiting for Godot”? A masterpiece, and I had the chance to see it performed twice in my life. Both times awesome experiences. The whole play seems to be so nonsensical, but when you dig deeper, it contains loads of levels and different meanings.

1972—Heinrich Böll (Germany)

I think I read all his books. I’m not joking—when I was a teenager, they had an extensive collection of Böll-books in my local library, and I read them all. I wouldn’t even know which one to recommend, so I’ll recommend his entire bibliography. Like, urgently.

1981—Elias Canetti (United Kingdom, Bulgaria)

I almost didn’t add him before I realised I did read two of his books, “Die Stimmen von Marrakesch” (“The Voices of Marrakesh”) and “Masse und Macht” (“Crowds and Power”). The latter, a study, didn’t catch my attention, but the former is a gem. Very evocative writing about a city I simply adore.

1982—Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia)

Ah, probably my favourite writer ever. “Cien años de soledad” (“One Hundred Years of Solitude”) alone would make him an outstanding author. Add “La mala hora” (“In Evil Hour”), “El otoño del patriarca” (“The Autumn of the Patriarch”), “El general en su laberinto” (“The General in His Labyrinth”), and “El amor en los tiempos del cólera” (“Love in the Time of Cholera”), and you get why I love him so much. Or you don’t get it—there are a lot of people his writing doesn’t touch. If possible, read it in Spanish.

1983—William Golding (United Kingdom)

“Lord of the Flies”—duh. Compulsory school read back in my day, and one that almost traumatized me. I’m not sure I’ll be able to stomach rereading it (which means it left a huge impression on me, and despite its bleakness, a hugely positive one).

1988—Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt)

I bought his “Cairo Trilogy” at the airport of Luxor before flying home from my Nile cruise back in 2018 (or was it 2017?). And I regretted not speaking Arabic because the translation didn’t get me hooked. DNF, alas, but I’ll give it another try one day.

1989—Camilo José Cela (Spain)

My Spanish professor at uni recommended the book, and ever being the optimist, I bought it back then… in Spanish. Not my most brilliant idea because, er, I didn’t get very far. I need to find a neat translation (maybe in French as it’s closer to Spanish than German or English) because I found the narrative intriguing (that is, the bits I did understand…).

1998—José Saramago (Portugal)

OMG. My sister recommended his novel “Blindness,” and it left a huge impression on me. That book is a must-read. Powerful.

1999—Günter Grass (Germany)

“Die Blechtrommel” (“The Tin Drum”), Grass’s best-known novel, is an amazing read. Dark, gripping, somewhat naughty. Totally recommended. I must have read several other books by this author, but they didn’t impress me as much.

2004—Elfriede Jelinek (Austria)

A very strange writer, not really loved in her country (in my country, I should say), but nothing short of amazing. “Die Klavierspielerin” (“The Piano Player”) is one of her books I most vividly remember. Very disturbing, but what a ride!

2006—Orhan Pamuk (Turkey)

I bought “Cevdet Bey and His Sons” in the German translation some years back, but couldn’t finish it. It’s a family saga (a trope I normally love), but somehow I didn’t manage to really “get into” the plot.

2016—Bob Dylan (USA)

Well, who doesn’t know Bob? Now shoot me, but I’m not a huge fan and still don’t understand why he was awarded the prize. Make a songwriter laureate? Why not, but in that case, I would’ve preferred Leonard Cohen, for instance, or Paolo Conte.

2019—Peter Handke (Austria)

I’m sure I read at least one of his books, namely “Wunschloses Unglück” (A Sorrow Beyond Dreams”), but would be incapable of telling you a single thing about it.

That’s it? Ouch, that’s it

Here we are then. 24 out of 119 writers. I don’t know if that’s a good score or a poor one (the latter, I suppose). There are plenty of writers among the 95 remaining that I’d like to discover, especially this year’s laureate, Annie Ernaux, whose work strikes me as genuinely deserving. I read some excerpts, and they got me very intrigued.

So, what are your thoughts on the Nobel Prize? How many writers from the list do you know because you have (extensively | a bit | reluctantly) explored their works? What are your favourites on the list? I’d be very interested in getting your opinions, recommendations, etc. Maybe you’d like to write a short comment on Facebook? My TBR is huuuuuge, so a few more books won’t make a difference 🙂 And we’re talking Nobel Prize laureates here, after all.

Guest in the M/M Euro Book Banter group

I’m so sorry! You know, summer and colleagues on holidays—loads of work to do. That’s why I completely forgot to announce this on the day itself, and afterwards it almost slipped my mind: last Monday, I had the immense honour and privilege to be invited to the M/M Euro Book Banter group on Facebook for their weekly #authormonday. 

FYI, the M/M Euro Book Banter group is a private group (which I urge you to join because it’s such a fun place to hang out in) the description of which says, “A place to discuss and recommend M/M romance books set in the UK/Europe or written by UK/European Authors. Not a dating site. Everything is love here. Please don’t be a twat. Thank you and welcome.”

I hadn’t prepared anything (those who know will NOT be surprised at all), yet somehow managed to flood the thread all day long, chatting about myself, posting some videos, and generally talking about my books. I presented all my six novels and even added an excerpt for each to pique the members’ interest and to allow them to get an idea of the tone and style.

If you want to check out the whole presentation, brace yourself for rather longish posts. You can find them on the group thread. Just head over to M/M Euro Book Banter, join the group, then select Discussion and change the post display setting from Most relevant to New posts. Scroll down to August 1st, and enjoy 🙂

I want to thank my friends over in the group and especially its founding member, awesome fellow writer Sophia Soames, for inviting me and bearing with me all day long. You’re a fabulous bunch to hang out with!

Pre-release excerpt of “How to Bed a Prime Minister”

[Dirk Bormann has just met Sven Bergson in a quite peculiar manner. Here they are now sitting in Sven’s living room about to have coffee…]

I offer him my best, apologetic smile. “I’m really sorry. In normal circumstances I’m less clumsy with people. Could we rewind the whole conversation, please? First, I want to thank you for having rescued me. You saved my life out there. Without your swift intervention, I certainly would have died.” I extend my hand. “My name is Dirk. Dirk Bormann.”

Still amused, he shakes my hand without taking his eyes off me. “It’s a pleasure. I’m Sven Bergson.”

“Sven. Obviously.”

His eyebrows rise while he leans forward and pours coffee into the mugs. He keeps one and hands me the other. “What’s that supposed to mean? In Sweden we aren’t all named Sven, you know.”

I take the cup, nod my thanks, and say, “Of course not. You’re all named Gustaf. Everyone knows that.”

His eyebrows rise even higher. “I beg your pardon?”

“Like in that Krisprolls ad. When that guy eats the Krisprolls on the sly, and his wife says, ‘Gustaf!’”

For a second, he’s too stunned to speak. Then he laughs. “That must be the silliest thing I ever heard. So silly it even makes sense, somehow. But why did you say ‘obviously’ when you heard my name?”

“Because for once I’m lucky. In fact, I’m terrible with first names. But I think Sven will be easy. I won’t mix it up with Sten or Kent, for starters. Nor confound it with Gustaf.”

“What?” He studies me with the earnest expression of an entomologist who has just discovered a new and fascinating bug. 

I guess I must be honest for once. “I’m dyslexic.” I shrug as if that doesn’t bother me. “That’s why names and words always get muddled in my head. But my new in-law is called Sven. It took me a while to get that straight, but now, I don’t call him other names any longer.” I tap my temple with a finger. “Sven. Hello, Sven. Thank you, Sven. How are you, Sven? You see—saved on my hard drive.”

He laughs again. “Glad to hear that. Even though I wouldn’t mind being called Sten or Kent. Especially when I know where the mix-up comes from. Dyslexia is one of those handicaps most people don’t take seriously. But it can be embarrassing for those who suffer from it.”

The novel will be released on July 14, 2022.

You can grab your copy of “How to Bed a Prime Minister”, book 3 of the funny-sunny romance trilogy “Light Hearts”, at the special pre-order and release price on

Amazon (ebook & paperback) or Kobo.

“How to Bed a Prime Minister”—out SOON!

This is it. The third and final book of the Light Hearts series is ready and will soon be released. Many of you have been waiting impatiently for this new rom-com adventure, which tells the tale of Dirk Bormann, the guy who shags faster than his shadow, who collects guys like others collect stamps, who mixes up names, and who doesn’t believe in love. Because… of reasons. Don’t question him. He won’t tell. Or will he?

Anyway, it’s a funny-sunny romance set partly in beautiful Stockholm, partly in its wider archipelago. So, main ingredients: nature. And hygge (if you wonder what that is, check out this amazing Wikipedia-article). And kanebullar, which are those wonderful Swedish cinnamon pastries that are simply to die for. And a solid, earnest university professor. And some friends of the sort we’d all like to have because they’re really BGFF—Best Gay Friends Forever. And of course, Dirk been Dirk, some hot random hook-ups. And quirky situations. And there might even be a royal VIP to make an appearance, but it’s still very hush, hush…

Title: How to Bed a Prime Minister
Series: Light Hearts Trilogy
Release Date: July 14, 2022
Available on: Amazon & Kobo
Formats: Ebook & paperback

You can already pre-order your copy here. The Kobo-link will be up soon, too…

Easter Sale

Springtime is here at long last (at least, in Paris, it has arrived), so I thought it was time for a nice lil’ EASTER SALE!

All my novels in English are now available on Amazon for only $2.99 (Kindle format) / $11.99 (paperback), and that until Easter!

So what you say? Why not dash over to your Amazon site and grab a copy either for yourself or for your friends!

Here’s the list of links:

“The Stuffed Coffin”

“Till Death Do Us Part”

“Ordinary Whore”

“How to Bed a Millionaire”

“How to Bed a Rock Star”

Book #2 of the “Light Hearts” trilogy is out!

The second installment in the Light Hearts trilogy has been published and officially launched last Monday, Jan. 31st. It tells the story of how Karim, whom you’ve briefly encountered in book #1 How to Bed a Millionaire, meets and beds a rock star…

Here’s the blurb:

A nice guy meets a tortured rock star—what are the odds they end up together? Close to nil, right? But sometimes an open heart and mind can work miracles.

Karim successfully helped Trevor and Chao get their love story on the right tracks. He even moved to Paris on their suggestion. Now he’s jobless and all alone in the big city because Trevor and Chao are off on an important quest and Dirk has joined his aunt Karin in Sweden. 

Karim’s only spark of hope is an unexpected mission: play chauffeur for a famous rock star. That is, “famous” … Karim only likes 80s tunes, so he doesn’t have a clue who this guy really is. And honestly? You couldn’t say they hit it off immediately. The man who calls himself Angel Dust is surly, withdrawn, haughty, outright hostile. He also turns out to be… stunningly handsome. Karim’s dream guy.

Ugh. Nothing can come out of this encounter. A chauffeur and his illustrious client, both from different worlds, with clashing characters… And yet, to get into a rock star’s bed might not be the most difficult thing on earth (you can ask any groupie out there). To get into his head and heart? Did someone say impossible?

This is the second summer romance of the Light Hearts series.

You can grab your copy here:

Amazon | ebook & paperback

Kobo | ebook

If you wish to read the first reviews, please proceed to the book’s Goodreads page!

4 poems for free | 4 poèmes gratuits

The new issue of L’Autre Rive (the literary review of the Club Littéraire du Marais), of which I have to honor to be the editor in chief and graphic designer, features four of my poems, three of which are published for the first time.

Check them out here:

https://pdf.lautre-rive-la-revue.fr/Autrerive_No-3.html#p=59

Dans le dernier numéro de L’Autre Rive (la revue littéraire du Club Littéraire du Marais), dont j’ai l’honneur d’être le rédacteur en chef et le graphiste, se trouvent quatre de mes poèmes en anglais avec leur traduction inédite.

Pour les découvrir, c’est par ici:

https://pdf.lautre-rive-la-revue.fr/Autrerive_No-3.html#p=59