Kirjahaku

Winner 2013 International Book Awards in category Fiction: Gay & Lesbian.Simon, a gay ex-cult member, battles substance abuse in a desperate search for love on the darker avenues of HollywoodSimon Powell escapes the Unification Church of self-proclaimed messiah, Sun Myung Moon, and becomes a successful Hollywood film distributor. Unable to overcome the emotional turmoil that brought him to Reverend Moon's congregation, Simon's despair leads him down a dark path of drug abuse, plagued by religious hallucinations stemming from his fear that, in betraying his faith, he is doomed to a life of suffering. Seldom reflecting on the causes of his self-loathing, Simon embarks on a string of broken relationships that threatens his mental and physical health, until the appearance of Thad, who brings Simon to the realization that love can provide meaning to his life.A profound journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Simon Says offers a probing look into the darker reaches of the human psyche and the renewing power of love.

WINNER INDIEREADER DISCOVERY AWARD FOR LGBT FICTION 2016Simon Powell's rehab counselor encourages him to write down his story, and during sessions, to recount the events of his life. Simon led a troubled childhood before joining the Unification Church of Reverend Sun Myung Moon, a decision that allowed Simon to deny his sexual orientation on the pretext of building a better world. Despite rising to positions of leadership, Simon's despair deepens. When Reverend Moon is indicted on charges of income tax evasion, Simon enlists attorneys in Los Angeles who become friends and introduce Simon to the Hollywood club scene. Simon meets Lyle, a hustler from the boulevard, and enters into a relationship that underscores the hypocrisy of his beliefs. Simon leaves rehab, self-confident, but with a lot of ground to cover in reconciling with his past.Clarion ForeWord Reviews 2013 Book of the Year Award Fiction Gay & Lesbian (Adult Fiction) finalist.

A psychic journey of self-discoveryPopular culture, modern science, and classical mythology blend to express the harrowing realities of drug addiction, cultism, self-destruction, and spiritual confusion. Presented with hypnotic rhythms and hymn-like rhymes, the poems of Myths and Rhymes lead into the dark and chaotic soul of the poet, lost in a world that has ceased making sense. Like the Western Warrior of the final entry, one must go forward in whatever way possible and never look back.

Resentment, lost love, remorse, and death all feed into award-winning writer William Poe's new book Endings: Poetry and Prose. One of the Best Self-Published Books of 2016--IndieReader Poe, winner of the 2016 IndieReader Discovery Awards LGBT Fiction, returns with a new book dedicated to life's more dire experiences. A sharp contrast from his novels, which dealt with self-discovery and battling for a satisfying life, Poe's newest work pulls at your emotions from the other side of the spectrum. An artist makes a fatal decision all for the sake of art. A forgotten woman no longer cages her rage. A gay man struggles to find his place in the world. These are just some of the many narrative elements, as Poe writes about art, death, relationships, being, and reflecting. He writes in response to his own feelings of despair and loneliness as he captures the feeling of what it's like to be unfulfilled. The saddest times in life become prime material for this book of riveting short stories and poetry.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards (LGBT+) 2021 Finalist BookLife Prize General Fiction 2019 Semifinalist. An engrossing saga of a gay man dealing with the sins of a lurid past while moving assuredly into the future. --Kirkus ReviewsFor Simon, the family mansion in Arkansas is a part of him. He may have fled small-town life for addiction--first to religion and then to cocaine--but he has found his way home. Now, all that's left is for him to face those he hurt along the way. As Simon navigates his constant internal struggle between faith and atheism, he must make decisions that will forever alter the course of his life.In this, the third book of his LGBT literary fiction series, author William Poe writes compellingly about his native Arkansas to pen a work of US historical fiction that finally includes the too-often-overlooked stories of gay and lesbian small-town Americans. Simon's Mansion is a moving coming-of-age story about a man finally figuring out how to grow up.