Lower summer prices on three of my novels …

Looking For An Intriguing Summer Read?

Kindle and Nook prices have been reduced on three of my books to help introduce them to more readers. If you identify with the philosophy of Enlightened Male, you’ll identify with the tales I write. They are available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble paperback and ebook form, and at Smashwords for all other ebook readers.

$2.99

“I thoroughly enjoyed The Strange Haunting of Johnny Feelwater. Savannah (Georgia) and Kenya come alive in author Martin Brant’s descriptions. The diverse cast of characters is compelling, and the suspense is built-in by the multi-sensorial descriptions of a haunted house filled with a range of unsettling beings, and by the question of what kind of intriguing “debauchery” Johnny will be coerced into next!

Johnny stumbles into a sticky web of relationships between his wife Marilee, the otherworldly siblings Julian and Cassandra, and his new friend Brian. Ultimately he realizes an important difference–love–between the nature of his relationship with Brian and that of his relationship with Julian. Marilee opens up to her body and its responses thanks to Johnny, and Johnny finally learns the reason for Cassandra’s revenge.

The ending is a terrific wham/bam whirl, with one surprise after another in the last few pages, including a main character’s deus-ex-machina solution, very nicely done.

The Strange Haunting of Johnny Feelwater is a portentous and philosophical novel, not to be confused with barely-sketched characters ripping each others’ pants off. Sure there’s sex: the erotic massage scene is riveting, and the leather “heathen” sequence appropriately disgusting yet compelling! But beyond this, Brant’s writing expertly explores the “haunting” of bisexuality: a phantom sex hovering in the wings, an obsession never completely conquered in the heft and smell of remembered flesh. At times the novel seems to confirm the common perception that bisexuality is merely the mid-life crisis of married men who realize they’re gay. But at other times, we read and understand the circumstances of characters for whom bisexuality is not a transitional phase, but a way of life. Highly recommended, suspenseful, beautiful writing.”

Review by Logunede Jones on Amazon

$2.99

“Martin Brant sure knows how to put a good story together, and he’s done it again in Copperas Cove. With the main character, Jonathan Scott, challenging his inner urges, readers are also left with a few challenges…be they where we all stand in the full spectrum of human sexuality or our attitude to racial discrimination. Set in the USA deep south in the mid-nineteen-fifties, the tale is gripping/surprising/enlightening, and a whole lot of other “ings” which all amount to fascinating, and damn good reading. One hopes that Martin can keep going with more of his stories, and I for one wait with eager anticipation.”

Review by Douglas Gellatly.

$3.99

“In the far far-away recesses of our souls, behind all those cobwebs of yes’s and no’s, do’s and don’ts, and alleged transgressions we picked up along the way, our hearts may feel a featherlike caress of an erotic thought. Is it a desire, never acknowledged, never admitted and, more likely, never acted upon with anyone?

Then, too, there are those of us who live out our erotic dreams. However, our tastes along these lines are as varied as winter snowflakes. Mr. Brant’s book is an anthology of his short stories that cover the gamut of human fantasy or delight. “For those Enlightened Minds” at least one of the stories might be an injection of adrenaline into a not so intimate relationship…a map to try something new.

His description of ordinary/out-of-the-ordinary sexuality (reliant on the reader’s fantasy) is excellent. From his other two books, one knows of the quality of Mr. Brant’s distinction as a writer.”

Review by Alain Gaston

Novels About Like-Minded Men You’ll Love

Thinking about reading a Martin Brant Novel?

A review of A Song in the Park

Mr. Brant is a superb author, a man versed in the fine tuning of your heart. This was another “can’t-put-it-down” book. The reading is light, though Mr. Brandt has a vast knowledge of human nature. You won’t be overwhelmed by a vocabulary which will make you put down the book. In saying that, I don’t want to reflect on Mr. Brant’s intellect. Obviously it is very high.

It is a story of love…a mélange of emotions between a black man, a white man, two white women and a Latino PLUS a little 4-legged heart thief named Perk. If you are looking for a novel with “kinky” sex on every page, this is NOT a book to read, although it does contain physical love. It is primarily a story of love between two men…then a white woman and a Latino fall in love. The beauty of tolerance unfolds on every page. There are times when tears ran down my cheeks and times when my heart was warmed with joy and happiness

Mr. Brant had an insight into my very being by his statement, “My heart searches for a haven away from small minds.”

HAVE A BIG MIND AND OPEN YOUR HEART TO TOLERANCE AND LOVE. Remember, every last person on this planet wants to be loved. Let your heart and your mind be toyed with a little bit. You will reap a great investment and walk away with warmth in your soul.

Larry Tomaw

Paperback

Kindle

All other E-book versions

.

The Strange Haunting of Johnny Feelwater

A review on Amazon

I thoroughly enjoyed The Strange Haunting of Johnny Feelwater. Savannah (Georgia) and Kenya come alive in author Martin Brant’s descriptions. The diverse cast of characters is compelling, and the suspense is built-in by the multi-sensorial descriptions of a haunted house filled with a range of unsettling beings, and by the question of what kind of intriguing “debauchery” Johnny will be coerced into next!

Johnny stumbles into a sticky web of relationships between his wife Marilee, the otherworldly siblings Julian and Cassandra, and his new friend Brian. Ultimately he realizes an important difference–love–between the nature of his relationship with Brian and that of his relationship with Julian. Marilee opens up to her body and its responses thanks to Johnny, and Johnny finally learns the reason for Cassandra’s revenge.

The ending is a terrific wham/bam whirl, with one surprise after another in the last few pages, including a main character’s deus-ex-machina solution, very nicely done.

The Strange Haunting of Johnny Feelwater is a portentous and philosophical novel, not to be confused with barely-sketched characters ripping each others’ pants off. Sure there’s sex: the erotic massage scene is riveting, and the leather “heathen” sequence appropriately disgusting yet compelling! But beyond this, Brant’s writing expertly explores the “haunting” of bisexuality: a phantom sex hovering in the wings, an obsession never completely conquered in the heft and smell of remembered flesh. At times the novel seems to confirm the common perception that bisexuality is merely the mid-life crisis of married men who realize they’re gay. But at other times, we read and understand the circumstances of characters for whom bisexuality is not a transitional phase, but a way of life.

Highly recommended, suspenseful, beautiful writing.

Paperback

Kindle

All other E-book Versions

My Best Novel?

When I’m asked which of my novels is my favorite, I’m hard pressed to give an answer.  In one way or another, I’m attached to all of them.  I’m sure most writers are.  I can, however, talk about the one I think is best.  Though it sells the fewest copies, it’s The Strange Haunting of Johnny Feelwater.

There are a number of reasons for this; primarily it’s the unconventional way this story is told.  Like countless men in the world today, Johnny Feelwater comes to a point in his life he has to face the powerful laws of genetics, the laws that concern his sexuality.  The reason I use the term unconventional is because of the catalyst involved that puts him in this predicament, i.e. his so-called haunting; which I think may be the reason this novel doesn’t sell as well as the others.  Readers looking for an emotional human drama might, based on the title, pass on this story thinking it is more typical of books written in the supernatural genre.  Setting the record straight, though a supernatural element does exist in this novel, it merely exists to serve the aforementioned catalyst.  And, I might add, an intriguing twist.

The story deals with the complexities of human sexuality, the internal struggle a man faces in a society that tries to block the path he may have taken had he known it should have been open to him.  An inexplicable event in Johnny’s life exposes him to the most basic carnal instincts inherent in all of us, which point him toward the direction his sexuality would have led him had that door been open.  How all of this can affect a man’s life is the gristle and marrow of the story.

So if you’re looking for something to read, something about the drama of human emotion and sexuality, I hope you consider The Strange Haunting of Johnny Feelwater.  It’s a tale you won’t soon forget.

SMASHWORDS…The easy-to-use Ebook Store

Ebooks for any electronic device known to man.

Martin Brant novels are now available on Smashwords.

Click the book description for a direct link.

Five like-minded married men discover the joy, the mystery and the consequences of acting on their urges.

Two men, troubled by their past, cross paths where the desert and mountains meet the sky.

A World War II tale about the French Resistance, a dangerous assignment, and the drama of human endurance and passion.

After nine years of marriage and inheriting a house in historic Savannah, the phantoms of Johnny’s past force him to face a long-buried secret.

Short stories about human diversity and the vexing riddles of human sexuality.

Born in the Wrong Body

Michelle ( born Michael) knew something was wrong before she reached puberty.  She knew she wasn’t a boy, even if she looked like one.  She didn’t fit in with the boys, nor could she understand their passion for football, or why they were so cruel.

blog5

It wasn’t until she reached college that her life’s path unfolded in her mind, after a few cups of coffee with the psychology professor. She would evolve, step-by-step become a woman, physically, on the outside just as she was inside.

With the hormone injections behind her, the hours of electrolysis, the counseling and planning, the new job in another part of the country, now as a woman, only the final operation remained. She didn’t expect to fall in love, not before that last fateful step that would complete her physical transition as a woman. Telling him, as it turns out, is easily the most difficult thing she ever faced.

Born in the Wrong Body, one of the nine tales in my recently published collection of short stories, Erotic Tales for Enlightened Minds. Available here, on Kindle, or by special order at a nearby bookstore.

FrontCover2_ 265x419_EroticTales

Antinous…In His Own Words?

You are about to read an epistle written by Antinous to his dear friend Lysicles, in which he describes a carnal encounter with the much older Cyprias, as it might have read if it actually existed.

Antinous_Braschi

Presented by Sir Richard Wadd

Hard Resolution

Lysicles

Though he endeavours often to keep me close to him, there are times when sensitive affairs of state preclude even my own eyes and ears from learning certain things that doubtless press heavily upon Hadrian’s shoulders. When, however, we are later reunited into each others’ arms, I do my best to help him forget – if only for a brief respite – the weight of those responsibilities upon him.

Such is my duty, and it is not one I take lightly. While Hadrian has made it clear that his sights are set on a lustrous future career for me, and that he shall do whatever he can to ensure that I achieve it, I have also made it clear to him that my present concern is only for his immediate comfort. And so, while I shall work hard to learn as much as I can from him concerning the business of administering a civil service, I shall also take pains to unburden him of its stresses when and wherever I see fit to do so.

It goes without saying that I will not knowingly add to his daily burden, nor bother him with the trivialities of others’ requests, petitions, or prayers.

At least, it used to go without saying, for it was always an unspoken understanding in my brain; something I intuitively knew without needing to articulate into private thoughts. Perhaps it was the shock of betrayal at the hands of Mordanticus; the sudden understanding that, simply by virtue of my proximity to Hadrian, I was in constant danger of being exploited by unscrupulous others as a tool to access his ear. That experience had the gradual effect of turning me into an extremely cautious fellow, to the point where I now find my defensive walls grown increasingly fortified when in the company of others – especially if Hadrian is not present.

Thus I was not entirely surprised to find the requests beginning almost immediately, mostly from those whom I know only casually. What is far more disappointing to me, however, is the fact that such petitions have also begun to come from my friends, or, at the very least, those with whom I have a friendly acquaintance.

The most painful event (for that it has caused the most grief in me) is the one that transpired a few days ago, in the company of Cyprias. I had gone to him to replenish my supply of soaps – both for me personally and for Vitalis who had officially replaced me as Keeper of Epeius. But I had also gone simply to visit, for I had not seen Cyprias since my ascension to Favourite and sensed that he was keen to see and congratulate me.

Indeed, he was quite effusive in his praise, and made clear his delight and pride in my new position. “No doubt,” he joked, “a small part of that success is owing to the enjoyment that Hadrian has consistently had from the fragrant cleanliness of his horse!”

I laughed, and was very gracious in agreeing with his somewhat farcical assessment. “May I pleasure you?” he asked me eagerly. His face was warm and sincere, and the desire in his eyes was genuine and loving. I thought of Hadrian, and of his schedule. He was very busy that day: he was at that moment taken on an arduous inspection of the Guard, and then we both shared the promise of a long evening of entertaining ahead. I resolved that, in our time together that night, Hadrian would likely not be in so demanding a sexual mood as on other, less strenuous days. The result was that I felt comfortable in my decision to share some pleasures with Cyprias. “But I will not be entered,” I warned him. “You may have my thighs: not my arse.” (For I was being cautious – just in case!)

This to him was quite amenable, and we fell into our familiar pattern: myself in his mouth to my climax, and then he behind me to his.

antinous

I have always enjoyed the warmth and wetness of capable lips around me – and it is all the more astonishing an experience when the mouth into which I am thrusting belongs to a man of stature above me. Gryllus, Cyprias, and Hadrian have all been such for me. (Decentius, however, has never taken me into his mouth, for he, at least, subscribes to the ancient fashion that demands of free men to abhor it.) Yet from these three, I have learned that rules are never so rigid as the cocks they would command, and human desires – expressed in their true and private authenticity – far outshine the dull and traditional edicts that supposedly govern them. That is why, though I am freeborn and a citizen of Rome, I may still have my backside opened and claim in truth to enjoy it. And that is why, though he is the emperor of the world, Hadrian may still take me into his mouth and happily swallow what my pleasure serves up to him. Such are the private exchanges of sensible people together, who share themselves beyond the glare of public scrutiny. And I am grateful for that, for it gives me hope that perhaps with Vitalis I may continue to share pleasures long beyond the end of our youth.

Continue reading

Revolutionary Maneuvers

An erotic tale by Logunede Jones

Don’t you think you could procure a blanket, and loosen my hands? No? Then it shall be as you wish, lieutenant. I will speak as to why you have encountered me here in these conditions. As you recall, you sent me on a reconnaissance mission to follow the rebel Captain Lewis with the purpose of determining where the Continental Army stores its ammunition. Captain Lewis’s imposing musculature and blond locks made him easy to spot from the grove of trees where I hid to spy on their regimental training technique. He led his men in jumping and running and wrestling on the field, before he called off their exercising for the day. Then I followed him down a wooded path to a remote clearing, to this very barn where we now sit, thinking this place to be, perhaps, a seeming storage for ammunition. The captain entered through the main door behind you, so I slipped around the side of the building to the back wall, behind where I am now, where there is only a thin strip of land, separated from a steep riverbank by a row of thorny hedge. Along the back wall I found a rotted-out opening between the planks where I could just manage to see that Captain Lewis was expected. I peeked through the boards to see him embracing a young Indian woman whom I had never seen before, her shiny black hair trailing down her back to her waist. I did not learn her name, but we can call her Necklace of Pearl, a name that will be most appropriate, as you shall hear. They kissed passionately while she began to undress him. It turns out that she had drawn a bath for him here in the barn, so he could refresh himself of his perspirations from the field maneuvers. She unbuttoned his jacket and tunic as he rolled her ample posterior between his knuckles. When she had his shirt off, the differences in his skin tone wrought by the sun’s angry rays were certainly evident, leaving him two-toned red and white, both colors contrasting markedly with the dark chestnut color of her skin. He almost tripped getting out of his breeches, which made his noble parts, already aroused, flop around in the open air beneath their crown of curly gold. His penis struck me as rather wide, and it was even…

My purpose, Sir, is to show you that I do indeed have a keen eye for detail, and that your trust in me for this mission was not misplaced. With your permission, I shall continue. Captain Lewis lowered himself into the bathing basin, over there to your right, which as you can see is a rather large, oblong one made of wood. Necklace of Pearl made as if to pour some of the warmed water onto his chest, but smiled piquishly as she let it run down her own, making transparent the thin cotton of her embroidered blouse and awakening her nipples. Then she did pour the bathwater on the captain, proceeding straightaway to lather his chest and what I could see of his legs sticking up over the rim of the basin. As she bent over him, he pulled her blouse down over her bosom, exposing her quite large and wet breasts to his ardent gaze. He did not know, yet, that he had exposed them to mine own eyes as well. He made to lick and suck them, cradling one at a time of her bounteous bosoms in both hands as to fondle them and knead them like dough.

At this moment there came a knock at the door, a rap that seemed to be a coded rhythm. Necklace of Pearl smiled. “’Tis the sergeant,” she said, “the man I’ve chosen for us this afternoon. Let him think he is alone, at first.”

Such was the captain’s haste that he did not bother to dry off his body, but only leapt from the basin in like manner as he came into the world, and crouched behind a hay bale not two feet in front of me, obstructing my vision of anything other than his glistening buttocks. I held my breath. I heard the sergeant enter and greet the girl. It seemed that the captain, at least, could see what was happening. Then there was only silence for some time, during which the captain, I could not help but observe, tugged repeatedly on his penis as it dangled between his legs, and pulled gently on his own sac. I was of a mind to follow his example, as I sat observing the pink pucker of the cleft between his buttocks perched just in front of my eyes, but I could risk no such movement to the possibility of discovery. I heard the splash of feet entering water, and began to assume that the sergeant was commencing where the captain had left off. ‘Twas a most confusing but intriguing state of affairs, as I’m sure you can imagine, Sir.

Continue reading

Now at an Amazon Link Near You

FrontCover2_ 265x419_EroticTales

Since I’ve been working on this collection, I’ve been asked a few questions.  Here’s a sampling:

You normally write novels; why short stories?

It mainly has to do with my interest in human diversity.  There are scenarios that make great novels.  Other situations people find themselves in can be told on fewer pages.  Born in the Wrong Body, for example, is a story about a woman born in a man’s body who goes through a series of sex reassignment procedures.  Having normal female desire, she falls in love with a man, who doesn’t know her history, before the final operation that will create a vagina from her penis.  Her heart beats just like everyone else’s, yet her circumstances are vastly different.  That’s what makes her story interesting, though the essence of her story can be told in a couple dozen pages.

Who are you writing these stories for?

When I first started publishing, it surprised me such a large percentage of my audience are women.  Why, I’m not sure.  They’re entitled to be as intrigued as men are in man to man relationships.  They get turned-on by reading about two men having sex just as men do with two women having sex.  I think they’ll be equally interested in this collection of tales, especially Two Husbands, a story about a straight wife married to a bisexual man, and the way she deals with the situation in the end.  This is the first time I’ve included women in the main relationship on a sexual basis.  Basically this book is for intelligent people with open minds who are fascinated by the diversity of human nature.

Which is your favorite story?

That’s tough to decide.  Writing them, I was totally into them all.  If I had to chose, it would be Charlene’s Daughter.  Not that I condone incest or sex with under-age girls, but I do understand human nature.  This story gets you in the gut.  Maybe because of the way it’s told.  Maybe because the characters are flawed but endearing.  Maybe because the story would make a good novel.  I am also fascinated by the concept in Two Husbands.

Are these stories erotica?

Although there are erotic scenes in this collection, I wouldn’t classify the stories as erotica.  Erotica is about and revolves around sex and sexual tension.  Short stories are snapshots of certain events or certain chapters in a person’s life; in this case, life changing chapters.  The stories in Erotic Tales for Enlightened Minds revolve around circumstances that lead to romantic self-discovery.

Why don’t you use traditional publishers?

I did, once, my first novel.  The first publisher that read it, bought it.  Thrilling as that was, it turned into the most dreadful experience I’ve had in my writing career, and put a very badly edited book on the market in my name.

What do you like best about writing?

Other than the creative process, I like most hearing from people who have read one or more of my novels.  I like reader input and opinions.  A writer learns from things like that.  I like hearing from people who have enjoyed the story and perhaps have identified with one of the characters.  By virtue of reading my novels, the reader knows me.  I hope the response will be as gratifying for Erotic Tales for Enlightened Minds.

Use the link below to order a copy in paperback.  Click here for the Kindle version.

Time Just Keeps Slipping By

November hasn’t provided me the time to generate as many posts as I may have liked.  I’ve been working on my next book, a collection a of short stories called Erotic Tales for Enlightened Minds.  I’m seeing it as my most interesting work to date, dramas that involve the human condition in its infinite varieties, created for men and women that have an interest in such things.

The first draft of some of these tales are currently posted on this site.  But as I say, they are first drafts.  Think of them as rose buds; genuinely pleasant to look at, though you don’t see the petals or smell the fragrance.  This is where an author’s work begins.  The story has been outlined, but to smell the fragrance and see the colors depends on the author’s propensity for just the right keystrokes.

FrontCover2_ 265x419_EroticTales

It should be available on Amazon by the end of the year.  In the meantime, if you haven’t read any of my novels, you might give one a try.  Or if you have and enjoyed it, try one of the other ones.  Just click one of the links to Amazon in the right margin.