The Christmas Poems is a compendium of poetry that the Krandall Kraus wrote in response to the Christmas season over the progression of years. Thoughtful free verse, introspective contemplations, and meaningful reaching out to other lives and feelings across the breadth of the world characterize this highly recommended collection. Christmas 1990 - Waiting: Wizened men sit/dozing in the sun, while/boys, black and nervous,/blonde and tattooed,/life their balls to the elusive/hoop, impressing, they hope, the gum-/chewing girls from Mission High./Dogs bark and bitter women/call from open windows, their/voices drowning in the rush/of traffic below. Somewhere beyond/their view, just below the Farallones,/the moon swims toward the horizon,/lugging darkness on its back,/gathering light to fill their dreams.

An excellent specimen of gay spiritual fiction. The experimental technique works very well.

Reading this book is a most unusual -- and rewarding -- experience. You enter the mind of the writer in a unique way...and what you get from it is a step-by-step meditation on the process of dying -- and living. "Bardo" is deeply-felt, and just as profoundly communicated. It is a powerful and generous book.

For anyone who has read or heard about the Tibetan Book of the Dead (TBD), this book is a masterful workbook. After quoting from portions of the TBD, the author then writes a number of chapters that illustrate what one gay man dying of AIDS might encounter as he enters the Bardo. He takes the abstractions of the TBD and makes them real. Since all of the experiences in the Bardo are projections of the dying persons mind, these scenes have many aspects - some pleasant, some not. They are much like dreams. Some dreams are repeated with different endings. I found it a fascinating read.

This book, oh, God, this book...

This book is the beginning of a love with the ending being a promise. It has taken me so long to find a gay romance that I'd almost given up...Then I found Krandall Kraus's beautiful novel.

This novel shines so brightly that I didn't need my nightlight at night, it glowed from its place on my bedside table. I cried when it started, and I cried when it ended. Kraus reminds me of Peter McGehee. McGehee didn't write mysteries but absolutely beautiful novels.

But Kraus...he pulled something off that isn't easily...pulled off...This is to write a gay mystery without the content being trashy. This book is so far away from "trashy" that you can't even see it from here. Nickey's and Nigel's love transcends boundries of sexuality...If you've ever been in love, you will know that special language with which this book is talking to your heart.

This is a lovely blend of mystery and romance. Nigel and Nicky
are two of the most colourful and interesting characters I have
encountered in gay mysteries. Witty, humourous, sexy and loving they are a joy to read. The mystery itself is fast paced and exciting enough to keep the reader guessing. Coupled with the intense relationship development between Nigel and Nicky this romantic mystery is definitely a class by itself. Hope that Mr Kraus will deliver another story on these two adoring characters.

Ok..lately I haven't found a great Gay mystery. So, I read some of the reviews and picked Love's Last Chance and boy I was I in for a treat. I just ordered some more of his books. Great story, well written...wow..

In a straightforward and anecdotal way, the authors address how to find meaning and happiness in life in the face of--and often, because of -- adversity. Using myths, archetypes, fables, and many personal experiences, they show how we can learn to focus on the real and substantive matters behind the superficial things that usually distract us. Drawing heavily upon eastern philosophies, they illustrate that "Everything you need is within you" (a Christian concept, too: "The kingdom of heaven is within.").

But how do we get there? In chapters like "The Process is the Product," Confusing the Experience with Its Object: Distinguishing the Inner and Outer Worlds," "The World is a Tar Baby," and "The People Inside: Meeting Our Inner Selves," Kraus and Borja tell how living with HIV has led them to a greater appreciation for life and how to live it more joyfully. The book is highly personal, instructive but not didactic, warm, compassionate, and wise. If your life has you seeking answers, you'll find good ones here.

I chose this book at the library when I saw the author's name, because about 30 years ago he taught at the college where I work and I remember him well. His book really spoke to me because it deals with maintaining a sense of what's important and what really matters while life keeps swirling around you. I spend some of my time working with people who are quite seriously ill, and I find that work makes me pretty impatient with those who "haven't figured it out yet." The lessons in this book are powerful and can help guide others into a better understanding of the importance of living life each day.

Although marketed for those living with AIDS or other potentially terminal illnesses, this book is much more than a survival guide or a gay positive self help tract. It's an inspirational look at how we can change our lives by looking inward to our hearts, minds, and souls to create a heightened awareness of ourselves and our place in the world. Sometimes the language seems simplistic, but this actually helps convey the messages the authors want to tell us. That when we're angry or upset, there are underlying reasons and causes that often have nothing to do with the incidents that caused the emotions. With a mix of humor and universal spirituality, Kraus and Borja have given us a book for transforming our lives from the inside out. There's also a marvelous analysis of the death of Diana, the former Princess of Wales, in terms of modern mythology, and in terms of why this affected the entire world, while the death of Mother Teresa had less impact. Give your soul a treat!

The premise of this story sounds interesting. And at first, it is somewhat interesting. Unfortunately, the only two characters I wanted to read more about were True, the guy who liked hairy men, and Parker, the hot, beefy blond guy assigned to guard the President's son. All the other characters were flat archetypes. The story isn't ludicrous or anything like that, but the ending is SO unfulfilling. Granted, not all stories have a happy ending, but without a character to root for, a story just won't work. Sorry, Mr. Kraus, but this really could have been written better.

The story needed more on the relationships between the characters, but unfortunately was full of boring political stuff that the reader didn't care all that much about. Towards the end of the book, I couldn't put it down; but, sadly, the end ultimately leaves the reader disappointed. Not a bad read, but there are better.

I realize some of the reviews weren't very flattering, and I must confess I bought the book only because I thought the guy on the cover was gorgeous. But, if you are the type of person who found the movie "The American President" (Michael Douglas) or the TV series, "West Wing" to be even marginally interesting, then you will definitely like this book. It definitely is a bit more intense than the above mentioned dramas, but it's definitely worth the read. I, typically, like Gordon Merrick and Felice Picano and some of the newer vampire novel writers, but I started reading this book last night at work and only took a break to drive home after work and then finished reading. It kept me totally captivated. I'd love to see this turned into a movie.