A Metafilter Sighting in the Wild March 19, 2017 10:52 PM Subscribe
Playing with Fire is your basic best-friends-since-childhood-fall-in-love m/m romance, but what makes it special is that it features the protagonists performing Jingle Rock Bell—yes, Metafilter's own special Christmas song--at a karaoke party.
Playing with Fire is part of a series written by Avery Cockburn which is centered around an FLGBTQC football team in Glasgow. Cockburn is a pretty good writer, and this would not be a bad introduction to the world of m/m romance and its well-loved (and well-worn) tropes. Can Robert, somewhat famous as the only straight cisgendered man on the team, admit his long-simmering bisexuality? Can Liam let himself love Robert even though his last serious lover left him for a women, leaving him distrustful of bisexuals? Can they overcome their hesitation and fear to find true love?
Of course they can. It's that kind of book. And on the way to their happily ever after: Karaoke Night, during the holiday season. Jingle Rock On, ye wee lads.
Playing with Fire is part of a series written by Avery Cockburn which is centered around an FLGBTQC football team in Glasgow. Cockburn is a pretty good writer, and this would not be a bad introduction to the world of m/m romance and its well-loved (and well-worn) tropes. Can Robert, somewhat famous as the only straight cisgendered man on the team, admit his long-simmering bisexuality? Can Liam let himself love Robert even though his last serious lover left him for a women, leaving him distrustful of bisexuals? Can they overcome their hesitation and fear to find true love?
Of course they can. It's that kind of book. And on the way to their happily ever after: Karaoke Night, during the holiday season. Jingle Rock On, ye wee lads.
(It was super fun and a really happy way of making an annual tradition for many of us at home into a public bonding experience) (that's my point in talking about it!)
posted by crush-onastick at 7:17 AM on March 20, 2017
posted by crush-onastick at 7:17 AM on March 20, 2017
Best male Scottish friends fall in love, queer sports, karaoke, and "Jingle Rock Bell": I'm trying to think something more directly targeted to me coming up absolutely, completely blank. Purchased.
And yes, here's crush, Iridic, and I performing "Jingle Rock Bell" in 2015. What makes it even more poignant is that it took place in the waning days of our beloved Blue Frog, which closed the following month. (Turns out the one thing it was missing, besides eamondaly who had originally created the track but was unable to attend that night, was Scottish footballers.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:34 AM on March 20, 2017 [28 favorites]
And yes, here's crush, Iridic, and I performing "Jingle Rock Bell" in 2015. What makes it even more poignant is that it took place in the waning days of our beloved Blue Frog, which closed the following month. (Turns out the one thing it was missing, besides eamondaly who had originally created the track but was unable to attend that night, was Scottish footballers.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:34 AM on March 20, 2017 [28 favorites]
MCMikeNamara, as flagged fantastic fantastic.
posted by Room 641-A at 8:02 AM on March 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Room 641-A at 8:02 AM on March 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best male Scottish friends fall in love, queer sports, karaoke, and "Jingle Rock Bell": I'm trying to think something more directly targeted to me coming up absolutely, completely blank. Purchased.
I warn you: it's part of a series. You may get sucked in (pun not intended).
posted by Orlop at 10:01 AM on March 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I warn you: it's part of a series. You may get sucked in (pun not intended).
posted by Orlop at 10:01 AM on March 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I have to laugh at myself: I accidentally typed "FLGBTQC" instead of LGBTQ. In case you're wondering what the "F" and "C" are for, it's "Friends" and "Concerns." Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns (FLGBTQC) is a North American Quaker LGBTQ organization. As you can imagine by my unusual typo, I've been quite involved over the years.
posted by Orlop at 10:04 AM on March 20, 2017 [20 favorites]
posted by Orlop at 10:04 AM on March 20, 2017 [20 favorites]
Is Avery Cockburn a mefite?
posted by cjorgensen at 10:05 AM on March 20, 2017
posted by cjorgensen at 10:05 AM on March 20, 2017
Orlop, thank you for pointing that out because I just spent all morning thinking the FC was some clever variation on Football Club that I would only understand when I read the book.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:37 AM on March 20, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:37 AM on March 20, 2017 [8 favorites]
On my browser, I usually have two groups of tabs open...one group is a bunch related to writing MM romance, and the other group is whatever Metafilter posts I have open at the moment.
NOW I GET TO COMBINE THE TWO!
posted by mittens at 10:39 AM on March 20, 2017 [6 favorites]
NOW I GET TO COMBINE THE TWO!
posted by mittens at 10:39 AM on March 20, 2017 [6 favorites]
I remain delighted by all of this.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:40 AM on March 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by crush-onastick at 11:40 AM on March 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I . . . wow.
This is extremely relevant to my interests.
posted by chainsofreedom at 3:09 PM on March 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
This is extremely relevant to my interests.
posted by chainsofreedom at 3:09 PM on March 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
On my browser, I usually have two groups of tabs open...one group is a bunch related to writing MM romance, and the other group is whatever Metafilter posts I have open at the moment.
Yeah, me too. It never occurred to me mix the two, though, even as I was amused by the Karaoke scene in Playing with Fire. By the way, if you want to start from the beginning, either the novella Play On (which is the first one chronologically) or Playing for Keeps (first novel, no real spoilers for the novella, written first) are good places to start. (And if you don't have Kindle Limited and just want to try her style of writing, you can subscribe to her mailing list on her website.)
Also, if you've read through the series and are excited for the next one, there's a novella coming out on 24 March, Play Dead. (Yes, I've read and own them all. They're fabulous.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:14 PM on March 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
Yeah, me too. It never occurred to me mix the two, though, even as I was amused by the Karaoke scene in Playing with Fire. By the way, if you want to start from the beginning, either the novella Play On (which is the first one chronologically) or Playing for Keeps (first novel, no real spoilers for the novella, written first) are good places to start. (And if you don't have Kindle Limited and just want to try her style of writing, you can subscribe to her mailing list on her website.)
Also, if you've read through the series and are excited for the next one, there's a novella coming out on 24 March, Play Dead. (Yes, I've read and own them all. They're fabulous.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:14 PM on March 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
Is Avery Cockburn a mefite?
For the record, my new mindset is that everyone is Avery Cockburn until proven otherwise.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:09 AM on March 22, 2017
For the record, my new mindset is that everyone is Avery Cockburn until proven otherwise.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:09 AM on March 22, 2017
citing in the wild:
"... old-school Web types. The kind with low Metafilter user numbers and WELL accounts...."
Hmmm, do I have a Metafilter user number?
posted by hank at 12:11 PM on March 22, 2017
"... old-school Web types. The kind with low Metafilter user numbers and WELL accounts...."
Hmmm, do I have a Metafilter user number?
posted by hank at 12:11 PM on March 22, 2017
Your number is 18102. It's in the link to your profile.
posted by Margalo Epps at 1:25 PM on March 22, 2017
posted by Margalo Epps at 1:25 PM on March 22, 2017
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posted by crush-onastick at 7:14 AM on March 20, 2017 [1 favorite]