I have created a quiz on Goodreads for this novel. You can find it here.
A quote from my novel…
…and the epigraph!
Feel free to share, if you’d like.
Book 1 of the Butterfly Hunter Trilogy
Blurb: It started as a simple assignment for Aussie bush guide Dave Taylor – escort a lone Englishman in quest of an unknown species of butterfly. However Nicholas Goring is no ordinary tourist, his search is far from straightforward, and it’s starting to look as if the butterflies don’t want to be found. As Dave teaches Nicholas everything he needs to survive in the Outback he discovers that he too has quite a bit to learn – and that very often the best way to locate something really important is just not to want to find it…
Genre: male-male romance; contemporary; travel quest; novel
Word count: 57,500
Click here for an excerpt of text, and here for reviews.
Awards and recognition:
Available in ebook and paperback formats from:
Available in audiobook format, narrated by Ray Cross, from:
Available in French as “Chasseur de Papillons” from:
Reader sites:
First published by Manifold Press on 1 August 2012. Slightly revised edition published by LIBRAtiger on 15 September 2018.
Conclusion: Bref, une plume envoûtante et poétique, un mélange de force et de fragilité, qui vous transporte dans un voyage d’une douceur extrême, dans une rencontre magique entre deux hommes superbes, une plume qui fait chavirer votre cœur de romantique, qui vous fera sourire par la gaucherie de Nicholas, qui vous fera rougir lors de leurs étreintes, qui vous fera rêver par les images qui se construisent petit à petit dans votre esprit.
Conclusion: Une romance exceptionnelle et unique dans son genre. … Je recommande « Chasseur de papillons » de Julie Bozza aux grands rêveurs et à toutes les âmes romantiques.
Excerpt: Sure, I saw all the 4 and 5 star reviews. Sure, I knew that most of my friends loved it. But while I was reading I thought it was a nice enough story. But then, all of a sudden, my heart is breaking. And I realize that I have fallen head over heels for these characters and am smacked in the face with too much emotion.
Excerpt: The banter between Nicholas and Davey is fantastic. Humorous, natural and thoroughly entertaining in itself, but also meaningful and with a depth of emotion behind the words. I could have listened to these guys all day. … Beautiful and descriptive, Julie took me on a literary journey through the Australian Outback. To magical and enchanting places, but getting there was an adventure. … This for me was the beauty of the whole story, the most amazing things happen when you’re not looking for them. I loved Charlie, a wise native to Australia who is rooted in Dreamtime folklore, gave the story the magical touch. I adored the way Julie wrote about this character … The writing has a depth of empathy that makes you feel the characters, sharing their bit of paradise in the Australian Outback.
Excerpt: How very lovely this softly flowing, sweet story is. It is extremely character driven (with the butterflies in question needing to be considered a character as well), with a setting that is at once beautiful and dangerous. It is written in such a way that it draws you in without you realizing, and I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting because I wanted to see what happened.
Excerpt: This book was enchanting, with finely drawn, adorable characters and a delicate, tender love story that was to die for. … The characters are the backbone to this story. Both Dave and Nicholas were lonely souls (though otherwise fully capable of looking after themselves). The increasingly intense emotions between them never took away from their dignity or their masculinity. … In fact, it is almost as if the land was a character in and of itself, and it lends this book a solid reality as well as a hint of magic with the mystery that is the Dreamtime, interwoven strong and palpable with the storyline in a respectful and unobtrusive way. But the greatest lure of this book lay in the writing itself, which was exquisite.
Excerpt and summary: Nicholas is one of the most endearing characters I’ve ever met in a male romance novel and he just seems to glow with this inner light that attracts people to him. … Bozza also takes us on a breathtaking journey into the Australian Outback with fabulous descriptions of the harsh and unforgiving landscape which contrast magnificently with the beauty of the wide open skies during the day and night. When the butterfly oasis is discovered, it is described as almost a surreal place of beauty, and it isn’t hard to get caught up in the sheer joy felt by the two men. … The ending does get a little sappy but a story as beautiful as this definitely deserves a happy ending so it is better to just go with the flow and enjoy the warm fuzzies fluttering inside. Very well done.
Excerpt: The story has a leisurely pace and there isn’t much conflict, but the good writing and amazing setting held my interest. Here, the Australian outback is fascinating in its strangeness and potential for grave danger. I also like our two heroes. Nicholas is kind, goofy, and charismatic. Dave is quietly competent.
(This review no longer appears online. An updated version has now been posted to the ARe CAFE.)
Excerpt: Butterfly Hunter is emotionally restrained but beautiful in its exotic setting and unusual quest. It features two complex, secretive men who interact well as friends. Nicholas is kind and charismatic and Dave is a decent everyman whom I liked immensely in his role as a quietly competent Aussie guide.
Excerpt and summary: I did like the way she subverted a cultural stereotype or two in relation to the indigenous character, Charlie :) … The story of Nicholas’s quest for – obsession with – the mysterious blue butterfly, was charming and compelling. Nicholas himself is an utter love, and needs many cuddles :) . Dave is a nice guy, if not particularly interesting to me, and has his own demons to slay. His ex-girlfriend (from childhood even!) Denise is a supportive friend without tipping over into tiresome yenta territory. The book is competently written and edited, and Bozza does make a decent fist at comedic lines. The growing relationship between Nicholas and Dave is very sweet, and if you like sex in your romance, there’s plenty of it and nicely written too.
Summary: La plume de l’auteur est très agréable et nous entraine dans un monde onirique et magique qui nous donne envie de prendre un billet d’avion pour l’Australie.En résumé une très jolie romance, une magnifique découverte d’un pays tout aussi beau et une auteur dont les mots collent parfaitement à l’ambiance de ce roman.
The pen of the author is very nice and leads us into a dreamlike and magical world that makes us want to take a plane ticket to Australia.In summary a very nice romance, a magnificent discovery of a country just as beautiful and an author whose words stick perfectly to the atmosphere of this novel.
Excerpt and summary: Every scene was so well depicted, I missed nothing, every new detail was mine to be seen. Moreover, I’m not sure how to describe it, I felt the magic, the sounds of the the words, a positive and luminous melody that lighted my spirit. I was gone. And I was conquered by the characters too. … In the extraordinary on the plot, the story sounded to me real, simple and sweet and powerful.
Currently 312 ratings, 116 text reviews, and an average of 4.21 stars.
Currently 13 reviews with 12 of them 5 stars!
Excerpt: While the scorch factor is low, you don’t even notice because it is such a beautiful story and you can’t help but love these two. Davy and Nicholas are brilliant together. … It is such a unique story, you can’t help but be captivated by it all.
Excerpt: The majority of the book revolves around the search for a mythical butterfly and the relationship that grows between Outback guide Dave Taylor and British aristocrat Nicholas Goring. Their scenes ring with humor, philosophical truths, and sexual tension as the parallels between Nicholas’s hunt for the elusive butterfly and Dave’s discovery of his true self develop and move the story forward. I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid details and poetic writing of this new-to-me author, and I only wish that the narration could have done this gorgeous story better justice.
In her Audible.com review, Dianne T said: Sublime.
I read this story when it was first published and I believe I used the word ‘gorgeous’ numerous times… for good reason. I also wished I could rate it 10 stars. It is an all time favorite story of mine. A story of self discovery – intertwined with a spectacluar setting, a dash of mysticism and strong, yet vulnerable characters.
It would seem impossible for this audio version to be able to surpass such praise, but it does. The beautifully written characters of Davey and Nicholas are brought to life in a lovely, softly accented English by narrator Ray Cross. Stunning work. His delivery is stellar: understated, clear, and brimming with emotion, yet never overdone. Davey and Nicholas’ appreciation of the beauty of the land, their reverence for the indigenous legends, their frank conversations, their emerging love – is nakedly evident. Seriously, I could weep for the perfection of this narration. I adored every last word, and will be listening again.
An Amazon Customer said: Superior narration for a favorite story.
I have enjoyed reading and re-reading this story of an Aussie and an Englishman for about a year now, and was delighted to find an audible version available. The narration is superb, it well matches the pace and cadence of the written story, from beginning to end. I highly recommend this audible version.
An excerpt from the novel. Australian tour guide Dave first meets his rather unexpected new client, Nicholas, the son of an English earl.
♦
The plane was due in just after seven in the morning. Dave made sure he was there in plenty of time, even though the Englishman would need to go through passport control, collect his luggage, and then get through quarantine. All of which would take an hour, probably – but it would be just Dave’s luck if he turned up at eight to find that the earl’s son had been processed as a VIP or some such thing, and had been waiting on him ever since.
Dave found a place to lean on the waist-high barriers with the drivers and others carrying signs. His own read GORING. That was the guy’s name. Nicholas Goring. Which perhaps made his father Earl Goring, or was it the Earl of Goring … ? When Dave wasn’t chatting in an early morning haze to his current companions, he spent the time trying to remember whether he’d had any clue about whether Nicholas was the eldest son or not – and if he was, whether that meant Dave should address him as ‘my lord’ or as ‘sir’. He’d looked it up on Wikipedia, realised he’d need to email the butler for more information, and then promptly let it all slip his mind.
He was kicking himself, metaphorically at least. He was always more professional than this. Always. And all right, maybe titles didn’t matter very much – though he was sure they’d matter more to an Englishman than an Australian – but no one could afford to be this slapdash in the Outback. Why would Goring trust Dave with his life, if he couldn’t even get this detail right?
There is now a quiz on Goodreads about this novel. You can find it here.
Some quotes from my novel…
Blurb: Joshua Delaney and Carmine Angelo Trezini, cop and mobster, should have absolutely nothing in common. Yet, accidentally brought together, they rapidly became both lovers and allies against organized crime boss Matthew Picano. Of course, taking down a man like that was never going to be easy – but Josh has no idea of the scale of the sacrifice he will eventually be called upon to make.
Genre: gay fiction; contemporary; organised crime thriller; novel; not a romance!
Word count: 51,900
Click here for an excerpt of text, and here for the reviews.
Available in ebook and paperback formats from:
Reader sites:
First published by Homosapien Books in 2001, and then by Manifold Press on 1 November 2011. Re-released in a revised edition by LIBRAtiger on 1 December 2017.
Note: Quoted reviews are all of the Manifold Press edition. The novel has been revised for publication by LIBRAtiger.
Excerpt: This book quite literally sucked me in and wouldn’t let me go. … The angst and tension caused by Carmine’s double crossing his boss/best friend was wonderful, and the courtroom drama a delight. The romance that was developing between Josh and Carmine was intense and angst-ridden due not only to the stress of the undercover operation, but because Josh … was struggling with embarrassment, confusion, shame, anger, lust, guilt, developing emotional feelings and fear for Carmine’s life.
Excerpt: This is a well written book that has a very good story-line and plot. Angelo is the guy that I fell in love with in this book. He just seems to live life to the fullest, embracing his love for Josh and just going with it … This book I will recommend to those who love cop/mobster love affairs, court room drama and gentle love.
Excerpt: Give it to Cryssy: she’ll read anything. … There is one very interesting take on the sex. When they do arrive at the moment of attempting anal sex, Delaney isn’t thrilled down to his socks and yearns for it to be over, but he wants Trezini to be happy. Not sexy, but unique, and one of the few moments we see the relationship growing. … The ending is as tragic as the title promises, the last line the most moving in the entire work.
Excerpt: I really liked the premise for The Valley of the Shadow of Death. I love a good redemption story … There’s plenty of foreshadowing along the way to prepare the reader for the ending to this story, which was entirely plausible. The author didn’t pull out the eleventh hour ‘deus ex machina’ for the sake of a tidy finish, which I was grateful for.
An excerpt from the first chapter of this novel. A cop and a mobster find themselves thrown together in a life-or-death situation.
♦
Angelo Trezini was slowing down, too cold and too dull to even think. Well, his only thought was a wistful wish for the energy necessary to feel sad or sorry or righteously pissed off. He was fading fast.
He was in a freezer. A large storage room of a freezer, packed high with cartons of food, and lit so brightly that Trezini was forced to squint. When his eyes were open, that is. Mostly he was just pacing in a circle, eyes shut tight against the harsh light and harsher cold, arms wrapped around his chest. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d walked this circle, but it was often enough that he didn’t have to look where he was going anymore.
A muffled clang, and the door swung open. It all happened so fast, and Trezini was feeling so slow that he didn’t have a chance to take advantage of the situation. As luck would have it, he was as far away as his circle took him – by the time he’d turned and drawn his gun, the door was already slamming shut again. And Trezini had company.
He was staring down his gun-barrel at a big dumb hunk of a man wearing a cop’s uniform. A man who was so ridiculously handsome that Trezini almost forgot the cold for a moment. There was a stillness about the man, a sense that he was completely self-contained.
Blurb: Patrick and David are friends who run a gay bookstore, and life seems simple and safe enough until the day when unexpectedly he walks in – six feet tall, gorgeous and built like a dream. But Homosapien isn’t welcome in their world; he’s a professional wrestler, and everything he does is fake. So he can’t really be gay, can he, or interested in either one of them? Can they even trust a single word he says…?
Endorsement: This tag team tussle with genre and gender chokeslams and chinlocks the reader into submission.
Gideon Haigh, self-unemployed freelance journalist
Genre: male-male romance; contemporary; sports entertainment; novel
Word count: 67,000
Click here for an excerpt of text, and here for the reviews.
Available in ebook and paperback formats from:
Reader sites:
First published by Homosapien Books in 2003, and then by Manifold Press on 1 November 2010. Slightly revised edition published by LIBRAtiger on 1 December 2018.
Excerpt: If you’re expecting a traditional m/m romance, this isn’t the book for you, but if you’re looking for an amusing, heart-warming, thought-provoking book this is. While Patrick, her narrator, is awed by the romance that blossoms between his dour, idealistic, intelligent boss and his hero, a flamboyant pro-wrestler, he also explores the true nature of pro-wrestling and discovers the potentially deal-breaking fact that the fights and characters are all scripted. Note, I didn’t say “fake” and the difference is very much at the heart of the book.
Excerpts: … a “classy” novel, probably a step or two above the ordinary production of this time. … Adam and David’s love story starts slowly but goes deep …
Summary: Though not for everyone, I really liked this unusual tale of pro-wrestling and the unlikely romance between two opposites.
Excerpts: The entire thing is highly stylized, radically casual, and completely in character for the narrator. It won’t work for everyone. It completely worked for me. … The book is about identity – identity of self, identity of public personae, the conflict of how you recognize it for yourself and how you respect it in others – and uses the world of wrestling as a backdrop to that. … this thematic exploration is done with such a deft, comedic touch that I got utterly absorbed by the book and couldn’t put it down.
(This review is no longer online, but can be found on Goodreads.)
Currently 18 ratings, 12 text reviews and an average of 3.61 stars.
