Larry Benjamin
Goodreads Author
Born
in Bronx, NY, The United States
October 11
Website
Twitter
Genre
Influences
Member Since
November 2011
URL
https://www.goodreads.com/writerlarry
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Popular Answered Questions
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Unbroken
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published
2013
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6 editions
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What Binds Us
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published
2012
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6 editions
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Boughs of Evergreen: A Holiday Anthology [Combined Edition]
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published
2014
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In His Eyes
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published
2017
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2 editions
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The Christmas Present
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published
2014
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3 editions
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Vampire Rising
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published
2015
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4 editions
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Excellent Sons
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published
2021
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7 editions
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Damaged Angels
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published
2012
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4 editions
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Black&Ugly: A Tale of Men & Wheelbarrows
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published
2015
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He: A Remarkable Tale of Romance and Resilience
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Larry’s Recent Updates
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Larry Benjamin
added a status update: My latest novel, HE," will be released on October 11, 2025 but electronic advanced release copies (eARC) are available in the US and the UK on Netgalley. Request your copy here: https://www.netgalley.com/widget/9376...
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"From moments of childhood innocence to raw teenage desire, Benjamin crafts a narrative that feels universal yet deeply personal. Unbroken gave me courage to remember my own past and hope to live my truth now.
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Larry Benjamin
rated a book it was amazing
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| I was one of the judges for the 2023 Lambda Literary J. Michael Samuel Prize which Christopher Tradowsky won for his novel in progress, “Midnight at the Cinema Palace,” so I was beyond excited when his publicist offered to send me a copy of the now-c ...more | |
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348 pages in. Watch for my full review shortly. Meanwhile, here's my next batch of favorite quotes.
This quote on death as a casual footnote in a larg ...more " |
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"With Unbroken, Larry Benjamin shows why he’s a master of writing about love that refuses to apologize. Poetic, authentic, and devastatingly real this book deserves a permanent spot on every reader’s shelf.
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"Larry Benjamin’s Unbroken isn’t just a novel it’s a living, breathing testament to what it means to grow up loving differently in a world that demands sameness. Told through a series of poignant snapshots spanning decades, it traces the narrator’s jo"
Read more of this review »
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Jul 12, 2025 09:29PM
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Larry Benjamin
joined the group
Ndeye Labadens Book Club
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“I am, therefore I am confused.”
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“Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.”
― Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
― Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
“We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.”
― Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
― Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
“So long time has passed since those days, and since that story, which is still vivid in my memory, and even more vivid than all the rest. Some times I stay alone in my work - room here, in my father's old mansion in Pasadena, and I look through the old, yellow pages again and again. Then I go back to the north part which is furnished in my style, with many colored Bulgarian carpets and blankets (special kind of Bulgarian blankets with long fur), I make my coffee in a cooper coffee - pot, which has been brought from there, and my thoughts wonder to those absurd memories of mine...
Very often some friends ask me - what is that unusual memories of yours? I can't explain to them, better say I don't want to, and I always avoid the answer by saying - a la Bulgaro - in a Bulgarian way..."Oh, yes, yes"...”
― A la bulgaro
Very often some friends ask me - what is that unusual memories of yours? I can't explain to them, better say I don't want to, and I always avoid the answer by saying - a la Bulgaro - in a Bulgarian way..."Oh, yes, yes"...”
― A la bulgaro
“Yes, writing words, words, words. Well you’ve made a rope of words and strangled this business. Hah! But there’s a microphone right there to capture the last gurgle and Technicolor to photograph the swollen red tongue.”
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Bloggers, Steve & Carolyn Fillmore, the middle children behind Middle Child Productions, who produced the book trailer for my allegorical Vampire novella, Vampire Rising, are sharing their thought on the book as well as the book's trailer and some cute behind the scenes photos. Check it out here.
The video trailer for my recently released allegorical Vampire novella, "Vampire Rising," is finally available.Prologue
The words written here are less a story than a prophesy. Or maybe they’re a prayer. Whatever it is, you need to understand that what is written here is, like Moses’ tablets, written in the hand of God, accurate, and true because it could not be otherwise.
Check out the trailer here.
He is Risen!It’s release day for my Vampire novella, Vampire Rising. Part allegory, part political commentary, and part romance, it was inspired by the three of the greatest works of fiction ever written: Bram Stoker's "Dracula," "To Kill a Mockingbird," and the bible.
In it, you’ll meet Gatsby Calloway, a 400 year old Vampire & Barnabas Steele, a 25 year old encaustic painter. Once student and teacher, they now have the opportunity to be much more. If they can overcome their differences.
Excerpt
It was a room of pearl grays and faded gold damask, dark wood and darker carpets, all shadowed in flickering candlelight. Gatsby was seated at an ebony nine-and-a-half foot Bosendorfer Concert grand piano―—the one with ninety-five keys, rather than the standard eighty-eight―—which dominated the room. Gatsby himself had a pewter finish: silvery hair swept back, eyes like pieces of ice, pale cheekbones that gleamed. He was cool and pale, champagne in an ice bucket. Playing selections from “A Chorus Line” for a crowd of stalwart admirers, he was radiant in that darkened room. He was gorgeous and charismatic, a charmer of snakes and men.
He looked up, and, seeing Barnabas in the doorway, gasped, for Barnabas was as beautiful as he’d remembered: his caramel skin glowed with youth and vigor. His wide, innocent eyes were clear and his dark hair was cropped short; gone was the defiant retro Afro he’d worn in high school. Staring at him, the frisson of lust and love that shot through him caused Gatsby to miss a note, and frown. He bent over the keyboard; his face dipped into shadow, dissolving into triangles of violet and purple.
Today I'm blogging about why I write. Join the conversation on Twitter & Facebook. Use the hashtag #IWrite to tell me why you write, or the hastag #IRead to tell me why you read a particular genre, or type of bookYou can check out the blog post here.
My short story collection, Damaged Angels is 50% off today at All Romance Books. It's different to What Binds Us and Unbroken but if you like my writing and are ready for something outside m/m romance it's probably worth a read. You can buy it at the discounted price here.
On Friday, I sat down with David-Matthew Barnes over at PYSK Radio to chat about writing in general, the secret to a long-term relationship and my forthcoming release, “The Christmas Present,” part of the holiday anthology, Boughs of Evergreen to be released by Beaten Track Publishing November 21. You can check out the podcast here. Let me know what you think.
I was very excited to learn my third book, Unbroken, is a 2014 Rainbow Award finalist in the gay contemporary fiction category. (Winners will be announced December 8, 2014.)Unbroken
Getting ready to head over to Giovanni's Room in Philly to join other 2014 Lammy Finalists in a reading. I'll be reading from Unbrokenwhich also won a 2014 IPPY Award Gold medal. Stop by if you're in town. Would love to see you.
BIG NEWS: Local wordsmiths Glenway Wescott and Larry Benjamin, author of Unbroken nominated for 2014 Lambda Literary Foundation awards: Read the story in G Philly
I’m chatting with author/blogger Raine O’Tierney over at The Hat Partywhere I reveal all—well not all, but a lot. Stop on by. Post a comment if you’d like.
image:
My Beaten Track Publishing release, Unbroken, is a Lambda Literary Award finalist in the Gay Romance category.
Review finalist list
My debut novel, What Binds Us, is available this weekend for just $2.50 (Kindle) & $3 (Audiobook)at Amazon. So if it's been on your reading list, now's your chance to get it. http://www.amazon.com/What-Binds-Us-L...
My #LGBT memoir, in 6 words: "Age twelve. Jose smiled. Changed everything." is featured on G Philly's blog today. The 6 words, carefully chosen, are also a summary of my upncoming release, Unbroken. http://ow.ly/owbdK
If my first book, What Binds Us, is on your to-read list, now's the time to buy it. It's on sale for $2.51 at Amazon ow.ly/lJNrh and $2.99 everywhere else
If my short story collection, Damaged Angels, has been on your to-read list, now is the time to buy it. It's just 99 cents in the Kindle store. http://ow.ly/lKbta
Damaged AngelsIn this week's blog post, I reveal the relationship that inspired some of the stories in my newest release, Damaged Angels http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
Damaged Angels, my short story collection from Bold Strokes Books is now available. Read the first story. http://ow.ly/ebuBb http://ow.ly/i/Zm4w
At last! The follow up to What Binds Us, Damaged Angels, is available ahead of its Oct. 1 release exclusively at Bold Stokes Books (http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/)You can read an excerpt here: http://www.larrybenjamin.com/Excerpt....
I interview independent film makers Cati & Mike Rodriquez about their upcoming LGBT release "Prince and Ekaj" in today's blog post. Check it out. http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
Want to know what three things I'd take with me to a desert island? Catch my author interview over at Orangeberry Book Tours.
Judging from the responses I've gotten, this week's Blog post Inspiration Returns about how remembering my first crush inspired my latest bout of writing is really resonating with readers. I was 12 and in seventh grade. He was the new kid. His name was José. He walked into fourth period music, smiled and changed everything. Until that moment...Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to drop me a note about this.
Joey Pinkney interviews me about my debut novel What Binds Us http://joeypinkney.com/african-americ...
Hey I'm over at Carina Press' blog today talking about bullying, how we can take a stand and why my first book, What Binds Us, spent nearly 20 years in a drawer. Come on over for a chat http://carinapress.com/blog/
Pia wrote: "Hi Larry, welcome to GR and congrats on your first book!"Hi Pia
thanks for the welcome and the congratulations. I'm very excited but the waiting (until March is killing me. ;-) I'm finishing up my next book so at least I have that distraction.
Barbara wrote: "Hey, Larry. I have a friend who is published through Dreamspinner. Joel Skelton. You'll have to look for him. Do you have work published through them?"Hi there. Nope haven't published through Dreamspinner but I need to find a publisher for the book I'm just finishing up--it's a colection of short stories so it won't be Carina.
Hey, Larry. I have a friend who is published through Dreamspinner. Joel Skelton. You'll have to look for him. Do you have work published through them?


















































