The above image is available as museum quality print from my webshop
All books below are available worldwide via Barnes & Noble and Amazon. See their links below.
Cocktales by Chantz Perkins
Chantz Perkins has compiled her three novelettes, House of Cheng, Gold Ring, and Tattooed Chica, into a collection of queer stories named Cocktales.
The first, House of Cheng, begins in 1970.
Perkins leads the reader from Hollywood, to a quiet stroll through a suburban beach town, to a Chinese restaurant named House of Cheng. Amidst the black and red interior, through beaded curtains into the bar named the Ping Ting Room, the 1970s are joyously celebrated while the truths of this era are played out between the characters.
The 2nd novelette, Gold Ring, tells of two men who meet in San Francisco. The joy of gay freedom is celebrated with the first gay pride parade but they must also deal with the after effects of the Vietnam War and the new crisis of AIDS.
The third novelette, Tattooed Chica, is an homage to several eras in history particular to Los Angeles. The title does not refer to a woman but a classic car proudly owned by a Latina woman. She meets another woman in a woman’s bar in West Hollywood and through their intimate connection discover love but must soon decide whether it is more important to be together or apart.
Synopsis for Cocktales
In writing the three stories of my book, Cocktales, I explore the conversations and concerns of my gay characters. Each story begins in a gay bar. The reason for this is because of my own life experience. As a child of the sixties, I didn’t come out until the eighties, which is when I discovered gay bars. I found them to be a safe place to socialize, share political views, and discuss gay rights. Not so many gay bars anymore, but their effect on our generation and culture was already inspirational. Meeting together made us stronger and provided the unity we needed to fight back against homophobia. The stories I wrote come directly from those days when I was observing my place in society. My sense of belonging to a club where words like “lezzie”and “queer”were hurled at us in mockery and derision notwithstanding. Now, I wield those same words proudly to describe myself and my culture. I found a way to convey my own experience without apologies or excuses. I’m a proud lesbian and my stories are my gift, and an insight to a community that is very inclusive and compassionate.
I offer the reader a glimpse of my lifestyle and observations. My intention is to educate and enlighten.
Most of all, my purpose for writing these novelettes are to provide my own perspective on how some people thrive in this world, not just survive.
Alex and Cleo by Chantz Perkins and Cassie Sampson
Alex, an 11 year old recently relocated with her mother and cat from her birth state of New York to Los Angeles. And with this, the fear of fitting in with a whole new classroom of kids. Meanwhile, her cat Cleo has 8 years of life stories to help Alex see the move not in fear but as an adventure. This story is heartfelt and funny with wide brush painting historic moments in Europe and the United States.
Puertas: One woman’s journey through to the other side by Chantz Perkins
Why would a woman move from her home of Los Angeles, leaving everything behind except her paintings and move to Europe?
In her refreshingly honest memoir, Puertas, artist/author Chantz Perkins leads the reader through the doorways of her life: Different cities, through financial crisis of 2007, parental death and illness, Perkins uses her photography and prose to tell her innermost thoughts and observations.
A nostalgic love letter to her home, Puertas is heartfelt, personal reflections of a 30 year career as artist with dashes of immigrant observation in her search to find, what, really is success? An homage to the unique sort of courage it takes to follow your dream.
“Doors. Puertas. To keep safe. To keep out. An entry into a new journey in life.”
“She is home to me, this city. And as I do, as I have with a lover, I question why I ever left her.”
Most of these books are now available for Europe and Amsterdam at San Serriffe bookstore, and The American Book Center in Amsterdam and the Hague. Also in the USA and worldwide at Barnes and Noble, bookshop.org, and other independant bookstores in your local state, and worldwide on Amazon.
Biography:
Chantz Perkins has worked as an artist in many forms: Painter, sculptor, photographer, videographer, and writer. Her art has been commissioned and exhibited in Britain, Europe and the United States. She hosts a blog, a website, and webshop, where quality prints of her work can be purchased. More information found here: http: //artbychantz.com and http: //instagram.com/artbychantz/
Thank you for your interest and support!!
a r t b y c h a n t z 