Kevin

The LGBTQ2S+ Friendly Gran Muthu Rainbow Hotel in Cayo Guillermo, Cuba!

We just returned from our second visit to the ALL INCLUSIVE Gran Muthu Rainbow Hotel in Cayo Guillermo, Cuba! It’s such a lovely LGBTQ2S+ friendly resort! We loved it so much during our first visit in May of 2022 that we just HAD to go back!

Judging by the amount of people who attended the special dinner for repeat visitors, this sign in the lobby of Gran Muthu Rainbow really should say WELCOME BACK!

We spent a week at Muthu Rainbow. It’s such a welcoming place and ALL of the staff are incredible and incredibly welcoming.

When we first tried this resort—three years ago today, actually–we fell in love. I had never experienced a resort catered specifically to the LGBTQ+ community before. It was such a memorable experience, we were destined to return. This visit was just as fabulous as the first!

A night shot at the pool…on the evening of our arrival!

As with our first visit, upon our arrival we were required to sign a form stating that we would not discriminate against anyone during our visit. This resort is open to everyone…all from the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the straight community. As a matter of fact, I think the straight community are finding out about the resort now…there seemed to be a good mix of people visiting this time around. There were also quite a few more people, as our last visit was still perilously close to the pandemic and there weren’t as many travellers back then.

The entertainment is fabulous. Singing, dancing, cabaret, drag queens. It’s an extraordinary array of talent every night.

Dropping in a photo of an evening’s entertainment from 2022. Looks like the shows are constantly updated. Something new every visit…

This is a little promontory that houses a group of huts where MASSAGES are offered!

There are two beaches on the property. One is perfectly set up for lounging and swimming, and the other is off limits to swimming. I did notice this visit that the swimming beach had a bit more seaweed on it. They do clean it up, but it became a little too windy to take advantage of the beach during our visit this time around. I don’t know if there’s an actual windy season, or we just lucked out with the strong breezes during our week. At any rate, we only went into the water a few times and stayed mostly at the pool. We weren’t the only ones. The swim beach was quite empty the times we did go.

The swimming beach. You can see that the seaweed was not yet swept up in this shot.

Here’s a shot of the same beach in MAY 2022…

Here’s a couple glances at the NON swimming beach. This one runs parallel to the long pool. I like to think of it as THE READING ROOM. It’s fully appointed with chaises longues and umbrellas. It’s quite quiet and serene…with the beautiful background sound of lapping waves crashing against the rocky shore. Just don’t get too close to that shore. It would be quite dangerous to do so.

The rocky shore – this one’s just for looking at.

Quite a comfy set-up. You could potentially have this entire beach to yourself…

The pool is absolutely VAST. Though, in truth, it’s actually two pools separated by a walkway in the middle that leads to THE READING ROOM. This is the SWIM UP BAR…

I must say…there are so many chaises longues and cabanas that they are never fully occupied. One of the nice things I noticed here is the lack of towels saving chairs! Nothing is more frustrating than seeing towels sitting on empty chairs for hours at a time because some asshole wanted to save his spot that he never returned to! That doesn’t happen at Gran Muthu Rainbow.

There are multiple cabanas. All available to all guests. I have never seen them at full capacity.

At the back of the lobby, there’s a nice bar…it’s separated from the lobby by a door and there’s a piano inside with lots of seating. I call it the piano bar…it might be what it’s called, though I’m not sure. Off of this bar, there’s a patio looking out onto a pretty plaza with the ocean in the background.

I’m not going to say this resort is perfect, but we love it. We are talking about going back for two weeks for our next visit. Yes, there was almost no hot water for our entire week. We do follow groups on Facebook for this resort and they are apparently fixing the hot water issue now. But even if they didn’t, as much as I hate not having hot water, I think we would still return. Until you experience the difference between regular resorts and LGBTQ+ friendly resorts, you really don’t know what you’re missing. It was like we could put one worry to rest the entire time we were there. We could be 100% ourselves and not worry about those who don’t accept us. Trust me when I say there are some at regular resorts that are not going to accept you if you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community. You don’t always know who they are, but you know intuitively that they’re there. At Gran Muthu Rainbow the vibe was completely different. We didn’t have to consider the possibility that there were haters amongst us. It’s next level relaxation.

We even had entertainment at the buffet…

They occasionally have a special drink station in the buffet. Take advantage of that!

I’m sure everyone has a favourite entertainer at the resort. This was mine.

On the hill to the left of the non-swimming beach, you can find what I called a blowhole. Not sure what else to call it. It’s a hole looking down into furiously crashing waves several meters below. Looks absolutely dangerous and life-taking, but also quite beautiful. Worth a look if you’re there. Just don’t get too close, as I’m sure you would meet certain death if you were to fall down this hole…

If you are LGBTQ+ (or even if you’re not), this resort in Cayo Guillermo, Cuba is definitely worth a go. The people are incredible! It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close to it. We enjoyed the food, the drinks, the entertainment, the beach, the pool…all of it!

Out for a stroll on the property. It’s quite a vast property…lots of space to walk about.

They do have a few specialty dining restaurants, though they’re not always open. I believe this has something to do with occupancy, though I’m not entirely sure. There were more guests this time around, but there is still a lot of space for more occupancy. I don’t think it would make sense for them to have the specialty restaurants open all the time with the amount of guests present.

The main course from our special REPEAT GUEST dinner…which was held at the Indian restaurant.

You may experience some shortfalls at Gran Muthu Rainbow Hotel, but they will be so worth the overall experience. I would rate it 5 out of 5! It’s no wonder people keep coming back. There’s something special about this place. You have to experience it to know what I’m talking about. It’s an oasis for the LGBTQ+ community. Treat yourself to the magic!

You will be spoiled at Gran Muthu Rainbow Hotel…

We booked this vacation with AIR CANADA. There are other options. You could go with Sunwing or book directly through the Gran Muthu website. I understand the hot water issue is currently being fixed. Honestly, we got by without it. The rest is just so special and magical that the inconvenience was worth it for us.

GRAN MUTHU RAINBOW HOTEL – CAYO GUILLERMO, CUBA. You will thank me for this recommendation! It’s pure magic!

I WILL TELL THE NIGHT Has Been Reviewed in THE MIRAMICHI READER!

“I Will Tell the Night is a touching novel about going home again. There are so many vivid details in Craig’s work, and it will fill one with a bit of necessary hope.” – Alison Manley, from the review of I WILL TELL THE NIGHT on THE MIRAMICHI READER

As a writer, I’m almost certain I’m not alone in having a literary bucketlist. One of the top items on my own literary bucketlist (LB) came true this week. Not once, but twice! For years I looked toward The Miramichi Reader as one of those publications I wished to be a part of…at any level. It’s right up there on my LB alongside the item Get Poem Published in the Paris Review.

I was absolutely thrilled a couple of months back when they responded to my wish to be a part of their WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK feature with an ‘absolutely!’ I prepared and submitted my piece for that feature at the speed of light, just in case they had a change of heart.

My Why I Wrote This Book piece came out earlier this week. You can click the image from their Facebook page below to go directly to the piece…there are several different books/authors featured:

Today The Miramichi Reader posted a review of I WILL TELL THE NIGHT. It’s such a lovely review too. I don’t know about other writers, but when I know a publication has one of my books with the intention of writing a review I am on pins and needles until that review comes out! It never gets easier. This is my ninth novel. I was as scared waiting for this review as I was ALL the rest!

“It’s a sweet and tender read, surprisingly wholesome…”

“I felt cared for by the river in Craig’s very realistic dialogue.”

I’m not going to lie, the quotes above brought a few tears to my eyes. I invested so much into this story. I still feel as though it might be the best thing I ever wrote. It, at the very least, has a very special place in my heart.

You can read the full review HERE.

I would like to thank Alison Manley (the reviewer) and The Miramichi Reader for taking the time to review my novel. I could not be more thrilled to have it featured at such a prestigious site at The Miramichi Reader!

Here’s the synopsis of the novel:

I WILL TELL THE NIGHT – Finn Barker escaped his family in Miramichi, New Brunswick, decades ago for the anonymity of Toronto. When he learns of his mother’s impending demise, he decides to make the trip back home to say goodbye. But going back will awaken all the sleeping ghosts Finn’s not quite sure he’s willing to stir. With no time to decide, his split-second decision to jump back in has him driving across the country, with his boyfriend Steven behind the wheel. Along the way, Finn begins to unpack the mess he left behind. There’s the grandmother, MyImogene, he adored, and the twin brother who died of cancer when his own parents would have preferred to lose the other twin. There’s also the huge scandal Finn orchestrated with a teacher that gave him the Dutch courage he needed to flee. It was almost all bad.

Finn makes it in time for goodbyes, but then there’s the still very active strife between him and his father, the funeral, the family, and the secrets that shed new light on the cause of the rift between his parents and his beloved MyImogene. Every family carries secrets. Finn discovers they’re the one thing you can’t escape, no matter how far away you run. Secrets always catch up. Often, it’s death that has a way of bringing them back into the light of day. He was able to make peace with his dying mother, but can Finn make peace with all the rest…or is it time to run away for another thirty years?

You can purchase your copy of I WILL TELL THE NIGHT here:

It’s available in all Amazon and Kobo countries in either paperback or ebook.

If you read I WILL TELL THE NIGHT, please consider leaving a review on GOODREADS.

2025 Muskoka Novel Marathon Now Open For Registration!

Hello Readers!

What I will cover today: My love for a yearly writing event AND the OPEN REGISTRATION period for that event.

Writing in Muskoka…the balcony at the Port Sydney Community Hall where the Muskoka Novel Marathon is currently being held.

Today I wanted to talk to you about the MUSKOKA NOVEL MARATHON. This is a yearly novel writing event that, without which, I would not be where I am today on my writing journey.

I first heard about the MUSKOKA NOVEL MARATHON in 2006. I was halfway through the writing of my very first novel, SUMMER ON FIRE, at the time. I had not yet found MY WAY in the creative journey of novel writing. I was doing okay, slogging along, but I knew there was something missing. Writing a novel in the conventional way just wasn’t working for me. Not fully, anyway. I was not happy writing a novel throughout the course of a year…or years. I really struggled to keep myself on task and invested. I had to find another way.

When I heard about the MUSKOKA NOVEL MARATHON, my ears perked up. Something about the creative writing process of the marathon spoke to me and my scattered non-linear way of thinking. I knew I had to give it a go, so I registered for the 2007 marathon that was taking place in Huntsville, Ontario that July.

First, you have to understand HOW DIFFICULT that decision was for me, an introvert who shied away from meeting new people at every opportunity I could get. It was a terrifying concept, registering for that first year’s marathon. I almost didn’t…so high was my anxiety. I even stopped midway there on the 2-hour road-trip up to Huntsville. I seriously considered turning around, with my tail between my legs, and going back home.

I’m SO glad I powered through.

That year I only took part in the 48hr marathon. When I registered, I was still really struggling with the concept of writer. I felt I was able to grant myself 2 days to the craft, but 3 seemed crazy. I was quite unkind to myself back then. I couldn’t justify giving myself a full 3 days grace to explore creativity. Two would have to do!

I wrote the entire first draft of what would later become my favourite novel of all I would write…SEBASTIAN’S POET.

After my 48hrs were up, I said goodbye to all my new writer friends (it was an incredible experience and everyone truly welcomed me on board. I was one of them. Imposter syndrome melted away during that weekend), got in my car, and drove home. I think I was the only writer not staying for the entire 72hrs. It was actually hard to leave, but leave I did.

The car journey home was a psychedelic trip like nothing I had ever experienced. I was tired, exhilarated, overwhelmed. I had brought a world into existence just by writing about it. I was definitely on a creative high. The three deer jumping out of a ditch and into my path was just one of the oddities that occurred during that trip back from Northern Ontario. I was electric.

SEBASTIAN’S POET won the 2007 Best Adult Novel Award. It has since gone on to be published. It’s my homage to Leonard Cohen and the Beaches area of Toronto…all wrapped into one story. A folksinger befriends a neglected young boy and his even younger brother and helps them to navigate in the tumultuous 1970s Beaches world. One of my main characters was closely modeled after Cohen. Can you guess which one? That’s right…the folksinger!

The original cover of ***Sebastian’s Poet***.

The current cover of **Sebastian’s Poet**.

Just outside the beautiful Muskoka Novel Marathon venue in Huntsville, Ontario! (This is no longer the venue, but the new venue also has a body of water at its doorstep.)

After that year, I was hooked. I kept going back…and I even gave myself the full 3 days of creativity going forward after that first year.

Muskoka Novel Marathon. 2014. Friends I’ve met along the way.

When I tell you the MUSKOKA NOVEL MARATHON changed my life, I am not just throwing that phrase around lightly. It definitely made me the writer I am today. Here’s a list of the awards I’ve collected at the marathon over the years…

AWARDS WON

2007 – Best Adult Novel Award-Sebastian’s Poet, (BIC) Bum In Chair Award
2008 – Best Adult Novel Award-The Reasons, (BIC) Bum In Chair Award
2010 – Best Young Adult Novel Award-Half Dead & Fully Broken, Rock Star Award, (BIC) Bum In Chair Award
2011 – Best Young Adult Novel Award-That’s Me In The Corner
2016 – Best Adult Novel Award-I Will Tell The Night
2019 – Young Adult Runner Up Award-No Visible Damage
2023 – Best Young Adult/Juvenile Novel Award-Tyler Freemont Writes A Play
2024 – (BIC) Bum In Chair Award

I have found my way to write a novel. In one sitting. MY WAY. I adore the MUSKOKA NOVEL MARATHON. Not just because it’s a fundraiser for area literacy programs (they have raised over $213,000.00 for YMCA Simcoe/Muskoka literacy programs to date). And not just because of the great writer friends I’ve met at the event. And not just because of the amazing feats of the generous organizers and volunteers. All those things are pure magic. But I adore the marathon most for giving me MY WAY.

Author Selfie in the closet at the Muskoka Novel Marathon…

All this to introduce you to a yearly writing event that you probably know far too much about already if you’re a constant reader of my blog. I talk about it all the time. It’s been a life-changing whirlwind of a monolith in my life for almost 20 years. Of course I talk about it.

Today, I wanted to bring it to your attention because the registration period is NOW OPEN for this JULY’s event in Port Sydney, Ontario (just outside of Huntsville).

This year’s details:

Thursday July 10 – Sunday July 13, 2025

Port Sydney Community Hall, 607 Muskoka Road 10, Port Sydney, Ontario, Canada

CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE REGISTRATION PAGE.

If you are having trouble registering, please send an email to: writerliaison@muskokanovelmarathon.com

A photo of my desk at the Muskoka Novel Marathon, where this novel from hell began its messy life.

T-shirts from various Muskoka Novel Marathon years…

If you’re a writer in Ontario (or anywhere else), you should seriously consider registering for this event and getting yourself up to PORT SYDNEY this July. It will change your life! If it’s too far or impractical for any reason…there’s also ONLINE registration.

In-Person Registration – $100.00 – Covers ALL MEALS and comes with an endless flow of COFFEE.

Online Registration – $25.00 – You will be Zoomed into the event.

Writers are encouraged to collect sponsorship money for the fundraising part of the event. There are prizes involved for fundraising as well.

Best Novel Award comes with the prize of a Muskoka Chair! And all novels submitted to the contest for judging at the end of the weekend get critique notes from the judges.

This is a yearly fundraising event. Check it out if you want to up your writing game. Just imagine being in a room with 39 other writers…and you’re all clacking away at your keyboards attempting to write an entire novel in one tiny 72hour period of bliss and chaos. You know you want to.

Don’t be nervous! The writers and the organizers welcome all with open arms. You’ll immediately become one of the MNM family. Put your fear aside and take the step!

CLICK HERE NOW!