​We have seen our 45thpresident of these United States assume his duties as incompetent in chief, then as liar in chief, as idiot in chief, then as criminal in chief and of late as obstructionist in chief. But today, he took on the role of toddler in chief, staging a full-blown and pre-planned temper tantrum at the White House, promising that he will no longer attend to his constitutional duty to govern the nation until the Democrats stop investigating him. In other words, he promised to stop doing his constitutional duty to the nation until the Congress stops doing theirs. 
 
What a preposterous and outlandish stance #45 took today. Even when Nixon was under investigation and even when President Clinton was being impeached, both presidents continued under the strain of these events to act as president, both of them working toward and signing significant legislation. But this baby in chief refused to work with the Democrats or to simply perform the duties of governance that are set forth for him under the rule of law and our Constitution. 
 
Meanwhile, as the president has his ongoing and quite infantile temper tantrums, the American people are still waiting to hear from Mueller, still waiting to hear from the president’s former White House Counsel McGhan, still waiting on the courts, and sadly, still waiting on the Democrats in the House of Representatives to hold this president accountable for the crimes he committed that were already recounted in the Mueller Report, or for the current crimes that he continues to commit in contempt of Congress on a daily if not hourly basis.
 
For how much longer will the Democrats refuse to begin an impeachment hearing into the criminal infant heading this nation’s Executive Branch? How deep does their cowardice go? America, our Democracy and our Constitution are under attack. It is time for the Democrats in the House of Representatives step forward and do their job in putting an end of the infant in chief’s tantrums.

​Today, as was the case when I wrote my last post on Wed, May 15 the American people are still waiting to hear from Mueller, waiting for McGhan, waiting on the courts, and most sadly, still waiting on the Democrats in the House of Representatives to hold this president accountable for the many crimes Mueller already set forth and proved beyond any doubt in what was released of his report. 
 
We already know that we cannot count on any of those with an R behind their name to do the right thing for our country or our Constitution. Knowing and understanding this, the American people clearly chose to put the Democrats in control of the House of Representatives in the midterm election of 2018 to act as a check and balance on our out-of-control president and his out-of-control administration. So, where are these Democrats, who we thought would jump to defend us against our tyrant-in-chief? Apparently, they, like us, are waiting for someone, other than themselves, to act. They, like us, are still waiting to hear from Mueller, waiting for McGhan, waiting on the courts, still waiting for justice.
 
Clearly, Mueller encouraged the congress to take up his report and act on it. He probably did not expect that they would take no action whatsoever, and simply wait on him to come and testify before them, to tell them that it was time to put their butts in gear. But clearly, the gutless Democrats will never act until Mueller appears before them and gives them a permission slip to do so. Even the signatures of over 900 prosecutors in our nation attesting to their view that the unredacted Mueller report clearly shows that our 45thPresident has committed the felony of obstruction of justice many times over, has not managed to get the cowardly Democrats of the House of Representatives to impeach this god-awful and godforsaken president whose lawlessness is matched only by his incompetence and stupidity.
 
It makes one wonder if justice will ever come. Indeed, has our government and our politics been so overwhelmed by the dark money from foreign powers, that we as a people will be forced to live under the Russian-installed president and newly-appointed Emperor and King, and bend in all things to his will?
 
As I pointed out in my last blog, the Democratically-controlled Congress has the absolute legal authority to enforce its subpoenas by arresting those who are lawless enough not to comply. They can do this anytime through their expressed inherent contempt power, if they so chose. They simply lack the guts and the political will to do so. If these Democrats do not act soon to protect and defend our constitution against the lawless thug in the oval office, then they too should be run out of office during the election, along with all of the Republican cowards. I say throw them all out and start over with a whole new political party, The Constitutionalists, a party of, by and for the people, who believe in the Rule of Law and who actually believe in defending the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic when they take their oaths on the bible, torah or any other holy book they choose.
 
For how much longer will the Democrats remain gutless, impotent, refusing to act against a president who continues to defy the Constitution and who refuses to accept the legal concept that Congress is a separate but coequal branch of government? Or will they simply stand by, still waiting seemingly forever, as they watch the Orange Monster tear down everything that the Constitution once stood for, until nothing is left? How deep does their unbridled gutlessness go? Does it go as deep as the proven cowardice and treachery of their Republican cohorts? Are they precisely like their Republican colleagues, who only care about preserving their jobs and their power, the Constitution and our Democracy be damned?
 
The time for waiting is over. It is time that the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives do the right thing, and find some guts … even if it means dragging Nancy Pelosi by the hair behind them as they move forward.
 
As I pointed out in my last blog, if Congress COULD and DID throw people in jail for refusing to obey a congressional subpoena in 1934, they CAN and MUST do it now.
 
After all, America, our Democracy and our Constitution are under attack. It is time for gutless wonders to step away. It is time for those who give a rat’s ass to step up, step forward and do their job. If anyone refuses to obey a subpoena, call the Sargent-At-Arms of the House and have him arrest those who refuse to obey the law, and throw them in jail. 
 
In short order, people will again start obeying congressional subpoena and—lo, and behold—taking Congress and its committees seriously again. Congress needs to act quickly and get the information they need, and then impeach the lawless buffoon hiding under the resolute desk in the oval office. If—once the facts are exposed to the American public during the Senate’s Impeachment trial—Republican Senators still want to vote against removing King Con from office, so be it. Let them defend their standing up to protect a lawless president before the voting public in 2020, and then let us watch to see how many of them are removed from office themselves.

​Today is the day that Special Counsel Mueller was supposed to testify under oath before Congress. Nonetheless the day has come and gone and the American people are still waiting to hear from Mueller, and still waiting for justice, any kind of justice. I, for one, am getting impatient with the wait: Waiting for Justice. Waiting for Mueller. Waiting for McGhan, Waiting on the Courts. Waiting on the Attorney General to wake up out of the spell cast upon him by our 45thpresident. Now we are waiting on the Democrats in the House of Representatives to hold this president accountable for the many crimes Mueller already set forth and proved beyond any doubt that the president and his cronies committed and continue to commit in their ongoing attempts to obstruct justice.
 
Anyone paying attention to this current assault on our Democracy knows that the Banana Republicans have chosen to defend their indefensible president rather than defend the Constitution that they took an oath to protect. Clearly every last one of these Republican farts need to be thrown out of office and thrown into jail for aiding and abetting the enemies of our Constitution. Not only are the Banana Republicans defiling their oaths to defend the Constitution, they are defiling even the Pledge of Allegiance, you know, where even first graders learn that to pledge allegiance to the flag means “to pledge allegiance to the Republic for which it stands.” Having disgraced this pledge—one any first grader undertakes and understands—all Republicans who refuse to stand up for our Republic and for our Constitution, should be seen and treated as the traitors to America that they, in fact, are. 
 
The Repugnant-ones have already proven themselves traitors. We all know that we cannot count on any of those with a R behind their name to do the right thing for our country, our Republic or our Constitution. Hopefully, if and when this country ever returns to sanity, they will all be put out into the cold where they belong, perhaps in a long self-imposed exile if they are not themselves held in cold, dark cells somewhere. No doubt, the Devil—with Whom they and their Evangelical followers are in league—has many special places in Hell already reserved for the whole hypocritical and diabolical lot of them. 
 
America has no one left to stand up for our Republic but the Democrats. Knowing and understanding this, the American people clearly chose to put the Democrats in control of the House of Representatives in the midterm election of 2018 to act as a check and balance on our out-of-control president and his out-of-control Executive Branch—an absolute constitution duty that the Republicans refused to take seriously during the first two years of this criminal president’s first term in office. 
 
The Democratically-controlled House is now being stonewalled by an abhorrent president. And Chairman Jerrold Nadler and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have each declared that our nation is now facing “a constitutional crisis.” This dire situation should not be underestimated by anyone. We as a nation are in what I would term, “deep shit.”
 
Where are our heroes who will defend our nation and our constitution? They certainly do not reside anywhere within the cowardly ranks of the aiding and abetting Repugnant-ones. So where are the Democrats, who we thought would jump up to defend us against this tyrant-in-chief? Apparently, they are hiding behind public opinion polls, waiting for the public to lead them to Impeachment Proceedings, rather than the other way around. Dare I say, the Democrats are thus far acting so cowardly, that they risk lumping themselves in with the cowardly traitors who still dare to call themselves Republicans. Rather than stepping forward, the Democrats remain gutless and indecisive even in the face of proof beyond any doubt that Special Counsel Mueller indicated at least 10 separate incidents where our 45thpresident committed the crime of obstruction of justice. He only escaped indictment on these ten federal felonies because of the ill-conceived Office of Legal Counsel opinion of the Justice Department (an opinion whose constitutional basis has yet to be tested by our courts) that a sitting president cannot be indicted. Rather than the Democrats beginning Impeachment Hearings as their sworn duty to the Constitution demands, they wait. Already long overdue once the president was found to be an unindicted co-conspirator of another felony count, this one of conspiracy to defraud the United States of America, the Dems have forced the American public to wait on them. Indeed, we are forced to wait even longer for justice.
 
It makes one wonder if justice will ever come. Indeed, has our government and our politics been so overwhelmed by the dark money from foreign powers, that we as a people will be forced to live under the Russian-installed president and newly-appointed Emperor and King, and bend in all things to his will?
 
An opinion piece in today’s Washington Post written by Samuel Erman and Edward Kleinbard, law professors at the USC School of Law, explained that “the House has the power to arrest people who defy its orders,” under what is termed Inherent Contempt.  The Democrats in the House can, themselves, arrest Bill Barf, Steve Mnuchin, and any other inept political hack who refuses to obey any legal subpoena issued by any House committee. The Congress has indeed, arrested people before under its Inherent Contemptpower. The last time Congress did so was in 1934. The Democratically-controlled Congress still has the absolute legal right to enforce its subpoenas with contempt and with arrest, if they so chose. They just lack the political will to do so. Period.
 
For how much longer will the Democrats remain gutless, impotent, refusing to act against a president who continues to spit on the Constitution and to vomit all over the concept of Congress as a separate but coequal branch of government? How long before the Democrats FINALLY do their job and impeach this asshole-in-chief? Or will they simply stand by and watch the Orange Monster tear down everything that the Constitution once stood for until nothing at all is left? How deep does their unbridled gutlessness go? Does it go as deep as the proven cowardice and national treachery of their Republican cohorts? And are the Democrats in the House of Representatives making a case that they, too, must all be removed along with the Republican-ones? Or do they stand for anything at all, other than trying to be reelected without doing their constitutional duty to hold this criminal regime accountable for their crimes?
 
As I pointed out in my last blog, if Congress could and did throw people in jail for refusing to obey a congressional subpoena in 1934, they sure as hell can and must do it now, while our Democracy is under attack. If they can’t find the courage to do this, then they should just pack up now, leave Washington, and surrender our nation to the dictates of our newly declared Dictator and Emperor on his usurped throne. 

Whether the majority of the American public realize it or not, our Democracy is under attack. In fact, Congress, the First Branch of our democratic government established in the Constitution of the United States of America is systematically and pervasively being attacked by a lawless Executive Branch who in every way is seeking to destroy the constitutional prerogatives of the First Branch, while seeking to obstruct justice and The Rule of Law. If the Congress of these United States do not fight this war with our outlaw Executive Branch with every tool at their disposal, with every ounce of their fervor and courage, we can forever kiss our democracy goodbye. Period. We are not only now in a Constitutional Crisis, a question remains whether our republic as it was established for over two centuries can endure this assault on all of the rights that Americans for generations have fought and died for and now take utterly for granted.
 
The story is frequently told that after Benjamin Franklin emerged from the Constitutional Convention, when asked by a lady what sort of government America now had, that he replied, “We have a Republic, Madam, if you can keep it.” This foretells what the Founders always knew to be true: A Democracy must be carefully cultivated, fought for, and encouraged by a well-informed and caring citizenry. As the Washington Post reminds us daily, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” Indeed, our Democracy is being killed right before our eyes. Does anyone care? Will our Congress stand up for the powers invested in it by our Constitution to hold a lawless Executive in check? Will our Judiciary Branch? Will the American public demand accountability? 
 
All of these uncomfortable questions lead me to the most uncomfortable question of them all. Will the gutless democrats in the House actually begin doing the job that they were elected to do in the 2018 election, to act as a true check and a balance on this lawless administration? OR will they continue to wimp out and wait for the public to demand that they do their duty? We know, after all, that the Republican Party and virtually all of their elected leaders have opted to tie themselves to the mast of their sinking ship of their Russian-appointed president. Talk about your Ship of Fools! All we can do is hope that they all go down with #45. I, for one, cannot wait to see their sorry asses heading out of Washington, DC, with their traitorous tails between their legs. That they have betrayed their country and their sworn oaths to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States can no longer be in doubt to any thinking American who is paying attention. The whole lot of them must be turned out of office. And the Republican Party as it is now constituted needs to die and be buried once and for all.
 
As to the Democrats, who are our only hope left, are they FINALLY going to step up to the plate and fight our Democracy or will they continue to whimper and complain but basically do nothing, bringing a knife to a gunfight. The president and his minions are shooting at them with guns, machine guns and cannon fire, while the Democrats keep acting as though a contempt citation is going to cut it with the outlaws in the Executive Branch. The Democratic House needs to think about using their powers to arrest those who are breaking the law. When Steve Mnuchin and AG Bill Barf are both walked in handcuffs into a holding cell in the basement of the people’s House, then others who are defying legal subpoenas may think twice about defying Congress.

I keep hearing the argument that Congress has not utilized its power to imprison those who do not obey legal subpoenas since 1934 so the Congress should not resort to such a regressive action. To which I say, Bullshit. This excuse is NOT a good one given the current circumstances; it only tells me that Congress once upon a time many decades ago actually stood up to defend their constitutional rights and standing, and that our current Congress doesn’t intend to do the same, even as the enemy is at the gate, tearing down our Constitution each and every day. Did they take an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic, or did they not? It is past time that the House Democrats, and in particular Speaker Nancy Pelosi, grow a pair and do their job.

They must step forward and declare war with the unconstitutional stance of this president and his political hacks and lackeys. If Congress could throw people in jail for breaking the law in 1934 they sure as hell can and must do it now. Otherwise, they should just pack up and come home and leave our newly declared Dictator and Emperor on his usurped throne. They must declare that if the president is going to act like a Dictator that they will begin treating him like one. And in America, Dictators get thrown out on their ass. They must declare Impeachment Hearings now in session and do it now and lead the American public toward what must be done to preserve our Democracy by patiently informing the public through Impeachment Hearings what this criminal president and his criminal family and criminal businesses have been up to. Call it an Impeachment Hearing and begin acting as such, putting all of the information and all of the witnesses under oath and on national television.

Once the public understands that these are IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS and not merely investigations, the American public will come to see that our Democracy is under attack. You can’t have a real war if you don’t declare it. The Executive Branch has declared war on our Congress. The Congress needs to start acting like it, and stop pussyfooting around the edges while our Constitution and all of the institutions of the Federal Government are.
 
To this end, the Judiciary Branch needs to get its butt in gear, too, and recognize that these are not times for business as usual, not when our very Democracy is under assault. They must expedite every court proceeding and not allow the lawless bunch of thugs in the administration to threaten The Rule of Law by wasting all of our courts' time and patience. The Judiciary must be willing to force arrests when and if necessary, and to act not only judicially but quickly in the nation's interests and not the president's.
 
However long it takes—and it must happen far sooner than later, we must see McGahan forced to testify before congressional committees, and we must see Mueller to testify to Congress. Both must report the truth about all of the crimes that were and still are committed by our president. Then Barr, Mnuchin, and all the other Banana Republicans who have done this vile president’s bidding, need to be exposed for the truly vile and rotten swamp creatures that they are. 

This afternoon, the House Judiciary Committee voted to find Attorney General William Barr in Contempt of Congress and rightfully so. As Chairman Jerrold Nadler stated, “We are now in a constitutional crisis.” Down to a one, the Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, who luckily no longer hold power in the House or on the Judiciary Committee, voted to affirm that our 45thpresident is above the law, and that it is just fine for the Attorney General and the Department of Justice along with the rest of the president’s administration stonewall Congress and obstruct them in following their constitutional duties to provide oversight over this utterly lawless executive branch. These Republicans, make no mistake, voted for a new Banana Republic to replace our democracy and the Constitution of the United States of America that they each swore an oath to defend. Since virtually all of these so-called Republicans voted to defend an indefensible and criminal president, they should henceforth be thought of as Banana Republicans. The Rule of Law they believe in is that 45 can commit any crimes he wants, since they now seek to bestow on him dictatorial and authoritarian powers that no President of the United States has ever before sought for himself. In this, not only are the President and all of his followers in Contempt of Congress, they also stand in Contempt of the Constitution.
 
Our 45thPresident has committed crimes, before and after he was sworn into office. And he is illegitimate, since he won barely enough electoral college votes in just enough states due to the cyber war that Russia waged against our country, and no doubt Russian also tinkered with enough voter machines to change the voter tallies in these states to put their man into the White House. And if the Banana Republicans have their way, their Russian sponsors will be allowed to get away with this outrage. 
 
Let’s not forget that the president was already an unindicted co-conspirator referred to as Individual-1 by SDNY. On top of this, Mueller indicated in his report that our 45thpresident committed at least 10 felonious counts of obstructions of justice. Mueller also showed that the president and his toads colluded with Russia, and that Russia colluded with the _Rump campaign, but that he could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they conspired together. The cry of “No Collusion! No Obstruction!” is a bald-faced lie perpetrated by the biggest Banana Republican of them all, AG William Barf, as was his misrepresenting Mueller’s intent to pass his report on to Congress so that they could indict this criminal through the impeachment process.
 
Now the entire corrupt administration of this corrupt and criminal and illegitimate president has fallen into line behind their Dear Leader, refusing to acknowledge or accept in any way that they are answerable to another branch of our government that should be seen as equal to the executive branch. 
 
Now that our Attorney General has been found in Contempt of Congress by the House Judiciary Committee it becomes clear that he has used up all of his credibility and will go down in history as a Banana Republican, willing to play fast and loose with our Rule of Law just to defend the criminal enterprises now engulfing our White House. In other words, he will go down in history as an illegitimate president’s toad, nothing more than the lowest of the low of swamp creatures. He has defiled his oath of office and betrayed his country. In covering up the president’s crimes of obstruction of justice, he has committed a similar crime, not once but several times. Indeed, if there is any justice left in our country, he and his Banana Republicans will all see the inside of a jail cell for nothing less than treason. Bill Barf’s reputation now lies in tatters, unredeemable no matter what he might choose to do later to rectify the damage he has wrought on our Constitution and the Rule of Law. Past the point of no return, history will be exceedingly unkind to Bill Barf, Toad in Chief of a Criminal President. The great Barf Toad will take his place in a Hall of Infamy of many Banana Republicans, where he will forever reside, alongside Nixon, Benedict Arnold, McConnell, Lindsay Graham, the Orange Monster and a few infamous others. 
 
Now—despite Bill Barf’s best efforts to protect the president—over 70% of Americans now believe that their president has committed crimes, both before taking office and after. And many more will be forced to grapple with the reality that their president is a criminal when Mueller takes the stand and speaks truth to the vile powers that are attempting to bring our Republic to its knees.
 
The tide already began to turn when Mueller’s investigators—who never leaked once throughout their 22-month investigation—let their dissatisfaction with the Orange Monster’s Attorney General become public. The American public’s opinion turned further against their criminal president once they read about Mueller’s two letters to Bill Barf, putting his opinion that the AG had misrepresented his report and deliberately misled the American public with his false summary.  As I said before in a previous political posting, Mueller was essentially sending the AG an implicit written threat: “Give the true contents of the Mueller Report to Congress and the American people, or I and my staff will do it for you!” 
 
However long it takes—and let’s pray it is soon—Mueller will find his way to Congress to report the truth about all of the crimes committed by our president. Then Barr, Mnuchin, and all the other Banana Republicans who have done this vile president’s bidding, will be peeled and exposed so that all Americans see how truly vile and rotten they are inside, like rotten and rotting fruit spawned from a truly poisonous tree. 

With my new critically-acclaimed memoir, SAINT UNSHAMED: A GAY MORMON'S LIFE coming out less than a week ago, it went to #1 as the top Best Seller in Amazon's List of New Releases in Gay Studies. And I am happy (nay, thrilled!) to report that the book remains at the #1 spot.

As the book continues its successful launch into the marketplace, I want to thank all of the critics who have given my book such positive notices. Also, I need to publicly acknowledge some websites in particular, who have given my book special attention, among them GAY BOOKS MARKETING, the reader's blog RED HEADED BOOK LOVER reviewing new books, who review I highlighted in my last post on Sunday, and lastly, the wonderful website, JOYFULLY JAY, a blog for readers and writers of mostly gay romance fiction,

GAY BOOK MARKETING just ran an incredible spotlight on me and the book, for which I am grateful. If you would like to read it, click on this link: 

https://gaybookpromotions.wordpress.com/2019/04/26/new-release-saint-unshamed-a-gay-mormons-life-by-kerry-ashton/?fbclid=IwAR1Me3UWcMIF9obg-_s6L3payK7R27rCzaoZrsedCTnxn6Jdjx5EjjtCCHQ

Yesterday, JOYFULLY JAY ran a guest spot about me and the book that was just awesome. Here is the link to that article, if you would like to check it out:

https://joyfullyjay.com/2019/04/excerpt-giveaway-guest-post-interview-saint-unshamed-a-gay-mormons-life-healing-from-the-shame-of-religion-rape-conversion-therapy-cancer-by-kerry-ashton/

Now, today, JOYFULLY JAY published a review on SAINT UNSHAMED, which was largely favorable. Below are excerpts from that review:

Review: Saint Unshamed: A Gay Mormon’s Life by Kerry Ashton
May 1, 2019 | 

Saint Unshamed: A Gay Mormon’s Life depicts playwright and actor Kerry Ashton’s painful, tumultuous, and empowering journey to physical, spiritual, and emotional truth and healing, and living life as an unashamed gay man. Through the use of metaphor from The Wizard of Oz, particularly the yellow brick road, and anecdotes from his life, Ashton explores his belief that the doctrine of the LDS Church and the shame that religion uses to repress its believers’ inner-selves can lead to levels of repressed shame that are not only harmful to people’s well-being, but may lead to violence and suicide, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community whose very existence is considered an abomination by many.
 
Saint Unshamed is broken into two parts, both of which involve his years at Brigham Young University (BYU) intertwined with his pre- and post- BYU experiences. In part one, Ashton shares the inner workings of his complex upbringing—a family dynamic filled with a volatile mixture of love, anger, domestic violence, mental illness, secrets, and shame all crammed together under the pressure cooker that is the doctrine of the LDS Church and the need to be, or rather, appear to be the perfect Mormon. He also discusses his early time at BYU and the inner conflict he struggled with throughout college that came with being a gay man being taught that who he is was not only a sin, but changeable if he just tried/prayed/wanted it badly enough. This inner struggle appears to lead him to live a double life full of the highs of friendship and personal achievement and the lows of self-hatred and shame. Tragically, this period also includes a traumatic rape so horrific and terrifying, he would repress it for forty years and struggle with his physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being for just as long. By alternating between his youth and first years at BYU, Ashton conveys how, with Mormon teachings beginning at an early age and the threat of abandonment hanging over the heads of eight-year-old children should they choose not to accept them, he learned a truth that guided the majority of his actions until he graduated from college, and that in subconscious ways, alternately led to him sabotaging his career and health into his forties:
 
Part two focuses on the latter part of Ashton’s college experience and his life post college, in which the long process of self-healing began. I believe it examines how the clash between doctrine and identity can create a crippling and harmful duality that produces secrets, lies, and a never-ending flood of shame; the tightrope walking of having to use and betray a friend and person you love to hide your shame; the ugliness and trauma of electroshock therapy; and the way in which good intentions can be used in twisted and painful ways. Ashton also illustrates how learning the difference between religion and spirituality and living a truthful life helped heal him and bring him closer to his personal truth and unconditional love.
 
In many ways, I applaud Saint Unshamed. I enjoy reading memoirs and am impressed by the bravery it takes for people to put their personal pain, inner thoughts, and soul on display for the world to see. Many of Ashton’s words and struggles resonate with me on a personal level. 
 
Saint Unshamed does a good job outlining Ashton’s unique, hard-won journey to self-discovery, acceptance, and living proudly and unashamed, and I can see it being a powerful guide in people’s walks through life.

My new, critically-acclaimed memoir, SAINT UNSHAMED: A GAY MORMON’S LIFE—Healing From the Shame of Religion,Rape, Conversion Therapy & Cancer was officially published yesterday, Saturday, April 27th, when the First Edition was made available to the public as both a Hardcover Book and as an E-Book. Now, both formats can be purchased online at Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and at virtually all other retail book outlets online. 
 
The Hardcover version retails at $28.95, and the E-Book sells for $9.99. However, to celebrate the publication tomorrow, the E-Book will be sold at only $1.99 (and on some days as low as 99 cents!) now through May 2nd ONLY. You can’t beat those rock-bottom prices! In turn, you can buy the Hardcover version for $25 at my author’s website at www.KerryAshton.com.
 
Also, and this is very exciting news, my book opened yesterday at #1 on the Amazon list of Bestsellers for Gay Studies. I was and remain thrilled!
 
The book has received unanimous critical acclaim thus far in all of its Editorial Reviews. Clarion Books, for example, praised it as “A triumphant memoir!” Blueink Reviews hailed it as “A powerful and detailed memoir” while exclaiming, “Ashton is a passionate, unfailingly candid narrator. Using vivid detail, he crafts absorbing scenes… giving us a compelling look at being gay in a community that seed this as a source of shame—a record of one man’s hurt and healing, while those with similar stories have yet to speak of their pain.” The Online Book Club Reviews said, “Ashton exposes the innermost parts of his psyche. A touching story with a strong senses of authenticity. An immersive experience!” And Kirkus Reviews, the foremost authority in the publishing industry, gave the memoir a rave review, calling it “A riveting story, alternating between the troubled child he was, and the proud, openly gay man that he became. A moving coming-out story!”
 
And now today, a rave review came out on the prominent Book Lover's Blog, RED HEADED BOOK LOVER. I’m enclosing it below in its entirety below.
 
Meanwhile, I have to thank all of you out there who are supporting me by buying the book and spreading the word of mouth. It means the world to me.

The publication of my memoir marks the culmination of so many years of work, not only in writing and rewriting, but in finding a publisher, promoting it, etc. 

I hope you and yours will all buy the book!
 
Sending all of you love and hugs, and again thank you so much for  your support!
 
Kerry Ashton

        RED HEADED BOOK LOVER

Saint Unshamed by Kerry Ashton

​April 28, 2019 by Aimee Ann
 
Christian Living & Devotional, Memoir & Biography, NonFiction, Religion & Spirtuality
 
Saint Unshamed is a poignant, moving and inspirational memoir that will take readers on a thought-provoking journey while entertaining them at the same time. Saint Unshamed is written by author Kerry Ashton, and Kerry throughout Saint Unshamed will take his readers on the journey of his life from past to present. The journey the reader will encounter is at times heartbreaking because of what Kerry went through and the many events that significantly impacted his life. However, it is also an uplifting book in which Kerry will make you smile thanks to his positive outlook and inspiring passages. If you are a reader who is looking to read a memoir that is unlike anything you have read before and a memoir that is the perfect combination of inspiration, fact, and poignancy, then Saint Unshamed is the book for you and should not be missed.
 
Saint Unshamed is written by the incredible Kerry Ashton and in his book he shares his story and the many pivotal moments in it. The reader will follow him from his four years at BYU and all that he experienced, including abuse, love, harassment and much more. The reader will also learn of Kerry’s conversion therapy which was three years long and all while he does this he shares poignant and emotive memories of growing up in Idaho and this book lovers is the premise of the excellent Saint Unshamed!
 
Saint Unshamed is a poignant, moving, and compelling piece of nonfiction that will help, inspire and captivate its readers from the very start until the very end. Saint Unshamed is an influential, powerful book because it deals with the topic of abuse as well as conversion therapy. I believe that Saint Unshamed will be the perfect read for those that have experienced some kind of abuse or feel alone because Kerry, although brutally honest about how he felt, still manages to inspire and inject positivity into the story. However, those that have not experienced anything Kerry has will equally be able to enjoy the book and take away something from it thanks to the author’s wisdom and bright outlook on life.
 
Saint Unshamed is an exceptional book not only for the author’s candor but also the information he has so expertly laced throughout the book. The information will help readers better understand conversion therapy and so much more and I believe that is really important because sadly these topics are not commonly discussed but they need to be so that no person ever feels alone.
 
Kerry Ashton is a remarkable person for two reasons; the first is because he is honest and brave to write his story and the second is because he is an exceptionally talented author. His impeccable writing is a joy to read and flows beautifully throughout so that the reader will feel compelled to read non-stop. He is a pure literary talent, and so I applaud him for being so brilliant!
 
Overall Saint Unshamedis an insightful, informative, inspiring book and I would say if you are a reader who is interested in the topics explored and coming out the other side, then this book is for you and so Saint Unshamedgets five stars from me! Be sure to have a read of the preview below book lovers, you won’t regret it! There is also a promotion on the book currently so be sure to check it out!

SAINT UNSHAMED: A GAY MORMON'S LIFE
Healing from the Shame of Religion, Rape, Conversion Therapy & Cancer by Kerry Ashton
 
KIRKUS REVIEW
 
Ashton’s (Red Hot Mama, 2015) memoir tells stories of his troubled childhood, the excitement of being an aspiring actor in New York City, and his first real love for another man.
 
Growing up in the heart of Mormon country in the 1950s, or the “LDS yellow brick road,” as he calls it, Ashton spent his early childhood gravitating toward performance, music, and theater—all subjects that earned him scorn from his conservative father. These painful early years also resulted in him having deep shame about his sexuality and his desire for men, which he couldn’t even admit to himself. The memoir shifts between Ashton’s first few years at Brigham Young University, where he began to make a name for himself as one of the most talented actors on campus, and memories of beatings from his father and of the erosion of his family, due to fear of sin. 
 
During college, he made forays into sex; once, he endured a brutal rape, which he willed himself to forget. However, at Brigham Young, he also met a strikingly good-looking young man named Harlan, who took young Ashton under his wing, and with whom Ashton fell deeply in love. He also experienced the devastating conclusion of his long relationship with Harlan. 
 
In Ashton’s post-college life, he tried to break onto Broadway and come to terms with the psychological damage he endured in the LDS Church. 
 
Ashton has clearly led a long, fascinating life. The care and detail he brings to his childhood and first years in New York, feature wonderful run-ins with celebrities, such as Bette Davis and Stephen Sondheim. The memoir’s structure is smart, as it allows Ashton to develop a single, riveting story about his growing love for Harlan and his battle with BYU’s unrelenting moral standards. Along the way, he adds rich perspective as he alternates between the troubled child he was, and the proud, openly gay man that he eventually became.
 
A moving coming-out story with an intriguing narrative structure.
 
Pub Date: April 27, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-692-17051-9
Page count: 348pp
Publisher: Lynn Wolf Enterprises
Program: Kirkus Indie
Review Originally Posted Online: Dec. 19th, 2018
 

Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gen-g.html
‪Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "SAINT UNSHAMED: A Gay Mormon's Life" by Kerry Ashton:
 
‪In the wake of modern LGBT social movements, where more and more people are summoning the courage to openly identify themselves as LGBT in a heterosexist society, we also hear many stories about the LGBT community and their stories of coming out. However, whilst some are heart-warming, some are also difficult to hear about, especially when it involves intolerance.
 
‪Kerry Ashton’s memoir, titled Saint Unshamed: A Gay Mormon’s Life, is one such story, where religion (that of Mormonism) and homosexuality collide. Brought up during the 1970s in the heart of Mormon influence, Ashton tells the reader his painful yet heartening story of his journey towards accepting his homosexuality. This story begins from his childhood, where he remembers being abused; to his college life, where he was raped during one of his sexual explorations as a homosexual; and finally, to the present, where he fully accepts himself as he is.
‪I appreciated this book very much. It is obvious that Ashton has spared no qualms exploring the innermost parts of his psyche, baring it all for the reader. The book explores the intersection of homosexuality, race, and religion very well, and the entire story was an eye-opening experience. In fact, his book would be a great resource for those who are looking to learn more about the Mormon way of life. 
 
‪The story was touching and had a strong sense of authenticity. Ashton tells his story in a series of mini scenes… using a linear narrative. ‪The story flowed well, and I completed the book in a single sitting. Ashton has an ability to provide the reader with an immersive experience through his writing, and he draws one in fully. 
‪
Personally, I feel the need to have more literature discussing such sensitive issues, and I would recommend this book to those in the LGBT community. Nonetheless, no matter one’s sexuality, this is a book that would be a great resource for those seeking to understand the intricacies of how our society views race, religion, sexuality, as well as the social hierarchy that exists in its intersections. For those who are uncomfortable, please note that there are a couple of explicit scenes and mentions of abuse.

SAINT UNSHAMED
A GAY MORMON'S LIFE
Kerry Ashton 
Lynn Wolf Enterprises 
Hardcover $28.95 (348pp)
978-0-692-17051-9

Saint Unshamed is a triumphant memoir about how one man managed to find a way out of a culture that would silence him.
​
In his memoir, Saint Unshamed, actor and writer Kerry Ashton likens shame to an insidious disease that threads through the body and the psyche, slowly destroying and devaluing everything it touches. Ashton caught it early—from his parents, from his Mormon faith, from his burgeoning understanding of his own sexuality. Brutal, graphic, and historical, this memoir tells not only Ashton’s harrowing story, but also that of the many gay men who struggled with their sexual identity and health during the latter quarter of the twentieth century.

Now capable of understanding much of what he has endured, Ashton begins with his own lack of shame, a state he spent decades trying to achieve. Shamed by his family for being effeminate and policed and punished by Brigham Young University, Ashton nevertheless emerged the victor, but he also endured electroshock therapy that forever damaged his nervous system and a disturbing and violent rape.

In the midst of his own story, Ashton also discusses friends who lost their lives, including gay men who killed themselves, who contracted HIV, or who buried themselves in heterosexual marriages. He gives life to rest stops and gay cruising grounds, relating both their necessity and the danger they represented for men who could not speak about their sexual needs.

Ashton also tries to make sense of his religious and family life. Strict Mormon laws regarding sex, from masturbation to intercourse to anything in between, informed much of Ashton’s suffering, but to deny Mormonism would have been to lose his family, his faith, and, in many ways, his identity as a young man. Ashton’s electric scenes speak to that quandary and make real the many parts of life that are barred to men who come out.
Though the memoir progresses almost to the present, with a quick screed against Donald Trump near its end, Ashton’s young adulthood and childhood produce the best-wrought scenes with the most at stake. The pacing and the tension there is literary; scenes are full and include actions and reactions. 

The text’s moves through time are frequent and sometimes disruptive. Barbra Streisand movies are referenced to help keep years straight in the story, which also pays homage to Judy Garland; The Wizard of Oz becomes an extended metaphor with clear parallels in Ashton’s story. Ashton’s encounters with famous people are charming and interesting in and of themselves.

Devastating but ultimately hopeful, Saint Unshamed is insightful as it reveals a generation of Mormon men who were hurt and sometimes destroyed by the church’s positions on their sexuality. It is a triumphant memoir about how one man managed to find a way out.

Reviewed by Camille-Yvette Welsch