Jon Michaelsen's Blog: Ramblings, Excerpts, WIPs, etc., page 38
September 26, 2012
Review of Second Chance by David Lennon – A Solid, Well-Crafted Gay PI Novel
Second Chance
by David Lennon
Reviewed by Jon Michaelsen
The third novel featuring former NOPD homicide detectives Michel Doucette and Alexandra “Sassy” Jones kicks off with the two police alumni starting out their private investigations agency and for the most part assuming the same roles they had before, albeit with more leeway where the law and evidence gathering is concerned. One of their first cases is for Chance, Doucette’s boyfriend’s best friend, who has hired the team to look into a business venture he had with two members of an organized crime family where he lost of a quarter million dollar investment. In an ironic twist, the pair is hired by the head of the same crime family in order to locate the mob boss’s missing son, and they soon finding themselves caught up in an apparent turf war between aging kingpins and an outsider moving in on the action with far more leverage than anyone sees coming.
Once again the character of Sassy Jones shins through to steal just about every scene she’s in; the woman is tough, bright and very capable, with even a hint toward a relationship with a shady fellow that raises a few eyebrows. Meanwhile Michel stumbles onto evidence that indicates the case of Chance’s bad investment may not be as cut and dried as first presented, driving the early portion of the novel before the two cases merge and more emphasis – and complexity – is put on the missing mobster’s son and resulting evidence suggesting a growing turf war.
While all is going on, Michel seems to be struggling to find solid footing in his relationship with Joel, nine years his junior, who presses for more of a commitment from the former cop – which Michel seems reluctant to give as he seems unable at times to get beyond their age gap. Add to this a dumb move on Michel part that throws a ratchet into their love affair. Stating more would reveal far too much and spoil the fun, but suffice to say readers will likely be yelling at their e-readers like I was following Michel’s stupid actions.
Second Chance is a solid, well-constructed PI novel, never allowing the reader a dull moment. The pace is quick and smooth, the suspense nail-biting. Lennon has come into his own with this third featuring Doucette-Jones novel exhibiting a solid voice and style that makes for an enjoyable read as we learn just a little more of what makes these two flawed former detectives tick and of what consequences can mean for their actions.
September 16, 2012
Murder In The Garden District by Greg Herren – Another Great Chanse MacLeod Mystery
Murder In The Garden District
by Greg Herren
Reviewed by Jon Michaelsen
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/358517181
6.0 Stars! Reading one of Greg Herren’s Chanse MacLeod mysteries is akin to curling up in bed with knees tucked beneath the covers and sipping a cup of hot cocoa. In order words – for me at least – reading a book in this this series is like a homecoming, comfortable, homely…and, incredibly addictive. Herren’s #5 entry in the series of six mysteries thus far has become one of my favorites. I read this one out of sequence since I had to wait until Murder In The Garden District was released in ebook format. Mr. Herren explained to me last year that he was waiting for the rights to revert back to him to get the title re-released as an ebook. I read Murder in the Irish Channel December last year and the first in the series, Murder In The Rue Dauphine last March (again waiting for the novel to be released via ebook). 
Reading the Chanse MacLeod mysteries out of order is not a problem; each novel stands on its own, however, reading them sequentially, the reader gets a real good feel of the personal challenges each of the main characters, Chanse MacLeod and Venus Casanova, face throughout their trials and tribulations – indeed growth – from excitement, to setbacks, to heartache and of course, the wrath of mother nature.
In Murder In The Garden District, we learn right away former cop, private eye Chanse MacLeod is hired to investigate the murder of a leading candidate in an upcoming senatorial race. The man was a scion of Louisiana’s political world, loathed by many, with a very young wife, long held secrets and a grand-dame matriarch mother determined to keep the family name untarnished at any cost, regardless of breaking any laws. Sound familiar?
The premise may seem familiar to many a mystery lover, but Murder In The Garden District is anything but a mirror image of those novels which fail to provide the right balance of deft mystery with the realistic, personal side of the protagonist. Herren succeeds in offering us a tightly drawn mystery, with a thrilling backstory driving the angst and excitement of the last twenty odd pages or so. My favorite portion of the story however centers on yet another monster hurricane unleashed by mother nature and headed straight for New Orleans not a year or two after the devastating killer, Katrina. Here is where Herren reveals the true art of writing, the inherit gift of personal insight, the chilling anguish and fear brought about by yet another storm.
New Orleans becomes a character all of its own in this fifth installment of the private eye, Chanse MacLeod series, making Murder In The Garden District more than worth the read. Considering the political climate today with highly contested local, regional and national elections across the country, Garden is timely as Herren delves into the political arena of conspiracy, money and power in New Orleans., all framed within a murder under interesting circumstances in which MacLeod must steer clear of implicating a member of the family as killer and pin the murder on someone else.
September 6, 2012
REVIEW: Murder In The Garden District by Greg Herren
http://glfictionreviews.blogspot.com/...
August 23, 2012
What Writing GLBTQ Litature Means To Me: Rainbow Blog Hop
What writing GLBTQ literature means to me.
When I heard of the opportunity to participate in the highly anticipated RAINBOW BLOG HOP, hosted by Rainbow Book Reviews August 24-26, 2012, in honor of launching the Rainbow Book Reviews website (http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/index.php), I jumped at the chance to participate with fellow writers. Below is information posted via the website in the “about us” section for those unfamiliar with the new GLBTQ book review site:Rainbow Book Reviews is a site dedicated to GLBTQ-related books, reviews, and authors who write about topics of interest to us and our friends.
We have a wide range of activities for you to check and participate in, if you wish. Feedback is always welcome. We publish new releases on a daily basis, have a team of reviewers who try to help you understand what to expect from a book, we publish monthly author interviews, and have author pages with in-depth information. You can also find out about the many great publishers who publish GLBTQ-related books.
We want to make sure the site offers what YOU (the reader!) want to see, so please contact us with any ideas or feedback at info@rainbowbookreviews.com. For individual staff members, please see the overview below.
As a participant in the RBH, I was given the task to describe what writing GLBTQ literature means to me. Right off the bat (does this date me?) I am asked to reveal my thoughts about referencing very complicated question. I will be as totally honest and forthwith in order that you – the reader – may gleam some sense of what makes me tick; why I write at all.
I have been writing stories most of my life, beginning around age seven or eight, I’m not really sure. What I do know, however, is the person who first influenced my writing and encouraged me to further explore my “active imagination”, my beloved grandmother, who I affectionately named “Mana” when very young. It was my attempt at mimicking my mother who called her mother, Momma. When she readied for bed each night, I would sit on the side of her bed reciting the stories I had dreamed up – she never once questioned the reasons or motivation driving my need to create make-believe, fictitious imagery of people or animals of whom became characters of my words. I’d jot a few pages longhand on paper while at school during lunch or recess to read to Mana during out nightly ritual. Those times spent with my grandmother are my most treasured memories even today after having lost my best friend three years ago at the young age of seventy-nine years old.
So, getting back to what writing gay literature means to me: at first glance, it’s opportunity to share ideas, historical or current happenings of circumstance. My earlier pre-teen stories covered popular genres of the day based largely upon what I was reading at the time (I was a voracious reader in elementary school – even winning the coveted “top reader” award each year at the local library during summer break) or had watched on television, which influenced my imagination. I remember the one book and movie that was the catalyst pushing me to start writing my first story: To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, originally published in 1960 (my birth year) and adapted to screen in 1962 (starring Mary Badham and the legendary Gregory Peck), the novel won the Pulitzer Prize and the movie earned Gregory Peck an Oscar for his supreme performance. I didn’t see the movie until I was older (my mother had worried the film was too “heavy” for a young, impressionable boy) and read the book as an assignment for school. I knew then I wanted to write stories. In fact, my first quasi-serious attempt putting pencil to paper was a hysterical fantasy titled “The Ship”, about a pirate ghost ship off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. I even named the main character of the story Atticus, the same as Gregory Peck’s character.
At second glance during my formative years, many stories flowed from my pencil, encouraged both by my grandmother and teachers in school. Born and raised in south of Georgia, USA, my family could not afford to purchase books for me (I come from a blue-collar family that worked in the cotton mills on the Chattahoochee river) so I lived in the school library checking out as many books as allowed. I read everything from fiction to non-fiction, biographies and history. I couldn’t get enough. I wrote fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery and thriller stories during those years and always wrote for the love of telling a story, which I shared with my family and some teachers. My favorite memories of grade school was each spring when English or History class teachers would read books to us the final week of school. One mesmerizing novel I recall was titled “Island Of The Blue Dolphins”, by Scott, O’Dell, about a young Nicolero Indian girl stranded on an island off the coast of California for eighteen years. The story remains with me even today; the power of the written word is unmatched.
I didn’t realize I was “gay” until later in my teens (this was the late ‘70s), so writing gay stories wasn’t yet a priority. Majoring in English when I went off to college was a no-brainer, even minoring in Broadcasting (go figure!). While seeking my under graduate degree, I wrote fictional stories for the campus newspaper, often turning them into serials that had attracted a decent readership. I finally came out my second year in college, and my writing began to focus more on gay characters, considered risky in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s of the south. The first homoerotic novel I read was “Good Times/Bad Times” by James Kirkwood. The novel about the relationship of two young men in boarding school affected me deeply and I began seeking out gay-themed novels once I realized they existed, often perusing the bookstore shelves for hours, too embarrassed to ask the store clerks.
Then I came across the cover of a paperback novel showing a young man sitting on the bench in a locker room. The book was the groundbreaking, “The Front Runner”, by Patricia Nell Warren. This novel became catalyst of my writing gay-themed stories. I devoured every novel I could find by Ms. Warren, moving on to other gay-centric novels thereon. What was so important to me during the early years of my emerging sexuality was reading fictional stories that resembled me, what I was all about or could be. I relied on these stories for self-discovery, unable to speak to my parents or other family members about my being gay.
Fast forward thirty years and third glance; I have been writing stories for several years that have always featured a gay protagonist, concentrating mainly in the mystery/suspense, thriller genres, many with romantic tendencies. But, it wasn’t until as recently as 2008 that I began to submit my stories for publication. Though frightened and unsure, I wanted to share my writing with others besides my family and friends. I am a gay author and I write stories of mystery/suspense and romance novels where the main characters are gay. I don’t feel this fact defines or limit my characters, but more often provides excellent opportunities for exciting plots. Many diverse writers have influenced my written style, such as David Baldacci, John Grisham and Michael Crichton, along with the groundbreaking gay novelists Patricia Nell Warren, Michael Nava and Felice Picano. Some of my current favorites and influencers are gay mystery writers Greg Herren, David Lennon and John Morgan Wilson – and many more.
Finally, writing GLBTQ literature means to be true to the gay culture, to create realistic, (in my case, fictional) characters that represent the gay community correctly. Knowing some readers just coming to terms with their sexuality might be reading my words, I research meticulously to ensure accuracy and strive to present positive role models within my stories even as my characters face bigotry and intolerance, dating and falling in love…and usually, murder! My characters must grow through challenges and experience, be representative of the gay community, whether negative or positive, and not all my stories end with a HEA.
I will continue to write as long as I enjoy creating stories, and I am so happy to be able to share my writing with others. Recently, I released an erotic thriller, False Evidence: Murder Most Deadly 1 – the first novella of a two-part murder-mystery. I am currently writing a gay, murder-mystery, police-procedural, featuring closeted Atlanta Homicide Detective, Kendall Parker, which I hope to get published sometime in 2013. I am also a Juror for the 2012 GLBT Rainbow Awards sponsored by Elisa Rolle, (http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/ta...), which I am greatly enjoying.
Links to my titles:
Amazon Purchase Link:
http://tinyurl.com/FalseEvidence-AmazonKindle
Lyd :
http://tinyurl.com/False-Evidence
ARE :
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-murdermostdeadly1falseevidence-792605-145.html
Barnes & Noble purchase link :
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/jon-michaelsen?keyword=jon+michaelsen&store=ebook
Rainbow eBooks
http://www.rainbowebooks.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7121
AT-Ebooks (Gay/Lesbian ebooks)
http://at-ebooks.com/index.php/http-www-loveyoudivine-com-index-php-main-page-document-product-info-products-id-983.html
TLA Video Print & Ebooks :
http://www.tlavideo.com/gay-jon-michaelsen/person-153789-2
PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES!
Click on the link below to read more about prizes and give-aways for the Rainbow Book Reviews Blog Hop:
http://rainbowbookreviews.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/the-rainbow-book-reviews-blog-hop-is-here/
In celebration, of the Rainbow Blog Hop, I am giving away two (2) copies of my latest novella, False Evidence. A random drawing from those who post a comment via my blog.
Please, let me know your thoughts and what reading/writing GLBTQ literature means to you!
August 13, 2012
Check Out This Light, Sweet Male/Male Romance by Josephine Myles
Handle With Care –
Review by Jon Michaelsen
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/363178928
Ben Lethbridge, a thirty-something man has lived the life, albeit a little too much. After having raised his little sister to adulthood following his parents death, he spent a couple years making up for lost time and partying it up with the best, however ignoring his diabetes. The result has left him tired and weak since his body has betrayed him, ultimately confining him to his home dealing with a regular dialysis regimen while awaiting a transplant. All doesn’t result in a terrible existence however, as Ben is able to continue working from home and enjoy a few pleasures in life, but most of his favorite activities are now forbidden to him…except for his love for DVD porn.
He soon begins fantasizing about the DVD delivery guy, Ollie, a gorgeous young man with an interesting personal statement in hairstyle who is also a skateboarder. When a delivered package accidently splits open, the delivery boy discovers Ben’s secret – and his sexuality.
Meanwhile, Ben has resigned himself to only being able to flirt with the young man as surely, a twenty year old would not be the least bit interested in a thirty-three year old man with an illness-ravaged body. Still, Ben is encouraged enough with their light, flirty banter to begin taking care of his appearance.
HANDLE WITH CARE is a light, sweet contemporary m/m romance with likeable characters facing every day challenges, each with their own back-story, er baggage. The author takes baby-steps in building the relationship between the two, tossing errant tests the two must overcome. Though facing a very touch illness, Ben is the stronger of the two, a somewhat reluctant father-figure who much help Ollie to realize his understanding of a “relationship” based on past experiences is not all there is – or can be.
Author Josephine Myles slowing reveals emotions driving the actions of both Ben & Ollie, through their first meeting, innocent flirting and their big misunderstanding, the catalyst for the angst in the novel, though simple at best.
For those looking for a light male/male romance, sweet and easy read with a happy ending, HANDLE WITH CARE is for you.
August 11, 2012
Redemption By Fire; An Authentic Gay Romance
Review by Jon Michaelsen
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/387801454
Career firefighter, tough guy and resident asshole, Dirk Krause, has a big chip on his shoulder, one of his own making, an attitude that has driven everyone around the firehouse crazy. When Dirk is injured on the job while saving a baby from a burning building, his disposition while recuperating in the hospital continues to further alienate his comrades and potential new friends, his only visitor being his father until the new recruit at the station draws the short straw and arrives at the hospital with sympathy bouquet in hand and encouraging well-wishes from the guys.
I must admit, I noticed Redemption by Fire first due to the incredible cover, well designed and eye-catching, representative of the story within. The blurb intrigued me so I purchased the ebook version and never looked back.
Dirk Krause is described as an asshole of the first degree. His life is hell of his making, and causing those around him - indeed those charged with protecting his back when fighting roaring fires - miserable. When I began Redemption by Fire, I was immediately pulled into the story. The writing is very good, the storyline intriguing, with a grip that didn’t let go until the end.
I wanted to know what drove Dirk to treat those around him, including his comrades and friends, as he did. I gave Krause the benefit of the doubt, confident author Andrew Grey knew well how to set up a love-story between two of the unlikeliest of characters.
Enter Lee Stockton, a big, muscular hulk of a man with a baby face to boot and personality that screams gorgeous, decidedly opposite Dirk in every way, right down to his respect of his job and of other people. First impression is Lee is nothing but a dumb muscle-head just following orders, but readers will quickly learn he is anything but. Lee sees right through Dirk’s angry façade and takes the man to task right there in his hospital bed, delivering a scorching kiss that sets Dirk on fire and awakens a libido needing attention.
Redemption by Fire draws the reader in as Grey drills deeper than the typical gay romance with conflict to explore the makeup of the main characters, what’s their makeup and why they respond as they do. The sex is spot on, sizzling hot and leaving no prisoners, remarkably representative of the typical hot horny guys having insane, mind-bending sex. It’s not until much later however – indeed after a few mishaps and misunderstandings threatening their relationship - the two begin a slow romance.
What drives the story however is far deeper and much more difficult to portray well in such a brief story -a mere 72-96 pages (depending on your reading device)- to avoid coming across as preachy or cliché; a story of denial and acceptance, of repressed longing and insecurities, and of a judgmental father still holding control over his grown son. But it is control that Dirk responds to in more ways than he first realizes. Lee is the perfect match for Dirk, a polar opposite in personality, confident in who he is and what he wants out of life, a match of wit and brawn up next to Dirk any day of the week.
Experiencing near death in a terrible fire proves life-altering for Dirk and he’s forced to reexamine who he is and what kind of man he has become. The realization and truth is surprisingly numbing for him, but Grey captures such grim discovery with genuine empathy, authenticity and zeal. Dirk is so far in the closet that it takes heavy coaxing to get him to step forward into the real world, to experience all that is possible and can be. With the understanding and strength of Lee by his side, the chance to experience true love for the first time in his life becomes real. It is that budding love for Lee and the thought of losing him – literally - that becomes the catalyst to drive Dirk out for good.
Redemption by Fire is short, but succinct, a realistic and authentic portrayal of a man living in denial, laying bare enough embers in the novella to continue with future installments, which I certainly hope author Andrew Grey does. I feel confident his readers will be clamoring for more of Dirk and Lee.
Redemption By Fire; A Wonderful, Authentic Gay Romance
Review by Jon Michaelsen
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/387801454
Career firefighter, tough guy and resident asshole, Dirk Krause, has a big chip on his shoulder, one of his own making, an attitude that has driven everyone around the firehouse crazy. When Dirk is injured on the job while saving a baby from a burning building, his disposition while recuperating in the hospital continues to further alienate his comrades and potential new friends, his only visitor being his father until the new recruit at the station draws the short straw and arrives at the hospital with sympathy bouquet in hand and encouraging well-wishes from the guys.
I must admit, I noticed Redemption by Fire first due to the incredible cover, well designed and eye-catching, representative of the story within. The blurb intrigued me so I purchased the ebook version and never looked back.
Dirk Krause is described as an asshole of the first degree. His life is hell of his making, and causing those around him - indeed those charged with protecting his back when fighting roaring fires - miserable. When I began Redemption by Fire, I was immediately pulled into the story. The writing is very good, the storyline intriguing, with a grip that didn’t let go until the end.
I wanted to know what drove Dirk to treat those around him, including his comrades and friends, as he did. I gave Krause the benefit of the doubt, confident author Andrew Grey knew well how to set up a love-story between two of the unlikeliest of characters.
Enter Lee Stockton, a big, muscular hulk of a man with a baby face to boot and personality that screams gorgeous, decidedly opposite Dirk in every way, right down to his respect of his job and of other people. First impression is Lee is nothing but a dumb muscle-head just following orders, but readers will quickly learn he is anything but. Lee sees right through Dirk’s angry façade and takes the man to task right there in his hospital bed, delivering a scorching kiss that sets Dirk on fire and awakens a libido needing attention.
Redemption by Fire draws the reader in as Grey drills deeper than the typical gay romance with conflict to explore the makeup of the main characters, what’s their makeup and why they respond as they do. The sex is spot on, sizzling hot and leaving no prisoners, remarkably representative of the typical hot horny guys having insane, mind-bending sex. It’s not until much later however – indeed after a few mishaps and misunderstandings threatening their relationship - the two begin a slow romance.
What drives the story however is far deeper and much more difficult to portray well in such a brief story -a mere 72-96 pages (depending on your reading device)- to avoid coming across as preachy or cliché; a story of denial and acceptance, of repressed longing and insecurities, and of a judgmental father still holding control over his grown son. But it is control that Dirk responds to in more ways than he first realizes. Lee is the perfect match for Dirk, a polar opposite in personality, confident in who he is and what he wants out of life, a match of wit and brawn up next to Dirk any day of the week.
Experiencing near death in a terrible fire proves life-altering for Dirk and he’s forced to reexamine who he is and what kind of man he has become. The realization and truth is surprisingly numbing for him, but Grey captures such grim discovery with genuine empathy, authenticity and zeal. Dirk is so far in the closet that it takes heavy coaxing to get him to step forward into the real world, to experience all that is possible and can be. With the understanding and strength of Lee by his side, the chance to experience true love for the first time in his life becomes real. It is that budding love for Lee and the thought of losing him – literally - that becomes the catalyst to drive Dirk out for good.
Redemption by Fire is short, but succinct, a realistic and authentic portrayal of a man living in denial, laying bare enough embers in the novella to continue with future installments, which I certainly hope author Andrew Grey does. I feel confident his readers will be clamoring for more of Dirk and Lee.
August 4, 2012
Chase Of A Lifetime – A torrid, Gay Love affair…
Chase Of A Lifetime – by Ryan Field
Reviewed by Jon Michaelsen
Collage graduate, Jim Darling, has returned home to Texas from Princeton, confused and conflicted, the weight of the world on his shoulders as he grapples with not only the fact he has to tell his father that he didn’t’ want to follow in the man’s footsteps, go to law school and join the family firm, but also that he’s a gay.
Jim has never been with a man, but he knows he’s gay. On his first night home, he spots his best friend’s father, the strikingly handsome, youthful and rugged, Len Mayfield. His heart flutters and something inside him comes alive, to the point it scares the hell out of Jim and he leaves his own graduation party.
Turns out, Len Mayfield has a huge secret of his own–living a concocted lie that only he and his wife know. Len has come to feel trapped in his marriage of convenience, a partnership both spouses agreed to long ago and now which circumstances stand to hurt those Len loves the most, his son—whose rebellious antics have caused more than their fair share of family drama–and his son’s best friend, the adorable and cautious, Jim Darling.
Sparks fly when Len meets Jim Darling at the graduation party his parents planned. Jim feels something he’s never experienced before and his longing for Len soon becomes overshadowed by his fear of discovery after he and Len begin a long, seductive and eventual torrid love affair, sneaking around town, in hotels, indiscriminate and risky locations.
Drama flares again with Cain and Len takes off to address the trouble, leaving Jim to ponder of his relationship with an older, married man. Jim grown impatient and makes demands Len is not yet willing to see through. Their relationship goes from hot and heavy, to slow and heart retching. Growing stronger, Jim comes out to his mother, and later to his father right before Cain returns home for the summer.
Chase of a Lifetime by Ryan Field had me from the beginning pages, with naive and closeted college graduate Jim, running into his best friend’s closeted cowboy father. The instant attraction between Jim and Len, awesome sex, hot romance and serious pull of the heart-strings helps make this gay romance between older man, younger man convincing in possibility. The final third of the novel will have the reader rushing through the pages to discover if these two–with everything working against the—will survive together. A truly great gay romance!
Chase Of A Lifetime - A torrid, Gay Love affair…
Chase Of A Lifetime - by Ryan Field
Reviewed by Jon Michaelsen
Collage graduate, Jim Darling, has returned home to Texas from Princeton, confused and conflicted, the weight of the world on his shoulders as he grapples with not only the fact he has to tell his father that he didn’t’ want to follow in the man’s footsteps, go to law school and join the family firm, but also that he’s a gay.
Jim has never been with a man, but he knows he’s gay. On his first night home, he spots his best friend’s father, the strikingly handsome, youthful and rugged, Len Mayfield. His heart flutters and something inside him comes alive, to the point it scares the hell out of Jim and he leaves his own graduation party.
Turns out, Len Mayfield has a huge secret of his own–living a concocted lie that only he and his wife know. Len has come to feel trapped in his marriage of convenience, a partnership both spouses agreed to long ago and now which circumstances stand to hurt those Len loves the most, his son—whose rebellious antics have caused more than their fair share of family drama–and his son’s best friend, the adorable and cautious, Jim Darling.
Sparks fly when Len meets Jim Darling at the graduation party his parents planned. Jim feels something he’s never experienced before and his longing for Len soon becomes overshadowed by his fear of discovery after he and Len begin a long, seductive and eventual torrid love affair, sneaking around town, in hotels, indiscriminate and risky locations.
Drama flares again with Cain and Len takes off to address the trouble, leaving Jim to ponder of his relationship with an older, married man. Jim grown impatient and makes demands Len is not yet willing to see through. Their relationship goes from hot and heavy, to slow and heart retching. Growing stronger, Jim comes out to his mother, and later to his father right before Cain returns home for the summer.
Chase of a Lifetime by Ryan Fieldhad me from the beginning pages, with naive and closeted college graduate Jim, running into his best friend’s closeted cowboy father. The instant attraction between Jim and Len, awesome sex, hot romance and serious pull of the heart-strings helps make this gay romance between older man, younger man convincing in possibility. The final third of the novel will have the reader rushing through the pages to discover if these two–with everything working against the—will survive together. A truly great gay romance!
July 23, 2012
Review: A Light, Sweet Romance – “Where Nerves End”
Blurb from the Goodreads description:
“Welcome to Tucker Springs, Colorado: Population, 70-something-thousand. Home to beautiful mountain views, two respected universities, and a ridiculously high cost of living.
Jason Davis can handle a breakup. And an overwhelming mortgage. And a struggling business. And the excruciating pain that keeps him up at night thanks to a shoulder injury. Handling all of it at once? Not so much. When his shoulder finally pushes him to a breaking point, he takes a friend’s advice and gives acupuncture a try.
Michael Whitman is a single dad struggling to make ends meet. When a mutual friend refers a patient, and that patient suggests a roommate arrangement to alleviate their respective financial strains, Michael jumps at the opportunity.
Living together would be easy if Jason wasn’t so damned attracted to Michael. Good thing Michael’s straight, or the temptation might just be too much.
Well, their mutual friend says Michael is straight…
The second book in the Tucker Springs series, Second Hand, will be written by Marie Sexton and Heidi Cullinan.”
My Review:
I’m not sure how this story will continue with different authors, but I found the love affair offered by L.A. Witt to be light, breezy, comfortable, and realistic. Straight boy (Michael), divorced and with child meets gay boy (Jason), single and owner of struggling bar; they move in together to help alleviate financial burdens each have; Jason lusts for his new roomate, but takes his frustrations out elsewhere, like at his financially starpped gay bar. Jason deals with a serious, nagging shoulder. A (Patient/doctor relationship) ensues, which becomes the catalyst and theme of the novel. The slow build-up to a physical relationship will please the romantic, and once the two partner, it’s nice, beautfiul and enjoyable.
Michael suddenly feels guilty and pulls away from Jason (boy loses boy – who hasn’t experienced this?), and the strain of emotions, the hurt and the longing drive the plot. Both soon confess the need to be together and they fall passionately together in love.
Where Nerves End is a light, sweet romance that promies more to come. An enjoyable beach read for those looking for something light and enjoyable.
Ramblings, Excerpts, WIPs, etc.
After publishing sevearl short-fiction stories and novellas, he published his first novel, ...more
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