Kade Boehme's Blog, page 15
January 19, 2013
I'm a Tease
Ok. So this novella is comin out this week and I'm really in love with these guys and am hoping that everyone likes their story. Fair warning, it's not as emotional as On The Dock. But that's because it's a totally different type of story with its own brand of angst. So in preparation for their story, Wide Awake, I thought I'd introduce you guys to Tyler and Mark via photo. Then if you read further I've posted an excerpt! (the excerpt looks best on my blog. it's a bit jumbled on GR))
<3 this effing photo! gah! So these are our guys. Mark (l) and Tyler (r). *swoon* They were awesome to write and even funner to look at. Haha. Gah at that smile on Tyler.
Anywho...
And now i give you excerpt love (aka The Prologue):
Prologue
I couldn’t believe it when I saw him across the room. This man whom I had known my whole life and harboured a crush on for years was across the room from me, in that place of all places. A gay bar.If he was gay it was news to me. And I was definitely praying he was, had been for a long damn time.He was as stunning as the last time I had seen him. His tuft of brown hair was looking more fashionably dishevelled in this setting than his typically neatly cropped look that he wore in his uniform. I guess that was to be expected after he left his job months ago, which was also the last time I had seen him. His eyes held a sparkle when he spotted me that I had not seen in them before. And they found mine looking at him from the bar. That chance encounter in the club the night before had ended with us in his new studio apartment in midtown Atlanta. I was adjusting my eyes remembering the night before, and had just registered whose bed I was in this morning. A small flush of shame soon turned to a warm need as his hand caressed the small of my back. “Good morning, Tyler.” His voice held sleep and I stretched like a cat under his soft caresses of my back then turned to look at him. His green eyes were warm but he looked like he was uncertain as to whether I would bolt now that I was no longer inebriated. I swallowed the small amount of guilt that I was feeling and gave into the fantasy that was this moment. I had wanted to see that sleepy gaze since I realized I was in love with this man five years ago while visiting home from college. Five years ago. Four years before he left his wife. The first night I saw a human being and an equal rather than someone who had been a bit of a mystery to me my whole adolescent life. I think I was probably the only person who still held this man in kind resolve. I hoped that was not the only reason I was in his bed. And I could not fathom it because we had never figured out why he left his wife. Everyone had been so busy being angry that they had not realized that this was why the man was so upset that he had up and left behind everything he had known. I guess the road to happiness was a long and complicated one for some people, but for every guilty thought I had about what we had done I had always recognized an innate loneliness in him that made me feel connected to him. Taking away someone’s loneliness was never shameful. And this was him.Mark Riley. I was in Mark Riley’s bed. And that was inexplicably the best thing that had happened in my short life. And he was smiling at me like that. I looked at the clock on the bedside table and winced. “More like afternoon, you mean.” He laughed gently. “So. Surprise. I’m gay.” My look at him was sarcastic. “Well, I think the soreness in my ass is testament to that statement, Mr. Riley.” I meant the Mr. Riley as a joke but he had to stop himself from recoiling. I placed a gentle hand on his chest. “Hey, I was just joshin’ you.” “Well, no more Mr. Riley, okay, Ty. I already feel like I just officially proved their mid-life crisis theory.” He rolled onto his back and rubbed his hands over his face. “They’re assholes.” I said, pulling his hands from his face and looked into his eyes. Oh those green eyes that were always so serious looked like a weight had been lifted, even in his moment of uncomfort. “You seem so—less serious.” “You don’t have to defend me. I know I made some bad decisions. I just can’t believe you’re here.” I huffed and smiled. “Ditto. And besides. I’m 27. I’m not some kid. And you’re only thirty-eight. I’ve been with older. I am a lawyer. Most of the guys I’ve dated have been other attorneys I’ve worked with.” He looked jealous? “Ty, why did you approach me last night? I wouldn’t have freaked at seeing you, but why did you come to me?” I blushed. “I’ve had crush on you since my 21st birthday party.” It was his turn to blush. That night he had had a row with his wife over the alcohol Andy had consumed. It was probably one of a handful of times I had actually seen him at home. One of his ex wife’s biggest complaints was that he was married to the job. He was never home. I only knew of him for the longest time from hearing him mentioned around the home when I was hanging out there. I knew he was a cop, and I knew he was high up. He was always busy with some case. The Riley’s always seemed to be fighting about it. On the phone, the few times I’d seen the man in person; it was almost tradition that they disrupt a neighborhood barbeque. Don’t get me wrong, I liked his ex wife, Jackie, but I never had understood their still being married. That night Mark had been so flustered and I thought he looked lonelier than anyone I had ever seen. As he was sitting on the swing set in their back yard smoking a cigarette I decided to finally get to know the man. So I took him a beer and sat next to him. He didn’t have his well put-together Detective Mark Riley façade on that night. He was just Mark. In fact that was the night he said to drop the Mr. Riley bit and just call him Mark. We had talked a lot. About my dreams of law school and that he was thinking of leaving the force. Three years later he had quit the force, and the next year left his wife without really giving a reason other than saying that it was time. No one understood but I always remembered that night on the swing set and guess I just got it. Now, I truly understood. And had benefitted from it, even though no one would really understand my newfound involvement, either. “That’s flattering.” He rubbed a finger down my cheek, looking at me like he was surprised. Just then my cell phone started blaring. I dug in my jeans and he gave my ass a gentle slap, but he stopped looking so playful when I sat bolt upright staring at my phone’s display. Shit. “Shit.” I thought it bore verbalizing. “Andy?” He sighed. I shushed him as I answered. “What’s up, Andy?” I tried not to sound guilty. “Dude, fuck that. You’re late! Our moms and your sister are here waiting for you for this lunch that was your idea and you’re the fucker that’s running late.” “I know, man. I just got—hung up.” I suck at excuses. Andy just gave a grunt that meant he was smirking. “Well tell the flavour of the day to put his dick in his pants, you have family obligations.” And he hung up. I looked over at Mark shame faced. “We’re all doing lunch. Me, my family and yours.” I completely understood the guilt playing out on his face because I felt it too. Yes. His son, Andy, though four years my junior, is my best friend.
<3 this effing photo! gah! So these are our guys. Mark (l) and Tyler (r). *swoon* They were awesome to write and even funner to look at. Haha. Gah at that smile on Tyler.
Anywho...
And now i give you excerpt love (aka The Prologue):
Prologue
I couldn’t believe it when I saw him across the room. This man whom I had known my whole life and harboured a crush on for years was across the room from me, in that place of all places. A gay bar.If he was gay it was news to me. And I was definitely praying he was, had been for a long damn time.He was as stunning as the last time I had seen him. His tuft of brown hair was looking more fashionably dishevelled in this setting than his typically neatly cropped look that he wore in his uniform. I guess that was to be expected after he left his job months ago, which was also the last time I had seen him. His eyes held a sparkle when he spotted me that I had not seen in them before. And they found mine looking at him from the bar. That chance encounter in the club the night before had ended with us in his new studio apartment in midtown Atlanta. I was adjusting my eyes remembering the night before, and had just registered whose bed I was in this morning. A small flush of shame soon turned to a warm need as his hand caressed the small of my back. “Good morning, Tyler.” His voice held sleep and I stretched like a cat under his soft caresses of my back then turned to look at him. His green eyes were warm but he looked like he was uncertain as to whether I would bolt now that I was no longer inebriated. I swallowed the small amount of guilt that I was feeling and gave into the fantasy that was this moment. I had wanted to see that sleepy gaze since I realized I was in love with this man five years ago while visiting home from college. Five years ago. Four years before he left his wife. The first night I saw a human being and an equal rather than someone who had been a bit of a mystery to me my whole adolescent life. I think I was probably the only person who still held this man in kind resolve. I hoped that was not the only reason I was in his bed. And I could not fathom it because we had never figured out why he left his wife. Everyone had been so busy being angry that they had not realized that this was why the man was so upset that he had up and left behind everything he had known. I guess the road to happiness was a long and complicated one for some people, but for every guilty thought I had about what we had done I had always recognized an innate loneliness in him that made me feel connected to him. Taking away someone’s loneliness was never shameful. And this was him.Mark Riley. I was in Mark Riley’s bed. And that was inexplicably the best thing that had happened in my short life. And he was smiling at me like that. I looked at the clock on the bedside table and winced. “More like afternoon, you mean.” He laughed gently. “So. Surprise. I’m gay.” My look at him was sarcastic. “Well, I think the soreness in my ass is testament to that statement, Mr. Riley.” I meant the Mr. Riley as a joke but he had to stop himself from recoiling. I placed a gentle hand on his chest. “Hey, I was just joshin’ you.” “Well, no more Mr. Riley, okay, Ty. I already feel like I just officially proved their mid-life crisis theory.” He rolled onto his back and rubbed his hands over his face. “They’re assholes.” I said, pulling his hands from his face and looked into his eyes. Oh those green eyes that were always so serious looked like a weight had been lifted, even in his moment of uncomfort. “You seem so—less serious.” “You don’t have to defend me. I know I made some bad decisions. I just can’t believe you’re here.” I huffed and smiled. “Ditto. And besides. I’m 27. I’m not some kid. And you’re only thirty-eight. I’ve been with older. I am a lawyer. Most of the guys I’ve dated have been other attorneys I’ve worked with.” He looked jealous? “Ty, why did you approach me last night? I wouldn’t have freaked at seeing you, but why did you come to me?” I blushed. “I’ve had crush on you since my 21st birthday party.” It was his turn to blush. That night he had had a row with his wife over the alcohol Andy had consumed. It was probably one of a handful of times I had actually seen him at home. One of his ex wife’s biggest complaints was that he was married to the job. He was never home. I only knew of him for the longest time from hearing him mentioned around the home when I was hanging out there. I knew he was a cop, and I knew he was high up. He was always busy with some case. The Riley’s always seemed to be fighting about it. On the phone, the few times I’d seen the man in person; it was almost tradition that they disrupt a neighborhood barbeque. Don’t get me wrong, I liked his ex wife, Jackie, but I never had understood their still being married. That night Mark had been so flustered and I thought he looked lonelier than anyone I had ever seen. As he was sitting on the swing set in their back yard smoking a cigarette I decided to finally get to know the man. So I took him a beer and sat next to him. He didn’t have his well put-together Detective Mark Riley façade on that night. He was just Mark. In fact that was the night he said to drop the Mr. Riley bit and just call him Mark. We had talked a lot. About my dreams of law school and that he was thinking of leaving the force. Three years later he had quit the force, and the next year left his wife without really giving a reason other than saying that it was time. No one understood but I always remembered that night on the swing set and guess I just got it. Now, I truly understood. And had benefitted from it, even though no one would really understand my newfound involvement, either. “That’s flattering.” He rubbed a finger down my cheek, looking at me like he was surprised. Just then my cell phone started blaring. I dug in my jeans and he gave my ass a gentle slap, but he stopped looking so playful when I sat bolt upright staring at my phone’s display. Shit. “Shit.” I thought it bore verbalizing. “Andy?” He sighed. I shushed him as I answered. “What’s up, Andy?” I tried not to sound guilty. “Dude, fuck that. You’re late! Our moms and your sister are here waiting for you for this lunch that was your idea and you’re the fucker that’s running late.” “I know, man. I just got—hung up.” I suck at excuses. Andy just gave a grunt that meant he was smirking. “Well tell the flavour of the day to put his dick in his pants, you have family obligations.” And he hung up. I looked over at Mark shame faced. “We’re all doing lunch. Me, my family and yours.” I completely understood the guilt playing out on his face because I felt it too. Yes. His son, Andy, though four years my junior, is my best friend.
January 11, 2013
Coverage and Blurbage
Wide Awake by Kade Boehme
27 year old Tyler Marcus has always done the right thing. He's intelligent, quiet, made good grades and went on to become a celebrated civil rights attorney. But the one thing he has always wanted was the one man he should not.
Mark Riley realized at 33 that his life was not what it should have been. He'd been in a marriage of responsibility, raising his son that was a teenage mistake, taken the job his father had pushed on him on the police force and had been miserably drifting along, until one night his teenage son's friend was visiting from college and woke him from his miserable slumber. Tyler Marcus changed Mark's life with a simple act of kindness and with one chance meeting 5 years later may also end up giving him the world.
(Releases January 25, 2013; Novella Length)
January 7, 2013
Holidays, Birthdays and Deadlines. Oh MY!
Wowzers. It seems like it's been go, Go,
GO
! Here for me for the last few weeks. Christmas was meh, then there was New Years Eve/New Years where I inexplicable ended up in the backwoods of Washington state after being the Snooki of the Pacific Northwest all over town.
Well, here we go. First deadline. I'd resolved to get this novella I've been working on out by mid January so the clock is ticking and boy am I feeling it.You'd think for something I'm self publishing I wouldnt give myself fucking heart palpitations by giving myself a deadline, but c'mon. It's a tricky business, and self publishing makes me nervous because I'm super in love with these guys (Mark and Tyler) that I'm dying to get their story right and to get it out there (and hope yall don't hate it). I'm gonna drop the blurb on it ASAP.
Oh yeah, I turned 25 yesterday, with some help from great friends ;) Yall make life sweet, and encourage this silly fascination with M/M lovin' in which refuse to partake of in any way other than fiction.
<3 k
Well, here we go. First deadline. I'd resolved to get this novella I've been working on out by mid January so the clock is ticking and boy am I feeling it.You'd think for something I'm self publishing I wouldnt give myself fucking heart palpitations by giving myself a deadline, but c'mon. It's a tricky business, and self publishing makes me nervous because I'm super in love with these guys (Mark and Tyler) that I'm dying to get their story right and to get it out there (and hope yall don't hate it). I'm gonna drop the blurb on it ASAP.
Oh yeah, I turned 25 yesterday, with some help from great friends ;) Yall make life sweet, and encourage this silly fascination with M/M lovin' in which refuse to partake of in any way other than fiction.
<3 k
December 8, 2012
Busy Boy
Well, my first major project, Trust The Cut, is out with the beta readers at 65k words (I've already been promised "bleeding pages". I see your bleeding pages and I rise to the occasion!) Anxious, after months, to get Tucker and Jesse's story out there. Fingers crossed I survive the process of revising and submitting without having heart palpitations.
I'm at 15k words on my newest project, which is untitled right now. It's a hometown story so I'm hoping i'm representing well. Haha. It's hard to get in an Atlanta state of mind with 2 straight weeks of rain and countless hours on the Light Rail here in Seattle, but I think I'm keeping it legit. I'm feeling pretty badass about it. I really love these guys and where this story is headed. It's the first time i've written a full length in first person POV. (this project is pretty solid in my head as a novella).
And in other news... I can say with a true certainty that the only dating in my life should be when I write about it in fiction. Haha. It's amazing, as a man, to be utterly useless at understanding the complexities of my own sex. I totally get why women bitch about us. Please excuse this random thought process.
Oh and congats to all the gays getting hitched here in WA State! Enjoy this moment. You've all earned it! (I suppose that goes for you potheads too *eye roll*)
I'm at 15k words on my newest project, which is untitled right now. It's a hometown story so I'm hoping i'm representing well. Haha. It's hard to get in an Atlanta state of mind with 2 straight weeks of rain and countless hours on the Light Rail here in Seattle, but I think I'm keeping it legit. I'm feeling pretty badass about it. I really love these guys and where this story is headed. It's the first time i've written a full length in first person POV. (this project is pretty solid in my head as a novella).
And in other news... I can say with a true certainty that the only dating in my life should be when I write about it in fiction. Haha. It's amazing, as a man, to be utterly useless at understanding the complexities of my own sex. I totally get why women bitch about us. Please excuse this random thought process.
Oh and congats to all the gays getting hitched here in WA State! Enjoy this moment. You've all earned it! (I suppose that goes for you potheads too *eye roll*)
December 6, 2012
Ok, so my first short story (that I'm wiling to admit to ...
Ok, so my first short story (that I'm wiling to admit to publically) is now available on GoodReads! http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16...
August 16, 2011
An Apology From A Woeful Server
An Apology From A Woeful Serverby Kade Boehme
I am known in my circles as a relatively light-hearted guy. I laugh most of my day away and tend to be generally indifferent to people’s backgrounds and lives. I’m a waiter so, as my manager says, the only color I see when I look at people who come into my restaurant is “green” (as is the money I can make taking care of their needs). In my personal life all I see when I look at people is “friend” or … not. Noone ever said waiting tables was glamorous and I certainly would mark myself in that group of people who admits to complaining that people in general “suck”, but I’d say my commendations from higher management speak for themselves when it comes to my customer service and my ability to put personal opinions aside and take care of a guest.
Let me get to my point. I was doing my best job: perfect 10 (corporate service standards), big smile, manners, and a few extra perks when something didn’t come out right from the kitchen. I was the epitome of the corporate spectacle that comes with being a top server in a chain restaurant. At the end of the meal I did the required “thank y’all! Come back and see me some time!” and went about my flawless pirouettes and jumping through hoops for the few other tables I had while occasionally comforting a friend/co-worker who was dealing with a death. He had come to sit in a table in my section to have a margarita, be around friends and relax, like any of our other guests.
I was in an amazing mood for the shift and had been quite the life of the party so far. I went to retrieve my tip from my flawless, extremely corporate yet Cirque Du Kade performance and the spoils were that of a hobo. That zero with a line across it where a tip can be offered that so often occurs was very prominent. Clearly, I’m not perfect and have seen my fair share of those. Usually I can pin-point the attitude I may have given or the failure to remember a ranch, but this particular table had seemed quite smitten with me.
A phone call. They called to say why they had thought I was not worthy of their money. My manager was hesitant to speak with me. She made sure to tell me she wasn’t mad at me. Finally I had taken it as much as I could and insisted she tell me what egregious error I had made to warrant the lack of even a measly tip.
That friend. I’d given him a hug of comfort when I sat him, mostly to lend support after his terrible day.
That call. The gentleman from the non-tipping table said I needed to be more professional and not show public displays of affection. He didn’t appreciate me “making out with” my “boyfriend” in front of everyone in a family restaurant. Yes my friend is an effeminate and proud gay man. I am also an openly gay man, albeit I’m more cisgendered. His assumption that we were lovers was certainly an error on his part and clearly a bigoted response to our hug which was witness by many members of our staff who also hugged the fellow coworker. Somehow only my hug was noted. Somehow our platonic show of affection was translated as PDA. I still find myself baffled at how this made this gentleman and his wife so emotionally responsive that, though I performed my job well, I did not deserve a tip.
“Did he do anything in particular wrong?” asked Ms. Manager.
“No. But he needs to be fired for making out with his boyfriend at the door,” responds Mr. Guest.
In his humble opinion, even though I took admittedly excellent care of him and his wife and he never had cause for complain on service, food or atmosphere and providing the same care for three other tables, my few detours to that lonely friend in a secluded table were so offensive that I should lose my job. A job I’ve had for many years. Simply because I hugged an effeminate man? Simply because I was comforting a bereaved friend?Did it truly matter when you received the good natured service I strive my best to provide and did not let a friend dining distract me or hinder being there for you and your needs?
The proper corporate response was put into action. Gift certificates were offered. Apologies were said. My quandary is: Is an apology necessary for your ignorance? If you were so unaffected by the fact that the friend was there and entertained by everyone else but my split second hug was so offensive is that truly something I should apologize for and lose my job over?
I may not understand this world but I understand my job, the rules and corporate regulations. Even the rules that say an employee may dine in the restaurant when there is no wait at the door do not tell me not to hug a friend who has come to pay like every other customer. Would you have called in if it were my mother? Or a girlfriend?
No.
You made yourself clear when you called for my dismissal. You made yourself clear when you were offended that my manager did not share your bigoted view of my erroneous ways.
I do apologize for the wait when I got the cooks to remake your sides because I thought they may be too cold. I do apologize for getting another guest a refill before I ran your credit card in the machine.
I apologize for not understanding how one jumps to such stereotypical conclusions of other people. It must be taxing worrying that everyone is not what you think they should be.
I do not, however, apologize for you being such a bigot that you saw two men hug in a display of friendship and assumed I was attempting to sodomize him in the lobby of a restaurant. I can only apologize that you are so terribly ignorant.
July 12, 2011
Yeah, They're Doing An Awesome Job
I don't think this really needs more explanation.
Raising The Debt Limit For Bush Wasn't Such A Big Deal
During the Bush presidency, current GOP leaders voted to raise the debt ceiling as a matter of it just being "the right thing to do." But I guess helping a GOP president is always the right thing to do, eh? Think Progress outlines the 5 times they raised the evil debt ceiling for good ol' Dubya:
June 2002: Congress approves a $450 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $6.4 trillion. McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor vote “yea”, Kyl votes “nay.”
May 2003: Congress approves a $900 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $7.384 trillion. All four approve.
November 2004: Congress approves an $800 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.1 trillion. All four approve.
March 2006: Congress approves a $781 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.965 trillion. All four approve.
September 2007: Congress approves an $850 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $9.815 trillion. All four approve.
DOJ Won't Fight Bankruptcy Court Ruling On Gay Marriage
"The Department of Justice has informed bankruptcy courts that it will no longer seek dismissal of bankruptcy petitions filed jointly by same-sex debtors who are married under state law." - Obama admin.'s DOJ spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler announcing that federal attorneys won't try to overturn the bankruptcy court's ruling that married gay couples can file bankruptcy together, citing the administration's belief that federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
