Portrait of a Crossroads

by Kelly Rand

Since finding her father’s body at the bottom of the basement stairs, Annette’s been drifting through her days, watching cars pass down the rural Ontario crossroads beside her house. Her brothers have no great ambitions, but Annette remembers a time when she did. She just can’t remember what they are. Then she meets her neighbour, Sadie, a tattooed, world-weary, newly single portrait artist. Something about Sadie awakens something in Annette — the essence she captures in her subjects, perhaps, or the way the old familiar crossroads seem so fresh and promising from the view out Sadie’s window. Annette begins to help Sadie, cleaning brushes and filing invoices between long lazy afternoons of conversations and shared silences. Soon, though, Annette wants more from her enigmatic neighbor, and their slowly heating friendship melts into passionate nights. Somewhere along the way, Annette discovers that her lover has illuminated for her, as with the people Sadie paints, not just her essence but her own endless worlds of possibilities.

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Erotica, Short Stories

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 18, 2013

About the author

I'm a writer and editor with high hopes, low expectations and too much curiosity for my own damn good. I write stories about vulnerable people who are figuring themselves out because I suppose I am perpetually figuring myself out too. So far, I know that I am pure rock 'n' roll.

I have a particular love of fiction that explores gender binaries, and will read just about any trans story put in front of me. I prefer stories with complex female characters who are motivated beyond the typical gotta-get-that-man, because that motivation is lame. I write m/m, f/f, m/f and every other combination.

I like live music and road trips, and still write paper letters. I love when people follow me on Twitter because then I can follow them back.

Reviews

[Vanessa North · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely erotic lesfic vignette, i'm glad i picked this one up in Riptide's 99 cents sale this week.

[Evaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely read! The language of this novella? Short story? Quick fic? - whatever it's labelled as, the language was BEAUTIFUL! It reminded me of one of those stories we used to study in high school that I never got because I didn't have enough life behind me to appreciate the beauty of it. Yes, the protagonist is a young woman, Annette, a year out of high school, and while I think that many young women can identify with her feelings of uncertainty, apathy, quiet desperation, I don't know that they can be truly understood until later on in life. Be that as it may, I know that I would not have been able to fully appreciate this actual portrait of a crossroads (And may I say that this is an EXCELLENT choice for a title for so many reasons.) as a young woman.

I really enjoyed it!

Reread it and upped it from 4 stars to 5. :)

[Leeanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on my blog, www.leeanna.me

PORTRAIT OF A CROSSROADS is a glimpse into the life of eighteen-year-old Annette. Living in a fog after the suicide of her father, Annette isn’t sure what to do with her life, or how to move forward. She’s basically sleepwalking through life, going through the motions.

But when she takes notice of the painter living next door, and starts to help Sadie, Annette slowly comes back to life. Sadie is gay, and the more time they spend together, the more Annette wonders what it would be like to be with her.

PORTRAIT OF A CROSSROADS is short, only 40 pages. It does what it needs to do in those pages: exploring Annette’s return to life. I would have liked more of Annette’s thoughts instead of so much description -- the author describes almost everything, from the sound of trucks to decor to corn fields. Because the story is about Annette discovering herself and possibilities, I wanted to see more of that. But the basic messages are there: It’s okay to be attracted to women. It’s okay to not know what you’re doing. It’s okay to explore.

There’s a quote from Sadie that I really liked, when asked about her sexuality: “It’s not like I really decided. It’s just what evolved inside of me. And it’s not really as simple for me as one gender over the other. I don’t think it is for anyone. It’s about people, you know? Who you feel attracted to. It’s about that person you want to be around all the time, who you can’t stand to be away from (p. 24).”

This is definitely an adult story! There’s one explicit love scene (happily without flowery euphemisms), and references to sex between Annette and her ex-boyfriend. I appreciated that the author made those references realistic. Hint: he wasn’t good. Sadie was.

Lastly, the cover matches the story, which is always a plus for me. PORTRAIT OF A CROSSROADS is a good story, I just wish it wasn’t so short.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

See more of my reviews:

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Info: Genre: F/F Erotica
Reading Level: Adult (explicit)
Recommended for: fans of F/F erotica

My Thoughts: While not normally a fan of erotica, I quite liked this short novella. The writing is very nice, beautiful descriptions, and Annette is an interesting character, as is Sadie (although Sadie remains mysterious to the end). It almost makes me want to visit the crossroads mentioned, just to see the scenery.

While F/F erotica is not for everyone, if you've been looking for some, this is a good choice.

Disclosure: I received an e-galley from Riptide Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Since finding her father’s body at the bottom of the basement stairs, Annette’s been drifting through her days, watching cars pass down the rural Ontario crossroads beside her house. Her brothers have no great ambitions, but Annette remembers a time when she did. She just can’t remember what they are.

Then she meets her neighbour, Sadie, a tattooed, world-weary, newly single portrait artist. Something about Sadie awakens something in Annette—the essence she captures in her subjects, perhaps, or the way the old familiar crossroads seem so fresh and promising from the view out Sadie’s window.

Annette begins to help Sadie, cleaning brushes and filing invoices between long lazy afternoons of conversations and shared silences. Soon, though, Annette wants more from her enigmatic neighbor, and their slowly heating friendship melts into passionate nights. Somewhere along the way, Annette discovers that her lover has illuminated for her, as with the people Sadie paints, not just her essence but her own endless worlds of possibilities.

[Laylah Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 and rounded up -- contemporary isn't usually my genre, but I'm pretty starved for good lesbian fic. This is a sweet, quiet story that carries off the crossroads theme well; it's about a suspended summer when Annette's life is at a turning point, not yet moving forward in a new direction as she pauses at the start of adulthood to get her bearings. It feels much more like literary fiction that happens to focus on the beginnings of a relationship than it does like part of the romance genre. Things aren't resolved for Annette at the end of this story so much as they are beginning. Elegant work.

[Kazza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pre-ordered this book because I thought the premise sounded interesting and I read anything that sounds good within the LGBT fiction genre.

I have never read a book by Ms Rand before, but I'm very glad I read Portrait Of A Crossroads. It is well written, with subtly drawn characters, and vivid descriptions. Full review at On Top Down Under Book Reviews - http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot...

[Justina Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Portrait of a Crossroads by Kelly Rand


This story has such hidden charm. I hope that the gentle pace and down-home nature of the setting in rural Ontario serves to draw other readers in as it pulled in me. One gets to share in some very fine human blossoming on an intersection with six houses making up one corner and farm fields making up the other three. A somewhat mysterious but personable artist befriends (and then some) a young woman who is moving through a stifling fog and is way too alone in her time of grief.

Annette is painfully stuck within the misty, shadowy time following the tragic death of her father. She shares the family home with her two older brothers and though she can still feel comfort in their presence is quite adrift in her pain and disillusionment. She knows she used to hold firm to her sense of self and her future, but now it seems as if high school just ended too soon.

Sadie has broken up with her partner, now her ex-partner as Sadie calls her, and she has moved out. Sadie was helpful in coordinating the movers and making her ex’s leaving smooth and expeditious. From Annette’s initial vantage point as she watches Sadie trim the hedges on her property, there doesn’t appear to be anything traumatic going on at her neighbor's. Sadie makes eye contact with Annette several times while she is puttering. We only know that this eye contact sets Annette’s heart atwitter.

As Annette puts it, she just sort of finds herself on the other side of the hedges saying “Hello” to Sadie as Sadie puzzles the less than fine outcome of her trimming work. Annette knows they are both lesbians, but the idea or concept hardly created a ripple within Annette. She was simply drawn to her neighbor. The way Annette and Sadie begin, evolve, and become was like watching Sadie paint one of her portraits…a blank canvas slowly and patiently becomes a beautiful masterpiece. The masterpiece involving Annette and Sadie comes with richness, warmth, and electrifying passion. I was completely swept away and enjoyed sharing their 'becoming'.



NOTE: This book was provided by Riptide Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Suleikha Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rand's Portrait of a Crossroads is, like Pearl, a slice of life short story about a young woman on the cusp. Beautifully atmospheric, brief and almost Spartan in its economy of words, Rand's tale captures Annette's awakening and gives the reader hope that she will heal, find happiness and move forward.

[Rea Nicole ✰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following her father's death, Annette finds herself at a "crossroads" and doesn't know exactly who she is or who she wants to be. For a short read the author surprisingly packs in wonderful symbolism, self-discovery, and learning of one's true sexuality. The characters were simple yet relatable and the book had a sweet theme about finding yourself-on your own terms.

[Kendra T · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short story that didn't have a lot of real depth to it. It was written in a style that made me think of an old school story, and it was well written. I just didn't find myself having a big connection with the characters. It was more superficial, and not solid. It wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't my favorite.

[elijah ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK! (nsfw review)



it was nice it seemed like the author included the weirdest details


“pressing her clit like an elevator button” was a real phrase here and i could Not handle it

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not really sure about this. I didn’t disliked it but I can’t say I was very interested in the story either. I got attracted by it because of its beautiful cover, but I ended up wanting so much more from it.

Annette was a nice character, so was Sadie, but I don’t think I really got to know any of them. There wasn’t much of a plot development and, if it was consider a romance, I didn’t think it was very romantic.

What I did liked about it, and I don’t know if this was intentional, was a melancholy feeling all along the book. It was a little slow paced but I think it was appropriate for the general emotion I perceived, maybe related to Annette’s grieving although there wasn’t too much information about her relationship with her father.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

there were strange as hell descriptions, but no "flower" or "making love" so that's a plus.

[LVLMLeah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was all over this book when it came out because I loved the writing in Pearl. Like Pearl, the same style and ambience is present in this book. The author manages to get in a lot of details that set the stage for what’s going on with the main characters, but in a Zen-like, sparse way. Even though a contemporary, this story had the feel of being in an earlier time period. Maybe this due to the fact that it takes place outside a small town with not much going on. Or maybe there are a lot of similarities to the setting in Pearl, which was set in the 40’s.

Annette is an 18 year old who has just graduated high school and doesn’t feel much about the fact that it’s over. She’s was neither popular or exceptional in any way, nor was she an outcast in school. She’s just an average girl with not much going on trying to figure out what to do with her life.

Next door lives a woman whom Annette has never had contact in all years she’s lived there. Out of curiosity, and or maybe the boredom of just hanging out in her house with not much to do, for no particular reason really, she decides to go over and introduce herself after this woman’s housemate moved out.

Sadie and Annette strike up a friendship and Sadie let’s Annette come over to her house daily to help her clean up her paint brushes and such. Sadie really doesn’t talk too much about herself or her life. She neither hides nor says outright that she’s a lesbian although it’s assumed by Annette that she is. In fact, while they spend whole days together, it seems they don’t really say much to each other, yet they manage to develop a friendship. And that friendship goes to the next step when Annette offers to stay one night.

This story is all about Annette really. She doesn’t seem to be impressed or judgmental of Sadie being a lesbian; it’s just a fact. But their relationship helps her realize that she has been more interested in women even though she’s never consciously defined it internally. She had a boyfriend with whom she had sex, but in her private musings that wasn’t as exciting as the girls she thought more about. So in some ways it’s easy for Annette to just put it out there for Sadie to respond to or not.

What I liked actually was that there wasn’t much fanfare around these two women getting sexual. Even though fairly erotically written, sexually they are almost perfunctory. Sort of like “you want to do it” “OK.” I liked the simplicity of their connection because it seems to be more a step in Annette’s life versus a main event.

For the most part I loved this story, however, I was disappointed with the ending; it was kind of a WTF for me. I’ve read the reviews for this book and no one has had issue with it so maybe it went over my head? Or I wasn’t really into the whole metaphor of the story of Annette living on a crossroads street and being at a crossroads in her life but more into the developing relationship between Annette and Sadie, which was far more interesting.

Still though, I highly recommend this book. I do love the author’s style and voice. She does have a knack for writing short snap shots of characters’ lives with enough detail to suck you in and be turned on by them.

Heat level- 3-4 2 graphically written sex scenes just right for the story length

[L.E.Olteano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at Butterfly-o-Meter Books on May 20th 2013:

Fluttering Thoughts:

Worldbuilding: Contemporary Ontario, small town/rural setting. The crossroads and the whole setting seemed also very symbolic though it was physically placed and described.
Characters: Annette, the MC, is at a point in her life when she’s lost, disoriented. Her life could go either way, really, but she’s just standing there and contemplating the direction – sort of like standing in a crossroad and wondering about the direction you could start walking into. Hence the symbolic placement of her house, at a crossroads in an isolated crossroads of rural Ontario. She was an interesting character, and she packed quite the punch. This is a short story, really, so getting such a clear sense of who Annette is, or perhaps isn’t, was delightful.
Her brothers were interesting, though not overly focused on. Christian was more present than Angel, and his attitude was interesting as the story evolved.
Sadie was also interesting, and their relationship felt to me like more of an exploration than a real bond. But maybe that’s just my take on it. She did play an important role in Annette’s life, but more as wake-up call than anything else. By becoming involved with Sadie, Annette finally wakes up from this sort of sleepwalking sort of day to day life. Their chemistry was interesting and their one on one was hot. It read a lot like a first time, which it was (for the MC).
Favorite character: Annette
Plot: A considerable amount of the read is setting up Annette’s back-story, or the latest and biggest aspects of it. I’m a lot into characters and less so into action for the sake of it, so to me that was cool. I liked reading about her so I rolled with the flashback sort of story-telling where her past was concerned. The present and action it involves is nice, not agitated at all but sort of slow somehow. The whole setting and everything made me feel like for Annette time had been standing still for a while, like she was watching time pass from somewhere outside of herself.
Writing: Considering the short length of this read, it built quite an amazing amount of atmosphere. It actually made me cry, though emotion was understated where it could have been played upon. I loved the way the story was built, in strong scenes, very well written and put together. It’s a third persona narrative from Annette’s POV, and it’s an interesting read for sure.
Curb Appeal: The cover is cool, the blurb is interesting. To be honest, I picked it up for one thing because of the two, but also because it’s a FxF and I see precious little of them. I wanna see more of them, you know?

All in all, this was an interesting short read, with a dash of spice and passion, but a lot of interesting atmosphere and emotion without it playing upon it per se. I say give it a shot, I believe it’s worth it.

[Cee · Rating 3 out of 5]

After her father's suicide Annette doesn't know what to do with herself. She lives with her two brothers in a house next to a crossroads. Some day she becomes fascinated with her tattooed neighbour Sadie.

I think the message of Portrait of a Crossroads is good. You should follow your dreams and your own path, whatever that may be. But that's all what this novella seems to be - the sum of its message.

Ms Rand is good at describing things. I loved the setting, the way the entire world seems to be the sound of cars and planes and the six or so houses next to the crossroads. This strength turns into a flaw once the story starts moving. There continue to be descriptions, but I missed emotion or a driving force. There is barely any introspection, which is weird if the story is about a girl making a decision.

Portrait of a Crossroads mainly follows Annette's and Sadie's interactions or lack thereof. There is often a mention of a "comfortable silence", but as a reader I didn't find all the silences comforting at all. It didn't get much better when they started speaking though. The dialogue was stocky and repetitive. A quote (from an ARC - it might still change):

"I think I want to go to Brock University," Annette said. "For concurrent education. I can be a teacher and it's... not too far." She rested her head on the back of the seat and glanced sideways at her.
"Good," Sadie said. "You should." She turned on the radio at a low volume and slipped her sunglasses into place again. "And you're right. It's not far."

There is about.. one and a half erotic scene in the story. I'm glad Ms Rand stayed away from overly poetic language - they're pretty straightforward without being too graphic.

Recommended only for those enjoying morals in their stories or people that have recently lost someone and need something to get their spirits up. If you read for language itself, I'd pass Portrait of a Crossroads by.

[Alexia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:
This book was an easy read, albeit sometimes tedious. The beginning was quite slow and too much time was spent on the friendship and not enough time on the romance that developed from that.I think I would have liked this book much better if things weren't so cramped together. The end felt rushed and that drove me bananas.

Another issue I had was that I didn't understand what attracted Sadie to Annette. It was shown why Annette was attracted to Sadie but not the other way around. I worried that for Sadie,this was a rebound relationship as she had just become single again after an extended relationship with another woman.

I was hoping that we'd get a little glimpse into when Annette realized she was interested in women as it was clear that this was a new thing for her. I worried that Annette was just tired of being single and was simply settling for whoever wanted her. I do not believe in settling so this bugged me quite a bit.

This really should get 2 stars but I'm bumping it up because the sex scene was easily the best part of the book.It was everything a reader would want from a sex scene. It was hot and totally believable unlike certain other sex scenes that have made me want to rip my hair out.So this short story gets 3 stars. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

There need to be a million other stories just like this one.

A quick read, not at all what I expected. I was told I would receive a free book based on what I wanted, so I posted some quick key words and this was the book I received from the publisher.

Just about the only things they got from my key words were "woman protagonist" and possibly "bisexuality" when they gave me this. I also asked for non-monogamy and no erotic scenes, though it might be that this publisher doesn't have any non-erotic books? Should have done my research there.

Despite this not being my "type" of story, it was enjoyable and sweet. The characters were heartfelt and relatable. There could have been more conflict, but seeing as this was an erotic short story, how much conflict can you really ask for? At least the main characters were queer--otherwise, this story would have been entirely uninteresting to me.

On that note, I'm fully for the idea that queer characters should get all the uninteresting slice-of-life stories that cishets get, and this story is like that. It's simple, to the point, not too dramatic or powerful, just a well-written sweet story about the characters doing stuff--but they aren't cishet. And I like that. I think it's an important story because of that. We need a million more stories like this.

[Bibliojunkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember how I used to go on and on about how I hate short stories? How they don’t have enough character development, blah, blah, blah? Well apparently I just needed to start reading the RIGHT short stories because yet again I have been blown away.

Portrait of a Crossroads by Kelly Rand is an excellent coming of age story about a girl that is struggling with the aimlessness of her present and plans for the future. Annette has been coasting through life in a bit of a haze since finding her father’s body. She used to have hobbies and interests but now spends most of her time watching the sparse activity that happens at the rural crossroads she lives on. While peering outside, Annette sees that one of the women next door is moving out. After that Annette takes the first step in getting to know her neighbor. Their simple and easy friendship blossoms into more and gives Annette the fearlessness and freedom she needs to make the first steps in creating her future.

This was a lovely story with just the perfect amount of steamy and sexy thrown in. I highly recommend it if you are looking for an engaging fast read.

[✿kawehi.reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, this has got to be one of the shortest reads I've ever come across!!

After the death of her father, Annette finds herself at a crossroads of what to do with her life: e.g. go to college? get a job?, etc.

She doesn't really have the greatest support system as her brothers have no ambitions of their own but finds herself rediscovering herself and HER OWN ambitions after meeting her neighbor Sadie and being her "assistant".

This book isn't bad yet it isn't exactly good either. BUT IT DOES SEND OUT A GOOD MORAL OR MESSAGE though of rediscovering yourself, and for Annette it was art and embracing her attraction for Sadie.


What shocked me:
-There's an erotic scene in it! Was totally NOT expecting that AT ALL.
-And YES GUYS, it is a Lesbian romance novelette.


ARC kindly provided by NetGallery through Riptide Publishing.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review available here at All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...

There are times when a story needs to be wrapped up, when there are too many loose ends floating around, and nothing makes sense. There are other times, though, where at the end of the book you are left wondering, and it is a good thing. Not everything is finished, and it doesn’t always need to be. Portrait of a Crossroads is like that - an open-ended story that just feels right.

A recent high school graduate, Annette Vargas is, like most teenagers, trying to figure out what to do next. Her father’s suicide the year before, and her discovery of his body, has Annette’s entire sense of self off-track - she is, quite simply, at a loss about the future.

And though she has considered women romantically before, she finds her newly-single neighbor endlessly fascinating...

[Angelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This a lovely read and shortest story I came across so far..
Annette is kinda a lost soul.. When her father died she become undecided on things what she really want in life and then she met this interesting woman name Sadie tattooed and artistic. I love both characters and how the story goes though I hope they written it in a long story.

[Jenni Frencham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good, quick read for those who like lesbian romance novels. On my Kindle it was about 100 pages. There isn't much action or much character development, since this is a romance novel. The story is pretty straightforward, and it's not a bad book, although I would have liked to have seen the story drawn out a bit more.

[Rach (pagesofpiper) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a short story. There wasn't much of a character build up, I didn't feel like I knew these characters to care enough about them. The whole book felt a bit repetitive as if it was written on a certain format, the main character would tell the reader how she was feeling, then relay that same information to her love interest, rinse and repeat.

[Victoria Zagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book out of curiosity. It was incredibly short and not very well written. Perhaps with more time to develop characters it would have been better.

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story with a gently unfolding plot, but just a little too slow for me. I'll definitely read others by this author though.

[Ouroboros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intimate portrayal of a young woman's coming-of-age. I felt like I was sitting, unseen, in a room with the characters listening to their conversation.

[Susinok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written f/f short story romance.