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Eight Seconds
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68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Barrie Abalard
31 books10 followersFirst, I am hoping that 2018 will see me publishing some new books--it's been a long time. For personal reasons, I've been unable to get a new story together all the way to completion, but life is improving, so there's hope.
Second, a number of my most popular books are unavailable because of a conflict with the publisher (NOT Excessica--they are great!). I truly wish I could make them available once more, but--so it goes. There are a few that I will be able to republish. They need covers and editing, but they're on my list.
Third, I now live in the Kentucky bluegrass area--horse country--and I love it!
Fourth, if you're still reading this bio, I hope you'll check back for new books and a revamped web site in 2018!
Finally, I'm glad that you decided to visit my Goodreads page! Thank you.
See you at Keeneland,
Barrie
Second, a number of my most popular books are unavailable because of a conflict with the publisher (NOT Excessica--they are great!). I truly wish I could make them available once more, but--so it goes. There are a few that I will be able to republish. They need covers and editing, but they're on my list.
Third, I now live in the Kentucky bluegrass area--horse country--and I love it!
Fourth, if you're still reading this bio, I hope you'll check back for new books and a revamped web site in 2018!
Finally, I'm glad that you decided to visit my Goodreads page! Thank you.
See you at Keeneland,
Barrie
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 4, 2011
A well put together short story. Closeted rodeo cowboy Wyatt Knott only needed to stay on his bucking bronco for eight minutes. Pick up men Cam Chester pulled Wyatt from his horse when the man is disqualified. Cam is out of the closet and hated on the circuit. He and Wyatt face wild horses and an even wilder man set on killing the couple. Both Cam and Wyatt are hot, likable cowboys but what cowboy isn't?
November 10, 2024
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Eight Seconds is a stand-alone, M/M, erotic romance novelette. Cam, nicknamed The Professor, is the quintessential cowboy whose life revolves around rodeos and writing country songs. After one too many injuries left him unable to continue bronc riding, he got a job as a rodeo-pick up rider. As an out-and-proud gay man, he’s earned some enemies on the circuit, but none he thought would actually do him harm until one night someone bashes him on the head while he’s showering in the communal bathroom. Bareback rider Wyatt has idolized The Professor since he started competing at rodeos. As a bisexual man, he has no shortage of buckle bunnies warming his bed, but he also enjoys male company sometimes, too. He can’t believe his luck when the dashing blue-eyed Professor is the one to pick him up after his latest ride. Later that evening, though, he hears someone fall in the shower, and when he goes to investigate, he finds Cam unconscious with a head wound. The former EMT takes Cam home and tenderly cares for his injury, which turns into unforgettable sex, but when Cam doesn’t seem to want him around afterward, Wyatt is hurt. Cam is more of a one-night stand kind of guy and doesn’t think he wants a relationship, so the two men have a lot to work out. In the meantime, Cam brings the attack to the attention of the rodeo owner who seems reluctant to do anything about it since Cam can’t identify his attacker and there weren’t any other witnesses. But just as Cam is about to take it to the police, he finds himself drugged and tied up, about to be murdered, and desperately in need of Wyatt’s rescue again.
I recall buying Eight Seconds quite some time ago based on the cover blurb, which sounded interesting. Unfortunately after reading it, I felt like the author tried to fit too much into too short of a space, and it came up lacking. The characterizations had some intriguing bits, such as Cam’s country music songwriting side gig and Wyatt’s need to keep his sexuality under wraps so that he can earn enough money on the circuit to take care of the grandmother who raised him. However, it never goes much deeper than merely learning these tidbits about the two men. I also hesitate to even classify the story as romance, because Cam and Wyatt don’t really share any genuinely romantic moments. They have sex, they argue, and Wyatt rescues Cam a couple of times from the people who are trying to harm him, and that’s about it. They don’t even kiss until the final paragraph of the story. This isn’t much on which to base a commitment, but the fact that they do commit to one another, giving the story an HFN ending, is the only reason I was okay with categorizing it as romance. Another thing is that the narrative moves at a lightning fast pace, leaving little room to explore the seriousness of the homophobia that’s present. While I know that the level of hatred seen in the story actually exists, I felt that the villains’ actions lacked proper motivation or logical sense. I got the impression that Cam had worked for the rodeo for quite some time and been out of the closet for the entirety of that time, so I couldn’t help wondering why now, other than as a convenient plot device. One last troublesome thing is that the author switches POVs without any warning, so I sometimes had to backtrack to figure out whose perspective I was reading. I think that if the author had expanded her story into a longer novella or novel, it could have been really great. As is, though, Eight Seconds, while not a bad way to spend a couple hours of my reading time, was a little too short to be fully satisfying, ending up being no more than an okay read.
Note: This book contains explicit language and sexual situations, including light bondage, which could be objectionable to sensitive readers.
Eight Seconds is a stand-alone, M/M, erotic romance novelette. Cam, nicknamed The Professor, is the quintessential cowboy whose life revolves around rodeos and writing country songs. After one too many injuries left him unable to continue bronc riding, he got a job as a rodeo-pick up rider. As an out-and-proud gay man, he’s earned some enemies on the circuit, but none he thought would actually do him harm until one night someone bashes him on the head while he’s showering in the communal bathroom. Bareback rider Wyatt has idolized The Professor since he started competing at rodeos. As a bisexual man, he has no shortage of buckle bunnies warming his bed, but he also enjoys male company sometimes, too. He can’t believe his luck when the dashing blue-eyed Professor is the one to pick him up after his latest ride. Later that evening, though, he hears someone fall in the shower, and when he goes to investigate, he finds Cam unconscious with a head wound. The former EMT takes Cam home and tenderly cares for his injury, which turns into unforgettable sex, but when Cam doesn’t seem to want him around afterward, Wyatt is hurt. Cam is more of a one-night stand kind of guy and doesn’t think he wants a relationship, so the two men have a lot to work out. In the meantime, Cam brings the attack to the attention of the rodeo owner who seems reluctant to do anything about it since Cam can’t identify his attacker and there weren’t any other witnesses. But just as Cam is about to take it to the police, he finds himself drugged and tied up, about to be murdered, and desperately in need of Wyatt’s rescue again.
I recall buying Eight Seconds quite some time ago based on the cover blurb, which sounded interesting. Unfortunately after reading it, I felt like the author tried to fit too much into too short of a space, and it came up lacking. The characterizations had some intriguing bits, such as Cam’s country music songwriting side gig and Wyatt’s need to keep his sexuality under wraps so that he can earn enough money on the circuit to take care of the grandmother who raised him. However, it never goes much deeper than merely learning these tidbits about the two men. I also hesitate to even classify the story as romance, because Cam and Wyatt don’t really share any genuinely romantic moments. They have sex, they argue, and Wyatt rescues Cam a couple of times from the people who are trying to harm him, and that’s about it. They don’t even kiss until the final paragraph of the story. This isn’t much on which to base a commitment, but the fact that they do commit to one another, giving the story an HFN ending, is the only reason I was okay with categorizing it as romance. Another thing is that the narrative moves at a lightning fast pace, leaving little room to explore the seriousness of the homophobia that’s present. While I know that the level of hatred seen in the story actually exists, I felt that the villains’ actions lacked proper motivation or logical sense. I got the impression that Cam had worked for the rodeo for quite some time and been out of the closet for the entirety of that time, so I couldn’t help wondering why now, other than as a convenient plot device. One last troublesome thing is that the author switches POVs without any warning, so I sometimes had to backtrack to figure out whose perspective I was reading. I think that if the author had expanded her story into a longer novella or novel, it could have been really great. As is, though, Eight Seconds, while not a bad way to spend a couple hours of my reading time, was a little too short to be fully satisfying, ending up being no more than an okay read.
Note: This book contains explicit language and sexual situations, including light bondage, which could be objectionable to sensitive readers.
Read
May 12, 2009This short story, less than 50 pages, is quite interesting since it mixes some very good sex scenes with a quite interesting plot. Actually the erotic part has a lion share on the story, but sometime this is not a bad thing.
Cam "The Professor" Chester, is a former bull-rider, now pick-up man in the rodeo circuit by day and country song-writer by night. He is gay and out, and this leads to him a bit of trouble here and there. Cam is not a simple man, he is a lonesome rider type, he likes his life like it is; from a rather poor childhood, he manages to build a comfortable life and he wants to keep it like that. Than he meets Wyatt Knott, young bull-rider and gay in the closet. Between them there is no misunderstanding, Wyatt likes men, and he likes Cam even better; he also like the slight domineering behavior of the man. But Wyatt is not ready, or willing, to come out.
As I said there is a lot of sex in the story, sometime maybe a little too much, like when Cam "came" two time in a row soon after being banged in the head... but well, I suppose this is principally an erotic story, and then if there is a plot, it's better. And in this case there is a plot, and the two main characters are also enough developed, as much as you can in a short story. I like the playful behavior of Wyatt, and also the fact that all seems to slide on him, he never takes offense, he is always ready to play... like a puppy, if you think, and you can't not like a puppy. Cam is more the brooding type, but all in all, he is not a bad guy, and also him can't resist in front of the disarming behavior of Wyatt.
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/37...
Cam "The Professor" Chester, is a former bull-rider, now pick-up man in the rodeo circuit by day and country song-writer by night. He is gay and out, and this leads to him a bit of trouble here and there. Cam is not a simple man, he is a lonesome rider type, he likes his life like it is; from a rather poor childhood, he manages to build a comfortable life and he wants to keep it like that. Than he meets Wyatt Knott, young bull-rider and gay in the closet. Between them there is no misunderstanding, Wyatt likes men, and he likes Cam even better; he also like the slight domineering behavior of the man. But Wyatt is not ready, or willing, to come out.
As I said there is a lot of sex in the story, sometime maybe a little too much, like when Cam "came" two time in a row soon after being banged in the head... but well, I suppose this is principally an erotic story, and then if there is a plot, it's better. And in this case there is a plot, and the two main characters are also enough developed, as much as you can in a short story. I like the playful behavior of Wyatt, and also the fact that all seems to slide on him, he never takes offense, he is always ready to play... like a puppy, if you think, and you can't not like a puppy. Cam is more the brooding type, but all in all, he is not a bad guy, and also him can't resist in front of the disarming behavior of Wyatt.
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/37...
March 24, 2012
The best thing I can say about this is that it's short. And that I'm done with it. Even so, it seemed to take waaaaaaaay too long to read. The prose was too purple for my liking, not to mention so convoluted I frequently had trouble understanding what was happening or whose head I was in. The experience was uncomfortably similar to reading a (supposedly "polished") rough draft of a student paper.
And then there's the "mystery" which was equally convoluted and ridiculous. If I hadn't been reading it for the Bingo challenge, it would have been a DNF after the second paragraph or so (about the same point I'd have returned a paper to a student as unreadable - and thus ungradeable - without significant improvement).
And then there's the "mystery" which was equally convoluted and ridiculous. If I hadn't been reading it for the Bingo challenge, it would have been a DNF after the second paragraph or so (about the same point I'd have returned a paper to a student as unreadable - and thus ungradeable - without significant improvement).
September 5, 2011
This story is fairly short but for some reason doesn't feel like it. There's no 'fat' here. It's concise, intensely hot and very well written with characters that are very likeable, without being sappy, and a story line that is well paced. Enjoyed it a lot. Would LOVE to read a sequel.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews