Goodreads asked Huston Piner:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Huston Piner My most recent (actually soon to be released) book, Conjoined at the Soul, focuses on gay high school sophomore Randy Clark and his misadventures searching for a boyfriend. The idea came to me in thinking about the evolving differences for gay teens since the 1969/70 setting for My Life as a Myth. By 1979, young people were much more aware of homosexuality and LGBT youth were beginning to own their orientation in a more positive way. I imagined Randy looking in the mirror (as people will sometimes do) and telling himself, "You, young man, are gay." It's the kind of historically significant difference between the before and after Stonewall challenge to societal homophobia. Before Stonewall, young people may have known they were gay, but few felt comfortable so much as admitting it to themselves out loud.

Whereas, My Life as a Myth deals with a teenager coming to terms with his orientation, Conjoined at the Soul takes the reader from that realization through the process of coming out to selected friends and the fears that are universal to all young people in seeking romantic companionship. We see Randy growing in his understanding of what love is as he makes mistakes, gets hurt, and deals with prejudice, bullies, and a non-accepting culture. His most difficult -- and important -- struggle is with his own sense of self-worth and how it influences his expectations.

Readers who enjoyed My Life as a Myth will find Conjoined at the Soul a much happier book that still doesn't shy away from harsh realities. Romantics who demand a happy ending will be delighted with its tale of the most clueless, gaydar-deprived, teenager on earth in his conquest for true love.

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