Category: Contemporary fiction

Henry And Mac Are Back in Action in Tempest (Playing the Fool #3) by Lisa Henry & J. A. Rock (Excerpt and Contest)

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Lisa Henry and J. A. Rock’s series Playing the Fool is a Must Read, highly recommended series of stories here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.   Happily, we now have another book to add to this series.  It’s Tempest (Playing the Fool #3) !  The authors are here today with a special excerpt and a contest for all to enter.  Check it all out below and don’t forget to leave your email address in the body of your comment when entering the contest!  Let’s get started!

Welcome, Lisa Henry and J. A. Rock!

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Hi! We’re Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock, the authors of TEMPEST. We’re touring the web taking about our influences, our processes, anything we can think about actually, and even giving you guys a sneak peak or two! And what would a blog tour be without a contest? Check out the details at the bottom of the post to see what you can win!

Today we’re sharing an excerpt from TEMPEST.  Here, Henry and Mac are on their way back to the city to get to the bottom of who’s framing Mac. Henry is as distracted, and distracting as always. Contains a bonus Skittles reference.

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

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The next morning, Mac looked Henry up and down as he approached the truck. Refrained from shaking his head as Henry settled into the passenger seat. “I thought you’d be wearing a disguise.”

“Seriously?” Henry smoothed down his tie. “I am wearing a disguise. Look at me. I could be selling magazine subscriptions. Or Jesus. Or subscriptions to magazines that are exclusively about Jesus. White Jesus. Or maybe I’m on my way to a job interview at an accounting firm.” He flashed Mac a smile. “Yeah, I’ll bet that’s what I’m doing.”

Mac frowned at the pants. There was something both weirdly familiar and aesthetically disturbing about the houndstooth pattern.

“Are those my dad’s pants?”

“Circa 1974. Your dad wore ’em tight. This is his tie too.” “You’re really wearing a tie?”

“You like boys in ties.” Henry ran his fingers down the silk, in a gesture that would have been a hell of a lot sexier if Mac didn’t remember buying that tie for his dad one Father’s Day. “Look at you. Even in jeans something about you just screams cop.”

“I’m not a cop.”

“I know. But ‘something about you just screams authority figure who can deprive me of my freedom’ just doesn’t roll off the tongue in the same way, does it?”

“I guess not.” He stared at his parents’ house a little longer, then turned the ignition. The truck rumbled into life. “You ready for this?”

Henry pulled a packet of Skittles out of his pocket. “I’m always ready for a road trip.”

Of course he was.

They headed for Indianapolis.

Mac let Henry fiddle with the radio and spill candy and talk bullshit at a million miles an hour, because that was Henry. It was how he dealt with stress. If he talked fast enough, if he teased, if he didn’t stop, then he didn’t have to deal. Even a week ago Mac would have been irritated by that. Would have wanted to slap him around the back of the head for being so damn irritating. Like Energizer Bunny irritating. But not today.

Henry glanced out the window at the darkening sky. “Looks like rain.”

“Storm’s not supposed to hit until this evening.”

“Great. Let me get out my umbrella and tap shoes.” Henry changed the radio station again. Then suddenly slapped the radio knob, turning it off. “Can we stop for donuts, Mac?”

“Says the guy who just put away two omelets for breakfast.”

“Which is my protein requirement for the day. Now I need my sugar and frosting requirement for the day. Oh, and my milkshake requirement. Strawberry.” He jiggled his leg. “Definitely strawberry.”

“If we see somewhere, we’ll stop.”

Henry’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you serious? I don’t need to argue about this?”

“Nope.”

Henry slumped back down in his seat. “Well, now I know you think we’re gonna die.”

Mac glanced sideways at him. “Maybe I’m just tired of arguing with you.”

“Or maybe you want me to finish these Skittles and put something else in my mouth. Want me to taste your rainbow ?” “Not while I’m driving, I don’t.” Flirty Henry was incorrigible. He was also deflecting again. One day, Mac decided, he would surprise the fuck out of both of them and say yes to whatever crazy suggestion fell out of those candy-stained lips.

“You’re so boring, Mac.”

“Shut up, Cheese.”

STRW Author BookSynopsis

About TEMPEST:

Something wicked this way comes.

FBI Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness and con man Henry Page are on the run again. This time they’re headed back to where it all began: Altona, Indiana. Population: some goats. Henry’s not happy about lying low at the McGuinness family farm, but they’ve got nowhere else to go.

While Mac fights to clear his name and Henry struggles with whose side he’s really on, a ghost from the past threatens to destroy everything. And those aren’t the only storms on the radar. Cut off from both sides of the law, Mac and Henry must rely on their tenuous partnership to survive.

If Henry can convince himself to let Mac see the man behind the disguises, they’ll stand a chance of beating the forces that conspire against them. The course of true love never did run smooth, but for the two of them, it might be their only hope.
You can check out TEMPEST at Riptide.

Books in the Playing the Fool Series are -linked to Barb’s 5-star reviews:

 

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The Giveaway: Thanks for following our tour! To celebrate our release, we’re giving away an awesome prize – an ebook copy of a novel of your choice from either of our back catalogs. We’re also giving away a $20 Riptide gift voucher, and some comfy items picked especially for you by Henry: a pillow shaped like a donut, and a pair of donut-themed socks.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with a way for us to contact you, be it your email, your twitter, or a link to your facebook or goodreads account. Please put your email in the body of the comment, not just in email section of the comment form, because we won’t be able to see it otherwise! On March 20, 2015, we’ll draw a winner from all eligible comments! Be sure to follow the whole tour, because the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win the prize!

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Prizes provided by Riptide Publishing and the authors.

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STRW Author Bio and Contacts

 

About the Authors

Lisa Henry

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house a log-suffering partner, too many cats, a dog, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Connect with Lisa:

Blog:  http://www.lisahenryonline.blogspot.com/”
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaHenryOnline
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/LisaHenry

J.A. Rock

J.A. Rock has worked as a dog groomer, knife seller, haunted house zombie, standardized patient, cashier, census taker, state fair quilt hanger, and, for one less-than-magical evening, a server—and would much rather be writing about those jobs than doing them. A lover of m/m BDSM romance, J.A. lives mostly in West Virginia, and always with a beloved dog, Professor Anne.

Website:  http://www.jarockauthor.com/
Blog:  http://jarockauthor.blogspot.com/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jarockauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ja.rock.39

Up Close & Personal with Author Trina Lane and Turkish Delights (contest)

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Trina Lane is here today with her book, Turkish Delights!  Not only does she have a contest for all to enter but a NSFW, totally hot excerpt to read (cue the fans).  Check it all out below starting with Trina Lane’s guest blog Mirror Mirror on the Wall.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall by Trina Lane

Who is the hottest of them all? One of the great things about all the different publishers, genres, and authors available today in the erotic romance world is that there is generally a favorite type of character for every person. So I’m going to use today’s blog post to do a little reader feedback research. I pose a question to all of you reading this today. What type of character really rings your bells and why? Are you the type of person who goes for the stoically quiet and intense alpha? Do you gravitate toward the geeky scientist? Are you a lover of men who are literally out of this world? Or are you just looking for an everyday man?

Of those general stereotypes what characteristics are you looking for? Are looks all that matter? Do your heroes require unlimited riches to makes your ultimate fantasies come true? How can we as authors write better characters? Do you like a lot of backstory or is it better to get right down to business? Do you find characters who know how to handle themselves in and out of the bedroom sexy, or do you enjoy reading about someone is simply trying to figure things out day by day?

When it comes to writing the perfect pair. Do opposites really attract? What about two strong men that can’t seem to resist the attraction pulling them together, but on paper make the worst possible sense? Does there always need to be some kind of give and take in a relationship, even if BDSM is your preferred genre, or is there a real place for my way or the highway?

Finally I ask you to weigh in on the angst/conflict vs true romance debate. I realize that sometimes we all want a little sweetness in our lives, but I’ve read reviews of some author’s hard work where a critic lambasts the book because there is no conflict. They call it unrealistic and insulting to readers because it is so unbelievable. But here’s a side question related to that. Don’t we sometimes read romantic fiction to escape reality? I know I do. As you can see this post is really more about you as readers than about my thoughts. So as a reward for participating I’m going to giveaway two copies of Turkish Delights. Please include in your posts some means of me contacting you otherwise you’ll lose out!

Thanks for Playing,
Trina

 

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Blurb for Turkish Delights:

This is the newest addition to Totally Bound’s, Totally Five Star imprint.

Three very different men from three different countries look to build a love greater than any Wonder of the World.

Project manager Garrett Sloan builds majestic hotels for the rich and famous around the world, but when it comes to love, all his relationships seem to crumble. His latest project lands him in Istanbul, where the desire he’s held for a certain French architect heats up under the Middle Eastern sun, and his resolve never to mix business with pleasure melts beneath the added hot stare and skilled hands of a Turkish mason.

The three men discover they want to build a relationship to stand the test of time—much like Kyle LaFleure’s buildings and Emir Şahin’s stonework. As the bonds between Garrett and his partners grow stronger and more complex, they work to lay the perfect foundation on which to build a lasting relationship. Can the three men construct a relationship that will endure? Or will their love reach its zenith when their shared task of finishing the ultimate Ottoman luxury hotel reaches its completion?  Reader advisory: This book contains a scene of double penetration.

Like the sound of Turkish Delights? Buy it here.

Excerpt from Turkish Delights (NSFW) Link only for those 18 years of age or older. Click to proceed.

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About Trina Lane:

If you look up the word conundrum in the dictionary, there should be a photo of Trina Lane. Her personality is so multifaceted that her friends have spent countless hours scratching their heads in wonder. A scientist with a passion for history, music and photography she loves to travel and experience new places but is terminally shy around people she doesn’t know.

Trina has been devouring romance novels since her tender teenage years, although only began writing in 2007. When her debut novel was met with resounding success, she said “Hey I can do that again”. The rest as they say is history.

Her choices in reading and writing material are as diverse as her iTunes library, which contains music from Mozart to Metallica. Her one concession is all stories must have a happily ever after ending-did we mention she’s incurably romantic?

She lives in Missouri with her loving and indulgent husband, and orange tabby cat—affectionately referred to as ‘Houdini’ for his stealthy escape attempts.

Contest

Enter Totally Bound’s competition for the chance to win a copy of Turkish Delights and three books from Trina Lane’s backlist!

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Contest link and prizes provided by Totally Bound Books.

Direct link: https://www.totallybound.com/turkish-delights-giveaway/?af=53be8f313b20b

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A Stella Review: Lucky Seven by E.L. Esch

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

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Dante Mathers, college student, fifth year, has a track record for being dishonest with himself, and is about to undergo the biggest, scariest change of his life.

Dante’s forced himself to go out with girls in the past and he does it again when he’s approached by the beautiful Serena one day on campus, desperate to prove to himself that he’s “normal.” But when he loses a drinking contest and is dared to go to the next campus GLBT meeting by his best friend, he’s not sure how to handle it. Sure he could blow it off and say he went, but something nagging at the back of his mind compels him to go anyway. After all, he’s had problems with intimacy in the past and his first crush was a boy in high school. But is he really forcing himself to go, or is he finally starting to be honest with himself? No need to over think this, Dante tells himself. It’ll be get in, get out. No need to talk to anyone. Easy, right?

But then he meets Sven. Sexy, toned, wearing a leather jacket with spiked up bleach-blond hair, Sven’s bad-boy flare sticks out on campus and catches Dante’s eye. But there’s more to Sven than his punkish looks, and Dante’s about to find out all the sultry little details.

Lucky Seven was a lovely surprise. It’s an easy book to read, with low angst. I liked it a lot, even if usually I’m not a huge fan of YA/New Adult books because I honestly prefer to read about characters surer of themselves and their feelings without all that clumsiness we usually find in the younger ones.

I liked Dante and Sven story because it felt like a real one, full of fears and insecurity, and at the end I loved their courage. They’re both so shy and miserable, but so brave and sensitive. Especially Sven, too shy to approach and flirt with guys, but bold enough to fight against the bullies and defend himself and his grandpa’s garden. Dante, instead, is finally understanding that it’s time to stop being in denial and admit he’s gay. He needs to realize he has a beautiful family and friends to support and accept him as he is.  Even if there is a lot going on in the MCs’ life (Sven being bullied, Dante’s fear of coming out, Sven’s grandfather’s illness), I like how the author chose to focus our attention on the development of their story and their personal growth.

A couple of things I didn’t like: first, the prologue, and it’s a total personal opinion. I think I already said it I’m not comfortable reading hetero sex in my m/m books. I’m sure approaching how the MC knows he was gay could be showed in another way. More, I can say the writer put a lot on these young men’s shoulders, maybe a little too much and sometimes it came out as disconcerting. At the same time I appreciate the lightness in the way the story is wrote, so I was able to overcome these little details that unsettle me. In fact their story came out to me slowly, with tenderness and sweetness I enjoyed so much. At the end it’s a story about first times, first porno, first kiss, first sex, first boyfriend… can’t wait to read more about this author.

Cover art by Dar Albert. It’s a well done cover, I can’t say nothing about it but in my opinion it’s not so eye catching.

Sales Links:  Loose Id         All Romance (ARe)         Amazon          Buy It Here

BOOK DETAILS
Published January 6th 2015 by Loose Id LLC
Kindle Edition, 172 pages
ASIN B00RY8OAJS
Edition language English

 

Cover Reveal for J.K. Hogan’s Shadows Fall (contest)

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It’s Time to Reveal the Cover

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 Shadows Fall by J.K. Hogan
Release Date: June, 2015
Goodreads Link

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Publisher: Wilde City Press

Cover Artist: J.K. Hogan

Sales Links:

Shadows Fall Blurb

A gift—or curse—gives Titus McGinty the unwanted ability to talk to ghosts. When he starts seeing the same few apparitions repeatedly, appearing with similar gruesome injuries, he begins to wonder what they want from him.

Detective Charlie Hale has a serial killer on his hands. On the loose for weeks, the Queen City Slayer has left the police nothing to go on, no forensic evidence other than what he wants found. The city is running out of time.

The crisis brings Titus and Charlie together—Titus stumbles upon a body and finds himself a suspect. Their budding romance is tested as they are sucked into a web of underground laboratories, restive spirits, and religious fanaticism. They’ll have to work together to find the identity of the killer before he takes his next victim…Titus.

Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Romance, Thriller
Pages or Words: 100,000 words (pre-edits)

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Author Name: J.K. Hogan

Author Bio:
J.K. Hogan has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing cast lists and storylines for her toys growing up. When she finally decided to put pen to paper, magic happened. She is greatly inspired by all kinds of music and often creates a “soundtrack” for her stories as she writes them. J.K. is hoping to one day have a little something for everyone, so she’s branched out from m/f paranormal romance and added m/m contemporary romance. Who knows what’s next?

J.K. resides in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. A true southern girl at heart, she lives in the country with her husband and young son, a cat, and two champion agility dogs. If she isn’t on the agility field, J.K. can often be found chasing waterfalls in the mountains with her husband, or down in front at a blues concert. In addition to writing, she enjoys training and competing in dog sports, spending time with her large southern family, camping, boating and, of course, reading! For more information, please visitwww.jkhogan.com.

Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJKHogan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JK_Hogan
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jkhoganbooks/
Tumblr: http://officialjkhogan.tumblr.com/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+JKHogan/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/jkhoganbooks

 


Tour Dates: March 7, 2015

Tour Dates: March 7, 2015

Tour Stops: 

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie, Love Bytes, Charley Descoteaux, Bike Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Iyana Jenna, Cate Ashwood, Romance the Night, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Divine Magazine, Havan Fellows, Kimi-Chan, Hearts on Fire, Carly’s Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, Fallen Angel Reviews, Amanda C. Stone, Andrew Q. Gordon, The Hat Party, Elin Gregory, Nephylim, Velvet Panic

 

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: A signed paperback of either I Survived Seattle or Love and the Real Boy. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Rafflecopter links and prizes provided by Pride Promotions.

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Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Rules to Live By – A BDSM Anthology by Heidi Belleau, Lisa Henry, Anah Crow, Dianne Fox, Anna Zabo, and Cari Z

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

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Rules to Live By – A BDSM Anthology by Heidi Belleau, Lisa Henry,  Anah Crow, Dianne Fox,

Anna Zabo, Cari Z.

Four intimate tales of power exchange, discipline, risks taken, and pleasures earned.

Master Key by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox

Navin is surrounded by family in control of their company and feels he can’t live up to their expectations for him—until he starts dating Marquis, and Marq offers Navin the key to his cock cage. It’s because of Marq’s need to be reminded that Navin is important to him and that he needs to make an effort to always be on time for Navin, but it has an unexpected, empowering effect on Navin as it gives him courage to take control in other areas of his life, including his role in his family’s company. The idea seems to be working until one too many things go wrong in one day for Marquis to handle, and he allows himself to doubt his need to submit to Navin in this way. The two nearly don’t get their HEA, but thankfully the simple solution of communication works to get both men back on track. I enjoyed the development of the characters in this story and would like to see it expanded. There’s so much more to explore in their fledgling D/s relationship, and they are so interesting that they deserve their own book. 4 stars

House Rules by Cari Z.

Jonathan lives by the rules established by his lover, Alistair Fraser, an actor who seems to be in a bromance with his co-star in the film that was written by Jonathan himself. Deliberately breaking the rules when he becomes jealous after watching the men on the Academy Awards broadcast, he’s looking forward to a reward after the punishment he knows he deserves. He doesn’t get exactly what he wanted, but he does get the punishment from a master who very evidently loves him enough to do what’s best for him, not what he wants. This is a shorter story than the others in the anthology, but presents a nice glimpse of domestic discipline. 4 stars

The Harder They Fall by Lisa Henry and Heidi Belleau

A spoiled and neglected rich kid, Tad cashes his allowance in small bills to hire a prostitute at the fancy brothel he recently found, and he’s looking forward to another night of domination and dishing out humiliation on a whore. But instead of getting an old washed-up whore like he requests, he gets “Daddy”, a big, strong, gorgeous, older man with a major dominant streak. And Daddy doesn’t care what Tad wants, Daddy is going to give Tad what he deserves. This is a great story, perfect for those who like some Daddy in their Doms. I would definitely like to read more about these MCs. 5 stars

CTRL Me by Anna Zabo

After breaking up with his homophobic girlfriend when she finds out he is bisexual, Tom agrees to go out with his best friend Gabe on his usual Thursday date night. Little does Tom know that he’s actually accepted a date with a man who can push all of his submissive buttons. Both techies and co-workers, Tom had no idea that Gabe was bi as well. One glance at the length of soft blue rope in Gabe’s glove compartment leads Tom to hope for more than just sex, and it appears that Gabe is just the man to give it to him. This story was a wonderful tale of giving up control through rope bondage. Like some of the other stories, there’s plenty of room here to expand this story, although it felt more complete than many of the others in this book. 5 stars.

My overall rating of 4.5 stars was based on an average of the individual ratings. This would be a good place for someone new to BDSM to start reading. The very talented authors in this volume explore several different aspects of the BDSM lifestyle, enough to give a newcomer inspiration to continue to read more, or to decide that it is not an area they are interested in exploring further.

Cover Art is a photo by L.C. Chase which depicts several items often seen in BDSM scenes: leather cuffs, chains, collar and candle, all artfully displayed. It’s a nice representation for this anthology.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing   All Romance (ARe)    Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published February 16th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
(first published February 14th 2015)
original titleRules to Live By
ISBN139781626492516
edition languageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Road Trip by A.F. Henley

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

Road Trip CoverAt 35, car mechanic Boyd Matthis is feeling a bit disillusioned if practical about the way his life panned out.  He makes just enough to pay his bills and get by.  But what of the dreams he once had?  On his wall is a faded map of the country with pins pushed into locations he always wanted to visit.  A 60’s muscle car, another dream, would be the ideal ride that takes him out on the trip of a lifetime…all out of reach of Boyd’s finances.  Until a miracle happens.  Boyd finds his dream car for sale at a price he can afford after 15 years of saving and his life changes course.

One  cross country flight later and Boyd has the keys to his new ’69 Roadrunner in hand and the pedal to the metal. He’s got a plan and a time table to meet before he has to be back at his job.  It’s all working out for once.  Until Las Vegas when Boyd runs into Oliver Martin, 24, a young man in trouble trying to return home to Maryland.  Boyd just can’t turn his back on someone in such obvious pain and need of assistance.  Now its two for the road with time to get to know  each other and for affection if not more to settle as they ride east.  But Oliver’s troubles  aren’t over yet as the shadow of Oliver’s past is following behind them.   What happens when the dreams of one man has the potential to change both mens future forever?

A. F. Henley’s  marvelous Road Trip brought up so many emotions and memories for me.  Boyd’s dream car, what is now referred to as a historic vehicle was a car of my youth, along with 8 tracks, wide tires, and  call of  the road trip and the idea that your dreams could be realized somewhere along the way of that smooth, wide asphalt.  It was also a known “next stage” of adolescence.  From a boy and a dog, to a boy and his car, although in my case it was girl and a dog, to girl, dog, and a car.  It didn’t seem to matter that was a Ford Mustang ’65 or in this case a ’69 Plymouth Roadrunner, black on black.  To be the ruler of the road and master of your dreams, your ride needed to be powerful too.

Henley’s Boyd is a weary, good man who has about given up on his dreams.  Boyd has diligently saved for 15 years (at a small salary as a mechanic) to own his own holy grail of cars only to see life with all its mishaps continually reduce the4 savings he put aside to purchase his dream car.  A faded old USA map full of push pins outline a journey to places Boyd has thought about since childhood. Those dreams combined with the 69 Roadrunner encapsulated the hopes and future Boyd once thought he could achieve but are fast slipping away. I loved that Henley’s Boyd feels so familiar and real.   He’s matter of fact about his appearance, good points and bad.  His view of his life is unobscured by filters and he is accepting that his status, as a hardworking gay man of “singular” status might be permanent.  Bars and hookups for Boyd as a thing of his past.  And we get that because Henley’s portrait of a decent, hardworking man is so vivid and believable that Boyd quickly works his way into our hearts.

And then Boyd’s dreams come true and the feeling in these words are almost heartrending in their quiet joy.

…It was so much more than just a car, or just a road trip… It was that thing he’d been planning for, that one thing, and it was finally happening. It didn’t matter that he still rented a falling-down shack while all his buddies were buying houses. It didn’t matter that he didn’t own his own garage or that he had to scrape by on sixteen bucks an hour. He was getting his car. He was fulfilling a dream.

It was that flurry of emotion that gave Boyd the stamina to ignore the oversized man sitting to his left on the plane who snored most of the way there. It was the same rush that stopped him from losing his mind on the irritating woman to his right who kept bumping his arm with her laptop. He’d even been able to turn a blind eye when the brat in front of him kept popping over the seat to stick out his tongue.

When he arrived at the airport, Boyd waited with a patience even he’d been surprised he could manage for the cab that would take him from the airport in San Francisco out to West Sacramento. He didn’t get irate when they got stuck in traffic on the bridge, even though bridges freaked him the hell out— especially ones that seemed as long as small countries were wide. None of it mattered.

None of the tiny issues were going to get in the way of his adventure. He could have charmed demons if he’d needed to. Nothing in life had ever felt so gratifying as the moment when he finally got to stand beside that sweet little machine and call it his; when he got to hold the keys with the garish, dangling eight-ball and claim them. She was perfect.

There we are, in the moment as Boyd stands beside his dream realized, and its feels as powerful and true as if we were Boyd himself.  And it gets better as Boyd and Roadrunner hit the highway, heading for adventure and all those red pin destinations he has dreamed about his entire life.

Of course, Boyd’s intricately laid out plan hits a snag in Las Vegas (perfect place where many dreams go sideways).  There Boyd finds and we meet the second main character to this story, Oliver Martin.   Oliver is a scared, desperate 24 year old who followed his dream to Las Vegas only to see it crumble and try to destroy him.  Now he’s at a dead end at his journey with no hope in sight.  Until Boyd intervenes.  Oliver is another entirely believable personage.  Guarded, wounded, and clearly in need of help he won’t ask for, its a joy for the reader to see his character change and deepen as the men head east towards their respective homes in Syracuse, NY (Boyd’s) and Towson, MD (Oliver’s).   Sometimes such a difference in ages between the characters doesn’t work but it does here.  Oliver gives Boyd a fresh perspective on his vision of the trips and places they see plus Boyd gives Oliver a safe, firm foundation that allows Oliver to start to heal.  Their relationship starts off shaky yet slowly becomes so much more.  I loved that too.

And the third  main character?  Well, the ’69 Plymouth Roadrunner of course, black on black.  From the moment Boyd grasps that key in hand, that car roars to life, becoming as important to their relationship and story as they are.

…It wasn’t just the way the sun glinted off the chrome or the brilliance of the car’s finish; it was the entire aura of the automobile that caught everyone’s attention. It drew people by the dozens, be it at the pier, the beach, or even the Denny’s that Boyd ate breakfast at. The men asked questions they hoped made them sound smart, and the women came to flirt as if the car was some kind of bizarre extension of his cock.

..he was sure that he could make up the time in Vegas. He donned shades against the early evening sun, popped in a cartridge of Del Shannon, turned up the volume, opened both windows wide, and drove the car hard. The engine thrummed and the speakers cooed, both working in time to drown out Boyd’s voice while he tried to hit notes he should not have.

A braided steering wheel, a box full of 8-track cassettes and the open road…and A.F. Henley puts us in the seat next to Boyd where we feel the softness of leather, shield our eyes from blinding light from the chrome and sit back, lulled by the hum of a powerful car doing what it was manufactured to do…complete someone’s dream.  I could have stayed on the road with all three for pages and pages more than their journey ended.

But life and reality catches up with both in Maryland and what followed felt a little rushed and without foundation.  I felt this section of the plot needed a little more fleshing out, whether in background or characters, to bring it up to the wonderful narrative that comes before.  But it does supply a necessary element of drama and helps bring the story to a totally satisfactory conclusion.  I loved this story and all the characters, car included.

I highly recommend that readers take this journey with Boyd and Oliver.  Pick up Road Trip and remember what is feels like to have your dreams come alive and the whole world ready to explore.  I leave you with the images of a car made to fly down our superhighways with the music blaring and you singing at the top of your lungs.
69 Black Plymouth Road Runner

 

Cover artist Natasha Snow did a great job with incorporating important elements in a design that feels timeless.

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Book Details:

ebook
Published February 11th 2015 by Less Than Three Press
original titleRoad Trip
ISBN139781620045077
edition languageEnglish