Time to start a new week and with a new week comes a new featured story. Louis offered to do a review for the blog and chose the story "Roommates" by Signature Author: Krista. I hope you enjoy his review and if this sounds like something you'd like, then go read! Don't forget to leave Krista a review, or two, to let her know what you thought!

Reviewer: LJH
Status: Complete
Word Count: 72,846

The law of attraction. This is the name given to the belief that like attracts like.

In The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne –www.thesecret.tv– also known as the “law of attraction, it is defined as ”the idea that because of our connection with a “universal energy force,” our thoughts and feelings have the ability to manipulate this energy force to our liking. ... our thoughts and feelings attract a corresponding energy to ourselves. If our thoughts are negative, we attract negative things. If our feelings are positive, we attract positive things...we all have the power to determine our own destiny. We can all create our own reality. Through fully and consistently applying the “law of attraction,” we can be who we want to be and have everything we want to have."

Even to the extent that opposites attract.

William Carlson and Brett are roommates. Complete opposites.

QUOTE: "One thing about living with Brett, you never know what is waiting behind the door."

William controls every aspect of his life, while Brett is a player. But that all stops when William is invited to his parents' wedding anniversary. He asks Brett to tag along and meet the family. William hasn't seen his parents in seven years, and as for his sister, Kathryn, the last time he heard, she was somewhere in Africa. During this visit, Brett will finally come to understand that William inherited his controlling nature from his controlling, uber-rich parents. Everything had to be done their way or not at all. But, this visit is also a way for William to come to understand each member of his own family, and a way to reintroduce himself as a gay man, pushed by Brett and Kat (who has by now returned from Africa).

For many parents, the discovery of a child's homosexuality is a painful and traumatic experience. They are often the first to suspect but the last to know. They deal with fear, blame and guilt which they are unable to discuss with friends or other family members.

Krista offers a lesson to reject the secrecy between parent and child. In life, children have the freedom to choose their friends, as Willam does, Brett is his best friend, loves surfing, loves the bright lights of night life, and is bisexual.

QUOTE: Some days he’s straight, others he’s bi, and then gay.

Children are given freedom to choose their own occupation, William is a workaholic. They are given the freedom to make and spend money as they wish, but William is ever cautious when it comes to finance, even going so far as to reject his father's offer to advance him cash to buy his own house. And lastly, children allow parents to know only what they want them to know. William is happy, shares an apartment with his roommate Brett, and has enough cash of his own, and is gay. His parents don't know anything of this. He controls his emotions, is not in a relationship and is not looking for one.

Krista also embellishes the known ideology that family is the most important institution and it's primary role is the support of its members. William's mother believes in this ideology and welcomes her gay son with open arms, whilst her husband at first rejects the idea but comes to full acceptance after careful thought as to his role as a parent.

The story is a social documentary of the times in which we live; William, the control buff always aware of his actions and their consequences, Brett, the easy going, live and let live best friend, who loves Redbull and Cheeto crumbs. Kat, William's sister who wants nothing more than to be free and on the way finds herself pregnant.

The story sets itself as much against the expectations of the gay subculture as against the studied indifference of the culture. Does it really matter if William's parents know? Or is it a way for William to forge forward with his life? Is this the reason he cannot find a lover? Need a boyfriend?

The wit and language of the story is free and Brett's dialogue is on point. I found myself falling in love with him, waiting for his next sentence. There are scenes, like the golf-course scene that left me rolling on the floor with laughter. Brett's wit is genius, and Krista's digging into William's mind, makes the story absolutely believable.

I have found an author whom I can trust. An author who infuses her work with an important writing principle; she makes an unwritten promise that her characters will change, and she keeps to that promise. Every scene is vivid and shown to the extent that I was taken on a journey with these characters, characters whom I grew to love and respect. She hooks the reader from the very first paragraph. I was very interested, very fast. She oriented me in the first chapter. I knew where I was, I knew what was going on and who was involved. She never allows the reader to look back, doesn't confuse. She begins with the moment when her characters are about to make a change, and she doesn't let go. She creates situations that must be dealt with, all exciting, stimulating and absorbing. The stressors involved in Rooommates include the following: How will William reintroduce himself? Will he? How will Brett react to William's parents and will they accept him? Will Brett accept them? How will the parents react to Kat's pregnancy? Can William find love with someone other than Brett? All of these stressors require change.

These lines (there are more) were by far, the most meaningful to me:

QUOTES
“You can’t ask a man for his number when he’s passing around the meat,” he said then winked, “you have to wait until he’s passing out the chocolate.”

“Why did I become friends with you?” I asked rolling my eyes.
“To get your head out of your fucking ass, Will."

“I’m meeting billionaires in a few fucking hours,” he said turning to look at me, “I’ll be lucky if I don’t shit my pants.”

"I don't feel as free as you do."

"If you're unwilling to fix this, then you're just a damn distraction."

"It would have rocked living here," Brett commented. "I'd slide down the stair railing at least five times a day."

Brilliant lines, from a brilliant writer who deserves more than accolades.

If you're interested in writing a review for the blog, please PM Renee Stevens.