Josh Aterovis

@Geron Kees 😆 You are not wrong. I'm actively rewriting two books while trying to write the first book of a brand-new planned trilogy, and developing a theater project at the same time, all while working a full-time job. I need more days in the week...

After I calmed down, I drove home. I needed to talk to somebody, and Adam the person I could think of. Unfortunately, when I went inside, I found a note from Adam saying that he and Steve were gone to get dinner and would be back soon. I didn’t feel like I knew Steve well enough to spill my guts in front of him, so my talk with Adam would have to wait. To kill time, I went up to what had become my room and started on homework. I was interrupted a short while later by a buzz from my p

Good to know! I dug them out this week and realized that Adam's story will take a LOT of rewriting—basically restarting from scratch. I knew there was a reason I left it out of the collection when I published the book of short stories set in the Killianverse. LOL That said, I think it's a worthwhile project. It just postpones my return to the new book I'm working on... Oops...

It's really been an interesting project for me to return to Bleeding Hearts for such a deep dive 25 years after I wrote it. I was 22-years-old when I started it, 23 when I finished. I wasn't even out at the time, and had almost no real life experience, having been a very sheltered religious home-schooled kid. As I've mentioned before, I've rewritten it a few times over the years, including one major rewrite to modernize it (we didn't have cell phones in 1999!) and update some outdated views, but this time around, I can really see how young (and scared) I was. It really shows through in decisions and reactions made by Killian and Asher. They are just kids, and I was still a kid in so many ways when I wrote it. I know they're my characters, but I have a lot of empathy for them and their (often) poor choices. Most of us made mistakes when we were 16. Besides, it would be a pretty boring book if they always did the right thing! 🤣 I think some of the elements of this story really stand out in 2024, while others translate all too well. Either way, one of the things I'm most proud of is the emotional impact, so thanks for saying that. 😊 That said, believe it or not, this version is a LOT less emotional and histrionic than the original! I remember when the book was published (and winning awards...just saying) back in 2001, the primary criticism was that the boys cried too much...which I always thought was an odd critique considering all Killian goes through, but I think men being in touch with their emotions was much less talked about back then. We've come a long way, baby!

I was standing in the park by the pond. I could feel more than see another presence, lurking just out of sight. The shadows writhed and danced around me, slowly closing in. I was turning, trying to watch all sides at once, but it was hopeless. All at once, the shadows began to take form, become more solid, and from them stepped a figure dressed in black from head to toe. Where his face should have been, there was nothing—no features at all, only a horrible blankness. He w

I own it on DVD...somewhere. I never unpacked them after my last move, so I couldn't put my hands on it, but I know I own it. I was so excited to find it on Tubi! It was published four separate times! I've published seven books and one of them was even a finalist for a Lammy award in 2010. But yeah, my publishers kept going out of business left and right faster than I could build a following, so I mostly flew under the radar aside from a very dedicated base of readers who I adore and are the only reason I kept trying. I had to start over so many times. It gets really discouraging after a while. That's one of the reasons I decided to repost here, with encouragement from @Geron Kees! And don't let anyone tell you there's only one way to write. Rules are made to be broken (judiciously). @Jeff Burton I just realized I've read some of your stories! Keep writing! (No, seriously. Keep writing. I want to finish Jacob's Advocate and Salvaging...😂)

Thank you! So glad you're enjoying it.

Thanks! I've really enjoyed revisting it. I wrote a couple of little novellas back in the day with more about Adam and Seth's backstories. Maybe I'll post those next if there's interest.

How I ever got any sleep that night I’ll never know, but somehow, I did. I woke up to my alarm the next morning and wanted to chuck my phone out the window. Kane slept through the alarm, so I kept as quiet as I could as I got ready for school. I’d hoped to tell him goodbye in case his mom picked him up before I got home from school, but he didn’t stir, and I didn’t want to disturb him. I might as well have stayed home for all the attention I paid to my classes that day. I was equally distr

Things will definitely get worse before anybody gets a happy ending. Take that as you will. 😉

I thought I was real clever 25 years ago. Adam also left Eve for Steve...

The later chapters I've written added a lot more words...entire new scenes. LOL Up to this point, I've mostly just done light rewrites. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts as we go!

😉😁

You are correct! But in the print baby name book I had in 1999 when I wrote this book, it said it meant blind. 🙃

I woke up the next morning full of excitement, an emotion I hadn’t felt in quite some time. I was excited for three reasons. First was my conversation the night before with Kane. I couldn’t wait to see Adam’s face when his son called on Wednesday. Secondly, I was returning to school. After missing two weeks, I was anxious to get back. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand being an invalid. At the same time, I was pretty nervous about it, since I knew I had been a main topic of

@Geron Kees Good news! Chapter 9 is up now! No need to wait. 😉

@Gandalf It would be fun to read both versions and see how much the story has changed over the years! The version I'm posting now I'm rewriting large chunks of it. I estimate it'll probably have something like 20-30 more pages than that original published version. Living on a boat must be interesting. I think I would like it. I know I would love living in Spain.

Yeah, I thought we we moving beyond that for a while, but in recent years, the bigotry has returned stronger than ever. Let's hope it's the dying gasp of bigotry...

@Gandalf Believe it or not, I've republished Bleeding Hearts at least four times (not counting this current re-posting)! In 2001, 2007, around 2010 and, most recently, in 2017. Each time, I've done some rewriting, so it's never been exactly the same, but the basic story remained.

@Gandalf Hello! I started out on Nifty, so this is the first time I've posted them here. And I can never republish or post them without heavy rewrites, so that's something to look forward to even if you've read them before! LOL I only have one book currently in print, and it's the first book of a new series. It's called A Kind of Death. Thank you so much for your support! It means a lot.

I woke up in a strange room. For a few disoriented moments, I couldn’t remember where I was. Then the events from the night before came back to me. Dad had beaten me up and kicked me out., and I was staying at Seth’s dad’s house—indefinitely. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I hardly knew Adam. After a few minutes of thought, I decided it couldn’t be any worse than living at home. My anger toward my father throbbed like a dull ache in the back of my mind. I hated him with every ounce o

Coming right up...on Sunday...

“Asher,” Dad said in that horribly controlled voice of his, “I think it would be best if you went on home now. Your dad’s waiting for you. We just got off the phone.” Asher shot me a look that was easier to read than a children’s picture book. He was terrified. “Yes, sir,” he replied softly, then turned and let himself out. I was left standing all alone facing my father. I still hadn’t moved beyond the entryway. “What were you thinking?” “Sir?” “Don’t play games wit

And more to come... 😈 ❤️

Thank you so much! Right now, the plan is to post the Killian Kendall series here in its entirety since it's currently out of print. I'm also working on a brand-new venture, a fantasy series, that I'll probably post here as well. Let me know what you think about A Kind of Death! Thanks again for your support!