W_L

Thanks for reading, yes there's a lot of healing, but it's not a simple fix for Brad. He's going to need a lot of connections and help to get out of his shell. Attraction alone between him and Beau will only go so far.

Very homophobic ones with a pinch of toxic masculinity. He was 17 at the time the horse story happened. Beau has a lot of issues related to his family, there were good memories, but there were a lot of bad ones mixed in. As for the StrikeLight, no comment...

Warren is protective of Beau, he's seeing part of his own experience in what Gary tried to do yesterday. Remember it was only 2 chapters ago or 1 day in actual time. Paki and Warren are very close friends, I mentioned Paki was the one who got Warren to try makeup for his face; for a guy who is averse to human contact and feels pain in sensitive areas of his skin, it's a testament that Paki reached him. Francis being Paki's boyfriend just makes what Brad did resonate deeper. Brad, Min, and Beau needed a bonding moment like Beau had with Paki and Warren, or Paki and Francis. I think fishing is a fun outdoors activity, especially if you have friends to share it. As for the Strikelight, we'll see...

Well a defensive tool is fine and New Hampshire has a bigger selection and no licensing requirement. It also doubles as a neat little flashlight, comes in handy for situations like Beau found himself in Chapter 1 Fun fact: Taser/Stun Guns were just legalized 2 years ago in Massachusetts for civilian use, but they require permits and there are limited selections in-state. Amazon has them, but possessing them is still illegal without a permit.

Chapter 10 is now live, here's some author's notes: -Sunday around Keller Hall isn't a day of rest, there's a lot of personal and emotional things coming up -Warren is mad at himself, not Beau. He's also still not a fan of Brad, because Brad hasn't yet acknowledged what he did to Francis. We and Beau all know Brad isn't a bad guy, but we also understand he's not in a good head space right now. -Seeking forgiveness and reconciliation are difficult topics, while some people would argue it must be the heart of group therapy to deal with issues, I would tend to argue it's something needed in moderation. Excessive desire for forgiveness and fault-seeking leads to tragic cycle of powerlessness and relapse into patterns, which is one reason why AA and other programs offer alternative to their famous guilt and group sharing/shaming approach. Beau may not be a trained Psychologist like cook, but he does have good instincts and knows when patterns can be created. -Min is finally opening up and using Japanese So here's some translations: Ojamashimasu- "Sorry for interrupting/Pardon me (for bringing up a point) Nemawashi -"Turning the Roots", conceptually it means "Laying down the foundation"/"Setting things up". It's a very unique Japanese concept that has no peer in English language as a single word to express a complex concept. Chinese equivalent exist, but I find the Japanese identification with this principle very interesting. Cook as a worldly Psychologist probably has learned this term through his various studies as many who encounter Japanese culture have. Saba- Pacific Mackerel Taka- "Falcon", yes I had to throw in a Naruto reference 😛 Tsuri otoshita sakana wa ōkī- "The fish that gets away is the biggest", famous Japanese proverb, which is kind of true -Fishing is one of those things a lot of people find boring or don't understand the appeal, especially if you watch stupid reality TV shows about crazy fisherman for laughs. Fishing should not be done alone, it's much more fun to enjoy it with friends and family, share stories and laughs. It's a good bonding experience. Also, Beau pushed back one of those old stupid myths about how fishing must be done quietly. You should be talking, when you fish rather than dead quiet. You voice carried in the air does not penetrate the water, fish do not care if you you speak. -I think Brad, Beau, and Min could be really good friends. Beau is starting to become the glue in the house that helps to link Brad into various friendships -What did Mrs. Potter get Beau? Wonder what will you find with "StrikeLight" brand ?

Breakfast is awkward. When I enter the dining room with Chip, everyone is quiet. Warren and Paki, both without makeup and dressed simply, stare at me with questions, while Francis’ faces hang low. Min is quiet as he is usually, but even his silence appears to hold added weight. Brad is sitting quietly with his hands folded and smiles at the sight of me. I notice that Brad’s wooden seat had been augmented with a type of pillow and memory foam cushion for his back and rear. I’ve never seen him sea

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43782674 Alice Winters is known for her modern gay fiction titles like The Hitman’s Guide Series and gay modern fantasies like Vampire Related Crime Series, the latter of which I was tempted to review for this special month, but I chose SJ Hines’ Beacon Hill Sorcerer Series which touches on both magic and Vampires more in-depth. Still, I don’t want to leave a good gay fiction writer like Alice Winters out of my reviews, so I chose to address the openin

Perhaps, but I am just an innocent writer what would I know about storms and dastardly deeds 👼

Oh I have an idea for how Gary's threat will be ended, but I'm not sure if everyone will like it. These boys and their relationship is love; even though neither acknowledges it. However, as a writer, I am aiming for a level beyond love for what they need, Beau and Brad need True Love, which isn't easy to achieve.

Yes, I think everyone has a story to tell in their own way that affects the main characters. It's really interesting to remind readers innocuous lines from previous chapters actually matter in the bigger picture of the story, too. Like, we see hints of Gary Gaston sadistic side, along with Brad's brand of devotion to those he holds dare that I hinted at in the Prologue through Cam's story. Brad isn't an easy character to write, the Beast in my story had the tragic qualities similar to Shakespeare's Othello in the past as I reveal him. Beau can see this in Brad and wants to help balance out the good man inside from the negative experiences and false truths of a serpent like Gary.

Chapter 9 is now live, here's some thoughts: -Sleeping wrapped around each other in a bed, while one partner is interested in sex and the other isn't in the mood. Is it a sexual Snuggle? A non-sexual Cuddle? Or, is it a Huggle? -Brad reveals a lot about himself in this chapter: He's driven to be the best, not out of obligation or parental pressure, he does it to himself. His fatal flaw is internalizing many things in his life. -Brad's dog Cam gets a little backstory. It would have been 2016, so Brad naming his Black Labrador Retreiver Cam after Carolina Panther's QB Cam Newton makes sense as they were in the Super Bowl. I also thought the idea of Brad having a soft spot for little puppies was a good touch. You also got to see a little more of Gary Gaston's past as a developing Sociopath. -Brad's family relationship are explored, his parents as I noted in the prologue are major players in the US Fracking and Oil industry, They're not like the established Gaston family, who epitomizes "Consumer" wealth driven billionaires, like certain Tech moguls, Real Estate, and Entertainment billionaires. I wanted to draw a line between Producer-Billionaires, who gain their wealth by growing and building thing, and Consumer-billionaires, who make their wealth through manipulating others. -Brad jerking Beau off was quick, but sexually, makes sense. Most people don't last long with that much foreplay. -Brad is slowly getting out of his shell -If readers haven't noticed it, they should now see it. Beau has never said he loves Brad, nor has Brad said he loves Beau. He likes what Brad provides and feels strongly for him, but Beau's experiences of being rejected by his family and past lover Jeremy just holds him back from believing in love. Same is true for Brad, he wants to provide for Beau and protect him from Gary, but his past haunts him from hoping for more. This is important to my re-interpretation of Beauty and the Beast, love isn't a fairy tale condition between two people, especially people damaged by bad relationship experiences. Yes, Love is built up by both being able to give and take from your lover, being supported and supportive, but it isn't just that alone. Deeper than that, there's a need to be more for each other, make each other better people through experience. Essentially, I am trying to explore the essence of "True Love" as it really can be in our modern world, beyond food, shelter, and companionship/sex, there's growth. -Chip's past experiences are also getting revealed. He's the type of gay kid brother everyone wants to cherish, but as I've hinted with Mrs. Potter leaving her husband and advocating for her son, he wasn't always this playful and expressive 12-year-old. I promised you guys, I would explore all my named character in this book, I hope you're enjoying it.

At some point my consciousness returns from the world of dreams, my fingers feel clammy against sweaty skin, but it’s not my skin. I smell the aroma of male musk, it isn’t unpleasant. It takes me a moment to remember as I realize where I am and whose arms are wrapped around me, since my movement is being hindered by big muscular arms. My eyes open to the visage of a wild creature, blond hair too long and unruly obscuring a disfigured face. During the night, my arms wrapped around his neck, so I

No problem, I am planning on reviewing them later next year in my book reviews of mainstream gay fiction. I agree with you, they're worth reading. If you want to review them first be my guest. I only have Book 1 Fadeout to Book 5 Skinflick read so far, it will be a while until I get to Book 6-12 I also still indulge in what amounts to trashy gay novels, they're too sexy for their own good

I'm similar in that respect, I love reading and feel like there's a whole world out there of books that should be shared with others, so they know there's authors with similar interests. My taste are eclectic, too. Have you ever read Joseph Hansen's Mysteries, Dave Brandstetter series. It's an interesting read if you like a classic detective story with investigations based on clues and witnesses. The protagonist Dave was the first openly gay investigators that I've read in a mystery novel. I knew insurance claims investigations were complicate by intricately linked crimes, human emotions, and death, but it's fun to read a character I can sort of relate to.

This is a really good review of what sounds to be an interesting book. I do read English Lit, but usually books with male or trans-male protagonists. I do love mystery and thrillers, so I'll investigate it a little more to see if it worth reading. It is available on Audible for anyone interested, though it is an 11 hour book so be warned to have plenty of time set aside: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-House-of-Stairs-Audiobook/B00BR4CCEK?qid=1633159027&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=WWW2187TRVBT3VJPR1NW

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52914802-the-ghost-of-ellwood Happy Halloween Month of Reviews, this is the first book that I am reviewing for my month-long special reviews of Halloween stories. I'll be doing ghosts, psychics, Vampires, Werewolves, and magic stories/series. I thought it would be poignant if I begin these special reviews with a ghost story, which is equal parts romantic, tragic, and spine-tingling. There’s something about a good ghost story that keeps people wanting more

I think Disney had the right idea back in 1991 by adding Gaston to the story as an original villain. People still remember him as a villain, because of what kind of man he is. I upped the villainy and took ideas from modern issues, he is a 21st century monster. Conceiving Beau and Brad, bonding and nurturing a mutual interest; I wanted to give a gay man's sensibilities on what true love would look like at least from my view. It's easy to find a willing guy to have sex with nowadays, but it's much harder to find a guy who cares about your happiness before his own.

I was hoping the comforting scene between Brad and Beau would be heartwarming, while being true to their circumstances and their histories. I am really glad you liked it so much.

One of the things I learned years ago while researching CBDT, fingerprints can be falsely imprinted on foreign surfaces. I know TV shows have figured the same things out, but it's simple for you to simulate body residue and a lot of college campuses nowadays require full scans of biometrics like fingerprints with limited promises of privacy. Personal information is a modern issue that I have not forgotten from my prior writing. Also, I wrote Gary only held the gun "by the barrel", while Beau's fingerprints are all over the grip and trigger, so Gary is quite evil genius in what he could tell the police. Mrs. Potter taking the gun was a necessity to address any unwanted attention to Beau.

I hope you enjoyed my musical choice: Yes, there's a lot to unpack in this chapter. Warren's story felt right in this chapter, there's so much tension and the fact Gary threatened Beau by making himself the injured party, just like Derek did to Warren triggered him. As a 1st person narrative, the story can't tell you what other characters are thinking or their reasons for acting, but psychological triggering was present. Mrs. Potter's story, I doubt anyone thought I'd open her story up, is one of survival and rising above your circumstances for someone else. I love those kinds of story about mothers, who fight through adversity for others. Motherhood and spousal abuse are old themes, usually not found in gay fiction, but I imagined a vibrant world, where characters like Angela Potter aren't stuck in abusive marriages and help others, including young gay men. With heterosexual female writers celebrating gay male themes, why should a gay male writer not celebrate strong moms. Now as for the last scene, Brad and Beau are coming to terms with their mutual interest with each other. It's a tentative connection right now, but the foundations for love is there. To me, love isn't just sexual experience, though it's part of it. Making each other happy is the root behind everything else. If you are both not in it to make the other person happy, you probably shouldn't be in a relationship.

Thanks Chris

Chapter 8 is now live and here's my thoughts: -First I hope fans enjoy One Directions "What Makes you Beautiful" -New South African Xhosa term Uyakuthanda- He loves you -Mrs. Angela Potter is a side-character just as much as any of the boys in the house. Her past is no less tragic, being an abused spouse who learned to rise above her abuse for her child and becoming a champion for others. I'm happy to explore a strong heterosexual female character -We finally learn what caused Warren's burn scars and his tragic story. It's a tale of hate and rejection, something many cisgender gay can probably relate to even though Warren is a transgender gay male. -Beau is coming off another traumatic encounter with Gary Gaston, but it has made him noticeably depressed about himself and his place at Keller Hall. His mistake at the Cheesecake factory just adds to his fears and guilt. Remember, Beau has deep issues and insecurities. -The portrayal of Brad is an interesting twist. One of the side-effects of taking methadone is memory loss, mood swings, and a much decreased sexual libido. In effect, Brad is almost like a big happy kid after taking the drug. However, despite how innocent his intentions are, he still wants to protect Beau. -The end of the chapter, where Brad is comforting Beau close to him should be considered significant. They don't say "I love you", but what's more important is "I want you to be happy". To me, Disney's Beauty and the Beast most understated concept is that the Beast truly wanted Belle to be happy and it's what touched her heart to eventually allow love to flourish. This concept is the best modern application of the classic story in my view. Sexual attraction isn't what sustain love, your partner wanting to make you happy to me is where love gains its power. -We still have Min Takato and Cook/Dr. Evan Hooker's backstory.

This can’t be happening to me, I’m stuck in a dressing room through the manipulations of Gary Gaston, one of the worst human beings ever to exist. The bastard planned all of this, too. The feeling I had a Ralph Lauren wasn’t sales pressure, it was my innate animal sense of danger, a flight or fight response. I stare appraisingly at Gary Gaston; he is 6 feet 2 inches with a lot of muscles. He has brown hair like me, but he has a crew cut that offers a clean appearance. He’s good looking, bu

@lomax61 Agreed, I don't like discouraging writers, who put in the work and actually craft good stories. I also don't have a problem with Fan-Fiction writers as some people might, it's nice to see new ideas and concept created from preexisting concepts. We all have bad days and make mistakes when we write, there's no fault for being creative and things falling through. L.A Witt is a great author, but I had to give her Husband Gambit a 2.75 out of 5 review, because the story just didn't work for me, there's better stuff out there and she's written better books, which you can compare things to. Still, a 2.75 rating isn't unreadable, it's just a book that didn't work for me as a reader. However, I do have a line in the sand, when an author misrepresents their stories and create character that are counterintuitive to a story arc and plot. For me, a 1-star review is reserved for those authors who craft a bad story with deceptive themes, a 0-star review is a special, kind of the like the last circle of hell in Dante's inferno for histories greatest betrayers. In terms of superb gay fiction, I think there are standout gay male writers. Tal Bauer is really good male gay writer, his Executive Office series is like the gay version of a Tom Clancy's Ryanverse. He also has a really good Duology: Hush/Whisper, thrilling international thriller, courtroom trials with high stakes, and intricate terrorist plots. He's basically GA's CJames, if CJames went into mainstream publishing. I might love romance, but I also appreciate strong gay/bi male characters written with a complex plot and high stakes. Bill Konigsberg and Jay Bell are just as good if not better gay romance writers than many of their female counterparts, they actually have won acclaim for their complex gay romance novel series. You might want to give them a read at some point. Jordan L. Hawk is one of my favorite southern Trans authors of gay fantasy that most people don't even hear about, but I follow his work, too. You don't need to be a cisgender gay male or heterosexual female to write superb stories, a small sub-segment of trans/non-binary authors do exist in gay fiction. If you want a fresh take, give them a try. I'm fine with stories written by heterosexual female writers too, I read KM Neuhold and Ana Byrd for the escapist fantasies, Leta Blake and Keira Andrews for exotic concepts/stories with deep psychological characters, Nora Phoenix for my more extreme interests (I'm debating on whether or not I should post the review for No Shame Series, an in-depth BDSM book series might be too much for most readers), and countless others. -----------

@Mrsgnomieand @lomax61, by the way, I try not to give writers extremely negative reviews on gay fiction books, unless the books clearly deserves it or the author Queerbait the reader, like Emily Skrutskie's Bond of Brass, which earned my only 1 star review so far and I ask for a refund from Amazon. That book left me unsatisfied, angry I wasted my time, and not happy with the author, who shows she can write heterosexual characters but is so confused and restrained with writing her main gay/bi protagonists.