Rick R. Reed's Blog, page 28

Today marks the re-release of my friends-to-lovers, reality-show love story, HUSBAND HUNTERS. Hope you'll check it out and pick up a copy! The book has been re-edited and has a spiffy new cover, shown above.
I got inspiration for this story from the strangest place: HGTV's House Hunters TV show.
I asked the 'what if?' question so many writers ask when starting a new tale. This time it was, "What if House Hunters replaced houses with men?" OnTopDownUnder Reviews called Husband Hunters:"The ultimate friends-to-lovers story..."
BLURBYou never know where the love of your life might turn up. 



When Matt Connelly suggests to his best buddy Cody Mook that they head to downtown Seattle to audition for the gay reality TV showHusband Hunters, both agree the experience might be a lark and a chance to grab their fifteen minutes of fame. What they don't know is that the show, modeled after HGTV's House Hunters, will open doors of longing neither expected. For Matt, the secret love he has long harbored for Cody might be thrust into the spotlight. Cody might realize his search for his perfect-forever-man extends no farther than the man who's always been at his side. 


Husband Hunters promises laughter, tears, and, just maybe, a happy ever after. Will Cody and Matt's story be one of best-friends-to-lovers—or an outright disaster?

EXCERPT“COUCH CRITIC” TV Weekly MagazineBy Amory Columbus

This week’s review takes a look at the latest entry in the reality television craze: Husband Hunters. For better or worse, reality TV and shows like this one have become a mainstay of twenty-first century entertainment delivered via the tube. Do TVs even have tubes anymore? I digress….
Husband Hunters is based on a simple premise, shamelessly modeled after another life-decision show: HGTV’s House Hunters. As we all know, that show takes us into the life of someone hunting for the perfect home. We get to stomp around with the potential buyer, testing the water pressure, checking out the backyard, searching for cracks in the ceiling. It’s all great fun and gives us a beginning, middle, and end, and leads up to a happy ending where we get to see the contented homeowner or owners all settled in their new nest, where they will live in residential bliss for many years to come.
Like House Hunters, Husband Hunters does much the same thing, focusing on someone who wants to find that perfect situation where one can be happy for the rest of one’s life—or at least the immediate future. But this show takes an even more modern twist, because it is about gay men looking for husbands. Along with the blossoming of reality television, the twenty-first century has also witnessed the blossoming of marriage equality, so that the premise for Husband Hunters is not only compelling but entirely possible—and legal.
Husband Hunters does not stray far from the show it’s modeled after in its basic premise. We have a gay man looking to get hitched and follow him as he spends three separate weekends with three potential suitors. We are privy to the conversation (easy or stilted), the gazes (soulful, embarrassed, or barely concealed boredom), the dinners, the breakfasts, and the activities the producers planned, designed to help the couples get to know one another. In recent episodes we have seen everything from a kayaking adventure on Kauai’s Wailua River to antiquing in St. Charles, Illinois, to attending the famous Sundance Film Festival. We are not privy to what goes on overnight between the “contestants.”
At the end of the three weekends, our single gay hero chooses one man to go on and… marry! Yes, darling, you heard me right. This ain’t your father’s Dating Game. In a fast-forward to a few weeks or a few months later, we get to be witnesses at a ceremony wherein the couple says their “I do’s.”
Cynical side note: one thing that not many folks know is that the network pays for the divorce if the couple decides to split up within one year. But that’s not something they talk about—it would be like focusing on a skid mark in a Fruit of the Loom ad. Yuck!
Anyway, your Couch Critic is here to answer the question: does this show make for good television? Like the show it’s modeled after, Husband Hunters offers us a complete story with a beginning, middle, and an end. You can’t help but get invested in our lovelorn single guy out to find the man of his dreams. Will he choose the hot but buttoned-down CPA from Santa Monica? Or will he go with the penniless but talented and oh-so-quirky tattoo artist from the Castro? Maybe the ginger bear with the amazing sense of humor will bring him his happily-ever-after. It’s fun to play armchair matchmaker.
But is it ethical? The Couch Critic has to wonder. I presume these guys actually spend more time together beyond the weekend portrayed on the show, just like the House Hunters in that other show must spend time looking at more than simply three options. But it rankles the romantic in me to see such a major life decision become must-watch TV. Can love be parsed into three six- or seven-minute segments?
Oh, what the hell! The romantic in me adores buying into the idea that love can and does happen surrounded by slick production values and ads for Kiehls, Subaru, and the Atlantis Cruise line.
If you can accept the premise and the ethics of a show that creates love and marriage assembly line style like I do, you too may be charmed by Husband Hunters. And you too, like me, may just find yourself more often than not grinning like an idiot or wiping a tear away as you watch the latest installment.
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When I go back and re-read portions of Blink, my memoirish (I admit it!) gay love story, it takes me down memory lane—and back to my twenties. 

Youth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be! I was 23 years old in 1981, when the first part of the book takes place and I was big in denial of my gay self. So big, in fact, that I was engaged to be married to my (female) college sweetheart. A large part of the first section of the book deals with two young men being attracted to one another on one of Chicago’s L trains.

Both of them had issues. The character modeled after me, Andy, had more issues that Carlos, the character Andy lusts after, to his great shame. But even Carlos, out at the time, but still not so proud, struggles a bit with his sexuality, which is evident from this little taste from Blink, taken from Chapter 2 and written from Carlos’ point of view.

EXCERPT
The guy obviously has a thing for me. I’ve caught him staring now a couple of times and, hey, I’m flattered. He’s cute. No, maybe that’s not a strong enough word. He’s handsome, with green eyes and dark wavy hair that clues me into some sort of Mediterranean heritage. Italian maybe? Greek?

Whatever. Maybe the word I’m looking for is hot.

I can imagine kissing him and the feel of his dark, bushy mustache against mine.

I don’t ride the train to meet men. I don’t do much to meet men, period, to be perfectly honest. I ride the train in the mornings simply to get to St. Philomena elementary school on the west side, where I teach fourth grade.

I’m okay with being gay. I wasn’t always, hence my stint in the seminary where I studied to be a priest. I learned pretty quickly, by the grace of god, and the hands and mouth of a fellow seminarian, that the priesthood was not work I was cut out for. Not if I wanted to live my life honestly, anyway.

So I left. I had already gotten my teaching degree, concurrent with my seminarian studies, so the job at St. Phil’s, low-paying as it was, was a natural fit.

But I digress. I’m trying to sort out my feelings for this sweetheart on the train. I know he’s gay too. I know he’s attracted. But I also know that nothing will ever come of it.

Why? Because I can see that, when our eyes meet, he’s filled with shame and guilt. I recognize his remorse because I cloaked myself in that dark, heavy fabric myself for many years.

And maybe still do, a little, to this day. The Church teaches us that same-sex feelings are to be avoided. They are not of our natural order. We should turn our sights away from our own sex and devote them instead to loving and pleasing the Lord.

Yeah, good luck with that.

The Lord created that cute guy that gives me the eye on the train, the one I feel this probably misplaced connection with. What is it about him that makes me think of him all the time? Why do I hope he’ll be in my train car every time I step on to it in the morning, even though most times he’s not? Why do I try and quickly scan the windows of the train as it rumbles into the station for a glimpse of him?

Is it just because he’s cute?

There are cute men, hunks, whatever, all around. I occasionally venture out to the intersection of Grand Avenue and Clark to the New Flight bar for happy hour and bring one of them home. Or I head up farther north to the Loading Zone on Oak, where I can watch free porn in the back or dance up front. Somebody usually brings me home.

I never make any lasting connections. I don’t even know if want to. Shame lingers on me like the scent of cigarette smoke after leaving those places.

But there’s something about the guy on the train. He tugs at my heart as well as my loins. Even from the brief glances we exchange, he makes me think there’s the possibility of more than just sex. He makes me think, for the first time in my young life, that maybe I could love another man.

And that terrifies me.

Read more of Blink to see where this flirtation on the train takes these two—does it take them to love? And how long does it take for them to get there?

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BLURB
Life can change in the blink of an eye. That's a truth Andy Slater learns as a young man in 1982, taking the Chicago 'L' to work every morning. Andy's life is laid out before him: a good job, marriage to his female college sweetheart, and the white picket fence existence he believes in. But when he sees Carlos Castillo for the first time, Carlos’s dark eyes and Latin appeal mesmerize him. Fate continues to throw them together until the two finally agree to meet up. At Andy’s apartment, the pent-up passion of both young men is ignited, but is snuffed out by an inopportune and poorly-timed phone call.

Flash forward to present day. Andy is alone, having married, divorced, and become the father of a gay son. He’s comfortable but alone and has never forgotten the powerful pull of Carlos’s gaze on the 'L' train. He vows to find him once more, hoping for a second chance. If life can change in the blink of an eye, what will the passage of thirty years do? To find out, Andy begins a search that might lead to heartache and disappointment or a love that will last forever….

Hello everyone. Ann Marie James here. First, I want to thank Rick R. Reed for letting me do my first ever blog post on his blog. I appreciate the belief in me and the show of support.

I had a (very) short story, "The Cake," published in an anthology for another publisher a few years ago. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I had to put my writing on the back burner for a bit. I now have my first ever novel, Chasing the Dream, coming out with Pride Publishing on October 22, 2019, set in the same world. (Chasing the Dream is currently available at Pride Publishing as well as other retailers). 

The (very) short story, "The Cake" is being offered as a free read with Pride Publishing and is available now.  In it we are introduced to Kirk, the owner of the garage, Everyone’s Mechanic, the series title. It’s not necessary to read it before reading Chasing the Dream, but hey, it’s free. Free is always good!

I grew up in the Binghamton, NY area, but have lived in Kentucky, Germany and North Carolina. Chasing the Dream is set in Raleigh, NC, where I lived for twenty plus years. 

CONTEST
The main characters have a conversation in the book about where have they been and where have they always wanted to visit in the world. For a chance to win a copy of Chasing the Dream , please comment below as to what your answer to that question would be and why.

Winning answer will be picked by October 28, so comment soon!

BLURB 
When Lee meets his fantasy man, his shy nature makes him want to run. But what will he do when his dream guy won’t let him?

Saul Valencia. Tall? Check. Muscles? Check. Everything Lee Clark ever dreamed of in a man? Check. Bad case of nerves and feeling like an idiot whenever he’s around? Sigh. Check.

Being kicked out of the family home for being gay would have been bad enough, but Lee Clark also worked in his dad’s garage. Losing his family, his home and his job all in the same day left him floundering. He can’t believe his luck might be changing when he finds a job at Everyone’s Mechanic, another garage, where he’s accepted for who he is.

Then Saul, a former linebacker for the NFL Raleigh Raptors and a friend of Lee’s boss, walks into his life. The man is the embodiment of all his teenage fantasies, but Lee doesn’t dare hope Saul will ever actually notice him.

Intrigued from the start by the shy man now working for his business partner’s boyfriend, Saul struggles through bad advice and misunderstandings to convince Lee that he’s serious about wanting a chance with him. Getting Lee to give him a shot at romance was difficult enough, but when drama and blackmail from outside sources are added in, the relationship becomes almost impossible.
It will take the combined efforts of Lee’s garage family and Saul’s real one to set things right.

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence and homophobia.
General Release Date: 22nd October 2019 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
To be clear Ann Marie James is not my real name, but it does have meaning for me. It is a combination of my middle name, my niece’s middle name and my son’s middle name. Everyone has their reasons for picking or not picking a pseudonym, I just wanted the freedom to take risks and spread my wings through my own creation, not as so and so’s daughter or so and so’s mother etc. I am a divorced mother of one twenty-something year-old son.

BLURB
You never know where the love of your life might turn up.

When Matt Connelly suggests to his best buddy Cody Mook that they head to downtown Seattle to audition for the gay reality TV show Husband Hunters, both agree the experience might be a lark and a chance to grab their fifteen minutes of fame. What they don't know is that the show, modeled after HGTV's House Hunters , will open doors of longing neither expected. For Matt, the secret love he has long harbored for Cody might be thrust into the spotlight. Cody might realize his search for his perfect-forever-man extends no farther than the man who's always been at his side.

Husband Hunters promises laughter, tears, and, just maybe, a happy ever after. Will Cody and Matt's story be one of best-friends-to-lovers—or an outright disaster?

EXCERPT
Cody couldn’t believe the man sitting across the small bar-height table from him was actually his date. Sure, Cody was a good-looking guy, but this guy, man, this guy was so out of his league that Cody didn’t even feel a twinge of shame in thinking it. This god belonged with some pro athlete or a model or movie star. He was that hot.

And that familiar.

When Cody was introduced to Diesel Hunter, he remembered him right away from the auditions. Diesel was probably the man he had admired the most that day that now seemed so long ago. He was the one who looked like the actor Jesse Williams from Grey’s Anatomy. Cody, almost breathless from Diesel’s good looks, thought the actor was more of a pale imitation of this guy than the other way around. Jesse Williams, one might say, was actually a poor man’s Diesel Hunter.

Even his name was sexy! It sounded like a porn star.

Cody could not believe his good fortune as he hopped up on the chair opposite Diesel. “Hi,” he said shyly.

Diesel was warm, though, reaching across the table to grab his hand, squeeze it, and hold it tightly for longer than the usual handshake. While they shook hands, Cody peered into Diesel’s eyes. They were so pale, standing out in contrast to his caramel-colored skin. They looked even more remarkable since Diesel had shaved his head since Cody had last seen him. The lack of hair made his eyes somehow stand out even more, which Cody wouldn’t have believed possible. What color were those eyes? Gray? Blue? They fell somewhere in between. They were like icy water. They were cold and mesmerizing all at once.

“Excuse me for staring.” Cody pulled his hand away reluctantly, forgetting the cameras all around, the boom microphone over his head, the extra lighting the crew had brought in. “But your eyes.”

Diesel smiled. “I know. They’re weird. Spooky.”

“Not at all! They’re gorgeous.”

Cody could see a blush rise to Diesel’s cheeks even under his dark complexion. He’s modest too? Should I just propose now? Cody grinned.

Diesel waved his hand to brush the compliment away. “Some people think they’re too intense.”

Diesel cast his gaze around the room, and Cody realized the guy was nervous. Of course he was. Cody was fawning over him like a little schoolgirl over a puppy. But he wanted to fuck this puppy, so bad. For the first time since he was maybe thirteen, he had a champion boner that he doubted would go down anytime soon. He shook his head and laughed out loud.

“What?” Diesel asked.

“Just a funny thought.”

“Not gonna share?” Diesel stuck out a pouting lower lip fetchingly.

“Not right now.” A change of subject was definitely in order. With a trembling hand, Cody snatched up the menu before him. “What looks good?” He began furiously scanning the type, which suddenly seemed to be hieroglyphics. He hoped his shaking hand was not visible in the camera’s lens.

“Cut! Cut! Cut!” Martha’s gravelly voice sounded from behind the lights. She appeared suddenly at Cody’s side, smelling of Chanel N° 5 and, already, vodka. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What?” Cody asked.

“You’re acting like a nutcase. All jittery.” She looked off to her left. “Someone get this boy a drink. Bring him one of those Moscow Mules. The copper mug will look good on camera.”

Immediately, a frosted copper mug was set before him by the waiter. He was an adorable boy, something of a twink, with a shock of black hair that fell over one eye, Cupid’s bow lips, and a tall, lanky frame. Cody wondered if he was hired for the shoot for set decoration or if he actually worked at the restaurant.

“What’s in it?” he asked the waiter, looking up into his dark eyes. He noticed the boy wore a little mascara.

“Vodka, lime, and ginger beer.”

Cody took a sip. It was delicious, making him think of diving into a cool lake on a hot summer’s day.

“Drink up,” Martha commanded. “Bring him another.”

“But—” Cody said.

“Down it,” Martha said.

And Cody did.

The waiter brought him another one. Cody looked up at Martha. “Can I go slower on this one?”
“Sure.” She walked away, muttering what sounded like, “Lightweight.”

Cody, relaxed a bit by the vodka coursing through him—it was, after all, early morning, and he was, after all, a lightweight—turned back to Diesel, who wore a smirk on his perfectly chiseled face.

“Oh come on!” Cody cried. “You can’t blame me for being nervous. Aren’t you scared?”

Martha called from the sidelines, “Guys, let’s not talk about the show, okay? You’re on a date. People generally don’t discuss stage fright on a date.”

Cody thought this was going to be harder than than he’d anticpated. This would be the first time he had ever been on a date with a camera crew recording his every move.

He drew in a deep breath and tried to center himself. He smiled. Diesel smiled back. “So, Diesel, what’s your story?”

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Today, I'm grateful for the decade I spent as a Dreamspinner Press author.

Yesterday was bittersweet, as the 20 titles I requested the rights back for were returned to me. Signing that contract felt like signing divorce papers.

During the time we were together, Dreamspinner was a tireless advocate of my work, shepherding not only traditional publishing routes of digital and paperback books, but also getting my work translated and sold in Spanish, Italian, French, and German. They produced many audiobooks of my work. They got my work reviewed in places like Entertainment Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Publisher's Weekly.

But...nothing in life lasts forever. It's saddening to see us come to the end of the road like this (details: https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2019/09/authors-concern-grows-over-late-royalty.html). I hope, more than anything, that Dreamspinner can right their ship.

In the coming months, you will see many of my books disappear from sales outlets. Rest assured, everything is in place to bring them back to new and exciting life. All of the books should be back for sale at the usual outlets by early-to-mid 2020.

And, I'm grateful to you, my readers, who conspire with me to bring my stories to life. I promise to continue to write with the purpose of engaging you, entertaining you, and touching your heart.

It's release day and I'm grateful that my 37th novel is now out. Hope you'll give it a read!

Gay Book Reviews says, " The Secrets We Keep is deep and light at the same time. We become emotionally attached to Jazz, Lacy and Rob – as well as their friends and family. We get full servings of mystery, passion and angst."

★★★★THE SECRETS WE KEEP★★★★
Jasper Warren is a happy-go-lucky young man in spite of the tragedy that’s marred his life. He’s on a road to nowhere with his roommate, Lacy, whom he adores, and a dead-end retail job in Chicago.

And then everything changes in a single night. Though Jasper doesn’t know it, his road is going somewhere after all. This time when tragedy strikes, it brings with it Lacy’s older, wealthy, sexy uncle Rob. Despite the heart-wrenching circumstances, an immediate connection forms between the two men.

But the secrets between them test their attraction. Will their revelations destroy the bloom of new love... or encourage it to grow?

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(Also available at Dreamspinner Press, B & N, Apple, Kobo, and other booksellers)

I wasn't going to say anything about the situation I find myself in with my publisher, Dreamspinner Press, but felt the need to clarify my position because things are getting divisive and emotional regarding the problems Dreamspinner is currently experiencing, especially on social media.

Just so my readers know, I've requested back rights to most of my books.

That reversion of rights is in process. I already have plans in place for all of the books. They may disappear from the market for a bit, but each title will return in a relatively short period of time.

If you want to know what's been going on with Dreamspinner, author Rj Scott gives an excellent summary of events here.

There is NO blaming from me toward other authors (no matter what your decision is regarding whether to stay with Dreamspinner--I support you in making the best career decision for YOU) and certainly not toward readers.

This is a heartbreaking situation. The one thing I tell myself: none of this is my fault . I was a faithful, loyal author with them for almost a decade and planned on continuing to be the same for many more years and books. I say that only to remind you, whoever you are, that you are NOT to blame for the current crisis, no matter what you might hear.

It's not out officially until 9/17, but my next novel, THE SECRETS WE KEEP, just got its first review (a rave and a recommended read!) from Gay Book Reviews .

"This is a wonderful book! That’s what Mr Reed usually gives us readers. But this review is a bitch to write.

First, to the extent that The Secrets We Keep is heavily character driven, and dependent on a fine limning of each of the leads, telling too much about them here risks diminishing the readers’ (hopefully) pleasurable experience in discovering all about them at the author’s fine hand. Next, as there is much about Secrets We Keep which falls into the noir genre, this reviewer should be stingy in the over-exposure of plot facts.

So, where does that leave us? We have a story heavily reliant on the timed revelation of the main characters’ difficult backgrounds. As a prolific author, Mr Reed excels in this technique, often using a person’s internal thoughts in clever and enlightening contrast to the spoken dialog. Ex. “Rob looked up . . . he shouted ‘Can I come up?’ Jasper sighed. He wanted to shout back down, ‘What for? Everything that needs to be said has already been said.’ But you know that is rarely the case. So he called, ‘I’ll buzz you in.’”

In the Prologue, Mr Reed inventively opens with a coup de foudre – a sudden and unexpected event. And then he proceeds, ignoring its weight, until he needs to return and rationalize it. After this opening, we meed Jasper (“Jazz”), a 25-year-old man disconnected to any particular life path – his “career” is re-folding clothes in a department store. Occasionally he cruises the local gay bars, and (stereo typically) Jazz knows all the words to Send in the Clowns! And even though he has been “in love” more times than he could count, he was lacking confidence and seemingly is lost in the world’s shuffle. He rooms with very supportive Lacy, who, a little older than Jasper, is totally Goth in her style. She, too, seems a disconnected soul, merely floating through existence. While Jazz and Lacy don’t seem the rich fodder for literary enchantment, Mr Reed shows us better.

Just when this plot’s forward movement might otherwise dead-end into a wall at high speed – changes are at hand (or, as my Jewish grandma might say, “more with the coup de foudre?” which also can refer to love or attraction at first sight). We now meet Rob, Lacy’s uncle – a middle-aged, gay, silver fox, and a best-selling novelist. Jazz is lit up by both Rob’s talent and his physicality. For Jazz, this time may be difference, and they exercise patience – as they (and we) get to know each other better. “He discovered he enjoyed getting to know a man’s heart and brain before what his dick felt like inside of him.”

That’s enough of plot and character. The Secrets We Keep is deep and light at the same time. We become emotionally attached to Jazz, Lacy and Rob – as well as their friends and family. We get full servings of mystery, passion and angst. And, saluting reality, even in a sad saga, Mr Reed remembers to throw in sufficient humor: “The dog eyes him with what Jasper thought was disdain. Even a Yorkshire terrier found him out of place.”

You won’t be disappointed to read this fine story."

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BLURB
Jasper Warren is a happy-go-lucky young man in spite of the tragedy that’s marred his life. He’s on a road to nowhere with his roommate, Lacy, whom he adores, and a dead-end retail job in Chicago.

And then everything changes in a single night. Though Jasper doesn’t know it, his road is going somewhere after all. This time when tragedy strikes, it brings with it Lacy’s older, wealthy, sexy uncle Rob. Despite the heart-wrenching circumstances, an immediate connection forms between the two men.

But the secrets between them test their attraction. Will their revelations destroy the bloom of new love... or encourage it to grow?

Someone asked me recently not what my favorite cover out of all my books was, but who was my favorite cover model. She said, “You know, which one would you want to be with, if you could?” Of course, this friend knew my happily-married state and hastened to add, “If you weren’t already taken, of course.”
And I didn’t have to think long. The guy on the cover of Raining Men is, of course, super hot, but the first one I thought of us was Ollie on the cover of Dinner at Home . He’s the smiling guy in the forefront and there’s something about him, to me, that just seems so genuine and warm that I think, if he were real and I were in the market, he’d be someone I’d really go for. Cover artist Reese Dante and I went through looking at lots of male model images when we were trying to decide who would best represent my star-crossed foodie lovers, Ollie and Hank (tough work but someone’s got to do it), but when I saw Ollie, I immediately knew, that’s him. I also knew, in my heart, he was someone who could float my boat. See, the fact that he could cook, was kind, and had a little extra meat on his bones were all qualities I would ascribe to my perfect man.
Don’t you think he’s gorgeous?
And who are your favorite cover models? I’d love to know, so leave a comment below and let’s talk about it.
BLURBIt only takes a few days for Ollie D'Angelo to lose his boyfriend, his job, and his home. Instead of mourning what he doesn’t have, Ollie celebrates what he does: the freedom to pursue his real passion—cooking. He begins Dinner at Home, a home-catering business, and it takes off.
Late one night, Ollie catches Hank Mellinger, a streetwise hood down on his luck, about to rob his car. Ollie soon discovers that appearances aren’t necessarily what they seem. Hank isn’t a criminal caught red-handed, but a hungry young man trying to make a life for himself and the four-year-old niece he’s trying desperately to take care of.
Instead of calling the cops, Ollie offers Hank a job and a way to pull himself up by his bootstraps. Together, they discover they can really cook... and that their shared passion for food just might lead to a passion for each other.
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Thomas Kearnes' debut collection, Texas Crude , chronicles the erotic, heartbreaking and sometimes outlandish lives of queer men in the Lone Star State. These sixteen stories tackle subjects most queer authors consider taboo: sex work, AIDS, the PNP scene, addiction, religion, violence. But Kearnes isn't here to pass judgement or offer easy answers. His balanced, dispassionate portraits of male/male intimacy in the reddest of red states has won him consistent acclaim since his career began in 2004. His publishing history includes appearances in queer venues as old-school as Blithe House Quarterly and Gertrude to rookie outlets like Screen Door Review and MoonPark Review. He's also placed queer fiction in respected "mainstream" venues like Gulf Coast, Berkeley Fiction Review, BULL: Men's Fiction, PANK and dozens more. With 125 published stories to his credit, Kearnes has slowly, steadily transformed into a veteran voice of queer short fiction.

REVIEWS
Amanda Krupman's review for Gertrude Press

"Jacket copy phrases like 'sordid passions,' 'alcohol and drugs,' and 'harsh landscape of scrub brush' accurately highlight some of the main themes running through Kearnes’s stories. But there’s more here—much more. Texas Crude fronts like its most valuable assets are smut and camp but, much like its characters, will reveal its full, complex humanity to you in good time."

Derek Berry's review in Free State Review
Texas Crude is a solid debut that displays not only Kearnes’ nimble prose and capable storytelling, but also a deep-felt humanity. This author eschews common gay fiction clichés for an exploration of the real.

EXCERPT

I WILL FORGET THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE

Tweak makes you ambitious. You fire off paragraph-length texts to friends you haven’t seen in months. You have marathon chats online with guys you’d love to fuck but know will flake. You disclose your extensive sexual history to men whose first names elude you. Our host Adam is higher than all the saints, has been for three days. This explains why some skinny dude stands before us, slipping off his Peanuts T-shirt with an enthusiasm that saddens me like last call on a Saturday night.

My boyfriend Curtis lies at the bottom of the mattress. He lifts his gaze, coolly appraising our unexpected guest’s likely skill on all fours. Curtis wears only a sheer pair of briefs. Its gray hue flatters his toned, tan thighs and taut abdomen. I know it’s crass, but it turns me on when Curtis flaunts his physique. It proves I’m clever. It proves I’ve earned the envy of other men. Now shirtless, the guest frankly surveys my boyfriend. He lightly rubs the bridge of his foot along Curtis’s calf. You have a great body, he says. Curtis chuckles but doesn’t thank him.

I ask the stranger his name. Thomas, he says. Like the tank engine. He laughs at his joke, my first clue he made one. He must be a smart guy or some shit. Curtis asks what’s so funny. Thomas’s smile falters. He stammers about the children’s character he had in mind. I’ve never heard of the fucker. Children disturb me. Curtis laughs, but I don’t hear joy. He asks if anyone ever laughs at that joke. Thomas mumbles and absently rubs his petite, hairy chest. I can’t make out what he says and don’t know if Curtis did. We don’t speak again until Adam returns.

Our host carries a loaded pipe. He never shows anyone where he hides his tweak. House rule. I’ve partied with him two or three times, but never questioned this. His paranoia doesn’t curb his generosity. As long as the dope keeps coming, I don’t give a fuck about its source. On the way home from our first encounter with Adam, Curtis spent the whole ride speculating where he hid his goods. He vowed to suck Adam’s dick so hard and long, the bastard would spill. I watched Curtis do just that at our next gathering, but Adam opened his mouth only to moan, nothing more. Adam asks Thomas if he’s high and learns he gorged on Adderall last night. I’m surprised this fucker could be high on a drug I’ve never tried. It’s a stimulant medication for ADHD, Thomas explains. Way more powerful than meth. I want to ask if he has any left, but that might lead to more talk. I might have to suck him to keep the peace, but I won’t start before I must.

BUY