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Angels of Mercy #0.51
Diary of a Quarterback - Part I: King of Imperfections
Born in America but reared in their father’s home of Torino, Italy, Marco Sforza has led a fairly idyllic life. The Sforzas are an ancient and powerful family with a strong ducal past. They run a vast global empire that allows Marco to enter halls of power that most men only dream of. Yet, Marco is a boy who lives in a bubble of his family’s making.
When Marco returns to America to attend high school he grooms himself to become a rising star quarterback of the Mercy High Avenging Angels. He thinks his focus is his burgeoning football career. He is all to aware he is a boy made of pure light that is meant to be seen and noticed. He is comfortable there. Until he meets a boy who shines brighter than him. Elliot Donahey is that boy. But Elliot is a boy who craves shadow and darkness to keep himself safe through another hellish day of high school.
Before he realizes it, Marco’s world becomes undone by this boy. Trapped in a script all jocks are meant to follow, Marco does his best to fit in and play along so he can play the game he loves, but this boy who hides in the shadows begins to consume his every thought and emotion.
Despite the script he’s been given to date girls, have sex, and hang with his teammates and follow along, Marco finds himself on an emotional pendulum where following that jock script only brings him further away from that world to circle the boy hiding in the shadows. Can Marco find it within himself to push against what others expect of him to find his way into Elliot’s arms? Even with all the fame, money and prestige his family brings to the table, will it be enough to gain the interest of a boy who only wants to hide from everyone?
When Marco returns to America to attend high school he grooms himself to become a rising star quarterback of the Mercy High Avenging Angels. He thinks his focus is his burgeoning football career. He is all to aware he is a boy made of pure light that is meant to be seen and noticed. He is comfortable there. Until he meets a boy who shines brighter than him. Elliot Donahey is that boy. But Elliot is a boy who craves shadow and darkness to keep himself safe through another hellish day of high school.
Before he realizes it, Marco’s world becomes undone by this boy. Trapped in a script all jocks are meant to follow, Marco does his best to fit in and play along so he can play the game he loves, but this boy who hides in the shadows begins to consume his every thought and emotion.
Despite the script he’s been given to date girls, have sex, and hang with his teammates and follow along, Marco finds himself on an emotional pendulum where following that jock script only brings him further away from that world to circle the boy hiding in the shadows. Can Marco find it within himself to push against what others expect of him to find his way into Elliot’s arms? Even with all the fame, money and prestige his family brings to the table, will it be enough to gain the interest of a boy who only wants to hide from everyone?
590 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2017
6 people want to read
About the author
S.A. Collins
11 books55 followersAs a co-host of the WROTE Podcast, SA Collins hails from the San Francisco Bay Area where he lives with his (legal) husband, their daughter and, wonder of all wonders because he only just broke 50, a whirlwind of a granddaughter. Their home is filled with laughter and love. A classically trained singer, and a theater actor for many years (under another name), Mr. Collins is all about the story telling and the spell a good yarn can weave for an audience. This is Mr. Collins foray into writing but, as with all his creative endeavors, he leaps right in and figures it out as he goes along. It's been a winning combination thus far so why break a working formula?
http://wrotepodcast.com
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w. | www.sacollins.com
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http://wrotepodcast.com
http://violetquillredux.com
http://sacollins.com
He can be reached -
e. | [email protected]
w. | www.sacollins.com
t. | @sacollinsauthor
g. | google.com/+sacollins
kik | sacollinsauthor
fb. | facebook.com/authorsacollins
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 11, 2018
This is a wonderfully written story told completely from the point of view of Marco Sforza. Marco outwardly has it all together. He has the looks, the popularity, the wealthy family, the great body, etc. The two things he doesn’t hare are the two thing he desires most; to be himself and be with the boy he loves (or thinks he loves). What makes this story work for me is how flawed emotionally Marco is. The guy is, as the title suggests, a King of Imperfections and if I may take it one step farther, he’s a total Drama Queen and I like that.
Even though this is a rather long read, the pacing moves us along, and I enjoyed getting to know the people in Marco’s life. Despite what Marco thinks of her, I love his mother, she’s an amazing character and in my opinion completely misunderstood.
Anyway, this is worth the read, just make sure you have the time and are in the mood to be deep in the characters head.
Even though this is a rather long read, the pacing moves us along, and I enjoyed getting to know the people in Marco’s life. Despite what Marco thinks of her, I love his mother, she’s an amazing character and in my opinion completely misunderstood.
Anyway, this is worth the read, just make sure you have the time and are in the mood to be deep in the characters head.
July 3, 2017
4.5 stars
April 26, 2017
Told from Angels of Mercy's Marco Sforza POV, King of Imperfections is the first of a two-part prequel to the main Angels of Mercy series by SA Collins.
This is the first book I read in the series and I have to say I am hooked!
We meet a sixteen year old Marco Sforza right after a life changing event forces him, his twin brother and cousin to move from Torino, Italy (where they were raised by their paternal grandmother) to Mercy, California (where he will live with his parents that weren't too involved in his upbringing). Even though he comes from a powerful family and has to follow certain lines imposed by the family, Marco isn't your typical quarterback jock. He is a boy with a big heart and a warm soul, but goes through some fairly difficult moments in his teenage life.
On the first day at his new high-school, Marco meets a boy who, for him, shines brighter than anything else. Elliot is a boy who craves shadow and darkness to keep himself safe. Before he realizes it, Marco’s world becomes undone by this boy and finds himself on an emotional pendulum between the life everyone thinks he should have and the life he wants and craves.
King of Imperfections deals both with the struggles to be a teenager that has to discover himself and with the topic of homophobia in competitive sports in high school.
I felt that some parts and the end seemed a bit rushed (though "rushed" isn't quite the right term, the book being 252,051 words/~685 pages and all), like some characters seemed to open themselves to Marco too fast to be true, or maybe I was so lost in the story that I didn't notice this pace :).
What I loved about this book was that I found myself transposed in the story and Marco's thoughts, like I was right there next to Marco all through the book, shouting at him when he did things that seemed to childish for me (until I realized he is still a teenager, even though he is very mature for his age) and cheering him with pompoms and all.
How can Marco find his way to Elliot's heart?
This is the first book I read in the series and I have to say I am hooked!
We meet a sixteen year old Marco Sforza right after a life changing event forces him, his twin brother and cousin to move from Torino, Italy (where they were raised by their paternal grandmother) to Mercy, California (where he will live with his parents that weren't too involved in his upbringing). Even though he comes from a powerful family and has to follow certain lines imposed by the family, Marco isn't your typical quarterback jock. He is a boy with a big heart and a warm soul, but goes through some fairly difficult moments in his teenage life.
On the first day at his new high-school, Marco meets a boy who, for him, shines brighter than anything else. Elliot is a boy who craves shadow and darkness to keep himself safe. Before he realizes it, Marco’s world becomes undone by this boy and finds himself on an emotional pendulum between the life everyone thinks he should have and the life he wants and craves.
King of Imperfections deals both with the struggles to be a teenager that has to discover himself and with the topic of homophobia in competitive sports in high school.
I felt that some parts and the end seemed a bit rushed (though "rushed" isn't quite the right term, the book being 252,051 words/~685 pages and all), like some characters seemed to open themselves to Marco too fast to be true, or maybe I was so lost in the story that I didn't notice this pace :).
What I loved about this book was that I found myself transposed in the story and Marco's thoughts, like I was right there next to Marco all through the book, shouting at him when he did things that seemed to childish for me (until I realized he is still a teenager, even though he is very mature for his age) and cheering him with pompoms and all.
How can Marco find his way to Elliot's heart?
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews