I have created a new page here on my website where I’ll be posting some free reads, starting with some of my out-of-print stories. The first one is up now. It’s called “My Boyfriend Has a Scar,” and it was originally published by Torquere Press in 2011 as a charitable donation to the It Gets Better Project.
Here’s the blub:
A gay teen’s worst nightmare — to be caught in the act. Gage snaps under his conservative father’s fury and bolts. He flees school, the family farm, and his shy, quiet boyfriend, Kyle.
Ten years later, a violent thunderstorm brings the two together again. Can weathering the storm mend the damage?
I was really pleased with this story, and it got some lovely reviews and raised money for a good cause. I’ve always enjoyed writing about thunderstorms, and this one is truly a character in the story. So is the brook, which is based on the one that crosses the dead end, dirt road where I live. A few years ago, after I wrote this story, we had a really bad flood that completely washed out the culverts. I was trapped at home for three days without my family, except the furry members, while the town put in a temporary bridge. Now there is a permanent bridge that is much better than the culverts were, and the old floods are a thing of the past. Let this story hold their memory! It can also serve as a testimony as to why an improvement was needed. (Side note: being trapped wasn’t all that bad. I had plenty of food, electricity, a good excuse not to go to my day job, peace and quiet, and lots of writing time. But I was really glad when my family could get home. It was funny—all they wanted were clean clothes and their own beds. I wanted to go out for dinner!)
Enjoy the story. I’d love to hear what you think.
In other news: my new YA novel, Owl, which is being published by Harmony Ink Press, has just passed through the second round of edits, and I can’t say enough about how much I LOVE this book. More information including the cover reveal (it’s soooo cool!) and the book trailer made from all my own photos will be coming soon.
Thanks for reading!
M. Raiya