How does a gay author reach a general audience? (No, really. How?)

My friends ignore me. Can't say that I blame them. I write books that they think nobody wants to read. And maybe they're right. Who wants to read about living in a world meant for other people? Are my friends right?

To tell you the truth, most of my friends haven't read my stuff. Only a few have ventured in. Three, to be precise. And of the three, they all like what they have read and encourage me to keep writing. My other friends continue to ignore me. Not a word is spoken about my books.

Why am I telling you this? Because, with so many books out there, it is a daunting task to find an audience for mine. Even among my friends. I need to stand out somehow just to get readers to see that I have actually written books. And that's where you come in.

I know. "You're gay. I'm not sure that I could be interested in or connect with what you write," you say. 

And to that I say, "It doesn't matter. My books are available to everyone." 

They surprise and reach beyond personal boundaries, gay or not gay, make their way inside, become a part of you if you let them. Especially if you feel incomplete, for whatever reason, with the place you happen to be in. That's what I have been told, anyway. But don't take my word for it. Listen to what my readers have to say:

"I dearly love to be knocked out of my expectations!"

"This is a beautiful book. It’s a clarion call to change the present, which you can only do by changing the past, and then, then, then you can be open to the future. I've known that for a long time, but this book articulated it for me."

"This is a book you can float in with your eyes closed, long after you've finished it, safe, and sense that kind beings you can't begin to imagine are swimming and living their lives all around you, living their lives in the same water that's licking at your skin, and you're just content to know they're there. And they feel the same."

At this point, I would like to introduce to you my books, in my own words, separate from the descriptions you will find on Amazon. So here they are in order of publication. Click on the links to see the full descriptions and to look inside at sample pages and to read the reviews.

First up: Syncopated Rhythm (Published Apr 2015)

Syncopated Rhythm is a story about a guy who grows up in New Jersey, lives in NYC, plods through life in a state of persistent disconnect. He finds a modicum of solace in the places he lives and the art he admires, but people, people are another story. His eyelids remain at half mast until he finds himself living in the middle of Tokyo, alone, illiterate, and utterly stunned by his surroundings. He meets a disarmingly attractive young bartender in his neighborhood, but it isn't clear to him what, if anything, will come of it.

This story is not for the faint of heart or people looking for a happy story with a happy ending. It is a story about life, after all. And we all know that despite all the variations we see on "save the cheerleader, save the world" that's just not how things turn out.

Next Up: Clifford and Claudia (Published Jun 2015)

Clifford and Claudia involves a young man named Charles who comes from a faraway place to fulfill his dream of delivering pizza at Clifford and Claudia's pizzeria. He is not prepared for what is in store for him. First he meets a cranky old woman called Clara-Belle who is out to save mankind with a pack of Camels, a glass of scotch, and a mouth that could take the paint off a passing automobile. She stays close and continually fills his mind with things he doesn't understand. Then he meets a fetching young man he calls Mr. Chips. What appears to be a seemingly perfect, if not completely unexpected, connection turns into an unsettling nightmare as Charles tries to grasp with the sudden loss that accompanies a senseless act of violence. We follow him in his attempts to reclaim what has been taken from him, with Clara-Belle at his side, whispering incomprehensible things in his ear.

Unlike Syncopated Rhythm, this story is for anyone, even the faint of heart and people looking for an entertaining story with an interesting ending. It is a story with magical realism. And we all know where those stories can take us.

Finally: The Story of Teddy and Eddie (Published Sep 2015)

Keen readers will notice immediately that The Story of Teddy and Eddie is actually a story about a young man named Nino. Nino is an unconventional kid who grows up in a conventional suburb in northern New Jersey. He manages to live a quietly detached existence with the help of a bottle of whisky in his backpack and a look but don't touch outlook on life. That is until one day in college he meets a winsome young man named Aki who upends his quiet detachment and sends him running into the arms of his best friends,Teddy and Eddie, for help. What emerges is a new future, a time, a place, a destination that can't be located on any map.

This is a story of coming of age that illuminates the indelible impact of childhood and memory on decisions so close to the heart.

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