Our Books Shades of Gay Winter's Silence
Shades of Gay
Synopsis
It was now or never, and the idea of never hurt too much…
Seventeen-year-old Arthur Jensen has never kissed another boy. The small town he lives in thrives on gossip, and he has enough problems fitting in being Jewish and mainly fatherless.
Then handsome, muscular Mitch moves in next door. For the first time ever, Arthur decides to pursue an actual relationship. At first the boys keep it to themselves, but soon that isn't enough for Arthur. Mitch is afraid to come out, but Arthur can't stand to keep their relationship in the closet. When the boys decide to declare their love openly, the whole school turns on them in ways they never expected.
They just wanted to be happy. That was their “sin”.
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North Carolina residents sales tax: $1.50
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Sample Chapter
On the hottest day of the summer before my senior year of high school, I sat outside on the porch, staring at nothing and trying not to think. Clouds swirled around my head and made me dream things I didn't dare dream, stuff about leaving this town and going to a big fancy school and studying what I wanted just for the fun of it without knowing what I would do with it later.
A big truck pulled up to the house next door. It wasn't a falling apart, dingy truck either. It was a fancy white truck with red stripes like people with money rent when they want to move somewhere. I sat up straight and squinted into the sun, watching while a boy jumped out of the passenger side. He was about my age but a little taller than me, with dark curls that bounced off his forehead. When he went to open the back of the truck I saw his muscles, which were like a wrestler's or a bodybuilder's or something. I couldn't help but wonder what his chest looked like. I raised my hand to my eyes and kind of waved. He glanced at me, then away, and went on moving stuff like he hadn't seen me.
A while later, the boy came over to the chain link fence and stared out. I'd just come out again, I'd been inside fixing a lemonade.
"So," he said. "A boy my age." He stood still, letting the words hang in the air between us 'til I had to say something.
I ran my hands through my ash-colored hair, wishing it was shiny and gorgeous like his. "My name's Arthur." Read More…
Official Blog and Other Resources
Join me on my journey through the world of writing, publishing, and promoting Shades of Gay. I want to see if i can independently publish a best-selling young adult novel.
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Winter's Silence
Synopsis
Childhood isn't easy…especially for Emily Horowitz. As the only Jewish child in her neighborhood, Emily's spirit bears a peculiar burden. On the first night of Chanukah, she marches grimly home, a note pinned to her pocket about her refusal to sing Christmas carols in music class. But Emily's baby brother has just been diagnosed as autistic, confirming her mother's worst fear. Emily is about to become a forgotten child, lost inside a stormy world of grown-up problems and childhood fantasies. And winter has barely begun…
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Purchase price: $12.50
Shipping & handling: $4.99
North Carolina residents sales tax: $0.94
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Sample Chapter
Everything was all slushy on the way home from school. I tiptoed carefully round the puddles, Leigh steered her bike right through them. The wind messed up her braids, yellow hair went in her mouth and over her eyes like it was snow.
I wished I had a bike too. I covered the note pinned to my jacket and prayed that Mama would use her soft voice on me when she read it.
Leigh hummed a Christmas song as we rounded the corner. “I can’t wait ‘til the concert, can you, Emily?”
I shrugged.
“C’mon,” Leigh said. “It’ll be so fun.”
I scraped melting snow off my boot. “But there’s no Jewish stuff.”
“There’s a menorah next to the tree, isn’t there?”
I pushed my hands down deep into my pockets, I wanted to fold myself up. “Yeah, but…”
Something hit the back of my head and slid down my neck to under my shirt. A slushball. Read More…
Additional Info
- Shades of Gay
- Winter's Silence
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