Featured Author: John H. Ames

John H. Ames was born in El Salvador C.A. He currently lives in Belize and began writing in 2008. He posted some of his work on an internet website, and after receiving positive feedback, he completed several full-length novels under his pen name, John Henry Ames. His first completed novel is Surviving Elite High. The story chronicles the life of a gay sixteen-year-old boy as he makes his way through life as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies. His passions are writing, reading and spending time with the ones he loves.

Connect with John H. Ames on Twitter @JohnHenryAmes or visit his website: http://jhabooks.webs.com/.

Q&A with Author John H. Ames:

1. If you could swap places with one of your fictional characters for 24 hours, who would you choose to be? Why? And what would you do that day?
   
   I would love to swap places with Nick Hawking from Surviving Elite High. I find him to be interesting and unique. Surviving Elite High is told in John’s point of view, and we don’t get to see what’s going on in Nick’s head or what he does when he’s far away from John. It would be great to see what he does on an average and regular day -- you know, simple guy stuff.


2. Please tell us what inspired you to write Surviving Elite High.
   
   I love YA adult novels with a good jock/nerd theme. The first m/m romance that I read was A Better Place by Mark A. Roeder. That little novel has a jock/nerd theme, and I absolutely loved it. I researched for that genre and came across Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno. I fell in love with that novel almost instantly. That little work of fiction inspired me to write Surviving Elite High.


3. What's up next for you?
   
   Right now I’m finishing Surviving Elite High: Senior Year and Surviving Elite High: Loving James. Senior Year is the ending to Nick and John’s love story while Loving James is a small spinoff that I wrote for a very popular character in the Surviving Elite High series, Jacob Ashmore. I’m also working in my first mainstream novel, Raven and Crow: a Chain of Memories. That novel might come out around summer time, so be ready to embrace it. It’s a little bit of Twilight’s love story and Harry Potter’s magic with very unique little twists.


4. What do you like most about writing Young Adult?
   
   I love the fact that you can basically recreate your teenage years and make them a little more interesting and fun. You can also let other people into your mind and teach them a lesson or two. Writing makes life fun, exciting, and enjoyable. Let me tell you something; my life was boring before I started writing. My novels made it fresh and amusing. It keeps me moving forward, and it allows me to meet new people.


5. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   I want my readers to learn that nothing is impossible. Once you set your mind on a goal, never ever give up. Keep going until you can’t any more, and even then, you shouldn’t give up. Many doors will be closed, but there will be an open one that will take you to the perfect road. Remember, life is simple. If you love someone, go for it. It’s better to have tried than never to have tried at all.

Now Available from John H. Ames:

Surviving Elite High John Henry Ames is a sixteen-year-old boy from a small New Jersey town. John is humble, shy and studious. He lives as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies.

On the verge of dropping out of school due to overdue payments, a teacher enrolls him in a tutoring program where he meets the school's star quarterback and hero, Nick Anthony Hawking. Since he was doing poorly in several subjects, Nick needs John's help to pass and graduate high school. As John becomes closer to the jock, he develops a strong affection towards him even though Nick has a strong reputation of sleeping around with a lot of women. Nick becomes his friend and protector in school. Their sincere friendship helps to bring out the best in each of them, even as several tragedies, like a school shooting, threaten to change their young lives forever.

Coming Soon from John H. Ames:

Surviving Elite High And you thought last year was full of drama, suspense and romance? You ain’t seen nothing yet!

After a summer of love, hard work and…ahem…cohabitation, Nick and John are beginning their senior year. However, putting the memory of last year’s turbulent events at Elite High behind them proves harder than ever. Mysterious notes begin to appear inside John’s locker. Something is definitely wrong since the writer of the notes is none other than Matthew Ward, the homicidal student who nearly killed John. Is Matthew now free to finish what he started?

As if that weren’t bad enough, a new girl at school has an obsession with Nick that makes her do terrible things, things that threaten to tear Nick and John apart at every turn. Will Nick and John ever find happiness and stability together? Or will they end up going their separate ways? All of these questions and more will be answered in part two of the Surviving Elite High saga!

Surviving Elite High Surviving a normal high school is hard enough. Surviving Elite High? Close to impossible! Not until you learn the difference between love and obsession…

Sixteen year old James Gordon has it all. He’s rich, studious, and bears quite a strong resemblance to Justin Bieber. So, what’s stopping him from being a normal kid in high school? The deadly jocks. They torment anyone who’s gay or possibly closeted, even though Nick Wild Hawk, star of the football team and the love of his life, John, came out to the whole school in previous years and made being gay at Elite High just another walk of life. However, even though the jocks have bullied James nonstop and made his life a living hell, he can’t help but fantasize about the king of the jocks, Nathan Parker. Nathan is rugged, straight and the most popular guy in school. When fate intercepts and places James and Nathan under the same roof, James’ torture really begins. And yet, through it all, James hopes that that his steadfast love for Nathan will change the jock into a lover rather than an abuser. Unless a certain hot, loyal, guy in the background can find a way to show James he is really, truly loved, and has been for a long time. Before it’s too late…

Surviving Elite High: Loving James is the third part of the Surviving Elite High Saga which features one the most famous and loved characters in the series, Jacob Ashmore.