Featured Author & Giveaway: Russell J. Sanders

Russell J. Sanders has been an educator, a musician, an actor, a director, and now, a writer. Teaching high school, he says, is like a roller coaster ride—sometimes scary, sometimes bumpy, but always a thrill. And you get to share the ride with emerging minds and emotions. This experience gave him a unique perspective into the psyches of teenagers.

And that perspective was widened by his being a proud gay man. Each teacher sees the job through his or her own eyes; being gay (in a world that is only now finally, and slowly, accepting gay teens) let him see his students, especially his gay students, with deeper insight than his straight counterparts. And that not only made him a different kind of teacher, but it has also made him a different kind of writer.

Russell lives in Texas with his companion of many years, whom he describes as, “the wacky, supremely talented love of my life.”

Connect with Russell J. Sanders on Facebook or visit his website: www.russelljsanders.weebly.com.

Q&A with Author Russell J. Sanders:

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?
   
   Since I am, in many ways, the protagonist Aaron in Thirteen Therapists, I would love to jump out of Aaron’s skin and be his younger brother Paige for one day. Paige is fearless and lets nothing stand in his way. At age fourteen, Paige has already realized that the only way he can accomplish his goals is to “go for it.” He has the ability to barge right in, take charge, and convince everyone that they should choose him, rather than wait in line, hoping to be chosen. Since Paige is a theater geek, he is part me, but if I had just twenty four hours to wear his skin, I would use his brash, confident assertiveness to make contacts, forge friendships, and become the star I know I was meant to be.


2. Can you please tell readers about your debut novel, Thirteen Therapists?
   
   Thirteen Therapists is a wild ride through the wealthy elite world of Chicago. Aaron Hardaway is the son of a society matron who uses her wealth and influence to raise charity money for many great causes. But the one cause, in Aaron’s eyes, that she has neglected is raising her children. He feels unloved and broken. If his mother would just love him, the broken part of him would be mended. Instead, Sylvia puts him in therapy. And, as Aaron fails to respond to each therapist, she simply finds him another until he racks up a total of thirteen therapists. The last—whom he calls Thirteen, no doubt because he refuses to get emotionally involved with any of these shrinks—turns out to be his savior. Thirteen is unlike any of the previous twelve, and Aaron, at first reluctantly, finds himself opening up and navigating the choppy waters of accepting his mother for who she is.
   
   Along the way, Aaron also embarks on his first romance with the scion of another wealthy family. Derrick is untamed and adventurous, everything that Aaron is not. Falling madly and passionately in love, Aaron has a hard time following Thirteen’s advice to keep his eyes wide open in life. The only fear that Aaron has regarding Derrick is that Sylvia will find out that he is dating a boy, rather than one of the girls she is hellbent on introducing him to. Aaron is out to his brothers and sister, out to Thirteen, and completely comfortable with being gay, but when it comes to Sylvia, he somehow feels that she has enough to dislike about him without finding out that he once again doesn’t measure up to her standards.
   
   Thirteen Therapists takes Aaron through these two relationships, and with Thirteen’s help, Aaron comes out on the other side with new insights and new realizations about the two people who are foremost in his life: his mother and his boyfriend.


3. Eyes wide open is the mantra for Thirteen Therapists. How does Aaron, your main character do with that?
   
   Living life with eyes wide open is tough. We all know that it is so much easier to see what we want to see, hear what we want to hear. Hindsight is twenty/twenty they say. And we have all been guilty of saying to ourselves, “Why didn’t I see that coming?” or “I know that’s the way he (or she) is, so why did I fall into the trap once again?” Aaron is no different. He is so blinded by his mother’s imperious ways that he doesn’t see her for whom she truly is. [Although Sylvia grows a lot herself in the course of the story.] Aaron also is blinded by love. It happens to all of us: we meet someone who appeals to us, we love every little thing about him, we don’t notice or don’t care that little faults start revealing themselves. Derrick is far from perfect, but in Aaron’s eyes, he is. Aaron loves—and loves wholly and freely. He either can’t or refuses to see anything bad in Derrick. With Thirteen’s help and Aaron’s growth, he finally gets his eyes wide open and is able to deal with the developments in his life.


4. What future projects can we look forward to?
   
   I’ve poured myself into Thirteen Therapists for the last three years. And with its publication, I am now ready to move to another project. I am currently working on revisions of a novel about a high school musical theater star who was molested by his pastor when he was nine years old. When he once again encounters this man eight years later and sees that he hasn’t changed, the boy sets out to save the nine year old who has become the man’s current prey. Complicating this is the fact that the protagonist worries that his scholarship to a prestigious musical theater school will be endangered if he involves himself with a child abuse scandal.
   
   Also in the works is a tale of a young man whose father is Titanic obsessed, which is annoying enough to his son, but when his straight son finds out his father is gay and is planning to marry his partner, the boy is overwhelmed.
   
   And I have another story that involves a guy who works at the local community theater and encounters a mysterious young man who just appears at the theater one day. They fall in love, and along the way, have to solve a murder that occurred many years before in that theater.
   
   So I’m keeping busy and will be marketing these stories soon. Who knows? Perhaps I will quickly become a multi-published author.


5. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   The obvious message is that being gay is just a part of life. Most of us live productive, normal lives—and more and more people are accepting us as just like them, only different. But, in the case of Thirteen Therapists, I also want readers to realize that our parents do the best they can. They may make poor decisions, they may be baffled about how to parent, but in the long run, most parents want us to be happy and will accept us no matter what we do, no matter what we are. Maybe we have to cut them some slack sometimes, but that’s part of growing up. And growing up is a continuous process—it starts at birth and continues till death. Just ask a ninety year old if they still think like they did at sixteen. Most, if they’re honest, will answer affirmatively. Yes, we grow and mature, but we hang on to everything we’ve ever experienced. And it colors every decision. It’s hard being a teen; it’s hard being the parent of a teen. Just like with every task that ever gets accomplished, you have to work together—give and take.

Now Available from Russell J. Sanders:

Thirteen Therapists Senior Aaron Hardaway has a new bad boy lover and he wants his mother out of his hair---super therapist Thirteen warns eyes wide open, but will Aaron listen? He's the son of one of Chicago's richest families. He'll graduate from an exclusive Chicago prep-school. He cruises in a Benz SLK300, a grad present from his father. Aaron Hardaway has it all. But a boyfriend. And a loving mother. Sylvia Karnes Hardaway, evil Queen of Chicago society, long ago thrust her son into therapy hell. Twelve shrinks later, Thirteen enters Aaron's life. Thirteen's mantra is eyes wide open. Thirteen will transform Aaron's life. So will bad boy Derrick. Aaron hooks up with Derrick, and things will never be the same. Maybe he should have kept his eyes wide open.

---

Thirteen Therapists Giveaway!

Russell J. Sanders has generously donated a free copy of Thirteen Therapists for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address.

Featured Author & Giveaway: Madison Parker

Madison Parker grew up in Germany where she feasted on Gummibärchen, wandered through the woods on many a Volksmarch, and dreamed of one day living in a castle on a mountain with a boy who knew how to rock a pair of lederhosen. The Fates had other plans for her, but she’s not complaining.

Madison began writing LGBTQ fiction to help address issues of bullying and low self-esteem among young adults. Her short story, SOCK IT TO ME, SANTA!, explores one boy’s struggle to come out in a hostile school environment. Her debut novel, PLAY ME, I’M YOURS, takes the reader on an emotional journey in search of love and self-acceptance.

Q&A with Author Madison Parker:

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?
   
   Now that I think about it, all of my major characters tend to have the talents and skills I wish I had. Lucas is a piano prodigy, Zach is a swimming champion, Trish sings like a diva, Donovan has killer looks and a quick wit, Ryan is a serious gamer, and Jamie is a skilled knitter with a funky sense of fashion. Can I have all of that, please? No? Well if I had to choose, I would walk in Lucas’s shoes for the day. He and I share a heart and soul. I love him dearly. I would find a street piano on display in a scenic park and play the heck outta that thing all day long while my beautiful boyfriend sat beside me on the piano bench and gave me sweet boy kisses in between songs.


2. What can you tell us about your newest release, Play Me, I’m Yours?
   
   There are a lot of themes I wanted to explore in this story from a fresh perspective. For example, how does bullying affect the family members of the victim? How does the stigma surrounding being gay affect sibling relationships? How does a father who loves his effeminate son overcome the social embarrassment that stems from masculine/feminine stereotypes? How do gay youth deal with bullying and discrimination within the LGBT community? The story also explores the difference between sex for the sake of sex and sex as an expression of love. The main character, Lucas, has more than a few insecurities to overcome as he forges new relationships and faces several obstacles that come his way.


3. Inquiring minds want to know. In Sock it to Me, Santa, the main character Ryan created a sock monkey, or rather, a hoobajoob. If you were to make a sock monkey, what would yours look like? And would it be a hoobajoob?
   
   
   My family makes fun of me all the time for wanting to be crafty. I see pictures in magazines and think “Oh! How cute. That looks easy enough. I could do that.” And inevitably, my attempts at reproducing said items leave much to be desired. I must be missing the crafty gene. It takes a special something something to pull these things off. So part of my motivation for writing the story was to poke fun at myself a bit. But to answer your question, I have not yet made a real sock monkey. A real sock monkey is made from a pair of socks. It requires sewing. Me and sewing machines? Bahahahaha! No. I’d end up with a hoobajoob for sure.
   
   I’m considering buying a small sewing machine and making a sock monkey to bring with me to GayRomLit in Atlanta this fall. You see, despite my lack of talent, I still long to be crafty.


4. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   I hope to remind readers that people come in all shapes and sizes. I hope to help them view our differences with an open heart and open mind. Love should be celebrated, not hidden away. More than anything, I hope to reach those young readers whose confidence and self-esteem have been shaken by ugly prejudice, and I hope to help them realize that they are beautiful and worthy of love, just the way they are.


5. You are the web master here at True Colorz. What has True Colorz meant to you?
   
   My primary goal in helping to create True Colorz has always been to connect readers with inspirational stories about LGBTQ youth that offer hope, celebrate love, and stimulate imagination. Many LGBTQ youth feel lost and lonely. While reading stories about fictional characters may not be the same as having a real life shoulder to lean on, I hope it helps them realize that there are many people out there like them, and that there are many people out there who care.

Play Me, I'm Yours by Madison Parker
Published by Harmony Ink Press

Fairy Tate. Twinklefingers. Lucy Liu. Will the taunting ever end? Lucas Tate suffers ridicule because of his appearance and sensitive nature. When he’s not teased, he’s ignored, and he doesn’t know which is worse. He feels unloved by everyone, but the one comfort in life is his music. What he wants more than anything is to find a friend.

Much to his dismay, both his mom and a schoolmate are determined to find him a boyfriend, despite the fact Lucas hasn’t come out to them. His mom chooses a football player who redefines the term “heartthrob,” while Trish pushes him toward the only openly gay boy at Providence High. But Lucas is harboring a crush on another boy, one who writes such romantic poetry to his girlfriend that hearing it melts Lucas into a puddle of goo. All three prospects seem so far out of his league. Lucas is sure he doesn’t stand a chance with any of them—until sharing his gift for music brings him the courage to let people into his heart.
Click here to read the first chapter.

To celebrate the release of Play Me, I'm Yours, Madison Parker is hosting a giveaway. Enter to win your choice of a free copy of Play Me, I'm Yours or a $10 gift certificate from Rainbow eBooks by leaving a comment below along with your email address. For multiple chances to win, comment at each stop along the tour. Click here for the complete tour schedule. Winners will be chosen randomly on April 23.

Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages 167

Blurb: The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.

Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.

Review: For those who are too young to remember, or for those not yet born, September 11, 2001 might seem like some date in history. Maybe they know about it because their parents or older siblings talk about it sometimes. Or maybe they know about it because every year on that day their school does something to remember those who died. But for someone like me, who was just a year younger than the characters in the book, I remember all too vividly what happened on that terrible day. Reading this novel brought back every single emotion I felt on that day. Like Claire, I was mesmerized yet terrified by what happened. I may have been a state away in Connecticut, but it still shocked me to my core. In this book, author David Levithan has perfectly recreated those confusing days in the eyes of teenagers who experienced it.

Suddenly there's this big scream from the classroom next to ours - at least ten people yelling out. Mrs. Otis goes to the door connecting her room to Mr. Baker's, and about half our class follows, so we're there when she asks what's going on. But nobody needs to answer - Mr. Baker's gotten his TV to work, and it's not one but two towers that are burning, and they're saying on the TV that there was a second plane, that the towers are under attack, and seeing it erases any premonitions I might have had, because even if I felt something was wrong, I never would have pictured this.

The novel follows Claire, Peter, and Jasper. All three are loosely connected to each other. Claire and Peter go to school with each other, Peter and Jasper met at a party and were supposed to go on a date, and Jasper finds Claire on the street where she remembers him from that same party where he met Peter. Because of their shared experiences on 9/11, they form an unbreakable bond, and the book follows them in the days, weeks, months, and years after the events.

What I liked most about the book was how the characters always asked other people "where were you when it happened?" or "what were you doing?" For those that lived through this day, it's a phrase that was heard often. I even tell my own students my story when they ask about it on September 11th every year: I was a junior in high school, gym class had just started, and we were getting ready to go outside to play tennis. We heard from someone who had heard from someone else who had heard it from a teacher, and of course we thought it was a joke. The teacher announced outside that a second plane had hit and we went back inside. I was in art class when the towers fell and I watched them on the television. I have never heard our school grow so quiet or felt more terror at one time in my entire life before or since.

Let Claire, Peter, and Jasper take you through that day, through their eyes, and from those around them. See how others grieved and started to move on. Like them, become a part of the history. Even if you weren't there for it, even if you weren't born yet, you can still get a taste of the horrors through this masterfully crafted novel from David Levithan.

Review by Jennifer

Featured Author & Giveaway: Beau Schemery

Beau Schemery and his robot sidekick quietly fight crime and mediocrity in North-Central Pennsylvania. Beau is attempting to complete six lifetimes in one: he’s been a comic writer/illustrator, an actor and a playwright, as well as an amateur cook and costume-maker. He enjoys sewing, reading and playing the X-Box when he isn’t crafting exciting worlds for the characters in his brain. Beau is currently a vegetarian and hopes to grow up to be a time-traveling squirrel. He would dearly love to meet a dragon and is reasonably sure that Batman could pretty much beat anybody in a fight. You can visit Beau on Facebook or check out his artwork on hedbonstudios.deviantart.com. If you run into him at a comic convention, don’t hesitate to say hello.

Connect with Beau Schemery on Twitter @hedbonstudios or visit his website: http://beauschemery.wordpress.com/.

Q&A with Author Beau Schemery:

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?
   
   That’s a tough question. I’ve created a LOT of characters that have yet to see the light of publishing. But choosing just from the ones in my published work? Hm. I guess I’d have to say Jack Midnight from The Seventh of London. He’s got a FANTASTIC wardrobe and an impressive home. I’d probably take advantage of his considerable wealth and throw a crazy party in the Black Chapel. I’d need some help temporally so I could invite my actual present day friends as well as people from Victorian London.


2. Tell us a little about your debut novel, The 7th of London.
   
   Sure. The Seventh of London takes place quite obviously in London during Victorian times. It’s a slightly altered history. There is a wizard named, Fairgate who may have some ulterior motives as the queen’s right hand man. Seven is the main character. He’s an orphan who lives on the streets of the poor side of London. The queen has ordered the city divided into the affluent, Fairside and the poor, Blackside: so named because the abundance of factories insure the air is black with smoke. Technology has taken a slightly unnatural jump forward because of a few key moments, making the story one in the steampunk genre. Children are disappearing from all over Blackside and Seven means to find out why. What he finds is beyond anything he could imagine. It’s a fun book with a lot of action and adventure but it also doesn’t pull any punches. Not all the characters make it to the end of the story.


3. Tell us about your newest release, The Unlikely Hero. Who did the beautiful cover art?
   
   Oh, thank you. Actually, I created the cover art featuring Celestrian, the Lost Unicorn and his guardian, Mother Dragon. If 7th is primarily an action/ adventure, then I believe Hero is an adventure/ comedy. I like to describe it as Tolkien written by the members of Monty Python. It’s very satirical with a lot of in-jokes referencing pop culture, high fantasy and video games. What it boils down to is the alleged last of the Unicorns, who can magically shift to human form, trying to find the rest of his race, if they still exist. Enter Ren, an accountant’s apprentice, who wants nothing more than to be a Hero but knows virtually nothing about how to do that, other than what he’s read in books. He finds out there’s more to it than he could have ever guessed. There’s a lot of silliness along the road but there are some really desperate, dangerous moments as well. It’s an adventure of discovery in more ways than one.


4. The Unlikely Hero is Book One in the Verses of Vrelenden Series. How many books do you have planned for the series? When can we expect the next installments?
   
   I think this is going to be a big one. The sequel is written and in the final stages of editing. It’s called The Last Blade. I think we’re looking at six months between releases, so I think late summer/ early fall but I’m not positive. The third book will be written soon but may end up being two books. I can’t really reveal anything about this next story because I’ve got some seriously wild stuff planned but some of the events will directly lead into a Dragon War series, which will probably be at least another three to four books. I can’t be sure after that.


5. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   More than anything I want them to be entertained. If they learn a little something about the world or themselves that would be cool. I’m really just writing books that I want to read and I think I would have wanted to read when I was a kid. Although I’m VERY immature for my age so I think it works. Thanks for having me as a guest today. It’s been great. Please feel free to contact me, I love to hear from readers.

Now Available from Beau Schemery:

The Unlikely Hero: The Verses of Vrelenden, Book One Despite the suspicions Mother Dragon shared with Celestrian before her death, he may be the last surviving unicorn of Vrelenden—though most may simply think him some crazy person with a horn attached to his forehead. Nevertheless, Trian has nothing to hold on to but hope, and he’s about to hang that hope on an unlikely hero named Renwald Mallorian. Ren may have been born an accountant’s son, but he’s longed to be a professional hero for as long as he can remember, and he’s read every book on the subject he could get his hands on. When Trian arrives and hires him to find the last remaining unicorns, Ren jumps at the offer and their quest begins.

But the evil Father Denkham is intent on obtaining the last unicorn and sets a deadly assassin on their trail. If that isn’t bad enough, they’ll face a Vampire, Dragon, bandits, and zombies. Their only hope now is for Ren to prove he’s the hero he always dreamed of becoming—but no book in the world could have prepared him for what’s in store.

The 7th of London After his parents and family die, Seven escapes his factory job. By wits and will alone, he survives in a London divided into the affluent Fairside and the squalor of London’s industrial Blackside, where many struggle to eke their existence out of despair. But Seven has to fight for more than just food and shelter.

All over Blackside, a secret cabal of prominent citizens and the mysterious Mr. Kettlebent are snatching children. Rumor has it a wizard is controlling the queen, and the country’s most notorious villain is the only one who wants to stop him. Seven is determined to find out why.

Hired by the criminal Jack Midnight to steal the evil wizard’s spellbook, Seven soon discovers the mystery runs deeper than he suspected. But events spiral out of control, and it isn’t long before the intrigue sweeps Seven into its deadly current.

---

The Unlikely Hero Giveaway!

Beau Schemery has generously donated a free e-copy of The Unlikely Hero for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen April 22nd.

Swans and Klons by Nora Olsen

Swans & Klons by Nora Olsen

Published by Bold Strokes Books
202 Pages

Blurb: What does it take to survive in a world built on lies?

Sixteen-year-old Rubric loves her pampered life in the Academy dormitory. She’s dating Salmon Jo, a brilliant and unpredictable girl. In their all-female world, non-human slaves called Klons do all the work. But when Rubric and Salmon Jo break into the laboratory where human and Klon babies are grown in vats, they uncover a terrifying secret that tears their idyllic world apart.

Their friends won’t believe them, and their teachers won’t help them. The Doctors who rule Society want to silence Rubric and Salmon Jo. The two girls must flee for their lives. As they face the unthinkable, the only thing they have left to believe in is their love for each other.

Review: Imagine a world where men do not exist. Women not only run society, but they ARE society. As in the only members. In the distant future, male children are born with something wrong with them that ultimately causes them to become what the women call "Cretinous Males." They are physically and mentally weaker to a large degree, making them giant children essentially. In this future society, women do not even give birth anymore. All children are created and raised in giant tubes until they are able to be born. And in order for humans to have a more meaningful life free from menial labor, Klons are created. They do everything for their human counterparts.

Stencil Pavlina's eyes flashed. "You can't slap me," she told Rubric. "You are supposed to slap my Klon!"

"Weird, weird, weird," Rubric declared. "You know what? You are veruckt."

"Gerda, throw a tantrum," Panna Stencil Pavlina ordered.

The other Gerda, the one who hadn't slapped Rubric, threw down the cloth she was using to rub emollient on the bird. "Waah!" she cried and stamped her feet. She balled her hands into fists and shook them at Rubric. "Waah!"

Rubric was startled at how genuine the Klon's dictated emotions seemed to be. The other Gerda just watched, slowly stirring the plaster so it wouldn't thicken and harden. Was the stirring Gerda smiling ever so slightly? Rubric's eyes darted back and forth from stirring Gerda to tantruming Gerda. Finally, she returned her gaze to Stencil Pavlina. She had often seen humans ask Klons to act out their emotions on edfotunement. She had believed it was in poor taste, but it had never before struck her as insane.

This book has a wonderful plot that takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, and shows what happens when the basic principal you have been taught all your life turns out to be a lie. Rubric and Salmon Jo do not find anything wrong with their world until they see something that makes them question just how Klons and Humans are created. They begin to wonder, what makes someone human? Even though this book is set in the distant future, it is a plausible world and when you consider genetic engineering that is done, and the creation of highly advanced AI, you have to wonder what DOES make someone human? What does it mean to be human?

I can easily see this as the first in a series, because the book leaves off at a place that could be the end, but also the beginning of another grand adventure. I'd love to see more of Rubric, Dream, Salmon Jo, and everyone else. There is a lot of potential here with what the author could do.

Review by Jennifer

Featured Author & Giveaway: Ross A. McCoubrey

Ross A. McCoubrey was born and raised in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. He now lives on the Bay of Fundy shore with his beloved Valley bulldog, Duncan. Ross works full time in a management role for a major food retailer. In his down time he enjoys writing, camping, hiking, target shooting, and working on his truck. One Boy’s Shadow is his first novel.

Connect with Ross A. McCoubrey on Twitter @RossAMcCoubrey or facebook: www.facebook.com/rossmccoubrey.

Q&A with Author Ross A. McCoubrey:

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?
   
   This is a very difficult question to answer! Having written the book it already feels as though I got to be each of these characters on some level and, being emotionally attached to them all, it almost feels like I would be choosing a favourite child if I were to select just one. Okay, so, slightly guilty conscience aside, I would have to select Shane. Why Shane? There are a number of reasons. I have absolutely no artistic ability so it would be an amazing feeling to draw or paint something, he has a great dog (and I love animals), and he has a cute boyfriend with a pretty awesome mystery to help solve. What would I do on the one day? I’d live the 16 year-old life I didn’t get to experience myself and spend the day with my boyfriend, walking in the woods and enjoying each other’s company.


2. Can you tell readers a little bit about the debut novel, One Boy’s Shadow?
   
   One Boy’s Shadow is a young adult mystery novel that combines elements of the supernatural with a modern coming-of-age story. The story is told by its protagonist, Caleb MacKenzie, so everything is as seen through his eyes. He is fifteen at the outset of the story and the novel spans just over a year in his life. His father takes a new job and they move from the city of Halifax to rural Nova Scotia to a home with a troubled past.
   
   Being a huge fan of mystery novels involving ghosts, I wanted to include some of the basic elements essential to such a story; the old house with the new owners and young people being the central characters. I have described it as a mash-up of “The Ghost Whisperer”, Stand By Me, Field of Dreams and The Hardy Boys with a modern coming-out story interwoven throughout.
   
   I have been overwhelmed with the wonderful responses and reviews the book has received, from fellow authors and readers alike. It means so much when people take the time to positively respond to your work.
   
   I am happy to let people know that 100% of my profits from sales of One Boy’s Shadow go to The Youth Project, an LGBTQ young adult organization in my home province’s capital city of Halifax.
   
   Website: http://www.youthproject.ns.ca/
   Twitter: @YouthProject_NS
   Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheYouthProject?ref=ts&fref=ts


3. One Boy’s Shadow is categorized as a YA ghost story. What inspired you to write such an excellent ghost story?
   
   Inspiration for One Boy’s Shadow arose within a dream, as many ideas do. The dream was very different from the end result of the novel but the initial idea of a ghostly connection combined with a coming-of-age/coming-out story remained. So, from a few lines scribbled on the back of a box of tissues at four in the morning eventually would come the novel. That’s where the thought(s) originated (and sat, unused, for over a year).
   
   It wasn’t until I read a quote of Toni Morrison’s that I began to put those thoughts into a story. She said, “If there's a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” That really resonated with me as I had always searched to find a story that spoke to me personally as I was growing up. It was almost impossible to find a young adult novel, or any novel that I knew of or would have access to, that had a protagonist that was not only young and gay but was more than just a typical coming-out story. I always searched for a Hardy Boys style adventure and mystery that had characters that I could really relate to and, I figured there had to be lots of other people out there searching for the same thing.


4. Do you believe in ghosts?
   
   Absolutely! I have had personal experiences that give me no question as to the existence of the supernatural, be it a ghostly apparition or otherwise not of this plane. Not to spoil anything for someone reading this who hasn’t read yet One Boy’s Shadow, but the scene taking place in Wakefield House with Shane in the back bedroom comes from a very real, personal experience.


5. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   My hope/goal from the outset was simply this: to reach one person, just one. I always searched for a movie or a book that I could return to and feel comfortable and safe in its world when my own felt so very all-consuming and judgmental. If a reader, of any age, can take something away from my book I hope it’s this: love will always conquer hate. Be proud of who you are, and if you’re proud you don’t ever need to put down anyone else for being him/herself. Celebrate our common humanity as well as our individuality. Lofty ideals…perhaps, but true nonetheless. To simplify, if a reader can take away the notion that it does, indeed, get better, that will be as good a place to start as any.
   
   I inscribed a special note to a young man to whom I gave my first copy of One Boy’s Shadow and I’ll end this interview with its very simple truth, “Having the courage to be yourself is a gift you give the world.”

Now Available from Ross A. McCoubrey:

One Boy's Shadow Fifteen-year-old Caleb Mackenzie doesn't put up a fight when his father announces the family is moving to Stapeton, Nova Scotia. In fact, Caleb looks forward to a fresh start in the scenic little area. Their new home, Wakefield House, sports large rooms, a big barn where Caleb can work on cars, and acres of forested land for privacy. But it also has a troubling past. In 1943, a boy who lived in the home vanished. Caleb hears the stories about what may have occurred so many years ago, but he passes them off as folklore until one day he's alone in the woods and hears the faintest whisper. Did someone in the distance just call his name? And what about his discovery in the hayloft? Could there be something to those old stories after all? The initial need to dismiss everything as coincidence becomes a soul-searching journey into the past where Caleb is determined to uncover the truth about what really happened to the missing boy. And in the process, he learns even more about himself and what's really important.

EXCERPT: One Boy’s Shadow by Ross A. McCoubrey ©2012

Scene Setting: Main Character, Caleb MacKenzie, and new friend, Shane Radnor, go for a walk together in the forested area behind Caleb’s new home. The woods they go walking in are at the end of Wakefield Road, an area where, 60 years earlier, a teen-age boy disappeared. The scene begins on page 101 of the book.

“Sure is peaceful in here,” Shane said as we walked along the old trail. The air was heavy with the scent of pine trees and trapped pollen in the branches of the spruce. A pileated woodpecker, looking almost prehistoric, pounded away at a dead birch tree. The air in the woods was humid, and we were both sweating almost instantly. The trees blocked out most of the light from overhead, but enough filtered through to allow occasional boxes of sunlight to form on the ground in random patterns like pixels on a computer screen. I cursed myself for wearing sandals, as pine needles kept collecting on and between my toes. Shane was having the same issue, but neither of us mentioned it.

As we were walking, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. Shane pulled me over to him and pointed off to the side of the trail. A deer was walking through the deeper woods. We watched in silence until it was gone from sight. Shane’s hand was still on my shoulder.

“Oh, hey. Sorry,” he laughed awkwardly.

“Good eyes to spot the deer.”

“Lucky.”

We continued walking until we reached a steep slope. Carefully navigating our way down, holding on to tree trunks and roots as we went, we reached the bottom and heard a trickling sound. Ahead of us was a small clearing and a waterfall. We sat down on a fallen tree that appeared as though it had been there forever for the exact purpose of being a bench, but had somehow managed to not rot. We ate some granola bars and drank some water.

“It’s really nice down here,” I said.

“Yeah. I’m glad we kept going.”

“Me too.”

“I’d like to paint this.”

“Yeah, you should, man.”

“I dunno. It’s just a thought. I have lots of ’em. Most I don’t know what to do with.”

“I hear ya. I’m trying to take Blake’s advice and stop thinking so much—just do stuff. You know, take more risks.”

“Easier said than done.”

“That’s for sure.”

Shane picked up a stone from the ground and played with it, keeping his focus solely on it. I wanted him to talk to me, but I didn’t know what to say.

“Shane?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for hanging out with me and stuff.” I looked over at him, trying to get his eyes on me for a moment. I was pleased that it worked.

He turned his head and replied, “You don’t have to thank me for that. I like you, Caleb. Like you a lot. You’re a really cool guy. I knew that from the first time we talked.”

“It’s funny. When I first met you, I never figured we’d be friends. I thought you were way too cool to hang out with me.”

Shane shook his head. “You’re so hard on yourself, man. What gives? I mean, the gang all likes you, your family all obviously love you so, I mean, why don’t you think more of yourself?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. Guess I’m still trying to answer that myself.”

His expression turned to a genuine smile. “We’ll keep working on it then.”

I grinned.

Shane headed over to the waterfall and caught some water in his cupped hands. He splashed it over his face and called me over. “It’s really warm!”

I stood by him and leaned my head into the waterfall, getting my hair wet and shaking my head as I stood up straight, spraying him with the moisture that came off my hair. He put his hands up defensively and laughed. His white T-shirt and beige cargo shorts were now covered in a splattering of rain. His wet eyelashes caused his eyes to sparkle. His smile showed his white teeth. He was so beautiful. I went with my instincts and leaned in, kissing him on the lips. They were soft and moist and sweet.

Surprising myself by what I had done, I stepped back quickly. Shane looked at me, stunned. “You kissed me.”

“Yeah. Shit. Sorry. That was dumb. I don’t know why I did that. Please … forget it, okay?” I pleaded as nonchalantly as possible, even though my heart was pounding so hard I was sure it had to be visible.

“I can’t forget it happened, Caleb.” Shane’s voice was serious, and it frightened me a bit. I knew I had just lost the best friend I had ever had.

I felt sick to my stomach. All sorts of scenarios raced through my mind—none of them good. “Please. I’m so sorry.” I felt myself on the verge of crying; my limbs started to shake from panic.

“Caleb,” Shane looked me deep in the eyes as he spoke, stepping toward me.

For a moment I thought he was going to hit me, but he took my face in his hands instead. “I don’t want to forget it. Not ever.” Shane slid one hand down to the small of my back, and the other moved to the back of my neck as he leaned in and kissed me. Softly. Passionately. Slowly. When our lips finally parted, he was smiling. “You’re never supposed to forget your first kiss,” he said gently.

Having been given the courage to do what I had yearned to do for so long, I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly against me. We stayed in the clearing for some time, watching the water for a while as the stream ran over the shiny stones and snaked its way out of the forest and into the field.

As we walked back along the trail toward the house, we held hands. The sensation of feeling Shane’s hand in mine is one I’ll never forget. In such a simple gesture, I knew so much about him, and even more about myself. We began to talk openly, on a level where I had never conversed before.

“So, when did you know you’re gay?” Shane asked me.

At this point, we were walking side by side, no longer holding hands, but still close—there may have been daylight between us, I can’t be sure.

I considered his question before answering. “Well, I guess I’ve known for a coupla years now, but I kept giving myself excuses like telling myself that when I saw a guy I thought was hot, I was really just jealous and wished I looked like him, right? Like, I wish I had his build, instead of, I wish I had him on top of me.” I laughed at myself and shook my head. “God, it seems so dumb when I say it, but in my mind it always made sense.”

“I know exactly what you mean. Hell, I voted for Jaydee Bixby over two hundred times to win ‘Canadian Idol’—and I don’t even like country music.” Shane chuckled. “But that boy is so cute.”

I smiled and scuffed at some pine needles. “So, I guess, really, I’ve always known. I mean, I’ve always liked guys. Girls are cool as friends, but I don’t want to, umm, you know, be with them. All my crushes have been on guys, but I always made excuses, like I said, and suppressed my thoughts. It’s been making me miserable.”

“Yeah. I get ya. It’s so stupid, too. I mean, there’s nothing any different about us—we just dig guys when the majority of guys dig girls.”

“Exactly. So, when did you know?”

“Kinda like you, I’ve always known I was different. I mean, I did the whole making-excuses thing too, but I got to a point when I just said, ‘Screw it. I like guys, and that’s cool.’ But it’s one thing to tell yourself that; it’s a whole new ball game when you tell other people.”

---

One Boy's Shadow Giveaway!

Ross A. McCoubrey has generously donated a free, autographed paperback copy of One Boy's Shadow for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen on April 14th.

New Releases for April 2013

Featured New Releases:

Play Me, I'm Yours by Madison Parker

Published by Harmony Ink Press

Fairy Tate. Twinklefingers. Lucy Liu. Will the taunting ever end? Lucas Tate suffers ridicule because of his appearance and sensitive nature. When he’s not teased, he’s ignored, and he doesn’t know which is worse. He feels unloved by everyone, but the one comfort in life is his music. What he wants more than anything is to find a friend.

Much to his dismay, both his mom and a schoolmate are determined to find him a boyfriend, despite the fact Lucas hasn’t come out to them. His mom chooses a football player who redefines the term “heartthrob,” while Trish pushes him toward the only openly gay boy at Providence High. But Lucas is harboring a crush on another boy, one who writes such romantic poetry to his girlfriend that hearing it melts Lucas into a puddle of goo. All three prospects seem so far out of his league. Lucas is sure he doesn’t stand a chance with any of them—until sharing his gift for music brings him the courage to let people into his heart.

The Unlikely Hero (Verses of Vrelenden, Book One) by Beau Schemery

Published by Harmony Ink Press

Despite the suspicions Mother Dragon shared with Celestrian before her death, he may be the last surviving unicorn of Vrelenden—though most may simply think him some crazy person with a horn attached to his forehead. Nevertheless, Trian has nothing to hold on to but hope, and he’s about to hang that hope on an unlikely hero named Renwald Mallorian. Ren may have been born an accountant’s son, but he’s longed to be a professional hero for as long as he can remember, and he’s read every book on the subject he could get his hands on. When Trian arrives and hires him to find the last remaining unicorns, Ren jumps at the offer and their quest begins.

But the evil Father Denkham is intent on obtaining the last unicorn and sets a deadly assassin on their trail. If that isn’t bad enough, they’ll face a Vampire, Dragon, bandits, and zombies. Their only hope now is for Ren to prove he’s the hero he always dreamed of becoming—but no book in the world could have prepared him for what’s in store.

The Gene Pull by Benjamin Shepherd Quiñones

Published by G and J Publishing

Sixteen-year-old Noah Fletcher has a lot on his mind. Not only has he finally come to terms with being gay, but he also harbors a much deeper secret. He's been abducted by aliens who, after performing who-knows-what kind of experiments on him, left him naked in a cornfield with the ability to talk to and understand all the animals on earth.

Noah decides he's ready to come out, but his best friend reacts badly to the news, and before long, the whole school turns against him. He's just about to give up on having human friends when popular cheerleader Candy Bloom sticks up for him publicly. Noah is happy to have her on his side, but there's something strange about Candy. She seems to know more about him than she should. Somehow, she knows about his secret power and warns him about what's coming next...an alien invasion.

The question is, how are they going to stop it? And who else will join them on their mission?

Featured Author: Sara Alva

Sara Alva is a former small-town girl currently living in big-city LA with a husband, two cats, and an avocado tree. She recently discovered—after a year in her house—that she also has a fig tree in her backyard, which might mean she needs to get out more. But sometimes the stories waiting to be told demand more attention, and when she puts fingers to keyboard, it’s usually to write about journeys of self-discovery, heartache, personal growth, friendship and love. When she isn’t writing, she’s teaching or dancing.

Connect with Sara Alva on Twitter @SaraAlvaStories or visit her website: http://saraalva.com for more information and FREE READS.

Q&A with Author Sara Alva:

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 guess I’d pick Rebecca, because I have that desire to be what I’m not. Rebecca is different and doesn’t care. She towers above most girls, never tries to be fashionable, and always says what’s on her mind. That would be pretty liberating.
   
   Hm, a day as Rebecca…I’d probably just hang around Connor and Jared, watching them grow and gain strength as a couple—in a non-stalkerish way. Maybe go on a double date with the boys and Tate at Mellow Mushroom.


2. Tell us a little bit about your debut novel, Social Skills.
   
   Social Skills is Connor’s story. Although it’s also a romance, a more important tag might be “coming of age”. Connor suffers from social anxiety and has to struggle every day just to make casual conversation—let alone develop a friendship. He meets his opposite in Jared, but even the confident jock doesn’t have it all figured out.
   
   When the two begin a behind-closed-doors relationship, it does help Connor’s self-esteem—but as much as Connor might like it, Jared isn’t going to be the one to “fix” him. He has to do most of that work himself. There’s heartbreak, healing, and growth on the journey as Connor learns to stand up for himself and make clear what he wants from his life and his love.


3. We were impressed at how you portrayed Connor so realistically as a shy character. From where did you draw your inspiration in developing his character?
   
   I guess I’ll admit it. I wanted to write a novel focusing on a character with social anxiety because it’s something I’ve dealt with for most of my life. It’s a weird, alienating feeling, and people with social anxiety often can’t explain why they seem so distant from the rest of the world. This novel gave me an opportunity to explain some of the inner-workings of a socially anxious mind to those who may not understand—and hopefully let my fellow shy readers know they are not alone.


4. What other projects are you working on?
   
   My next novel, Silent, is coming out in a few months. Alex Alvarado narrates this one from his point of view as a teenager in South Central Los Angeles. An incident at home and a visit from a social worker set his life on a new course, where he has to struggle with both the separation from all he knows and his growing attraction to a mysterious mute boy in his foster care group home.


5. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   To date, my novels are about journeys of self-discovery. I’d like young readers to be motivated to go on their own journeys, and to know there is hope for positive change—and for love—along the way.

Now Available from Sara Alva:

Social Skills Music is the only form of communication Connor Owens controls. No matter how badly he wishes to fit in, friendly banter and casual conversations have never been his thing. College is yet another social universe he has no clue how to navigate—until he meets Jared, a football player with chestnut eyes and a cocky grin that holds the power to shatter his self-imposed prison. Jared's attention opens Connor up to a new realm of emotional and physical intimacy. But as Connor's self-confidence grows, so does his fear that everything will fall apart. Because in this socially stratified world, how long can a relationship between an introverted violinist and a closeted football player really last?

Coming Soon from Sara Alva:

Silent Alex's life as a teenager in South Central L.A. is far from perfect, but it's his life, and he knows how to live it. He knows what role to play and what things to keep to himself. He's got it all under control, until one lousy pair of shoes kicks him out of his world and lands him in a foster care group home.

Surrounded by strangers and trapped in a life where he could never belong, Alex turns to the only person lower on the social ladder than he is: a "special" mute boy. In Sebastian, Alex finds a safe place to store his secrets—those that sent him to foster care, and the deeper one that sets him apart from the other teenagers he knows. But Sebastian has secrets of his own, and when tragedy rips the two boys apart, Alex will stop at nothing to find the answers—even if it means dragging them both through a past full of wounds best left buried.

It might just be worth it, for the slim chance at love.

Recommended Age: 18+