HIGHLIGHTS: A Short Story

HIGHLIGHTS

A.M. LEIBOWITZ

and

DEBBIE MCGOWAN

cross posted at https://deb248211.blogspot.com/2019/01/highlights-short-story.html

Highlights

The one where Notes from Boston’s Amelia Roberts takes a much-needed vacation to England and runs into Shaunna Hennessy from Hiding Behind The Couch—a fortuitous meeting for both.

A quiet afternoon at Young at Heart hairdressing salon. Hayley—Shaunna’s boss/salon owner—chats away to her client while Shaunna perches with phone in hand on the high stool next to the counter. Her attention flits between the murmured conversation, a text interchange with BFF Adele and watching for her “two o’clock” to arrive—a new client—Amelia Roberts, according to the diary; she’s the only other appointment this afternoon.

The door opens, and a dark-haired woman, curvy but tiny in stature, steps in. She’s not alone, but one of her companions says something in a clearly American accent to the effect of “we’ll just be out shopping while you’re pampered.” The dark-haired woman looks around, maybe a little unsure about proper etiquette.

Gotta be her. Shaunna smiles and slides down off her stool. “Hiya. Amelia?”

“Yes, that’s me. I have an appointment?”

“You sure do! I’m Shaunna. I’ll be tending to you today. Come in, make yourself comfy and we can chat about what you want—get to know each other a bit.” Shaunna gestures Amelia toward the three chairs—two empty—in front of the mirrors that span the wall to their right.

Standing side by side confirms what Shaunna noticed when Amelia arrived; Shaunna’s a couple of inches taller but otherwise they’re the same build—“womanly,” her mum used to call it, or “hot as all get out,” according to Andy. She hears his words in her head, a sexy, low murmur that makes her smile then blush and laugh a little when she realises Amelia’s watching her in the mirror. “Sorry. I was miles away.” She gestures again to the chair—“Have a seat”—and pulls the other chair closer before sitting herself, catching a glimpse of her reflection. Could I be any redder? Oh, the joys of being a ginger. “So what can I do for you today? Actually, never mind that for now—would you like a cup of tea before we get started?”

“Ooh, you serve tea to your clients?” Amelia grins, but her smile slips sideways. “Um…I suppose my American is showing, huh?” She eyes the gorgeous woman up and down. Shaunna’s older than she is, but Amelia can’t tell by how much. Around her friend Izzy’s age, maybe mid-to-late thirties? Regardless, she’s gorgeous. Amelia’s not sure if she’s actually getting a hetero vibe or if it’s more a cultural difference, but she’s pretty sure flirting won’t lead anywhere other than a good cut-and-colour. Still, the view is awfully nice, and it’s definitely a pleasant change from being around the men all the time.

“Only the ones we like,” Shaunna says with a cheeky wink. “We’re pretty informal here, aren’t we, Hayles?”

“Absoludely!” Hayley confirms, then to her client, “Is that all right for you?” From the shelf, she collects a black-handled mirror shaped like a paddle and holds it behind the woman’s head so she can see the shape of her new bob cut. The woman nods, all smiles, and clasps Hayley’s hand over her shoulder. She’s still gushing thanks as she leaves five minutes later.

“I’ll pud the keddle on,” Hayley says heading back through the salon to the storeroom.

“Hayley’s the boss,” Shaunna explains once she and Amelia are alone.

“She seems nice,” Amelia remarks.

“She is. So…you’ve been here five minutes already, not that there’s any rush, hun, but…should we talk about your hair? Which is beautiful, by the way. Talk about making my job easy.”

“Well…my friends are getting married, and I thought while I was on vacation I’d get something new.” Amelia gestures to her long, wavy hair. “I need to keep it longer so I can put it up for work. But maybe more style, less just-got-out-of-bed? Maybe highlights?”

“Remember when bedhead was all the rage? I miss that trend.” Shaunna sighs nostalgically and blows at the one stray curl that’s escaped the clip securing the rest of her hair which, this morning, was less just-got-out-of-bed than just-been-dragged-backwards-through-a-hedge. “Okay. Mind if I take a look?” She waits for consent and then wheels her chair around to Amelia’s side, lifting a section of her hair. It’s healthy, midway down her back, with a natural curl that’s much looser than Shaunna’s, and the colour of dark chocolate. Hershey’s Kisses…must be the accent.She tried them once, way back, and couldn’t make up her mind if she liked them, although she’d eaten the entire bagful trying to figure it out so thought she probably did.

“Yeah, highlights would be stunning on you. With the right level of lightness, they’ll really show off your complexion and make your eyes pop—oh!” She grimaces, no idea if that translates. “I mean, it’ll accentuate the blue.”

“Great. I figured that’s what you meant.” Amelia smiles, seeming more at ease now. “I’m completely in your hands.” And was that flirting?

“She’ll look after you, sweedie.” Hayley reappears with two mugs, which she deposits on the trolley next to Amelia, digging in her pocket and pulling out a handful of sugar sachets and a teaspoon. She drops those onto the trolley too. “I’ll be out back,” she says and rolls her eyes. “Paperwork, ack.”

Shaunna smiles in sympathy. “Thanks, Hayles, and good luck!” Hayley gives her a withering glance and disappears through the storeroom door.

“Help yourself,” Shaunna invites, giving Amelia first choice on the drinks before picking up the other, which, coincidentally, is the mug Shaunna usually chooses for herself anyway. “You said your friends are getting married?” She sips casually, never sure how questions like her next will be received, but years of living with a bi guy…well, she’s heard it all before. Amelia’s not giving off a homophobe vibe, though—quite the opposite—so Shaunna just asks. “The two women who were here earlier?”

Amelia laughs. “Oh, no. Those two are straight as arrows. Uhm…” She flushes, though it delights her to think of Marlie and Nia as a couple. She wonders if she should explain the relationship between her friends—and their boyfriends. Clearly Shaunna doesn’t have a problem with same-gender couples, but polyamorous relationships? That’s always anyone’s guess. She decides to play it safe. “It’s my friend Nate and his boyfriend. They’ve always wanted one of those really fabulous events.”

“And they’re getting married here?” Shaunna looks incredulous.

“Back home in Boston. This was a girls’ week to visit my friend’s cousin.”

“Cool. It’s weird, isn’t it? When you live somewhere, you don’t really pay attention to the touristy type stuff, but there’s quite a lot to see and do around here. And you’re stuck in a stuffy salon for the afternoon…” Taking another quick mouthful of tea, Shaunna leaves her mug, reluctantly, and begins preparing what she’ll need for Amelia’s highlights. No pressure ever in this salon—a big part of why she’s always loved working here—they just subtly move clients along, more often than not without them consciously realising. Hairdressing by stealth, her friends call it; she can guess exactly which one came up with that description.

But stealth mode’s not working today. Amelia is pensive, tracking Shaunna’s prep, yet not at the same time. It sounded like there was a lot more to Amelia’s hesitance in mentioning her friends who were getting married, like she wants to share but is worried what Shaunna will think. They’ll be spending a good chunk of the afternoon together; time to throw out another lifeline.

“My ex and his boyfriend are getting married…at some point. It’s a bit complicated.”

Amelia is startled by this revelation, and yet somehow not. Relationships among her friends have always been complex too. She nods, thinking what to say next. “This was more or less my friend Marlie’s idea. She thought we could use a break from the men. They have been ridiculous while planning this wedding, bickering over the littlest nonsense.” She laughs and rolls her eyes. “Better them than me, I guess. Last I knew, we’d left Marlie’s boyfriend arguing about napkins with his…uh, his…” She falters.

“Go on,” Shaunna says. “I’m listening.”

Amelia bites her lip and peers at Shaunna. “No judgement?”

“None at all.”

Nodding, Amelia says, “Okay, well…” Deep breath. “Marlie and my other friend, Nia, their boyfriends are…boyfriends. And Marlie’s guy, Trevor, has an occasional partner too. That’s who he was snipping at about the napkins. Jamie’s got a bit of a stubborn streak on top of thinking Trevor has absolutely no sense of style. Which, to be fair, he really doesn’t. Just ask Jamie’s boyfriend. And…oh, dear god. This is like trying to explain a spider web. I like your word, complicated.”

“Wow, you can say that again.” Shaunna laughs, relieved to meet someone else with a whole mess of relationship stuff going on, because hadn’t she been there two years ago, when she and Ade… Well, if she’s honest, they ganged up on Kris “for his own good” and in the process spun their very own spider web. Tattered, weather-beaten, still hanging in there. But Amelia won’t want to hear about all that nonsense.

“That’s men for you.” Shaunna isn’t sure where to go from here, wishing to neither pry nor discourage Amelia from sharing or venting or whatever she needs—along with her highlights. “Tell you what. Let’s get you in foils—give us something else to think about for a while? How does that sound?”

While Shaunna applies the chemicals to her hair and wraps it in foil strips, Amelia finishes her tea. It’s cooled a bit, but it’s still good. She thinks the stereotype of the tea being better on this side of the ocean might really be true. Something Shaunna said tugs at the corner of her mind.

“You said your ex and his boyfriend? Is he— Oh, I probably shouldn’t be asking that. I’m sorry.” And she knows better anyway. A woman whose ex is now with a man isn’t that unusual in her group of friends and definitely doesn’t mean he’s gay. Izzy was married to a woman too, and now he only has eyes for Nate.

She slightly changes the subject. “Do you miss being with him?”

“Yes,” Shaunna answers right away, no need to think; she’s done plenty of that already. “And yes, he’s bi if that’s what you were asking. Not confused—or not about that. We split up after he had an affair, but not because I kicked him out. Sure, I wish he hadn’t cheated on me. I wish he’d told me, like he did when he met Ade, but by then it was different. We weren’t a couple anymore. I think that’s where his confusion lies—he loves me, and he loves Ade, but he’s so fixed on the idea of monogamy he can’t see how he can have both. Or couldhave had both before…” Shaunna squeezes her eyes shut. “See the poster over there?” She points blindly to her left and loosens the tension on the section of hair she’s holding just enough she can feel Amelia’s head turn.

Amelia’s eyebrows shoot up. It’s not the sort of thing she would typically see while in a stylist’s chair. She’s not exactly sure what to say, although it really does nothing to mute her appreciation for Shaunna’s beauty. “It’s…nice?” she tries, knowing she’s blushing. She hopes Shaunna doesn’t think she’s being rude; she simply doesn’t have the right words, nor does she know what she’s expected to say. Everything in her head sounds like either oversharing or not enough.

“Is that him?” She’s managed to unstick her tongue enough to get back to the conversation they were having. She still hasn’t taken her eyes off the poster, though, and something tells her she already knows the answer to her question is no.

Shaunna stifles a giggle at their matching pink faces. “For the record, I so didn’t want a picture of me all naked and massively pregnant in here. It was taken for a magazine feature. Kris—my ex—is an actor, as is Ade. Their PR woman thought the feature might stop the press hounding them…us. Would you believe Hayley emailed the photographer and paid God knows how much for that photo? Seriously, it’s like Athena porn caught in a time warp. So…anyway, that’s Andy—the guy I’m with now, who’s all free love and hippie surfer dude but also really competitive? He’s an oddment. A sexy one, though, or I think so.

“Oh, and he does that guy thing, you know? Sees me talking to an attractive woman and gets one of those daft grins on his face, like I could just turn it on. He doesn’t get that we’re not all like him. He’s totally open to new experiences—he even says he’s okay with us having an open relationship, with one really, really major exception.”

“Your ex?”

“Bingo! I think it just makes me want it more. But that’s enough about me…unless you want me to keep talking?”

“Ugh, I feel you on that ‘guy thing.’ I have a friend, a woman, I sometimes hook up with. The men are one hundred percent not invited for that.” She sighs. It’s reminded her of the main reasons—both of them—why she needed this vacation. “I also very much feel you about wanting it more when it feels off-limits. Sounds a lot like what I’ve got going on.” She closes her eyes.

“Have you ever gotten together with the same guy your…partner? person-thing? was also seeing?”

“Err…not knowingly?” Shaunna hedges. After all, lack of communication about teenage sex was how Charlie—wearing her PR hat—talked her into doing the magazine feature in the first place. Who knew what those boys were doing when they weren’t doing her? But Shaunna can get quite militant about it when she’s on a roll, and now is not the time. Or maybe it is always the time—for women and girls, at least. “Is that what’s going on with you right now?” she asks, then adds, in case Amelia is merely curious, “If I’m prying, tell me to shut up.”

Amelia sighs for the thousandth time, this one more out of relief. Finally, someone entirely not invested in the outcome who she can talk to without worrying it will find its way back to anyone she knows.

“More or less,” she admits. She figures anyone with a naked picture on their salon wall isn’t likely to judge her or even comment on her various partners, so she forges ahead. “It didn’t start off on purpose. My friend Mack and I have this relationship where we tell each other everything, and then we have sex. He’s aromantic, so it’s not going anywhere else, and I’m good with that. But then we both started hooking up with a mutual friend— I think I’m getting ahead of myself.

“I spent the night with a casual friend. It was fun. Then Mack spent the night with him after meeting up in a bar. That would’ve been the end of it, but we both kind of…kept doing it. Meeting up with him, I mean. And, well, it’s become a problem, but not probably for the reasons you might think.”

“Hmm…” Shaunna’s second-guessing what Amelia expects her to think. “I’m not sure I think anything, but…from experience? I’d probably guess…” She shakes her head and laughs. “Sorry. I don’t know, honestly. I mean, when the three of us were living together, Kris was the only one who had a problem with it, and I’m pretty sure it had more to do with all the times he’d fended off people telling him he was just greedy. I tell you, if Ade was bi too, it would’ve saved… No, actually, that’s stupid. I love Ade to bits, but we’re way too much alike. All I’m getting at is if all three of us had two lovers each, it would have been more fair? D’you know what? I should shut up and let you talk. We’re about done with the lightener, by the way.”

“Okay.” Amelia thinks for a moment how to respond. “Well, really, it would’ve been fine. Mack and I have been best friends for years. He’s known all along he doesn’t want a romantic relationship, and I assumed I didn’t either, until I met Jomari. JoJo is everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner but didn’t realize. He’s warm and sweet and we have so much in common…” Amelia trails off, knowing her face must be crimson. She’s never said it out loud before, but here she is, about to reveal it all to a complete stranger in another country. “Uh…and there, as I’m sure you can see, is the problem. Mack might not be in love with JoJo—but I am.”

She sits up a little straighter. “I said it, and the world didn’t end. I’m in love.” Her shoulders slump. “But I have no idea what to do now.”

“Well…right now?” Shaunna swiftly secures the last piece of foil, intervening before Amelia’s mood nosedives through the floor. “I propose another cuppa while Mr. Schwarzkopf works his magic.” She thumbs at the storeroom door. “There’s a packet of chocolate digestives in there with our name on it. That is, if you eat biscuits—oh, they’re something else, aren’t they? Cookies. Chocolate digestives are delish, especially when you dip ’em in your tea, and…that’s all the advice I’m giving. Dunk your digestives. I could also tell you a story about a friend of mine who fell in love when he was seventeen and didn’t realise for twenty years. Imagine that! So you’re not doing so badly, and of course, we could all see he was in love, so maybe JoJo already knows?”

Amelia smiles. “Chocolate anything sounds awesome right now. And someone who was in love for twenty years and didn’t know? That’s…wow. Well, I sure hope there’s time for that story.” She slides off her chair. “Honestly, JoJo knows. I think he’s been waiting for me to say it. How we’re going to make it work with Mack between us is anyone’s guess. But at least I know I can tell JoJo the truth, the thing I’ve been too chicken to say.” She wonders if being real with both of them will make it easier. Hiding didn’t seem to do anything other than make all of them miserable. If only she knew a way they could all have what they needed. Maybe in time.

Any further talk about their “unconventional” love lives is put on hold when Hayley re-joins them. “Oh! Tea and bic-bics? Don’t mind if I do!” She leaves Shaunna little choice, but perhaps it’s for the best. Hayley’s wonderful, but she has her limits, not to mention it’s virtually impossible to talk over the shower’s spray as Shaunna rinses the bleach from Amelia’s hair. As for the dryer—a pneumatic drill couldn’t be any more intrusive, but at last silence reigns once more. It’s the moment of truth, those few seconds when, even after all these years, Shaunna’s so nervous her hands shake. God, I hope she likes it.

Amelia stares at her reflection so long she’s afraid Shaunna will think she hates it. It’s exactly the opposite. Her hair is shorter than it was, but not so much she can’t still throw it in a ponytail for work. Now, though, the soft chestnut waves frame her round face. The highlights accentuate the natural shades of her hair, and the strands almost glow as she turns her head back and forth in an effort to see it all. She lets out a tiny gasp and reaches up, but she doesn’t want to touch it and ruin anything, so she drops her hand.

“Oh,” she says. “It’s amazing. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” Phew! Shaunna conceals her relief with a smile that’s genuine enough but a little beyond her control. Funny how some clients have this effect on her—not so much that they’re more important than the rest, but she feels a connection here, an affinity. Likeminded women brought together by chance.

They’re finishing their second cup of tea and the biscuits when the door opens, and Amelia pauses mid-laugh to wave to her friends. She loves the way Marlie’s jaw drops, and Amelia shakes her head just a little to make her wavy hair sway.

Marlie turns to Nia. “I knew I should’ve made an appointment too! That right there is pure hair magic.”

Nia shrugs. “I think your cousin would understand if you wanted to come back here. Also, she freaking told you that already, but you didn’t listen.” Nia steps closer to Amelia. “Your friend know anyone with that skill who can take care of afro-texture hair?”

“Ask her yourself,” Amelia says. Turning to Shaunna, she says, “These are my friends, Marlie and Nia. Guys, this is Shaunna, worker of hair miracles.”

“Lovely to meet you.” Shaunna smiles at the newcomers, and Amelia is struck again by how beautiful she is. And by how it’s too bad she’s all the way on another continent usually.

On the other hand, there is social media. Amelia notes that Marlie is, in fact, pulling out her phone, likely to schedule her own appointment. Which means another trip here, something for which Amelia isn’t sorry in the least. She feels a bit bad for Nia, though she knows her friend has a stylist back home practically on speed-dial.

“So,” Amelia says, trying to be casual. “Shaunna, maybe I can find you online? You know, stay in touch.” She allows one teeny, tiny almost-wink, even though she’s positive Shaunna’s not interested.

“Fab!” Shaunna doesn’t need asking twice. She whips out her phone too. “Okay…” Yay for social media.Amelia is gorgeous and fun, and yes, Shaunna’s nosey; she’ll hold her hands up if pressed. But she also wants to hear all about the wedding. She wants to see how things pan out for Amelia and her guys. More than anything, she hopes she’s made a new friend.

The End

About A.M. Leibowitz

A.M. Leibowitz is a queer spouse, parent, feminist, and book-lover falling somewhere on the Geek-Nerd Spectrum. They keep warm through the long, cold western New York winters by writing about life, relationships, hope, and happy-for-now endings. Their published fiction includes several novels as well as a number of short works, and their stories have been included in anthologies from Supposed Crimes, Witty Bard, and Mischief Corner Books. In between noveling and editing, they blog coffee-fueled, quirky commentary on faith, culture, writing, books, and their family.

Find A.M. Leibowitz online:

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/amymitchell29

Facebook Author Page:https://www.facebook.com/UnchainedFaith/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/amyunchained

Pinterest:https://pinterest.com/amyunchained

Website:http://amleibowitz.com

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8544236.A_M_Leibowitz

About Debbie McGowan

Debbie McGowan is an author and publisher based in a semi-rural corner of Lancashire, England. She writes character-driven, realist fiction, celebrating life, love and relationships. A working class girl, she ‘ran away’ to London at seventeen, was homeless, unemployed and then homeless again, interspersed with animal rights activism (all legal, honest ;)) and volunteer work as a mental health advocate. At twenty-five, she went back to college to study social science—tough with two toddlers, but they had a ‘stay at home’ dad, so it worked itself out. These days, the toddlers are young women (much to their chagrin), and Debbie teaches undergraduate students, writes novels and runs an independent publishing company, occasionally grabbing an hour of sleep where she can.

Find Debbie McGowan online:

Website:debbiemcgowan.co.uk

Newsletter Signup:eepurl.com/b8emHL

Blog:deb248211.blogspot.com

Facebook:facebook.com/DebbieMcGowanAuthorand facebook.com/beatentrackpublishing

Twitter:@writerdebmcg

YouTube:youtube.com/deb248211

Instagram:instagram/writerdebmcg

Google+:plus.google.com/+DebbieMcGowan

Tumblr:writerdebmcg.tumblr.com

LinkedIn:uk.linkedin.com/in/writerdebmcg

Goodreads:goodreads.com/DebbieMcGowan

Author Interview: Debbie McGowan

Books, Writing

Happy Thursday! Today I have the privilege of interviewing Debbie McGowan, whose novel The Making of Us just released a couple of days ago. I reviewed it, and you can read that here. It’s a fabulous #OwnVoices novel with a lot of great themes. Check out our conversation below, and then go read the book!

*Note: The interview questions have been edited for clarity, but the author’s answers have not been changed.

Welcome! I’m completely tempted just to talk about my favorite books and characters (oh, Josh…), but I don’t think anyone wants my opinions. They’d rather get to know you better. For starters, what are some of the jobs besides writer that you’ve held?

This might take a while…

My first job – aside from delivering newspapers – was as an ice cream vendor, in a kiosk in Southport (rain or shine…mostly rain) and in the Victorian Sea Bathing Lake, which is no more. It was amphitheatre-shaped with raked seating all around the oval pool, which had a dark-painted strip through the middle to demarcate the ‘shark-infested waters’ – the deep bit. No sharks, but swimming when you can’t see the bottom is a bit scary! Other memories from that job…adding blue-raspberry slush syrup to the Mr. Whippy machine to make blue ice cream (we weren’t supposed to, but it was a commercial success), floating on my back at the end of a long shift with the lustrous, mellow tones of George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’ filling the air, and reading Nineteen Eighty-Four in November in a kiosk on the coastal road. Br-r-r-r.

The bit about adding the blue syrup cracks me up. I think my 13-year-old would approve. What else have you done?

I’ve also been a care assistant (and planned to train as a nurse, but changed my mind), a cashier in a timber yard, a mental health/learning disabilities advocate, a groundsperson, an unofficial (and unqualified) music therapist, a bartender, a high school teacher and a university lecturer (which is still my salaried job).

And I thought I had a lot of jobs in my history! Goodness. Speaking of history, tell us a bit about your cultural and ethnic background.

I’m white English working class. In the UK, class and nationality are significant to our identity. Some people identify as ‘British’, and there are some aspects of culture that are referred to as ‘British’ but are, in fact, examples of the English claiming sovereignty over the other parts of the UK. Except for tea-drinking. It’s a national pursuit – in Eire (The South of Ireland) and all the constituent parts of the UK.

My heritage is a mix of Scottish, Irish and English; my Scottish paternal great-grandfather (one Ebenezer John Black McGowan) and his Irish wife moved from Dumfriesshire, Scotland, to Liverpool, North-West England. My maternal ancestry is a mix of Liverpudlians and ‘Moonrakers’ (from Wiltshire in the south-west of England), and I’ve managed to trace back as far as an army captain by the name of Robert Deangeli in the 1400s whose name was anglicised from Italian (because of Henry VIII’s Anglican Church) to Angell.

With that genetic mix, I have the dark colouring (brown-black hair, brown eyes, olive skin) typical of many in Liverpool (which had a lot of Irish settlers) and Ireland – and maybe the Italian influence? If he had really dominant genes.

I can understand that. My own background is fairly mixed, which isn’t uncommon here in the U.S. Sadly, I seem to have gotten the pasty-pale genes and not the lovely southern Italian ones in my family. So how does this all factor into your writing?

That’s one aspect that informs my writing – the Irish influence. But also, the UK is a mix of so many different cultures, and that mix varies from place to place. I try to reflect that diversity in my writing; my stories feature characters from the UK’s closest neighbours as well as the nations within ‘the union’, and of various ethnicities and religious backgrounds. I love that richness of culture in the UK, and I hope to convey that through my stories, because it’s fantastic.

I can’t speak to it as an insider, but from my perspective, you seem to have succeeded at integrating a wide range. While we’re on the subject, what cultural value do you see in storytelling?

Storytelling is so important. I feel like that should be in capital letters. Yes, stories are fiction, but they represent our lived reality, and the world is changing so quickly. Like, for instance, I read something recently where the character flipped open their phone, and it made me smile; Nige had a flip phone and he was far too excited about it, because it was like a Star Trek communicator.

Ha! I remember those. My first cell was a flip phone, and I may possibly have enjoyed it for the same reason. In one of mine, I had to figure out how a non-verbal character might use texting without words. But I had to work in a pre-emoji setting! How do we connect readers who may be unfamiliar with those times and places?

Stories link the past, present and future in ways that transcend time. Another example: a few younger people who’ve read When Skies Have Fallen (my historical novel about two WWII airmen who fall in love) commented in their reviews that they hadn’t realised what it was like for LGBT+ people during that era, and again, it’s a fictional story, but I grounded it in fact, because those facts are so important. In democratic societies, rights can be taken away as easily as they can be granted, and if we forget what went before…well, we mustn’t.

That’s really interesting because I sometimes find that people now don’t even really know the more recent history, let alone as far back as WWII. So how do we pass this knowledge on?

Regardless of the genre, storytelling is our legacy. We live in a throwaway culture where everything is disposable or digital, but as long as there are stories, we will have a record of what it is like for us, here and now, how we think about the past and what we imagine for the future.

Unless a coronal mass ejection wipes out our hard drives, of course…

I sure hope that doesn’t happen! Let’s talk about something else I know is really dear to you—animals. First, and most important: Cats or dogs?

Both!

Do you have any pets, then?

Two dogs, one cat.

Our first cat moved in last year, and he’s friendlier than the dogs (this is what happens when you live with a border collie and former street dog). He’s ginger, but he’s not called Jinja. He’s called George.

Aw, they are so adorable. Related to that, and I already know the answer to this (though other readers may not), what’s a charity or cause you support?

Animal welfare – I donate regularly to the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA – who kept my epileptic dog alive when we were poor) and The Dogs Trust (rescue/rehoming). I also donate to a rescue for disabled dogs at Christmas (instead of sending out Christmas cards) because dogs on wheels are great! (see below)

Also, all of the pets my characters have are rescue animals – that’s how strongly I support the cause.

Yes! I’m not sure if you knew this, but your various writings about rescue pets inspired me to include a disabled dog in my Christmas story last year. So much of your work and that of other authors has influenced me quite a lot. Who has inspired you the most?

Goody – my dog who passed away in 2012. She lost the use of her back legs due to a degenerative disorder and spent two years getting around on wheels. She didn’t care; she just lived in the moment. She taught me how to do the same.

She’s beautiful, and that is definitely inspiring! Thank you so much for chatting. I’m looking forward to seeing whatever you’ve got coming up next.

Review: Reunions (Hiding Behind the Couch #7) by Debbie McGowan

Books, Reviews

About the Book

Title: Reunions

Series: Hiding Behind the Couch (#7)

Author: Debbie McGowan

Categories: Contemporary/general fiction

Publisher: Beaten Track

Publication date: 19 April, 2017

Length: 808 pages/240k words

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30975954-reunions

Synopsis

When greed, fear and obsession rule the senses, danger is never more than a heartbeat away.

A night of celebration affords the perfect opportunity for an unlikely band of criminals to make their move, but as details emerge, it soon becomes clear the crime is far more sophisticated than the police first thought.

And that’s only the beginning.

* * * * *

Reunions is Season Seven in the Hiding Behind The Couch series.

This instalment follows chronologically from Two By Two (Season Six) and Those Jeffries Boys.

* * * * *

WARNING: this story touches on themes of suicide ideation, sudden infant death, cancer, dementia, drug dependency and dissociative PTSD. These are not graphically or gratuitously depicted, but may, nonetheless, cause distress to some readers.

The story also includes a few brief scenes of an intimate (non-explicit) nature.

Purchase Links

Beaten Track [paperback] | Beaten Track [eBook] | Amazon | Amazon UK | Smashwords

Review

Note: I pre-read a copy of this novel, but to my knowledge, there are no large changes to the plot or structure. This review does not contain spoilers.

If the length of the novel seems intimidating, don’t let it fool you. There’s enough going on to keep readers’ interest all the way through. Although I highly recommend starting this series from the beginning (many things will make a lot more sense), in theory, this could be read alone. There are spoilers for the entire rest of the series, but readers who don’t care about that should be able to catch up easily. A lot of it is briefly recapped in the text. If nothing else, it might spark an interest in the rest.

This is a novel which reads almost like a television series, and it works perfectly every time. The sections are divided into “episodes,” and there’s a season-long plot thread with two converging strands. It’s partially a mystery which unfolds as the story goes on. We start off knowing (mostly) whodunnit, but there’s more than meets the eye. I loved this arc because we’re introduced (and re-introduced) to some fantastic side characters. I would love to see what ultimately happens to them, but I’m equally content to let their storylines be. I thought that plot strand was fantastic in showing how someone gets wrapped up in something he shouldn’t and the intricacies of leaving a non-romantic/non-intimate abusive relationship.

And speaking of romance and intimacy, there’s plenty of love going on. There are a lot of couples, and as much as each character has a personality, they also have a “couple personality.” I’ve enjoyed the developments and changes between them over time. There’s a range of heat levels to the intimate scenes, all while keeping them understated and low-detail. I appreciate this because I think in this context, it would become tedious reading multiple explicit sex scenes. I would rather not spoil previous books for anyone who hasn’t read them, so I won’t outline the pairings. I will say that there are couple-related storylines which held me emotionally captive for being so real and exposed.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Josh. I started reading these books because I liked him so much and had to know more about him. I found it interesting that he seemed to take less center stage in this one than in previous books. Not that he didn’t have plenty of page time, but it was almost like he stepped back just a little bit. This is all right with me, as I’ve now become attached to everyone else and will gladly read about any of them. That said, one of the sub-plots involving Josh and his family grabbed my attention because it involved some tough decisions by the adults regarding the teenagers. It was quite well done, enough that I asked my own teenager/pre-teen how they would handle such a situation with a friend.

There’s a lot of really good social commentary throughout, from a wide range of ages and perspectives. There are some heavy themes, as detailed in the content note on the synopsis. As with the intimacy and the mild/infrequent violence, they’re not explicit or heavy-handed. Everything is carefully crafted to give readers a good experience rather than played for shock or to upset. Still, handle with care, as these things may bring up strong feelings. I hope that they also stir compassion for the various things the characters are dealing with.

I’m already feeling a bit of loss that I finished; I’d like more. I don’t think I’ll ever be tired of reading about these people.

For characters who are like family, deep and broad emotional range, and excellent writing, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

About the Author

Author, publisher, social scientist. My academic specialism is gender and sexual politics and identity, so you can expect this to crop up now and then in my writing too! Not in an “in your face” kind of way – subtlety wins hearts and minds.

I write character-based/driven fiction – mostly general/contemporary, some (M/M, F/M, N-B) romance and a bit of sci-fi fantasy (light). Basically, I write about life. I’ve written a few stand alone novels and short stories, but my main work is the Hiding Behind The Couch series, which these days I’m referring to as a literary soap opera. Each novel/novella concludes, but there are always a few loose ends to be picked up and threaded on to the next instalment. There are longer threads and shorter threads.

Novels and short novellas are stand-alone and can be read individually, or as part of the series.
I know readers find it hard to navigate a series, so here it is in order (November, 2016):

Beginnings
Ruminations
Class-A
Hiding Behind The Couch (Season One)
No Time Like The Present (Season Two)
The Harder They Fall (Season Three)
Chain of Secrets
Crying in the Rain
First Christmas
In The Stars Part I (Season Four)
Breaking Waves
In The Stars Part II (Season Five)
A Midnight Clear
Red Hot Christmas
Two By Two (Season Six)
Hiding Out
Those Jeffries Boys
The WAG and The Scoundrel
Breakfast at Cordelia’s Aquarium
Reunions (Season Seven)

I also run a socialist (profit share) independent publishing company: Beaten Track Publishing.

Social Media

Featured Book and Review: Where the Grass Is Greener

Books, Reviews

Oh, my goodness, I can’t wait to tell you all about this one. In case you didn’t know, my “other hat” is as a book reviewer. I don’t always feature what I’ve read, since it’s up on the review web site already. Sometimes, though, I think a book or author deserves a special spot on my own blog. In this case, it’s both—I have a huge fangirl crush on Debbie McGowan and Raine O’Tierney, both separately and together (hey—no reading more into that than I intended!). They’re on my short list of authors who pretty much have me at “hello.” They write something, and I put it on my pre-order list. If I could tell you All the Things about this book, I would. But then you’d be here all day, and you wouldn’t get the chance to read it.

Author Name: Debbie McGowan & Raine O’Tierney

Book Name: Where the Grass is Greener

Release Date: September 28, 2015

Pages or Words: 75,000 words

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Cowboy

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Debbie McGowan

Mistakes were made, that’s for sure. But was it the night of passion? Or walking away afterward?

That’s the question Seamus Williams must face when he gets a late night phone call from someone he never expects to hear from again.

“I miss you, Shay.”

Chancey Bo Clearwater is a cowboy through and through. He spends his days finding work on whatever ranch will take him and his nights at the pool hall. He’s always done what needed doing and never thought much about what he wanted. ’Til that drunken night with Seamus.

A world of problems now stand between Seamus and Chancey exploring what might have been, the least of which being the Atlantic Ocean. On one side there’s Chancey’s daughter who mood swings from angel to demon in two seconds flat; on the other there’s the new lodger, hogging Shay’s telly and his cornflakes, and making private Skype time hard to come by.

Is this relationship doomed before it ever begins? Or can a surprise announcement from Seamus’s brother be enough to help the two find their second chance?

Where the Grass is Greener features Seamus Williams – the older brother of Patrick from Leaving Flowers.

There is no possible way either of these authors could write something I wouldn’t enjoy–at least, I haven’t found anything to date. This is no exception. I loved it from page one, and I couldn’t put it down.

I’m not usually one for very manly men, but Chancey and Seamus are not your typical Guy-Guy Super Manly Dudes. Both are refreshingly masculine without falling into stereotypes of how “real” men are supposed to behave. Some of that may be cultural, of course. I’m not really sure how Irish men are socially expected to behave. I loved that Seamus was thoughtful and emotionally warm. Chancey’s heart walked around outside his body in the form of his teenage daughter, and I loved their relationship.

Speaking of…the secondary characters were wonderful. I often feel a book is only as good as the secondaries, and despite how the main focus was on Chancey and Seamus keeping up their long-distance love, the people around them were equally delightful. Dee is probably my favorite, mostly because she reminded me of a wicked combination of my own kids. I wouldn’t mind at all reading another story with her in it. And of course I was thrilled to see Patrick and Aiden (from Leaving Flowers), even if only briefly. Kaylee was wonderfully awful, though I did feel bad for Dee. I’m not usually one for the Horrible Ex Wife trope, but since there are other girls and women in the story who more than make up for Kaylee’s flaws, it’s all right.

I was tickled pink to see a relationship between two bisexual men. Having just one bi guy is a treat, but two? That was just plain fabulous. The love between them was a nice combination of slow realization while still being intense. Some of their exchanges were priceless as they both processed through a host of new feelings. Really nicely done.

What I love most is the way the story is seamlessly blended. It’s rare to find co-authors whose style completes each other so perfectly. Raine leans toward the sweet gentleness of healing and hope, while Debbie is invested in the psychology of the characters. In this story, I believe that’s what made both men so well-rounded.

While there were one or two moments that sort of had me raise my eyebrows for bordering on not-quite-believable, that’s okay–this is a story, after all, and sometimes what’s needed is a little bit of fairy tale possibility. If you’re looking for a well-written story that reads the way comfort food tastes, this is the one. It’s not necessary to read the first one beforehand, but it does help. And when you’re done, absolutely be sure to read everything else these authors have written. You’ll just have to take my word for it.

My rating: 5 fountain pens

“You’re quiet today, Seamus. What’s up?” the landlord asked.

“Just tired, is all. Got a leaky roof and the fecker was drippin’ all the damn night. And didn’t I get up this morning and kick the bucket?”

“You look alive and well to me, so you do. I say well…you look like shite.”

“Yeah, thanks very much. Think I’ll go join the lads, see if I can’t get a few more insults thrown at me.”

Seamus gave the landlord a wry grin and went over to the others, who were already well into the first of the three games they got in every lunchtime. He watched one of them take a bad shot and accidentally pot the black, the clunking of the ball as it rolled its way through the machinery of the table setting Seamus’s teeth on edge. John was right: he was dog-tired and probably did look like shite. He’d barely slept after the missed call, trying to decide whether to return it or not. His mind played tricks on him, one minute convincing him it was urgent and he should call back, the next telling him to stay strong. He’d made the move. He’d come back to Ireland. That’s what he’d wanted all along.

He had wanted it. Ever since Mam died, his sights had been set on coming home. He’d only stayed for Paddy’s sake, and now Paddy had Aidan there was nothing to keep Seamus in the States, although he was no further away from his brother now than he had been in Kansas. Never mind that he’d already made the decision before he knew Aidan even existed. No. It was a good decision. He was just—

He already knew, before he pulled his phone from his pocket: same Kansas number, same caller. His thumb hovered over the red button. Reject the call. Reject the call.

He answered.

“Seamus Williams.”

“At last! I thought I was calling a wrong number. Man, it’s so good to hear your voice.”

“Er, yeah. Yours too. What’s up? Has something happened?”

“Nothing new. I just…”

The rapid-hard thump of Seamus’s heart filled the pause, two seconds, three, four, and more. He drew breath to speak, but there was nothing to be said. Or nothing he should say.

“I miss you, Shay.”

***

The first call had been a drunk dial. Thank the heavenly father that Seamus Williams hadn’t picked up. Lord, the shit that might have come tumbling out of Chancey’s mouth. Now he was dead sober, but only slightly more composed. Had he really just said he’d missed Seamus? He tried for a laugh. It sounded as fake as it felt. Well he had missed Seamus. Nothin’ wrong with that.

“You gonna say somethin’?” He knew he was putting on the accent. Drawing out his vowels, droppings his g’s. His grandmother—who was from south Texas and who had an accent so deep it was digging itself a hole to the centre of the Earth—used to yell at him when he’d get lazy with his words.

You jus’ sound ign’rant, Chancey Bo Clearwater. Full name, cue snickering cousins, and young Chancey sank down low in his chair, ashamed at the way he sounded despite the fact they all talked just alike. The accent followed him when he moved to Oklahoma, where he picked up a whole set of strange ‘O’s, and even having lived in Kansas now for the better part of his life, it was still there underneath, just waiting to crop up in stressful situations.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you, that’s all.”

“Surprise.” He was trying for friendly, for calm. Trying to keep the I wanna put my fist through the wall and did you really mean to let me find out through Lulu? out of his voice.

“Isn’t this call costing you a million dollars?”

“Skype. On my phone. I bought minutes, y’know?”

“Is that right then?”

“But I didn’t think. It’s probably charging you too.”

“It’s fine.”

Is it? Seamus sure as hell wasn’t saying much. There was a long pause as Chancey considered his next move. He’d called because he’d wanted to talk. Not talk. Not like that. Nothing to say on that front. Seamus had made it all as clear as crystal dropped in the mud when he’d left his parting message with Lulu down at the pool hall, Rack ’Em. In a last-ditch effort, Chancey said the only thing he could think: “Boss Tina asked after you the other day when I went around for work.”

That got a laugh out of Seamus, which gave Chancey more relief than he cared to admit.

DEBBIE McGOWAN is an author and publisher based in a semi-rural corner of Lancashire, England. She writes character-driven, realist fiction, celebrating life, love and relationships. A working class girl, she ‘ran away’ to London at seventeen, was homeless, unemployed and then homeless again, interspersed with animal rights activism (all legal, honest ;)) and volunteer work as a mental health advocate. At twenty-five, she went back to college to study social science— tough with two toddlers, but they had a ‘stay at home’ dad, so it worked itself out. These days, the toddlers are young women (much to their chagrin), and Debbie teaches undergraduate students, writes novels and runs an independent publishing company, occasionally grabbing an hour of sleep where she can.

RAINE O’TIERNEY wants to change the world…one sweet story at a time.

Known as “The Queen of the Sweetness” (well, a few people have said it anyway!) Raine loves writing sweet, character-driven stories about first loves, first times, fidelity, forever-endings and…friskiness? In addition to her solo works, she’s one half of a collaborative team with author Debbie McGowan.

When she’s not writing, Raine is either playing video games or fighting the good fight for intellectual freedom at her library day job. She believes the best thing we can do in life is be kind to one another, and she enjoys encouraging fellow writers.

Contact her if you’re interested in talking about point-and-click adventure games or discussing which dachshunds are the best kinds of dachshunds!

Debbie’s Social Media Links

Twitter: twitter.com/writerdebmcg
Facebook: facebook.com/DebbieMcGowanAuthor and facebook.com/beatentrackpublishing
YouTube: youtube.com/deb248211
Tumblr: writerdebmcg.tumblr.com
LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/writerdebmcg
Google+: plus.google.com/+DebbieMcGowan
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/4401329.Debbie_McGowan
Website: debbiemcgowan.co.uk

Raine’s Social Media Links

Homepage: Raineotierney.com
LGBT Author Interviews: raineotierneyhatparty.blogspot.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/RaineOTierneyAuthor
Twitter: twitter.com/RaineOTierney
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/7770350.Raine_O_Tierney

HIGHLIGHTS: A Short Story