Title: Misinformation
Author: Keelan Ellis
Genre: M/M romance, bisexual
Length: ~70k words
Ethan Daniels, host of a popular conservative cable news program, has never thought of his bisexuality as a problem, though he has never acted on his attraction to men. Since his divorce, that desire has become more acute. When he meets Charlie Woods, his daughter’s first grade teacher, they have an instant spark, but Ethan hesitates to act. His contract is up for renewal, there are already rumors swirling about him because of a brief encounter from his past, and the last thing his employers want is for one of their stars to come out publicly.
Charlie avoids romantic entanglements because he prefers living on his own terms. He keeps love and sex completely separate, never seeing anyone more than a few times. Hooking up with a closeted celebrity like Ethan seems safe from emotional involvement, even if they have to keep their fledgling relationship secret.
The last thing they expect is to fall in love, but their strong mutual attraction moves them both to make changes neither of them thought they wanted or needed.
This is a romance somewhere between lighthearted and deep. While there’s plenty of humor and fun, there are also some serious issues highlighted. It’s a nice balance, making this a good read.
I have to admit, it took me a while to get into it. I started off feeling somewhat annoyed with Ethan’s behavior, which seemed really immature and out of left field just because he found his daughter’s teacher attractive. I also strongly disliked Charlie’s friend Janice. The way she spoke about her students was hateful, and I actually do not know any teachers (out of the many, many educators in my life, including former coworkers) who refer to their students as a**holes, b*tches, or little sh*ts. That was uncalled for and gross, and it was utterly unnecessary to the plot. Mercifully, Janice isn’t in the rest of the story much.
Once I was past that, the story picked up, and I began to enjoy it a lot. One thing I appreciated was that although there were a few jabs at Ethan’s bisexuality, they were minimal and corrected right away. There wasn’t a lot of drawn-out biphobia, and there weren’t pages and pages of Charlie’s insecurity about dating a closeted, inexperienced bisexual guy. He had his own issues, but they were not from those things in particular, which was refreshing. I don’t mind reading about the very real things bi people deal with, but sometimes it’s just nice to have a story not focused on them.
The plot moved along really well until near the end. The first 90% of the book is about Ethan and Charlie falling for each other and Ethan coming out in his conservative job. It takes place over about two months. The last 10% takes place over nearly two years. I found that pacing…odd. It made the end feel like it both dragged on too long and glossed over everything too fast. It simply didn’t fit with the rest, and I wish the story had either wrapped up sooner or ended with a “we don’t know what’s next, but we’ll make it” kind of thing.
Overall, I enjoyed it and thought it was well-written. Other than Janice, I loved every one of the side characters. The story would absolutely have been lacking without the various interesting people in Ethan and Charlie’s lives. I loved Deirdre, in part because I was afraid she might end up being in the “horrible ex wife” category but was pleasantly surprised at how great she was and how much respect Ethan had for her (and she for him).
For a fantastic cast, a sweet and steamy romance, and a fabulous bisexual character, this gets 8/10 fountain pens.
Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7840
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-misinformation-2046072-149.html
Keelan Ellis is an east coast girl for life, a progressive, a lover of music and musicians, a mother of two very challenging girls, a loyal though sometimes thoughtless friend, a slacker, a dreamer and a bad influence. She likes true crime podcasts, great television and expensive craft cocktails made by hipsters in silly vests.
Also by Keelan Ellis:
Novels:
I’ll Still Be There (Unfinished Business Book #1)
Anywhere You Go (Unfinished Business Book#2)
Short Stories:
Can’t Stand the Heat
Mug Shots
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellisauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13923273.Keelan_Ellis
Blog: http://keelanellis.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeelanEllisAuth
Today I’m welcoming Keelan Ellis to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Misinformation.
What inspired you to write this story?
I’ve always been interested in the experiences of public figures when they choose to come out. I’m a person who hates to have attention drawn to myself, so to do something so publicly that’s going to attract scrutiny and judgment seems so scary to me. The idea of doing it in an environment that is openly hostile is obviously even worse.
AM says: I agree! I can’t even imagine what that must be like for celebrities who choose to do it.
Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?
Ethan has a lot of me in him. His relationship with his ex-wife—the desire to give control of your life over to someone else, and then the resentment of that person once they take it—is a dynamic I have personal experience with. He had a lot of growing up to do, and he needed to do some of it on his own, even though it was a painful process.
AM says: Interesting. I remember being surprised when Ethan revealed that dynamic, but it made perfect sense.
What was the hardest part of writing this?
I had a hard time writing the right wing talk parts. I do pay a lot of attention to politics, and I hear some of the things that are said by conservative pundits, but I find it so uncomfortable trying to put myself in that mindset. I always have a problem when I have to write about a character who seems to me to be acting in a way that seems illogical.
AM says: Oh, wow. Now that’s one place where I have a lot of experience, but I can see why it would be awkward to try to get into that mindset.
Are there any types of scene you find hard to write (action, love, death, etc.)?
I have a difficult time with action scenes, for sure. They always end up feeling mechanical to me, rather than visceral and exciting. That’s not something I have to write very often, but when I do, I struggle with it.
AM says: I can definitely relate.
What do you do when you feel stuck (writer’s block)?
I take a break. I don’t know what else to do. It seems to happen every time I have a release approaching, and it freaks me out every time. I always think it’s never going to end and I have no more books in me, but so far it’s clicked back in. I think that when I’m thinking about a new release, writing posts for blog tours and all that stuff, it puts me very much in the head space of the book that’s coming out. There’s not much room for new stuff at that point.
AM says: I think that’s pretty common and understandable!
How do you handle a story that doesn’t go as you planned?
I go with the flow, because if the story is telling me something I feel like I should listen. It’s important to double check that I still have an end game in mind when that happens.
AM says: Definitely sounds like you’re able to flex with it.
Word Sprints!
- What’s your favorite book? Jane Eyre. I love it so much.
- What’s your favorite ice cream? There’s an ice cream place near me that makes black raspberry ice cream with these little raspberry chocolate truffle cups. It’s incredible.
- What genre (other than your own) do you like to read? I love mysteries. I grew up on them because my dad always had stacks of them lying around everywhere. I love Tana French and Laura Lippman especially, and they are auto-buys for me.
- As a kid, were you a Goody-Goody or a Wild Child? I was somewhat wild, but in a very non-confrontational way. I constantly did whatever I wanted, but tried pretty hard not to get caught. I didn’t like getting in trouble, but of course I did. I used to get detention on the regular and was suspended once for smoking in our school’s publication room. I went to a progressive Catholic school that gave us a lot of self-guided time, which I naturally abused. I didn’t have a lot of respect for other people’s rules that I thought were pointless. Of course, now that I have a teen and a tween of my own, I’m getting my karmic payback and more. It’s terrifying.
- What superpower do you wish you had? Teleportation. It’s really the only one I’d want. Flying seems scary and cold. Invisibility sounds awful because who wants to hear what people say about them when they’re not around? Mind-reading? A nightmare. But if I could go see my brother in Austin or my friend in Pittsburgh in the blink of an eye, I’d be the happiest girl alive.
Thanks for chatting, and I look forward to reading more in the future!
