A weekend retreat in the woods and an innocent game of three truths and a lie goes horribly wrong in this high-octane psychological thriller filled with romantic suspense by a Lambda Award–winning author.Deep in the forest, four friends gather for a weekend of fun.
Truth #1: Rob is thrilled about the weekend trip. It’s the perfect time for him to break out of his shell…to be the person he really, really wants to be.
Truth #2: Liam, Rob’s boyfriend, is nothing short of perfect. He’s everything Rob could have wanted. They’re perfect together. Perfect.
Truth #3: Maia has been Liam’s best friend for years…long before Rob came along. They get each other in a way Rob could never, will never, understand.
Truth #4: Galen, Maia’s boyfriend, is sweet, handsome, and incredibly charming. He’s the definitely of a Golden Boy…even with the secrets up his sleeves.
One of these truths is a lie…and not everyone will live to find out which one it is.
For the last twenty years, I have made my living writing just about everything that involves words.
My latest project is a trilogy of "new adult" novels called Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years. They're about a gay guy in his twenties, Russel Middlebrook, trying to make sense out of love and life.
The books in Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years are:
* The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know (book #1)
* Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams (book #2)
* The Road to Amazing (book #3)
I wrote previously about this character in a young adult series called the Russel Middlebrook Series. The first book in that series, my 2003 gay teen novel Geography Club, was adapted as a feature film in 2013, starring Scott Bakula, Marin Hinkle, Ana Gasteyer, Justin Deeley, and Nikki Blonsky.
In order, the books in The Russel Middlebrook Series are:
* Geography Club (book #1)
* The Order of the Poison Oak (book #2)
* Double Feature: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies (book #3)
* The Elephant of Surprise (book #4)
* Two Thousand Pounds Per Square Inch (a free short story)
For the record, I try hard to write books that people *like* to read. The most frequent comment I get from readers is that my books are "page-turners," which makes me very happy, because that is exactly what I want them to be. If I had to describe my own books, I would say, "Strong central concept, strong plot, strong character and voice, and usually lots of humor." (I may not always succeed in creating these things, but they're what I always strive for.)
My biggest complaint with books I hate is that they don't get to the point (or, worse, they don't have a point!). I get frustrated that so many books have a cliche or overdone central concept, or that they're all atmosphere and world-building (or "beautiful language," in the case of some literary novels) with no real story.
Basically, I see myself as a storyteller. I think the important thing for a writer is to get out of the way and just tell the damn story.
My second great love is screenwriting and playwriting. I've won lots of screenwriting awards and have several movie projects in very active development.
Meanwhile, my plays have been performed at dozens of theaters. And I adapted Geography Club into a stage play, which has now been produced all over the country.
In addition, I'm the co-host of a bi-weekly podcast, Media Carnivores, which covers media-related news and opinion (and also honest writing advice and updates on my career).
I sometimes teach writing, in the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College and elsewhere, and I'm sometimes available as an editor-for-hire.
And I also do a fair bit of charity work, including a brand new enterprise, The Real Story Safe Sex Project, using entertainment and pop culture to help gay teens and twentysomethings fight HIV/AIDS.
I live in Seattle, Washington, with my partner since 1992, Michael Jensen. Michael is also a writer, the author of two terrific gay westerns, Frontiers, and its sequel, Firelands. Together with our friend Sarah Warn, we co-founded a very successful entertainment website called AfterElton.com that was eventually acquired by MTV/Logo (but we don't work there anymore).
I answer all emails, so feel free to contact me through my website: BrentHartinger.com
It was a fast read but sadly I really didn't like the characters. There was something off about them. It really couldn't get into the book because of the characters. Maybe the next book will be better?
"All opinions are 100% honest and my own."
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