Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. Readers can jump from one author to another who share hooks from their current WIP (work in progress) or any previously published books.
For this week’s edition of Book Hooks, I give you a teaser from my short story After the Snow Melts, a m/m young adult romance set in the decadent eighties.
He’s got to find a way to tell his best friend that he wants him—or lose him forever.
Rich, popular, and gorgeous Bryan Deschamps pines from afar for his best friend. He loathes the idea of helping Elliot score a date for the snow dance. With his time running out, Bryan must find a way to capture his buddy’s attention—and that means boldly leaving an anonymous card in his main man’s locker.
Grateful for Bryan’s friendship ever since he moved from his Ojibway community to Thunder Bay to attend high school, Elliot Wasacase can’t disclose his true feelings, or he’ll lose the one true friend he has. Upon discovering an unsigned card in his locker from an admiring dude, he’s terrified someone knows his secret but suspects the person might be Bryan.
When Bryan’s car breaks down, stranding them on top of the mountain during a snowstorm, the two must either take a leap of faith or let fear and clashing beliefs cost them what they truly desire.
Genre(s): Interracial, m/m contemporary romance, LGBT, young adult.
Heat Rating: Level 2
Publication Date: March 13, 2020
Publisher: eXtasy Books
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Elliot flipped at the combination of his lock.
Bryan held his breath. During second period, he’d used the washroom excuse to deliver the card through the vents in his best bud’s locker.
“She talked to me again.” Elliot grinned like some proud ‘banger having scored tickets to the Van Halen concert. He reached inside to switch out his books. “Hey… this wasn’t here before.” He reached down and retrieved the envelope.
“What is it?” Bryan kept his voice even.
He glanced around, but nobody paid them any mind. His classmates kept hurrying by to wherever they had to be.
“By the feel of it, I think it’s a card.” Elliot balanced his books in the crook of his arm and held the envelope in his free hand. “Do you think it’s from… Wait. It can’t be.” His dark eyes narrowed. “This is a dude’s handwriting.”
“Err… it is?” Hopefully Bryan’s reply sounded surprised. He leaned in to feign curiosity.
“Yeah.” Elliot tore at the envelope. He flipped open the card while still balancing his binder and textbooks. As his eyes moved back and forth, they grew wider. Then his cheeks darkened to a bright shade of red. “Uh… oh… it’s nothing.” He stuffed the card into his back pocket. “Someone… err… uh… inviting me to… uh… the chess… chess match next week.”
Bryan’s heart almost came to a full stop. Holy hell. Elliot wasn’t bagging on the card. He wasn’t hollering some loser guy was putting the moves on him. He was… oh geez, he was embarrassed, flattered, confused, scared?
“Cool,” Bryan managed to spit out through his size twelve tongue that had thickened to the girth of an elephant seal. “Way cool.”
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Maggie Blackbird 