Those who follow my writing know that I don’t write a lot of contemporary MM romance stories. Most of my stuff is either paranormal or fantasy.  I also haven’t written anything for inclusion in an anthology.  So when I co-founded Wayward Ink Publishing with Lily Velden, it was suggested – nicely I’ll point out – that perhaps as a part owner of the company I might want to help the company along by writing something for inclusion in the anthology.  So I bucked two trends and agreed to write a story for the Love, Loss, Laughter & Lust anthology that came out on July 20, 2014. A Closed Door is my contribution to the anthology.   As I said, A Closed Door was a bit different for me. There is no magic, no wizards, no swords, no mental powers.  Just two people trying to coup with loss and their past.  Two warnings. There is no sex – while I know I don’t typically write sex scenes, this story just didn’t call for it.  Read it to see why.  The other warning is I’ve been told I made two readers cry.  So be warned. Orin Merritt is the main character. He returns to the remains of his childhood home after a tornado destroy it and took his parents lives.  He’s obviously devastated and while trying to cope with their loss, he has to confront his ex-best friend who is trying to make amends. In addition, he made a promise to his parents that he expected he’d have years to plan out, but with their death, he has to honor in the middle of his loss and confusion. I’m pleased with how the story came out – which probably doesn’t count for much because I wrote it, but I think it holds its own among some very good stories in the anthology.

Blurb:

We’ve all loved. We’ve all laughed. Sadly, we’ve also probably all known loss in one form or another. And, yes, we at Wayward Ink are sure we’ve all experienced lust! In Love, Loss, Laughter & Lust, you’ll experience one or more of the “L”s as we take you on a roller coaster of emotions. Whether you like to sigh over the sweet, cry for the broken-hearted, enjoy a good laugh, or get a little hot and bothered, there’s something for everyone in this collection.

A Closed Door

Part of the, Love, Loss, Laughter & Lust, Anthology from Wayward Ink Publishing

Orin Merritt left home after high school hoping to escape the hell his life had become since he’d been outted at thirteen.  When a tornado destroys his childhood home and kill his parents, Orin finds a new kind of hell. Blaming himself for failing the two people who always loved and supported him, he returns home and confronts his past in the person of his one time best friend, Thomas Kennett.  Thomas not only rejected Orin when he came out, he led the group that caused him to leave.  As he struggles to deal with his grief , he tried to fulfill a pledge he made to his parents before their death.  In the process, Orin learns that sometimes when you leave to find something, you might have left what you’re looking for behind.

Buy Links:

Wayward Ink Publishing: Amazon US:  Amazon AU: Amazon UK: Amazon Germany: Barnes and Noble: Kobo:

Giveaway:

As part of the release of the new Anthology, Wayward Ink is holding a giveaway.  Just click the code below for a chance to win a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card. Two people will also win a paperback copy of the book, and three people will win a WIP USB Extension Cord and Fridge Magnet.  There are 11 ways to enter and you can earn up to 20 chances to win. a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:

Andrew Q. Gordon wrote his first story back when yellow legal pads, ball point pens were common and a Smith Corona correctable typewriter was considered high tech. Adapting with technology, he now takes his MacBook somewhere quiet when he wants to write. He currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his partner of eighteen years, their young daughter and dog.  In addition to dodging some very self-important D.C. ‘insiders’, Andrew uses his commute to catch up on his reading. When not working or writing, he enjoys soccer, high fantasy, baseball and seeing how much coffee he can drink in a day and not get the shakes. You can find his books at Dreamspinner Press or on Amazon Follow Andrew on his website: www.andrewqgordon.com, On Facebook:  www.facebook.com/andrewqugordon, On Twitter:  @andrewqgordon, Or just email him: [email protected]