Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6587
Blurb
Carter Evans is founder and editor-in-chief of Astounding!—a formerly popular spec fiction magazine currently in its death throes. Not only can he do nothing to save it, but stuck in a rathole apartment with few interpersonal connections, he can’t seem to do much to rescue his future either. And certainly all the booze isn’t helping. He snaps when he receives yet another terrible story submission from the mysterious writer J. Harper—and in a drunken haze, Carter sends Harper a rejection letter he soon regrets.
J. Harper turns out to be John Harper, a sweet man who resembles a ’50s movie star and claims to be an extraterrestrial. Despite John’s delusions, Carter’s apology quickly turns into something more as the two lonely men find a powerful connection. Inexplicably drawn to John, Carter invites him along on a road trip. But as they travel, Carter is in for some big surprises, some major heartbreak… and just maybe the promise of a good future after all.
Review
Oh, Kim Fielding, How do I love Thee? Let me Count the Ways!
I was so psyched to see this was a longer book. Her latest books have been novella length and though wonderful and meaty, I really wanted them to keep going!
Carter is an older guy who is still the editor for an aging magazine called Astounding! It’s spec fic and has been slowly dying in the face of electronic media.
He started it with his ex, now a famous author in another relationship, and stories written by the ex, as well as a few from new and aspiring authors keep the magazine hope alive.
Because the magazine is all he’s ever wanted and how he identifies himself, it’s demise is slowly killing Carter as well.
Once a month, Carter receives a truly awful story about aliens wanting to go home from a J. Harper. On the eve of shutting the magazine down, Carter sends a drunken rejection letter to J. Harper and immediately regrets his actions in the morning.
To make amends Carter drives from Seattle to Portland to meet J. Harper in person and to promise to publish a story in the last ever issue.
What he finds is Astounding! J.Harper is John Harper, an elegant 30 ish well built guy who looks vaguely like Tab Hunter (movie star from the 50s). He’s quaint, quiet, shy, sexy, has some serious sadness in his eyes and a very, very crazy story to tell.
Carter does not believe John tells his story, but goes along with it because he’s quite attracted to the man. They have a good night together and both figure they’ll never see the other again.
Carter’s ex asks Carter to go as a third or third and fourth on a camping trip to help Carter get out of his funk and he decides on the spur of the moment to pick up John for his fourth. John readily agrees and here’s where things really start to happen.
By the end of the camping trip everyone’s lives will be different and some major life decisions will have been made and all the good, gooey, emotional, phenomenal, fantastical and amazing details are well worth the read!
**
I Adored! This book. It was Amazing! Kim Fielding Always! provides us with well thought out and skillfully executed story lines and complex MCs. Carter is nowhere near perfect, but he is (as John tells us) truly a beautiful human and doesn’t appreciate how wonderful he really is.
Even the ex is a great guy (I loved the little side stories between the ex and his lover, the friends in Portland, the bookstore lady…) So much depth in this novel!
6 out of 5 hearts
