Blog Tour: Trust the Connection by Brigham Young (Guest Post+Review+Exclusive Excerpt+Giveaway)

Title: Trust the Connection

Author Name: Brigham Vaughn

Tagline: Scars run deep but run loves even deeper.


Summary:

After a lifetime of being told he’s worthless, Evan Harris is forced out of the closet and the only home he’s ever known. Jobless and homeless, he makes a desperate call to a couple he barely knows. They give him a place to stay at their place in Atlanta while he gets back on his feet. But he’s too shy to explore the big city and go after what he wants: a relationship.

Physically and emotionally scarred from a devastating car accident, Jeremy Lewis struggles to reconcile the brash, outgoing man he used to be with the social recluse he’s become. He’s resigned himself to being alone, but an encounter with an ex-boyfriend shakes up his dull existence and brings Evan into his life.

Loneliness draws Evan and Jeremy to each other, but a strong mutual attraction isn’t enough. At thirty-six, Jeremy is convinced a relationship would be holding twenty-one-year-old Evan back.

Evan must be strong enough to fight for what he wants and Jeremy must let someone close enough to see his scars. Otherwise, they’ll miss out on the love of a lifetime.

NOTE: This story was previously published as a two-volume serial under the titles of “Connection” and “Trust”. Minor updates have been made but the story is essentially unchanged.

This is a re-release.

Publisher: Two Peninsulas Press (Indie/Self-Published)

Publication Date: November 20, 2018

Word Count /or Page Number: 145,480 words/425 pages

Formats/Price: eBook - $5.99 (Available on KU)

Buy Links:

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/TrustTheConnection

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42630972-trust-the-connection

I’ll be the first to admit, I love organization. It makes my little heart happy to see everything neat and tidy and in its place. That doesn’t mean I’m always great at it.

Now, my spices are in matching jars and alphabetized *coughs* nerd *coughs*. But for a long time I struggled with my writing. There are so many pieces to keep track of. Especially because I always have multiple projects going at once and on top of my solo work, I co-write with K. Evan Coles.

I tried various online calendars for years and no matter how hard I pushed to make them work, I ultimately failed every single time. In the end, digital organizers are too easy for me to ignore. I can, and will, ignore them.

So I tried a paper planner. I love it for keeping track of things like holidays and plans with friends. It’s brilliant for that. But when I tried to add in my writing tasks, it quickly got cluttered. Plus writing in pen felt so final and I often need to tweak things a little. The weekly planner section still works beautifully for tracking daily/weekly word counts but I needed something MORE for the rest.

I dated someone this summer who worked in a law office. He’s constantly dealing with shifting deadlines and when I told him about my struggle, he suggested I try a large calendar that used sticky notes in different colors to designate different phases of each book. It was the PERFECT solution.

I found an 18 month calendar and bought a rainbow of sticky notes. I designated a color for each stage of production (writing, beta reading, editing, release, promotion, etc.) and wrote the name of the book on the sticky note. I’ve been using this system for about three months and I love it. I have a rough plan mapped out on the calendar that goes through June and it’s an infinitely flexible system. If I get a little ahead or behind, I can shift my sticky notes around and I can always add, delete, or tweak them.

It makes me feel 100% more on top of things. At a glance, I can tell what’s coming up next and what I should be focusing on. And best of all, it sits right next to my desk and I don’t ignore it!

I think I need to develop a similar or complimentary system for promotion and marketing. That’s a schedule I’m still struggling to master. I haven’t worked out the details yet, but I am letting some ideas marinate in my brain.

And hopefully someday I’ll be able to say that my writing is every bit as organized as my spices!


Exclusive Excerpt:

Jeremy awoke to a hand on his shoulder, and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Evan’s face. He felt a sense of relief and familiarity that surprised him.

“We’re here.”

Blinking, Jeremy scrubbed his face with his hands as he tried to put the pieces together. Evan sat back, and the sight of the steering wheel finally made it all come together. “Shit, sorry.” Jeremy’s voice came out raspy, and he winced when he stretched. If riding in cars was bad, sleeping in them was worse.

Evan reached for the door handle, and Jeremy did the same, looking around as he hoisted himself out of the car and trying not to let his knee buckle from the pain. He gritted his teeth until it went away, then limped over to Evan, who stood by the trunk of the car. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

Shrugging, Evan opened the trunk. “I was surprised you felt safe enough with me driving to sleep.”

“I trust you, Evan.” There was a weird intensity in his voice, and he had to clear his throat. Evan glanced up, one hand frozen on the suitcase handle.

He blinked at Jeremy for a moment before his mouth turned up at the corners in a small smile. “That means a lot to me.” They stared at each other for a long moment before Evan looked down, yanking the suitcase out of the trunk. “How’s your leg?”

“Sore,” Jeremy admitted. “But nothing to worry about. Thanks.”

They wheeled their suitcases from the parking area up to the entrance of the hotel. Rather than the massive resort Jeremy had expected, it was smaller, cozier. The lobby had gleaming wood floors and little clusters of chairs and couches, one of which sat in front of a fireplace. Although far from ostentatious, Jeremy knew it was well out of his budget, as well as Evan’s. He doubted either of them could afford a night there, maybe an hour or two at most.

Leave it to Stephen to pay for an all-inclusive destination wedding for all the people he cared about. Jeremy found it funny to be included in that group after so long, but he appreciated that Stephen did care and wanted him to be a part of such an important day. He was glad he’d changed his mind about coming and not just because he was trying to win Evan back. Stephen was a good man. He deserved to find happiness with Russ.

Jeremy reached the check-in desk first, and Evan hung back a little as the hotel clerk welcomed them.

“We’re here for the Parker-Bishop wedding,” Jeremy said.

He assumed Stephen had vetted the place pretty thoroughly to be sure they were gay-friendly, but he had wondered if everyone who worked here would treat them well. Thankfully, this clerk was nothing but smiles. “Welcome! Can I get your name please?”

“Jeremy Lewis.”

She typed his name into the computer and handed a keycard to him. “You’ll be staying in room 209. One of the grooms’ credit cards is on file for both the room fees and any incidental costs. He asked me to assure you not to hesitate to charge something to the room if it was needed.”

Jeremy nearly rolled his eyes, but he nodded at her and took the key and hotel brochure she handed him.

Evan stepped forward. “Evan Harris. I’m here for the same wedding.”

She checked his name and handed over another keycard and brochure. “And that’s room 203 for you.”

She went through a brief spiel about the resort that Jeremy only half-listened to, then directed them to the elevators.

“There’s no way in hell I could have afforded this place,” Evan admitted as they walked away from the desk.

“Yeah, me either. I never did get used to how generous Stephen is with his money. Then again, I’m not sure anyone ever gets used to it,” Jeremy said, smiling.

“Except Russ,” Evan commented.

Jeremy laughed. “One would hope so.”

“Do you know when they’re supposed to get here?” Evan asked as the elevator whisked them up to the second floor.

“Yesterday, I think.”

Evan’s room was near the elevator, and Jeremy paused outside his door. “I don’t think we have to be anywhere until dinner tonight. Do you want to check out the island together?” Evan blinked at him, and Jeremy hurried to explain. “The only people I’m going to know here, apart from the grooms, are a couple of Stephen’s poker buddies. I met them years ago, but I can hardly say I know them. I’m afraid it’ll be pretty awkward. I figured you won’t really know anyone here either, so I thought maybe you’d want to do some stuff together.”

“Oh, sure. Sounds good.”

“I’ll get settled into my room then meet you back here, okay?”

“Okay.”

Christ, why is this so awkward?

4 Stars!

Trust the Connection is a re-release. Brigham Vaughn originally published it as two books which she now reworked into one longer novel, the content is mostly unchanged, so if it feels familiar that might be why.

I absolutely loved Evan from the moment we met him. My heart broke for him and the way his parents treated him. Especially his father, since he was the one who couldn't accept having a gay son, but also his mother, who by staying quiet was complicit of her husband's actions. Although she sort of redeemed herself in the end. Evan was hardworking and sweet and with the help of Russ and Stephen—two virtual strangers who gave Evan a hand and a place to live—he managed to pick up the pieces of his life and make something of himself.

Jeremy, on the other hand, took a lot longer to warm up to and frankly, I'm not sure I really did. I got that he was depressed after his accident and its sequels, but the way he would take it out on Evan and the people who tried to be his friends? No, just no. I really think Evan got the short end of the stick with him. Evan was such a lovely boy and I was rooting for him to just leave Jeremy and give Chris a chance. I know that's not my decision to make, but honestly? I don't mind the characters being flawed, but I want to see a growth in them, a light at the end of the tunnel if you will, not finding something like this in the epilogue: "Their relationship wasn't perfect, and sometimes, it was downright awful. There were a few times he'd wondered if it was worth it at all." I just think Evan deserved more than that.

I know this review sounds really negative, and maybe it is. It's not like I don't think that Jeremy and Evan can make it, it's that I think that Jeremy needs a whole lot more of work (and therapy) for their relationship to work. As it is, we just saw the start of his journey, of his change and I was kind of disappointed I wasn't privy to more. I cared about Evan and wanted more for him and that's something that doesn't happen to me with every character, so kudos to Ms. Vaughn for making me fall for Evan so hard.

I adored Russ and Stephen and their relationship. And I really liked Chris, who was closer to Evan's age and less bitter and jaded than Jeremy.

While I can't say I was blown away by this story, I did enjoy most of it. It's well-written and engaging, and even when Jeremy made me angry, well, I couldn't put it down because I needed to find out what was going to happen with him and Evan. So, give it a chance and let me know what you thought of it.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

Rafflecopter Giveaway:

Brigham Vaughn is offering a $20 Amazon Gift Card.


Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3961b99c4/?

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Author Bio:

Brigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time author. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

Her books range from short stories to novellas. They explore gay, bisexual, lesbian, and polyamorous romance in contemporary settings.

To stay up to date on her latest releases, sign up for the Coles & Vaughn Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dkyS7P

Social Media Links:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Brigham-Vaughn/448104198635015

Facebook Fan Group (Brigham’s Book Nerds): https://www.facebook.com/groups/brighamsbooknerds/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorBVaughn