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The Scarecrow & George C. by Mia Kerick
Their road to trust is rocky and, at times, even dangerous.
Publisher: NineStar Press
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Release Date: June 3, 2019
Length: 214 pages
Pairing / Genre(s): Contemporary, LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance
Blurb
High school senior Van Liss is barely human. He thinks of himself as a scarecrow—ragged and unnerving, stuck, and destined to spend his life cold and alone. If he ever had feelings, they were stomped out long ago by his selfish mother and her lecherous boyfriend. All he’s been left with is bitter contempt, to which he clings.
With a rough exterior long used to keep the world at bay, Van spooks George Curaco, the handsome new frycook at the diner where he works. But George C senses there is more to the untouchable Van and refuses to stop staring, fascinated by his eccentricity. When Van learns that George C is even more cold, alone, and frightened than himself, Van welcomes him to his empty home. And ends up finding his heart.
Their road to trust is rocky and, at times, even dangerous. And looming evil threatens to keep them apart forever.
Fair warning: You may want to strap in. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
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* All proceeds of this book go to charity: True Colors United.
“True Colors United implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ young people.”
Excerpt
When he emerges from the bathroom, I can’t stifle a smirk. George C wears my white V-neck T-shirt. It’s quite snug on him, and my pink sweatpants cling to what many people would consider to be all the right places. People who are not Donovan Liss, the human freezer pop, according to our coworker, Walter. I’m surprised at how fit George C is. I’ve never noticed the shape of his body, mainly because I wasn’t looking and I don’t give a shit, but also because he wears baggy camo pants and oversized black T-shirts to work.
My smile fades when he lifts his arms to hang his used towel over the edge of the bathroom door. The T-shirt drifts up and exposes the damage those assholes did to his back. It’s mottled with deep purple bruises. In some places, his skin is broken and raw. I wonder how much of his body is covered with marks. “They kicked you?”
“Uh-huh. A couple times.” He grits his teeth when he sits on the other end of the couch, and I realize I’m no longer gritting mine. “You look nice,” he adds.
I look nice? In sweatpants? Maybe he’s not such a huge fan of scarecrows, after all. “Want something to drink?” I ask. It’s all I can think of to say.
“Water, please,” he replies. “You don’t have any Advil, do you?”
I go to the bathroom and pour water from the tap into two clear plastic cups I keep on the back of the toilet. Then I grab the bottle of Advil from the medicine cabinet and balance it between them. As I walk back, I nearly drop everything with shock when it hits me that I’m not scared.
I’m. Not. Scared.
FYI, I’m freaking always scared.
“Here.” I hand him a cup and the Advil. “What happened to you?” I can’t believe what I’m doing. I’m asking a question. I’m getting involved.
What surprises me further is I’m able to watch as the window to George C’s soul slams shut. He blinks once, and when he opens his eyes, for all intents and purposes, the guy is gone. I recognize what’s happening because it’s what I do best. I close myself off to everyone. And right now, George C is just like me.
“Jonah and Mayo, the guys you met earlier tonight at the diner, asked me a question. They didn’t like my answer. And…they let me know how unhappy they were.”
It’s too late when I realize my mouth is hanging open. I’m actually waiting for more.
“That’s really all I want to say about it. ’Kay?” He glances past me to the far wall. Since nothing hangs there, it’s obvious he’s just trying to avoid my eyes.
I nod because right now, he is me. We’re exactly the same. Looks like I’m not going to need to sleep with a butter knife tonight.
Meet the Author
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—one in law school, another a professional dancer, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son, heading off to college. (Yes, the nest is finally empty.) She has published more than twenty books of LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing scholarship essays. Her husband of twenty-five years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it’s a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled people in complex relationships. She has a great affinity for the tortured hero in literature, and as a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of tortured heroes and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to her wonderful publishers for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.
Her books have been featured in Kirkus Reviews magazine, and have won Rainbow Awards for Best Transgender Contemporary Romance and Best YA Lesbian Fiction, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, a Story Monsters Purple Dragonfly Award for Young Adult e-book Fiction, among other awards.
Mia Kerick is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology. Contact Mia at miakerick@gmail.com or visit at www.miakerickya.com to see what is going on in Mia’s world.
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Giveaway
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Thank you for the excerpt and the giveaway. Love the vibe of the book
I love the cover, I adore the title, and it sounds really interesting. Added to my tbr 🙂
Agreed! 💞
This sounds great, thank you for sharing