FICTION
This series of six novels follows events in their characters’ lives as they complete high school, go through college, launch their careers, and build relationships into their early 30s. Along the way, they deal with the real-life events of the time, particularly those that impact the LGBTQ+ community.
The story begins in 2007 when two high school best friends realize they’re in love. Chris, whose open-minded family is completely supportive, is ready and able to live his life out and proud. For Bryan, whose father is the pastor of a very conservative mega-church in Kansas, being gay simply isn’t an option. When Bryan is outed, his father will stop at nothing to force Bryan to “leave the homosexual lifestyle,” requiring Bryan and Chris to make some very difficult choices.
Bryan is the central character in the remaining novels, although he changes his name to Ryan for reasons you’ll learn near the end of Maybe Next Year. In subsequent novels you’ll meet many new characters as Ryan attends college, and even more as he settles into his professional career and experiences relationships. Inevitably, characters from the first book will find their way back into Ryan’s life as the years pass.
Each novel is written so that it can stand on its own. Each book presents enough background information to enable someone who hasn’t read the previous books to understand what’s happening. But you’ll enjoy an optimal experience by reading the books in sequence.
These books are contemporary gay fiction. They tell compelling stories that reflect the lives of gay people, especially young adults, in the new millennium. They are not romance novels in the formulaic sense, although romance is certainly a component. Nor are they erotica. There is adult language and there are many references to sexual activity, but there are no explicit, hardcore sex scenes. If these books were made into movies, they would be rated R. Discretion is advised for readers under 18.
Book 1
Maybe Next Year
Bryan and Chris are high school juniors who have been inseparable best friends for three years. Now, they are discovering that their feelings for each other run much deeper than mere friendship.
Chris, whose open-minded family is completely supportive, is ready and able to live his life out and proud. For Bryan, whose father is the pastor of a very conservative mega-church in a Kansas City suburb, being gay simply isn’t an option.
Bryan hopes that Maybe Next Year when they leave Kansas to go to college together, he will be able to live more openly. In the meantime, they must learn how to navigate their conflicting family dynamics and boundaries if they are to fulfill their dream of spending the rest of their lives together.
Everything changes when Bryan is outed. His father will stop at nothing to force Bryan to “leave the homosexual lifestyle,” requiring Bryan and Chris to make some very difficult choices.
Read a sample chapter here.
Book 2
Instant Adult
In this engaging sequel to Maybe Next Year, 17-year-old Bryan* suddenly finds himself on his own in Los Angeles, having narrowly escaped being sent to a gay conversion therapy camp by his fundamentalist father.
Luckily, he finds a room to rent in a house owned by a gay attorney near UCLA. His housemates are a fabulous Black drag queen with an amazing voice, a hard-partying porn star, and a hunky Marine veteran with post-war baggage. This colorful crew becomes Bryan’s new family, supporting him as he navigates his new life as an openly gay high school senior who must support himself and somehow save for college.
Bryan struggles to fit in at his new high school, and he soon experiences homophobia and bullying. He befriends an out and proud Black lesbian named LaTanya, and together they inject fresh energy into the school’s stagnant Gay-Straight Alliance and work to turn the school into a more welcoming place for LGBTQ+ students.
Along the way, Bryan learns how to deal with dating and sex, homesickness, financial challenges, and many other aspects of adulthood – all while staying on the down-low to avoid being discovered and sent back to his religious, homophobic parents in Kansas.
Bryan’s journey to becoming an Instant Adult is sometimes humorous and sometimes heartbreaking, but always compelling. You’ll connect with the inherently lovable Bryan and cheer for him every step of the way.
Read a sample chapter here. (PDF)
* Bryan changes his name to Ryan when he turns 18.
Book 3
Open Books, Closed Sets
As Ryan begins college at UCLA, all he wants is to do well in his classes, make some friends, and enjoy his college experience.
But he soon learns that working in the adult entertainment industry to support himself and pay for college makes normalcy impossible. The scheduling demands of his profession rule out most extracurricular activities and require constant balancing with his classes. Worse, the reactions he encounters when people discover his livelihood make it difficult for him to build friendships or relationships. The elephant is simply too big for the room.
Ryan lives in a house near campus owned by Hal, a gay attorney. His housemates are Ted, a hunky Marine veteran with post-war baggage; Darnell, a fabulous Black drag queen with an amazing voice; and Ricky, a hard-partying porn star. This colorful crew, Ryan’s family of choice, provides love and support as he navigates college life and adulthood. Their adventures add important dimensions to the story.
Ryan’s heartwarming coming-of-age journey is filled with hilarity, drama, challenges, and growth. He discovers that sometimes, life’s most important lessons are learned outside the classroom.
Read four sample chapters here (PDF).
Book 4
If I Seem Quiet…
Aaron Bradbury, 28, has a successful career as a pharmacist and a nice apartment in sunny Tempe, Arizona. Yet, his life seems empty. He has few friends and has had no luck with dating.
A chance meeting with a trombonist named Rob sets a series of events in motion that will change Aaron’s life. Rob invites Aaron to attend the Desert Pride Symphonic Band concert the following Sunday. Aaron, who quit playing his trombone in college, decides to go. As he enjoys the concert, he realizes he misses playing his trombone and the camaraderie and friendship that come with playing in a band.
After the concert, Rob encourages Aaron to start playing again and join the band. There’s only one catch: Desert Pride is an LGBTQ and Allies band. Rob assures Aaron that straight people are welcome. After some initial hesitation, he agrees to give it a try.
Aaron’s apprehension fades quickly. He enjoys playing his trombone again, makes new friends, and finally confronts the truth he has been avoiding for years. As the saying goes, he’s been looking for love in all the wrong places.
One of Aaron’s bandmates invites him to join his gay running club. On his first run, Aaron is smitten by a tall, handsome, dark-blond young man named Ryan. Although Ryan seems to check every box, he has a mysterious past he’s reluctant to discuss. (Ryan’s story is covered in the first three books, above.)
Aaron’s story is filled with humor, drama, discovery, trust issues, and questionable life choices as he discovers gay life, deals with homophobic parents, and learns the ins and outs of same-sex relationships – from horniness to heartbreak to happiness.
Book 5
Karma Train from Kansas
When Bryan Bauer left home in Prairie Village, Kansas at age 17 to escape from his homophobic parents, he intended to leave Kansas behind forever. He changed his name to Ryan Robertson, created a new life for himself as an independent and proud gay man, and vowed to look only forward, never backward.
A scandal in Kansas sets in motion a sequence of events that reunites Ryan with several people from his former life – some welcome, some not – forcing them to re-examine their pasts, confront their failures, and try to rebuild their lives and their relationships.
None of this upheaval will stop Ryan and his partner Aaron from building their relationship. Aaron takes Ryan to Ohio at Christmas to meet his parents, and Ryan surprises Aaron with a gift he’ll never forget.
Read an excerpt: Meet My Partner: A Christmas Story
Book 6
Maybe Now
After six years of success at Technovations, Ryan accepts a one-year assignment in Auckland, New Zealand. This assignment will advance his career, but his husband Aaron dreads the prospect of a one-year separation.
While Ryan is in New Zealand, COVID strikes. His life remains mostly unaffected, but the stress of the pandemic, the social isolation, and their separation take an emotional toll on Aaron. Ryan’s brother Brandon, a senior at Arizona State University, moves in when ASU shifts to online classes. Aaron welcomes Brandon’s companionship and support, but their dynamic changes as the pandemic drags on and Ryan’s return is repeatedly delayed.
When Ryan returns, he finds his marriage in ruins. Their situation is further complicated by Ryan’s high school boyfriend moving to town, the return of Ryan’s estranged father, and a visit from two LDS missionaries. Ryan, Aaron, Brandon, and everyone else must navigate these upheavals to rebuild their lives and find happiness in a changed post-pandemic world.
Maybe Now is the epic conclusion to the six-book series “Gay Tales for the New Millennium.” It’s filled with action, drama, and character growth. By the end, the storylines that have spanned across the series receive closure and most of the characters are well-positioned to live “happily ever after.” You can read Maybe Now independently, but you’ll enjoy an optimal experience by reading the other books first, in sequence.
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