Valley of the Dudes FREE Gay Excerpt

I haven’t done a free excerpt in a while, so it’s long overdue. I stopped because life was getting really busy and there was only so much time to fulfill work obligations and family obligations. But things have calmed down lately with the family obligations.

Here’s the blurb and I’ve posted the excerpt below at the bottom of this post.

I’ll post a new introduction to the book that explains more about it (and why I wrote it) tomorrow. And, I’ll put up links as soon as I get them. I don’t have them all yet.

Side note: this is a gay erotic romance parody.

This is the story of several talented young gay men, of their fight for recognition, and of the unexpected price they will pay for getting the fame they so desperately crave. Their lives are charmed in many ways, the secrets they keep hidden rule them, the sex never seems to end, and the gay lives they lead appear magical on the surface. However, beneath all the orgasms and glamour, are the addictions to alcohol, pills, and substances that help them survive in this jungle of ecstasy and fortune…the “Dudes” of the stars. They are the real secrets to success and exploitation and survival in the Valley of the Dudes.

Drag Queen Ghostbusters Parody

Speaking of gay parody…a huge part of gay culture that straight people don’t always understand, or want to understand…this looks like fun. And why not? They’ve been parodying us for years, especially in Hollywood. And it works. 

When there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? Jackie Beat, Lady Red Couture, Bianca Del Rio and Sherry Vine, of course!

The new Ghostbusters movie has been on everyone’s lips for weeks, so what better time than now to release a hilarious drag queen parody? Then, to add a cherry on top of it all, the video guest features RuPaul‘s Drag Race fan favorite Alyssa Edwards.

You can check the video out here.

George Takei Welcomes Gay Characters On Star Trek

In all fairness, I thought it was important to post this about George Takei as a follow up to other stories I’ve posted this week. He’s not okay with Star Trek making an existing character gay for artistic reasons, but he is okay with having gay characters on Star Trek. He claims that most accounts of what he said recently have been “misleading.” Of course I believe him, and I was hoping he would make a statement to clear it up.

Here it is, in part:

On the specific question of Sulu being gay, when I was first approached with the concept, I responded that I hoped instead that Gene Roddenberry’s original characters and their backgrounds would be respected. How exciting it would be instead if a new hero might be created, whose story could be fleshed out from scratch, rather than reinvented. To me, this would have been even more impactful. While I understand that we are in an alternate timeline with the new Trek movies, for me it seemed less than necessary to tinker with an existing character in order to fulfill Gene’s hope of a truly diverse Trek universe. And while I am flattered that the character of Sulu apparently was selected as an homage to me, this was never about me or what I wanted. It was about being true to Gene’s vision and storytelling.

You can read it in full here. It’s a long statement, and I think I agree with it. I was recently placed in a position with Valley of the Dudes where I was asked to change the characters, and I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t think it could be done. We compromised and we reached an agreement and I made a few changes that did work. Whenever something is complete, it’s not always a good idea to change it.

But most of all, I think Takei is spot on when he mentions that this kind of controversy makes for better sales. And they did get attention. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, but it works.

So while I don’t think anyone will hold this against Takei for feeling the way he does about his art, I thought it was important to post his statement to clear up some of the rumors.

FREE Gay Excerpt Valley of the Dudes

You all know I only post things here on the blog that are SFW. But the book itself is an erotic romance. 

This is from Chapter One…

Rush Goodwin had lived his entire life in a small New England town. He was an only child living with his widowed mother and her spinster sister, and always dreamed of the day he would begin a new life in New York City.

He kept his wavy brown hair at a medium length and wore a thin, well-manicured layer of facial hair on purpose that looked more like five o’clock shadow than an actual beard which he trimmed daily to achieve a scruffy look on purpose. In the right light, his brown hair took on a reddish tint that grew more pronounced in the summertime. And when he wasn’t working, he often wore knitted caps on his head all year long.

He could get away with a lot: he had a handsome face, with a strong square chin, full lips,and deep brown almond-shaped eyes. Though he wasn’t extremely athletic, he had the tight,sculpted body of a young baseball player. When he walked into a crowded room, both men and women looked in his direction.

He didn’t want to move to New York because small town life was bad. Rush had been very fortunate. His mother and his Aunt Julia rarely discussed the fact that he was gay, but they’d accepted his lifestyle, quietly, without any arguments or complaints. They greeted his boyfriend,Harold, with smiles and invited him to dinner on Sundays. When Rush went away on long weekend trips with Harold, they didn’t roll their eyes and look in the other direction. But Rush was eager to experience more in life than what he’d always known. He craved these new experiences with such fortitude there were times he couldn’t sleep at night.

So one cold snowy day, not long after he’d received his law degree, he told his mother and his aunt he was moving to New York. (He’d been planning the move in his head for a while and he’d already passed the New York Bar Exam so that he could legally practice law in New York.)This happened on a Friday evening. They had just finished dinner and Rush was waiting for Harold to pick him up. Rush sat down on a footstool in front of his mother’s favorite wing chair and leaned forward. He told her he’d applied to an entertainment law firm, he’d gone on a series of interviews, and they’d offered him a job in New York. He even knew where he could sublet a small apartment; all he had to do was sign the lease. Rush said he hadn’t mentioned his plans earlier because he wasn’t sure whether or not he’d get the job. He’d just found out it was all definite that morning.

His mother stopped knitting and stared at Aunt Julia. She lowered the knitting needles to her lap and raised her eyebrows. Aunt Julia glanced back with large blue eyes as she sat in another wing chair beside a blazing fire, reading a novel she’d already read a dozen times. His mother pressed her lips together and turned her head toward Rush. “Are you absolutely certain about this?” she asked. “You already have a stable position here in Connecticut with an excellent law firm. This sounds awfully impulsive.”

Rush nodded and reached for her hands. “I’m sure. This is something I’ve always wanted to do. The only thing I’m worried about is leaving you both here alone.”

Rush had always been the man in the family. His father had been killed in a car accident when Rush was 12 years old. Since then, Rush had been the one who’d dealt with the plumber,the electrician, and the auto mechanic. The house where he’d grown up was one of those big old brick colonials, with white trim and no shutters. There were white dormers on the third floor and two wide chimneys on both ends of the house. It had been in his mother’s family for over 200years. Supposedly, the basement had been used as a shelter during the days of the Underground Railroad.

His mother took a deep breath and sighed. “We’ll be fine,” she said, nodding at her sister, raising an eyebrow. “But moving to a place like New York is a big decision.”

He smiled. “I know it is. This wasn’t an impulsive decision. I promise. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”

“I see,” she said. “When do you leave?”

He squeezed her hands and hesitated for a moment. Her face was still tight and expressionless. “In a couple of weeks,” He said. “I’m worried about you, though.”

“Ah well,” she said, taking a quick breath, allowing her face to soften. “We’ll be just fine.” Then she tilted her head to the left and asked, “What about Harold?”

Rush knew his mother was wondering about whether or not he and Harold were moving to New York together, as a couple. Rush had been with Harold since he was a freshman in college and he’d never dated anyone else. “I haven’t told Harold about this yet.” Part of the reason he wanted to move to New York was Harold. But he didn’t mention this to his mother or his aunt. His mother frowned and gave his aunt a look. She said, “I suggest you tell him as soon as possible.”

“We’re going to the movies tonight,” Rush said. “I was planning to tell him afterwards.” He released his mother’s hands and stood up. He squared his shoulders and asked, “So you’re okay with this?”

His mother shrugged and lifted the knitting needles. As she poked the tip of one needle into a loop of red yarn, she smiled and said, “If this is what you want to do, I’m fine with it. And you’re not moving to the end of the world. You’re only moving to New York. We’ll be just fine here in Connecticut.”

Later that night, while Rush and Harold were leaving the movie theater, Rush told Harold about his plans to move to New York. The theater had been empty and the few people that had been there were bundled up and trotting toward their cars to get out of the cold. Rush’s voice was low and soft and he spoke without a hint of concern. He made his announcement while they were crossing the snowy parking lot to Harold’s car. Harold was still talking about the movie. Harold stopped walking; he faced Rush and furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re doing what?” he asked. His head went up and his strong, patrician chin jutted out.

Rush took a deep breath and stared down at his shoes. In the years they had been together, Harold had always been the one who took control, in a very passive aggressive way. He’d practically planned every moment of their lives, and Rush had let him do it. “I’m moving to New York in a couple of weeks. I have a new job with an entertainment law firm that represents celebrities and I’ll probably sublet an apartment in Chelsea.”

“Have I done something wrong?” Harold asked. His hands were still in his pockets and he was looking directly into Rush’s eyes. He was reacting like a scorned employer when his best worker quits, not like a jilted lover.

Harold had a tendency to think everything that happened between them revolved around him. “It’s not about you, Harold,” Rush said. “It’s me. I’m restless. And you know I’ve always talked about moving to New York.”

There had been many times he’d mentioned how much he wanted to leave New England and move to New York. But Harold was a dentist, and he worked in his father’s established dental practice in New Haven. Whenever Rush suggested Harold could start his own practice in New York, Harold thought he’d lost his mind. There was no way Harold was giving up a successful position to start all over again in New York City. He told Rush they could visit New York any time Rush wanted. But they weren’t moving there full time.

“I know you’ve mentioned it,” Harold said. “But I never thought you were serious about it. After all, we can go to New York whenever we want. We’re not living in Kansas.”

This was part of the problem. Harold liked being a small town boy, and he never seemed to take anything about Rush seriously. But Rush didn’t want to argue. “Don’t be mad, Harold. This isn’t about you. It’s about me. I need to do this. If I don’t, I think I’ll suffocate here. There are times I wake up in the morning to face another day and I honestly don’t think I can breathe.” Harold removed his hands from his pockets and took a step forward. He put his arm around Rush and said, “Let’s get in the car.” Then he lowered his head and nibbled on Rush’s earlobe. “I know how to make you feel better.”

This was another part of the problem. Harold was extremely good looking. He stood over six feet tall, he had the defined, muscular body of a professional athlete from competing in triathlons, and he had droopy, steel blue eyes. His hair was sandy blond and his face looked as if it had been chiseled out of stone. Though Rush and Harold were two very different people who wanted very different things in life, there was a sexual connection between them that went beyond all sense of reason.

Rush pulled away from Harold and said, “I think we should both just go home and talk about this tomorrow. My mind is made up and I’m moving to New York. I have to do this.” He wasn’t officially breaking up with Harold that night. And he wasn’t moving to New York to meet new men. His restlessness went much deeper than that. But he wasn’t sure having sex with Harold tonight was a good idea.

Harold raised an eyebrow and smiled, and then he reached for the back of Rush’s head, in the middle of the snow covered parking lot, and kissed him on the mouth. When he finally removed his tongue from Rush’s mouth, he said, “Let’s get into the car. We haven’t fooled around inside the car in a long time.”

Rush was ready to take another step back. But when Harold reached down and placed his strong hand on the small of his back, he leaned into the left side of Harold’s strong body and followed him to the car. The best part about being with conservative, dependable Harold was that they were both adamantly monogamous, so there was no need for condoms, and it was safe and familiar.

When they reached the car and Harold clicked the locks, Harold opened the back door instead of the front door and practically shoved Rush into the back seat. Harold drove a large, black Yukon; the backseat was spacious and all the windows were tinted with dark film. If anyone had been walking around in the empty parking lot, they wouldn’t have been able to see anything that was happening in the backseat.

Harold followed him into the backseat and pulled off his coat. He leaned forward and switched on the engine to get the car warm. When he sat back, he grabbed Rush’s coat, unzipped it, and pulled it off his body. Rush’s pants were already tight and his erection pointed up so far it reached the waistband. Even if having sex with Harold that night was a mistake, things had already gone too far to end it.