Cover: Clueless[Keeping Secrets 2]

Clueless[ Keeping secrets 2]

Out jock Tommy Johnson and former bully Jason Strummer have settled into a surprisingly comfortable routine. They’re even planning a special camping trip for just the two of them for their one-month anniversary. Tommy doesn’t think things can get any better—until Jason’s past catches up to them.

Jason’s stepdad will stop at nothing to put Jason back in his place. As Jason spins out of control, Tommy tries desperately to hold the edges of their world together. But the pressure of dealing with Jason’s increasingly erratic behavior and keeping a growing number of secrets under wraps may prove too much for Tommy to handle.

Then Jason blows it and their comfy world falls apart. When he finally texts Tommy for help, they both learn some secrets aren’t worth keeping.

Coming February 2013!

Merry Christmas!

Hello World,

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday and that your day is filled with lots of joy. I also hope your reading material is keeping you cozy through the cold. For those of you in warmer climes, I envy you, and hope that you're staying pleasantly cool.

I'll be working on the next Keeping Secrets book through the holiday with a brief respite to visit with family on the morrow. The second book in the series, Clueless, will be coming out at the end of January, beginning of February. I'll let you know when I have exact dates.

If you still haven't picked up a copy of A Gentleman's Agreement , I urge you to do so. It's a fluffy historical with a nice holiday theme that I hope you enjoy.

I'll be making more announcements sometime next week about my upcoming projects.

J.

Scrubs, Reviews, and Short stories

Hello World,

So, I've decided that my life is a never ending episode of Scrubs, minus the doctors. I don't like doctors. However, all the weird daydreams and random musical numbers are spot on continuously  I've broken into random Hinder numbers numerous time while doing laundry and dishes. Odd combos, I know. But today I managed to go into a elaborate daydream about what would happen if the random Santa Claus lookalike in Walmart was the real Santa Claus and broke into a Journey number with Walmart employees as elves. Yeah...that's a day in my life.

I also managed to read a few reviews. Thank you to all the people who have read A Gentleman's Agreement. For those of you who were wondering, Jonah will be getting a book as well. It's on my works in progress and should be completed in the spring.

I have a few anthology calls I'm looking to write for. Those will be announced as they are outlined.

Again, Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy A Gentleman's Agreement and my future work.

New Review!

A Gentleman's Agreement was recently given a review from Mmgoodbookreviews. :) 
See the Original review Here.

Title: A Gentleman’s Agreement

Author: J. Roman

Genre: Regency, Christmas

Length: Novella (100pgs)

Publisher:Dreamspinner Press (1^st December 2012)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating:♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Thomas Derrik is about to have the worst Christmas of his life. Three days before the holiday, he finds out the father he doesn’t get along with is arriving on Christmas Eve, his ex-lover and new brother-in-law will be staying at his estate until the New Year, and his beloved brother, Edmund, has died.

Luckily, Edmund’s last holiday scheme may well save Thomas’s Christmas: Henry Appleby, a young lord fresh from the Continent, has arranged to court Thomas. But the family tragedy and jealous exes may put an end to the romance before it begins.

Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3411

Or purchase the entire 2012 Advent EVERGREEN collection:http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3476

Review: Thomas is facing a horrid Christmas. His brother has died, his lover married his sister and his father is heading home for the holidays. But, Edmund, his brother, had put a plan into action and it looks like Christmas just might be a merry one after all. Henry knew Edmund well and agreed to the plan along with Henry’s sister and Thomas’s father. Now, they just have to see if they can charm Thomas, but with a bitter ex on the grounds and Thomas being hurt once it just might take a miracle.

This is a wonderful regency romance with a twist to the happiness and a very broadminded father. Thomas is dreading Christmas, his father is coming home, he has just received news that his brother has died and his sister and her husband (his ex-lover) are staying over Christmas. But, when he meets Henry and his sister, things start to look up. And, they nearly get damn right happy, when he discovers his late brother’s plan. Henry is delighted when he meets Thomas. He can see his friend’s plan working well. But, when Thomas’s ex throws a spanner in the works, Henry decides to give Thomas a night he will never forget.

I really enjoyed this story. I have to admit to having a huge soft spot for Regency men and their clandestine relationships and this is a perfectly clandestine courtship. Thomas has been severely hurt in the past by a callous lover, but when Henry comes on the scene he shows Thomas of a new way to live and they just seem so well suited. I loved both these men and thought that Thomas was well rid of his ex-lover, Darrow. The storyline was great and I loved the twist and I especially loved Edmund’s plan. While I loved this story I am going to have to demand a story for Jonah and one for the other couple in this book… or maybe they could be combined *wink wink*.

I am recommending this to those who love Regency romances, great characters, passionate kisses, a jealous ex-lover, a miracle with a very interesting story and a very happy ending.

A Gentleman's Agreement Release!

Hello Everyone!

A Gentleman's Agreement is now available for purchase via Dreamspinner! HERE

Blurb:

Thomas Derrik is about to have the worst Christmas of his life. Three days before the holiday, he finds out the father he doesn’t get along with is arriving on Christmas Eve, his ex-lover and new brother-in-law will be staying at his estate until the New Year, and his beloved brother, Edmund, has died. 

Luckily, Edmund’s last holiday scheme may well save Thomas’s Christmas: Henry Appleby, a young lord fresh from the Continent, has arranged to court Thomas. But the family tragedy and jealous exes may put an end to the romance before it begins.

Excerpt: 

Chapter One

“LORD Thomas Percival Coleridge Derrik, heir to the Marquess of Camden, does not cry,” Thomas reminded himself as he clutched the letter in his hand tight enough that his knuckles turned white. It should’ve been him. It should’ve been his name on the slip of paper that was delivered to his estate no more than an hour previously. It should’ve been his body on its way back to London in a pine box.

The fine sweat forming on his body seemed out of place next to the shivers that wracked him in the bitterly cold afternoon. The stone bench he sat on over an hour ago, overlooking the chilly pond, seemed only to leech more warmth from his body. He’d thought his worries were over with the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte earlier in the summer. His younger brother’s commission had ended days after the Waterloo campaign concluded, and he had been promising for months to be home for the holidays. However, Ed would not be home for the holiday. He wouldn’t be home ever again. Three days until Christmas was no time to receive such news.

“Lord Camden, forgive my intrusion, but you told me to inform you the second Lord and Lady Darrow arrived.”

He looked up into the knowing face of his valet. The man had been with him five years now, and he’d never really seen him. He’d looked over him so often that he was no more noticeable than a favorite book or a chair in his library. His brown hair was cut short, fashionable. Jonah’s surprisingly soft eyes were hidden beneath eyelashes better suited for ladies than manservants. When they stood next to one another, Jonah was almost half a head taller than Camden’s respectable five-ten frame. How odd that he realized it just then.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to suck in the emotion threatening to swamp him. It was unseemly for a man to cry when faced with adverse news, especially in front of his servant. “So I did, Jonah. Thank you.” He swallowed. However would he make it through another insipid visit from his darling little sister and the man whom he detested more than any other? Were it not for the threat of his father’s wrath at his discourteousness, he would promptly throw them out.

“Shall I send them away, my lord? Or perhaps get them started on some tea so that you may have a few more moments?” Jonah asked. Leave it up to Jonah to try to accommodate a proper length of time for Thomas to get himself in order. His valet was nothing if not efficient.

He waved his hand in dismissal. “No. That won’t be necessary. I will be there momentarily. My father, no doubt, has not informed Lady Darrow of our brother’s passing. She will need that information for mourning. It wouldn’t do to have her dressing in that red gown she bought for Christmas.” It would cause a scandal that would add to the headache forming behind his eyes. She would no doubt fall into vapors at the news. The twittering thing that she was would probably relish the attention Ed’s passing would cause. She would cry and simper and all the proper things, but she wouldn’t really care like Thomas did. At eighteen and newly wed, Caroline was having the time of her life, and thoughts about much more than her next dinner party were foreign ideas. It wasn’t a kind thought, but in that moment, Thomas didn’t care.

Jonah gave a half bow in his direction. “Very well, my lord. I’ll have the servants ready the tea. Cucumber sandwiches?”

He nodded. “Some biscuits for her ladyship as well.”

“Very good, sir.” With that, he turned and walked back toward the house on the gravel path by which he’d come. Normally, he would’ve waited on Thomas and they would’ve walked back together, but he seemed to sense Thomas’s need to be alone. His acute anticipation of Thomas’s needs was one of the many reasons he’d been his constant companion in the years since school. Of course the fact that Jonah’s father was his father’s valet may have had something to do with his employment.

“Oh, Ed, what am I going to do without you?” he whispered to the empty air, his breath clouding and rising around him like steam. The sweat he’d developed as he fought his emotions was cooling now, and his chills got worse. Ed had been his sanity. They were only two years apart and had been nearly inseparable since childhood. The weight of his title and his responsibilities had always been easier to bear with Ed around. “Why did you have to leave me here? I don’t have anyone left to talk to.” His throat threatened to close up again as he realized exactly what he’d lost. No. I cannot do this now. He forced himself to his feet and choked back the sob threatening to escape. He could almost hear his brother’s voice in the back of his head, telling him to hold strong, especially in front of Darrow.

“You can’t let that bastard win, Cole,” Ed had said that horrible night last January after Thomas confessed everything. He was the only one who called him Cole, shortening his last name from Coleridge. “He’s a right git, and you know it. Don’t let that molly get to you.” Thomas winced at the phrasing. “Sorry, Cole. I didn’t mean that to insult present company.” He’d been the only one to know Thomas’s secret. His father suspected, of course, but the peerage and his friends could never know. “Anytime you want to talk, I will lend an ear, brother. You know that.”

The time for talks had passed, though. There was no longer an ear to listen. Resigning himself to the inevitable, he pushed himself from the bench and made his way slowly back toward the towering house he called home.





ENTERING the sitting room twenty minutes later was a testament to how devoted he was to his station and to his brother’s wishes. Darrow sat in Thomas’s favorite chair, his legs crossed and his hands resting casually on the arms of the chair, tapping out a rhythm only he could discern. The bloody git knew it was his favorite chair.

His sister’s voice interrupted the barely civil greeting he was mustering. “Oh, Coleridge, you certainly know how to arrive fashionably late!” He half turned as she came away from the large bay window that looked out over the front garden. It made sense that she would be there. It was nearest the piano, and Caroline was nothing if not a lark.

Her ebony curls were the same shade as his own hair, a reflection of their mother’s coloring. Though Caroline’s eyes were their father’s dull brown instead of their mother’s rich green. Thomas was the only one of the siblings to get that feature. Today, her muslin gown was accented in deep navy blue, which just seemed to further pale her milk-white skin. Living only an hour’s ride west of Devron Estate allowed Thomas to see much of her wardrobe in great detail, as she insisted on visiting at least once or twice a week.

“Forgive me, Caro. I received some rather unfortunate news that delayed my arrival. Do sit down.” Maids and footmen came in as he spoke, moving about with the same efficiency Jonah displayed. Thomas’s house ran very smoothly, thanks in large part to his valet.

“Unfortunate news?” Caroline asked. She crossed over to the long couch and perched casually on its edge. It left only the other sitting chair for him to take up. He managed not to shoot a glare in Darrow’s direction as he sat. “I do hope that it is not more ill news from the continent. Honestly, Thomas, I’ve had it up to my ears hearing about how this and that village was ravaged in France. It’s all very distressing.”

Thomas resisted the urge to grind his teeth. He had little tolerance for busy talk and even less tolerance for busy talk that was uneducated opinion. It was one of the reasons he spent majority of his time at balls in the back rooms playing cards and drinking with his male companions.

“This news is far more distressing than foreign conflicts, I’m afraid. Caro, It’s about Edmund.” He swallowed, his emotions threatening to run away with him again.

She paled to a sickly shade of white. “What of Edmund? He’s supposed to be home within the week. His last letter said so.”

Thomas shook his head. “I’m afraid not. He won’t be coming home, Caro. He passed of fever some weeks ago. His body was delayed on account of the conflict and the lateness of season. Father received news a few days ago and sent it to me this morning. We’ll be having a funeral before the New Year.”

Caroline burst into tears by the time he reached the word funeral. “But E–Edmund p–promised! We’re supposed to have Christmas here this year!”

He pushed himself out of the chair and knelt on the floor in front of Caroline. With one hand he took hers and with the other he withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket. “I know, Caro. I don’t think he would miss this for the world otherwise.” And he wouldn’t have. He would’ve come to keep Thomas company at the very least. Of course, his brother had a penchant for their father’s very opulent wine choices, which contributed to his willingness to spend any length of time at the country estate that Thomas had always favored over his father’s London townhouse. By all rights, his father should’ve been the one to stay at Camden while the House of Lords wasn’t in session, but the elder Lord Camden did not care for country life and hadn’t been back much since their mother had died some eight years previously.

“Perhaps it would be best if we returned to the house, my sweet,” Darrow said from his seat. Thomas whipped his head in Darrow’s direction and pinned him with a glare fueled by pure, unadulterated anger. This is a family matter. How dare he—but he was family now, wasn’t he? The thought made him positively ill.

Caroline’s grip on Thomas’s hands tightened. “If I may, I would like to lie down for a moment before we depart. I’m feeling a bit faint.”

“Of course, sweet. Take your time.” There may have been genuine affection in Darrow’s voice, but Thomas didn’t allow it to sway his opinion that his sister’s husband was a right arse.

“I’ll summon a maid,” Thomas said, walking over to ring the servant’s bell. “If you’d like, I’ll have her set you up in the Lily Room. Would you like that?” It was their mother’s old set of rooms, and Caro had always loved it. The cream and yellow décor was feminine and still smelled of lilies when Thomas could arrange for it to.

“I would like that,” Caroline said, her voice trembling slightly. The maid arrived then and curtseyed to her ladyship. “Is Papa coming soon?”

“The letter said to expect him within the next day or so. He should arrive on Christmas Eve.” That was just like him to send such news by post instead of telling everyone in person when he arrived. He probably wanted them to finish what he would consider hysterics out of his sight. Edmund and Father had never really gotten along, and their rows were mostly about Thomas. However, Caroline had a soft spot for the elder Lord Camden. She was his favorite. It would comfort her to know of his impending arrival.

Caroline was escorted from the room by the maid, leaving Darrow and Thomas alone. A tense moment of silence seemed to stretch on for longer than was necessary. Thomas couldn’t help but notice how handsome Darrow looked lounging in the sitting room chair. His strong, midthirties frame, dark hair, and dark eyes presented quite the picture of ton elegance. He’d charmed more than one person with his dashing good looks, Thomas included. Never again.

“How are you holding together, Thomas?” Darrow asked, his voice much softer than Thomas could recall hearing in recent memory.

A muscle in Thomas’s jaw ticked. “Do not call me by my given name, Darrow. You no longer have the right.” He pushed himself to his feet and dusted off his knees before taking up the seat on the couch his sister had vacated. He looked at his brother-in-law with all the cool civility he could muster. If necessary, he could freeze Darrow out.

“Oh come on, Thomas. You know I had no choice. I wanted to stay close to you.” They’d had this argument before, more than once as matter of fact. “Marriage is necessary to men of our station—”

“Marriage to my sister was not. Darrow, you destroyed any possibility of a continuance when you married Caroline and acted as her husband.” He’d been willing to yield on many things that broke his heart about his relationship with Darrow, but that had not been one of them. “She will bear your heir, rear your child. My sister, Darrow. How could I even entertain the possibility of a future with you when I would know that my nieces and nephews were your children?”

“So that is your objection? That my children would be of your blood? Christ, man, don’t you see that I wanted to have children that were, even by further relation, pieces of you? Caroline knows about us, Thomas. She at least suspects it. She knows my preferences. I didn’t lie to her about it.”

Thomas pushed himself to his feet, unable and unwilling to continue the discussion. “I cannot deal with you right now. I have a brother to mourn.”

It wasn’t just the fact that Darrow had married his sister. It wasn’t even the fact that he would one day have children with his sister. It was that Darrow was a rag-mannered rake who had proven his disloyalty with a frequency and dedication that boggled the mind. The fact that Darrow had married his sister in an attempt to win back Thomas’s affections was just further proof of their incompatibility.

Darrow surged to his feet, anger painted across his expression. He gripped Thomas’s arm to stop his forward movement. “Do not walk away from me, Thomas. We’re not done.”

Thomas arched an eyebrow and tried not to wince at the pain Darrow’s grip was causing. “Do you know why we are done, George?” he asked. It was the first time he’d spoken Darrow’s given name since the night before his wedding. Darrow hesitated for a moment but then shook his head. Thomas continued. “I always anticipated you marrying a woman. Even I have to do that one day. However, I was under the impression that we would be loyal to one another in one way. We are done because I know about the other men in your life, George. I know about your footman and your former valet, about your dalliances with Lord Townsend, and your visits to the molly houses in London during the season. I know about all of them. My feelings aside, how could you do that to my sister?”

Darrow looked like he had been struck on the face. He paled, and Thomas jerked his arm from Darrow’s grip. “A man has needs, Thomas,” his former lover whispered. “We could not be together all the time, especially in London with eyes all around.”

“Yet somehow I survived the separation without sinking into the heat of some dockside tart. We’re finished, George. Be happy with my sister, and I pray to God that you find happiness elsewhere with a man who understands as well.” It was the most difficult sentence he’d spoken in his life. Walking away from the relationship he’d had since school caused the ache in his chest to grow to a sharp throb. I thought I was past this emotion. Apparently his brother’s death was bringing up all sorts of old scars. Even ones like this that were over a year old.

“I can change, Thomas.” Darrow sounded as broken as Thomas felt.

“You cannot, Darrow. You know you cannot. At best, let us hope to one day be friends. We’re finished in all other ways.” He took one step toward the door, then another, then another. With each step, the movement felt a bit easier. He could still feel Darrow’s eyes on his back as he walked to the door and pulled it open. But as he shut the door behind him and walked at a clipped pace down the hallway toward the staircase, he felt that weight lifting away as well. A year had passed with no closure. At last, they were free to move forward with their lives….

Thoughts of his brother bubbled to the surface of his mind, obliterating the relief. Some of them were free to move forward. Not Edmund, though. Edmund, who had encouraged him time and time again to confront Darrow over his infidelities while Thomas continued to tell himself that it was all right, that they would somehow make it work despite Thomas’s strong sense of betrayal. You’d be proud of me, Ed. I finally told him how I felt. He hoped the words reached his brother, wherever he was.

Christmas this year was going to be a cold affair. He sighed and took a sharp right to ascend the staircase. There was work to be done in his study, accounts to go over. He needed something else to think about, anything other than his brother. Father would probably want the accounts in order when he arrived in Camden. Thomas might as well finish up the work Father would want to look at. There would be plenty of time to mourn his brother in the near future, as soon as his family had gone their separate ways. For the first time in his life he was relishing the prospect of the holiday being finished.

He shut himself in his study and stoked up the fires so the chill in the air would abate somewhat. The study was probably his favorite room in the house. The deep masculine wood tones, plush furniture, and ornate hand-carved fireplace seemed a cocoon of shelter from the busyness of the outside world. The books that lined the shelves were a mix of old and new. Most of the new additions were added by Thomas in the time his father had been away. Unlike most of his peers, Thomas didn’t often stay in London for the entire season. Instead, he took shelter at Camden and would continue to do so until his father got fed up with his lack of participation in the affairs of his peers and ordered him into the marriage mart.

Momentarily he glanced at the accounts, but it all seemed like pointless drivel to him. He gathered the papers up and stuck them into his desk drawer, unwilling to entertain the numbers. Instead of working, he picked up his copy of Waverley and began to thumb through the familiar text. The desk chair seemed at once too uncomfortable for him, so he went to the armchair nearest the fireplace. It wasn’t long before the words made his eyes grow heavy, and before he knew it, he was sound asleep.

Interview and Giveaway!

Hello World,

I did a interview and book giveaway with The Boys on the Brink. Check it out. :)

Interview: http://www.blog.boysonthebrink.com/qa-with-j-roman-author-of-heartless.html

Giveaway: http://www.blog.boysonthebrink.com/book-giveaway-win-heartless-keeping-secrets-book-1-by-j-roman.html

Hope you enjoy!

Cover for "A Gentleman's Agreement"

A Gentleman's Agreement   $3.99

By J. Roman

Thomas Derrik is about to have the worst Christmas of his life. Three days before the holiday, he finds out the father he doesn’t get along with is arriving on Christmas Eve, his ex-lover and new brother-in-law will be staying at his estate until the New Year, and his beloved brother, Edmund, has died.


Luckily, Edmund’s last holiday scheme may well save Thomas’s Christmas: Henry Appleby, a young lord fresh from the Continent, has arranged to court Thomas. But the family tragedy and jealous exes may put an end to the romance before it begins.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3338&osCsid=5p50dq2p8nbtqa7940e1l89d14

A Gentleman's Agreement

Hello World,

Below you'll find a blurb for the new historical short from Dreamspinner Press that will be a part of the Advent Calendar this December. I'm very excited about it. 

J.

A Gentleman's Agreement
By J. Roman

Thomas Derrik is about to have the worst Christmas of his life. Three days before the holiday, he finds out the father he doesn’t get along with is arriving on Christmas Eve, his ex-lover and new brother-in-law will be staying at his estate until the New Year, and his beloved brother, Edmund, has died.

Luckily, one of Edmund’s holiday schemes may well save Thomas’s Christmas: Henry Appleby, a young lord fresh from the Continent, has arranged to court Thomas. But the family tragedy and jealous exes may put an end to the romance before it begins.

Christmas Story!

Hey World,

Quick announcement, my short Christmas piece will be included in the upcoming Dreamspinner Press Advent Calender. It's a Regency Historical piece called "A Gentleman's Agreement". 

P.S. Isn't Lord Byron pretty?


More news to come soon! 

Keeping Secrets 3: Fearless

Hello World,

Quick announcement. Fearless [Keeping Secrets 3] should be subbed by Thanksgiving. :) The Boys finally get a glimpse of normalcy and the legal tensions rise. I can't wait. :P

Also, I'll be having a Christmas story released with Dreamspinner Press in December. It's a historical piece that I'm pretty proud of. More details to come soon.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

J.

Happy News!

Hello World,

Clueless, the second novella in the Keeping Secrets series, has just been contracted and will have a release date sometime in January or February. I'm so incredibly excited to be working with the Harmony Ink team once again.

   Happy Reading!
     J. Roman 

Clueless[Keeping Secrets 2]

Hello World,

After revisions, more revisions, and fretting, Clueless[Keeping Secrets 2] has been sent off to the publisher. I'll give you guys a sneak peak of it by providing the blurb below. :) Happy reading everyone! 


           Located in the San Francisco of the South, Erwin High School sports a higher than usual number of popular kids who are openly gay. Among them is Tommy Johnson, an “Out” jock who is dating Jason Strummer, former bully and popular heartthrob. They’ve already overcome the initial trial of their relationship and have settled into a pleasurable routine. Tommy doesn’t think things can get any better as their one month anniversary approaches and they plan a special camping trip just for the two of them.
            However, there is trouble in paradise as Jason’s past catches up to them one night as Jason is leaving work. Jason’s stepdad is back and he will stop at nothing to put Jason back in his place. As Jason spins out of control, Tommy tries desperately to hold the edges of their world together. The pressure of dealing with Jason’s increasingly erratic behavior while trying to keep the growing number of secrets under wraps may prove to be too much for Tommy to handle.

Best!
J. Roman 

P.S. 
For those of you who are curious:
Keeping Secrets 3 in now in production and Hellhound, a new YA, is as well.

Book Review of Heartless: Rainbow Book Reviews

Hello World!

A lovely review of Heartless by Jessica Chambers from the Rainbow Book Reviews.

Book Review:

No matter how hard we try to hide them, secrets nearly always come out in the end. Seventeen-year-old Jason Strummer learns as much in Heartless, this edgy debut by J. Roman. As well as following the ups and downs of a newly blossoming romance, it shows the horrific effects on a teenage boy of sexual abuse and his desperate struggle to conceal the truth from the outside world.

Jason is a bully. He has a spiteful putdown for anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path, while his good looks and cocky attitude can get him any boy he wants … and he wants a lot of them. It’s common knowledge that he’s never seen with the same boyfriend for more than a couple of weeks at a time. Eventually, Jason’s disregard for the feelings of others catches up with him when he’s attacked by a discarded ex-lover, and only the intervention of his arch enemy, Tommy Johnson, saves him.

Jason was in love with Tommy once, several years ago. In typical Jason fashion, however, he lashed out at Tommy in retaliation for some homophobic taunts, humiliating him in the worst way possible. Since then, the two boys have barely spoken. Yet, when Tommy steps in to rescue him, old feelings are stirred up and the beginnings of a fragile romance spark between them. What Jason doesn’t bargain on is that Tommy will quickly start to see through the callous exterior he wears in public and reveal the real person beneath. Before long he has to make a tough choice: let Tommy know the shocking truth about his home life or risk losing him for a second time.

I found Jason to be an intriguing character, who I both felt deeply sorry for and longed to shake some sense into, and Tommy’s patience in helping him rediscover his self-respect was immensely moving. There are some difficult issues covered in this novel—sexual abuse, bullying, self-acceptance—but the author tackles them with sensitivity and compassion. The romance too has a nice balance of sweetness and angst, and with this being the first instalment in a four-part series, I anticipate a good deal more to come.   

For anyone wanting a quick read that combines some tender moments with brutal realism, I would certainly recommend this book. 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.

http://www.rainbow-reviews.com/book-reviews/heartless-keeping-secrets-1-by-j-roman-at-harmony-ink-press?PHPSESSID=681c9a28dc95ca13e4c1dfa047cd771d

Keeping Secrets Saga: The Break Down

Hello World! 

For those of you who are interested, here is a break down of how the Keeping Secrets series is going to be broken up. I've received some concerned feedback that I left Jason hanging and I wasn't tying up loose threads. Here is my disclaimer: what happens in each book, happens for a reason. By the end, everything will be tied up. Promise. 

The books span the time period of 2 years, from the fall of Jason and Tommy's junior year through the spring of their senior year and graduation.  

Book 1: Well, if you're reading this, you've probably already read book 1. It's from Jason's POV and starts a chain reaction that will influence and warp all events that are to come.

Book 2: You get to hear from Tommy in this book, his issues and his internal understanding of Jason. All from his POV. 

Book 3: Jason's POV. (detecting a pattern yet?) Summer/fall of Senior year. 

Book 4: Tommy's POV. Spring semester and the end of high school. By the time this book ends, you will know everything about Jason and Tommy. 

So there is a basic breakdown of how the books are going to go. Book 2 will be submitted within the week and production on book 3 starts right after. ^-^ I hope that clarifies things for those of you who were wondering.  

Review of Heartless :)

Review for Heartless: By Pixie at MMGoodbookreviews 

Jason is living a hellish existence in his home life, so he puts on a front at school and with his friends. He has a hard shell and doesn’t care who he hurts. But, when he is attacked by his ex-lover, Tommy steps up to the plate and rescues him and it is the start of something new between them. But, Jason once humiliated Tommy; can they really forgive and forget? And can Jason admit his secrets and become the person Tommy thinks he can be?


This is quite a hard-hitting story, that has your emotions swinging with desperation to save Jason and to beat the crap out of his mother and kill his step-father, and yes there are also times you want to smack sense into Jason. But, when you fully understand what he has gone through and is still going through you can empathize with his actions. I can only read this book as a mother, but I am sure there are some of you out there that will see it from different perspectives. For me I was sick to the stomach for poor Jason, for what he was going through and for what his mother knew he was going through.


Jason hits out at people before they can do it to him, in retaliation for an offense and so people don’t see the real him. This means he comes across as shallow and self-centered. It takes Tommy to begin to get through to Jason that he doesn’t have to be that person, that he can be less defensive and that there are people who will help him. Tommy and Jason have some touching moments and they are wonderful together, they both secretly loved the other when they were younger, but, a careless word from Tommy hurt Jason more than he thought possible and so he enacted his revenge.


This is a sweet love story that is angsty, with a lot of emotional upheaval for these teenagers. Tommy and Jason have their misunderstandings, but they are at the beginning of their new relationship and at a new juncture in Jason’s life. Jason has had a lot to live with and hide, he has his reasons for how he acts but it isn’t always easy to forgive his actions. Tommy has lived through his humiliation and come out the other side, now he wants another chance with Jason.


I will recommend this to those who love young adult stories that are as hard-hitting as they are sweet with young love, for those who can see past the surface mask to the hurting boy underneath, who want a happily ever after and a new start for two young men.




http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/heartless-by-j-roman/

Sneak Peak on Clueless: Keeping Secrets 2

“Why don’t you get that faggot boyfriend of yours to help? He’s always hanging around after practice waiting on you anyway.” Richard sneered.

I should’ve expected it. He’d been calling Jason that more and more lately. It was like he was trying to goad me into a fight. My fists balled into fists at my side. As always her voice came to me. Strength means not having to show it off because someone made you angry, Tommy. Strength means holding back when all you want to do is lose your mind.

“Jason is not on this team. You are. And if you want to stay on it, Rick, I suggest you check your attitude unless you want to discuss it in detail with Coach. We don’t have to be cool right now but this isn’t negotiable.” Pulling rank on him was a dirty move but I didn’t have any other choice. It was either that or brawl with him and there was no way in hell I was risking getting grounded this weekend.

This was “the” weekend, me and Jason’s one month anniversary. It was Jason’s longest relationship and he wanted to do something “outrageous”. His words, not mine. So Uncle Mark had agreed to let Jason and I head out to the lake for a weekend of camping. It was only twenty minutes away but it satisfied Jason’s impulsive nature. How he’d managed to get the weekend off from his sucky job at Kmart, Tommy didn’t know, but Jason was beyond pleased with himself.

Rick’s noise of frustration brought me out of my thoughts of the weekend. “Fuck you, Tommy.” Not in this life or any other. 

Keeping Secrets 2

Working steadily on Keeping Secrets 2. A new set of characters are jumping up in my head and demanding attention so Tommy will have to wait for his turn to speak for just a little bit. :) That being said, I'm thinking about writing on a less heavy series, something light and fun. We shall see.

This photo is very inspirational for some reason.  :)

Cover for Heartless

Just received the new cover for Heartless[Keeping Secrets 1]. :) Very excited about it.