Tag: ya

Worst Superpowers Ever

Worst Superpowers Ever

by fnmanning ♥ 1 Comment

I love those superpowers that are barely superpowers or that are so mediocre it’s like, come on, universe, why even waste time bestowing that gift? Surely there’s more important tasks you could spend time on. What springs to mind for examples are:

  • Moist from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, who slightly wettens things
  • The main character from Treasured who can look a few seconds into the future, even though waiting a few seconds achieves the same thing. (You can check out my review for this book here!)
  • The Invisible Boy who can only turn invisible if people aren’t watching him from Mystery Men. (sorry because this reference is practically ancient by now.)

In general, invisibility seems like one of the worst, least wished for superpowers ever. And when John Hyde stops feeling overlooked and becomes literally overlooked while turning invisible, he’s stumbled onto one of those ‘meh’ superpowers in my Vella novel Invisi-bi-lity.

Mostly, invisibility is good for spying on people. Which is extreme nosiness, bordering on creepy voyeurism. If you wanted to rob banks or commit crimes, your face wouldn’t show up on cameras. But then we’re entering criminal territory and I’d imagine you’d still need skill at criming to get very far.

Questionable superpowers are only the start of John’s problems in the novel. He’s also having trouble coming out as bisexual because some of his friends think being bi doesn’t really exist. He’s talking to his sympathetic friend Sky in this scene.

~

“When people wanna overrule who another person is, I’m a little sensitive to it. Who has the right to dictate someone else’s truth?”

Somewhat comforting words. Except why didn’t she speak up in there?

“Look, I should be a braver person.” She sighs. “But I don’t wanna rock the boat. It’s a lonely thing, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“To be among your own people and still not understood.” From her knowing stare and the sad little smile on her face, I almost wish she couldn’t see me.

Our fair spaz

Our fair spaz

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Best friendships are often tested as people age. This is doubly true when one person is a confused, possibly bisexual athlete and the other is a self-involved diva who hates serious discussions. Even worse, they both liked the same guy.

In this scene, Luke tries to clear the air with his best friend while Zach tries to avoid the conversation as always. This is from One Little Lie, where a clueless athlete learns the world is more than just gay or straight in this coming of age love story about secret relationships, friendship, and bisexuality.

~

Luke

 I rarely understood the way his brain worked. There was only one thing I needed to be sure about.

“You and Ryan seem friendly again,” I commented casually.

“Yep.” He kept his eyes on the road. Okay, he should keep doing that as he was driving.

“Cool. Great.” They should definitely get along. As long as it was only friendship. “You’re over Ryan, right?”

“No, Luke,” he replied dryly. “Let us commence a fight to the death to win the hand of our fair spaz.”

“Okay, you were joking for most of that, but you said no, so it’s no, right?”

“If I really wanted him, you wouldn’t stand a chance—”

“Not sure that’s true since—” I already had Ryan. He picked me.

“Which must mean I don’t want him.”

“Awesome.”

-Grab this book as part of the One Crazy Love Story Box set, which features the first four books in the One More Thing Series.

Relationship Expert

Relationship Expert

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Ryan Miller may be a science genius, but his relationship skills are put to the test when his boyfriend struggles to ditch his beard and come out of the closet in the coming of age love story One Little Lie. In this scene, Ryan uses his questionable expertise to figure out whether he’s about to go on his first double date. He is contractually obligated to freak out for all big moments like this. The contract is his life.

~

Ryan

“Why aren’t you more worked up? This is our first double date.”

The words first and date so close together made my heart speed up in anxiety. Ryan’s didn’t do well under pressure. Hey, wait. I pointed a finger at Luke. “I see what you’re doing.”

Instead of giving me his clueless, earnest gaze, he smirked. My boyfriend was secretly evil! I’d be upset about it, but it was a little hot.

“Is it working?” he asked hopefully.

“Why do you want me to be a nervous wreck like you?” I asked with a pout.

His smirk only intensified. “You’re fun when you’re a nervous wreck.”

“It’s not going to work,” I said haughtily. I did the teasing to Luke. It didn’t work the other way around!

Evil boyfriend continued to smirk. Had we ever been on a double date before? Oh, mother fu-

Wait! “No, we went to dinner with the girls earlier,” I realized triumphantly. I already defeated my first double date. Or a word less combative.

He frowned for a moment, then shook his head. “No, that doesn’t count.”

“You can’t decide that,” I decided. “Who made you the decider of all things?”

Relationships weren’t dictatorships! They were about give and take. God, I was one of those people who acted like an expert anytime I was in a serious relationship. I hated those people. Except when those people were me. Maybe I really was an expert.

Wait, I totally wouldn’t mind if we had a dick-tatorship…

-This is from One Little Lie, the second sweet and snarky M/M romance in the One More Thing series of contemporary YA novels. Grab the book here as part of the One Crazy Love Story box set, which features the first four books in the One More Thing Series.

Anyone

Anyone

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Growing up in a small town as a (presumably) straight guy, Luke Chambers has certain preconceived notions about gay people. He used to believe queer people were more flamboyant and easy to identify, but after frequently being hit over the head with the realization that this is not the case in One Little Word, it’s finally starting to sink in.

In this scene, Luke is working through his misconceptions. This is also called ‘revolutionary thoughts that actually aren’t that revolutionary at all.’ The scene is from One Little Word, and the box set for the first four books is available here.

Luke

“There are signs,” I tried slowly. “Clues that point to someone’s sexuality. There can’t just be nothing until suddenly, uh.” I puzzled my way through this as I spoke. “It doesn’t work that way. Because if there aren’t signs, then that means. That means anyone could be gay.”

“It’s true though,” she said.

“No, that can’t be right.” I laughed nervously. “Because if anyone could be gay—” I didn’t want to continue, but I also had to keep going. “If anyone could be gay, then that means I could be gay.”

Alicia nodded but showed no other reaction. The whole world turned upside down for me, but she just kept sitting next to me, eating her breakfast burrito.

“Aren’t you going to freak out?” I asked her.

“Oh no, oh no,” she replied in a monotone voice. “It’s the end of the world.”

“You’re a terrible actress.”

She smiled at me. “I’m actually a great actress.” She hooked her arm with mine and put her head on my shoulder companionably. “I just really don’t give a shit about your sexuality.”

Who knew it could be that easy?

-Get the book now!

Invisi-bi-lity: New YA M/M Romance!

Invisi-bi-lity: New YA M/M Romance!

by fnmanning ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

My newest novel is up on Kindle Vella right now!

When a teen’s attempts to come out of the closet are influenced by a vengeful witch’s hex, bisexual erasure takes on a whole new meaning in Invisi-bi-lity.

Vella is a new way for authors to post stories on Amazon, and it works in episodic format. An author I follow had this plan, probably much more thought out than my own, to have five stories published by the new year. Pretty ambitious, considering they possibly wanted the novels to be complete too. For some reason I thought I could do the same thing, so I guess I’ll look on the bright side and praise my confidence.

I have three works currently on Vella and one soon to be published. Of these four, two are finished. So I actually didn’t do too bad and am going to give myself an A for effort. I tried and I tell myself that’s the important part.

Here is a scene from the beginning of the book. The main character John has some trouble pinning down his sexuality because a certain boy always gets in the way.

~

Figuring out my sexuality is difficult enough without Cody O’Keefe screwing everything up.

The high school halls are filled with attractive people. From the cute girl with amazing legs in my English class to the washboard abs of the football quarterback. Then Cody smiles at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and I only see him.

Intelligent, funny, and gorgeous, Cody O’Keefe has it all. My favorite thing about him? When people talk, he listens. He makes people feel important. It’s basically a superpower in a boring city where nothing ever happens like Buffalo, New York… though his warm brown eyes are also nice.

Cody’s gay. And he always knew. Back in kindergarten, he told his parents he’d rather marry me than Ella Hopkins and no amount of her sharing Rice Krispy treats would change that. Girls? Not gonna happen.

Me? I’ve sometimes been pretty sure I may not be straight. Occasionally. Much less definitive.

Sometimes I think I’m not bisexual, I’m just a little in love with my best friend. Or am I bi but only fixating on the nearest and best queer guy and not really in love with him? These questions swirl in my brain constantly these days. How do I gain clarity? The answers won’t just slap me in the face with the truth.

“Ah!”

Tuning back into the world around me, I stand on the sidewalk, staring incredulously at the guy who just slapped me in the face.

“Sorry, did I hit too hard?” Cody pats my cheek this time, an affectionate sort of slap. “My bad, but you were pretty far away.”

About a head taller, he stands there with an easy smile, all up in my business without the slightest hesitation. Comfortable in our friendship and totally unaware of the thirsty thoughts in my brain.

Cody O’Keefe has amazingly soft chocolate-brown hair that gets mussed if you so much as look at it wrong. With peach skin and the most enticing slightly chubby cheeks, his beautifully open face is nearly as expressive as the song lyrics, affirmations, and notes he always writes on his arms in black or blue pen.

-check out the rest of the novel here on Vella!

Art

Art

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Art.

Such a tiny word for a huge subject. At its core, art is a form of expression. A way to show a piece of your heart or soul when words fail.

As the shy kid hiding behind his mother’s Anne Taylor pant leg, skipping words altogether appealed to me. Putting pretty colors on a blank page and creating a picture, creating a statement without the awkwardness and anxiety, it was everything.

I love painting. I love everything from color theory to the first brush stroke. I love art.

Art is beautiful, transformative, passionate… and limited.

–The Boy Next Door

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What seemed closer to a vast ocean as a child is actually a tiny oasis of blue and green serenity where water plants thrive. The greenish dark water and picturesque lily pads on top spark a rush of nostalgia. I remember the satisfying splash of chucking a bottle in there.

As kids, we were creative since we lacked glass bottles. Instead, we used old prescription bottles from our parents to deliver our notes. The little orange capsules stuck out, orange buoys signaling a secret message from friends.

–The Boy Next Door

The Rock Star

The Rock Star

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“The only legit opportunity for Wombat Soup… Some studio execs decide we’re worth talking to and get the bright idea I should be the front man.  They believed they could sell me as the edgy, sexy rock star.” No argument there. “Can’t say I loved the idea to sing, but hell, they were probably right. Between me and them, I’m the guy who hasn’t made a dime from music.”

–The Boy Next Door

Secrets, secrets

Secrets, secrets

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High school is complicated. Especially when you start pretending to date a guy in secret, for totally legitimate reasons, and then just when the whole thing might blow over, the secret is out and then you have to keep pretending to date the guy for… slightly less legitimate reasons.

This is a moment from One Little Word, part of the One Crazy Love Story Box Set.

~

Ryan

“I guess our secret fake relationship is now just a regular old fake relationship.” I said instead. I sighed dramatically. “We’re losing the magic already, darling.”

Luke laughed. He changed the subject to something else. I allowed his happy voice to cast away my doubts.

My second kiss with the blond had been no less surprising than the first. I never had time to prepare, so that’s why his lips always caught me off guard and stole my breath away.

The setting for this embrace had been even less ideal than the first. There had been many people watching us and we were both super tense. Yet the moment still made me want to do nothing but kiss him over and over again. Crap.