NOVEL-IN-PROGRESS:

Advance by Fire and Maneuver

Two leading men fight to survive the 1980s Hollywood AIDS panic as it threatens their secret love and hard-won stardom

• Category: LITERARY/UPMARKET

• Open to: Inquiries from agents & editors (novel is currently nearing final polish—the first two chapters [4,000 words] are ready now)

Panoramic in scope and spanning decades, this deeply character-driven work centers on an epic male-male love story. Two passing-for-straight leading men—David, an intense ex-paratrooper whose military grit shapes his response to obstacles, and Jed, a charming and sexy goofball also capable of moments of breathtaking depth—are both battling up from tough (though contrasting) beginnings. As they rise through show business while struggling with dire poverty in crime-degraded New York City and navigating its cutthroat theater world, they nurture a passionate secret relationship that is both their joyful strength and greatest risk.

When the 1980s Hollywood AIDS Panic erupts just as each breaks through to screen stardom, David and Jed must fight to protect their romantic bond—and their financial and artistic survival—in an increasingly predatory industry determined to identify and shut out homosexual men.

With everything on the line, their differing personalities, approaches, and strategies unleash both shattering pain and surprising forms of triumph.

CLICK HERE TO READ WHAT EARLY READERS ARE SAYING

A PREVIEW OF THE REACTIONS:

“You’re crafting something that challenges readers with literary depth and stylistic richness, while rewarding them with emotional payoff, narrative propulsion, and romantic tension.”

ON A PERSONAL NOTE:

Whether it’s navigating the complexities of 1980s New York City and Hollywood on the page or tackling a literal mountain, I always feel drawn to the climb—when I’m not writing or behind a camera, I’m usually somewhere steep….

ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN PHOTO (under text):
Summitted a 10,358' peak! On volcanic “scree” you slide back a foot for every two gained—so I’m calling it a 20,716-foot ascent!