GUEST POST: Breaking the Habit by J.P.Bowie
Release of “Breaking the Habit” by J.P. Bowie
My thanks to the guys at Because Two Men Are Better Than One for this opportunity to tout my latest release “Breaking the Habit”, the sequel to “Fear and Loving in Las Vegas”.
When I originally wrote “Fear and Loving in Las Vegas”, I had no intention of following it up with a sequel, but after I submitted the manuscript to my publisher, it was as if the lead character’s brother, Mike Peterson, spoke to me and demanded “What about me?”
Mike is a self-proclaimed loser with a bad gambling habit and the propensity for expecting others to help him out of tight spots. Unemployed, and with two failed marriages behind him, Mike is hardly the stuff romantic leads are generally made of. But deep down, Mike was looking for some kind of redemption, a friend, someone other than his brother, Jerry, that he could relate to and share a satisfying life with.
When his brother steers him in the direction of Larry Bertoli, a recently ‘out’ LAPD cop and his sister’s ex-boyfriend, Mike at first balks at the idea of meeting the guy. Fortunately, curiosity wins out and although their first contact isn’t the greatest, there is enough of a connection for them to want to explore their friendship farther.
I didn’t want this to be just another straight-to-gay story. I wanted to explore the psyches of both men and find out what, if anything, in their pasts might have led them to these life-changing shifts in their sexuality. The men are very different in their temperaments and personalities. Mike is prone to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and his gambling addiction gets in the way of his common sense at times. Larry is the steadier of the two, more sure of his decision to ‘bat for the other team’, yet he sees in Mike someone he could be comfortable with in the long-term, not to mention his visceral attraction for the man.
Their fledging relationship gets off to a rocky start, mostly due to Mike’s unwillingness to let go of what he perceives as ‘normal’ and admit to himself that the feelings Larry invokes in him are really what he wants. While he enjoys Larry’s company, the idea of physical contact between them, scares Mike to death, but at the same time it intrigues and excites him. He knows that at some point he must either cross the line and give in to urges he never thought he would ever contemplate, or walk away from his and Larry’s newfound friendship.
As in all things consensual, there is no right or wrong, no black or white, only endless possibilities if one would only reach out and grab hold of what might be the most important and life-defining opportunity ever offered. How many of us have, at some point in our lives, been faced with a decision we know will change everything, if only we make the right choice? Or even if we make the wrong choice?
Mike’s decision will change his life for certain. No matter what direction he takes, nothing will ever be the same for him again. One can only hope that he’s not left sighing into the night, “If only…”
This book is the sequel to Fear and Loving in Las Vegas also by J.P. Bowie
A gambling addiction isn’t bad enough? Throw in a not-so-sudden interest in guys and Mike Peterson’s life is about to get really complicated!
Mike Peterson is determined to break the gambling habit that resulted in two failed marriages, no money, no job, plus almost getting himself and his brother killed when loan sharks came looking for the money he’d borrowed.
In addition, he’s recently been having some doubts about his own sexuality. When his gay brother suggests he get in touch with an old friend, recently out police officer Larry Bertoni, Mike is at first leery of the idea, and their first meeting isn’t exactly ideal.
They decide to meet again and this time more of what they are and what they could mean to one another is revealed during their time together. They begin a tentative friendship that graduates to a first, fumbling attempt at romance.
Can they find the secure relationship they both want, or will Mike’s addiction and lack of self-esteem hinder what could possibly be salvation for both men?
Buy from Amazon
Note from the author: Dumping Las Vegas was the original title of Fear and Loving in Las Vegas, the prequel to Breaking the Habit. It was published by Wilde City Press a couple of years ago before their sad demise. It has been extensively re-edited by Pride Publishing.
About the author
J.P. Bowie is originally from Scotland but has lived in the US for many years. An ex-singer/actor he has worked with many British and American celebrities over the years. J.P. began writing in 2001, mostly gay mysteries and wrote his first erotic vampire novel in 2008. “My Vampire and I” which started out as a short story morphed into a full length novel and a series of eight different stories. To date, J.P. has written close to eighty books, series, short stories and novellas on a variety of subjects – vampires, cowboys, detectives and just some regular guys.
He lives in San Diego with his husband, Phil. They have been together for 24 years, married since it became legal 4 years ago.
Catch him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jp.bowie.1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jpbowie
Website and blog. www.jpbowie.com
Send an email to jpbowie@att.net
Breaking the Habit is available here: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/breaking-the-habit