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Blurb:
Pro
baseball player Devin Carter is set to break a home run record until a
knee injury puts him on the bench. With nothing to do but wait for
recovery, Devin impulsively treats himself and his dog to a vacation in
the Florida Keys. He checks in at a family-run hotel called The Blue
Paradise—and that’s where things get interesting.
Sparks fly when Devin meets Jim Dellwood, the resort owner's grandson, on the beach. Though Devin’s time in Islamorada is limited—and he's still in the closet to his teammates and the media—they decide to give the budding relationship a shot. Once he returns to Sarasota, Devin and Jim find ways to make their long-distance love affair work, but the team’s new outfielder has other plans for Devin. Can Devin make his way back to The Blue Paradise—and Jim?
Sparks fly when Devin meets Jim Dellwood, the resort owner's grandson, on the beach. Though Devin’s time in Islamorada is limited—and he's still in the closet to his teammates and the media—they decide to give the budding relationship a shot. Once he returns to Sarasota, Devin and Jim find ways to make their long-distance love affair work, but the team’s new outfielder has other plans for Devin. Can Devin make his way back to The Blue Paradise—and Jim?
Buy link at amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Blue-Paradise-ebook/dp/B008D2JP5I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1345421085&sr=8-2&keywords=fenraven
“Rusty, we’re going to like it here,” he said as the last of his cares fell away.
Buy link at Dreamspinner:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3064
Excerpt: DEVIN
CARTER had five days off, thanks to a stretched knee ligament, and he
needed to get away from everyone and everything he knew, so he threw
some clothes and a couple of books in a bag, loaded the dog into the
car, and drove down the gulf coast of Florida to Naples, where he picked
up the Tamiami Trail. Turning off the air conditioning, he powered down
the window and let the salty-smelling breeze clear the cobwebs from his
head.
He was tired. He’d been
on a merry-go-round this last year, and full stops had been rare. There
had been the odd day now and again where nothing was scheduled, but
mostly, he’d been running for months.
Rusty, his red
mixed-breed pup, sat in the passenger seat, tongue lolling, excited to
be going somewhere. It didn’t really matter where as long as his owner
was with him and there was food to eat.
Devin put on some
kickass rock ’n’ roll and turned up the volume, singing along when he
knew the words and even sometimes when he didn’t. Singing was another
thing he didn’t get to do much of lately.
It was late August, the
end of summer everywhere but in Florida, where that season just went on
and on, and he was glad of it. He knew what snow and cold were, having
grown up in Minnesota, and while he enjoyed renewing his acquaintance
with frostbitten fingers and wind-reddened cheeks on occasion, he much
preferred the milder temps down south.
Two hours into the
trip, he pulled over for gas and bottled water. The minute he stepped
out of the car, Rusty jumped into his seat and hung his head out the
window. Devin kept an eye on him as he filled the tank. “No, you don’t
have to go. You just want to mark territory.” Rusty tilted his head,
knowing full well what his master was saying, because he said it a lot.
“Stay.” Rusty’s ears went down; he knew that word, too.
Heading inside, he
located the coolers at the back of the store, grabbed two bottles of
water, and paid at the counter. The woman did a classic double-take.
“You know who you look like?”
Devin pulled a bill out of his pocket and handed it to her. “No, who?”
“I
saw you on Leno the other night. That guy with the Suns, you know, the
one who got all those home runs this season. I have the worst memory when it comes to names.”
“Hm. No idea who you’re talking about.” She made change and handed it to him. “Thanks.”
“Welcome,” she said.
Smiling, he started to
leave the store. Just as he was exiting, the clerk called after him,
“Sure you’re not him? I’m a big baseball fan, and I’ve seen all the
games.”
He turned to look at
her. “You have a good day now,” he said, and flashed a killer smile. Her
eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, but Devin was gone and back in
the car and driving away in moments. He loved his fans and went out of
his way to be generous and patient with them, but they were one of the
things he needed a break from.
***
AS HE drove southeast
on the Tamiami Trail, otherwise known as US 41 or SR 90, the scenery got
wilder and signs of human population finally dropped off. This was
Everglades country, and he felt himself relaxing into the trip. He loved
traveling. He missed it more than anything else. His fondest wish for
this journey was that he might find himself in a place where no one knew
who he was, or if they did, they wouldn’t care.
He’d been on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice
in the last year and given countless interviews. Talk shows clamored
for him, he’d been signed to endorse various products, and he’d been
interviewed by newspapers and other magazines. His dark good looks and
tall, lean body came across well on the screen, and being intelligent
and well-spoken only added to people’s desire to get close to him. And
why? Because he was positioned to break the ten-year-old home run record
held by Barry Bonds. ESPN was calling him “the Secretariat of
baseball.” For the next five days, he just wanted to be a guy with a
dog, taking a break from life.
As he passed Ochopee,
Rusty started making “I gotta go” noises, so he pulled over at a post
office. Clipping him on-leash, he let Rusty pull him toward an inviting
grassy space on one side of the parking lot, keeping a watchful eye open
for alligators. They were known to frequent the area and often crossed
the Trail.
Devin watched Rusty
sniff every square inch of the spot, content to indulge his doggy
behavior. The cell phone he usually carried was back in the car, buried
in his bag, left there purposefully so it wouldn’t disturb him, not that
he’d get a signal out here anyway. The quiet soothed his frayed nerves,
and he realized he was smiling.
He returned to the car,
shoving Rusty over into the passenger seat. “How many times do we have
to go through this?” he asked good-naturedly. “That’s your place, this
is mine.” Rusty woofed softly and then ignored him. He popped a
painkiller for his leg and washed it down with water.
A short distance on, he
stopped at Joanie’s Blue Crab Café, where he ordered and ate Cajun
grouper?quite possibly his favorite Florida meal?while Rusty remained in
the running car, air conditioning turned on high. There weren’t many
diners. Highway 75, which paralleled the Tamiami Trail to the north, was
getting most of the traffic these days. Devin preferred the Trail; he
liked the relative wildness of this part of Florida, and he wasn’t in a
hurry.
He continued on 41
until he hit US 1, turning south. He sort of didn’t breathe much until
he got past the sprawl of Miami, and then he was in the Keys, and it was
okay. He relaxed again and drank in the sight of aqua water on both
sides of the road and endless bridges. He hadn’t been here in a few
years and was happy to be back. There was nowhere else like it in the
world.
Drowsy from the pill,
he almost stopped in Key Largo but kept going until Islamorada, where he
spotted a likely place to stay. The sign?on it were the words “The Blue
Paradise” with a leggy, faded flamingo next to them?swung slightly in
the breeze. The “Village of Islands” was known for its sport fishing,
and he thought it might be fun to go out on a boat from one of the
handful of marinas in the area.
He pulled in and parked on gravel, leaving Rusty in the car. The dog whined.
“I’ll
be right back,” Devin promised and looked around. The place was overrun
with vegetation, the pastel-painted cottages nearly hidden behind
draping greenery, and through the curtaining trees, he caught a glimpse
of white sand beach and ocean. Spotting an “Office” sign next to the
pale pink door of a small house, Devin went inside. An elderly man sat
behind a low counter, reading a newspaper, his feet propped on a chair.
He glanced up as Devin entered. “Can I help you?”
“I was wondering if you had a cottage available.”
“Sure do. It’s been slow this year. The economy, you know.” Devin nodded his understanding. “How long might you want it?”
“Four nights, and I have a thirty-pound, well-behaved dog.”
He grinned. “Dogs are okay, though we require a damage deposit. You’ll get it back if he doesn’t eat a hole in the couch.”
Nodding, Devin took out a credit card and handed it to him. “You own this place?”
“For over forty years
now. Name’s Harry Dellwood. You need anything, just ask.” He ran the
card and handed Devin the receipt for his signature. “Hope you like
quiet, ’cause that’s what we specialize in. Lots of peace and quiet.
There are only a few people staying here right now. Honeymoon couple in
number three, businessman in number one, handful of others. It’ll pick
up again in another month or so. Your timing is great.”
Devin handed the white copy back to Harry. “Can I take the dog down to the beach?”
“Yup,
no problem. Just be sure to clean up after him. Canoes are numbered to
match the cottage. Take it out whenever you like. There are a few
kayaks, too. Not numbered. First come, first get.” Digging around behind
the counter, he finally came up with a card key. “I’m giving you the
one on the end: number fourteen. It’s near the beach and set well back
in the trees, so you’ll have lots of privacy.” When Devin looked up
sharply, Harry laughed and said, “Recognized you when you walked in, and
the name on the card confirmed it. Saw you on Leno. You’re a damn good
baseball player.” Devin pocketed the card and receipt, biting his lip.
“No one will bother you, young man,” Harry assured him. “This ain’t New
York or Los Angeles, ya know.”
Devin stuck out his hand and Harry shook it. “Thanks. Is there somewhere I can get some food?”
“Grocery store just down the road. You can cook, can’t you?”
Devin laughed. “After a fashion.”
“If you were asking for a restaurant, got a few of those nearby, too. Just drive around, you’ll see ’em.”
“Thanks. You’ve been
very helpful.” He went back to the car and parked it in a small lot near
the road, grabbed his bag and Rusty, and walked the heavily shaded,
worn dirt path to his assigned cottage. It was a bit on the shabby side,
weather-beaten from years of use and taking the wind off the water, but
inside, it was comfortably furnished, dry, and cozy. Rusty raced
around, sniffing in the corners. There was a couch and chair in the
sitting area, and opposite that, a queen-sized bed with good reading
lamps. The kitchenette was small but serviceable. He ducked his head
into the bathroom and was pleased to see a tub, not just a shower.
Leaning over the
kitchen sink, he looked out the window, through the trees to the beach.
He saw canoes and kayaks and a dock to the right. A pelican sat at the
end, calmly gazing out to sea.
“Rusty, we’re going to like it here,” he said as the last of his cares fell away.
Blue Paradise
July 31, 2012
--
By Judie Babie
Format:Kindle Edition
This author has made quite the impression on me in just a few days. I
read his latest book a few days ago and I wanted to check out his other
books. I'm so hooked on him that when I read this book and I felt like
Jim and Devin wanted me to know what their relationship was all about. I
was with Devin in his closet. This book is awesome and I suggest you to
pick it up and read it, you won't be disappointed!
5.0 out of 5 stars
GOT TOTALLY CAUGHT UP IN THIS; BASEBALL HERO, STALKER PLOT, FLORIDA SETTING
August 18, 2012
By Buggy
Format:Kindle Edition
Wow, I totally got into this one, a real surprise as the story didn't
at all go where I was expecting it to and the love scenes were for the
most part fade-to-black. Sure we get the usual hand jobs,
bj's and make out sessions but except for a delicious "edging" scene
(yup, learn something new every day in my M/M romances) our hero "makes
love" and leaves the rest to our imaginations. Kinda refreshing.
Blue Paradise also gives us a creepy stalker plotline -which I didn't see coming, and our hero is a professional baseball player. Yum! And wasn't it fun going behind the scenes with him; locker rooms, agents, groupies etc. Giving me flashes of For Love Of The Game (without Kevin Costner) as he tries to break Barry Bonds homerun record on a failing knee. I should also mention the awesome Florida setting here; so well written that I could actually feel the humidly, smell the salt air and see the swaying palms. Total escapism and I loved it. This was a big hit for me and I'll definitely be seeking out more from Theo Fenraven.
Professional baseball player Devin Carter is nursing a bad knee, benched by the team doctor he's hoping a week's rest in the Florida Keys will be just what his mind and body need to help him break the home run record when he returns for the remainder of the season. With no true direction in mind Devin just grabs his dog and hits the road, eventually checking into a non-descript hotel bungalow on the beach. It's there at the Blue Paradise that Devin meets Jim, the grandson of the owner and the man he doesn't know he's been looking for.
Their affair is short lived but meaningful and when Devin returns to Sarasota they decide to keep it going over the phone. There isn't any angst or unnecessary drama between Devin and Jim; it's all very mature (that aspect has been saved up for Jorge.) Devin is still in the closet when it comes to the media and his teammates but otherwise quite secure in his sexuality so even though he's never fooled around with a teammate before when the opportunity presents itself - and with Jim's open minded blessing, he forges into unknown and potentially messy territory with the team's new outfielder. And that's when things get really interesting.
For a novella I managed to I got way caught up in the stalker aspect of this story and the utter helplessness Devin feels as his life crumbles around him. He can't even go to his coach or the police without coming out, however as the violence escalates he also runs out of options. The bad guy here is nothing new or special but he still managed to make me hate him while upping the suspense level. My only real complaint here would be Dev and Jim's initial meeting which just felt a little too easy and convenient but hey what do I know about gay hook ups?
Lastly I have to give a shout out to Rusty the dog who manages to get quite a bit of realistic page time. So much so that when the stalker starts threatening him I actually said to myself (and the author) you better not hurt the dog or I'm gunna stop reading and when I start talking to my books I know it's good. Cheers
Blue Paradise also gives us a creepy stalker plotline -which I didn't see coming, and our hero is a professional baseball player. Yum! And wasn't it fun going behind the scenes with him; locker rooms, agents, groupies etc. Giving me flashes of For Love Of The Game (without Kevin Costner) as he tries to break Barry Bonds homerun record on a failing knee. I should also mention the awesome Florida setting here; so well written that I could actually feel the humidly, smell the salt air and see the swaying palms. Total escapism and I loved it. This was a big hit for me and I'll definitely be seeking out more from Theo Fenraven.
Professional baseball player Devin Carter is nursing a bad knee, benched by the team doctor he's hoping a week's rest in the Florida Keys will be just what his mind and body need to help him break the home run record when he returns for the remainder of the season. With no true direction in mind Devin just grabs his dog and hits the road, eventually checking into a non-descript hotel bungalow on the beach. It's there at the Blue Paradise that Devin meets Jim, the grandson of the owner and the man he doesn't know he's been looking for.
Their affair is short lived but meaningful and when Devin returns to Sarasota they decide to keep it going over the phone. There isn't any angst or unnecessary drama between Devin and Jim; it's all very mature (that aspect has been saved up for Jorge.) Devin is still in the closet when it comes to the media and his teammates but otherwise quite secure in his sexuality so even though he's never fooled around with a teammate before when the opportunity presents itself - and with Jim's open minded blessing, he forges into unknown and potentially messy territory with the team's new outfielder. And that's when things get really interesting.
For a novella I managed to I got way caught up in the stalker aspect of this story and the utter helplessness Devin feels as his life crumbles around him. He can't even go to his coach or the police without coming out, however as the violence escalates he also runs out of options. The bad guy here is nothing new or special but he still managed to make me hate him while upping the suspense level. My only real complaint here would be Dev and Jim's initial meeting which just felt a little too easy and convenient but hey what do I know about gay hook ups?
Lastly I have to give a shout out to Rusty the dog who manages to get quite a bit of realistic page time. So much so that when the stalker starts threatening him I actually said to myself (and the author) you better not hurt the dog or I'm gunna stop reading and when I start talking to my books I know it's good. Cheers
By A. Strohm
Format:Kindle Edition
I really liked this story, though I wish it had been longer. The
setting (in Florida) really added to the plot, giving it a carefree,
sultry feel that I would love to find on any vacation.
But I also love my stories to have a twist, and boy did this one. When Devin and Jim met, it was sweet and no pressure, just two guys finding out about the other one. The attraction was paced well, and despite their chemistry, it was believable to me that, given the long-distance aspect they faced, they'd not make themselves exclusive to each other. That's a fast way to become frustrated, in my opinion, and having had long distance relationships before, I know of what I speak.
Enter Jorge, one of the outfielders on Devin's baseball team. So very hot at first, but it's clear up front they're not very compatible. When his sneakiness turns suspicious, I wanted to shout at Devin to run far, far away. Of course, the doof didn't listen to me, to almost disastrous results.
As an aside, I've had the knee injury Devin suffered and it's no walk in the park. When the author described it happening in detail, I threw up in my mouth a little, the description is that dead on. And the ending, seriously... I turned green. But that's a mark of a great story, to have me that absorbed, wanting to shout at my Kindle and getting nauseated by something I read. Well done, Theo Fenraven. Well done.
But I also love my stories to have a twist, and boy did this one. When Devin and Jim met, it was sweet and no pressure, just two guys finding out about the other one. The attraction was paced well, and despite their chemistry, it was believable to me that, given the long-distance aspect they faced, they'd not make themselves exclusive to each other. That's a fast way to become frustrated, in my opinion, and having had long distance relationships before, I know of what I speak.
Enter Jorge, one of the outfielders on Devin's baseball team. So very hot at first, but it's clear up front they're not very compatible. When his sneakiness turns suspicious, I wanted to shout at Devin to run far, far away. Of course, the doof didn't listen to me, to almost disastrous results.
As an aside, I've had the knee injury Devin suffered and it's no walk in the park. When the author described it happening in detail, I threw up in my mouth a little, the description is that dead on. And the ending, seriously... I turned green. But that's a mark of a great story, to have me that absorbed, wanting to shout at my Kindle and getting nauseated by something I read. Well done, Theo Fenraven. Well done.
Released 7/11: Phoenix Rising
Released 6/20: The Blue Paradise
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