Monday, October 19, 2009

MUTE WITNESS Now Available


Just wanted to share the exciting news that my latest novel, Mute Witness, is now available in both paperback and ebook formats.

Mute Witness is a special book to me because, although it's a thriller with paranormal elements, it grew out of a very personal trauma: the fear of losing my son during my divorce several years ago simply because I was gay.

Purchase ebook.
Purchase paperback.
Purchase Kindle version.

Here's what Mute Witness is about:

Sean and Austin have the perfect life. Their new relationship is only made more joyous by weekend visits from Sean’s eight-year-old son, Jason.

And then their perfect world shatters.

Jason is missing.

When the boy turns up days later, he has been horribly abused and has lost the power to speak. Small town minds turn to the boy’s gay father and his lover as the likely culprits.

Sean and Austin struggle to maintain their relationship amid the innuendo and the very real threat that Sean will, at the very least, lose the son he loves. Meanwhile, the real villain is much closer to home, intent on ensuring the boy’s muteness is permanent.


To whet your interest, here's the first few pages:

    It was one of their rare lazy evenings. Summer, and the evening air was fresh and clean after an afternoon thunderstorm, with just a hint of a breeze. Normally, Sean and Austin were so busy that if they weren’t trying to change something about the little Cape Cod on the Ohio River they had bought a year before (adding a deck, putting in a new kitchen, stripping away years of white paint from the woodwork downstairs), they were too tired to do anything but crawl into bed and pass out, usually before eleven o’clock. Lovemaking, since they had bought the money- and time-sucking house, had become relegated to weekend afternoons and the occasional early morning.
    But today, Thursday, had been an easy one. Austin had called into work, the Benson Pottery, where he was a caster and taken a mental health day. Things had just been too damn busy lately and he needed the break. Waiting until Saturday was out of the question. Sunday seemed farther away than the next millennium.
    Sean, a reporter for The Evening View, the local thrice-weekly compilation of ads sandwiched in with a little editorial, had had the day off. The couple had spent the day in Pittsburgh, at the Andy Warhol museum, then had an early dinner at The Grand Concourse (the best Paella on the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers), beat the brutal thunderstorm home, made love (acrobatically, in the kitchen, atop a Butcher’s block), and now the two were curled up in front of the TV. Sean had rented Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and, after a bowl of Jamaican and a couple of vodka and tonics, the two were teary-eyed with laughter.
    Sean looked over at his younger boyfriend and thought how lucky he was to have found Austin, especially in a town the size of Summitville, where the population hovered just above ten thousand. Even better, Austin was his fantasy man, with a broad, beefy body that his mother and her friends would have called strapping, sandy blond hair, and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. When Sean had first met him, he thought Austin’s eyes had to be fake: enhanced by those tinted contacts that never looked real. But he found quickly that the young man was simply blessed with arresting eyes to go along with his broad shoulders, dimpled chin, and infectious smile. He wore that smile right now, coming down from a fit of inappropriate laughter after hearing Elizabeth Taylor tell Richard Burton, “I’d divorce you if I thought you were alive.”
    A sick sense of humor was yet another thing the pair had in common.
It was what they both would have agreed was a perfect day. Well, Sean might have had one more item to add to the “perfection” list. Having his son, Jason, around for at least part of the time would have been all it would have taken to make the day ideal, but these days, Jason was for the weekends only.
In any case, this was close enough to nirvana. He closed his eyes and let his head loll back on Austin’s shoulder.
    Sean was just thinking about slowly undressing Austin and then leading him into the bedroom for round two when the phone rang. Its chirp startled both of them out of the cocoon of warmth that had surrounded them, a cocoon built from good sex, supreme relaxation, and the afore-mentioned Jamaican weed.
Austin: sleepily from under Sean’s arm on the couch, “Don’t get it. Please don’t get it. Just let the machine pick up. I don’t want to talk to anyone. And I don’t want you to, neither.” Sean eyed the little answering machine next to the cordless, wondering when they would enter the 21st century and use voice mail like everyone else. But, unlike voice mail, the machine did allow them to screen calls and for two men who appreciated their privacy, this feature had voice mail beat all to hell.
    Sean let the phone ring its customary four rings, although his tendency would have been to answer it. But if this would make Austin happy, then he was willing to do it. Especially since he had things in mind for Austin that did not involve the telephone. Things that would erase their fatigue and perhaps keep them up the better part of the night. Sean grinned.
    On the fourth ring, Sean pressed the pause button on the remote control and sat up straighter to listen.
    “Whatever it is, it can wait,” Austin whispered in Sean’s ear, flicking his earlobe with his tongue and giving his crotch a playful squeeze.
    And then the moment shattered.
    Shelley’s voice, almost unfamiliar under the veneer of tension that made it higher, quicker, came through. Shelley and Sean had been married once upon a time and their union had produced Jason, the best little boy in the world. As soon as Sean heard Shelley’s voice he thought of his son, who shared his dark hair, green eyes, wiry frame, and his fascination with stories.
    “Sean? Sean, I hope you’re there. This is important. Please pick up.” There was a slight pause. “It’s about Jason. He...”
    Before she could say anything else, Sean sprinted for the phone in the entryway. “Shelley? Sorry, I was...”
    “Jason is missing.”
    “What?”
    And then Sean heard her begin to sob and the relaxation in all of his muscles vanished, replaced by a tightness that felt like steel bands snapping taut across his muscles. Blood rushed in his ears; his heart began to pound. A queasy nausea rose up in his gut.
    “Jason never came home tonight,” Shelley sobbed. “I don’t know where he is. Please say he’s with you.”
    Sean sat down on the little oak chair in front of the desk. Well, collapsed into the chair was more like it. “Shelley, I’m sorry, but he’s not here. Don’t you think I would have called if he had come here? How long’s he been gone?” Sean rubbed the back of his neck, his mouth curiously dry. He glanced out the window at the complete darkness.    “I went to work at six and he wasn’t home yet.” She blew out a sigh. “But, you know, we just thought he was horsing around in the woods or something and lost track of time. Then I called Paul and...”
    “Wait a minute, Shelley. It’s a quarter ‘til eleven.”
    “I know. I know.”
    “Why didn’t you call sooner? You mean to tell me you’re just starting to look? Christ, he’s eight years old.”
    “I thought he would’ve come home while I was on my shift. Paul was here and he fell asleep and...”
    “Paul. Great.” Sean rubbed his sweaty palms against his thighs.
    “Please Sean, it’s not the time. I fucked up. Okay? Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I need some help finding our son.”
    She was right. In spite of the thoughts running through his head, most of them centering around how he and Austin would have been better parents, but the courts couldn’t see that, all they could see was a little boy growing up under the wings of two queers, Sean knew she was right.
    This was an emergency.


Purchase ebook.
Purchase paperback.
Purchase Kindle version.

To win a FREE, signed copy of the book, simply leave a comment below with a way to reach you. I will contact the winner tomorrow, October 20.

27 comments:

  1. I saw your press MLR at Outfest in Philly. A little behind in reading your books. They recommended Bashed.I am getting the books on my Kindle. Up next Deadly Vision.

    Good luck,

    Kathi

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  2. I would love the book! You can contact me at bebe4812@comcast.net Thanks and have a good day!! LOL

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  3. Oh yeah, I gotta get a copy of this. As usual, you have me hooked with the premise, let alone the excerpt.

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  4. I have enjoyed reading your books and am enjoying IM at this moment. I am looking forward to reading more of your books. You are a great and gifted writer.

    greginvan@gmail.com

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  5. Rick never pulls his punches and clearly Mute Witness is no exception. What a terribly painful subject is child sexual abuse, and I'm certain that for a father to have written about it must have been heart-rending. Can't wait to read this one, even though I know ahead of time it will wrack my soul and wrench my spirit. But-it's a subject that needs to be aired. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month with the theme Break the Silence and I say the same for child sexual abuse: Break the Silence! Thank you Rick for writing Mute Witness, and thank you also for your courage to speak out about your past situations and fear of losing your son. May this be an immense bestseller!

    Frost King
    frost.at.psp@gmail.com

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  6. Hi Rick, I read the first few pages on Amazon and then here again and was going to get it for my Kindle but thought I'd wait till I could afford the actual book, as I'd like to have a copy. Hope this helps me win the free one! I can't wait to see what happens next! Isn't that what ever writer wants to hear?

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  7. Sounds great, Rick. Looking forward to reading it.

    Woofer
    FeralWoofer@yahoo.com

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  8. What an excerpt... this is my second time reading it and it gets my stomach all tied up in knots. I actually have the ebook version but I'm one of those that wants to have books from favourite authors in as many versions as I can get.

    And as a parent myself I can't imagine the pain of even the possibility of losing your child Rick. This story definitely speaks to me on a number of levels... Guess I'm moving it up to the top of the TBR.

    k-kozakewich@shaw.ca

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  9. sounds very interesting,you had a lot of courage writting this story and you still have your son that i know you love dearly and always will love susie cheuvronts@comcast.net

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  10. Rick, you constantly amaze me with a quality and depth of of your writing, and this is no exception. Thank you for putting this out there, you Pac NW neighbor...devonrhodes at hotmail dot com.

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  11. This sounds like a great story. I know how hard it is when you tell your children that you are gay, in fear of losing them, hoping that they will understand and accept it. Hope I get a chance to read this book. You can reach me at rc19662002@yahoo.com. Roy

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  12. Congratulations on the new book! Both the summary and the first few pages have captivated me. I would love to win a autographed copy of this one! If not, I guess I'll have to settle for buying an unscribbled in one! As always, wishing you the best of luck with it.

    John E. Fluker
    john_fluker@yahoo.com

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  13. Rick-

    Wow, Once again you have me hooked!!! I have to enter to win this book!! I just had surgery and I need a good book to read while stuck in bed!! Anyhow the book sounds great. Either way I will have to get a copy!! Hoping your well out there in Seatle. Stay Warm!! Drink Cocoa!!

    Tom
    ThomasDA81@gmail.com
    :-)

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  14. Just finished reading BASHED, which I really enjoyed! I also got my copy of "Twisted Tales" and an anthology, "Unspeakable Horrors" with one of your stories. Looking forward to reading this one as well!
    Mark - citywoof@yahoo.com

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  15. This sounds great, Rick! Please award the free copy to someone other than me - I'm happy to buy and support. Come payday anyway. :-)

    Hugs,
    JL

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  16. As usual, your books make an impact and are highly entertaining. I expect nothing less from the new novel.

    Contact info: andrew@andrewwolter.com

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  17. Congratulations on your newest release! I'd love a chance to read this one Rick!

    Thanks for letting me know it's available!

    x0xx Amy

    IAmHiMaintenance(at)aol(dot)com

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  18. It sounds great, as usual. Would love an autographed first edition!

    Hugz,
    Marty

    aphid9@aol.com

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  19. Hi Rick - looks awesome.
    I would love to read this book.
    Best wishes to a fellow writer!
    Nat Burns

    Notes from Nat
    The Lesbian News
    www.natalieburns.net
    natburnsworld@yahoo.com

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  20. Sounds like a great read. I also have a eight year old son, and a male partner....should be interesting to read.

    Steve Ainsburg
    Maddiwill@aol.com

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  21. Wow, what a great start to the novel! I wish you LOTS of success with the book - I'm going to definitely look up your work in my local library and check you out on Amazon... I can't wait to get a copy of Mute Witness...
    Derek (from Facebook!)

    A. D. Fairclough
    Derek.London@gmail.com

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  22. You know I want this one too. Wanted it since I first heard about it! (you know I'll buy it though...damn.)

    Good luck with it, Rick!

    ~Bryl

    Bryl R. Tyne
    bryltyne.com
    bryl@bryltyne.com <----EMAIL (just in case I get lucky!)

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  23. Rick, I do love the way you are experimenting with other genres of writing without compromising your individual personality. As a soon to be graduate of freelance writing, I understand the challenges there are to create fresh material without being stuck in one type of writing or a particular genre. You like those dark elements in our lives we all like to not think about and then bring it to the core of your work. Keep at it, this is why readers will follow what you do, you write from your creative mind and from your heart, best of luck to ya my friend.

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  24. Rick, I do love the way you are experimenting with other genres of writing without compromising your individual personality. As a soon to be graduate of freelance writing, I understand the challenges there are to create fresh material without being stuck in one type of writing or a particular genre. You like those dark elements in our lives we all like to not think about and then bring it to the core of your work. Keep at it, this is why readers will follow what you do, you write from your creative mind and from your heart, best of luck to ya my friend.


    Jonz V. Stoneroad
    jstoneroad@yahoo.com

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  25. Hey Rick, love your books. I just got your post so I hope I'm not too late for the drawing. This one looks like a good one, close to my heart as well. I had the same fears when I went through my divorce.

    Tim Veihl
    jt519@comcast.net

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  26. We have a winner! Through a very mysterious, random, and scientific process, Devon Rhodes has emerged as our winner. I will be in touch with Devon to get details of where to send the book. Congratulations, Devon.

    And if you didn't win, you can still purchase your own copy.

    Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment and enter. Thank you for reading.

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  27. Thank you so much Rick! Can't wait!

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