Hi guys, we have John H. Ames popping in today with his new release Surviving Elite High: The Next Generation, we have a short excerpt for you to check out so enjoy the post! <3 ~Pixie~
Surviving Elite High: The Next Generation
by
John H. Ames
Surviving Elite High fans, the wait is over! More romance, drama and mystery are unfolding at Elite High before the back-to-school bell has even rung!
Seventeen year old, blond-hair, blue-eyed and adorable Robbie Carroll, orphaned at a young age and mysteriously never adopted, has finally found his dream family. Nick Hawking and John Ames, now married, wealthy, and powerful, make Robbie their son, defying the young man’s past- one that Robbie himself has no memory of- that has scared all other prospective parents away. Now, Robbie has great parents and a hot brother, Nicky and beautiful sister, Lily, who take him into their midst and make him part of their tight circle of friends who all go to Elite High.
One of those friends is Tim Mercer, a gorgeous football player at Elite High. Tim’s dark looks and simmering eyes capture Robbie’s heart at first sight. But Robbie can’t be sure that Tim feels the same way, or even if he’s gay too. Moreover, even if Tim is available, there are some people around him who don’t want Robbie to get close to him, and will go to ANY lengths to keep him away. Why? What do they want with Tim? What is the secret that Tim is harboring? And who is that strange man in Robbie’s visions, who haunts his life and his dreams? Find out here!
Hi peeps, we have John H. Ames popping in with the cover to his upcoming release Love, Joy, Heartache & Pain, we have a tasty exclusive teaser and a fantastic giveaway so enjoy the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~
Love, Joy, Heartache & Pain
by
John H. Ames
A collection of new entwined stories by best-selling Young Adult author, John H. Ames. Love that reaches beyond the boundaries of the physical realm…
Swapatize!
The not so unrealistic detailed account of how my best friend and I swapped bodies for a short period of time. -High school is one of the most excruciating and painful periods of any teenager’s life. To Kyle, it’s hell on earth. Being the target of the jocks made him hate high school more than anything in the world. All he has is his best friend and the center of the jock’s interest, the beautiful Kylie Bursnell. But Kylie is not your typical beauty. She hates the jocks even more than Kyle, especially Lucas Edward Johnson, a jock who is madly in love with her and Kyle’s forbidden dream. After a bizarre and freaky night, they swap bodies and are force to live each other’s live. Can this actually be true? Has Kyle’s dream come true? Will he be able to love Lucas Edward Johnson unconditionally until the end of time? Or is their love nothing but a beautiful dream enveloped in heartache and pain?
The Spirit Indestructible
Brandon Angelo William has it all. He’s hot, popular, shy, humble, and one of the typical and regular guys in high school. But, unbeknownst to everyone, he’s a closeted gay teen who came out to his parents the previous year. They loved and accepted him with open arms so what more could Brandon want? Love. The one thing that his soul and body need. After a late night out with his best friend, Kevin, Brad sees one of the most beautiful guys he has ever laid eyes on. But could the teen in front of him be real? Or is he the legendary hitching ghost that everyone talks about? Brad needs to find out and what he discovers shocks him and changes his young life forever…
The Lake View Psychopath
Jocks beware, he’s here and he’s not scared. Ashton Hall hates his existence at Lake View High. The jocks have made his life a living hell and his friends have completely turned their backs on him. Why? For being gay and dating the love of his life, Austin Young. Almost overnight, they became the center of every joke and every bully’s paradise. To make matters worse, even the school’s coach allows his ‘jock superstars’ to make fun of them.
But everything the night Austin Young is brutally murdered by the jocks and they walk free. Something snaps inside Ashton’s head and the only think he can think of is revenge. Will Ashton come to his sense and let Austin go? Or will he become one of the greatest serial killers of all time?
Blurb: Surviving a normal high school is hard enough. Surviving Elite High? Close to impossible! Not until you learn the difference between love and obsession…
Sixteen year old James Gordon has it all. He’s rich, studious, and bears quite a strong resemblance to Justin Bieber. So, what’s stopping him from being a normal kid in high school? The deadly jocks. They torment anyone who’s gay or possibly closeted; even though Nick Wild Hawk, star of the football team and the love of his life, John, came out to the whole school in previous years and made being gay at Elite High just another walk of life.
However, even though the jocks have bullied James nonstop and made his life a living hell, he can’t help but fantasize about the king of the jocks, Nathan Parker. Nathan is rugged, straight and the most popular guy in school. When fate intercepts and places James and Nathan under the same roof, James’ torture really begins. And yet, through it all, James hopes that that his steadfast love for Nathan will change the jock into a lover rather than an abuser. Unless a certain hot, loyal, guy in the background can find a way to show James he is really, truly loved, and has been for a long time. Before it’s too late…
Review: Well damn, I really thought this one would be Jacob’s story, but it appears to James’ featuring Jacob toward the end. If you’ve read SEH: Senior Year then you will remember John’s tutee James. James has idolized John and even more Nick, who is his number one goal. Well not Nick himself since he’s taken, but someone like him; a jock, rugged and straight.
Unfortunately in his young and obsessed mind he makes the mistake of believing that special someone could be Nathan; Nathan who bullies and terrorizes him. In James’ mind Nathan could change for their love like Nick changed for John.
Yes, it is pretty obvious and pretty fast that James is one delusional kid and this story is beyond disconcerting on that account. James is so blind in his delusions that he almost puts himself in a very, very dangerous situation. With his father marrying Nathan’s mother, and the two boys living in the same house, James finds that the bullying he had to suffer at school gets tenfold worse in his own home, his own sanctuary. And with Nathan’s bipolar behavior James really doesn’t see the monster that is right in front of him.
Jacob on the other hand has dropped college to be a car/bike mechanic in James’ dad’s shop. And he has a silent crush on James never actually admit to it. That struck me as odd, since the Jacob we met in SEH was pretty forward when it came to claiming what he wanted. Anyway, he silently provides help and companionship for James even if the latter couldn’t really see straight and realize what’s good for him.
The story gets pretty brutal from a point on. That’s not what bothered me, but the fact that the plot leapt from one scene to another in a very quick pace. Just like the young teen that leapt from emotion to emotion, love to love in the blink of an eye. The fact that it was so much in the same tone as John & Nick’s story didn’t help. In some places you really could confuse James with John.
However the story was shocking and very intriguing and the emotions behind it even if a bit overly dramatic, still very strong. I personally would have loved more Jacob/James time, but never the less I had fun reading how wonderfully Jacob grew and matured. A wonderful addition for all the fans of SEH.
Publisher: DareMedia eMedia Production (June 19, 2012)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts
Blurb: John Henry Ames is a sixteen-year-old boy from a small New Jersey town. John is humble, shy and studious. He lives as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies. On the verge of dropping out of school due to overdue payments, a teacher enrolls him in a tutoring program where he meets the school’s star quarterback and hero, Nick Anthony Hawking. Since he was doing poorly in several subjects, Nick needs John’s help to pass and graduate high school.
As John becomes closer to the jock, he develops a strong affection towards him even though Nick has a strong reputation of sleeping around with a lot of women. Nick becomes his friend and protector in school. Their sincere friendship helps to bring out the best in each of them. Several tragedies, like a school shooting, threaten to change their young lives forever. Will they follow their own voice or return to the safety of their own shadows? Surviving Elite High is a breathtaking saga that illustrates a flourishing same-sex love, family, and friendship.
Review: I’m not going to waste time restating the blurb above. It’s a pretty good overview of Surviving Elite High. But, what it doesn’t reveal is just how fabulous this book really is. I’ve never been a big fan of the whole 90210 vibe of some YA romance novels. Somehow, the poor guy always gets screwed and the rich guy is never as good as we want him to be. But, reading Surviving Elite High was like watching the pilot of a new TV series (with its growing pains) and watching the growth of the actors and the entire crew as they grow together as the season progresses.
The first couple of chapters weren’t earth shattering, but the writing was interesting enough to keep me reading. But, as we get to know John and meet, first his tormentors and then his friends, you couldn’t help but want to get to know this kid more. At this point, his sexuality wasn’t even an issue. He was just trying to get from point A to B without getting his ass beat by dumb jocks. His first person POV was quite interesting. Despite all the negativity in his life, he has a great attitude. He is really thrown off kilter, when he meets Nick and finds his secret crush is really a nice guy…most of the time.
So like I said, after that slow start, this book is really fast paced. It really is like watching a soap opera…there is so much going on. But, somehow, it wasn’t too much. And even with all the drama going on, it wasn’t maudlin. The secondary cast is great. John’s best friends, Madison and Kitty are two little rich girls that have kinda adopted John. But, rather than being the typical teenage bitches, like on Pretty Liars, they are genuinely nice girls. Hell, even Nick’s competition is a nice guy. It was really cool, to see them all supporting each other through the chaos of high school.
Now, I know for a fact that this is supposed to be John’s story. It’s written from his point of view, but for me…Nick is the bomb. From the minute that John makes a blip on his radar, Nick is unwavering in his devotion; first as a friend and later as a lover. To everyone else, he can be a bipolar dickhead, but not with John. With John he is always protective and emotionally open and I loved him. There were several times, throughout the book, where I could have just reached in a hugged him for his choices.
John H. Ames/Juan Alvarado is a fabulous fresh voice in GLBT YA fiction. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Senior year at Elite High promises to be another rollercoaster ride and I can’t wait!! And in a perfect world, Jacob will find someone just as amazing as he is. Highly recommending this title for readers who hate bullies, love enemies falling in love and young men growing up nicely.
