Hi guys, we have Dan Skinner stopping by with his new release That Darn Muse (The Misadventures of Doc & Dick Vol II), we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

That Darn Muse

Dan Skinner

He’s a middle-aged, newly single, gay photographer starting life over. Along comes a freshly out nineteen-year-old, irreverent free spirit who wants to be his apprentice. Mismatched by more than a generation, what could possibly go wrong? Everything! And it’s AWESOME!

A “Muse” ing: Most authors struggle with the voices or “muses” in their head when writing. Tuning that voice out becomes a little more challenging when your muse is a real-life nineteen-year-old who inhales espresso and turns out ideas at light speed. Danger Will Robinson!

Daddy and The Rent Boy: In selling something, advertising is half the battle. That can become hazardous when you’re in the company of an irreverent walking billboard.

Excerpt

Episode Three: A-MUSE-ing

It was Thanksgiving. I’d been invited to Dirk’s home to partake in the holiday with him, his mother, and Grandmama. The two of us being vegetarian, he was preparing our Vegan half of the meal. His cooking is always good, so it was something to look forward to. I haven’t had family for years and had been on my own for the last three, so having a holiday with a family was, for me, a real treat. Mom and Grandmama were having the traditional bird and fixings and we’d be having an assortment of goodies prepared and presented almost like tapas dishes: black bean burritos, green pea and potato samosas, and rice and tempeh cabbage rolls – all very tasty.

Mom and Grandmama fancy wine, and drink quite a bit of it. Mother and daughter share a lot of the same qualities. They have great senses of humor, were lifelong Republicans who abandoned their party and turned to Bernie Sanders as soon as Trump entered the GOP arena, and can tolerate their very unique son/grandson’s antics by pretending most of the time they cannot see or hear what he’s doing. That, of course, only encourages him. Every drama queen likes to know they have an audience once they have the mic and a stage. He’s no different.

The two of us have known each other exactly a year. I’m used to his quirks. He has a ton of them.

He’s nineteen years old and has all the same hang-ups, insecurities, and curiosities as most people his age. Normal teenagers are just not as unfiltered or vocal about them. For instance, I think he was born a nudist. He doesn’t seem to like clothes much and discards the ones he’s required to wear the moment that requirement has expired. The normal ritual of his visits to my loft, where I tutor him in photography and he, in return pays me back by organizing my thousands of files of photos goes like this:

“Hiya!” Jacket and sweatshirt come off and hit the back of a chair. “D’ya have any coffee made?”

Shoes pop off and fall under the chair. He sits in the chair and either unzips his pants and slips out of them, or pulls himself out of a pair of baggy sweats and throws them on the bed.

Over the year we’ve known each other, he has worked out with me practically every day. When we first met, he was on the thin side as most boys his age are when they add six inches of height in a short period of time. But it wasn’t unattractive. He could have easily gotten a job as a runway model with those sleek proportions. With the workouts, he’s added muscle, albeit mostly in his legs and ass. His upper torso seems resistant to adding any mass, so his waist is still slender and there is more definition to his abs and chest, even if there isn’t more size. I think he looks good.

He thinks he looks odd and disproportionate. Most teenagers are never satisfied with themselves, not realizing that they are in the prime of their lives and will look back on these moments later in life and wish they could be that beautiful once more.

He likes to sit at the computer and organize my photo files while he has his coffee. He’s very good at this. I no longer have to search a thousand photos to find a bodybuilder in swim trunks in a pool. There’s a file for that. There are files for every imaginable category of photo and they are clearly labeled and every day he adds to each one as the organization goes steadily onward. He doesn’t like to wear clothes while he works. His work clothes usually consist of a plain t-shirt and an amusing pair of cartoon boxers. He’s partial to Spongebob Squarepants. I’ve seen a halfdozen of those. The photographer in me wants to take photos of him. There are moments when I look at him while he’s unaware and I see glimpses of natural beauty that I know will be lost forever if someone doesn’t record them. But he won’t have it. He wants to “be more in shape”, “add more weight,” and “not look like a Praying Mantis.” I call this body dysmorphia and every day remind him that I think he’s ready. He makes a face and dismisses me.

He is also filterless. His mother and Grandmama both are to a degree, as well. That degree is usually modified by the amount of wine they’ve consumed, which lowers their barriers. With Dirk, there are no barriers. You have to get used to that. If you are in his confidence, anything goes. Be prepared. There are no precious bubbles or spaces that are off limits in his world. He moves in and out of them all the time. I know. He likes and trusts me, which means he has absolutely no regard for normal proprieties. When he’s horny, it’s not uncommon to find him with his boxers at his ankles at the computer whacking off to his favorite porn during a break from working. I’ve learned to keep a closet stocked with boxes of tissues just for him. At this point, I should invest in stock. He no more thinks it is unusual to masturbate in front of me than it is to chug his Mountain Dew. These are normal things for Dirk.

About Dan

I’m a single gay man living in the Midwest. I write because I consider myself to be an old-fashioned storyteller. I’ve been a photographer for half my life, specializing in male romance cover art. My dream is to one day live on the beach with my dog and continue to tell tales that inspire and entertain.

Contact Dan on Facebook, Twitter, DeviantArt, and Tumblr (NSFW)

Giveaway!

Win an ecopy of That Darn Muse Vol II!