Jere' M Fishback

On his first day at state university, freshman Johnny Darling rues his decision to enroll. He's 150 miles from his family and friends and terribly homesick. But when he's assigned Ben Stonecipher as a roommate, Johnny's life brightens. Ben's a handsome guy from a wealthy family, but he's emotionally troubled, and for good reason. He's responsible for his twin brother's recent death.A liquor-fueled night in the dorm room leads to personal confessions and intimacy. In the days that follow, an intense affair blossoms between Johnny and Ben, one that must weather the threat of a love triangle neither boy is prepared to deal with.

Fifteen-year-old Tyler Buckspan lives with his mom and grandmother in 1960s Cassadaga, a Florida community where spiritual "mediums" ply their trade. The mediums-Tyler's grandmother among them-read palms and tarot cards, conduct s ances and speak with the dead.Tyler's a loner, a bookish boy with few interests, until his half-brother Devin, nineteen and a convicted arsonist, comes to live in Tyler's home. For years, Tyler has ignored his attraction to other boys. But with Devin in the house, Tyler can't deny his urges any longer. He falls hopelessly in love with his miscreant half-brother, and with the sport of basketball, once Devin teaches Tyler the finer points of the game.In a time when love between men was forbidden, even criminalized, can Tyler find the love he needs from another boy? And is Devin a person to be trusted? Is he truly clairvoyant, or simply a con artist playing Tyler and others for fools? What does Devin really know about a local murder? And can Tyler trust his own psychic twinges?

Florida. The very name brings to mind coconut palms and theme parks. It's a land of sunshine, sugar-sand beaches, and glittering hotels, a perpetual vacation for all those fortunate enough to live there. Or is it? Florida has a dark side most visitors never see. In mysterious places, far from the Interstate highway's hum, nefarious souls commit trickery, assault, and even murder. Folks aren't always who they seem to be, and the innocent sometimes fall victim to the heartless, the depraved, and the mentally disturbed. "Troubling Tales from Florida" offers six short stories and a novella, "Man-O-War Cay". These narratives will chill your spine and haunt your dreams, long after you've put this anthology down.