Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Social Intercourse
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.greghowardauthor.com
CITY: Pawleys Island
STATE: SC
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; husband’s name Steve.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer; owner of an independent record label.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Greg Howard is a writer and the founder and owner of an independent record label in Nashville, Tennessee. He grew up in Georgetown, South Carolina, a small town near the coastline. Howard was raised in a strict Christian household and found an outlet for his overactive imagination in music, acting, and literature. He moved to Nashville as a young man to pursue dreams of becoming a music star. It was during this time that he began working in music, eventually starting his own record label. He works full-time and writes in the mornings and on the weekends. Howard writes young-adult and middle-grade fiction, often centering on LGBTQ characters and issues. He and his husband live in Nashville.
Blood Divine
Cooper Causey, the protagonist of the paranormal novel Blood Divine, has spent his adulthood trying to leave the demons of his childhood behind him. Cooper grew up in Georgetown, South Carolina, a small town known for its ghosts, hidden family secrets, and old-fashioned ways of viewing the world. When he was just a child, he experienced a terrifying spiritual encounter. While at Warfield, an abandoned plantation in Georgetown, eight-year-old Cooper was confronted by the ghost of Blue, a dead slave who had led a violent revolt in the pre-Civil War era. The experience had scarred the young boy, and Cooper left Georgetown as soon as he was able.
As an adult, Cooper’s tendency to run from his problems is everpresent as he jumps from one bed to the next in a string of one-night stands. When he receives a distressed phone call from his granny Lillie Mae, his only remaining family member, he knows he must return to the dreaded Georgetown. When he arrives there, Lillie Mae is nowhere to be found, and the word “Warfield” has been written in what appears to be blood in the family Bible. Cooper calls the local police department and is shocked and excited when Randy, Cooper’s dashingly handsome childhood crush, arrives in the police car. While Randy and the police force begin the official search, Cooper investigates Warfield. While there, he learns about the Anakim, vampire-like creatures that have kidnapped his grandmother. Cooper’s family line contains a special type of blood that gives the Anakim powers, and they demand he sacrifice himself if he wants to save his grandmother. With the help from a team of vampire slayers and police officer Randy, Cooper just may have the upper hand against these terrifying beasts.
“Howard handles the complicated plot nicely, building its dramatic events to a satisfying conclusion,” wrote a contributor to Kirkus Reviews. A contributor to the Dab of Darkness website stated, “I liked the mystery, and the mystique, the jokes and the underlying seriousness to many of them,” adding, “The story wraps up several major points but leaves plenty open for a sequel.”
Social Intercourse
Described by a contributor to Publishers Weekly as “a funny and satisfying love story,” Social Intercourse tells the coming-of-age story of seventeen-year-old Beckett Gaines, a young gay man living in the middle of the Bible Belt. Beckett is a theater nerd, Golden Girls fan, and hopeful singer, and he is out and proud. As one of only two out students at his high school, he tries to stay under the radar while simultaneously refusing to silence his identity and desperately looking for someone to help him lose his virginity. Beckett’s father, his only parent, is proud and supportive of his son. Things are going pretty well for Beckett, all in all, until his father begins dating Tracee. Tracee is also supportive of Beckett (the two adults are helping Beckett to plan a Rainbow Prom), but Beckett does not trust her. Recently single from her wife of years, Tracee has come into Beckett and his father’s life a little too quickly for Beckett’s liking. He is worried that she is simply on the rebound and will break his father’s heart.
Beckett finds an unlikely ally in Jax, Tracee’s son. Jax is the football’s quarterback, the class president, and the boyfriend of the head cheerleader. Jax is just as upset about the new relationship as Beckett is; he wants his mothers to make up and get back together. Beckett and Jax have an unsavory history, but they decide to put their past to the side to collaborate on a plot to end their parents’ relationship. As they work together to separate their parents, Jax opens up to Beckett about his own struggles with sexual identity. Jax knows he is attracted to both men and women, but, as the star quarterback, feels he must keep this information hidden. While the two young men carry out their plot, they learn to lean on one another for personal support. Maggie Reagan in Booklist wrote, “The language is raunchy, the innuendo is frequent, and the energy is irrepressible.” Reagan added: “Hand this debut to readers tired of problem novels who are looking for a hilarious romp.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2018, Maggie Reagan, review of Social Intercourse, p. 51.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, June, 2018, Karen Coats, review of Social Intercourse, p. 430.
Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2016, review of Blood Divine.
Publishers Weekly, April 9, 2018, review of Social Intercourse, p. 79.
School Library Journal, April, 2018, Christopher Lassen, review of Social Intercourse, p. 133.
ONLINE
Dab of Darkness, https://dabofdarkness.com/ (September 17, 2017), review of Blood Divine.
Greg Howard website, http://www.greghowardauthor.com (November 9, 2018).*
Greg Howard grew up near the coast of South Carolina, or as he fondly refers to it, “the armpit of the American South.” By the time he could afford professional therapy and medication, the damage had already been done. His hometown of Georgetown, South Carolina is known as the “Ghost Capital of the South,” (seriously…there’s a sign), and was always a great source of material for his overactive imagination. Raised in a staunchly religious home, Greg escaped into the arts: singing, playing piano, acting, writing songs, and making up stories. After running away to the bright lights and big city of Nashville, Tennessee with stars in his eyes and dreams of being the Dianne Warren of Music City, he took a job peddling CDs and has been a cog in the music business machine ever since. Now an adult with a brain, Greg finds the South Carolina coast to be a perfectly magical place where he vacations yearly and dreams of the day when he can return to write full time in the most tastefully decorated beach house on Pawleys Island. Currently, Greg resides in Nashville, TN with his husband, Steve, and their three rescued fur babies. Molly, Toby, and Riley.
Greg Howard grew up on the coast of South Carolina in a strict, conservative Christian environment. He escaped into the arts: singing, playing piano, acting, writing songs, and making up stories. After running away to the bright lights of Nashville, Tennessee, he eventually got serious about writing books. Greg writes young adult and middle grade fiction usually centering on LGBTQ characters and issues. He has an unhealthy obsession with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Greg's debut young adult novel, SOCIAL INTERCOURSE from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers has been described as "utterly hilarious," "tender," "irreverent," and "unapologetically real." His debut middle grade book, THE WHISPERS, will be published by Putnam/Penguin - Spring 2019.
Greg Howard grew up on the coast of South Carolina where his hometown of Georgetown (also known as the “Ghost Capital of the South” - seriously…there’s a sign), was always a great source of material for his overactive imagination.
Raised in a conservatively Christian environment, Greg escaped into the arts: singing, playing piano, acting, writing songs, and making up stories. After running away to the bright lights and big city of Nashville, Tennessee with stars in his eyes and dreams of being the Dianne Warren of Music City, he took a job peddling CDs and has been a cog in the music business machine ever since.
Now an adult with a brain, Greg finds the South Carolina coast to be a perfectly magical place where he vacations often and writes about fondly. Currently, Greg resides in Nashville, Tennessee with his husband, Steve, and their three rescued fur babies—Molly, Toby, and Riley.
Upcoming, Greg’s debut middle grade book, THE WHISPERS, will be published by Putnam/Penguin - Spring 2019.
THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS:
FAVORITE FOOD – Cheese
FAVORITE DESSERT - Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
FAVORITE MOVIE – The Color Purple
FAVORITE BOOK – The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
FAVORITE TV SHOW (currently) – The Handmaid's Tale
FAVORITE TV SHOW (classic) - The Carol Burnett Show
FAVORITE SONG (classic) – The Nearness of You
FAVORITE SONG (currently) - Bloom by Troye Sivan
FAVORITE BEACH – Pawleys Island, SC
FAVORITE CITY – London
FAVORITE (AMERICAN) CITY – Asheville, NC
FAVORITE VACATION DESTINATION – Hawaii
FAVORITE FLAVOR OF ICE CREAM – Butter Pecan
FAVORITE COOKIE – Peanut Butter
FAVORITE ACCESSORY - Apple TV Remote
FAVORITE ELECTRONIC GADGET - Kindle Voyage
FAVORITE STOOGE - Moe
FAVORITE ENTERPRISE CAPTAIN - Picard
FAVORITE GOLDEN GIRL - Dorothy
FAVORITE DESIGNING WOMAN - Julia Sugarbaker
FAVORITE DIETY - Dolly Parton
FAVORITE DOG BREED - Rescue
Greg is represented by Brianne Johnson of Writers House Literary Agency. For licensing inquiries, please contact Brianne at bjohnson@writershouse.com
Greg Howard grew up near the coast of South Carolina. His hometown of Georgetown is known as the “Ghost Capital of the South” (seriously…there’s a sign), and was always a great source of material for his overactive imagination. Raised in a staunchly religious home, Greg escaped into the arts: singing, playing piano, acting, writing songs, and making up stories. Currently, Greg resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his husband, Steve, and their three rescued fur babies Molly, Toby, and Riley.
Become a Fan
Pride is the perfect time for 'Social Intercourse'
Local author Greg Howard debuts a new novel
June 1, 2018 Chuck Long 0 Comments
Share
12
Share
It’s time for Nashville Pride, and for readers there is no better way to celebrate than with an LGBT-themed book by a local author! Nashville’s Greg Howard has a new book, Social Intercourse, hitting shelves just in time for Pride — on June 5.
The book focuses on Beckett Gaines, a gay teen living in South Carolina, who has his world turned upside-down by a jock in this laugh-out-loud novel that’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets The Parent Trap. Chuck Long, of Out & About Today, sat down with Howard to discuss his latest release.
With Social Intercourse, you have a major release through a major publisher, Simon and Schuster. What’s going through your head?
Total disbelief that it’s finally happening! I secured my agent and sold the publishing rights to Social Intercourse TWO YEARS AGO! That’s about normal timing for the publishing world from sale to publication date, but still, the waiting was excruciating. Now that it’s finally here, it all seems a little surreal—but exciting and wonderful as well, of course.
When did you feel you might have a gift for writing?
Gift is quite the daunting word to embrace, and I’m not just trying to be modest. I will say that I’ve had a passion for writing since I was a kid. I toyed with the idea of being a fiction writer during my teens and then I wanted to be a songwriter as a young adult, but I never had the discipline to pursue those dreams at that time in my life.
The road to getting your publishing deal wasn’t easy. You had to navigate your own way, and like many writers, dealt with a lot of rejection before finally getting that magic yes. What kept you going? Did you ever feel like throwing in the towel?
I’ve dealt with rejection in writing for a long time. My very first manuscript was rejected by Dial Books, which interestingly enough is an imprint of Penguin/Random House where I got my most recent book deal. At least the rejection letter was personalized, and the editor invited me to resubmit in the future. But at the time I couldn’t understand why they didn’t like my book. Looking back, I realize that it might have been because I was only nine years old and I plagiarized the whole thing from a TV movie of the week. True story.
Rejection is just part of the process because the publishing world is so subjective. It can be discouraging and demoralizing, and of course there were times I felt like throwing in the towel. You’re putting yourself out there in the most vulnerable way. Bearing your soul and bracing for when someone says they just don’t like what you’ve spent weeks, months, or years creating. But while I was getting all those no’s, I kept reminding myself that it took Kathryn Stockett five years to write The Help and she received over sixty rejections from agents before getting a yes—for The Help, a book that has now sold over ten million copies in forty-two languages! The thing you have to remember is that it only takes one yes. I wrote Social Intercourse in five weeks and got over thirty no's from agents before I got my yes. My previous book racked up over sixty rejections from potential agents and not one yes. So as hard as all those no's were to hear, I feel so fortunate to finally have landed a dream agent with one of the largest and most respected literary agencies in the world, who then sold my manuscript to a big five publisher in less than a month. The whole process was brutal, but SO worth it. And if I’d given up, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.
I love one of your social media posts. You wrote, “My motto for the last five years has been - "Better Now Than Never". Whenever panic inducing regrets rear their heads and I feel to old too be starting this journey.... I take a deep breath and remind myself of this.” Was that a lesson hard learned, or born out of necessity?
I guess it was born out of necessity. I came to Nashville and jumped right in the music business and that’s all I’ve known for over 25 years. Now that I’m starting to have success with my writing, regrets do rear their ugly heads. Why didn’t I do this 25 years ago? I would be so much farther along. I’m too old to start this now! But you can’t look at it that way or it will make you crazy. Obviously, I wasn’t ready to really devote myself to writing until the last few years, or I would have done it. The past is the past. I can’t change it now and all those choices made me who I am today—a successful new author. So that’s why I always say, better now than never.
What’s your writing routine?
I still work a stressful full-time job in the music business, running an independent record label. So for the last four to five years, pretty much every Monday through Friday, I get up at 4am and write (or edit) for a couple of hours before work. Then I spend most Saturdays and Sundays writing, editing, or working on marketing, website, etc. I learned pretty quickly that I write better early in the morning and even though I’ve never been a morning person, I had to become one. I decided if this was my dream, I had to make sacrifices and change my personal habits. So, during the week, I’m heading off to bed around 8pm. That’s it. That’s the routine. That, and multiple cups of hazelnut coffee and my three pups laying all over me while I work. They make good arm rests. I don’t listen to music when I write, because of my day job. I have to listen to music all day long. Silence is my muse.
How do you decide what you want to write about?
With my first book, the adult paranormal Blood Divine, it was a story that had been brewing in mind for a long time. With my young adult book, Social Intercourse, it really all started with a character (Beck) and the story kind of blossomed around him. With my next book, The Whispers, the idea came from my own life experiences and my relationship with my mother when I was very young. With some of the new ideas I’m working on, I usually just go with whatever interesting idea comes to mind, flesh it out a little with a blurb and a few sample chapters, then run it by my agent. She gives me feedback on if she thinks it’s something that she can sell. And since I want to do this full time one day, those are the ideas I focus on and develop. I will probably always write gay main characters, because I wish I’d had access to more middle grade and YA books them. And it feels natural for me.
Why did you want to write Social Intercourse and what was the inspiration?
I’d never considered writing in the young adult genre because I honestly didn’t think I could pull it off. And when I read young adult, I don’t really read contemporary. I’m more of a The Hunger Games and Maze Runner kind of YA reader. But I’d been reading some contemporary young adult novels with gay main characters like Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, More Happy Than Not, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets to the Universe and Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and I loved them all. All of those books have such different points of view and none of them were anything like what I thought my point of view or voice would be in that genre. That made me wonder if I might have my own unique perspective to offer. So, I gave it shot and wrote the manuscript during National Novel Writing Month (every November) with no idea what I was doing and no expectations—which was probably a good thing. All I knew was that I wanted to write a really funny book, with some romance, and show a different kind of gay teen character than what I’d seen before—one that is unapologetically out and proud, knows who he is, and not afraid to let his freak flag fly. Beck is a self-proclaimed “femmy choir boy” looking to lose his virginity via a gay hook up app called Bangr on the first page of the book. And he’s looking forward to becoming a bossy power bottom. That edginess, raciness and balls to the walls attitude guided the whole story. Sure, gay teens can be sweet, adorable, chaste, and perfectly straight-acting (a term I hate), but they can also be wonderfully messy, just like straight teens. Beck is a hot mess.
Some agents and editors initially passed on Social Intercourse, even though they loved the writing, because they felt it was too “racy” or “edgy” for the young adult genre. But it’s actually less racy than a lot of heterosexual YA romances. Is there a double standard for LGBTQ YA fiction?
I had several potential agents initially request more pages, then some requested the whole manuscript. Most of them said they loved the voice and the writing, but they felt it was “too much” for YA. The same thing happened when my agent started sending it to potential publishers. I found it very perplexing because Social Intercourse is, as you said, less racy than a lot of het YA romances. After talking to my agent, my eventual editor at S&S and other YA authors, I learned that, yes, there is in fact a double standard. And to make matters worse, a straight woman writing a book about LGBTQ teens can go a lot farther with regards to raciness than a gay man writing the same thing. Somehow, it’s perceived as more subversive when a gay man writes it. It’s extremely frustrating, but it’s actually a thing.
Did your publisher ask you to tone it down or take anything out?
I have to give major props to my agent, Brianne Johnson, and to my editor at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, David Gale. Neither of them asked me to tone it down or take out any of the naughty bits. I told my agent when I first signed with her, that it was important to me not to water the book down to make it more palatable to the masses. I wanted to be true to the characters, and frankly true to myself and my own experience as a gay teen. I was very lucky to find the right agent and editor partners for this book.
The book is set in the Florence, South Carolina, where you spent your teen years. How similar is the character of Beck to how you were in high school?
Yes, the book is set in my hometown, and like Beck, I was a hot mess in high school. But I wasn’t as brave or as comfortable in my skin as Beck is. I was very closeted. I dated girls, played the game, talked about boobs with my best friend, all that stupid shit. I like to say that Beck is who I wish I’d had the courage to be in high school. He’s my hero.
Social Intercourse shines a light on religious bigotry against the LGBTQ community in the South. Do you think there has been progress in that area, or is there more work to be done?
I grew up in a very religious household of the Pentecostal/Holiness variety. Obviously, that played a big role in my struggle to accept who I really was—who God made me, actually. I tried to pray the gay away for almost half my life! (Newsflash: That doesn’t work, so stop it!) There’s even a Westboro Baptist Church type church creating all kinds of discord for Beck and his queer friends in Social Intercourse. I’d love to think there has been progress, but then I read new stories about religious bigotry and hatefulness from the Christian community against the LGBTQ community and it’s very discouraging. But I know that doesn’t mean all Christians are that way. It’s definitely progress that there are dozens of not only welcoming but affirming churches in the Nashville area. That’s a huge improvement over ten years ago.
Sexual fluidity is also prevalent in Social Intercourse and one of the two main characters, Jax is bisexual. Why did you choose to show a romance between a gay boy and a bisexual boy versus two gay boys?
In the book, Jax is the star quarterback and has quite the reputation around school as a lady’s man. It’s not that his reputation is a lie, it’s just that he’s hiding the other side of his sexual orientation. Deep South plus football plus public school still equals a social mine field for queer teens. There’re are a lot of books about two gay boys falling in love, but there really isn’t a lot representation of bi teens in YA. It’s getting better, but it’s still sometimes an overlooked group.
One of the more memorable (and hilarious) scenes in the book is the drag queen day spa. Where did that idea come from?
From my twisted brain. I’d heard about a touring show that was an all-drag queen production of The Golden Girls. I think that idea is genius! And wouldn’t you love to see an all-drag version of Steel Magnolias?! Somebody needs to get on that! There needed to be a scene in the book where Beck takes his BFF Shelby to get a makeover, so those thoughts led me to the idea of a salon and day spa staffed entirely by drag queens called Queefy Le Pew’s Pussy Cat Parlor and Day Spa. (Imagine Ginger Minj in a Dolly wig playing the role of Queefy Le Pew in the movie adaptation.) I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t want to go there for a fierce new ‘do or a weekly anal bleaching? I think that would be a hit in Nashville. Somebody needs to get on that, too.
Beck’s best friend, Shelby, is a hoot and their close friendship is a highlight of the book. Was Shelby inspired by anyone in particular?
Some people only have one best friend, but I’m blessed to have three! They all came into my life at different times and I can’t imagine this journey without them. Shelby is an amalgamation of my three besties—Hal, Michelle, and Tom. She embodies their humor, their sweet souls, their loyalty and their hearts. I guess that’s why Shelby is my favorite character.
This is your debut in the young adult genre. How has the YA community responded to you and the book?
There’s actually a wonderful community of YA authors based in and around Nashville. I’ve been fortunate to befriend some amazing YA authors such as Becky Albertalli (Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda) and Jeff Zentner (The Serpent King). Jeff will be moderating my Social Intercourse book launch party at Parnassus Books, drawing focus away from me because of his unfortunate looks. (Insert Google pause here.) They and other YA authors have given me so much advice and encouragement. Jeff and Becky in particular read my book multiple times and gave me such great feedback and direction. They also warned me to beware of the drag. And by drag, I mean the social media trolls who find any little thing to be offended by and attack you on. And believe me, if anyone is looking for something to be offended by, they will likely find it in my book.
There was a major publishing house auction for your next book, The Whispers, so there’s already a lot of industry buzz about it. Give us a little preview of the book. How did it feel to have major publishers fighting over you?
The Whispers is my middle grade debut. It’s a mystery that follows a queer eleven-year-old boy who seeks out all-knowing, mythical wood creatures to help him find his missing mother before he becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance.
This is the most personal story I’ve ever written, so the publishing auction was a tremendous surprise. Going from all those previous no’s to having five major publishing imprints bidding for my new book was just nuts! It was exciting and really nerve-wracking. You want to choose the best home for your book and the best editor to guide the process and champion the book, not just the one offering the most money. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin/Random House, checked all the boxes for me and I’m so excited to be working with them on The Whispers, publishing in Spring 2019. This book got me a film agent and the UK, Italian, and Spanish rights have already been sold too. So, like I said…nuts.
How you would describe Social Intercourse in ten syllables or less?
Jock straps, drag queens, anal bleaching. Oh my!
For more about Greg Howard, or to buy the book, visit greghowardauthor.com. Howard has upcoming appearances at:
PARNASSUS BOOKS: June 5, 2018 – 6:30PM
Social Intercourse launch party and book signing with special guest, critically acclaimed YA author, Jeff Zentner
YA-HOO FEST: September 29, 2018
Chattanooga State Community College
Help
Log In or Create an Account
Get A Book
Review
The Discovery
Awards
Book
Distribution
Book
Marketing
Book
Reviews
Blog
0
Author Greg Howard on BLOOD DIVINE and the dream that motivates him daily
August 29, 2017/in All About the Book, Guest Author, Interviews /by IR Staff
BLOOD DIVINE received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Greg Howard.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
BLOOD DIVINE was published August 31, 2016.
What’s the book’s first line?
They stood side by side, straddling their bicycles between two vine-choked, stone columns that guarded the entrance to Warfield.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
A guarded playboy struggling to suppress the dark power stirring inside him becomes a pawn in an ancient war between two supernatural races.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
The opening prologue is a ghost story that really happened to me when I was eight years old—up to a certain point. We lived just down the road from a deserted antebellum rice planation that was widely believed to be haunted. Why we always rode our bikes down there to explore, I have no idea. We had more than a few scares, but the event that I used in the prologue inspired the whole story.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Readers who enjoy stories about vampires and witches will find a fresh take on the origin of those supernatural creatures that weaves in Biblical mythology. Also, anyone who loves a suspenseful ghost story won’t be disappointed either.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Cooper is a man haunted by a power inside him that was born of both good and evil. He constantly struggles to find a balance that won’t destroy him and everyone he loves. His inner struggle actually reminds me a little of Frodo’s in The Lord of the Rings when he is tempted by the allure of the ring.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Sam Heaughan.
Is this the first you’ve written?
I have stopped and started novels over the years, but BLOOD DIVINE is the first that I completed.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am an executive in the music business in Nashville and I sing in a 140 voice community choir.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I get up every weekday morning at 4am to write for 2-3 hours, and then most all day Saturday and Sunday.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
Doing everything yourself while still trying to be creative and write new stories.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Actually my second book got me an agent and was acquired by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, so I am excited to see what that brings.
Is there something in particular that motivates you?
I would love to write full time. That dream motivates me daily. And a beach house would be nice, too.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Pat Conroy. The man had a special way with words and we come from the same region of the country so his stories are so relatable to me
Which book do you wish you could have written?
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy.
Social Intercourse
Karen Coats
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 71.10 (June 2018): p430.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Coats, Karen. "Social Intercourse." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, June 2018, p. 430. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A543731433/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=936b9a3d. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A543731433
Social Intercourse
Maggie Reagan
Booklist. 114.16 (Apr. 15, 2018): p51.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Social Intercourse.
By Greg Howard.
June 2018. 320p. Simon & Schuster, $18.99 (9781481497817). Gr. 10-12.
Beckett Gaines isn't interested in being anyone other than himself: a Golden Girls-loving, fantastically gay theater kid stuck smack in the middle of the Bible Belt. The not-inconsiderable "homosexuality is a sin" crowd is annoying, and it's impossible to lose his virginity here, but his dad, also a Golden Girls aficionado (and a total Rose), is great, and Beck doesn't have many complaints--until his dad starts dating Tracee, newly single and one of high-school king Jaxon Parker's moms. Jax, who just wants his moms back together, is fully aware that he himself is attracted to girls and guys, but he's a popular quarterback, and he's keeping that information quiet. Beck and Jax reluctantly join forces to split their parents up, just as their school starts preparing for its first-ever Rainbow Prom, where romance, whether they like it or not, is in the air. The language is raunchy, the innuendo is frequent, and the energy is irrepressible. Hand this debut to readers tired of problem novels who are looking for a hilarious romp.--Maggie Reagan
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Reagan, Maggie. "Social Intercourse." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2018, p. 51. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537268175/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5561a14e. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A537268175
Social Intercourse
Publishers Weekly. 265.15 (Apr. 9, 2018): p79.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Social Intercourse
Greg Howard. Simon & Schuster, $18.99
(320p) ISBN 978-1-4814-9781-7
Florence, Ala., is not an easy place to be gay, but 17-year-old Beckett Gaines is doing his best to be out and proud, and he's trying to lose his virginity (and hopefully find love) via his newly installed Bangr app. His father is supportive, so much so that he and his new girlfriend, Tracee, are planning a Rainbow Prom, but Beck worries that Tracee is on the rebound from her longtime female partner. It turns out that Beck has an unexpected ally in Tracee's son, Jax Parker, a quarterback, class president, and golden boy who just wants his moms back together. It's a small town, so Jax and Beck have a history, but they turn out to have things to learn about and from each other. Debut author Howard may lean a little heavily on gay tropes (Beck seems to have grown up on a diet of The Golden Girls and RuPaul), but he tells a funny and satisfying love story while challenging simplistic preconceptions that people are either gay or straight or that the Bible Belt plus football equals a homophobic community. Ages 14-up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Social Intercourse." Publishers Weekly, 9 Apr. 2018, p. 79. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A535100038/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2a5ac9d9. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A535100038
Howard, Greg: Blood Divine
Kirkus Reviews. (Oct. 15, 2016):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Howard, Greg BLOOD DIVINE Wilde City Press (Indie Fiction) $5.99 8, 31
In this paranormal romance, a man returns to his hometown, where he must learn truths about his family, join a battle against supernatural evil, and save the man he loves. When Cooper Causey was an 8-year-old boy in Georgetown, South Carolina, he had a terrifying encounter at Warfield, an abandoned plantation, with the ghost of Blue, a slave who'd led a murderous revolt. Blue sent a jolt through Cooper that left a coiled energy in the boy--one that he still, 20 years later, deeply distrusts. Cooper left Georgetown and its uncomfortable memories behind long ago, but an alarming message from his beloved grandmother Lillie Mae sends him back. After he arrives, he discovers that Lillie Mae has disappeared and that someone has written the word "Warfield" in blood in the family Bible. He calls the cops, and Cooper's boyhood crush RJ, now a police officer, responds; he now goes by the name Randy, and Cooper finds him more devastatingly attractive than ever. Later, Cooper investigates at the Warfield plantation, where he finds that two vampirelike creatures are holding his grandmother hostage. It turns out that his family history puts him at the center of an ageslong struggle between forces of light and darkness. To fight evil, he must learn to embrace his own powers, including the dark energy that Blue liberated in him. He and a team of vampire slayers join in several exciting battles in which Randy, too, has a role to play. In this debut novel, Howard handles the complicated plot nicely, building its dramatic events to a satisfying conclusion. His characters, including the supernatural ones, are varied and well-drawn. Although vampires, angels, and similar creatures are nothing new on the scene, Howard makes his concept fresh through good dialogue, a vivid setting, and Cooper's personality, which combines brashness with sweetness. The relationship between Cooper and Randy, while slow to heat up, adds some welcome lightness to all the horror. The author also makes wonderful use of real-life Georgetown locations, such as the Rice Museum, to add realistic details that make it easier to suspend one's disbelief. The ending suggests that Cooper and friends have more work to do--a good thing for readers. An exciting, romantic tale anchored in a great sense of place.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Howard, Greg: Blood Divine." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2016. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A466329277/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e3b81e55. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A466329277
Greg Howard: Blood Divine
Kirkus Reviews. (Oct. 15, 2016):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Greg Howard BLOOD DIVINE Wilde City Press (Adult Fiction) 5.99
In this paranormal romance, a man returns to his hometown, where he must learn truths about his family, join a battle against supernatural evil, and save the man he loves. When Cooper Causey was an 8-year-old boy in Georgetown, South Carolina, he had a terrifying encounter at Warfield, an abandoned plantation, with the ghost of Blue, a slave who’d led a murderous revolt. Blue sent a jolt through Cooper that left a coiled energy in the boy—one that he still, 20 years later, deeply distrusts. Cooper left Georgetown and its uncomfortable memories behind long ago, but an alarming message from his beloved grandmother Lillie Mae sends him back. After he arrives, he discovers that Lillie Mae has disappeared and that someone has written the word “Warfield” in blood in the family Bible. He calls the cops, and Cooper’s boyhood crush RJ, now a police officer, responds; he now goes by the name Randy, and Cooper finds him more devastatingly attractive than ever. Later, Cooper investigates at the Warfield plantation, where he finds that two vampirelike creatures are holding his grandmother hostage. It turns out that his family history puts him at the center of an ageslong struggle between forces of light and darkness. To fight evil, he must learn to embrace his own powers, including the dark energy that Blue liberated in him. He and a team of vampire slayers join in several exciting battles in which Randy, too, has a role to play. In this debut novel, Howard handles the complicated plot nicely, building its dramatic events to a satisfying conclusion. His characters, including the supernatural ones, are varied and well-drawn. Although vampires, angels, and similar creatures are nothing new on the scene, Howard makes his concept fresh through good dialogue, a vivid setting, and Cooper’s personality, which combines brashness with sweetness. The relationship between Cooper and Randy, while slow to heat up, adds some welcome lightness to all the horror. The author also makes wonderful use of real-life Georgetown locations, such as the Rice Museum, to add realistic details that make it easier to suspend one’s disbelief. The ending suggests that Cooper and friends have more work to do—a good thing for readers. An exciting, romantic tale anchored in a great sense of place.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Greg Howard: Blood Divine." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2016. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A466551527/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=0cc5bee0. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A466551527
HOWARD, Greg. Social Intercourse
Christopher Lassen
School Library Journal. 64.4 (Apr. 2018): p133+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
HOWARD, Greg. Social Intercourse. 320p. S. & S. Jan. 2018. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781481497817.
Gr 9 Up--Beckett Gaines is an out and proud teen who is obsessed with The Golden Girls, singing, and losing his virginity. He flies under the radar as much as he can while being only one of two out gay students in his school in a small rural Southern town. He lives with his father after his mother mysteriously left the family. Jaxon Parker is the star quarterback of the high school football team, the envy of everyone in his school and town, and dating the head cheerleader. He lives with his two mothers who are experiencing relationship strife of their own. When one of Jax's moms suddenly starts dating Beck's father, Beck and Jax decide to put their differences aside and try to throw a wrench in the relationship before it creates issues for both of their families. As they work together on organizing their town's first Rainbow Prom, they encounter resistance, hate, and acceptance in various forms. The feelings Beck already has for Jax intensifies while Jax comes to terms with his own sexuality. Howard has crafted an amusing portrayal of life as an LGBTQ person in a small town. Sex is a very real thing to many of the characters; it is described in somewhat explicit and, at times, gratuitous detail. The voices of the characters and the dialogue often feel adult. Fans of Becky Albertalli's Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda who are looking for something more mature will gravitate toward this story of unrequited first love. VERDICT Purchase where stories of humorous family drama and relationships are popular.--Christopher Lassen, BookOps: The New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Lassen, Christopher. "HOWARD, Greg. Social Intercourse." School Library Journal, Apr. 2018, p. 133+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A533409090/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e1598a2a. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A533409090
Blood Divine by Greg Howard
Author: Greg Howard
Narrator: Gary Furlong
Length: 9 hours 6 minutes
Publisher: Anakim Press
Released: Aug. 1, 2017
Genre: Paranormal
Cooper Causey spent a lifetime eluding the demons of his youth and suppressing the destructive power inside him. But a disconcerting voicemail lures Cooper back home to the coast of South Carolina and to Warfield, the deserted plantation where his darkness first awakened. While searching for his missing grandmother, Cooper uncovers the truth about his ancestry and becomes a pawn in an ancient war between two supernatural races. In order to protect the only man he’s ever loved, Cooper must embrace the dark power threatening to consume him, and choose sides in a deadly war between the righteous and the fallen.
Greg Howard grew up near the coast of South Carolina, or as he fondly refers to it, “the armpit of the American South.” His hometown of Georgetown, South Carolina is known as the “Ghost Capital of the South,” (seriously…there’s a sign), and was always a great source of material for his overactive imagination.
Raised in a staunchly religious home, Greg escaped into the arts: singing, playing piano, acting, writing songs, and making up stories. After running away to the bright lights and big city of Nashville, Tennessee with stars in his eyes and dreams of being the Dianne Warren of Music City, he took a job peddling CDs and has been a cog in the music business machine ever since.
Now an adult with a brain, Greg finds the South Carolina coast to be a perfectly magical place where he vacations yearly. Currently, Greg resides in Nashville, TN with his husband, Steve, and their three rescued fur babies. Molly, Toby, and Riley.
Greg’s debut adult paranormal novel, BLOOD DIVINE, was released by Wilde City Press in September 2016. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers acquired Greg’s debut young adult novel, SOCIAL INTERCOURSE, which will be released in Summer 2018.
Website⎮Facebook⎮Twitter⎮Goodreads
Gary Furlong grew up in Wexford, Ireland. Throughout his life he has worn many a hat: He has worked as a teacher in Niigata, Japan; a puppeteer in Prague; an improv artist in Memphis, Tennessee; and as a singer and actor all over Ireland. He started narrating audiobooks in late 2015 and hasn’t looked back.
Gary made his acting debut in the musical Godspell as a student. Since then he has pursued acting both on the amateur and professional circuits. Notable roles include Tom Collins in Bare Cheek’s production of Rent in 2010.
Over the course of his five years in Japan, he was an actor, director, and audio producer. It was during this time that he discovered his interest in audiobooks and voice-over.
He now works full-time as an audiobook narrator and voice actor from his home in Ireland.
Website⎮Twitter
This paranormal mystery has some Southern Gothic flair to it while also being set in the modern day world. Cooper Causey starts off as a bit of a man whore, flitting from man to man in a string of one-night stands. Part of him knows he wants a deeper relationship yet he runs from the idea of it. Then he gets a very strange and a little frightening voicemail from his granma, his only family left, and he hightails it to South Carolina and then Warfield to rescue her. Turns out Granma Maymay (as the locals call her) had some secrets! I can’t recall her real name – Anne-May? Lilly May? I think it was Granma Lilly May so I’ll just call her that.
What a treat this book was! The dark Gothic style to it pulled me right in. I love that there’s family secrets Cooper has to dig up even as he has to decide whether or not to keep his own secrets. He’s gay and he doesn’t know how Lilly May will take it. Silly Cooper! You’ve got much bigger problems on your hands!
So he calls the cops to help locate Lilly May and in walks 6 ft 4 in tall, all muscle, Chief of Police Randy. Yep, Cooper had a crush on him in his teen years and it seems that crush hasn’t faded. Definitely a complication when Cooper doesn’t need one, but a very handsome complication. So, the police are doing their thing when Betsy swoops in and rescues Cooper from Alexander and Stephen (our two main nemeses).
That’s when Cooper has to learn all about the Anakim, which are basically vampires, and how Betsy and her crew have been working hard for centuries to eradicate them from the planet. Cooper’s bloodline has special powers and are called the Divinum. Cooper’s blood does special things for the Anakim.
The story becomes a bit of a hostage swap game as Alexander demands Cooper submit to him as a blood slave in exchange for whoever he has captured at the moment. Yes, there’s plenty of flirtatious and lascivious comments, some double entendres, and some outright compliments between all the men. They often lightened up the mood, putting a little humor into the story line.
I especially liked the two old lady ghosts that set up watch and info center at the Phipps house (Lilly May’s place). Now these ladies don’t like to be called ghosts as that’s an out dated term and considered a little insulting. They prefer to be called spirits. So even as Cooper is learning his ethereal political correctness, one of these old ladies uses out dated terms, such as Negro, which was commonly used when she was alive. Cooper tries to bring them up to speed but eventually shelves it for more important matters. This whole situation gave me a bit of a chuckle.
All together, it was a very good listen. I liked the mystery, and the mystique, the jokes and the underlying seriousness to many of them, the bad guys and their minions, the good guys and their complicated motivations. The story wraps up several major points but leaves plenty open for a sequel. I do so hope things work out OK for Cooper!
The Narration: Gary Furlong is the reason I decided to give this book a listen and I’m very glad I did. The story was engaging and Furlong added to that with his excellent narration. He was perfect as Cooper while also keeping all the other characters distinct. He performed a few regional accents and his female characters were believable. I really liked his voice for Randy both when he was pissed off and in his softer more intimate moments.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Greg Howard. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.