Love Me, Please
by Chris Bedell
GENRE: YA LGBTQ Thriller
BLURB:
Colton
should be like every other seventeen-year-old, hanging out with
friends, procrastinating on homework, and dreaming about which
colleges he should apply to, but Colton’s focus when he gets home
every day is on how violent his alcoholic mother will be. Will he be
her ashtray again or worse?
Tripp
has the perfect life – handsome, from a wealthy family, and is the
football player everyone wants to date. Tripp just wants to date one
person – Colton, but he can’t seem to break through that tough
exterior and get Colton to trust him.
A
friend’s party opens the door for both to potentially get what they
want, but it’s that same party ends with Colton’s best friend
dead. Caught between wanting to finally find happiness with Tripp and
discovering what happened to Declan, Colton discovers that he isn’t
the only one who’s kept secrets. How well did he really know Declan
and can he trust Tripp enough to let himself believe he’s worthy of
being loved?
Excerpt:
The door creaked. A guy with spiked hair stood by the bedroom’s entrance.
“Sorry. Thought this was the bathroom.” Tripp tugged at the sides of his varsity jacket.
“No worries,” I mumbled.
Tripp furrowed an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”
“I’m fine.” I grabbed my Margarita, then chugged the rest of it. The tequila’s distinct taste burned my throat while I licked my lips, savoring the sweet and lime flavors. I squashed my cup, letting it fall onto the ground.
Tripp’s jaw twitched. “You don’t seem fine.”
“The bathroom is down the hall.” I shuffled towards the bed before sitting on it.
The door clinked after Tripp locked it. He joined me on the bed.
Tripp chuckled. “Something happen?”
I looked away. “It’s a long story.”
“I’m a good listener.”
“Thanks.”
Tripp placed his hands on his lap. “We lost the football game, and I’m still in a good mood. So, I’m sure your problem can’t be that bad.”
Most people might have been pissed at Tripp for making an assumption if they were me. But I wasn’t. Tripp was taking an interest in my life, and that was more than could be said for most people.
Tripp met my gaze. “I promise I won’t judge.”
“I believe you.”
“This is the most we’ve ever talked.”
“So?”
“I just meant you never speak up in class.”
“I don’t have anything important to say,” I said.
He winked. “You’re wrong.”
“Huh?”
“The quiet ones are the most insightful people.” He patted my shoulder.
Interview with Chris Bedell
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
Well, I wanted to write a gritty LGBTQ YA book, but I wanted to do so in a way that offers readers hope and a happy ending. This isn’t a knock at any one specific book, television show, or movie. But for too often, I’ve seen the idea that if an LGBTQ character comes from a toxic/abusive home environment, then they’re either doomed to be unhappy or die. And that’s a terrible message to send teens. So, my main character (Colton) struggles in LOVE ME, PLEASE. But he does get a happy ending.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My intention was to write something that is dark and gritty, yet offers readers hope for a happy ending. And I do achieve that. I can’t tell you how Colton achieves his happy ending, but I can tell you it does happen.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Writing the violent (physically abusive) scenes. Colton’s mother is not only anti-LGBTQ, she’s also a violent drunk. But it was so important for readers to see those scenes with Colton and his mother. That way, readers see the abuse in concrete terms and can understand why Colton is the way he is.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Colton and Tripp’s relationship (the book’s main relationship) was the relationship I enjoyed writing most in the book. Tripp accepts Colton unconditionally, and that’s an important idea. Damaged/emotionally wounded people deserve to be loved. It’s toxic to say that only “perfect” people deserve love.
Were there alternate endings you considered?
Nope. A happy ending was the only option. There’s enough negativity out there in the world already—both with books, TV shows, and movies that push the message that LGBTQ teens who come from a toxic/abusive home are either doomed to be miserable or die, or with all the real-life serious issues.
Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
This book is fiction, not nonfiction. So, I didn’t do any research. But I do consume a lot of YA (teen) pop culture. I therefore already know what has and hasn’t been done before, which can inform what I want to “bring to the table.”
What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
I enjoyed reading YA the most. Specifically, Thrillers/Mysteries. There’s something enticing about Thrillers/ Mysteries. You just never know what’s gonna happen.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Chris Bedell's previous publishing credits include Thought Catalog, Entropy Magazine, Chicago Literati, and Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, among others. His 2019 books include his NA Thriller BURNING BRIDGES (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Paranormal Romance DEATHLY DESIRES (Deep Hearts YA), and YA Thriller COUSIN DEAREST (BLKDOG Publishing). In addition to his YA Thriller BETWEEN LOVE AND MURDER, his 2020 books include his YA Contemporary I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN (Deep Hearts YA), YA Thriller THE FABULIST (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Thriller I KNOW WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED (BLKDOG Publishing), and YA SciFi DYING BEFORE LIVING (Deep Hearts YA). Besides his YA Thriller LOVE HIM/HATE HIM, Chris’s 2021 books include his YA Fantasy CROSSING DESIRES (Spectrum Books) and rerelease of his YA Fantasy IN THE NAME OF MAGIC from JMS Books. Furthermore, Chris graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016.
Author Links:
8 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
The blurb and excerpt sound really interesting.
How did you know you wanted to be an author? I just see your young and what age you felt it. Thanks
I love the cover, synopsis and excerpt, this is a must read for me. Thank you for sharing your bio and book details and for offering a giveaway. Have a great Monday!
Sounds like a good read.
Congratulations on tomorrow's release of Love Me, Please, Chris, I enjoyed the interview and the excerpt and your book sounds like a great read for me! Good luck with your book and the tour! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a wonderful day!
I've known I wanted to a be a writer almost all my life--since early elementary school.
Congrats on your new release! The book sounds very interesting.
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