reviews_and_ramblings | Crossroads by Keta Diablo

Crossroads by Keta Diablo

Keta Diablo likes the unpolitically correct characters. I had just a little taste of it in a previous short story in which one of the character was a man who cheated on his lover for fear of commitment; as you all know, for me a cheating man is something I can hardly forgive, even if, truth be told, in that book the man was doing everything possible to be forgiven.

In this new book Frank is the most possible anti-hero you can find. A mix of Inspector Callaghan meets Yaoi, Frank is a private investigator who has a little help from the otherworld: he sees dead people... not so original, you will think, there is even a series (Eye Spy by Drew Zachary) in which not only the private investigator sees ghosts, he has even a ghost partner (partner as lover). But let's start from the beginning: when Frank was still a rookie in the police department he was taken under the wing of an older police officer, Quinn; he was like a father for Frank and welcomed him in his home where Frank met Rand, the 17 years old gay son of the man. Since Frank was gay, and Quinn knew it, and Rand was in need of a firm hand, Quinn and his wife encouraged Frank towards Rand, but Frank did the only right thing he will do in all the book, he didn't take advantage of the young boy (even if with he had the consensus of the parents). And, as I said, that was the last time Frank behaved as a good man; soon after Quinn died in the line of duty, and Frank resisted only few months near the widow and her two sons, and then left her alone with all her trouble, even if the woman welcomed him in her home. Five years he acted as he didn't know that the woman needed him and that her son Rand considered him a role model, and loosing him at the same time of his father was not probably for the best.

After five years the widow calls him since her son Rand is disappeared since three months without notice. The woman knows that probably the young man, now 22 years old, is in some trouble and asks Frank to find and bring him home again. Due to his sense of guilty and the respect he had for his father, what do you think Frank should do? find the boy, teach him a lesson and bring him safe and sound at home, right? Oh yes, Frank finds him all right, but also breaks into his apartment at night wearing a hood, chains the boy at the bed, gags him and plays with him using a martial weapon as sex toys, to end all with a thoroughly sex session, the part that remembered me a yaoi manga, whimpers, blushing and tears all together.

So no, Frank is not exactly a private investigator by the book, and Rand is not probably the innocent boy who Frank remembers, but one thing you can say of this book, it didn't play according the rule. And so if you are searching a lot of sex, down and dirty, and a very bad boy character, that is unrepentant till and beyond the end of the book, probably this one could be an interesting and unusual choice. I can't say more on the story since this is only a novella and if I say more on the mystery part, I will risk to give up the book. And then, truth be told, with two long and detailed sex scenes, there is not much space left.

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Crossroads/exact_match=exact

Amazon Kindle: Crossroads

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

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This sounds really interesting. There must be a lot going on for a novella but even so you managed to write a great review on all aspects. It's certainly peaked my curiosity about it.

Cheating is a hot button for me too so I'm always interested if an author can write a forgivable cheater.

I believe it has very much a female perspective of an erotic romance, but for an almost beginner of the genre (she wrote a short story before), I believe it's a good start (even if I believe she previously wrote M/F erotic romance).

Oh I didn't know it was her first m/m. A good start recommendation from you is pretty high for a beginner. Might have to check this out.

Be warned: you have to not have problem with very explicit and very vocal sex, a bit of BDSM play and quite "yaoi" type characters.

Hi everyone, thanks for the review Elisa and for the comments, visitors. I can't really tell from the review what you thought of the book. I realize I must have hit some "personal" hot buttons here. First off, I don't write cookie-cutter characters or formulaic romance, so that might help explain. Realism for me ranks high, so this means that in every day life people come with all kinds of warts and behavior blemishes. It makes sense then to create characters who also do. Ugly as it may seem at times. Infidelity (whether it's a hot button or not) is rampant, in both f/m and m/m relationships. While we might not like it and it's hurtful, it occurs far too freuquently. I didn't intend to concentrate on the "cheating" in Valentine's Vindication, but rather to develop the story around human frailties and forgiveness.

In Crossroads, the same. Yes, Frank McGuire is at times an undesireable character. Again, I attempted to portray his strengths AND weaknesses, however abhorrent they may be. McGuire does not fall too far from the tree in my opinion of what drives and personifies a majority of humans (male or female). To not write about his "black" side, would be an insult to the type of characters I strive to portray . . . real, human, and consistently struggling between darkness and light.

I don't expect everyone to love my books or my characters, but I must stay true to MY personal convictions when I write. To me that means to portray characters as humans with all their warts and blemishes.

For the records, I am not a "new writer" not even to the erotic genre. I have been writing for years under a pseudonym and Keta Diablo for some time.

Thank you again for the review. If you're looking for characters out of the annals of Disney books, you probably shouldn't look to my books in the future. I will continue to portray my characters in the likeness of every day people.

Respectfully, Keta Diablo

Ciao Keta.

I realize that probably I offended you in some way, but really, it was not my intention.

First of all, since probably you are new to me, I read more books than the ones I post about, and if I decide to post about a book is since I found something interesting and worthy in it.

As I said in the post, I believe your character is not by the book in a lot of things, but this is not negative. True, if you like only a pink perspective in the world, I can't really reccommend your book, but as I said, if you like very particular character (for me bad boy is not absolutely a bad thing) and hot sex (since it's undeniable, there is a lot of sex), your book is a good choice. BUT it's not for all, you will agree with me, I believe.

As for the new author, I supposed you were new to the M/M world, but it can be said by your writing that you are not new to the erotic genre. The erotic part of the book were too good for you to be a newbie.

Again I felt the necessity to warn reader with some preconception (and there are many, even among the M/M readers), but for a few out there that probably wouldn't be up to your book, there are many that probably would like your unpolitically correct Frank.

And thank (and I'm sincere) for your wonderful comment, I really love it.

Elisa

Hi Elisa,

No, I was not offended in the least by your review or your comments. I posted only to communicate (and warn) that indeed, my characters often push the edge of the envelope and are not for everyone. You conveyed this nicely.

This is nothing new for me in either my M/M or my f/m erotica novels. Sophia from Land of Falling Stars has created quite the stir since the release of the book among reviewers and readers. Although the book rated very high across the board, most had issues/frustration because the heroine did NOT fit the normal female type in romance novels.

I take this is a compliment.

And I won't go into why I wrote her in that manner (it would fill up a page). Suffice it to say that humans react to situations/events in their life in different ways, and not all will react the same. To show negative reactions to trauma in the form of acting out or behavior issues is not unusual nor does it mean the person on a whole is a termagant.

Again, I appreciate your comments and your review. It was fair. I merely wanted to let your visitors and readers know if they plan to pick up one of my books in the future, they will no doubt find the same -- characters who will not fit the sterotype and stories that are more character driven than plot driven. And lots of sex in all its candor.

You have done a fine job with the blog and with your dedication to reading.

Namaste, Keta Diablo

I'm relieved Keta.

> I take this is a compliment.

Yes, you should ;-)

And as I always said to authors (not only you), that find themself involving in discussion of thier books and why they write them in that way, and so on, that I love a sentence by Katherine Hepburn (I don't remember if she said it about her supposed homosexuality or her affair with Spencer Tracy...): It doesn't matter if they speak badly of me, the important thing is that they speak of ME.

Elisa

After reading this book, I'm surprised you didn't find a problem with the rape Elisa. It doesn't remind me as Yaoi at all and reads as rape. It's not undesirable or pushing the envelope (IMO). I found this book sadly, barely tolerable at best.

I'm constantly surprised at authors who include rape as some kind of sexy twist to sex scenes.

The definition of rape is very strong, but it has its reason. I compared it to yaoi since it reminded me the first manga by Ayano Yamane, the Finder series. Also there there is a similar situation. I stated my perplexity, I don't believe that the main character behaved in a right way. But I will give a chance to the author. I will reserve to read another book by her (even if I don't know how soon). Elisa

BTW even if in a gentle way, I tried to say to the author that probably her book was not my cup of tea. Elisa

I certainly didn't mean to criticize you Elisa. I was curious because I had such a radically different reaction. I do think the later scene is more Yaoi where Rand went looking for Frank and initiated the scene. I was just wondering if you had thought the first scene (rape) was Yaoi but I understand your thinking now.

Thanks for clarifying as always :)
Kassa

The author herself was not so happy about my review, I think she understood that it was exactly my type of novel. She also posted some harsh comment on her blog soon after my post. I discover it after our exchange in my comment section. First she posted on her blog, then commented here. I was tempted to reply to her post after I found it, but then I preferred to let it go, everyone has the right to have their opinion on some matter. Sensibility are different. Elisa

I'm truly sorry that happened to you. Sensiblities ARE different but you presented this very well. You easily could not have done a review at all, and I bought the book based on your review.

I'm sorry that happened :/. You dont deserve that..

No, no problem at all. As I said to her, I was glad she commented here. I prefer to know than not knowing at all. I bought this book by myself, and truth be told, if I remember well, I didn't like that sex scene, but it was not a all too negative book. I think it was a try, I think the author is not new, but not a M/M romance author. Maybe she is not for me or you, but perhaps there are other person who likes this type of novel. Elisa

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