2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Under a Sky of Ash by Brandon Witt (033-03-09-2016)

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Though Under a Sky of Ash is of a romance genre, Mr. Witt’s depiction of heartache stems far beyond that of romantic love. Heartache is multifaceted and is rooted in the everyday strife we endure, repeatedly reminding ourselves to continue on, to try again, to endeavor to succeed. Unique in style, there is nonetheless a familiarity to this story that draws us in—an “everymanness” for us to comfortably tether ourselves. Mr. Witt captures the very essence of anguish in his soft-spoken brilliance that places this story firmly in true literature—all while he leaves us with a happy ending and hope in its purest distillation: fragile. Real, crazy, and beautiful, Under a Sky of Ash is nothing short of a timeless work of literary art.

Under a Sky of Ash by Brandon Witt
Gay Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (March 21, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1634770471
ISBN-13: 978-1634770477
Amazon: Under a Sky of Ash
Amazon Kindle: Under a Sky of Ash

More than a decade after leaving Colorado to attend college and escape his past, Isaiah Greene moves back and builds a life in Denver as a special education teacher. When he meets Ben Woods, the mentor of one of his students, the attraction is immediate. The revelations that they ve both suffered traumatic childhoods form a bond between them.

Raised by an abusive grandmother, Ben is a recovering addict who has made a family with his construction worker boss, Hershel, and Hershel s husband, Daniel drag queen ManDonna. Adding Isaiah to his life gives Ben a glimpse of a future he d never dreamed possible for himself.

Both Isaiah and Ben are survivors, but when guilt drives a wedge between them, the past threatens to end their relationship.

Ben and Isaiah embark on journeys of self-discovery. Though their path will be difficult at times, humor and love find a way to bring light to the darkness. "

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html