When It’s Time (Go Your Own Way #3) by Zane Riley
Publisher: Interlude Press
Release Date: January 18, 2018
Subgenre: LGBT/Romance/Interracial/New Adult
Book blurb:
In the New Adult series that began with Go Your Own Way, Will Osbourne and Lennox McAvoy must now face the challenges of a long distance relationship that will determine their future. Despite the fulfillment of his childhood dream, Will is suffocating in too-loud, too-dirty, too-busy New York City. Lennox, who has always relied on Will for guidance, is thriving in Boston without him. As Lennox embraces his promising new life and rediscovers old family, Will searches for a future of his own that won’t tear them apart.
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“Look, I read lots of books after your mom died. Was trying to figure out how to be the best dad for you without her. How to help you feel safe being gay. A lot of those guys, they spent half their lives pretending to be people they weren’t. Hunting, playing football, being the meanest, most macho guys you’ve ever seen. You didn’t do that, did you?”
“No way. I love baseball, Dad. It was all I ever dreamed about back then. Dreams change, that’s all. I came out, and that… that was that.”
Ben didn’t say anything, but his silence was worse. Will was sick of this conversation. So what if he’d given up on baseball? Whether or not he was good enough didn’t matter. No professional athlete he’d ever read about or seen was anything but straight. He’d gone through every sport imaginable and searched for one mention, but he’d found nothing. A career in baseball wasn’t possible for him.
“Dad, do you think athletes can be gay?”
Ben snorted. “I raised you, didn’t I?”
“I know that. I mean, like, professional ones. I’ve never heard of any.”
“Huh, you know, I think you’re right. I never thought about it before.” Ben’s voice grew fainter. “Hey, Karen, you know of any athletes who are gay?”
“Dad, it’s fine. Honestly, I’d rather be honest about myself than play baseball.”
“Is that what—Did you give up because of that?”
Will hurried to backtrack, but it made no difference, his dad had heard the truth.
“No, Dad, that’s not—”
“No, no way. No kid of mine is going to let who they are stand in their way.” Ben huffed and ranted and for a while, Will let him.
Karen ended up taking the phone away from him.
“You still there, Will?”
“Yeah.”
In the background, Ben continued to rant about how he’d failed as a parent, about how Will should never have given up on his dreams just because of his sexuality.
“I’ll calm him down later,” Karen said. “Ben… Ben! Go, you’re fine. Will’s fine. You’re a great father. Go take your shower. Go!”
His dad’s voice faded.
“Why’s he think you not being in the majors means he’s a failed parent?”
Will swallowed. “We were talking about baseball, how I wanted to play professionally.”
“And you gave up on that because you’re gay.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t have to say it, Will. I figured that out a long time ago.” Karen had known him so well, so quickly, when he was a kid. She been every idea he’d dreamed up for a mother: kind, encouraging, caring, and always willing to listen. “First time I spent the day with you, baseball was all you talked about. It was your entire life. Then you came out, and baseball was still there, but it was like you muffled it, caged it.”
“Nobody’s a gay, professional baseball player.”
“Not yet,” Karen said. “Why can’t you be the first?”
“I—well, I mean, it’s an idea, but—”
“But what?”
“What if they won’t accept me? Or if, I don’t know, they don’t pick me because I’m gay. Or the fans, if I made it that far, what if—”
“Are you going to live your live running all over the place avoiding ‘what ifs’? Will, you are a fantastic baseball player. Your coaches have always raved about your skills. Those scouts last year were interested, too. The only thing stopping you is fear.”
Zane Riley is a transgender writer who wrote his first work of fan fiction in the fourth grade. He is a recent transplant to Vancouver, Washington where he spends his time watching long-distance baseball games, hiking, and exploring the musical depths of the Internet. His first two novels, Go Your Own Way and With or Without You, were published by Interlude Press.
Connect with Zane Riley:
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZaneNebula
Join Zane Riley and Interlude Press as they celebrate the release of When It’s Time with a giveaway! Five eBook winners of the book plus a grand prize of the eBook +$25 IP Web Store gift card!