Book Title: Beneath the Grandstand
Author: Amy-Alex Campbell
Publisher: AAC Publishing Australia
Cover Artist: germancreative
Release Date: October 27, 2020
Genre: Australian M/M Romance
Trope/s: Friends to lovers, Security guard & homeless man
Themes: Homelessness, depression and anxiety, childhood abuse (non sexual)
Length: approx. 75 000 words
It is part of the Marsden Park Series, but is a standalone.
Buy Links
Amazon AU | Amazon US | Amazon UK
How do you define two lost souls who are completely alone in the world except for each other?
Blurb
When Cameron’s failing relationship finally comes to an end, he finds himself on the streets of Sydney, homeless and alone. All he has left is a suitcase full of his clothes, and his job as a security guard. Battling severe depression and anxiety, Cameron fears he has hit rock bottom.
A chance meeting with a young homeless man soon changes everything, though. Abused as a child, the mysterious Mr Loner has a dark secret that threatens to unravel his very existence. Will Cameron get his happily ever after, or will Mr Loner’s past destroy them both?
A confronting MM romance set in Western Sydney, Australia.
The second instalment of The Marsden Park Series.
“How do you define two lost souls, who are completely alone in the world, except for each other?”
Cameron knew that his streak of nil incidents wouldn’t last for long. He was no stranger of dealing with whatever shit came up; he had been a security guard since he was nineteen, and had already faced it all. He had been spat on, punched, threatened with a knife, and stalked. He came across as a badass, and could be intimidating when need be. He wasn’t fat, but he was solid, and knew how to handle himself.
The back dock only had a single light on since the tradies had knocked off. Cameron kept himself awake by pacing the length of the truck bays, and eyeing off the backpacker inn. A few people had come and gone, and every now and then he could hear laughter, but the building was mostly quiet.
Around 23:00, Cameron looked up in time to see movement in the garden. The mysterious figure had returned, and sat in the exact same spot as last time. What on earth are they doing over there? Cameron wondered.
It was only 01:30 when he heard a group of rowdy people walking along the road from the direction of the station. Cameron yawned and stretched, and turned his attention towards the voices.
There were six of them in the group, obviously drunk, walking on the other side of the road and raising a racket. One of them threw a glass bottle on the ground, and they all laughed when they heard the resulting smash. Cameron stood in the shadows with his hand on his phone, watching their every move. They seemed content in whatever they were doing, and for a moment he thought they would continue on their way.
One of the guys stopped, and backed up a step, and said something to the person in the garden. Cameron couldn’t quite hear what they said, but their body language showed aggression. The loner stood up and held out their hands.
“I don’t want trouble guys.” The voice belonged to a young man. He sidestepped the group and tried to walk off in the direction they had come.
“Don’t walk away from me, prick!” one of the drunks yelled, grabbing his arm.
“I said I don’t want trouble. Please, just leave me alone.”
The drunk’s fist shot out and punched the loner in the face, knocking him to the ground.
“Hey – back off!” Cameron yelled in his most threatening voice. He started to move towards the group of drunks, puffing out his chest and arms.
“Oh fuck, it’s a seccy!” one of them yelled. “Run!”
The group scrambled and ran towards 7-11. Cameron glowered after them, making sure they were gone. A soft groan drew his attention, and he looked down to see the loner sitting up, holding his hand to his head.
“You ok mate?” Cameron asked.
“Yeah,” he mumbled.
Cameron put out his hand, and pulled him to his feet.
“Thanks.”
The man looked like he was early twenties; he had dark hair tucked away under a beanie, and a short patchy beard. He was a little shorter than Cameron, and was dressed in a grey hoodie and torn jeans. His big brown eyes were the kind that mirrored the person’s soul; their feelings, their mood. These eyes carried a deep sadness that resonated with Cameron’s own pain, and for a moment he was mesmerised.
“Um. Can I go now?” Mr Loner asked, breaking Cameron’s reverie.
“What? Oh. Yeah.” Cameron mumbled and let go of his hand. “You probably should go and get checked out by a doctor. You know, concussion.”
“No thanks. Thanks anyway.”
Before Cameron could say anything else, the young man turned and hurried away into the night.
Amy-Alex Campbell is a queer Australian author who grew up near Bendigo, Victoria.
While epic fantasy is her genre, Campbell also writes M/M romance. In contrast to her fantasy series, the Marsden Park series is written in ‘Australian’.
When Amy-Alex isn’t writing, she is either adding lore and blogs to her website, or caring for her yabbie and two axolotls.
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