Series Title: When We Were Young by Maggie Blackbird
I thought I saved you, but maybe you saved me too.
Series Blurb
At their Ojibway community, Billy Redsky, a drug-dealing punk, and René Oshawee, the chief’s haughty son, must walk the “red road” to finally confront their biggest fears: conquering the self-imposed obstacles in their path, if they are to have what they long for above anything else—to finally be together.
The stories need to be read in order. None of the books are standalones.
Titles, Titles, Titles…
Real Warriors is the fourth and final book in the When We Were Young series. Coming up with titles for each book was an effort, because I am NOT good with titles—especially titles for a series that have to groove together. The original titles (because it was supposed to be a trilogy) were Crazy Life, Crazy World, and Crazy Love. But I didn’t think they were compelling enough.
Since the series takes place during the grunge and post-grunge era, I started looking through song titles in this genre. I like the title of one song called Two Princes, and I thought that was what Billy Redsky and René Oshawee embodied—both were two princes, one through birth since he’s the son of a chief, and the other also a prince hiding behind a façade of a bad home, bad reputation, alcoholic mother, criminal older brother, but still a prince because of his attitude and characteristics.
For Toy Soldiers, the second book in the series, I thought the title fitting because Billy has a difficult time adjusting to his foster home. He feels he’s under the thumb of his foster parents (René’s mother and father) who are strict; therefore, he views Mr. Oshawee as The General, Mrs. Oshawee as The Colonel, and Daniel (René’s older brother) as the Sergeant. Billy is adamant that he’s a toy soldier in Oshawee Army. He also views René in the same way because René always listens to his parents and is constantly quoting their rules “like a good little soldier.”
The third book in the series is Knight Moves. As far as Billy is concerned, René is his knight in shining armour who moves far away to Toronto. So the title is self-explanatory.
As for Real Warriors, the fourth and final book, it’s Billy’s older brother Hoyt who came up with the title. You’ll have to read the novel to find out how Hoyt came up with the title, though! Trust me, it’s in there…somewhere.
I hope you enjoy the series.
BOOK DETAILS
RECENT RELEASE – BOOK 4
Book Title: Real Warriors
Author: Maggie Blackbird
Publisher: Extasy Books
Length: 77 760 words/273 pages
Release Date: August 13, 2021
Genres: New Adult, multicultural, contemporary, LGBT romance
Tropes: First Time, Embracing Your Culture,
Themes: Coming out, coming of age, forgiveness
Read an excerpt from Real Warriors here
The courage of a warrior is a must on their new path, or they’ll never grasp their happily ever after.
Blurb
Just when eighteen-year-old Billy Redsky believes he’s holding his happily ever after in the palm of his hand, he must practice what he’s learned in ceremony to face two more tests—share with the world his love for René, and let go of the past.
But that’s not so easy. René is terrified of exposing their secret to anyone but his family. As for Billy’s brother, he has no intention of changing his criminal ways.
Only a miracle can help Billy reach his final destination on the “red road” his Ojibway ancestors once walked. For his dream to come true, he must look deep inside himself and trust the creator he follows.
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There’s 40% off Maggie’s Backlist right now,
including Two Princes, Toy Soldiers, and Knight Moves.
BOOK 3
Book Title: Knight Moves
Publisher: Extasy Books
Length: 75,000 words/269 pages
Release Date: April 16, 2021
Genre/s: Young Adult, New Adult, multicultural, contemporary, LGBT romance
Trope/s: Break His Heart to Save Him; Long Distance Love’ Tortured Heroes; Family Disapproval; Friends to lovers
Themes: Coming out, coming of age, forgiveness
Although they’re torn apart, they still hold a piece of each other’s heart.
Blurb
After receiving his grade twelve diploma and marking his eighteenth birthday, René Oshawee cannot fight the temptation seventeen-year-old high school junior Billy Redsky blatantly offers now that what they share has become taboo.
When their secret romance is blown into the open, Billy’s foster parents send René to Toronto to complete the last of his schooling under the supervision of a family friend, leaving Billy behind at their Ojibway community.
Now Billy and René must make the biggest decision of their lives—fight for the true love they know they’ll never find with anyone else, or go their separate ways.
Buy Links
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BOOK 2
Book Title: Toy Soldiers
Publisher: Extasy Books
Cover Artist: Martine Jardin
Length: 70,349 words/244 pages
Release Date: October 2, 2020
Genres: Young Adult, multicultural, contemporary, LGBT romance
Tropes: Friends to Lovers; Forbidden Love; First Love; Betrayal
Themes: Coming of age, self-discovery
Once a thief, always a thief, and if he can’t win the heart of the boy he loves, he’ll steal it.
Blurb
Billy Redsky’s made one of his biggest dreams come true, but there’s a problem. Even though the boy he loves is mere footsteps across the hall from his bedroom, they might as well live a country apart because claiming René Oshawee’s heart is more difficult than Billy anticipates.
Much to Billy’s disgust, René can’t accept his true self, so he’s incapable of loving someone else. And all he cares about is living a life the chief and his wife foresee for their youngest son.
If Billy is to finally have what he truly desires, he must stop René from running away from who he really is and face the man in the mirror, or what they share will never blossom into true love.
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BOOK 1
Book Title: Two Princes
Author: Maggie Blackbird
Publisher: Extasy Books
Cover Artist: Martine Jardin
Length: 67 345 words/235 pages
Release Date: Friday, June 12, 2020
Genres: Young Adult, multicultural, contemporary, LGBT romance
Tropes: Rich boy, poor boy; Popular boy, outcast; musician and artist
Themes: Coming of age, self-discovery
To win over the chief’s haughty son, a drug-dealing punk from a dysfunctional family must risk the only two things he has: his reputation and freedom.
Blurb
Billy Redsky, a rebellious punk who loves art and nature, is saddled with a welfare-leeching, alcoholic mother and criminal older brother who are the joke of their Ojibway community. Sick and tired of being perceived as a loser, Billy deals drugs for his older brother to earn quick money. He hopes if he buys a dirt bike, he’ll finally impress the chief’s popular and aloof son, René Oshawee.
When the two are forced to serve detention together, a friendship blooms, but much to Billy’s frustration, René keeps putting him on ice. To make his biggest dream come true if he finally wants to call René his own, Billy must make a huge decision that could cost him everything.
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An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes. When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush, teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with the people she loves most.
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