The prized possession you value above all others…Though not a possession per se, My husband.
The unqualified regret you wish you could amend…That I had taken more chances as a young adult.
The temptation you wish you could resist…New clothes
The book that holds everlasting resonance…Pride and Prejudice
The film you can watch time and time again…Amelie. I love the story, music, and visuals. My next movie would be Enchanted April, for much the same reason.
The person who influenced you the most…My mother.
The poem that touches your soul…The one my mother wrote about me for my 16th birthday and which was published. It was titled, For an Only Son.
The event that altered the course of your life… There have been so many events that have alter the course of my life but if I had to pick one which probably led to all the others, it was my decision to leave a 4-year university and go to design school to become a fashion designer.
The song that means the most to you…There are two. Talk Talk’s It’s My Life, represents my coming of age and coming into my sexuality in the 80’s and the joy I found on the dance floor. The second is Wedding Day at Troldhaugen by Edvard Grieg. I had it played when my husband and I got married and we were escorted by our mother’s down the aisle.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever…Only one? I have been blessed with so many. Perhaps hearing my sons call me daddy for the first time.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…To sing a solo in public
Your early recollections of writing fiction…Summer 2019, sitting in a coffee house in San Diego and beginning to write the first draft of Search for Complete. I wrote 160 thousand words in 3 months. Over the next 3 ½ years I edited down to 81 thousand.
The way you would spend your fantasy twenty-four hours, with no travel restrictions…A whole day walking around Paris with my husband. This was where we went on our first vacation together overseas. We strolled along the boulevards, sipping drinks at cafes, visiting museums, dining on exquisite cuisine and ending the night with a boat ride on the Seine, watching the lights spring to life around us.
The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…Jane Austen
The piece of wisdom you would pass onto a child…Don’t be what other’s want you to be. Be who you are.
The philosophy that underpins your life…Know thyself; nothing in excess
The character you enjoyed writing the most…Christopher. I just got him.
The character you found difficult to write…Laura as I had to figure her out to see what her arc is. Then I realized that her arc would happen in the sequel.
The book you enjoyed planning/writing the most…Mr. Darcy, my prequel to Pride and Prejudice. It is the most challenging as well.
And the promo…
This book has been a part of me for 4 years and I thought it would never be done. And yet, once I decided it was time, everything fell into place so easily. The designer I hired for the cover presented his first design in a week and he had understood the story so well that he presented a design that I knew immediately was the one.
But what I really want to add is that this book is about human connections and how conversation, true, deep conversations that we have with others can be a catalyst for change.
Thank you.
Book Title: Search for Complete
Author and Publisher: Stephen G Hardy
Cover Artist: Ryan Mulford
Release Date: June 4, 2023
Genres: LGBTQ+ fiction, Not a romance per se
Tropes: Speculative fiction inspired by a Greek Myth
Themes: Interpersonal relationships, sexuality, and gender norms
Heat Rating: 1 flame
Length: 81 320 words/350 pages
It is the first in a series of at least 3 books and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Blurb
“Why do I get the feeling that Christopher is the type of man that would make the perfect husband for any woman and, at the same time, the perfect wife for any man?” Laura says shortly after Christopher begins his new job at the TV station. Laura’s statement would turn out to hold more truth than she could imagine. No one who meets Christopher, especially not Laura, as well as David, a gay man he meets at a party, understands what it is about him that draws them to him. They also don’t realize that Christopher is searching for something, a search complicated by their desires for him.
I began to question accepting Laura’s invitation when I heard the noise coming from the backyard as we approached the house. I disliked crowds, and it sounded like an immense crowd was on the other side of the gate.
People were everywhere—seated on lounge chairs scattered around the patio or at the rectangular dining table or milling about in various groups—talking loudly over the blaring music. Laura’s voice broke through the noise.
“I don’t see Peter anywhere. He might be inside. Shall we find him?”
“By all means. I would feel uncomfortable attending his party without meeting him.”
I followed Laura into the house. As we passed through the living room, my eyes fell on a few framed photos of a handsome couple on the wall.
In the kitchen, a solitary male figure was removing a tray of croissants from the oven.
“Hello, Peter.”
As he turned around, I recognized Peter as one of the men in the photos. Tall and slender, with dark hair and a mustache waxed into handlebars, there was a dapperness to him that I found pleasing.
“Hey, Laura. Lovely to see you!”
After setting the hot tray down, Peter hugged her.
“Peter, I want you to meet Christopher. He just moved here from Seattle and works with me at the station.”
“How do you do, Peter?“
Having grown used to the reaction my presence caused, I smiled patiently as Peter, unable to speak right away, shook my offered hand.
“I hope you do not mind my crashing your party. Laura assured me that you would not object to her bringing me.”
“No, of course, I don’t mind.”
The words tumbled out one on top of the other.
“Is there anything we can do to assist you?”
“No, I have it all under control, thanks. Please help yourself to the food and drinks out on the patio.”
“We will. Thanks,” Laura said, taking my arm and steering me back through the living room.
“Peter is very nice,” I commented as we stepped through the doors and headed towards the drinks table. “Can I make you something?”
“A mimosa, thanks. Yes, Peter’s a sweetie.”
We stood sipping our drinks as I scanned the crowd of mostly men, a mix of young and old, before Laura took me around, introducing me to the people she knew.
I instinctively searched their eyes for the essence of another while ignoring Laura’s scrutinizing gaze.
Laura needed to use the bathroom, so she left me standing under the large Ficus tree where we had sought shade from the sun. Within minutes of her departure, I was surrounded by a large group of people vying for my attention. Carrying on multiple conversations was challenging, but I did my best to make each person feel they had my full attention.
He caught my attention on the periphery of my vision: tall and well-built, resembling the small statue of the god Mars that sat on the table in Joseph’s shop. Our eyes met, and I felt my heart skip a beat, seeing something flash in his eyes. Smiling hopefully, I extended my hand to him.
“Hello, my name is Christopher Dunn.”
As he shook my hand, I took the opportunity to search his golden-brown eyes. My initial hope turned to disappointment, for while something was there, it was not another’s essence. Though disappointed, I was intrigued.
“Davidmartelli.”
He slurred the two names into one in his haste to get the words out.
As I gazed into his eyes, the feeling of a purpose to our meeting appeared—first Laura and now David.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, David Martelli,” I said, saying his name distinctly.
David blushed attractively, causing a twinge in my heart.
“Can I get you a drink?”
He looked so crestfallen when I held up my cup that I was tempted to down my drink and ask him for another.
“Oh, you have one.”
“I do, but I appreciate you asking.”
I gave him a smile to back up my words. It was apparent that David was struggling to find something to say, the frustration evident in his handsome features. I wanted to get him away from the people surrounding us and talk to him alone, but I did not see how I could do so without offending everyone else.
Conscious of the eyes watching us, David blushed again and backed away.
For some reason, I knew that this behavior was out of character for him. Watching him walk away, I hoped we would meet again as I wanted to discover what I saw in his eyes.
Stephen Hardy was born in the San Francisco Bay Area but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. His career as a fashion designer took him back to San Francisco before he headed to New York City, where he met his husband of twenty years. Tiring of the hectic pace of the fashion industry, Stephen gave up his career to become a stay-at-home dad for his and his husband’s two adopted sons and a quiet life in Connecticut. Now residing in Phoenix, Arizona, and with the kids grown, Stephen returned to university, where he rediscovered his love for writing. His focus is on contemporary fiction, examining social issues regarding gender, sexuality, and relationships. Search for Complete is his first novel, and a sequel is expected in early 2024.
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