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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.
Excerpt
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.
About the Author
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.
Author Links
Blog/Website | Facebook | Instagram
Interview
AUTHOR NAME: Stephen G Hardy
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, I currently live in Phoenix, AZ with my husband of 20 years. We met in New York City and then moved to Connecticut where we adopted our two sons. The boys were 6 & 7 when we adopted them from the foster system and are now 20 & 22. I began my writing career 4 years ago and Search for Complete is my debut novel. I did try the traditional route of publishing, but my novel is a difficult one to categorize and I decided to self-publish. The first of a planned three book series, I have book two written with plans to publish at the end of the year and book three is about halfway written with plans for a summer 2024 release.
How long have you been an author?
4 years. I began work on my first novel in the summer of 2019
What/who inspired you to start writing?
I was inspired to begin writing Search for Complete after a conversation I had with some friends. A statement was made which got me thinking and the story just flowed out of me.
Tell us about your new release. What inspired you to write it?
As I mention above, the inspiration came from a conversation. My husband and I were having brunch with another couple, who are straight, and the husband made the comment on how similar his wife and I were to the point that he would hear me say something and think it was his wife saying those words. Out of this came my protagonist, Christopher, a young man in possession of both a male and female essence. He is asexual but attracted to both men and women. Because of who he is, Laura, the other main character says, “Why do I get the feeling that Christopher would make the perfect husband for any woman, and the perfect wife for any man?” And that is Christopher, if sexual intimacy were taken out of the equation.
How did you decide on the title?
The title came from one of the main themes of the novel. Christopher, though complete in essence, is searching for something that will make his female essence have a physical presence, thereby making him physically whole again, as his earliest ancestor, a creation of the moon had been.
What are you working on at present? Would you like to share a snippet?
I am beta-reading book two in the series, entitled The Price of Happiness, and writing book three, When the Sun and Moon Meet. Book two continues the story of Christopher and Laura, picking up a few months after the birth of their twins. The twins bring so much joy to Christopher, but not to Laura, who begins to feel resentment towards Christopher. He got everything he wanted, but she feels like she didn’t. The story follows their journey as a couple co-parenting twins, but more importantly, Laura’s journey of self-discovery. In addition, I have another novel about an eighteen-year-old gay man who is on the autism spectrum, looking for love during his first year at college. I was inspired to write this story after watching the Australian docu-series Love on the Spectrum.
What is the hardest part of writing any book?
The hardest part for me is editing out scenes I may love but which don’t move the story along.
Are there any genres you prefer to write, and if so, why?
I feel it is important to write what you know. As a gay man, I write stories that are inspired by my experiences and observations of being gay. As such, while not all of my characters are in the LGBTQ+ community, I prefer to write in this genre. Ideally, though, I would like to think that my writing crosses genres and would appeal to a wider audience.
What novels do you adore/re-read?
My favorite novel of all time is Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I love her character development and insightfulness into human behaviors. I have been working on and off on a prequel to this novel, told from Mr Darcy’s point of view. It is a slow process as I am attempting to write in Austen’s vernacular.
Which other writers do you follow?
Kyle Scafide, who wrote Angel on My Corner.
Are any of your characters based on you or people you know?
There is a lot of me in Christopher, and I based the minor character of Peter on my husband. But the others are an amalgamation of random people I have known in the past.
Do characters and stories just pop into your head, or do you take your time thinking about and planning them?
I experience both methods when writing. Search for Complete just popped into my head and I began writing without an outline or a preconceived outcome. The story evolved as I wrote. With the sequels, I did take some time thinking and planning the story lines, as I had to figure out the principal character’s journeys based on where they had been at the conclusion of the first book.
How often do you write? Do you have a schedule?
I try writing every day during the week for a few hours. Weekends I tend not to write so I can spend time with my husband. Occasionally, I plan writing weekends where I rent an Airbnb in Flagstaff or Sedona and get away with no distractions. I usually do this when I am editing a first draft or struggling with the initial draft.
What are your writing and personal goals for 2023 and beyond?
My writing goals for the rest of this year and beyond is to publish the second book in the series by the end of this year, publish the third book in mid-2024 and then finish the novel about a gay teenager on the autism spectrum looking for love during his first year of college.
Are you a cat person or a dog person? Tell us about your pets.
Definitely a cat person. I grew up with them and my husband and I have three, all siblings, two girls and a boy. They each have very different personalities and quirks. Zen, the boy is like a dog in that he likes to follow us around the house and greets us when we come home. Abby is the loving one, likes to sit right next to us and cuddle. Zoe is a bit more independent, but lets us know when she wants attention, Her preferred spot in hanging over our shoulder and being carried around.
If you had access to a time machine just once, is there anything you'd go back and change? Either on a personal level or an historical event?
I like my life now and am afraid of going back in time and changing anything personally for fear of altering my life now. However, if I could go back further in time, I would like to be part of the Versailles Treaty committee and convince the allied forces not to seek retribution from Germany after WWI. Had they not crippled Germany’s economy, WWII might never have happened.
If you could go anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go, who would you take with you, if anyone, and why?
I would take my husband on a round the world cruise, stopping off at many ports to see as much of the world as possible.
THANK YOU
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