Brent is a tarot reader, a young man whose adopted family doesn’t like tarot readers or gays or Swedes or anything else that Brent can bring to the discussion. One of his tarot readings is for a young Sioux man, and that’s where Brent’s old life stops. Brent’s finds a whole new life that is full of wonder and adventure, as he learns to read his own heart first.
Viking meets Sioux — fireworks.
BRENT: THE HEART READER is the tender and sexy story of self-awareness and acceptance as this wounded healer lets himself fall in love with a wonderful man.
Wynn Wagner is the author of numerous books on several topics. You can find books on tarot, liturgy, science fiction, fantasy, and gay romance.
His fiction is usually funny and sometimes snarky. One of his books — Brent the Heart Reader — was the 2012 entry into the Gay Book Hall of Fame. Another fiction work is TIME FLIES, a coming out story in the science fiction genre.
Since 2010, Wagner has lived without a pancreas (Whipple procedure), which means his body no longer produces insulin or digestive enzymes. He says it makes nutrition a real science project. And because he had several books in the pipeline, readers got new releases throughout his 5-months in the hospital.
He and his husband are both retired. They live in Dallas, Texas (USA).
Dr. Wagner received a Th.D from St. Wolbodo Seminary and elsewhere a Masters of Liberal Arts and undergraduate degrees in English and Philosophy. “Ancient history,” he said. “The earth has cooled significantly since all that.”
He is a retired archbishop and former president of the World Conference of Old Catholic Churches and Coadjutor of the North American Old Catholic Church.
He has written numerous gay and spiritual books. The author Patricia Nell Warren calls him a “powerhouse in GLBT publishing.”
Before that, he was a programmer who helped write the tax software used by some of the world’s largest corporations. He also wrote Opus-CBCS, a computer bulletin board system that was wildly popular in the 1980s. Opus generated millions of dollars for HIV and AIDS, back when almost nobody was helping fund research or caring for those suffering from the disease. He also wrote a short piece called “HIV: Day One” for those who have just learned they have HIV. “Day One” is hosted by AEGiS, an HIV web service operated by a religious order in San Juan Capistrano, CA (USA). Before programming and writing, Wynn worked in radio in Texas and New York. Before that, he was a pimply-faced teenager.
He was awarded a key to the city by the mayor of Corpus Christi, Texas. It was a key to the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a town Wynn has never visited. “No respect, I tell you,” he says.
Wynn is the son of Swedish immigrants who was adopted at birth. He sang as a boy soprano in the Texas Boys Choir and appeared on such television shows as Ed Sullivan and Perry Como. His singing took him to Carnegie Hall, to Europe, and to record dates like the last recording conducted by Igor Stravinsky. Wynn Wagner is a member of The Authors Guild.
While browsing for a new novel to read, Brent: The Heart Reader caught my eye for a couple of reasons. First, it is described as a New Age Romance and as far as I can recall, I have not yet come across a New Age M/M book. Moreover, the hero Brent, is a Tarot card reader and I have to admit that I've myself dabbled quite a bit in Tarot over the years. The author of the book, Wynn Wagner, is also author of the Vamp Camp series which I really enjoyed so I thought I'd give this one a go as well.
Brent, from whose point of view the story is told, is not your typical young man. He is a kind-hearted, emotionally wounded tarot reader who has just suffered the loss of his adopted mother and is finding life more than a bit challenging at the moment. His remaining adopted family -- religious zealot cousins -- want nothing to do with their gay tarot-reading Swedish relative. But Brent isn't alone for long. He receives a new tarot client named Takota, an extremely handsome Sioux man who is recovering from recently having lost his lover. Brent provides Takota an amazing reading which helps the Sioux man move on from his pain and loss. A subsequent visit from Takota leads to a romp in the bedroom and the two men almost immediately fall in love. Brent finds a new family in Takota and as their relationship progresses, Brent's past scars begin to heal. But the story does not end there.
What follows is an exciting adventure as the two men get to know each other and deal with the difficulties that face them -- namely numerous attempts on Brent's life. Throughout the novel, we meet Takota's zany family, Brent's gun-toting best friend Kaela, and a sexy detective. But in the end, all is well and the healer is healed.
I can't begin to express how much I loved this book. Not only was the sex between the two men sizzling, but the witty and cheeky dialog had me laughing out loud on many occasions. Now I will say that it helps if the reader is a bit open minded as tarot card reading, Reiki healing, spirit guides, karma and universal balance are just some of the topics that the reader encounters.
I found this to be a refreshing, rich, well-written novel that combines humor, suspense and romance into a tender, emotionally powerful story. Some folks may have a difficult time with some of the new age mystical elements but all it all, I find Brent: The Heart Reader to be well worth the time. Who knows? After reading this amazing book, you might want to run out and purchase your own tarot deck. Recommended!!
Completely amazing. I do not have enough stars to say what I really feel about this book. I only wish that we had such positive role models for gays when I was a kid. The narrator is BRENT, and he is Swedish (like me) and adopted (like me again) and a tarot reader (two out of three ain't bad, you know).
So his adopted family hates his guts, and Brent has to deal with that which he does with good humor and a VERY positive approach to almost everything. He complains a lot, but you can tell that his head is in a good place.
He meets the love of his life during a tarot reading. The other guy is Sioux and astonishingly well-adjusted to just about everything. Wynn Wagner throws a fast moving story. If you don't like brash people telling it like it is, you may not be ready for this. Maybe if your IQ isn't up there, you won't be able to keep up because the story throws plot devices at you and moves on without dwelling.
This is a very fast read. It is also a very smart read. You can't be a prude with this story!
I think it was Nathanial Hawthorne who said something like "easy to read" is really "hard to write." I am pleased to say that Wynn Wagner hit this easy-to-read book out of the park.
“I believe that nothing in life is coincidence, everything that happens to us is part of our destiny. We meet the right people at the right moment in our lives when we need it. It does not happen before or after; it just happens at the right moment.” ~ Lilly
For Brent, of 'Brent The Heart Reader' by Wynn Wagner, life doesn't seem all that fantastic. In fact, it seems downright awful, yet Brent holds on to the truth that things will turn out for the best. As his past is cleared away, literally in some instances and figuratively in others, he struggles with his purpose. Brent attracts wonderful people who chose to travel with him as Brent journeys toward a better understanding of himself and his true purpose. After serious soul searching, Brent is able to put things in perspective and accept the gift of love which the Universe is offering him.
I identified with Brent right away, probably because I've been through some of the spiritual dilemmas that he's experienced. He's a wounded healer, able to help everyone but himself. Even though he complains a lot, he does so with a great sense of humor; it's his way of processing life. Brent is a good friend, he has a good heart; and he's continually giving of himself without receiving. Brent is trying to find his balance in a very confusing world, which often seems to be conspiring against him. I admire his strength and his tenacity as he goes against the grain; Brent is true to himself. He strives to always choose the high road, even though he knows it will be more difficult.
Wynn expertly weaves the mystical elements into the story, illustrating the concepts by examples, in Brent's, his lover, Takota's, and the other characters' emotional, physical, and spiritual reactions to them. This approach enables the reader to be able appreciate and join in their experiences, rather than merely having educational but emotionless words explaining the concepts.
I guessed from the subject matter, and the gorgeous cover, that I would like this book, but it was even better than I had imagined. Wynn's style is fast, witty, cheeky, sensual, intimate, and informative. It's a very fulfilling story with lots of emotional ups and downs, suspense, intrigue, spirituality, balance, and love. It reminds us that everything, especially the Universe, requires balance and that every cause has an effect. If you're up for a sensual love story which is very pleasurable, but very informative as well, 'Brent the Heart Reader' may be for you. Wynn, thank you for sharing your talent and wisdom with me and making me think.
NOTE: This book was provided by Mystic Ways Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
A strange, and oddly, funny book about a young Tarot reader and his discovery of true love. While reading this book, a sometime even complex book, mostly played inside the mind of Brent, I had this idea of the author, a retired archbishop who writes explicit gay romance novels, in a committed relationship since the 1990s: I was imagining a good-tempered, kind man, in body and mind, and then I turned the last page and saw the picture of a long-haired blond Viking, better suited for a novel about pillaging than a new-age story like this one. But even if it sounds strange, that gave me a new perspective on the novel, making it a little more biography than pure fiction.
At first Brent seemed too odd to be true; now it’s true that I know people who are 100% in communication with their inner soul and living according to the same rules Brent is, but to my very grounded persona, it’s always difficult to admit they are real people. Not true, and I think Brent is a little bit a fictionalization of the same author.
Brent’s love interest is hunk Native American Takoda; perfect in everything, inside and outside, Takoda is a wet dream comes true, and he really loves Brent, from day one. Again, until last page, this sudden bond seemed rushed, and indeed I was thinking that Takoda was replacing his lost lover, another man with Swedish origin like Brent, with him, but again I was wrong, and everything was in the plan of God, the tarots, or the Sioux’s spiritual guides (it depends from whom is reading the signs). Sometime I wondered if some event had some deeper meaning, like the tale of the dollar bill and Brent's adopted ancestor, and the only explanation I could find was that everything was in a complex thread, nothing was superfluous.
I wanted to highlight the funny core of this story since I think it’s deliberate; sincerely, when I start this book I was not expecting it; on the contrary, from the blurb, I was ready for a little dark mood, a mourning hero, maybe even some tragedy. Nothing of that in this story, and while there is emotional involvement, everything is seen through the eyes of Brent, who manages to turn all of that in positive signs, and the outcome as well is more than positive.
I'm reviewing the audiobook - there is no audiobook edition on GR.
So, audio first. It was narrated by Chris Patton, a narrator I really like (Adrien English series for those who know). The narrator is of course excellent. Unfortunately in my edition there were several parts where the reading stopped and then started again with the same sentence. I have informed audible (Germany) about that and they assured me, that they are going to fix that. Might take some time though (because they probably have to inform audible US about it).
The story....I think I was in an alternate universe. I've never read a New Age story before and to be honest, the whole Tarot reading, Reiki etc. didn't interest me so much but it also didn't bother me. That could have worked for me but what didn't work for me was the whole story. They meet, Brent helps Takota ot let his dead lover go, they meet again, have unprotected sex, fall in love and two days later Bent calls himself Takota's husband. Add a couple of either overaccepting and and hillarious side characters on one hand, on the other the really stereotyped to the nines bad guy and some really strange and completely unrelated events and informations and you have this book.
I mean, there were some funny moments and Brent's voice itself was good and nice. But...either a book makes me believe the unbelievable or it doesn't take itself serious and is so hilariously over the top funny that I know it's intended. Neither was the case here. In my opinion it took "Instalove" to a new level (if you like Instalove, you really should try it). So, yeah, it was just okay for me.
This is an amazing book about a young tarot reader. The guy is the narrator of this LGBT romance. He is full of faults, but I found myself liking him intensely. The cast of characters in this zippy read are awesome. Takoda is the Sioux guy who came for a reading and becomes Brent's love interest. Kaela is a hoot. She is Brent's best friend, and she is brash and in your face. Nice works like a CSI tech, and he's got the zippiest banter of anybody.
I didn't think I'd like this book because I am not into tarot, but I am very much interested in men in love (lesbian fiction, too). Brent is an honest story that is fast-moving and full of crazy twists.
The narrator was adopted, and his adopted family doesn't like queers. Too bad for them!!! I was adopted too, so I can really relate to what the author says about blood-relations.
If you are looking for a romanic story about men, this needs to be at the top of your list.
This book is like nothing I've ever read before. I think the only time I stopped smiling was when I was rolling around on the floor with tears of laughter streaming down my cheeks.
If you are a stickler for all the guidelines of writing you may have some issues, if you like a concrete plot and little waffling the same goes. If you love reading for the joy of it, can ignore the small stuff and have any sense of humor then you can't go past this book.
There were lots of small faults and a few bigger ones but I cannot bring myself to care enough to even mention them. Mr Wagner you just brightened my day.
I don’t remember where I got my copy of this audiobook, but it’s not very good. My copy seems to be a pre-release version. Why do I say that? Well, it’s full of “flubs” where the narrator feels he’s made a mistake, makes a “bookmark” noise and repeats (sometimes more than once) what he’s just said.
I don’t know if it’s the story or the narrator (probably the former), but the story skips about and leaves things unfinished.
Basically, I would not recommend this to anyone unless they’re really into tarot (always pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable) and dumb gay guys. The humour is sometimes good and frequently bad. If I paid for this (can’t recall), I want my money back!
I am an astrologer and a Wiccan. The author of this book says he is Christian, but the plot and characters ring quite true to me.
The characters are brash and loving all at the same time. Parts of the book made me laugh out loud. Other parts (like Takoda calling out for Rune) made me cry a little. There is so much happiness and love in this story.
Wynn Wagner is a captivating and exceptional writer.
This book by Wynn Wagner is now in the Gay Book Hall of Fame. I completely agree with its inclusion.
The story is about adoption and standing up against bullies. In fact, I was to consider suicide over antigay attacks. This is the book that is the reason I am still here.
I owe the author my life. And whats more, the story is wonderful to read. Fast. Empowering.