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Frame of Reference #1
Frame of Reference
His world-view shaped by retro movies and TV series, small-town boy, Grant Jackson, moves to Hollywood, in pursuit of television stardom.
Grant Jackson is a small-town guy, with the world-class, big city dream of becoming a network television star. But how do you make the dream come true when your resources are scant, and your frames of reference are retro motion pictures and the television series?
Determined to find out, Grant moves to Hollywood. But can he remain focused on his big dream, or will Grant be swept away in the anything goes world of gay West Hollywood - including its adult film and male prostitution scenes?
Grant Jackson is a small-town guy, with the world-class, big city dream of becoming a network television star. But how do you make the dream come true when your resources are scant, and your frames of reference are retro motion pictures and the television series?
Determined to find out, Grant moves to Hollywood. But can he remain focused on his big dream, or will Grant be swept away in the anything goes world of gay West Hollywood - including its adult film and male prostitution scenes?
333 pages, ebook
First published September 1, 2012
34 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Stone
65 books4 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)gay romance
(1)gay romance
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 28, 2014
Grant is a blonde haired blue eyed beauty living in small town that has nothing to offer him. He graduated from high school and is still living with his parents while working and saving every penny for his escape from Nowhereville. His mother loves him but is cowed by his father who is a small minded, homophobic, religious zealot. Grant has only done a tiny bit of acting at school and at the local theatre but he dreams of making it big, not as a film star but a television star. He has had one serious relationship with another actor that left him with a broken heart and ruined him for anything resembling a relationship. With nothing left holding him back from obtaining his dreams, he sets off to Hollywood, the land of broken dreams, where everyone is beautiful and very few are real.
Grant makes his first friend the day he moves into a small apartment house. Rosemary is a struggling ‘actress’ whose main concern is finding and keeping a sugar daddy. She left behind her young son and husband when she moved to Hollywood like scraping gum off her shoe. She is vivacious and beautiful and Grant immediately sees her as his Rhoda to his Mary Tyler Moore. Grant views everything in terms of television shows and old movies.
The Land of Broken dreams lives up to it’s name as Grant gets rejected time and time again from various agents. If he can’t even find an agent how will he make it big as a TV star? This isn’t as easy as he thought it would be but he isn’t giving up. Grant does settle into the city easily, he finds a job waiting tables, finds a convenient gay bar where he frequently has anonymous sex in the back rooms and he is now volunteering with an organization delivering food to AIDS patients. A month or so after having a three way with a couple, he runs into one of the men who is now working as a ‘Hottie’ for a company that provides high end prostitutes to wealthy clientele and makes gay adult films. This is not what Grant has envisioned for himself but his morals are rather flexible when it comes to money. He becomes one of the most sought after escorts and after being paired in a movie with Cameron Cody, the gay adult film God, he is now raking in the cash.
Meeting Cameron has changed his life. After telling himself that he will never fall in love again and leave himself vulnerable, he falls head over heels in love with Cameron and Cameron feels the same about him. Both he and Cameron work for the same company and must keep their relationship quiet for the time being but they are so in love that they are determined to make it work.
Life isn’t all roses for Grant, he encounters scum bags that want to use him and he loses friends under terrible circumstances but he keeps on going, never letting go of his dream of being a star. In a city that will chew you up and spit you out, Grant and Cameron make their own HEA.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit but I did have trouble getting into the beginning of the story, I felt like I was being told everything rather than experiencing it with Grant. Grant is a great character, he is a walking contradiction of morality who tries to find something positive in everything he does, even if it’s sex with a man almost sixty years his senior. I also loved Cameron, a sweet sex God who only wants the love of one man, Grant. I recommend this book to those who enjoy old movies and television show as the references are abundant and to those who enjoy a contemporary making-it-big story that touches on the seedy side of Hollywood.
Grant makes his first friend the day he moves into a small apartment house. Rosemary is a struggling ‘actress’ whose main concern is finding and keeping a sugar daddy. She left behind her young son and husband when she moved to Hollywood like scraping gum off her shoe. She is vivacious and beautiful and Grant immediately sees her as his Rhoda to his Mary Tyler Moore. Grant views everything in terms of television shows and old movies.
The Land of Broken dreams lives up to it’s name as Grant gets rejected time and time again from various agents. If he can’t even find an agent how will he make it big as a TV star? This isn’t as easy as he thought it would be but he isn’t giving up. Grant does settle into the city easily, he finds a job waiting tables, finds a convenient gay bar where he frequently has anonymous sex in the back rooms and he is now volunteering with an organization delivering food to AIDS patients. A month or so after having a three way with a couple, he runs into one of the men who is now working as a ‘Hottie’ for a company that provides high end prostitutes to wealthy clientele and makes gay adult films. This is not what Grant has envisioned for himself but his morals are rather flexible when it comes to money. He becomes one of the most sought after escorts and after being paired in a movie with Cameron Cody, the gay adult film God, he is now raking in the cash.
Meeting Cameron has changed his life. After telling himself that he will never fall in love again and leave himself vulnerable, he falls head over heels in love with Cameron and Cameron feels the same about him. Both he and Cameron work for the same company and must keep their relationship quiet for the time being but they are so in love that they are determined to make it work.
Life isn’t all roses for Grant, he encounters scum bags that want to use him and he loses friends under terrible circumstances but he keeps on going, never letting go of his dream of being a star. In a city that will chew you up and spit you out, Grant and Cameron make their own HEA.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit but I did have trouble getting into the beginning of the story, I felt like I was being told everything rather than experiencing it with Grant. Grant is a great character, he is a walking contradiction of morality who tries to find something positive in everything he does, even if it’s sex with a man almost sixty years his senior. I also loved Cameron, a sweet sex God who only wants the love of one man, Grant. I recommend this book to those who enjoy old movies and television show as the references are abundant and to those who enjoy a contemporary making-it-big story that touches on the seedy side of Hollywood.
October 16, 2012
Christopher Stone, a new name on the GLBT romance scene, makes a memorable debut with FRAME OF REFERENCE. In this case, the titular frame of reference happens to be American television and the prologue takes us through the main character's life in vignettes showing how the medium shapes his past, present, and future. The book is a good example of how to create an extremely sympathetic character and how to tell a story with simple, unadorned prose that rises above the page to create true imagery where it belongs: in the readers' mind.
I was enchanted with the book and read it from cover to cover in just a few hours, happily coming along on the main character's journey toward self-actualization and, ultimately, love. Although I might have preferred a bit more conflict and angst, I'm sure that a romance reader seeking the elusive "happily ever after" will be quite enchanted with this work by an important new author.
I was enchanted with the book and read it from cover to cover in just a few hours, happily coming along on the main character's journey toward self-actualization and, ultimately, love. Although I might have preferred a bit more conflict and angst, I'm sure that a romance reader seeking the elusive "happily ever after" will be quite enchanted with this work by an important new author.
October 15, 2012
This review was originally written for MM Good Book Reviews and can also be found there.
This is a somewhat interesting story about one man finding fame almost against all odds. While his road there might have been unconventional, having a dream is sometimes enough and the will to follow that dream a winning factor.
Grant is a small town pretty guy who has been fascinated with anything TV since he was a small child. His entertainment was TV guides and every situation in life had its counterpart on-screen in one of many shows, series and movies Grant so avidly enjoyed all his life.
Once he has enough money he jumps right into that world. No experience, both in acting as well as life he pushes down the path he only sees as leading to fame and gets his fingers slapped more than once. Discouraged but not willing to give up just yet, Grant takes it day by day, facing challenges, volunteering for Project Angel Food and having casual sex he so very much enjoys. Because love is not for Grant – he’s been there, got singed and like any good man with half a brain he decided he liked his skin without any burns and his heart whole.
I’ve stumbled on a similar writing style a few times in the past year and while it’s not something I would choose deliberately, I can’t rate a book simply because of my dislike of the writing form. A lot of you will appreciate the amount of TV/Hollywood references, quotes and familiar names. They are appropriate for the moments in the story where they were used, even funny at times, but I’m more into the story itself and less into the wide frames and inserted memories.
This particular time I found something different from what I always look for when picking up an m/m romance. The center of this story is Grant and his path toward fame. The choices he made, curve balls life threw at him and people he met along the way. It’s filled with a somewhat bittersweet world of an aspiring actor, tragedy and only eventually love.
While the adult movie career Grant sort of made for himself and his escorting meets combined, did bring a bit of life, or should I say excitement, into this story, is still felt too slow for my taste. The late arrival of the romance and vague realization of it didn’t make me feel any better and it was with a deep sigh that I finally read the last page.
There are strong points to this story, the main being excellent writing. A few editing mistakes can be forgiven as far as I’m concerned and it is the interpretation as well as the life-like presentation of Grant’s story that most of you will be interested in. The life of a gay man wanting to hit it big starts slowly, but after a while the story picks up and we are shown the many different aspects of life in a big city. Grant is a pretty good character, naïve at times, but with a certain optimistic outlook on life that keeps the story from getting too dark. I must say I liked the porn making part of this book the best. It was not perfect, but there were enough details to keep me going and the author made sure not to repeat Grant’s experiences and approached every new event with a fresh vision in mind.
If you’ve liked The Marrying Kind by Ken O’Neill or Tinseltown by Barry Brennessel you will probably love this book.
This is a somewhat interesting story about one man finding fame almost against all odds. While his road there might have been unconventional, having a dream is sometimes enough and the will to follow that dream a winning factor.
Grant is a small town pretty guy who has been fascinated with anything TV since he was a small child. His entertainment was TV guides and every situation in life had its counterpart on-screen in one of many shows, series and movies Grant so avidly enjoyed all his life.
Once he has enough money he jumps right into that world. No experience, both in acting as well as life he pushes down the path he only sees as leading to fame and gets his fingers slapped more than once. Discouraged but not willing to give up just yet, Grant takes it day by day, facing challenges, volunteering for Project Angel Food and having casual sex he so very much enjoys. Because love is not for Grant – he’s been there, got singed and like any good man with half a brain he decided he liked his skin without any burns and his heart whole.
I’ve stumbled on a similar writing style a few times in the past year and while it’s not something I would choose deliberately, I can’t rate a book simply because of my dislike of the writing form. A lot of you will appreciate the amount of TV/Hollywood references, quotes and familiar names. They are appropriate for the moments in the story where they were used, even funny at times, but I’m more into the story itself and less into the wide frames and inserted memories.
This particular time I found something different from what I always look for when picking up an m/m romance. The center of this story is Grant and his path toward fame. The choices he made, curve balls life threw at him and people he met along the way. It’s filled with a somewhat bittersweet world of an aspiring actor, tragedy and only eventually love.
While the adult movie career Grant sort of made for himself and his escorting meets combined, did bring a bit of life, or should I say excitement, into this story, is still felt too slow for my taste. The late arrival of the romance and vague realization of it didn’t make me feel any better and it was with a deep sigh that I finally read the last page.
There are strong points to this story, the main being excellent writing. A few editing mistakes can be forgiven as far as I’m concerned and it is the interpretation as well as the life-like presentation of Grant’s story that most of you will be interested in. The life of a gay man wanting to hit it big starts slowly, but after a while the story picks up and we are shown the many different aspects of life in a big city. Grant is a pretty good character, naïve at times, but with a certain optimistic outlook on life that keeps the story from getting too dark. I must say I liked the porn making part of this book the best. It was not perfect, but there were enough details to keep me going and the author made sure not to repeat Grant’s experiences and approached every new event with a fresh vision in mind.
If you’ve liked The Marrying Kind by Ken O’Neill or Tinseltown by Barry Brennessel you will probably love this book.
January 18, 2015
Reviewed for Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock
Grant Jackson is a small town boy from Selma, California. And like many other people from small towns, Grant has big city dreams. He dreams of being a movie star in Hollywood and leaves the comfort zone of small town life to pursue those dreams. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Grant is free to live openly as a gay man, something he couldn't do back in Selma. He puts his failed attempt at love behind him and sets out to live life to the fullest, pursuing his dreams and hot men with equal fervor. Will he survive the dog-eat-dog world of Hollywood? Will he go back on his word the he'll never look for love, only sex? Will he succumb to the seedier life that so many small town kids fall prey to? You'll have to read the book to find out!
I only have good things to say about this book from a literary point of view. The characters are well-developed and Christopher Stone's writing style is superb. I enjoyed going with Grant on his journey of self-discovery and look forward to seeing what happens next in his life. In case the description of the book isn't clear enough, this is a gay romance, so readers should not be surprised about the fact that the sex scenes are between two or more men. The sex scenes are not the whole of the book, and they are not overly-explicit, but they are more explicit than the average romance novel. The only issue that I had, really, with the book are the depictions of unprotected sex. The book takes place in 2002 and 2003, and AIDS is discussed often in the book. Because of that, I would have liked to see a bit more exposition regarding why Grant decided that indiscriminate unprotected sex was worth the risk. But the entire book is about Grant taking risks, so I suppose it stands to reason that he would take risks this way, too.
I truly enjoyed this offering by Christopher Stone, and I will definitely be putting him on my list of authors to look for in the future.
Grant Jackson is a small town boy from Selma, California. And like many other people from small towns, Grant has big city dreams. He dreams of being a movie star in Hollywood and leaves the comfort zone of small town life to pursue those dreams. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Grant is free to live openly as a gay man, something he couldn't do back in Selma. He puts his failed attempt at love behind him and sets out to live life to the fullest, pursuing his dreams and hot men with equal fervor. Will he survive the dog-eat-dog world of Hollywood? Will he go back on his word the he'll never look for love, only sex? Will he succumb to the seedier life that so many small town kids fall prey to? You'll have to read the book to find out!
I only have good things to say about this book from a literary point of view. The characters are well-developed and Christopher Stone's writing style is superb. I enjoyed going with Grant on his journey of self-discovery and look forward to seeing what happens next in his life. In case the description of the book isn't clear enough, this is a gay romance, so readers should not be surprised about the fact that the sex scenes are between two or more men. The sex scenes are not the whole of the book, and they are not overly-explicit, but they are more explicit than the average romance novel. The only issue that I had, really, with the book are the depictions of unprotected sex. The book takes place in 2002 and 2003, and AIDS is discussed often in the book. Because of that, I would have liked to see a bit more exposition regarding why Grant decided that indiscriminate unprotected sex was worth the risk. But the entire book is about Grant taking risks, so I suppose it stands to reason that he would take risks this way, too.
I truly enjoyed this offering by Christopher Stone, and I will definitely be putting him on my list of authors to look for in the future.
October 21, 2012
DNF. Managed to get to the 30% mark then gave up. The narrative and dialogue were weirdly formal and the characters were soap opera dramatic cliches. When the MC had an unprotected threesome with two strangers, I hit the Home button.
April 5, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
I’ve read several books where the main characters are porn stars and escorts, and have always enjoyed them, so this one seemed right up my alley.
I have to say, I thought this book was great! It’s all centered around Grant, a young man from a small town with stars in his eyes. He grew up loving television and wanting to be a television star. Note I’m saying a television star. He didn’t seem to want to be in the movies at all…unless it came along as a result of his television work. Christopher Stone has written a very solid character who is perfect to focus an entire book around. He’s interesting, and I fell in love with him. Certainly, because of his youth, he makes some sketchy choices. For instance, when he gets to Hollywood, he finds a bar and begins to go into the back room. That’s the place where guys who are only interested in a hookup hang out. Let’s just say condoms aren’t a priority, and Grant is perfectly ok with that. AIDS has been a real fear by then, but I got the feeling Grant thought he was young and untouchable.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
I’ve read several books where the main characters are porn stars and escorts, and have always enjoyed them, so this one seemed right up my alley.
I have to say, I thought this book was great! It’s all centered around Grant, a young man from a small town with stars in his eyes. He grew up loving television and wanting to be a television star. Note I’m saying a television star. He didn’t seem to want to be in the movies at all…unless it came along as a result of his television work. Christopher Stone has written a very solid character who is perfect to focus an entire book around. He’s interesting, and I fell in love with him. Certainly, because of his youth, he makes some sketchy choices. For instance, when he gets to Hollywood, he finds a bar and begins to go into the back room. That’s the place where guys who are only interested in a hookup hang out. Let’s just say condoms aren’t a priority, and Grant is perfectly ok with that. AIDS has been a real fear by then, but I got the feeling Grant thought he was young and untouchable.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews