Their Plane from Nowhere

Teddy Bear Collection #1

by Tarian P.S.

In their small town in the Pocono Mountains, Earl Knox and Hank Grisset have never been considered among the pretty ones to anyone but each other. As lucky as Hank and Earl consider themselves to have found each other, that’s about as far as luck has gone. All those Could’ah— Should’ah— Would’ah— moments a man never sees comin’, but that don’t stop him from regrettin’ them later in life.

When Earl makes a critical decision that ultimately outs him and Hank, a mysterious plane shows up at their lake house. Coming out in a small town can erase friendships in a heartbeat. But when a rift in the family leads to a life-threatening accident, only their love for each other is gonna get them through this—that, and their plane from nowhere.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Fiction

92 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2014

About the author

★ Author of the Teddy Bear Collection ★ and Three-time MM Goodreads Best Cover Artist Nominee 2013 & 2014 ★

*´¨) ABOUT
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` THE TWINS ¤ *.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*

Both Proud Indy Authors: Tarian like his twin, Talon, love to torment their editor with a nefarious world of foreign-language, slang, local dialect, stretched/outside-of-the-box definitions, and have even been known to throw in some new word creations of their own at times. This, of course, is all thrown in there with the dyslexia soup stock they both suffer from that makes editing for them a joy {joy: n. see mental illness}.
However, the final product comes out as richly detailed as we believe all stories should be created: holographic worlds of love, pain, frustration, and challenges beyond the every day. We believe a good story should take you on an emotional ride, pluck your heart strings, and zing you about until you’re dizzy and screaming at the antagonist, while cheering for the protagonist before returning you to your cozy reading spot. And we’ve created these adventures within a mix of genres, so you can find the one right for you: Gay & Het Romances, Suspense, Paranormal and Sci-fi Erotic Romances, War-time Romance Fictions, along with Talon’s favorite Space Sci-Fi Frontiers, and Tarian’s favorite works of Post-Apocalyptic Dark Fantasies and Historical Fantasies. All for readers to submerse themselves into and escape from their day when they need or desire, and to whet your appetite for more.

Reviews

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 star review by The Blogger Girls.

If you are looking for a heartwarming love story with a bit of angst and mystery, this novella fits the bill perfectly. Right away, you get a feel for how much these big guys love each other. Even though circumstances prevent them from completely being together, they continue their longstanding relationship over the years spending weekends and vacations together.

One of the main themes here is what coulda, shoulda, woulda been. If only Earl had not given in and not gone on that date way back when, ended up having kids, etc., then he and Hank coulda been together all this time. But he did, and because he would do anything for his kids, even though his wife is a total bitch, and even knowing about Hank and where Earl's true love lies, he stays with her. Granted, she has basically not given him any choice threatening to turn the kids against him and take his pension, retirement, etc. So, he has kept the peace all these years, only truly being himself on the getaways to Hank's cabin in the Pennsylvania mountains.

Hank has since lost his wife and kids to a car accident, though his wife was fully aware of and accepted his relationship with Earl. These guys are now older, in their 50s, and just as in love with each other as ever. Anyhoo, on one of Earl's visits to Hank's cabin, he comes upon the old airplane that has shown up at their dock. Unfortunately, there are no answers as to its appearance, and even more unanswered questions when it up and disappears.

But the main part of this story, which I found totally heartwarming, was Earl's dedication to his kids (now grown and having their own kids), and his realization that he has lost too much time and experiences with Hank due to his wife’s threats, etc. So, he makes the decision to end it with the wife, and, of course, she turns on him, but most of his kids, namely his daughter, stand by him. They’ve only known Hank as Uncle Hank up to this point, as he’s been a part of their lives all along. This isn’t easy though, and it is a bit heartbreaking as well. But these guys are so perfect for each other and have sacrificed their happiness for so long that it was just wondrous to see them make it happen and see their support of one another.

Again, this is a fabulous little love story with a mysterious paranormal twist. The plane ends up helping the guys and has a connection to them neither knew about. Setting aside the plane aspect, the rest was just a great tale. There is technically cheating for those who have issues with it, but the wife knew from the beginning, and didn’t give any options. I really enjoyed seeing these two get their HEA after so many years. This was very well written, gave you a total sense of the characters, and moved along at a fast pace. I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend to others.

[Kade Boehme · Rating 5 out of 5]

My lord. I still have chills—the good kind—from this one. I was weepy through a lot of it, too. These poor guys. "All those should-ah—could-ah—would-ahs". Oh i hurt for them. For such a short little story I was taken aback by how much I got. I just loved it.

[Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book from Amazon in preparation for reading the new release Big Spoon & Teddy Bear … I then did my puppy dog begging thing and got some free books from the author in return for honest reviews …

The Plane from Nowhere is not my usual choice when finding books to read … I tend to be a bit more shallow and get attracted by the shiny, glossy, tarty stories with pretty boys on the cover but when I do dip my toe in the pond of new experiences, I am often pleasantly surprised … reading this story was one of the good surprises.

If I had to describe this story in one word, I would say it was atmospheric … the heavy use of colloquialisms in both the descriptions and the dialogue meant that you couldn’t avoid the Southern tang permeating the reading experience … Princess S.O. masterfully set the scene so that I could easily visualise the brooding presence of forest and the dark depths of the lake … I could almost smell the pine sap as I read … so, if you like to be transported by your reading experience, I’d have to say that this would be one to add to your TBR pile.

Despite the fact that the continual use of Southern spelling and turn of phrase assisted the author in creating the aforementioned atmosphere, I must confess that it did make it harder for me to settle into the story … as an Australian reader who is subjected to the American culture via television and books, I have become fairly adept at mentally converting Americanisms into ‘proper’ English (waits to be struck by lightning) but I must admit that I struggled a little bit to settle into the rhythm as my brain learned how to interpret what I was reading … for some people this could be an issue … as an author who writes in colloquial Australian and laughs in derision at reviewers who whine about having to engage their brain to understand what I’ve written, I admire an author who doesn’t sanitise the character’s voice and trusts that the story is worth telling, and will reward the reader for making the effort to learn the lingo.

This story does have a paranormal sub-plot which is subtle and although not intrinsic to the human story, runs in parallel … it was a nice little twist and gave me a few goose bumps and shivers as I read … I liked the depth it gave to the story but I think it needed a little bit more of the word count to justify its inclusion … I grew up in a haunted house so I am ‘a believer’, sceptics out there will possibly say the plane could’ah or should’ah been left out of the story …

I did enjoy reading about older, manly men having a mature relationship without the twinky drama and “bitch, please” that is often served up in m/m romance … it is nice to see that not just the pretty ones find lurv … I usually detest reading stories with infidelity but the relationship between Hank and Earl was so pure and free of malice, that it just wasn’t an issue … both wives knew of the love affair and made informed choices about how to deal with it so it became a non-issue for me …

This story is much heavier on the romance than the erotica, and what smex there is, is written poignantly with a sweet overtone that has a Hallmark seal of approval … makes you wanna’ go “awwwwww” instead of pulling the rip-cord on your Mr. Happy and humping the mattress … and that’s a nice change too! … sweet romance is lovely to read and leaves me feeling hopeful for the future … it balances out the trials and tribulations of real life nicely.

In summary, this short story is a rich reading experience … although not perfect in its execution, the package as a whole is worthwhile … I am looking forward to reading the next instalment and would recommend this book for people feeling a tad jaded who need a bit of sugar with a side order of cuddly bear.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Variety is the spice of life. I have many books from the erotic genre but if you look close you will find treasures from other genres. Their Plane From No Where is one of them.

If you are looking for a little mystery, suspense with a touch of romance and something that makes the dock seem a little spooky, this is your book. Earl and Hank aren’t your typical young bucks trying to figure out life. They are a little older, around fifty, but still very well taken care of. *winks* They know who they are and what they want. Just what you would expect from men working in the logging industry in Pennsylvania. Some of the things I really enjoyed about this story was Princess wrote this story using the language you would actually hear these good ole boys using. She has given us a story you can see happening as you read it. I love it when a story can do this! The chain of events happen in perfect order, even the bad ones, not one beat is missed. She has even given us an added bonus. One that may have you choosing to reread the book soon, so you can use all of your senses to enjoy the story again.

Earl and Hank have settled for less than they deserve and with all life has handed them they make the best of it. Until a life changing event happens, a good life changing event. One that makes Earl see things in a different light. Now his choice starts a chain of events that brings out the good and bad in the people around him and Hank. Not to mention that plane that appears and disappears with no reason… or is there a reason?

So grab your beverage and snack and get comfy. This story will have you laughing, crying, cheering and saying whoa! Enjoy the story and the flight. *grins*

[Anke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned about the book at RainbowCon and had to get it as soon as it was released. Now finally started reading, only to have problems with it. It grabs me, but somehow I'm not a fan of the voice and all the POV changes every now and then. Somehow I can't remember who's who.

Finished and I'll put it under spoiler tag as I'm not sure how spoilerish what I'll write will be. Well, overall I liked the story, even the paranormal aspect of it. The story about the love between Hank and Earl and the love of Earl for his kids. What I didn't like - the fact that both men were married for the longest time and still met every weekend at their cabin at the lake. Yes, Hank's wife at some point knew about their relationship, even offered a divorce; Earl's wife knew about it as well and refused the divorce out of spite. So, if you are not a fan of cheating in your books, this most probably won't be a book for you.

I also found the ending a bit too much, the development with the plane a bit like: I don't need that now on top of everything else.

My biggest problem however was the way the slang was written. For some readers it might add to the set up and the people, where they came from and where they were living. Me on the other hand - it disrupted my reading flow and I really had problems to keep my MCs apart.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I liked the story itself, but I hated the writing style. I get what the author was going for with the country bumpkin vibe, but sometimes it was so over the top it was indecipherable. Between the (I'm guessing) intentionally bad grammar, the things which (I'm assuming) were actual mistakes and typos, and the frankly odd use of italics . . . it was just kind of a mess.

But there's an interesting story in there about two older men who have been hiding their relationship for twenty-odd years and their discovery of a phantom airplane. If you can dig that interesting story out of the mire, that is.

[Jaycee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant. Real. Practically perfect in every way.

A hearty recommend!

...I'm going to go hug my teddy bear now...and eat cheesy popcorn.

[R.l. Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of ‘Their Plane from Nowhere’ by Princess So
Be R.L. Bailey
Genre: M/M
STAND ALONE
5/5 angel wings for story
4/5 flames for heat.
The first thing I noticed about ‘Their Plane from Nowhere’ by Princess So, is that the two hero’s in the story, Hank and Earl are not young, tight, hot bodied men. No, these two fine gents are in their fifties, have had decades of secret weekends, stolen time and finally the chance to be together.
The story starts out as Earl comes to their cabin in the Poconos; the one Earl gifted Hank with keeping, a legacy from Earl’s late Uncle William. After arriving, he spies an old, beat up plane at the dock, just sitting there. Wondering what the hell, Earl decides to clean up the old biplane, and when he comes out of the shed, the plane is mysteriously gone.
Getting anyone to believe him is futile, until Earl sees it for himself. Life goes on for the two men, since neither can figure out what the ghost plane is supposed to mean. Earl’s life is one misery after another, being married to Gracie, a shrewish, harpy who took great delight in making our boy miserable. Hank is a widower, but his Emma was a polar opposite. When Hank had come out to her, she offered him a divorce, and only a terrible accident which took his family, and left Emma on deaths door, stopped that from happening. As Emma was dying, Earl and Hank moved her to the cabin, where she passed, surrounded by the love of not only Hank but Earl as well. The men had talked of Earl finally breaking free and had decided to wait another few years, that is until Earl’s daughter had a baby of her own. Surrounded by what family at what should have been the happiest time of Earl’s life, he has a revelation.
“Guess I went and done somethin’ else, myself too.” Earl let out another sigh and his gaze drifted up toward the ceiling. “I tell you, babe, one look at that baby-girl and seein’ the family all happy”—Earl shook his head—“and yet I couldn’t be happy with them ’cause you weren’t there with me.”
Of course it doesn’t go over well and at the baby’s christening, all hell breaks loose. It is Earl’s daughter who decides she loves her dad, and doesn’t care who he loves.
Now, about the plane….well, that’s a spoiler and I never do spoilers, as a reader I want to find out things by myself and I don’t want a reviewer or anyone else taking the joy outof discovering what’s next. But let me just say this… you WILL NEED tissues when the truth comes to light.
The story is written in the voice of the men, and it could be disturbing for those purists who demand perfection of the written word. After a couple of pages, I decided that it fit the overall theme of the book. Hank and Earl are both well rounded, well developed characters and it is very easy to fall in love with them. The story is a fast but fulfilling read. The sex scenes are hot and my only complaint is there wasn’t enough.
Fans of Princess So won’t be disappointed in ‘Their Plane from Nowhere’. I read it all in one sitting, and it’s one I will read again.

*arc given to reviewer for fair and honest review*

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Very surprising novella. Hank and Earl have had a weekend relationship for years. Both married even though they were each own true loves. Hank has suffered terrible losses and Earl has suffered a horrible marriage to a shrew who will stop at nothing to punish and hurt him - no matter what the collateral damage.

Earl cannot live one more moment without Hank and finally decides he must end his marriage after his daughter has her first baby. Things get a little dicey from there. And then there is the mysterious plane that keeps showing up and disappearing from the dock at Hank's cabin on the lake. Why? What does it mean?

All will be revealed :)


One note - for some reason the dialect of the characters threw me off in this one. I don't know why. I'm not really familiar with that area, but it was just foreign to me and a little bit jarring.

[Dee Wy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've chosen to tag this story as paranormal, though it's not the characters that make it so, it's the strange happenings around the old pontoon plane that suddenly shows up at their lakeside dock that warrants the tag. I loved that this is a story with older characters in their fifties. It's sweet and angsty at the same time. Really liked this quick read!

[Secretly Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story of a long term couple who finally come out in their small town. The paranormal element is well integrated into the story and ends nicely. I'll be looking for more books by this author.

[Kelly Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story. Loved Earl and Hank. I cried. This - "All those should-ah—could-ah—would-ahs". ~sigh~

[Love Bytes Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star review by Amber

This series actually reads like standalone novellas. They both have no connecting characters, so you do not have to read them in order.

In, Their Plane from Nowhere, I felt as if I was just dropped right into these two men’s lives. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. What these two men had to go through in their 20+ year relationship, sounds mostly heartbreaking, so I appreciate not having to read a huge novel with that much pain.

Earl and Hank are lovers that have had to live the majority of their relationship separate from one another. Both men are now in their 50’s so they come from a time where men just couldn’t be together. Both Hank and Earl married women and had children. But all the while they always took out some time each month to be with one another.

Years ago, Hank lost his wife and boys in a car accident so he’s had more freedom. Earl’s wife, however, is just downright mean, cruel, and vicious. Earl decides once and for all to leave her. He’s tired of not being able to share his life with Hank, who is the love of his life. I should also mention both wives knew their husbands were homosexual.

I probably wouldn’t have given this book 4 stars if it wasn’t for this mysterious plane. I just loved the whole idea about it. The whole thing is very farfetched but that didn’t take away the attraction of the mystery behind it. Why does it appear and disappear? How does it come and go with no noise? Where is it coming from? And at the end when all those questions are answered it was the perfect completion to the story. I loved the romanticism behind it all.

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very touching story

This is the first book I've read by this author, it won't be the last! The characters are well written and drew me in from the first page.
Hank and Earls story is one that unfortunately I can see happening in real life. The struggle for two gay men in a community where they have to hide and brought up in families that forced them to live lies was powerful stuff!
The coming together and tearing apart of family and friends, the love these two have and the touch of paranormal was just a joy to read. I'm so glad that this book was recommended to me and I recommend it to you if you're reading this review!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

great love story!!!

The story of Earl and Hank is a truly touching and poignant love story of how love perseveres through trials and tribulations. In the Poconos being a gay man was not well received. This story tells of how two men's forbidden love was hidden for over two decades. How their love for each other never faded. It is a touching and loving story of their coming out and the trials they go through with a special twist!!! This is another great story by Princes SO. Must Read!!!

[Kelly Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book from the very beginning! A sweet love story with a paranormal twist. A nice change of pace in m/m to have a older couple. 5 stars all the way here. Love Prin's writing style and am a fan for life now!

[Deanna]

Haven't read yet but facebook has banned the author's link to this book because some ignoramus reported it. WRONG>

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. The author is a memorable presence on social media, with outspoken views and unafraid to stand up for strongly-held values, but can they actually write?

The short answer is .... hell yes! This is a massively entertaining, angsty yet tender, hot in places, story of two guys in their fifties (how refreshing...) who ain't pretty to anyone apart from each other (their own words,) who have already found true, lasting love after a lifetime of tragedy, regrets and missed opportunities. There's no "will they/won't they" moments, as these guys have already found a happiness of sorts, even though their family lives and friendships are complicated to say the least, especially when the truth comes out about their relationship.

This novella is the whole package for me, an extremely professional self-published novella which shows how self-publishing should be done, from the two adorable bears on the front cover to the neat blurb telling you what you get in this story, to the crisp editing. This book packs a whole lotta punch for its weight. We have the story of widower Hank and unhappily married Earl, told in their distinctive Poconos Mountain drawl, and their love for each other whilst dealing with family bigotry, a poisonous wife and what happens when they accidentally out themselves in their small community. The answer: Not what you'd expect, including the arrival of a mysterious plane on the lake outside Hank's home. It comes, it goes, and no-one knows why. This is the paranormal element of the story, with two normal humans trying to figure out why it is there.

I read this story honestly not knowing what to expect. Sometimes you can see the ending a mile off, with an HEA glowing in the distance. With this book, you're never quite sure what is going to happen next. I loved the way the book was told, with a backwaters Pennsylvanian rhythm that felt completely unaffected, and the love between Hank and Earl, culminating in several tender yet scorching sex scenes. The way that Earl treated his kids, and Hank dealing with the grief of losing his was sublime. I really invested in these characters, even though the book was fairly short, and felt as if I was gaining a privileged insight into their personal lives.

Okay, possibly the denouement felt a little too neat, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book, and the mystery of the plane was heartbreaking. I'm not insulting it by saying it felt like a particularly bittersweet episode of Little House On The Prairie, only set in the 21st century, and with beefy guys having hot, honest sex as a bonus. And a neat addition is their favourite recipe for cheesy popcorn included at the back!

A great, standalone mystery romance for those who don't necessarily want to read about pretty boys. And there are more in the Teddy Bear collection. I'll definitely read more by this author.

[James Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nowhere

This is a good story. It is about two lovers Earl and Hank. Both men lived their lives in the closet. Earl’s wife threatened him with financial and social ruin if he came out and Hanks’s wife died. The two men see each other every weekend. But then Earl decides to come out over his new granddaughter. The paranormal aspect of the story is the ghost plane. It shows up at the dock at different times. But it does become relevant. It also helps the two men.

[Likes2Explore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a treat to read!
It was heartfelt, tugged at my heartstrings and I had tears running down my face. I love a good cry. Oh and lets not forget the paranormal twist :)
Such a wonderful ending!

Thank You for this story Tarian! I look forward to more of your stories :)

[Sean O'Meidhir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Tarian's prose and the embrace of the Bears. This one is a beautiful story with some interesting twists.

[Geneva Handleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a lot of action packed into such a tiny book! Burly bear men and a cabin in the woods with family members visiting and secrets being uncovered. Awesome writing as always from Princess SO. For a quick heart-and maybe other body parts ;)- warming story, this is the one you want to read!