Aftershocks

Earthquake #4

by T.A. Webb

Everything was going so great for Charlie Turner…his relationship with Amos Greene took off and his brother resembled a human being again. Then all hell broke loose, and Charlie was left standing amidst the ruins of his life.

But that’s not the end of the damage. To truly heal, all the makeshift bandages Charlie applied to his hurts over the years must be ripped off. Without Amos and his family at Mountain Shadows, he might fold under the weight of all the pain.

But Charlie’s willing to stand and fight for the people who are important to him…can the same be said of them?

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, LGBT

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2014

About the author

T.A. Webb is the writing name for the Mean Old Bear That Could. He's worked with people living with HIV/AIDS and with children in the foster care system for over twenty years, and took the smaller pay for the chance to make a difference for those who can't help themselves. After hours, he's the proud single papa of two (now three) rescue dogs, was born and raised in Atlanta, where he still lives, and is a pretty darned good country cook.

His sister taught him to read when he was four, and he tore his way through the local library over the next few years. Always wanting more, he snuck a copy of The Exorcist under his parents' house to read when he was eleven and scared the bejesus out of himself. Thus began a love affair with books that skirt the edge, and when he discovered gay literature, he was hooked for life.

To reach him, please email AuthorTAWebb@aol.com, visit him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authortawebb orhttps://www.facebook.com/twebb7813, tweet him on Twitter @TomBearAtl, or visit him blog at www.tom-webb.blogspot.com.

Reviews

[BevS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeehaw!! I'm having a Tom Webb meltdown. 4 books in the space of a couple of months...and I LOVE it!! 5 stars (well, colour me shocked hehe) for this, Tom's latest contribution to this years PF series.

I just can't understand why this year's series doesn't seem to be as popular with you book-buying folk out there in Reading Land as last years was....I seem to remember that we fell over ourselves to get the next one that came out...but no matter. For those of us that have stuck with this wonderful format, this years stories are just as exciting AND of course we have the added pleasure of the bonus books, which link characters from last year's PF to this years...extra Ben and Marcus, extra Wick and Ned, extra Chance and Rory...so, as far as I'm concerned, a huge thanks to all the authors.

Now, as far as this one is concerned, the plotline running through the series is that of an old boyfriend of Charlie's, Chip McNair, who turns out to be a serial rapist/killer of young men. Charlie's younger brother Damon has been abducted and in the last story, Charlie's boyfriend Amos had worked out who had taken Damon and where Damon might be, so thankfully he was rescued. This instalment concentrates on Damon, Charlie, their mother and Amos all receiving specialist after care from a trauma counsellor named Linda. All sorts of things are revealed during the sessions, some of which I was happy about, and others which I was angry and quite surprised about, but the gist of it all is that you should always try and talk things out...even if you aren't looking forward to what might be revealed. AND of course, we learn that Chip McNair has committed suicide rather than 'man up' and face his actions....typical!!

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oooh, the plot thickens.

Buddy Read with Mish and Sandi. We did this last year and figured it would be fun to do it again. Reading the entire Pulp Friction series in the month of February, one installment a day. I'll review at the end.

02/01/15 Firestorm (Fighting Fire #1)
02/02/15 Cold Snap (In From the Cold, #1)
02/03/15 Blown Away (Whispering Winds #1)
02/04/15 Higher Ground (Earthquake #1)
02/05/15 Kismet and Cartwheels
02/06/15 Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2)
02/07/15 Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2)
02/08/15 Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2)
02/09/15 Moving Earth (Earthquake #2)
02/10/15 Backburn (Fighting Fire #3)
02/11/15 Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3)
02/12/15 Blown Hard (Whispering Winds #3)
02/13/15 Tremors (Earthquake #3)
02/14/15 Taking Chances
02/15/15 Flare-up (Fighting Fire #4)
02/16/15 Out in the Cold (In From the Cold #4)
02/17/15 Wicked Winds 3.5 Elemental Elements Pulp Friction 2014
02/18/15 Blown Chance (Whispering Winds #4)
02/19/15 Frankie's Knight: Elemental Connections: IV (Earthquake #3.5)
02/20/15 Aftershocks (Earthquake #4)
02/21/15 Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5)
02/22/15 Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5)
02/23/15 Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5)
02/24/15 Terra Firma (Earthquake #5)

FINALE!!!

02/27/15 - 02/28/15 Shadows and Ash: Pulp Friction 2014 Finale

[Grammy 1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sitting at home feeling mighty happy with myself. I have spent the weekend with ‘my boys’ at Mountain Shadow Campground and what a treat it was! I have just finished the review of Tom Webb’s Bonus Book, Frankie’s Knight. This was such a wonderful addition. The ‘fearsome four’ have gone over the top and given their readers these wonderful extras for the 2014 season. Aftershocks Book #4 that I am reviewing today is in the Pulp Friction rotation. How good was that?

You remember what Pulp Friction is right? Four authors, writing individual stories with cliff hangers, intermingling their characters within each other’s stories, then rotating 1, 2, 3 and 4 since January. Laura Harner, Lee Brazil, Havan Fellows, and Tom Webb must be attached at the hip, I reckon, for the last two years, rocking our world with Pulp Friction 2013 and now 2014.

Tom’s story snuck up on me. It was a simple story of the meeting of Charlie and Amos each living in Flagstaff. Charlie returned home to help his mother raise his baby brother Damon after his father passed away. Charlie ran the family business for the last ten years. Amos has an Art Gallery in town and needed help with a renovation at the gallery. It was lust at first site.

What snuck up on the reader was ‘family’ and the how and why and where the untold pieces in this puzzle slowly and horribly came to the surface. Charlie’s guilt brought him to his needs after the horrific kidnapping and sadistic physical and sexual abuse Damon withstood at the hands of Charlie’s ex. It is not surprising Damon needed help recovering with counseling, but this is so much more.

I was part of a session with my family many years ago to help my baby sister. It is not pretty when you learn what festers beneath the love you think your family should have. This part of the story held my attention deeply. This family had issues that could shatter the family core, issues we had no idea existed.

I loved having Amos possibly being healed a bit by just the association. Linda was great as their counselor and I loved her ‘the glass is half full theory”, she tried with Amos. This is a wonderful masterful reading experience not to be missed. I loved it, Tom.



Review by Gloria Lakritz

Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very emotional when I started this book, but not really because of anything that happened. I'm just sad and devastated that this is book four for Tom Webb. Since the current Pulp Friction cycle ends with him, I know there's only one more book per the four authors and then the grand finale. One. More. Book. I'm not ready for 2014 Pulp Friction Flagstaff to be over. *sigh*

Now, if you read my review from 'Tremors' which was book three in 'Earthquake', or if you read the book, then you know that the author left me on what could've been a serious cliffhanger. That was the other reason I was a little emotional. I was almost afraid to start 'Aftershocks' only to realize that Charlie had run away from everything. Thank goodness he didn't. However, there are plenty of other issues that happened here that had me tearing up and doing the ugly crying thing. Again. And, again.

Damon is struggling with what Chip did to him. Although he and Charlie are in counseling, their mother and Amos have also been in to see the therapist. When they finally do a family session which involves all four of them, there are serious emotions and revelations brought about. And, oh Tom, I thought you might go there, and you did, and I'm struck dumb by how beautifully you handled it. But I needed a lot of tissues to get through this. It tore me up. I believe I said that in my opinion I felt that 'Tremors' was the most emotional book of the entire series? Well, 'Aftershocks' knocks that out of the park, across the parking lot, and on into morning.

In case you haven't figured it out, be prepared to cry. But there are some wonderful moments of levity (thank you, Park) that reinforce the family that has been created at Mountain Shadows. I'd like to live there. When it comes right down to it, this book is about family. The one you're born into and the one you make.

[Beth doesn't write enough reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say just when Mr. Webb has torn my heart to shreds he reaches out and rings out just a little more blood.

Number four in the series centers around the recovery process after Damon is rescued from Chip McNair. Therapy. Several little bombs go off during the sessions. One causes far more damage than Charlie thinks he can recover from.

While still reeling from what he has learned he is rewarded with the knowledge that the people of Mountain Shadows will be there for him.

There is of course a huge cliffhanger about Amos, what more damage can Chip McNair do? But, I'm more interested in where the author is going with the therapy session.

[JR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story revolves around Charlie, Damon, Amos and the brother's mother Marie. The aftermath of Chris has an earth shattering impact on everyone. The pasts of all the Turners was brought to light when they participated in a group therapy session.

The dialogue is marvelous especially when Amos speaks. There were fist pumping times and many tissue times. I give this a bunch of "ah moments" worth of stars.

[Zeoanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so the story continues getting better and better. So, on to the next and final book in the series.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

Aftershocks is the fourth installment in T.A. Webb’s Earthquake series, part of Pulp Friction 2014.

If you’ve been following along you know Chip is in jail—the asshole—and in the last Earthquake book it seemed like Charlie was about to make a break for it and leave Flagstaff. My heart stopped at the end of that book and I huffed like a stubborn teenager. But then in Frankie’s Knight, we see Charlie, safe and at home, so we know he didn’t take off. You have no idea the rush of relief I felt. It was big. So here we are. Time to get the heads fixed. And fixed they get. Geez. I never saw this coming. Yes, the whole thing with Damon was a given because his defense mechanism from book one was to dump on Charlie for being gay. It hurt my heart to read it again probably as much as it hurt Charlie, but it wasn’t that big of a leap. The shocker in this story comes from left field. You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you, and I’m not gonna tell you much more except that it is crushing and earthshattering for Charlie and Damon. It’s life altering. I’d say I was left speechless, but I’m rather outspoken so had I been there I would have given a piece of my mind. I’m still thinking it.

This series has been quite the journey for Charlie and Amos and I’ve seriously loved every moment of it. I think one of the things I like the most is that, besides their struggle in the first book to really connect as a couple, the struggle they’ve faced thus far have been more external in relation to them as a unit. So this story shows the showcases the growth and unity they’ve achieved thus far. This story is more about Charlie’s individual growth and a little about Amos’ and it’s definitely about Damon’s.

Read Crissy’s review in its entirety here.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

For the full review, visit http://wp.me/p220KL-330


From that review: "T.A. Webb acknowledges the emotional quagmire his characters are stuck in and then quietly and assuredly moves them forward through their pain and issues into some form of recognition and acceptance. The method Webb chooses is believable and grounded in what would be a logical and realistic solution to this mountain of emotional turmoil these people find themselves in. I admire T.A. Webb for choosing to go down this path and making it come across as the brave thing to do as well as letting the reader into the type of self reflection and questioning needed to make it work. It's quietly stunning and hugely effective in bringing yet more depth to already full realized characters…"


For all reviews, author interviews, book tours and contests, visit http://ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords...

[Becky Condit · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Aftershocks we get to be the fly on the wall as Charlie, Damon, their mother, and Amos have sessions with a family counselor, Linda. Linda guides them into treacherous waters, making them face their own humanity and what comes out is totally unexpected and painful. Chip McNair was only the tip of the iceberg. And like all icebergs, most of it is underwater, unseen, but absolutely lethal.
Every single one of them has individual and shared grief. It's almost too much to bear, so between sessions they have normal family fun, going out to eat pizza and play games. But when they're in Linda's office it's all boxing gloves and unrestrained words.
There were times when I laughed out loud, and times when I cried for Charlie and Damon. And then at the end comes the real shocker and, yes, an unexpected cliffhanger. I can't believe we've reached the last round of stories in Pulp Friction 2014. Bring it, Laura Harner, Lee Brazil, Havan Fellows, and Tom Webb. I can take it. I think. Maybe...

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book four of the earthquake series and book 16 of the pulp friction. Each series can stand-alone but it’s better if you read them all in order to get the full impact.
Charlie, Damon, their mother and Amos are all in counselling after what Damon has been through. Emotions run high and feelings are exposed.

This is a very emotional story. There isn’t a lot of action. It’s mostly the family coming to terms with the past and their feelings. I liked the story but I would have liked just a little action. I really liked the surprise at the end. I can’t wait to see where this leads.

If you like ongoing series, angst, and emotional breakthroughs with a twist this is for you.
* I received a copy of this book free-of-charge from MMgoodbookreviews http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own*

[Marlobo ♥ epilogues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some new facts and pure emotion in this installment.

In the course of the Earthquake Series Tom has achieved it, he has made out of the jerk that was Amos in the beginning a lovable character

Halloween cannot arrive sufficiently fast.

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This installment packs quite a punch! We see so many threads coming together and I can tell that the end of this series is going to be huge. I cannot wait for more!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars--looks like Amos and Charlie are on their way to a HEA--hopefully the surprise at the end turns out to be a happy one!

[Anke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Couldn't stop reading, this left me breathless.