Mixtapes and Mistakes

by D.L. Holmes, Steven Goff (Illustrator)

“Spaceboy” at 30 is looking back on a decade and a half of relationships trying to find out why love never stays. “What came first, the misery or the music” he thinks quoting one of his favorite films as he remembers the women and the songs that pained his heart forming a soundtrack that will down in history as a greatest hit."

Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2019

About the author

D.L. Holmes is a Northern Louisiana author. He graduated from Full Sail University with his Bachelor’s in Creative Writing for Entertainment as well as a Master's in Creative Writing. He is a writer of various genres, including horror and science fiction. In his spare time, He attends his local theater, and reads from an eclectic list of authors including H.P. Lovecraft and the currently retired Poppy Z. Brite. You may contact him at dl.holmes@outlook.com

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, a book has no business being this sad, and second, it was a good kind of sad. It was mixed with regret, hope, and even love. Pain is love, and love is pain, and that is never so clear as it is in this book. We follow Spaceboy as he reminisces about his past lovers and the brief joy they brought with painful endings. He is relatable, as we have all had those relationships that are a brilliant flash of unadulterated happiness doomed to end in the deepest tragedy. Mixtapes and Mistakes pulls us through those flashbacks and reminds us that we are all human and should treat each other with the care and love we all so desperately want. I laughed, I cried, I was frustrated, and best of all I was personally invested in Spaceboy.

[W.A. Ashes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Raw Rendering

Mixtapes and Mistakes is a raw, gritty story about a young man desperately searching for love in a world where love’s turned it’s back on him over and over again. This tale cause my skin to crawl, my heart to ache, and tears to fall from my eyes. I didn’t want to admit that the end happened and the last line in the book about killed me. Over all, this was a good, mature read, for a mature audience that’s ready to face some of the darker emotions the search for love can trigger.

[Lyric C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far the best book I have read from this author. I felt myself dissecting my own relationships and quite honestly was left with a lot to think over. In particular the last chapter had some paragraphs that I will reflect over for many moments to come. The art work by Steven Kendall Goff was woven beautifully into this piece with emotions ripped from the pages and placed ever so gently in the little details of his work. D. L. Holmes is very good at expressing the pain a beautiful, or seemingly beautiful, thing can leave. I hope this book inspires others as it has me to love honestly, fully, and thoughtfully while also maintaining and keeping your love for yourself.

[LeAnn Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holmes writes all of his material with an honest introspection that causes you to take a step back and look at your own life....but in a good way. While reading this book and going through each of Spaceboys decisions and relationships, it was very easy to see myself in the character which Holmes has an amazing way of doing with every story of his I've read. No spoilers, but this book is very sad but in a somewhat satisfying way. If you're looking for real emotion with compelling plot, dont hesitate to delve into everything DL Holmes has written. Cannot wait to see what he comes up with next