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Hiding Behind The Couch #5
In The Stars Part II: Cancer–Sagittarius
“You must learn to look beyond the evidence. It shows only what you wish to believe is real, not what you really wish to believe.” Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love… (Hamlet, Shakespeare) The Circle is in flux. It’s been a hectic six months, and as the friends head into the heat of summer, more trials await that will truly test the bonds of friendship. For whilst a circle may contract and may even at times constrict, it can also expand, accommodate, embrace. And it is always whole. Eternal. Set over a period of six months (July–December), In The Stars Part II continues to explore the day-to-day lives of The Circle—nine friends from high school, now in their late thirties—following them through a year of celebration, loss, illness and life-changing decisions. In The Stars Part II is Season Five in the Hiding Behind The Couch Series. This book is also available as six separate episodes. The story follows chronologically from In The Stars Part I (Season Four) and Breaking Waves (Novella). It continues in A Midnight Clear (Novella), Red Hot Christmas (Novella) and Two By Two (Season Six). For those readers unfamiliar with the series, In The Stars Part I re-introduces the main characters, so you could pick it up from there and perhaps catch up with the previous books later. * * * * * this story contains intimate (moderately explicit) scenes between consenting opposite sex (F/M) adults. * * * * * What readers say about the Hiding Behind The Couch “The remarkable characterisation in these novels is what makes them for me.” “This story reminds me of my favorite movies about friendship and relationships.” “Few authors have explored the depths of longtime friends within a group, or ‘circle’ the way Debbie McGowan has!” “The way the author deals with the complexities and issues in these books is delicate and compassionate, but with a matter-of fact-grit that smacks of reality.”
654 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 2014
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October 28, 2015This is book five in the series (literary soap) Hiding Behind The Couch. I am the author, and I am using this space to tell you a little about this book and the series as a whole.
In The Stars Part II is the second of two books following The Circle through one of the most eventful years of their lives. Births, deaths, marriages, longstanding murder mysteries and shocking revelations about those we love and thought we knew...
Because sometimes life is like that.
For those readers who are new to the series, I try to write in a way that means it is possible to pick up the story without having to start from the very beginning. However, if we make a new friend who is in their late thirties and married, at some point in the past, before we knew them, they met their significant other and fell in love. There are always things we do not know about other people's histories - even those we have shared our lives with.
In the real world, these happenings are called "life events"; in the fictional world, they're "spoilers".
What I'm saying is this: as a new reader of the series you could pick it up at book four (In The Stars Part I) and get to know the characters without too much trouble. But there will be things that are known that previously were not, and relationships that may not have been in existence earlier in the series.
Wherever you start from, please do read, enjoy, and if you could take the time to review, I would be tremendously grateful.
For your reference, here is the full series to date (May, 2014):
Beginnings (novella - all ages)
Hiding Behind The Couch (book #1)
No Time Like The Present (book #2)
The Harder They Fall (book #3)
First Christmas (novella - gay romance)
In The Stars Part I: Capricorn–Gemini (book #4)
Breaking Waves (novella - gay romance)
In The Stars Part II: Cancer–Sagittarius (book #5)
Coming December 2014:
A Midnight Clear (novella - 12+)
Red Hot Christmas (novella - adult themes)
=============================
NOTE / CONTENT WARNING:
The series is contemporary fiction with elements of romance, murder mystery and social commentary. Themes include mental health, terminal illness, premature birth, miscarriage, death, murder, occasional violence involving weapons, child abuse, infidelity, diverse sexuality, religious beliefs, crime, teen pregnancy and homelessness.
Intimate scenes are not explicit; nor do they use graphic language. Common swear words are used in all except Beginnings. The "C" word is used once, on the first page of book #4. It gets no worse than that.
Thanks for reading,
Your humble literary servant,
Deb
In The Stars Part II is the second of two books following The Circle through one of the most eventful years of their lives. Births, deaths, marriages, longstanding murder mysteries and shocking revelations about those we love and thought we knew...
Because sometimes life is like that.
For those readers who are new to the series, I try to write in a way that means it is possible to pick up the story without having to start from the very beginning. However, if we make a new friend who is in their late thirties and married, at some point in the past, before we knew them, they met their significant other and fell in love. There are always things we do not know about other people's histories - even those we have shared our lives with.
In the real world, these happenings are called "life events"; in the fictional world, they're "spoilers".
What I'm saying is this: as a new reader of the series you could pick it up at book four (In The Stars Part I) and get to know the characters without too much trouble. But there will be things that are known that previously were not, and relationships that may not have been in existence earlier in the series.
Wherever you start from, please do read, enjoy, and if you could take the time to review, I would be tremendously grateful.
For your reference, here is the full series to date (May, 2014):
Beginnings (novella - all ages)
Hiding Behind The Couch (book #1)
No Time Like The Present (book #2)
The Harder They Fall (book #3)
First Christmas (novella - gay romance)
In The Stars Part I: Capricorn–Gemini (book #4)
Breaking Waves (novella - gay romance)
In The Stars Part II: Cancer–Sagittarius (book #5)
Coming December 2014:
A Midnight Clear (novella - 12+)
Red Hot Christmas (novella - adult themes)
=============================
NOTE / CONTENT WARNING:
The series is contemporary fiction with elements of romance, murder mystery and social commentary. Themes include mental health, terminal illness, premature birth, miscarriage, death, murder, occasional violence involving weapons, child abuse, infidelity, diverse sexuality, religious beliefs, crime, teen pregnancy and homelessness.
Intimate scenes are not explicit; nor do they use graphic language. Common swear words are used in all except Beginnings. The "C" word is used once, on the first page of book #4. It gets no worse than that.
Thanks for reading,
Your humble literary servant,
Deb
May 27, 2014
Some people will look at the fact it has taken me five months to read this book and think 'God, it can't be that good,' when comparing it to the rates at which I usually read.
Let me stop that misaprehension right there. Dead in its tracks.
In the Starts Part II is possibly one of the most breathtakingly fabulous books I have ever read. The reason it took me so long to read was I didn't allow myself to get 'into' it properly until I actually had the time to devour it - and this weekend, devour it I have.
Just when you think Debbie McGowan can't possibly write anything better, she likes to smack you round the head with her latest offerings and strap you in for the ride with a good cup of coffee. Or maybe that's just me. The way she deals with the complexities and issues in these books is delicate and compassionate, but with a matter of fact grit that smacks of reality. The characters are more multi-dimensional than a heck of a lot of people I know in real life, and I genuinely feel as though I'm right there with them - laughing at their hilarity, sharing in their joy and weeping through their sorrow.
I genuinely don't believe that Deb is an author - I think she is a gifted woman with insight into another, parallel, universe. There is no other way I can possibly rationalise quite how these stories come about. To call it a literary soap does this no justice whatsoever - combined, In the Stars parts I and II are nothing short of a literary masterpiece.
Let me stop that misaprehension right there. Dead in its tracks.
In the Starts Part II is possibly one of the most breathtakingly fabulous books I have ever read. The reason it took me so long to read was I didn't allow myself to get 'into' it properly until I actually had the time to devour it - and this weekend, devour it I have.
Just when you think Debbie McGowan can't possibly write anything better, she likes to smack you round the head with her latest offerings and strap you in for the ride with a good cup of coffee. Or maybe that's just me. The way she deals with the complexities and issues in these books is delicate and compassionate, but with a matter of fact grit that smacks of reality. The characters are more multi-dimensional than a heck of a lot of people I know in real life, and I genuinely feel as though I'm right there with them - laughing at their hilarity, sharing in their joy and weeping through their sorrow.
I genuinely don't believe that Deb is an author - I think she is a gifted woman with insight into another, parallel, universe. There is no other way I can possibly rationalise quite how these stories come about. To call it a literary soap does this no justice whatsoever - combined, In the Stars parts I and II are nothing short of a literary masterpiece.
June 9, 2014
well what can I say? The life of our 'friends' continues. This book has a bit of everything laughter,tears,suspense and excitement all rolled into one. I really do feel like these people actually exsist in some alternate universe. lives are changed for varying reasons in this book and some things will never be the same.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews