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Lost and Found
Sometimes even a hero needs someone to save him.
Mark Connor doesn't feel like a hero even though he served two tours in Vietnam and survived a vicious ambush that took the lives of all but a handful of men. But he lost his best friend and lover, and now he refuses to be close to anyone. That makes his instant attraction to Josh a real problem.
Josh Myers hires on with Mark to help him with a remodeling job. A survivor himself of a Beirut bombing, he embraces life with open arms. But he can't get his new flame to take an interest in love, in life, or in himself.
Alone in the northern Outer Banks in January, Mark clings desperately to his past, even as Josh offers him a future he doesn't think he deserves.
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Read the first chapter at: D Renee Bagby Presents First Chapters Blog
Mark Connor doesn't feel like a hero even though he served two tours in Vietnam and survived a vicious ambush that took the lives of all but a handful of men. But he lost his best friend and lover, and now he refuses to be close to anyone. That makes his instant attraction to Josh a real problem.
Josh Myers hires on with Mark to help him with a remodeling job. A survivor himself of a Beirut bombing, he embraces life with open arms. But he can't get his new flame to take an interest in love, in life, or in himself.
Alone in the northern Outer Banks in January, Mark clings desperately to his past, even as Josh offers him a future he doesn't think he deserves.
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Read the first chapter at: D Renee Bagby Presents First Chapters Blog
93 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Gwenna Sebastian
2 books10 followersGwenna Sebastian lives in Upstate New York with her husband and three cats. She has been writing since she was a teenager and over the last ten years has developed a keen interest in all things related to the Vietnam War.
Gwenna's true love is creating complicated characters who are active or former military and writing about the relationships they form under the duress of war. More specifically, about military men who are gay, be it back in Vietnam or in the present.
When Gwenna isn't writing or researching the time period for her next novel, she's busy helping support our troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan by raising awareness and helping to organize both care packages and Christmas card events. She supports both the NY State marriage equality act and gays in the military, including the abolition of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Currently, Gwenna is venturing into the ePublishing market for the first time with her novel, Lost and Found, a contemporary m/m romance set in the Outer Banks about two men who had served in the military at vastly different times.
To find out more about Lost and Found as well as Gwenna's other projects, go to the Gwenna Projects page and be sure to check out her Live Journal and Blog for the latest updates.
Gwenna's true love is creating complicated characters who are active or former military and writing about the relationships they form under the duress of war. More specifically, about military men who are gay, be it back in Vietnam or in the present.
When Gwenna isn't writing or researching the time period for her next novel, she's busy helping support our troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan by raising awareness and helping to organize both care packages and Christmas card events. She supports both the NY State marriage equality act and gays in the military, including the abolition of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Currently, Gwenna is venturing into the ePublishing market for the first time with her novel, Lost and Found, a contemporary m/m romance set in the Outer Banks about two men who had served in the military at vastly different times.
To find out more about Lost and Found as well as Gwenna's other projects, go to the Gwenna Projects page and be sure to check out her Live Journal and Blog for the latest updates.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 12, 2010
Val’s review convinced me to get this book a try (as her reviews often do) and wow, I’m so happy it did. This well written novel is stunning and it tackles some very interesting questions. Often in fiction readers, and authors, struggle with the idea of authenticity and whether a character or action is “realistic.” Even though it’s fiction, readers want a story that’s believable. Here the author offers characters that are completely believable and infused with such honesty you can’t help but know these types of people exist. Yet the main character is extremely difficult to like due in part to his authenticity. Interesting catch 22 and one that makes for an absorbing story in my opinion.
Mark Connor is a Vietnam vet still suffering flashbacks and nightmares 40 years later. He’s never really recovered from his time in the war and has become a shelter, isolated individual. When a remodeling job on the remote coast of North Carolina becomes too big to handle on his own, outgoing Josh enters the mix. Sparks fly immediately between the two men but Mark’s bitter, alcoholic personality may drive easy going, light hearted Josh away for good.
The story is well written and mostly character driven. This is the story of Mark’s redemption, such as it is, and how two men affected by battle come together. The two men are very different and bring an opposites attract theme to the story. Mark is clinging to the past, mourning his best friend and lover that died in Vietnam. Mark still has nightmares and flashbacks and chooses to deal with his trauma by drinking heavily. Mark also has remained celibate all these years. Put together, these facts while authentic for many reasons, also paint a picture of a deeply unhappy man that is unlikely to change at this point in his life. While Mark is a sympathetic character and well crafted, I didn’t ever really believe he could change. Not at this late stage in his life when he’s clung to his pain and despair for so long.
On the other hand there is Josh, a former marine who also saw his share of heart ache and pain in Beirut. Whereas Mark let his life slip away with his PTSD, Josh decides to live life to the fullest in celebration of his fallen friends and brothers in arms. The opposite approach gives Josh a fun loving, easy going personality that blends with touches of a hippie flower child within. Josh and Mark create sparks right off the bat and there is some interesting banter and dialogue. Mark takes to calling Josh insulting names immediately but Josh takes it in stride and remains a mischievous character. This is a tough sell since Mark is embittered and angry right from the beginning. The story does a very commendable job in selling why Josh would be interested regardless but Mark’s behavior isn’t going to win many fans either.
However the hot chemistry and solid writing deliver a story that is engaging and fascinating, even through the few falters. Whenever the story becomes questionable or difficult to buy into, the prose and character development carry the reader along. The sex scenes are incredibly hot, especially given that they are mostly fantasies the men have about each other. I thought this was a clever way to keep the tension between the men going while introducing a nicely heated erotic element. Also the desolate and chilly North Carolina coast is beautifully described. The vivid descriptions bring the setting to life from the sleet and rain to warmth of a late night fire and high definition porno. The contrasts inherent in the story are compelling and add another layer of depth to the already complex characters.
Really I think Val’s review says it the best but if there is anything to take away from this, it’s simply a great, compelling story. I may not believe Mark can change but he’s so honest and real in a heart breaking way that I can’t help but root for him. I want him and Josh to make it in their simple, low key life and can’t wait to read the sequel. In a sea of great beachy reads, this weightier offering is well worth your few dollars and time.
Mark Connor is a Vietnam vet still suffering flashbacks and nightmares 40 years later. He’s never really recovered from his time in the war and has become a shelter, isolated individual. When a remodeling job on the remote coast of North Carolina becomes too big to handle on his own, outgoing Josh enters the mix. Sparks fly immediately between the two men but Mark’s bitter, alcoholic personality may drive easy going, light hearted Josh away for good.
The story is well written and mostly character driven. This is the story of Mark’s redemption, such as it is, and how two men affected by battle come together. The two men are very different and bring an opposites attract theme to the story. Mark is clinging to the past, mourning his best friend and lover that died in Vietnam. Mark still has nightmares and flashbacks and chooses to deal with his trauma by drinking heavily. Mark also has remained celibate all these years. Put together, these facts while authentic for many reasons, also paint a picture of a deeply unhappy man that is unlikely to change at this point in his life. While Mark is a sympathetic character and well crafted, I didn’t ever really believe he could change. Not at this late stage in his life when he’s clung to his pain and despair for so long.
On the other hand there is Josh, a former marine who also saw his share of heart ache and pain in Beirut. Whereas Mark let his life slip away with his PTSD, Josh decides to live life to the fullest in celebration of his fallen friends and brothers in arms. The opposite approach gives Josh a fun loving, easy going personality that blends with touches of a hippie flower child within. Josh and Mark create sparks right off the bat and there is some interesting banter and dialogue. Mark takes to calling Josh insulting names immediately but Josh takes it in stride and remains a mischievous character. This is a tough sell since Mark is embittered and angry right from the beginning. The story does a very commendable job in selling why Josh would be interested regardless but Mark’s behavior isn’t going to win many fans either.
However the hot chemistry and solid writing deliver a story that is engaging and fascinating, even through the few falters. Whenever the story becomes questionable or difficult to buy into, the prose and character development carry the reader along. The sex scenes are incredibly hot, especially given that they are mostly fantasies the men have about each other. I thought this was a clever way to keep the tension between the men going while introducing a nicely heated erotic element. Also the desolate and chilly North Carolina coast is beautifully described. The vivid descriptions bring the setting to life from the sleet and rain to warmth of a late night fire and high definition porno. The contrasts inherent in the story are compelling and add another layer of depth to the already complex characters.
Really I think Val’s review says it the best but if there is anything to take away from this, it’s simply a great, compelling story. I may not believe Mark can change but he’s so honest and real in a heart breaking way that I can’t help but root for him. I want him and Josh to make it in their simple, low key life and can’t wait to read the sequel. In a sea of great beachy reads, this weightier offering is well worth your few dollars and time.
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July 14, 2010This is another book that I was sucked in by the blurb and it really had me on the fence about deciding if it was my own personal pet peeve that stops me from seeing what a wonderful book this was.
LOST AND FOUND is a fairly short read but I would not say it is an easy read. Almost the entire story takes place in an isolated beach house that is being renovated by Mark Connor and as such everything feels more intense.
Mark operates as a sole building contractor where possible and he does well at this from the way the story is told - because he has been doing this for a couple of years. Whenever he gets a job that is a bit more than he can manage he advertise locally and get someone in to do the odd bits here and there and then send them on their way. With this house he is working on he needs help and Josh happens to be the only one that has responded to his advert..
Mark is this tough guy, looks it, acts it and believes it - but what he is, is a veteran of war, a war he went to as a young man and came back as a shell of himself to an ungrateful country who might has well have shun him for all the respect he got from them – He also came back without the man he love. Mark has still in alot of way not left that war zone.
Josh is a survivor of a more modern but no less bloodier war and he has his own scars to prove he was there but he has not given up on life, to be honest he lives. That is about the simplest way I can put it, he enjoys the moment, he is comfortable in his skin and he makes no apology for who and what he is.
The beauty of this story is really in how these two men rub against each other after they get to the house, how well they pick up on the emotional temperature of the moment and how alert they are to sounds, and gut instincts. One of the first things I noticed about these two is that they do have a high regard for professional integrity – despite the fact that they get together in the end, the two without knowing each other understands that it does not take getting along on a personal level in order to get the job done.
How they talk to each other takes some getting used to and this area is one of the things that made me cringe in the book – they talked to each other in a way that really put my back up, the language is harsh and the tone is quite brash. One or two instance, yup I could work with, but this was the standard for them. While this is a major pet peeve for me – I will say that the language suited the plot, the men, and the overall picture anything less and the book would not be what it is.
Whatever niggle I have with this book, they were not enough to take away form how good this book is. A multitude of issues are dealt with and some are so layered that even after I finished reading this book – I thought about something else that worked well.
The ending of this book was brilliant, simply brilliant and totally made LOST AND FOUND for me.
LOST AND FOUND is a fairly short read but I would not say it is an easy read. Almost the entire story takes place in an isolated beach house that is being renovated by Mark Connor and as such everything feels more intense.
Mark operates as a sole building contractor where possible and he does well at this from the way the story is told - because he has been doing this for a couple of years. Whenever he gets a job that is a bit more than he can manage he advertise locally and get someone in to do the odd bits here and there and then send them on their way. With this house he is working on he needs help and Josh happens to be the only one that has responded to his advert..
Mark is this tough guy, looks it, acts it and believes it - but what he is, is a veteran of war, a war he went to as a young man and came back as a shell of himself to an ungrateful country who might has well have shun him for all the respect he got from them – He also came back without the man he love. Mark has still in alot of way not left that war zone.
Josh is a survivor of a more modern but no less bloodier war and he has his own scars to prove he was there but he has not given up on life, to be honest he lives. That is about the simplest way I can put it, he enjoys the moment, he is comfortable in his skin and he makes no apology for who and what he is.
The beauty of this story is really in how these two men rub against each other after they get to the house, how well they pick up on the emotional temperature of the moment and how alert they are to sounds, and gut instincts. One of the first things I noticed about these two is that they do have a high regard for professional integrity – despite the fact that they get together in the end, the two without knowing each other understands that it does not take getting along on a personal level in order to get the job done.
How they talk to each other takes some getting used to and this area is one of the things that made me cringe in the book – they talked to each other in a way that really put my back up, the language is harsh and the tone is quite brash. One or two instance, yup I could work with, but this was the standard for them. While this is a major pet peeve for me – I will say that the language suited the plot, the men, and the overall picture anything less and the book would not be what it is.
Whatever niggle I have with this book, they were not enough to take away form how good this book is. A multitude of issues are dealt with and some are so layered that even after I finished reading this book – I thought about something else that worked well.
The ending of this book was brilliant, simply brilliant and totally made LOST AND FOUND for me.
July 31, 2011
Wow this story was full of emotions, humor and sarcasm. I loved this couple. Both were damaged from wars but still they clicked instantly. They both were on same wave line, even being so different. This story was definitely hard if you consider the topic of this story, but even so, it was really well written book. Definitely recommended story!!
October 10, 2011
Lost and Found is a story of two men from two era of conflict, society’s reaction to their sexual orientations, as well as their own acceptance of it, and how they’ve emerged wounded and damaged into the present. It’s a short story but an extremely touching one, with immense emotion packed into its few pages. There’s surprising little actual sex in the story, characterization and plot here appearing more important. Mark’s disillusionment and desire to keep his memories alive are well contrasted with his dismay as he finds his attraction to Josh displacing those memories in his mind. Josh is portrayed as sympathetic to Mark’s situation but reveling in his own life, not afraid to face what comes and wanting Mark to learn to face it, too. Their mutual problems, frustrations, and memories are contrasted with the coldness of the North Carolina winter and the incoming storm which breaks onto the island just as their own emotions overflow.
Having once visit those same islands, I can appreciate the descriptions of them in winter…cold, bleak, freezing from the winds off the water and the isolation from the mainland. It’s a good metaphor for Mark’s own situation, and Josh’s own attempts to pierce the icy resolve around his heart.
Having once visit those same islands, I can appreciate the descriptions of them in winter…cold, bleak, freezing from the winds off the water and the isolation from the mainland. It’s a good metaphor for Mark’s own situation, and Josh’s own attempts to pierce the icy resolve around his heart.
September 6, 2015
A surprising book. I expected to struggle a lot more with this story. I haven't served in the military or had any experience with the physical danger and the resulting psychological trauma that results from that. Mark is a Vietnam vet so damaged from the lost of many friends and his lover in the war, he barely is alive inside. Josh comes to help with the remodeling of a home. While there he sees the pain in Mark. He recognizes it for what it is because he has dealt with violence while in the military. Josh and Mark are true opposites in how they reacted to their situations. Mark withdrew and Josh embraced life. Somehow they both see something in the other that draws them in. Josh is the perfect balm for the wounds in Mark. I liked how the author didn't attempt a HEA but left it as a HFN. With the mental troubles Mark has it is more realistic and less jarring to believe they will work it out as they go.
July 12, 2010
Overall, a pretty good read. Had problems not snickering out loud at the sometimes awful dialog, but otherwise the characters were likable and entertaining. Read this in one afternoon, so it was good enough for me to keep turning pages.
March 27, 2014
this was uh an okay read. nothing that was great but it wasnt all bad. sadly this wasnt something that kept me interested. the characters were kind of flat for me both as individuals and with the attraction. but it had its moments where I felt it was enjoyable. so with that ill rate it a 3☆☆☆
July 16, 2010
4.5 stars
January 13, 2014
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews