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Night Shift
To escape a troubled home, Jamie works the night shift at a department store with a rag-tag group of punks, war veterans, and bickering couples. He's unsure what direction he wants to take in life until a mysterious new co-worker arrives.
With his long ponytail, faint accent, and quiet manner, Derrik manages to disturb or fascinate everyone, not just one pint-sized Southern boy who wants to escape from his boring life.
Jamie finds himself falling for Derrik, but the older man harbors a secret that threatens to come between them.
A work of contemporary gay fiction.
With his long ponytail, faint accent, and quiet manner, Derrik manages to disturb or fascinate everyone, not just one pint-sized Southern boy who wants to escape from his boring life.
Jamie finds himself falling for Derrik, but the older man harbors a secret that threatens to come between them.
A work of contemporary gay fiction.
53 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2010
1 person is currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Red Haircrow
26 books114 followersRed Haircrow is an award-winning writer, educator, psychologist and filmmaker of Native (Chiricahua Apache/Cherokee) and African American heritage. Their first career was in law enforcement, and they hold a Master’s in Indigenous/Native American Studies and a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology.
Their research and support focuses include Autistic Spectrum Disorder, GLBTIIQ needs and suicide prevention, and inter-generational historic trauma of marginalized and minoritized groups. In 2023, they were the winner of the Ma’iingan Scholarship Award winner as an early career psychologist in Two-spirit, LGBTQ+, gender fluid, nonbinary and other gender expansive support work.
Current projects include a RPG educational adventure video game focusing on original and Indigenous peoples, continuing research on stigma and prejudice relating to psychological disorders and conditions such as ASD, and the short documentary on those themes, ALMOST.
Their research and support focuses include Autistic Spectrum Disorder, GLBTIIQ needs and suicide prevention, and inter-generational historic trauma of marginalized and minoritized groups. In 2023, they were the winner of the Ma’iingan Scholarship Award winner as an early career psychologist in Two-spirit, LGBTQ+, gender fluid, nonbinary and other gender expansive support work.
Current projects include a RPG educational adventure video game focusing on original and Indigenous peoples, continuing research on stigma and prejudice relating to psychological disorders and conditions such as ASD, and the short documentary on those themes, ALMOST.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 29, 2024
Posted at Outlaw Reviews
19-year-old Jamie is a college student working third shift at the receiving department of a large retail store. He doesn’t really need the money, but he has a dream of going to Europe someday. His co-workers are a mixed bag, some rather odd and benign, others downright malicious, taunting Jamie because of his androgynous appearance and sweet disposition.
Derrik is the new guy who transferred from another store because of problems with his ex-wife. Jamie is intrigued from the start by his unusual looks, his long dark hair, and his reserved nature. After working together side by side for a month, Jamie agrees to meet Derrik for breakfast. Jamie’s attraction continues to grow while Derrik starts to open up a little. Not enough, though, as the secrets Derrik is withholding could tear apart their burgeoning relationship.
I became so involved with Derrik and Jamie and loved their sizzling chemistry and deep feelings. The secondary characters were vivid and memorable and though I would have liked more pages devoted to Jamie’s family situation and Derrik’s past, their story was very effectively told in just 53 pages, allowing the reader to fill in the blanks, and leaving a lingering impression.
I understand there is a sequel coming out in the spring. I, for one, can’t wait to get my hands on it.
19-year-old Jamie is a college student working third shift at the receiving department of a large retail store. He doesn’t really need the money, but he has a dream of going to Europe someday. His co-workers are a mixed bag, some rather odd and benign, others downright malicious, taunting Jamie because of his androgynous appearance and sweet disposition.
Derrik is the new guy who transferred from another store because of problems with his ex-wife. Jamie is intrigued from the start by his unusual looks, his long dark hair, and his reserved nature. After working together side by side for a month, Jamie agrees to meet Derrik for breakfast. Jamie’s attraction continues to grow while Derrik starts to open up a little. Not enough, though, as the secrets Derrik is withholding could tear apart their burgeoning relationship.
I became so involved with Derrik and Jamie and loved their sizzling chemistry and deep feelings. The secondary characters were vivid and memorable and though I would have liked more pages devoted to Jamie’s family situation and Derrik’s past, their story was very effectively told in just 53 pages, allowing the reader to fill in the blanks, and leaving a lingering impression.
I understand there is a sequel coming out in the spring. I, for one, can’t wait to get my hands on it.
April 15, 2024
DNF @ 5%.
The writing instantly wasn’t working for me. Something about it was off putting. Maybe it was the comments about coworkers being drunk/hungover. Maybe it’s Jamie being “not like the other workers”.
Regardless, I didn’t like it. Which led to the inevitable reading of other reviews on GR.
Well, if I was disinclined to read it before, the author commenting on readers’ reviews would have done it… especially when Red Haircrow mentions in one such comment that “this is [his] story as a young man who worked on the night shift, and the “Jamie” [he] met”. I didn’t sign up to read someone’s real life experience, thanks. I don’t want this memoir or RPF or whatever you want to call it.
The writing instantly wasn’t working for me. Something about it was off putting. Maybe it was the comments about coworkers being drunk/hungover. Maybe it’s Jamie being “not like the other workers”.
Regardless, I didn’t like it. Which led to the inevitable reading of other reviews on GR.
Well, if I was disinclined to read it before, the author commenting on readers’ reviews would have done it… especially when Red Haircrow mentions in one such comment that “this is [his] story as a young man who worked on the night shift, and the “Jamie” [he] met”. I didn’t sign up to read someone’s real life experience, thanks. I don’t want this memoir or RPF or whatever you want to call it.
Read
May 11, 2011Like the other novella I read by Red Haircrow, even if the setting is totally different, an historical the other a contemporary this one, there is a common undertone to both of them, a mix of sad and bitter that cannot make them ordinary romances, but in any case, the involved men will have an happily ever after of some sort, maybe only a little later than in an ordinary romance would happen.
Another similarity is the difference in age of the men, one is barely a boy, and the other is an adult man, well beyond his young age. Jamie is a 19 years old college student who dreams of Europe and the freedom of being gay he will have in those enlightened countries, and just for these thoughts you can understand he is really young. Since his parents don’t want to support his dreams, he is working the night shift in a warehouse so that he can attend some courses at the community college and save all his money to finance his future backpacking travel, a travel that, according to me, he will never take, outgrowing the dream while, and when, he will gain years and experience. Jamie’s past experience with friends and sex are not good, and I think he sees Europe like a lost paradise, a place where he can be who he wants to be without being laughed.
Derrick is the new night worker; he is older, more thirty than twenty, and “exotic”; he was born in Europe, and even if he doesn’t have any accent, or odd “custom”, just his appearance appeals Jamie: dark haired, green eyed and pale skin, he is at the opposite of the All-American boys whom Jamie sees as the source of all his trouble. Jamie clutches to Derrick like he clanged to his dreams of Europe, Derrick being the “thing” more near to it Jamie can now reach. And Derrick is bisexual, and the interest is mutual, so of course he becomes Jamie’s next best thing.
It’s strange, this is basically a romantic story, and also the ending is an happily for now one, so this should be a 100% romance, but there is something, maybe the setting, mostly by night, or the characters, Derrick is quite aloof, that gives to the story an almost imperceptible dark mood. The sex scene are good, both Jamie than Derrick are basically positive characters, true, with some issues, but nothing major; maybe it’s all in Derrick, a character that, more or less, remains “obscure”, detached, and even if in the end he will explain a little more his motivation, in any case he maintain an aura of mystery, the reason why I said this is an happily for now and not an happily ever after ending.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AYDBLM/?...
Another similarity is the difference in age of the men, one is barely a boy, and the other is an adult man, well beyond his young age. Jamie is a 19 years old college student who dreams of Europe and the freedom of being gay he will have in those enlightened countries, and just for these thoughts you can understand he is really young. Since his parents don’t want to support his dreams, he is working the night shift in a warehouse so that he can attend some courses at the community college and save all his money to finance his future backpacking travel, a travel that, according to me, he will never take, outgrowing the dream while, and when, he will gain years and experience. Jamie’s past experience with friends and sex are not good, and I think he sees Europe like a lost paradise, a place where he can be who he wants to be without being laughed.
Derrick is the new night worker; he is older, more thirty than twenty, and “exotic”; he was born in Europe, and even if he doesn’t have any accent, or odd “custom”, just his appearance appeals Jamie: dark haired, green eyed and pale skin, he is at the opposite of the All-American boys whom Jamie sees as the source of all his trouble. Jamie clutches to Derrick like he clanged to his dreams of Europe, Derrick being the “thing” more near to it Jamie can now reach. And Derrick is bisexual, and the interest is mutual, so of course he becomes Jamie’s next best thing.
It’s strange, this is basically a romantic story, and also the ending is an happily for now one, so this should be a 100% romance, but there is something, maybe the setting, mostly by night, or the characters, Derrick is quite aloof, that gives to the story an almost imperceptible dark mood. The sex scene are good, both Jamie than Derrick are basically positive characters, true, with some issues, but nothing major; maybe it’s all in Derrick, a character that, more or less, remains “obscure”, detached, and even if in the end he will explain a little more his motivation, in any case he maintain an aura of mystery, the reason why I said this is an happily for now and not an happily ever after ending.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AYDBLM/?...
March 8, 2012
Great story. I loved the writing and the characters, finished the book in just a few hours.
I loved how gentile Derrik is and some of the total teenage angst that Jamie showed.
I found it to be a very sweet read.
I loved how gentile Derrik is and some of the total teenage angst that Jamie showed.
I found it to be a very sweet read.
June 17, 2024
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.5 stars
Night Shift is a contemporary get-together story set in the present day southern United States. Our two main characters reflect a bit of an age gap situation: Jamie is in college and Derrik is old enough to have been married and gone through a supposedly messy divorce. They also have some opposites-attract energy. Physically, Jamie is rather slender and has light colored features, like blonde hair. Conversely, Derrik is described as having an “excitingly” hairy chest with long dark hair.
As far as the plot goes, the introductory chapters take place during the graveyard shift at the store where Jamie works. Haircrow goes into great detail about Jamie and his coworkers’ various tasks. However, despite all the description, I was never quite sure if this was a grocery store, a big box store, or something else entirely. Being so zoomed in on the details gave me the impression of ignoring the forest in favor of the trees.
Overall, Night Shift didn’t really work for me on several levels. Despite a lot of detail, there was a striking lack of cohesion that tied these details together. The pacing of the story felt rushed, especially with regard to the romance between Jamie and Derrik, robbing them of any real chemistry, in my opinion.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
2.5 stars
Night Shift is a contemporary get-together story set in the present day southern United States. Our two main characters reflect a bit of an age gap situation: Jamie is in college and Derrik is old enough to have been married and gone through a supposedly messy divorce. They also have some opposites-attract energy. Physically, Jamie is rather slender and has light colored features, like blonde hair. Conversely, Derrik is described as having an “excitingly” hairy chest with long dark hair.
As far as the plot goes, the introductory chapters take place during the graveyard shift at the store where Jamie works. Haircrow goes into great detail about Jamie and his coworkers’ various tasks. However, despite all the description, I was never quite sure if this was a grocery store, a big box store, or something else entirely. Being so zoomed in on the details gave me the impression of ignoring the forest in favor of the trees.
Overall, Night Shift didn’t really work for me on several levels. Despite a lot of detail, there was a striking lack of cohesion that tied these details together. The pacing of the story felt rushed, especially with regard to the romance between Jamie and Derrik, robbing them of any real chemistry, in my opinion.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
wishlist-to-buy
February 19, 2023Because author is, among other things, a fan of the Expendable series.
June 8, 2013
The summary of the book overpromised too much. Too much. The actual book, unfortunately, was completely flat and uninteresting. It read more like a short gay orgy than a character study/meeting of minds of two people. I could not care for anyone, for the plot, and there was too much telling and very little showing. Maybe I'm just vehemently against authors who confuse lust with love, and insta-love in general, but the book just rubbed me the wrong way. Above all, it felt like both of them were just grabbing onto each other because gays are a rare occurrence (I don't mean to be offensive with this statement but it reeked of desperation). I can usually forgive a book if it has either of the following: good characters or a great premise, but Night Shift had neither. Thankfully, it was short. I still wish I hadn't wasted a single minute on it, though. Meh.
January 27, 2011
I utterly and completely enjoyed this book. I question myself on why I had not read it sooner, but acquainting myself with Red himself recently it hit me that I have a book written by him that I hadn't yet tackled and was eager to get to.
Somehow I was able to connect the one character with the author himself :winks: Great plot, but the story ends begging for a sequel and I know I sure as heck want to see one.
Two thumbs up.
Somehow I was able to connect the one character with the author himself :winks: Great plot, but the story ends begging for a sequel and I know I sure as heck want to see one.
Two thumbs up.
November 17, 2010
This story starts and when it gets interesting its over, lol. There is definitely something in this start, but it's to short to say more about it. Jamie is to young, to emotional and Derrick is to closed up and to mysterious. There is to little information about both main characters but in good epilogue for something serious writing.
November 10, 2010
Loved it but entirely to short,please write more on Jamie and Derick.
December 5, 2010
Definitely likeable characters and a good story. They need more time though. Glad to see there is a sequel planned.
May 23, 2011
I loved Jamie and Derrik in this sad and sweet story.
Want to read
February 26, 2012$3.99 on Nook
March 27, 2012
Sexy ;) served its purpose:p
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews