The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

Hi,

I'm a UK author and, after publishing dark short stories and humorous novellas for two years, I finally released my debut full-length novel last week. It was certainly my biggest book release to date, and I doubt I will publish another as significant, not least because releasing the book was my means of coming out to the world.

The book, titled FAG, deliberately alluding both to the fagging system in UK boarding schools and the offensive term for a homosexual, tackles bullying, homophobia and prejudice in a 1930s boarding school for boys. The book has already received some wonderful reviews, with some readers hailing it as a masterpiece and their book of the year. The title has also attracted some controversy but it is my firm belief that we need to tackle homophobia head-on and we need to stare it in the eye and deal with the underlying issues.

The book is such a departure from my other work because it is that much more hard-hitting and it is my first real foray into male-male relationships.

I'd love for you to take a look at my book's website www.fagthenovel.com and if you have any questions, ask away. It's an exciting time for me and I'd love to share it here.

Just a quick post to update readers that the support section of the FAG website has been updated. Those who have read the novel can now download a PDF of discussion questions. (Please note the questions do contain spoilers.)
http://www.fagthenovel.com/support.html

I'm pleased to offer 20 signed paperbacks in a Goodreads giveaway. You can enter here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

To find out more about the novel, please visit the official site: www.fagthenovel.com

Merry Christmas to everyone! :)

My new novella, Pride, is now available on Kindle - soon to be released in paperback. Thanks for taking a look. If you have any questions, I am more than happy to answer them!

The Blurb:

"Where are you going, Liam? You're always going somewhere. I feel as if I don't know you anymore."

"I told you, Mum, I'm going for a pizza then seeing a film with a friend."

But Liam is not having pizza or seeing a film; he's going to his first Gay Pride march.

Liam has always felt different in a way he couldn't quite pinpoint... until now. He's been a caterpillar all his life and his parents want him to stay that way. But Liam wants to be a butterfly.

A tender, funny and moving novella from critically-acclaimed author Jonathan Hill.

Amazon link:
http://authl.it/B00TJEPVIO?d

I'm thrilled to announce that my latest book is out now with a low launch price!

It's my third foray into gay fiction (the first two being FAG and Pride) and I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. Please note that the book is comprised of two novellas, the second of which does not have a gay theme.

One painting.
Two authors.
Two very different stories.

Inspired by Rod Buckingham's enigmatic 'Is it Her?', Jonathan Hill and Kath Middleton present two novellas, their own takes on this painting.

Is it Her? - Jonathan Hill

The celebration, as Violet so determinedly put it, is falling away before their eyes. Her attempt at buoying up everyone has resulted only in her being drawn farther into a web so complex that no one thread can ever lead to the entire truth. Violet. Cliff. Tom. Jack. Each holds and withholds. Each knows and doesn't know. Each chooses what and what not to say. The picture can never be complete for any of them. Never.

Tonight four sit round a table playing cards. Tomorrow two leave to fight. Over an evening already fraught with tension, emotions run deep and life-shattering secrets threaten to escape.

Is it Her? - Kath Middleton

I'm quite ashamed to remember how rarely we spoke about the politics of the day. The dark cloud that loomed over all our futures. We were simply looking the other way.

Frank and Vera fall in love the summer before the war. They vow that when it's all over they'll marry. But war has a way of tearing lives apart.



Is it Her?
Amazon .COM Link: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Jonathan-Hi...
Amazon UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Jonathan-...

Argh, sorry I've been away for so long. Work and writing has kept me off Goodreads for a while now, but I really want to share my latest exciting news.

Introducing... Not Just a Boy




There was precious little evidence, and certainly nothing concrete, to confirm that I liked boys. I just knew that I’d fallen for him. And if he’d been a girl or a… or a frog… maybe I would have felt just the same love towards her or it.

When two friends move to a new school, they expect some change but nothing like the events that unfold over several terms.

A schoolboy crush takes hold and refuses to let go, propelling both boys towards a moment so devastating it will change their lives forever.

A gripping and moving coming-of-age novella from the author of the award-winning novel FAG and the novella Pride.

I discuss the book a little and have posted the opening chapter on my blog here: http://www.jhillwriter.com/blog/cover...

Thanks for looking :)

I'm delighted to announce my Christmas short story - gay/coming out/comedy. As a treat for this time of year, it's free on release for a limited time. Enjoy!

A Christmas Outing



It's that time of year again, when Mum insists on dragging us to the Christmas markets. This year is a bit different, though, as my friend Jamie is coming too.

Mum is so stressed about enjoying the evening that she probably won't enjoy it, Dad has conveniently developed a sudden fear of crowds to try to get out of it, and I'm waiting for the right moment to tell them both that Jamie is more than just a friend...

A feel-good comedy short story of around 10,000 words.

***Please note that the 'Look Inside' formatting may display incorrectly but the book itself is correctly formatted.***

Universal Amazon Link: http://authl.it/B01MRNXJPV?d

I got it...I know you can do happy, but am so interested that, young as you are, you need to go dark. Dark is good, but of course old survivors such as I sort of love hope, or the hope of hope. I have some friends who only like dark, bleak books. Go figure. (And they pretty much won't read anything gay, which confounds me.)

Ulysses wrote: "I got it...I know you can do happy, but am so interested that, young as you are, you need to go dark. Dark is good, but of course old survivors such as I sort of love hope, or the hope of hope. I h..."

There needs to be hope somewhere in books. Even if it's just a glimmer, or the hint of a glimmer. I suppose a psychiatrist would have a field day looking into me and working out exactly why I've written the books I have. It's certainly linked to my own personal experiences but, saying that, I feel somehow a fraud because others have suffered so much more than I.

I'm just grateful I discovered writing at all. It's such an important outlet for expressing yourself.

One's own truth is never a fraud... I always said that I had a happy childhood and that my coming out (in 1975) was easy. But then, in my 50s, I started thinking about it, and realized that it wasn't easy or entirely happy...I just chose to perceive it that way. I'm an optimist and I rose-tint things. I think you want to dig into the unhappiness that you know exists, even if you didn't experience it first hand. (Is this survivor's guilt of some odd kind? I have it, too, I suspect...)

My review:

A Christmas Outing (a comedy short story)
By Jonathan Hill
Self-published, 2016
Five stars

Jonathan Hill is known for his dark view of things, and I got this Christmas short story to reassure myself that he is a happy young man who just enjoys sturm und drang.

“A Christmas Outing” is like a sitcom episode – and I mean that in the best way. It is absurd and funny with a couple of moments of poignancy that drive home the reality of coming out to one’s parents. No matter how easily it goes, it’s never easy.

David is nineteen, and so is his boyfriend Jamie. But Jamie’s out to his family, so David thinks it’s time he did so as well. The problem is, David’s parents are crazy. Not literally, but in a Fred and Ethel Mertz kind of way (if you’re too young to understand that, go freaking Google it!).

The humorous punch to this sweet holiday treat is the typical sitcom idea of trying to find the right moment, when everyone is behaving badly and not giving you space to talk. The poignant twist is the idea – that everyone who has ever come out to someone who matters to them shares – that you might be rejected for who you are and who you love. Even if it’s an anticlimactic “oh, ok,” it’s a massive change in your life. Knowing versus not knowing. Hidden versus open. Before and after.

As a sixty-something gay man who came out to his family by letter 40 years ago, I’ll never forget that moment in my life. This lovely tale reminded me of something gay folk share across three generations now. It was a perfect Christmas present from my universe of friends.

What a splendid review. Thank you so much. Your words always touch me in some way. Much appreciated.

Ulysses wrote: "The problem is, David’s parents are crazy. Not literally, but in a Fred and Ethel Mertz kind of way..."

Ha! Actually, I'd say David's parents go beyond Fred and Ethel, and are perilously close to being The Bickersons. (Man, I'm old...) This was a fun story, agreed!

I know OF the Bickersons, but don't think I've ever seen/heard an episode...

(Off-topic, sorry) Ulysses wrote: "I know OF the Bickersons, but don't think I've ever seen/heard an episode..."

I think we must have had at least one of the records when I was a kid, and that's how I remember it---I certainly never would have heard it on the radio!

Thanks, Octobercountry!

I have to confess I haven't heard of any of these people lol. My face is as blank as a newly-started manuscript!

While I'm here, I'd like to share my latest blog post, which is basically a humble thank you to everyone for making my book launch a success.

http://www.jhillwriter.com/blog/a-chr...

Happy New Year, everyone.

I'm currently spending a week off from work and cracking on with my next gay release :)

Delighted to announce that my new book is now available!

Enjoy and thanks for all your support!

x

Presenting... This Crazy Thing I Call My Life

And I thought the hard part was coming out to Mum and Dad and introducing them to my boyfriend Jamie!

That's all in the past now and both sets of parents are about to meet. They'll get on, right? Or not...

But Jamie has a suggestion to bring our families together. And it appears he has something else planned too...

A stand-alone feel-good comedy story of around 15,000 words, following on from the No. 1 smash hit A Christmas Outing.

UK Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071W9T554
Rest of the World: http://authl.it/B071W9T554?d

Jonathan wrote: "Delighted to announce that my new book is now available!

Enjoy and thanks for all your support!

x

Presenting... This Crazy Thing I Call My Life

And I thought the hard part was c..."

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed your Christmas story, and look forward to reading the next part of the story.

My pleasure, Liz. :) Thanks for your interest!

The first draft to my next novel is nearing completion but I'm on the cusp of releasing (well, re-releasing) a story I'm particularly proud of. I released 'Is it Her?' early last year alongside a story by Kath Middleton. The book was critically a success but for some never reason never took off in the Amazon store. Perhaps this was down to the fact people don't go for collections as much as single stories, or perhaps the marketing simply didn't target well enough those who read and enjoyed my other gay literary fiction books. Whatever the reason(s), I've given the book a fresh edit, added in a new chapter (which I feel gives the book even greater depths) and retitled and recovered it and am about to release it as a standalone novella. I'm pleased to share the cover and press release here.

It's been a busy old time for me lately. Last week I had the pleasure of seeing my novel FAG on the shelves at Gay's the Word, a famous London bookshop - the one featured in the film Pride which you may have seen. (And if not, I highly recommend it.)





And today sees the release of The Stars Just Watch, a taut drama set mostly during a WWII blackout in London. myBook.to/TheStarsJustWatch

The book is only 99p/99cents on Amazon.

"We are blowing one another to bits and the stars just watch. Whether we live or die, kill... or love... the stars just watch. We shall extinguish one another, but no one shall extinguish the stars."

Tonight four sit round a table playing cards. Tomorrow two leave to fight. Over an evening already fraught with tension, emotions run deep and life-shattering secrets threaten to escape.

A powerful novella from the author of FAG, Pride and Not Just a Boy.

Readers should note that this is a new version of the story previously released under the title Is it Her?


Praise for the story:

"A deep love story... marvellous, complex characters, and a tense atmospheric plot... I had to remind myself to breathe. The literary quality of the prose is exquisite and memorable."

"An electric atmosphere of tension and suspense... powerful drama... When the moment of awful revelation comes, the superb quality of the writing ensures that it is traumatic for all concerned, including the reader."

"... wonderful use of realistic dialogue, much of which put me in mind of Harold Pinter's writing..."

"Brilliant, emotional... Buy tissues."

Delighted to announce that my new book is out today and I'm thrilled to share the details here :)

Offstage


That Thursday, the day he started, was the first day in what felt like forever that I didn't consider what the world would be like without me in it.

From the author of the award-winning 'FAG' and 'Not Just a Boy' comes a story of youthful lust, the agonising ambiguity of a close friendship and the fragile nature of truth. 'Offstage' is the tale of a young man's first love in a sleepy seaside town he is desperate to escape.

https://getbook.at/Offstage

Hey

Kaitlyn wrote: "Hey"

Hey, Kaitlyn!

Hru

What did u guys do today

Hey

After several years off writing, I'm back and have a new novel on the horizon. An update is on my blog. Also, most of my Christmas stories are free for a limited time, including a laugh out loud coming out short story. A Christmas Outing



http://www.jhillwriter.com/blog/new-w...

Hope you all have a good festive season :)