Circulatim: Book One - The Circle

Book 1 of the Circulatim trilogy

A gay teen, coming-of-age romance with spiritual and religious overtones that stands on its own, though the first part of a trilogy.

287K words.

As Alex's sixteenth birthday arrives, his family is planning one party while his best friends plan another. That his friends are keeping where their party is to be held a secret bothers him. Secrets can be fun, but they can also be trouble.
And Alex has many secrets - especially Toby.
His best friend, Tom, knows most of his secrets; that Alex is gay, that he is falling for his second-best friend, Jeff, who is straight, and that Alex is no virgin.
His friends have secrets too, and during the party thrown by them he is going to learn a few. And he is going to reveal some of his own.
But the parties are only the beginning. As the ghost of Toby haunts him, one special gift will change the lives of Alex and his family, as well as the lives of his friends.
They will all learn that death is always near, and that those who have passed on aren't always far away.

Can Alex maintain his secrets?
Can he ever be free of his past?
Can he find love again?
Can he ever be happy?

Some things said about THE CIRCLE

"As soon as I finished I went back and started over!"

"Alex and his friends are in my head! I can't get them out and I don't want them out! I want sequels! Now!"

"The Circle did what a great story should do. I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I got angry, I loved it!"

"Thank you so much for sharing your gift with us. I enjoyed the story so much over the past few days that now I need to catch up on my sleep."

"Late nights, late mornings, lost meals all attest to the magnetic almost hypnotic spell it held me in. Now that its over I don't know how to feel except as if my best friends all moved away!"

"Thank you for a long, complex story worth the time to read. The characters are believable, as is the story. It is full of emotions, from simple fun to the complications of love and hate. Well done!"

"Wow. What more can I say? Fell into the story and had to keep reading to the end to climb back out. Beautifully written, deeply moving. I laughed and I cried as I fell in love with the guys."

"I thank you for writing it. I was captivated by the storyline and spent all my spare time in the last week reading it. I enjoyed every chapter, and I'm happy it was there for me to enjoy."

"I am in tears as I write this. The story kept my attention through the whole thing. I couldn't stop reading and I felt so badly for Alex's pain. .... I wanted so much to reach through the screen and take it all away."

"I don't think I have ever written an author of any kind before, but I can't resist complimenting you for The Circle, which has to be absolutely the most realistic, absorbing story I can remember ever seeing. It's one of those that you literally have to tear yourself away from!"

"I am practically overwhelmed.The more I read, the better it got. And it just got better, and Better, and BETTER! I laughed, and I cried. I rejoiced, and I wept. Openly. And now that I'm done, I don't really have words to describe my ultimate feelings. Overwhelmed? Well perhaps; it's indeed a memorable and extraordinarily moving tale. Well done!"

"First off, I should say that I'm mad as hell at you for bringing to life Alex and his pals with such realism that I felt angry and upset when they were hurting. Alex and the guys are in my head now, almost like renters. I see them as clearly as my own reflection, mostly pointing and giggling like there's some immense prank about to be offloaded. Young, deep, fascinated by life and full of both wondrous imagination and emotional strength and wisdom drawn from common sense and an ability to embrace the truths of life without letting them overwhelm. And completely living in the moment, loving spiritually, sticking together. Pals."