7/20/2010

A Delicious Ode to Summer Boyhood Adventures

In 1988, I tested positive for HIV and my reality became: you're 26 years old, you have a fatal disease, the entire world fears you and all you have to look forward to is a slow, agonizing death.

My next move? I took off for Cancun, Mexico. What happened next served as inspiration for my second novel.

Bridge Across the Ocean tells the story of Derek, a young black man who tests positive for HIV, then escapes to a resort in the Yucatan peninsula.

While there, he meets two white teenage brothers, Rob and Skeeter, and their single mom, Roberta.

Derek is attracted to Rob, the oldest brother, who reminds Derek of the golden jock gods of his youth.

It's a summer vacation that changes all of their lives forever.

Bridge Across the Ocean, a Lambda Literary Award nominee for Best Small Press Title.

-Get Bridge Across the Ocean at amazon.com

-Read an excerpt from Bridge Across the Ocean

Critical Praise for Bridge Across the Ocean:

"A delicious ode to summer boyhood adventures." Stonewall News Northwest

"A funny, sexy and very poignant summertime novel." Gay & Lesbian Times

"Sincere and suspenseful, Bridge Across the Ocean is a great escape and a very important piece of writing." XY Magazine

"The sexual attraction and the conflict it poses are beautifully handled." Lambda Book Report

"Not your typical gay fiction fare. The subject matter is fresh and seriously stimulating. Boyd has a knack for the controversial." Between The Lines

"Racism, homophobia, attraction to younger men, dealing with HIV are all handled without preaching and without excess moralizing." Gay and Lesbian Review

"Reading Bridge Across the Ocean was, on some level, a growth experience. This is an incredible piece of work that tears down stereotypes." Friends and Family Magazine

"Groundbreaking ... Boyd not only crosses race, social and gender boundaries, but touches on the much-needed-to-be-openly-discussed subject of men mentoring boys in all ways in society and the world." Wisconsin IN Step