DAMAGED HEARTS

Dear Readers:

Have you ever had your heart broken? If so, you know the impeding deep grit feeling you get. After breaking up with someone, it is difficult to ever love again. What happens when you find love, but not in a relationship that you dreamed possible? My next author is Jan St. Marcus, and his book, "Damaged Hearts: The Boys of Venice Beach," he addresses that very question as he also explores what it means to love unconditionally. This book is cutting edge.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

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When 19-year-old military veteran Brandon Hawkins is attacked on Venice Beach by a gang of frat boys, he is saved by MichaelAngelo Curtis, a passerby.

Michelangelo was roaming the boardwalk grieving the death of his twin brother six months earlier. The two men’s unexpected encounter forges a strong bond between the damaged and lonely men.

Inviting the homeless Bran to his place for some food and a shower, 25-year-old Michelangelo finds himself drawn to the younger man. Neither of the men is gay. But before long, their friendship morphs into something like love and takes them both by surprise.

And they have something else in common: The frat boys are out for revenge.

Goth Gone Grey

TOP 500 REVIEWER

4.0 out of 5 starsOverall a decent story, if you can suspend disbelief enough

December 7, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

So. This book. I'm feeling very conflicted about it, and this passage describes it so, so well. Let's allow Michelangelo to share his wisdom:

"Most people don’t realize that the two hemispheres of our brains are very different. In right-handed people, the left hemisphere of the brain controls most cognitive functions. Things like logic, time, and language are all controlled by the left brain. The right brain in these people deals with spatial relationships, feelings, and other, more fuzzy functions. Only one hemisphere of the brain can operate at a time in most people. If, for example, you were doing a math problem and are right handed, your left brain is fully engaged. If you are looking at or creating a piece of art, your right brain would be in control. These are the generalities that govern our brain activity in most instances. The emotions I am feeling right now—the heartbreak, the shared pain, the desire to make everything all right—are all functions of my right brain. But the right brain has no problem-solving abilities. And this—whatever it is between Bran and me—is a problem. I need to solve it."

My right brain says this is a lovely, charming romance between two young men, both of whom have been through trauma. It adds in suspense, intrigue, an adorable dog, and surfing. There is a definitely physical attraction that confuses yet arouses both of them. (Full disclosure: I was expecting make-out scenes with both of them muttering "no homo" under their breath, in such denial about being attracted to another man.)

My left brain - which kinda took over in the last line of the above paragraph, because it's dominant - has some issues with the book. The level of instant trust, never mind the lust, between the men is extreme. The police, court, and various covert agency operations are Hollywood'ed up to an extreme. Characters are so clearly delineated between good and evil, with little between. The good characters are all totally ok and totally accepting of Michelangelo moving a homeless guy in with him and falling in love within days, instead of protective of their friend, with what would be reasonable doubts.

Left brain talks a lot - here it goes again. The guys... Sigh... They're charming, apparently have real world experience, but in romance appear much younger than they are, and their thought process degrades to that of teens, especially during more physical moments. With their backgrounds, I don't find it feasible that either of them would be so trusting, so quickly. And stop, please stop, with the "I'm not gay but..." while stroking another man's unit.

Summary? Right brain chimes in with 5 stars for the ultimate readability and "what will happen next" of the story. Left brain, more cynical, gives three stars and a side eye over the last section. Average, 4 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes.

mishukitty

5.0 out of 5 starsDon't walk, RUN and buy this book!

November 16, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

Damaged Hearts is one of the best romances I've read in a while. Not only is it well written, but the story line is completely original (o.k. There is a bit of "damsel in distress" vibe, but it works).

The story begins with acts of bullying and violence. Brandon is a homeless vet currently dumpster diving for his dinner. He spots 3 college boys exiting a pizza place and walking to throw their excess pizza away. Brandon makes the decision to beg for the food. Unfortunately, he's picked the most shallow, self--absorbed, mean-spirited guys to beg from. The leader, Grant, makes a show of teasing Brandon with the pizza, then snatching it away to spit copious amounts of fluid on it. He offers it again to Brandon, who's so desperate that he decides to take it anyway, whereupon Grant throws the pizza in the trash. The boys continue to bully Brandon as he tries to escape; little do they know that they've been observed by Michelangelo. He steps in to protect Brandon, but Grant tries to throw a punch, which leads to Michelangelo breaking his arm. Unbeknownst to the boys, Michelangelo has videotaped the whole incident from the beginning. When he turns the tape over to the police, he does not realize that someone in the police department has posted the video online, and it quickly goes viral. People are outraged at Grant's cruel treatment of a homeless guy, and retribution is quick and devastating.

No one knows the identity of the homeless guy or the "badass" Samaritan. Grant is filled with rage, and vows revenge. Unaware of the publicity created by the video, Michelangelo brings Brandon home with him. Both of them have "damaged hearts", but soon realize that the other is the balm they need to heal.

What makes this book so special, is not only Brandon's and Michelangelo's view points included, but others who have been affected by the tragic incident. We hear from Grant, his father, the private eye that Grant hires, and the NSA operative that is tasked with protecting Michelangelo(!). These chapters help dilute what could have been an overly sappy love story.

You will smile with joy and cry over the cruelty, but there is an HEA at the end!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lisa K.

5.0 out of 5 starsAmazing book!

November 14, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

Wow! What an incredible book; I read it straight through without putting it down (except for 1/2 hour to recharge my Kindle!) This book was different from the typical M/M romances I read where boy meets boy, they fall in lust then love, and they overcome whatever minor obstacles they have to get to their HEA. I wasn't sure at first if I would like it, and I'm so glad I was wrong! Yes, it's a romance, but it's so much more as well. This is a story of love and friendship. There's love, excitement, tearful moments, and exhilarating moments. By having more POVs than just the two MCs, it also shows how one decision in your life can affect so many others.

This was my first book by this author, and I'm definitely going to read more from her once she publishes more. I was amazed to discover this was her first book. The characters were extremely well developed, and the story flowed beautifully, even with the changing POVs. I'm used to seeing minor typos and mistakes when reading an author's first book, but that was not the case with Damaged Hearts. This story really touched me, and I can't wait for more!

JAN ST. MARCUS

Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.

I am a professional photographer in the Washington DC area where I grew up. I spent many years traveling the world in the Air Force and then in the corporate world. When I landed in Southern California, I lived on the Boardwalk in Venice Beach and was astounded at the myriad of people who lived, worked and visited there. The area is really cool, weird, and a vibrant place. After the death of my brother, I moved back to the DC area and decided to pursue my artistic side after decades in the corporate world. One of my favorite things to do is to write. I love creating new worlds, meeting new people (on the page), and seeing the journeys they want to take me on. I enjoy sharing those exciting, sometimes heartbreaking journeys with my readers.

What inspired you to author this book?

When I was living in Venice, I had to move when the landlord sold the building I had called home for five years. I was pretty upset about leaving and when I was almost entirely moved out, I met a young man outside my apartment who was homeless. He asked me for a cigarette and I told him I'd do more than that. I invited him up to my nearly empty apartment, let him shower, and relax while I fixed him some food. We ended up talking for a while and he revealed that he was a veteran who was now homeless. As we talked more about his service, it turned out that he was awarded a Bronze Star in Iraq.

I was blown away by the fact that a genuine war hero was now homeless and wandering the boardwalk. I gave him a new duffel bag and some of the clothes I was planning to donate to charity and wished him luck. I always wished I could do more for him, and I never saw him again, but his story stuck with me. This experience formed the basis for Brandon in DAMAGED HEARTS.

 

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Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?

I found a graphic artist online and described the story to her. Then I went online and found some stock photos of characters that fit the descriptions I had formed in my mind and let her loose. I was blown away at how great it turned out!

Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?

 

My father. He was a reporter for a newspaper when I was growing up, and he taught me how to write, how to live and how to be a man.

 

What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?

 

The biggest struggle I had in writing the book was just how emotional I got while writing certain parts and figuring out the story. In my writing process,  never start with a detailed outline -- I start with a couple of characters and then observe what they say and what they do and write it down. I honestly don't know where some of the ideas come from--they just happen. Anyway, as I was writing, a couple of things happened that completely took me by surprise and I just started crying. I had developed a very close relationship with the characters, and when these tragic things happened to them, I was right there with them and I couldn't help but get emotional.

It was so bad when I found out what was going to happen to Brandon that I couldn't write for days because every time I sat down at the computer, I couldn't see the keyboard through the tears.

 

 

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Tell your readers about your book.

DAMAGED HEARTS is about unexpected love that occurs when two damaged people find themselves thrown together. Neither Brandon nor Michelangelo consider themselves gay, but when they get together, their bond quickly morphs from a deep friendship into something like love. They meet when Brandon is harassed on the boardwalk by a group of mean frat-boys. Michelangelo was wandering the boardwalk while grieving the death of his twin brother six months earlier and seeing what they were doing to Brandon tripped something in him and he intervenes.

He ends up breaking the arm of one of the frat boys and for reasons he doesn't even know himself, he recorded the incident on his cell phone. A little later, he explains that he thought maybe he'd post it on Reddit to get someone to start a GoFundMe page for the kid, but he isn't really sure. When the cops release the video, it quickly goes viral, adding complications to both of their lives. As they try to figure out their feelings for each other, the frat boys are planning their revenge after having their lives ruined by the video.

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 Who is your target audience, and why?

This is a NEW ADULT romance, and I guess the primary audience would be fans of LGBTQ Romance. However, I think that there is a broader audience since at the beginning, neither character identifies as being gay. I believe that under the right circumstances, and with an open mind, love can exist on some level between any two people. And as we, as a society and as a species evolve, there is less stigma associated with coming out, discovering your sexuality, and exploring the depth of your feelings with other people. That's a big part of what happens between Brandon and Michelangelo in DAMAGED HEARTS.

Oh, and it's for people who need a good cry or two every now and then.

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What do you consider your greatest success in life?

I am really proud of finishing this novel. I'll be even more proud if it becomes a bestseller! And seriously, as the reviews keep coming back with 5-stars, I'm thrilled that I was able to create something that makes people FEEL and that entertains.

 What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?

Probably the most unique thing about DAMAGED HEARTS is that I use a format that I've never seen before--I use multiple 1st Person POVs throughout the book. I have read numerous books in the Romance genre that have the two main characters telling the story from their points of view, but in DAMAGED HEARTS, six characters who narrate from their points of view. I wasn't sure if it would work, but so far, everybody loves getting inside the heads of so many different people--even the bad guys.

Using this formula, I was able to tell a much broader story than is possible when the voices are limited to only the two main characters. It also allowed me to build tension and suspense while adding extra layers of the story.

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FOLLOW THE AUTHOR

Author website: janstmarcus.com

Goodreads site: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48355135-damaged-hearts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.st.marcus.9

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanStMarcus1