Table Of ContentPraise for Jeff Erno
SECOND CHANCES
“Jeff Erno is a wonderful writer …. What I find so
interesting about his writing is that he takes risks and goes
where some authors will not venture and in doing so he
broadens the audience for his books. To me, for that alone, he
should receive five stars on whatever he writes. He has written
about gay romance, inter-generational relationships, mild
S&M and now he tackles science fiction. I think that it is one
thing to be diverse but it is something else all together to be
diverse and to write with style …. There are several motifs
here—romance, passion, emotions, life and death …. If you
have not yet taken a chance on Erno, now is the perfect time
to start.”
—Amos Lassen
TRUST ME
“Can I just say, ‘Wow!’ TRUST ME is one of those books
that popped up on my radar, refused to leave and delivered an
unexpected mind-blowing reading experience. I never
thought I would be so drawn into the lives of Shawn and
Bobby but right off the bat, Jeff Erno managed to give these
two boys a compelling voice. It’s a classic trope of ‘good boy–
bad boy,’ but it never fails to keep me enamored …. The
author takes the reader through the years where certain
events occur in both Shawn and Bobby’s life that would affect
the young men they would become in the present storyline.
Layer upon layer the author brought to life two very distinct
personalities, who became fully fleshed-out characters ….”
—Leontine’s Book Realm
PUPPY LOVE
5 Stars: “I would still strongly recommend this story to
others and can’t wait until the sequel comes out.”
—Rainbow Reviews
PUPPY LOVE 2: BUILDING A FAMILY
“The writing is smooth, moving from one crisis to
another with wicked fluidity. The relationship dynamic
between Petey and Matt is super sexy and sweet, the urgency
of their love making lava hot …. The supporting characters
create a nice well rounded story that fuels the fire and makes
our heroes shine …. The final pages to this book are so
explosive and filled with angst, it was just brilliant. I could go
on forever about how awesome this book is, I could go on
about how hot and steamy the sex is (take my word, it’s effing
hot). I could tell you that Petey and Matt are bloody awesome,
but it’s up to you to discover this for yourself .... Jeff has done
a splendid job on this book and I will forever be a big fan of
Matt and his pup. I am very excited for PUPPY LOVE 3 and I
just know it’s gonna be awesome. One of my favorite gay
series.”
—Three Dollar Bill Reviews
DUMB JOCK
“If someone were to tell me I had to spend three months
on a deserted island and I could have ten books with me, Jeff
Erno’s DUMB JOCK would be one of those books. Mr. Erno
tells this story of two high school boys who fall in love in such
a way that the characters almost become real.”
—Rainbow Reviews
THE LANDLORD
“There was a nice balance of drama, humor and sex,
alongside a subject matter that was sometimes difficult to
swallow, but showed bravery on the part of the author. I liked
that the characters didn’t always take the easy route, that they
had their flaws, and yet underneath they were decent men
trying to make the best out of unexpected, difficult and yet
also wonderful change in their lives. I would recommend
THE LANDLORD with a grade of ‘Very Good.’”
—Well Read Books
BULLIED
“I have nothing but praise for this book. It’s heartfelt,
saddening, and hopeful. It made me want to make a
difference in the world, or at least my part of it. It made me
want to support my friends instead of teasing and mocking,
which comes so easily. True, its messages read like an after-
school special (but with better characters, plot, dialogue, and
acting), but it’s not trying to hide that. I’d recommend this to
most everyone.”
—Between the Covers Book Reviews
“These stories may be fiction, but they felt quite real to
me. They made me think, broke my heart, and reminded me
that while the teenaged years may be a carefree time for some
young people, this time can spell darkness and torment for
others. Hopefully, collections such as BULLIED can help raise
public awareness of this issue, because we must first
acknowledge that the problem exists before we can addresses
the terrible harm that it does. Excellent job, Mr. Erno.”
—Book Wenches
S
ECOND
C
HANCES
S
ECOND
C
HANCES
Jeff Erno
Seattle, WA
Camel Press
PO Box 70515
Seattle, WA 98127
For more information go to: www.Camelpress.com
www.jefferno.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands,
media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously.
Cover design by Tuesday Dube and Sabrina Sun
Second Chances
Copyright © 2012 by Jeff Erno
ISBN: 978-1-60381-876-6 (Trade Paper)
ISBN: 978-1-60381-877-3 (eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number:
2011943764
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
Prologue
“I t’s breathtaking,” the doctor said.
“Rubbish,” The artist shook his head in disgust as he
stared at the canvas before him. “It’s utterly serene. Boring!”
“Jacob, I have to disagree with you. This is perhaps the
most magnificent scenic piece you’ve ever created. I think it is
by far your best work.”
Jacob sighed, turning quickly away. “There’s more to life
than outward appearance or physical beauty. If there is no
activity—no action—it’s pointless. When I look at this scene
all I see is serenity, but nothing is happening! There is no
purpose.”
The doctor placed his hand on his lover’s shoulder,
gently directing him so that Jacob turned once again to face
the painting. “It’s nature,” he whispered. “It’s growth. It’s the
dawning of a new day—the celebration of new life on a
beautiful spring morning. How can you say there is no
activity?”
“I don’t know.” Jacob frowned. “Forgive me, but when I
look at this painting, all I see is regret. It reminds me—”
“It reminds you of him.”
“I’m sorry, Timothy,” Jacob confessed. “He was all about
that sort of thing. He was all about appearances. He was all
about how things looked on the outside. He was all about
living his life in a way that appealed to others, a way that met
with their approval …”
“And he was utterly boring, just like the painting?”
Jacob again stared at the canvas sadly, nodding.
“But you loved him so much,” Timothy sighed.
“I have no regrets,” Jacob said honestly. “I have lived a
wonderful, fulfilling life.” He took his lover’s hand in his own
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and gently squeezed. “And yes, I did love him. I loved him
with all my heart, but Harold is my past. He made his choice
and he must live with the consequences.”
“Baby, your life isn’t over,” the doctor said. “You speak
as if you have a death sentence.”
“Timothy, I’m dying.”
“No,” Timothy said in his most reassuring voice. “I
promise you, I’m not going to let that happen! I’m going to
find a cure. I’m going to give you a second chance.”
“Shh,” Jacob said, turning to face his lover. “Promise me
to just enjoy the time we have left together, Timothy. I don’t
want any false hope.”
“Jacob!”
“Promise me … please!”
Reluctantly, the doctor nodded. “I promise you, Jacob
Klein, I will cherish every moment we have together, and we
both will make the most of every single moment.”
“I love you,” Jacob whispered. “When I thought my life
was over, it was you who gave me a second chance. I don’t
know how I’ll ever repay you.”
Tears filled the doctor’s eyes as he embraced his dying
lover. “I love you, too, Jacob, and I’ll never stop trying to save
you. I really will give you a second chance … if you’ll let me.”
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