Drama Queens and Adult Themes
by Kevin Klehr
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BLURB:
Adam’s about to discover how much drama a mid-life crisis can be. He’s obsessed with Mannix, the nude model in his art class. But Adam has been married to Wade for nearly two decades, and they don’t have an open relationship.
Little do they know that Fabien, a warlock from the Afterlife, has secretly cast a spell of lust on Adam and his potential toy-boy.
As things begin to heat up, Adam’s guardian angel, Guy, steps in. But what’s the best way to save the relationship? Should Guy subdue Adam’s wandering passions or instigate a steamy threesome?
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Excerpt One:
"Three aces or a royal flush?" asked Maude as Angela.
She was sprawled on stage across a couch. Her lavender dress spread against the striped upholstery, showing her bare feet. In hand was a glass of sparkling water, pretending to be gin and tonic.
Shannon stood nearby, in smart trousers and white shirt, rubbing his chin.
"Your line is 'What do you mean by the poker reference…?'" I said.
"Oh yeah," he interrupted. "What do you mean by the poker reference, Maude?"
"No, Shannon, her stage name is Angela." Our theater president bit her bottom lip. "Now let's start again."
"Three aces or a royal flush?" asked Maude.
"What do you mean by the poker reference, Angela?"
"You seem to hold your cards close to your chest."
"How so?"
At this point, Shannon's character Ronny was supposed to stand perfectly still, avoiding eye contact with a woman trying to seduce him. Instead, he stumbled, crashing into the grandfather clock we spent half an hour trying to get on stage. Its discordant chimes were as shrill as fingernails on a blackboard. Stephen rushed to it, trying to hold it still.
"Are you drunk, Shannon?" I asked.
"Huh?"
Maude gave him a death glare, as he lay clueless on the floor.
"This is a really important scene to get right. There's no comedy. Just coded words from a bored socialite and her young neighbor. If you can't portray this with just a hint of caution, then what are you doing here?"
"Sorry, Adam. I had a rough night. Sugar Daddy threatened to throw me out."
"So you're either still drunk from last night, or you've had vodka in your Coco Pops."
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Kevin lives with his long-term partner in their humble apartment (affectionately named Sabrina), in Australia’s own ‘Emerald City,’ Sydney.
From an early age Kevin had a passion for writing, jotting down stories and plays until it came time to confront puberty. After dealing with pimple creams and facial hair, Kevin didn’t pick up a pen again until he was in his thirties. His handwritten manuscript was being committed to paper when his social circumstances changed, giving him no time to write. Concerned, his partner, Warren, snuck the notebook out to a friend who in turn came back and demanded Kevin finish his novel. It wasn’t long before Kevin’s active imagination was let loose again. The result was Drama Queens with Love Scenes, the first in a series of Afterlife tales.
Kevin is looking forward to thumping the keys on his laptop and churning out stories until it’s time for him to gain firsthand experience of the hereafter.
LINKS
Review
This is quite a complex book, actually, although it doesn't feel like it when you're reading it. There are multiple story threads - the menage a trois with Adam, Mannix and Wade, a contemporaneous story of the (evil?) sorcerer whose spell is causing the mayhem, and the guardian angel trying to limit the damage caused, a memory from Adam's past which is having serious implications in his life now, and finally the play Adam is directing, which has more than a few similarities with the memories and the behind the scenes action. In addition, the story is told from the POV of all the main characters in turn.
As I mentioned, despite the complexity of the weave, the story doesn't feel complex when you're reading it. It has a good flow and a three-dimensional feel to the characters and the story.
I have a few little niggles with the way it's written and some of the grammar used. For one thing, there are times when the action tags are revered - an example in the except 'asked Maude' rather than 'Maude asked'. In some places, this is quite dense. To others, this might not be the slightest issue at all, but it irked me personally.
There is a lot of humour and some wonderfully outrageous one-liners and even situations. Some of the supporting characters are larger than life and they are all well rounded. I loved the cast of the play, in particular.
I definitely think this book is worth reading. From my experience, it's totally unique and although I could guess early on where the story was going, it took some nice twists and turns with sweet and surprising moments and drama liberally sprinkled with humour.
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