Today is the day! Disappear With Me is available for purchase through most platforms!
I'd like to share the Dedication:
This book is dedicated to all the pastors in my life who made scripture come alive for me and help me understand that even though I am a gay man, I am still a child of God and just as deserving of his grace and love as anyone else.
In no particular order, this is dedicated to the Reverends Carolyn Wilkerson, James Burns, Justo Gonzales, II, Heidi Peterson, Ian Gregory Cummins, Cynthia Cearley, and Bill Calhoun.
Here are the acknowledgements:
I said after my first novel that doing this takes a community of support and that becomes more evident to me every time I do this. Here is a list of the people who helped me along the way.
First of all, I’d like to thank my partner Thomas for his continued support of writing career. Even thought there are times we would both rather be sitting on the couch watching TV together, he knows I need to sit at the laptop to achieve my dreams and goals.
I’d also like to thank my parents, Tom and Peggy Frech, for their enthusiasm and support. Mom works hard as a beta reader, usually letting me know exactly where she is every step of the way. A big thank you to Dad who read the manuscript and gave me some notes.
Thank you to my brother, Rick Frech, and sister-in-law, Lori, for their help and continued support.
Thank you to my brother Kevin Frech for his continued support.
This version of Disappear With Me would not have been possible without the help of my writing group. Although they don’t always tell me what I want to hear, they always tell me what I need to hear. In alphabetical order: Michele Helsel, Larry Hightower, Gina Lapp-Rinker, Jane Perry, Emily Parnell, and Judy Swofford.
All the pastors listed in the front of this novel truly did contribute to my interpretation and explanation of the verses presented.
A big thanks to my beta-readers who also let me know exactly what they think: Eunie Carkuff, Abi Carter, Barbara Curry, Elaine Foiles, and Pamela McDowell.
And a BIG THANK YOU to the entire Musa Team for helping me bring Leander’s story to life.
I added a special note about writing historical fiction, especially GLBT Historical Fiction:
Given my love of history and reading historical fiction grow up, it's no wonder I am a historical novelist. Writing about times and places in the past is fascinating for me, but it has its challenges. Thank goodness for the Internet and its treasure trove of information about times and places in the past that I can find and weave into my novels.
The one thing that research can't change, though, is the recorded facts about the attitudes of the time. To go back and drastically change attitudes regarding race, immigration, women, civil rights, etc. would in effect change the nature of the novel to more of a historical utopia rather than present a plausible story that might have happened in the chosen backdrop.
My hope for my readers is this: don't be offended or believe that the novel propagates archaic attitudes, especially regarding women and LGBTQ individuals. Use the knowledge and power we have today to continue to propel our society to move towards a more diverse and inclusive one.
About Disappear With Me:
Love is greater than hope or faith, but can Reverend Leander Norris convince a jury that the love he shares with another man is natural?
In 1910, the United Kingdom was in turmoil. King Edward died after only nine years on the throne. The social class system that upheld British society for centuries was being chipped away by social, political, and economic unrest across the Commonwealth. Amidst this backdrop, Reverend Leander Norris is accused of sodomy. After discovering his own self-worth and unconditional love, Leander finds the courage to stand up for what he believes is right and pleads not guilty to the charges. Throughout the trial, Leander’s past is revealed, including the temptations that bring the accusations against him. By the end of the trail, Leander is once again reunited with a romantic interest from the past, but it may be too late to rekindle any love that might remain, given the circumstances of the era and Leander’s likely sentence.
Available from:
After you purchase your copy, request an Authorgraph, a digital inscription, from me:
Excerpt;
“Are you not a scholar?” Weeks asked. “Do you not know the Bible that you preach from each Sunday?”
“I know it very well,” Leander answered. “But the Bible has many interpretations. I think you can guess that mine might be a little less than conventional.”
Weeks reclined back in his chair. He made a steeple with his fingers and rested them on his pursed lips. “You’re actually sitting here telling me that, as a man of God, you’re alright with buggery and feel you’ve done nothing wrong?”
“Mr. Weeks, do you realize you keep asking me the same question over again, using different words?”
“As your counsel, I need to be sure that I understand your position, the one you expect me to defend.”
“You sound shocked that I would suggest such a thing. I can’t have you defending me if you don’t believe it yourself.”
“Reverend, my beliefs about the situation are irrelevant; it doesn’t matter what I believe. I need to be able to defend our position in court and hope our defense can refute what the prosecution will present.”
“I have to have conviction in my sermons each Sunday morning. I think you also know you need to have conviction when defending your clients.”
“And I can assure you that I have that same conviction to make sure that you receive a fair trial. I will do my best—”
“Do your best to what? Go through the motions and make sure that the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed so it looks like I’ve been given a good defense?”
Weeks didn’t answer and that was all the answer that Leander needed.After a moment, Weeks tried to start again. “Look, Reverend, I am your assigned counsel for this trial. I am on your side. I want to see you get a fair trial, but you must understand what we’re up against is quite overwhelming.”
“I know; I’ve never done anything the simple way.”
“Sir, you must understand that we are going up against laws that are rooted in two thousand years of Christian tradition and about as many years of British attitude.”
“Mr. Weeks, do you love your wife?”
Weeks let out an impatient sigh. “Of course, but here you go asking intimate questions about me that have no bearing on my defending your case.”
“Humor me, sir. Do you love your wife?”
“Yes, I very much love my wife and family.”
“What if you woke up tomorrow and a constable showed up on your doorstep and arrested you because they said the love you share with your wife was illegal?”
Weeks didn’t answer him. Instead, in a quiet voice, he said, “You know you and I are just two people. We’re not going to change these laws overnight.”
