Title: Aidan’s Journey
Author Name: CJane Elliot
Publication Date & Length: Oct 15, 2014 — 448 pgs
The star of the University of Virginia theater department, Aidan Emery is lusted after and admired for living out and proud. He uses his talent and good looks to his advantage and never sleeps with the same guy twice. But his glamorous patina has been carefully honed to hide the pain he carries inside.
Aidan wasn’t always such a player. He starts college naively romantic, hungry for the attention he can’t get from his workaholic father and mentally ill mother. Unfortunately, that leaves him ripe pickings for predatory professor Rodney Montgomery. Rodney’s flattering regard seduces Aidan into a dysfunctional relationship that destroys his innocence.
Life looks up for Aidan when he finally breaks free of Rodney’s pull and moves to New York City to make it as an actor. Meeting sweet fellow actor Patrick Jaymes seems like the start of a fairy tale. But before Aidan can rebuild his life into happily ever after, family secrets.
What is the attraction of those who are living “out and proud”? Why are they so attractive?
Hello, and thanks for having me on your blog to talk about Aidan’s Journey. As the blurb about the book says, “Aidan Emery is lusted after and admired for living out and proud.” I like your question about why this quality of “living out and proud” makes people so attractive. To me, “out and proud” is a quality that goes beyond being honest about one’s sexual orientation.
Let me give a real-life example. Adam Lambert is one of my main muses. He’s openly gay, immensely talented, and one handsome mofo. I laughed when one reviewer of Aidan’s Journey said Aidan reminded her of him, because Aidan’s looks, talent, and performer persona are based on Adam. (Aidan’s inner demons are all his own, though.)
Back to “out and proud.” If you’ve never heard of Adam Lambert, do yourself a favor and find the Youtube of him singing “Satisfaction” in one of his first solo performances on American Idol. The guy is outrageous, fearless, over the top, with a voice that can only be described as incredible. He woke up everyone in that room.
So “out and proud” goes beyond claiming one’s sexual orientation. It’s about being fully oneself and damn the consequences. That quality makes people attractive, whether they’re straight, gay, male, or female. When people live out and proud, it inspires the rest of us to stop playing it so safe.
After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.
CJane is an ardent supporter of gay equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.
In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cjane.elliott
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJaneElliott
Author’s Website: http://www.cjaneelliott.com
Author’s Email: cjaneelliott@gmail.com
