Behind the Scenes of The Scenic Route.

 Spring is in the air, and with it, at least in Michigan, comes the long-awaited start of road trip season. Maybe it's the welcome end to the snow and cold that sends thousands of Michiganders into their cars and out on the to the freeways. It's certainly not the state of our roads.  Our inconsistent freeze and thaw cycles means spring is also the start of pothole season.

There's something about stuck in a car with our loved ones that can bring out the best, and the worst, in all of us. The combination of indigestible food and unfamiliar sleeping conditions can combine to have us waking up feeling mad at the world. Instead of time and space to work through our irritation, we're jammed together and every single thing can set our teeth on edge. The situation only spirals downward if we aren't exactly thrilled about our destination. We know we are being irrational, but we just can't seem to stop ourselves.

Have you ever been there? I sure have. And it was much too easy to reach into the past and pull up some emotions to share with Ed Baldwin in my novella, The Scenic Route, recently published by JMS Books, LLC. Ed would rather be anywhere other than trapped in a car with the boyfriend he's taking home to meet his parents for the first time.

Here's an excerpt:

“Do we have to fight about this?” Ed rubbed his forehead against his smeary doppelganger in the cool glass and closed his eyes. He desperately needed to pee.

“Who’s fighting?” Joe asked, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. His voice dropped to the overly calm tone Ed recognized as him holding back. “I’m just making conversation. You’re the one all prickly and weird ever since we started this trip.”

“You’re not helping.” Ed bit out the words. Each one edged with a metallic aftertaste. He tried to avoid this kind of veiled, relationship warfare, but after a day and a half of travel, his patience decreased with each mile to their destination.

Besides, he hated when Joe refused to argue back and only became more rational. Why couldn’t they fight and get it over with? Despite Joe’s passionate nature, he stayed even-tempered no matter how Ed tried to provoke him, and the loop spiraled downward from there. “And don’t use that tone of voice with me.”

Ouch. Makes me glad not to be sitting in the backseat for that trip. But you can find out how they resolve their argument and read more of their story by getting your copy of The Scenic Route. It's currently on sale as part of the Smashwords Read an Ebook Week Celebration along with tens of thousands of other ebooks. Including your favorite JMS Books Authors. 

Ed Baldwin left his home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula right after graduation and vowed never to return. He’s patched things up enough that he’s bringing long-time boyfriend, Joe Sutton home to meet the family. Ed knows no family dynamic is ever perfect, but with the differences between their upbringings, he worries this will be the deal-breaker in their relationship.

Nervous and on-edge, Ed picks a fight with Joe the entire trip. When Joe has enough and stops at a run-down motel to take a break, their relationship is tested in a way Ed never imagined. There’s not a lot of rest to be had at the Easy Rest Motel and Ed must learn to trust both himself and Joe before they become permanent guests.

But that’s not the end of their adventure and Ed knows one thing; this is the last time he lets Joe take the scenic route. 

Novella ebook available from JMS Books, Amazon, and your favorite online bookstore