[A Chapter in My Life 01] • The Burning

Richmond, Virginia. 1995. Meet Braden Lloyd. Braden is not quite your typical 17-year-old. He is in the closet, a huge fan of musicals, and has never had a relationship that lasted more than one night. Fresh out of high school, he is all ready to go to college and begin his normal life. His world changes when he meets Kyle Foster and Ryan Carroll, a gay couple around his age, in a chat room and then in real life. As he falls in love with Kyle, Braden learns some unpleasant facts about his own personality and what he is capable of.

Full of local flavor, ""The Burning"" is a coming of age story that deals candidly and honestly with first love, insecurity, the coming out process, and many other issues still relevant for today's LGBT youth. Braden's life is turned upside-down in the fourteen days that the novel covers, morphing from closeted student to jilted romantic. Travel with him to Washington, DC and to Annapolis, MD and spend a magical day in Williamsburg, VA. You will find it impossible not to choose sides when the novel reaches its climactic showdown.

Keep an eye out next summer for ""False Start,"" the continuation of Braden's journey as he flees the mess he created in Richmond and looks for a clean slate in Phoenix, Arizona. This novel is recommended for ages 16 and up. It contains realistic descriptions of consensual sexual activity and frank language.