Timmy's Review of John Goode's "Dream of a Waking Man"!

I’m back with another review of a Goode book! Yay! Does it seem most of my reviews are on John Goode’s books these days? They are! All the Goode books are being passed my way and I am a very happy little fanboy! 

If you have a book you would like me to review please don’t hesitate to let me know. Request a review here!

It seems that my reviews are far and few between these days. Right? Well, there are a few reasons for that. First, I have been super busy with school, tutoring others, and running. It sucks because I enjoy writing these. Second, I haven’t been all that happy with the community on FB lately. I love my peeps (those on, and not on, my friends list), but there has been a lot of drama too. I worked really hard to leave the drama behind when I moved away from my old home, but there are people who still wanna drag me into stuff. Why? IDK. I can only guess that they either hate what I represent (they can’t hate me, they don’t know me), or they don’t really mean it when they say they are in this community to help people; or both. I decided to back away from the community a lot. But that doesn’t mean I’m not reading. That doesn’t mean there aren’t books that I love.

The reason I started out my review like this is because this book inspired me to speak up. It inspired a lot of things in me, but my right to be myself and to be happy was what really stuck with me. I am a gay teen kid in school. All of the Foster High books represent the life I live daily. They show what we go through in school, at home, and on-line. Being a kid really sucks. I hate when I hear someone say… “I wish I was a kid again!” They are stupid because I don’t know what world they came from, but it sure isn’t the same one I’m from. Mr. Goode is an adult, but he somehow captured exactly what it is to be a kid in school, especially a gay kid. 

Bullying, hate crimes, internet bullying, depression, suicide…. These are REAL to any kid in school. It doesn’t matter if they are popular or not. We live it, we breathe it, and we learn how to suck it up. But why do we have to accept it? Why do I have to be bullied not just by kids at school, but also adults I encounter both in real life and on-line? Why is it the very people who tell me it’s safe to ”spread my wings” and be who I want to be can then turn around and cut me down because I’m not the Timmy they want me to be? I’m too smart? I type too well? I can write a short story? I must not be a teen gay kid! Well, I’ma say this for all of you people who believe that: I am that because it is who I am!

That is the bare bones of this story! Be who you are. Fight those who say you can’t be that. Show others they are not alone. Be the changer not the follower. But most of all, you don’t have to be perfect in the eyes of others to deserve to be treated like a human being.

This story had me going through so much! I mean it, really! Tears, love, laughter, anger, and just plain scared. It scares me that this is written as fiction because it is NOT fiction to many teens like me. There are very important topics talked about in this book, and I am trying hard not to give anything away, but I want to say the way Mr. Goode added the topic of insecurities and self-worth to the stories in this series is a big thing. It is in the main story in this book, it is also in the subplots. I like how he shows not only how important self-worth is, but that you can still be a hero even if you need a few pep talks along the way.  

So, there were a few things I gotta point out. There were errors in the book, editing stuff. But nothing will pull you out of this story. Also, I’m not great at grammar when I am messaging or texting someone, but there is one thing I will say about this book: the word OK is used WAY too much. Please fix that, Mr. Goode.

I give this book 5 marbles and I hope you guys will not only read it, but think about what you want from your country. Because one small issue and blowup is the thing that changes lives. You can’t sit back and say I want a better life for Americans, but you expect someone else to be the stepping stone. You can’t sit back and say “I hate bullying!” but then tear others down because of your own insecurities. Because I got enough insecurities of my own, I don’t need ya’ll to put yours on me. Mr. Goode points out these things in a way that makes a huge impact. This book should become a classic. Read this book. Dream of a Waking Man is book ten in the Foster High Series.~Timmy

Dream of a Waking Man is available NOW

from Amazon and Kobo.

About Dream of a Waking Man

With high school long behind them, Kyle Stilleno and Brad Graymark are sharing a life, together, content, but happy?

Kyle seems to have given up that spark that made him who he was and Brad is worried it may never come back. When an email from a gay teen asks Kyle for help, he has to choose between his comfortable life of sleeping his life away, or waking up and doing something about it. 

Dream of a Waking Man is available NOW

from Amazon and Kobo.

Dream of a Waking Man is available NOW

from Amazon and Kobo

About John Goode

John Goode is a member of the class of '88 from Hogwarts school of wizardry, specializing in incantations and spoken spells. At the age of 14 he proudly represented District 13 in the 65th Panem games where he was disqualified for crying uncontrollably before the competition began. After that he moved to Forks, Washington where, against all odds, dated the hot, incredibly approachable werewolf instead of the stuck up jerk of a vampire but was crushed when he found out the werewolf was actually gayer than he was. After that he turned down the mandatory operation everyone must receive at 16 to become pretty citing that everyone pretty were just too stupid to live before moving away for greener pastures. After falling down an oddly large rabbit hole he became huge when his love for cakes combined with his inability to resist what sparsely worded notes commanded and was finally kicked out when he began playing solitaire with the Red Queen's 4th armored division. By 18 he had found the land in the back of his wardrobe but decided that thinly veiled religious allegories where not the neighbors he desired. When last seen he had become obsessed with growing a pair of wings after becoming obsessed with Fang's blog and hasn't been seen since.

Or he is this guy who lives in this place and writes stuff he hopes you read.

Find John on his Harmony Ink Author Page, Goodreads, his Goodreads blog, 

on Facebook, on Twitter @FosterHigh, and on Tumblr or email him at FosterHighSchool88@gmail.com

Timmy's 5★ Review of John Goode's "Edge of Glory," Bk 2 in the Fadeaway Series!

I’m back with another review of a Goode book! Yay! Does it seem most of my reviews are on John Goode’s books these days? They are! All the Goode books are being passed my way and I am a very happy little fanboy! I’d like to thank Michael Thompson for this awesome book! 

If you have a book you would like me to review please don’t hesitate to let me know. Request a review here!

Edge of Glory is book two in the Fadeaway Series. If you have not read Going the Distance, the first book in the series, please stop reading this and bookmark it to return to after you have read the first book! You can find my review of Going the Distance here. (Hint: I have never read a bad Goode book!)

I would like to thank John Goode for writing this book, but I would also want to thank all the people who helped with his GoFundMe so that this book could be published. I really wish I was able to help because I am a big fan, but I’m hoping that people will read my review and go buy the book! That will help John write more books!

When I read the first book in the series, I really liked it. This book I loved. I’ma try my best to explain this without giving away spoilers. LOL So Hard!

Timmy's Review of Lost Tales From Foster High by John Goode!

At first I was worried about reviewing this book because I thought it wasn’t going to be published. But have no worries! Mr. Goode assures me it will be published. Even better, maybe today! Yay! It’s always awesome to hear there is a new Goode book out! (Ha! See what I did there? It’s a gift!) Because this book is actually an anthology, it makes it harder to review. So here’s how I’ma do this. I will review the whole book as one, then I will go through and do a very small review for each story. By the end, you will be totally jealous that I have read it already, and you wait endless days until Mr. Goode has it for sale (which I hear is in a week or so. But it will feel endless to the hardcore Foster High fans!)

Lost Tales from Foster High overall review:

Lost Tales from Foster High is one of the best anthologies I have read. Some of that is because I love the whole Foster High cast, and some of that is due to the author. I have not met a character in this series who I didn’t want to know more about. Even the “bad guys” have a story to tell. So it was neat to hear a few stories or updates on characters you didn’t think you’d hear about again. I also really liked that each and every story had an introduction, because that helped me see where we were in the books and, in some cases, what we missed due to editing. Without those small intros, I would have been confused. So thanks for that, Mr. Goode!

The book I received is not the finished edited version, but I was informed that all the stories would remain the same. I also promised Mr. Goode that I would not pick on any proofing typos that would be caught in edits. So I will hold to that. But for those of you who got this version, I bet the small errors didn’t even matter. Right? I was able to enjoy every story, and any errors there were did not take away from the truly awesome writing in these stories. And because this was a complaint in my last Goode review, I would like to thank the author for not making me yell the first few words in a new chapter! (In the last book, the first few words of each chapter were all caps. Just threw me off a bit, but didn’t ruin the story in the least.) There is only one complaint I have in the book in general and I hope by saying something, Mr. Goode may try not to do this in future books (‘cause it really does throw me off). In the stories, it is not always clear who is talking. A question is asked and answered in the same paragraph by two different characters and is not always clear who is speaking. I’m going to give an example, and I found one that does not give away spoilers.

Timmy's Review of John Goode's "What About Everything?", Book 9 in the Foster High Series!

Hi y’all! I’ve missed you guys! Ok! I’m back with a review that makes me happy to write! Do you know why? BECAUSE the book is from John Goode! Anyone who follows my reviews knows I love everything Goode! The Foster High Books are among my very fave books written, and John Goode is in my top 5 fave authors. So YAYAY!

This book has a few things that I want to talk about. First, as always Mr. Goode has written an awesome book, with awesome characters. None of the characters are new, so if you have been following the series you will know all the peeps! If not, go read the other books! One of the things I love best about Mr. Goode’s books is that the characters are so real! They are funny and full of heart, and a bit messed up! There is not a full-on HEA in this book, but there is REAL LIFE! I like that! That is not to say his characters don’t have HEA or HUNB (Happy Until Next Book), but they feel so real! They are messed up, they do stupid things, they say funny inappropriate things, and they cry! Most of all, they love. I truly love reading a love story about normal messed up people!

Timmy's Review of John Goode's Lords of Arcadia Series: Distant Rumblings, Eye of the Storm, & Unseen Tempest

The Lords of Arcadia series is a different genre from what I’m used to reading from Mr. Goode. I wasn’t sure at first if it was for me because it was a fantasy series, but I was so shown otherwise. I think that was because the series wasn’t what I had expected and it threw me off. That goes to show me I should never start a new series with preconceived ideas of what I would find. So let me just say… this series is not Foster High and is not even remotely similar to the Foster High series, but it was just as good. The characters are strong and well written. The stories are great. I am not big on fantasy, but once again Mr. Goode has me hooked on a series. Don’t forget to read the stuff in the back that comes after the story. I love when an author takes the time to talk to his readers. We get to love their characters, so it’s nice to meet the creative mind behind them.

The Lords of Arcadia series is available 

in eBook and Print at Harmony Ink Press and Amazon,

Barnes & Noble and ARe/OmniLit

Find John Goode on Goodreads, his Goodreads blog, 

on Facebook, on Twitter @FosterHigh, and on Tumblr

Warning… I am posting the reviews for the first three books in the series and, if you haven’t read all of them, the second two reviews contain spoilers. If you don’t want to ruin the element of surprise, please feel free to stop reading after the first review and come back to the others when you have read the books.
                                                                                                            Timmy

Review: Distant Rumblings 

(Lords of Arcadia Book 1)

In the first book, we meet Kane. He and his best friend seem to be the only normal people in their small town. Then Kane meets Hawk in a much unexpected way, and Kane starts to wonder how normal he, himself, really is. 

I really, REALLY love Kane. He has an awesome sense of hummer and he had me giggling with his inner monologue. He felt like such a normal person to me that, when all the weird that started to happen, it seemed unusual at first, I still stuck with the story. OMG, am I glad I did! Hawk comes from a different world. Literally. And he is as confused with how Kane lives and thinks as Kane is with how Hawk lives and thinks. They were drawn to each other and followed it. I love the romance in this book. I love how it is there but doesn’t chock out the plot. 

There are a few secondary characters who need a mention as well. Ruber is probably my fave character in this book. He has a dry hummer and it shows at the most opportune times. The way he phrases things makes the other person feel stupid for asking. It’s as if they should already have known the answer to a question just because Ruber does. I just loved him. He brought a depth to the story without taking anything away from the main characters. 

Spike is Hawk’s shapeshifting bodyguard. Hmm, well I don’t really want to tell you much about him because I worry it will ruin the story, but he is a well-written character and he plays an important part in how this first story is shaped. 

Jewel is a little self-centered, and I was disappointed in her. I think of all the characters, she was the one I would have liked to have seen more of in the story because I just didn’t understand her as well as I wish I had. At first, I felt bad for her but I soon didn’t care about her at all. She just faded away. 

Once I decided to lose my preconceived ideas of how I thought the story should go and just let the story lead me (which is the best way to read anyway—don’t know what I was thinking) I fell into the story and didn’t come up for air until the end. 

Well, what Mr. Goode says is the end? We disagree. A lot! :P I have never read a comic, so the idea of an ongoing story without a clear ending was hard for me to grasp. Luckily for me, the next two books were available. I recommend buying all the books in the series that are out at the time you purchase because this runs a bit like an episodic show: one battle is over, but clearly there are more to come and much more to the story. I give this book 4 marbles and say everyone should come enjoy John Goode’s world.~Timmy

About Distant Rumblings

Kane Vess may be gay, but he is also extraordinarily ordinary—a crushing weight in Athens, Iowa, where a person’s worth is measured by his uniqueness. But when he meets the school’s newest student, Kane’s ordinariness seems to evaporate. He is desperate to get to know the mysterious stranger… and that leads him into danger. 

Hawk is an exile from his homeland, an otherworldly traveler with impossible abilities and a changeling bodyguard. He’s generally disappointed in Earth, which seems common except for Kane. But while Hawk and Kane explore their mutual interest, the forces that made Hawk an exile are busy tracking him down. Kane’s newfound feelings pull him into Hawk’s shadowy fantasy world, where he learns he needs to grow up fast. Kane’s life may now be extraordinary, but if he isn’t careful it could cost him everyone he holds dear—including Hawk.

Review: Eye of the Storm 

(Lords of Arcadia Book 2)

After the ending of the first book, I was eager to go straight into this story. I was not disappointed. This book is nonstop action and I was enthralled with it. Kane travels to a new world in search of his injured boyfriend, and things start happening that don’t seem possible. When he finds Hawk, on the brink of death, something happens. Whatever it is it saves Hawk’s life, but also has the added benefit of bonding the boys. Well, I find it a benefit but we’ll have to wait to see if it really is. 

In Eye of the Storm, we become better acquainted with Hawk, Kane, and Ruber. We also get a few new characters and get to know some of the ones from the first book better. 

Ferra, the ice barbarian, is strong and proud. As she didn’t fit in well with her people, she was all too happy to help Kane and Ruber off her peoples’ lands. I like strong female characters in m/m books. I sometimes notice that the girls in the books are lame, or just hanging on the guys. This is not Ferra. Heck, she is not particularly a nice person, but she isn’t mean. She is complex and I love that about her. 

Ater and Pullus start out as bad guys, they were hard for me to like. Well, wait, maybe BAD is a strong word. I think they were just more…um... self-centered. They did what they were ordered or paid to do. I’ma leave it there for now because I like how they are used in this story and I don’t want to ruin that for anyone.

We travel to Ruber’s world and meet a ton of new characters in the Crystal Court. Most are family of Ruber, but one is a really cool creation. She is a clockwork girl. From what I can gather, Molly is an enhanced robot. She has feelings but, well, she is hard to explain. You just have to read to understand her. LOL Anyway, I love her as an addition to the cast of characters. 

Puck… He’s an Ass. Enough said. 

The romance between the boys grows in this book. They become something more than just boyfriends. I really love how this series has romance without it overrunning the story. 

Again, it ends before I’m ready for it to but, lucky me, I have book three waiting. I give this book 4 marbles, and tell you to read along with me! Can’t wait to see what can possibly happen next!~Timmy

About Eye of the Storm 

Kane Vess thought his life in rural Iowa was mind-numbingly boring. Then Hawk, a prince from another world, appeared and turned Kane’s life upside-down. At first Kane welcomed the adventure and the chance to be with Hawk—but then a shapeshifter named Puck kidnapped Hawk and dragged him back home. 

Now Kane is caught up in another planet’s magical civil war, searching for the boy he loves in a place he knows nothing about. With the help of a gem elemental, an ice barbarian, and a clockwork woman, Kane has to find Hawk and stop Puck before he can destroy the nine realms. 

Review: The Unseen Tempest 

(Lords of Arcadia Book 3)

Last book I have! *pouts* What a ride this series is! We travel to different worlds, but oddly not so different from popular fantasy books we have, if not read, at least heard about. If you have read the first and second book, you will understand what I’m saying. If you haven’t, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??!! Go get them, silly people! LOL

So, for most of this book our friends split into groups to look for people to build an army that will fight Puck, and save Hawk’s family. So we flash between the three groups a lot. There is much action in this book. We are flung from one drama to the next at breakneck speed. I actually like that in a book. Because we switch to so many perspectives it is hard to get an emotional lock on any one character, but the story goes so fast to each new obstacle that you don’t miss that.

In this story we again meet new characters and get a better read on some that we met in the last two books. Caerus is Ruber’s sister. Though she was in the last book, she becomes more prominent in this story. She goes with Ferra and Molly to try to find more clockwork people, in hopes of adding to their very small army.

Ater, is not doing so well in this book. He goes in search of death, but instead finds that the person he knows will want to kill him turns into an ally who ends up helping our group of misfits. Kor is Pullus’ brother, and was not pleased when Ater “stole” Pullus from his home and turned him from a Light Elf to a Dark Elf. Though this is not how it happened, it takes Kor’s emotions a while to catch up with his mind. I get that. Sometimes what you have in your head, what you feel to be the truth, is hard to let go of when you are proven wrong.

Milo… All I’m going to say is White Rabbit and I let you stew on that for a while. :D

Queen Demain is the leader of one of the realms and is one of three very powerful sisters. She is never really an ally, but maybe a necessary evil. She will get our guys where they need to go.

Queen Olim, I’m not positive I trust her yet, but as one of the powerful sisters, she could be handy to have around. She actually DOES help the guys in battle, but she’s not alone. They get tons of unexpected help. She also has some VERY important information for Kane. This information helps us understand all the “impossible” things Kane is able to do and why they can be both a blessing and a curse to him.

I think this was my fave of the three books, but I felt that after reading the second book as well. I’m almost positive I will feel the same way about the next and next and next… I give this book 5 Marbles and am waiting impatiently for the next book. Write faster, Mr. Goode! ~Timmy

About The Unseen Tempest 

Kane used to be a normal boy with normal worries. Now he fights alongside his boyfriend, Hawk, and an unlikely group of allies as they attempt to reclaim Hawk's throne and save the Nine Realms. With time running out, Hawk decides to raise an army against the evil shapeshifter, Puck, and his army of The Dark. The adventurers split up in search of a force that will join their cause and help restore order to the Nine Realms. 

New allies aren't as easy to find as they hoped. Kane, Hawk, and their friends face unforeseen danger as centuries-old grudges threaten their quest. Nothing is what they thought it was, and Kane and Hawk must find the truth in time to defend against Puck's encroaching army. But the truth about who their true foe is will change everything. 

The Lords of Arcadia series is available 

in eBook and Print at Harmony Ink Press and Amazon,

Barnes & Noble and ARe/OmniLit

Find John Goode on Goodreads, his Goodreads blog, 

on Facebook, on Twitter @FosterHigh, and on Tumblr

Timmy's 5★ Review of When I Grow Up, Book 8 in the Foster High Series

This is a hard book to review. I have had this trouble with all of Mr. Goode’s books and the same problem with Cody Kennedy’s books. You see, I don’t write spoilers, but these guys don’t write books that have down time in them. They are constantly moving at rapid pace, so everything in the book is a spoiler. Sigh… Way to make my job harder, guys. Thanks.

There are many different ideas on what a reviewer is, and what their goals should be, so let me tell you mine. My goal in every review is to be forthright in a way that is not hurtful, but will give readers and authors my honest opinions. I have heard it said that a reviewer doesn’t have the right to tell an author anything and the reviews are not supposed to be for the authors, but that’s bullcrap. I bought their book, or they have asked me to read their book, so I have not only the right, but the obligation to give them my honest opinion. If they are writing books for young gay kids, who is better to tell them if they have hit the mark but someone like me, a young gay kid? But I also write reviews to help promote books I like. Because word of mouth will sell just about anything. So, I take my job seriously. When I say a book is good, I don’t say that because I feel I have to, I don’t say that because someone asked me to, I say it because it is true. So with that in mind, here goes….

John Goode did it again. I don’t know how he keeps doing this to me. It’s like he reaches in and pulls out my heart and rips it to shreds, then uses tissue paper to wrap it up and put it back where he found it. I know, “drama much?,” but damn, I’m hurting right now. This book was like the worst and best rollercoaster in the world. You go up, up, up, up, and all the tension builds and builds, and when you think it can’t possibly go any higher, it does! Finally, we reach the top of the ride and start to speed down at full speed. You scream and cry and laugh, it’s like watching yourself go down and being unable to stop it. Then when you hit the bottom, he throws you into a loop and you see the ride is not over yet. God! I wish I was a great author, a god of words, because I can’t seem to explain in words how I feel about this book and that kills me. I will say, please don’t read this book before reading the others. The emotions, the story, these boys’ lives will not mean as much to you if you haven’t first read everything they have been through together. You will waste both Mr. Goode’s talent and your time. I wish the right person would read these books and make them into movies. That would be awesome.

We see everyone in this book! We hear from most of them, and a few new characters who add to the drama of the Foster High Series. I really liked how this story was told. It wasn’t in the usual way Mr. Goode tells the stories. I liked that. It changed things up a little. I loved how we heard from everyone. That really snagged me in this story. I have grown attached to every character he has written and in this series. I got to be inside each of their heads. It was great. So… Like always, some big shit goes down in this book, and like always, I can’t tell you what it is. LOL But please don’t let that stop you from reading it!

The way the story ended is not what I expected, and I’m on the fence on whether I’m feeling ok about it or not. But the ending is exactly the way it needed to happen given the reasons in the story. It takes a strong person to do what Mr. Goode did with these books. He wrote about real life. Real life is not a happy thing unless you really work at it. It can have happy moments, but it’s not generally a happy thing. Most of the happy things people find in life come with strings attached. They aren't obvious or clear strings, they are hard to see, and easy to pretend they don’t exist. Every time I think I have found a happy thing, someone or something always pulls on one of those strings and tells me it’s time to pay up. This is sometimes the way I feel real life is. This is just how it goes, but not many people are brave enough to actually write about that. Most authors want to give the readers what they want. They want to make money. But a real author, and good author writes what no one wants to face but is real. And, on top of that, they make us believe this is what we WANTED to read in the first place, when we all know we were looking for a fairytale! So, I would like to thank John Goode for being brave, and telling these guys’ stories without warping it to make it what readers think they want.

I do have to be honest and say, though I like how you ended the book, you didn’t give us enough of an ending. I was very disappointed in that because I have never had that problem with your books. I would like the next book please. I promise to be a good reader and not dismember you, if you promise to hurry with the next book!

I give this book 5 Marbles and the series 5 marbles. Please don’t let these books sit at the bottom of your TBR list. That would be a mistake, and when you finally got to them, you would kick yourself for waiting so long to read them.~Timmy

When I Grow Up is available 

in eBook at Dreamspinner Press and Amazon,

and in Nook & paperback from Barnes & Noble

About When I Grow Up

After graduation, Kyle Stilleno and Brad Graymark move to California to pursue their dreams. But high school sweethearts are called that for a reason, and their love rarely stands up to the test of time. As money, school, sex, and jealousy test their relationship to the breaking point, Kyle and Brad fight to hold on to the love that brought them together.

But when a frantic phone call sends them back to Texas, they discover love and understanding might not be enough this time.

To Wish for Impossible Things 

(a lost tale from The Tales from Foster High) 

Dreamspinner/Harmony Ink Press

Dear God 

(a lost chapter from The End of Innocence)

Dreamspinner/Harmony Ink Press

Find John Goode on Goodreads, his Goodreads blog, 

on Facebook, on Twitter @FosterHigh, and on Tumblr

Timmy's Review of A Way Back to Then by Robert Halliwell

I really like John Goode’s writing, and I LOVE the Foster High books, so I was a equal parts worried and excited to read Mr. Halliwell’s new book. The fact that he was writing the book to finally explain my fave character in the Foster High series was thrilling! I have been waiting for Robbie’s story for over a year now. However, the fact that his story was being written by someone else had me worried. Mr. Goode set a high bar to meet as far as writing this series, and I am happy to say that Mr. Halliwell met that bar with ease!

Mr. Halliwell said Robbie’s character was loosely based on him so, to me, it made sense that he would write Robbie’s story. I was not disappointed. I loved this book. It explained Robbie and his actions in such detail. The story had me both crying and laughing, but the seriousness of the story wasn’t lost on me. The loss of Robbie’s one true love was a part of his life he just couldn’t let go. I don’t think I could have been as strong as he was—which is ironic because he acted as though it was a weakness.

After staying in a town he hated after the death of his lover for years, he finally moves back home. He is ready to start living again, to move on. I really liked how the author wrote his story. I liked how he told a story within a story. I felt so close to Robbie already from reading about him from the other Foster High books, but this story was what I needed to get that closure that the other books didn’t offer.

While trying to overcome his depression and anxiety issues, he meets someone new through his sister. He gets his second chance at love, but this time he doesn’t hide who he is. He works on his problems with the help of Sebastian instead of trying to hide that part of himself. As for Sebastian, he has his own demons to fight. Together they make a great team and a great couple.

While this story is an adult story, all the sex is off page and not graphic or over the top. This is a great book for both young adults and adults. Thank you for giving me the gift of understanding Robbie. This book gives hope to those who have lost someone they don’t think they can live without. It teaches us that because one part of your heart has died, it doesn’t mean you can’t fill the rest of your heart with another person. And while you may never and should never forget the lost love, you didn’t die when they did, and you need to learn how to continue living. I give this book 5 marbles and hope to read more, either in Foster High books, or books written by Mr. Halliwell.~Timmy

A Way Back to Then is available 

in eBook and print at Dreamspinner and Amazon,

and in Nook & print from Barnes & Noble

About A Way Back to Then

A Tales from Foster High Story

Snarky yet good-hearted Robbie DeCaro made his first appearance in the pages of Tales from Foster High: End of the Innocence, years after the loss of his first and only love. A New York transplant, Robbie now decides that his work is done in the town of Foster, and the time has come for him to leave Texas.

Returning to his childhood home on Long Island, Robbie reunites with his family members. Each using their own unique methods, they try in vain to help Robbie reset to a life he knew before he left it all for the fairy-tale love he found, then tragically lost. 

As he remembers some of the darkest moments from his past, Robbie wonders if he’ll ever find the “after” in “happily ever after.”

About Robert Haliwell

Robert Halliwell hails from the mysterious land of Ronkonkoma in the Island of Long and grew up dreaming of the day the dark, handsome Mediterranean Prince of his dreams would whisk him away from the boring life he was accustomed to to a land far, far away...from his mother. A magical place full of roller skates and rainbows called Xanadu. Unfortunately, that never happened, but was instead whisked away to the dark kingdom of Westchester County and the "prince" turned out to be a very pale country bumpkin from Schenectady. Yes, it's a real place. When he's not spending the day writing, Robert can be found at home taking care of his four-legged children, Kira, Carter & Willow and viewing unhealthy amounts of QVC much to the dismay of his husband, Kevin. Robert is still waiting for Lynda Carter to sign the adoption papers he sent her in 1998.

Find Robert on Goodreads, his Goodreads blog,

on Facebook, and on Twitter @WonderRobbie

Welcome to the 2014 Timmy Awards!

The Timmy Award is presented in recognition of outstanding achievement in a particular field of authorship. Only books that I read or reviewed in 2014 qualify, and each category is judged solely by me. No book can win first place in more than one category. This restriction can mean that another book or books may have qualified for first place in a certain category, but I wanted each book to have a fair and equitable opportunity to be recognized and didn't want the awards weighted by any one book.

The original categories were announced in December, 2014. Alas, not enough poems qualified for the Most Inspirational Poem category and it has been removed from this year's ceremony. Similarly, categories have been added to accommodate recognition of outstanding achievement in other fields of authorship.

Without further ado, the Timmy Awards go to...

Best Coming Out Story

Tales From Foster High
John Goode

Safe, C. Kennedy

Silent, Sara Alva

Most Realistic Characters

Pukawiss the Outcast
Jay Jordan Hawke

Private Display of Affection,
Winter Sandberg

Designing Sam, Kira Harp

Most True to Life Story

Not Broken, Just Bent
Mia Kerick

Private Display of Affection,
Winter Sandberg

Safe, C. Kennedy

Best Tearjerker

End of Innocence
John Goode

Omorphi, C. Kennedy

Catch My Breath, M.J. O'Shea

Best Emotional Roller Coaster

Catch My Breath
M.J. O'Shea

End of Innocence, John Goode

Omorphi, C. Kennedy

Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Paranormal

Key of Behliseth
Lou Hoffmann

Weatherboy, Theo Fenraven

Seidman, James Erich

Best M/M Romance

Silent
Sara Alva

Omorphi, C. Kennedy

Ethan, Who Loved Carter,
Ryan Loveless

Best F/F Romance

A Friend For Christmas
J.P. Walker

Behind Door Number Two,
Kira Harp

Not Awarded

Best M/F Romance

Breaking Dawn
Stephenie Meyer

Twilight, Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer

Best Adult Book

Ethan, Who Loved Carter
Ryan Loveless

Catch My Breath, M.J. O'Shea

Taking Chances, John Goode

Best Series

Tales from Foster High
John Goode

Twilight, Stephenie Meyer

Mortal Instruments, Cassandra Clare

Best Free Story

Fairy
C. Kennedy

His Grandfather's Watch, N. R. Walker

Kismet, Lillian McKinnon

Best Beta Read

Slaying Isidore's Dragons
C. Kennedy

Child of Death, Jennifer Lee

Spinner, Michael Bowler

Best Short Story or Novella

His Grandfather's Watch
N. R. Walker

Safe, C. Kennedy

A Midnight Clear, Debbie McGowan

Story I Most Want to See Expanded to a Novel

Safe
C. Kennedy

Change of Plans, Kira Harp

Holidays with Drum and Bell,
Matthias Williamson

Hollywood Award

(story that would make a great film)

Seidman
James Erich

Weatherboy, Theo Fenraven

Key of Behliseth, Lou Hoffmann

Discovery Award

(story sure to teach readers something new)

Here's to You, Zeb Pike
Johanna Parkhurst
for True Adventure, Zebulon Pike and the climbing of Pike's Peak

One Man Guy, Michael Barakiva
for History, Armenian Genocide

By the Creek, Geoff Laughton
for Culture, Amish Peoples

Hope Award

(story sure to inspire the most hope in readers)

Omorphi
C. Kennedy

Silent, Sara Alva

Hero, Perry Moore

Best Book Cover

Silent
Sara Alva

Best Book of 2014

Best Book Award is presented in recognition of outstanding achievement in composition, writing, editing, publishing and other efforts put forth to create a 

unique, artistic, and memorable piece of literature. 

Omorphi
C. Kennedy

Congratulations to the winners of the 

2014 Timmy Awards!

A Note from Cody:

The amount of time and effort Timmy put into these awards and this ceremony would astound you and, at one point, he almost called it off. Not because of any lack of interest or complication, but because of the sheer frustration of having to favor one story over another. Thanks to you, he read a plethora of incredible books this year. A major event like this wouldn't be complete without a few grumbles along the way. Brilliant young man that he is, when I refused to permit him to give Slaying Isidore's Dragons an award because it isn't published yet, he simply made a Best Beta Read category. *outsmarted again* Please join me in thanking and honoring our Master of Ceremonies for his time, extraordinary efforts, and ingenuity by honoring him with the 2014 Inspiration Award! Well done, Timmy!