We’re so excited to welcome TJ West, author of Country Road Romance, for our first author talk at ARE’s LGBTQ+ Center’s library! Hear the author discuss his writing process and his publishing experience with his debut Appalachian queer romance novel.
The proud son and grandson of farmers and coal miners, TJ West is a queer writer and culture critic. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Marshall University and a Master’s and Doctorate from Syracuse University. Though he is based on Maryland’s Eastern Shore–where he lives with his partner and their cat–the Mountain State will always have a piece of his heart.
About the Book:
Jared Russell has never met his nemesis – Hollywood golden boy Charlie Garrett – but he knows everything about him: he’s gay, he’s handsome, and he got out of West Virginia as soon as he could and never looked back. When he’s forced to be Charlie’s chaperone for the Mountain State Film Festival, Jared reluctantly feels pulled in by his good looks and sweet nature.
Charlie has always felt guilty about leaving the Mountain State, so he jumps at the chance to return and give something back to the queer folks who still call those hills and hollers home. He’s drawn to his broody, grumpy chaperone, but after he loses his temper at a local gay bar he has to hide out and wait for the media frenzy to die down. The destination? Jared’s parents’ house.
As the weekend unfolds, Jared realizes that Charlie might be the real-life romantic hero he never knew he wanted, while Charlie finds himself falling head over heels for Jared, seeing the beautiful soul he tries to hide. Can the two of them overcome their differences to build a future, or will their romance only be a weekend encounter?