Dirk Tales, The Book by Dan Skinner

It’s my pleasure to welcome Dan Skinner and his ‘Darn Muse’ to my blog today and I’m delighted to be able to help them promote their fabulous Dirk Tales. Below you’ll find an inspirational guest post, all the details about the book, as well as my review. Please don’t forget to scroll all the way to the end and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win a paperback copy of the book signed by both Dan and Dirk—does it get any better?

HOPE

A funny thing happened on the way to mine and Dirk's friendship. His little oddities amused me and so I began sharing them with my friends on social media. No big deal. They were something that made me smile and I offered them as a way to make others smile. More and more people came every day to see what quirky little things he said and how I reacted to them. After all, we were two different generations of gay men. I grew up on Streisand and Aerosmith. He was a Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana and Justin Bieber baby. Not so much polar opposites in personality because of our mutual ADHD as generationally distinct. But a friendship formed and a bond cemented and somehow our lives became intertwined on a daily basis, even when we were separated for a year by the distance of my move.

Our friendship, and what we shared of it with others, became even bigger. People began writing us sharing the quirks and foibles of their lives, which were just as funny and proof that none of us is really ordinary. Each of us has our own purpose and significance and place among others in the world.

More than that, what we proved to each other was that in spite of differences, be they generational or personal, friendship has a way of doing something remarkable to all of us. It gives us... HOPE.

So we want to thank you for letting us in and accepting us... Your love has given us proof that good things still exist; nice people are not a rarity and HOPE does spring like youth eternal in all of us!

Love to you all

 D&D

The Book Blurb

Dirk Tales, The Book includes previously released Misadventures of Doc & Dirk volumes, available now for the first time in paperback, an additional episode, and more!

He's a middle-aged, newly single, gay photographer starting life over. Along comes a freshly out nineteen-year-old, irreverent free spirit who wants to be his apprentice. Mismatched by more than a generation, what could possibly go wrong? Everything! And it's AWESOME!

Dirk's First Time: Every gay boy has his first experience. Usually it's a memorable, exciting personal time of discovery and intimacy between two young people. But two comic book characters? Is it horseplay or Cosplay?

The Boy At The Gym: First impressions can be deceiving. Sometimes that boy in the baggy clothes, talking to himself in the gym isn't as shy as he appears. Sometimes there's a deviant imp lurking beneath that freckled mask of innocence. Beware the Trojan Nerd!

A "Muse" ing: Most authors struggle with the voices or "muses" in their head when writing. Tuning that voice out becomes a little more challenging when your muse is a real-life nineteen-year-old who inhales espresso and turns out ideas at light speed. Danger Will Robinson!

Daddy and The Rent Boy: In sales, advertising is half the battle. That can become hazardous when you're in the company of an irreverent walking billboard.

Sex Dolls and Bad Dates: We’ve all had one of those dates where we think we've bitten off more than we can chew. The trick to know is Bite or Flight?

Dirk's Quirks: Everyone has idiosyncrasies; that's what makes us interesting. If you're lucky, you get a heaping helping and can share them with everyone.

Make it Naked:Teaching a nineteen-year-old walking hormone photography apprentice to shoot nudes is more than an adventure...It's a human obstacle course.

Buy links:      Amazon         Amazon UK    Smashwords

My Review

Muse – A living, breathing, never-ending pest that prodded me forward where I normally procrastinated.

First things first. This is not ‘just’ a compilation of the first three episodes in the ‘Dirk Tales’. Far from it in fact. This book contains added ‘Dirkisms’ as well as a new, and possibly my favourite so far, episode all about Doc/Dan’s first photo shoots and the first time Dirk shot nudes by himself.

As I mentioned in my earlier reviews, what I really love about these tales is that they describe a wonderful, hysterically funny, but ultimately beatiful relationship in which two people learn from and teach each other in equal measure. Sure, it started as Doc/Dan accepting Dirk as his apprentice, but I think it’s fair to say that for everything Dirk learned about photography, Doc/Dan learned how to embrace life again. Dirk is an unstoppable life-force and Doc/Dan has been swept up in his passion—or, in Doc/Dan’s words:

Change is what dreams are made of…and I was dreaming again, and looking forward to the next wave. Wherever it may take me.

These anecdotes show us the amazing, fun, inspiring, and heartwarming journey two men make as they create a deep and honest relationship which appears to be far more than just a friendship or teacher – student dynamic and yet hasn’t evolved into a romance (although I can’t help feeling that possibility is always just a heartbeat away).

It is impossible not to fall for Dirk who is clearly highly intelligent and very quick-witted.

“I like that word, foolhardy. (…) Sounds like a word that means your brain has a battle to do something smart or something fun, and fun wins.”

It is so tempting to go into detail, accompanied with a long lineup of quotes, and share all the (more often than not) juicy details of that new episode. I’m resisting, but do urge you to make sure you get your hands on it and read it. Like I said, this one may well be my favourite so far because apart from funny and sexy, it also touched me deeply. It shows so very clearly the honesty between these two men and how very close they have grown. I smiled as often as I always do when reading about the ‘Muse-Nerd’ but my heart melted on more than one occasion too.

“One day you’ll have an apprentice telling you their tales of terror and how they made it through them. And you’ll be as proud as I am of you right now.”

Oh, I have one piece of advice for you. Do not stop reading when you think you’ve reached the end of these tales. There are quite a few Dirkisms hidden among the author and book information and you do not want to miss them.

For my thoughts on the episodes shared in the first three books I refer you to my reviews about those—the links can be found below. All I can say (again) is that I highly recommend these stories. They will lift your spirit and brighten your day. And goodness knows we need that more than ever these days.

Links to my reviews for the individual books: Book 1     Book 2          Book 3

THE GIVEAWAY

Please enter the give-away for your opportunity to win one of five copies of the paperback signed by both Doc/Dan and Dirk!

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ABOUT DAN SKINNER

I’m a single gay man living in the Midwest. I write because I consider myself to be an old-fashioned storyteller. I’ve been a photographer for half my life, specializing in male romance cover art. My dream is to one day live on the beach with my dog and continue to tell tales that inspire and entertain.

Social Media Links

That Darn Muse Blog          Facebook       Twitter         Tumbler        Deviant Art

That Darn Muse (The Misadventures of Doc and Dirk) Vol. III by Dan “Doc” Skinner

The blurb:

He's a middle-aged, newly single, gay photographer starting life over. Along comes a freshly out nineteen-year-old, irreverent free spirit who wants to be his apprentice. Mismatched by more than a generation, what could possibly go wrong? Everything! And it's AWESOME!

Sex Dolls and Bad Dates: We’ve all had one of those dates where we think we've bitten off more than we can chew. The trick to know is Bite or Flight?

Dirk's Quirks: Everyone has idiosyncrasies; that's what makes us interesting. If you're lucky, you get a heaping helping and can share them with everyone.

My thoughts:

“I found him to be the equivalent of a nineteen-year-old, hyperactive Borg: resistance is futile.”

This is the third episode of these ‘misadventures. While I strongly advice and highly recommend that you read these (short) books in order, I have to admit you would get away with starting with book two or book three. Dan/Doc has been kind enough to include a ‘this is how we met’ chapter at the start of each of these instalments. So even if you’ve so far managed to miss Dan’s post about Dirk on Facebook and are completely new to this fabulous partnership, you won’t be lost, no matter where you start reading.

What attracts me most to these books is that while they appear to be about Dirk, the ‘muse-nerd’ we learn at least as much about Dan/Doc as we do about his young apprentice. I imagine it works in real life as it appears to do in these tales; Dan/Doc is helpless in the face of Dirk’s curiosity and enthusiasm. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he never set to reveal as much of himself as he does, but sorta fell into it as a result of Dirk’s inquisitiveness.

Younger Dan’s disastrous birthday pick-up is a hoot, as is the story Dirk shares in return, if only because they reminded me of one or two ‘oh my God, how did I end up in this situation’ experiences from my own life.

I’ll share a few random quotes and thoughts, just because I can.

“Curiosity doesn’t kill the cat with Dirk. He just becomes a bigger cat.”

I had to google ‘Tootsie Pops’ but once I had, Dirk’s comment made perfect sense—as did his mother’s response. (And that’s all I’m saying; read the book if you want to know more).

I love this description of Dirk:

“I remind you that this is a young man who not only thinks outside the box, but doesn’t recognize that there’s a box in the first place.”

As I’ve come to expect by now, I read this book with a permanent grin on my face, except for those moments when I found myself laughing out loud. But, these stories are more than light-hearted fun to me. They paint a beautiful picture of a developing friendship, of loyalty, and of what it takes to really get to know someone. The Dirkisms combined with Dan/Doc’s observations about them and the person who makes them, while always making me smile, also make me think that we should really pay more attention to other people and try to look beyond the obvious first impressions. This episode ends on a wonderful tale about Dirk and cat ears (which I’m not going to share either) and a quote we would all do well to take to heart when dealing with the quirks of others:

“It made me realize what we see as odd… may simply be something that makes someone else more comfortable.”

I’ll end this review with a wish, which is also my plea aimed at Dan/Doc and Dirk; please, whatever you do, never stop sharing these wonderful scenes with us.

Related Reviews:      That Darn Muse vol. I

                               That Darn Muse vol. 2

The Misadventures of Doc and Dirk Vol. 2 – That Darn Muse by Dan Skinner

38 pages

Buy links: Amazon    Amazon UK

The Blurb:

He's a middle-aged, newly single, gay photographer starting life over. Along comes a freshly out nineteen-year-old, irreverent free spirit who wants to be his apprentice. Mismatched by more than a generation, what could possibly go wrong? Everything! And it's AWESOME!

My Thoughts:

“Because that’s how dreams find life….words…..Words.”

This book could also have been titled ‘The Birth of the MuseNerd’ as we learn how he inspires Doc/Dan to write A Summer of Guiltless Sex (and thank you very much for that moment of inspiration, MuseNerd; I simply adored that book) as well as this particular series of delightful reads.

Getting to know Dirk is a pure pleasure. I imagine it might be quite exhausting in real life, but on my Kindle he is wonderful company. His honesty and lack of filters are in fact refreshing in a world where political correctness does appear to have gone mad. All of us have been programmed, from a very early age, to think before we speak and to not stand out – fade to grey, don’t look for the spotlight, don’t stand out from the crowd. Dirk isn’t built that way and couldn’t stop standing out if you paid him to do so. Personally I think the world would be a nicer, probably more tolerant and definitely more entertaining place if we could all take at least a small leaf out of Dirk’s book and occasionally approach life with uncensored honesty without fearing the repercussions.

While we obviously get to know Dirk better with each subsequent instalment of this series, the same can be said for Doc/Dan. Not that he describes himself in details similar to the one he uses for his apprentice. It is more that we get an insight in to the author from the way he reacts to and thinks about Dirk as he describes their misadventures.

Our Dirk is an undemanding muse. He’s not in it for recognition. He just has these genius ideas for stories and sequels to stories and, because he has no filter, he blurts them out, leaving Doc/Dan scrambling to keep up while writing them all down on whatever writing material he can find.

“…sometimes only ten words out of a thousand I say make sense. So if you can make sense of it, more power, dude.”

The Dirkisms, both those shared by Doc/Dan on Facebook and the ones you’ll find in this book are fun. I thought about sharing one or two of them here but that would mean having to choose, pick favourites, and that’s just impossible for me. I’ll say this much though, if you want to read with a huge grin on your face and happy spreading through your body, read them these books and the Dirkisms they contain for yourself; they will, without a doubt, brighten your day.

“He puts both the whip and snap in whippersnapper.”

My review of The Misadventures of Doc and Dirk Vol. 1

That Darn Muse: The Misadventures of Doc and Dirk by Dan Skinner

42 pages

E – book

Buy links:      Amazon         Amazon UK    Smashwords

The blurb:

He's a middle-aged, newly single, gay photographer starting life over. Along comes a freshly out nineteen-year-old, irreverent free spirit who wants to be his apprentice. Mismatched by more than a generation, what could possibly go wrong? Everything! And it's AWESOME! 

Dirk's First Time. Every gay boy has his first experience. Usually it's a memorable, exciting personal time of discovery and intimacy between two young people. But two comic book characters? Is it horseplay or Cosplay? 

The Boy At The Gym. First impressions can be deceiving. Sometimes that boy in the baggy clothes, talking to himself in the gym isn't as shy as he appears. Sometimes there's a deviant imp lurking beneath that freckled mask of innocence. Beware the Trojan Nerd!

My thoughts:

I’ve been following (or is it stalking?) Dan Skinner on Facebook for some time now, and it’s safe to say that his ‘Dirkisms’ are one of the highlights of my day. I look forward to finding out what new pearls of wisdom (or is it comedy?) young Dirk has come up with, what his T-shirt might be saying on any given day, or how he’s interacting with his mother (the woman deserves a medal). So, when I discovered Dan Skinner had put together a short book about his friendship with Dirk I didn’t think twice; had to have the book and had to read it.

“This kid is more than a muse…He’s a prick tease. No doubt about it.”

The blurb tells you everything you need to know about this book. In two episodes and an intermezzo filled with ‘Random Dirkisms’ we are told the story of Dirk and Dan meeting, Dirk becoming Dan’s apprentice, and the early months of their acquaintance and getting to know each other.

This is a feel good read, and the fact that these events and conversations really took place only makes that feel good factor skyrocket. These words will either make you smile or laugh out loud. It is impossible not to marvel at the wonder that is Dirk. Clever, quick, and to the point, he’s never lost for a smart comeback. And I love what I’ve seen of Dirk’s mother so far. It is so refreshing to read about a mother – son relationship that actually works, where the two individuals involved get each other, bounce off each other, and obviously trust each other deeply.

I like putting quotes in my reviews and, as shown above, I started doing just that. Then I realised I would have to copy about half the book if I wanted to share everything that had touched me, made my smile, or made me laugh so hard I actually had to stop reading. And since I know without a shadow of a doubt that all these potential quotes are far better when read in context, I decided to leave it at just one, just to whet your appetite.

This is a short read, our opportunity to get to know Dan and Dirk beyond the glimpses we get on social media, and as such it is a treasure. I’m delighted it also ‘just’ the start of the tale. More books are coming and the second one already has a title – That Darn Muse, Volume Two: Daddy and the Rent Boy & A-MUSE-ING – and should be coming soon. For me personally it can’t come soon enough. J

A Summer of Guiltless Sex by Dan Skinner: Release Day Promo Post

A Summer of Guiltless Sex by Dan Skinner

Today I am delighted to welcome Dan Skinner to my blog with his latest release, A Summer of Guiltless Sex. Before we get to the nitty-gritty of the blurb, an excerpt and my review, here’s a guest post in which the responsibility for this particular book is resolutely dropped on one particular person. Enjoy J

Guest post: It Started with Butt-Fucking Justin Bieber

"How many guys do you think want to butt-fuck Justin Bieber?"

This is exactly how most conversations with Dirk start. There is no lead-in as to what the subject will be and there certainly isn’t any warning before he drops the bomb in your lap two seconds before detonation. It's just there and you have to deal with it. He is, of course, ADHD like myself, but I have a tendency to think about a question before it leaves my mouth.

I'd been invited to his house to have Thanksgiving with the three of them, his mother and grandmother and Dirk. He had prepared the Vegan half of the dinner for the two of us because I've been vegetarian for three plus years and he had recently converted. Me, because I wanted to lose weight and get healthy, and his reason was because he’d seen a video on FB of a pig raised with puppies who thought it was a dog. His perspective of animals had been forever altered with that moment. That's how fast his nineteen-year-old mind works and his convictions form. So you have to get used to spontaneity with him – it's a prerequisite for spending time with him.

It's also the way his ideas come to him. They're like sudden flashes, comets streaking through his stream of consciousness that fly from his lips and dazzle you with the sudden fireworks.

We'd had dinner, he was drinking a beer and I was having a tall dark roast his mom had made for her Bailey's, although mine was virgin. I'd accompanied him to his room because his mom and grandmother were engaged in a political discussion he wasn't interested in.

The door was no sooner closed than he cold-cocked me with the Justin Bieber question. "I have no idea," I said. But in reality, I do believe almost every gay guy I know, including myself, have at one time or another fantasized what the singer would look like naked in our bed. It's just the truth of the matter. He's good-looking and he's a prick tease. Though many of us think he's a douche and a jerk, we'd all – as Dirk said – "Take a lick of that nasty lollipop." We all do it. We all fantasize about things and people we know we can't possibly have. We know it will never happen, but the fantasy of having the unobtainable is irresistible.

That was the whole point of the ensuing conversation with Dirk, how he had the hots for one of the male models that I shot who was straight or possibly bi, and gorgeous. I had shot so many nudes of him it was impossible to not slobber when you looked at the photos. Dirk had used him for his personal fantasies on numerous occasions and that served as the impetus for speculation: what if circumstances put you and your fantasy in a situation that could become intimate? For real? What if fate conspired to throw the two of you together because it was safe and solved the same problem for both of you? Where does your mind go with that storyline?

We talked for a good two hours about the possibilities of an impossible relationship and before we were finished, I knew he'd given me the premise for a fun little romp of a story. Dirk had filled in all the naughty gaps with his own mental dalliances on the matter...and before I got back through the door of my house A Summer of Guiltless Sex had practically written itself from beginning to end in my head.

A week later I read the finished manuscript to him over the phone. He loved it. He said it was like a mental Bieber butt-fuck...

Muses have a tendency to be very blunt...

The blurb

Two very different men, from two walks of life find common ground for an exciting and unique adventure.

It'd not been a great beginning of the summer season for either Bill, a young bridal store clerk, or Ted, a college student working as a lifeguard at the apartment complex’s pool. They'd both been dumped in their respective relationships and were still looking for “the one.” Their chance meeting at this low ebb in their lives and an off-the-cuff remark about what they both needed as a temporary solution to their physical needs, lead to a unique and adventuresome pact between the two. They agree to be what's lacking in each other’s lives. They begin a journey of self-discovery. One that will only last the length of the summer and will forever change their lives and ideas about love and friendship. One season of guiltless sex.

Photography by Dan Skinner, found on: http://theknobgoblin.tumblr.com/

  

Excerpt

We were now looking directly at each other. I didn’t remember turning, or how we happened to end up in the eye lock, but there we were, inches apart, standing naked in a pool and talking about guiltless sex. The moment had its own compelling force, and I believed we both knew it.

    “Do you want me to kiss you?” I asked.

    “You’re the expert on it, I think it might work better that way,” he said. There was an unmistakable nervous quaver in his voice.

    I could tell by the razor straightness of his shoulders that he’d gone tense. He was also staring at me, not blinking.

    “You look like someone taking his first driving lesson,” I said. “Maybe you should relax a little.”

    He grinned nervously. “I’m trying.” He rolled his shoulders, as if trying to loosen his muscles, and then fell right back into the same rigid posture.

    I was actually not feeling that much less tense, but I had the advantage of having kissed guys before and knew it wasn’t a big deal. Slowly, I moved in closer.

    “Close your eyes,” I instructed in a soft, reassuring tone.

    “Okay.” He closed his eyes, still appearing as if he’d been cracked from a concrete mold.

    Even as uncomfortable as he was, he was visually striking. I could imagine some artist sculpting that chiseled face, and sleek neck and shoulders as a fountain centerpiece. As I moved into his space, I could feel the heat from his body. I carefully cupped my hand and took his chin. I felt the sandpaper stubble of his whiskers beneath the wetness. I closed my own eyes and aimed for the glorious target and then pressed my lips against his. My heart began beating so hard I could feel it pound behind my eyes. It emptied the blood from my head, leaving a vacancy filled with dizziness. His mouth felt wonderful, his lips full and soft and crazily magnetic to my own. I had to back away to catch my breath, which seemed to be running like a prison escapee from my lungs.

Buy link: Amazon

 My thoughts

Do you like it when a book surprises you? I love few things better. And to say that A Summer of Guiltless Sex surprised me in the best possible way, would be an understatement.

At first glance this felt and read like a lighthearted romp. Two lads with broken hearts, unfulfilled dreams, and time on their hands decide to join forces and create a memorable summer together. Throw in some sexual experimentation, and what you would end up with is a charming, uncomplicated read.

Except that A Summer of Guiltless Sex is so much more. Underneath the lighthearted banter and sexy times are two men growing up, finding out who they really are and finding the courage to live the life they were always meant to live. I highlighted so many quotes in this book, it is impossible to share them all here. At the same time, having to pick and choose is almost breaking my heart.

Ted especially is a font of wisdom when it comes to life and how we live it. I mean, don’t we all, to some extend at least, compromise our dreams away?

I have this feeling that we try to force things to happen so we can fit like a certain piece of the puzzle rather than look for where we really fit. We try to bend the corners and twist the edges to accommodate the space we think we should fit into…When we don’t belong there anyway. Who says life is supposed to be lived in a certain way? – Ted

And how true is the following quote. Bill has all but given up on his dreams, except that he still keeps them hidden away in a spare room, unable to completely push them aside. Ted’s explanation of that situation resonated with me.

Dreams don’t ever die. (…) I know. I tried to lock mine away, but the damned things kept going out. They’re like that loud drunk aunt at Christmas you wish would shut up or pass out. They keep on shouting at you. (…) Our dreams help us find ourselves. Our dreams make us whole. – Ted

And this is one of those quotes I want to print in big letters on one of the walls in my house:

Fear is temporary. Regret is permanent. Adventure is taking a chance because it’s better than the question mark if you don’t. – Ted

The following has been my personal mantra for some time now, and it was nice to find it in a book I loved, spoken by a character I adored.

“Do you think there’ll ever come a time that people can just be people and we can love each other, or whomever we want without putting labels on everything? It kinda seems like we’re trying to package something on the outside that’s far more complex on the inside. – Ted

Regretfully I’m going to stop here. For every quote I shared I deleted at least one, equally good, other one. But really, you should just go and read the book. It is filled with quotable paragraphs and I have no doubt every reader will find at least a few favourites of their own.

This is not a typical romance. Sometimes a happy ending does not mean that the two main characters end up together. Sometimes, what may appear bitter-sweet is in fact perfect.

 What I hope you got from my words above and the subsequent quotes is that this is a fabulous, touching, memorable, and captivating coming of age story—both inspired and inspirational. This was my first Dan Skinner book, but clearly it will not be my last. If this book sets the standard, I’ve got a lot of good reading ahead of me.