Art historian David Webster left his childhood home of Saugerties, New York ten years ago and hasn’t looked back. Intelligent, successful, and proud of his sexuality, David has built a comfortable, if lonely, life in Chicago. But when he learns his father has suffered a debilitating stroke, he decides to leave his prestigious museum job and move home to care for his dad. Until now David has never questioned his devotion to academic and professional success. Suddenly he’s forced to confront and reevaluate his desires, chief among them, his former best friend Nick.

Nick Patras has spent his entire life trying to be the perfect Greek son. From devoting himself to football, to forgoing an athletic scholarship to work at his family’s diner, to denying his sexuality and getting married to his high school sweetheart, Nick got used to putting his family’s dreams ahead of his own. The facade shattered, however, when Nick divorced his wife and left the family business to follow his dream of starting an organic farm. Finally content with the life he’s built for himself, Nick is still haunted by the mistake that ended his friendship with David a decade earlier.

When David and Nick reunite their old feelings are undeniable, but can David trust Nick with his heart a second time around? As David embarks on a new career as an artist, he must decide whether or not Nick fits into this composition.

Goodreads | NineStar Press | Amazon
Release Date: September 30, 2019

Hi KD, welcome on Queer Books Unbound! We’re super excited to have you here with us. Ready? Let’s start!

Tell us about your new release Love on the Hudson!

Love on the Hudson is an ex-best-friends-to-lovers queer romance set New York’s Hudson Valley. One of the heroes, David Webster, is an art academic turned museum professional living in Chicago. When he finds out his father has suffered a serious stroke, he rushes back home to the small town where he grew up. Once there, he’s forced to confront things he’d rather leave in the past, including Nick Patras, his former best friend. But Nick has changed a lot, leaving his family business behind and opening his own organic farm. And he wants more than anything to make things right with the man he knows he hurt.

This book was important to me to write on a number of levels. I came out later in life and I wanted to write about a character who shared that experience. I also adore the Hudson Valley and wanted to tell a story that highlighted a more rural queer community and didn’t shy away from the lived realities of LGBTQ+ folks who live outside of major urban areas. Love on the Hudson is my debut full-length novel so I’m very excited (and nervous!) about that.

Is there something you especially love about this book or are particularly proud of?

I am an avid vegetable gardener so it was really fun for me to write about Nick’s organic farm. I got to do all kinds of nerdy research and ended up learning a lot about permaculture that helped me with my own gardening.

I also really do love both of these characters so much. They sort of popped into my head fully formed one day and it was like I couldn’t help but see the world through their eyes. The book deals with some heavy subject matter but I wanted David and Nick’s love story to feel sweet and heartwarming at the same time.

Both MC’s are “hands on” so to speak with David being an artist and Nick wanting to start his own organic farm. Is this something you share with them?

Oh yes, big time. Somehow every book I write ends up featuring folks who work with their hands. I am certainly a person who can’t sit still. During the brief period of time I worked an office job I was pretty much at my wit’s end. I basically always need to be moving my body or doing something with my hands, so a lot of my writing is initially done in my head while I’m on a hike or working in my garden. Unfortunately, aside from making pottery (which I love) I’m not artistically talented like David. I did enjoy immersing myself in his perspective, though, and trying to see the world the way a painter might.

What was the most challenging thing while writing Love on the Hudson?

This book was challenging to write because a lot of the difficulties the characters face are things I have also experienced. But it felt really important for me to write a romance centering a character who has faced trauma and come out on the other side feeling whole and worthy of love.

In general, too, I am the world’s slowest writer and a major perfectionist so the drafting process can sometimes be a bit of a slog. Thankfully, after revising and revising and revising some more, I ended up learning a lot about what works for me as a writer. I have figured out how to (mostly) quiet that voice in the back of my head that unfavorably compares my work other books.

And finally, what can we expect in the future? Any new projects in the pipeline you can tell us about?

Yes! I have a m/m holiday romance called A Christmas Cabin for Two coming out on November 5^th of this year. It’s about an organic farmer (I told you I like writing about people who work with their hands!) and a teacher meeting at a Christmas tree farm in Idaho. It was so much fun to write because curling up to watch holiday movies is my favorite indoor winter activity!

I also just finished up writing a f/f rivals-to-lovers book about two chefs in coastal southern Maine. There’s a tough butch with a heart of gold, a free-spirited baker, and lots and lots of delicious food.

Thank you!

“But you can’t assume that just because we felt something a decade ago, it’s still going to work.”

When I glance over at Nick, I know I’ve said the wrong thing because his handsome face has gone serious, his mouth tight again.

“Hey,” I whisper and cup his cheek, turning his face to look at me. “I’m not saying it can’t work. Just that we have to get to know each other again. Okay? I didn’t even know you got divorced until a few weeks ago. I didn’t know you were figuring out your sexuality. And I definitely didn’t know about this whole farm thing.” My attempt at humor is rewarded with a low chuckle from Nick. “You don’t know about the job I left or my total failure of a three-year relationship.”

 

Win one of 3 packages of a signed physical copy + postcard of LOVE ON THE HUDSON by KD Fisher!

(click the graphic to get to the rafflecopter)

KD Fisher is a queer New England-based writer of authentic, heartfelt LGBTQ+ narratives. KD grew up all over the United States, bouncing from North Carolina to Hawaiʻi to Illinois, and finally settling in Maine where she spends far too much time at the beach.

When KD isn’t writing, she can usually be found hiking with her overly enthusiastic dog, obsessing over plants, or cooking elaborate meals. She loves classic country, perfectly ripe tomatoes, and falling asleep in the sun.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter | Facebook | Goodreads

Genre: Contemporary Orientation: Gay Pairing: M/M Self Published Tag: Friends to Lovers Tag: Interview Tag: Second Chances KD Fisher Love on the Hudson