Welcome to Tuesday Teasers with ZA Maxfield! This week we have author Stewart Wakefield joining us!

Fans of Teaser Tuesdays know what’s going to happen here:

I’ll post a snippet from one of Stewart’s books with the character names asterisked out.

Your mission is to guess which of Stewart’s books the excerpt comes from! Email your answer to William at AuthorAssistants (at) gmail DOT com. Please be sure to put “Teaser Tuesday” in the subject line! I’ll draw a random winner each week. It’s that simple! Come play along… If you guess correctly, you’ll be entered to win a prize!

Last week’s winner is Strive Bst***! You should be receiving an email shortly!

Here’s a little bit about Stewart Wakefield:

I want to live in a world where toys are free, washing machines never break down, and everybody gets a happy ending. As an author, I’ve written a Kindle best seller, been nominated for the Polari First Book Prize and People’s Book Prize, and experienced the all-consuming fear of reading my work at London’s Southbank Centre. When I’m not writing about men who love men, you can find me studying for a Masters degree in Professional Writing and working with other authors as a Developmental Editor. My latest release—the Body of Water audio book— hit Audible, Amazon, and iTunes on 15th September, with my next book—an adventure romance called Chisel & Groove: Husk—following in early 2015.

HERE’s the snippet:

 

Two flights of stairs later and we were in the basement. The pool’s underwater lights were already on and it was much larger than I had expected. ***** switched on the basement lights and then dimmed them until the pool shone brighter than the room.

***** yanked off his t-shirt and shorts and tossed them onto a wooden deck chair. ‘This is the shallow end, if you want to get in.’

I took off my shirt and sat cross-legged on the edge of the pool where he had indicated, reluctant to get wet.

At the deep end, ***** took up position and prepared to dive in. I watched how his muscles moved across his ribcage as his arms extended upwards, how his legs flexed when he crouched, ready for his spring, then the perfect line of his body as he took off, arched forward, and dove cleanly into the water. How was it possible? I didn’t know much about rugby but I knew what a typical player looked like, lumbering down the pitch like a juggernaut. I had expected ***** to be clumsy in the water. ***** swam the length of the pool towards me and surfaced a few feet away, resting his weight on his arms in the shallow water. His shoulders bulged and I felt the familiar heat burn in my chest and work its way down.

‘Get in then.’ He smiled, getting to his feet and holding out his hands.

The water cascaded down *****’s body, and I felt my stomach twist with anxiety as I uncrossed my legs and pulled my knees up, desperate that he didn’t notice what the heat had done to me. Suddenly unsteady, I edged forward and lowered myself into the pool before waded into the water. It was warm and I was thankful for that.

Something caught his eye. ‘What’s that?’ He nodded to my pendant.

My hand rose to my chest. ‘Mum gave it to me.’

‘Looks like an arrowhead. What is it, flint?’

‘Something like that. It’s a sign of protection. Some local custom where she’s from.’ Since my adoption I had rid myself of my Scottish accent and avoided bringing any attention to my ancestry. I just wanted to fit in.

***** waited patiently. He smiled as I moved toward him, not moving backward into the deeper water until our hands met. He held onto me, his fingers intertwined with mine. His instructions were gentle. ‘Relax your neck. Open out your shoulders. Breathe.’

But my grip on him only tightened. This was a big thing. As far as I could remember I had never been this close to this much water, let alone in it. My experience with the wet stuff extended only as far as baths and showers.

He continued to encourage me. ‘Do you want to try putting your face in? That’s good. Next time try breathing out under the water.’

As I breathed out water rushed in and I took an involuntary breath. I came up fast, coughing hard.

‘Sorry, sorry.’ He moved us back toward the shallow end. ‘Let’s just stand here for a bit while you calm down. Christ, that pump is working overtime.’ He was right; there was a definite current in the water around us.

I pinched my nose and concentrated on my breathing.

‘Do you want to try floating? It’s easier than you think.’

With his hand on my back, ***** coaxed me off my feet and into his arms. I felt vulnerable then. This was more intimate than I thought it would be, alone with this stocky boy in the water.

‘Now straighten out your body. Relax your neck again and let the water support your head. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.’

Sound muffled and cleared as the water lapped at my ears. *****’s chest pressed against my side as I straightened out, his hands moving to support me between my shoulder blades and lower back.

‘Relax, *****. The water is your friend.’

 

As a bonus, you can sample a chapter of this book’s audiobook here!

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Thanks for joining us, Stewart!

If you think you know what book this excerpt came from, don’t forget to email William at AuthorAssistants (at) gmail DOT com with your guess!