Book Review: Tackling The Tight End by Tara Lain

Tackling The Tight End
(Long Pass Chronicles Series, #3)
By Tara Lain

Blurb:
Everyone wants the best for SCU student and tight end, Raven Nez—and they know exactly what that is. Enter the NFL draft, become a big football hero, promote his tribe’s casino, and make a lot of money to help people on the reservation. Just one problem. Raven really wants to work with gay kids, and while he loves his tribe and likes football, his visions for the future don’t mesh with theirs. Then the casino board hires a talented student filmmaker to create ads for the tribal business and asks Raven to work with him. But the filmmaker is Dennis Hascomb, a guy with so much to hide and a life so ugly it’s beyond Raven’s understanding. Still he’s drawn to Dennis's pain and incredible ability to survive. Captivated by Raven’s stories of the two-spirited and by the amazing joy of finally having a friend, Dennis knows he has to break free from everything he’s ever been taught was good—but that’s a struggle that could kill him and Raven, too. Is there a chance for “the great red hope” and the “whitest guy on earth”? A future for the serpent and the raven?

Available for purchase at 

      

Viviana's Review:

The third installment in the Long Pass Chronicles Series, i was interested to see how Tara, the author, would portray Dennis as a hero since in previous books he’s been the “bad guy”.  As the saying goes “Not everything is as it seems”.

I loved the first two books in the series for various different reasons.  The characters, their stories, the obstacles they each had to overcome to be their true selves… these are just some of the main ones.  With Tackling the Tight End I find myself liking the book a lot more than loving it.  The writing is still strong, and I enjoyed the diversity as well.

There was just something - maybe it was Dennis’ home situation that was just way too much; that he went along with it as long as he did; his lack of sharing/providing information about his past/home life that could have proven helpful… I can’t pinpoint it exactly.

Overall a really good read that moves the series along.  I’m extremely happy Tara includes diverse characters in her stories adding a deeper level of realism to heartfelt stories.

Rating: 3 Stars - I Liked It

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, Tara Lain in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Blog Tour - Character Bio & Giveaway: Tackling The Tight End by Tara Lain

Hi Everyone!! I'm happy to host Tara Lain today!
Meet Dennis! He's one of the heroes in Tackling The End! 

Meet the Serpent – 

Name: Dennis Hascomb

Age: 21

Ethnicity/Nationality: American; “the whitest man on earth”

Hair: pale blond

Height: 6 ft. 

Weight: Slender, about 165

Sexuality: Confused; attracted to men, but being gay is very inconvenient (and perhaps life threatening)

Occupation: college senior film student; a key player in his “family business”

Personal goals: to rescue his sister; to live to see tomorrow

Family: Antoinette and Mercer; grifters and con artists

Greatest desire: to have a friend who genuinely likes him; to have a life of his own

Greatest challenge: Survival

Inspirational Image ONLY

Copyright Disclaimer -  we do not own or claim to own the rights to this image

Tackling The Tight End
(Long Pass Chronicles Series, #3)
By Tara Lain

Blurb:
Everyone wants the best for SCU student and tight end, Raven Nez—and they know exactly what that is. Enter the NFL draft, become a big football hero, promote his tribe’s casino, and make a lot of money to help people on the reservation. Just one problem. Raven really wants to work with gay kids, and while he loves his tribe and likes football, his visions for the future don’t mesh with theirs. Then the casino board hires a talented student filmmaker to create ads for the tribal business and asks Raven to work with him. But the filmmaker is Dennis Hascomb, a guy with so much to hide and a life so ugly it’s beyond Raven’s understanding. Still he’s drawn to Dennis's pain and incredible ability to survive. Captivated by Raven’s stories of the two-spirited and by the amazing joy of finally having a friend, Dennis knows he has to break free from everything he’s ever been taught was good—but that’s a struggle that could kill him and Raven, too. Is there a chance for “the great red hope” and the “whitest guy on earth”? A future for the serpent and the raven?

Available for purchase at 

      

 

You can also order your copy at

Also available in paperback from Dreamspinner Press

Excerpts

Raven laid out paper plates with pizza, two Cokes, and a bowl of potato chips on a box he used for a coffee table in front of the couch. He set them up so that Dennis either had to sit on the floor—not too comfortable, considering it was very worn carpet—or sit beside Raven. Maybe he could get Dennis to relax a little.

The movie started, and Dennis took a bite of cheese and artichoke hearts. He sighed and closed his eyes for a second.

Raven smiled. “Good?”

“Oh yeah. I always have dinner with my parents, which means I never get to eat anything normal.”

“They must really have bought into all that crap about eating together keeps the family together.”

“Yeah.” He pointed at the screen. “Okay, so you know this was partly an homage to the old western serials, right?”

Raven wrote in the air as he said, “Cowboooooys in Spaaaaaace.”

“Exactly. But it goes a lot deeper. It’s a real Biblical epic battle of good versus evil. I mean Luke, right? This is the book of Luke. And the Force. Interesting that most of the ordinary dumb bad guys make fun of the ancient religion, but Darth Vader knows and uses the Force. That’s what makes him so powerful. Darth, of course, is a play on Dark, and all the Darths in the series are the most dangerous villains.”

“Vader is short for invader?”

“I think that’s where it came from, but did you know that vader means father in Dutch?” He laughed. “They probably weren’t so surprised at the whole ‘Luke’s father’ revelation in the Netherlands.”

“No kidding?”

Dennis leaned forward for a piece of pepperoni pizza just as Raven grabbed for the same one. Their hands touched as they both held the crust. Raven grinned. “If they did this in a movie, you’d probably say it was contrived, right? Could never happen. The director should get a more original idea to get them together.”

“Yeah.” Raven heard Dennis swallow.

“So now that you have us here, director Hascomb, what do you plan to do with us?”

Dennis swallowed again, lifted his thumb, and gently rubbed Raven’s little finger.

Well damn, he’d had a fair amount of sex in his twenty-one years, but nothing had ever dived straight to his dick quite as fast as that gentle caress. “Man, you do it for me.”

“I-I do?”

“Yeah. That’s no demand or even request. I just want you to know.”

“What’s it like to kiss a guy?”

Their fingers stroked and twined. Nothing else moved if he didn’t count the expanding of cocks. “I don’t know. It’s great. Maybe not that different from kissing a girl. More stubble, I guess.” Raven wiped his other hand across his chin. “But not from me. No beard.”

“I’ve never kissed a girl. I tried to have sex a couple times but skipped the kissing part.”

“Well, hell, man. That means—”

On the screen, the 3-D projection of Princess Leia popped out of the communication device in R2-D2. Dennis stared at their linked hands. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi—”

Raven joined in. “You’re our only hope.” He reached a hand around Dennis’s head and pulled him closer, then pressed half-open lips to Dennis’s closed mouth. Stroking gently, he persuaded those full pink lips apart and slipped his tongue slightly between. Dennis startled, but Raven held his head just tight enough to keep them in contact, but not so tight as to scare him.

Dennis shivered, made a little gurgling sound in his throat, brought his hands up against Raven’s shoulders, and then—some dam gave way. He dissolved in Raven’s arms, even wrapping his own around Raven’s chest, and oh God, his mouth opened, accepting all of Raven’s tongue. Sweet. As Raven’s tongue slid in, Dennis sucked. Jesus, Raven practically came just from the heat of that suction. 

The Long Pass Chronicles Series

About the Author

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at

               

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Cover Reveal Blitz: Tackling The Tight End by Tara Lain

Tackling The Tight End
(Long Pass Chronicles Series, #3)

By Tara Lain

Blurb:

Everyone wants the best for SCU student and tight end, Raven Nez—and they know exactly what that is. Enter the NFL draft, become a big football hero, promote his tribe’s casino, and make a lot of money to help people on the reservation. Just one problem. Raven really wants to work with gay kids, and while he loves his tribe and likes football, his visions for the future don’t mesh with theirs. Then the casino board hires a talented student filmmaker to create ads for the tribal business and asks Raven to work with him. But the filmmaker is Dennis Hascomb, a guy with so much to hide and a life so ugly it’s beyond Raven’s understanding. Still he’s drawn to Dennis's pain and incredible ability to survive. Captivated by Raven’s stories of the two-spirited and by the amazing joy of finally having a friend, Dennis knows he has to break free from everything he’s ever been taught was good—but that’s a struggle that could kill him and Raven, too. Is there a chance for “the great red hope” and the “whitest guy on earth”? A future for the serpent and the raven?

Release Date: 
January 15,  2016

You can pre-order your copy at

Also available for pre-order in paperback from Dreamspinner Press

Excerpt

Dennis’s heart kept pounding in his throat as he crawled out of Walt’s car in the parking lot of the burger place and watched Raven’s long legs emerge from the front seat onto the pavement beside him. Jesus, he was about to go eat with this guy who looked like a god. Man, that was some kind of new milestone. He leaned over and peered in the front seat. “Thanks for driving, Walt. And for including me. Good to meet you.”

“Yeah. Same here.” Walt gave a wave to Raven. “See you later, lover.” After Raven slammed the door, Walt drove off.

“He seems like a great guy.”

Raven nodded as he walked toward the door of the diner. “Yeah, he’s the best. Been my friend since we were kids.” All those strong planes in his face seemed to soften. “Sometimes I’m not sure how I’d get through a day without Walt.” He pulled his jacket tighter and seemed to shudder against the breeze. Weird that Dennis wanted to wrap his arms around Raven to keep him warm. Weirder since he probably couldn’t get his arms halfway around the guy’s chest.

“But Walt’s not your boyfriend?” He swallowed hard.”

Raven seemed to take a breath. “Uh, no. Just friends.”

“I heard he was your guy.”

He shrugged. “We exaggerate our friendship a little to keep our families from trying to hook us up. I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.”

“Sure. No big.” Why did he want to laugh? Maybe just because Raven Nez trusted him with a secret.

They got inside and were given a booth in the back. Walking behind Raven, Dennis got to watch people stare. Women’s lips parted and stayed open like they couldn’t catch their breath. A few people nudged each other, probably recognizing him from TV or the newspapers. The height, the hair, the overall gorgeousness. Hell, who wouldn’t stare? They slid onto the bench seats opposite each other and ordered burgers with fries and Cokes.

Raven smiled. “I really enjoyed getting to see that film in a new light. You were right. I’d never noticed the complete lack of law in the film—except for the law of the crooks. But the nihilism thing. I don’t know. The film is so exuberant and full of fun. I don’t think it says that God or meaning is dead, you know?”

Dennis grinned. Wow, Raven got it. The waitress brought their food, and Dennis dug in. So great getting to eat something his mother hadn’t cooked, and with another person—kind of like a friend. Of course, Raven wouldn’t be anything like a friend if he knew who Dennis was and what he did. He fought a shudder.

Raven took a huge bite, chewed, then tried to talk around his swallow which was kind of cute. “Butch and Jules get away, don’t they? I mean, it seemed like they both found something.”

“Yeah, interesting observation. I mean, it’s like one found God.”

Raven nodded. “And the other found love.”

Together they said, “Same thing.” Raven laughed and spit some bread on the table. It was fun to see him a little less than cool.

Dennis wiped his mouth with his napkin. “You ever been in love?”

“Not yet.”

“Is, uh, falling in love with a guy the same as falling in love with a girl?” He snorted. “Sorry. Dumb question. You just said you’ve never been in love.”

“And I’ve never been with a girl.”

“No kidding? Not even in high school or anything?”

“No. I knew I was gay when I was little. My grandfather raised me to accept the idea that some people are two-spirited, so I was actually excited when I realized I was. I rushed to tell my folks.” He shook his head. “As you can imagine, they weren’t quite so thrilled.”

“That must have been tough.”

He shrugged, but he didn’t look casual. “My grandfather intervened and told them stories of the old ways.” He shoved a couple of fries in his mouth.

“So your grandfather brought your parents around?”

“Not really. They accept my being gay, but they don’t like it.”

“Hell. Accepting is huge compared to some people I know.” Dennis shuddered. “So Indians, I mean, Native Americans accepted, uh, homosexuality?”

“Some tribes. It’s not the Native way to deny something out of existence or make laws against stuff that happens in nature. In some communities the two-spirited were actually revered and considered closer to spirit. Of course, often they were more like what we might call transgender. Not just guys who love guys.”

“Hell, that seems a lot better than being told you’re bad by your church for something you can’t change.” Jesus, he should change the subject. This one made him want to cry.

Raven shoved back his empty plate and sipped his Coke. “Yeah. I volunteer at the Gay Youth Shelter and, man, between their parents throwing them out and their churches calling them perverts, a lot of those kids barely escape suicide.” He stared at the dark liquid in his glass. “Some of them don’t escape.”

“That’s crazy.” So crazy he totally got it.

The Long Pass Chronicles Series

About the Author

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at

               

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