Caregiver - Softcover

Reed, Rick R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1702823164 ISBN 13: 9781702823166

Publisher: Independently published, 2019

Synopsis

Winner of the 2013 EPIC eBook Award for Best Contemporary RomanceIt's 1991, and Dan Calzolaio has just moved to Florida with his lover, Mark, having fled Chicago and Mark's addictions to begin a new life on the Gulf Coast. Volunteering for the Tampa AIDS Alliance is just one part of that new beginning, and that's how Dan meets his new buddy, Adam.Adam Schmidt is not at all what Dan expected. The guy is an original - witty, wry, and sarcastic with a fondness for a smart black dress, Barbra Streisand, and a good mai tai. Adam doesn't let his imminent death get him down, even through a downward spiral that sees him thrown in jail.Each step of Adam's journey teaches Dan new lessons about strength and resilience, but it's Adam's lover, Sullivan, to whom Dan feels an almost irresistible pull. Dan knows the attraction isn't right, even after he dumps his cheating, drug-abusing boyfriend. But then Adam passes away, and it leaves Sullivan and Dan both alone to see if they can turn their love for Adam into something whole and real for each other.

About this title

From the Author

Picture it: Tampa Bay, Florida, 1991. A young man flees a troubled life in Chicago to begin anew on the Gulf Coast of Florida. White sand beaches and azure waters beckon. Shortly after landing in Tampa Bay, the young man, in a gesture of solidarity with his gay brethren who are dying by the thousands, volunteers to become an AIDS buddy, focusing his attention on one victim of the virus...
Actually, if you've read the blurb of my new novel, CAREGIVER, you might think that the above is an alternate synopsis I wrote for the book. But the truth is it's about me. Like my main character in CAREGIVER, Dan, I too fled Chicago for a new life in Tampa, FL and I too joined a program that supplied AIDS buddies to those suffering from the virus. In 1991, the afflicted had a very bleak outlook. But sometimes, we meet a person who can overcome that bleakness with biting wit, humor, grace, and style. My buddy was just such a man--he left a mark on me that has stayed with me until this very day and will always be one of the most special people I have ever met.

My book is called CAREGIVER, but by the end, the reader will wonder who really is the caregiver.

It's taken me twenty years to write about Jim, my AIDS buddy from 1991 (who becomes "Adam" in the novel), my funny valentine who ended up dying in the Florida State Prison--but I think the results are ultimately worth it.

Review

This is not a heart-wrenching tear-jerker even though one of the main themes is AIDS...this is an uplifting tale of overcoming adversity, seeing the beauty in life, and celebrating how people remain in our lives even after they have physically left us. --Dark Diva Reviews
***
By far, one of the most touching and beautifully written stories I have ever read. I was already a fan of this author. This book just cemented it... This is an outstanding book and it immediately went on my all-time favorites list.--On Top Down Under Book Reviews***Sometimes someone enters our life and leaves an indelible mark on us even though our time with them may equal only a moment if measured against the span of a lifetime. And yet, we are fundamentally changed as a result of having known them.

Caregiver by Rick R. Reed is the intensely moving story of such a relationship. --Three Dollar Bill Reviews***I loved this book, even though it made me cry and dealt with dark topics like AIDS, loss of life, drug abuse, imprisonment, and helplessness. All that said, this isn't a book that is only sad. It is a book of hope, of remembrance, of the power of love. It is one of the best books I've read this year.--Mrs. Condit Reads Books***This is really the story of four men, although two are gone in very different ways throughout the book. It is also a very powerful story about how loss can turn into love. How being willing to surrender and let go can bring strength. How a man's heart can love and lose and still keep beating. And how friendships can grow into more. And most of all, how we all have to remember to keep memories alive and keep living through the losses.

Mr. Reed had written a gentle lullaby of a book here, and it sang me to rest with loving memories of lost ones, dear friends, and shared joys.T.A. Webb, author of The Broken Road Cafe and Knights Out***...though this book deals with heavy topics like AIDS and drug abuse, it isn't dark. Yes, I cried, both sad and happy tears, but the overall message is one of hope, triumph over dispair, and that those who are gone live on in our hearts forever. I'm rating this book five stars because that's all that's allowed, but Caregiver transcends ratings. It's in a class by itself. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. Eden Winters, author of The Sentinel and the Diversion series***This book has that indefinable magic that makes it a classic.--Eli Easton, author of Boy Shattered

Edition details

• Publisher: Independently published
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1702823164
• ISBN 13: 9781702823166
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 254