H.L. Cherryholmes

The official blog of H.L. Cherryholmes, author of "A Slight Touch" and and "Come Back for Me"

Come Back for Me Review

A Review & Recommendation from Jefferno.com

Come Back for Me is the story of three brothers, separated during their early childhood, who are reunited in their forties. Jack is a factory worker who is married with children. He was raised in an orphanage and has no memory of his siblings. His fraternal twin brother is Jason, who was adopted by an affluent family and works as an executive sales manager for a successful New York firm. The youngest brother, Daniel, is a single independent contractor carpenter who was raised by his abusive maternal grandmother.

Mysteriously, the brothers are each contacted separately by their older sister, who summons them to “come home” because she needs their help. Not understanding exactly what this cryptic message means, they each make a pilgrimage to the place of their birth and discover each other. The bond that they share is inexplicable.

The threesome then begins a quest to track down their older sister, Meredith. Along the way, painful memories of their past are exposed and secrets are revealed, including the fact that one of the brothers is a “closet homosexual”.

This is the second book I’ve been privileged to read and review by this author. He presents a very powerful, heart-rending story of reunion and redemption. His writing style is at times challenging, in that he often tells the story in passive voice, describing events that have already occurred rather than placing the reader in the center of the action. The story itself is so moving, though, that stylistic elements become secondary.

This is a perfect book for readers who like a story that moves them emotionally. It will tug at your heartstrings. I advise you to grab a new box of tissues before sitting down to read this one. You’re not likely to put the book down once you start, because it is without question a page turner.

Come Back for Me was a pleasure to read, and I look forward to future work from this author.

http://www.jefferno.com/jeffs_blog/book-recommendation-come-back-for-me

New Review for “Come Back for Me” From TMC Reviews

September 30, 2011 | Reviewer: Mona Lisa | Posted in Mystery

Come Back for Me

H.L. Cherryholmes engages his audience in a mystery about finding your way home. He parallels the lives of three brothers by reuniting them in the most unusual way. Come Back for Me is a journey from the past to the present filled with many discoveries, haunting tales, and unforgettable memories. Cherryholmes intuitively creates an unraveling road that leads these brothers toward each other. Creatively designed, his novel takes many twists and turns keeping audience in suspense.

Thirty years ago, three brothers were orphaned and raised apart from each other. Having been raised apart, they had no knowledge of the other’s existence. One day, the brothers receive a mysterious message from their sister. While the transmission was different, one an instant message, one by phone, and another from a psychic, they all said the same thing: “I need your help.”

Each brother, Jack, Jason, and Daniel each decide to go and find their sister. Unaware of each other, the brothers travel toward their sister’s birthplace, New Mexico. By chance, or inevitable circumstances, they find each other. While their initial meeting is shocking, the three brothers join and bond as past feelings of resentment, anger, and pain slowly pass.

They resolve to find their long lost sister. Through great effort, creativity, and investigating every possible channel available, reaching into, often their painful pasts, Jack, Jason and Daniel find more than they bargained for.

Cherryholmes gives meaning to the phrase “know thy self.” His novel depicts three separated lives finally finding each other through the persistence of love. He writing style is emotionally engaging, concise, and impactful.

(from tmc-ca.com)

Now on Amazon

Come Back for Me is now available at Amazon.com (link in “Blogroll” on the right).

Here’s the opening of “Come Back for Me”

For the fraternal twins the initial shock of finding each other had subsided to a persistent tingle. But for their younger brother the jolt coursed through like a live wire and, as he handed the old nun a sheet of paper, his hand shook so violently that the breeze it created caught the wispy leaves of a fern on her desk and they trembled almost as much as he did.

The twins, each planted firmly at the foot, had stood when the younger man entered but it seemed as if they were drawn toward and repelled from him like magnets unsure of their polarization. They offered their names—Jack was the one with brown hair, Jason’s was black. The younger man said his name was Daniel and, as he spoke, the color drained from his face. The old nun insisted he sit down and from a pitcher on her desk, poured room temperature water into a paper cup for him. Once he’d taken a few sips, the old woman dropped her chin to her chest. Jack assumed she was praying; Jason thought that perhaps she was looking in the open desk drawer; Daniel, however, wasn’t entirely cognizant that she was even in the room.

The old nun looked up as abruptly as she’d looked down and crossed herself, as she had done when Daniel followed her into her office. “I’ve worked with children—boys to be exact—for over forty years,” she said. “So I’m quite versed in their behavior. Some would say there is a huge difference between a boy and a man but it’s not a belief I share. The boy is always in the man, as the girl is always in the woman. I might not be able to tell you what men do, what men think, or how they behave, but I look at a man and I can see the boy inside. I know exactly what’s going on in there.” She tapped her temple.

Jason was certain she was going to accuse them of attempting some sort of con, but Jack had learned long ago not to assume what a sister might say next. Daniel still paid the nun little attention, as he focused on a cardboard drawing hanging on the wall over her head—a crayon illustration of a small house next to a large tree. A white house outlined in red wax.

“This can’t be a coincidence,” the nun continued. “And because I can see the boy in each of you, I know that this isn’t some childish prank.”

Jack closed his mouth; Jason swallowed; Daniel finally looked at her.

“I can tell you what it isn’t,” she continued, “but I don’t believe it’s up to me to tell you what it is.”

Jason was the first to speak, once he’d cleared his throat. “But you said you knew what was going on.”

Yes,” the nun said. “The question is, do you?”

eBook

Come Back for Me is now available for iBook, the Kindle, and the Nook! The link to Amazon Kindle and Barnes&Noble Nook are on the right column. Find the iBook version on your iPhone or iPad application.

New Book! Come Back for Me

 

 

 

Now available at www.lulu.com (link in blogroll on right) and soon at other online booksellers.

 

 

Factory manager and devoted family man Jack Anderson sleeps on the sofa because his wife wants a separation but he can’t afford to move out. One morning, he receives a mysterious phone call from someone claiming to be his long lost sister.

On the same afternoon in another state, construction worker and thrice-divorced Daniel Percy reluctantly accompanies his girlfriend to a psychic consultation. Surprisingly, the psychic has a message for Daniel—his sister is trying to contact him.

That night, across the country, East Coast business executive Jason Kelly waits until his wife is asleep and logs onto his favorite gay chat room. He receives the same cryptic message as the others.

The desperate plea to all three men is the same: “I need your help. I need you to come home.”

And so, thirty years after having been orphaned and raised apart without awareness of one another, Jack, Jason, and Daniel separately set out to investigate the mystery and locate their sister in New Mexico, their birthplace. Inevitably, the brothers’ paths cross. Their reunion is shocking and, while joyous at first, stirs up resentment about their socioeconomic differences and the slew of opportunities lost.

For the sake of the sister who needs them, they join forces and, as they become acquainted with one another, piece together the circumstances of their childhood. As they delve into their past, it becomes clear that each man presently stands at a personal crossroads. At every turn, pieces of the puzzle bring them closer to finding their sister—and finding themselves.

 

Another Great Review for A Slight Touch

From Rainbow Reviews:

“A Slight Touch” by H.L. Cherryholmes is a book which I was surprised to find on the Rainbow Review submission list. I must add, however, that it was a very pleasant surprise, and after reading it, even more so. I don’t think the book can be neatly categorized as gay fiction or m/m fiction or even gay-themed. The plot includes some homosexual characters, but it actually presents a very diverse cast ~ gay and straight, male and female, from various religions, backgrounds, and ethnicities.

The central characters of the story are four unique individuals who seem to have virtually nothing in common. Three of them are brought together by coincidence when they end up on a commercial bus traveling to Los Angeles. Although they do not meet or ever even speak to one another, they share an experience which dramatically impacts each of their lives.

The story progresses as four separate sub-plots, while each of these three characters begins to examine the unusual experience they have had, and each attempts to analyze the possible supernatural or preternatural significance of this bizarre, life-altering event. The fourth character is a deranged schizophrenic who ultimately plots revenge on his former girlfriend after she jilts him, and his murderous plans end up coincidentally involving the three bus passengers, bringing the four characters together at the climax of the story.

I will admit that as a reader I am greatly influenced emotionally by the stories I consume. I tend to judge a book more by the manner in which it affects my emotions than by its adherence to the official rules of proper grammar, formatting, or voice. On certain rare occasions, however, a book that may not be particularly moving to me as I read it will end up having a major impact upon my psyche in its aftermath. It will stick with me in a way that causes me to rethink the plot, examine the symbolism, and ultimately challenge my way of thinking. This was the case with “A Slight Touch.”

I was most impressed by the author’s ability to transform each of the central characters in a startling yet believable way, and I was inspired by the remarkable evolution that each of them experienced. All four of the characters became someone far different than who they were when they were initially introduced, and this narrative arc is in my opinion what makes the story so powerful.

“A Slight Touch” is a story which is sure to inspire you. It is well-written and employs the use of realistic, humorous dialogue. It has an unpredictable and original plot which is filled with a variety of interesting, lovable characters who are realistically imperfect. It is a story which at times seems mysterious and perplexing but ultimately delivers a poignant message. It is uplifting and encouraging and sure to leave the reader with a lot to think about. I recommend it highly and sincerely hope to see a lot more from this author.

(Note: J.M. Snyder, of RainbowReviews.com, has announced that the website is, sadly, closing down shop.)

 

A Great Review for A Slight Touch

by Julie Ann Dawson at Gather.com

Martha: A 50ish year old woman whose dreams long ago evaporated into monotony, until her sister sends her a bus ticket to L.A. to come watch her star in a play. Marc: A high-powered media seller forced to slum it on a bus after missing his flight to L.A. Emanuel: A young gay man heading to L.A. to escape the pain of a break-up with the man he thought was his true love. Three unrelated people who just happen to end up on the same bus…but is it as random as chance would have the reader believe?

A Slight Touch is a book for people-watchers; those of us that just enjoy watching other people and trying to imagine what they might be thinking. Its chapters alternate between these three characters and Miller, a seemingly harmless but slightly creepy security guard that finally crosses the line and begins a downward spiral into violence. Each chapter artfully brings the characters to life, and each character earns your undivided attention while he or she is center stage.

At a routine rest stop, Martha, Emanuel, and Marc all miss their bus and have to find alternative ways to get to L.A. As we watch each deal with what would seem to be nothing more than a minor nuisance, we learn that the bus they were all suppose to be on becomes involved in a fatal accident and all of the passengers died. As the book progresses, the story slowly transforms from a collection of separate tales involving the characters into an interwoven plot revealing how interconnected the characters actually are.

A Slight Touch is an intriguing read, and a recommended book for readers that enjoy character-driven narratives.

Review for A Slight Touch

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Reviewed by Molly’s Reviews
molly martin
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On the pages of A Slight Touch the reader is carried along on an absorbing romp through the elusive junctures that cross and recross in the course of life. Human significance is touched on in gentle manner which is neither unbending nor devotee as writer Cherryholmes lends a bit of faith based tweak the text.

Interesting writing format: Structured to follow a three act arrangement of a theatre play the format works well to craft reflexivity for characters and readers. A compelling work fashioned with intriguing associations between characters drawing the reader into the work if for no other reason than the text revolves around the main players all being drawn to Los Angeles for the purpose of attending a theatre production.

Filled to capacity with a varied grouping of precise, multifaceted characters who appear estranged at times, but linked by self-discovery find themselves prodded in the direction of a commonality of thought to thwart a calamity in the making and set against well defined back drop of things to see, noise and reverberation as well as varying venues have merged to make A Slight Touch a most intriguing read. Writer Cherryholmes proves to be a very adept storyteller in this blending of wit, self-observation and suspenseful chronicle.

For a California native who has often visited the Los Angeles area and have traveled through Albuquerque many times during family vacations, and as a Oklahoma resident who has stepped aboard AmTrak over in Kansas to ride the South West Chief through Albuerque and on to LA; reading of A Slight Touch was accomplished with nods of the head and ummm hmmm, as I found places and people I could all but recognize as having seen or met.

Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend, not for everyone those easily offended will get their knickers in a knot: some profanity and some reference to homosexuality.

Book Trailer for A Slight Touch

Okay, this is the latest marketing tool for books.  It’s like a movie trailer but for books. Here’s mine:

A Slight Touch Trailer