Introducing PARADOX, the Paradevo book!
Contents and Excerpts
Tokyo Story:
Sumiko forms a close friendship with Hiroki, an attractive disabled boy from the university, but wonders if it will develop into something more…
Excerpt:
“But you’re so cute!” Eri said. “You could date anyone!”
“We’re not dating, we’re just friends,” Sumiko mumbled defensively, scuffing her toe on the ground, not looking at Eri.
“What happened to him? Was he in a car accident? The poor guy,” said Eri.
“No! He was born that way.” Wasn’t it obvious? How could she be so stupid?
“But you like him, right? I don’t see why, he’s so creepy!”
Sumiko’s head snapped up. “No he isn’t!” she shot back angrily. “He’s cool and handsome, and fun to talk to! What do you know, anyway?” She stalked away, leaving Eri standing there staring at her in surprise.
Knight in Shining Metal:
When a chivalrous wheeler tries to stand up for a girl in a bar, he gets more than he bargained for.
Excerpt:
Ricky knew he was going to regret this. Why had his mother instilled such rigorous chivalry in him when no one actually liked it? He had been watching a pretty girl sitting at the bar when two large men honed in on her. Both loomed and teased her while she looked frightened.
“You should leave her alone,” Ricky said. He had to shout over the pounding music. All three swiveled and stared at him incredulously. One of the men started laughing. What else could you expect when a man in a wheelchair tried to come to someone's rescue? The girl, whose desperately unhappy face Ricky had seen in profile moments before now looked at him with eyebrows knit in confusion.
“What are you going to do about it?” the man who wasn't laughing said.
Devotee Manifesto:
True story about growing up as a devotee
Excerpt:
I was too young and too fascinated to be subtle. I watched again as Josh got loaded off the bus, blatantly staring as my friends stayed in their own circle chatting. As Josh put his hands on the wheels of his chair to propel himself forward, our eyes met. He didn’t look happy.
“What the fuck are you staring at?” he snapped at me, his voice low enough that the teachers couldn’t hear him swear.
My face turned bright red. I practically died on the spot.
Number 16:
Bittersweet story about a player in a wheelchair
Excerpt:
“Yes! Yes! Oh my God YES!”
This was, quite literally, the climax of the evening I had been pursuing. Her knuckles bleached white on the headboard and for a moment I was intrigued by how loud she was. Would my roommate hear?
Let’s back up a bit.
I used to be a bit of a man-slut.
So Cold, So Far Gone:
A poem
The Best Friend:
Libby thinks she has the perfect relationship with handsome, charismatic Jude, and his awesome roommate Will is a huge bonus. Libby fantasizes about double dating: her and Jude, and Will and some girl who doesn’t mind the fact that he’s in a wheelchair. But as she and Will grow closer, Libby starts to realize that maybe she wants her new best friend all to herself…
Excerpt:
God, I need a cup of coffee.
I throw open the door to Jude’s bedroom, deciding that even if he didn’t think I was good enough to date again, I was at least going to get a free coffee and maybe breakfast out of this. Okay, maybe not breakfast… my head hurts too much to cook. But I’m sure I could at least put together a pot of coffee.
I march into the kitchen and stop short when I see that I’m not alone. Jude’s roommate Will, who I had completely forgotten in the passion of the night before, is in the kitchen, cooking something in a stove that’s lowered to a height that accommodates him in his wheelchair. He’s dressed in an undershirt that reveals some surprisingly impressive muscles in his upper body, then sweatpants over his legs, and his feet are bare. He obviously recently woke up and his hair is mussed.
My first thought is, “Will isn’t half bad looking. It’s a shame he’s in that chair.”
My second thought is, “Christ, what he’s cooking smells amazing.”
My third thought is, “Shit, I’m in my underwear.”
I don’t have a chance to absorb that final thought before Will catches sight of me. His eyes widen as he gets a good look at me in my bra and thong. I might have stared at him a bit yesterday, but that is nothing compared to the way he’s looking at me right now. “Uh, Libby?”
I’m horrified. I’m blushing so bad that even my toes are pink. “I’m going to, um, go put on my dress.”
“Good idea,” he says.
The Surgeon:
Joel is a brilliant surgeon until he falls asleep at the wheel and becomes a quadriplegic. He manages to pull himself back together and salvage his career, but he can’t say the same for his social life. That is, until he meets a cute young medical student who wants nothing more than to be a surgeon herself.
Excerpt:
Some of the other attending physicians treated rounds like an Olympic event, running up and down stairs half a dozen stairs, hurrying from room to room. Ann suspected that Dr. Dergan wished he could do that, but his wheelchair limited him in using this method of torturing students and residents. Instead, he would force everyone to stand in front of each room for what felt like an excruciatingly long period of time, as he grilled the resident presenting the patient. Ann’s feet were burning and her ankles were sore before they finished off the first floor of patients. She wished that she could ask for a break from standing, but she knew that wouldn’t be met with approval.
After almost an hour straight on her feet, Ann felt like she was going to collapse. When they went into a patient’s room, she surreptitiously slid into a chair as Dr. Dergan spoke to the patient. The relief in her lower extremities was heavenly.
As soon as they got out of the room, Dr. Dergan looked up at her. “Don’t ever sit down in the patient’s room,” he said.
“What?” She thought he hadn’t even noticed that she was sitting.
“Medical students don’t sit,” he said. “Ever.”
Ann’s face flushed. She felt some of her anger at Dr. Dergan returning as he wheeled forward toward the next patient’s room. Cody noticed Ann’s expression and patted her on the shoulder in a sympathetic gesture. “One of the hardest things about third year of med school is getting used to standing all the time.”
“I just needed a second off my feet,” Ann murmured. “It’s not like I was taking a nap. He’s lucky… he gets to sit through all of rounds.”
“Believe me, I’m sure he’d rather be standing,” Cody said. “He used to be a surgeon, remember? Those guys stand for hours and hours without a break. Whatever else you say about Dr. Dergan, you can’t question his endurance.”
Ann knew Cody was right. She noticed Dr. Dergan shifting his weight in his wheelchair several times and she wondered how comfortable it was for him to be sitting in that chair all day. At least she had the option of sitting or standing.
Purchase PARADOX now through Lulu!
Contents and Excerpts
Tokyo Story:
Sumiko forms a close friendship with Hiroki, an attractive disabled boy from the university, but wonders if it will develop into something more…
Excerpt:
“But you’re so cute!” Eri said. “You could date anyone!”
“We’re not dating, we’re just friends,” Sumiko mumbled defensively, scuffing her toe on the ground, not looking at Eri.
“What happened to him? Was he in a car accident? The poor guy,” said Eri.
“No! He was born that way.” Wasn’t it obvious? How could she be so stupid?
“But you like him, right? I don’t see why, he’s so creepy!”
Sumiko’s head snapped up. “No he isn’t!” she shot back angrily. “He’s cool and handsome, and fun to talk to! What do you know, anyway?” She stalked away, leaving Eri standing there staring at her in surprise.
Knight in Shining Metal:
When a chivalrous wheeler tries to stand up for a girl in a bar, he gets more than he bargained for.
Excerpt:
Ricky knew he was going to regret this. Why had his mother instilled such rigorous chivalry in him when no one actually liked it? He had been watching a pretty girl sitting at the bar when two large men honed in on her. Both loomed and teased her while she looked frightened.
“You should leave her alone,” Ricky said. He had to shout over the pounding music. All three swiveled and stared at him incredulously. One of the men started laughing. What else could you expect when a man in a wheelchair tried to come to someone's rescue? The girl, whose desperately unhappy face Ricky had seen in profile moments before now looked at him with eyebrows knit in confusion.
“What are you going to do about it?” the man who wasn't laughing said.
Devotee Manifesto:
True story about growing up as a devotee
Excerpt:
I was too young and too fascinated to be subtle. I watched again as Josh got loaded off the bus, blatantly staring as my friends stayed in their own circle chatting. As Josh put his hands on the wheels of his chair to propel himself forward, our eyes met. He didn’t look happy.
“What the fuck are you staring at?” he snapped at me, his voice low enough that the teachers couldn’t hear him swear.
My face turned bright red. I practically died on the spot.
Number 16:
Bittersweet story about a player in a wheelchair
Excerpt:
“Yes! Yes! Oh my God YES!”
This was, quite literally, the climax of the evening I had been pursuing. Her knuckles bleached white on the headboard and for a moment I was intrigued by how loud she was. Would my roommate hear?
Let’s back up a bit.
I used to be a bit of a man-slut.
So Cold, So Far Gone:
A poem
The Best Friend:
Libby thinks she has the perfect relationship with handsome, charismatic Jude, and his awesome roommate Will is a huge bonus. Libby fantasizes about double dating: her and Jude, and Will and some girl who doesn’t mind the fact that he’s in a wheelchair. But as she and Will grow closer, Libby starts to realize that maybe she wants her new best friend all to herself…
Excerpt:
God, I need a cup of coffee.
I throw open the door to Jude’s bedroom, deciding that even if he didn’t think I was good enough to date again, I was at least going to get a free coffee and maybe breakfast out of this. Okay, maybe not breakfast… my head hurts too much to cook. But I’m sure I could at least put together a pot of coffee.
I march into the kitchen and stop short when I see that I’m not alone. Jude’s roommate Will, who I had completely forgotten in the passion of the night before, is in the kitchen, cooking something in a stove that’s lowered to a height that accommodates him in his wheelchair. He’s dressed in an undershirt that reveals some surprisingly impressive muscles in his upper body, then sweatpants over his legs, and his feet are bare. He obviously recently woke up and his hair is mussed.
My first thought is, “Will isn’t half bad looking. It’s a shame he’s in that chair.”
My second thought is, “Christ, what he’s cooking smells amazing.”
My third thought is, “Shit, I’m in my underwear.”
I don’t have a chance to absorb that final thought before Will catches sight of me. His eyes widen as he gets a good look at me in my bra and thong. I might have stared at him a bit yesterday, but that is nothing compared to the way he’s looking at me right now. “Uh, Libby?”
I’m horrified. I’m blushing so bad that even my toes are pink. “I’m going to, um, go put on my dress.”
“Good idea,” he says.
The Surgeon:
Joel is a brilliant surgeon until he falls asleep at the wheel and becomes a quadriplegic. He manages to pull himself back together and salvage his career, but he can’t say the same for his social life. That is, until he meets a cute young medical student who wants nothing more than to be a surgeon herself.
Excerpt:
Some of the other attending physicians treated rounds like an Olympic event, running up and down stairs half a dozen stairs, hurrying from room to room. Ann suspected that Dr. Dergan wished he could do that, but his wheelchair limited him in using this method of torturing students and residents. Instead, he would force everyone to stand in front of each room for what felt like an excruciatingly long period of time, as he grilled the resident presenting the patient. Ann’s feet were burning and her ankles were sore before they finished off the first floor of patients. She wished that she could ask for a break from standing, but she knew that wouldn’t be met with approval.
After almost an hour straight on her feet, Ann felt like she was going to collapse. When they went into a patient’s room, she surreptitiously slid into a chair as Dr. Dergan spoke to the patient. The relief in her lower extremities was heavenly.
As soon as they got out of the room, Dr. Dergan looked up at her. “Don’t ever sit down in the patient’s room,” he said.
“What?” She thought he hadn’t even noticed that she was sitting.
“Medical students don’t sit,” he said. “Ever.”
Ann’s face flushed. She felt some of her anger at Dr. Dergan returning as he wheeled forward toward the next patient’s room. Cody noticed Ann’s expression and patted her on the shoulder in a sympathetic gesture. “One of the hardest things about third year of med school is getting used to standing all the time.”
“I just needed a second off my feet,” Ann murmured. “It’s not like I was taking a nap. He’s lucky… he gets to sit through all of rounds.”
“Believe me, I’m sure he’d rather be standing,” Cody said. “He used to be a surgeon, remember? Those guys stand for hours and hours without a break. Whatever else you say about Dr. Dergan, you can’t question his endurance.”
Ann knew Cody was right. She noticed Dr. Dergan shifting his weight in his wheelchair several times and she wondered how comfortable it was for him to be sitting in that chair all day. At least she had the option of sitting or standing.
Purchase PARADOX now through Lulu!