Bound 4 Escape

Book of Jobs: A Collection of Helen Wu and Amy Dresden by M.L. Grider

Publisher: Thursday Night Press, an imprint of DX Varos Publishing (October 18, 2022)
Category: Crime drama, LGBT subgenre, Short Story Collection
ISBN: 978-1955065542
Available in Print and ebook, 292 pages

In this prequel to Bitter Vintage, M.L. Grider explores events in the lives of Helen Wu and Amy Dresden prior to their adventure in 1995. While these incidents may seem at first glance unrelated, they all contribute to what makes Amy and Helen who they are.

Some are funny, others tragic, but that all adds up to why Helen quit the LAPD in favor of a gun shop, and Amy gave up her dream of acting to become an antique dealer.

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Guest Review by Sal

“She should have known better. It was always like that in this business, especially with independent films like this one. If the producer didn’t expect her to put out at the auditions, the director would eventually want her to put out in front of the camera. Talent didn’t enter into it, casting always came down to just two things and whether or not she was willing to put them on display.”

‘Book of Jobs: A Collection of Helen Wu and Amy Dresden,’ by M.L. Grider is not only a fantastic read, but a great look at some really timely issues. Even though the stories in this book are set in the 80’s and 90’s, they beautifully cover a host of feminist and LGBT issues.

I don’t know what to say about Amy and Helen’s characters other than I adored both of them. I loved Helen’s sense of duty and Amy’s inner strength. These are two very strong female characters in a realistic and entertaining world.

‘Book of Jobs,’ is a collection of short stories that serves as a prequel to Grider’s other book, ‘Bitter Vintage,’ and, I must say, reading this book really made me want to read that one! I want more of these characters, and I would love to see how they interact with each other.

The short stories in this book show both of the women’s lives before they met each other, back when Helen was just starting out in the LAPD and Amy was struggling to find work as a model.

Grider’s portrayal of these very different women both coming to terms with their sexuality, (Helen as a teenager and Amy as an adult) was both compassionate and incredibly realistic. I felt so much sympathy, particularly for Amy as she continued to insist that she was not interested in women, despite how she was clearly feeling inside.

This is a great look at LGBT issues in that time period and a read that is worth checking out!

About the Author

The Book of Jobs is the second published novel to escape the twisted mind of M.L. Grider. In addition to writing, Grider is a professional photographer. He is busy at work on the next adventure in the Helen Wu series among other wild and warped stories.

Website: https://dxvaros.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DXVaros
Facebook: https://facebook.com/DXVaros.Publishing

Giveaway

This giveaway is for 3 print or ebook copies. Print is open to the U.S. only and ebook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on November 18, 2022 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.

http://rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e23ee71d1570/