Review & Giveaway: Frame of Reference by Christopher Stone

Teddyrose@1

10 years ago

Publisher: MLR Press (October 1, 2012)
Category: GLBT Romance, Hollywood
ISBN: 978-1608207749
Tour Date: January, 2014
Available in: Print & ebook, 332 Pages

His world-view shaped by retro movies and TV series, small-town boy, Grant Jackson, moves to Hollywood, in pursuit of television stardom.

Grant Jackson is a small-town guy, with the world-class, big city dream of becoming a network television star. But how do you make the dream come true when your resources are scant, and your frames of reference are retro motion pictures and the television series?

Determined to find out, Grant moves to Hollywood. But can he remain focused on his big dream, or will Grant be swept away in the anything goes world of gay West Hollywood – including its adult film and male prostitution scenes?

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Praise for ‘Frame of Reference’:

“Christopher Stone, a new name on the GLBT romance scene, makes a memorable debut with FRAME OF REFERENCE. In this case, the titular frame of reference happens to be American television and the prologue takes us through the main character’s life in vignettes showing how the medium shapes his past, present, and future. The book is a good example of how to create an extremely sympathetic character and how to tell a story with simple, unadorned prose that rises above the page to create true imagery where it belongs: in the readers’ mind.

I was enchanted with the book and read it from cover to cover in just a few hours, happily coming along on the main character’s journey toward self-actualization and, ultimately, love. I’m sure that a romance reader seeking the elusive “happily ever after” will be quite enchanted with this work by an important new author.”-Rick R. Reed, AmazonVine Voice

“This book is definitely not in a genre I ordinarily read, so when a friend recommended it to me, I was admittedly a little skeptical. Skepticism, however, soon turned into genuine delight. Using an almost Christopher Isherwood, I-am-a-camera-like precision, Stone expertly evokes the world of a young gay man from a small town who struggles to establish himself as an actor in Hollywood.

Written vividly and wryly, the book is by turns touching, exciting, erotic and dark, and is always compelling. The characters were full-bodied (in more ways than one!) the dialogue was realistic, the situations off-beat and interesting. When I finished the book, my first thought was, “Bring on the sequel!” I can give “Frame of Reference” no higher praise than that!”- Robert J. Van Dusen, Amazon Reviewer

“This book was recommended by one of my gay friends and I must admit, as a straight lady, I wasn’t sure it was something I would be interested in reading. Glad I took the plunge. Interesting characters, in an interesting Hollywood setting that the writer is very familiar with.

I loved the references, by the main character, to all the TV. and movies. Clearly, Mr. Stone has done his homework. The sex scenes, (while a bit too much information for me!) will be much appreciated by the appropriate audience – in other words, quite hot!

Still, no romance novel is worth its salt without a good story line. Again, Mr. Stone has shown his mettle. The characters are well developed and the story interesting as a young man fights his way to the top of the heap. Bring on the next book, sequel!”- Sharyn St.Clair, Amazon Reviewer

“I stumbled on Frame of Reference at the nail salon. A lady was reading it and would read passages to the entire shop. So, I bought the book. What an eye opener into the world of gay young men. Being raised in Hollywood as a non-gay, I had no idea about this vibrant subculture. Being mature and growing up in a movie family, I understood all the references to movie stars, TV shows, and cinema. Do read it, you won’t be able to put it down!”- Dee Lewis, Amazon Reviewer

“Stone is at home in this world and he is an excellent writer with a touch of sardonic wit and his erotic scenes are very hot. I was totally amazed at the way he pulled me into his story especially since this is his first novel. His prose is simple but just right and Stone tells us a tale that allows us to draw mental pictures of what we read.”–Reviews by Amos Lassen

My Thoughts:

Grant Jackson grew up in a small town in California but always believed he was destined to become a TV star. He watched a lot of television with his mother even though his father disapproved.

He has finally made the big move to Hollywood and is on his way to making his big dream a reality. He soon finds out that it is not as easy as he thought it would be. Trying to get in to see one of the big talent agents is impossible. Just what will it take to get on television? Will his dream become a reality or will he have to settle for something else?

This was my first LGBT book. I no longer need to imagine what m/m sex is like. This book is erotica with a great story behind it. For those who don’t read erotica, especially LGBT erotica, you probably wouldn’t be able to look past it, for the story but I am glad it worked for me. It is really a coming of age story about a boy who grows up but never looses his dream to be a television star. Grant followed his dream and met many interesting people along the way.

In Hollywood, the first person he encountered was Rosemary. She lived in the same apartment building and they became fast friends. I loved following their relationship. There were many other fun quirky characters like her.

There was only one thing I was disappointed in and I can’t tell you much about it without giving away a big spoiler. All I can say was that there was a crime committed and we never find out if the person committed it was brought to justice. I would have like to seen that followed all the way through. Hopefully it is followed up in the sequel, ‘The Dark Side of Stardom’. Besides that, I truly loved the story!

Christopher Stone weaves an incredible story with a Hollywood backdrop and well written, quirky characters. As all my readers know, I love quirky characters! I highly recommend ‘Frame of Reference’!

4.5/5

I received the ebook for my honest review.

About Christopher Stone:

Born in Bronx, New York, and raised in Fresno, California, Christopher Stone’s early years were dominated by school, watching television and motion pictures, bicycling, skating, and reading avidly. Summers were spent swimming, and doing whatever it took to survive the oppressive San Joaquin Valley heat. But he also remembers fondly the yearly summer trips to New York, to visit family and friends – and to see Broadway shows.

Christopher left Fresno, for Hollywood, California, during his college years after being accepted into the Writers Guild of America’s Open Door Program, a two-year, scholarship, training ground for aspiring screen and television writers. As it happened, rather than a teleplay or screenwriting gig, his first professional writing job was in journalism – as the Los Angeles Editor for Stage Door, at that time, Canada’s equivalent of the U.S. entertainment trade weekly, Variety.

Christopher would later use his Writers Guild of America training to co-author and sell the original screenplay, The Living Legend, with Jon Mercedes III, to the Erin Organization, and later, and also with Mercedes, to write two seasons of The Party Game, a Canadian TV game show.

As a young freelance entertainment journalist, he contributed to many Los Angeles-based publications, among them The Advocate, for which he wrote a breezy film column, “Reeling ‘Round,” and the Los Angeles Free Press. During this time, he became a member of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.

Christopher dipped his toes into the world of motion picture advertising and publicity, as assistant to the West Coast Director of Advertising and Publicity for Cinerama Releasing Corporation, in Beverly Hills. At the same time, he also did special advertising and publicity projects for 20th Century-Fox. Christopher went on to become an Account Executive for David Wallace & Company, a public relations firm specializing in entertainment accounts – and located on West Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Strip.

Returning to his first love, writing, Christopher became a full time freelance contributor to national consumer publications including Us, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, McCall’s, In Cinema, and The National Enquirer, among others. Many of his stories were syndicated worldwide by the New York Times Syndication Corp.

Another important area of endeavor for Christopher Stone was Re-Creating Your Self. A Blueprint for Personal Change that he first developed for himself, the journalist went on to teach the principles and processes of Re-Creating Your Self to others – first, in private sessions, later, in workshops and seminars, and, finally, for California State University Extended Education. Eventually, one of his students suggested he write a book version.

Re-Creating Your Self was first published in hardcover by Metamorphous Press, and subsequently published in a trade paperback edition by Hay House. It has since been published in Spanish, Swedish and Hebrew language editions.

He went on to co-author, with Mary Sheldon, four novellas for a Japanese educational publisher, and then, also with Mary Sheldon, the highly successful The Meditation Journal trilogy of hardcover books.

In his private life, Christopher Stone met David M. Stoebner on May 17, 1994, and they have been together ever since.  In 2008, they were married in Los Angeles. They share a home with their three pets in Coastal Los Angeles County.

Website: http://christopherstonebooks.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigboxoffice
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christones

Buy ‘Frame Of Reference’:

MLR Press
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Indie Bound

This giveaway is open internationally however, print is only open to the U.S. and Canada Only. This giveaway closes on February 14, 2015. Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

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