Free Gay Erotic Fiction - KenSmith

Free Gay Erotic Fiction - KenSmith

Cowboys Can Fly (cover)

Smith, Ken. “Cowboys Can Fly”, Lethe Press, 2010.

A Gay Teen, His Life, His Love

Amos Lassen

Coming-out stories and tales of gay adolescents have been popular for quite a while now and after a bit, they all begin to sound alike. Therefore in order to have a really successful story, a writer has to find something new or different to pull the reader in and Ken Smith has done that and so with style. “Cowboys Can Fly” is a little book with a big message and it is a story that is beautifully rendered in wonderful prose. This is one of those stories that pulls you in on the front page and keeps you there even after you have finished reading it.

It’s a simple story that is written with a good deal of emotion and it will have you drying your eyes and you will feel so much better for having read it. If you are at all familiar with Ken Smith’s writing then you know that he usually pens erotic literature, but this time that is not so (unless you find a love story about two teens to be erotic).

Set in England, we meet Toby, a teen with a large and vivid imagination who explores the area around his family’s country home. He is alone and imagines a romance with one of the good looking men who work in the field. His mother who is a nurse surprises Toby when she brings home Cymon, a sick boy who is also beautifully handsome and Toby’s mom feels the country is a great place for him to get well. He is a bit older than Toby and Toby finds himself drawn to Cymon and they begin a friendship which eventually becomes a bit more than that. Love is special to the young (not that it isn’t special to the old as well) but there is something about young love that is beautiful in its tenderness and the pain that it sometimes bring.

This is most definitely not the same Ken Smith that I have read in the past and this book shows that he is not only  an excellent erotic writer but he can also give us a beautiful love story. He wonderfully catches the beauty of that young love and the emotions that go along with it.

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Midwest Book Reviews

Nearing adulthood, the truth of your life comes together. "Cowboys Can Fly" is story of two young boys in the United Kingdom coming to terms with their sexuality through the bonds neither had and the need for love that both feel. A touching story of young love and understanding friendship, "Cowboys Can Fly" is charming and recommended reading, not to be missed.

Reviewed on Smashwords

Review by: Eldot on Feb. 25, 2011 :
Thank you, Ken Smith for this wonderful book. I usually avoid encounters with pathos. Lucky for me, I didn't dodge this one.

The vernacular was new to me, but the context usually provided the needed bridge. Novels in the first person are difficult to pull off so well. I applaud the craft that lies behind the scenes. The stylistic innovations are subtle and effective. Only occasionally was I aware that an adult of considerable experience and skill was pulling the strings. For the most part, the "willing suspension of disbelief" sufficed. This is not a criticism; at times, my eye may be too well trained for its own good.

The intensely positive viewpoint throughout is particularly pleasing and rewarding. The final blessing given by Cy reflects back on the author. I shall make it a goal to read all of his work that I can.

Five stars for this one. I presume it was written for adults. It ought to be on every high school recommended reading list as well.

Eldot