Falling Forward
A Novel
by
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“I was with my second partner, Kevin, for nearly ten years. … He was a short, rugged, very proud African American man a few years my junior. He was generous beyond his means and wasn’t shy about showing his intolerance for disrespectful and ignorant people. Through his eyes, I saw subtle manifestations of discrimination firsthand. When we would eat out, the server would often bring the check directly to me. When making a large purchase together like a car or appliance, many salespeople would make eye contact only with me. From him I learned not to tolerate intolerance and not always to turn the other cheek.
We completed one another’s sentences and enjoyed long road trips where we could talk about anything, and anybody. … We never stopped loving one another, and we fully expected to live the remainder of our lives together. How wrong we were to assume we were really in control of our destiny.
During a weekend trip to Palm Springs, where we often went to escape crowds of LA, I noticed he lacked energy and complained of aches in his legs. … Nine months later, I was planning his funeral.”
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About the Book
Wes, a romantic and accomplished gay man in his forties, thinks that he has his life in order. He has been in a relationship for years, and he is confident that he knows what the future holds.
But when his partner dies suddenly, Wes finds himself “falling forward” into a future filled with grief, uncertainty, and untapped potential. Now Wes must fight to regain his equilibrium and build a new life in a new city—while somehow holding on to the stability of his lost past. A robust yet disparate group of friends, lovers, and acquaintances become his guides on a new series of international escapades in which Wes finds himself uncompromisingly involved.
Falling Forward is an anthem for the positive acceptance of change in an uncertain world. Wes is now forced to acknowledge that his life is built upon little twists of fate and choices. Ultimately, Wes must decide if he is one of those brave adventurers willing to achieve the highs of finding love, even at the cost of possibly losing it.
“Falling Forward is for anyone who enjoys a well thought out story, and likes to read about characters that are a delight to spend time with.”
—Pacific Book Review
About the Author
R. J. Stastny built a career in systems development, working for major international corporations. He was a consultant for the United Nations in Quito, Ecuador. He is an amateur horticulturist who enjoys studying native desert plant life. Now semi-retired, he lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Nugget, his chocolate Lab.
Visit at www.rjstastny.com