Contemporary . M/M . R. L. Merrill

Summer of Hush by R. L. Merrill

On October 4, 2019 by Jaye

Summer of Hush by R. L. Merrill

🍸🍸🍸🍸

Blurb

Hush is back… and it’s about to get loud.

After two years grieving the death of his best friend, Silas Franklin is back on the road with his metalcore band, Hush. With a new member, a brilliant new album, and a headlining spot on the last cross-country Warped Tour, life couldn’t be better—unless Silas could meet the intriguing music blogger known only as the Guru. Silas has followed his blog for years and feels the Guru might be the only person who “gets” him.

For years Krishnan Guruvayoor has reported on the metal scene as an anonymous blogger, and he’s just landed an internship on the Warped Tour as well as a potential position with a well-respected music magazine. His best friend arranges for him to meet singer Silas Franklin—but only as Krish the Intern. Their chemistry is instant, and Krish is thrilled to get to know the man behind the music.

The rock star and blogger quickly go from meet-cute to cuddle session, but secrets, overprotective bandmates, meddling media, and a terrible accident all conspire against them. Can their romance survive the summer of Hush?

Buy Links:

Publisher: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/summer-of-hush-by-rl-merrill-10811-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WKFVMMH/

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/summer-of-hush/id1467794118

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summer-of-hush-rl-merrill/1131993575

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/summer-of-hush

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47562714-summer-of-hush

Excerpt

“Did you see this?”

Los held up his phone and displayed it like Vanna White in all her glory.

“New Guru?” Silas asked, his heart rate making the jump to lightspeed.

“‘The Last Warped Hurrah.’ He’s coming. You’ll for sure get to meet him.” Los wiggled his eyebrows at Silas, who tried to play the whole thing off as though he wasn’t ready to start jumping on the couch and doing back flips.

“That’s cool,” he said, hiding his excitement. The possibilities…. He’d had his hopes up that he might meet him two years ago when they played Warped, but the Guru never said what show he attended. Silas had analyzed his posts to see if he could get any idea where it might have been. Ridiculous. Tons of dates, a blur of venues, and thousands of screaming fans in the hot sun—it was hopeless. The guy didn’t answer private messages either. Because he’d tried that.

“Says here he’ll be posting about the shows,” Los said, still reading through the blog while waiting for his hair dye to set. Jordan volunteered to be their hair maintenance person because he’d gone through barber school before he became a rock ’n’ roller.

“Dude, stop moving,” Jordan scolded Los. He was trying to avoid getting black dye on his red T-shirt, but Los kept moving around.

“Sorry.”

Silas checked the tour schedule hanging at the front of the bus. “There are thirty-eight dates on this tour. He could be at any of them. It’s not like anyone knows what he looks like. All of his videos are animated.”

“Maybe he’ll post about the different shows, like who he sees. And Brains is doing his workshops. Dude—”

“Dude, why are you guys being so loud?” Billy Brains climbed from his bunk on the tour bus and stretched his lanky body in the narrow hallway. The band had held its final run-through last night at their rehearsal space in Oakland and was headed to Pomona for the opening date of the show that weekend.

“Because, bruh, Silas might finally get to meet his crush.”

Silas threw a rag, but Los dodged it and was reprimanded by Jordan for moving again. It could have had anything on it, but they were just getting started on their tour, so the likelihood it had already been tarnished with some sort of bodily fluid was low. By the third or fourth leg of the tour, you never knew what kind of funk it could be contaminated with.

“Just let it go, Los.”

“Why?” Los asked. “You’ve been sprung on this guy since….”

Silas knew it was hard for all of them to talk about it and they still tended to trail off whenever the topic was brought up.

“He did a beautiful piece about Gavin,” Brains said softly as he slid into the booth next to Silas and rubbed at the stubble on Silas’s freshly shaved head. “Unlike the rest of the press. If I never have to talk to another reporter….”

Silas dropped his head on Brains’s shoulder. “You won’t have to.” Brains was right. The press had crucified the band after Gavin’s death, and they’d all agreed only Silas would give interviews from then on. There were several news sources that were persona non grata with them. Brains was their drummer and truly their rock. Without his determination, songwriting talent, and experience in the business, there was no way they would have made it through the last two years. “Sorry we woke you up. It’s Los’s fault.”

“It’s all right. I wasn’t sleeping. I was watching one of Chris Motionless’s makeup videos. I fucking love how he does his eyes.”

Brains loved makeup and had a huge obsession with shows on horror- and fantasy-inspired art. He’d brought his kit with him to the table to experiment. Silas often let him practice on him. His stage makeup creations were badass.

Los threw the rag back and Silas caught it. “He’s got to meet him,” he insisted. “It’s the last Warped!”

“How do we make this happen?” Brains asked. “Oh, I know. Let’s hit the socials. Spread the word out that we want the Guru to come to my TEI workshop. We’ll send him a free ticket if he’ll come.”

“Yeah, put it on your Snapchat story, Silas,” Los said. “You have an assload of followers. Someone is bound to see it.”

“And what do I say, huh? ‘Gee whiz, Guru. Pretty please, come to my drummer’s workshop for a meet-cute’? That’s lame.”

 “No one knows who he is for a reason,” Silas said. “Just forget it.”

Silas didn’t want to get his hopes up. Again. He needed positivity. This tour was going to be hard enough. It was his first time touring without Gavin, and while he was confident the album was a great showcase for their new guitarist, Jordan Barrett, and held enough of Gavin’s spirit to be a hit, he was on edge. They needed this summer to be huge, or else it was time to wrap up Hush and move forward in his life without his true loves—music and his best friend.

“If it’s meant for you guys to meet, it’s gonna happen,” Brains.

“I don’t know. You really believe in that kind of fate shit?”

Silas wanted to. Oh, how he wanted to. But the next part of that wish was that the Guru was just as incredible in person as he was in his writing, and that was probably pushing his luck.

“You know I believe it,” Brains said. “Fate has always kept me going. It’s what brought us together, right?”

True, the formation of their band had been a sort of kismet. Brains, Los, Gavin, and Silas had all been in the same place in their lives with all the magical elements that made their music stand out among their metalcore brethren. If Brains wanted to chalk it up to some mystical force, Silas could buy that.

“Fate is a powerful thing,” Jordan said as he wandered back over with a beer. “You never know when it’s your time, am I right? I never thought I’d end up with you guys, and here we are.”

Los fist-bumped him. “Damn right and a-fucking-men for that.”

Brains and Silas joined in the fist bumps, which turned into some weird, obscure Wonder Twins Power references, and pretty soon they were all cracking up.

Yeah, Fate had been fickle with Silas and his band. She’d given them the world on a platter, then yanked it away. Everything had crashed and broken into pieces, but she was slowly putting them back together. Would she continue to grace them this summer?

From The Author

Tour Bus Life 

Greetings and welcome to the blog tour for my new release Summer of Hush. 

I have previously written a book about a band holed up in an historic building in the French Quarter. In the novel Haunted, the band Maggie’s Bones works on their first album since losing their manager in a tragic accident. I loved creating the dynamics of a damaged band of brothers looking for help to heal and the inspiration to write their next album. In Summer of Hush, the band is in even closer proximity while sharing a tour bus. There is literally nowhere to go when you need a break from each other, everyone’s belongings have the potential to comingle and there are constant…odors. Bus life is definitely not glamorous, but it can be creative and entertaining. 

While researching for this book, I came across this YouTube channel, Digital Tour Bus. I thought I would share with you examples of two different modes of transport bands have for the summer depending on what they can afford. Now, remember that Warped Tour lasts nearly two months solid, with only a few days off in between the 38 dates for travel and, well, doing the laundry. A lot of bands start out in a van, like the band Lighterburns. I saw them perform at the anniversary show this year and was impressed with their sound and energy, but when I saw this video, I was amazed by their creativity in a small space. Forget Marie Kondo or Tiny Houses, check out Lighterburns on Bus Invaders. 

Motionless in White started out on Warped Tour and have become one of the most successful bands in the metalcore genre by constantly touring and perfecting their sound. They are one of my influences for the story and I found an episode of their van days as well as their graduation to a more luxurious tour bus for the Summer’s Last Stand tour in 2015 with Slipknot, which I actually went to see! It was most excellent indeed. 

Here are a couple more fun videos of bands I’ve seen on Warped Tour. First up, Fire From The Gods (You’ve GOT to listen to End Transmission). Their singer gives a hilarious tour of their bus, which they share with Candiria, who also rocks, and the various random items you might find on a bus. Watching this video now, after writing the book, I’m cracking up at the similarities with Hush. 

New Year’s Day’s Ash Costello and her guys are one of my favorite Warped Tourbbands to see live and I had a great time at her workshop backstage two years ago where she talked about being a woman leading a metal band and the experiences she’s had in the industry. She’s talented, smart, and hilarious, and the band’s love of horror makes this Bus Invaders a lot of fun. 

Here’s a glimpse of Hush on the bus…

Back on the bus, Silas took several minutes to just sit with this hopeful feeling. The other guys seemed a bit stunned as well. If they could keep this up for thirty-seven more stops, they’d be in great shape. Silas prayed it wasn’t a fluke.

Los tossed Silas a Gatorade from the fridge and flopped down next to him on the couch. “Let’s hope we still get that response after they’ve all heard the new album.”

Silas squeezed his thigh. “I want more.”

“Los, make sure you watch me for the changes on ‘Sunrise,’” Brains said as he stormed past them to the bunk area and started to strip. “It felt a little choppy.”

“Bésame culo, cabrón,” Los said and blew him a kiss.

Brains paused with his shorts around his knees. “Translation, please?”

“Do you seriously go commando while you’re onstage?” Jordan had just joined them on the bus in time to get an eyeful of Brains’s dick.

“I need freedom from constricting clothing when I perform.” He shrugged and stepped out of his shorts. “I’m going to hose off before my workshop. Silas, don’t let me be late.”

“Ten-four, good buddy.”

Jordan still stood frozen. Silas stuck out a foot and nudged the back of Jordan’s knee, sparking the reflex that would make it bend.

“Jordan, let me clue you in. Brains has a reason for everything he does. Sometimes his answers are fascinating, sometimes you’ll wish you never asked him the question. You’ll get used to his peculiar ways soon enough.”

Los belched loudly. “It’s either get used to it or suffer debilitating nightmares for years to come.”

Jordan shook his head and then looked down at Los. “You have nightmares?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Los said as he pulled off his sweaty muscle tee and used it to wipe his face and armpits, thankfully in that order. “It took me months to overcome my fear of waking up in the morning to Brains’s naked ballsack hanging in my face.”

“You pulled the shortest straw,” Silas said. He took a long pull on his Gatorade, realizing he’d been dangerously close to dehydration from the heat. “Shortest straw used to get the bunk under his every time. Now we leave it open for storage…and ventilation.”

Jordan chuckled, and Los groaned. Silas felt his heart swell. He’d be spending the next couple of months sharing everything with these fuckers. He’d miss Gavin every day, but being on tour again and having his close friends would make it all a little less painful.

---

I’d sure love for you to meet Krish, Silas and the menagerie of folks on the last cross-country Warped Tour for a summer of hope, love and rock ‘n’ romance…

Summer of Hush

Hush is back… and it’s about to get loud.

After two years grieving the death of his best friend, Silas Franklin is back on the road with his metalcore band, Hush. With a new member, a brilliant new album, and a headlining spot on the last cross-country Warped Tour, life couldn’t be better—unless Silas could meet the intriguing music blogger known only as the Guru. Silas has followed his blog for years and feels the Guru might be the only person who “gets” him.

For years Krishnan Guruvayoor has reported on the metal scene as an anonymous blogger, and he’s just landed an internship on the Warped Tour as well as a potential position with a well-respected music magazine. His best friend arranges for him to meet singer Silas Franklin—but only as Krish the Intern. Their chemistry is instant, and Krish is thrilled to get to know the man behind the music.

The rock star and blogger quickly go from meet-cute to cuddle session, but secrets, overprotective bandmates, meddling media, and a terrible accident all conspire against them. Can their romance survive the summer of Hush?

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Hush-R-L-Merrill-ebook/dp/B07WKFVMMH

Buy from Dreamspinner Press: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/summer-of-hush-by-rl-merrill-10811-b

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2001762376761722/

https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com

https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor

Tweets by rlmerrillauthor

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/r-l-merrill

Review

Funny story about this book.  When I first sat down to read it, I found myself getting annoyed.  I couldn’t figure out why.  I was laughing at the (many) funny parts.  I teared up at the emotionally challenging parts, I sighed at the many touching romantic parts.  I could hear the music playing in the back of my head, which is funny because I’m not a huge metalcore fan. 

Then I realized I kept waiting for a murder I knew wasn’t supposed to happen.  I’m not sure if that means I need to take a break from suspense, or take a break from things that aren’t suspense, or if I need to take a break from everything that isn’t hockey until the season gets underway. 

Whatever the reason, once I figured out what was going on I was able to keep my darker impulses in check.  Which is a darn good thing, because this was a fantastic book.  What we have here is two grieving men who, completely unknown to the other, have already helped each other through the grieving process.  Both of them still have some way to go, but they wouldn’t have gotten as far as they have without each other.

And all without having directly communicated in any way.

Of course, there are issues at play here.  In a lot of ways these guys are polar opposites, and the fact that Krish keeps his blogger identity secret from everyone causes problems.  In some ways, Krish seems a little immature.  He makes Silas happy though, and he’s willing to work on his issues. 

One of the things I loved most about this book was the way Merrill brought the characters and scenes to life.  I was there on that bus, bad smells and all.  I could hear the music, taste the dust of the festival in the back of my throat – in a lot of ways, this book was almost a sensory overload. 

Silas and Krish had a lot of obstacles to overcome, and sometimes they felt a little hard to believe. I liked the book and I loved the characters, don’t get me wrong, but every time Krish started to confess to Silas one of the guys in the band would interrupt them. Once was fine, more than that pushed the boundaries of believability.  While this might have ended up ruining a different book for me, in this case it just kind of made me double check what I’d read before.

The side characters are all compelling, even the ones who aren’t there anymore.  Folks who are sensitive to issues of grief or suicide might want to make sure they’re in the right headspace for dealing with this, but it’s a pretty fantastic book and I’d recommend it to most people.

Author Bio

Once upon a time… a teacher, tattoo collector, mom, and rock ’n’ roll kinda gal opened up a doc and started purging her demons. R.L. Merrill is still striving to find that perfect balance between real life and happily ever after, and she’ll keep writing love stories until she does. Both self-published and traditionally published with Dreamspinner Press, Ro writes romance in contemporary, paranormal, and horror settings inspired by love, hope, and rock ’n’ roll. Ro also loves connecting with other authors online, at conventions, and chapter meetings for the Romance Writers of America, of which she’s been a member since 2014.

A sucker for underdogs, Ro has adopted a wide variety of pets including cats, dogs, rats, snakes, a chameleon, and some fish. Her love of horror is evident the moment you walk in her door and find yourself surrounded by decorative skulls and quirky artwork from around the world. You can find her lurking on social media where she loves connecting with readers, or else find her educating America’s youth, being a mom taxi to two busy kids, in the tattoo chair trying desperately to get that back piece finished, or head-banging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Author Website: www.rlmerrillauthor.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor

Author Twitter: www.twitter.com/rlmerrillauthor

Author Instagram: www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9828914.R_L_Merrill

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/r-l-merrill/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/R-L-Merrill/e/B00PI6Q1LI

Giveaway

R.L. is giving away a $50 Dreamspinner gift card with this tour – enter via Rafflecopter:

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d4786/?

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