The always Inappropriate Max Vos on 'Going Home'

Today TTC books and more welcomes the always inappropriate Max Vos to talk about his novel, Going Home.

Journalist Carter Roberts was required to interview Carl Foltz and Matt Evans for an article on their lives. It was not an assignment he relished: he just wanted to get there, get it done and get out. Thinking about the subject matter made his stomach churn.

The interview reveals as much about himself as about the two men, and for the first time, Carter learns what a real home feels like. He never would have expected that meeting the two men would change his way of thinking – and his life – forever.

WARNING: Contains materials for ADULTS only.If you have any reason to think that you cannot or will not tolerate any type of mature subject matter, please do not continue. If you have any issues with any type of taboo, or what you may consider taboo material, please do not read. If you have a closed mind about any sexual activities whatsoever, please put this book down or delete it now. If you truly believe that love is love, then by all means, continue.

Max stopped by the blog today to share the concept behind this controversial story... 

As some of you may know, I recently released a new book that has raised some controversy. What a surprise, right? Yes, I do admit that I often push the envelope, but this time I think I incinerated it.

Interesting enough, I’ve had more positive comments than negative ones, which is somewhat of a surprise to me. Yes, it does address a taboo subject, one that is often looked upon with complete and total disgust. Yes, I know I pushed some buttons, but then again, I need to push buttons as they often inhibit us, keeping us closed up.

Now that it has been jerked from Amazon and ARe, after rocketing up the sales charts, I feel I can tell the real story behind Going Home.

One summer, circa 1995, I went to visit a friend of mine in Cincinnati who had just bought a new home. Having redone a home of the same time period, I went to give some pointers and opinions. I’m actually very good at that.

Anyway, my friend worked nights so I decided I would take in some of the local nightlife. I was much younger then and ready for a good time, i.e., I needed to get laid. My friend, Paul, suggested I go to this one bar where it was Suds-n-Suds night. I asked what the hell that was. “They turn out almost all the lights, there is a bubble making machine that fills the bar up with soap suds and they run a special on draft beer.” I said that sounded interesting, but I’d abstain from the draft beer since it makes me fart. “Oh, and you have to strip down to your underwear,” Paul added.

I chose to wear a jock. Like I said, I was looking for something more than just a drink.

So I went. I had a great time and met two great guys. We had a very, very, very good time. I guess I impressed them enough for them to give me their number and ask for me to stop by on my way home.

I did call them and I did make plans to stop by and see them—a lot of them—on my drive home. It wasn’t all that far out of my way, only six hundred miles or so. When I got there I got a better look at them in full sunlight. Yes, they were hot as hell. Yes, they looked a lot alike and yes, they were father and son.

Like so many others, I was a bit put off when I found out, but then I remember what a good time we’d  had and so I let my dick do the talking for me. I mean, who was I to judge, right?

When their story came out, which is very close to that in the book, I was really amazed. I ended up spending three days with them. We remained in contact for many years after that, then lost touch, sadly. They are great guys and are very giving, not only to each other, but to the gay community as a whole.

I took a lot away with me from that visit. One was a new appreciation for bacon grease and another was that no one should judge who someone loves or how they love. What goes on in someone else’s bedroom is nobody’s business. Think about it a moment. How would you like to have a group of people in your own personal space when you do the nasty? Yeah, that’s what it is like when you really think about it. If you can’t or won’t take that kind of scrutiny, then you shouldn’t impose it on someone else.

I have to admit, I was guilty of it. I did it. Thanks to those guys, I learned to get over that and a lot of other things. There are some things that are imposed upon us by society, I believe. Although I’m a gay man, I still found I had some prejudices that clung to me, like peeling skin after a bad sunburn. I had to scrub that off and it wasn’t at all pleasant at the time. The hardest part was to admit that I actually had these stereotypes stuck in my head. These rules, imposed on us in our current modern society, or dumped on us as I like to say, we have accepted without thinking for ourselves, only accepting them unconditionally.

I knew I was taking a big risk in writing this story. I did put out all kinds of warnings. In no way, shape or form did I try to hide that it was a touchy subject and it wouldn’t be for everyone. I also made it quite clear that there was nothing nonconsensual about it. Yes, I did get some fairly nasty comments and reviews, but there were more positive than negative.

What I learned from this whole experience is that readers are much more open, especially in this genre, than publishers, booksellers and other authors give them credit. Kudos to the readers. Let them decide what they want to read. Congratulations to those who picked up the book, knowing that it was going to push them out of their comfort zone. What I hope they found was just a simple love story. Okay, there is a lot of hot, kinky sex in it, but when you take away the sex, the taboo, the preconceptions; it really is just a simple love story. Oh yeah, it does have a hard twist in the end. To me, it is the best kind of HEA.

3.5/5 stars...

Carter Roberts is an accomplished journalist for a popular gay magazine. He prides himself in doing the stories that have meaning, and a lot of times the stories that no one else wants. His latest assignment would be the first one that even he is resistant of completing. He finds himself being judgemental of the men he is set to interview before he even meets them. Carter doesn’t know that this story in particular will change his life forever. 

Carl Foltz and Matt Evans live a slightly isolated life on the Farm they own, run and maintain. Matt is ready to tell the story of their lives, who they are and how they came together as long as they get to keep their anonymity. Carter might not be looking forward to this interview, but he is a consummate professional and promises to give them that. It doesn’t take long for the two men to touch Carter’s heart.

As a young, single gay man, Carter is amazed at how in love Carl and Matt are and how much they’ve given up to be together. He finds himself questioning the reservations he had coming into this interview, and he finds himself mesmerized by both Carl and Matt’s larger than life personalities. Soon the solitary couple that have kept themselves away from the outside world for the most part become a threesome. When it’s time for Carter to go back home and write his article, it’s hard for him to leave. Will the love Carter found with Carl and Matt be enough to bring him back to them? Or is this just a passing fling that he will forget about once he gets back home.

Definitely a sensitive subject matter for some people, but the author gives a valid warning at the start. I was intrigued with the story in the first chapter and my attention never wavered. I’m a firm believer of the moniker ‘Love is Love’ and I think that is the most relevant aspect of this story. The story is well written, the characters are all three dimensional and the passion, love and respect the three of them have for each other is evident.

I think that Carter was invited into their bed a little too soon, and the use of the word daddy was too much in the context of this story during sexual situations. But overall, as I said, even given the heavy content warning, the story was written well. The sex was off the charts hot, sweaty, steamy and toe curling. It was a delicate balance, almost too much monkey business, but Vos made sure to change things up so the variety of positions and such was different every time.

I was able to focus on the moral of the story, love is love, romance and passion and finding where you are meant to be in the strangest of places. If you are open minded and you can find the joy in all the things I just listed, head over to Max Vos’s website and grab a copy of Going Home!

And thank you so much Max for stopping by today and sharing the story behind this story. I'm happy that you finally came to a place in your life where you felt you could share it. I'm a firm believer in the moto 'Love is Love' and I think you did a fantastic job of stating that within this story. 

Until next time....