Passion Marks

A gifted young writer makes his literary debut in this haunting and powerful novel about a gay black man grappling with the death of his twin brother--and with the dream boyfriend who turns out to be the lover from hell. Victims of domestic abuse know that the violence they suffer at the hands of loved ones is not limited by gender, culture, sexual preference, or socio-economic status. Now first-time author Lee A. Hayes takes this hot-button issue to gripping new levels in a novel that transcends all barriers of sex, class, and race. "From the outside, it looked like the perfect world: exclusive neighborhood, fancy cars, and wealth. If only they knew..." Set in Texas, Passion Marks tells the story of Kevin Davis, an attractive, college-educated black man who is leading an agonizing double life. The fashionable Houston home Kevin shares with his partner might as well have bars on the windows, for all the freedom he enjoys. For behind closed doors, he lives a sordid and humiliating existence as the kept lover of powerful businessman James Lancaster, a vicious closet abuser. Compounding Kevin's torment is the guilt he harbors over the recent death of his identical twin brother, Keevan. Haunted by apocalyptic visions and terrified of the man he'd once hoped could save him, Kevin is unable to break the cycle of violence and depravity that has made him a prisoner in his own life--until an unforeseen event forces him to confront the demons that are holding him back and call on a strength he didn't know he possessed. Building to an unforgettable climax, and peopled by a cast of richly drawn characters--including Kevin's best girlfriend, Danea, and the mercilessly driven James--this is a powerhouse story of tough love from a supremely talented new author.