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Protection
Jamie is an anomaly in the shooting world: a relative newcomer who became a leading contender overnight. He's representing the United States at the 2012 Olympics, and people are drawn to him both for his marksmanship and the past he refuses to divulge. During his downtime in London, Jamie visits a gay bar and meets a chipper young man named Ben. Despite Ben's heartfelt offer of succor, Jamie's mounting nerves over the Games and his scars from the past threaten the new relationship before the night even begins.
"A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2013 Daily Dose package "Make a Play.""
"A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2013 Daily Dose package "Make a Play.""
25 pages, ebook
First published May 31, 2013
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
John Amory
17 books62 followersJohn Amory is the defunct pen name of an educator and administrator living outside Philadelphia. He previously authored several short works of erotic and romantic queer fiction, but he now spends his days working in non-profits.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 12, 2013
4 Stars
“You have a sadness in your eyes, Jamie. But there’s a little glint of life there too, you know? And if there’s anything I’m a sucker for, it’s a guy with a story. So I came over here because I wanted to know your story.”
I read this short story twice. The second time to figure out why I was smiling after the first go-round. Because on the surface this is not a happy story. It’s really rather sad and lonely.
Jamie’s friends judge him. He travels too much, sleeps too little and smells like fireworks on the Fourth of July. They give him grief over his most unlikeliest of careers, a career that stemmed from a need he once felt to protect himself.
Jamie’s an expert marksman, taking the gold at the National Championships in Colorado Springs in free pistol. On a night on the town, he shrugs off the attention and praise he receives, evasive and joking about how he got to be so good at standing behind a line and accurately firing a gun at a target. He’s so good in fact, he’s earned his place with the world’s finest at the 2012 Olympics in London, England.
While Jamie admits to himself that he likes all the attention, the fanfare, the team events, practices and photo op’s with his fellow American athletes, he can’t help feeling he doesn’t deserve all the hoopla. It’s not like his event is even televised back home in Billings, Montana.
Forty-eight hours before the opening ceremony and feeling jittery, Jamie heads out of the hotel for some time alone. At a bar, nursing a bourbon on the rocks, Jamie gets a tap on the shoulder and a small voice gives him the corniest pickup line ever. The young guy’s name is Ben, he’s cute and eventually Jamie invites Ben back to his hotel room.
The next morning Jamie wakes up alone.
Of course there’s a whole lot more to the story. I liked how Jamie related the events of the past in his own voice, while the present was told from a third person POV. The conclusion? John Amory leaves off Jamie’s tragic story with a sense of hope, hope that there’s something more for Jamie and Ben on the horizon. And that was why I was smiling, because I hope it works out for them, too.
Highly recommended.
“You have a sadness in your eyes, Jamie. But there’s a little glint of life there too, you know? And if there’s anything I’m a sucker for, it’s a guy with a story. So I came over here because I wanted to know your story.”
I read this short story twice. The second time to figure out why I was smiling after the first go-round. Because on the surface this is not a happy story. It’s really rather sad and lonely.
Jamie’s friends judge him. He travels too much, sleeps too little and smells like fireworks on the Fourth of July. They give him grief over his most unlikeliest of careers, a career that stemmed from a need he once felt to protect himself.
Jamie’s an expert marksman, taking the gold at the National Championships in Colorado Springs in free pistol. On a night on the town, he shrugs off the attention and praise he receives, evasive and joking about how he got to be so good at standing behind a line and accurately firing a gun at a target. He’s so good in fact, he’s earned his place with the world’s finest at the 2012 Olympics in London, England.
While Jamie admits to himself that he likes all the attention, the fanfare, the team events, practices and photo op’s with his fellow American athletes, he can’t help feeling he doesn’t deserve all the hoopla. It’s not like his event is even televised back home in Billings, Montana.
Forty-eight hours before the opening ceremony and feeling jittery, Jamie heads out of the hotel for some time alone. At a bar, nursing a bourbon on the rocks, Jamie gets a tap on the shoulder and a small voice gives him the corniest pickup line ever. The young guy’s name is Ben, he’s cute and eventually Jamie invites Ben back to his hotel room.
The next morning Jamie wakes up alone.
Of course there’s a whole lot more to the story. I liked how Jamie related the events of the past in his own voice, while the present was told from a third person POV. The conclusion? John Amory leaves off Jamie’s tragic story with a sense of hope, hope that there’s something more for Jamie and Ben on the horizon. And that was why I was smiling, because I hope it works out for them, too.
Highly recommended.
June 30, 2013
3.5*
This is one of those stories that I think I would have loved had it been longer.
Even the way it was told ( with skipping from now to then and the third person ) which normally isn't to my liking worked well, I thought.
Jamie is at the Olympics, ok he's not exactly on one of those sports people pay attention to, he doesn't even think the networks are going to cover it back in the States.
But all that doesn't matter, the sport is a kind of therapy for him.
He is a loner, but Ben a guy at the bar he decided to visit before the games start recognizes him and starts up a conversation with him.
I think both of these guys have interesting back stories, although we only get a bit of Jamie's and the ending is a barely HFN in my opinion, but...it could have been really great. It's quote was just asking to be expanded on and their story told: “You can’t look at me and know who I am.”
I can just tell had this one been expanded, and we found out about Jamie's recovery and his life now and what drove Ben across the ocean...and maybe more than a note, and call me?
This is one of those stories that I think I would have loved had it been longer.
Even the way it was told ( with skipping from now to then and the third person ) which normally isn't to my liking worked well, I thought.
Jamie is at the Olympics, ok he's not exactly on one of those sports people pay attention to, he doesn't even think the networks are going to cover it back in the States.
But all that doesn't matter, the sport is a kind of therapy for him.
He is a loner, but Ben a guy at the bar he decided to visit before the games start recognizes him and starts up a conversation with him.
I think both of these guys have interesting back stories, although we only get a bit of Jamie's and the ending is a barely HFN in my opinion, but...it could have been really great. It's quote was just asking to be expanded on and their story told: “You can’t look at me and know who I am.”
I can just tell had this one been expanded, and we found out about Jamie's recovery and his life now and what drove Ben across the ocean...and maybe more than a note, and call me?
June 26, 2013
This was short and sweet. What could have just been a casual hook up has the potential for so much more as Ben sees beneath Jamie's exterior and recognises the sadness within.
After a night together, Jamie seems to have more hope "Your eyes. There isn't as much sadness as before." and he obviously has developed a trust in Ben, able to share the details of 'The Incident' which led him to take up shooting as a sport.
There is a cute HFN ending as Ben sends Jamie breakfast and a sweet note.
After a night together, Jamie seems to have more hope "Your eyes. There isn't as much sadness as before." and he obviously has developed a trust in Ben, able to share the details of 'The Incident' which led him to take up shooting as a sport.
There is a cute HFN ending as Ben sends Jamie breakfast and a sweet note.
June 30, 2013
The London Olympics are the backdrop for a story that unfolds with bits and pieces of a past event, a terrible experience that still haunts the victim, Jamie. Now he is representing the United States at the ultimate competition with previous national and world championship medals as part of his accomplishments. A terrible episode may have led him to international fame, but that same traumatic happening also led him to a very lonely life.
Jamie is very much a lone wolf since guns are so much a part of his world and the men from his unofficial and unasked-for community prefer to avoid him and judge him too dangerous. They leave him alone. This is a painful to read, but essential to Jamie’s essence. I was very moved by his ability to survive even with remnants from his past still plaguing him. He is a survivor and has not crumbled under the weight of his burden.
Ben initially appears to be a twink, in Jamie’s words, and being in a G-A-Y establishment when Ben met Jamie meant Ben didn’t stand out. However, Ben has a nice mix of intrigue and nerve plus being a cute young guy certainly works to his benefit. Ben’s eyes project considerable depth and he freely expresses his excitement about meeting a celebrity. Ben is a delightful counterpoint to Jamie and there was a good deal of heat and interest building up between the two of them as they shared three rounds of drinks. I have to say that Ben was just wonderfully endearing and definitely a 'multi-dimensional twink'.
I love stories where a bold young dude can stay the course until he has reeled in the guy who sparked so many emotions. They have a Gold Medal time with enough heat to diminish the sadness in our Olympian’s eyes. This is a winner!
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Jamie is very much a lone wolf since guns are so much a part of his world and the men from his unofficial and unasked-for community prefer to avoid him and judge him too dangerous. They leave him alone. This is a painful to read, but essential to Jamie’s essence. I was very moved by his ability to survive even with remnants from his past still plaguing him. He is a survivor and has not crumbled under the weight of his burden.
Ben initially appears to be a twink, in Jamie’s words, and being in a G-A-Y establishment when Ben met Jamie meant Ben didn’t stand out. However, Ben has a nice mix of intrigue and nerve plus being a cute young guy certainly works to his benefit. Ben’s eyes project considerable depth and he freely expresses his excitement about meeting a celebrity. Ben is a delightful counterpoint to Jamie and there was a good deal of heat and interest building up between the two of them as they shared three rounds of drinks. I have to say that Ben was just wonderfully endearing and definitely a 'multi-dimensional twink'.
I love stories where a bold young dude can stay the course until he has reeled in the guy who sparked so many emotions. They have a Gold Medal time with enough heat to diminish the sadness in our Olympian’s eyes. This is a winner!
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
June 29, 2013
This is an interesting short story for three reasons.
First, it features a not-so-well-known sport, shooting. Even though it is an Olympic sport, and the main character travels to the 2012 Olympics, somehow, many people don't really know much about it, nor do they care. I always enjoy learning something new, and though there weren't many technical details about the sport, the motivations and descriptions of events were new to me.
The second reason I found this story interesting is the main character and his motivation for learning to shoot. It is an unusual one, and yet, now that I think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Jamie is a great guy, with a horrible history, but he has picked up the pieces and moved on. When he meets Ben, totally unexpectedly, in a bar in London, he is finally ready for more.
And the third reason this held my interest more than other shorts is the way it is told. Alternating between the now (at the Olympics, told in third person) and the past (retelling the event that caused Jamie to take up shooting, told in first person). The mix is intriguing, and the way it is written makes abundantly clear which time frame the author is talking about. This avoided the confusion I always feel with lengthy flashbacks and paced the story nicely.
If you like stories with an intriguing premise, if you enjoy reading about men who understand each other on a deeper level, and if you're looking for an interesting read with just a touch of romance, then you will probably like this short story.
This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
First, it features a not-so-well-known sport, shooting. Even though it is an Olympic sport, and the main character travels to the 2012 Olympics, somehow, many people don't really know much about it, nor do they care. I always enjoy learning something new, and though there weren't many technical details about the sport, the motivations and descriptions of events were new to me.
The second reason I found this story interesting is the main character and his motivation for learning to shoot. It is an unusual one, and yet, now that I think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Jamie is a great guy, with a horrible history, but he has picked up the pieces and moved on. When he meets Ben, totally unexpectedly, in a bar in London, he is finally ready for more.
And the third reason this held my interest more than other shorts is the way it is told. Alternating between the now (at the Olympics, told in third person) and the past (retelling the event that caused Jamie to take up shooting, told in first person). The mix is intriguing, and the way it is written makes abundantly clear which time frame the author is talking about. This avoided the confusion I always feel with lengthy flashbacks and paced the story nicely.
If you like stories with an intriguing premise, if you enjoy reading about men who understand each other on a deeper level, and if you're looking for an interesting read with just a touch of romance, then you will probably like this short story.
This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
June 29, 2013
This review can be found at Brief Encounters Reviews.
This short story is less of a romance perhaps than a story of personal growth and moving on, triggered by an interlude with a strangers (perhaps hinting at more). The story is also told in an unusual manner, which may not be to the taste of some readers, but I tend to like rather unusual narratives. In this case Jamie tells us his story from the first person point of view, more of a narrative on his life to date, and the current activities happening in London are told in third person, and it jumps back and forth. I did find it kept it clear, with a “that was then, this is now” kind of feel.
After being attacked and shot, Jamie’s life was a mess. His therapist recommended a support group for bashing victims and when they tell him about a group they’ve formed to learn to shoot and thus win back some of their confidence, he reluctantly joins in. However, he’s a natural and the power of having a weapon and knowing how to use it, allows him to excel and make it to the Olympics in record time. The night before the opening ceremonies, he heads out to a gay bar where he meets twink, and ex-pat American Ben who actually recognizes him. After chatting, despite being neither one’s type, they go back to Jamie’s hotel.
While Jamie may have felt he’d taken his life back after learning to shoot, he really hadn’t. He’s been more or less celibate for years and he still gets a nervous twitch in his hand when stressed. However Ben’s carefree attitude and honest desire to just listen without pushing, finally lets Jamie take a step out of the past and really start to heal from his trauma.
The story is very short, and besides the narrative of about how he was attacked and his history with shooting, it all takes place in one evening. You can see the changes in Jamie though, from tense, closed off man, who tells himself he’s over it because he’s taken back his power, to someone who might truly be over it by opening himself up to a relationship, or the possibility of one. This could be seen more of a HFN ending. You presume they keep in touch and Ben is American so he could return to the US and Jamie, but I was more interested in Jamie and his story than them as a couple. Not that there was anything wrong with them as a couple, I just felt the important part of the story was Jamie’s growth.
So if you don’t mind trying a different narrative style and aren’t looking for a grand romance, but more personal growth, I think this is a good choice.
This short story is less of a romance perhaps than a story of personal growth and moving on, triggered by an interlude with a strangers (perhaps hinting at more). The story is also told in an unusual manner, which may not be to the taste of some readers, but I tend to like rather unusual narratives. In this case Jamie tells us his story from the first person point of view, more of a narrative on his life to date, and the current activities happening in London are told in third person, and it jumps back and forth. I did find it kept it clear, with a “that was then, this is now” kind of feel.
After being attacked and shot, Jamie’s life was a mess. His therapist recommended a support group for bashing victims and when they tell him about a group they’ve formed to learn to shoot and thus win back some of their confidence, he reluctantly joins in. However, he’s a natural and the power of having a weapon and knowing how to use it, allows him to excel and make it to the Olympics in record time. The night before the opening ceremonies, he heads out to a gay bar where he meets twink, and ex-pat American Ben who actually recognizes him. After chatting, despite being neither one’s type, they go back to Jamie’s hotel.
While Jamie may have felt he’d taken his life back after learning to shoot, he really hadn’t. He’s been more or less celibate for years and he still gets a nervous twitch in his hand when stressed. However Ben’s carefree attitude and honest desire to just listen without pushing, finally lets Jamie take a step out of the past and really start to heal from his trauma.
The story is very short, and besides the narrative of about how he was attacked and his history with shooting, it all takes place in one evening. You can see the changes in Jamie though, from tense, closed off man, who tells himself he’s over it because he’s taken back his power, to someone who might truly be over it by opening himself up to a relationship, or the possibility of one. This could be seen more of a HFN ending. You presume they keep in touch and Ben is American so he could return to the US and Jamie, but I was more interested in Jamie and his story than them as a couple. Not that there was anything wrong with them as a couple, I just felt the important part of the story was Jamie’s growth.
So if you don’t mind trying a different narrative style and aren’t looking for a grand romance, but more personal growth, I think this is a good choice.
August 25, 2013
Protection did something that I loved, something that I always respect in writing. It shattered a stereotype and even indirectly challenged a common stance that ruffle many liberal’s feathers. (Calm down, I’m a liberal as well.) It was about a man who survived a gay bashing. In response to that, part of his healing process—along with meeting with other survivors—was getting trained to use a gun to protect himself. In so doing, he discovers a talent that brings him to the Olympics. (All of this you find out fairly early on, so I don’t believe I’m giving away spoilers.) Through experiencing Jamie’s time in London as he prepares for the Olympics and reliving moments of his attempts to heal, we see the pain and struggle he has gone through, and the rejection from his friends as he took this step to mend and protect himself. In Protection, Jamie discovers one more integral piece to his recovery, the touch and love from someone who cares for him.
Not an ounce of this book is preachy---much less so than my review, actually. Nor is it advocating on either side of the gun debate. It is simply a story of Jamie and how he is living his life. The implications and questions that it raises will last long after you finish this hopeful tale!
Not an ounce of this book is preachy---much less so than my review, actually. Nor is it advocating on either side of the gun debate. It is simply a story of Jamie and how he is living his life. The implications and questions that it raises will last long after you finish this hopeful tale!
March 14, 2015
Protection is a short and sweet tale of a pick-up that just might be more. Jamie almost died and now he is at the Olympics. When someone recognizes him at G-A-Y Bar, he is taken aback and they spend the evening talking and the night doing more. But that is all it can be, one night, right? Well, unfortunately for HEA-seekers, that question is left to your imagination.
Find the Full review at Prism Book Alliance http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?pos...
Find the Full review at Prism Book Alliance http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?pos...
June 8, 2013
2.5 stars. This was only meh for me. It's barely a HFN and I didn't really feel like this book was about more than 'The Incident'. This was suppose to have some sort of romance to it, but to me it felt like a random bar hook up while Jaime was visiting for the Olympics.
June 15, 2013
3 1/2 - 4 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
After Jamie was attacked in a gay bashing he turned to shooting to make himself feel safe, now on the Olympic shooting team after proving adapt with a pistol Jamie is in London. Meeting Ben in a gay bar is a surprise and after talking for a while they return to Jamie’s hotel, Ben has proven to be just what Jamie needed as Jamie still is haunted by his past. One night could just be all it takes to enter a new beginning.
This is a great story that introduces us to Jamie a man with a terrible past. Jamie is a man whose friends don’t know what to make of him, before the Incident he was just like them but afterwards he turned to guns. Guns are his way of coping and being able to shoot has led him to the Olympics’ and London. Ben is a cute twink and meets Jamie in a bar, there is just something that draws him to Jamie and he wants to know what causes the sadness in his eyes.
I really liked this story and the way that it would briefly flick to Jamie’s past, the way that Ben manages to ease something in Jamie and that maybe they have found something that could be built on. It is a brief encounter for both men but they do seem to make a strong connection, we are left wondering if there will be more for the two men or if it is just the one night, but it still leaves us with a sense of hope for the future and with a sense that Jamie’s ghosts are starting to settle.
I recommend this if you love new beginnings, damaged characters rising from the ashes and hope for the future.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
After Jamie was attacked in a gay bashing he turned to shooting to make himself feel safe, now on the Olympic shooting team after proving adapt with a pistol Jamie is in London. Meeting Ben in a gay bar is a surprise and after talking for a while they return to Jamie’s hotel, Ben has proven to be just what Jamie needed as Jamie still is haunted by his past. One night could just be all it takes to enter a new beginning.
This is a great story that introduces us to Jamie a man with a terrible past. Jamie is a man whose friends don’t know what to make of him, before the Incident he was just like them but afterwards he turned to guns. Guns are his way of coping and being able to shoot has led him to the Olympics’ and London. Ben is a cute twink and meets Jamie in a bar, there is just something that draws him to Jamie and he wants to know what causes the sadness in his eyes.
I really liked this story and the way that it would briefly flick to Jamie’s past, the way that Ben manages to ease something in Jamie and that maybe they have found something that could be built on. It is a brief encounter for both men but they do seem to make a strong connection, we are left wondering if there will be more for the two men or if it is just the one night, but it still leaves us with a sense of hope for the future and with a sense that Jamie’s ghosts are starting to settle.
I recommend this if you love new beginnings, damaged characters rising from the ashes and hope for the future.
June 13, 2013
B+
Beans: This was an intriguing read. It was a small novella, but full of story and people and past and the potential of a future. I really liked the backstory into why Jamie started shooting. I liked Ben being not-his-type, but honest and real. Ben being genuine made him more attractive to Jamie and I liked the way they meshed together in time and place where a hook-up seems realistic but maybe.. just maybe there could be more.
Nina: A brief yet powerful novella. Extremely short, with flashes back in time that weave the story behind the story of Jamie. Two men who'd ordinarily pass each other by seeing something in the other that makes them take a chance, with very satisfying results. Ben was adorable, sweet and much more than the twink he at first appears to be. Poor broken Jamie, facing his fears and putting himself back together one shard at a time. I really hope that they get more time together, they're good for each other.
Beans: This was an intriguing read. It was a small novella, but full of story and people and past and the potential of a future. I really liked the backstory into why Jamie started shooting. I liked Ben being not-his-type, but honest and real. Ben being genuine made him more attractive to Jamie and I liked the way they meshed together in time and place where a hook-up seems realistic but maybe.. just maybe there could be more.
Nina: A brief yet powerful novella. Extremely short, with flashes back in time that weave the story behind the story of Jamie. Two men who'd ordinarily pass each other by seeing something in the other that makes them take a chance, with very satisfying results. Ben was adorable, sweet and much more than the twink he at first appears to be. Poor broken Jamie, facing his fears and putting himself back together one shard at a time. I really hope that they get more time together, they're good for each other.
June 29, 2013
2.5 stars
It takes a couple of pages to piece together how the story was being told. Jamie is a victim of crime and it use to shadow his day to day life until he finds solace through shooting guns. Before he knows it he's a different man and in the Olympics but "The Incident" he suffered still sits at the back of his mind and then he meets Ben in a bar. They have a night together. Ben leaves him a note with advice and an offer for something more.
The characters didn't really make a big impact on me, they were fleeting. While the story was interesting, I just didn't have a lot of appreciation for it. I was also looking for a bit more romance.
It takes a couple of pages to piece together how the story was being told. Jamie is a victim of crime and it use to shadow his day to day life until he finds solace through shooting guns. Before he knows it he's a different man and in the Olympics but "The Incident" he suffered still sits at the back of his mind and then he meets Ben in a bar. They have a night together. Ben leaves him a note with advice and an offer for something more.
The characters didn't really make a big impact on me, they were fleeting. While the story was interesting, I just didn't have a lot of appreciation for it. I was also looking for a bit more romance.
June 8, 2013
I didn't like this story, it was way to rushed and undeveloped. This shorty didn't feel right. If it's a shorty it shouldn't be a sad one and this one was way to sad for my taste.
July 6, 2013
Interesting story about how a gay basher helped create an Olympian and how a fan showed him how to let go of the past. The back and forth in time got a bit confusing but the story was inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews