Frontiers - by Michael Jensen (Paperback)

About the Book

A transcendent novel of survival and the forbidden love between men, set against the seductive, primal landscape of the American West. "Part Stephen King, part James Michener, part Jonathan Keller, and part "Best Gay Erotica.""--Richard Labonte, "Feminist Bookstore News." Gay Pride Month tie in.

Book Synopsis

High drama and romance fill the pages of Frontiers and the life of John Chapman--a man on the run.

The year is 1797. John Chapman, an impulsive young man and a sexual outlaw, forsaken in the bitter winter of the Allegheny Plateau, clings to his one tenuous dream: to claim a future in the Western outpost. Unarmed and near death, Chapman is on the brink of giving up when an unexpected rescue changes his course in life forever, and he discovers the true meaning of survival.

The mysterious savior is Daniel McQuay, a loner whose overpowering bond with Chapman is as shifting as a shadow, as dark as the prairie tale he spins for the impressionable young man. For Chapman, McQuay's story of a deranged killer clings to his transient soul like a nightmare, tracking him further south and into the safe haven of a gentle Indian woman named Gwennie. His journey also takes him into the intimate deliverance of Palmer, a brash but irresistibly innocent seventeen-year-old settler.

As the three adventurers carve a new life out of the endless wilderness, they face the ultimate enemy--man--in a life-and-death struggle that unfolds in the shadow of a legendary and avenging evil.

From the Back Cover

The year is 1797. John Chapman, an impulsive young man and a sexual outlaw, forsaken in the bitter winter of the Allegheny Plateau, clings to his one tenuous dream: to claim a future in the Western outpost. Unarmed and near death, Chapman is on the brink of giving up when an unexpected rescue changes his course in life forever, and he discovers the true meaning of survival.

The mysterious savior is Daniel McQuay, a loner whose overpowering bond with Chapman is as shifting as a shadow, as dark as the prairie tale he spins for the impressionable young man. For Chapman, McQuay's story of a deranged killer clings to his transient soul like a nightmare, tracking him further south and into the safe haven of a gentle Indian woman named Gwennie. His journey also takes him into the intimate deliverance of Palmer, a brash but irresistibly innocent seventeen-year old settler.

As the three adventurers carve a new life out of the endless wilderness, they face the ultimate enemy -- man -- in a life-and-death struggle that unfolds in the shadow of a legendary and avenging evil.

Review Quotes

Michelangelo Signorile author of Life Outside A breathtaking novel of American cultural and sexual history. This is a book for anyone who has ever wondered what same-sex passion might have been like in the age of "romantic friendships." Frontiers is exciting and absorbing.

Walter Vatter A Different Light Bookstore Michael Jensen's Frontiers has all the "bells and whistles" of a deluxe adventure story: a racing narrative, high drama, vivid images, keen dialogue, even hot sex!

New York Blade News Sleep didn't come as easily as I'd thought. Always enjoyable....a decidedly sweet affair, with a few curveballs thrown in.

Outlines A fascinating tale about a fascinating character. The best books leave the reader wanting more, and Frontiers begs for a sequel.

Publishers Weekly Invigorated by hot sex scenes in bathtubs and amid thunderstorms....An appealing, well-researched tale, featuring a complicated and winsome hero who finds sexual fulfillment and a hard-won place for himself in a most unforgiving, and beautifully wrought, setting.

The Advocate Besides an entertaining read, this praiseworthy period piece provides one of the few enduring thrills in contemporary gay literature -- the erosion of the myth that American history was founded exclusively by heterosexuals.

The Advocate Equal parts romance novel and history lesson, carefully written and heaped with sex and violence.

The Bellingham Herald (WA) Extremely well-researched and well-written, packed full of the classic tension that makes for a real page-turner. It's not often that an author can lay claim to the creation of a new genre, but Michael Jensen might just be able to do so.

Rebecca Brown author of The Dogs and The Gifts of the Body With Frontiers we may be witnessing the creation of a new genre. Michael Jensen's well-researched book brings to life a pivotal period in U.S. history. He writes with passion, wit, and a heart as big as the continent.

Richard Labonte Feminist Bookstore News [A] winner....A debut novel that's part Stephen King, part James Michener, part Jonathan Katz, and part Best Gay Erotica. Jensen has infused his unique story with a fascinating setting and crafted it with dialogue and descriptions that slip across the eye with velvet fonts....Fundamentally a love story, but one wrought with uncommon grace.

About the Author

Michael Jensen has worked as a bank teller, a wedding photographer, and a tour guide in Australia. He currently works as a flight attendant and lives in Seattle with his partner, Brent Hartinger. Frontiers is his first novel. Visit his Web site at www.frontiers-99.com.