Book Review for Upcoming Release Rescuing Ryker by Jason Banks

Good afternoon everyone. What I have for you today is a pre-release book review and interview of Rescuing Ryker's author Jason Banks. Rescuing Ryker is available for pre-order here with a release date of Aug 25th. This 25 page short story is designed to introduce the readers to Ryker and Flynn's world. 

Blurb:

From an early age, Ryker Reynolds yearned to become a leading emergency responder in his hometown of Windsor, Colorado. At the behest of his legalistic father, Ryker graduated high school and entered a training program in Fort Collins to become an EMT instead of accepting the parental funded tuition into Yale Law School. Finally, Ryker achieved his dream of saving lives. 

After accepting his first position for a squad in Colorado Springs, Ryker found peace and comfort transitioning into his new fast-paced lifestyle. This was all he’d ever dreamed of and he felt like an important member of society, recovering patients from the brink of death. Weeks later, Ryker turned down an invitation to his family’s annual cruise to be on call during what turned into the busiest weekend of his life. But when a torrential storm of rain, hail and tornadoes attacks the Front Range, Ryker’s faith is all he has within grasp when his ambulance overturns due to mother nature’s fury. But his guardian angel must have been working overtime when an unknown driver approaches Ryker’s capsized rig and identifies himself as a trauma physician for the nearby hospital. Dr. Flynn Johnson calls for extra backup to save Ryker and his work mates. 

Upon recovery, Ryker Reynolds is more than appreciative of Dr. Johnson’s aid as sparks fly during the following weeks of physical therapy. But that’s not all what the doctor ordered for Ryker to make a complete turnaround.

Not only was I fortunate enough to be granted an advanced reader copy of Rescuing Ryker, but its author, Jason Banks, took the time out to answer a few questions for me on his writing process and how he came to create his novel. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did. 

1.       Have you always wanted to be a writer, or did you come into it through a love of reading.

It's always been an interest of mine. When I was ten, I begged my mum to let me drain my entire savings account to buy an electric typewriter that we'd seen at a yard sale. From the point forward, I'd always been making fun stories and writing poetry. I was introduced to the Male/Male Romance genre by accident in 2010 when a fellow Facebook mate had recommended I read a TA Chase novel. From then on, I've been hooked on gay romance. 

2.       What is the most interesting place you’ve come across in your travels?

Honestly? This may come off as a bit weird-- Georgia. The humidity is atrocious. Never before had I felt the need to take a shower after sitting on the patio for twenty minutes, after taking a bloody shower already!

3.       Do you have any particular ritual you follow before sitting down to write? Is there something that you absolutely have to have: coffee, certain type of music, a favorite snack?Pandora Radio is always at my fingertips when sitting down to write and usually a glass of tea. I do love my iced tea. 

4.       What inspired you to write Rescuing Ryker?

Rescuing Ryker is based off my own occupational interests. By the end of this year, I'll be starting my EMT training certification. So that's when I developed the character of Ryker Reynolds after seeing the chap inside my imagination. 

5.       Is there any one character that speaks to you more than the others?

Both Ryker and Flynn speak to me quite frequently-- especially now that I'm enveloped in their full length novel. 

6.       What drew you to write about doctors and EMTs?

My recent professional career pathway and goals, mostly. 

7.       Are you planning to make the hospital a focal point of books to come?

It definitely does in Finding Flynn. But that's all I'm gonna say! 

8.       Who are some of your favorite writers?

Obviously, TA Chase, Josh Lanyon, GA Hauser, Patricia Logan, Ashley John, Kade Boehme. Outside of my genre, I fancy a good Dean Koontz, Stephen King book any day. Other suspense/thriller authors I love are Jason Starr, Douglas Corleone, Markus Sakey and too many more to list.

9.       Do you outline, or do you write by the seat of your pants.

Both. I always have an idea of where I want to go, but I don't always know exactly how I'm going to get there in such an orderly fashion.

10.   Has writing helped you discover anything about yourself?Yes and No. It has helped me realize that I enjoy writing Male/Male Romance over the other genre I've published in via a different pen name. 

11.   What is the most bizarre place you’ve ever written at?

My workplace break room! Talk about gawkers. 

12.   Do you have any other stories planned out after your upcoming full length novel?

Yes. After Finding Flynn, much spicier content is in the works for my next two (or should I say-- "three" *et ehmmm*) characters. 

TEASER

Shaking his head out of a somnolent haze, Flynn gulped the last bit of Folgers from the cup and tossed it into the waste bin five paces away as if Kobe Bryant scoring a tie-breaking five point shot. “Well, I’m being beckoned back to the pit,” he hissed, glancing back at his boss now with both eyes shut and the black stethoscope nearly descending to the carpet.

Though his sixteen hour shift was almost over, Flynn could notice a decline in energy quick after his three second power nap. All he wanted from the rest of his day was for it to go by quickly in order to reunite with his silken pillows. He noticed the small gang of paramedics rush inside the glass doors.

“What do we have fellas?” Flynn questioned, though from the familiar sights, he’d know the proper course of treatment immediately.

He listened attentively to Joshua’s nattering about blood pressure and vitals while arched over the gurney, listening to the fella’s heart and lungs for himself. When Flynn regained his posture, he provided a decent once-over to the emergency technician and conjured a split second mental note of the well-built man’s physique donning a dark navy blue shirt with its insignia reading: Squad 10.

Flynn called out the orders to the medics, “Trauma bed three,” and followed the men into the bay, glancing at the solid backside of Squad Ten Boy one more quick time while pulling the privacy curtain shut.

“Start one liter IV saline,” Flynn motioned to Nicki, one of the nurses. “Push 0.4 mg naloxone and 1.0 mg ondansetron,” he ordered, “and Nicki, monitor respiratory distress in three minutes, if no improvement push another 0.4 mg naloxone until stable. Not to exceed 10 mg.”

As the young doctor slid his patient’s chart between his arm, he stepped out from the privacy curtain to record his notes. When Flynn finished scrawling his orders on the paperwork, he glanced up to see if Squad Ten Boy was anywhere in sight. He sauntered over to the quad of television screens displaying pertinent info about the patients currently admitted into the emergency room and touched his chin with his forefinger in deep thought. Other than this OD, looks like I’ll be skedaddling soon. Sleep. Need sleep!

Flynn slid his iPhone out from his left lab coat pocket, reading the incoming message from one of the usual fuck buddies on a gay social media app suitably known as the underbelly of the local gay community.

Let’s meet this morning. I’m needing a prescription, Doctor and that is your bare hands around my hard cock. I’m so horny for your healing touch.

This was exactly what Flynn wanted to soon avoid—hookups. He returned the phone to his pocket and checked in on a different patient chart as his relieving trauma physician rounded the corner with a giant smile. Lucky bastard.

Rescuing Ryker Book Review

This was an interesting introduction to the characters of Flynn and Ryker and the lives they lead as an emergency room doctor and an EMT. The reader certainly gets a feel for the stress and excitement of their jobs, as well as the dangers. There is enough here to make them seem cute together while still making it clear that this is a beginning for them as they come to know each other.

I walked away from this curious to see their relationship grow and develop. With such a small tease into each of their lives, I felt like I was only beginning to get to know them. Ryker’s parents have some potential to be a foil to their happiness. I hope to see more of them, it seems like there is some real tension there which could be further explored. 

There were a few moments when the dialogue didn’t read naturally and pulled me out of the book, and there were others when the pacing just seemed a bit too fast for an introduction. I think focusing on one or two scenes/interactions between them would have really worked well in this instance. Near the end, I felt as if too much was trying to happen that maybe could have been saved for the upcoming full length novel. All in all, however, Rescuing Ryker served its purpose to introduce the reader to two very interesting characters who seem to really dig one another. I look forward to seeing where their relationship evolves from here. 

Bio:

Jason Banks is an emerging Gay Romance Author, born in the UK and shipped off in the sort of fashion as a common American military brat as an infant. With a German-American Father and a British Mother, Jason has been known to refer to himself as the human equivalent of a canine mutt. Much thanks to his upbringing within the deep cornfield suburbs of Indianapolis, Jason’s been exposed to a plethora of various experiences and friends spanning from the Midwest to the East coast. He enjoys reading many other Authors in the same genre of M/M Romance (including most sub-genres) but also fancies outside the sultry box a time or two with a Mystery/Thriller or Suspense novel. Currently, Jason can be found roaming all over Colorado and Utah. His bearish features match that of his teddy bear personality and if you haven’t spotted him with a fork in his mouth, you’ve probably met the wrong bloke. If you’re into a good steamy Gay Romance, Jason urges you to consider his debut characters [Ryker Reynolds and Flynn Johnson] in the short Prequel-esque story, Rescuing Ryker. Soon to follow later in 2015 will be the characters’ full length novel, Finding Flynn. He’s always up for meeting a new friend, so find him on Facebook at:facebook.com/authorjasonbanks