But being the cornerstone of their band, Outbreak Monkey, puts a lot of pressure on a teenaged boy’s shoulders and he crumbles. He writes songs for all of them to be free. He is driven by it and compulsively writes songs because it’s the only thing that gives him hope: hope that he and his brothers and friends can escape their bigoted, conservative hometown hope that his boyfriend Grant will never stop loving him hope that Jefferson and Stevie can be somewhere safe to express their unusual brand of love and hope that his mother can live a more comfortable, worry-free life.

Mackey Sanders’ whole life is about writing songs and making music. Along the way, this young man struggles through bigotry, addiction, abuse, the pressure to live up to the hero worship of his fans, and the weight of keeping his family afloat. He finds his way as an adult and discovers love again – a mature love that has what it takes to go the distance. Always hope.īeneath the Stain is the story of Mackey’s seven-year journey from life in a dead-end town, including his first experience with young love, the anguish of heartbreak and the destruction it left in its path.

I don’t know where to begin with my praise for Beneath the Stain, a devastatingly beautiful romance that holds a special place in my heart and has long been my very favorite of the nearly two thousand MM romances I’ve read. I’m so excited to share it with you today. This book is the pinnacle of hurt/comfort novels, a raw and gritty rock and roll saga about family bonds, friendship, love, heartache, healing, and hope. And just when Trav thinks they may have mastered every demon in Mackey’s past, the biggest, baddest demon of all comes knocking. Mackey James Saders comes with a whole lot of messy, painful baggage, and law-and-order Trav doesn’t do messy or painful. Mackey might make it with Trav’s help-but Trav’s not sure he’s going to survive falling in love with Mackey. But cleaning up his act means coming clean about Grant, and that’s not easy to do or say. When he’s hit rock bottom, Trav Ford shows up, courtesy of their record company and a producer who wants to see what Mackey can do if he doesn’t flame out first. But Grant has plans for getting Mackey and the Sanders boys out of Tyson, even if that means staying behind.īetween the heartbreak of leaving Grant and the terrifying, glamorous life of rock stardom, Mackey is adrift and sinking fast. For Mackey Sanders, playing in Outbreak Monkey with his brothers and their friends-especially Grant Adams-made Tyson bearable. In a town as small as Tyson, CA, everybody knew the four brothers with the four different fathers-and their penchant for making good music when they weren’t getting into trouble.

Beneath the stain amy lane