Mad About The Boy: Stephen: An evocative first time gay romance (Mad About The Boy Book 1)

In turn erotic, funny and sad, 'Mad About the Boy: Stephen' tells the story of the coming together (no pun intended) of two young gay lovers, Orlando and Stephen. Written by Kevin Armstrong, author of the Best Selling series Gay Sex Odysseys, 'Mad About The Boy: Stephen' has the author’s characteristic insights into gay life and his somewhat mischievous and subversive sense of humour.
Orlando is a young theatre director who falls in love with a boy who is on the verge of leaving high school. When Orlando first claps eyes on the gorgeous boy at a rehearsal in the small theatre he is working in Stephen is still dressed in his school uniform. Despite the fact that they are living in a small and conservative city they decide to set up a new theatre to produce plays which will feature full frontal male nudity. Drama ensues.

Excerpt:
"Stephen and I were mucking around in the Drummond Theatre writing a play script set in Ancient Greece. I had proposed that the two main characters were young, gay Athenian soldiers who would eventually fight the Persians at the Battle of Marathon. Although the Persians were vastly superior in numbers, the Greeks repulsed them and the invaders were puzzled as to why these young Athenians fought so fiercely. They didn’t realize that the Athenian city fathers had cunningly made sure that each of their young fighters were paired up with their lovers – so that each young soldier was fighting, not for his own life, but for that of his boyfriend. As we considered the concept Stephen looked at me with blazing eyes – 'I’ve never heard of anything so beautiful,' he breathed."

Orlando discovers that Stephen is a very clever boy. In fact he feels that he is possibly the most brilliant boy ever born. He also realizes that Stephen’s talent is somewhat resented by some in the close-knit arts community he moves in and under severe pressure the boy suffers a major nervous breakdown. The brilliant but eccentric psychiatrist Doctor Sainsbury tells Orlando that the possession of genius is not always a passport to happiness or stability. Orlando ends up wondering if he is the boy’s lover, mentor or carer.
'Mad About the Boy: Stephen' unleashes a gallery of colourful characters. There’s Margaret “Steamroller” Watson, a forty-something human dynamo who doesn’t take “no” for an answer – especially when it comes to the seduction of young men.

Excerpt:
“After they’d fucked the Steamroller appeared to have taken a great liking to the young footballer so she told him that she was going to show him one of her awesome secrets. She led the boy into a narrow passageway which ran between the rooms of her young lodgers. In the walls of this narrow corridor there were strategically placed peep holes so that the Steamroller could watch the young men playing with themselves and jacking off in the early morning.”

Then there’s Jan Senczuk who is a leading young actor and champion gymnast. Although he is absolutely straight he obviously feels that mutual masturbation with another boy is not indulging in gay sex. 'It’s just giving a helping hand' he tells Orlando.

'Mad About the Boy: Stephen' will be of interest to mature gay men, young gay guys just starting out and even “curious” straight men and women.
Although 'Mad About the Boy: Stephen' is Book One of a series, it is a stand-alone story.
Approximately 23,000 words.
The story contains some sexual scenes and should not be read by people under 18.

About the author: Kevin Armstrong works in live theatre and film and television in Australia and South-East Asia. He recently completed the writing of a travel series for television about Australia which was broadcast in nine Asian countries. When he is not working he enjoys spending time with his Burmese boy.