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With His Words I'm Not Alone by Lucas Ryker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read about Lucas Ryker’s novel With His Words I'm Not Alone on Instagram and thought it sounded like an unusual LGBTQ read. Noel Walker lives in fear of another human being touching him. Despite a sweet dog and a robot cat, Noel also lives in loneliness.

Noel’s friendship with Marsha, his former boss, seems to teeter on becoming romantic, but he makes contact online with a young gay man who calls him “Daddy.” That person uses the screen name “Faded” and seems uninhibited with his claims and advances. Noel keeps finding Faded annoying and plans to stop their correspondence, but he continues their ongoing, unpredictable dialogues.

I’ve read many LGBTQ books and seen many LGBTQ movies over the past few decades, but I’ve never encountered another story quite like With His Words I'm Not Alone. In fact, I think this novel could make an intriguing movie that breaks the mold of familiar queer cinema.

The twists involving artificial intelligence and how it impacts writers add more conflicts. Noel falls into temptations and controversies confronting the writing community and society in general, complicating his already conflicted life.

Faded also complicates Noel’s life, in good ways. I sometimes wondered why Noel doesn’t realize the truth about Faded sooner, but Noel’s been through a lot and has become cynical, afraid to explore positive possibilities. We learn more about Noel’s condition, its causes, and its effects on him as the story progresses. No spoilers, but I found the ending, and everything leading up to it, highly satisfying.

Fortunately, this novel is just Book 1 of Ryker’s series This Is Us Now. I’m sure we’ll hear more about Lucas Ryker and his characters.

Follow Lucas Ryker at Threads and Instagram.

View all my Goodreads reviews.

Read this review at BookBub.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please also read about The Acorn Stories, a slice-of-life book with diverse characters. “A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews.

For Your Book Club

• “With its focus on human nature, the book would make a great choice for a book club.” —Lone Star Literary Life
• “A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews
• “The Acorn Stories delivers insight into a fictional small town, illustrating the ups and downs of life.” –Novels Alive
• “A vivid West Texas story-cycle that blends sharp comedy with hard truths, rewarding readers who like recurring-cast, small-town literary fiction built from interlocking short stories.” –True Voice Review
• “Duane Simolke’s stories invite the reader to linger — to notice the quiet in between the noise. A lovely reminder that depth lives in the details.” –Iwan Ross, author of Keepers of the Lighthouse
• “If you enjoy stories of new beginnings, stories with humor, and realistic characters then this is absolutely the book for you.” –Scribble’s Worth Book Reviews
• “Each story left me delighted and satisfied, yet still yearning for more.” –Robert Karl, author of The Goldies: 50th High School Reunion
• “The central theme is the human condition and the shared experiences, emotions, and challenges of the town's residents, with topics that range from light and funny to dramatic and thought-provoking.” –Tenkara Smart, author of His Name is Junsaku
• “I swung from sad to happy, angry to laughing out loud.” –Tweetables
• “Simolke shares life’s beautiful and humorous moments side by side with the devastating and painful ones, and the contrast is palpable.” –The RedHead Notes
• “For those who are searching for a book which is written so well that you are able to enjoy a respite from reality and enter into a fictional world…this is the book for you!” –Author and book blogger Leonard Tillerman
• “Duane Simolke presents an enthralling collection of slice-of-life stories set in a fictional Texas town.” –Readers' Favorite
• “Duane Simolke is one of our great American writers just ready to be recognized as such. He has the talent and the imagination and the humanity and the perspective to make each of our lives richer. Bravo!” –Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer
• “I found this book to be a perfect vacation companion.” –A. Chandler
• “These highly believable settings and naturally developed characters could be anywhere in the nation.” —TMDGReviews
• “I love the numerous small wins of the characters and the unexpected turns of luck.” –Billy O.
• “You’ll want to read every story to the very end of the book to grasp the concept of the interweaving relationships of these characters that at first glance appear to have no connection.” –RLWood.Rocks Book Reviews
• “Having spent quite a bit of time in Texas, I could see each character matching someone I know or have met in my time there.” –Noel D
• “Amazing and hard to put down.” –Kimmie Sue’s Book Review and More
• “Snapshots of the lives of people and their life-changing encounters that will leave lasting impressions on you.” –Michelle Williams
• “Readers who enjoy immersive first person stories about small town life and the human condition will love this book.” –Purple
• “The author demonstrates a healthy understanding of human nature.” –John H. Mangold
• “A talented, insightful author.” –E. Conley, Betty's Books
• “The town is Acorn, Texas, and it is a representation of all of the tiny places, or wide places in the road that dot America.” –jonboy
• “If you liked WINESBURG, OHIO . . . rejoice.” –Watchword
• “By the time you have finished reading these tales of the people who inhabit the fictitious town of Acorn, Texas, population 21,001, you will have met some endearing as well as irritating characters, from the Mayor to the local would-be gigolo; from the busy-bodies to the business owners; from those who grew up in Acorn and have tried to escape the small town to those who have moved to Acorn to escape from the real world.” –Ronald L. Donaghe, author of Uncle Sean
• “A well-crafted collection of short stories.” –L. L. Lee, author of Taxing Tallula
• “It was a real pleasure to read about the fictional town of Acorn, Texas.” –Mark Kendrick, author of Desert Sons
• “Simolke makes good use of his vivid imagination in creating credible dialogue and satirical images.” –Huda Orfali, author of Blue Fire
• “There are people that you like, some that you can't wait to see if they get theirs.” –Joe Wright, StoneWall Society
• “Each of Simolke's stories lets us look into the lives of some of the most interesting characters I have ever read about.” –Amos Lassen, Literary Pride
• “When you finish, when you put the book aside, Acorn will still be with you.” –E. Carter Jones, author of Absence of Faith
• “I highly recommend this book!” –Richard Carlson, author of Jeremy Grabowski's Crazy Summer in Stormville!
• “…reminds us that nobody is perfect and that everyone is just trying to get by in life either it be by hurting others or by trying to change their life for the better.” —The Abstract

The Acorn Stories.

Book Trailer: Comedy and Drama with a Texas Twist

Book Trailer: Morgana La Fey

Book Trailer: Revised Video of Flip, Turn

Book Trailer: Small-Town Humor. Big-Time Drama

Book Trailer: Be Careful

BookTok: Currently Reading

Book Trailer: Texas

The Acorn Stories in The Lone Star Literary Life Magazine

✨ I’m featured in the March issue of The Lone Star Literary Life Magazine! This month’s theme is HOPE. Read it here: https://lonestar-lit.com/march-2026/ @LoneStarLit

#TexasAuthors #AuthorLife #BookCommunity #LoneStarLiteraryLife

From their review of The Acorn Stories:

“People weave into and out of each other’s stories, connected in ways you might not expect.”

“At its core, this book is about emotions.”

“With its focus on human nature, the book would make a great choice for a book club.”

“Simolke’s writing… is conversational, gentle, like people would genuinely think or speak.”

“The dialogue and the descriptions carry you along just quickly enough, like a moving sidewalk passing by Acorn’s residents, giving you time to take a peek into their lives.”

“You may find that you feel you’re waving goodbye to friends and neighbors when you turn the final page.”

Find Books that Match Your Reading at The Book Rex

Find new books with the searchable tools at The Book Rex. As the site says, “Here, every single book is tagged across the things readers care about: genres, subgenres, tropes, historical settings, time periods, romantic pairings, spice levels, diversity representation, and content warnings.” Readers can also sign up for email alerts of books that fit their preferences. Writers, including indie writers, can submit listings of their books. Please read The Book Rex listing for The Acorn Stories.

Tales From Tharassas Book Review

Tales From Tharassas: Tharassas Cycle Book 0 by J. Scott Coatsworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I previously reviewed the J. Scott Coatsworth story “The Emp Test,” after reading it as a separate eBook. This collection includes “The Emp Test” and other stories set on Coatsworth’s fictional world of Tharassas.

As in real life, the people of Tharassas find that tradition can both connect them to the past and isolate them in the present. While they benefit from the wisdom of their ancestors, they can also become trapped in the confines of the small-minded thinking those ancestors often practiced. Coatsworth imbues his characters with a rich mythology and the weight of cultural history.

The stories benefit from an emphasis on strong character development and fast-paced changes. I can see why so many readers love Coatsworth’s books, including the other ones set in this thought-provoking world. The overall collection provides a framework for the Tharassas novels while also providing an enjoyable reading experience in and of itself.

Read my review of The Emp Test.

View all my Goodreads reviews

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Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my books, including the small-town fiction collection The Acorn Stories and my free eBook Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

Texas Tales

“A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews

“The Acorn Stories delivers insight into a fictional small town, illustrating the ups and downs of life.” –Novels Alive

“A vivid West Texas story-cycle that blends sharp comedy with hard truths, rewarding readers who like recurring-cast, small-town literary fiction built from interlocking short stories.” –True Voice Review

KC & the Sunshine Band - I'm Your Boogie Man • TopPop

Most boogie men make your feet want to run, but this boogie man makes your feet want to dance. I still remember getting Part 3, my first KC & the Sunshine Band album. I set it aside that night to watch the premiere of the Spider-Man TV pilot on CBS but then got back to KCSB and still love their music now.

Featured Website: Liminal Fiction

As the welcoming page at Liminal Fiction states, “We’re an inclusive library of spec fic titles (fantasy, sci fi, paranormal and horror). Use the book search, our filter search, or the menu links.” Readers can find speculative fiction by genre, tropes, keywords, etc. They can also find sales, book reviews, and much more.

Please read my biography at Liminal Fiction and explore this multi-made presentation of Taldra: Two Science Fiction Adventures.

The Food of the Gods

Though it pales in comparison to his classics War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and The Invisible Man, the H. G. Wells novel provides a creepy look at good intentions gone awry. It often appears in boxed sets or single-volume collections of his work. I loved my H. G. Wells boxed set as a kid and still think about his writing.