Whoops! I dropped the ball on Raising the Rent, my MM novella featuring a romance between a college teacher and a student with a sideline as a rentboy: took it out of Kindle Unlimited and forgot to upload it to other retailers. That’s now sorted (although I’m still waiting for it to appear on Kobo) so today’s snippet is taken from Raising the Rent:
Despite the cold, Nathan took the long way round to his patch, past the local college. The walk was warming him up a bit, anyhow. Less than a week to go now and he’d be there, finally doing his A-levels. English, History and French. He’d pass them, and then he’d get himself a place at university—somewhere was bound to take him—and he’d get a degree. And then he’d go round and see his stepdad, wave the certificate in his face and stick two fingers up at the bastard who’d always told him he was as thick as pigshit and only good for one thing.
Of course, then he’d have to leg it, sharpish, as odds on the git wasn’t any less free with his fists these days than he had been when Nathan had been living with him.
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Raising the Rent
Never fall in love with a customer—especially if it’s sex you’re selling
Rent boy Nathan’s determined to get an education and get off the streets for good. But when he turns up for his first day at college he’s horrified to find his English teacher is one of his regular customers: Stephen, the one Nathan dubbed The Voice because of his educated, honeyed tones.
Stephen’s just as shocked to see Nathan sitting in his class, not to mention terrified he’s about to be exposed as having paid for sex with a student—which would mean public humiliation and could cost him his job. But when Nathan shows he’s only interested in getting his A Levels, not in blackmail, Stephen realises there’s more to the nineteen-year-old than meets the eye.
Nathan still has to earn a living, though—but when a customer turns ugly, he finds himself unable to work and homeless as well. Stephen steps in to help, and Nathan starts to think they could have a future together—if Stephen’s guilt and lack of trust don’t end this back-to-front romance before it even starts.
![locknut_200x300[4]](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/904/40247243490_3a97895e2a.jpg)
JL Merrow 
Wow! This sounds like an excellent read. I had to buy it. ~grin~ Thank you for sharing. And Happy Writing!
Aw, thank you! I hope you enjoy it. 😀
Ugh, poor Nathan.
I was going to say, his life’s about to get better – but then I remembered it gets worse first! #evilauthor 😉
Vivid character description that introduces Nate, his goals, and engages readers’s sympathies with him at once…well done!
Just loved it, and it came at exactly the right time. I’ve been slogging through possibly the worst book I’ve ever read on the basis that if someone worked hard to write it the least I can do is read it, but it’s bloody hard. Now I have this to treat myself with when I’m done. Thank you
I love Nathan’s determination. 💕 I like that old Samhain cover. It’s nice that you got to keep it.
I love the way you showed us his backstory along with his dreams for his future.