Discover the world of Jere' M. Fishback

Please give a warm welcome to Nate Ziegler from The House on Fremont Drive by Jere' M. Fishback today as we sit down and see what makes him tick.

Q: So tell us about yourself. What got you in the crosshairs for your author?

I'm a chance-taker, always have been. I'm talking sexually, spiritually and especially in my sport: cross-country running. I'm not easily spooked, so when I'm confronted with multiple challenges, whether they involve my romantic life, my distance running, or even my encounters with the spirit world after my family moves to Florida during my senior year of high school. I think Jere' Fishback chose me as his main character because I have both heart and courage, even if I am a skinny gay boy.

Q: What was it that drew you to your mate?

My boyfriend's name is Riley Jamieson; he's eighteen like me, a neighbor and classmate. I met him the first day we moved into our house in Florida. If you saw Riley, you'd know why I fell for him almost instantly. Here's how Jere' Fishback described Riley on the day I met him:

"He was a little taller than I was. He wore boardshorts, flip-flops, and a Florida State University t-shirt with the sleeves hacked off. The shirt showed off his sinewy shoulders and arms. His dark hair grew to his shoulders; it covered the tops of his ears and fell into his deep-set hazel eyes. When he smiled, his big teeth gleamed. His skin was deeply tanned and stubble glistened on his cleft chin. A bruise the size of two postage stamps marred his temple, and I wondered if he'd brawled with someone recently."

And here's another passage that beautifully describes Riley on an evening when we swam in the pool at his house:

"His body was like a gymnast's: broad shoulders, narrow in the hips, lean and muscled. The pool light's glow reflected in his eyes. A thin line of hair spilled from his navel—the line dribbled into the waistband of his boardshorts—and I kept gazing at it while my mouth grew sticky with lust."

See what I mean? Riley's like…a total babe.

Q: A little naughty fun, where was the wildest place you seduced your partner(s)?

Actually, Riley seduced me the first time, and it was completely unexpected. Not long after I moved to Florida he invited me to go camping with him in a county park not far from our neighborhood. We were sharing his tent in the park's campground, and there were campers all around us in tents, all of them bedding down for the night. When Riley made a pass at me in the darkness of the tent he got me so excited I thought I'd pass out. During our sex, people kept walking past the tent and making conversation—they were only maybe fifteen feet from us—but of course they didn't know what we were up to. It was sexy as hell, to tell you the truth, almost like we were having sex in public. Does that sound perverted or what?  

Q: Boxers, briefs or Commando on a man?

Do I really have to answer that? Okay, I mix it up between boxer briefs and traditional boxers. I'm a slender guy 'cause I run cross-country, and I think boxers add a little bulk to my appearance, but then Riley prefers me in boxer briefs if I am wearing anything at all. (Grins and winks …)

Q: If your partner wants to seduce you, what's one sure fire trick he can do to seduce you?

Oh, all he has to do is nuzzle my ear, and then whisper "Lover Boy" to me and I am instantly boned. Okay, I'm a horny little bastard—I'm easy—but like I said if you could see how beautiful Riley is then you'd know why he gets my heart pounding so easily.

Q: What is the one place on your partner's body that you know will drive him wild, in and out of bed?

Riley's armpits are very sensitive and sexy; the hair in them is soft and dark, and he goes nuts whenever I lick him under his arms. Some people might think the whole armpit thing is kind of nasty, but I don't, even when Riley hasn't showered in a while. In fact, I kind of like it when he's a bit stinky. Does that sound weird?

Q: What was one of the most embarrassing things your author did to you in The House on Fremont Drive?

Oh, god, this one incident was terrible. I had a stash of gay porno magazines I kept in the crawl space above my walk-in closet. I would put them to use most every day. Now, in the beginning of the book my parents didn't know I was gay. But I stupidly left one magazine tucked between my bed mattress and box springs. When my mom was changing my sheets, she found the magazine, and then she confronted me with it when I came home from school. I had to confess to my parents that I was gay, and also that I'd had gay sexual encounters in the past. If you've never gone through something like that, I can tell you it's truly embarrassing as hell. But thankfully my parents were accepting, and everything worked out okay.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

Yeah, a few things. Anyone who's considering reading The House on Fremont Drive should be forewarned: the book is long, about 120,000 words, or about 300 pages. The story contains elements of the supernatural. It explores the worlds of astrology and neo-Nazism, and it even gets into the nuances of cross-country running. In other words, it's kind of a crazy stew where I encounter some very different characters and live through events both inspiring and weird. By the book's end, my world view has completely changed.

Thank you, Nate Ziegler,for joining us on 'Meet the Character' day here at Dawn's Reading