Fractured Hymns — A.M. Arthur

Still firmly in the closet at the age of thirty, Ethaniel Shockley is content leading a solitary -- if lonely -- life working on a construction crew with fellow military vets. After a tragic worksite accident leaves two of his friends dead, Ethaniel returns to his family home to recuperate from a spiral leg fracture and severe Post Concussive Syndrome. He may be lucky to be alive, but he hates the independence he's lost. Matthew “Angel” Garrett has worked at Shockley Stables for three years, content to muck stalls and polish saddles, and to be as unnoticeable as possible. Except for weekly church outings, he avoids going into town so he doesn't see The Look. The Look that says “I know you went to prison for killing a man.” A chance conversation with Ethaniel gives Angel hope that maybe he can have a friendship with the gorgeous Shockley sibling he's crushed on for years. But the more time they spend indulging in their shared love of music, the clearer it becomes that they both want more. Ethaniel sees a kindred spirit in Angel, whose soul just as fractured from his time in prison as Ethaniel's is from war. But Angel has another, deeper secret that haunts him -- one he's positive will destroy this new song with Ethaniel before it's even written.