Monday, August 24, 2015

Rusty Knob by Erica Chilson Blog Tour


The townsfolk of Rusty Knob, West Virginia, see the Gillettes as ignorant wastes of space– worthless drunk sponges. As the youngest, Wynn may be a Gillette, but he doesn’t act, nor think like one. At only seventeen, he studies hard, plays basketball harder, and works the hardest.

Wynn is numb to his core, no longer feeling the hits that keep knocking him down to the ground. He’s unable to see the bright future laid out before him. Royce Kennedy, a distant relative, tries all he can do to save the youngest generation of Gillettes from the dark shroud of bitter ignorance infecting them via their neglectful upbringing.

Wynn’s studying is to the backdrop of drunken chaos, his relationship with friends and family are tainted by a narrow world view, and his life is filled with more questions than answers. His every dollar earned is bled dry come payday, only to have his parents piss it down the toilet or blow caustic smoke to billow in the air.

A warped sense of loyalty forces Wynn to be his family’s enabler, and he’s paying the ultimate price. With the support system of Royce, the mentor of the school district’s LGBTQ online community, and Wynn’s friends, they try to prove to Wynn he deserves anything he needs, whether he earns it or not. Growing up in an ignorant wasteland, he never learned love, friendship, and respect are unconditional, can never be purchased, and should never be abused.

Wynn Gillette is at a crossroads. One thing’s for sure, he cannot continue on this destructive path. Wynn has to end the only life he’s ever known, breaking the bitter legacy passed down from one generation to the next. One way or the other. Permanently.

Add to Goodreads


Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca




Underneath the table, Kaden rests a heavy palm on my knee to reassure me. A jolt runs up my spine, clearing my head and making me gasp in shock.

Royce’s eyes are on me before I can close my mouth, giving me the ‘I see everything’ dad look.

“Yeah, Warren,” Kade begins speaking like his thumb isn’t stroking my knee. “I hate that sonofabitch for so many reasons, but I appreciate him teaching me how to tie flies. I picked it back up after I came home from college.”

Like an idiot, everything Kaden says is intriguing. “You fish?” I ask, hoping he’ll fish with me sometime.

Kade’s, “I don’t fish,” deflates me. “So I’ve been selling the flies over at McDivitt’s Sporting Goods.”

“Do you think it’d be okay if we shoot the shit every once and while, and you could teach me to tie flies?”

Feeling like a teenage girl, I rest heavily against the back of my chair, pouting because my brother is stealing his buddy back when I want to be the one spending time with both of them.

“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Royce says with a grin, and I resent him a bit for it. “I think Kade would be a good influence on you, Warren.” Eyes flicking in my direction, he says, “This way he’d get some friends his own age.”

“I was thinking of crafting a new fishing pole since we left ours in Gillette Holler.” I turn to Kade, “I could make you one, and Warren and I could teach you how to fly fish. It would be a good opportunity to teach the little ones.”

“Yeah,” Warren says enthusiastically. “After work, I’ll check to see if I can get a good deal on some reels. Dr. Kline would definitely approve of this as an appropriate hobby. Tying flies is creative, and then you’re left with something useful, and fishing is calm and soothing. Fruit for your labors. Plus, whoever cooked this spread, would make a mean fish fry.”

Bren leans into me and whispers into my ear while Warren goes on and on about food and hobbies. “Dad should have known better than to try to cock-block you. You’re too smart. He always traps me in my own shit. I’ve made his skills rusty.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter, managing to pull off looking guilty and innocent at the same time. “You’re invited too. I’m just wanting to spend some quality time with my big brother.”

“Uh-huh, sure ya are.” Jack leans forward so he can talk to me without Bren’s head in the way. “I’ll be joining ya just to see how this train wreck plays out.”




Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Kris☆☆☆☆☆
What can I say, Chilson outdoes herself with her latest and her first in this genre. I have been a huge advocate for all things Blended and her Mistress & Master of Restraint series but she outdid herself this time! I adored this book!

With a bang in the beginning and non-stop, hold on to your seat throughout, Rusty Knob took us on a bigoted, small town, gay fearing, redneck ride. Our main character, Wynn, is a sexually confused, big fish in a small pond, basketball wonder boy. His parents are low life scum, drinking and smoking their way to an early death and sapping Wynn dry both emotionally & financially. Wynn NEEDS to get out from Gillette Holler before he does the absolute unthinkable. His coming of age story was emotional, heartrending and inspiring. These characters are written so well you think you already know them personally. Flawed but loveable or flawed and hated, they spark something inside you and you have to keep reading just to get to know them better. A must read, truly awesome!


Shannan☆☆☆☆☆
I sat down to read this thinking I would read a few chapters. HA that was a childish thought really. Four hours later I was reading the final words. I could not put it down. I loved the buildup between the main characters. There was angst, but it was light-hearted, funny at times and sweet at others. It was sexy, and had sexual tension at high levels, but above all it felt real. The emotions that plagued the main character weren’t manufactured. It was definitely an emotional read. Rusty Knob aimed for my emotions and got a direct hit pulling the feels out of me.

There were times I wanted to slap people throughout, but they are what shaped Wynn to who he was. For me, being an avid Chilson reader, it had a very Blended feel to it and I'm not saying that as a bad thing. At times I would read a paragraph or sentence and completely feel like it would be something Augustus Kline would say or do.

Ms. Chilson has always touched on the m/m genre but this is her first completely within this genre. This is somewhere she definitely belongs. I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of this series.


Veronica☆☆☆☆☆
When we meet Wynn he is living in terrible conditions both physically and emotionally. At 17 he is working to keep his family fed while his neglectful parents sponge off his hard work. I wanted to pull Wynn out of there, hug him and make him safe. Oddly, like watching an episode of Hoarders, I also had the urge to mow my lawn and clean my house.

It was so easy to fall in love with Wynn. He is hard working, loyal and a good guy. Even though Wynn is dealing with big issues around his family, future and his sexuality, there are many funny moments in Rusty Knob. I could relate to the grey food and the Facebook conversation is brilliant.

I completely adored Wynn, Kade, Bren and the fun supporting cast. Rusty Knob is a fabulously entertaining story and I had a great time reading it. I didn't want it to end. I want to spend more time with the gang of Rusty Knob.






Erica Chilson does not write in the 3rd person, wanting her readers to be her characters. Therefore, writing a bio about herself, is uncomfortable in the extreme.

Born, raised, and here to stay, the Wicked Writer is a stump-jumper, a ridge-runner. Hailing from North Central Pennsylvania, directly on the New York State border; she loves the changes in seasons, the humid air, all the mountainous forest, and the gloomy atmosphere.

Introverted, but not socially awkward, Erica prides herself on thinking first and filtering her speech. There are days she doesn’t speak at all. If it wasn’t for the fact that she lives with her parents, giving her a sense of reality, she would be a hermit, where the delivery man finds her months after expiration.

Reading was an escape, a way to leave a not-so pleasant reality behind. Reading lent Erica the courage she gathered from the characters between the pages to long for a different life. Writing was an instrument of change, evolving Erica into the woman she is today- a better, more mature, more at peace thinker.

Erica has a wicked mind, one she pours out into her creations. Her filter doesn’t allow all of it to erupt, much to her relief. Sarcastic, with a very dark, perverse sense of humor, Erica puts a bit of herself into every character she writes.

Connect with Erica

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Pinterest  ~  tsū



a Rafflecopter giveaway



Hosted by
http://www.wickedreads.org


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Rusty Knob (Rusty Knob #1) by Erica Chilson to read and review for this tour.

2 comments:

All comments are reviewed by a blog admin before being published. We thank you for visiting our blog & leaving a comment.