Works

BOOKS

PAINT

How do you navigate your life when you can finally make your own decisions?

As Tucker Peterson moves away from home for the first time to attend college in Orlando, this is a question he must ask himself. He still hasn’t told his family he’s gay, he has no idea what he wants to do with his life, and now that he can do whatever he wants, he hasn’t the slightest clue what should come next.

Tucker, with the help of his new assertive friend Kiara, must learn to balance his newfound freedom with school and a job, and if he meets a cute boy on the way, then that’s just an added bonus. Paint is a story of self-discovery, of queerness outside the family-friendly safety net of a high school drama, and of drag queens when you need them the most.

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bookshop.org

Praise for Paint

Fresh, free, and de-stigmatizing: Paint is the Coming of Age LGBT novel we need right now.

Jane Frances Powell, author of Butterflies in the System

Author Colin Brooks has crafted a beautiful story about self-expression, exploration, and queerness which people from all walks of life will be able to relate to in some way. The queer fiction element of the story is well balanced, truthful, and heartfelt, and I especially enjoyed the way that Tucker’s sexuality was never utilized as a plot gimmick, but was consistently part of his identity and informed his choices at every turn. I also felt that the dialogue really captured a lot of the humor and spirit of both college life and the drag world, which is always pleasing to read. I would certainly love to read more from this author and indeed more of Tucker’s life as he grows and develops. Overall, I would highly recommend Paint to anyone seeking new LGBTQ+ fiction with plenty of heart.

Readers’ Favorite

Paint feels organic in its imperfection, particularly with the evolution of Tucker, who shifts from a self-centered and hesitant guy, to a more accepting and more accepted, confident person. Colin Brooks keenly captures a vulnerable period in the life of any young adult, but especially for a gay teen deciding the very direction of his future. Chock full jean shorts and sparkly drag queens, Paint speaks to the hearts of anyone looking for a sense of belonging.

IndiesToday.com

SHORT STORIES

  • GROWING INTO OUR PRIDE, Out Front Magazine
    • A non-fiction piece about growing up queer in a small town, and the eye-opening realization of the intricacies and internalized hatred/bigotry that plagues our community once I moved to a big city.
  • WHITE AS SNOW, Limeoncello Magazine (now closed)
    • A horror flash fiction piece about a boy who loses his sister because of black ice and a car accident, but doesn’t realize it until after he’s seen her ghost.
  • THE RINGS, Horror Struck Podcast (Story reading begins at 27:00)
    • A body horror-heavy short story about a mysterious illness that plagues the wrestling team of Clearwater College.
  • POLKA DOTS AND MOONBEAMS, Not Coming Out: A Charity Anthology
    • A historical fiction short story about two men that find each other on the eve of their college graduation in 1946, a forbidden romance in the shadows lit only by the moon above them.
A photo, the background a rainbow gradient, with the quote, "You don't have to say it. You don't have to say anything. Not tonight. Just dance with me." from the short story POLKA DOTS AND MOONBEAMS by Colin Brooks, featured in "Not Coming Out: A Charity Anthology".