Stealing Wishes [Paperback]

Shannon Yarbrough (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2009

What's more important? A perfect cup of coffee or a perfect date? Blaine-a photo taking, obsessive compulsive, coffee barista-steals money out of fountains and can't find a date. Obsessed with the number 32, Blaine blames his lack in love as the reason for his habits. When his friend Sallie sets him up on a date, Blaine is convinced that Edward, the new love interest, will cure his compulsions. But when Blaine discovers they have nothing in common, complications ensue. Auden, an artsy tattooed coworker, tells Blaine about a local photo contest, so Blaine sets out to capture a winning snapshot. Just as Blaine thinks he has his illness beat, his unvarying world spirals out of control when he skips part of his daily routine, ultimately making Blaine realize that Mr. Right has been in front of him the whole time. STEALING WISHES is a caffeinated romantic comedy with cream and sugar! Every reader will relate to Blaine's obsessive outlook on life.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

In early 2012, a reader emailed me and told me how much she loved Auden over the lead character, Blaine, in Stealing Wishes. Her words lit a spark in me.  I'd never considered writing a sequel from Auden's point of view, but I sat down and started thinking about it.

Soon, the words came pouring out of me so apparently Auden wanted to be heard. So, readers can look forward to a sequel to Stealing Wishes hopefully in early 2014.  It's called Feeling Himself Forgotten.

In it, Auden decides to return to Memphis and rekindle his affair with Blaine and to ask for his old job back at the coffee shop. When he arrives, he discovers the coffee shop is gone and both Blaine and Sallie are no where to be found. As Auden desperately searches for his friends, grasping for the life he once knew, the ghost of an infamous Southern playwright stands by to watch the drama unfold.

Best wishes,
Shannon Yarbrough

About the Author

Shannon Yarbrough lives in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the author of three books: The Other Side of What (2003), Stealing Wishes (2009), and Are You Sitting Down? (2010).  He is currently at work on a sequel to Stealing Wishes and a historical fiction novel as well.  Visit him online at shannonyarbrough.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: ShanLian Wordlit Press (October 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615213618
• ISBN-13: 978-0615213613
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,187,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shannon Yarbrough is originally from the small town of Dyersburg, Tennessee. He lived in Memphis for six years. It is a place that has inspired his writing very much. His first book takes place there. Shannon moved to St. Louis, Missouri in late 2001 and still lives there today.

Shannon's first book, The Other Side of What, was published in 2003. A 2nd edition was just released in 2010 in paperback and it is available on the Amazon Kindle.

His second book, Stealing Wishes, was published in paperback in June of 2008, and is also available for the Kindle. In fact, Stealing Wishes has been a Kindle Bestseller several times since it was first published. It was a semi-finalist in the very first Amazon Breakthrough Novel award contest, and a semi-finalist for a Lambda Literary Award that same year.

The Other Side of What is about a young man moving away from his home and discovering his sexuality as he meets new friends and falls in love. Although the characters and storyline are loosely based on real events, the book is fiction. Stealing Wishes is a romantic comedy about an obsessive compulsive coffee barrista desperate to fall in love, or to at least find a date.

Shannon's third book, Are You Sitting Down?, is available in paperback and on the Kindle as of October 2010. It's a dark psychodrama about a family whose members are each dealing with problems from the past but trying to overcome them to enjoy Christmas together. It has also been a Kindle bestseller numerous times.

Shannon is at work on another novel and plans to release a sequel to Stealing Wishes in the near future.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Stealing Wishes Almost Stole My Heart... February 14, 2012

By Sweet Diva Reader (SDR) Marla

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was extremely confused when I started to read this book to see that so many people in reviews were using words like "light", "easy", "breezy" etc as a way to describe this story. For me it was a more difficult read. Maybe because it wasn't what I was expecting at first- I was looking for it to be more about wishes and less about relationships unless a wish had led to one, somehow lighter in overall tone. Possibly it may be too that this was a bit far outside of my normal reading zones, was an area I hadn't ventured into too much before and I needed time to grow comfortable. The words that entered my mind while reading were more along the lines of poignant, moving, at times maddening, comic, sometimes dark but always compelling!

Meeting Blaine, Sallie, Edward, Auden, Charlie & Randy was for me like meeting a new group of people for the first time at a party. Some you instantly like, others it takes you a bit longer to warm up to, some you merely tolerate because that's what adults are supposed to do and some even a year later you feel you still really don't know at all. I instantly felt myself drawn toward Auden & Sallie. These were the 2 people who gained my interest right from the start and kept me turning pages until I'd reached the end. Blaine took me longer to warm up to maybe because he was more flawed and felt like a darker character so I needed to get to know more about him to let him deeper in. I never really liked Edward or Randy and Charlie was the one from the group I didn't feel I really got to know.

This book captivated me and as I said it almost stole my heart. Just almost. That's because by the halfway point I was wishing so hard for Blaine to cut and run, see what was so clearly to me right under his nose and make a good/solid decision for once that it about broke my heart when he only took a half hearted stab at it; then let it slide away easily like he had so many other things in his life.

Thank you Shannon for writing this story.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars uninteresting March 14, 2012

By Furio

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really tried with this one.

This novel has received raving reviews but, despite looking for what seems to have escaped my attention, I cannot see why.
A warning to readers with a similar set of mind might be in order.

The POV is that of the lead, in first person.
At least it is up to the point where I dropped it.
Our lead is an obsessive compulsive man. Mr Yarbrough sets in motion an obsessive compulsive stream of consciousness by which the lead describes first his daily routine and then what happens in his life.
I suppose the idea was to make the reader understand and enter the lead's psychology, to have the reader identify with him and see life as he does. If that was the aim our author achieves it. It is not ill written, it simply fails to interest.
I could find no humour in what I read, just a steady flow of well described obsessions. I could not identify with the character, I could not sympathize with him, I could not care for him or for any other character.

I ended by asking myself "What's the use?" and dropping the book before finishing it.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An easy, breezy read May 15, 2009

By NavyVet90

Format:Paperback

Stealing Wishes is a charming story and I enjoyed the opportunity to read it. It makes for light, easy reading, perfect for the beach or pool-side. In fact, I read the first half at home, then finished it in one afternoon while sitting at a resort pool on vacation.
At first, I didn't like the central character, Blaine, who has a severe case of OCD. His obsessiveness was to the point that he came across as a total nut-case. However, the author writes with an excellent sense of humor, which came through very well in the character, and Blaine grew on me. I also really liked Sallie, his boss and friend, and Auden, the co-worker. Edward, the professor that Blaine was fixed up with, was appropriately annoying. I loved the name of the cafe where Blaine worked!
The story is more slice of life than action. Blaine's angst is mostly self-induced, though around the book's mid-point, a rather dramatic incident occurs and things get really interesting.
This book is safe for all readers. I like romance novels to be a bit steamier, but that is just my personal preference. Also, I have a strong bias against first person pov in fiction, so I almost didn't get past the beginning. Again, it's a matter of personal preference, so I did not let that affect my rating in any way.
I'm not going to say anything about the ending, in order to not spoil it for anyone.
Gay romance novels may not be everyone's cup of tea (or in this case, coffee!), but I would certainly recommend giving this one a try.