The Climb: A YA Gay Coming of Age Story

The picture of this young man fired up my imagination. I do not know who he is, who took the photo, or why. But I when I stumbled across it, I realized he would be the visual inspiration for a main character in a story I was incubating in my mind.

It’s his eyes… they desperately need something.

And so from this young man’s picture, the character of Skyler Phoenix was born.

Skyler is 16 years of age when the story opens. He’s waiting to meet his third foster family. Six tumultuous years after his mother’s death, his crushed spirit carries both wisdom beyond his years and the pain of loss that makes him seem cold and distant.

“You can see it in his eyes,” they said. “That boy needs love.”

Will Skyler survive a third foster home? How much can a sixteen year boy take before the damage is irreparable?

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The Climb © 2016 Damien Ledoux. All Rights Reserved.