Amy-Alex Campbell
Home of The Miscreant and the Marsden Park Series
Beneath the Grandstand
When Cameron’s failing relationship finally comes to an end, he finds himself on the streets of Sydney, homeless and alone. All he has left is a suitcase full of his clothes, and his job as a security guard. Battling severe depression and anxiety, Cameron fears he has hit rock bottom.
A chance meeting with a young homeless man soon changes everything, though. Abused as a child, the mysterious Mr Loner has a dark secret that threatens to unravel his very existence. Will Cameron get his happily ever after, or will Mr Loner’s past destroy them both?
“How do you define two lost souls, who are completely alone in the world, except for each other?”
A confronting MM romance set in Western Sydney, Australia.
Inspiration behind Beneath the Grandstand
When I was working at Westpoint in Blacktown, I used to walk from the station to the shopping center every day, and pass numerous beggars and homeless people. There was one man, though, who caught my eye, and I thirsted to know his story.
He never begged or harassed passers-by. Every morning, he would stand near the taxi rank and wish people a wonderful day. He was polite, and always made me smile. Sometimes I would see him sitting in his spot, doodling in a sketch book, other times he would be chatting to people.
Over time, I noticed he was no longer bubbly, and seemed to be getting down. I wanted to know his story, to know why he was there, what had pushed him onto the streets. So I finally pushed aside my nerves, and went looking for him.
He wasn’t there, and I didn’t see him again. I cursed myself many times, as I really wanted to talk to him. I can only hope that he received some support and made it into housing. Even now, almost 3 years later, I still look for him every time I go that way.
When I decided on writing about a homeless man, I originally thought of having my MC as a businessman who walked past the homeless man daily, and they sparked up a friendship. I realised my character need so much more depth though – a businessman would have enough money to invite Mr Homeless into his home and live happily every after. It was too easy.
The idea to have a security guard as a MC came to me after I made a joke with my SO about writing a book on his past security job, and all the shit he had to face in that industry. Inspiration struck, and I realised this was the angle I needed to take – security guard and a homeless man.
Beneath the Grandstand is the story of Cameron, a security guard, who has just broken up with his childhood sweetheart. His ex was mentally abusive, and had led Cameron into some serious debt. With nothing but a suitcase and the clothes on his back, Cameron is out on the streets, alone.
Cameron has bad depression and anxiety, which is another central theme of this story. There is still so much stigma attached to mental illness, so I wanted to tackle that in this story as well. There are so many darker themes going on here, but I’m not giving any spoilers.
While working night shift at a hospital that has been damaged by fire, Cameron meets the mysterious Mr Loner, a young man who ran away from home at the age of 16. Running from a past of child abuse, he lives in fear of being found by his abuser. He and Cameron quickly become friends, but Mr Loner’s past threatens to tear them apart.
I did something a bit different for BtG: I compiled a playlist to accompany the story. Each chapter lists a song title, which sets Cameron’s mood. See below, or click here to open YouTube.
