Any Way the Wind Blows

280 Pages·2016·1.07 MB·English

by  Harris E Lynn

E. LYNN HARRIS
ACCLAIM FOR AND
Any way the Wind Blows
“E. Lynn Harris delivers juicy tales … laced with romance and spiked with sexual
encounters. He also has a knack for creating characters that readers love to hate.”
—The San Diego Union-Tribune
“A gripping revenge yarn.”
—New York Daily News
“E. Lynn Harris … has been called the Luther Vandross of literature.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“ Harris’s books are hot, in more ways than one.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Harris is a great storyteller who knows how to tug on the heartstrings with wit and
sensitivity.”
—USA Today
“[E. Lynn Harris] tucks in plot twists bound to keep his readers turning pages late
at night.”
—The Washington Post
“Filled with sensuality, deception, friendship, and love.”
—Ebony
“Harris is a wonderful writer. His romantic scenes, whether between men and
women or men and men, are always touching.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“Harris’s ensemble of characters—gay or straight—are entertaining, outspoken, and
colorful.”
—Black Issues Book Review
“What’s got audiences hooked? Harris’s unique spin on the ever-fascinating topics
of identity, class, intimacy, sexuality, and friendship.”
—Vibe
E. LYNN HARRIS
Any Way the Wind Blows
E. Lynn Harris is a former IBM computer sales executive and a graduate
of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He is the author of seven
previous novels: Any Way the Wind Blows, Not a Day Goes By, Abide with
Me, Invisible Life, Just As I Am, And This Too Shall Pass, and If This World
Were Mine. His most recent novel is A Love of My Own. In 1996, Just As I
Am was named Novel of the Year by the Blackboard African American
Booksellers, Inc. Abide with Me and If This World Were Mine won the
James Baldwin Award for Literary Excellence. In 2000, E. Lynn Harris
was named one of the fifty-five Most Intriguing African Americans by
Ebony and inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. Harris divides
his time between New York City and Atlanta.
Also by E. Lynn Harris
Invisible Life
Just As I Am
And This Too Shall Pass
If This World Were Mine
Abide with Me
Not a Day Goes By
A Love of My Own

It’s All Love
This novel is dedicated in alphabetical order to a trio of three wonderful human beings who have
impacted my life by sharing their lives with me. Troy Donato (a.k.a. my Jared) for being my
most trusted friend for more than fifteen years, Charles Flowers for sharing his brilliance,
friendship and kind, gentle spirit and Janet Hill for friendship, leadership and class second to
none.
In Memory
Andrew Harvey (Grand-daddy)
Julian Richardson
Heath Williams
Donald Vincent Welcher
Acknowledgments
It’s a blessing to have a career that I love even on the tough days. I am
thankful to my savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, for granting me this
blessing and helping me to realize I’m not special, just blessed.
I am thankful to have a wonderful family who supported me when
nobody knew my name. There are too many family members to mention
here (you know who you are), but I must thank my mother, Etta W.
Harris, who taught me to be grateful and humble; my most special aunt,
Jessie L. Phillips, who taught me the power of love; and Rodrick L.
Smith for support that can’t be described with mere words. My life is
better because of these three very special people.
I have wonderful friends. Thanks for being so understanding when I go
into writer’s hibernation: Troy Donato, Vanessa Gilmore, Lencola
Sullivan, Blanche Richardson, Robin Walters, Cindy Barnes, Garbo
Hearne, Debra Martin Chase, Dyanna Williams, Yolanda Starks, Ken
Hatten, Regina Daniels, Carlton Brown, Rose Crater Hamilton, Lloyd
Boston, Christopher Martin, Sybil Wilkes, Derrick Thompson, Deborah
Crable, Brian Chandler, Brent Zachery, Anderson Phillips, Kevin Edwards
and Reggie Van Lee.
I also must thank my new friends in Chicago who have welcomed me
and offered me treasured friendships. Thanks, Vince Williams, Dexter
Arrington, Linda Johnson-Rice, Bonnie DeShong, Desiree Sanders, Stella
Foster, Sandy Matthews, Sonya Jackson and Juanita Jordan.
I have been with my publisher, Doubleday/Anchor, for more than nine
years and they’ve become my family. I’m proud to work with people
who care deeply about the authors they publish. I extend my thanks to:
Stephen Rubin, Michael Palgon, Jackie Everly, Bill Thomas, Suzanne
Herz, Jenny Frost, Linda Steinman, Laura Wilson, Roberta Spivak,
Pauline James, Gerry Triano, Jen Marshall, Judy Jacoby, Kim Cacho,
Marni Lustberg, Amy C. King, Allison J. Warner, John Pitts, Anne
Messitte, Luann Walther, Ari Jones, Rebecca “The Magician” Holland,
and Emma Bolton, whose smile the first time I entered the building
made me feel like I was home. I must offer a special thanks to Alison
Rich, publicist extraordinaire, for her hard work, professionalism and
friendship. Thanks also to the newest member of the family, John
Fontana for his patience and a beautiful cover.
I must also give special thanks to my Doubleday Canada family,
especially Adrienne Ball and John Neale, for their hard work and
kindness during my Canadian tour.
Thanks also to Chris Fortunato and his team.
I have a tremendous support staff of talented people who make my life
manageable, and who are wonderful friends as well: my assistants,
Anthony Bell and Laura Gilmore; my agents, John Hawkins, Moses
Cardona and Irv Schwartz; and my attorney and accountant, Amy
Goldsend and Bob Braunschweig. Special thanks to Tony Hillery and his
guys at TRZ.
There are several other people (good friends as well) and
organizations that have offered me support and love for which I am most
thankful. Shannon Jones, Sherri Steinfield, Smith & Polk Public
Relations, Taurus Sorrells, Janis Murray, Bobby Daye, Tom Kochan,
Yvette Cason, Matthew Jordan Smith, Susan Taylor, Deborah Gregory,
Patrick Henry Bass, Monique Greenwood, Stanley Bennett Clay, Essence
magazine, Ebony magazine, SBC magazine, The Doug Banks Morning
Show, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, The Isaac Hayes Show, The CBS
Morning Show, The Steve Harvey Show, Frank Ski and his morning team,
Ryan Cameron and his team, Skip Murphy and his crew, Donnie Simpson
and his staff, Cliff and Jeanine. I also wanted to thank the numerous
booksellers and book clubs, as well as Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Phi Beta,
Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi and Delta Sigma
Theta, the Links and the NAACP. I also must mention the staff at the
Trump International Hotel, especially Suzy, Pamela, La Tanya, Dennis
and Carlos.
Since I’ve had only two careers, I must turn to others for my
characters. These people offered me their time and friendship, and for
this I am thankful. Thanks to football greats Robert Bass and Sean James
for the sports agent information. The novel benefited from details
provided by Dr. Arthur Smith, Rosalind Oliphant and Michel, a young