Summary: Nick Poff, author of The Handyman's Reality and a native Hoosier, currently lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, author and self-described “average gay Joe” Nick has long been disappointed with gay fiction’s focus on erotica set within urban locales, where men with backgrounds and lifestyles similar to his tend to be underrepresented. In addition to writing, he also works in the radio industry and admits to beginning that career in the days when disc jockeys actually spun records. While “The Handyman’s Dream” was about the bliss of finding that perfect someone, “The Handyman’s Reality” concerns the day-to-day involvement of making a relationship work. “The Handyman’s Reality” actually begins the morning after Ed and Rick decide to move in together, an especially big step for Ed, who has never been in a serious relationship. Soon after making this important decision, the men are presented with an unexpected proposition from their good friend and mentor, Mrs. Penfield, and suddenly Ed and Rick’s long-term goals become a bigger immediate priority. Though Ed and Rick do face some backlash from conservative small-town mentality, on the whole they are supported by loving friends, family and neighbors, who generously supply the book with comic relief and universal nuggets of wisdom. Thanks to Poff’s radio background, “The Handyman’s Reality” also has a stellar “soundtrack” running throughout the book, with specific songs from the early ’80s explicitly mentioned to enhance the novel’s historic scenery. Ed and Rick’s personalities, surroundings and personal relationship together create a refreshing break from many stereotypes in modern gay fiction, making “The Handyman’s Reality” a story that anyone who has been in love—male or female, gay or straight—can easily enjoy.
