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The Double Case of Sticky Fingers:
An Evan Sinclair Mystery

In the second installment of the Evan Sinclair Mystery series, Evan Sinclair is looking forward to a laid-back summer in Houston—but thanks to his nosy, super religious grandma, he’s spending more time than he ever expected at the church his late PaPa founded. The one bright spot? Meeting Nate, a quick-witted 13-year-old who shares his love of country music.

Meanwhile, back home, Evan’s friends—including his bestie Angelica and his crush, Patrick—are on the hunt for Molly’s missing laptop. But when the church donations mysteriously vanish and Nate gets blamed, Evan suddenly has two mysteries to crack.

With family tensions simmering, Evan realizes he’s not only got puzzles to solve but also some serious family issues to face, including an overdue heart-to-heart with his dad. Can Evan piece together the clues before his summer unravels?

The Case of the Missing Lighting Bat: An Evan Sinclair Mystery

Life hasn’t been entirely fair to Evan Sinclair, or ‘Sissy Sinclair’ as most of his classmates like to call him, but now it’s seventh grade – and the universe owes him. A missing baseball bat, belonging to star player Jayden Stevens, provides him with the perfect chance to put his love of detective shows to good use. His objective? Find the lucky “lightning bat” and score himself a place with the most popular kids in school: The Untouchables.

However, just like in the TV shows, nothing goes according to plan. As Evan delves into the investigation, his personal life turns to shambles. His father’s overbearing nature and extreme religious devotion lengthen the rift between them, while Evan is still processing the loss of his mother. His grandmother, his BFF and an unexpected old friend are the only people he can count on to help him crack the case.

There are numerous suspects in Lincoln Middle School, but this mystery goes deeper, becoming even more complicated than anyone first thought. Is it just petty jealousy that has fueled this theft? Or is something more sinister going on behind the scenes of the baseball team? There’s one person who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth, even if that means confronting his own deep dark secret – it’s Evan Sinclair.

"Modern Love"

My short story, “Modern Love,” is featured in Island Stories, a short story anthology edited by Melissa McCann. The story centers on Scott who is making the trek all the way to Vashon Island, thinking he’s going to dinner with his oldest friend. If only she wasn’t determined to set him up with the perfect date… It’s not like Scott can’t make his own love connections. The evening ends in a way that never one of them had expected.

"African American Queer Cinema"

The encyclopedia entry “African American Queer Cinema” discusses the origins and evolution of Black queer cinema in United States. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Queer Studies and Communication provides in-depth coverage of the relationship between communication and the societal decisions, popular culture/media representations, public opinion, and interpersonal participation of/within LGBTQI communities.

Deciphering Brokeback:
The New Gay Film Genre

Brokeback Mountain is still considered one of the most successful mainstream gay films to date. But what made the film so successful? The paper looks at how Brokeback contained the critical elements needed for mass consumption: a straight director with gay sensibilities, global appeal due to its Western setting, inclusion of Oscar-bait actors and themes and last but not least hypermasculine gay male characters. Using genre theory as the foundation, the paper outlines how Brokeback proliferated its own genre that many of today’s LGBTQ films still attempt to replicate. Published in Journal of Communication and Media Research April 2019 (Vol 11, Issue 1).

"Mr. Roo"

On just about every farm there is always an unruly rooster who thinks he, and only he, rules the roost. My farm is no different, and in this short story, I describe a typical day of chaos created by Mr. Roo and how I managed to endure all his shenanigans.

Read “Mr. Roo” and other Vashon Island adventures in this delightful anthology authored by residents of the island.

"African Americans and LGBTQ Issues"

My entry, “African Americans and LGBTQ Issues,” is included in this reference text to give students and general readers an understanding of the complicated relationship between African-Americans and the LGBTQ community.

"Assorted Nuts in Peanuts"

My essay “Assorted Nuts in Peanuts” outlines how the iconic comic strip was well ahead of its time in regards to racial, gender and sexual diversity. It appeared in the October 2009 issue of Communication Currents, a publication of the National Communication Association.

American Communication Journal

This article, based on my doctoral dissertation, examined how the portrayals of gays and lesbians on network and cable television affect gay youth as they come to terms with their sexual identities. Content analysis was performed on specific episodes to determine the authenticity of the gay character and the character’s integration into the storyline. This data was triangulated with interviews of media professionals and gay youth. Published Fall 2007 (Vol 9, Issue 3).

Learn more about work as an entertainment journalist, my academic teaching and my research analyzing LGBTQ images in media. Television is my favorite medium of choice.

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