Writer and therapist Eric Cuestas-Thompson's first novel, BURN, is a non-stop adrenaline descent into madness, sexual compulsion and moral conflicts. From the point of view of ten different characters, Cuestas-Thompson extracts the pain of being human from their unique stories. The magic of human connection and synchronicity is explored as well, with most of the story taking place in a gritty desert metropolis. The characters in BURN attempt to make a positive difference in their lives, but they often cannot control their inner yearnings and cravings for spiritual and sexual fulfillment, which often lead to their own downfalls. Cuestas-Thompson's focal point is the probing question: What is the "right thing" to do in a no-win situation? Using powerful, sexually-charged imagery, cinematic dramas unfold between men in cars at night or driving together in the desert to an abandoned shack... a family by a lake with a missing child... and a woman with a long unseen cousin, who has a secret to reveal. How can passions be quelled when fate seems to rule one's life? There is never a dull moment in this exciting, thrill-ride novel, leading to a stunning climax and conclusion. Hang on tight, because Cuestas-Thompson's BURN is an auspicious literary debut.
   

Patrick McGuinn - independent filmmaker
  

BURN is a chaotic story told with precision and passion. Written in a style that easily lends itself to visual interpretation, it reads rather like a screenplay with stripped-down observations and only the relevant details that let you close your eyes and "see" the setting, the people, in the present. In this way, BURN is more than a book; it is an experience.
  
The characters are not "characters", per se. While they climb through the emotions woven in their difficult ethical choices, their thoughts echo the dirty underbelly in all of us, making us admit that we might do the same, given the situation. We have all felt the insanity that desire can bring, we all have been driven by obsession without considering consequences, we all have tenderly held another human heart in our hands and prayed to not be careless.
  
Given that there are 57 chapters in 318 pages, and that the story covers two weeks in the lives of 10 people, it is remarkable that the author is able to create such a solid connection between the reader and the story; there isn't much time for dilly dallying.
  
You don't get family history, you don't get explanations; this author has created a story like a car about to careen out of control and he is screaming, "hold on!" He doesn't underestimate the readers ability to create the suspension of disbelief, and barely gives you time to get the seatbelt on. This novel immediately immerses you in a sea of questions, and each chapter fluidly moves between scenes of personal torments and triumphs, creating vignettes that are puzzle pieces of proximity, timing and motivations. A number of times, I smugly felt..."ah, I know who-dunnit" only to be proven wrong as another scene unfurled only a few pages later.
  
As a woman, I appreciated the understated eroticism, knowing the value of "leaving on the panties" to create unbearable tension. Too many unimaginative people are too comfortable with the panting pornography of sweatslapping naked bodies inherent in current fiction and expect it to be a focal point of a good read, consummated in a few paragraphs somewhere in the center of the story. How many new ways can that be described creatively? Its all been done before. In BURN, passion is a way of life, sexuality is the human condition, and there is no bones about it. Its steamy and always smoldering beneath the surface, pushes you to the point of fear, and then releases you to fall back on the sheets, knowing that it was a close call, and, maybe dangerous enough that it is best to run now. If you can.
  

The Ebyss  
  

BURN is a dark and compelling novel about ten people whose lives become entwined in a series of coincidences. The book begins with a horrific fire and crash and steps back to the previous 14 days leading up to the catastrophic event. The characters are complex and perplexing. Several gay issues come up with several of the players. It leads the reader to explore and question the choices we make in everyday situations. There are some erotic scenes that challenge the characters' sexuality and society's acceptance. The author takes the reader on a detailed map of the Tucson area and it becomes a link to how the characters find each other. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be kept on the edge of their seat.