Reading Troy Ford’s gorgeously written Waterspout was like coming home to a place I’ve never been before. It is both familiar and new at the same time. I loved the arts-soaked backdrop, and even more, its dollhouse of complex, deeply realized characters. — Chris Tebbetts, bestselling co-author with James Patterson of the Middle School series

In his second novel, Troy Ford offers readers a raw and sophisticated portrait of Jimmy, a young gay artist … Ford paints both the dark sides of gay life—predators, loneliness, addiction—along with the freedom, expressiveness, and exhilaration. The story is as visually delectable as an artist’s studio itself … Sassy and unflinching, Waterspout serves up detail after detail that keeps us smack in the middle of this mesmerizing world. — Gail Marlene Schwartz, author of the National Indie Excellence Award-winning novel, Falling Through the Night

Waterspout is an absorbing, full-bodied, and compelling work that grabs you from the very beginning and holds on tight with dialogue that snaps, crackles, and pops! Mr. Ford paints a nuanced, textured, and vibrant portrait of Jimmy, a struggling artist with chronic self-esteem issues and masochistic tendencies. The author encourages you to understand, empathize, and then root for him. And the icing on the cake? It's the mesmerizing ending you didn't see coming! Waterspout is an authentic, moving, raw slice of real life crafted by a dynamic, winning wordsmith. — Wyatt O'Brian Evans, author of the Never Tear Us Apart series

I loved this! Basically, it's a candy-colored kaleidoscopic survey of the modern san francisco gay scene, presented through the eyes of one slutty twink. In the vein of Tales of the City and Queer as Folk: quite sexually frank without ever getting pornographic, but also fantastically lurid and soapy, especially in the second half, as the plot twists start to add up. Mostly it's a glorious romp, but if this book can be said to have a message, it might be that there is nothing under the sun that can't be turned into a fetish, if you squint just right and put in a little elbow grease. Any body type, any bodily function, any personal history, any quirk of personality, any personal failing, any threat of personal danger or disaster -- what's stopping you from fucking your way through it all? Nothing but cowardice. Hallelujah! Even when plot events turn quite dark, there's an irrepressible queer joy running through this narrative that had me rooting for all the characters, no matter their flaws or foibles. — GR, Goodreads

I jumped at the opportunity to read Waterspout. In a sea of MM romance/romantasies, it was refreshing (and a relieving) to find another author writing about a gay man navigating real life. The good, the bad, the ugly, the messy of it all. The story doesn’t shy away from sexual kinks and substance use; however, Jimmy’s indulgence in both is presented matter-of-factly. It’s just what he does. The cover art and title hint at one of Jimmy’s favorite activities—okay, maybe more like a scream—and it doesn’t take long for Troy Ford to deliver. But again, he’s not heavy-handed with it. It’s frank. It’s honest. But it’s not porn—it’s life. I appreciated the restraint. The humor hits exactly where I needed it to. Lines like “If a bear dumps a twink under the golden arches, and nobody hears…?” made me laugh out loud. And Ladybugs’ Picnic was exactly the kind of deep-cut, Gen Z pop culture reference I love to read and write. (IYKYK) The time shifts from the recent past, to the distant past, and then to an interview in the future was a bit jarring at first. Once I settled into the rhythm, it made sense and paid off in the end. — DS, Goodreads