Love is a Contact Sport with Author Frederick Smith

Join us for a conversation with Author Frederick Smith discussing Love is a Contact Sport.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After a rough breakup, gay romance author Renny Ross heads to the Bay Area for a fresh start. His new gig writing the anniversary story for a local university is supposed to be a fresh chapter (thanks to university president Dr. Taylor James). But Renny didn’t expect to run into a familiar face from his past.

After dropping off his youngest child at college, recently divorced Brent D. King DuPree, is on a journey to freedom, liberation, and living the life he put on hold for over twenty years to raise his family. Figuring out life as a newly out and newly single man, Brent is hesitant about stepping into the Bay Area gay scene until a chance reunion with his first real crush, and the guy he never quite forgot, his peer mentor and tutor in college: Renny Ross.

Neither man expected a second chance. But working together at the same university stirs up feelings that never really faded. Their love doesn’t have to be a secret anymore, but will they get it right this time?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Originally from Detroit, Frederick Smith is the author of seven romance novels set in L.A. and San Francisco that feature Black Queer characters. His current novel, Love Is A Contact Sport, a Black, Queer, Second Chance, College Reunion, MM romance on Bold Strokes Books, came out in June 2026. His 2024 novel, One and Done, is described as a Black, Queer, Higher Ed, Bay Area, MM romance. A higher education professional by day, Frederick does Student Affairs and Diversity &; Inclusion work at San Francisco State University.