Friday Interview - Rebecca Cohen

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHB8SoytW_YR-QE-aZfhgwTYuYtPQftOWWAd52rF66VGYZK5W7QIRBtXQwYuEVWPvyqn2nMcWvfC_HslsWWKfYijJalPPYLNSZqnUGy_Anc7PnnCCYXkocYcBk99QaYS9Lwc-Ep-BfSQ/s1600/LifeintheLand_ORIG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHB8SoytW_YR-QE-aZfhgwTYuYtPQftOWWAd52rF66VGYZK5W7QIRBtXQwYuEVWPvyqn2nMcWvfC_HslsWWKfYijJalPPYLNSZqnUGy_Anc7PnnCCYXkocYcBk99QaYS9Lwc-Ep-BfSQ/s320/LifeintheLand_ORIG.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>What made you decide to start writing? What was your personal "kick-off"?</b><br />Really, for me this was: when did I start writing again? I wrote when I was younger, but put it all aside when I went to university to study biology and later begin a career in science. I felt there was something missing from my life in my late twenties. After a very lucid dream where I saw a Roman slave and a Roman general entwined together, I picked up my pen and words began to flow. Seven years later, I had my first publication, and the Roman scene is in a novel I’m currently working on.<br /><br /><b>Tetley's or PG Tips?</b><br />Twinnings! I no longer live in the UK, so when it came to hunting down tea, I discovered that the Swiss blends aren’t as strong as their British equivalents. I must have got used to it because when a friend brought over a box of teabags from the UK it tasted like gunpowder. So I am now the proud owner of a cupboard full of Twinning teas of different types and flavours, and a few exciting Swiss ones as well. Who’d have thought it, a British ex-pat with a thing for tea?<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br /><b>What are some of your plans for future books, plot lines etc...</b><br />I have two novels in the editing stages. One, <i>Forever Hold His Peace</i>, is the final installment of my Elizabethan historical romance series, and I enjoyed delving into the world Tudor witchcraft, funeral customs and capital punishment. The other one, <i>Idolatry</i>, is the sequel to my fantasy novel <i>Servitude</i>, in which my hero has to cope with a cult that thinks he’s their god, and a race through the dimensions to avoid a death sentence. There are others in the pipeline including a contemporary fun novel based around amateur dramatics, and a sci-fi set on Earth, involving a civil servant from the UK government department for helping aliens settle on Earth – think <i>Men in Black</i> with less guns, more sex and tea and biscuits.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Blurb from <i>Land in the Land</i></b></div><br />The magic of the Sawyer family’s extremely green thumbs comes straight from the land. But Bobby Sawyer’s expected superpowers don’t become a reality until he kisses his best friend, Mike Flint. That kiss moves the earth—literally.<br /><br />When Bobby moves to the city, leaving Mike behind, Bobby keeps his green thumb nimble by working in a garden center and uses his superpowers to help fight crime. He’s on a mission when a bomb explodes, leaving him seriously injured, forcing him to return to the family farm—the source of his strength—to recuperate.<br /><br />While attempting to recover, Bobby realizes Mike is still the love of his life. But Mike is leery: Bobby left him once before. What if all Bobby needs is one more magical kiss?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>Short Excerpt from <i>Land in the Land</i></b><br /><div><br />Bobby let himself be pulled toward the trunk, the roots curling around his body in a firm embrace. Nestled next to the tree trunk, he swore he could hear drumming from its core. He laid his head against the bark and closed his eyes.<br /><br />Every cell of the tree thrummed with the same pulse. Behind his eyelids, Bobby could see the microscopic world inside the tree. Layer upon layer of water-laden cells made up the trunk’s innards, all jostled together as a noisy factory of life. His mind climbed the trunk and followed the path as it diverged to the left and ran across the branches. The way ahead narrowed, and he arrived into an explosion of green, the leaves humming happily. Tiny explosions fizzed and crackled as the chloroplasts trilled and sang, busy converting water into energy using the meager rays of the weak morning sun. It was beautiful. He could barely breathe as he watched, mute in amazement.<br /><br />The tree’s roots began to loosen their grip, and his eyelids fluttered open.<br /><br />The world before him looked fresh and new. Every detail was vivid and clear, from the petals on the drooping dandelions to the spikes of the hawthorn hedges. His long fingers wormed their way into the soil that the oak’s roots had disrupted. Bobby could taste the goodness, the nitrates and the minerals tripping over his tongue. The tightness that had sat in his chest for weeks began to unwind, and a warmth spread through his veins, radiating out from his breastbone, down his arms, and through his fingers. Slowly, Bobby withdrew his hands from the soil, and he could hardly believe his own eyes as the lines on his palm began to glow, lit up in gold. He turned his hands over to see the same golden color swim under his fingernails.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>Links for <i>Life in the Land</i>:</b><br />DSP: <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4109">http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4109</a><br /><br />Amazon.com: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-in-the-Land-ebook/dp/B00EOHT98E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1377104211&sr=8-4&keywords=life+in+the+land+rebecca">http://www.amazon.com/Life-in-the-Land-ebook/dp/B00EOHT98E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1377104211&sr=8-4&keywords=life+in+the+land+rebecca</a><br /><br />Amazon.co.uk: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-in-the-Land-ebook/dp/B00EOHT98E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1377102122&sr=1-1&keywords=life+in+the+land+rebecca">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-in-the-Land-ebook/dp/B00EOHT98E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1377102122&sr=1-1&keywords=life+in+the+land+rebecca</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>Author Bio and Links:</b><br />Rebecca Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left London behind and now lives with her husband and baby son in Basel, Switzerland. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of Darjeeling in the other.<br /><br /><b>Blog</b>: <a href="http://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/">http://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/</a><br /><br /><b>Twitter</b>: <a href="https://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes">https://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes</a><br /><br /><b>Facebook</b>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710">https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /></div>

Friday Interview - Rebecca Cohen

What made you decide to start writing? What was your personal "kick-off"? Really, for me this was: when did I start writing again?...

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Friday Interview - Erika Pike

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6jCLCTZQTb5LRG-WMwiKNqURCJy5B7SyXd58kuX5yWht5_zPg8UY5fDHSDJwU7ou_gZKVzLbhjkDVDnwB8zBWhB-qwc0xXFuNSLMrVVLNoq7YB3qLr1aDXXANquS0kHx2Q1UMU87dQ/s1600/Cold+Hands+400+X+600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6jCLCTZQTb5LRG-WMwiKNqURCJy5B7SyXd58kuX5yWht5_zPg8UY5fDHSDJwU7ou_gZKVzLbhjkDVDnwB8zBWhB-qwc0xXFuNSLMrVVLNoq7YB3qLr1aDXXANquS0kHx2Q1UMU87dQ/s320/Cold+Hands+400+X+600.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Thank you for having me over, RJ.<br /><br />I recently republished my College Fun and Gays series and I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase the awesome new covers (by Zathyn Priest!), and my latest release: Cold Hands. The series was re-edited by Douglas Black and is now available as individual stories and a two-part anthology (cheaper!). <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>First I’m going to answer some interesting questions:<br /><br /><b>How do you keep your stories "organized"? I mean, remembering side characters, visuals, background stories, connections...</b><br />A lot of the scenes are from my daydreams, so most of it plays like a movie in my head. The characters are very much alive to me, but I do keep a short file on vital information for the series books, like do they have siblings and such.<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><b>Favourite position in your books you've always wanted to try?</b><br />Anal sex – me being the top :P I really want to try pegging a guy. Hey, I already know everything about prepping and I’ve got very delicate fingers. When I look at them with prepping in mind I keep thinking it can’t possibly be that painful, but then I remember that most guys have thicker fingers.<br /><br /><b>Is there a solution to global warming?</b><br />Exterminate cows? I don’t know. I heard somewhere that the gas cows make is a huge factor in the global warming. Then, of course, more of us could take up biking (I’m doing it now), use public transportation and take up geothermal energy and heating wherever possible.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><i>Each College Fun and Gays story focuses on a specific issue that LGBT people might face in today’s society because of their sexuality. Although the topics are serious, the stories are generally light with a bit of humor thrown in. The genres I list them under are: Gay (M/M), Erotic Romance, Contemporary, and New Adult. Except for Hot Hands and Cold Hands, they don’t have to be read in any order as they don't feature the same couples.</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>*****</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJBkn2XUMjwcb363K6qigTRG5iY_wm1kCYZJC6OD6vZz8ywUgKwoSYC4z-CrFtOjNdvXIVtSecXkekUP04oPArqgMmD-LodJTLFIDASLsusiumlEg9N1KjMQf1-6b1ouLHMKie4AavA/s1600/Hot+Hands+400+x+600+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJBkn2XUMjwcb363K6qigTRG5iY_wm1kCYZJC6OD6vZz8ywUgKwoSYC4z-CrFtOjNdvXIVtSecXkekUP04oPArqgMmD-LodJTLFIDASLsusiumlEg9N1KjMQf1-6b1ouLHMKie4AavA/s200/Hot+Hands+400+x+600+(1).jpg" width="133" /></a><b>Hot Hands</b><br /><b><br /></b>For weeks, college student Casper has been the victim of sail-by goosing and groping. The problem is that Casper would very much like to get more than groped by those wonderful, big, hot hands. With a journal full <br />of clues, he sets out to discover who his mystery groper is. He may, however, be in serious trouble once he discovers the ominous identity.<br /><br /><i>Hot Hands focuses on the effects of high school bullying for being gay.</i><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Free</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> on <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hothands-1228391-340.html">All Romance eBooks</a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/340764">Smashwords</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>Grade-A-Sex Deal</b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9a2965avXfMSE-ZZx4v_aNy-8o_3s0Jj-74GvRxvBgJcyGNjZ859Y2l-A5IsmBhUwLt8F0aBupQWS4P7xP1xRo2AZZZ8NsaqnEROJvfA6suEHb6PJRwsxYacE-DZ3uj8CquRT9hcrA/s1600/Grade+A+Sex+Deal+400+x+600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9a2965avXfMSE-ZZx4v_aNy-8o_3s0Jj-74GvRxvBgJcyGNjZ859Y2l-A5IsmBhUwLt8F0aBupQWS4P7xP1xRo2AZZZ8NsaqnEROJvfA6suEHb6PJRwsxYacE-DZ3uj8CquRT9hcrA/s200/Grade+A+Sex+Deal+400+x+600.jpg" width="133" /></a>When College professor Daniel Corrigan was brutally kicked out of his home after revealing his true sexuality to his wife, he had to make a whole new life for himself. For the first time in two years Daniels main heartache isn't the none-existent relationship with his two kids, but the fact that the grade-A-sex deal with his student Troy Anderson is about to expire. After a whole semester of office fun, Troy has managed to squeeze his way into the core of Daniels soul. Daniel, however, is positive hes nothing more to Troy but a <br />teacher who can modify a grade.<br /><br /><i>Grade-A-Sex Deal focuses on depression after ostracism.</i><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Erica-Pike/e/B006V266ZY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=series&qString=College+Fun+%26amp%3B+Gays">All Romance eBooks</a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ericapike">Smashwords</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>The Walls Have Ears</b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJovFxlptcloWPfGkLD1MQ3Ikf0c1ElXqsKeI8njux0MnV0aaCU0pMAcOkRlHUoqNcYqJMV-neyXvNTY6pekuJgnw0sZI6tVOXR7HeuvjsQ-Y-0q-m7k5mtmVZ6RO-_bEas96MouF4Rg/s1600/The+Walls+Have+Ears+400+x+600.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJovFxlptcloWPfGkLD1MQ3Ikf0c1ElXqsKeI8njux0MnV0aaCU0pMAcOkRlHUoqNcYqJMV-neyXvNTY6pekuJgnw0sZI6tVOXR7HeuvjsQ-Y-0q-m7k5mtmVZ6RO-_bEas96MouF4Rg/s200/The+Walls+Have+Ears+400+x+600.jpg" width="133" /></a>Short and scrawny college student Harley Santos has a strange relationship with the guy on the other side of his bedroom wall. For weeks, the two have been masturbating to each other’s voices, but they have never met in person. In fact, he doesn't know a single thing about his wall-mate except that he looks and sounds incredibly hot.<br /><br />When Harley’s roommate, Ryan, is asked on a date by one of his neighbors, Harley is devastated that his wall-mate mistook not-hot Harley for super-hot Ryan. Helping Harley through his heartache is Tasha Novokov, the other neighbor, who is tall, dark, and impossibly handsome.<br /><br /><i>The Walls Have Ears focuses on insecurities of first-time dating: Is the guy I like gay or straight?</i><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Erica-Pike/e/B006V266ZY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=series&qString=College+Fun+%26amp%3B+Gays">All Romance eBooks</a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ericapike">Smashwords</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjgw2mZO2XQnwUo2_V6_KT_MHJbY5k0_fPOZjHtnsBUVnOCKCGsCpRXo6vMq0K_6TfTc2DYzhVKtSv2uwB9LkbAq_oNqT-QPx3LYUaMUG7AXDalbLW0NfejgAeGzZBo-TckSXsLPAJA/s1600/Little+Stalker+400+x+600.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjgw2mZO2XQnwUo2_V6_KT_MHJbY5k0_fPOZjHtnsBUVnOCKCGsCpRXo6vMq0K_6TfTc2DYzhVKtSv2uwB9LkbAq_oNqT-QPx3LYUaMUG7AXDalbLW0NfejgAeGzZBo-TckSXsLPAJA/s200/Little+Stalker+400+x+600.jpg" width="133" /></a><b>Little Stalker</b><br /><b><br /></b>College student Coby is being stalked by a young guy and has no idea why until someone suggests that the stalker may have a crush on him. The idea both excites and terrifies Coby, who is so deep in the closet he <br />can barely manage to think the word “gay” without freaking out.<br /><br /><i>Little Stalker focuses on the deep, dark closet and internal homophobia.</i><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Erica-Pike/e/B006V266ZY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=series&qString=College+Fun+%26amp%3B+Gays">All Romance eBooks</a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ericapike">Smashwords</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Welcome, Brother:</b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeRvXX0s9BAOR9f3JdTnT7lmkYz8LmAz3J3vCk9hWB8TYDQY16O5PsUUWAzEdWzXR5DKJkuibL4t4BtgPchKIq1rfynBI7tRvrnAkDQImii51ucmCB0_bkbdogj_Wa2M0HYo_tsIyAg/s1600/Welcome+Brother+400+x+600.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeRvXX0s9BAOR9f3JdTnT7lmkYz8LmAz3J3vCk9hWB8TYDQY16O5PsUUWAzEdWzXR5DKJkuibL4t4BtgPchKIq1rfynBI7tRvrnAkDQImii51ucmCB0_bkbdogj_Wa2M0HYo_tsIyAg/s200/Welcome+Brother+400+x+600.jpg" width="133" /></a>When arts student Kyler Morris applies for membership to The Nova Britannia Brotherhood, he's immediately floored by their intimidating leader, Hunter Kingsley. Fellow arts student Hunter, however, isn't the bad-ass he's made out to be and takes Kyler under his wing.<br /><br />While Kyler struggles to keep his crush under control and his sexuality hidden from the Brothers, Hunter battles daemons of his own in the form of two Brothers who aren't playing by the rules. <br /><br /><i>Welcome Brother focuses on acceptance in college and gay bashing.</i><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Erica-Pike/e/B006V266ZY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=series&qString=College+Fun+%26amp%3B+Gays">All Romance eBooks</a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ericapike">Smashwords</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>Cold Hands</b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEXM4JafcNmrPlA5n0C6PEtbqjABUm6TX2mSuWXcTBihRaNM2jQvRrED9G8FEJvyZm4uIj679DA0WjXD-FlAzbreEwnfxuh3eFCJBluyTra6KtW-pGLLeBwUACTS4ZeOrhlj-D3Rk4w/s1600/Cold+Hands+400+X+600.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEXM4JafcNmrPlA5n0C6PEtbqjABUm6TX2mSuWXcTBihRaNM2jQvRrED9G8FEJvyZm4uIj679DA0WjXD-FlAzbreEwnfxuh3eFCJBluyTra6KtW-pGLLeBwUACTS4ZeOrhlj-D3Rk4w/s200/Cold+Hands+400+X+600.jpg" width="133" /></a>“Hot-Hands” and Casper have been dating for a month, but their relationship is about as smooth as shattered glass. It doesn't help that Hot-Hands is racked with guilt over his high school bullying of Casper, or that Casper darts away whenever his boyfriend gets a little too frisky.<br /><br />Desperate to hang onto Casper, Hot-Hands tries to earn back the trust he destroyed years ago, so they can face their disastrous past and have a chance at a happy future.<br /><br /><i>Cold Hands focuses on high school bullying for being gay. This is the sequel to Hot Hands and contains big spoilers if read first.</i><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Erica-Pike/e/B006V266ZY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=series&qString=College+Fun+%26amp%3B+Gays">All Romance eBooks</a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ericapike">Smashwords</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>College Fun and Gays: Anthology One</b><br /><b><br /></b>Contains Hot Hands, Cold Hands, and The Walls Have Ears. This Anthology explores the effects of high school bullying, and the question: is the guy I like straight or gay?<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Erica-Pike/e/B006V266ZY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">Amazon</a>and <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=series&qString=College+Fun+%26amp%3B+Gays">All Romance eBooks</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>College Fun and Gays: Anthology Two</b></div><br />Contains Grade-A-Sex Deal, Little Stalker, and Welcome, Brother. This Anthology explores ostracism for being gay, internal homophobia, the closet, and being gay in a fraternity.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Erica-Pike/e/B006V266ZY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">Amazon</a>and <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=series&qString=College+Fun+%26amp%3B+Gays">All Romance eBooks</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Erica Online</b>:<br /><br /><b>Website/Blog</b>: <a href="http://www.ericapike.com/">http://www.ericapike.com</a><br /><b>Facebook</b>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEricaPike">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEricaPike</a><br /><b>Goodreads Group</b>: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/94436-gay-romance-by-erica-pike" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/94436-gay-romance-by-erica-pike</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4203e6oEyx6o3n8uaFsaE_sI7cHJ4Mgfg4U3Oy20boWaKCjkojQLbwopwbxg4dx2qY2bhAvbs6z-XHbpILsgIu3_vemxWkUyPxbKwElzkIj-mt0lf90c02-ZonWQ8vniBcYfr0rg_g/s1600/College+Fun+and+Gays2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4203e6oEyx6o3n8uaFsaE_sI7cHJ4Mgfg4U3Oy20boWaKCjkojQLbwopwbxg4dx2qY2bhAvbs6z-XHbpILsgIu3_vemxWkUyPxbKwElzkIj-mt0lf90c02-ZonWQ8vniBcYfr0rg_g/s1600/College+Fun+and+Gays2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>

Friday Interview - Erika Pike

Thank you for having me over, RJ. I recently republished my College Fun and Gays series and I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase the...

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Friday Interview - Kay Berrisford

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7L0R8_TewezCn3LRPw_rcLTvs1YgaE-WD2Hj_JZv5MNJ41QYQqP-Hyj7THky3n3AK4tMq734OsBgwQNWSOBLhDkahji2j_G-PM5cpNr1DJWH3fcVALOs5skqfkwTO5_CIZZc5ntaYpA/s1600/KB_LordForest_coverlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7L0R8_TewezCn3LRPw_rcLTvs1YgaE-WD2Hj_JZv5MNJ41QYQqP-Hyj7THky3n3AK4tMq734OsBgwQNWSOBLhDkahji2j_G-PM5cpNr1DJWH3fcVALOs5skqfkwTO5_CIZZc5ntaYpA/s1600/KB_LordForest_coverlg.jpg" /></a></div>Hi RJ! Thanks for inviting me along. So excited to be here!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>How do you manage to come up with such detailed backgrounds, not just the characters, but the worlds too?</b><br /><br /><div>I love world building. It’s probably my favourite part of writing. Though most of my stories are set in our world—either in the present or in the past—all of them have some kind of fantasy and paranormal elements, so I often spend way too long imagining the exact cultures that my characters live in before I start writing. I make notes, pass ages daydreaming, and even draw maps and design castles. Yeah, I’m a bit of a nerd!<br /><br />It’s not all about make-believe. One of the challenges when you’re heading off into magical realms is “keeping it real”, as it were, rendering these places and the characters who live there believable. I often draw on pre-existing myths and legends, and it’s important to get these things right, as well as paying attention to the accuracy of historical settings. <a href="http://kayberrisford.com/lord-of-the-forest/">Lord of the Forest</a>, <a href="http://kayberrisford.com/bound-to-the-beast/">Bound to the Beast</a>, and <a href="http://kayberrisford.com/2011/04/10/about-bound-to-the-forest/">Bound for the Forest</a>, are my three standalone m/m romances, interlinked by my fantasy version of the English Greenwood, in which all are set. The main characters include some familiar names. <a href="http://kayberrisford.com/bound-to-the-beast/">Bound to the Beast</a> (and the sequel, Locking Horns) is my take on the story of Herne the Hunter, and <a href="http://kayberrisford.com/lord-of-the-forest/">Lord of the Forest</a> is my version of the Robin Hood legend.<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br />Wading through eight hundred years of history to decide where my Robin would fit in was a challenge. Every generation has rewritten his story in different ways. He’s been a common woodsman, an earl in disguise, a returned crusader, and many other incarnations—Disney made him a fox! In the end, his enduring fame informed his character in my book. I decided to pick up Robin’s story after he’s been living the outlaws’ life, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, for well over a decade. He still feels young, but the responsibilities are taking their toll. Though he’s lain with members of his band (hey, this is an m/m Robin Hood, right?) he’s never found true love. He longs for a family of his own, something he believes he can’t have, and has taken to roaming the country as a loan warrior. But he’s a hunted man and can’t escape his legend—seems celebrity could be a pain, even in 1217! Then the evil sheriff turns up, Robin falls for a royal spy, and the fun really begins…<br /><br />If you’d like to find out more about my mad love of world building, check out my A to Z of the Greenwood universe: <a href="http://kayberrisford.com/the-greenwood-series-everything-you-need-to-know/">http://kayberrisford.com/the-greenwood-series-everything-you-need-to-know/</a><br /><br /><b>What do YOU like to read? How do you find satisfying reading stuff, when you have whole worlds in your head? Do you read completely different genres, or do you read m/m? And can you even do that without thinking at some point that you could do better?</b><br /><br />I love reading all kinds of romance, including m/m, as well as fantasy series, and enormous historical epics thick enough to commit murder with. I hope I’ll never be dissatisfied with the majority of my reading—indeed, my policy is to enjoy, admire, and learn from the best, including great m/m romance writers like RJ, and epic world builders like G.R.R. Martin. Occasionally, I read a fantasy or a historical and find the background is rather lightly sketched. However, I do appreciate why some writers choose that path, to keep the spotlight tight on character.<br /><br />Character development is important to me when I read. I am always curious whether characters are based on people the author knows and research, or if they are based are pure fiction?<br /><br />For me, it’s a bit of both. I often bring in elements from people I know—usually not those closest to me, but nobody’s quite safe. If you’ve got an interesting character trait, you might find it nabbed for my next book. Watch out! I’ve also written a fair bit of fanfic in my time, and have to admit to writing one or two characters inspired by folk from my favorite TV shows and films. Research is important too, particularly for historical characters. <br /><br />However, whatever the character’s starting point, I always find they take on a life of their own and become absolutely themselves as their story develops. It’s such an organic process, sometimes I can’t control ’em by the end, but that’s the fun of it, I guess!<br /><br />Thanks for letting me drop by, RJ! And sorry for waffling on (it’s something I tend to do!!!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Lord of the Forest (The Greenwood) GLBT fantasy. Published by Loose Id.<br /><br /><b>Blurb </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>England, 1217. Dark forces are rising. In the Greenwood, foul spirits grow powerful, and greedy barons plunder the lands. Only one man dares fight back—Robin Hood.</i></div><div><i><br />Robin’s band of brothers is broken. Now a lone warrior, he denies his famous name and laments the friends and lovers he’s lost. When the fair folk capture Cal, a beautiful young forester descended from the Greenwood’s ancient protectors, Robin rescues him and forges a new alliance.<br /><br />Despite a sizzling attraction, Robin senses Cal isn’t like his old comrades, and he’s right. Cal’s been raised as a royal spy. He plans to seduce and betray Robin, but can’t harm the man he’s falling hard for. Mistrust and arguments spill into passionate lovemaking, as Cal learns the meaning of loyalty, fighting beside Robin, the only friend he’s ever known. Even the enchanted forest seeks to bind Robin and the returned protector ever tighter.<br /><br />Their connection will be tested by nature’s wildest forces, Robin’s past, Cal’s lies, and in a baron’s darkest dungeon. To survive, Robin and Cal must admit their love and embrace their true destinies. Only then can they save England and each other—and win their happiness ever after.</i><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Reviews</b><br /><br />“Fantastic sex scenes convey the depth of emotion that the two share. I highly recommend this engaging read as well as the other books in the Greenwood series. Great writing, smoldering sex and a different kind of love story awaits in each book.” – <b>EMMA, NIGHT OWL REVIEWS. </b><br /><br />“The writing is as lush as the forests our characters find themselves in and despite there being elementals, spirits and fairies, everything seemed so real. With descriptions so vivid you could almost imagine yourself there among the Greenwood yourself. The writing is very lyrical, almost like poetry… The love scenes between Robin and Cal are scorching hot, but as well as the physical connection, there is also the emotional one between them… The book is wonderful and I don’t really know what else to say about it except – go, read and enjoy!” – <b>ANNETTE GISBY, ZIPPER RIPPERS.</b><br /><br />“There is danger and treachery and even a little bit of heartbreak before an ending that effectively resolved the demands of the Greenwood that the protector bloodline must endure. It is an alchemy that only the Fae could perpetuate; it challenges the imagination, and it also left me wondering if (read: hoping) the author might consider a sequel to the adventure.” – <b>LISA, THE NOVEL APPROACH. </b><br /><br />“We are pulled into a wonderful new story that combines fantasy with history, myths with facts, and legends with historical figures, combining everything together to give us a new spectacular Greenwood story… I will recommend this story to those that love history mixed with their fantasy, who love folklore and legends, hot sex and a happily ever after.” <b>PIXIE, MM GOOD BOOK REVIEWS. </b></div><div><br />“This smoothly written story celebrates the erotic and supernatural adventures of Robin Hood within a perilous forest… a fun way to spend an afternoon. Recommended.” - <b>VAL KOVALIN, JESSEWAVE REVIEWS. </b><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>Excerpt</b> <br /><br />“We’ve lost them.” Looking up, Cal pinched his bottom lip between his teeth. “You trust me now?”<br /><br />Robin’s chest squeezed. The forester still wore the garb of the enemy, albeit torn to shreds, yet all men made mistakes. Robin had erred in his time, and so had his friends. He always forgave them.<br /><br />A single line creased Cal’s brow, his gaze sharpened with hope. Their bodies pressed close, and Robin’s blood jumped and heated.<br /><br />“I do,” he said. “I’m sorry I doubted you before.”</div><div>“It’s all right.” Cal’s sweet smile melted him. “I wouldn’t have trusted me either, but now you know my choice. I’m your man, not Odo’s, not anyone else’s.”<br /><br />Robin cupped the nape of Cal’s neck and pulled the lad down into the kiss he’d burned for.<br /><br />Their lips met, hard and wet, and flames scorched between them. Robin sprang to full arousal so fast the briar patch seemed to quake. The scent of crushed ivy dabbed at his senses but couldn’t subdue the taste of Cal. Thirsting for more, he parted his lips and swirled his tongue about Cal’s, kneading the stubbled line of the lad’s jaw with his thumbs. Hugging Robin tight, Cal worked the kiss with his entire being, moaning down Robin’s throat, mouth and body flexing. Intertwined, they rolled over and grappled till the need to breathe forced them to break a kiss that might have otherwise lingered till nightfall.<br /><br />“So this is how it always was…with your friends?” asked Cal, gasping.<br /><br />An act of comradeship, of brothers in deed and body, the thrill of adventure surging in their veins.<br /><br />Robin could only nod as they bumped and ground together, every press more insistent and charged. Cal’s knee skirted Robin’s hip, and he jammed his rod of an erection flush against Robin’s thigh. Robin rutted against him, friction mounting.<br /><br />Yes, this was how it had been with his friends. Or was it? Mayhap because his bond with Cal remained as delicate as a spring bud, he needed more than to frisk and spill his seed. He wanted to give everything he had, and he needed more back, but why and what? Oh Goddess, who knew?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Lord of the Forest (The Greenwood) is OUT NOW, published by Loose Id. The first two Greenwood novels (Bound for the Forest and Bound to the Beast) are also available from the below retailers. The series can be read in any order. For more info, please visit <a href="http://kayberrisford.com/">http://kayberrisford.com</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">All titles available from <b>Loose Id</b>: http://www.loose-id.com/authors/g-k/kay-berrisford.html</div><b></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b>Amazon</b>: http://www.amazon.com/Kay-Berrisford/e/B006JLQ4L8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1</b></div><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>All Romance</b>: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Kay+Berrisford</div>

Friday Interview - Kay Berrisford

Hi RJ! Thanks for inviting me along. So excited to be here! ***** How do you manage to come up with such detailed backgrounds, not just the ...

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Friday Interview - Sue Holston

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARM9ae-7kaNUbQRNHzxdNy97pDVaCvJLFoXc219cnQcbwYe71ud9Jy7s_f3GQEszZi7iVoSuPM_SCxy5Q6i6rs3_LOTgmHP5ZUugOT4w4_zuGhsRiE53r6Lo4c3lecqO8T5kDcRahPA/s1600/FTM1m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARM9ae-7kaNUbQRNHzxdNy97pDVaCvJLFoXc219cnQcbwYe71ud9Jy7s_f3GQEszZi7iVoSuPM_SCxy5Q6i6rs3_LOTgmHP5ZUugOT4w4_zuGhsRiE53r6Lo4c3lecqO8T5kDcRahPA/s320/FTM1m.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Interview with Sue Holston</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>How do you manage to come up with such detailed backgrounds, not just the characters, but the worlds too?</b><br /><br />For our new book, <b>Facing the Music</b>, Sue and I drew from our experiences visiting Los Angeles. We both had been to the Hotel Café, where our rock band kicks off their U.S. tour and wanted to add that into the plot. Plus, I grew up with a father who worked at a radio station for over thirty years until he retired, so I’ve meet a lot of interesting musicians over the years and always wanted to write about a dysfunctional band on the verge of breaking up.<br /><br /><b>What are some of your plans for future books, plot lines etc...</b><br /><br />Sue and I are brainstorming for our next book which might/might not be a sequel to <b>Facing the Music</b>. While my other writing partner, Eleanor Bruce and I are already writing the sequel to our recent werewolf book, <b><a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/the-moons-dirty-light" target="_blank">The Moon’s Dirty Light</a></b> (eXtasy Books). We had such fun poking fun at all the tropes in paranormal m/m books that we are eagerly trying to tackle a few more this time like: arranged/forced marriage, pretend boyfriends, werewolves vs. vampires and perhaps even mpreg! (Although I am going to have to talk Eleanor into that one as she’s not a fan of arse babies. *g*)<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><b>Who are some of your favourite authors, and what are your favourite plot lines?</b><br /><br />My favorite non-fiction author is Elie Wiesel. He writes so beautifully. Night is my all-time favorite book. As for fiction books, I’ve always been a romance reader. Some of my preferred romance authors are: Christina Dodd, Amanda Quick, Sarah Madison, Kari Gregg and Suzanne Brockmann.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Blurb for Facing the Music</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><i>Ethan James, charismatic leader of the rock band Texas Madmen only wants to play music, until he meets reporter Graham Henderson. Suddenly Ethan’s world isn’t just about music anymore. But Graham’s job is to write an exclusive that will make waves. That means digging up all the dirty laundry that the band has kept under cover for years—and deciding what to do with it.  </i><br /><br /><i>Can Ethan and Graham’s love withstand the revelations? Will the band continue to dominate, or will the music die?</i><br /><i><br /></i><b>Buy Link</b>: <a href="http://www.evernightpublishing.com/facing-the-music-by-sue-holston/">http://www.evernightpublishing.com/facing-the-music-by-sue-holston/</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Excerpt:</b><br /><br />Ringing the doorbell, Graham waited for a maid or butler to answer. A few moments later, the door opened, and Graham was stunned to see the man he was there to interview standing right in front of him.<br /><br />At six foot four and a half, Graham was used to looking down at most people. Now he’d heard that Ethan James was tall, but nothing had prepared Graham for the sight of the six foot two rocker close up. With boots on, he easily looked Graham straight in the eyes, and that was the first thing Graham noticed, his extraordinary eyes.<br /><br />They were large, green and lustrous, fringed by dark lashes, and at that moment they were peering at him suspiciously. Ethan had pale skin dusted with tiny freckles and a mouth that was plump and succulent. Sadly, the plush lips in question were currently pressed together in annoyance, and there was a scowl marring the finely drawn brow.<br /><br />Ethan James was broad-shouldered. It was evident from his muscular arms and tapered waist that he worked out, and, damn, he filled out a pair of faded Levi’s in a way that would put David Beckham to shame. Graham could have kissed his editor. This assignment was going to be a pleasure!<br /><br />Realizing he’d been staring at Ethan for far too long without introducing himself, Graham stuck out his right hand and said, “Hi, I’m Graham Henderson from <i>Center Stage</i>. We have a pre-interview app—”<br /><br />And before Graham could finish, Ethan James slammed the door in his face.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Sue’s bio:</b><br /><br />Sue Holston is the writing team of H.L. and Sue, who have been friends for more than a decade.<br /><br />Holly, who also writes as H.L. Holston, is a teacher by day, and sometimes writer by night. She admits she is a horrible blogger, even worse in keeping up on FaceBook, but tries anyway. However, all bets are off if Bruce Springsteen is on tour!<br /><br />Sue is an an ex-patriot Brit who lives in Vancouver, BC. She has a cat and a compulsion to write. The rest is subject to change without notice.<br /><br /><br />

Friday Interview - Sue Holston

Interview with Sue Holston How do you manage to come up with such detailed backgrounds, not just the characters, but the worlds too? For our...

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Friday Interview - Iyana Jenna

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggduhTFzPRp0cUg8PcSgRunvH4a5MCsl-JiwYOgESm5WZqHkuGbeEvxWQzuTRIGrjnFc1_QtKmUGuCDDKDz7S-Vgz0usc9bOFR4EhteGQceokALr5D7IkDAbCmyufZNvas9hGqS-oYMQ/s1600/A+Part+of+Me+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggduhTFzPRp0cUg8PcSgRunvH4a5MCsl-JiwYOgESm5WZqHkuGbeEvxWQzuTRIGrjnFc1_QtKmUGuCDDKDz7S-Vgz0usc9bOFR4EhteGQceokALr5D7IkDAbCmyufZNvas9hGqS-oYMQ/s320/A+Part+of+Me+02.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art for promotional purposes only</td></tr></tbody></table>RJ, thank you so much for the chance to visit your blog! And thank you for the questions. They are all so intriguing but only three? Hmm, let’s see. :D<br /><br /><b>What made you decide to start writing? What was your personal "kick-off"?</b><br />The one that made me go madly in love with writing is Frodo Baggins. My love to him made me want to read and write anything about him. Yup, they were fanfics. I never passed a day without writing at least 500 words. I had tried writing before but without inspiration I just couldn’t go far.<br /><br /><b>Do you ever compare yourself to other authors and feel like you're lacking and if so how do you overcome that feeling of being not good enough?</b><br />This is my absolute problem. I guess from the seven deadly sins, the one I suffer most is envy. It’s like my middle name, being envious, especially during my fanfic writing years when I wasn’t quite secure yet with myself and my writing. I was never good enough. I might still feel the same now, but I try not to overthink it. I just keep telling myself that everyone is created different. One might be good in writing but they lack in others. It’s also useless wasting time thinking about others’ writing. I’d rather spend it to improve myself.<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><b>Is there a solution to global warming?</b><br />There is, but it has to be done together by everyone in the world for that to take effect. It might be already a bit too late to do anything now, too. The glass house effect has turned worse and worse.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Title: A Part of Me<br /><br />Length: 4,500 words<br /><br />Price: £0.39 / $0.60<br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://alfiedog.com/products-page/iyana-jenna/" target="_blank">Alfie Dog Fiction</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Summary</b><br /><br />In the middle of the snow on their way to get home for Christmas, Connor Williams crashed his car into a tree. He was badly injured but his boyfriend that was also in the car, Zach Tyler, was barely alive. How then, that morning in Connor's room, was Zach by his side, waiting for him to wake up?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>Excerpt 1</b><br /><br />Zach found Connor still awake in the middle of the night, eyes straining at the screen of his PowerBook; his forefinger never stopped clicking. He didn’t even realize when Zach entered the study and came to stand behind him.<br /><br />Zach yawned. “What are you doing?” He tried to peep into the screen. It looked like the website of a local airline. Zach got no reply until he repeated his question. This time he got a grunt.<br /><br />“Is something wrong? Hey, Connor?” He leaned over Connor’s shoulder. “Why are you checking a flight schedule? Don’t we have tickets?”<br /><br /><b>Excerpt 2</b><br /><br />The road was dark and empty, but Zach kept running and he nearly wept in joy when there was light from a car coming from the opposite direction.<br /><br />“Hey! Over here! Please!”<br /><br />The car drove past him, as if he didn’t exist, to where he’d left Connor. Zach called out once more and chased after it. He hoped against hope that it would see their car stuck into a tree.<br /><br /><b>Reviews</b><br /><br /><div>4-star review from <i><a href="http://slashsessed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/book-review-part-of-me-by-iyana-jenna.html?zx=42e6da75b3d58a85" target="_blank">Slashsessed</a></i>:<br /><br />When Connor forgets to purchase plane tickets for himself and his boyfriend, Zach, for Christmas, he's beside himself. Zach is disappointed, but takes it in stride. However, Connor is determined to fix his mistake and get the two of them to their families. Unable to find a flight home, Connor and Zach decide to drive. Unfortunately, the weather is not good and the roads are very slippery....<br /><br />This short story captivated me from the very beginning and I found myself immersed in the characters' lives. I felt like I could feel their feelings of disappointment, frustration, joy and immense pain. Since it's such a short story, I don't want to give too much away, but I would definitely recommend giving <i>A Part of Me</i> a try.<br /><br />It would be nice to read more about Connor and Zach and how they make their new relationship work in the long run.<br /><br />4-meow review from <i><a href="http://cathybrockmanromances.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/review-for-part-of-me-by-iyana-jenna/" target="_blank">Cathy Brockman</a></i>:<br /><br />I really liked this story. You don’t really get to know much about the characters since it is a short story but you do get how much they love each other. The story is sweet, full of love and also bittersweet at the same time. It’s beautifully written and my heart went out to Zach. It is always sad when death strikes someone so young and seemed to be so in love, the supernatural twists made this story even more heart stirring. I didn’t know whether to cry or just go AWE!!! I would like to see how Conner goes on after this tragedy, hint, hint.<br /><br /><b>Recommendations:</b> If you like bittersweet stories, stories of young love, and ghosts this is for you!<br /><br /><b>BUY LINK</b>: <a href="http://alfiedog.com/products-page/iyana-jenna/a-part-of-me-iyana-jenna-4500-words-ghost/">http://alfiedog.com/products-page/iyana-jenna/a-part-of-me-iyana-jenna-4500-words-ghost/</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div><br /></div><i>About me</i><br /><br />Iyana reads, writes, and watches her favorite series in her spare time. She first published her work when a publisher took an interest in her short story in March this year. She tries not to be obsessed with writing and publishing world but finds lately that she wants to keep writing and doing promos for her books rather than doing her RL job, teaching.<br /><br /><i>Find Iyana here:</i><br /><a href="http://iyana-jenna.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a><br /><a href="http://iyanajenna.wix.com/author-iyana-jenna" target="_blank">Website</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Iyana-Jenna/e/B00C9C41IO" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6996391.Iyana_Jenna" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/iyanajenna" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/IyanaJenna" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>

Friday Interview - Iyana Jenna

Art for promotional purposes only RJ, thank you so much for the chance to visit your blog! And thank you for the questions. They are all so ...

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Author Interview - N. Wood

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BRkXnXLaw6ylYNGOnnMs6vYvjdmaJUbWgHBULKQk1lvvKcDbGOlYa37O1tfpIeZRTxaZWhGTJabaHo1V95dQwiQvdJMQN6t7koZDwcimFMUgcYCvRAs8-iQu2qZ5wMGMt91yJ7qBGg/s1600/18216549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BRkXnXLaw6ylYNGOnnMs6vYvjdmaJUbWgHBULKQk1lvvKcDbGOlYa37O1tfpIeZRTxaZWhGTJabaHo1V95dQwiQvdJMQN6t7koZDwcimFMUgcYCvRAs8-iQu2qZ5wMGMt91yJ7qBGg/s400/18216549.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><b>What inspires you?</b><br />Pretty much anything fills me with inspiration for a new story. I could be driving along and the lyrics of a song give me a full story idea. Or I could be sitting on the beach with my dogs and something completely un-beach related will pop into my mind. I once gained a story idea on a night I was driving in the dark and ran over a wild rabbit - that book will be published next year LOL.<br /><br /><b>Favourite position in your books you've always wanted to try?</b><br />*Nips lip* Hope my mom doesn't read this, but I once wrote two of my characters getting it on on the back of a motorbike. That was...um...interesting.<br /><br /><b>How do you manage to come up with such detailed backgrounds, not just the characters, but the worlds too?</b><br /><br />With my more recent books, I base them around where I live in Cornwall, UK. I've been to all the beaches I mention in my work, the towns and the one city also, (since Cornwall only has one city). Even if my character is driving down a road that I drive regularly, I detail what's around and where the road bends, that kind of thing to make it all perfect.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Blurb</b><br /><div><br /></div><div>When it comes to the summer holidays, fireman Lance McCarthy can think of only one place he wants to spend his time away from work. Compared to the miserable city of Glasgow, a week on the third largest of the sunny Balearic Islands sounds like paradise.<br /><br />However, when he chose Ibiza as his destination, he didn't expect to bump into Malachy Walsh; an Irish man dressed in blue striped pyjamas. <br /><br />La Cala is an erotic short story that may well bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Buy link: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/La-Cala-ebook/dp/B00CPSGIJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371065256&sr=8-1&keywords=la+cala+n.+wood" target="_blank">here</a><br />Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/NWoodstories">here</a><br />Blog: <a href="http://nwoodstories.blogspot.co.uk/">here</a><br />Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/WhitlockWood">here</a><br />Goodreads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18216549-la-cala">here</a> <i>(Signed paperback giveaway on until August 3rd)</i><br /><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">******</div>

Author Interview - N. Wood

What inspires you? Pretty much anything fills me with inspiration for a new story. I could be driving along and the lyrics of a song give me...

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Friday Interview - E.J. Sutter

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xX95wkR9eaYoyqmU3RtBpXD8TKD9YZX8e-tg1MoBEDzB7zT6h0urm_q_rxhKdjBu8ku3_rH9Lh3MiuU13UPvArnNypfsz0IoUbbnDHgg9K-pHDec6NAL8eDUn7AjBquBN4dWn057Hg/s1600/abrewingstorm_thumbnail+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xX95wkR9eaYoyqmU3RtBpXD8TKD9YZX8e-tg1MoBEDzB7zT6h0urm_q_rxhKdjBu8ku3_rH9Lh3MiuU13UPvArnNypfsz0IoUbbnDHgg9K-pHDec6NAL8eDUn7AjBquBN4dWn057Hg/s1600/abrewingstorm_thumbnail+a.jpg" /></a></div><b>Tetley's or PG Tips?</b><br />PG Tips every time. Or Wine.<br /><br /><b>How do you keep everything straight? Especially when you have characters from different books fighting for attention.</b><br />Scrivener works for me. When an idea shouts at you for another book, you can create index cards, note down the ideas, and then file them in each story folder. You can then go back to the original story you were working on. You can even jump about in that story, if an idea for a great scene pops into your head and you can’t wait to jot it down.<br /><br /><b>How do you feel when it comes time to end the story? Sad? Happy? Relieved?</b><br />All three generally. The ending of a story is difficult. I’m never sure if the ending is the one I originally had in mind, because the characters tend to wander off the track somewhat.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a name="more"></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Blurb</b></div><br /><i>The Shadow Worlds are dying. Can two sworn enemies manage to get past their differences and ignore their burning attraction to each other long enough to save them?</i><br /><i><br /></i>Brandon is a Weaver, a member of an old, powerful race. His discovery that Master Weavers are disappearing, presumed murdered, is a shock. Even more so when he realises that the person responsible is not actually a person at all, but a Revenant, and worse, the creature also known as the Abomination.<br /><br />Things are not quite how they seem, however.<br /><br />Jaime is a Revenant, a creature born from death and designed to do his Master's bidding. He's been living in the shadows for years. Now, the Shadow Worlds are dying, Weavers are disappearing, and Jamie is no longer the only Revenant to survive their Master.<br /><br />Can these two men ignore the hatred, and the passion, that burns between them, and work together to find out just what is happening to the Universe around them?<br /><br />They must uncover age old secrets of the Weavers, and defeat enemies who are closer to them than they'd realised.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Excerpt</b><br /><b><br /></b>It was only when Jamie was twenty minutes late that Brandon began to worry that where they ended up might not be a problem, because Jamie just wasn’t going to show. Damn! He’d been so sure Jamie had been pulled under by the same tide of lust that had flowed through him that he hadn’t even considered that Jamie wouldn’t show tonight, especially as Brandon had sent them both home with unsatisfied desire fizzing through their bodies. He’d figured that Jamie would at least show tonight in the hope of getting laid. Brandon decided to give him ten more minutes’ grace.<br /><br />He breathed a sigh of relief when he eventually spotted Jamie walking through the entrance of the bar, his tinted glasses firmly in place and a strange expression of something that looked almost like resignation on his face. Brandon saw him glance over at the bar, his head turning slightly as he swept his gaze along its length, spotting Brandon almost immediately. Brandon smiled at him and half raised his hand in greeting, letting it fall when no answering smile touched Jamie’s lips. Instead he squared his shoulders, almost as though he was preparing for a fight, and headed over to where Brandon sat.<br /><br />Brandon determinedly kept a smile of welcome on his face as Jamie sat down next to him. “Buy you a drink, cowboy?” he asked. Jamie looked at him briefly and shrugged. <br /><br />“Sure,” he said. “Why not?”<br /><br />Brandon frowned. “Is there something wrong, Jamie?” he asked, trying to sound no more than a little concerned. “Bad day?”<br /><br />Jamie laughed, but there was a bitter edge to it. “Jamie? What’s wrong?”<br /><br />“Not so much a bad day as a bad fuckin’ century, man,” Jamie told him, a bone deep<br /><br />weariness edging his words. ”Don’t mind me, I’ll get over it.” <br /><br />“You wanna maybe grab some dinner? Maybe go somewhere we could actually eat<br /><br />without having to call in the Health Department?” The bartender obviously heard Brandon’s words, because he muttered something under his breath and glared at the two of them.<br /><br />“Sure, why not?” Jamie replied without much enthusiasm, not even noticing the bartender.<br /><br />“Once more with feeling, maybe?” Brandon asked wryly. That seemed to jolt Jamie out of his funk a little, and he looked at Brandon, an apologetic expression on his face. Brandon held up his hand to forestall whatever Jamie was about to say. “Let’s get outta here, go somewhere we can sit and eat and talk a little, then you can tell me all about what’s bothering you.”<br /><br />“You turn into Dear Abby or somethin’?” Jamie asked, with the closest thing to a smile Brandon had seen on his face since he’d arrived at the bar.<br /><br />“Or somethin’.” Brandon smiled just wide enough to let his dimples show a little, gratified when Jamie blinked in bewilderment. “C’mon, let’s go. I know just the place.” Brandon got up off his stool and dropped some money on the bar to pay for his beer.<br /><br />“You would. I have a feeling you know most of the places.” But he got up off his seat and followed Brandon out of the bar and into the sunshine and haze of an early LA summer evening.<br /><br />The steak house Brandon had chosen was quiet and intimate, and Jamie tried to throw off his bad mood. He’d deliberated for a long time before deciding to keep his date with Brandon. After all, it was one more date then he wouldn’t ever see the guy again. The meeting with the Stepfords still preyed on his mind, Mia’s words still echoing in his ears. He really shouldn’t care, but, for some reason, he’d been feeling strange all afternoon. He nearly hadn’t come to meet Brandon, thinking he’d be better off, that they’d both be better off, if Jamie just disappeared. The problem was that he couldn’t forget the attraction that had lain between them, couldn’t get Brandon’s face out of his mind, and so he’d decided once again to throw caution to the winds and meet him for a final time. With any luck, he might get laid tonight, and that might ease some of the tension he was feeling.<br /><br />He’d arrived at the Round House an hour before he was supposed to meet Brandon, and had grabbed a beer, lurking behind a pillar way in the back of the bar, towards the bathrooms. He’d seen Brandon come in, and seen him scanning the bar. Jamie had presumed Brandon was searching for him, but hadn’t come forward. Brandon might be a trap and not even know it. Jamie wasn’t coming forward until he was happy that there were no Weavers<br /><br />or any other Revenants about. He’d spent three-quarters of an hour with his senses carefully extended in a net around the bar, but he hadn’t been able to sense anything suspicious.<br /><br />He’d finally made his way outside, easily snapping open the rusted lock on the employees’ entrance, and had headed back into the bar through the front door, looking around as though he was searching for Brandon. He hadn’t bothered to apologise for being late, and was determined to be as remote and unfriendly as possible, trying to see if he could put him off, or if Brandon’s attraction to him was just as strong as Jamie’s to him. Or maybe he was just intent on taking his bad mood out on him.<br /><br />It appeared that the attraction had worked both ways, though, and when the waitress sat them in the small booth at the steak house, Brandon made no effort to pull himself back out of Jamie’s personal space. Instead he seemed to take pleasure in sliding one leg between Jamie’s, his knee resting high between Jamie’s thighs. Jamie tried to make himself as small as possible, but he couldn’t escape Brandon’s long arms stretching across the table, and the fact that his foot was trapped between the table leg and one of Brandon’s feet. Jamie was beginning to feel suffocated, the scent of arousal was so overwhelming. He took a deep breath and swallowed the feeling back down, focusing on the menu while he tried to get himself under control.<br /><br />He was so distracted that he didn’t remember to order his half portions, and ended up with a huge plate of steak, fries, mushrooms and a salad. He looked at it in dismay, prompting Brandon to ask if there was anything wrong. Jamie glanced at him, shaking his head slowly. “No, everything’s fine, it’s just I don’t have a huge appetite.”<br /><br />Brandon laughed, a mile-wide grin splitting his face, “That’s fine, Jamie,” he said. “Believe me, I could out-eat a football team, so there won’t be any leftovers.”<br /><br />Jamie looked up at him in amazement. “Your steak’s already twice as big as mine anyway. You’re gonna eat that, and finish mine off?”<br /><br />Brandon nodded, humming in agreement, and still grinning. “Swear to God,” and he laid his hand on his heart, his face switching to solemnity for a split second.<br /><br />Jamie laughed, his smile coming free and easy for the first time that evening. “Bet you can’t,” he challenged. Brandon’s grin grew sly, an edge of heat touching it.<br /><br />“And if I win?” he asked, his voice dropping a few octaves. Jamie gave a slight shudder, something he hoped Brandon hadn’t noticed.<br /><br />“I have no idea,” he admitted. Judging from the look in his eyes, Brandon hadn’t missed a thing.<br /><br />“Maybe I should get to choose the forfeit?” Brandon mused. “Something...appropriate.” Jamie felt the ball of heat in his belly squirm, and just like that, the temperature around the table rose twenty degrees.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Buy links</b><br />Total-Bound: <a href="http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2161">http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2161</a><br />Are: <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-abrewingstorm-1223861-340.html">https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-abrewingstorm-1223861-340.html</a><br />Barnes & Noble: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-brewing-storm-e-j-sutter/1115700285?ean=9781781843505">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-brewing-storm-e-j-sutter/1115700285?ean=9781781843505</a><br />Amazon.co.uk: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brewing-Storm-Fall-Weavers-ebook/dp/B00DJ9GXTQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374585303&sr=8-1&keywords=A+brewing+storm">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brewing-Storm-Fall-Weavers-ebook/dp/B00DJ9GXTQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374585303&sr=8-1&keywords=A+brewing+storm</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><br /></div>

Friday Interview - E.J. Sutter

Tetley's or PG Tips? PG Tips every time. Or Wine. How do you keep everything straight? Especially when you have characters from differen...

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Friday Interview - Leta Blake

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yqAfnfU6vjL_O5cmqcr6SGDRtNkn9O9dQvPSCwbarNOti91tTePPK_TJfNnHk4IhFiBZmuuwZkopBhQnEcx5qEyI81vlYBuwY45tA-oiHZstWAk7NC6crCqMEVWexCDMGlzP-cEiNQ/s1600/Lovesnstcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yqAfnfU6vjL_O5cmqcr6SGDRtNkn9O9dQvPSCwbarNOti91tTePPK_TJfNnHk4IhFiBZmuuwZkopBhQnEcx5qEyI81vlYBuwY45tA-oiHZstWAk7NC6crCqMEVWexCDMGlzP-cEiNQ/s320/Lovesnstcover.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>The following interview is with Leta Blake, co-author of Love’s Nest [http://www.ellorascave.com/love-s-nest.html]. Keira Andrews has read and approved these answers!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>What inspires you? </b></div><div><br /></div>I’m inspired by so many things in life. The kernel of a story can develop from anything at all—a song, a comment from a friend, a person or people that I see while out and about in my everyday life, or from questions that arise while reading another book.<br /><br />In the case of this story, I was initially inspired by my daughter reading <i>The Twelve Dancing Princesses</i> aloud to me for what seemed like the hundredth time. I started to play with the story in my head instead of really listening to her. What would this story look like if it was about two men? What kind of place were the otherworldly princes from? What if that place was fairyland?<br /><br />At that point, music became a large sustaining force for me. I work a day job and have a large collection of music available to distract me from the mind-numbing hours there. I spent some time creating a playlist for the story. This is a process done by gut feeling alone. I try not to focus too much on what a particular song is about, but rather on how the music makes me feel. Does it help to sustain the world I’m building in my head? If so, then it goes onto the list. (I’ll be making some blog posts over the next few weeks at my blog [<a href="http://letablake.wordpress.com/">http://letablake.wordpress.com/</a>] about the music that helped to inspire this story, for those interested.)<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br />Finally, because once the story started coming, fairyland turned out to be so avian inspired, I set up this Pinterest Board [<a href="http://pinterest.com/letablake/spanish-dancing-shoes/">http://pinterest.com/letablake/spanish-dancing-shoes/</a>] to try to capture the visual feel of the universe. As you can see, there are photos that not only reflected and inspired the heroes of the book, but also the side characters and the fairyland. <br /><br />Basically, though, in general, I’m inspired almost constantly. I have more story ideas than I have time to write. I really can’t think about that too much or I start to feel panicky on the inside. So, yes, deep breaths. In and out. All shall be written in its own time. Or something like that.<br /><br /><b>Where do you get your ideas for sex scenes? Porn? LGBT friends? Personal experience?</b><br /><div>I generally try to keep the sex scenes very character specific. Each character has their own ideas about what’s hot, what’s not, and their own pace and motivations for initiating sex with someone else. Sometimes, I’ll write a sexual activity in a story that I, personally, don’t find very sexy at all. But because the characters are so into it, and it’s really turning them on, I find the scene sexy, too.<br /><br />I do consult porn for various reasons. I like to find porn with people of similar body types so that I can see for myself how they fit together, how they move together, etc. It’s not that I lack that ability to envision it myself, but sometimes seeing it in action on the screen I’m able to find better descriptions or just describe things a little more clearly.<br /><br />I also find porn helpful to clarify tone. I might have written myself into a sex scene and something isn’t clicking with it. I’ll look through various porn videos until I find one that’s got the right vibe to it--loving sex, angry sex, hopeful sex, vulnerable sex, kinky sex, hard sex. It’s amazing the plethora of pornographic videos out there of almost every flavor and variety. I also find that characters sometimes reveal themselves to me a bit more while looking at pornography. I’ve often seen a scene and thought to myself, “Oh, yes, I see. Mateo would like that.” And, as I said above, that can happen for a particular act that I, personally, don’t really want or like, so that might explain why I don’t think of these acts on my own sometimes.<br /><br />An example of the above situation from this latest novel: I saw a sexy tickling video and quickly clicked out of it because I loathe being tickled. But then, I had to click it back on, because I suddenly knew without a shadow of doubt that our character, Mateo, would totally get off on being tied down and tickled. As it turns out, I <i>didn’t</i> write that scene into the book, and yet I know that Mateo would really enjoy that. I don’t think there is another character I’ve ever written who would enjoy that particular activity.<br /><br />Unfortunately, at times finding the right porn video to set the tone requires looking at a lot of wrong ones—at least for a few seconds—but when I do find one that helps me wrap my mind around the character’s motivations, behaviors, and turn-ons, it’s quite helpful. To sum up: yay porn!<br /><br /><b>What do YOU like to read? How do you find satisfying reading stuff, when you have whole worlds in your head? Do you read completely different genres, or do you read m/m? And can you even do that without thinking at some point that you could do better?</b><br /><br />I love reading everything from nonfiction, to fiction of all varieties, to poetry. There really isn’t a topic that I don’t want to learn more about and very few genres that I’m completely disinterested in consuming. Maybe finance. But I have to read finance sometimes for my day job, so that happens anyway. Pity me.<br /><br />As for reading m/m, I do read it at times, yes! I read my friends books and I read books that come up on my radar as being interesting or fun. Regarding whether or not I think I could do better with the m/m books I read, I’m not sure that <i>better </i>is the right word for it. I do often find myself distracted by thoughts of what I would have done <i>differently</i>. But, quite frankly, unless I’m reading incredibly high literature, that happens anyway.<br /><br />For example, I’m reading <i>American Gods</i> by Neil Gaiman right now and having a ton of thoughts of what I would’ve done differently. And I’m not delusional about my writing abilities! I’m no Neil Gaiman. Haha! So, it’s quite egotistical of me to question the greats in these ways, I concede that immediately. But those kinds of interloping ideas are nearly always present when I read. <br /><br /><b>What are some of your plans for future books, plot lines etc...</b><br />Where to start? So many books! So little time!<br /><br />I’ve got a ‘90s coming of age novel that I’m determined to see out this year. I’ve been working on that one off and on for about ten years. Its time is nigh! I’ve also got the prequel and sequel to Stalking Dreams [<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18045685-stalking-dreams">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18045685-stalking-dreams</a>] to complete sooner rather than later. I’m totally in love with that universe and can’t wait to share more of it with people as soon as possible.<br /><br />Keira and I are taking a little rest on the fairy tales in order to focus on a fun, hopefully exciting contemporary piece together. We’re both swamped with our solo projects, but we’re hoping to get to write it together in 2014. It’s mostly planned out. It’s just all about making it a priority in the midst of life.<br /><br />I’ve actually posted several “hints at books to come” blog entries. Each post has some visuals and/or some music that might give a bit of information about what the books will be about, the inspiration and vibe of the books, and hopefully people will look forward to them.<br /><br />1. ‘90s Coming of Age Novel <a href="http://letablake.wordpress.com/tag/hints-at-books-to-come/">http://letablake.wordpress.com/tag/hints-at-books-to-come/</a><br /><br />2. The Thief & The Fashionisto <a href="http://letablake.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/hints-at-books-to-come-the-thief-and-the-fashionisto/">http://letablake.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/hints-at-books-to-come-the-thief-and-the-fashionisto/</a><br /><br />3. The Wolf, The Student, and The Mess (This one is m/f, oh my! Haha!) <a href="http://letablake.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/hints-at-books-to-come-the-wolf-and-the-student-and-the-mess/">http://letablake.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/hints-at-books-to-come-the-wolf-and-the-student-and-the-mess/</a><br /><br />4. A New Spell (This one features a trans character.) <a href="http://letablake.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/welcome-to-the-inspiration-for-my-latest-story/">http://letablake.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/welcome-to-the-inspiration-for-my-latest-story/</a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><b>Love’s Nest Info</b><br />Buy link: Ellora’s Cave: <a href="http://www.ellorascave.com/love-s-nest.html">http://www.ellorascave.com/love-s-nest.html</a><br /><br />It will shortly be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, and others!<br /><br />Part of the Tempting Tales series, a group of stand-alone, fairy tale inspired m/m stories by Keira Andrews and Leta Blake. [<a href="http://www.ellorascave.com/love-s-nest.html">http://www.ellorascave.com/love-s-nest.html</a> ]<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><b></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><br /></b></b></div><b></b><div style="text-align: left;"><b><b>Blurb</b></b></div><b></b><br />There’s no greater mystery in the kingdom than how Prince Mateo’s sisters wear out their shoes each night while locked away in their chambers. Using old magic, Mateo discovers their secret and follows them through a portal to an enchanted world of fairies and lusty delights. Ópalo has waited years for his male human, and he knows Mateo is his destiny. Mateo soon succumbs to the pleasures of the flesh, but as their worlds collide, Ópalo has to risk everything to win his man forever.<br /><br /><b>Excerpt</b></div><div><b><br /></b>One boat remained.<br /><br />The man in this boat was as startling to look upon as the rest. He was smaller than the rest of the creatures, his hair short and quite pink, sticking up in all directions as though he’d just woken from sleep, or perhaps never used a comb. He wore a riot of colored feathers woven into a shirt and breeches made of the softest brown leather Mateo had ever seen. Mateo’s own fine woolen trousers and exquisite, silk-trimmed tunic seemed almost shabby in comparison to the wild wonder before him. <br /><br />The man’s lips were the same pink as his hair, and his eyes were blue, fierce—as though they contained a soul stronger than his form. Mateo’s blood coursed. He was as captured by the look of this man as he’d been captivated by the sensual lure of the water. Mateo swallowed hard, hesitating. Did he dare get in? He must to follow his sisters. <br /><br />Mateo stepped forward and the creature smiled. Frozen in place, Mateo checked that he still wore the cloak. Lámina’s voice echoed in his mind. The one who sees you despite the cloak’s magic is a friend.<br /><br />“Ópalo!” the man rowing Luz called as distance grew between his boat and the shore. “Next time, perhaps.”<br /><br />Ópalo, for that must be his name, did not look away, keeping his eyes on Mateo’s own. “One moment more.” He quirked his lips into a small, amused smile and rested his oar against the side of the boat. <br /><br />Mateo took a step forward and Ópalo’s eyes lit up. He lifted his chin slightly, almost imperceptibly, with a motion that indicated Mateo should come. Mateo lifted his hand in a small wave, and Ópalo nodded his head and smiled. It was a toothy, pretty thing that made Mateo catch his breath and take a step back. <br /><br />Surely not.<br /><br />“Come!” Luz’s man called again.<br /><br />“Patience, Azulejo!” Ópalo answered. <br /><br />“We must not be late to the dancing.” <br /><br />“You must not. I can be as late as I wish.”<br /><br />“Stay then, and yearn for your bride to come. It changes nothing,” Azulejo said, before bending himself to the oars, speeding Luz away at an alarming rate.<br /><br />Seeing Luz’s white nightgown and dark, shining head disappear across the lake broke Mateo from his shocked state, and he quickly clambered into the boat with Ópalo. He ignored the offered hand as he stepped aboard, causing the boat to rock dangerously, nearly toppling them both out. Mateo’s stomach lurched, and there was a spray of cold water against his face as Ópalo steadied the boat with his oar, digging it into the bottom of the lake. Mateo sat down quickly.<br /><br />“Pardon me!”<br /><br />Ópalo grinned, his blue eyes—blue as a summer sky—twinkling, and his lips spread again into that beautiful smile. “No need to be so formal.”<br /><br />Mateo wasn’t sure what to make of the casual tone, but there was nothing customary about the situation. He’d traveled with his sisters into a magical realm while hidden beneath a cloak that rendered him invisible, and which had apparently determined in some unfathomable way that this man, of all men, was to be Mateo’s friend. He knew he should find more comfort in that, but he felt quite the opposite. It was hard to concentrate over the ceaseless thrumming in his veins.<br /><br />Ópalo went on. “I’m so glad you came. I’ve waited for you. You have no idea how long.”<br /><br />Up close, Mateo could see that Ópalo seemed made of the shifting light from the diamond forest, his skin a mottle of beautiful colors that glowed breathtakingly in the moonlight. His eyebrows and eyelashes were pink, like the hair on his head, except that none of it was hair. Instead he had feathers, longer and thicker on his head, but short and fine around his eyes. His eyelashes appeared to be the daintiest feathers that Mateo had ever seen. And Mateo, out of either the arrogance of royalty or the shock of the moment, reached out a hand to feel them, only pulling back from touching the beautiful oddness at the last moment. <br /><br />“I apologize.”<br /><br />Ópalo shook his head, and then reached out to grab Mateo’s hand with a strong grip. He leaned forward, offering his eyebrows and hair up to Mateo’s touch. <br /><br />Mateo pulled back without making contact, a belated terror pumping through him. “Who? What?”<br /><br />“Shh,” Ópalo said softly. “They can hear. Sound carries over the water. You’re hiding for a reason?”<br /><br />Mateo swallowed, nodded his head, and realized he was shaking. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">***** </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Author Info:</b></div><div><b>Leta Blake Bio:</b><br />While Leta Blake would love to tell you that writing transports her to worlds of magic and wonder and then safely returns her to a home of sparkling cleanliness and carefully folded laundry, the reality is a bit different from that. For as long as Leta can recall, stories have hijacked her mind, abducting her to other lands, and forcing her to bend to the will of imaginary people. This absence from reality results in piles of laundry and forgotten appointments. In between abductions, Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family. When not spirited away by demanding imaginary people, Leta lives happily with her husband, her kid, and one too many dogs in the Southern United States.<br /><br />Follow her on Facebook [<a href="https://www.facebook.com/letablake">https://www.facebook.com/letablake</a>], Twitter [<a href="https://twitter.com/LetaBlake">https://twitter.com/LetaBlake</a>], or on her blog [<a href="http://letablake.wordpress.com/">http://letablake.wordpress.com/</a>]! </div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>Keira Andrews Bio:</b><br />After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes both contemporary and historical fiction and — although she loves delicious angst along the way — Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said: The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.<br /><br />Follow her on Facebook [<a href="https://www.facebook.com/keira.andrews.author">https://www.facebook.com/keira.andrews.author</a>], Twitter [<a href="https://twitter.com/keiraandrews">https://twitter.com/keiraandrews</a>], or on her blog [<a href="http://www.keiraandrews.com/">http://www.keiraandrews.com/</a>]!</div>

Friday Interview - Leta Blake

The following interview is with Leta Blake, co-author of Love’s Nest [http://www.ellorascave.com/love-s-nest.html]. Keira Andrews has read a...

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Friday Interview - Morticia Knight

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWqW93YiYHsuN5r6lGm5kZ_WkMmn7_aDbKo1jjm3BZXE2yPowjWkyegQrxo5TQLUW4KdlNFcVM7FVX6UQDDGfxjzp3jWlkbH2k-F-fp5IQHuReZE4tVGd7HTpSlJs92GrWocpVjoHWg/s800/arrestingbehaviour_800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWqW93YiYHsuN5r6lGm5kZ_WkMmn7_aDbKo1jjm3BZXE2yPowjWkyegQrxo5TQLUW4KdlNFcVM7FVX6UQDDGfxjzp3jWlkbH2k-F-fp5IQHuReZE4tVGd7HTpSlJs92GrWocpVjoHWg/s320/arrestingbehaviour_800.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Thank you for letting me stop by your blog today RJ! ;-) And I have a few fun answers to share…<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><br /><b>Where do you get your ideas for sex scenes? Porn? LGBT friends? Personal experience?</b>I’ll never tell. *snicker* Oh alright, I will. Pretty much all of the above. My best friend is gay, and he’s lived with me for the last seven years. There’s nothing we don’t know about each other!<br /><br /><b>Character development is important to me when I read. I am always curious whether characters are based on people the author knows and research, or if they are based on pure fiction.</b><br /><div>I love to people watch, and I’ve met a lot of different ones in my life. I mean, these people were real characters! But seriously, it really is a combination of both. I’m not going to completely take someone’s private life and put it on paper (or e-reader), but I like to add some real life quirks and nuances to make my characters more interesting and engaging.<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br /><b>How do you feel when it comes time to end the story? Sad? Happy? Relieved?</b><br />If I really love the story, it’s both happy and sad. I was heartbroken at the end of Arresting Behaviour, because I was head over heels for Quinn and Jake, and I just wasn’t ready to leave them. But I was happy that it was complete, and that I felt good about it. I was also relieved that I made my deadline!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Blurb</b></div><br /><i>Native American Quinn and Detective Jake come from two opposing worlds. But when opposites attract, the result is explosive.</i><br /><br />The Bondage Butcher has just claimed his third victim, and newly promoted homicide detective Jake Gutierrez is anxious to speak to the one man who has been intimate with all three victims—Quinn Verdugo. The reclusive and mysterious artist and poet stays just out of Jake’s grasp, until one night when they catch him trespassing at his ancestor’s ancient ruins.<br /><br />Quinn is devastated by the recent murders, and for the men he once dallied with. Not trusting his heart to anyone since a cruel rejection in his teens, he trusts the police department of Mesa, Arizona even less. He is determined to find the bastard who is committing these gruesome murders, and take care of things himself.<br /><br />When Jake and Quinn finally meet face to face in the interrogation room, both men are startled at the direction things take. Agreeing to work together, they have no idea the dangers they have yet to face. But what is more dangerous – the murderer, or the spark that has been created between the two very combustible men.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><b>Excerpt</b><br />Maybe being alone was his whole problem. He shook his head, not in the mood to deal with any of this emotional crap at that exact moment, not with his neck on the line.<br /><br />The door swung open and sure enough, it was the luscious cop. He looked at the ceiling.<br /><br /><i>I don’t need this right now.</i></div><div><br />Composing his expression to a blank slate, he lowered his head, and looked the man dead-on in the eyes. He’d found he’d been able to unnerve anyone with that stare. However, it didn’t seem to be working so well all of a sudden. The cop looked right back at him, clearly trying to hold that little curling smile at bay, the sexy dimple on his cheek threatening to appear at any moment.<br /><br /><i>Well fuck me.</i></div><div><br />Sensing a challenge, Quinn readied himself for the first parry. He would wait the guy out, not appear to be interested in anything he had to say, not ask direct questions, but allow him to spill his secrets. Quinn’s gaze narrowed, and the man gave him one quick peek at the dimple, then peered down at his notes before he sat—right across from him. In the tiny room. If Quinn stretched his long legs out, surely he would be able to hook his ankle around the cop’s foot. The thought of such an intimate touch with the officer caused Quinn to shiver a little, as if someone had just walked over his grave.<br /><br />“Chilly?”<br /><br />The cop glanced up from the papers he was so fascinated with, using just his eyes.<br /><br />He didn’t answer. He needed to stick to his strategy.<br /><br />Finally, he set the papers down and leant back in his metal chair, the epitome of relaxation.<br /><br /><i>Ooh, he’s good. I’ll just have to be better.</i><br /><br />Quinn never let his stare waver. But neither did the cop. <br /><br />“Well, Quinn Verdugo, I’m Detective Jake Gutierrez. It just so happens that my partner and I were assigned to The Bondage Butcher case.”<br /><br /><i>Detective? They haul them in young around here.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>“Which is why I’m so interested in speaking with you today. It seems your boyfriend Cole thinks you might have something to do with these murders. He was so convinced, in fact, that he called us to come and save him since he thought you were luring him into the desert to tie and slice him up. I don’t know if you normally tie him up—he didn’t say—but maybe he just wasn’t into the slicing part. What do you think?”<br /><br />“He’s not my boyfriend.” <br /><i><br />What the fuck am I doing— Shut up!</i></div><div><br /></div><div>“Oh, really? Because he insists that you two are quite the item. I think he even hinted that he might be moving in with you on the rez pretty soon, maybe have a little commitment ceremony…”<br /><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Bullshit. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>This guy was provoking him. He needed to keep it together.<br /><br />Gritting his teeth, Quinn broke the stare. He had to. He wanted to tell this cop—or detective—that Cole meant nothing to him, that he was just a lay and nothing more. He was having an inner battle to keep from spilling his guts to this Jake guy, for some bizarre reason not wanting him to think he had ties to anyone.<br /><br /><i>Ridiculous. He’s probably married with eight kids for all I know.</i></div><div><br />Quinn was seriously pissing himself off, and needed to get back in control of things. But he was tired all of a sudden. It was exhausting trying to keep his feelings clamped down deep inside him all the time. All of those emotions were like a long-dormant volcano building up to an inevitable explosion. There were the endless dalliances with young men whom he forbade himself to feel any connection with—although he knew he purposely picked ones where there wasn’t any danger of that. There was all the guilt and rage over the killings of his lovers. And finally, there were the recent stirrings of something whenever he thought about or looked at this so-called detective. He wanted to pick up one of the hinky chairs, and bash it until it no longer resembled any piece of furniture. Instead, he looked back at the man.<br /><br />“Just tell me what you want from me so I can get the hell out of here.”<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Available now at the publisher: <a href="http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2176">here</a></b><br /><br /><b>Amazon UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arresting-Behaviour-Uniform-Encounters-ebook/dp/B00DJ8FUPA/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372318137&sr=1-3&keywords=morticia+knight">here</a></b><br /><br /><b>Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Arresting-Behaviour-Uniform-Encounters-ebook/dp/B00DJ8FUPA/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372053157&sr=1-12&keywords=morticia+knight">here</a></b><br /><br /><b>And All Romance ebooks: <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-arrestingbehaviour-1223864-153.html">here</a></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Visit Morticia at <a href="http://www.morticiaknight.blogspot.com/">www.morticiaknight.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />Friend her on facebook, or follow her <i>@morticiaknight</i> on twitter.</div>

Friday Interview - Morticia Knight

Thank you for letting me stop by your blog today RJ! ;-) And I have a few fun answers to share… ***** Where do you get your ideas for sex sc...

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Friday Interview - L.J. LaBarthe

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxa8hpeP4GLz06e0WXATLyMpIa0Swdk_oswgwHkzsnCbpxbN9Y3PBwObXBYOXySkCDP0OGv_BOXHshaj_2ol8-L2E5yP5LxNFyqoaMVAbSAFPaHMOyiy5qMNr-zSn2Hf-dL0Zr4QSrGQ/s1600/CityOfJadeLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxa8hpeP4GLz06e0WXATLyMpIa0Swdk_oswgwHkzsnCbpxbN9Y3PBwObXBYOXySkCDP0OGv_BOXHshaj_2ol8-L2E5yP5LxNFyqoaMVAbSAFPaHMOyiy5qMNr-zSn2Hf-dL0Zr4QSrGQ/s320/CityOfJadeLG.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Hi RJ, thanks so much for having me on your blog! It's wonderful to be here. So first up, are three questions and my answers to them. These were rather thought-provoking, I have to say.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>How do you manage to come up with such detailed backgrounds, not just the characters, but the worlds too?</b></div><br />The short answer: research. I write predominantly historicals and paranormals, so particularly for the former, there's a lot of research that goes on before I even open Word. I love research anyway, so I don't mind that part of the process at all. Sometimes, as I'm writing, I'll realize I need to check something and pause a moment to hit up Google and see if what I think is right is actually correct. With paranormals, particularly the "Archangel Chronicles," because those books are set all over the world, I need to look at photos of location A or B to get a good idea of how to write the setting properly.<br /><br /><b>Tetley's or PG Tips?</b><br /><br />Tea! I love tea. Because I'm Australian, I had no idea what PG Tips were, so I Googled. And I don't think we have those here. I don't drink Tetley's, either. What I do like are Madura Green Tea bags which are an Australian brand of tea, and Dilmah's Moroccan Mint Green Tea, which is SO good. I also use loose leaf tea and get my teas from the wonderful <i><b><a href="http://t2tea.com/?v=1">http://t2tea.com/</a> </b></i>store, who have more teas than I ever knew existed. I'm very partial to green teas.<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br /><b>How do you keep everything straight? Especially when you have characters from different books fighting for attention.</b><br /><br /><div>Notebooks. I have two that sit beside me while I write. One is a basic spiral bound notebook that's full of details like names, physical appearances, relationships, ages, things like that. The other is a green brocade bound notebook which is full of notes for story ideas and plot lines. I don't know why I separate them like that, but it works. I used to keep paper and pen by the bed in case inspiration struck me in my sleep, but honestly, trying to read my sleepy-writing is like trying to read hieroglyphs, so I gave that up, and instead forced myself to get out of bed and power up the laptop and type. Easier to read, even if I have to parse out what my sleep-filled brain is trying to tell me!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>L. J.</i> can be found at her blog: <a href="http://misslj_author.livejournal.com/">here</a> on twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brbsiberia">here</a> or on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lj.labarthe.9">here</a>.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***** </div><div><b><i>City of Jade.</i></b><br /><br /><u>Buy Information:</u><br />eBook: <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3911">http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3911</a><br />Paperback: <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3912">http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3912</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Blurb:</b> <i>1131, The Silk Road. </i><br /><br />Gallienus of Constantinople, a scarred soldier who used to work the city gates, enters a new phase of his life when he meets and falls in love with Misahuen of Gyeongju. But prejudice of same-sex relationships dominates Byzantine society, and both the Emperor and the Church denounce such love. Should Misahuen and Gallienus be discovered, the punishment is castration or death. Fearing he’ll lose Misahuen, Gallienus decides to go with Misahuen when he leaves the city forever.<br /><br />A former farmer, Misahuen fled war-torn Korea and journeyed to Constantinople with a merchant caravan. He didn’t expect to take such an interest in a wounded soldier at journey’s end. But he understands the danger, so he and Gallienus join another caravan as guardsmen and begin a two-thousand-mile trip along the Silk Road. Now all they have to do is persevere to their final destination without the truth of their relationship being discovered and being killed because of it… or by the other dangers along the Road.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Excerpt:</b></div><b><br /></b><i>Göreme—Byzantium, Antioch—Anatolia</i></div><div><i><br /></i>The chamber in the caravanserai was small, little more than a low cave, but Gallienus didn’t feel too much discomfort. It reminded him of military barracks when he’d been on campaigns, or the tight quarters of the soldiers and the Varangian Guards in Constantinople. It was more than adequate for this time of year, the beginning of the year 1132 anno Domini. He ate the simple meal of dates, leavened bread, and roast goat with Misahuen in companionable silence, shifting a little as his hip twinged in protest at being in one position for too long.<br /><br />“Are you in pain?” Misahuen’s face mirrored his concern.<br /><br />“No, I’m all right.” Gallienus looked fondly at his lover.<br /><br />“These are small lodgings,” Misahuen said carefully, “we could have—”<br /><br />“No,” Gallienus cut him off. “No, we didn’t have enough money.”<br /><br />“I have some money,” Misahuen said softly.<br /><br />“And you should keep it.” Gallienus shook his head. “We’re still within the boundaries of the empire; there’s going to come a time when we won’t be and we’ll need every piece of gold, every scrap of currency that we have. We won’t always be part of a trader’s caravan as hired guards.”<br /><br />Misahuen picked up a date and took a small bite. “I suppose,” he said finally. “However, I do not think the merchant would mind if we asked for more room.”<br /><br />“No.” Gallienus looked seriously at him. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine.”<br /><br />Misahuen huffed quietly and Gallienus chuckled.<br /><br />“You worry too much,” Gallienus added.<br /><br />“One must, for you certainly will not.” Misahuen shook his head. “I am tense.”<br /><br />Gallienus pushed the small table that held the remains of their meal to the side and stretched out both of his legs. Holding his arms out to his lover, he said, “Share the load, love. It gets lighter with two to carry it.”</div><div>Crawling into Gallienus’s arms, Misahuen sighed. “I fear I do not know what I am worried about the most. That we are leaving behind your home because of our relationship or that we are traveling to places unknown, or that we have little money or… are there caravanserais like this one everywhere? I arrived in Constantinople by a different route than the one we are on now.”<br /><br />As he wrapped his arms around Misahuen, Gallienus hummed thoughtfully. “That is a lot of things to worry about to be sure. Along this part of the route there are caravanserais, but I think that as we keep heading east, towards the Holy Lands, we will find things… difficult.”<br /><br />Misahuen shifted to look at Gallienus with a raised eyebrow. “Difficult?”<br /><br />“War,” Gallienus said, shrugging one shoulder.<br /><br />“Oh.” Misahuen sighed once more and relaxed into the embrace. “It is never-ending.”<br /><br />“That’s God’s honest truth.” Gallienus kissed the top of Misahuen’s head. “Besides. We are together, we’re warm and safe, we have work and a little money. Everything is fine.”</div><div>“All right, <i>jagi</i>.”<br /><br />“I love that you call me this.”<br /><br />Misahuen slid his hand beneath Gallienus’s tunica. He ghosted his fingers over his stomach, and Gallienus couldn’t suppress the shiver at the fleeting touch, trying not to wriggle. “That… tickles a little,” he admitted.<br /><br />“Apologies.” Misahuen’s touch became firmer. “Is that better?”<br /><br />“Much.”<br /><br />“I am glad.” Misahuen continued to move his hand over Gallienus’s stomach. “Jagi fits you,” he said. “You are my heart, you see.”<br /><br />“You’re very romantic,” Gallienus said, his fingers touching Misahuen’s chin and gently tilting his face up so he could look into his lover’s eyes. “I love you.”<br /><br />Misahuen’s smile was warm. “I love you.”<br /><br />Gallienus kissed him, soft and slow, and purred low in his throat as Misahuen responded eagerly to him, reaching up to cup Gallienus’s cheek with one hand. Gallienus hummed into the kiss, warmth and contentment filling him as Misahuen pressed close.<br /><br />He felt a sense of living in a bubble—their love hidden behind a veil of secrecy, behaving as if they were nothing more than good friends who had decided on the adventure of traveling with a merchant train to see the world. Gallienus knew this was the wisest course of action, for attitudes toward those who loved members of their own sex were harsh and sometimes violent. Gallienus was determined to keep their fiction that way. He worried, though, that he and Misahuen might be exposed, despite all their precautions. Gallienus wasn’t sure how he would react to that if it did occur—he decided the only thing to do was to cross that bridge if they should come to it. There was no point in borrowing trouble, after all, and their little ruse had been accepted by the merchant and his employees easily.<br /><br />There were other concerns too. Gallienus had made the decision to leave Constantinople almost on impulse. He had written his family a note and paid a passing messenger to deliver it to them, but he felt guilty for not having visited with them to say his good-byes in person. Yet it was done, and Gallienus hoped there would be an opportunity to send a longer letter to his family as they traveled. He thought they would understand—he had, after all, been in the army and away from home before.<br /><br />For now, everything was all right, everything was safe. The worries of today would, he knew, still be there tomorrow.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*****</div>

Friday Interview - L.J. LaBarthe

Hi RJ, thanks so much for having me on your blog! It's wonderful to be here. So first up, are three questions and my answers to them. Th...

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