Lou Harper's Blog, page 19

Special Guest: Edmond Manning

My introduction to Edmond was reading the first chapters of his book in a critique group. I had no idea who the guy was, but his story captured me like a Venus Flytrap. King Perry is a unique, unusual story. It's romantic, but not a romance, it doesn't have a HEA or even a HFN, yet it'll make you happy and uplift you. Edmond calls it a modern fairy tail, and the description fits. Naturally, I became curious how this story came about. But let's let him talk:
Why did you write this Book?
Since my novel, King Perry, came out through Dreamspinner Press, I've been interviewed a few times and really enjoyed each experience. But until Lou, nobody has asked me the question:  why did you write this book?
It's a tough question for me to answer because while I've been writing fiction for a long time, nothing I wrote prior has burst out of my imagination so powerfully as King Perry. A voice from deep inside me said 'You must finish this. Explore this. Get it out there.' I needed to write this.
Why?
I wanted readers to experience their kingship or queenship. (I love the word queenship. We don't use it often enough.) I do believe that we are all amazing, gifted, unique. It's a notion that's hardly original:  Oprah has been spouting that message for decades as well as self-help and spiritual gurus. But what if it was more than "we are each unique?" What if each of us – every damn one of us – was essential to the success of the world? What if each of us possessed a power so magical, so overwhelming that every single one of us might be considered "the one true queen" or "the one true king?" Impossible, right?
Maybe not.
In the story, readers go on the exact same path as the main character, knowing as little as Perry does, being as bewildered as he is by the narrator's odd choices throughout the book. Why have breakfast at a homeless shelter? Why steal a baby duck? The readers get answers, but only when the controlling narrator is ready to answer them. And as Perry draws closer to his own kingship, readers draw closer to theirs. I've been delighted that several readers, after finishing, have emailed me their King and Queen names. I love it!
Why did I write this book? I think that our world is in trouble right now. To change that, each of us has to step up as the king or queen of our own lives, embrace that royalty in order to save our planet, to save ourselves. It's not too late. But it requires the power of a queen. The power of a king.
Blurb
In a trendy San Francisco art gallery, out-of-towner Vin Vanbly witnesses an act of compassion that compels him to make investment banker Perry Mangin a mysterious offer: in exchange for a weekend of complete submission, Vin will restore Perry's "kingship" and transform him into the man he was always meant to be.
Despite intense reservations, Perry agrees, setting in motion a chain of events that will test the limits of his body, seduce his senses, and fray his every nerve, (perhaps occasionally breaking the law) while Vin guides him toward his destiny as 'the one true king.'  
Even as Perry rediscovers old grief and new joys within himself, Vin and his shadowy motivations remain enigmas: who is this off-beat stranger guiding them from danger to hilarity to danger? To emerge triumphant, Perry must overcome the greatest challenge alone: embracing his devastating past. But can he succeed by Sunday's sunrise deadline? How can he possibly evolve from an ordinary man into King Perry?
Links to buy
Kindle Paperback
There is now a chance to win a print copy of King Perry through Goodreads. Enter to win HERE.

Beat Your Winter Blues Blog Tour: Favorite Winter Movie

This weeks BYWBBT is hosted by the fabulous Chris at Stumbling over Chaos.
Details of the tour can be found here, and remember, all comments left on posts give you a chance of winning the grand prize: a $200 USD gift certificate to the e-retailer of your choice!

Boystown 4: A Time For Secrets by Marshall ThorntonMy rat...

Boystown 4: A Time For Secrets by Marshall Thornton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As I said about previous Boystown books, this is not m/m but gay genre fiction, mystery to be exact.

Boystown 4 is a hard boiled detective novel set in Chicago in the early eighties. It's probably the grittiest of all the books--corrupt police, corrupt politicians, prejudices, murder, and the beginning of the AIDS epidemic come together in a volatile and often emotional mix.

It's not a light read, but it's gripping and rewarding. Marshall Thornton is superb at bring the location and the era alive--they're no mere backdrops to the story. For anyone who's been around in the eighties it should be like a trip down on memory lane.

Highly recommend it.


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Sunday Snippet

One of the underlying concepts of my vampire WIP is that when people are converted to undead they retain their original tastes personalities. They don't suddenly start brooding and wear velvet and puffy shirts.
Harvey, the nerdy vamp and his lover, Gabe, the reformed slayer, have a kink for role-playing games. It comes into focus most in the third novella, but there are hints of it in the second story, The Cheerful Corpse, as well.

"What's your sign, gorgeous, and don't say it's stop, because I don't think I can," a lewd voice whispered into Gabe's ear.
Gabe stifled a snort and looked sideways. Harvey leered back at him. That was new. Harvey the lusty seducer, and Gabe the prey. They were wrong for the roles, but what the heck. Gabe went along. "If you think you can take advantage of my inabbreviated…ineb…drunken state, mister, you're absolutely right."
Chuckling, Harvey fell straight out of character. "C'mon, you oaf. Time to go home." He nudged Gabe off the barstool.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. MartinMy rating: 5 of 5 ...

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've been listening to Game of Thrones in audio book form, but stopped where the first season of the HBO series ended. I don't want spoilers, as I'm really enjoying the show. Being able to attach faces to all the characters helped to keep them all straight—there are a lot of them.

Game of Thrones is like a cross between Lord of the Rings and The Sopranos. It has the epic proportions of the former, and the menacing unpredictability of the latter. By comparison, Lord of the Rings is a fairy tale—you know who the good guys and the bad guys are, who will live and who has to die. All bets are off in Game of Thrones. Good people do bad things, and there is a sparkle of humanity even in the darkest of souls, and nobody's safe. This kind of story telling can be emotionally taxing, but also very exciting.


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Romance Reviews Giveaway Bonanza!

There's a cornucopia of books and swag to be had on Romance Reviews today, including @100.- gift card grand prize.

To win a free copy of Academic Pursuits you need to answer a Q&A. Hint: the answer can be found in this post.

Just a Quickie

I've been doing a lot of editing lately, being at different stages of three different stories. Last Stop is done at last. Naturally, as doing the very last pass where you're are only allowed to change typos and big mistakes, I had the urge to change a billion little things. Oh, well.
The vampire novella trilogy is this [ ] close to being done.  This is probably the hardest part, when the finishing line is in sight, but you're not quite there yet.
All this editing made me feel cooped up, so I took a trip to the arboretum. The weather was perfect, and I ended up walking around for hours. Far bit longer than I planned, as I got lost. I have no sense of direction at all. I'm fine as long as a place has a grid-like layout, but anything else and I'm toast. Anyway, I got a chuckle out of seeing the tree above.

Beat Your Winter Blues Blog Tour Spring Break

This weeks BYWBBT is hosted by Blaine D. Arden. Pop in to find out what some of your favorite authors doing for Spring Break.
Details of the tour can be found here, and remember, all comments left on posts give you a chance of winning the grand prize: a $200 USD gift certificate to the e-retailer of your choice!

Beat Your Winter Blues Blog Tour Double Whammy

The Beat Your Winter Blues Blog Tour is stopping on both Clare London's and Z.A. Maxfield's blog today.

I Got Cover!!!

Samhain did what few publishers do: they agreed to use my own design for my novel. I love them for it. Check that baby out!
Last Stop is scheduled to come out on June 12, 2012.