Lisa Henry's Blog, page 9
July 10, 2015
Blog Tour: Tyler Knoll's Just For Fun, with AB Gayle
Today I'd like to welcome to the blog, as part of Tyler Knoll's Just For Fun tour, Tyler's alter ego, the fantastic AB Gayle. I strapped AB into the hot seat, well, the comfy chair, and interrogated her mercilessly. Well, asked her some questions in a polite, calm manner.
Check out the excerpt as well, and see below for how to win awesome prizes!
AB: Hi Lisa, thanks for having me!
1. Tyler is not your usual hero. He’s full of snark, and not looking for love, and totally unapologetic about hooking up, which is very refreshing. Where did the inspiration for Tyler come from?
I adore lovable clueless narrators. One of the best examples is Marshall Thornton's "Perils of Praline." Often humor in stories revolves around the secondary characters --their idiosyncracies and weirdness-- while the narrator is often the "straight man." There are numerous examples of very successful books using this format, but sometimes this can border on the cruel. We laugh at them and from afar. I wanted my hero to be the source of amusement. But not intentionally. Just as Peter Palmetiere (Praline) is the good-hearted but much put-upon character in Marshall's book.
It's not easy writing someone like this. They have to be funny but not pathetic or cruel. A very fine line indeed.
2. Tyler Knoll has an interesting genesis story. Can you tell us anything more about it?
Back in early 2013, I was a member of a Goodreads group that had a thread entitled: "What I really hate in m/m romance stories." This was full of different pet peeves people have, such as: "I hate it when in the middle of sex they start to speak in staccato... Need. You....Want. Now"... and "winking holes."
Like all good threads in social media, the topic drifted on and on, going down various detours, but the list grew longer and longer. Some people wanted more of some things eg licking. Less of other things. Challenges were thrown around to write something incorporating all the pet hates and likes.
So I churned out a short story almost overnight. It was full of snark (some of which has been toned down for public consumption), cliches and general tongue in cheek references to both gay porn and the MM romance genre.
This was pure seat of the pants writing. No brain involved. Foreign territory for me as I'm usually a plotter. But the words just flowed out.
It possibly helped that I'd recently been reading a lot of gay porn. There was lots of shagging going on, gagging for it, ten inch dicks and (unfortunately) a few homophones eg feinting for fainting and dyslexic typos eg bugle for bulge. These books represent the opposite end of the spectrum from what is popular in the MMromance world. But I re-read them now and again as an antidote, purely because they are so raw, brutal and basic.
Also around that time, I was deep into the editing and upcoming release of "Leather+Lace", so editing and the whole writing process mashed together with this MMromance vs gay porn debate gicing birth to Tyler Knoll. Even the name is a joke that came to me one day - a certain character in "Slashed " who shall remain nameless "gets it."
I sent the first episode off to one of my betas who laughed, said go for it, so I published a very raw version on Smashwords for free under Tyler's name.
The reaction was varied. But the responses kicked off what was to become a very reader reactive process. For example, after it was published, one reviewer made the comment: "There's meta and there's META.... And this is just too much meta for me."
I had never come across the term before, so I looked it up, fell over laughing and decided I had to continue the story with the VR from TURD. And for those who fear I've strayed into crappy territory, the initials stand for the Virtual Representative of The Universal Reading Department. Meta personified!
Once this character arrived on the scene, the story spun off into an entirely new direction. While "Snared" had been inspired by porn, a lot of slave fiction and BDSM books were being released (including mine). I also wanted to poke fun at the Big Misunderstanding. (Not only the one Tyler had with Word) but between him and Gareth Evans (an inside joke for us Aussies).
Like the rest of the stories, a "What If..." sprung into mind. What if Tyler thought he was in for a big BDSM scene, but the truth was quite different.
"Shredded" was fun to write. But again not easy. I knew what was going on, but it had to be plausible enough for the reader. The result had readers scratching their heads even more. Very few stuck with the series long enough to discover what Gareth Evans wanted Tyler for, but by then I didn't care. I was off playing in paranormal land, or at least Tyler thinks he's drifted into shifter, sucker and shredded territory, but he's at death's door so who can tell?
Once I finished "Slashed", I was in a quandary. Could I publish it and charge money? Would I be sued? I'd definitely drifted into some weird shit, and there might be consequences. As it turned out, most of the people who betaed the final product hadn't read the series I was alluding to, so the jokes fell flat. Still, they are there for the fans. I like to think of them as Easter Eggs. The series is riddled with them. Some are homages, some are digs, some are just nods of recognition. So, if you read them and wonder "Is this referring to such and such." The answer is probably, "Yes."
As for "Screwed," I felt the series had to come full circle. While some may see the stories as poking fun at the MMgenre, I see them as having a dig at different aspects, but that doesn't mean I disrepect or dislike the genre. Love, romance and monogamy and dreams of a happy ever after are very real. What bugs me is the narrow parameters writers in the genre are sometimes expected to follow. A couple of beta readers expressed disappointment that there aren't as many jokes in this final instalment. There aren't meant to be. In fact, I took a few out. And in the Epilogue, I added a serious statement that sums up, for me, the whole concept of what is needed for a true HEA. It's not the GRPFATAAHDSS (aka gold rings, picket fences and two and a half dogs statistically speaking) as Tyler says to the VR from TURD when he brings up monogamy: "it’s more important to want whatever is best for the other person. To listen to them. Respect them. And to do that, we need to know what makes each other happy and what makes us sad.” So "Screwed" was all about communication.
3. When I write a story, I always end up with a favourite character. Sometimes it not the MC. Who is your favourite character in Just For Fun?
Without a doubt, Tyler. Once I found the model whose photos we use on the cover and in the brilliant video/trailer that Lily Velden of Wayard Ink Publishing made, no one else would do. In those photos he has that same lovable goofiness that encapsulates all that Tyler is. I do think covers are important. One of my betas found it very dificult to read the raw text as there was no blurb, no cover to go by. In fact that's the typical response I get. Readers complain that by the time they work out the character's "voice" the story has come to an end. But, hey I used that as a plot point in the second book.
Unfortunately nothing. Mind you, ever since I finished, I thought of so many other avenues that could have been explored eg Tyler bemoaning the fact he doesn't need a Street Team to get his book seen, he needs a Highway Army!
Since then I've thought of a few more popular aspects that could have been addressed. Cock blocking and knotting for starters! Though I'm not sure whether those two terms could or should ever be used in the same paragraph! And mpreg! That didn't get a mention. Mermen! Tentacles!
If I'm really desperate, I could always do a spin off. I mentioned to hubbie that the stories covered just about every part of the genre except for the ever popular zombies and detectives. He suggested combining the two. So I checked on Goodreads, saw there was a dearth of those hence "Hardacre and Hindsmith" came into being -- the fictional series that made Tyler Knoll into a mega star. I figured a zombie PI and his lover, the mortician, would provide plenty of opportunity for jokes.
Thanks so much for joining us today. AB. And if you ever write that zombie PI with his mortician lover, I'd be all over it in a flash! And now, for your added enjoyment, AB interviews the star himself - Tyler Knoll!
Tyler:Hi, my name is Tyler Knoll, and I hope you read my latest release, "Just for Fun."A.B.: Is that it? This nice blogger invited you along to help publicize your book, and all you've got is one sentence?Tyler: ***Grumbles*** I hate having to do all this marketing, promotion shit. I've written the story, can't people just pick it up and read it?A.B.: That's not how it works, honey. Nobody has ever heard of you before, why should they pick up your book when there are so many others out there to read?Tyler: I don't know. Maybe because it's different? Isn't that what the marketers are always saying? They want something fresh and innovative?AB: Well, sure, but I think some people might find your book a little too different. What did that first publishing company say in their rejection letter?Tyler: Please don't remind me! "I didn't like it and I don't think it will sell."AB: No, that was the beta reader, and they're not always right. I meant the other one.Tyler: Oh you mean, "what you’re doing is clever and quirky, but I think it’s a little too left of centre for us...."AB: That's the one. I know you were super disappointed at the time, but it's kind of a compliment. Remember, you were dead set about not writing a traditional MM romance.Tyler: Yeah. I suppose so. Probably just as well they did reject it otherwise Wayward Ink Publishing would never have taken it on board, and they have been super supportive. They don't mind that it's a bit whacky.AB: Way out.Tyler: Weird you mean!AB: ***Chuckles*** I must admit readers are never going to think about shredders again without giggling.Tyler: Or call their kid Gareth.AB: Speaking of Gareth, do you realize that even though you didn't mean to write an MMromance, that in the end you sort of have?Tyler: Are you saying I sold out?AB: Never! But you have to admit it's kind of ironic. But that's life isn't it? You find love when and where you least expect it.Tyler: I certainly didn't plan to end up with the GRPFATAAHDSS. It just happened.AB: That's the story of your life, though, isn't it? Stumbling into chaos. From one disaster to another.Tyler: But at least I survived.AB: You didn't just survive. You went forth and prospered!Tyler: Hey! I suppose I did. Who woulda thunk? And none of my adventures would have happened if it hadn't been for that first Funtastic Friday. But if I say any more, I'll give away too much and spoil the fun. Maybe people should just read my story for themselves.AB: See! That wasn't too hard.Tyler: I suppose not. What do I do now?AB: You thank the blogger for having you and offer to answer any questions that readers may have.Tyler: What? Will someone actually read this? Wow!AB: That's the general idea.Tyler: Then I need to thank the blog host and the readers! You guys rock.
And here's an excerpt:
At least he wasn’t mad at me. He kept giggling and shaking his head, muttering, “Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. What am I going to do?”His broken glasses and the lens were sitting on the desk behind him. I picked them up. “Don’t worry. It’s easy. My screw fits into this little hole perfectly.”He burst out laughing again.I handed him his glasses and Dilbert put them back on. I heaved a sigh of relief. Now he wasn’t the sexy stranger who I knew would feature in my dreams for the next few evenings.“Thanks,” he muttered. His hand shook slightly as he dragged a pack of Marlboro’s out of his pocket.“Erm….”Dilbert had only recently started to smoke. Or maybe he’d been doing it forever, but I only just noticed. Since the introduction of the compulsory no smoking policy, employees had been bitching about having to stand on the footpath. Dilbert’s suggestion to management that an unused loading dock could be converted to a secluded landscaped area was surprisingly successful. They must look after their smokers back in Oz.Personally, I didn’t care either way because I didn’t smoke, but Dilbert took advantage of the maximum permitted breaks and joined me in the courtyard about five times a day. Seeing I had to maintain the garden anyway, he suggested I do those chores while he lit up a fag. His use of the word had offended me at first, but he assured me that’s what they were called back home. Anyway, I noticed he never used the term again in my presence. I’d wondered if I should also persuade him to stop smoking, but then he wouldn’t have an excuse to visit me so often.I enjoyed those short breaks. For some weird reason, we were never disturbed, although I heard later that there must be some problem with the door into the basement as someone had complained that they couldn’t get it open. It seemed fine when Dilbert and I checked, so they mustn’t have been pushing hard enough.Dilbert’s hand was still shaking when he tried to flick the lighter. “Fuck!” he said.“Erm….” Should I remind him that we were still inside? Technically, he was in a superior position in the company, but Mrs. Stringer had reassured me that while I was down here, I was in control. Or in charge. I wasn’t sure which word she used. Both gave me an unusual sensation of security. A space where I belonged. “Shouldn’t we?” I gestured toward the door leading from the underground car park to the outdoor smoking area.
Dilbert chuckled. “Sorry. Force of habit. I always light up after a screw.” To win awesome prizes, check this out: GiveawayPrize: $20 WIP Gift Card and 1 ebook copy of Tyler Knoll’s Just for Fun
Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d3e3d66a40/
Here is the blurb and the buy links:
Tyler Knoll was born one wild, stormy night in April 2013.Of course, Tyler might tell you he was born twenty years earlier, but should we believe anything he says? That’s for you to decide.In Tyler’s first adventure—like many a gay man before him—he was SNARED by gay porn, wallowing in tales of bigger, stronger, harder….Then his fickle mind was seduced and SHREDDED by the prospect of BDSM and slavery.When a Big Misunderstanding SLASHED at Tyler’s sanity, almost costing him his life, he turned to another genre for his salvation. But even this encounter proved potentially hazardous—not from freezing temperatures, but at the hands of irate fans.Finally, tired and SCREWED by his all his trials and tribulations, he discovers—like many storybook heroes before him—that sometimes Mr. Right is closer than we think.
Everyone who bought SNARED gets a 20% discount at buying the Just for Fun composite from the WIP website! Check the website for details.
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/?p=1278Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Tyler-Knolls-Just-Fun-Books-ebook/dp/B00ZW6552U/Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tyler-Knolls-Just-Fun-Books-ebook/dp/B00ZW6552U/Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Tyler-Knolls-Just-Fun-Books-ebook/dp/B00ZW6552U/Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Tyler-Knolls-Just-Fun-Books-ebook/dp/B00ZW6552U/ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-tylerknoll039sjustforfuncompositebooks14-1839904-149.html About the authorUnlike many authors, A.B. Gayle hasn’t been writing stories all her life. Instead she’s been living life.Her travels have taken her from the fjords of Norway to the southern tip of New Zealand. In between, she’s worked in so many different towns she’s lost count. A.B. has shoveled shit in cow yards, mustered sheep, been polite to customers, traded insults with politicians. Sometimes she needs to be forgiven as she get confused as to who needs what where. Now living in Sydney, Australia, A.B. finally has time to allow her real life experiences to morph with her fertile imagination in order to create fiction that she hopes her readers will enjoy. A.B. values feedback on her writing, both negative and positive.
A.B. Gayle can be found at:Website: https://abgayle.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/abgayle.writ... https://twitter.com/abgaylewriter Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/abgaylewriter/
July 4, 2015
Will I see you in Munich?
Not long now until Euro Pride Con, which is in Munich on July 11 and 12. If you're going, I can't wait to meet you there. And if you're not, I'll bet you're jealous!
It looks like a fun event, and I get to be on TWO panels. I'm on Other Worlds, which is all about world building, and also Teamwork, which is all about co-writing. JA Rock will be on that one with me, as well as Aleksandr Voinov and LA Witt. I'm sure JA and I won't be intimidated at all. At all.
I'm also looking forward the fingerling over a bunch of writers I haven't met yet, and of course checking out Munich!
The thing I love most about conventions is the chance to hang out with like-minded people, whether they're writers or readers. For me, writing can very much be a solitary affair. I live in a regional city where the chance to discuss m/m romance doesn't exactly come along every day. Bless the internet, amiright? But even the internet can't match the feeling of getting into a room and finding it full of awesome people talking about the things I love to talk about too! The m/m community might only be a small one, but it's a great one, and I love it when I get to meet its other members face to face.
I'm so excited!
It looks like a fun event, and I get to be on TWO panels. I'm on Other Worlds, which is all about world building, and also Teamwork, which is all about co-writing. JA Rock will be on that one with me, as well as Aleksandr Voinov and LA Witt. I'm sure JA and I won't be intimidated at all. At all.
I'm also looking forward the fingerling over a bunch of writers I haven't met yet, and of course checking out Munich!
The thing I love most about conventions is the chance to hang out with like-minded people, whether they're writers or readers. For me, writing can very much be a solitary affair. I live in a regional city where the chance to discuss m/m romance doesn't exactly come along every day. Bless the internet, amiright? But even the internet can't match the feeling of getting into a room and finding it full of awesome people talking about the things I love to talk about too! The m/m community might only be a small one, but it's a great one, and I love it when I get to meet its other members face to face.
I'm so excited!
June 9, 2015
Hellion
If you're a member of the MM Romance Group on Goodreads, then you should know all about the Don't Read in the Closet event. Each year, people send in prompts, and authors claim them, then write FREE stories to the prompt. This year I picked a regency prompt. BECAUSE I COULD!!!
And I had a blast!
Here's a little teaser from Hellion :
Alderton, Suffolk, 1817
Had Oliver Fitzwilliam ever been asked to give his considered opinion on the matter― and, unfortunately, he had not― he would have stated that the sooner the ton gave up the idea of a Season, the better. Not that Oliver was in any way a moralistic old bore. Quite the opposite, in fact. He loved the balls, parties, theatres, military reviews and masquerades that made up the frenzied London social calendar between late January and early July. He only hated the fact that, as with all good things, it had to come to an end, leaving the once-vibrant capital a veritable graveyard as everyone packed up and went home for the next six months.
Home, in Oliver’s case, was Waverley, a more than modest estate in Suffolk that was so damned bucolic it set his teeth on edge. Even the sounds of the birds twittering in the trees drove him slowly mad. It wasn’t that he hated the countryside― well, perhaps a little― it’s just that he was so dreadfully bored by it. It wouldn’t have been so bad if only he could have been left alone to perhaps read or draw, both of which he enjoyed, but he was a wealthy unmarried baronet, and the damned locals wouldn’t give him a moment’s peace.
There was one wittering on at him at that very moment, jowls jiggling as he talked animatedly about some upcoming ball at Major Clinton’s estate, and how everyone would be delighted if Oliver attended. Delighted.
Oliver smiled and nodded as the Reverend Mr Bletchley buzzed on and on and on, as tiresome as a bluebottle trapped against a windowpane.
“Well, of course I should love to attend,” he lied, pouring himself another brandy and holding the decanter up in question.
“Oh my goodness, I really oughtn’t,” the reverend said, but made no further protestation.
Oliver resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he poured him another drink, then looked up as a figure appeared briefly in the open library doorway. He was gone again, as fleeting as a shadow, but Oliver would know him anywhere.
Unfortunately.
Simon Cavendish.
The estate at Waverley had come with ten thousand acres of prime Suffolk farmland outside the village of Alderton, an income exceeding eight thousand pounds a year, the title of Baronet of Stockdale, and, regrettably, an unforeseen complication who went by the name of Simon Cavendish.
Complication, perhaps, was an exaggeration.
There wasn’t terribly much that the boy could do to complicate Oliver’s life. His duties to the estate, and to the boy, generally involved reading the correspondence that his manager sent him each month, which, for the first few years at least, had included the increasingly damning reports from the boy’s schoolmasters.
Oliver had inherited the estate, and the boy, from a great-uncle. His uncle’s lack of direct heir had proved extremely beneficial for Oliver, but he hadn’t anticipated inheriting anything like Simon Cavendish.
Whether Oliver cared to admit it or not, the boy was another reason Oliver didn’t spend more time at Waverley. He was fifteen when Oliver had first made his acquaintance. He was nineteen now. In two years he would attain his majority, and, with a more than generous settlement bestowed upon him, would be out of Oliver’s hair for good. It wasn’t that he detested the boy; he was just somewhat confounded by him.
He had been confounded the first time he’d met him, and remained confounded to this day.
***
To check out the story, and see the NSFW picture that came with the prompt, here's the link on Goodreads. Enjoy!
If you aren't a GR member, don't worry! In a few days I'll post the links to a downloadable version of Hellion.
And I had a blast!
Here's a little teaser from Hellion :
Alderton, Suffolk, 1817
Had Oliver Fitzwilliam ever been asked to give his considered opinion on the matter― and, unfortunately, he had not― he would have stated that the sooner the ton gave up the idea of a Season, the better. Not that Oliver was in any way a moralistic old bore. Quite the opposite, in fact. He loved the balls, parties, theatres, military reviews and masquerades that made up the frenzied London social calendar between late January and early July. He only hated the fact that, as with all good things, it had to come to an end, leaving the once-vibrant capital a veritable graveyard as everyone packed up and went home for the next six months.
Home, in Oliver’s case, was Waverley, a more than modest estate in Suffolk that was so damned bucolic it set his teeth on edge. Even the sounds of the birds twittering in the trees drove him slowly mad. It wasn’t that he hated the countryside― well, perhaps a little― it’s just that he was so dreadfully bored by it. It wouldn’t have been so bad if only he could have been left alone to perhaps read or draw, both of which he enjoyed, but he was a wealthy unmarried baronet, and the damned locals wouldn’t give him a moment’s peace.
There was one wittering on at him at that very moment, jowls jiggling as he talked animatedly about some upcoming ball at Major Clinton’s estate, and how everyone would be delighted if Oliver attended. Delighted.
Oliver smiled and nodded as the Reverend Mr Bletchley buzzed on and on and on, as tiresome as a bluebottle trapped against a windowpane.
“Well, of course I should love to attend,” he lied, pouring himself another brandy and holding the decanter up in question.
“Oh my goodness, I really oughtn’t,” the reverend said, but made no further protestation.
Oliver resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he poured him another drink, then looked up as a figure appeared briefly in the open library doorway. He was gone again, as fleeting as a shadow, but Oliver would know him anywhere.
Unfortunately.
Simon Cavendish.
The estate at Waverley had come with ten thousand acres of prime Suffolk farmland outside the village of Alderton, an income exceeding eight thousand pounds a year, the title of Baronet of Stockdale, and, regrettably, an unforeseen complication who went by the name of Simon Cavendish.
Complication, perhaps, was an exaggeration.
There wasn’t terribly much that the boy could do to complicate Oliver’s life. His duties to the estate, and to the boy, generally involved reading the correspondence that his manager sent him each month, which, for the first few years at least, had included the increasingly damning reports from the boy’s schoolmasters.
Oliver had inherited the estate, and the boy, from a great-uncle. His uncle’s lack of direct heir had proved extremely beneficial for Oliver, but he hadn’t anticipated inheriting anything like Simon Cavendish.
Whether Oliver cared to admit it or not, the boy was another reason Oliver didn’t spend more time at Waverley. He was fifteen when Oliver had first made his acquaintance. He was nineteen now. In two years he would attain his majority, and, with a more than generous settlement bestowed upon him, would be out of Oliver’s hair for good. It wasn’t that he detested the boy; he was just somewhat confounded by him.
He had been confounded the first time he’d met him, and remained confounded to this day.
***
To check out the story, and see the NSFW picture that came with the prompt, here's the link on Goodreads. Enjoy!
If you aren't a GR member, don't worry! In a few days I'll post the links to a downloadable version of Hellion.
May 2, 2015
One Perfect Night - Available May 3
One Perfect Night is a short story (about 9000 words) set in Townsville, Australia, in 1943.
In 1943, with the Japanese advancing through the Pacific, Townsville was on the front line. In 1942, the population of Townsville went from an estimated 30 000 people, to somewhere between 90 000 to 100 000. Schools were closed, and handed over to the Americans to use, as were businesses, cinemas, hotels and as many as 200 private homes. In one street alone, thirty houses were commandeered by the Americans to use as a hospital. Slit trenches were dug in the main streets, and air raid shelters built. The airport, still in use today (and the only one remaining in Australia that is joint use between the civilian airlines and the RAAF), was built because of the war.
Townsville is my home city now, I guess. I mean, there comes a point when you have to admit that if you haven't moved in over a decade, this could be it. When I was a kid, I moved a lot, thanks to my dad's job. One of the places we lived was Bougainville, an island in Papua New Guinea. The war was still evident there, in rusted-out tanks on the side of the road, in roads and bridges built by the military, and, on a jungle hillside, a large red cross marking where Yamamoto's plane was shot down. It was impossible to grow up on Bougainville and not be aware of the war, even if it seemed as strange and mystical to a kid as the tales of the spirits in the volcanos.
It was in Bougainville that I first learned about the coastwatchers. The coastwatchers were men stationed on islands throughout the Pacific - planters and traders mostly - who, when the Japanese came, spied on their positions and reported back to the Allied Intelligence Bureau, based in Townsville. They were only a small group of men, but their impact on the Allied war effort can't be understated. They were the eyes of the Allies, behind enemy lines, and helped turn the tide of the war against Japan.
Cover art by Natasha Snow
Townsville, Australia, 1943.
Tanner is a captain in the US Army, stationed at a radio post on an island in the middle of nowhere.
Nick is a coastwatcher, a man whose voice Tanner has only heard before over the radio waves.
They meet in the middle of war, when nothing is certain but this: Tanner and Nick are owed one perfect night.
One Perfect Night is available from Amazon and Smashwords.
In 1943, with the Japanese advancing through the Pacific, Townsville was on the front line. In 1942, the population of Townsville went from an estimated 30 000 people, to somewhere between 90 000 to 100 000. Schools were closed, and handed over to the Americans to use, as were businesses, cinemas, hotels and as many as 200 private homes. In one street alone, thirty houses were commandeered by the Americans to use as a hospital. Slit trenches were dug in the main streets, and air raid shelters built. The airport, still in use today (and the only one remaining in Australia that is joint use between the civilian airlines and the RAAF), was built because of the war.
Townsville is my home city now, I guess. I mean, there comes a point when you have to admit that if you haven't moved in over a decade, this could be it. When I was a kid, I moved a lot, thanks to my dad's job. One of the places we lived was Bougainville, an island in Papua New Guinea. The war was still evident there, in rusted-out tanks on the side of the road, in roads and bridges built by the military, and, on a jungle hillside, a large red cross marking where Yamamoto's plane was shot down. It was impossible to grow up on Bougainville and not be aware of the war, even if it seemed as strange and mystical to a kid as the tales of the spirits in the volcanos.
It was in Bougainville that I first learned about the coastwatchers. The coastwatchers were men stationed on islands throughout the Pacific - planters and traders mostly - who, when the Japanese came, spied on their positions and reported back to the Allied Intelligence Bureau, based in Townsville. They were only a small group of men, but their impact on the Allied war effort can't be understated. They were the eyes of the Allies, behind enemy lines, and helped turn the tide of the war against Japan.
Cover art by Natasha Snow
Townsville, Australia, 1943.
Tanner is a captain in the US Army, stationed at a radio post on an island in the middle of nowhere.
Nick is a coastwatcher, a man whose voice Tanner has only heard before over the radio waves.
They meet in the middle of war, when nothing is certain but this: Tanner and Nick are owed one perfect night.
One Perfect Night is available from Amazon and Smashwords.
April 21, 2015
LGBTQ Push Back Charity Giveaway
Hi guys!
I just wanted everyone to be aware that I'm taking part in the Diverse Reader: LGBTQ Push Back Charity Giveaway.
Want to win a bunch of books?
It's easy. All you need to do is make adoration to an LGBTQ charity of your choice, then go to Diverse Reader and leave a comment stating you did so.
As it says over there:
Changing laws and attitudes takes time, and right now there are LGBT people in need who can’t afford to wait. The sooner we can help them, the better, and the more resources we have, the more help we can offer.
That’s why 224 authors, review bloggers, and publishers have got together to offer something wonderful: a reward for people who do a little bit to give back to charity. Instead of spending $5 on a book in the next two weeks, give that $5 to an LGBT charity of your choice, tell us about it in the comments, and go into the draw to win a book from one of our participating donors. And because it’s not all about money, if you can’t make a donation then please take a moment to share a charity’s links and tell us about that instead.
Three fundraisers have been set up to counter the hateful effects of Indiana’s SB 101. #Pizza4Equality is aiming to match the money raised by *that* pizza parlor, with all donations going to Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund. Another fundraiser is aiming to raise $100,000 for Indiana Youth Group. Finally, Planting Peace is trying to raise $100,000 to provide beds for homeless LGBT people.
Please consider giving to one of these deserving fundraisers, or any other LGBT charity anywhere in the world. We’re not telling you where you should donate your time and money, only asking that you do. The smallest things can make the biggest difference, and together, we can do something incredible.
April 15, 2015
Fallout Giveaway!
Hi! We’re Lisa Henry and M. Caspian, the authors of FALLOUT. We’re touring the web talking about our influences, our processes, anything we can think about actually, and even giving you guys a sneak peek or two! And what would a blog tour be without a contest? Check out the details at the bottom of the post to see what you can win!
Today, Lisa talks about love and romance:
So, the other day somebody asked me what I write. And I said Romance. But that’s not exactly true, is it? I write love stories, I think, but that’s often very different than romance. Love is an abiding connection between people, whether they’re still in your life or not. Romance is something you see on movies, with late night picnics on in rooftop gardens, and tea lights in mason jars. Love is bigger than a gesture. Love is dirty socks and remembering whose turn it is to put petrol in the car, and making room in your life for another person. Love is a smile, and a touch, and your elbows knocking together as you cook dinner in a tiny kitchen.
In FALLOUT, our two MCs, Jack and Bastian, are in love. They never doubt that. They do, though, sometimes doubt that they’ll be together forever. In the years they’ve been together, they’ve also drifted apart. Circumstances have changed. Bastian has a spinal injury that require constant monitoring. His quality of life isn’t the same as it was. And Jack is responsible for that injury. Both of them are secretly wondering what’s still holding their relationship together: love or guilt. Or maybe just habit.
I think that FALLOUT is very much a story about the strength of love, but it’s not romance. There’s nothing sweet about the nightmarish world that Jack and Bastian find themselves in when a natural disaster hits, but it’s love that stops either of them from giving up. It’s love that makes them do things--sometimes terrible things--that they never before thought possible. And it’s also love that engenders the spark of hope that keeps both of them fighting, even when circumstances force them apart.
Love isn’t always pretty, but it’s enduring.
About FALLOUT:
High-school boyfriends Jack Haldane and Bastian Wade thought everything would be perfect once they reunited at college, putting disapproving parents and small-town attitudes firmly in the past. Now Jack’s on track for a PhD scholarship and a career as a researcher, and Bastian . . . well, living inside a broken body and trailing along in Jack’s shadow didn’t feature in his lofty teenage ambitions. A weekend camping trip back home offers a chance for them to reconnect, but an ugly confrontation with the local motorcycle gang is only the start of their problems. When disaster occurs and the world unravels, will Bastian and Jack manage to hold on to each other, or fall further apart as they try to survive?
You can check out FALLOUT on Amazon or Smashwords.
The Giveaway:
Thanks for following our tour! To celebrate our release, we’re giving away a $20 Amazon gift voucher for you to spend on whatever you’d like. Hey, you should buy Fallout, I hear it’s pretty good!
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with a way for us to contact you, be it your email, your twitter, or a link to your facebook or goodreads account. Please put your email in the body of the comment, not just in email section of the comment form, because we won’t be able to see it otherwise! On April 22, 2015, we’ll draw a winner from all eligible comments! Be sure to follow the whole tour, because the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win the prize!
April 5, 2015
Vanuatu
A month ago, Cyclone Pam devastated Vanuatu, and in particular the island of Tanna. Several years ago I was lucky enough to visit Tanna, and it's a beautiful, unique place with some of the most wonderful, welcoming people you could ever hope to meet. I can't even tell you how magical it was to lie in bed at night in total darkness (no electricity after 8 pm) and listen to the roll of the waves on the beach, only metres away, and, in the distance, the constant rumble of the volcano Yasur.
For most tourists, Vanuatu is a another beautiful tropical destination. For my sister and me, it was a little more than that. Having spent our formative years in Papua New Guinea, sadly not a safe destination to visit anymore for the most part, Vanuatu felt a little like a homecoming. It was listening to a language we hadn't heard in a long time, similar enough to the one we'd learned as kids that we were still able to follow along. It was the smells of the marketplace, of fruit and fish and coconut oil and petrol fumes, that took us straight back to our childhood. It was seeing the Melanesian culture again, listening to the stories, and the songs, and reconnecting with old memories, and with magic.
Here are some of my favourite photographs from that trip.
This is a sand drawing of a turtle, done by the guide at the Cultural Museum. He drew this with his finger, in one continuos line, while telling us the story of the turtle.
This is my nephew Tom, who was delighted to discover that the Tooth Fairy did find him on Tanna, and even paid him in Vatu instead of dollars!
This is Tom and his sister Meg, forging through the shallows, looking for sand dollars. Collecting sand dollars became a thing for them. Every night we'd line them up in the bathroom, and Meg, who was still learning at that stage, would count them all.
A red starfish and a green sand dollar. These were both in ankle-deep water in the lagoon, which was only a few metres from the units we stayed in on the main island of Efate. There were thousands of them. The bumps on the starfish were soft and almost velvety to touch.
This is the view from the verandah of our bungalow on Tanna. The sand, which you can't see terribly well, is actually black, courtesy of the volcano. There was no electricity after 8 pm where we stayed. No television, no phones, and nothing to do except swim in the ocean, watch the horizon, and let the local kids practice their English on you. I was terrified I would be bored, but I have never been so relaxed in my life, and so sad about leaving a place.
Tanna is a magical place. It's one of the few places in the world where cargo cults still exist, and we were lucky enough to visit a John Frum village and see the people celebrate their faith.
If you want to know more about how to help the people of Vanuatu, please check out the Red Cross or your preferred charity for information.
For most tourists, Vanuatu is a another beautiful tropical destination. For my sister and me, it was a little more than that. Having spent our formative years in Papua New Guinea, sadly not a safe destination to visit anymore for the most part, Vanuatu felt a little like a homecoming. It was listening to a language we hadn't heard in a long time, similar enough to the one we'd learned as kids that we were still able to follow along. It was the smells of the marketplace, of fruit and fish and coconut oil and petrol fumes, that took us straight back to our childhood. It was seeing the Melanesian culture again, listening to the stories, and the songs, and reconnecting with old memories, and with magic.
Here are some of my favourite photographs from that trip.
This is a sand drawing of a turtle, done by the guide at the Cultural Museum. He drew this with his finger, in one continuos line, while telling us the story of the turtle.
This is my nephew Tom, who was delighted to discover that the Tooth Fairy did find him on Tanna, and even paid him in Vatu instead of dollars!
This is Tom and his sister Meg, forging through the shallows, looking for sand dollars. Collecting sand dollars became a thing for them. Every night we'd line them up in the bathroom, and Meg, who was still learning at that stage, would count them all.
A red starfish and a green sand dollar. These were both in ankle-deep water in the lagoon, which was only a few metres from the units we stayed in on the main island of Efate. There were thousands of them. The bumps on the starfish were soft and almost velvety to touch.
This is the view from the verandah of our bungalow on Tanna. The sand, which you can't see terribly well, is actually black, courtesy of the volcano. There was no electricity after 8 pm where we stayed. No television, no phones, and nothing to do except swim in the ocean, watch the horizon, and let the local kids practice their English on you. I was terrified I would be bored, but I have never been so relaxed in my life, and so sad about leaving a place.
Tanna is a magical place. It's one of the few places in the world where cargo cults still exist, and we were lucky enough to visit a John Frum village and see the people celebrate their faith.
If you want to know more about how to help the people of Vanuatu, please check out the Red Cross or your preferred charity for information.
March 16, 2015
FALLOUT - Cover Reveal
You guys know M Caspian, right? You read Kraken, right?
Well, guess what? M and I wrote a book. It's called FALLOUT, and it's coming on April 17.
Here is the awesome cover, designed by the brilliant Natasha Snow:
High-school boyfriends Jack Haldane and Bastian Wade thought everything would be perfect once they reunited at college, putting disapproving parents and small-town attitudes firmly in the past. Now Jack’s on track for a PhD scholarship and a career as a researcher, and Bastian . . . well, living inside a broken body and trailing along in Jack’s shadow didn’t feature in his lofty teenage ambitions. A weekend camping trip back home offers a chance for them to reconnect, but an ugly confrontation with the local motorcycle gang is only the start of their problems. When disaster occurs and the world unravels, will Bastian and Jack manage to hold on to each other, or fall further apart as they try to survive?
I can't wait until you guys can read this book. It's everything M and I love: dark themes, exploring the spaces between good and evil, and between physical strength and strength of spirit, and lots and lots of grey areas.
We'll be posting links to pre-order as soon as those become available.
In the meantime, ask yourself this: When the world ends, are you a good guy or a bad guy? And are you always given a choice?
Well, guess what? M and I wrote a book. It's called FALLOUT, and it's coming on April 17.
Here is the awesome cover, designed by the brilliant Natasha Snow:
High-school boyfriends Jack Haldane and Bastian Wade thought everything would be perfect once they reunited at college, putting disapproving parents and small-town attitudes firmly in the past. Now Jack’s on track for a PhD scholarship and a career as a researcher, and Bastian . . . well, living inside a broken body and trailing along in Jack’s shadow didn’t feature in his lofty teenage ambitions. A weekend camping trip back home offers a chance for them to reconnect, but an ugly confrontation with the local motorcycle gang is only the start of their problems. When disaster occurs and the world unravels, will Bastian and Jack manage to hold on to each other, or fall further apart as they try to survive?
I can't wait until you guys can read this book. It's everything M and I love: dark themes, exploring the spaces between good and evil, and between physical strength and strength of spirit, and lots and lots of grey areas.
We'll be posting links to pre-order as soon as those become available.
In the meantime, ask yourself this: When the world ends, are you a good guy or a bad guy? And are you always given a choice?
March 7, 2015
TEMPEST - Out March 9
Woot!
TEMPEST , the third PLAYING THE FOOL book is out March 9! And, like always, JA Rock and I have a fun blog tour with an awesome giveaway.
Not only can you win a $20 gift voucher and an ebook of something from either of our back catalogues, you will also win these:
Donut socks.
A donut cushion that looks good enough to eat. (Warning: Do not eat.)
Join the tour and leave a comment for your chance to win!
March 9, 2015 - The Blogger Girls
March 9, 2015 - Boys In Our Books
March 9, 2015 - Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
March 10, 2015 - Sinfully Sexy Books
March 10, 2015 - Love Bytes Reviews
March 10, 2015 - The Jeep Diva
March 11, 2015 - Book Reviews and More by Kathy
March 11, 2015 - MM Good Book Reviews
March 12, 2015 - La Crimson Femme
March 13, 2015 - Cup O' Porn
March 13, 2015 - LeAnn's Book Reviews
Something wicked this way comes.
FBI Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness and con man Henry Page are on the run again. This time they’re headed back to where it all began: Altona, Indiana. Population: some goats. Henry’s not happy about lying low at the McGuinness family farm, but they’ve got nowhere else to go.
While Mac fights to clear his name and Henry struggles with whose side he’s really on, a ghost from the past threatens to destroy everything. And those aren’t the only storms on the radar. Cut off from both sides of the law, Mac and Henry must rely on their tenuous partnership to survive.
If Henry can convince himself to let Mac see the man behind the disguises, they’ll stand a chance of beating the forces that conspire against them. The course of true love never did run smooth, but for the two of them, it might be their only hope.
You can check out TEMPEST at Riptide.
TEMPEST , the third PLAYING THE FOOL book is out March 9! And, like always, JA Rock and I have a fun blog tour with an awesome giveaway.
Not only can you win a $20 gift voucher and an ebook of something from either of our back catalogues, you will also win these:
Donut socks.
A donut cushion that looks good enough to eat. (Warning: Do not eat.)
Join the tour and leave a comment for your chance to win!
March 9, 2015 - The Blogger Girls
March 9, 2015 - Boys In Our Books
March 9, 2015 - Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
March 10, 2015 - Sinfully Sexy Books
March 10, 2015 - Love Bytes Reviews
March 10, 2015 - The Jeep Diva
March 11, 2015 - Book Reviews and More by Kathy
March 11, 2015 - MM Good Book Reviews
March 12, 2015 - La Crimson Femme
March 13, 2015 - Cup O' Porn
March 13, 2015 - LeAnn's Book Reviews
Something wicked this way comes.
FBI Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness and con man Henry Page are on the run again. This time they’re headed back to where it all began: Altona, Indiana. Population: some goats. Henry’s not happy about lying low at the McGuinness family farm, but they’ve got nowhere else to go.
While Mac fights to clear his name and Henry struggles with whose side he’s really on, a ghost from the past threatens to destroy everything. And those aren’t the only storms on the radar. Cut off from both sides of the law, Mac and Henry must rely on their tenuous partnership to survive.
If Henry can convince himself to let Mac see the man behind the disguises, they’ll stand a chance of beating the forces that conspire against them. The course of true love never did run smooth, but for the two of them, it might be their only hope.
You can check out TEMPEST at Riptide.
February 6, 2015
Coming February 16 - Rules to Live By
So, Heidi Belleau and I wrote some filthy daddy kink, called
The Harder They Fall.
You'll find it in the Riptide anthology
Rules to Live By,
which comes out on February 16. The other authors are Cari Z, Anah Crow and Dianne Fox, and Anna Zabo.
That's some damn good company to be in!
You can preorder Rules to Live By here.
Four intimate tales of power exchange, discipline, risks taken, and pleasures earned.A list of rules to live by.In Cari Z’s House Rules, jealousy leads Jonathan to break the rules his lover has established. He can’t decide which he enjoys more: his punishment, or the reward afterward. Good thing he gets both.
A lesson in humility.
In The Harder They Fall by Heidi Belleau and Lisa Henry, spoiled college boy Tad hires a prostitute, but “Daddy” couldn’t care less about what Tad wants. Instead, he’s going to give his spoiled little boy exactly what he deserves.
A cage that means freedom.
In Master Key by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox, Marquis offers Navin the key to the most intimate of locks, hoping it will help them to prioritize their relationship. And it does—until work and insecurities threaten to drive them apart again.
A spool of rope and a desire to be bound.
In CTRL Me by Anna Zabo, a night out between friends turns hot and tempting when Gabe deliberately pushes Tom’s submissive buttons. Then Tom discovers rope in Gabe’s glove box—and not the type for securing luggage.
That's some damn good company to be in!
You can preorder Rules to Live By here.
Four intimate tales of power exchange, discipline, risks taken, and pleasures earned.A list of rules to live by.In Cari Z’s House Rules, jealousy leads Jonathan to break the rules his lover has established. He can’t decide which he enjoys more: his punishment, or the reward afterward. Good thing he gets both.
A lesson in humility.
In The Harder They Fall by Heidi Belleau and Lisa Henry, spoiled college boy Tad hires a prostitute, but “Daddy” couldn’t care less about what Tad wants. Instead, he’s going to give his spoiled little boy exactly what he deserves.
A cage that means freedom.
In Master Key by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox, Marquis offers Navin the key to the most intimate of locks, hoping it will help them to prioritize their relationship. And it does—until work and insecurities threaten to drive them apart again.
A spool of rope and a desire to be bound.
In CTRL Me by Anna Zabo, a night out between friends turns hot and tempting when Gabe deliberately pushes Tom’s submissive buttons. Then Tom discovers rope in Gabe’s glove box—and not the type for securing luggage.
