H.B. Pattskyn's Blog, page 10

What I write...

...and why I write it.

I realized the other day that it had been a while since I'd written anything here myself. Depression and I have been doing the cha-cha this month and my creativity has suffered--but really, that's no excuse not to blog on my blog.  A couple of weeks ago, I saw a Facebook post from someone who very politely declined to name her source (for which I give a lot of credit). It seemed the argument of "women have no right to write gay romance" had reared its ugly head again--and the perpetrator was a gay man who happens to write gay romance. I wasn't able to track the original article down (I tried, but without a name, I couldn't find it--which might be a good thing. When I Googled, I got mostly articles championing the female authors who write gay rom.)  I think this says a lot about the way we've evolved as readers--because I am as much of a reader as I am a writer. Lately, more so (but honest, feeling better this week and hope to knock out some kick-butt scenes. I've gotten preliminary notes back from one of my betas and apparently my story is on the right track *smile.*) My own perception of what I write and why has evolved over the last three years, too. I wasn't sure how to define myself at first, especially in public. Author? Romance author? Gay romance author? M/M author?  Well, four books (three fiction, one non-fiction) later, I'm definitely an author. Just author. Not "published" author. Oh how it galls me when some people feel the need to tack "published" onto it. Seriously. If you've got a book out there, either in hard copy or electronic format, you're an author, plain and simple. Before my work was accepted and published, I called myself a writer and let folks know that I mostly wrote Torchwood fanfiction. I was completely proud of that. I still am. It's what led me to where I am today.       A while back I decided to say it loud and say it proud: I write gay romance. I have totally stopped chickening out--and surprisingly, I haven't gotten any hairy eyeballs. I have to admit that I was a little nervous when I started volunteering at APM. I figured it was fair to assume that most of the people in the office would be gay men--or at least that most of the men would be gay or bi. And yes, they are. Most have asked "why?" but it's been as an honest, fair question, with no snark attached. Everyone in the office is tremendously supportive, and several people, both men and women, have bought my books.  But even amongst supportive friends, I do sometimes have to repeat the fact that what I write is romance, not erotica.  I don't mean to sound so defensive when I say that, but sometimes I have to say it so many times to the same person, I start to feel like a broken record. (Which is a reference the under-30 set probably won't get. Sigh. I'm old).  What's the difference (and why does it matter)? The heart and soul of my stories are the emotions of the characters--and yes, sometimes it's fair to categorize what I write as erotic romance (can we say Bound?  *grin*).   The difference between erotica and erotic romance is the romance element--romance is, well, romance. It's about emotions . The flutter of your heart or that funny, giddy feeling in the pit of your stomach when that someone special walks into the room. That's what makes a romance a romance. Otherwise, it's just a hookup.  I know my friends don't actually think I'm writing smut (not that I have ANY problem with smut--quite the opposite in fact). But somehow there's this idea floating around that keeps getting repeated, even by open-minded, educated people that if it's two characters of the same gender it must somehow be automatically categorized as erotica or porn. Not only is that incorrect, but it only fuels the fires of some pretty dangerous misconceptions about real-life same-sex relationships.  Think about that for a second.  Remember, words have power; that's why it's important to chose the right words.  Now, why do I, a bisexual woman, write gay romance? There are lots of answers, but the most basic one is because that's what I love to read.  Maybe that's because the characters are fighting the odds--things are getting better, but I still live in America, home of Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson. Even in a book where the characters' families are understanding and their bosses are great, there's still the element of the underdog about them that gives me something to cheer for.  Maybe it's because, as Pasha pointed out in Hanging by the Moment, no matter where you go (unless it's a gay bar), the chances of a gay/bi man meeting another a gay/bi man are pretty slim, so it's that much more special when you meet that perfect someone and hit it off. (And yes, of course that's strictly perception; online dating has changed a lot since I was young and out and looking for a girlfriend. Still. It's part of the fairy tale and I love a good fairy tale.)  I write stories that are steamy and sexy because sex and sexuality are vital, beautiful, and healthy parts of the human experience. Of course it's meant to arouse the reader--I would be lying if I said otherwise. But my question would then become: what's wrong with that?    
Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author

Welcome Etienne

First, let me take a moment to say welcome and thank you for being here today! It’s always a pleasure to have guests in the hot seat…erm, I mean interview chair. Why don’t you start out by introducing yourself (where you call home, how long you’ve been writing, etc.)?  My name is Etienne, and I’m a native and life-long resident of Florida, which is definitely not the norm, these days—most people in Florida seem to have come here from somewhere else. In fact, I’m a second-generation Floridian on one side of the family. My mother was also born here, but my father didn’t move to this state until he was eleven years old.I’ve been scribbling for quite a few years, but never did anything with it until three years ago when I finally summoned enough nerve to submit a book to Dreamspinner Press.  To my surprise, it was accepted, so I set about polishing my earlier writings for submission, and writing new stories.Please tell us a little bit about your current release. What inspired you to write this story? How did it come about? The release I want to talk about is Bottoms Up, which will be book one of a trilogy titled About a Bottoms.  The tentative release date for this book is November 20 of this year.  The inspiration for the story came from a man who once worked for me.  He was a great guy, but had suffered at the hands of a Navy surgeon.  During abdominal surgery, the surgeon accidentally cut an important nerve, the one which carries a signal from the brain telling the bladder sphincter to open and close.  Because of this, the guy not only has to deal with an ostomy bag every day of his life, he also has to catheterize himself in order to urinate.  I thought about his problem many times over the years, and finally decided to build a story around it. I don’t usually put the characters in my books through a lot of angst (there’s far too much of that in life, and I don’t like to read about it, let alone write it), but this story certainly called for it, so I created Christopher Bottoms.  Chris was regularly sodomized by his stepfather when he was between the ages of 12 and 15, as a result of which, he is conditioned to be a total bottom.  Colorectal cancer surgery leaves him wearing an ostomy bag and with his anus sewn shut, which is not a good thing for a guy who has to have prostate massage in order to achieve sexual release.  In addition, the surgeon, who’d been drinking at the time, accidentally cut an important nerve, leaving Chris unable to relieve himself without a catheter. Chris finally manages to achieve sexual satisfaction absent prostate massage, but only after going through weeks of counseling, and only with the understanding and help of his best friend turned lover, Mickey O’Donovan.  They settle down to enjoy their lives, and are doing so when Chris’s past rears its head and changes their lives forever.  Sounds like one for my to-read list (I love angst in my fiction--it's just real life that I prefer to remain angst free).  What drew you to write M/M fiction? What sub-genres do you enjoy the most? The old adage ‘Write about what you know’ is true, and I’ve been a gay male for more decades than I care to think about, so I write M/M. As for sub-genres, I like mystery and fantasy.Would you categorize your stories as romance, erotica, or something else? Why?Despite the fact that the publisher of twenty of my twenty-two books specializes in M/M Romance, I don’t think my stories can be so characterized.  They are love stories, to be sure, but they don’t quite fall in to the traditional ‘romance’ category.  For that matter, fully half of my stories contain no explicit sex.  I’ve always felt that it isn’t really necessary to follow the characters into the bedroom.  We all know what happens there, and anyone with an imagination can conjure up the necessary images.Robert Heinlein’s immortal man Lazarus Long once said “How much variety can there be in the slippery friction of mucus membranes?” and sums it up quite adequately.Most of my stories are contemporary gay fiction, although I do have a trilogy that can be properly characterized as speculative fiction.  Why?  Because I write the kind of stories that I like to read.What are the best and worst reactions you’ve gotten from people after telling them what you write? Most people whom I’ve known for a long time don’t seem terribly surprised to learn that I’ve become a writer.  So far, I haven’t had anyone react badly, not even a couple of relatives whom I know to be excessively religious.There’s some controversy about women who write M/M? Do you have any thoughts on the subject you want to share? I’ve seen those reactions, but I don’t have any strong feelings about women writing  M/M.  One of the best books ever written about a boy coming of age and discovering who he is was written by a woman.  I’m referring to the Last Herald Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey.Awesome trilogy! And you know, I don't think I've ever heard anyone point to Lackey or Bradley when the debate about women writing gay men comes up. You make an excellent point.  Do you write in any other genres? If so, which ones and do you use a different pen name? Why/why not? Not yet. “They” tell us that writers should write what they know—do you think that’s true? Why/why not? That’s very good advice, and I’ve followed it.  I lived in a particular neighborhood for some 26 years, and I’ve set a lot of my stories in that neighborhood.  Readers seem to love the details about restaurants and places.  I’ve even have a couple of them e-mail me to let me know they’ve visited that neighborhood.  One person even wrote to say “Oh my gosh, I used to live on that street.”  When you write about what you know, your stories will have a ring of truth to them that they might not otherwise contain.Pantster or plotter? Why?A bit of both, perhaps.  I always have a general idea of how a story is going to end, but when I create the characters I let them tell the story and take it where they will—never losing sight of the goal.What’s your favorite part of the writing process? (the spark, the research, character oultines…?)Writing the dialogue.What’s your least favorite part of the writing process? Writing the synopses that publishers require for submission. How much of your real life experiences go into your writing? Where does your inspiration usually come from? Ever based a character on a real person (friend or enemy?)Real life experience?  A bit.  I’ve written a couple of books about an organist/choirmaster, and that was once my avocation.  And bits and pieces of my life pop up here and there in my books.  As for basing a book on a real person, see above.Do you listen to music while you write, prefer absolute silence, run off to the coffee shop…? If you do listen to music, can you name a few songs off your playlist? I listen to music while a write, but I don’t listen to “songs.”  Far from it.  When I’m deep into creating a story, you’ll hear Bach, Mozart, or Vivaldi (or others in that genre) coming from the speakers in my den.  As for “songs” from my playlist, my two CD set of Glenn Gould playing the Bach Partitas gets more use than any other CDs in my collection.What do you do to get in the mood to write, especially when you don’t feel like it? Read a good book to clear my head.What makes for a great hero/heroine? A good hero shouldn’t have very many flaws, or at least he shouldn’t have flaws that dominate his life.  For example, I love reading books by James Lee Burke, but I really, really get tired of Dave Robicheaux dealing with his alcoholism.  I hear fellow writers talking about resolving primary and secondary conflicts in their stories, and I ask myself why is that necessary?  Can’t a well-written story hold the reader’s attention without all that conflict?What makes for a great overall story?When you finish a book and are left wanting to read more about the characters, you know it’s a good story.What advice would you give to a writer who’s just starting out but who hasn’t been published yet?Persevere. City boy/girl or Country Mouse? Why?I was raised in a small town (village of about 200 families, actually), and currently reside less than a mile from the house in which I grew up.  I’ve enjoyed living in cities, because of the amenities they have to offer:  restaurants, theater, etc, but my heart has always been in the country.Of the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite? Which would you recommend to a new reader and why?The Forever Series.  I like the characters, and I enjoy returning to their world and putting them through more exciting/interesting things.  As for recommendations to a new reader, I’d have to know what that reader’s likes/dislikes were before making a recommendation. Do you miss your characters when you finish a story? Do you try to come up with ideas for sequels, or are you too excited by the prospect of a new project to feel sad that the previous story is over?  Depends on the story/characters.  I’ve experienced both scenarios.Of all of the stories you’ve written, which setting or location (city/country/time period) has been your favorite? Why?The Independent Duchy of Aragoni featured in the Forever series is my favorite, because I dreamed it up and created every aspect of it.If you could have a lunch date with anyone in the world, living, dead, or fictional, who would it be and why? Katharine Hepburn.  Why?  Just to be able to sit and listen to her talk about anything.Do you have any heroes or people you look up to? (Real life mentors, public figures, fellow authors, living or dead). If so, who and why? I love the writing of the late Robert B. Parker, creator of the Spenser mystery series.  He was a master at writing eloquent but spare dialogue, and he is sorely missed.  I also like the  military fiction of WEB Griffin.One of the hardest things for an author to take is a bad review. How do you handle those one and two star reviews? Badly.  LOLWhat’s your favorite genre to read? Why, what about it do you love the most? What are your favorite books/authors in that genre? Fantasy.  Because it stretches the imagination to its limits at times.  Mercedes Lackey; Raymond Feist; David Eddings; and David B. Coe are writers in that genre whose books I’ve read and re-read more than once.What book are you reading right now? What do you like best about it?Someone gave me The Cuckoo’s Calling, and I’m trying to slog my way through it, but it’s slow going.  So far I don’t like much of anything about it.  It might be an interesting read if the 450 pages were pared down to 200 or so.  The author is anything but succinct in her writing, and the paragraphs are long, dense, and repetitive.  The word ‘pretentious’ comes to mind.What are your favorite movies of all time? In no particular order:  Ladyhawke;  Auntie Mame;  Cold Comfort Farm;  The Stunt Man; The Lion in Winter; Suddenly Last Summer; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof;What are your favorite TV shows of all time?The Closer.  The writing was consistently good through all seven seasons, and the ensemble cast bounced off of each other perfectly.  And no, I don’t particularly like the successor program—without the character of Brenda Leigh Johnson it just doesn’t work. The Closer is one of my faves, too *G*  I do like the spin off, but I think that’s just because I’ve got a total fangirl crush on Mary McDonald *G* What kind of music do you listen to? Do you have a favorite musical artist? Classical and some opera.  The late Renata Tebaldi was probably my all-time favorite singer, and I am totally mesmerized by the voice of Cecilia Bartoli.What television shows are you currently watching?Are you kidding? It’s been more than fifty years since television was first referred to as a “vast wasteland” and nothing much has changed for the better.  The set stays off most of the time unless we’re watching a movie.  I will say that I’m waiting for the new season of Grimm to begin, as well as the return of Ripper Street.  My partner and I have watched the first three episodes of Sleepy Hollow, and agree that it’s off to a good start.What’s next on the horizon for you? WIPs, writing goals, personal goals…?  I have to finish volume three of each of two trilogies before I can think about anything else.Bottoms Up is available for preorder from Dreamspinner Press   
 
Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author

Welcome Kim Fielding

First, let me take a moment to say welcome and thank you for being here today! It’s always a pleasure to have guests in the hot seat…erm, I mean interview chair.  I'm super happy to have you here today; Brute was one of my favorite books, ever! 
Thanks for having me over!
Why don’t you start out by introducing yourself (where you call home, how long you’ve been writing, etc.)?
I’m Kim Fielding. I live in the boring part of California, although I grew up in Oregon and the Midwest. I’ve been writing since I was three—my mom kept some of my early scribbles. I’ve been writing academic stuff for my day job for over 20 years. But I published my first novel in 2009. My 8th novel came out last month, my 9th comes out in February or March, and I’m busily typing away at my 10th.
Please tell us a little bit about your current release. What inspired you to write this story? How did it come about?
The Tin Box is special to me. It tells of William, a gay man finally coming very slowly out of the closet, and Colby, his new and very out friend. William takes a job as caretaker at a former insane asylum, where he discovers a tin box of letters written by a man who was committed to the asylum in the 1930s for being gay. William’s past experiences make it difficult for him to accept himself, but Colby and the letters help him along.
This story was inspired by several things, including my research into the sad history of mental institutions. I’ve spent some time (not as a patient!) at what was once the largest mental hospital in California, and it’s an emotionally evocative place.
 
 
Please tell us three things about yourself that you think would surprise people/that most people don’t know. I am much taller on paper than I am in real life. I travel most places with a plastic Spike the vampire doll in my purse.I haven’t eaten mammals since 1996. I don’t eat ducks either, because they’re cute.What are the best and worst reactions you’ve gotten from people after telling them what you write? I’ve never had any negative reactions, although some people are very surprised. My favorite was this summer, when I attended a writing workshop at the University of Iowa. There were thirteen of us in the group, and as it happened, three were pastors. One day, the instructor outed me (with my permission). Not only was nobody horrified, but everyone was really sort of delighted and interested. One pastor went online that night and bought some of my books for his choir director.“They” tell us that writers should write what they know—do you think that’s true? Why/why not? If I only wrote what I knew, I wouldn’t get to write all the speculative fiction I love so much. I have never been a gay male hipster architect werewolf or a maimed giant or a machinist falling in love with an aphasic man or an ex-con. I think there are truths to the human experience that can be found in any setting, with any character, and those are what a writer should draw on. Research can fill in the details about things the writer’s unfamiliar with. Just yesterday I wrote a scene where the character was playing blackjack at a casino—something I’ve never done. So I consulted someone who’s done it a lot (my husband! *g*) and I think the scene works well.Pantster or plotter? Why?Pantster, because my muse is a mean bitch. I occasionally try to plot things out, but then she gleefully throws monkey-wrenches right and left. I’ve learned to place my trust in her.
I’d say my stories are pretty character driven. Once I have the characters, the setting, and the opening scene, the rest flows pretty logically.
What’s your favorite part of the writing process? (the spark, the research, character oultines…?)Oh, the spark is fun. But my very favorite part is the research because I am a huge geek. I love looking stuff up, and the more obscure and eclectic, the better. For The Tin Box, I did quite a lot of research on the “treatment” of homosexuality in the 1930s. Some research is much more fun than that, though. My novel Pilgrimage releases in February or March; it required extensive (extensive!!) research on men’s underwear.What’s your least favorite part of the writing process? Writing the synopsis. It’s painful. Let’s not dwell on it.What makes for a great hero/heroine? He or she must be flawed in some way. None of us wants to read about Perfect Paul, who doesn’t exist in real life and is about as interesting as plain oatmeal. What gives a story zing and makes us pay attention it seeing the hero overcome his or her flaws. What makes for a great villain?I have always loved villains. Just as a good hero needs flaws, a good villain needs at least some redeeming characteristics. In Good Bones, for instance, Andy does some pretty awful stuff, including turning Dylan into a werewolf and almost killing Chris. But at his heart, poor Andy’s a really lonely guy who has no idea how to find love the right way. In the second book in the series, Buried Bones, we learn more about his background, which was pretty sad. His history doesn’t excuse what he did, but it makes him human (well, were-human) instead of a cardboard cutout.
 What advice would you give to a writer who’s just starting out but who hasn’t been published yet?Write. Yeah, I know. But a lot of people like the idea of writing more than the reality, which is damned hard work. We come up with all sorts of excuses why right now isn’t a good day to write. It’s never a perfect day to write. There’s always school or the day job, the kids, the chores, that great show on TV…. If you want to be a writer, write. I find daily word count goals very inspiring. The more you write—especially if you get good concrit and read a lot too—the better you’ll be.

If you could pick up and move to any part of the world and live there, where would it be and why?I’m cheating on this one, because as I type this, I’m 10 days away from picking up and going to Europe. I’ll be spending a month in Croatia, where I lived for 5 months in 2011. I love Croatia and it feels like my second home. But I love to travel and I can be happy almost anywhere, especially if there are lots of cafes and good people-watching. What are the three most important things in your life, the things you absolutely could not do without? My family, of course. After that, give me books to read and something to write with, and I’m pretty content. A passport helps, but that’s four things, isn’t it?If you could have one (and only one) super or magical power, what would it be and why?I want Hermione’s Time-Turner. I’m not greedy—I don’t need to travel back in history (although how cool would that be!). I just want more hours in my days to get things done.What about your current book, who’s your favorite character in that one? Why?William. I started out not liking him very much. He’s repressed and prickly and unsociable—very unlike the immediately lovable Colby. But I fell for William when I came to understand why he is the way he is. And I really admire his quiet courage and determination.Do you miss your characters when you finish a story? Do you try to come up with ideas for sequels, or are you too excited by the prospect of a new project to feel sad that the previous story is over?  I missed William and Colby so much I was actually depressed for several days after I finished writing. But I don’t do sequels often. For one thing, I’m usually most interested in the beginnings of a relationship, when two people are finding each other and finding ways around all those initial obstacles. Also, my muse is busy and I have a very long “to-write” list.If you could have a lunch date with anyone in the world, living, dead, or fictional, who would it be and why? Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain. He lived such a fascinating life and he’s one of my favorite authors. He’d have such amazing stories to tell over lunch!What are your favorite movies of all time? I love The Princess Bride, but who doesn’t? What are your favorite TV shows of all time?I’m a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.What kind of music do you listen to? Do you have a favorite musical artist? I like lots of kinds of music, most of them old. I love old punk like the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, Clash. And newer punk or garage punk like Rancid and the White Stripes. I like blues and bluegrass and folk, British invasion stuff from the 60s and early 70s, and world music. The last concert I attended was Chris Isaak and I’ll be seeing Pink Martini in December. I am intentionally clueless about today’s pop music. I share a playlist with my 14-year-old daughter, and her friends who have seen it have informed her I am cool. She is skeptical.What television shows are you currently watching? I’m too busy to watch much TV. I usually have one show a week. It was Dexter, and I’m really looking forward to the next season of Game of Thrones. I watch True Blood, even though it’s getting increasingly dumb. I sometimes watch Jon Stewart, Colbert, or Househunters International. I have watched Supernatural, but I’m still at the beginning of S7.What’s next on the horizon for you? WIPs, writing goals, personal goals…?  Lots of stuff!
--I have a short story in DreamspinnerPress’s Steamed Up (steampunk)anthology, which releases Oct. 21.
--My novella Housekeeping comes out in November. It’s a light contemporary.
--In December I’ll have a Christmas story called Alaska.
--In February or March my fantasy novel Pilgrimage comes out.
--I’m collaborating with Eli Easton, Jamie Fessenden, and Sue Brown on some gothic horror themed anthologies.
--I’m almost done with my first draft of a ghost story set around Route 66 and Las Vegas.


 
 

Thanks again to Kim for being here today! Be sure to visit her website, Kim Fielding Writes . 
 Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author

Welcome Ken Murphy

One of the best things about getting published has been getting to meet a host of amazing people. Earlier in the year, I travelled to Washington D.C. for the OutWrite Book Fair and got to spend a couple of days with Ken Murphy, Andrew Gordon, Shira Anthony, and Marguerite Labbe. Several other people dropped in, including Michael Murphy (no relation, but also a wonderful guy  :)    So I'm extra happy to have Ken in the hot seat interview chair today. Ken, the floor is yours...   Ken Murphy here, and for the last twenty-two years, I’ve called Atlanta, Georgia my home. I am originally from a small town in South Georgia, and except for a brief stint in the military, I’ve lived in Georgia my entire life. Yeah, I’m a real Georgia Peach. I’ve only been writing for about two years, and I half-jokingly call it my third career. My first career, and love, is Nursing. There is no greater calling than helping others. For my second career, I left the bedside so that I could use my healthcare background and interest in computers to make the electronic medical record easier for people to use. My current full-time job is in health informatics. I’ve been in a relationship with a wonderful man for almost two decades. We live in an old house in an historic neighborhood that we share with one slightly neurotic Dalmatian.   Please tell us a little bit about your current release. What inspired you to write this story? How did it come about? My latest release is a short story called Pick Up. The idea for the story came to me right after my partner and I celebrated our nineteenth anniversary this past August. The premise for the tale is that Chaz, the main character, is looking for a little spice in his life. His partner is not home, so he goes out with the express intent of picking up a man from a bar for a little action on the side.   I'm a little afraid to ask how that idea came out of a nineteenth anniversary celebration ;-)  What inspired you to become an author? I have always been a passionate soul. I love being in love, and reading about others falling in love. Even as a teenager, I enjoyed reading romance novels. Of course back then, most of the ones I read were of the historical variety in which the main character was usually some damsel in distress. Life got in the way, and I took a long break from reading. A few years ago, I came to a place in life where I had time to begin reading for pleasure again. I was ecstatic to learn about the popularity of romantic fiction involving gay men. Then, a couple of years ago, I decided to give writing a try. I created the characters in my mind, and had the most amazing time bringing them to life on the page.   Is there an underlying theme in your stories? There absolutely is an underlying theme; love and the interaction between two or more people. The majority of my works and works in progress concentrate on relationships. The primary focus of my stories is generally romance between two men, but not always. One of my yet to be released novels is about two men, but it’s not a romance in the traditional sense.  I’d call it more of a story about love than a love story.   What drew you to write M/M fiction? What sub-genres do you enjoy the most? First of all, I’m a gay man. It’s my normal. I like to read and write stories that dispel myths about men, especially gay men. Yes, we love sex, but it’s not all about sex. Okay, a bunch of it is about sex. Contrary to popular belief, lots of us fellas are affectionate and expressive. My favorite sub-genre is romance. When selecting a book to read, I tend to lean more towards contemporary gay romance. But I’ve been known to fall for a shifter of two, not to mention some off-worlders.   Would you categorize your stories as romance, erotica, or something else? Why? How about a blend of romance and erotica? The main purpose of my writing is to bring people together. The relationship is the point. I don’t write in sex scenes simply to titillate, they move the story forward. On the other hand, I write for adults. I’m not going to close the bedroom door in your face, and make you guess what happened inside. Making love is an integral part of getting to know one another at first, and then it becomes a physical and emotional means of nurturing the bond between two (or more) people.   What are the best and worst reactions you’ve gotten from people after telling them what you write? The best reaction I’ve received came from my aunt, who just happens to be in her seventies. She is one of my greatest and most supportive fans. I have also had fans tell me that Stubborn Heart moved them to tears. I am so pleased they came to love Trevor and Mark as much as I do. I couldn’t help laughing when one friend wrote to tell me that he was reading Stubborn Heart on a plane, and had to put the book away when he got a little too excited reading one of the love-making scenes (Yeah, I know what I said in the previous question, but I do want you to enjoy the physical side of the romance as well). I’ve honestly not had any bad reactions from people when I tell them what I write. I know that I am fortunate. Too many M/M writers are forced to write from the closet for fear of losing their jobs, family, or friends. I was pleasantly surprised when my partner’s brother told be over the summer that he’s read Stubborn Heart. I asked him what he thought and he said the sex was a little vanilla. I had to ask him exactly what he thought it was that we gay boys did in the bedroom. I will definitely not be snooping in his nightstand drawers.   There’s some controversy about women who write M/M? Do you have any thoughts on the subject you want to share? I’d be the first to admit that the number of women who read and write M/M romance took me by surprise. Now having said that, the second gay novel I ever read was The FrontRunner by the wonderful Patricia Nell Warren. I have heard there are a lot of us fellas out there who believe women should stick to what they know. Let me just say that I’m not one of them. I think I did a fairly good job of describing childbirth in Cameronand Early (not yet released), and I have for certain never birthed no babies. It’s called research. I am much more concerned with the quality of the story, and the ability of the characters to worm their way into my head and my heart than I am the gender of the person who penned the novel.   Do you write in any other genres? If so, which ones and do you use a different pen name? Why/why not? I have not written anything other than gay literature, and I use my real name. I did jokingly say that one day I planned to write a main-stream novel and publish it under a pseudonym so no one would know it was me.  Pantster or plotter? Why?  I start out as a plotter. I like to have an idea of where the tale is headed. Of course, the best made plans don’t always work. There is a good reason Mark why earned the label stubborn in Stubborn Heart . Sometimes he just would not do what I wanted. But, it was his story, so I generally gave in. The end result was better because of it.  What’s your favorite part of the writing process? (the spark, the research, character outlines…?) My favorite part of writing is discovering the characters. Even though I start out with a basic notion of who they are at the beginning of the story, it is a learning process. As the tale progresses, I get to know the characters better, exactly as it is for the reader. And over time, the characters change. If you liked Trevor in Stubborn Heart , just wait until Sharing Heart . I fell in love with him all over again.  What’s your least favorite part of the writingprocess? Edits are the worst part of writing a story. When I grow up, I’m going to write every story perfectly the first time. I will never head jump, overuse words, repeat myself… You get the point.     How much of your real life experiences go into your writing? Where does your inspiration usually come from? Ever based a character on a real person (friend or enemy?) Probably a lot more than I realize of my real life goes into my writing. I do use real places for my stories. That is why (thus far) they are all centered around Atlanta. All of my characters have a little of me in them. A couple of people have told me that they can hear me saying some of the things Mark did in Stubborn Heart . But the stories themselves are made up. They didn’t really happen; at least not to me.  Do you listen to music while you write, prefer absolute silence, run off to the coffee shop…? If you do listen to music, can you name a few songs off your playlist? When I write, I do nothing but write. No television, no music, zip. I am too easily distracted. I often see people post on Facebook or other media that they’re writing. I want to say to them “no you’re not writing, you’re socializing.” If these folks really can do both simultaneously, then I am amazed, and in awe. I do a lot of the plot work in my head though, and a great time for that is when I’m at the gym. I spend 30-45 minutes each day doing cardio, so that is the perfect opportunity to work out the details of a story or scene in my head. Later on, I sit down and type them out.  What do you do to get in the mood to write, especially when you don’t feel like it? I always start out by reading what I wrote during my last session. It gets my head back in the story, plus it’s a great opportunity to do the first proof and edits on what I’ve done thus far. If I’m really having trouble getting in the zone, I give up. It just isn’t my day. I find that if I try to force it, it becomes a chore. And the quality of my writing reflects that. When I tried to force myself to write, I’ve generally had to go back in and rewrite all of it. I find that if I put it away until later, when I do get back, getting motivated is no longer a problem.   What makes for a great hero/heroine? I like a hero who is flawed. I have never been able to identify or fall in love with a character that could do everything, be everything. And there is no struggle. If the hero is already perfect, what is the point of the story? The hero needs to have some good qualities and some bad ones. He/she needs to have the motivation to overcome whatever obstacle gets tossed their way, and come out better for it.   What makes for a great villain? A villain is exactly the same as a hero, just on the other side of the coin. I can’t relate to a villain who is mean just because he can be. There has to be a good reason for why the baddie behaves as she does. I love a story where the villain somehow redeems himself at the end.   What makes for a great overall story? A great story has to be believable, and it has to move me in some way. I don’t care whether you’re falling in love with the boy (or girl) next door, or wading through green goo with a three headed alien on one of the moons of Uranus, the story has to be plausible. People want to immerse themselves in the tale; want to believe it could happen to them. Now I don’t really mean I expect to even see one of Uranus’ moons close up, but I do want to believe that I could forge a bond with the three headed alien, and together we could triumph over evil, save the world, or fall in love.  What advice would you give to a writer who’s just starting out but who hasn’t been published yet? Write. Write. Write. Stick to it, and believe in yourself. It took me almost a year to write Stubborn Heart . I would get stuck and put it down for weeks at a time. But I always went back to it. I was so fortunate that Dreamspinner Press accepted Stubborn Heart the first time I submitted it to them. That doesn’t always happen. If your manuscript gets rejected, politely ask the publishers why. Cameron and Early is currently under review by the third publisher I’ve submitted the story to. Both previous times, I asked for and received valuable feedback. Both times I made their story better, stronger. And if this publisher declines to publish it, I already have a fourth one lined up. I believe their story is just that important. The main thing is to never give up. Believe I what you do, and keep trying. You will succeed.   City boy/girl or Country Mouse? Why? City boy all the way. I grew up in a small town, but I love the advantages of living in a metropolitan city. I like having a large selection of restaurants, and options for shopping; being close to the grocer, the park, or the gym. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of a big city. I think that is even truer being a gay man. It is certainly more acceptable to be gay and out in Atlanta than it was in the small town where I grew up. But that too is changing. I have many friends in smaller cities who are openly gay and accepted by their communities.   If you could pick up and move to any part of the world and live there, where would it be and why? I don’t know that I would ever move. I love Atlanta. I joke about moving to South Florida simply because I am not a fan of cold weather. I would be perfectly happy if I never had to wear long pants or “real” shoes again. And there are so many beautiful beaches. But I don’t think I’d like the pace for more than a week or two at the time. After all, I am a city boy.   How do you unwind or de-stress after a bad day/week/month? I go straight from work to the gym. A couple of years (and 50 pounds) ago, I went home and took a nap. Bad. Now I funnel the day’s frustrations into physical activity. Plus I get my story plotting time. After an hour or so at the gym, I feel revitalized. I can go home and write, or whatever I need to do.   What’s your dream job (besides being an author!)?  I have my dream job. I get to help people take better care of our nation’s veterans. I design tools that remind physicians to order important tests, or ask questions they might otherwise forget as they work to keep our veterans healthy. I develop tools to help them make sound choices when caring for veterans who are sick. Even though I consider myself a little tech-tarded, I enjoy working with computer programs and software. The tools in my job change frequently, so I’m constantly learning new things. I never get bored.  Of the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite? Which would you recommend to a new reader and why? Gosh! That’s difficult. My favorite story is Stubborn Heart . I recommend both of my published works for different reasons. Stubborn Heart is about a man who’s been unlucky in love. It’s about finding love a little later in life. I like to think it gives the reader hope. Pick Up is a lot different. It a short story about a middle-aged man who is already in a relationship. He goes out to a bar looking for a little excitement. You know, a quickie about a quickie.   Do you have a favorite character (of your own creation)? What makes that character special to you? My favorite character ever (of my limited published work) is Trevor Hayes. He is a human teddy bear. He is very sweet and affectionate. He’s the kind of guy who’ll build you a fire, then spend the night cuddling with you in front of it. But it’s very obvious he’s the baby of his family. Trevor spends a lot of time growing up in Stubborn Heart . He really doesn’t understand why you can’t have something just because you want it.    What about your current story, who’s your favorite character in that one? Why? Kelly is my favorite character in Pick Up. He’s exactly what Chaz needs him to be. Not to mention that he goes out to a bar in Midtown Atlanta dressed as a cowboy. I mean, how freaking hot is that?   Do you miss your characters when you finish a story? Do you try to come up with ideas for sequels, or are you too excited by the prospect of a new project to feel sad that the previous story is over?  I do miss the characters once the story is written. Like the books they’re in, these characters are my creation, part of me. That is why I wrote Sharing Heart. Mark let me know in no uncertain terms that his story was not over. And boy, was that the truth.  Of all of the stories you’ve written, which setting or location (city/country/time period) has been your favorite? Why? First of all, I am unabashedly biased. I love Atlanta. It is a modern gem in the Old South. Atlanta has beautiful parks and lots of recreation. Some of our restaurants are world renowned. We have ridiculously wonderful weather, so you can enjoy the outdoors most days out of the year. And with several million inhabitants, Atlanta has a lot of folks with a lot of tales to tell.   Do you have any heroes or people you look up to? (Real life mentors, public figures, fellow authors, living or dead). If so, who and why? I have many heroes, and a bunch of them are authors. A person who can arrange words on a page and use those words to transport the reader to another place, can make the reader laugh, cry, get angry, fall in love (or even better yet, all of those) is truly gifted. I am so lucky to call many of these people my friends. I learn from them every day.   One of the hardest things for an author to take is a bad review. How do you handle those one and two star reviews? Read it, process it, and move on. Much easier said than done, I know. Reviews are important. I can tell you all day how wonderful my latest story about the mating habits of red squirrels is (I made that up), but it won’t have nearly as much impact as a five-star rating by Sally Reader in which she stated it was the best book she’d ever read. Likewise, I know some readers see a one-star rating and mentally cross the story off their lists. So, reviews do matter. And some of them are hurtful. I always try to learn from reader feedback, positive or negative. One person felt I spent too much time describing a meal. I did not agree, but I respect his opinion. Unless it is really germane to the story, I won’t spend six pages writing about how to make chicken and dumplings. Another reader wrote that after ten pages, she decided the book was too boring. Not much I can do with that. I will say that as a reader, when I see comments like hers, my impression is more about that reader’s inability to focus than the writer’s ability to tell a story. Along those same lines, I offer this to my fellow writers: I’ve purchased a few books because of scathing reviews. I wanted to find out what evoked such passion in the reader. After all, writing, like all art, is meant to stir emotion.   What book are you reading right now? What do you like best about it? I’m in between books right this minute. I just finished The Beast Without , by Christian Baines. I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but it is about a vampire and a werewolf. Baines did a great job of taking old archetypes and giving them a new twist. I also liked that the two main characters found in each other something neither one realized he was missing. Loved it.   Oh goodie, another one for the to-read pile (I'm a sucker for a good twist on the vampire/werewolf/lovers trope.) What kind of music do you listen to? Do you have a favorite musical artist? I like most music, pop, rock, country, dance, even a little rap now and again. I generally listen to music with a good beat, especially when I’m exercising. My favorite musical artist right now is Steve Grand. For those who aren’t familiar with Steve, he tags himself the first openly gay country music singer. Since I can’t think of another one, he may be telling the truth. He’s fairly new and only has a couple of songs out. If you don’t know Steve, YouTube All American Boy or Stay. Both music videos are a lot of fun. Steve has a great set of pipes, plus he’s easy on the eyes.   Shae Connor (another Atlanta native) sort of introduced me to Steve Grand on her website. Totally awesome (and this from a girl who doesn't usually get into country music!   What’s next on the horizon for you? WIPs, writing goals, personal goals…?  I definitely intend to continue writing. My current work in progress is Kyle and Jeff’s story. For those who’ve read Stubborn Heart, they are the couple who met Trevor and Mark in the park. It wasn’t the plan for my next story, but I think it has to be the next thing I complete. Jeff has such a loud mouth, and he’s been annoying the hell out of me lately. I have plan for several more stories. A couple of folks have said they want Derrick’s story. It will come. He’s just too wonderful a man not to get his own turn. But you know, Derrick wasn’t always the great guy that he is now. He’s had his own share of issues in his past. My personal goals focus around simplifying my life. I really want to have more time to get my ideas onto paper. At some point in the future I would love to transition into writing full time. And maybe one day I’ll get to get to the point in my writing career where, when surrounded by a room full of fellow authors, I don’t feel like the kindergarten kid accidentally chosen to play basketball on the high school team.   Thanks again to Ken for being here today! You an buy his books here: Stubborn Heart   and here: Pick Up         Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author

Welcome Garrett Leigh

 First, let me take a moment to say welcome and thank you for being here today! It’s always a pleasure to have guests in the hot seat…erm, I mean interview chair.

Howdy folks!
Look at me, being all cowboy and shit, when I'm actually a down and dirty London cockney…
In case you haven't worked it out, I'm Garrett Leigh, British born author and cover artist at Dreamspinner Press and Loose ID. I've been writing since I was a little girl, but in those days, I think it was called telling fibs.
Please tell us a little bit about your current release. What inspired you to write this story? How did it come about?
I'm here to promote Bullet, the first in my Blue Boy series at Loose ID. Bullet is the tail of reluctant porn star Levi Ramone, and his pugnacious love interest, Sonny Valentine.
Bullet came about as I was writing a mega angsty novel, Only Love (out with Dreamspinner next summer). Bullet was supposed to be a quick, light release after a year spent putting a wounded war vet through hell.
But it didn't quite work out that way. I'm an angst writer at heart, and my attempts to be anything else always seem to fail.
Bullet is 33k of angsty, dirty heartache, and I'm damned proud of it!
Is there an underlying theme in your stories?
Oh, angst, for sure. And tattoos…no, seriously. My MC's always seem to have, or develop, physical flaws or disabilities. Or mental health issues. And the reason for this, I think, is that men of any age find these perceived weaknesses hard to talk about. Scars, nightmares, fears, illnesses. But, like the rest of us, these things are what makes us human, and I enjoy exploring this part of the male psyche and tearing it apart.
Of course, putting it back together is fun too, especially when the MC in question has an adorable companion to help/comfort them
Would you categorize your stories as romance, erotica, or something else? Why?
Romance. The sex is there, and when my characters go, they go, and it's totally hot. But you will never find a sex scene in my books that doesn't advance the plot and serve a purpose. I can read porn without plot and love it, but I seem incapable of writing it.
There’s some controversy about women who write M/M? Do you have any thoughts on the subject you want to share?
I think it's bullshit. Women have been writing from the male POV in heterosexual romance for centuries, and vice versa. The idea that something is suddenly wrong because it's gay, and/or popular is nonsense.
What’s your favorite part of the writingprocess? (the spark, the research, character oultines…?)
Oh, the research for sure. Put me in front of google with a list and I'm a happy bunny. Only problem is I bookmark all this shit I never go back to! It's fun, though. Even the horrid stuff, and the things you learn are…interesting.
What’s your leastfavorite part of the writing process?
Continuity. It's the hardest thing for me, especially in longer novels. My fab editor at DSP tears her hair out over my dodgy timelines!
What’s your favorite part of the publishingprocess? (writing the story, working with an editor, working with the art department, marketing, etc?)
The cover art, for sure. I'm lucky enough to do most of my own, and they're often at least drafted before the story is complete. I find having a visual motivation for the book really helps my writing.
I also love producing art for other authors. Connecting with them and seeing their books through their eyes is fascinating.
Do you have any heroes or people you look up to? (Real life mentors, public figures, fellow authors, living or dead). If so, who and why?
John Bird, the founder of The Big Issue, and Reg Keys, the father of a British soldier, killed in action, who stood against Tony Blair in his constituency in the general election that followed the Iraq war. That dude broke my heart.
One of the hardest things for an author to take is a bad review. How do you handle those one and two star reviews?
Folk will think what they think, whatever I say or do. And to some, my stuff probably is a pile of poo. You can't mean something to everyone you touch. Sometimes, you just gotta glide on by.
What’s next on the horizon for you? WIPs, writing goals, personal goals…? 
I have a lot going on in the next year. Two novels and a couple of novellas, and another novel under submission. I'm also looking forward to falling into my next big novel. Just haven't figured out what it is yet…
Levi Ramone entered the gay porn market for one reason, and one reason only–he needed the cash to pay his momma's spiraling gambling debts.
 
Seven years later, he's a veteran with a reputation as one of Blue Boy Studio's most ruthless tops, and when his boss suggests it's time for a change, he finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
 
Figuratively speaking, at least.
 
Enter Sonny Valentine, a go-go dancer at Blue's sister club, Silver's. Levi has secretly admired Sonny from afar for years, but there's one problem–he can't stand Sonny and the feeling is entirely mutual. When Levi learns Sonny is to play the third part in a scene he considers his worst nightmare, he figures things can't get any worse.
 
But when preparations for the scene from hell collide with tragic events in his personal life, he finds his fast growing, red hot attraction to Sonny the one thing left between him and a bullet.
You can buy Bullet at Loose Id
(http://www.loose-id.com/newest/coming-soon/bullet.html)    

 Thanks again to Garrett for being here today--even it means one more book added to my ever-growing To Read list! (Seriously, who can resist sexy porn stars?)
 
 Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author

Ten years ago today....

I married my best friend, my lover, the closest thing to soul mate I think I could ever have. He's my inspiration and my companion. He's become the father to my daughter.I wouldn't be the woman I am today if not for him--and I definitely wouldn't be the writer I am because after two failed marriages, I'd pretty much given up on "forever" and I'd certainly given up on happy endings.  The funny thing is that I'd known Ed for almost 12 years when we got married. He was my daughter's godfather and we'd dated on and off over the years.I guess it just took me a little while to realize that my happy ending, my forever was right there next to me. All I had to do was figure it out, be a little patient (he'd had his own hard knocks in the romance department over the years), and eventually it would all work itself out. The other funny thing is that at least two people along the way tried to dissuade me, talk me out of dating (or not-dating--don't ask, he was being a silly boy) Ed. Fortunately for both of us, I'd already known him long enough to know all his "dark secrets" (they're not that dark) and chose not listen to people who didn't really know him, no matter how much "insight" the claimed to have. But even if I hadn't already heard the good, the bad, and the ugly, I knew then--and I still know--that loving someone means loving the good and the bad, the light and the dark, and I'm no princess, either. (Seriously, I am the world's *worst* housemate). If Ed was willing to take me for all that I am, I surely had to be willing to do the same for him.  Because that's what love is.We used the first song during the ceremony and the second was what we shared our first dance to.Three guesses who picked what  ;-)   Ten years later, I still wake up every morning wildly, madly, deeply in love with the man that I married. My heart beats just a little faster when he comes into the room and when he kisses me, my knees turn to jelly.  
Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author

Welcome Jessica Skye Davies

First, let me take a moment to say welcome and thank you for being here today! It’s always a pleasure to have guests in the hot seat…erm, I mean interview chair! Why don’t you start out by telling us a little bit about your new book.
Half the World Away is a reasonably nice story (no blood!) about a couple boys from either end of the world wondering about how they’re gonna make it work.  I figured everybody needed something a little lighter from me after Sins of Another.  I like the concept of distance and what distance really means when it comes to relationships (something I’ll be blogging about later on in the blog tour, hint hint!)
Is there an underlying theme in your stories?
My first instinct is to say no, there’s not.  But the more I write, the more I see there kind of is.  As I mentioned, I seem to have a tendency to explore the concept of distance in relationships.  Sometimes the distance is physical/geographic and sometimes it’s emotional or personality distance.  And there’s all sorts of reasons for those distances too, whether it’s the effect of a possessed antique, a revenge kidnapping, or 10,000 miles of earth in the way. 
What drew you to write M/M fiction? What sub-genres do you enjoy the most?
I think part of the reason is that I have always been an ally and advocate to the LGBT community.  I’ve seen beauty and community and commitment and struggle and sadness in all kinds of relationships, not just in straight relationships.  Every story deserves to be told, to me that’s a big part of the definition of equality.
Would you categorize your stories as romance, erotica, or something else? Why?
I usually tell people what I write is romantic fiction.  Romance has a less-than-stellar connotation (people usually think of those formulaic pulps with Fabio and some willowy thing in the drugstore rack.  I feel that my stories are fiction first, with a core of romance.  “They” tell us that writers should write what they know—do you think that’s true? Why/why not?
I hope it’s not!  Considering some of the things that happen to Padrig in Sins of Another, I am fairly sure that’s an example of breaking that rule to bits.  Now, I should say that particularly for Sins once I got to redrafting stages I had done some academic research in HIV prevention, so there’s some “writing what I know” there.  Drugs and kidnappings, however, I assure you I have no firsthand knowledge of, fortunately!  I do think that statement tends to be taken a little more fundamentally than it’s meant to be, though, and I would define it more as putting in the due research.  There are few things worse than reading something that someone obviously didn’t put much research effort into.
What’s your favorite part of the writing process? (the spark, the research, character oultines…?)
I love getting to know the characters, not necessarily even through outlines but just through the process of storytelling.  They’re all so unique and have such depth.  Sometimes I find out things about my own characters halfway through a story that seriously seem to just be “revealed” without any plotting effort on my part.  They really can become very real.
Do you listen to music while you write, prefer absolute silence, run off to the coffee shop…? If you do listen to music, can you name a few songs off your playlist?
Oh my, I like it quiet as can be!  And I prefer solitude when I do it too.  I do often find musical connections within my stories, but those tend to come about when I’m not writing, like during commute or gym time.  I might hear a song and think, “oh, so-and-so would love this song!”  I’ve never really understood how people work in coffee shops, but I hear about it and see it all the time. 
What do you do to get in the mood to write, especially when you don’t feel like it?
Coffee helps.  I’ve never been a morning coffee drinker, I prefer tea in the morning, but sometimes by late afternoon I’m ready for a couple cups of java (well, there’s usually so much flavored stuff in mine that it is really just slightly coffee-flavored, but the caffeine is the trick anyway).  Otherwise, it can help to just make myself write at least one sentence.  Sometimes I’ll sit down with something and just can’t think what comes next.  Putting anything at all next at least breaks that barrier before it turns into a mental wall (and you can always go back and edit it – and probably will anyway!)
City boy/girl or Country Mouse? Why?
City all the way.  When I go to rural places I tend to find myself thinking, “What do people do here?”  I’m most comfortable when I have a lot of options, and the city has a lot more options.  I’m also impatient and hate the idea of it taken half an hour to get to anything (city traffic doesn’t apply because I can walk to most anything!)
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing? (hobbies, time with friends?)
Writing tends to be the thing I do with whatever free time I’ve got.  A labor of love.  However, I do also love salsa dancing (when I’m in active mode) or just enjoying an afternoon out for shopping and coffee (when I want to keep it chill but still need to get out of the house). 
What’s your dream job (besides being an author!)? 
I’m currently in grad school, going for a Master’s of Social Work in Social Administration.  When I’m not so exhausted from that, I’ll start talking about doing PhD research.  I mentioned I’ve done some academic work in HIV prevention and policy.  I loved it and I love being an advocate for the LGBT community (I also consider my writing to be a form of advocacy, so yay!)
It’s the Zombie Apocalypse and you can take three of your characters along with you to help you and your family get to safety. Which characters would you take and why?
In case anyone didn’t know, Pittsburgh is the Zombie Capital of the World, so this is a great question!  The first character who comes to mind is a minor character from Possession , Marcus – not to be confused with Marcus from Sins of Another .  The character in Possession is a metalworker and has a small blast furnace in his backyard.  That could be quite handy in zombie apocalypse situations.  And I would definitely want Elliot from Half the World Away on hand.  He’s from the Australian bush, he could definitely manage zombies!  Finally, I’d want Krist from Sins .  Because he’s crazy.        
Of the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite? Which would you recommend to a new reader and why?
Well, Sins of Another is a strong favorite of mine, because it’s a deep, intense story.  But for that reason, I usually recommend new readers of my work start out with something a little lighter.  Possession is spooky, but nowhere near as angsty.  My newest one, Half the World Away, is probably the “lightest” I’ve done so far.  Start with that so you don’t think I’m a complete whacko!
What’s next on the horizon for you? WIPs, writing goals, personal goals…? 
Right now I’m working on something not entirely dissimilar from Half the World Away , it’s a story about a couple of guys who don’t have quite so much physical distance but still might have some personality distances to bridge.  Josh and Ben have been quite cooperative (when I have the time to work with them!) and I hope they stay that way! 
Photographer Dade Faber keeps hoping for assignments on a big city beat, but time and again he’s sent into the wild. This time, he’s half the world away from London shooting the Australian bush. When Dade is nearly attacked by a crocodile, it leads to a shouting match with Elliot Harris, who owns Dade’s hotel. Elliot is both hot and persuasive, and when he offers to play tour guide, Dade accepts. After a week spent mostly together in the bush, Dade begins to fall for Elliott. The attraction is mutual, and when circumstances lead both men to London, they find they have much in common. But can their romance bridge the 10,000 miles between London and the Australian bush? 
Jessica Skye Davies has been a writer since her first works were “published” in her grandparents’ living room and written in crayon. She is a lifelong native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she has been active in the community, including serving as library director on the executive board of a local GLBT community center. Outside of writing, Jessica has a wide range of interests and hobbies: from Mozart in a music hall to punk in pubs, from Shakespeare to Vonnegut, from salsa dancing the night away to afternoon coffee in the square to kicking back with a good movie. She loves meeting new people and exploring new places, always open to whatever elements might inspire her next writing project.
 Links:
Half the World Away: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4282&cPath=399
Blog: http://jessicaskyedavies.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jessicaskye.davies
  Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author

Welcome Michael Rupured

Please help me give a warm welcome to Michael Rupured! I hope Michael will forgive me, I'm a bit sleep deprived at the moment, fortunately, our faithful cabana boy has the coffee ready...  Thanks, H.B., for having me back to talk about After Christmas Eve . To celebrate the release by MLR Press of my second novel, I’m giving away 10 copies (ebooks) through an 11-stop blog hop. To enter, comment before midnight, October 25, 2013 on any of my posts on the eleven participating blogs. Be sure to include an email address. Pantsing is a very free-wheeling, stream-of-conscious style of writing that many writers prefer. The problem, at least for me, is the need to revise a finished chapter to include something I thought about six chapters later—over, and over, and over again. I get confused about what has and hasn't been changed and always worry about missing something. The constant revisions pantsing requires were so painful, I vowed to find a better way. For After Christmas Eve, I wrote a one-page synopsis, pages of backstory for all the main characters, and three-sentence descriptions for every chapter—about thirty in the original outline—before writing any of the story. Changing the description of what's supposed to happen in a chapter is a lot easier than revising a finished chapter.
Did I follow the chapter summaries I wrote up? Mostly. Some chapters came out almost exactly as planned. They may have picked up and left off at different places than I'd envisioned, but the gist of the story didn't change. A few chapters were not in the original outline, but were needed to get me from where I was to where I needed to be. Writing an outline is not the same as writing the novel. An outline hits the high points. Once I started writing, things happened that weren’t in the outline. The story got high jacked by several supporting characters, forcing me to go back to the beginning to dial up the protagonist. I learned that, with or without an outline, pantsing is an essential part of the writing process. When I'm making it up as I write—and I know other writers have the same experience—random words end up on the page that later turn out to be important. Characters say and do surprising things that simply had never occurred to me. I worried that outlining would somehow keep this from happening. But it didn't, not one little bit. Knowing where the story was going and what had to happen kept me focused on the plot and prevented a lot of needless wandering around. But—and this is a good thing—the characters filled me in on important things about them I didn't know. Here’s the blurb: As Philip Potter wraps up his last minute shopping on Christmas Eve, 1966, James Walker, his lover of six years, takes his life. Unaware of what waits for him at home, Philip drops off gifts to the homeless shelter, an act of generosity that later makes him a suspect in the murder of a male prostitute.   Two men drive yellow Continentals. One is a killer, with the blood of at least six hustlers on his hands. Both men have secrets. And as Philip is about to discover, James had kept secrets, too. But James wasn’t trying to frame him for murder…    *This is the tenth of eleven stops on the After Christmas Eve Blog Hop. Excerpts appear in serial form along the hop, beginning with my post at http://www.shiraanthony.com/?p=3217.   Excerpt #10 of 11 Step by careful step, he made his way down Twenty-first Street toward G Street and the apartment he shared with James. He winced as the scream of a siren from a passing ambulance filled his head. More sirens wailed in the distance. The hair on his neck prickled. Though he hadn’t been to Mass since second grade and had never considered himself a religious man, he crossed himself and said a quick prayer for the unfortunate victim’s family and friends as the sirens converged at a location a few blocks ahead of him. He rounded the corner onto G Street and saw that the uproar revolved around his apartment building. Anxiety about James’s meeting with his father hardened into a knot of tension that made breathing difficult. The icy sidewalk prevented him from running, but he picked up his pace as best he could and hurried to the building. An ambulance and half a dozen police cars blocked the street. The red, amber, and blue flashing lights on the snow-covered evergreens reminded him of the flocked Christmas tree he’d seen at the shelter. Bystanders huddled together in small groups talking amongst themselves. As he passed the first group, he heard a woman say, “We were watching television when I heard a gunshot right outside our door.” Another faceless voice reached his ear. “…took his own life, and here on Christmas Eve….” A uniformed officer blocked the entrance to his apartment building. Philip stopped on the sidewalk, three steps below the landing. “Excuse me, sir. I live here. May I come in?” The officer gave him a quick once-over and asked, “Which apartment?” Darkness and the flashing lights made it hard to see his face. A single, bushy eyebrow extended almost from ear to ear beneath the visor of his hat. Philip wanted to ask if he’d ever heard of tweezers. “I live in apartment 203 with my roommate.” “Roommate?” The giant brow furrowed, the officer’s expression changed. Philip detected derision in his voice. “Yes, my roommate, James Walker. Have you seen him?” The bushy fringe arched as the officer’s lips curled into a sneer. “Yeah, I’ve seen him. He’s laying up in that hallway with a bullet in his head.” Philip heard the words, but couldn’t quite glean the meaning. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” “I said your faggot boyfriend blew his brains out.” Understanding struck Philip as the officer disappeared up the stairs. His knees buckled and the snow-covered sidewalk rushed toward him. The last thing he saw was the box containing the fire engine red transistor radio he’d purchased for James tumbling down the sidewalk and into the street. Continued on 10/25 on Julie Lynn Hayes’ blog (http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/) Buy link: MLR Press (http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=MRAFTERX) Web site: http://rupured.com Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author

Welcome Harry K. Malone

First, let me take a moment to say welcome and thank you for being here today! It’s always a pleasure to have guests in the hot seat…erm, I mean interview chair.
Thank you for having me!
 
How long have you been writing?
My whole life.  When I was a kid, when everyone else was outside playing soccer, I would be inside, hunched over a notebook.   I had a giant box full of notebooks with short stories, outlines for novels, and blurbs for the 100+ books I intended to write someday.  Then my family moved, and my parents threw the box away.  That didn’t stop me.  Look at me now, Ma!
 
What drew you to write M/M fiction?
In that box of stories I had when I was a child, I wrote a lot about alternative families – one parent households, stepfamilies, adoptive parents, friends who lived together and made families.  I don’t think I ever wrote anything explicitly about gay couples, but looking back now that I’ve come out, it’s clear that the appeal of those stories for me was that they offered different ways of thinking about mom, dad, and kids.  When I discovered that there was this stuff called m/m romance, I was like, Yes!  This is what I’ve been waiting for!  Probably a lot of writers and readers came to m/m for the same reason that I did – to see ourselves reflected on the page, but way hotter.  Way, way hotter.
 
Is there an underlying theme in your stories?
Everyone is sexier than I am.
 
“They” tell us that writers should write what they know—do you think that’s true?
The older I get, the more I can appreciate how my life experiences inform what I write and how I write.  Wisdom, insight, and personal experience definitely make a difference in writing.  But I don’t think we have to limit ourselves to only writing what we’ve lived through.  “What we know” might be about emotional truth, for example.  If a writer does enough research and brings enough emotional truth to the story, then it doesn’t have to be a story about something the writer has personally encountered.  If we only ever wrote what we know, we’d have a lot fewer stories about werewolves and vampires.  (At least, I hope these stories aren’t written from personal experience!)
 
How much of your real life experiences go into your writing? Are you inspired by people you know or your own experiences?
All the time.  Every character I write is an amalgamation of me, my ideal lover, and people I know.  While plots aren’t typically taken from my real life, some minor incidents are.  In fact, a few of my friends made me read part of The Hollywood Version (my first published novel) aloud to them, and there’s one moment where the protagonist, in the face of a break-up, does something that came right out of my last break-up.  It was really hard to read that out loud.
But nothing I write is that literally pulled from my life.  I find inspiration everywhere – people on the train, weird things I think about while I’m in line for coffee, little nooks and crannies in Chicago that I’ve never seen before, even though I’ve lived here a long time.  I found this spot by the river the other day and thought, This would be the perfect place for a secret rendezvous.  But who are these guys that they have to meet in secret by the river?  And a story was born.
 
Do you have a favorite character (of your own creation)? What makes that character special to you?  
Okay, totally narcissistic reveal here, but the characters I’m most in love with tend to resemble me the most.  In terms of their thoughts and feelings, anyway.  They’re always smarter and sexier than I am.  But I can fall in love with characters pretty easily.  Even people you wouldn’t necessarily like in real life, you can fall in love with on the page if a writer has done his work making the character’s hopes and dreams real.  
 
What about your current book, who’s your favorite character in that one?
I’m currently working on a story about three men who meet a bisexual speed dating event.  I’m in love with each of them, and I love the relationship any two of them have.  I also love the dynamics of the three of them together.  The guys are so different.  Henry is older and more reserved, and he tries so desperately to figure out what he’s supposed to do now that he’s back in the dating scene, but he keeps failing miserably.  He’s so loveable because he doesn’t get it.  Drew, the second guy, is a chatterbox with a heart of gold and a very liberal attitude toward sex.  I like that he’s willing to sleep with anyone, anytime – he’s very sex positive – but he does it in this way that doesn’t feel sleazy at all.  He has this belief that you have to be in love with someone, even just for the few minutes you’re together, in order for sex to work.  I’d sleep with him in a heartbeat.  The third guy doesn’t have a name yet (although you can weigh in here).  He’s young, hotheaded, and thinks he’s always right.  He’s perceptive and wise, and understands everything about everyone – except himself.  He’s adorable. 
 
What are you reading now?
I’m working my way through Jordan Castillo Price’s PsyCop series.  I was hesitant at first because although I like sci fi on television and in movies, I don’t generally read it.  But I’m totally enamored with Vic, the protagonist.  He’s an imperfect character, and I think those are often the easiest guys to fall in love with.  The world of the series is also interesting.  It’s our world, with some secrets exposed.  And it’s set in Chicago.  I’m a sucker for anything set in Chicago.
 
You can read an excerpt of Harry’s work in progress on his blog.  Be sure to leave a comment there for a chance to win a short story written exclusively for you.  You can also follow Harry on Twitter at @HarryKMalone.
 Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author

Welcome August Li

First, let me take a moment to say welcome and thank you for being here today! It’s always a pleasure to have guests in the hot seat…erm, I mean interview chair.
Why don’t you start out by introducing yourself (where you call home, how long you’ve been writing, etc.)?
I’m Augusta Li but most people call me Gus. I live near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but really enjoy traveling and spend as little time at home as possible. Most of my work is published through Dreamspinner Press, where I signed my first contract in 2010.
Please tell us a little bit about your current release. What inspired you to write this story? How did it come about?
My most recent release is Iron and Ether , the third book in my Blessed Epoch series. The Blessed Epoch is a High Fantasy series with a large cast of characters and lots of plots, subplots, counter-plots, political intrigue, and fighting.
 Is there an underlying theme in your stories?
Not intentionally, though I have noticed a few recurring themes over the years. My characters tend to be people who can’t find happiness by living according to society’s expectations. They are usually independent people who need to forge their own path, even if it sometimes takes them a while to realize it. Often they have a disdain for authority, especially unjust authority, and as a result, many of them operate in a morally gray realm—sometimes outside the law.
I also have at least three white or silver-haired protagonists. I blame this on Sephiroth and playing FFVII as a kid.
Would you categorize your stories as romance, erotica, or something else? Why?
I would categorize them primarily as fantasy/action adventure with romantic elements. I like to write plot and character-driven stories, and I like the plots intricate and unpredictable. Usually, if not always, there’s a plot beyond the romance. Not that the romance is tacked on, either. I aim to intertwine the plots so the romance is integral to and influences the main plot, while of course the main plot will have effects on the romance.
What are the best and worst reactions you’ve gotten from people after telling them what you write?
I have never gotten a bad reaction, and I tell everybody! I show off my beautiful cover art to anyone who will look. If they don’t like it, I really don’t care.
  “They” tell us that writers should write what they know—do you think that’s true? Why/why not?
Well clearly not, being as I write about clockwork boys, faeries, mages, and secret societies of assassins. I have even made up my own races on more than one occasion. That’s what I like about fantasy—it gives both the author and readers the chance to experience things they probably couldn’t in “real-life.” It’s kind of the same reason why I’d rather play a fantasy RPG than the Sims.
Pantster or plotter? Why?
In a lot of my books, I have to keep careful track of past events and their continuing influence on the world and the characters, and sometimes it can be a great deal to keep straight, so in that sense I do keep some notes. That said, though, the characters are always evolving and reacting to things in ways that surprise me, so I usually let them. If I have a good understanding of what makes them tick, I feel confident to just sit back and hold the camera when that’s what they want. That element of surprise and the unexpected is a big part of what makes writing fun for me. Essentially I plot the barest bones but let the characters flesh it out.
What’s your favorite part of the writing process? (the spark, the research, character oultines…?)
Like I said in the previous question, the most fun part for me is seeing what surprises the characters have in store for me. I love it when I can really get inside their heads and let them tell me what they’d do and say. They feel very real to me then, and I can just follow them around and take notes. I love the unexpected ways in which characters often develop.
What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?
I don’t have a least favorite part. I even enjoy doing edits.
What’s your favorite part of the publishing process? (writing the story, working with an editor, working with the art department, marketing, etc?)
Cover art, for sure! I’m partial to drawn covers, and the kick-ass (can I say that?) art department at Dreamspinner had done some absolutely gorgeous covers for me. I swear they can see inside my head sometimes. I admit I’m appearance-oriented (maybe even a little shallow) so I go a little further than some authors in describing what the characters look like. I pass these descriptions on to the art department, and they always get it perfect right down to the eyelashes.
What’s your least favorite part of the publishing process?
My publisher is great, and they make everything pretty smooth and painless, so I don’t mind any stage of it.
 Do you listen to music while you write, prefer absolute silence, run off to the coffee shop…? If you do listen to music, can you name a few songs off your playlist?
I like to sit with my cat and put something on TV that I don’t have to pay much attention to, like anime episodes I’ve already seen. I really enjoy writing while my roommate is playing video games. It’s just enough background noise without being distracting.
What do you do to get in the mood to write, especially when you don’t feel like it?
Never don’t feel like it. If I get a little off-track, I sketch the characters and jot down little random bits of dialogue so I can get used to their cadence. If I need to understand them a bit better, I imagine them in situations outside the scope of the book—like at the grocery store. What do they buy and how do they select it? Carefully or on impulse? How would this person react to a threat? To someone else being threatened? To being lost in a strange city?
What makes for a great hero/heroine?
In my opinion, flaws, complexity, and inner conflict. Someone struggling to do what they think they must, despite their own weaknesses or outside pressures. Someone who has to fight for what they believe, and who doesn’t give up when things get difficult. Courage, always. Perfect characters are no fun. I prefer characters who take chances, make mistakes, and make bad decisions, learn from them, and keep trying.
What makes for a great villain?
Motivation. If someone is doing bad stuff, they had better have a valid and understandable reason for it. I’m opposed to the Disney-type villains who are “just evil,” and whose only motive is to thwart the protagonist. That’s lazy, and even five-year-olds deserve better than that. At the heart of the matter, villains, like anyone else, are people with fears, desires, and conflicts of their own to face.
Even better than a hero and a villain, though, are two (or more) characters who ALL believe they’re doing the right thing and just don’t agree on what the right thing is. I prefer to write conflicts where all sides can be seen sympathetically, and everyone involved believes in what they’re doing. Misunderstandings and miscommunication are more common than pure evil—not that pure evil doesn’t exist.
What makes for a great overall story?
Most peoples’ core desire are similar: to be safe and provided for, to protect the people they love, and
to find some meaning or purpose to their lives. Things will always stand in their way, though, and what those conflicts are and how characters overcome them, how they change and adapt to meet the struggles they face, makes the difference between a competent story and a great one. So the short answer, I guess, is execution.
 If you could pick up and move to any part of the world and live there, where would it be and why?
I really like to travel and am easily bored, so I don’t think I’ll ever stay in one place forever. Where I want to be depends on my mood. Southeast Asia is where I’d go if I had to choose. I like warmer climates, the people are friendly, the beaches are gorgeous, the food is good, and one can live pretty well on a the meager income of a fantasy writer.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing? (hobbies, time with friends?)
I like to make thing: drawings, dolls, costumes, masks, and wigs. I’m kind of a workaholic so I get restless if I’m not accomplishing something. For that reason I like video games on the rare occasions I’m not working, because I feel like I’m doing something significant. I like to stay in shape, like martial arts, and love old school weapons like crossbows and swords. My house is full of them. I like to go places I’ve never been before, wander around, explore, and talk to random people. I love museums and looking at art, and especially weapons and armor from the past. I like old temples and cemeteries.
What are the three most important things in your life, the things you absolutely could not do without?
Caffeine, art supplies, freedom [I'm with you on all three!]
What’s your dream job (besides being an author!)?
Ninja. 
If you could have one (and only one) super or magical power, what would it be and why?
Eternal youth—because I’m vain.
It’s the Zombie Apocalypse and you can take three of your characters along with you to help you and your family get to safety. Which characters would you take and why?
What a fantastic question, and also a difficult one to answer, with so many factors to take into consideration!
Sasha, my assassin from the Blessed Epoch series is by far my best fighter. He’s also very results oriented—he values efficiency over morality, so he would be a good choice. He gets the job done no matter what. On the downside, if it came down to me or him, he would absolutely let me die without even blinking.
Yarrow, my mage from the Blessed Epoch, is very powerful, but very unpredictable. I might get some devastating magic, as likely to hurt me as the enemies, or I might get absolutely nothing, depending on his mood.
Duncan, my knight, is pretty solid, but he’s just a regular guy.
Querry, my cat burglar from Boots for the Gentleman is wily and resourceful, but also has a semblance of honor and the luck of an alley cat. Frolic (same book) is a clockwork boy and therefore very strong, but so sweet and innocent he might even feel sorry for the zombies. There are a few powerful faeries in that series, Querry’s gentleman and Snow, but they are more motivated by their whims than what makes sense, so they could be more harm than good. They could easily decide they felt like having a tea party in the middle of a zombie attack.
So do I go for sheer firepower or dependability? The strongest team, but wildly unpredictable, would probably be Yarrow, Frolic, and either Snow or Querry’s gentleman—a mage, a clockwork boy, and a faerie. They could wipe out huge numbers of enemies, but it’s unlikely they would work together well, and there would be in-fighting and nobody willing to take anyone else’s orders.
A more reliable team would be Duncan, Querry, and maybe Jean-Andre, my spy from Boots (as long as I could afford him). Trustworthy, but nowhere near the stopping power.
The best I could do for healers would be the faeries, and they would have to feel like healing me at the time. Of course, I guess they could just take me across to the Other World and away from the zombies. Whether or not they’d be so inclined is a different story.
Of the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite? Which would you recommend to a new reader and why?
I don’t know that I have a favorite. As cliché as it sounds, I think it must be how people feel when you ask them to choose between their children. I work to make every story I write the best it can possibly be. As for new readers, it depends what you like. The stories in the Steamcraft and Sorcery series I write with Eon de Beaumont, which is a fantasy/steampunk mash-up, are quirky, whimsical, and kind of episodic. The Blessed Epoch series is much darker, and the characters are very damaged. On Tinsel Wings is a lighter contemporary/new adult/coming of age story with some bleak moments but a lot of humor and hope.
Do you have a favorite character (of your own creation)? What makes that character special to you?  
Again, not a favorite, because I truly love them all, but Sasha comes the easiest to me. I understand him and have a healthy respect for him. What can I say? He’s hot and wears a leather suit.
Do you miss your characters when you finish a story? Do you try to come up with ideas for sequels, or are you too excited by the prospect of a new project to feel sad that the previous story is over? 
I miss them like crazy, and have to revisit them in between sequels, even if it’s just a doodle or a quick vignette, or even just to talk about them with people who have shared their adventures. I love doing that, gauging if readers see the characters as I do. The characters are perfect; if they don’t come across that way, the failure is mine at not demonstrating it. They’re awesome, but sometimes I fail to capture them.
As for series, I usually have most of the idea for the entire series before I begin the first book, or at least I know what the major events will be. Then as I write each book I decide how much of the big picture to include. Lots of other stuff usually crops up along the way, things the characters want me to see or know. As a result, my books tend to be long, and the themes from one often carry over into subsequent books in the series.
If your book Ash and Echoes were to be turned into a movie, which channel would it air on (Logo, Lifetime, Syfy, etc.)? Assuming you have an unlimited budget, who would you cast to play the leading roles? Who would direct it?
I don’t know what channel, but I would want an animated movie directed by the most brilliant man in the world, Hayao Miyazaki. Think along the lines of Princess Mononoke: beautiful, magical, bloody as hell, with no clear hero or villain, and an ending that makes you wonder whether it’s happy or not and leaves you thinking. Also, I would want all British actors for the voice talent in the English translation.
What are your favorite TV shows of all time?
Doctor Who, Torchwood, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Bleach, Deadliest Warrior, Law and Order
What television shows are you currently watching?
The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Master Chef, Once Upon A Time (though I don’t love it)
What’s next on the horizon for you? WIPs, writing goals, personal goals…?
There’s a lot of Blessed Epoch left to write, and in between, I want to tell the stories of some of the regular people living in that world—those who aren’t princes and sorcerers. The first of those will be about a vintner and a former mercenary. The working title is Wine and Roses, and it will be out sometime next year.
Querry, Reg, and Frolic’s story still needs to be told, so the Steamcraft and Sorcery series will continue.
Some of the secondary characters from On Tinsel Wings have stories to tell. Other than that, I’ll just have to follow my muse. I might take a crack at young adult fantasy in the near future.
My Links:My books at Dreamspinner Press:http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_366My blog:http://www.booksbyeonandgus.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Ninja.GusTwitter:https://twitter.com/Ninja_GusGoodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2872255.Augusta_LiAmazon:http://www.amazon.com/Augusta-Li/e/B008FR0C4E
  Thanks again, Gus!   In "preparation" for Gus's arrival today, I read On Tinsel Wings (like I needed an excuse!) and will be giving my "official" review in my October (oops... I apparently need more coffee in the morning!!) November Newsletter...but the quick version: LOVED IT!  Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author