Eli Easton's Blog, page 24

Desktop: “stitch: Reparation”

The anthology “stitch” releases Apr 21, 2014. It contains four novellas by m/m romance authors including Kim Fielding, Sue Brown, Jamie Fessenden, and myself.  You can read about all the stories and an excerpt of “Reparation” here.

PURCHASE LINK on Dreamspinner Press website.

 

This post is a ‘desktop’ post in which I share my inspiration and visual images I used while writing the story.

Inspiration for Setting & Mood:  Wuthuring Heights

Even though “Reparation” is a sci-fi dystopian novella, set on a different planet, it was inspired by Wuthuring Heights.  I’ve always loved the setting of Wuthuring Heights–the sense of desolation and isolation of the moors, the wild weather, and the primal feel that gives to young Heathcliff and Kathy.  Wuthuring Heights inspired my barren planet of Kalan and the sort of eighteenth-century English feel to the characters. Below are some of the Wuthuring Heights-ish images I used for tone.

 

Edward Palmer

Edward was born the second son in a family of spore farmers on the planet of Kalan. It’s a very privileged position because the Federation values the spores highly and they only grow on one planet.  Edward both loves and hates the barren Kalan, a place where almost nothing grows except for the spores. He was never meant to take over the family farm.  He’s not hard and ruthless like the other Kalanese farmers.  But he’s forced to take over when his father and brother are both killed.  Struggling against the harsh conditions, and his own too-sympathetic nature, Edward is in desperate need of an ally.

“Reparation” has a somewhat Edwardian feeling and I used Jeremy Irvine from BBC’s “Great Expectations” for inspiration for Edward.

 

Knox

Knox is a huge humanoid, a “recon” or reconstitute. Recons are labor slaves on Kalan, and they’re part robot and part the remains of executed Federation prisoners.  Knox exists in a sort of mindless haze of drudgery until one day he saves Edward’s life and is pulled into the curious young man’s orbit.  Edward needs help to survive the harsh winter and Knox can provide it, but being around someone who treats him like a human being again, who gives him books, and expects him to carry responsibilities, causes Knox to remember things from his brain’s past life that threaten his current stability.  And it doesn’t help that Edward is genuinely kind, very attractive, and seems to want Knox.

I love Frankenstein characters and I had fun with Knox. His body is simply huge, muscled and masculine while his mind is a far more delicate thing.  I based his general looks (dark hair, face etc) on Tom Hardy in Wuthuring Heights.

For his body, I used a number of sports images for inspiration including Jeremy Shockey and Clay Matthews:

Trevellyn (tray-VELL-an)

It’s a bit of a spoiler to say who Trevellyn is, but he is important in the story.  I based him on Ralph Fiennes in Strange Days.

The Spores

The spores, which are farmed on Kalan to make life-saving pharmaceuticals, are an important character in the story.  The families that hold the huge farms and harvest the spores are exempt from the Federation military service, are wealthy, and have other privileges.  It’s a very harsh life though, and if a farmer slips up and loses too many of the precious spores, his land can be taken from him.

The spores in “Reparation” are from a type of lichen that grows on the rocky purple surface of Kalan.   Below are some research images.

 

If you’re curious about “Reparation” you can read an excerpt here.

Or check out the Goodread entry here.

Eli Easton

 

Cover Reveal: The Mating of Michael

 

Here’s the cover for “The Mating of Michael”, due in June 2014.  This romance features Michael Lamont, the sex surrogate that appeared in “The Trouble with Tony” (Sex in Seattle #1) and “The Enlightenment of Daniel” (Sex in Seattle #2).  This is my first full novel length m/m romance story, so it will be coming out in paperback as well as an eBook.  I’ll post the link and final release date when I have it.

Here’s an older post with an excerpt.

Eli

“Stitch” is now available for pre-order!

“Stitch” is coming out Apr 21st and is now on the Dreamspinner Coming Soon page and available for pre-order.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4907

This anthology has FOUR gothic m/m romance novellas, all with a Frankenstein theme. The authors are myself, Sue Brown, Kim Fielding, and Jamie Fessenden.

And here it is on goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20705898-stitch?from_search=true

Eli

 

 

What I’m Working on: Kingdom Come

I haven’t posted for a bit, so I thought I should give you an update.  I have a few things coming up and a new novel in the works.

COMING UP:

APRIL:  an anthology of 4 novellas called “Stitch” is coming out from Dreamspinner Press.  The anthology includes novellas by myself, Jamie Fessenden, Kim Fielding, and Sue Brown.  All the novellas have a Frankenstein/created man theme.  I’m excited about this and hope it does well.  Here’s the cover.

JUNE:  I’ll have a story in this year’s Dreamspinner’s Daily Dose, a novella called “Heaven Can’t Wait”.  Also in June or July, “The Mating of Michael” comes out. It’s my first full-length m/m novel (73K words) and is the 3rd in the Sex in Seattle series.  It stars Michael Lamont, a sex therapist, and I hope you all love it as much as I do!

IN PROGRESS:

I’m working on a novella for the next gothika anthology that’s a m/m romance and gothic Voodoo-themed story. It’s tenatively called “The Bird”.

“Kingdom Come” — I’m also currently writing a novel that’s a bit different for me. It’s a murder mystery with a m/m romance.  I have written and published mysteries before, in my ‘past life’, but I haven’t done one in a few years, and never with a m/m romance element to it.  The book is set in contemporary Lancaster County, PA, where I currently reside. The plot involves the Amish culture.  One MC is a homicide detective and the other is a young Amish widower.  The mystery is quite heavy and dark.  I hope to see it published in 2014.  Here’s a little taste of a visual I have been using to inspire myself.  (NOTE:  This is not a book cover, just a little wallpaper I made for myself.)  Click for a closer view.

 

That’s all the news for now.  Enjoy the early spring and I’ll post more about “Stitch” soon!

Eli

Recommended: “The Reluctant Berserker” by Alex Beecroft

 

Amazing. This book will be in my ‘year’s best’ for sure.

First, I want to say that as a writer I admire good writing, especially as I read so heavily in m/m romance where the writing is often just serviceable (and not exactly the point). That’s not to denigrate any author, because my own work doesn’t always soar like the eagles, only to say that when I find a book where the writing is as good as any book I’ve ever read, I’m very impressed.

I love this author’s way with prose and there are so many wonderful and original analogies in this book. Here are just a few of the dozens I highlighted:

For when he looked up, he saw that all the clouds had drawn apart. The night was on them full, and acres and acres of sharp stars were poised to fall on him with killing cold.

This disappointment was strange and ungrateful in him, he thought, tasting at the back of his throat like blood from a nosebleed.

In his frustration, Wulfstan’s sodden maze of pleasure-drunken thoughts turned into a sack full of snakes.

I could go on, but that gives you an idea. I am wary of books (and I have seen some reviewed lately) where the author’s voice becomes so over-wrought and egotistically poetic that the story is lost in a vomit of flowers, but that is certainly not the case here. The story and plot are always driving forward with the strong prose supporting it but never detracting from it.

As for the story/plot itself. I don’t read a ton of historical fiction, but when I do, I like it to feel authentic and take me to a time and place I know little about and make me feel like I’m there. This book achieves that. The attitudes towards homosexuality, the touches of witchcraft and religion, the characters of the scobs or musicians, all felt very true to the time and I enjoyed the texture a great deal. There was action and angst and miscommunication in the plot, but thankfully the miscommunication was not overly done and neither MC was overly weak or fearful of saying what they wanted. The plot was rich and fast-paced enough that it kept me reading til the end.

Like many contemporary m/m romances, the ultimate theme is a common one–accepting who you are. Nothing really new there, yet the journey to it was unique enough that I was happy. The romance was quite good too — both MCs were beautiful and appealing and I loved the twist of their contrary natures and how beautifully they fit together.

“Your father–”

“If he has any wisdom, would accept that our wyrd is woven for us in our very nature, and all our choices only tend to that end. Better to accept fate joyfully than to fight it, for it will win no matter what we do.”

I would give this book more than 5 stars for the great writing and research, the fast-paced plot and taking me to another time, but I do have one nit. After 380 pages of waiting of our MCs to finally consummate their relationship, not giving us another paragraph or two of description (at least) felt a bit stingy on the author’s part. The sex is basically fade to black. I don’t need pages of detailed erotica, but wanted at least to be inside Wulfstan’s head as he finally got his wish and experience his joy and pleasure.

Also, I will say, it is confusing the attitude portrayed about homosexuality in the book. In this story, it was acceptable for a Lord or warrior, or any older man, to keep and use a ‘boy’ for sex, quite openly, but somehow incredibly shameful for any ‘man’ to take it up the ass. So any boy or slave who was or had been so used was reviled as womanly and weak, the ultimate insult, and would never be free of such a reputation even once grown. This may or may not be completely historically accurate in the culture portrayed in this book–which was ancient Saxony. But if accurate, the attitude is confusing as hell. I can understand the idea that a man allowing another man to f*ck him would be considered weak and shameful to a warrior society, but the easy acceptance and common occurance of a Lord having a homosexual relationship with a boy lover for years (when women were freely available in the hall) is less believable. In my research into medieval England, though men did use boys thus, it was not open and was typically in a situation like travel or battle where women were not available as an alternative. But whether or not it was 100% historically accurate for ancient Saxony, it worked for this plot and anyway, there were touches of fantasy in this (as with the witchcraft), so I can accept it in that light. It just left me curious!

Thanks for a great read, Alex Beecroft. I need to go get False Colors now.

Eli

Sneak Peek at "Heaven Can't Wait" and 25% off

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HEAVEN CAN'T WAIT

I just got the news that my novella “Heaven Can’t Wait” will appear in Dreamspinner’s Daily Dose this year. If you’re not familiar with Daily Dose, it goes like this. You can subscribe to the whole Daily Dose package and receive a new short story or novella in the mail every day in June. ”Heaven Can’t Wait” will also be available for individual sale after June 1st, 2014.

Here’s the image I used for inspiration for my two MCs Chuck and Kevin. (This picture is Ty Roderick and Max Carter from CockyBoys):



And here’s the *temporary* blurb I submitted along with the manuscript.


Brian Matheson died at the ripe age of nineteen. In heaven he’s informed that his soul is in a limbo state. He’ll have one last chance to redeem himself before he’s thrown into a very nasty pit. All Brian has to do is return to earth and save a life. The trick is, it’s the life of Kevin, his friend Chuck’s roommate. See Kevin is gay, and Brian and all his pals picked on him, making his life a misery. Still, Brian can see the error of his old ways now. And he can succeed at this challenge, turn Kevin’s life around, and avoid going to hell. Easy peasy. Right?

Kevin thought he’d left bullying behind in high school. But then his college roommate, Chuck, showed up and turned out to be friends with a bunch of gay-baiters. They loved to come over and give Kevin a hard time, so he spent as many hours as he could in the coffee shop. He was lonely and shy and he was depressed, but he had to hang in there until another room opened up. That and keep his eyes off his drop-dead sexy, uber-straight roommate.

Everyone thought Chuck was a tough guy. He looked the part so he acted the part. But what none of his friends knew is that Chuck, on the inside, was nothing at all like the exterior. He tried to be like all the other guys, but being stuck in a dorm room with the prettiest, gayest twink he’d ever seen was so not helping.

If Brian can untangle this mess, he’ll deserve his wings. Good frickin’ luck.

As you can probably tell, it’s got some humor, some paranormal, and some sexy UST. The novella is 17.4K words long.

Eli

“Heaven Can’t Wait” novella to be in Dreamspinner’s “Daily Dose” June 2014

I just got the news that my novella “Heaven Can’t Wait” will appear in Dreamspinner’s Daily Dose this year.  If you’re not familiar with Daily Dose, it goes like this.  You can subscribe to the whole Daily Dose package and receive a new short story or novella in the mail every day in June.  ”Heaven Can’t Wait” will also be available for individual sale after June 1st, 2014.

Here’s the image I used for inspiration for my two MCs Chuck and Kevin.  (This picture is Ty Roderick and Max Carter from CockyBoys):

And here’s the *temporary* blurb I submitted along with the manuscript.

Brian Matheson died at the ripe age of nineteen.  In heaven he’s informed that his soul is in a limbo state.  He’ll have one last chance to redeem himself before he’s thrown into a very nasty pit. All Brian has to do is return to earth and save a life. The trick is, it’s the life of Kevin, his friend Chuck’s roommate. See Kevin is gay, and Brian and all his pals picked on him, making his life a misery.  Still, Brian can see the error of his old ways now.  And he can succeed at this challenge, turn Kevin’s life around, and avoid going to hell.  Easy peasy.  Right?

Kevin thought he’d left bullying behind in high school.  But then his college roommate, Chuck, showed up and turned out to be friends with a bunch of gay-baiters.  They loved to come over and give Kevin a hard time, so he spent as many hours as he could in the coffee shop.  He was lonely and shy and he was depressed, but he had to hang in there until another room opened up.  That and keep his eyes off his drop-dead sexy, uber-straight roommate.

Everyone thought Chuck was a tough guy. He looked the part so he acted the part. But what none of his friends knew is that Chuck, on the inside, was nothing at all like the exterior.  He tried to be like all the other guys, but being stuck in a dorm room with the prettiest, gayest twink he’d ever seen was so not helping. 

If Brian can untangle this mess, he’ll deserve his wings.  Good frickin’ luck.

As you can probably tell, it’s got some humor, some paranormal, and some sexy UST.  The novella is 17.4K words long.

Eli

 

Trailer for “Stitch” anthology

Jamie Fessenden made a cool trailer for our upcoming anthology, “Stitch”, which will have 4 gothic m/m romance novellas by Jamie, Kim Fielding, Sue Brown and myself.  Watch it here!  Stitch is due out Apr 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVCZ8S7uYZA

 

“The Mating of Michael” gets a contract

Yay!  Today I got a contract for “The Mating of Michael”. This is my first full length novel with Dreamspinner Press at 73K words. It is the 3rd in the Sex in Seattle series and features sex surrogate Michael Lamont.  Pub date is Jun-Jul 2014.

I’ll post more about it later. For now, here’s a picture I used for inspiration for Michael (this is L.A. model Isaiah Garnica).

 

Eli

Just Finished: Heaven Can’t Wait novella

 

I just finished writing/editing a 17.5K work novella called “Heaven Can’t Wait”.  It’s a humorous, bit sexy, m/m romance. I have submitted it to an anthology.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  Here’s my (temp) blurb for the story:

Brian Matheson died at the ripe age of nineteen.  In heaven he’s informed that his soul is in a limbo state.  He’ll have one last chance to redeem himself before he’s thrown into a very nasty pit. All Brian has to do is return to earth and save a life. The trick is, it’s the life of Kevin, his friend Chuck’s roommate. See Kevin is gay, and Brian and all his pals picked on him, making his life a misery.  Still, Brian can see the error of his ways now.  And he can succeed at this challenge, turn Kevin’s life around, and avoid going to hell.  Easy peasy.  Right?

Kevin thought he’d left bullying behind in high school.  But then his college roommate, Chuck, showed up and turned out to be friends with a bunch of gay-baiters.  They loved to come over and give Kevin a hard time, so he spent as many hours as he could in the coffee shop.  He was lonely and shy and he was depressed, but he had to hang in there until another room opened up.  That and keep his eyes off his drop-dead sexy, uber-straight roommate.

Everyone thought Chuck was a tough guy. He looked the part so he acted the part. But what none of his friends knew is that Chuck, on the inside, was nothing at all like the exterior.  He tried to be like all the other guys, but being stuck in a dorm room with the prettiest, gayest twink he’d ever seen was so not helping. 

If Brian can untangle this mess, he’ll deserve his wings.  Good frickin’ luck.

Hopefully the story will come out in the summer 2014.

Eli