Author Missy Welsh interview and give-away

My guest today is the bubbly Missy Welshwho in real life is just that… bubbly. We met at Gay Rom Lit and I wasenthralled with her wit and sarcasm and all-around adorableness. Missy has anew holiday release, Every Time a Bell Rings, from MLR Press coming out onDecember 23.
Welcome, Missy. I've missed your smileand our lunchesHi, K-lee!:) I've missed you too! I'm actually finished with the Christmas shopping andwent to wrap today only to discover that I have absolutely no Christmaswrapping paper! So now I have to shop for that.
1.     Howdid you get started writing m/m romance? Did you always want to be a writer? I've been writing short stories since I was akid--still have my first from when I was 12--but I don't think I ever reallythought "yep, I'm going to be a writer when I grow up." I wrote for friends inhigh school, like putting them in their very own romances, and I wrote for me.I got into M/M shortly after buying myself a Kindle in2009 (happy birthday to me!) and my recommendations in there included "Heaven"by Jet Mykles. Gay men in a romance wasn't so new to me, but erotic romance?Like with details? I was too curious to resist!
2.     Whatwere your early influences either in this genre or any other?
My very first exposure to gay characters in a romanticsetting was thanks to Suzanne Brockmann and her FBI Agent Jules Cassidy. I'dbeen in love with her heroes for a good long while by then, discussing thebooks with my mom and sister like our own little book club. When Jules finallygot his Robin as a subplot in one book, I was completely hooked. When they gottheir own book as leads, I was over the moon and just had to see if I couldwrite a gay romance too. Nearly a year later, I finished it!
3.     Whatis the hardest part about writing for you?
Staying on task. Write THIS book by the deadline,Missy, not five othersand don't you dare go do any more "research"! I wander abit sometimes.It's even harder to concentrate when looking for a job anddealing with the depression and worry from being jobless. When I can manage thewhole butt-in-chair thing and ignore the shiny-shiny internet (and all that "research"!) I can get right into that world and make significant progress.It's just not necessarily a daily occurrence.
4.     Doesany one of your books hold a special place in your heart more so than theothers?
Oh my first book will always be my baby! "My Summer ofWes" and Malcolm Small are very dear to me for a lot of reasons, like how alikeme and Mal are and the fact that's the first story I've ever had published.That book will forever make me cheer, "I'm somebody!" LOL!
5.     Tellus a little about your new release, Every Time a Bell Rings.  Is there some specific inspiration behind it?Will it be a stand-alone or do you have future plans for the characters?
Brian Bailey is my MC in "Every Time a Bell Rings" andmy goal with him was to force him into a potentially very dark place and thenbring him out of it. He's lost his mother to cancer and was her caretakerthrough it all, he's lost the majority of his friends because that just seemsto happen when others can't handle your problems, and now he's lost his homeand nearly all his possessions days before Christmas. Some people might headfor the nearest bridge; Brian rebuilds even though it's painful and he doesn'treally know what he's doing.
But I'm completely unable to write something thatdoesn't have a little bit of comedy in it, so have a tissue handy while beingprepared to giggle a couple times. At least I hope I'm not the only one whothinks it's funny!
I don't have plans, per se, but I'd happily return tovisit Brian and Trent while giving Brian's best friend, Mike, his HEA.
6.     Doyou have any writing quirks? (ie computer has to be facing a certain way, cupof coffee on the left, certain music playing, etc)
There's a window in the little room I write in that Ihave to shutter so I don't daydream while staring out it. I write either insilence or with classical music playing really quietly--if I'm downstairs, Ilisten to the fish tank bubble--because I'll sing along and forget what I'mdoing. I'm also easily influenced by songs, so I end up getting an idea forsomething else instead of working on the project in front of me!I am utterly unable to write in public places likecoffee shops because I'm too easily distracted, though I can review or editthere. I have been known to completely ignore phone calls and write for 4-6hours without a break or realizing I've done that until I have to pee. :)
7.     Doyou have any writing or reading squicks? Things you don't like to read andcan't see yourself ever writing?
You know, I thought I did, but I've discovered I kindof don't. I couldn't stand stories with cheating in them --> I have anoutline for a couple coming back together after one cheats. I guess I'm willingto explore just about anything nowadays, even if I hate it at first glance.
8.     Asa new writer, how did you enjoy GRL? Are you planning on going again?
I loved GRL! Even broke and unemployed, I got my buttto New Orleans because I just had to meet friends I'd made online, readers whowanted to actually meet ME (seriously?!), and get my fangirl on for some of myfavorite authors--thankfully I was alone when I met a certain author and my IQwent down into negative numbers while I babbled all over her *ahem. And itwasn't a goal, but from a business standpoint, I actually made some greatcontacts. I just went for friendship and to talk books with people who wouldn'tbat an eyelash about the gay part of it all--something I don't get elsewhere.
And oh hells yeah I'll be in Albuquerque! (I can evenspell it now!)
9.     Whatcan we expect next from you? Are you already working on something else?
Right now the project I'm trying to keep my tush in aseat to complete is a story about a gay college student who's locked himself inthe closet because he's an athlete on scholarships but also because hecross-dresses too. He breaks my heart and I just have to give him his HEA orit'll kill me…or my editor will kill me because she wants it too!And though I've said it for a year now and people areprobably going to roll their eyes and think "yeah right, chick!" I am actuallyworking on the sequel to "My Summer of Wes." Sweatagod.
10.  Finally– a few quick choices:a.    Coffee or tea — Coffee!b.    Dog or cat — Catc.    Beach or mountains — Mountainsd.    Pecs or abs — Pecse.    Smile or eyes — Smile :)f.     Cowboys or rockstars — Cowboys!g.    Who would win in a fight – vampires orwerewolves? And why. — TeamJacob! Um, yeah. So that would be werewolves and because I like furry betterthan sparkly. *woof pant-pant
Missy has graciously offered up an ebook copy of EveryTime a Bell Rings (an IOU for release day actually) to one lucky commenter.PLEASE REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT.
CONTEST WILL BEOPEN UNTIL TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20
If you don't win you can pick up Every Time a Bell Rings at MLR onDecember 23  Every Time a Bell Rings
Also, take a minute to check out Missy's other fabulousbooks on her websiteMissy Welsh
Thanks, K-lee! This was fun! :)