Making it Real--guest post by Lisabet Sarai
I've always been so impressed by Lisabet Sarai's body of work and common sense in the writing world. It's my pleasure to welcome her again to my blog where she shares details about her upcoming m/m release Quarantine.
Every romance novel incorporates a substantial dose of fantasy. Readers choose the genre precisely because they want to escape from the worries and complications of the real world, into a realm where deep, abiding, satisfying love is not only possible but inevitable.
Of course, some of us are fortunate enough to have relationships as happy as anything in a romance. I count myself among that lucky number. Still, love outside the pages of romantic fiction, happy though it may be, lacks the certainty one finds in our books. I'm acutely aware that my beloved could be taken from me at any time. I don't dwell on that fact, but I can't pretend it's not true.
We authors walk a fine line. Although “love forever after” may not be realistic, we have to make readers believe the opposite. If our characters don't seem real, though, our charade is unmasked – they're revealed as nothing but empty fictions – and readers will feel cheated. So our heroes and heroines must be attractive (so readers will like and identify with them) but not perfect (so readers will find them plausible). They've got to have faults, secrets, annoying quirks. And even if the primary fictional threat to the relationship is external, there needs to be at least some conflict between the protagonists.
No real world couple gets along all the time. There are always stresses, misunderstandings, and awkward lapses in communication because one member of the relationship feels insecure, suspicious, or neglected. To make our fictional couples (or triples, etc.) real, we have to allow them to disagree, to distrust one another, or to project their own weaknesses on their partners.
In my new M/M novel, Quarantine, the whole world is out to get my heroes, Dylan and Rafe. In some ways, though, the biggest threats to their happiness stem from internal conflicts. Dylan is not the most honest individual. He's an opportunist, not averse to using other people to gain his objectives. Rafe, in the meantime, fights against a lifetime of conditioning to despise gay men. He has to reconcile his prejudice and homophobia with the fact that he has sex with – even falls in love with – another man.
The excerpt below illustrates some of these conflicts.
Quarantine is science fiction, but I believe it describes an all-too-possible near future. I've worked hard to make the book feel real – even though it's a romance with a happy ending. I want my readers to wonder, to worry, how Dylan's and Rafe's love will manage to survive.
Blurb
WHEN LOVE IS FORBIDDEN, THE WHOLE WORLD'S A PRISON.
DYLAN MOORE WILL DO ANYTHING FOR FREEDOM. SEVEN YEARS AGO, A GAY PLAGUE SPREAD TO HETEROSEXUALS, KILLING MILLIONS AND SPARKING BRUTAL ANTI-GAY RIOTS. THE GUARDIANS ROUNDED UP MEN WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE HOMOGENE AND IMPRISONED THEM IN REMOTE QUARANTINE CENTRES LIKE DESOLATE CAMP MALHEUR. SINCE THEN, DYLAN HAS HACKED THE CAMP'S SECURITY SYSTEMS AND HOARDED SPARE BITS OF ELECTRONICS, SEEKING SOME WAY TO ESCAPE. HE HAS CONCLUDED THE HUMAN GUARDS ARE THE ONLY WEAKNESS IN THE FACILITY'S DEFENCES.
CAMP GUARD RAFE COWELL IS H-NEGATIVE. HE FIGURES THE LUST HE FEELS WATCHING PRISONER 3218 MASTURBATE ON THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS MUST BE DUE TO HIS LONELINESS AND ISOLATION. WHEN HE FINALLY MEETS THE YOUNG QUEER, HE DISCOVERS THAT DYLAN IS BRILLIANT, BRAVE, SEXY AS HELL – AND CLAIMS TO BE IN LOVE WITH RAFE. DESPITE HIS QUALMS, RAFE FINDS HE CAN'T RESIST THE OTHER MAN'S CHARM. BY THE TIME DYLAN ASKS FOR HIS HELP IN ESCAPING, RAFE CARES TOO MUCH FOR DYLAN TO REFUSE.
DYLAN'S PLAN GOES AWRY AND RAFE COMES TO HIS RESCUE. SOON THEY'RE BOTH FUGITIVES, FLEEING FROM MILITANT SURVIVALISTS, MURDEROUS ANDROIDS, HOMOPHOBIC IDEOLOGUES AND A POWERFUL MAN WHO WANTS DYLAN AS HIS SEXUAL TOY. HIDING IN THE PLAGUE-RAVAGED CITY OF SANFRAN, DYLAN AND RAFE LEARN THERE'S FAR MORE THAN THEIR OWN SAFETY AT STAKE. CAN THEY HELP PREVENT THE DEATHS OF MILLIONS MORE PEOPLE? AND CAN RAFE TRUST THE LOVE OF A MAN WHO DELIBERATELY SEDUCED HIM IN ORDER TO ESCAPE FROM QUARANTINE?
“I’VE GOT TO GO RELIEVE MYSELF,” DYLAN SAID, HOPPING OFF THE WARM METAL. “YOU, RAFE?” HE HOPED THAT THE BLACK MAN WOULD TAKE THE HINT.
“YEAH, PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE A LEAK. BE BACK IN A MINUTE, MS LONG.”
THEY STROLLED OFF TOGETHER INTO THE BRUSH. RAFE’S HAND WENT TO HIS FLY. DYLAN SLAPPED IT AWAY. “RUN!” HE SAID. “THAT WAY!” HE POINTED WEST. “WE’VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE SHE COMES LOOKING FOR US!”
“WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WE’VE GOT A GREAT RIDE, ALL THE WAY INTO THE CITY, AND YOU WANT US TO SPLIT? YOU’RE CRAZY.” RAFE DELIBERATELY EXTRACTED HIS PENIS FROM HIS TROUSERS AND AIMED AT THE GROUND.
“NO, PLEASE, RAFE! SHE’S TOO SMART. SHE’S GOING TO FIGURE OUT THAT SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT ABOUT US. THE FIRST CHECKPOINT WE ENCOUNTER, THERE’LL BE TROUBLE. AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, WE’LL BE ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE CAMP, IF NOT WORSE.”
RAFE LET LOOSE A STRONG STREAM. THE URINE HISSED AS IT POOLED ON THE DRY EARTH. THE PUNGENT ODOUR TICKLED DYLAN’S NOSTRILS. “I’M NOT RUNNING ANYMORE, DYLAN. I’M TOO TIRED. AND I TRUST THIS WOMAN. SHE WON’T TURN US IN, EVEN IF SHE REALISES WHAT YOU―WE―ARE.”
“DON’T BE SO NAÏVE! WE CAN’T TRUST ANYONE. PLEASE, BABY…”
RAFE TUCKED HIS PENIS AWAY AND ZIPPED UP. “YOU GO IF YOU WANT. YOU RUN. THAT’S WHAT YOU PLANNED ALL ALONG, ISN’T IT?” HE CROSSED HIS ARMS OVER HIS MASSIVE CHEST. “WELL, ISN’T IT? I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT. ABOUT US. YOU’RE SO QUICK, SO CLEVER. YOU NEVER PLANNED TO WAIT FOR ME. YOU WERE GOING TO RUN OFF AND LEAVE ME BEHIND. SIMPLE, STUPID RAFE, WHO BELIEVED IT WHEN YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME.”
“I DO LOVE YOU, BABY.”
“MAYBE NOW YOU DO, OR THINK YOU DO. BUT NOT NEARLY AS MUCH AS YOUR OWN SKIN. SO, GO AHEAD AND RUN. I LOVE YOU, AND IT’LL HURT, BUT I’LL GET OVER IT EVENTUALLY. YOU’RE TOO GOOD A LIAR, DYLAN. I’LL NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU’RE TELLING THE TRUTH.”
DYLAN FELT DIZZY. HE REACHED FOR RAFE’S STRONG ARM. THE OTHER MAN SHOOK HIM OFF. “PLEASE, RAFE, LISTEN TO ME…”
“IF I HADN’T LISTENED TO YOU, I WOULDN’T BE IN THIS SITUATION. AN OUTLAW. A PERVERT.”
“PLEASE…”
“RUN, DYLAN. GO AHEAD. LEAVE ME BEHIND AND RUN.”
DYLAN’S LEGS BUCKLED. HE SANK TO HIS KNEES IN FRONT OF THE PROUD EX-GUARD. “I CAN’T,” HE WAILED. “I CAN’T GO WITHOUT YOU.”
“SURE YOU CAN. YOU’LL FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO FUCK AND FLATTER, PRETTY BOY THAT YOU ARE. WITH YOUR SILVER TONGUE, YOU CAN SNARE ANYONE YOU WANT. SOMEONE WHO CAN DO MORE FOR YOU THAN I CAN.” RAFE TURNED HIS BACK AND HEADED BACK TO THE ROAD.
“WAIT―RAFE―COME BACK!” THE OTHER MAN SLOWED BUT DID NOT STOP. “RAFE, IT’S YOU THAT I WANT. YOU.”
DYLAN HELD HIS BREATH. RAFE LOOKED BACK OVER HIS SHOULDER.
“I WON’T LIE ANYMORE. I PROMISE. I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING. AND YOU CAN MAKE THE DECISIONS, WHERE WE GO, WHAT WE DO. JUST DON’T DESERT ME.”
RAFE WAS BACK, CROUCHING AT HIS SIDE. “IT WAS YOU WHO WERE DESERTING ME, DYLAN.”
DYLAN THREW HIS ARMS AROUND RAFE’S NECK. “NO, NO. I’LL STAY IF THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT.” HE PRESSED HIS LIPS TO RAFE’S, TRYING TO WORK THEM OPEN WITH HIS TONGUE. THE OTHER MAN RESISTED BUT FINALLY GAVE IN.
****
I want to thank Jan for having me as her guest. Quarantine will be released on the 9th of July, but you can preorder your copy now. And from the 6th through the 24th of July, I'm running a blog tour where I'll be giving away an ebook to one commenter at each stop on the tour. I'll post the schedule next week, on my website and blog.
Bio: More than a decade ago LISABET SARAI experienced a serendipitous fusion of her love of writing and her fascination with sex. Since then she has published four single author short story collections and seven erotic novels, including the BDSM classic Raw Silk. Dozens of her shorter works have been released as ebooks and in print anthologies. She has also edited several acclaimed anthologies and is currently responsible for the altruistic erotica series COMING TOGETHER PRESENTS.
LISABET HOLDS MORE DEGREES THAN ANYONE NEEDS FROM PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES WHO WOULD NO DOUBT BE EMBARRASSED BY HER CHOSEN GENRE. SHE LOVES TO TRAVEL AND CURRENTLY LIVES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA WITH HER HIGHLY TOLERANT HUSBAND AND TWO COSMOPOLITAN FELINES. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LISABET AND HER WRITING VISIT LISABET SARAI'S FANTASY FACTORY LISABETSARAI.COM OR HER BLOG BEYOND ROMANCE .
Every romance novel incorporates a substantial dose of fantasy. Readers choose the genre precisely because they want to escape from the worries and complications of the real world, into a realm where deep, abiding, satisfying love is not only possible but inevitable.
Of course, some of us are fortunate enough to have relationships as happy as anything in a romance. I count myself among that lucky number. Still, love outside the pages of romantic fiction, happy though it may be, lacks the certainty one finds in our books. I'm acutely aware that my beloved could be taken from me at any time. I don't dwell on that fact, but I can't pretend it's not true.
We authors walk a fine line. Although “love forever after” may not be realistic, we have to make readers believe the opposite. If our characters don't seem real, though, our charade is unmasked – they're revealed as nothing but empty fictions – and readers will feel cheated. So our heroes and heroines must be attractive (so readers will like and identify with them) but not perfect (so readers will find them plausible). They've got to have faults, secrets, annoying quirks. And even if the primary fictional threat to the relationship is external, there needs to be at least some conflict between the protagonists.
No real world couple gets along all the time. There are always stresses, misunderstandings, and awkward lapses in communication because one member of the relationship feels insecure, suspicious, or neglected. To make our fictional couples (or triples, etc.) real, we have to allow them to disagree, to distrust one another, or to project their own weaknesses on their partners.
In my new M/M novel, Quarantine, the whole world is out to get my heroes, Dylan and Rafe. In some ways, though, the biggest threats to their happiness stem from internal conflicts. Dylan is not the most honest individual. He's an opportunist, not averse to using other people to gain his objectives. Rafe, in the meantime, fights against a lifetime of conditioning to despise gay men. He has to reconcile his prejudice and homophobia with the fact that he has sex with – even falls in love with – another man.
The excerpt below illustrates some of these conflicts.
Quarantine is science fiction, but I believe it describes an all-too-possible near future. I've worked hard to make the book feel real – even though it's a romance with a happy ending. I want my readers to wonder, to worry, how Dylan's and Rafe's love will manage to survive.
Blurb
WHEN LOVE IS FORBIDDEN, THE WHOLE WORLD'S A PRISON.
DYLAN MOORE WILL DO ANYTHING FOR FREEDOM. SEVEN YEARS AGO, A GAY PLAGUE SPREAD TO HETEROSEXUALS, KILLING MILLIONS AND SPARKING BRUTAL ANTI-GAY RIOTS. THE GUARDIANS ROUNDED UP MEN WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE HOMOGENE AND IMPRISONED THEM IN REMOTE QUARANTINE CENTRES LIKE DESOLATE CAMP MALHEUR. SINCE THEN, DYLAN HAS HACKED THE CAMP'S SECURITY SYSTEMS AND HOARDED SPARE BITS OF ELECTRONICS, SEEKING SOME WAY TO ESCAPE. HE HAS CONCLUDED THE HUMAN GUARDS ARE THE ONLY WEAKNESS IN THE FACILITY'S DEFENCES.
CAMP GUARD RAFE COWELL IS H-NEGATIVE. HE FIGURES THE LUST HE FEELS WATCHING PRISONER 3218 MASTURBATE ON THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS MUST BE DUE TO HIS LONELINESS AND ISOLATION. WHEN HE FINALLY MEETS THE YOUNG QUEER, HE DISCOVERS THAT DYLAN IS BRILLIANT, BRAVE, SEXY AS HELL – AND CLAIMS TO BE IN LOVE WITH RAFE. DESPITE HIS QUALMS, RAFE FINDS HE CAN'T RESIST THE OTHER MAN'S CHARM. BY THE TIME DYLAN ASKS FOR HIS HELP IN ESCAPING, RAFE CARES TOO MUCH FOR DYLAN TO REFUSE.
DYLAN'S PLAN GOES AWRY AND RAFE COMES TO HIS RESCUE. SOON THEY'RE BOTH FUGITIVES, FLEEING FROM MILITANT SURVIVALISTS, MURDEROUS ANDROIDS, HOMOPHOBIC IDEOLOGUES AND A POWERFUL MAN WHO WANTS DYLAN AS HIS SEXUAL TOY. HIDING IN THE PLAGUE-RAVAGED CITY OF SANFRAN, DYLAN AND RAFE LEARN THERE'S FAR MORE THAN THEIR OWN SAFETY AT STAKE. CAN THEY HELP PREVENT THE DEATHS OF MILLIONS MORE PEOPLE? AND CAN RAFE TRUST THE LOVE OF A MAN WHO DELIBERATELY SEDUCED HIM IN ORDER TO ESCAPE FROM QUARANTINE?
“I’VE GOT TO GO RELIEVE MYSELF,” DYLAN SAID, HOPPING OFF THE WARM METAL. “YOU, RAFE?” HE HOPED THAT THE BLACK MAN WOULD TAKE THE HINT.
“YEAH, PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE A LEAK. BE BACK IN A MINUTE, MS LONG.”
THEY STROLLED OFF TOGETHER INTO THE BRUSH. RAFE’S HAND WENT TO HIS FLY. DYLAN SLAPPED IT AWAY. “RUN!” HE SAID. “THAT WAY!” HE POINTED WEST. “WE’VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE SHE COMES LOOKING FOR US!”
“WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WE’VE GOT A GREAT RIDE, ALL THE WAY INTO THE CITY, AND YOU WANT US TO SPLIT? YOU’RE CRAZY.” RAFE DELIBERATELY EXTRACTED HIS PENIS FROM HIS TROUSERS AND AIMED AT THE GROUND.
“NO, PLEASE, RAFE! SHE’S TOO SMART. SHE’S GOING TO FIGURE OUT THAT SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT ABOUT US. THE FIRST CHECKPOINT WE ENCOUNTER, THERE’LL BE TROUBLE. AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, WE’LL BE ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE CAMP, IF NOT WORSE.”
RAFE LET LOOSE A STRONG STREAM. THE URINE HISSED AS IT POOLED ON THE DRY EARTH. THE PUNGENT ODOUR TICKLED DYLAN’S NOSTRILS. “I’M NOT RUNNING ANYMORE, DYLAN. I’M TOO TIRED. AND I TRUST THIS WOMAN. SHE WON’T TURN US IN, EVEN IF SHE REALISES WHAT YOU―WE―ARE.”
“DON’T BE SO NAÏVE! WE CAN’T TRUST ANYONE. PLEASE, BABY…”
RAFE TUCKED HIS PENIS AWAY AND ZIPPED UP. “YOU GO IF YOU WANT. YOU RUN. THAT’S WHAT YOU PLANNED ALL ALONG, ISN’T IT?” HE CROSSED HIS ARMS OVER HIS MASSIVE CHEST. “WELL, ISN’T IT? I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT. ABOUT US. YOU’RE SO QUICK, SO CLEVER. YOU NEVER PLANNED TO WAIT FOR ME. YOU WERE GOING TO RUN OFF AND LEAVE ME BEHIND. SIMPLE, STUPID RAFE, WHO BELIEVED IT WHEN YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME.”
“I DO LOVE YOU, BABY.”
“MAYBE NOW YOU DO, OR THINK YOU DO. BUT NOT NEARLY AS MUCH AS YOUR OWN SKIN. SO, GO AHEAD AND RUN. I LOVE YOU, AND IT’LL HURT, BUT I’LL GET OVER IT EVENTUALLY. YOU’RE TOO GOOD A LIAR, DYLAN. I’LL NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU’RE TELLING THE TRUTH.”
DYLAN FELT DIZZY. HE REACHED FOR RAFE’S STRONG ARM. THE OTHER MAN SHOOK HIM OFF. “PLEASE, RAFE, LISTEN TO ME…”
“IF I HADN’T LISTENED TO YOU, I WOULDN’T BE IN THIS SITUATION. AN OUTLAW. A PERVERT.”
“PLEASE…”
“RUN, DYLAN. GO AHEAD. LEAVE ME BEHIND AND RUN.”
DYLAN’S LEGS BUCKLED. HE SANK TO HIS KNEES IN FRONT OF THE PROUD EX-GUARD. “I CAN’T,” HE WAILED. “I CAN’T GO WITHOUT YOU.”
“SURE YOU CAN. YOU’LL FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO FUCK AND FLATTER, PRETTY BOY THAT YOU ARE. WITH YOUR SILVER TONGUE, YOU CAN SNARE ANYONE YOU WANT. SOMEONE WHO CAN DO MORE FOR YOU THAN I CAN.” RAFE TURNED HIS BACK AND HEADED BACK TO THE ROAD.
“WAIT―RAFE―COME BACK!” THE OTHER MAN SLOWED BUT DID NOT STOP. “RAFE, IT’S YOU THAT I WANT. YOU.”
DYLAN HELD HIS BREATH. RAFE LOOKED BACK OVER HIS SHOULDER.
“I WON’T LIE ANYMORE. I PROMISE. I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING. AND YOU CAN MAKE THE DECISIONS, WHERE WE GO, WHAT WE DO. JUST DON’T DESERT ME.”
RAFE WAS BACK, CROUCHING AT HIS SIDE. “IT WAS YOU WHO WERE DESERTING ME, DYLAN.”
DYLAN THREW HIS ARMS AROUND RAFE’S NECK. “NO, NO. I’LL STAY IF THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT.” HE PRESSED HIS LIPS TO RAFE’S, TRYING TO WORK THEM OPEN WITH HIS TONGUE. THE OTHER MAN RESISTED BUT FINALLY GAVE IN.
****
I want to thank Jan for having me as her guest. Quarantine will be released on the 9th of July, but you can preorder your copy now. And from the 6th through the 24th of July, I'm running a blog tour where I'll be giving away an ebook to one commenter at each stop on the tour. I'll post the schedule next week, on my website and blog.
Bio: More than a decade ago LISABET SARAI experienced a serendipitous fusion of her love of writing and her fascination with sex. Since then she has published four single author short story collections and seven erotic novels, including the BDSM classic Raw Silk. Dozens of her shorter works have been released as ebooks and in print anthologies. She has also edited several acclaimed anthologies and is currently responsible for the altruistic erotica series COMING TOGETHER PRESENTS.
LISABET HOLDS MORE DEGREES THAN ANYONE NEEDS FROM PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES WHO WOULD NO DOUBT BE EMBARRASSED BY HER CHOSEN GENRE. SHE LOVES TO TRAVEL AND CURRENTLY LIVES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA WITH HER HIGHLY TOLERANT HUSBAND AND TWO COSMOPOLITAN FELINES. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LISABET AND HER WRITING VISIT LISABET SARAI'S FANTASY FACTORY LISABETSARAI.COM OR HER BLOG BEYOND ROMANCE .
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