A WARM WELCOME TO GARRETT LEIGH
Please tell us a little about yourself
The book that holds everlasting resonance…
Junk, by Melvin Burgess. It tells the tale of addiction for what it really is…a very boring, uninspired way to kill yourself.
There is no glamour or excitement in this book. Just bleak, monotonous destruction.
The priority activity if you were invisible for a day…
I couldn’t possibly tell you that. My brother reads this shit…
The film you can watch time and time again…
I have terrible taste in films. I’m too thick to appreciate the clever ones, and I’m a sucker for a sweeping soundtrack and a tortured hero. That being said, if I’ve had a bad day, I quite often turn to When Harry Met Sally. Pile of utter shite, and I love it.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…
Watching my chickens scrap over cabbage leaves. Seriously, I could—and often do—watch them all day. I could even tell you odds of the smallest, most featherless one coming out victorious (pretty good, in case you were wondering).
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…
I have a YA lesbian partial manuscript on an old laptop. I will finish it one day…
Who is the most important person in your life?
Real or imaginary? Ha. No, really…there is no one person, just a feeling…a tie that binds me to some special souls…family and friends. It manifests itself differently with each relationship, but ultimately, they all mean everything to me, and how do you define that?
The piece of wisdom you would pass onto a child…
Anger is just a hole where your life could be.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…
Already done, and I got away with it just fine, thank you very much 😉
The philosophy that underpins your life…
Communism…no, really, the old style, back when it was just a bit of sharing and hippie hugs. Some days I want nothing more than to grab the people I love…all of them, and run away to live on a kibbutz.
COMING SOON
Bold (Blue Boy 3)
Don’t underestimate me…
Dancer Kai is the sweetheart of Blue Boy studio. Cute and petite, he’s the slender bottom every top loves to pound. But nothing is ever quite as it seems, and beneath his golden curls and giggles lies something else…an edge no one can quite put their finger on.
Is Kai bored? Or does he crave something more?
Blue Boy Studio is under new ownership. Veteran porn star Jude has seen it all before, and with the help of Kai’s mentor, Cam, they figure Kai needs a change. Enter Matthew, a fellow dancer and the newbie on the block.
Kai isn’t impressed. Matthew is hot and all, but Jude and Cam’s plans seem beyond his reach. Can Kai really do…that? He doesn’t believe it, but with Matthew along for the ride, it’s time to dig deep, be bold, and find out.
Publisher: Loose Id
Released date: August 19 2014
Many thanks, Garrett. I’m looking forward to reading your latest Blue Boy story.
~O~
Interview with Addy Nell
What’s the story behind your latest book?
I’m always interested in normal people doing non-normal things–like giving in to their impulses! My latest book is about an average-Joe named Randall who does just that. He’s lived his whole life not giving in to impulse, and when he finally does he finds he can learn to like it.
What are you working on next?
My next story is a high-realism sci fi about an alien father who crash lands in the woods, and must take refuge in a young loner’s cabin. Both men must learn from and rely on each other in order to survive and prosper.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Writing is very cathartic for me. I enjoy the relaxation that results when I put words on the page. It’s always been my escape, and I hope it continues to be.
When did you first start writing?
I first began writing very young, at around twelve years old. My earliest experiences with writing were of fanfiction. Writing fanfiction allowed be to grow a lot as an author. Without those early steps I wouldn’t be where I am today!
What do your fans mean to you?
My fans are everything to me! I always want to make sure that they are getting the best experience possible out of my work. If the fans aren’t happy, I’m not happy. If someone likes my work, I consider them my most trusted critic. I will listen to them.
What is your writing process?
Most of my writing process takes place in my head! I usually write about 80-90 percent of each story mentally before I even open my laptop. I spend a lot of time thinking and meditating on what I want to happen. I will ‘play’ the story like a movie in my head, planning each stage of the process. When I finally write, it goes very quickly! I’ve been known to write ~10,000 words in one day, but that happens only rarely. When a truly inspiring story hits I simply have to write it down!
How do you approach cover design?
Cover design is always a tough one for me. I want something that excites the reader into looking deeper. I prefer clean, simple covers in bright colors. They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but we all do it!
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
The most effective marketing technique I’ve found is to simply share my e-books with fans of my other works, most commonly my fanfiction. My writing style stays across all the genres I write for, and so people who are interested in the non-original work I write can also be interested in my original fiction.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up poor in a small town in the American Midwest. It influenced me greatly. I tend to focus on differences in fiction, and on how “normal” people react in abnormal situations. The Midwest can be very boring sometimes, and so it is exciting to get a little escapism!
When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
I do a lot of other creative thinking! I am a graduate student currently working on my dissertation research. This takes a lot of time, and is my true full-time job. When not working on school I spend time reading and playing games with friends, in particular tabletop games and board games.
What do you read for pleasure?
I read fantasy and science fiction most often. I prefer stories where the protagonist could be someone who lives down the street from me. Completely normal in every way, but thrust into a world of high fantasy! It is always interesting to see how people interact with a world that is not their own!
Books by This Author
By Addy Nell
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 6,010. Language: English. Published: July 4, 2014. Category:Fiction » Erotica » Gay Erotica
Randall King is not usually a hateful man. But today everything seems to be going wrong, including an unfortunate visit to the bank. He can feel the anger building, threatening to bubble over. When the extremely wealthy, extremely sexy president of the bank, Stanley Hanning, offers him an outlet for his roiling emotions, he takes it.
Many thanks for dropping in to tell me about your writing, Addy.
~O~
I’d like to welcome author and close friend, E. S. Skipper.
His first short story, ‘No Worries, Mate’, has recently been published in Wayward Ink Publishing‘s Bollocks! anthology.
Congratulations on a fabulous story and for the wonderful reviews you’ve received so far. It was a pleasure to work alongside you as your boys came to life on the screen. I’m glad I helped steer you in the right direction with their story and was there to support you every step of the way on your route to publishing.
This interview was conducted as part of E.S. Skipper’s Bollocks! Release Day Party on Facebook.
Can you tell me how you came to want to write?
I started reading fanfiction a while back and I enjoyed it a lot. There were many great stories out there, but also some really bad ones that were getting heaps of reviews. The authors hadn’t even studied the subject properly. And yes, it is fiction, but some of these people were moving into dangerous topics. People could have gotten hurt if they thought it was all right to try things they were reading. So after moaning at my friend, he said he had enough of my complaining and told me to put up or shut up. So I put up.
My stories can be found on fanfiction as Emmett’s Submissive
When you create your characters do they come strictly from your imagination, people you know in real life, or a mix?
Oh, so not a fair question. Without realising it, I tend to see people I know in my characters. Although my novel I am trying to write at the moment is about two very close friends. I have used them as inspiration. They are whom I imagine in my head when I write. But other than that, they are nothing like the characters and they have become unique in a way but still hold the characteristics of my friends. They love it, so I am happy about that.
I’ve had the privilege to watch you write. It’s amazing how your process works. How do you develop your writing ideas?
Okay, you’re making me give the secret away. Actually, I have none. I sit down and write. I don’t think my characters talk to me. I don’t pause or make changes until the chapter is done normally. Take Rangi and Jake from ‘No Worries, Mate’. A friend on Facebook said something so small, but made it click in my head. Yep, she had visited New Zealand and commented on how laid back and nothing was a bother. As you know, I say No Worries all the time. It’s a common New Zealand, and yes, I have to admit, Australian saying. So out of her simple comment ‘No Worries, Mate’ was born.
You’ve recently been accepted by Wayward Ink Publishing for an original story. How did you feel once you’d submitted?
Oh, you are so freaking mean. You know how I felt. Scared, worried, regretful, but mainly proud I had actually taken that step. But I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for my amazing beta and friend Lily G. Blunt aka Bob Loving. She is my mentor and held my hand every step of the way. When I say that I seriously mean she held my hand. Hell, she even set the document up. I basically typed the story and handed it to her. She did the rest. You have seen my writing. I never go back and edit. Oh wait, I do now. *Blushing here. Thanks, hun*
What was your reaction when you learned you had been accepted?
I am not ashamed to say I cried. I was never a scholar at school. Basically told I was a no-hoper. Well, I can’t wait for a school reunion now and go and say, well guess you were wrong. Don’t give up on a dream. Hell, writing was never my dream, but now it is a passion.
Tell me about the publishing process; what you enjoyed most, and liked least.
It’s horrible! It honestly is hard. You have to go through so much. But an author is just a slice in the whole process. EDITS are the bane of my life. I hate them. Normally you go through two edits. I HAD four! As you know, I am new at this game. I handed over a story but got told that in a few places I was telling rather than showing. Thankfully Wayward Ink Publishing saw something in me. I had to fix it after the first submission before it went to the next partner in the business. Then it had to go to my first editor. I ADORE her and can’t thank her enough. But guess what? I didn’t gel with my next one. I didn’t mind her, but her style was not to my liking. She is brilliant at her job, but she didn’t get me as a writer. And best part? I have yet to find one. Although holding your book in your hand is incredible and it makes it all seem worthwhile.
Do you have any plans to publish again?
*hangs head* Yes, as much as I moan about it, I can’t not do it again! Although this time I will be better prepared.
Do you have other stories in the works?
Yep! That is all I am saying at this moment in time. I don’t know what I will be finishing or submitting next.
Name the five biggest distractions from your writing.
Real life.
Family
Facebook (worse one) – Sorry, I know I contribute to this distraction for hours at a time, but we have fun in between the hours of work, don’t we!
Helping others trying to write
Travelling
Where do you hope to see your writing career, say, ten years from now?
Honestly, I can’t think that far ahead. I hope I’m an established author. Or maybe, I give it up and try my hand at other interests I have. All I know is that I have a lot in my head and these buggers won’t keep quiet.
Here is the video trailer I made for ‘No Worries, Mate’.
Excerpt
Jake Bullock stared in embarrassed horror at the sign BOLLOCKS being held aloft by a tall man with skin the color of a good café latte—something Jake felt in dire need of. People sniggered as they walked past the placard held so high and so proudly in the air it looked positively jaunty. After traveling for God knows how many hours, the last thing Jake had was a sense of humor.
Walking over to the man, Jake looked up. “Are you from the Department of Conservation?”
“Yep, Kia ora, mate. Welcome to Aotearoa—land of the long white cloud.” The guy grinned, showing perfectly straight white teeth.
“I thought I was in New Zealand.” Jake looked around. He saw flags and silver ferns, just as he’d expected.
“This is New Zealand—but it’s also known as Aotearoa. My name is Rangi Hapakuku. You must be Jake Bollock.” He finally put the sign down and held his large hand out.
Accepting the hand, Jake jerked back when the guy drew close to his face. Rangi tapped his nose to Jake’s once, then paused for a split second before he went in again. Jake could feel heat rising on his cheeks. He should have remembered this was a customary greeting. Holding his breath, he rubbed noses with the man. It only lasted a few seconds, and Jake had to admit it wasn’t as intrusive as he thought it would be. Rangi peered behind Jake, as though looking for something.
“Oh, my travel partner couldn’t make it. She contracted chicken pox from her granddaughter,” Jake said, thinking it was the reason why the sign had an ‘s’ tagged on the end. “I’m Jake Bullock. That’s Bull…ock. Not Bollock!”
“Well, no worries, mate. It’s better there’s only the two of us. You have been given a great honor to visit our island.” He started to take the camera off Jake’s shoulder.
“Please, I’ll carry it.” Jake grabbed hold of the straps and held tightly onto his camera, his livelihood. Hell, truth be told, it was like an extension of his arm. Rangi might as well have asked him to detach his hand.
“No worries, mate! We best get a move on if we want to make it to the island before dark.”
Purchase links
Follow E.S. Skipper here:
THANK YOU, E!
~O~
A warm welcome to fellow author and new friend courtesy of Wayward Ink Publishing and the UK Meet,
H. Lewis-Foster.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF, H.
The temptation you wish you could resist…
I know it’s a predictable answer, but it has to be chocolate, in any form. Cake, biscuits, anything – if it’s in the house, I’m afraid I’ll eat it!
The book that holds everlasting resonance…
The most significant book for me is The Married Man by Edmund White. It was the first book I read by and about a gay man, and it made a huge impression on me. It’s a beautifully written story of love and loss, and I’m sure if I hadn’t read it, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
The film you can watch time and time again…
That would have to be the British film Weekend. It has no big stars or special effects, but the script and performances are fantastic. As the title suggests, it tells the story of two men who meet and fall in love over the course of a weekend. It’s a wonderfully simple film full of honesty and emotion.
The poem that touches your soul…
The poem which I find the most touching is one I first read when I was a teenager. It’s a French poem (with an English title) called Paris at Night by Jacques Prévert. It’s a very short piece with no flowery words or complex structures. A simple statement of love, it still takes my breath away when I read it.
The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…
Weird as it may sound, I think I’d go down the pub with Alexander the Great. I’ve just read the first two books in Mary Renault’s trilogy about his life, and he sounds like a fascinating character, full of astonishing confidence one minute and vulnerability the next. It sounds like he knew how to have a great party too, so I’m sure he’d be good company. And of course he wasn’t afraid to show his love for the men in his life.
So now you know a bit about me, here’s a little about my two new releases.
Out in the Sticks (JMS Books)
Lawyer Adam Sibden has moved to the charming English village of Sharpley to forget about men. But when he takes his car to the local garage, he can’t help being attracted to the handsome young manager Jim Turley. At the village pub that evening, a misunderstanding leads to a highly embarrassing moment for Adam, but Jim thankfully comes to his rescue and makes him feel more at ease.
As the winter weather takes hold, Adam finds himself stranded with a punctured tyre, following a disastrous meeting with his ex-boyfriend Lucas. Adam calls the garage’s breakdown service, and when Jim ventures into the snow to find him, he offers more help than Adam could have hoped for.
In the Blue Moonlight (Part of the BOLLOCKS! anthology)
Simon has a good job and a nice house, and according to his best friend Chris, he’s turning into a boring old fart. So it’s totally out of character when Simon bares his bum to the local constabulary on a night out with his brother’s student mates. He hopes he’s put the incident behind him, when Simon bumps into one of the officers. Simon fears he’s in trouble, then thinks he’s in luck when PC Mark Timmis buys him a drink – but life in a rural English town is never as simple as it seems.
Author Bio
H. Lewis-Foster has always worked with books, in one form or another. As a keen reader of gay fiction, she decided to try writing herself, and is now the proud author of several short stories and a debut novel.
H. has lived in various parts of the UK and has recently moved to the north of England, where she’s enjoying city life, especially the theatres and cinemas. She tries not to watch too much television, but is a big fan of Downton Abbey, and while she’s writing, she loves listening to Test Match Special (where they spend far more time talking about cakes than cricket!)
H. has also ventured into playwriting and was thrilled to see her first play performed at the Southend Playwriting Festival earlier this year.
THANKS FOR SHARING, H.
~O~
A WARM WELCOME TO NYA RAWLYNS
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF, NYA
The prized possession you value above all others…
Photographs, those images frozen in time. We lost everything in the Agnes Food of ’72, including the albums entrusted to me as the last surviving ‘girl’ in the family. It was like having pieces of my soul ripped away, all those memories: history captured, my immigrant family and the journey they made from so many corners of the globe to end up on the shores of America, my own stuttering steps to adulthood. We were able to find replacements here and there, but the collection was largely gone.
That may be the most compelling reason why I write: to record in some way those journeys that now exist only in my own thoughts.
The unqualified regret you wish you could amend…
That I waited so long to see the world I’d only read about, dreamt of. And to do it alone. Because only then did I understand what it means to be comfortable in my own skin.
The temptation you wish you could resist…
I never met a potato chip I didn’t like, and that explains quite a bit…
The book that holds everlasting resonance…
Strangely enough, that would be Little Women. I go back to it time and again when I need grounding and reaffirmation in the power of family, hope, faith and a simpler time that allowed for the human spirit to take center stage, not technology.
The priority activity if you were invisible for a day…
I think they arrest you for voyeurism, don’t they? Oh wait … invisible? Um, blushes. Moving on…
The film you can watch time and time again…
Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version). I’ve worn out two DVDs in my hopeless obsession with period pieces and understated sensuality. I’m guessing 100 viewings, minimum. And I still clutch my ample bosom and sigh when Mr. Darcy approaches through the mist…
The person who influenced you the most…
Choosing just one is nigh near impossible. I’ve been truly blessed to have people in my life who have been spirit guides, companions, confessors, friends, lovers…
Ah, but there is one who is special, who came to me in my thirties. He was a visiting Russian scientist, and if anyone could be labelled a soul mate, he was the one. He taught me to see the world through a different lens and he showed me that we are not so different in all the matters that count, that the line in the sand the Cold War had drawn need not apply. His friendship across that divide meant more than political posturing and power mongering. He became part of my family. We had one year. Sometimes that is enough.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…
Architecture: log cabins, barns, tree houses, stone cabins in the woods, A-frames, organic designs of all manner of construction. I buy house plans the same way some people buy cookbooks. And maps. I love maps, old ones, new ones. In books, framable, topos, graphs and charts. Google Earth, oh mercy, I love that!
The happiest moment you will cherish forever…
A trip out west to Colorado and Wyoming, shared with my son. We had no agenda, just maps (ah those maps again), following our noses. It led us to Mesa Verde and other wondrous places. But it was the small discoveries, off the beaten path, that later took root in my stories centering in the Absaroka Range, WY: the Crow Creek Series. Wyoming is the home I would choose, my heart, my spirit reside there, along with old friends who live on now in memory.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…
Partially unfulfilled. I’ve made two trips to London, Reading and Abderdeen, by myself (in my dotage, the first time travelling alone and out of the country to boot!) and visited with people I’d only known through Facebook or professionally as a (former) publisher. That is a bucket list I long to fill and its destinations include Norway, Finland, Italy, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Nova Scotia.
Your early recollections of writing fiction…
I’ve always written professionally, and while technical writing and fiction can share some elements of creativity (or even fantasy, don’t ask), the act of creating worlds out of whole cloth took me to a place inside my head and heart that I simply did not know existed.
Talk about seeing the world through a different lens!
I learned to craft scenes as if choreographing dance. I listened to music to understand the cadence and rhythms of dialog, and still do. But mostly I became intensely aware of the world around me. That fuels my imagination, looking outward, and helps me bring some measure of honesty and truth to my characters that I might never have managed had I lived solely inside my own head.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…
Ah, that bucket list I mentioned? There you go. First stop? Scotland again. The people—the place—speaks to me as no other. I sampled the coast, the city, castle ruins and the intense weight of history, the beauty of the Cairngorms, the charms of small villages. But there’s so much more, not the least of which are the friends I made, who cheerfully shared their heritage and adventures with me. With only 24 hours allowed, meeting them again would be my priority and my honor. (I LIVE IN ENGLAND… AND WOULD LOVE TO VISIT SCOTLAND ONE DAY!)
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…
Bullying. I was subject to it as a teen. It was bad then, but it’s worse now. I find all too much of it on the internet. I see it as accepted behavior at all age levels.
The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…
Teddy Roosevelt. Grandma Ella left me a bust of Teddy when she passed. To this day I have no clue why she had it, or what it meant to her. But, out of curiosity, I read what I could about the man and developed an enduring admiration for someone with vision enough to preserve our wild places for future generations. When I look at it, sitting on a bookshelf in the rec room, it always brings a memory and a smile for a woman who was fiercely independent, proud and capable. If Teddy Roosevelt had earned pride of place in Grandma Ella’s home, then he definitely deserves a pie and a pint from me.
The piece of wisdom you would pass onto a child…
Be the person you want to be, not the one others expect. The son I have is transitioning to the daughter I didn’t know I had. It will be a voyage of discovery for both of us.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again…
Not an item, but a companion. My mare, Winnie. I’ve written about her, shared our trials and tribulations, the respect that grew, grudgingly, and the times we spent together just hanging out. Winnie went her own way, always. I could join her or not, it made no difference to her, though when I did … magic happened. She knew when my world was wrong, when I was wrong, in spirit and otherwise. When we were together, I think we both felt peace. But she was a gift I could not keep. Gratitude has replaced grief, and that’s the way of things. My life is better having known her.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…
Husband #2. Sniper rifle. [Abuser, beat his dog, we can take turns if you like.]
The philosophy that underpins your life…
Bear your scars proudly. They are yours and no one else’s. They are your history and the evidence of a life lived. They are your badges of survival.
The plug…
The Wrong Side of Right (Nya Rawlyns)
Genre: transgressive, homoerotic literature, BDSM, contemporary M/M
What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it’s curved like a road through mountains.
~Tennessee Williams from A Streetcar Named Desire, 1947
Blurb:
Tony Mitchell is a loner who spends most of his life staying low, denying who and what he is until Aiden Caldwell walks into the shop and changes everything. Tony thinks his new supervisor hates his guts, but that doesn’t keep Tony from dreaming and yearning. His fantasies drive him to follow the older man, revealing a secret that only confounds Tony’s obsession.
Conflicted and confused, Tony falls under the spell of a man called Tank who leads Tony down a dark path of seduction and dangerous cravings. Under Tank’s guidance, Tony learns to suspend reality, to succumb. The one thing he doesn’t learn is how to say no.
Aiden Caldwell pulls Tony from the precipice but not from the addiction that threatens to consume the young man.
In the matter of love and trust, can two men intent on hiding their most secret selves find common ground as fate and their own tumultuous pasts conspire to tear them apart?
An ARe/OmniLit bestseller and a TRR Best Pick
Gritty, raw, uncompromising…
Tony bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut tight, tighter, until the explosion behind his eyelids lifted him into orbit and he came, hot and sweet, cursing himself to hell and back because he loved it. He hated it.
Later he could not recall cleaning up or wrapping the apron around his waist, hiding most of the wet spots on his jeans and tee shirt. He did remember watching the big man pause at the door and give him a strange look because he had asked, “Have you?”
“Have I what, kid?”
“Been raped.”
“Not anymore.”
~0~
Available from:
A FASCINATING READ, NYA. THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
~0~
A WARM WELCOME TO BRAD VANCE
PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
The prized possession you value above all others…
Well, not sure if my cats are a “possession” – really, they own me more than I own them. But in the “burning building” situation, I could leave everything else behind if I could get them out.
The unqualified regret you wish you could amend…
At this point in life, I’ve come to realize that’s a Catch-22. “Going back and changing” something I regret that much would mean I wouldn’t be “me” now, which would mean I wouldn’t make the same decision about what I’d go back and change…LOL.
The temptation you wish you could resist…
PEANUT BUTTER. I need to live in a parallel universe where you can eat unlimited Honey Peanut Butter (and/or Justin’s Maple Almond Butter) and never gain weight.
The book that holds everlasting resonance…
For me as a gay author, I have to say “Dancer from the Dance,” Andrew Holleran’s gay classic about New York gay life in the late 60s/early 70s. It’s so steamy and erotic, but when I went back to read it I was astonished to realize there isn’t a single sex scene in it…but the whole book is like one long hot languorous lay.
The priority activity if you were invisible for a day…
I’d spend a day in another artist’s life – not sure who, but someone who I’d want to research for a book. Maybe an actor, maybe a novelist, but definitely someone whose creative process I could watch and learn from.
The film you can watch time and time again…
Lord of the Rings, all three of ‘em. I own the expanded extended versions on DVD and yet, when they come on TV, I’m all, “ohh, Fellowship of the Rings is on!” and I watch it with commercials and everything like a dumbass J
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…
Ancient History and Renaissance History. I’d love to do a “sword and sandals” gay romance someday. And there’s this fascinating book, “Forbidden Friendships,” about gay life in Renaissance Florence – that would make a great basis for a gay novel, too.
The event that altered the course of your life…
Aubrey Watt’s AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit back in October 2012! She writes gay erotica, and shared all about how much money she made and where she published, etc. After reading the questions and answers, I ran off my first story, “Good Cop, Bad Boy” and sent it to her for her opinion as to whether I would be any good at it. She said ZOMG YES you must become a smut writer!
The song that means the most to you…
Audioslave’s “Like a Stone.” I get verklempt every time I hear it.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever…
Meeting someone last fall who changed my experience of how sex could be and how my own sexuality could be expressed. That’s all I wanna say J
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…
Oh, you know, being a Serious Novelist! I have written a serious novel under another name, but it went nowhere. It was a hard lesson, but I know that there’s just so much stuff out there that without marketing, social media presence, etc. etc., nothing goes anywhere saleswise, no matter how good it is. But, I have to shrug, because if I was the kind of person who’d been a super-social participant and drummer-up of enthusiasm, I couldn’t have been the person who wrote a novel about a shy lonely woman and her friendship with an artificial intelligence LOL.
Your early recollections of writing fiction…
I’ve always written, starting with science fiction stories when I was in elementary school. I had a dog, and I transformed her into the Empress of an intergalactic empire of intelligent dogs! They were coming to Earth to rescue me, and not a minute too soon!
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…
I spent 3 days in Paris once, and I’d be back there in a heartbeat. I’d want it to be in the summer, with those long, late, blue twilights, and all the men looking, always looking, even if they’re not going to act on it – unlike most big cities, everyone there looks at everyone, just in case something wonderful happens…And when I was there, the Louvre was closed for a security guard’s strike, so I didn’t get to see that! Gotta remedy that tragedy.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…
Incompetence. People who just don’t care if they do their job right. Who get in somewhere (usually, it seems, a doctor’s office where you have to deal with them) and just sit there like frogs on a log, doing only as much as it takes to stay employed.
The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…
Well, I doubt if her guards would let me, but I’d pick Queen Elizabeth I. I’ve been obsessed with her all my life. I’ve seen every movie with an Elizabeth, even in a supporting role. And when I was in London, in Westminster Abbey, standing by her tomb, I almost squealed like a little Belieber.
The piece of wisdom you would pass onto a child…
“Don’t do what Donnie Don’t Does.” Seriously, I don’t know. When I was a kid I rolled my eyes at every piece of “wisdom” passed on to me. I can’t imagine any kid would take me any more seriously than I took my elders!
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again…
My senior high school yearbook. Lost in a move, long ago.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…
Hmm. Nice try, FBI!
The philosophy that underpins your life…
Get up early if you have to, to do what you love before “normal life” takes over the rest of the day. Don’t give up. Make the next book better than the last. Somehow someday you’ll make it big. Remember Samuel Beckett: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
The plug…
My latest books
Gay Romance:
Gay paranormal:
Rob The Daemon (Chronicles of Rob the Daemon #1)
Phoenix Caged (Chronicles of Rob the Daemon #2)
MANY THANKS FOR SHARING WITH US, BRAD.
~0~
A WARM WELCOME TO RAIN CARRINGTON
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
The prized possession you value above all others…
Is there a writer who doesn’t say their laptop? I lost my computer to old age about a year ago. I mourned, I tried to use other computers to ease the pain but until I found my very own again I was lost. That time without it gave me a glimpse into how it was before computers became the norm and I truly tip my hat to those writers. I would have given up a long time ago! Writer’s cramp is the worst!
The unqualified regret you wish you could amend…
I don’t believe in regrets. I have things that I wish hadn’t happened but life is all about learning. Learning from others and learning from one’s own mistakes.
The temptation you wish you could resist…
Cream Puffs. ‘Nuff said!
The book that holds everlasting resonance…
The book I have read a lot and always draws me back is Gone with the Wind. The romance, the drama, the strong characters all grab me and pull me along for the ride. I try so hard to put a little Scarlet O’Hara into every one of my characters, which is scary because I write M/M haha. The thing that gets me the most is that there are no small characters in it. Every single one could have a starring role in their own book. Amazing writing.
The priority activity if you were invisible for a day…
I’m not going to lie…I would stalk Joe Manganiello (Alcide, True Blood). I have a huge crush on him. I would throw mud on him over and over so he would have to get into the shower all day…
The film you can watch time and time again…
I am a huge film buff. My all-time favorite is Boondock Saints. It’s got everything, beautiful men, mobsters, cross-dressing cop, tattoos, Irish accents, Italian accents, rope…mmm who could ask for more?
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…
Um…okay…we’re being honest here right? Polyamory. I don’t know why but I am consumed with curiosity about it. (YES, SO AM I!)
The poem that touches your soul…
Frost’s The Road Not Taken. I have never taken the easy path, never tried to.
The event that altered the course of your life…
The first time my back “went out” and I felt what I had been warned about when I was little. That I could be crippled. I have severe scoliosis. I can’t say it altered it in a totally negative way, though. It made me finally get to my true passion, writing.
The song that means the most to you…
Dream On by Aerosmith. The words reach into my soul! It’s like a warning to live your life to the fullest because time is fleeting.
Your early recollections of writing fiction…
Trial and error!! I was posting on a site and let me tell you, those reviewers can be WAY more intimidating that those on Goodreads and Amazon! They are unforgiving but awesome because they pointed me in the right ways, told me what did and didn’t work about my stories. They kept me striving to get better.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…
Tuscany! Tuscany with Joe Manganiello. Naked.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…
Bigotry! Everyone has something that makes them different from everyone else so to hate anyone for their differences is idiotic!
The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…
JFK, no explanation necessary.
The piece of wisdom you would pass onto a child…
Live each day like it was your last.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…
Kidnapping Joe Manganiello and Norman Reedus and keeping them chained in my basement.
The philosophy that underpins your life…
An’ it harm none do what thou wilt…
A WARM WELCOME TO ALINA POPESCU
PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
The prized possession you value above all others…
My laptop! I can’t survive without it as it holds everything – books, music, photos. It’s my connection to more than half of my friends and I start to fidget and huff if the Internet is down.
The unqualified regret you wish you could amend…
I believe what has happened to us in the past helps forge who we are now, so I try not to dwell on regrets. The one thing I’d change though was my long break from writing novels and short stories during university and a few years after that. I still don’t know how I survived without it, but I’d never willingly repeat that break again.
The temptation you wish you could resist…
That would be energy drinks. They are one of the biggest vice I’m currently fighting. I know they’re bad for you, but I can’t seem to give them up. I still fantasize about gulping down some Relentless the moment I get to a country where they have them.
The book that holds everlasting resonance…
You know, I don’t have one book that fits that label, I have several. I’ve read books that are still close to my heart, from my first full read, “Fram, the polar bear”, to Karl May and Dumas series, to a dozed Romanian novelists and some books that I had to read for school and ended up loving to this day. I’d also list my first sci-fi, I, Robot, my first romance, I don’t remember the title, I remember I sneaked it to the bathroom to read cause I was too young, my first m/m read, and I’ll just stop here for now 😀 I’m not big on reading a book again and again, simply because I feel I have no time, there are too many other books to explore out there.
The priority activity if you were invisible for a day…
Hmm… tough one! I have to choose between stealing stuff (minor, like candy bars) and see people react to a floating object exiting the store, groping all my famous crushes, and annoying the hell out of people in positions of authority. Can you imagine repeatedly pulling the hair of the president of something or another and see their frustration grow?
The film you can watch time and time again…
Unlike books, I do tend to get obsessive about films and watch them again and again. While there are several I’ve watched repeatedly, some are just off the charts. Meet Joe Black, Dune, Pitch Black & The Chronicles of Riddick, Interview with the Vampire & Queen of the Damned, The Phantom of the Opera, these are top of the list. I used or still know half the lines by heart.
The person who influenced you the most…
I guess I should stick to people who were still alive by the time I was born? My parents. They were the first to really touch my life in a big way. They were both avid readers and insisted on my staying a child. I won that battle though, I was reading on my own two years before going to school. But they’ve always been the biggest influence in my life.
The poem that touches your soul…
That’s an easy one! Evening Star/Luceafarul by Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu. It is a long one, written in 1883 and still holds the record for the longest poem every written. There are quite a few translations available, but I have to say there is no language this poem will ever sound as perfect as it does in Romanian. The story, the symbols, the philosophical influences, no wonder it is considered the masterpiece of one of Romania’s greatest poets.
The song that means the most to you…
I have eclectic tastes. It’s the same for music, books, and movies. I grew up with a mix of Queen, Moody Blues, ballet music, pop songs, and everything in between. I kept adding a bit from everything and you will find underground hip hop, Japanese rock, Korean pop, opera, some jazz, goldies of all genres, all stuck in my play list. I will say I still know most lyrics from dozens of Depeche Mode songs, love anything Muse, and I have another favorite song every other week. Or day, it depends. It’s always songs with lyrics I can relate to.
Your early recollections of writing fiction…
Oh, this is a good one 🙂 I’ve always written short little stories for school, but my first attempt of what I thought was a novel was when I was 10. See, there was this boy, cool, older, loved reading as much as I did. We started to write a novel together. We gave up after a week. I didn’t really give up though, I kept writing every since.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…
A different planet, of course! Learn everything, get their high tech. I am looking for a teleportation device. That would make my life a lot easier 😀
The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…
Julius Caesar. I used to be fascinated with the man in high school. Also, as a writer, you have to appreciate how he used a technically historical recount (De Bello Gallico) to make himself and the Roman army look good.
The piece of wisdom you would pass onto a child…
Ah, the piece of wisdom every parent passes onto their children, don’t be in a hurry to grow up. We never listen, we always just can’t wait to be adults and do what we want. Too late, we figure out we should have listened!
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again…
I am a pen and pencil freak. Been all my life. In my first two years of high school, all my money would go into buying cool new pens and adding them to my collection. I lost a bunch of them, along with this cool case, during a train ride from my grandparents. I wish I’d find them again.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…
If I had time to think about it, I’d probably want to be some superhero vigilante that the police never try to arrest. Can you imagine posting Facebook updates while catching baddies?
However, knowing me, I’d give a quick, impulse response, and I’d choose stalking! Stalking all those lovely people I admire.
The philosophy that underpins your life…
Always be extremely detailed and specific about what you wish for. For example, if you want to put the words “I want a dog” out in the universe, be very specific. I said I wanted a dog that was big, looked like a wolf, and would be a boy, to love me more than any other man in my life. I forgot to say he should not be crazy, and that he should always listen to me…
And, there’s of course the little bit of never saying never simply because life takes it as a challenge and always proves you wrong.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Writer, traveler, and coffee addict; Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and even won awards in local competitions. She has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm, which explains her deep love for vampires and is also to blame for this trilogy.
Books:
Pure Love of the Fallen (Lost Angels #1) – paranormal/fantasy m/f
Flawless Design (Lost Angels #2) – paranormal/fantasy m/m
Coming soon:
The Edge of Hope (Bad Blood #1) – paranormal romance *vampires and other cool stuff*
Social Links:
MANY THANKS FOR SHARING WITH US, ALINA
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A WARM WELCOME TO PIPER KAY
International Best Selling Author, Piper Kay, is a homegrown Texan and wickedly wild and sometimes twisted person. After raising her family, she is fulfilling her passion of storytelling. She writes MM contemporary erotica romance. She is currently published with Hot Ink Press and Evernight Publishing. Her published works are: Twisted Cherry, A Perfect Passion (The Passion Series-Book One), Eight Second Cowboy and The Naughty Box
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
The prize possession you value above all others: Honestly, it’s a Capricorn necklace charm with the description of my sign that my dad gave to me before he passed away in 1990. On one side it has the goat symbol, on the other it says determined, loyal, thoughtful, sincere, ambitious, and tender.
The temptation you wish you could resist: Caffeine. I’m completely addicted to coffee and Coca-Cola. I know it’s not good for me, but I take it in all forms.
The priority activity if you were invisible for a day: To be in the room during a Cockyboys scene.
The person who influenced you the most: My dad, he was the most awesome person I have ever known. He always told me I could be anything I wanted and to always believe in myself.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity: Owls. I live in Texas and there are two that stay outside my house. I’d love to understand what they are saying because they have these very loud and strange sounding hooting sessions at four in the morning.
The event that altered the course of your life: When my dad died, I was twenty-four year old and six months pregnant
The song that means the most to you: Oh I have so many, but the most recent would be Break, by Three Days Grace. I was going through a rough time in my life and when I heard the words ‘If you can’t stand the way this place is, take yourself to higher places’
Your early recollections of writing fiction: It was only a few years ago. I used a dinosaur computer, I’m talking about one of those huge ugly ones from the ‘90’s. I knew if I didn’t start getting the stories out of my head I was going to explode. I sat down and just started typing, and was shocked at the things that were coming out.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions: Inside my book, A Perfect Passion
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise: When an author degrades another author. I cannot stand it when someone downgrades any type of author or their creativity
The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint… A pint with Al Capone, A Pie with Marilyn Monroe
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child… You can be anything you want to be, and always stay true to who you are, anything is possible
The philosophy that underpins your life… Can’t never could. Can’t is not in my vocabulary
The Plug:
The Passion Series Book One: A Perfect Passion-For Damien, passion brings ecstasy, betrayal and danger that almost cost him his life. At the lowest point in his life, he discovers that true passion and loyalty have been staring him in the face all along. There is one problem he must surmount first, Dax is straight and carries a lot of baggage. What neither of them realizes is that sometimes passion can also bring healing. That is if one is brave enough to take the first step. In a perfect passion, one must be willing to take the risk.
The Passion Series Book Two: Payce’s Passion is coming soon (in approx. 2 months)
Eight Second Cowboy-It’s Rodeo Roundup time in Houston. Undefeated bull riding champion, Matt Stevens, runs into longtime nemesis, Lance Loskey. Matt is intense, his focus and drive sustain him, but seeing Lance with his carefree attitude rages a plethora of feelings to the surface. This mellow cowboy is in position for more than just the championship after a freak accident paves Lance’s way. This is an opportunity for bull riding opponents to embrace their destiny. Will they succumb to fate, or will stubborn pride end the 8 second ride in tragedy?
Twisted Cherry- Evan is hiding his urges for other men the only way he knows how—by pretending to live a life of wenching, and by seeking the needle of tattoo artists who impart a kind of guilty pain. But when he meets Gabe, owner of the Twisted Cherry tattoo parlor, he cannot hide his desire for a hot and sexy guy. Gabe, openly gay, proceeds to show Evan how he can be tattooed not just by a needle, but by very hot love too.
Links to Books
Links to Author:
Thank you for sharing with us, Piper.
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A WARM WELCOME TO ERIN O’QUINN
Can you provide a short bio for our readers?
Erin earned a BA in English and an MA in Comparative Lit from the University of Southern California. After she left grad school and taught for a several years (freshman English, from remedial to composition and rhetoric), she hit the road for more realistic vocations: newspaper marketing and promotion, car sales, garden guru in a big-box store. It was in these latter pursuits that she regained the voice that she says best reflects her: the simple, deeply resonating tones of men and women who live close to the earth and who find a spiritual center there.
Erin’s gay novels are listed below, and they span a long-ago era of St. Patrick (5th century AD) to a kind of Gatsby-era roaring twenties to contemporary. They are set in locales from Old World northern Ireland to modern eastern Scotland and the mountains of Nevada.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
The prized possession you value above all others…
For years, I was a hoarder. Now, as I grow older, I begin to realize that possessions are transitory. They are valuable as symbols of something that once was, or as memory-triggers, but they’re no longer something for me to treasure. If I had to reach out and pull something with me into the grave, so to speak, maybe it would be that photo of my mother … leaning against a gravelly hillside, wearing a hard hat, attractive in a rough and unposed way, ready to take on the harsh Nevada mountaintop where my father set her.
The unqualified regret you wish you could amend…
If I have any philosophy of life, any motto that guides me, it would be “Never go back.” So my honest answer is, “No regrets.”
The temptation you wish you could resist…
Ah, there are many of those, starting with chocolate ice cream.
The book that holds everlasting resonance…
Not meaning to be pretentious, I would have to declare a tie between The Old Testament and Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. The first holds the wisdom and folly of a people who fought and died, bled and cried, for the sake of a singular god. The second holds the words of our brawling, self-conscious, brilliant and altogether independent American people.
The priority activity if you were invisible for a day…
To walk in the shoes of any U.S. President.
The film you can watch time and time again…
I loved The King’s Speech.
The person who influenced you the most…
My father was a wholly unique man who has no doubt been the source of every memorable character I have ever created: strong, irreverent yet spiritual, an iconoclast and curmudgeon. And much, much more.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…
Chinese calligraphy.
The poem that touches your soul…
Omar Khayyam’s The Rubaiyat, my father’s favorite poem.
The event that altered the course of your life…
Going to Germany.
The song that means the most to you…
The “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The piece I hope they will play at my funeral, if ever I die. >smile<
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…
To be a respected opera singer. Baritone, preferably, though any voice would be acceptable. Oh, if I were to be brutally honest, I confess I would just love to be able to carry a tune.
Your early recollections of writing fiction…
Not so long ago (a scant four years), I began to write by sitting at my iMac and emptying my busy mind in a torrent of umpteen thousands of words. Those memories are easy to conjure, because that’s what I do now, every day of my life, and those thousands have become millions.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…
I would go to the place of my current WiP, the small harbor town of Arbroath, Scotland, a place I will visit only in daydreams and in words. I would stand on the red cliffs like my character, thinking about my own life in the scheme of the unfathomable deep sea at my feet and the palette of dawn overhead.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…
I invariably cringe at any gross spelling or grammatical error committed by someone who calls himself/herself a “writer.”
The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…
Either Chaucer or Shakespeare.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child…
Be yourself, keep your dignity, stay honest.
The philosophy that underpins your life…
Question authority.
The plug…
In spite of the success of my last two works, “Cowboys and Kilts” and Nevada Highlander, I would like to plug what I feel is my best writing. The Gaslight Mysteries is a trilogy set in 1923 Ireland, in a place completely invented, a romantic comedy-mystery-suspense set of novels starring two gay men. While PIs Michael McCree and Simon Hart solve mysteries both mundane and intriguing, they are above all investigating their own very private affairs. It took three books for me to poke into the minds and emotions of these characters, and most readers who have read all of them ask for more.
Unbelievably (because the group is largely M/F writers) Michael and Simon have been nominated “Best Lovers” in the LR Cafe 2013 Reader’s Choice awards.
Here is an excerpt from the second novel, Sparring with Shadows, in which the buttoned-down, surly Simon begins to understand the complexities of homoerotic attraction.
Simon felt happy. A fleeting sense of well-being, of some satisfying dream just resolved, caused him to waken slowly instead of experiencing his usual jolt into reality. He was warm. In fact, an unusual kind of heat had invaded the entire area of his groin. Instead of fighting it, he sank into it, allowing his penis to sit rigidly in a place of refuge. He pushed closer to the source of emanating warmth. And then it moved.
His haven, his harbor, seized the entire length of his flesh with a gentle squeeze, and he moaned, spurring it deeper, willing the dream to continue.
At some level, he realized he’d entered Michael, whether by his own urgent need or by his bedmate’s polished maneuvering. Other than his inner muscle’s sudden seizure, the man was not moving at all, letting Simon push into his anus and groan into his broad back.
For once in his life, Simon let his needing flesh dictate his actions. The sensation of being inside another human being had thickened him, made him harder and longer than he’d ever been. The hot walls of his lover’s rectum seemed to swell and subside, collapse and widen as he thrust himself to the very root of his testicles. And then he withdrew a few inches, only to slam himself into those walls again, plunging and battering.
Now Michael’s buttocks had begun to move in waves and swells, letting Simon ride him, urge him, run him while he cried out a name in his approaching release. The moment of climax left him shuddering in joy and disbelief, biting into the man’s back, drawing blood.
Not once had Michael uttered a word. It was as though he had slept through Simon’s own dream and now was returning to deep slumber. Grateful, Simon lay with his arms around the big man’s chest, his penis still inside the hot buttocks, listening to his own heart crash against his ribs.
Before he withdrew and rolled to the far side, Simon let his lips move against Michael’s naked shoulders. It was a silent appreciation, lasting only a few seconds, and then he escaped the large mahogany bed.
HEART TO HART … The best-seller which started it all, a murder mystery wherein the larger-than-life Michael McCree lets his heart decide his fate; and the surly, angry Simon Hart tries to rid himself of a would-be lover.
SPARRING WITH SHADOWS … The second of the Gaslight Mysteries, wherein a man confronts his own sexuality, a determined admirer, and an arch-criminal.
TO THE BONE … The capstone of the trilogy, wherein a pesky new agent burrows close as a tick, keeping the men from exploring a series of crimes and their own always-edgy relationship.
Sixteen unsolicited 5* reviews, gay romcom mystery-action/adventure
HEART TO HART … http://amzn.to/12gBwlL
SPARRING WITH SHADOWS … http://amzn
TO THE BONE … http://amzn.to/1bEXep2
Erin’s Blogs: Gaelic Spirit The Man in Romance
Accent: Gay Lit Authors
MM: Gaslight Mysteries: http://caitlinfire.wordpress.com
Wilderness Men: http://wilderness-men.weebly.com/ With Nya Rawlyns
Erin’s Gay Romances:
The Iron Warrior Series
Warrior, Ride Hard
Warrior, Stand Tall
The Noble Dimensions Series
Noble, Nevada: On Amazon On AmberAllure
The Chase: On Amazon On AmberAllure
“A Hard Place” (short) On Amazon On Amber Allure
The Gaslight Mysteries
Heart to Hart: On Amazon On AmberAllure
Sparring with Shadows: On Amazon On AmberAllure
To the Bone: On Amazon On AmberAllure
The Wilderness Trail Series (with Nya Rawlyns)
Bighorn
Night Hunters
Mustang
Other Gay Romances:
“Merry Christmas, Utah” (short): On Amazon On Amber Allure
“Cowboys and Kilts” (short) : On Amazon On Amber Allure
Nevada Highlander (New Dawn Press)
about me: all works about me: MM novels
Facebook Twitter Amazon Author Page
Thank you kindly for this opportunity, Lily.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING WITH US, ERIN
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A WARM WELCOME TO LISA WORRALL
TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF
The prized possession you value above all others…
Ooh, I’d love to be all noble and say my children but they’re not possessions, so I won’t. *bites nails* Um… honestly, it would have to be the last photograph taken of the five of us together the Christmas before we lost my Mum.
The temptation you wish you could resist…
steak and kidney pie….
The book that holds everlasting resonance…
To Kill a Mockingbird. An utter classic that gripped me from the very first page. It was the first “grown-up” book that made me think… “I want to do that.”
The priority activity if you were invisible for a day…
really? oh God, do I go for the obvious and be Jensen Ackles’ underpants (classy answer Lisa *shakes head at self*) – no. I’d have to say I’d like to go to school with the kids and see if they’re actually as well-behaved and as polite as their teachers keep telling me they are!
The film you can watch time and time again…
it’s a toss-up between Dirty Dancing and Interview with a Vampire, and for classier viewing, Random Harvest and Carousel.
The person who influenced you the most…
my Dad. He told me that if you go through life treating people how you expect to be treated, the only person who’ll end up with egg on their face is them.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…
Jack the Ripper. I find the whole Whitechapel murders, the fact that they never caught him and the so many conspiracy theories as to who he might have been, absolutely fascinating.
The event that altered the course of your life…
I lost my mum at a very young age, I was ten, and I think it has shaped the person I am today. I don’t think it couldn’t have.
The song that means the most to you…
Angels, Robbie Williams. It played as I gave birth to my son.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever…
finding out I was pregnant with my children – so two happy moments.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…
to be a size 12!
Your early recollections of writing fiction…
one of my earliest recollections is being sent to Mr Croucher, our headteacher, for a gold star on a piece of composition.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…
I’d spend half of it on the set of Supernatural and the other half on the set of The Walking Dead!
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…
rudeness! I just can’t stand rudeness – there’s no need for it – drives me insane!
The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…
Elvis. The man was, is and always will be a legend.
The piece of wisdom you would pass onto a child…
grab every day with both hands and squeeze it until you’ve got everything you can out of it.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again…
My dad bought me an aquamarine and diamond ring for my 21st birthday. I was coming home from work one night and when I pulled my glove off to pay for the bus it must have fallen off. I re-traced my steps and telephoned the bus company but never found it 😦
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…
stalking Jensen Ackles… I’ve been doing it for years…. lol
The plug for your book…
New York Cowboy.
It’s been six months since Vance Wolf buried his father. Driven to an early grave by the constant harassment of the new owner of the neighboring property, Andrew Blackwell. Now Vance’s cattle are disappearing faster than he can replace them and their cash flow has been wiped out by the new barn they had to build after the other one mysteriously caught fire. The local sheriff’s pockets are being lined by Blackwell, so Vance knows they’re on their own and is at his wits end. Then his mother suggests they open up the ranch to business types as a cowboy camp.
Adam Prentiss arrives at Wolf Creek Ranch on a team-building exercise with the four colleagues in his department. He is not the cowboy type, but has no choice as his boss, and father, has sent him to Wolf Creek with instructions to delve into the financial status of the ranch and report back to him. Falling for Vance Wolf had not been part of the plan, but the connection between them had been instant. But what was he more afraid of? Disobeying his boss or Vance finding out Adam’s father was in fact Andrew Blackwell and he’d been sent to help him appropriate Vance’s land by any means necessary?
N.B. This book is dedicated to my friend Keith who lost his battle with cancer in September. 20% of the royalties of each copy sold will be donated to The Friends of Roxburghe House, the hospice that cared for him, in his memory.
Blog: lworrall.blogspot.com
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Lily G Blunt 
I thank you, Lily, for allowing me to spout off and take up space today on your attractive blog. The questions were unusual and thought-provoking, a far cry from the ordinaire. A lot of fun!
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Thank you, Erin. Glad you enjoyed it. Interesting to read your replies. All the best. xx
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