Ramblings of an Australian Writer

My guest today is the lovely Cate Ashwood. All yours, Cate, take it away!

*~*~*

1. Firstly, congratulations on your first novel! How did you come up with the plot and the characters?

Thank you! The whole book kind of evolved from a picture in my head, based on a line from a song I heard a few years ago. It was this image of a placid lake with reflections on the water, and the picture and the story kept evolving until one day I started to write it down. It’s been so long that the story no longer resembles the image in my head at all.

2. I love that you have a section on your site for playlists for your novels, how did you come up with that idea? (And I must pimp out 8tracks.com, which is awesome for playlists.)

Thanks! And I will definitely have to try out 8tracks. I created the playlists mostly for me to keep track of the songs I was using to put myself in a certain mindset for writing specific scenes in the book. I don’t listen to music while I’m writing (I don’t have enough capacity for concentration to do that), but I will listen to a song to pick up a mood, especially if I’ve left off in the middle of a scene.

3. What are you working on at the moment?

I’ve just submitted a three part series to my publisher, so right now I am mostly keeping fingers and toes crossed that I hear back from them soon. All three follow different couples in a fictional town in Maine. They were completed a few weeks ago and since then there has been a bit of a lull in my writing because exams have taken over. I am two weeks from completing the academic portion of my course and then it’s on to the practical experiential section where I will hopefully have a little more downtime to write because I have quite a few ideas swirling around in my head.

4. Who or what has been a big influence on you and your writing?

I read. A lot. Up until the advent of the kindle, my parents had to weigh our suitcases every time we went on a trip somewhere because my sister and I would pack more books than clothes. I think that every writer is (or at least should be) an avid reader. There is no better way to learn than from others

I was really lucky growing up where I did. We had an excellent education system and I was blessed to have wonderful teachers my whole life that instilled a love of learning and creativity. They did a great job inspiring most of their students, but I think it goes back further than that. My parents (thank god for my parents) read to my sister and me so often when were little, that we had most of our books memorized. Once I learned to read for myself, my mom used to walk my sister and me to the library every time we needed new books (which ended up being almost every day). We would check out the maximum number and haul them all back up the hill to our house. She was definitely dedicated.

5. If you could have coffee with anyone living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?

My grandfather. He died when I was little… 4 or 5 years old… and I don’t remember him. My mom is always going on about what a wonderful man he was (and he was her father in-law!). I’d really like to have gotten to know him.

6. Is there anything that you've always wanted to do but haven't?

Sing karaoke.

I am a terrible singer. Bad enough that I turn up the radio in the car to drown myself out even when I’m alone, but for some reason I’ve always wanted to get up and sing a karaoke duet with my sister. I don’t know if I’d ever actually have the guts to try it (there would probably have to be copious amounts of alcohol involved), but it’s fun to think about.

7. What did you want to be when you grew up?

That changed a lot over the course of my lifetime. My goals were somewhat muddy for a while until about halfway through high school when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She underwent treatment and won the fight, coming out the other side cancer free. I was so grateful that she was okay, that I decided that I wanted to be an oncologist. Once I graduated and realized that I would be a terrible oncologist (I would need to take stress leave every time I lost a patient), I took one of every class in first year university to figure out what I liked learning about.

That was the year I discovered psychology. I majored in it, focusing on development and learning, and after university began teaching. I have been doing that for the last five years, but recently decided I needed a change, and so I am taking a course to become a phlebotomist. So… ask me again in ten years what I want to be when I grow up and I might have a better answer for you.

8. What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

I don’t know if I have a favourite, but I like the sappy inspirational ones people plaster all over the internet, like:

“The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why.” –Mark Twain

Or

“Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” –Walt Disney

9. What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

I know it’s pretty cliché, but I would have to say that getting published ranks pretty high up on my list. I think it’s more of a piece of a larger picture that I think is my biggest accomplishment. The last few years have been a bit of a struggle. I wasn’t really sure what my place was in the world. My husband and I have been struggling to get by and it felt like we were waiting for our lives to start. Over the last year, it suddenly feels like everything is falling into place for us. Being published is a part of that. I found something that I’m passionate about, and I might be kind of good at too.

10. What are some of your favourite books that you've read?

Oh, there are so many. I think I read close to 300 books last year…

11. Can you share a little of your current work with us?

This is from "Keeping Sweets," when Evan walks to the ocean for a little self-reflection.


He was beginning to realize that his desire to be normal, to fit in with a loving family and friends who cared about him had fueled a sort of denial about what would really make him happy. He had been searching for all these years for a magic trick to instantly make everything better, but there was no magic.

The forest opened to the cliffs that outlined the beach. A set of well-worn wooden steps carved a path through the low brush toward the water. He walked toward the ocean, listening to the sounds around him. He crossed the dry sand and sat down, then pulled off his shoes and socks before dipping his feet in the water. He wiggled his toes, burrowing into the loose sand, letting the waves splash against his shins.

The water was cold, and felt a bit like needles piercing his skin, but the calm that overcame him with being this connected to the sea overrode any discomfort from the temperature.

Slowly, his skin numbing slightly, he became accustomed to the cold. He stared out past the slowly rolling waves toward the calmer water at the horizon. He closed his eyes and thought of how peaceful it was here. He would be happy to stay like this forever. Quiet, serene, and tranquil, it was such a change from the quiet that had permeated his life until now. What had once been loneliness, separation, and isolation had become a quiet strength and acceptance of himself.


12. Have you ever considered anyone as a mentor?

Not really a mentor. There have been people that have inspired and encouraged me, but not in such a formal or strict capacity.

13. What do you do to unwind and relax?

Day to day, vegging out on the couch in front of the TV or reading is a pretty good way, but my husband and I try to take a little vacation every couple of months to keep our sanity. Even if it’s just an overnighter to a cabin his family owns in Washington, it’s nice to just unplug and get away for a day or two.

14. What got you interested/started in writing?

Reading and a curiosity to see if I could actually do it. I had enough ideas floating around in my head, that one day I just sat down at the computer and started writing. That was the first chapter of Keeping Sweets. It felt so good to get the words out; to see them flowing onto the page, filling up the blank space. I just kept at it, and a couple of months later, I’d written a whole book (and I shocked myself with that).

15. Finally, the question I ask everyone I interview - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be, and why?

Haha, that is a tough one. I’m going to go with Wisteria. It looks delicate, but it’s tough and the story behind its name is funny. It’s named after Caspar Wistar, who was an anatomist in the late 1700’s. A man in New Jersey found a giant thighbone but didn’t know what it was from. Turns out it was a dinosaur bone, but up until then, no one had ever seen a dinosaur bone. Wistar looked at it, described it as “a whopper”, but left it at that, and missed his chance at being the discoverer of dinosaurs one hundred years before anyone else. After he died, a botanist named Thomas Nuttall named wisteria after him. (More information that you needed to know? Probably. :D) [I dunno - I found that fascinating! -- L. J.]

And here’s all the extra stuff:

Title: Keeping Sweets
Release Date: March 11th, 2013
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3620
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3621
Genre: Contemporary m/m romance

Blurb: Days away from high school graduation, with hardly a penny to his name, Evan Lowry needs to earn money for college. When he comes across an ad for modeling, he thinks his luck has changed—until he learns he’s interviewing for an adult film and will be expected to have sex. On camera. With other men.

For gay porn star Brandon Court, the shine has worn off of regular shoots. He and his producer, Les, decide to try something new: a reality-show porno set at a beach house. When he meets wide-eyed and naïve Evan for the first time, Brandon isn’t sure if he wants the kid to get lost or get naked. Naked wins.

On set, Brandon takes Evan under his wing, and over the next month, they are thrown together in every intimate way conceivable—except emotionally. Both Brandon and Evan are terrified of trying for anything deeper, and insecurities and doubts wear on their hopes, but the chemistry between them won’t let them slow things down.

Author Bio: Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband and two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.cateashwood.com
Blog: http://cateashwood.blogspot.ca/
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cate.ashwood
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cateashwood

May was a good month, wasn't it? Well it certainly was here on my blog! I had loads of awesome guests come and chat about all kinds of things, do giveaways, and there was the wonderful Blog Hop Against Homophobia as well. Lots of people to meet, books to read and stuff to talk about. Pretty awesome.

Part of the interviews I did involved asking everyone a variety of questions, (obviously!), but there was one question that I asked everyone I interviewed - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be and why? Such a wonderful variety of answers, I thought I'd recap the month with everyone's answers to that question, with a link to each interview. (I'll link guest posts at the end.)

And if you want to comment and tell us what sort of a plant you would be in the next life, then please do! The more, the merrier!

Q: If you were a plant in the next life, what would you be and why?

3/5 C. R. Moss. "I'd be an oak tree. Sturdy, beautiful, able to offer shelter to wildlife and shade to people. :)"
4/5 Kim Fielding. "Lavender. It’s pretty and useful and smells nice, hardly any pests bother it, and it can live quite a long time under difficult conditions. It’s not fussy. Who doesn’t like lavender?"
6/5 Hayley B. James. "Oh! What a fun question! I think I’d want to be a lilac bush. I love the smell of lilac flowers."
10/5 Helen Pattskyn. "LOL! I would love to be a belladonna atropa. They’re quietly beautiful (brown flowers that become big black “berries”) and only slightly poisonous (assuming you’re not a small child)."
12/5 RJ Astruc. "I have some lucky bamboo on my balcony, and I love it, it’s so cool and curly. So that’s what I’d go for. I’m going to pretend, of course, that I’d grow that way naturally, and not have to suffer lots of splinting and twisting in the growing process…"
16/5 Leora Stark. "Lavender. I am obsessed with it. I'd be so relaxed all the time!"
19/5 Jacqueline Brocker. "What I'd like to be; daffodil - I just love them so much, bright and always cheerful. But this is not me so much, so I'd probably be something a bit quirkier like, I dunno, a snapdragon. ;)"
20/5 Meredith Shayne. "A cactus, because I'm a bit fleshy, a bit prickly, and hard to kill."
24/5 Megan Derr. "Venus fly trap. They're ominous and cute all at once. I love playing with those things whenever I go to zoos and gardens. I would totally dig being a Venus fly trap."
27/5 Clare London. "A sweet potato. I like the contrast of cute and sensible :D."
29/5 Marie Sexton. "A lily, because they’re gorgeous, but they’re also tough as hell. They grow in bad rocky soil without much water. That’s impressive."
30/5 Blak Rayne. "Strange question indeed! LOL A cedar tree. Cedars keep the bugs away, they don't shed because they don't have needles, they can grow very big, and they smell nice, plus I love their bowed branches."

Guest posts without mention of plants or next lives:
2/5 Caridad Pineiro.
15/5 Ella Jade.
22/5 Margie Church.
25/5 Jamie Samms.

And what would I be? Well, I'd be rosemary. Because rosemary is hard to kill, doesn't need a lot of care or attention, is adaptable and is great in cooking and in hair care. And it smells nice and relaxes you.

June has started and with it, I broke a toe and got a cold, so I've been feeling pretty sorry for myself. (And not at all rosemary-ish.) Good news, though, is that No Surrender, No Retreat, book two in the Archangel Chronicles has a release date of JULY 25TH, so that's very exciting.

And finally, I'll leave you all with this Kickstarter project link, to make a documentary from footage that was filmed while Andy Whitfield (Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Gabriel) was dealing with his hodgins lymphoma. The doco seeks to raise awareness about cancer as well as be a testamonial to the life of Andy Whitfield.

Be Here Now: The Andy Whitfield Story.

Today's guest is Marie Sexton. Do make her welcome! All yours, Marie!

~****~

1. I took a look at you're 'what I'm working on now' page, and WOW. What do you plan to do with your nanoseconds of free time? *Grin*

Ha! Well, I’m notoriously bad about updating that page. What exactly does it say?
*runs off to look*
Well, that was only a few months out of date, wasn’t it? It’s fixed now. :-)

As for what I’ll be doing in the meantime, my daughter’s birthday is coming up (she’ll be eight) and we’ll have family in town for that. After that, I’m attending RomCon in Denver in June, and RWA in California in July. And hopefully at some point this summer, I’ll be going on some kind of vacation with my family.

(Happy birthday to your daughter! - L. J.)

2. Seriously, though, you've got some amazing looking things on the go, which of them is commanding your attention the most at the moment?

First and foremost at the moment is finishing up a book in the Tucker Springs series. This is a project I’m working on with LA Witt through Amber Press. It’s a series of loosely-connected stand-alone novels, much like my Coda series, although not all of the books will be written by me. The first one is by LA Witt. It’s called Where Nerves End, and it will be released in early June. The second book in the series is mine. It’s about a veterinary assistant and a pawn shop owner. After that, there may be more books by us, or there may be some by other authors. Only time will tell. :-)

3. You and Heidi Cullinan have a few sites you share, how did that partnership come about?

Early in 2010, Heidi sent a message to the Dreamspinner author list asking if anybody was interested in working a Pride booth with her in Des Moines. Although we’d never met, I said, “Sure!” I drove to Iowa in June, and we immediately hit it off. It’s interesting, because we have a lot in common (we’re the same age, married to similar men, each with a daughter, etc.) and yet in some ways, we’re miles apart. When it comes to politics, music, reading, and our approach to writing, we’re polar opposites. It’s a strange partnership at times, but it works for us.

4. What, so far, have been your favourite B-Movies?

That’s tough, because what I consider a B-movie may not be considered that by somebody else. For example, I would say Jaws and Alien, but those were blockbuster movies, so they may not count. I like monster movies. I like both versions of The Thing. I also really like movies that sort of know they’re cheesy and work with it, like the newest Fright Night remake.

5. Your "Coda" series is set in Colarado, where you're from, was that deliberate? Did you always want to write a book set in your home state? What - if any - places that you love have ended up being a part of the landscape in the books?

It wasn’t so much that I wanted to write about Colorado as that it seemed like the natural thing to do. Jared was an outdoorsy type. Originally, Matt was going to be a horse veterinarian at one of the dude ranches in the area, although that idea quickly went out the window. Colorado just seemed like the natural way to go, and I do love my state, almost as much as Jared does.

6. "Between Sinners and Saints" has a Mormon family as part of the cast, did you experience any backlash because of that? And on the opposite side of the coin, what sort of positive feedback have you had for the story?

I expected backlash, but not the type I received. I thought maybe Mormons would be mad, but that hasn’t been the case at all. I have had a lot of people who didn’t like it because they felt it was preachy. I’ve also had people who didn’t like it because Levi’s family doesn’t have any big comeuppance at the end. Basically, a lot of people wanted to see his family be WRONG, but that wasn’t what the story was about. It was very important to me to be fair and honest about his family’s beliefs, and that bothered a lot of people.

On the flip side, I have received more letters about this book than any other, and a huge number of them are from Mormons, or former-Mormons, or from Christians of other denominations, and without fail, what they have said is, “Thank you! Thank you for taking this seriously and being fair.” It’s way too easy to demonize religion and religious beliefs, and every person I’ve heard from has been grateful that religion was not vilified. Levi’s family members are not homophobic cardboard cutouts. They’re real people. They love Levi with all their heart. They just happen to disagree with him on what it means to be gay.

7. Still looking at feedback, how do you deal with negative reviews?

I don’t read them. Honestly, if somebody sends me a review, I look at it, but otherwise, I try not to ever look. I greatly appreciate anybody who takes the time to read my books and review them, but reviews aren’t for me. They’re for other readers. Reading them is nothing but an exercise in masochism.

8. How do you deal with the dreaded writer's block?

Good question. I’ll let you know when I figure it out!

9. I know this is something I do, and I'm curious if others do it too - do you find yourself mentally casting actors/models/musicians as the main characters in your books as you write? If so, who have you cast for which character?

I don’t, actually. My characters are in my head. Sometimes, I go looking for them after I’ve dreamt them up, but no, none of them match anybody famous.

10. Is there a genre you haven't tackled yet that you'd really like to?

Horror, or psychological suspense. I like to read in these genres, although I sometimes get really annoyed at all of the superfluous POV shifts, and story-telling that’s very weak on character development.

11. Do you have any writing quirks?M

I write out of order. That’s about it. Nothing interesting.

12. Do you prefer writing novel length works or short stories/novellas? Why?

I don’t really have a preference. Usually when I start a story, I have no idea how long it will end up being. Novellas are easier for me, but the longer the novel, the more proud of it I am.

13. What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

I’m proud of my kiddo, more than anything. She’s stubborn as hell, and has her own sense of style. She’s a bit fragile though, and I hope and pray that she’ll get through her school years with her strong sense of individualism intact.

As for my writing, I’m most proud of my Oestend series. This is sort of a paranormal series about a cowboy and an artist. It was hard work, but it won two Rainbow Awards in 2011, including Best Gay Romance.

14. Are you reading any interesting books at the moment?

I picked up a book by Kevin O’Brien at the RT Convention. I’m just finishing it and ordered another one from Paperback Swap. I’m also slowly wading my way through Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and I’ve been reading a lot of books on craft.

15. Finally, the question I ask everyone I interview - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be and why?

A lily, because they’re gorgeous, but they’re also tough as hell. They grow in bad rocky soil without much water. That’s impressive.

---

Song of Oestend.
Symbols have power…

Aren Montrell has heard tales of the Oestend wraiths - mysterious creatures which come in the night and kill anyone who’s not indoors. Aren’s never had reason to believe the stories, but when he takes a job as a bookkeeper on the BarChi, a dusty cattle ranch on the remote Oestend prairie, he soon learns that the wraiths are real. Aren suddenly finds himself living in a supposedly haunted house and depending on wards and generators to protect him from unseen things in the night. As if that’s not enough, he has to deal with a crotchety old blind woman, face “cows” that look like nothing he’s ever seen before, and try to ignore the fact that he’s apparently the most eligible bachelor around.

Aren also finds himself the one and only confidante of Deacon, the BarChi’s burly foreman. Deacon runs the BarChi with an iron fist and is obviously relieved to finally have somebody he can talk to. As their relationship grows, Aren learns there’s more to Deacon and the BarChi than he’d anticipated. Deacon seems determined to deny both his Oestend heritage and any claim he may have to the BarChi ranch, but if Aren is to survive the perils of Oestend, he’ll will have to convince Deacon to stop running from the past and finally claim everything that’s his.


Buy it: Good Bones @ TEB, paperback @ TEB and paperback @ Amazon, @ ARe and kindle.

---

Marie Sexton lives in Colorado and spends her free time writing about men who fall in love with other men. She’s a Broncos fan, a coffee addict, and a worshiper of cheese. Marie has a husband, a daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway. You can learn more about Marie and her books at http://MarieSexton.net, or join her for Coffee and Porn in the Morning at www.cupoporn.net.

0 words.

Ceiling tiles reflected in the glass.

The cracked glass that should have been repaired ages ago.

Like so many other things in life, if you wait long enough, the "should have been done months ago" just goes away. It becomes irrelevant in the here and now and never gets done and soon enough, you can't even remember why it was so very important in the first place.

I'm talking about the iPad I'm writing this on, of course. Only a few months after I bought it, I took it out into the Canadian winter and snap. The glass cracked for no apparent reason other than I guess it didn't like the cold any more than I did. That day, it joined the ever growing list of things I need to deal with.

Things get crossed off. Never as many as get added onto the other end. Things shuffle down the que. Things disappear as though written in magical ink that becomes fainter and fainter over time until it’s invisible. Which doesn't mean it isn't there. Like the cracks on the iPad, I simply learn to look through them and keep going.

Everyone has this list.

Mine begins, everyday, with 0 words. No matter how many other mundane tasks I get done in a day, if that count remains at 0, I somehow manage to convince myself the day was a waste.

Words are my life blood. My sustenance. Obsession. Addiction. Yes. Words are my addiction. There will never be a 30day word free chip for me. Instead, I will have a stack of lists with invisible tasks, and a long snake of black-on-white words across the page.



Stories. Stories are my crack, the submission-go-round my Black Jack table.

If readers are my enablers, then I am their dealer, and the circle never ends.

Paying the Piper by Jaime Samms

Michael isn’t used to casino blackjack dealers telling him to cash in, but that’s what Daniel Aldaine does, recognizing the group of men waiting to collect what Michael owes them. He even fronts Michael the money he’s short to get the goons off his back. It’s the beginning of the best relationship Michael’s ever known, but a problem he doesn’t even recognize he has could end it all.

Buy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2928

 

Excerpt:

He works at the casino dealing blackjack. He’s a good dealer. The way his fingers dance over the cards, slide the chips around, it’s something else. I don’t really have a hand fetish or anything, but when you’re as far back as I was that night, and those hands are the ones dealing the cards that will determine the fate of your kneecaps, you tend to notice. And I did, believe me. I watched those hands closely as they dealt out my fate. And I won too. For the first time in I couldn’t remember how long, I won. Thing is, I would have kept going, lost it all in the end, but he stopped dealing. When I looked up, that’s when I discovered his eyes.

“You should cash in,” he told me quietly.

I laughed at him and tried not to pay attention to the eyes or the hands anymore, definitely ignored the accent because that would set me off, and I made a motion with my fingers over the table. “Just deal.”

He hesitated, and I had to look into those eyes again.

 

“Isn’t telling a customer to cash in just a little bit against your job description?”

He smiled, the most disarming of all disarming smiles, and jutted his chin out, past me to a knot of men at the far end of the room. “They’ve been watching you.”

I turned to look and had that dropping sensation in the pit of my stomach you read about in suspense novels. My hands went clammy, sweat popped out on my upper lip, and my whole body seemed to turn a little jelly-like around the edges.

“Just cash in, give them what you owe them, and call it a night.”

“That’s a good idea.”

He nodded and dealt the rest of the table back into the game. I gathered up my winnings and headed for the cashier. They met me there, collected all I had, which was just about what I owed, and ushered me out into the street, around back, probably to collect the rest out of my hide.

I might have lost my kneecaps, and my mobility, if Daniel hadn’t taken a smoke break at that moment. Right from the beginning, his timing has been impeccable. He approached me with a smile and a nod to the “gentlemen” with me and pulled out his wallet.

“Glad I ran into you, finally. Got paid, so, here.” He handed me a wad of bills while I tried not to look as confused as I felt. I didn’t know this guy from a hole in the ground, and he was handing me a fistful of money like we were old friends.

“That money I borrowed?" Daniel prompted. “Might as well give it to you now, right? Who knows when I’ll see you again?”

I didn’t even get to touch it. The man with the beefy hand reached past me and closed his hand over the money.

“Now you see, Michael?" he asked, "That is how you pay off a debt in a timely manner. Imagine the inconvenience to you if he had waited another month to pay up?”

I sneered at the man. Probably not a great idea, but since he had his money, he seemed in a more congenial mood than he had a minute ago. “I’m sure I wouldn’t have threatened his wellbeing if I had to wait a while longer.”

“Perhaps not.” The glare was back in his beady little eyes. “But he’s saved you a lot of pain and suffering. You should thank him.”

I grunted.

The man shrugged and patted my shoulder, which sent me stumbling into Daniel. “Much obliged, Michael. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

“Mutual,” I muttered and stood there awkwardly as they rambled off to their car, stuffed themselves in, and drove smoothly away.

Men like that can only be smooth when encased in tons of sleek black steel and shiny chrome. On their own two feet, they lumber and lurch like juggernauts, which is exactly what they are if you can’t pay your tab.

“I guess I owe you,” I said at last, because Daniel just stood there, puffing on his smoke and squinting into the bright lights of the strip.

“I guess so.”

“I don’t have anything to pay you back with.”

He stamped out his cigarette on the sidewalk, smoothed his hands over the front of his red vest, and tilted his head. I was surprised when he reached a hand over and used two fingers to lift my chin.

“Oh, I think we can come up with something.”

Today, my guest is the lovely Megan Derr, author and co-owner/founder of Less Than Three Press. Please make her welcome.

~****~

1. How did Less Than Three Press come to be?

Samantha suggested the idea to me. We wanted to see more books that put the story and the characters first, not the sex. Sammie suggested that instead of talking about it, we do something. I said okay. Later, we dragged Sasha into it.

2. How did you know you wanted to be an author?

I always wanted to be, from the time I was little. Books have always been my greatest love. I didn't figure out I actually could write until college, but I always wanted to.

3. Who or what inspired you to write your first novel? What was it about?

My first novel was a very silly, very awful book called Rainbow. It was about a rich boy exiled to a small town for something he did wrong in his fancy boarding school. He falls in love with a kid in that small town. Like I said, it was pretty awful.

4. What genre do you most enjoy writing?

I am a fantasy junkie. I'm always a sucker for dragons, elves, magic, fairies, etc. It's also a lot more fun to build my world from scratch and see what I can do, than it is to stick to the real world and play by rules somebody else picked.

5. What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

My favorite quote is a line from a song: I don't need what you ain't got. It's from Big Machine by the Goo Goo Dolls. It's always really struck me. When someone is worth sticking with, what they might 'lack' doesn't matter. I need and want my loved ones as they are. The rest doesn't matter.

6. What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

Definitely LT3. I started out a very scared writer pecking out a story in the computer labs at college and have become one third of a small but successful press that publishes the kind of stories I've always loved best. I have two awesome business partners, and we have the best support and readers in the world. I don't think I could be happier or prouder.

7. What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?

Sticking with it. There are days where you're tired of sitting still, tired of fighting with the words, where you want to watch TV or go shopping or screw around and you can't because there's work to do first. Days where you're sick of the bad reviews and people demanding to know where Story Y is when you've spent an hour writing a blogpost about Story X. Where you're tired of the in-fighting and just want to throw your hands up and walk away. But you stick with it because the story is what matters, and there's no greater rush than finishing a story and going 'I wrote that.'

8. If you were approached to have one of your novels turned into a film, which would you choose and why? Who would you want to play the main characters?

::laugh:: Oh, god. I'd probably pass out. I think I'd love to see something like Prisoner brought to life that way, but the Dance-verse stories would probably convert better. And I wouldn't want to pick, honestly. I'm always happier leaving decisions like that to other people and being surprised.

9. What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

Just being a writer is dream come true enough for me. It's pretty awesome that all the stories I used to tell myself I can now put on paper to share with others. I like being able to say I'm author, and it's really cool when other people say 'she's an author'.

10. What are your current projects and plans for the rest of 2012?

I am currently finishing up the last two books in the Lost Gods series, Poison and Chaos, and a serial story about a drummer for a rockband and the lawyer he loves. Then I'm moving on to another fantasy story, Black Magic, about a necromancer. After that, I'm not sure yet. I have a long list of possibilities, but have not really settled on one. Probably short stories for a bit, though. I could use the break from novels.

11. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing your books?

Honestly, as stupid as it probably sounds, discovering I had fans was the biggest surprise. I started writing because I'd always wanted to be a writer, and I finally realized there was no law saying I couldn't try. I still remember some of the first comments I got on Rainbow. Some of those early commenters are still with me all these years later. It blows me away that I have such faithful readers, and I don't think it will ever stop surprising me.

12. Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get inspiration?

Rarely on purpose. If I'm reading something, it's usually with a different purpose in mind—research for a story I'm already working on, just for the hell of it, or to help a friend out. But reading is one of my greatest sources of inspiration, especially my collections of fairytales and my medieval books.

13. Is there a snack or drink that you 'mainline' (like coffee for instance) during the writing process?

Coffee, because I am that predictable and uncreative. I make a pot in the morning for my roomies and I, and in the afternoon one of us usually runs out for lattes. On the really busy days, I make another pot in the evening. If I don't do that, we switch to alcohol (usually beer for me, but sometimes wine).

14. How long does it take you to write and publish a novel? What are the steps you go through?

That varies wildly depending on the length and my deadlines. Usually a few months. The first step is usually an outline of some sort, especially if the story is complicated (like Lost Gods, where I have to keep track of what goes on in five books rather than just one). But calling them outlines is pretty generous, I mostly jot ideas down, sort out the order of characters (if I'm switching POVs), and any key points I might forget. I don't tend to outline hard b/c I prefer to figure out the bulk of the story as I go.

After I'm done writing it, I ignore it for a little while, anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Then I go back through it and start the second round. After that it goes to my betas, and there is more editing. After all of that it goes to Samantha, who either edits it or assigns a different editor.

When I get it back, I make the 5,000 changes the editor has ordered I make, and then it goes back to editing. After I make those changes, I read it through one last time. Then it gets all the finishing touches, copy edits, and goes up in the bookstore a short time later.


15. Finally, the question I ask everyone I interview - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be, and why?

Venus fly trap. They're ominous and cute all at once. I love playing with those things whenever I go to zoos and gardens. I would totally dig being a Venus fly trap.

---

Always Masked

Once a highly regarded member of the Moon Clan, one of the secretive, notorious Masked, Naoki was afflicted by a terrible, incurable curse in the line of duty. Now, for the safety of the clan and all they protect, he spends his day exiled to a remote mountain region, far from the islands he once called home.

His misery is briefly lifted when he chances upon a man being attacked by bandits—a man who proves to be far more than he appears, who needs the unique skills Naoki can provide, and can offer far more than Naoki ever dared hope he could find.

Buy it: Here.

---

Megan is a long time resident of m/m fiction, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all around the internet.

maderr.com
maderr.livejournal.com
lessthanthreepress.com
@amasour

Today I'm delighted to welcome to the blog my good friend, Meredith Shayne. All yours, Meredith!

~****~

1. What first made you want to write fiction?

I suddenly had stories to tell. Like a lot of authors in the m/m genre, I came to fiction writing through fan fiction, and I think that process of filling in the gaps, of saying 'what if?' in relation to the fandoms I was interested in, led me eventually to writing my own characters. Once I started to insert original characters into my fanfic, it was all over bar the shouting, really.

2. What authors do you think have had an influence on your style of writing?

I don't know that I'd say that any particular author has had an impact on my writing, as such. I read a lot of Stephen King and Clive Barker when I was younger (read Salem's Lot when I was nine, scared the crap out of me), but I don't write horror, so their impact on me is probably minimal. Otherwise I read quite widely, so I'm probably influenced by bits and bobs along the way. Brokeback Mountain is probably typical of the kind of writing I gravitate towards - straightforward, simple prose devoid of flowery language and excessive description of surroundings/clothing/scenery, and as a reader I prefer that not everything is spelled out to me. The scenes where Ennis and Jack fight on the mountain that last day, and where Ennis falls to his knees after Jack drives off, clearly illustrate that Ennis is absolutely heartbroken that they are separating, but not once is that explicitly stated. It doesn't need to be, and to me, that is powerful writing. I see my reading preferences reflected in my own writing, in that descriptions are kept to a minimum, and there are a lot of gaps for the reader to fill in themselves. Sometimes I'm more successful at that than other times. I don't think I'm up to Annie Proulx's standards quite yet!

3. The old adage "write what you know" is something that is touted a lot - do you feel that it's true for your work? Why/why not?

Only in that I put a lot of personal experiences into my writing. Not actual events, but motivations, feelings, reactions to situations. Not necessarily my own (hardly ever my own, actually, otherwise all my characters would be the same), but a mix of things from all the different types of people I've known in my life. As long as it suits the character, I poach from my own experiences all the time. That's how you make things real. When people tell me that they know people just like my characters in real life, I know I've achieved that.

4. You've written a lot of books set in Australia, with the Australian experience, what is it particularly about our awesome country that speaks to your muses and leads you to write about life here?

I think it's mainly because I don't live there anymore, and I never feel more Australian than when I am not in Australia. Every single day I'm reminded that I'm different from my New Zealand friends, that my cultural experiences are different from theirs because I didn't grow up here. My accent is different to theirs, my slang is different to theirs. I am Australian through and through. Also, I came to New Zealand when I was 33, and so all of my formative years, that time when you're growing up and becoming the person you're going to be, took place in Australia. It all comes back to writing what you know, because being Australian is what I know and so that's what I write about. If I wrote a story set in New Zealand, which I intend to one day, I think I would have to write about it from the perspective of someone who is not originally from there. I don't think I could authentically replicate the New Zealand experience any other way.

5. If you could sit down and have tea and a chat with any three authors living or dead, who would they be and why?

Charlotte Bronte: she lived such a confined life, yet her work is so passionate and strong. I'd love to know what she was like in real life.

Paula Morris: A New Zealand author, I have seen her speak at two Auckland Writers and Readers Festivals, and she is such an interesting, engaging person.

Richard Dawkins: as if I wasn't sold already from being a die-hard atheist myself, then the man went and read out some of his hate mail on You Tube. That is love.

6. Music is an important part of both our lives, I know - what role does music play in your writing process?

Music is integral to my writing process. Music is inspiration, it is mood, it is meaning. I have a playlist for every story, and the story can't be absolutely right until the playlist is.

7. What was the last novel you bought and read?

Well, I buy a lot of novels that I take ages to get around to reading, so mostly those two things are different processes for me. The last novel I bought was A Dance With Dragons by GRR Martin. The last novel I read was Soulless, by Gail Carriger. I found it absolutely delightful, and hilarious. I like to laugh when I'm reading.

By the time this interview is posted I will have also finished Louise Blaydon's The Time of the Singing. I'm only about a third of the way in, but so far, wow. It's amazing.

8. Fantasy casting - if a movie was made of "Equilibrium" and [Insert title of new release], and you had total casting control, who would play the main characters?

I can't really answer this question, because for all my books, my characters don't look like anyone but themselves. They spring into my mind pretty much fully formed, an amalgamation of various features and characteristics that I've absorbed along the way. Sometimes I see photos of models and realise that they're as close as I'm going to get to what my characters look like, but that doesn't happen often. Having said that, I would like Ryan to be played by Hugh Jackman in his younger years. I haven't yet found my Michael, although the model on the cover of the book is a pretty close match.

9. Pen and paper or computer - which is the best way for you to write?

Computer. I used to write by hand, but then I wrote a 330-page PhD thesis on the computer, and since then I've pretty much exclusively written that way. These days I type much faster than I can write (legibly, anyway). The only time I usually write anything by hand is if I have written myself into a thorny place and have to plot my way out of it. The perils of working without an outline!

10. What are your favourite genres to read? To write?

To read, urban fantasy, alternate history, paranormal, preferably all at once! To write, contemporary. I have written paranormal though, and I am toying with some ideas for urban fantasy. But contemporary is my favourite.

11. Novel to film adaptations (and TV) - which books do you think have made a successful and respectful transition to the screen?

For movies, Brokeback Mountain, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. For TV, Game of Thrones.

12. What's a perfect Saturday night involve for you?

The internet and the Housewives of Beverley Hills.

13. "Equilibrium" did pretty well in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll this year, tell us how that felt.

Thrilling. I never would have expected it to be nominated in the first place, and the fact that it was, and that it did well, was an absolute honour. You always think it's crap when people say it was an honour to be nominated, but for me that is absolutely true.

14. What are your writing goals for the rest of 2012?

By the time this interview is posted, I should have submitted my next novel, Metal Heart, to Dreamspinner Press. That was goal #1 for the year. My other goals are to write a novella for a super sekrit project, and to finish another novel by the end of the year. We'll see how we go!

15. Finally, a question that is a trademark of all interviews I've ever done with artists - if you came back as a plant in the next life, what would that plant be and why would you choose it?

A cactus, because I'm a bit fleshy, a bit prickly, and hard to kill.

---

Equilibrium.

Welcome to Burreela, New South Wales. Population: more animals than humans. Although most (human) occupants are trying to get out of Burreela, the tiny town is the perfect place for veterinarian Michael Stone to break out of the bad habits that almost cost him the most meaningful part of his life: his profession.

Michael is struggling to regain his balance after hard personal losses and two years of promiscuity and drug abuse. He’s not prepared to meet Ryan Mitchell, a nice guy who won’t take no for an answer, whose patient pursuit leaves Michael less and less inclined to keep refusing. But Michael’s bad habits aren’t that far behind him. Can Michael hold himself together enough to be the man Ryan needs, or will he lose his equilibrium while trying to be man enough to hold on to the one he loves?

Buy it: Ebook and paperback.

---

A scientist in a past life, these days Meredith Shayne mainly uses her scientific training to poke holes in television pseudoscience. Originally from Australia, she moved to New Zealand to start a new life a few years ago and hasn't regretted it for one minute, even if she frequently wishes that the New Zealand weather was a little better; if she's forced, she'll admit that the refreshing lack of animals that can kill you in New Zealand makes up for a little rain. Meredith travels a lot, so much so that she has developed a shameful love of airplane food and knows her passport number by heart. When she is at home, she enjoys baking, horrible music from the 1980s, reality television, and gloating any time Australia thrashes the living daylights out of New Zealand on the sporting field.

Visit Meredith at http://meredithshayne.com/ and http://meredith-shayne.livejournal.com/profile and http://twitter.com/meredithshayne.

Today, I welcome Leora Stark to the blog. Take it away, Leora!

~****~

1. How did you come to know you wanted to be an author?

I work part time as a professor so I've been writing in academic forums for a few years now but it's different, it's something I enjoy but it's not …fun. In fact, it's often painful! I started reading a lot of romance and erotica titles about two years ago and a few of them really captured my imagination. Before I knew it, I was lying in bed devising stories and characters of my own. One day I was on the Dreamspinner Press website and I saw that they were coming out with an anthology of stories centered around the university experience. Given that I work as a professor it seemed like fate! I submitted a story, it was accepted and I immediately started working on new ideas. Suddenly, writing was fun and I was hooked.

2. How much is too much or too little description for you in what you read and write?

Personally, I like quite a bit of description – I like to read about what a character is wearing and what a room looks like etc. But it has to be done well, and when you focus a lot on physical description you sometimes risk alienating the reader. I wrote a little bit about this in a blog a few months ago called "So, what are you wearing?" I talked about how some authors are really good at riding that fine line, they're able to paint an evocative scene but they don't hit you over the head with a two page description of someone's décor or outfit. It’s always important that the reader have a chance to form their own picture of a character, that way the character becomes theirs and they often bring something to it that the author might not have even intended so you need to leave some room for that. It's tricky though and I'm certainly still figuring out how to strike that balance as an author!

3. What was the inspiration behind "Fell The Vibrations" that's in Bust Magazine?

That story is about a doctoral student named Jane who is bothered by her neighbors loud music. When she goes to confront him she realizes that he's hearing impaired and that he experiences music in a totally different way than she's used to – through vibrations. He shares this experience with her and well, they end up getting it on. It was inspired by a few things. First, thin walls. We've all had that moment when we want to pound on our neighbors door and tell them to shut the f*ck up. But I wanted the story to have a unique twist so I started thinking about the different ways you can experience music and that's where I came up with the idea that Dan, the neighbor, would be hearing impaired. I remember when I learned about the way that people with a hearing impairment experienced music and how physical it was, it's amazing really. It also just seemed sexy to me, I mean, vibrations, for a woman, can be quite…stimulating, right?

4. Can you tell us about your forthcoming book, "Knock-Out"?

Knockout tells the story of Tyler Morris, a young man who moves to L.A. to pursue his dream of becoming a professional boxer and Jamie Lewis, an all star trainer who runs a boxing gym. Tyler first met Jamie when he was fifteen when he attended a charity boxing camp. Jamie, then a heavyweight champion, was a volunteer trainer at the camp. The camp was a real turning point for Tyler and he never forgot his time with Jamie. When he shows up in L.A. however, he's not sure if Jamie will remember him or, more importantly, if he'll agree to train him. The story follows their relationship and Tyler's pursuit of his dream.

The story started as a daydream, as all my books do! I had this really detailed fantasy about a boxer and trainer and I just couldn't get it out of my head so I went on literotica and started writing chapters. The response was crazy, people really loved the story and the characters and it became one of the most popular stories in the gay male category. I decided I wanted to polish it up and submit it to Dreamspinner. I'm really excited about this story coming out officially. It's pretty near to my heart. I hope people like it. It will be released by Dreamspinner Press on June 13th.

5. And your forthcoming work, "The Binding"?

Someone to Depend On is totally different from anything else I've ever written. It's a paranormal romance about a fairy like creature and a human.

The official blurb describes it like this:

"In Asgard, a land inhabited by benevolent creatures called Felan, Bero Halvorsen is having an identity crisis. He’s burned out, tired, and he doesn’t want to spend all his energy bonding with humans and solving their problems. Needing some time to himself, Bero resolves to sabotage his next assignment.

That assignment happens to be Dave Whitaker. He’s lost his job, he hates his new apartment, and his relationship has just ended. When he finally breaks down and begs for help, he’s more than a little surprised that someone actually answers him—more so when it transpires that Bero is essentially his fairy godfather.

Neither Dave nor Bero expects the bond that forms between them to turn into something real. Suddenly Bero is faced with a choice: sacrifice Dave’s happiness… or the only life Bero’s ever known."

It's the first in a series of three called "The Binding." The books all have different main characters but they all center upon relationships between a Felan and a human. The books are sweet and fun and they don't take themselves too seriously but I think the underlying message of the series is actually really important, which is basically, that love should never be discounted or ignored. It might sound cheesy but in these books love is what makes the world go round. For the Felan, it's the whole reason for their existence yet they've somehow lost sight of the true value of love and the overall series explores how they might be able to regain that.

It was released May 16 by Dreamspinner Press, I'm so excited to finally have it out there in the world!

6. How have you found the experience of publishing on Literotica?

I had a really great experience on Literotica. The support and feedback I got from readers was incredible. I made a few friends on there and it was a really supportive and fun place to publish. I found it helpful to have people asking when the next installment of a story would come – it pushed me to get my shit together! It was the first time I had ever received any reader feedback and finding out that characters I created mattered to other people kind of blew my mind. I know there are some complaints with Literotica, specifically that there are people on there who deliberately give low "scores" to stories what contain gay characters so that they don't win contests etc but overall, I found the experience really rewarding. I keep meaning to get back on there but things have gotten really busy. I do have a story in mind though….

7. Which periods of history are you most interested in? Will you write a novel set in these periods?

I teach modern European history, basically from the French Revolution to the Second World War. My personal interest, and my area of expertise is mostly the late nineteenth century in France. So many exciting (and sometimes terrifying) things happened then. It's rife with inspiration and I have certainly considered writing a historical fiction novel set in that period. It's sort of percolating in my brain right now!

8. What genre are you most comfortable writing?

I think I'm still figuring that out. I love writing in the m/m genre but I've also dabbled a little in m/f romance and erotica. I think I lean more towards contemporary stories but I'm having a lot of fun writing The Binding series so who knows! I think I'm still so new to this that I don't know what my "genre" is yet.

9. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Oh god, so many things! Getting started writing is always a challenge with each new project. Just writing those first few lines. I also find it hard not to beat myself up when I read someone else's work. It's hard not to feel that other people's books are better than yours, especially when you're new to the craft. I don’t have a hard time thinking of stories that's for sure!

10. Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Once a project is started things seem to flow fairly well. But, like I said above, it's getting those first few lines down that really challenges me. I'm in a situation like that right now – I'm actually doing this interview as a way of procrastinating from writing! Should I not admit that?

(LOL! Sounds perfectly fine to me! - L. J.)

11. What are you reading now?

I've been reading a lot of Georgette Heyer recently, which is sort of random! I admire her wit and her ability to really capture the mores of an era. I've been told I should read Fifty Shades of Grey by various people so I might delve into that soon. I read a lot of fantasy title and YA titles too since I work as an editor of YA book part time. I'm always reading a lot of m/m titles too; Damon Suede, Mary Calmes, KZ Snow, C Cardeno, L.A. Witt, there's so many great authors out there.

12. What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

Well, having my writing out there in a book officially has always been a dream of mine. It was so exciting to see my story in Higher Learning when I got a copy in the mail and then to see my name in BUST, that was awesome as I've always been a huge fan of the magazine. My novels are both about to be released so that's a whole new level of excitement to look forward to…

13. What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

I don’t really have a favorite quote…maybe I should. Words are so awesome that it seems overwhelming to pick a handful as your favorite! Can that be my quote?

(It's certainly very true. Words -are- awesome. - L. J.)

14. What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

Probably getting my PhD. It was a friggin hard slog and there were definitely times that I didn’t think I was going to make it.

15. And final question, that I ask everyone I interview - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be and why?

Lavender. I am obsessed with it. I'd be so relaxed all the time!

---

Knockout.
Tyler Morris did not have a happy childhood. He suffered abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father, then bounced around a series of foster homes. He became unable to express his emotions or deal with his past. Then, at fifteen, at a charity boxing camp hosted by heavyweight champ Jamie Lewis, Tyler found a purpose and an outlet for his anger.

Seven years later, Tyler arrives at the The Gold Arena, Jamie’s Los Angeles gym. He’s desperate to train under the man who helped him turn his life around. With some difficulty, Tyler convinces Jamie to take him on, but their working relationship is complicated by a mutual attraction they both attempt to deny.

Jamie fears their relationship will ruin Tyler's chance at a career in pro boxing. Tyler’s scars run deep, and he knows he could be hurt if he opens up. But how can he expect win in the ring if he won’t let Jamie win his heart?

Coming Soon: Here.

The Binding: Someone to Depend On.
In Asgard, a land inhabited by benevolent creatures called Felan, Bero Halvorsen is having an identity crisis. He’s burned out, tired, and he doesn’t want to spend all his energy bonding with humans and solving their problems. Needing some time to himself, Bero resolves to sabotage his next assignment.


That assignment happens to be Dave Whitaker. He’s lost his job, he hates his new apartment, and his relationship has just ended. When he finally breaks down and begs for help, he’s more than a little surprised that someone actually answers him—more so when it transpires that Bero is essentially his fairy godfather.

Neither Dave nor Bero expects the bond that forms between them to turn into something real. Suddenly Bero is faced with a choice: sacrifice Dave’s happiness… or the only life Bero’s ever known.


Buy it: here.

---

Leora Stark is a frequent insomniac who spends the wee hours of the night dreaming up sometimes sweet and always dirty stories. Recently, she decided to write some of them down, and now she just can’t stop. Leora lives in Toronto where she makes her living as a professor of history. When she’s not teaching, she can usually be found writing, reading, or fantasizing about her next story (what some might call staring into space, but she knows better). When she’s not doing any of the above, she likes to spend quality time with her partner and her two cats, all three of whom are incredibly cute.

You can find Leora Stark at her website, http://www.leorastark.com or by email, [email protected]

Join me today in welcoming RJ Astruc to the blog. RJ, take it away!

~***~

1. What made you want to be an author?

I’m not sure, but I never wanted to be anything else.

2. Are there any recurring themes in your books?

Definitely. My most common theme is the use of masks. I’m obsessed with masks, both real and metaphorical. Perhaps it’s because I’ve spent so much time on the internet; I’ve always enjoyed internet anonymity.

I also write about island nations and transient countries, if that can be considered a theme. Both my parents are from island nations and I’ve lived on islands my whole life – from England to Ireland to Australia and now New Zealand.

3. What comes first when you're writing, the characters or the plot?

The characters. They wander aimlessly in my head until I find the right plot for them to latch onto. Sometimes they appear in multiple worlds at once.

4. What is the perfect writing environment for you to get the most done in one sitting?

In complete silence, in bed, with my silver Vaio. (Not to be confused with my pink Vaio or my green Vaio. I may have a bit of a Sony addiction.)

5. What genres do you prefer to read and to write?

I don’t read much, to be honest. But if I had to pick a genre, I’d go with Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries. That, or adventure novels set in Africa like the Alan Quatermain novels.

Genres I like writing are science fiction and mystery.

6. Is there a genre that you'd like to write but haven't yet?

I’d like to write a traditional Agatha Christie style murder mystery one day.

7. How do you come up with titles for your work?

I’m not sure. Some I happen across – for example, the title of my science fiction novel, Harmonica + Gig comes from characters in an online game I played. Street of Two Doors is from a street I visited while on holiday in France. Others like Clockworld – I’ve got no idea.

8. Do you read reviews of your work? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

I try not to let them influence me, but sometimes I want to write them annoyed letters saying, “YOU’RE SO WRONG, YOU FOOL!” Others I think are far, far too generous. It’s such a split that I don’t think I could really take one opinion above the other.

9. "Clockworld" is a Young Adult sci-fi/fantasy that deals with things such as sexual identity and drug use, do you think these themes should be explored more in YA fiction? Would you write another YA novel in the "Clockworld" universe or with those themes?

I don’t know if I could say these things should be explored – if the market wants them, I guess. I’d rather read books about cool stuff happening, and that cool stuff involves sexual identity and drug use, then there you go.

I’ve written several short stories using the same characters, often transplanted into different worlds. I’m ridiculously fond of Aubrey (one of the main characters in Clockworld), and his strangely naïve way of moving through life. I’ve really got to write more about him, I think.

10. Conversely, "Harmonica and Gig" is a cyberpunk story for adults, which has Heroes and Heroines of Colour. Would you write another novel featuring these particular characters in the H&G universe?

A sequel novella to Harmonica + Gig appeared in the magazine Abyss & Apex in 2006, and has been since reprinted in Kindle All Stars: Resistance Front (a charity anthology) in 2011. But I don’t think they’ll appear in anything else - they’ve gone as far as they can go as characters. I don’t really consider any of my characters characters of colour.

11. How long did it take you to get from manuscript to print for H&G and "Clockworld"? Have you been pleased with the receptions for these novels?

Harmonica + Gig I wrote in 2002. It was published by a terrible small press that went out of business almost immediately in 2007 or so. Unfortunately they’d taken my first publishing rights – and also butchered my manuscript in the process. I was very lucky to be republished by Dragonfall Press in 2011, who made only very minimal changes to the original first draft I’d written in 2002.

Clockworld I wrote in 2010/2011, and first appeared as a serial in a really lovely little online magazine called Wilde Oats. I’ve since reprinted it myself as an experiment in self publishing. Again, Clockworld is a first draft with some minor editing changes. I tend to get things absolutely right the first time.

I’ve been very pleased with the reception (and sales!) of Harmonica + Gig. Clockworld hasn’t been out for long as a whole novella, rather than a serial, so I’m still waiting to see how it goes.

12. Does any of your own life experience find its way into the narrative of any of your work? If so, what's an example? If not, do you think it might in the future?

I didn’t think so until my husband pointed out that no matter their current circumstance, all my characters are from highly privileged, upper-class or upper middle class households. Clockworld is about a bunch of posh, private school educated idiots and I guess their stupidity reflects my experiences pretty well. Never went to another planet, though.

13. What are your writing goals for the rest of 2012?

I’m finishing up all the stories I’ve had lying about on my hard drive for the past five years.

14. Which of your books was the easiest to write and which is your favourite?

I loved writing Clockworld. I wrote it to fit a deadline for the magazine, and the story just went off on a wild tangent as I was writing it under pressure. It was very organic, very fun, very cathartic.

15. And finally, my trademark interview end question - if you were to come back as a plant in your next life, what plant would you be and why?

I have some lucky bamboo on my balcony, and I love it, it’s so cool and curly. So that’s what I’d go for. I’m going to pretend, of course, that I’d grow that way naturally, and not have to suffer lots of splinting and twisting in the growing process…

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Harmonica and Gig.
When a territory engineer dies in suspicious circumstances, three qverse experts are brought in to investigate. Initially the three hacks choose to work separately on the case, but as they continue their investigations they discover clues leading to some of the most powerful figures in the qverse. Soon they realise they are more than just investigating the crime, they are part of it, and part of an even greater scheme to unbalance the long established foundations of the qverse itself.

Buy it: Here.

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RJ Astruc is an Irish-African author who currently lives New Zealand. Her fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Abyss and Apex, Andromeda Spaceways and Aurealis, amongst many others. She wrote at least one of her novels while totally smashed on a crazy bender. RJ writes across almost all genres of fiction, and often mushes them together like a delicious genre pie.

She is married to a man with more than the allotted number of nipples and has a son named after a cartoon cat.

RJ can be found at the following locations:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/astruc
Blog & Site: http://www.rachelastruc.com/
Books: http://www.rachelastruc.com/bibliography/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2935612.R_J_Astruc

Today I'm welcoming Hayley B. James to my blog, to talk about her book and writer's block. Please welcome her! All yours, Hayley.

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1. What is it that fascinates you about the law enforcement genre and careers? Do you touch on these themes in your novel, "Undercover Sins"?

My friends like to say it’s a uniform fetish, but I respect those able to handle a police career. Police get a lot of hate from those they’re protecting. I don’t touch too deeply on the seed of my love for the law enforcers in Undercover Sins, but I also didn’t paint their lives in a glamorous light either.

2. "World on Fire" and "Water Waltz" are more contemporary and paranormal respectively. Why do you enjoy writing in different genres?

I stick to what I daydream about, I guess. Law enforcement is my “real” genre when I want to stick to real life. But when I want to make up a world to live in, I venture into fantasy and paranormal. For Water Waltz I created a world built on all the things I love from early 1900s. Oh, and then added demons, angels, and devils to the mix.

3. What are you working on at the moment?

I’m focusing on a sequel for Water Waltz at the current time. I’m also rewriting (practically entirely) a few older manuscripts. One is another law enforcement type with a private investigator entitled Seeking Solace. The second—entitled Comatose—is another angel and human story unrelated to Water Waltz and focuses around a war.

4. As a fellow cat owner, I'm more than familiar with the feline need to sit on all the note papers ever, at the most awkward moments. Do you have any amusing cat and writing related anecdotes?

I had a cat that would jump on the chair behind me and try to “sneak” onto my lap. I guess she thought if she moved slowly enough, the laptop would magically disappear and she’d get my lap without my notice. It never worked for her that way, but I often rewarded her with lap time after her attempt was thwarted.

5. When and why did you begin writing?

It’s hard to say. I liked to write for as long as I remember, but I was never focused enough to stick to a plot. In 2006 I wrote my first m/m story—Seeking Solace—for an online forum. I’m now redoing it to publish. I had just lost my best friend and writing was a way to cope with the feelings I didn’t want to verbally communicate. The plot was entirely unrelated to my experience, but the main character dealt with a similar loss to mine.

6. What is the hardest part of writing?

Time. I work full time and I don’t always want to write when I get home.

7. Do you ever suffer from the dreaded writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Oh boy, do I! I used to fret about it and believe my writing life has ended, but I now ignore it and fill my time reading. I trust my muses will return from wherever they run off to when they feel good and ready. So far they always have.

8. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

I watch a lot of anime. Anime has a lot of angst and drama to fuel my plot bunnies. One line can pop a whole plot idea in my head. The ideas don’t always make sense from the place of inspiration though. The idea for Water Waltz came from a scene in the FX show Archer.

9. What are you reading now?

I finished Emperor’s Edge series by Lindsay Buroker. Not one from the romance genre, but still highly enjoyable. I have The Dragon Tamer by Ana Bosch on my list next.

10. How long have you been writing, and who or what inspired you to write?

I’ve been writing since I could make sentences. But I started writing m/m stories in 2006. I have a friend in Canada that pushed me into reading m/m and later she gave me that shove into writing it as well.

11. Do you have a favourite character from your books and why are they your favourite?

Can authors pick a favorite from their “children”? It seems almost cruel. But I do have favorites. Shhh.

Each story I tend to pick one out that I love above the rest. Currently my favorite is Fremont, the devil from Water Waltz. He’s headstrong and speaks his mind regardless of class or politeness. I also like his tail.

12. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I don’t hear from my readers all too much. I think the most feedback I received came from Undercover Sins and the chess scene. Mostly I get a comment and a snicker about it. I do love to receive comments letting me know how much a reader liked a novel of mine. Even just one sentence makes my day.

13. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I need background noise and an outside distraction to drown out in order to focus on writing. I also do the best writing during the day or while in bed.

14. What dreams have been realised as a result of your writing?

I was asked for an autograph and a picture. That was the best feeling.

15. Final question, which I ask everyone I interview - if you were to come back as a plant in the next life, what would that plant be and why?

Oh! What a fun question! I think I’d want to be a lilac bush. I love the smell of lilac flowers.

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Water Waltz. In a land where humans are enslaved as sexual toys, angels and demons are in constant conflict with their playthings. The demon Varun works with STAR, an organization devoted to human liberty, and it’s a never-ending battle. Two years ago, the angel Triste broke Varun’s heart by choosing to be his butler instead of his beloved, giving Varun no explanation and no hope. However, that doesn’t mean that Triste will simply sit back and watch as Varun takes the human Elden under his protection, and Triste’s secret investigation will unearth terrible secrets, including the kernels of a pernicious plot. Despite appearances, Triste and Varun are still in love, and Varun may well risk everything to protect Triste and discover why the angel left him heartbroken. But a still worse danger hangs over them as they seek to calm the threat of a catastrophic war. Buy it: here and from Amazon here.

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Hayley B. James is a lifelong resident of New Mexico with no plans to pack up and leave just yet. She lives with her masochist cat in a house passed down from her grandmother. She grew up living in her fantasies but never writing any down. As a child she went to bed early just to have time to think of her stories before sleeping. After she found M/M slash online, she wanted to form her incoherent daydreams into something others could read. Supporting friends gave her the push she needed and encouragement to grow into a better writer.


Hayley reads mystery novels, real life crime and police procedure books, and the monthly police reports submitted online by her local department. On holidays she can be seen taking gifts to the fire and sheriff departments by her house. Hayley is fascinated by law enforcement but has never considered it a career path. She's happy being a professional inside of a small office and writing during her spare time.


Visit her at her blog: http://www.hayleybjames.com/; at Twitter: http://twitter.com/HayleyB_James; and at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HayleyBJames. You can contact her at [email protected].

Today I'm joined by C. R. Moss, who talks about her books, the writing process and other things. Please welcome her to the blog and join in the conversation! All yours, C. R.!

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1. What themes and subjects do you like to write about?

My themes and subjects seem to revolve around issues about trust and commitment, sometimes betrayal, sometimes about spirituality and/or religion. Sometimes, thought, a story is just about two people meeting and hooking up without anything too deep going on.

2. Is there any subject that you wouldn't write about?

I probably won't write about pregnancy, babies or children. But then, I also say, "never say never." For now though, those are on my 'no' list.

3. What things have you read that have especially helped your writing?

The comments from my editors. Craft books on grammar, plot, characters, etc. Articles written by other authors regarding their stories, backgrounds and what keeps them motivated.

4. What's the hardest thing about writing for you?

Keeping on a schedule. I tend to write more when the mood strikes, which is usually at night, than on a regimented schedule (say 9 am to 5 pm) like I really should.

5. You write paranormal as well as contemporary - in the world of paranormal, which do you prefer, vampires, werewolves, angels or something else entirely? Why?

I've gravitated more toward witches, wiccans, psychics and demons in my paranormal stories, though I do have projects planned where vampires and werewolves will come into play. Why? Probably because, up until recently, I had more interest in the different paranormal entities than in the run of the mill vamps and wolves. But the projects I have coming up have neat twists so that'll give fresh perspectives to the vamps and wolves and such.

6. What do you wish you knew before you started?

To get a few publishers under my belt right from the start and to start promoting myself before the first story was even picked up/published.

7. How do you come up with names for your characters?

Sometimes the characters just show up, like someone I meet for the first time who I get to know real quick, and they introduce themselves. Other times I have inklings and vague ideas of who the characters are and I’ll create astrological charts for them to get a deeper sense of them. Once I have a better understanding about them, I'll consult baby name sites online to see if I can get a name based on an aspect of the character. Last names are a bit more tricky. Sometimes I'll see names in the credits of television shows or movies that would work. Other times I'll consult last name sites online.

8. Have you ever used elements of your own life experiences in your writing?

I get ideas from everywhere…conversations, news headlines, television, songs. On occasion I’ve been known to pull from my old careers, drawing out tidbits of personalities for characters, places for settings and information to assist with subject matter–like using the basis and background knowledge of energy work that I learned in the massage field for some paranormal stories I’m working on.

9. Do you have a routine that you follow while you're working on something?

Not really. When I'm focused on a project, I tend to just plow through it and focus only on getting it done...staying up late writing, getting up early and getting back to the story, eating when I think I can get away from my desk without ruining the flow...that's pretty much the routine there. ;)

10. What is your favourite word and why?

"Yes" As in "Yes, we'll publish your story." "Yes, I like/want/love you." "Yes, you can do it!" etc. :)

(I can relate to this! - L. J. :D)

11. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I have to have internet connection when I'm writing. It's amazing how much I'll get on the net to check little & big things to make sure my story is rolling along all right.

12. What dreams have been realised as a result of your writing?

I've been able to travel a bit more, meet some great people, and I get to work from home!

13. What do you do to unwind and relax?

Sometimes I take a bath, light incense, read or listen to music. Sometimes I do a combination of those things, or I just watch television and catch up on my DVR’d shows.

14. What inspired you to write your first novel?

I started and finished it so long ago I don’t remember what the original inspiration was. All I know is that I'd wanted to be a published author for years. To help me reach that goal I took a novel writing workshop and an advanced novel writing workshop and that's where I worked on the novel.

15. Lastly, a question I ask everyone - if you were to come back in the next life as a plant, what would that plant be and why?

I'd be an oak tree. Sturdy, beautiful, able to offer shelter to wildlife and shade to people. :)

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Sunset Desires. 'Sunset Desires' is available from Decadent Publishing and is a part of their One Night Stand series. Inspiration for the story came from my love of sunsets and a trip to Grand Cayman. When I heard about Decadent’s 1NS series, I was excited to apply this story to their line and am so happy to be a part of the series now. A blind date. A hot tropical evening. She’ll be someone he can’t forget. He’ll fulfill her ultimate fantasy. Gwendolyn Tramonto is stunned to learn her cousin set her up with sex on the beach and it’s not the drink. But after a several year dry spell of no relationships, no dates…no sex, Gwen decides to take her cousin up on her offer and go out on the blind date. For once, she’d like to indulge in a fantasy, be wined and dined instead of the other way around, and if she and the man ended up in bed together, that would be a nice bonus. Evan Cadell is looking forward to the date his uncle arranged for him through an exclusive matchmaking service and taking a one night break from work, life and all its demands. From Gwen’s profile, Evan knows what her fantasy is and believes he’s the man who can make it come true. But will one night in paradise be enough to satisfy their desires? Buy it: here.

Tracked. Secrets. Everyone has them but the decision to keep some affairs concealed can be harmful… Victoria Padden believes her life, career and all too comfortable relationship with David Lloyd is what she needs, especially after a crazy past. Landscaping business owner, Geoff McKenzie, is haunted by failed relationships. He doubts if there is such a thing as true happiness for him. But when they meet at a bachelor auction and have to work together, sparks fly between them and their beliefs change. Someone, though, doesn’t want them to be together and threatens Victoria. Having had a stalker before, she knows the authorities won’t help unless she has more concrete evidence or something drastic happens to her. She holds her fear and paranoia in check and hides the danger she’s in from everyone to keep herself and them safe. Yet, not saying anything this time about being tracked might be a fatal mistake. Buy it: here

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About C. Moss
I write stories from the light and sweet to the dark and deadly with varying degrees of sexual heat. Writing as C.R. Moss gives me and my muses the freedom to explore worlds of possibilities when it comes to love. Visit www.crmoss.net for more.
I also have a passion for penning dark fiction. Writing under the name Casey Moss allows me to slate other stories under Horror ~ Paranormal ~ Suspense ~ Thriller ~ Urban Fantasy. Visit: http://caseymossbooks.com/ for more info.


Find C. Moss on the net at:
http://crmoss.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/CRMoss.author
http://www.facebook.com/author.CaseyMoss
https://twitter.com/#!/crmoss