Month: September 2017

New stuff! New stuff!

It feels as if I’ve had a long new-release drought. But prepare for the deluge. In the next 2 1/2 months, you’ll see two audiobooks, two novellas, and a novel. More coming in the spring, but that ought to tide you over for a bit.

Right now—right this very second!—you can get Buried Bones on audio, narrated by the talented John Solo. Haven’t you been missing Chris and Dylan?

Any day now you’ll be able to order another new audiobook. The wonderful Joel Leslie narrates Equipoise, the final book in the Ennek trilogy. All my proceeds from that one go to Doctors Without Borders. And Joel does some awesome accents.

Finally, you can also preorder Clay White. This novella is the second story in the Bureau series, but they can be read in any order. The book will release October 6. All those proceeds also go to Doctors Without Borders.

Stay tuned on October 2 for a cover reveal for my upcoming novel, Ante Up. Vampires in Vegas!

Interview Roulette: Pat Henshaw

Today’s Pat Henshaw’s turn at the wheel!

 

  1. What genre that you haven’t written before are you thinking about delving into in the future?

Each of my books has a teenager lurking somewhere in it, so I’m very interested in writing a YA book. I thought about telling each of the existing books’ stories from the teens’ points of view, but now have decided I’d rather have different characters tell their own stories—probably in first person novella format since that comes easiest for me.

  1. What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?

Write and write more. And submit. Yes, rejection is difficult and you feel like parts of your soul are being stabbed, but do it anyway. Why? Because in the end, someone will like your writing and will hire you. So the more experience you have, the easier the process will get. (I’ll give you a peek at the future: You make your living writing and teaching writing. So get good at it now.)

  1. What is your favorite procrastination method?

I love to play stupid, time-consuming video games like Jewel Quest and Tradewinds and listen to music—right now the songs of The Dead South, a Canadian group that writes and sings about the American Civil War.  I can’t play immersive games like Diablo because I never would write if I did—though sometimes I’ve been known to play a few rounds of Nox if I set an alarm to limit my time with it.

  1. You’ve been invited to a party being held by your boss. Which of your characters will you take with you as your guest?

Great question! I’d try to take Abe Behr from Behr Facts, but I doubt he’d go with me since he’s not very social. His younger brother Ben, from Waking the Behr, would go and be the hit of the party in his good-old-boy, aw shucks ma’am way. But I think I would have the most fun with Zeke Bandy of Relative Best. Since he’s dealt with so many types of people from all over the world through the Gold Rush hotel he inherited and runs, he and I would have a lot in common and a lot to talk about. I’m intrigued to find out more about the music he writes and sings.

  1. Describe one time someone surprised you.

Dreamspinner Press has an annual retreat for its authors. I’d been reading DSP books long before I became one of its authors, so I was eager to go to the retreat and meet some of the authors whose books I loved. I’d met a lot of authors before in my newspaper and freelance writing days, so I was prepared to meet a group of people who would look down on me as not one of them. But I was totally surprised when I met four people in particular: Rick Reed, Ben Thomas, Jamie Fessenden, and you. All of you were so nice and wonderful, truly greeting me as a fellow author. The Dreamspinner weekend was truly a surprise for me.

 

  1. One of your characters writes a poem to his beloved.

Doubtful, very doubtful. While all my characters read, most aren’t ones for whom creative writing is even of passing interest. In What’s in a Name? Stone runs a bar, and Jimmy owns two coffee shops where he’s the creative barista. Both create in their own ways, but not as far as poetry goes. In Redesigning Max, Fredi paints and Max writes non-fiction bird books. But neither is a poetry buff. Construction company owner Abe and accountant Jeff of Behr Facts are precision men, but not poets. Celebrity chef Adam of When Adam Fell and sous chef/restaurant manager David create through giving customers the perfect dining experience, so there’s no poetry there. In Relative Best, hotel owner and entertainer Zeke Bandy writes his own music, so I think that’s as close to poetry as any of my characters are going to get.

  1. Aside from writing, in what ways are you creative?

I create dollhouse miniatures in quarter inch to the foot scale. Uh, yeah, this is tiny. I used to have a lot more creative pastimes before I got serious about writing. Now I listen to music, write, read, play computer games, and take photos as I travel with my husband.

***

Book blurb:

Both Ben and Mitch think they know exactly what they want. Turns out, they don’t even know their own hearts.

Good old boy Ben has dated women his entire life, while gay nightclub owner Mitch has never considered unsophisticated country boys his type. But after they start hanging out, the small-town contractor and the urban entrepreneur are both stunned by the electricity sparking between them.

As they step outside their comfort zones to spend time together, Mitch finds he enjoys rural car rallies, and Ben is intrigued by the upscale bars Mitch owns in San Francisco. When they share their lives and grow closer, they start to question the way they’ve always defined themselves. Then they kiss and fling open the door to love. Now they must step up and travel the road that may lead to happily ever after—even if that path isn’t one they ever expected to walk.

Book buy links:

Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/waking-the-behr-by-pat-henshaw-8865-b

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36099055-waking-the-behr?from_search=true

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Waking-Behr-Foothills-Pride-Book-ebook/dp/B075D86H87/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505008405&sr=1-1&keywords=9781635339161  

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Waking-Behr-Foothills-Pride-Book-ebook/dp/B075D86H87/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505008545&sr=8-1&keywords=waking+the+behr  

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/d/Waking-Behr-Foothills-Pride-Book-ebook/B075D86H87/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505008586&sr=8-1&keywords=waking+the+behr  

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/waking-the-behr  

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/waking-the-behr-pat-henshaw/1127058298?ean=2940158850714

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Pat_Henshaw_Waking_the_Behr?id=wUQwDwAAQBAJ

 

Author bio:

Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, has spent her life surrounded by words:  Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Pat was born and raised in Nebraska where she  promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California.  Pat enjoys travel, having visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and Europe, including a cruise down the Danube.

Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion.  Fortunately, her incredibly supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away while writing fiction.

Author contacts:

Website: http://patbooked.blogspot.com

Website: www.pathenshaw.com  (under construction)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.henshaw.10

Twitter: https://twitter.com/phenshaw

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pat-Henshaw/e/B00BPDEDEA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1436131610&sr=8-1

Email: patoisca@yahoo.com   pat@pathenshaw.com

 

Interview Roulette: Ada Maria Soto

Welcome to Ada Maria Soto!

  1. What is your least favorite thing about California? The smog in the Central Valley. When I was a kid we’d go there for ‘clean country air’. My dad swore that when he was a kid, on a clear day, you could stand on the eastern side of Altamont Pass and see the Sierra Nevada mountains. Now the air in the valley is some of the worst in the world.
  2. You get to spend a day with a character from any book—but not one of your own. Who do you choose? Nanny Ogg. She’s a witch but also knows that life should be fun.
  3. What is your theme song? Thunder Road (this week)
  4. When it comes to travel, do you prefer to plan everything or play it by ear? I like to plan out the big things but I also like to schedule in a lot of flex time just to relax or find something new.
  5. Describe one of your characters’ deepest regrets. My poor Arthur left far too much unsaid when it came to his father, not knowing how to say it or thinking he had more time.
  6. If you could spend a week in one historical place, where and when would you choose? Paris in the 1920’s. It seems like that place was going off with interesting artists and people in general. And a week is about four days more drinking and socializing than I can handle.
  7. Due to a magical curse, for the rest of your life you can read only one genre of books. Which genre will it be? Science Fiction.
  8. One of the characters in your latest book buys a birthday present for another. What is it? Arthur would get Martin a very fancy cookbook, then realize that he also has to buy bookshelves because Martin has no furniture and gets all his book from the library.
  9. If you could instantly learn another language, which would you choose and why?Spanish. Because it’s embarrassing to be half Mexican and speak less Spanish than my four-year-old who learned all her Spanish from watching Dora and Friends.
  10. What is your favorite footwear? I love sports sandals but I can’t wear them anymore because I have flat feet.

Book blurb: His Quiet Agent

Arthur Drams works for a secret government security agency, but all he really does is spend his days in a cubical writing reports no one reads. After getting another “lateral promotion” by a supervisor who barely remembers his name, it’s suggested that Arthur try to ‘make friends’ and ‘get noticed’ in order to move up the ladder. It’s like high school all over again: his attempts to be friendly come across as awkward and creepy, and no one wants to sit at the same table with him at lunch.

In a last-ditch attempt to be seen as friendly and outgoing, he decides to make friends with The Alien, aka Agent Martin Grove, known for his strange eating habits, unusual reading choices, and the fact that no one has spoken to him in three years.

Starting with a short, surprisingly interesting conversation on sociology books, Arthur slowly begins to chip away at The Alien’s walls using home-cooked meals to lure the secretive agent out of his abrasive shell. Except Martin just might be something closer to an actual secret agent than paper-pusher Arthur is, and it might be more than hearts at risk when something more than friendship begins to develop.

 

Book buy links:

Amazon and KU: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072PWDT89

Author bio:

Ada Maria Soto is a born and raised Californian, Mexican-American/WASP, currently living as an expat in the South Pacific. Writing is her day job for the two days a week her child is in preschool. The other five days a week her child is her day job.

A psychologist once told her she has a fantasy prone personality, but since she’s a writer that’s not a bad thing. She has dysgraphia and phonological dyslexia but doesn’t let exciting spelling slow her down.

She is a sports fan dedicated to the Oakland A’s, San Jose Sharks, Auckland Blues, USA Eagles, New Zealand All Blacks, and New Zealand Black Caps.

 

Author contacts:

Con tips for first-timers

There’s a first time for everything, right? And first times can be both exciting and a little scary. But they’re memorable too. Some of my favorite memories are firsts: the first time I bought a house, traveled abroad, taught a class, held my newborn daughters. In romance stories, often some of the best parts are the first time our heroes meet, the first time they kiss, the first time they…. Well. You get the idea.

So what about the first time you attend a convention? My first book-related con was GayRomLit in 2012. I was a new author and showed up not knowing a soul, but I came away from the con with more confidence and some wonderful new friends.

So for those of you who will be attending Love N. Vegas as your first con, or who have plans to be a newbie at other cons, I offer some tips.

  1. Plan ahead. Things can get crowded during a con and sometimes hotel rooms and events fill up early, so make sure to book your travel as soon as you can comfortably do so. I recommend staying at the con hotel if you can. You’ll probably get discounted rates, you’ll be helping support the con, and you won’t waste time commuting from elsewhere. It’s way more fun to be in the thick of things.
  2. Be a tourist. Take advantage of the con location, if you can, and stay a few extra days before or after to see the local sights (you’ll be too busy during the con itself). Vegas is great for this because you can catch a show (my favorites are Chippendales, Zumanity, and Absinthe), stroll the casinos, visit a museum (I suggest the Atomic Testing Museum), or take a longer excursion to Hoover Dam or even the Grand Canyon. Vegas.com has all sorts of ideas.
  3. Wear comfortable shoes. Most cons involve a lot of walking, and you don’t want your experience ruined by sore feet. As some of you may know, I have a particular fondness for boots, so I just make sure to choose ones that are cute and comfy.
  4. Bring a bag. You’re going to be carrying stuff and you’re going to be accumulating more stuff, so bring a nice roomy bag to carry it all in. I’ve seen people with wheeled luggage—and even wagons!—but I’ve found that a largish messenger bag does the job for me. Lots of pockets help me keep all my stuff separated, so I can easily grab a pen, phone charger, wallet, or whatever else I need at the moment.
  5. Talk to people. I’m a pretty solid introvert, and social situations—especially ones with tons of people—can make me uncomfortable. But at a con, I know I have something in common with everyone else there: a passion for whatever the con’s centered on. That makes it easy to find things to chat about. These are your kindred spirits.You might meet new friends or learn about new books you’ll love. At the very least, you’ll pass the time while you’re standing in line.
  6. Bring snacks. In my experience, lines for food and coffee can get pretty long at con venues. You’ll save yourself time and aggravation if you throw a few munchies into that bag. I have one lovely friend who’s been known to pass out bags of healthy trail mix at cons, but if you’re not lucky enough to be hanging out with Venona, you can make do with granola bars and the like. Even a few hard candies can tide you over for a bit. If possible, you might also want to bring some food to keep in your hotel room so you don’t have to go out (and wait in more lines) for every meal.
  7. Don’t be embarrassed to fanboy/fangirl. The authors are there because they want to meet their readers. It never gets old to be told someone loves my books. It’s especially cool when readers can name a favorite character or explain why one of my stories touched them personally. I will add two caveats to this rule, however. First, remember that lots of other fans are there too, so don’t monopolize your fave author. And second, if you see your author in the midst of something—setting up, maybe, or hurrying to the bathroom!—you might want to wait to chat until you both have more time.
  8. Souvenirs! At many cons, you can pick up a lot of swag. But remember you’re going to have to schlep it all home, plus that stuff costs authors and publishers money. So choose to take only the swag you really want. Also, don’t forget to take a lot of photos (but do remember to ask folks before you photograph them). You can also bring things for authors to sign besides just books. I’ve signed totebags, picture mats, Kindle covers, autograph books, T-shirts, and more.
  9. Schedule in some down time. Chances are, you won’t be able to see and do everything at the con, and you don’t want to exhaust yourself trying. Be aware of your own limits. There’s no shame at all in a mid-afternoon nap, a walk outside of the con grounds, a quiet half hour with a coffee, or whatever you need to recharge your batteries. You’ll have a lot more fun if you don’t overdo it.
  10. Don’t stress if not everything is perfect. There’s a lot going on. Sometimes complications arise, or sometimes things don’t work out as planned. Sometimes you just don’t get to do everything you wanted. If this happens, try to focus on the positive. Even mishaps can turn out to be advantages in the long run; several of my minor travel disasters have inspired stories or plot ideas for me. Remember, you’re at the con to have fun, and with a little planning and a sense of adventure, you will!

Do you have con tips? Please share them below!

Interview Roulette: Jayne Lockwood

Interview Roulette questions

Hi everyone. I’m Jayne Lockwood and I write under two names, S.A. Smythe for M/M erotic romance and Jayne Lockwood for romantic suspense (gay, straight, pan – I like to mix it up!) My current WIP is a science fiction/romance between a scientist and the alien who steps out of time in the name of love. I hope to publish sometime around Christmas 2017. Very many thanks to Kim Fielding for hosting me on her wonderful blog. 

What food would you only consider eating if you were stranded on a desert isle with nothing else to consume?

You see, this is where I run into problems, because my immediate answer would be, and would always be, tapioca milk pudding (or frogspawn,) because there is nothing on this earth that would get me to eat it, thanks to being traumatised with it at school. We were sat at tables with “food monitors” which is code for “meglomaniac senior kids” and they would force us to eat everything on our plates. Bobbly chicken skin, wrinkly, lumpy custard, thick chunks of bread pudding, gristly beef; it was horrendous. The cook was this savage little lady who always had a cigarette dangling from her mouth. And she couldn’t cook for shit. So yeah, tapioca pudding. The thing is, that implies that cows are on the island, and if that were the case, the unfortunate bovine would be on the fire pit faster than you can say “T-Bone.” So logically, tapioca milk pudding doesn’t make sense, but I’m still going with it

You can eat only one ice cream flavor for the rest of your life. Which is it? 

Hmmm. Quentin Tarantino once told a story about being with a friend in New York, trying a peanut frappuccino. After tasting it, the friend said that if Elvis Presley ate a load of peanuts and then had an orgasm, his frappucino would taste just like that. So unless someone can present me with a gelato made purely from milk from golden cows, certified Elvis Presley jizz and peanuts, I’ll go without. PS. I hate ice cream!

Which of your characters is going to Vegas with you and why?

Definitely Lexington Black, because he has the money to put us up in a wonderful hotel and we can have a lot of fun on the Sunset Strip. There’s no point doing Vegas on a budget. And he  might even sneak a kiss from Barry Manilow. Cocacobana!

Which of your characters should run for US President?

Well, not Lex, because I think he might be a bit of an asshole unless Rob can keep him in check. I actually have another character in one of my Jayne Lockwood books, Closer Than Blood. Richard Mason is a an altruistic psychopath, so in the current climate, he would be a perfect US President, because….

Multimillionaire businessman (stay with it…)

LGBT and proud of it (He’s pansexual)

Ruthless (he’s killed a few people but they were all assholes, so that’s okay.)

He’s philanthropic, looking out for the poor and hungry

He’s profoundly dyslexic, so what a great role model for others with the same difficulties.

Respects women (after a painful lesson from his forever love, Pagan. Yeah, so she could be his half-sister but nothings’ ever been proven….)

I’d say he was perfect for the role!

Write a story—no more than 100 words–based on this prompt: When the levee failed….

When the levee failed, people began to die; some slowly and painfully, others with shocking ease. 
 
From afar, ignorant men in power calculated the demage, some satisfied the cleansing had finally happened. God had turned his mighty wrath on the sinful. They turned away from the carnage.
 
Yet as the waters eased, a rainbow appeared. The spirit of the people began to gain strength. Understanding, communication, many hands reached out in love to support their neighbours, resources pooled to rebuild a wounded community.
 
Nothing, not God or natural causes, would keep the human spirit oppressed. After all, love is love.
 
What were your favorite childhood books?
 
I had a varied and precocious taste in books, fed avidly by my father, who would present me with thick tomes that would make a lot of kids just run away screaming today because there weren’t any pictures. Reading was the one thing in school I was actually good at! So my favourite childhood books were:

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr

Rebecca by Daphe du Maurier

Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

Describe a memorable dream—or nightmare

I dream a lot, and promptly forget them the next day, but this one is memorable and I hope it doesn’t cause upset.

About twenty years ago, I began having dreams about climbing up a tall building. It was made of glass, very straight, so I could see right down to the ground as I was climbing. When I reached the top, there was a clock, a huge one with a big pendulum. It was ticking slowly, going backwards. There was a sense of impending menace but I wasn’t sure why. Looking out over the city, I knew I was in New York, but it was slightly different, with grassy spaces and hillsides amidst the big buildings. But the building I was on was so much bigger. After a while, I knew I had to get down to the ground, so I ran down the stairs. It was a bit like an Escher drawing, but I made it, and was really grateful to breath fresh air. It was a good feeling. 

I had this dream several times in a couple of years, which is why it made such an impression, but the dreams stopped after 9/11, and I haven’t had it since. 

What’s something you—or one of your characters—got in trouble for while in school

I was such a goody two-shoes, it was probably nauseating. Most of my characters have been terribly good at school. Or unexceptional anyway. But …. Does sleeping with the Headmaster count? Lexington Black did that when he was 18 (which is legal in England.) I meant, he was of legal age. So sleeping with the Headmaster is probably legal too, though probably not advisable….

Pick any place in the world to spend the next 6 months. Where is it and why?

That’s really hard, as I love the coast, but in the end, I think I’d choose somewhere close to Mesa Verde, in Arizona. I’m an inveterate weather watcher, so the opportunity to mix writing, exploring the wild and watching clouds would be irresistible.

You’re on a ship with Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, Catherine the Great, David Bowie, Billie Holiday, and Gengis Khan. But oh no! The ship is sinking and the lifeboat only holds four people. You get to decide—who gets on that lifeboat?

Grrrr, I hate this question! I just take it all so seriously, not wanting to consign anyone to a watery grave. 

I think Alexandra the Great and Gengis Khan would get on fabulously, and between them would be resourceful enough to build their own lifeboat before the ship sinks. And they would kill everyone else if I chose them, so Adios to those two. That leaves Mark Twain, Albert, David and Billie. Billie Holliday is tiny, and I’m only 5’4”. David Bowie was tall but really skinny, so actually, there would be room for all of us on the boat, as long as we get to it before Gengis does!

Book blurb:

Lexington Black by S.A. Smythe 

Robin Martyn is divorced, straight, and living an unexciting life as a book-keeper for a luxury car showroom. His ambition to be an author has stalled, and he has a nightmare of a family, most of whom think he is a waste of space. His father killed himself when Rob was 15, and since then, Rob has found it hard to trust and commit himself to anyone but himself, yet over the course of a test drive with a suave stranger, he discovers he is capable of behaving in a totally irrational and risky manner.
 
Lexington Black is the wealthy New Yorker who rocks Rob’s world. After a night of hot sex, he wastes no time in luring Rob to the US to stay at his penthouse for a month so that he can reboot his writing career. A ruthless businessman, Lex is accustomed to getting what he wants. He is in love with Rob and he also wants his ailing father to accept his sexuality before the old man dies.
 
As Rob is introduced to gay Manhattan by Lex’s colourful friends, he is unaware that Lex is holding on to a crucial secret. Years before, Lex was a student at the college where Rob’s father was Headmaster. A brief encounter between them had resulted in the tragedy that Rob had been unable to forget. With this secret hanging between them, it is only a matter of time before Rob and Lex’s relationship is balanced on a knife edge. 
 
A heated tale of deception and lust between two hot men who cannot keep their hands off each other…

Book buy links:

Amazon US
 
www.amazon.com/Lexington-Black-S-Smythe-ebook/dp/B00T2E7RRY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503403355&sr=8-1&keywords=Lexington+Black+by+S+A+Smythe
 
Amazon UK
 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lexington-Black-S-Smythe-ebook/dp/B00T2E7RRY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503403741&sr=8-1&keywords=Lexington+Black+by+S.A.Smythe
 
Smashwords
 
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/517710

Author bio:

I’ve been writing for many years, starting out at County College of Morris in New Jersey with a course in Journalism. Since then I’ve published five novels for Black Lace Books under a pseudonym (Savannah Smythe) and one ghostwritten book for glamour celebrity, Abi Titmuss, in 2005 (10 Fantasies.) Also, I’ve published two M/M erotica stories as S. A. Smythe, Lexington Black andDocklands Diamond, both available on Amazon and Smashwords.
 
I’ve also published The Cloud Seeker and Closer Than Blood, both romantic suspense novels under Hollow Hills Publishing. At the moment, I’m working on my third Jayne Lockwood novel. I draw from my experiences as an Englishwoman and my time in New Jersey. The area of the Chilterns where I grew up and where I live now is rich in inspiration, secrets and tales from the past.
 
Finally, I write book reviews for WROTE Podcast (http://wrotepodcast.com.) WROTE stands for WRitten On The Edge, and features authors and other creatives from the LGBTQ community. I’m very proud to be a part of this venture, which was started in 2014 by myself, S.A. Collins and Vance Bastian, both terrific authors and friends. The podcast is going from strength to strength, and is a great way of getting to know some fantastic LGBTQ writers and artists.
 
More information on my work can be found on
 
https://hollowhillspublishing.blogspot.com
 
or S.A. Smythe’s blog 
 

Author contacts:

Website/blog

For Jayne Lockwood

https://hollowhillspublishing.blogspot.co.uk

For S.A. Smythe

https://sasmythe.blogspot.co.uk

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/hollowhillspublishing/

Or Like S.A. Smythe’s page

https://www.facebook.com/SASmytheAuthor/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/ladyjAuthor

Finally, I’m also on QueerRomance Ink!

Interview Roulette: F.T Lukens

F.T Lukens spins the wheel!

 

  1. Warm weather or cold?

Neither! But if I have to choose then I prefer the cold. You can always add more layers if you’re too chilly. The fall is the best time of year.

  1. You get to spend a day with a character from any book—but not one of your own. Who do you choose?

Ford Prefect from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I have my towel and I’m ready to go. Let’s go to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe and fly around in the Heart of Gold.

  1. Name a guilty pleasure you indulge in.

I read fanfic. I read a lot of fanfic. I love to read stories about my favorite characters and to see the canon expanded.

  1. One of your characters has signed up to teach a 1-day workshop. What’s it on?

Pavel Chudinov is an intermediary between the magical world and our world. He would teach an introductory course on cryptids and myth. Of course, being only 1 day, he couldn’t get too specific but he could give a few pointers on how to escape a rampaging unicorn for sure.

  1. Shopping—love it or leave it?

I love online shopping! But I hate going to a store.

  1. Which of your characters is most likely to end up in the emergency room and why?

Bridger Whitt who is the main character of The Rules and Regulations For Mediating Myths & Magic. Poor guy can’t catch a break when it comes to interacting with cryptids. More than likely, he was chased by something and fell.

  1. Describe one time someone surprised you.

When I got back home from Dragon*Con after being gone for five days, my living room had been completely rearranged. My husband had painted and hung a shelf and moved the couch and desks. The floor had been steam cleaned and the kitchen was immaculate. It was a great surprise.

*

Book blurb:

Desperate to pay for college, Bridger Whitt is willing to overlook the peculiarities of his new job—entering via the roof, the weird stacks of old books and even older scrolls, the seemingly incorporeal voices he hears from time to time—but it’s pretty hard to ignore being pulled under Lake Michigan by… mermaids? Worse yet, this happens in front of his new crush, Leo, the dreamy football star who just moved to town.

Fantastic.

When he discovers his eccentric employer Pavel Chudinov is an intermediary between the human world and its myths, Bridger is plunged into a world of pixies, werewolves, and Sasquatch. The realm of myths and magic is growing increasingly unstable, and it is up to Bridger to ascertain the cause of the chaos, eliminate the problem, and help his boss keep the real world from finding the world of myths.

 

Book buy links:

Purchase Links:

Interlude Press: https://store.interludepress.com/collections/the-rules-and-regulations-for-mediating-myths-magic-by-f-t-lukens

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2xKK8HT

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rules-and-regulations-for-mediating-myths-magic-ft-lukens/1126668631?ean=9781945053245

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-rules-and-regulations-for-mediating-myths-magic/id1255930533?mt=11

Target: https://www.target.com/p/rules-and-regulations-for-mediating-myths-magic-paperback-f-t-lukens/-/A-52916130#lnk=sametab

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-rules-and-regulations-for-mediating-myths-magic

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/733227

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Rules-and-Regulations-for-Mediating-Myths–Magic-F-T-Lukens/9781945053245/?a_aid=InterludePress

Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781945053245?aff=InterludePress

 

Author bio:

F.T. Lukens is an author of Young Adult fiction who got her start by placing second out of ten thousand entries in a fan community writing contest. A sci fi enthusiast, F.T. loves Star Trek and Firefly and is a longtime member of her college’s science-fiction club. She holds degrees in Psychology and English Literature and has a love of cheesy television shows, superhero movies, and writing. F.T. lives in North Carolina with her husband, three kids, and three cats.

Her first novel in the Broken Moon series, The Star Host, was released by Duet Books in 2016.

 

Author contacts:

  • Blog – authorftlukens.wordpress.com
  • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/FTLukens/
  • Twitter – @ftlukens

 

Interview Roulette: Lillian Francis

Today’s player is Lillian Francis!

  1. Describe an annoying habit one of your characters has.

Tyaan, from Theory Unproven, bakes when he’s happy and considers cookies an appropriate form of courting. Not bad or annoying in the scheme of things, but, despite a whole herd of elephants to run around after, Eric is worried he’s going to get fat.

  1. Which would be your preferred vacation choice: a luxury hotel, an apartment in a historic building, or a tent?

That’s easy. Historic building, every time. I’d love to stay in a castle. Tromping around old buildings and ruins is one of my favourite things. Luckily, living in England means I have any number to chose from.

  1. Pick any place in the world to spend the next 6 months. Where is it and why?

Australia. I’d love to travel all around Australia, especially the coast, and check out all the local wildlife.

  1. If you could choose anyone on the planet to narrate an audio version of your latest book, who would it be?

Gareth David Lloyd or David Tennant, I’m not fussy.

  1. Name two of your pet peeves.

‘Free on Kindle Unlimited’ It’s not free, readers pay a monthly subscription. Grrr!  Lads that wear their trousers so low that I can see more of their underwear than I’d like. An inch or so can be sexy, so far down their arse that they can’t even walk properly…not so much. Heaven forbid they have to run for a bus.

  1. Cats or dogs? Discuss. Both. I’m an equal opportunities owner. Any animal, all the animals. They don’t even have to be fluffy (unless they’re meant to be – hairless cats freak me out).

***

Book blurb:

Ewan Matthews is one of Boston’s leading genealogy experts. When a would-be bridegroom comes looking for confirmation that there are no skeletons in his ancestral closet, Ewan considers turning the job down. Trey Capell is a jerk of the highest order and yet Ewan experiences an infuriating attraction that’s easy to justify. Trey’s exactly his type—a carbon copy of the man Ewan’s been looking for his entire life.

Harder to explain is the sense of recognition that leaves Ewan speechless the moment Trey steps into his office. Or the stomach-churning sensation at the thought of casting the job aside.

Trey gets more appealing by the day, leaving Ewan struggling with forbidden desire for his client. Desire not helped by strange voyeuristic dreams that have started to haunt his sleep. Dreams that appear to be an echo of the past.

Book buy links:

Buy Links: Kobo // Payhip // B&N // Smashwords

Universal Amazon link: myBook.to/LoversEntwined_LF

 

Author bio:

Lillian Francis is a self-confessed geek who likes nothing more than settling down with a comic or a good book, except maybe writing. Given a notepad, pen, her Kindle, and an infinite supply of chocolate Hobnobs and she can lose herself for weeks. Romance was never her reading matter of choice, so it came as a great surprise to all concerned, including herself, to discover a romance was exactly what she’d written, and not the rollicking spy adventure or cosy murder mystery she always assumed she’d write.

 

Author contacts:

http://lillianfrancis.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter @LillianFrancis_

Facebook

Facebook Author Page

Goodreads

Sign up for my newsletter

Email: lillianfrancis@rocketmail.com

Interview Roulette: SA “Baz” Collins

 

  1. One of your books is being made into a movie. Who would you cast for the major roles?

Troye Sivan for the role of Elliot would be bang on brilliant. Just love that guy and what he stands for.

  1. What is the most useless or frivolous thing you’ve ever bought?

Cat toys … they never work. Give them a paper bag and happiness ensues.

  1. If you were on a cruise ship for a week, what would you spend your time doing?

Writing … what else?

  1. Are you a nervous cleaner? (And if you are, will you come hang out at my house?)

Don’t know what you mean by nervous … more like stagnant cleaner – paralyzed with fear on just getting started.

  1. Describe a hobby one of your characters likes to engage in.

Singing (I come from a professional background in singing so it seemed appropriate)

  1. If you were to write fanfic (or maybe you already have!) which fandom(s) would it be?

Supernatural – man, would I queer that shit up.

  1. Flood waters are coming. You can grab only three things from your home before fleeing—what do you choose?

My (2) cats and my hubby.

  1. One of your characters has signed up to teach a 1-day workshop. What’s it on?

Art – Elliot is a brilliant artist.

  1. Aliens kidnap you and put you in a zoo. What does the sign on your cage say?

Loose cannon – watch that mouth!

  1. One of your characters just won a prize for doing something really well. Who is it and what prize did he or she win?

Marco Sforza – he’s a prolific and very accomplished quarterback of the Mercy High Avenging Angels and his stats are 3rd in nationals.

Book blurb: 

Born in America but reared in their father’s home of Torino, Italy, Marco Sforza has led a fairly idyllic life. The Sforzas are an ancient and powerful family with a strong ducal past. They run a vast global empire that allows Marco to enter halls of power that most men only dream of. Yet, Marco is a boy who lives in a bubble of his family’s making.

When Marco returns to America to attend high school he grooms himself to become a rising star quarterback of the Mercy High Avenging Angels. He thinks his focus is his burgeoning football career. He is all to aware he is a boy made of pure light that is meant to be seen and noticed. He is comfortable there. Until he meets a boy who shines brighter than him. Elliot Donahey is that boy. But Elliot is a boy who craves shadow and darkness to keep himself safe through another hellish day of high school.

Before he realizes it, Marco’s world becomes undone by this boy. Trapped in a script all jocks are meant to follow, Marco does his best to fit in and play along so he can play the game he loves, but this boy who hides in the shadows begins to consume his every thought and emotion.

Despite the script he’s been given to date girls, have sex, and hang with his teammates and follow along, Marco finds himself on an emotional pendulum where following that jock script only brings him further away from that world to circle the boy hiding in the shadows. Can Marco find it within himself to push against what others expect of him to find his way into Elliot’s arms? Even with all the fame, money and prestige his family brings to the table, will it be enough to gain the interest of a boy who only wants to hide from everyone?

 

Book buy links:

SA COLLINS WEBSITE STORE – http://www.sacollins.com/store/index.php?catalog/all/-/name/1

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/SA-Collins/e/B00RQ93PXC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1504277381&sr=8-1

Author bio:

SA “Baz” Collins hails from the San Francisco Bay Area where he lives with his husband, their daughter and wonder of all wonders, a whirlwind of a granddaughter and two exotic cats. A classically trained singer/actor (under a different name), Baz knows a good yarn when he sees it.

Based on years of his work as an actor, Baz specializes in character study pieces. It is more important for him as an author that the reader comes away with a greater understanding of the characters, and the reasons they make the decisions they do, rather than the situations they are in. It is this deep dive into their manners, their experiences and how they process the world around them that make up the body of Mr. Collins’ work.

You can find his works at sacollins.com, violetquillredux.com and as a co-host of the wrotepodcast.com series.

Author contacts: