Romance Junkee

Hey guys!  I know I've pretty much given up the ghost here, but I just couldn't stay away from the book-blogging world...I'm doing a new feature with Parajunkee - Romancing the Weekends!!!  I'll be doing regular Romance (non-paranormal) reviews on Saturdays.  I'm thrilled Rachel asked me to be a part of this - stop by here and say hi!!

Guest Review: Leontine reviews Bound by the Vampire Queen by Joey W. Hill

Bound by the Vampire Queen (Vampire Queen Series Book 8) 
~Joey W. Hill 

Paperback: 464 pages 
Publisher: Berkley Trade 
Publish Date: December 6, 2011 
ISBN-10: 0425243443 
ISBN-13: 978-0425243442

From the author's website:
Sworn to obedience, compelled by loyalty, and threatened with damnation for betrayal, Jacob entered Lady Lyssa’s servitude as a human servant. Now he is a vampire, but still bound to Lyssa, who has found herself struggling with the capricious powers that have come alive in her paternal Fae blood—and challenged by two enemies… 

While the Vampire Council threatens to take away Lyssa and Jacob’s newborn son, the Fae Queen has ordered Lyssa to appear before the Otherworld court to face inescapable charges. The Fae have nothing but contempt for vampires, but to serve her, protect her, nourish her, and pleasure her, Jacob will follow his lady into hell itself. No one—neither Fae nor vampire--will compel him to break the oath he made to serve a vampire queen forever.

Bound By The Vampire Queen is the third installment revolving around the relationship of Vampire Queen, Lyssa and servant, Jacob. Which is why I want to warn you all there will be a certain loss of reading pleasure if you haven’t read the previous installments in this relationship! I don’t know how Joey W Hill does it but again she managed to concoct a story where new characters affected me to the core and to my surprise I found a Fae world that enthralled me. I already felt connected to Lyssa and Jacob due to the previous two installments; The Vampire Queens Servant and The Mark Of The Vampire Queen. The trials and tribulations overcome in those two stories and the strengthening of their love and passion struck a chord with me. So I wondered what more Joey W Hill could dish out for them to deal with.

The beginning of Bound By The Vampire Queen signaled new troubles and together, Lyssa and Jacob had to travel to the Fae world. Not only did I get to meet a fearsome Unseelie queen, Rhoswen but also a wizened Seelie king, Tabor. There were danger filled quests for both Lyssa and Jacob to fulfill. The world Joey W Hill erected in my mind’s eye was one filled with magic, nature in all its majestic splendor and of course a range of otherworldly inhabitants. It was enthralling to be a spectator of this magical place with its own rituals and customs. While a lot is drawn from common myths and legends, Joey W Hill gave her own twists on it making it a unique part of the world in this series.

I was able to sink my teeth in this new setting where my love for fantasy was satiated. The quests contained high-risk elements which made me flip the pages rapidly. The essence of these Fae creatures held an air of dangerous power and they were fickle enough to keep me on edge. But what blew me away was the mystic night of Samhain. It was the epitome of Seelie and Unseelie magic coming together in such an emotion rife momentum. I just couldn’t keep it together and cried for at least two pages. This is a trait of Joey W Hill I will always cherish her for. Her ability to affect me, to make all the good and the bad matter in her stories.

Because Lyssa and Jacob had their share of challenges again it evolves their relationship even further. They really give off that vibe of all-consuming love with a capital L that makes me sigh on various occasions throughout the story. There is no repetition but new choices to make and it kept me so very invested in the outcome. All the things thrown at this couple made me wonder; will they or won’t they make it? Which was another reason for me to keep reading the chapters away. Of course, in true erotic form as only Joey W Hill can give it to me, they also shared enough blazing hot passion to singe the pages. I never grew tired of the sultry heat flaring between them and various other characters. It is a visceral response to the dangers they face, the love they feel and it stills a hunger for a certain relationship dynamic.

Even though in the beginning I had to read a few chapters to “get in to” the story told it was the political scheming by Lord Keldwyn which instantly flagged a warning signal. The intrigue surrounding him set me on edge in a good way and got me wondering what plot development lay ahead for me to discover. What added to the joy of meeting the familiar cast of characters again were the dialogues which brimmed with attitude and banter. Especially among Lyssa, Jacob, Mason, Gideon and Deagan. Also the interaction between Jacob and Lord Firewind, a water horse, was a fantastic battle of male pride and will power. It makes these characters distinctive and memorable leaving me with a want for more stories in this series.

Joey W Hill’s imaginative writing skills makes her Vampire Queen world come alive with atmospheric settings and unforgettable characters. Bound By The Vampire Queen is an installment in this series which just draws you in and with bated breath you follow the perils, adventures and romance development. Lyssa and Jacob have put their mark on this series, and righteously so!

Favorite Quotes:

Jacob:

“My lady,” he said again, and this time instead of an honorific, he was saying it as it was meant. My lady. His love, his heart. His temptress, his tormentor.

Jacob:

Meeting her gaze, a rueful smile on his lips, he hooked the hose, skinned them down his legs, took them off with his boots and put it all aside, bracing his feet to stand before her completely bare of everything except the cross brand, the lashes on his back, and that third servant mark. He knew it always did something to her, seeing him stripped of everything but those three things. Her servant. Her slave. Her lover, bound to her for eternity.

My Rating:

Leontine 

Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Posting at Fiction Vixen today...

I'm over at Fiction Vixen today reviewing 

Last Breath by Rachel Caine.

Hop over and say hi - she's giving away a copy!!

Guest Post: Tera Lynn Childs and Sophie Jordan talk about their Worst Dates

Please join me in welcoming two wonderful authors, Tera Lynn Childs and Sophie Jordan, to Caught in a FAB Romance!  They're here to talk about one of those things you have to suffer through in order to laugh about it later - Bad Dates.


My Worst Date by Tera Lynn Childs
Warning: I don’t recommend anyone trying this at home. Or anywhere.

When I was a senior in high school, my best friend and I were driving from my house to a store or something and we pulled up next to a cute(ish) guy in a cute(ish) little red car. At the time I drove a very sporty and attention-grabbing, cream-colored Mazda RX-7. The guy in the red car checked us out and my best friend started talking with him. Well, one thing led to another and eventually we’re going on a double date with him and one of his friends.

Of course, he wanted to go out with my best friend, so I got stuck being the blind date for his friend. Now, I had never met the guy before (hence the blind date part) and have to admit he was quite good looking. He had that dark, wavy hair that I’m way too fond of and was in great shape because he was an athlete. You know how you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover? Well, I’m pretty sure his pages inside were blank.

Luckily we were seeing a movie (Wolf, starring Jack Nicholson—yeah, it was pretty awful) and I didn’t have to try to make small talk for long, because it was like having a conversation with a football. What I remember the most was that, even though he lived in a smallish, ruralish town, he’d never been near a horse or a cow. And that he was afraid of cows. Of cows! How is that even possible?!? (Now that I think of it, maybe he was intimidated by the intellectual superiority. Hmmm.)

After the movie, my best friend and I said goodbye to the guys and tried not to trip over ourselves as we ran back to my car. Turns out her date had been weirdly awkward, too. He’d held her hand throughout the whole movie, even though it was a first date and they’d never before been closer than the next car over. Lesson learned. All in all one of the worst—and weirdest—dates ever.


My Worst Date by Sophie Jordan
Hmm, my worst date? Immediately several scenarios pop into my head, which might alarm some that I’ve had a lot of bad dates. But actually no one date was sooooo terribly bad … just several stand out in memory … odd vignettes in my quest for the right guy. :)  Alow me to regale you. Here goes:

One time I went on a date with a police officer and the first thing he let me know when he picked me up was that he just came from work where he had to perform a body cavity search on a man in custody. Ew, right? There was no hand-holding that night.

Another time in collage a date showed up with his buddy. Both were harmless, but that was just … weird. A movie, dinner … the three of us. I almost expected them both to walk my back to my door, but it was just the one. *shakes head* I guess he was just nervous and wanted some moral support.

Another time a guy showed up injured from his rugby game. He was hurting … wincing every time he moved. He accepted some Tylenol, but insisted he was fine, so we sat down to watch television (I think he might have wept in pain once or twice during movie – but again, insisted he was fine). Later, when he stood up to leave, I saw that he was bleeding profusely through the back of his jeans! The blood even got on my couch. Another “ew” moment. I insisted he go home and properly take care of his injury. Then I disinfected my couch. ;)

But honestly, these weren’t terrible guys or even the most terrible nights … it’s just that these dates lacked the chemistry we dream of in searching for … the one. It’s that kind of romance and chemistry I love to read and write about. When the emotional and physical connection is strong between two people it’s the stuff of magic. That’s the magic I write about in Firelight and Vanish. I wouldn’t be capable of writing a book without some type of high-stakes romance. Love really does make the world go round!

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Stories like that make me shake my head and say, "What were they thinking?" :)  Don't forget to look for these lovely ladies on their next blog stop at Supernatural Snark on Friday, August 26.

SWEET VENOM by Tera Lynn Childs

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster. Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though. Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they’re triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

VANISH by Sophie Jordan
An Impossible Romance. Bitter Rivalries. Deadly Choices.

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

You can catch them in person here:
September 7 @ 7 PM Blue Willow Bookshop Houston, TX
September 8 @ 7 PM Books & Co Dayton, OH
September 9 @ 7 PM Magic Tree Bookstore Chicago, IL
October 1 Austin Teen Book Festival Austin, TX

 About the authors:

Tera Lynn Childs (Authora neo) is a newly discovered species of author fish who always dreamed of being a mermaid, but never got closer than a career as a competitive swimmer. She loves to spend as much time as possible in and around water (right up until her fingertips turn all pruney) in the vain hope that one day her legs will magically turn into fins. When stuck on land, Authora neo can be found writing in coffee shops across the country, prowling for cool mermaid gear on Etsy, and spending way too much time online. Visit her at http://teralynnchilds.com.

Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she's not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler. Visit her at www.sophiejordan.net.

Guest Post and Giveaway: Phillipa Ashley, Author of Wish You Were Here

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Phillipa Ashley, author of Wish You Were Here, to Book Addict!  My question for Ms. Ashlely:  One topic I've been wondering about is if there's a difference between US and UK readers/fans and whether UK writers have to keep their US readers in mind when they write (slang words, political or cultural figures, etc).

That’s an extremely interesting question!

I think it’s a balance between making the meaning clear to US readers vs. keeping the author’s voice. When I wrote the four books that are being published by Sourcebooks, they were written for an international audience in that they deal with universal themes of love, relationships and family. Those issues resonate with people pretty much all over the world.

I have tried to make sure any reference in them would be under stood worldwide but it’s not always possible and that’s where a wonderful copy editor comes in!

Some publishers are very strict on keeping references generic, with no trade names or figures who aren’t globally famous like Elvis and the Queen. Personally, I think that you can go too far in removing cultural references and run the risk of a book being bland.

My books probably have slightly stronger British flavo(u)r and that’s also (I hope) partly why Sourcebooks wanted to bring them to the US audience. For instance when I read a romance set in the US, Australia or Canada, I love a bit of slang and the mention of celebs and political figures. I don’t mind looking up a word or reference I don’t understand.

I read these books, imagining myself in these wonderful wide open spaces surrounded by rugged cowboys or the skyscrapers of New York or a small town in the desert. The right words help transport me to these places so I hope readers enjoy imagining themselves in London, or an English countryside or a European city when they read mine.

Sourcebooks do edit my books for US spellings and they work with me on any references that aren’t immediately clear. You’d be surprised how many emails fly back and forth late in the evening between me and the copy ed – she’s fantastic at suggesting changes that everyone in the US should understand, yet that don’t jar as ‘non British’.

For instance in Wish You Were Here, I’d described a character as a ‘young Peter Schmeichel’ a soccer star that the hero admired – but no one in the US would have heard of. So we exchanged emails and Google images and decided actor Paul Bettany (married to Jennifer Connelly) would make a good substitute.

In Dating Mr December, the action is set in the Lake District. The mountain rescue team there always call the mountains, ‘the fells’ so that wasn’t changed. Emma, the heroine, however was wearing hold ups in the English version – that got changed to thigh highs for the US. That made me smile because thigh highs here are more likely to conjure up an image of kinky boots! But then Mr December would probably love to see her in those...

At the end of the day romance has universal language and I think that a few quirks of language are part of the reason we love reading – to escape into another world.

What do readers think?

Wish You Were Here
~Phillipa Ashley

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publish Date: June 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1402241445
ISBN-13: 978-1402241444
ASIN: B002V092T2 (May 1, 2009)

From Goodreads:
Can a whirlwind romance ever go the distance?

When Jack proposes to Beth at the end of a holiday romance, she doesn't think twice--she knows he's The One. But then Jack walks out soon after their return, with no explanation, no nothing.

Eight years on and Beth finds a fantastic new job--working for Jack. She could definitely do without having to face him everyday, but then she can't do without the job...

As the two of them are forced to spend time together, Beth unravels the mystery of Jack's disappearance. Is there too much baggage for them to try again--or could they finally be in the right place at the right time?

Phillipa Ashley can be found on facebook, twitter, and her blog.

Thank you Ms. Ashley for answering my question - I certainly wouldn't have gotten the Peter Schmeichel reference, and I would have thought "hold ups" were some kind of suspenders, lol.  How about it readers, do you often come across phrases or people that are unfamiliar to you when reading foreign authors?

I'm giving away my ARC of Wish You Were Here to one lucky commenter - just leave an answer to Ms. Ashley's question in the comments and a way to contact you.  Following is not required but is always appreciated. US addresses only (sorry!), ends July 1.

TMI (not really)

I'm over at Paranormal Haven today for their "Beyond the Blog" feature:
Stop by and learn things about me you never wanted to know :)
Click here and go say hi!!

Review: Bite Club by Rachel Caine

Bite Club (Morganville Vampires Book 10)
~ Rachel Caine

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Available: May 3, 2011
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN-10: 0451233182
ISBN-13: 978-0451233189

After learning that vampires populate Morganville - and surviving a number of adventures with her new night-dwelling friends - college student Claire Danvers has come to realize that for the most part, the undead just want to live their lives.

But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.

There's a new extreme sport being broadcast over the Internet: bare- knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against one another - or, worse, against humans. Tracking the out-of-town signal leads Claire - accompanied by a loyal group of friends and frenemies - to discover that what began as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville.

And if they want to survive, they'll have to do a lot more than fight...

(My review was originally posted at Fiction Vixen's blog)

When Bite Club opens, the guys are excited about the new gym opening in Morganville, Shane especially, since they're offering martial arts. It's vampire owned, with vamp and human members. Shane loves it and starts spending more and more time there. He's also getting angry - fast and mean. He's picking fights with Michael, Eve, and even Claire. The angrier he gets, the more time he spends at the gym, where Gloriana's been hanging out. It doesn't seem to matter that she's a vampire, Shane can't seem to get mad at her.

Claire has her own problems - Bishop is back, MIT is calling, and she's still keeping the secret about Shane's father from Shane. Then, she gets a phone call from a strange female telling her Shane is hot and out of Claire's league. She comments she's "watching it again" and Claire gets suspicious. After a bit of investigating, it turns out the gym is running an online human vs. vamp "fight club" where paying viewers can place bets on the outcome of the fights, and Shane is a participant.

My Thoughts: Bite Club is definitely Shane's book. We get a lot of what's going on in his head, and it's angry and confused. We see his deepest hopes and doubts and watch as they morph into something unrecognizable. The vampires in Bite Club are badder than ever, more so because they don't seem all that bad... until it's too late. Aside from Shane's issues, Claire still has a lot going on. Some old "friends" from previous books come back and surprise me, and just when I think it's all over Ms. Caine throws another twist into the plot. I get enough Myrnin-time to keep me satisfied, and, just to tease us, there is some unfinished business between Eve, Michael, and Amelie. Bite Club is an action-packed, no-punches-pulled installment in the Morganville series!

Favorite Quotes:

(between Claire and Eve)
"I have no idea what that is, but yawn, anyway, just on principle. Eat up. Pancakes is brain food."
"Apparently not grammar food."
"Wow. You college girls are mean."
~Bite Club, page 116

(by Myrnin)
"Follow me," Myrnin said. "And do stay together. And by the way, this is the last time I go anywhere with you people. You are all insane."
~Bite Club, page 318

I really enjoyed Bite Club; Claire is still as smart and loyal as ever and I loved the glimpses into Shane's head throughout the book.

My Rating:

Fiction Vixen is giving away two copies of Bite Club!
To enter, click here!

This book was sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I Get Around....

I'm over at JoJo's Book Corner today talking about Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series as part of her 30 Days of Highlanders!
Stop by and say hi!

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I'm also at Fiction Vixen's place reviewing Bite Club by Rachel Caine. Head on over and see what I thought about the latest book in her Morganville Vampire series!

M/M Guest Post: Janna from E Romance Reader

Please join me in a warm welcome to one sexy blogger: E-Romance Reader Janna! I love her blog and always find good recommendations there. I've followed her blog as her reviews started leaning towards mostly M/M Romance, so when I decided to do a whole month devoted to M/M Romance, I knew I had to invite Janna!

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High 5, Low 5 in m/m romance themes & tropes

When Patti invited me to write a guest post for her M/M Romance Month I was very honored and excited! I love this genre and nowadays I hardly read any romance books other than those of the m/m kind. I haven’t been reading this genre (or even romance in general) for that long, but over the past period of one and a half years I’ve come to like and dislike some romance themes more than others. So, for this guest post I like to talk about my ‘High 5, Low 5’ of favorite and not so favorite themes and tropes in m/m romance.

~High 5~

1. Old Friends, New Loves
This first theme is actually one that also works for me in m/f romance. I just love the Friends to Lovers theme! In m/m books it’s often accompanied by an additional tension because one or both friends are wondering if the other friend is even gay or not. But even if this aspect isn’t playing a role, I’m a big fan of the relationship based on friendship.

2. The One That Got Away
Like the previous theme, this one gives the main characters a history together. So, they already have an emotional bond. Reunited lovers usually have to work out some issues from the past while they can also focus on their present attraction and feelings of love. Important is that I can believe in these because they’re not instantly sprouted but usually based on a shared history and on knowing each other’s personalities. One of the best things about both this and the first theme is therefore that the story doesn’t suffer from insta-love between the protags.

3. Gay For You
This is a typical m/m theme: a straight man falls in love/lust with a person, who happens to be a man. He’s never been in love with another man before and most likely won’t fall for other men in the future. It’s just this particular man, who rocks his boat. I like this theme because it’s the superlative of Love with a capital L. Furthermore, this theme usually brings some struggle into the story and (in the end at least) we can be sure to be in the company of an open-minded hero. I love that!
This theme should not be confused with the ‘gay hero in the closet’ by the way. That’s another theme that I can appreciate once in a while. But more often than not it also makes me want to smack that said hero (which is not necessarily a bad thing). ;)

4. Disabilities
I’m a sucker for men with a disability, especially when learning to deal with it within a (blooming) relationship plays an important role in the book. Damaged heroes, emotionally or physically, usually have this wounded pride thing going on and while gradually growing towards acceptance they have the tendency to push important people away. All the sweeter the happiness in the end when realization of love dawns.

5. Yes Sir!
The D/s relationship is a theme that I like better in m/m than in m/f romance. Don’t get me wrong, I do kinda like it in both genres, but the author of a BDSM romance with m/f protagonists, has to be very skilled to not make me feel awkward. Emotional depth is essential for me in any romance but especially in the BDSM themed ones. In m/m romance I can deal much better with less emotional layers than in m/f books, probably because of the more natural balance in equality between two men. That makes it sexier when one takes control over the other guy.

~Low 5~

1. May-December Love
I can’t help it but I’m just not a fan of a big age gap between the heroes. Especially when the gap is bigger than 13 to 15 years I start to feel icky, because I can’t let go of the thought that the younger guy must have daddy issues. Maybe it has also something to do with my dislike of heroes that are much older than 40. I like them best in their thirties or even in their twenties.

2. M-Preg
I actually have never read a romance which had a male-pregnancy in it, but that’s because I’m shying away from the topic as much as I can. Pregnancy or wanting to get pregnant is something I don’t want to read about in romances in general. Period. I just don’t think it’s sexy, and even less so when it’s a male getting knocked up. Funny thing though is that I don’t mind ‘men with children’ being the heroes of a story. As long as the kids aren’t just props, but well-developed characters, I can enjoy them being part of the story.

3. No Means Yes
I’m ambiguous about non-consensual sex scenes or even when the consent is dubious. Some m/m romances are based on yaoi (m/m manga) in which dub-con or non-con is a fairly common theme. And only that knowledge can make me stomach the dub-con sex scenes in some of those yaoi-based books. Otherwise, this type of sex scenes, for example in BDSM novels, is a big no-no for me.

4. Twincest
Twincest or brothercest is another topic I’ve avoided so far. I don’t know, an author must really know what he/she is doing to make me want to read about incest between brothers. Like m-preg it’s very far outside my comfort zone.

5. Stalk Me, Save Me
This theme, where one of the protags has a stalker on his tail and the other protag is there to save his ass, can bore me to death when it isn’t done exceptionally well. I’m not at all against plots where the heroes are being put in danger or find external obstacles on their way, I actually enjoy those action packed stories very much every now and then. It’s the ‘victim meets rescuer’ trope that doesn’t appeal to me. Especially when the ‘victim’ is the princess-in-the-tower type; that is, being very passive until his hero rescues him after which he rewards him with love. Bleh. Furthermore, the conflict in a romance story shouldn’t only be external (like danger coming from a stalker). I need an internal struggle too. In fact, an author can skip the external conflict any time in favor of the internal conflict if it was up to me. :)


Aside from these tropes there are a few character types I avoid more or less if I can. First there’s the drag queen; heroes that are into cross-dressing don’t rock my boat. Second there’s the bear type; big, hairy, muscular types don’t attract me very much. Then there’s the virginal character; it’s not that I dislike this type, but he’s just not doing it for me in a romance (maybe it reminds me too much of the female virgins in historicals). And then there’s the princess-in-the-tower type that I really dislike; I’m just not a big fan of the very passive protagonists in general (see my fifth low too). Lastly, I shy away from romances about established couples; it’s the budding and blooming of a relationship I’m more interested in.

On the other hand, any hero who wears a uniform (law enforcement, fireman, military, medic) easily finds his way into my shopping cart. Alphas make me feel tingly. I can’t help myself. :)


So, which themes, tropes or character types make your ‘High 5, Low 5’ list?

M/M Guest Review: Larissa reviews Josh Lanyon's Holmes and Moriarty series

Please help me welcome Larissa, from Larissa's Bookish Life! Larissa runs a fun and fabulous blog that I'm sure many of you are familiar with:

She's always got something going on over there!! Larissa graciously agreed to stop by today an review one of my favorite M/M authors: Josh Lanyon's Somebody Killed His Editor. Take it away, Larissa:

Somebody Killed His Editor
All She Wrote
~Josh Lanyon

* Publisher: Samhain Publishing
* Release Date of Book #1: June 16th, 2009
* Release Date of Book #2: December 28th, 2010
* My Copy: eBooks/Bought.
* Series: Holmes & Moriarity Series
* Genre: M/M Romantic Mystery
* Author's Website

* Buy The Books:
Somebody Killed His Editor
All She Wrote: Holmes & Moriarity, Book 2

From Goodreads:
Thanks to an elderly spinster sleuth and her ingenious cat, Christopher Holmes has enjoyed a celebrated career as a bestselling mystery writer. Until now. Sales are down and his new editor is allergic to geriatric gumshoes.

On the advice of his agent, he reinvents his fortyish, frumpy, recently dumped self into the sleek, sexy image of a literary lion, and heads for a Northern California writers conference to try and resurrect his career. A career nearly as dead as the body he stumbles over in the woods.

In a weirdly déjà vu replay of one of his own novels, he finds himself stranded in an isolated lodge full of frightened women—and not a lawman in sight. Except for J.X. Moriarity, former cop and bestselling novelist. The man with whom he shared a one-night stand—okay, maybe three—long ago. The man who wants to arrest him for murder.A ruthless, stalking killer, or a hot, handsome ex-lover. Which poses the greater danger? It’s elementary, my dear Holmes!

*SPOILER FREE

Thanks so much to Patti for having me here today! I grasped with both hands this chance of talking about one of my favorite genres ever! M/M Romance Rocks and it needs to be said, loud and clear! =)

I am a HUGE Josh Lanyon fan, so I am constantly checking out his website and trying to find books of his that I haven’t read yet. On one of my most recent visits, I found the Homes & Moriarity books and I can’t believe I had not read them before!

Holmes is a former NYT Best-Seller, Cozy-mystery writer that has seen better days. His publisher is dropping him, he can’t seem to write anything anymore and his love life sucks, not in a good way. During a writer’s retreat that his manager strong armed him to attend, a murder occurs and following a series of mishaps, Homes is one of the prime suspects.

In enter Moriarity, a very successful Thriller writer and former flame of Holmes’, whose previous experience as law enforcement puts in the position of being the best man to take lead on the murder investigations, specially since him, Holmes and everyone else is stranded in the hotel where that retreat is taking place.

Holmes & Moriarity have amazing chemistry, but their past brief relationship keeps getting in the way and Josh does an awesome job in telling their story. Not only the romance part of either books is very satisfying, but the mystery in either novel is very very well constructed and gave me Agatha Christie’s flashbacks in a very good way.

Josh Lanyon is an extraordinary author and the Homes & Moriarity books are nothing if not the perfect example of his talent! I can’t wait for more from this series!

M/M Month Guest Post: Smokinhotbooks' M/M Reader’s Beginner’s Guide To Picking The Right Kind of Manlove

Please join me in welcoming the superfabulous duo of KC and KK (aka Smokinhotbooks)! When I decided to throw a M/M Romance party, I knew these ladies were the perfect people to invite :) Sit back and relax as they guide you to picking the perfect read for whatever M/M level you're ready for:

M/M Reader’s Beginner’s Guide To Picking The Right Kind of Manlove
Some of us (clears throat) are veterans of the reading industry, ie you have more m/m ebooks on your Kindle than traditional romance books. Some of us are m/m virgins and some of us, maybe don’t know what the h-e-double hockey sticks M/M means (yes, I confess to thinking, at first, M/M meant medieval romance. Don’t’ ask me what the other M stood for). Smokinhotbooks is here to be your m/m guide in picking the right kind of manlove for your reading pleasure.

Beginners
I always say test the waters first. We at SHB are the type to dip our toe in the water first before just jumping right in – way to many xtreme erotic romances in the early days can make you gun shy. I recommend trying a m/m/f, not to be confused with m/f/m. Usually with m/f/m there is no touchies between the guys it’s all about the lady and since we are easing you into reading m/m (dudes only) you might want to find books with m/m/f in which case the boys usually play together.
We recommend Lauren Dane’s Laid Bare


This Isn’t My First Rodeo (M/M Readers)
Read a few m/m books and would like to tackle a few more under my belt
For those of you who’ve been around the range a time or too and are interested in reading more because you caught the feva; you might like the following:
Anything written by LB Gregg, her books tend to infuse a lot of humor and are more m/m fiction. There is some lovin’ but not as much as a erotic manlove book.
JL Langley – tends to write a spice® manlove book, but if you like your Thai food a little spicy this was one of the first authors we read an enjoyed.
ZA Maxfield
Ava March – great for historical m/m if you are looking to get away from contemporaries.
Tere Michaels
Keeping Promise Rock by Amy Lane
Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville


Old Timers
You probably have your favs – you know what you like and more than likely have Loose ID, Samhain, Dreamspinner Press saved to your favorites.


Looking for something different…maybe even a little YA... (gasp) we know, you thought we were going to recommend something naughty, weren’t you!

Lord of White Hell I and II by Ginn Hale – kind of like an adult-Harry-Potter with a love story that spans 2 books.


Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley

Ok, now if you are really looking to ‘stretch’ yourself you might want to venture into the wonderful world of Yaoi Manage or graphic novels. Yes people, there are PICTURES!


Share with SHB what m/m books do you likey?

M/M Guest Post: Tam from Tam's Reads

As M/M month rolls on, please help me welcome Tam from Tam's Reads and Brief Encounters. I love to visit Tam's blog - her Hottie of the Day cheers me right up and she's got plenty of "cookies". I like her reviews and can always find a good recommendation:


One, two three …

So if one guy is hot and two guys are hotter, three should burn up the sheets right? Actually I am right. :) Before I discovered m/m I had read some m/m/f which portrayed not only a sexual relationship between three characters (lord knows most of us have read porn with various numbers of m’s, f’s and who knows what else), but an emotional relationship and not “both guys loved the girl” but they loved each other too. Hmmm. How intriguing.

My first m/m/m was 9-1-1 by Chris Owen. Wow! An emotional journey with three guys; there was insecurity over their place in the relationship, close to cheating, painkiller addictions, family strife over having two partners, it had it all. I totally believed it could happen. Then I continued with Gemini also by Chris Owen. It is *covers Patti’s eyes and whispers* twincest *uncovers her eyes* but with three and again, I thought the double difficulty of not only being in a relationship with two which is frowned on, but having to hide the fact that two were siblings was handled well. I was truly hooked at that point. Oh yeah, and it’s freaking hot.

I’ve read many books since with three, and usually if I see a blurb with three I snap it up. Sometimes it’s simply a third for an evening, but more often than not it’s three together in love. It doesn’t always work for me, just as not every romance works for every reader in any sub-genre. My biggest peeve is when sex becomes the cure-all for everything in the relationship. Doesn’t matter if you’re sad, happy, angry, hungry - just have sex in all variations and everything is good. I need a bit more realism than that.

So why am I attracted to this sub-genre? I don’t know exactly. It’s not something I’d seek out for myself, but to be honest, I might be more open now than I was before I started reading m/m. Fifteen years ago if you’d asked me about a relationship (as opposed to fun) with three I would have scoffed that it’s not possible. And in my heart I’m not sure it really does work. I don’t know anyone personally – or who have revealed it to me – in that type of relationship, but I’d like to believe it could. We all say there is enough love in our hearts for as many children as we have, couldn’t there be enough for another partner?


I also take it as a bit of a challenge to see if the author can make me keep all the arms and legs and … bits in the right place. Nothing worse than reading and having to go back and figure out whose arm was where and wondering if one of them is a circus contortionist, because no way is that possible. If you can make the sex seem realistic, you’ve got me half-way there, give me sympathetic characters that I care about and you’ve got me for life. Then again maybe I’m just a perv, which is quite possible.


I know ménage is not for everyone. Some people really prefer their romantic pairings to be just that, pairs, but if you’re looking for something to stretch the boundaries I highly recommend 9-1-1 for a start. Maybe some other m/m/m readers can recommend some of their favourites as well.

Thanks for inviting me to participate in m/m month Patti. I hope we’ve managed to lure a few readers to at least try the cookies on the dark-side. ;-)

M/M Month Guest Post Danielle from ALPHA Reader

Today I'd like to welcome one of my favorite bloggers: Danielle from ALPHA Reader. I asked Danielle if she would like to do a guest post for M/M Romance month, and she e-mailed back that she'd love to talk about Josh Lanyon's Adrian English series:

___________________

Falling in Love Again

Hello Gentle Reader.
I'm going to tell you a story about a story. This is the story of how I popped my cherry with Adrien English. And when I say ‘popped my cherry’ I mean ‘read my first Male on Male homocentric romance’ and by Adrien English I mean the fictional character of Josh Lanyon’s immensely popular crime fiction series.

It was a momentous occasion for me, and one that changed the tides of my reading habits forever. . .

Let’s Call a Heart a Heart

Adrien English is a part-time novelist and bookshop owner of ‘Cloak and Dagger Books’, which is reputed to have the largest collection of gay and gothic whodunnits around. Adrien is thrust into the role of reluctant sleuth in first book, ‘Fatal Shadows’, when an employee and friend dies, leaving Adrien the main suspect. The death throws LAPD detective, Jake Riordan, into Adrien’s path and kick-starts his dubious crime-solving career that spans five books.

Adrien and Jake form an uneasy friendship, which grows into an unhealthy relationship. You see, Jake is a closeted homosexual, and reluctantly attracted to openly gay Adrien. Over the course of five books, from ‘Fatal Shadows’ through to ‘The Dark Tide’, Adrien’s association with Jake throws him unwittingly into the middle of murder investigations and real-life ‘whodunnits’. . . while Adrien and Jake’s love life also throws both men into a tail-spin. Adrien knows that Jake will never be comfortable with his sexuality, and for as long as he stays in the closet, Jake will hate himself for loving Adrien. . .

Josh Lanyon writes brutal love and callous murder in this epically noir murder-mystery series. A cross between Dashiell Hammett and ‘Queer as Folk’.

I Must Have that Man

I read vicariously. That is, I like to imagine myself as the heroine. Most people read thusly, even if they don’t consciously acknowledge it. If you’re frustrated with the believability of a character’s actions, chances are your problem is more that *you* can’t see *yourself* reacting that way. When I read books that have a male narrator (which is quite rare in the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genre I frequent) I’ll ‘take on’ the role of whatever female the hero associates with.

So I never knew how I'd take to reading M/M. It’s hard for me to imagine myself a man, let alone a gay man. I went into ‘Adrien English’ with much (virginal) trepidation, but was quickly swept away by Josh Lanyon’s characterization and the infectious likability of his title character.

Adrien English is a fantastic leading man. He’s witty, a little bit goofy and utterly charming. He’s also not your typical gay lead. In fact, as a writer he pokes fun at the gay stereotype prevalent in current fiction. Adrien is not particularly suave – he eats cereal in his underwear while watching old Errol Flynn movies. The only stereotype Adrien maintains (much to his chagrin) is that of mama’s boy – but only because his eccentric society mother, Lisa, is still reluctant to cut the apron strings. Adrien is also unlucky in love, still nursing a broken heart after his ex, Mel, walked out on him years ago and he’s been celibate ever since. To top it all off, Adrien has had a heart murmur since he was sixteen years old – a condition which will most likely mean Adrien won’t live to see 50.

I connected with Adrien English on so many levels. On the one hand, I saw a lot of myself in him. This geeky bookworm who eats cereal in his underwear while watching old Errol Flynn movies. . . there’s something endearing about Adrien’s geekishness, coupled with Lanyon’s description of him as a Montgomery Clift look-alike. Adrien is at once totally inept and unknowingly charming. I loved him.

I also saw Adrien English as the gay best friend I always wanted. The (fictional) Will to my Grace. . . he has a very biting wit and self-deprecating humour that I found completely addictive and endearing.

But as well as connecting with Adrien’s book-nerd personality and wanting to be besties with him (fictional character or not) I was surprised by how viscerally I connected with Adrien’s romantic dilemmas.

His relationship with Jake Riordan is heartbreakingly and frustratingly relatable, regardless of them being two men. Everyone, at some point in their life and to varying degrees, has fallen for the wrong person. Someone who you know is wrong for you, who will break your heart and leave you irrevocably changed (and not necessarily for the better). That’s what Jake is to Adrien. . . and it takes a long time for readers (and Adrien) to realize that he has the same transforming impact on Jake.

I'm a Fool to Want You

Adrien and Jake’s relationship is the sticking point of the entire series. Adrien’s association with Jake is often the catalyst that throws him (reluctantly) into the middle of murder investigations. But Adrien’s love for the closeted Jake is also the catalyst for much of his heart’s discontent. Readers do have to slog through books in which Adrien is clearly hurting from his love for Jake – a man who cannot commit because he cannot admit to himself who he is.

I said, “You know what I think? I think you needed – wanted – to make a complete break.” I was able to say it without emotion maybe because I'd said it to him so many times in my imagination. “You hated yourself for being queer. I think you probably hate me too. Or did – when I was part of what you hated about yourself.”

- ‘Death of a Pirate King’

Adrien and Jake have a seemingly ‘doomed’ relationship. But Adrien, and readers, do read those moments in between the chaos and complexity. Those moments, however fleeting, when you realize that Jake and Adrien are meant to be. They are each other’s ‘happily ever after’;

He smelled like soap and sleep and bare skin. He smelled familiar. Not the déjà vu familiar of Guy or Mel. Familiar like the ache in your chest of homesickness, of longing for harbor after weeks of rough seas or craving a fire's warmth after snow, or wanting back something you should never have given away.

- 'The Dark Tide'

For those who haven’t had the joy of reading ‘Adrien English’, I won’t tell you whether or not Jake and Adrien do get their ‘happily ever after’. . . save to say, it’s a rocky ride.

The Masquerade is Over

I've always maintained that the ‘Adrien English’ series is not M/M erotica. . . it is, first and foremost, a mystery series (with a gay lead). And I think the reason it was so easy for me to fall into these books, and become comfortable in the M/M genre via Lanyon’s writing, is because I consider myself a mystery aficionado.

If I had popped by M/M cherry with a strictly and explicitly homoerotic novel I may have shied away from the entire sub-genre. But mystery I understand. . . and mystery, is Josh Lanyon’s forte. I was able to lose myself in his cloak and dagger writing; his prose that sounds gravelly and like it should be voiced-over by Humphrey Bogart. It was especially easy to lose myself in this series with an unknowingly dashing leading man like Adrien, and his complicated romance that left me vicariously heartbroken.

Too Marvelous for Words

Josh Lanyon’s ‘Adrien English’ series is noir perfection of Raymond Chandler proportions.

Words fail when I try to explain how much I love this series. I have gone back and re-read and cried again in all the same places and cheered Adrien on despite knowing the outcomes. I don’t even think of this as one of my favourite M/M series – it is simply one of my favourite series, ever.

M/M Month Guest Post: Cecile and Erotic Horizon discuss Cecile's first M/M Read

Please join me in welcoming two of the most prolific readers I know - Cecile from All I Want And More (and fellow Louisiana Blogger - Geaux Tigers!) and Erotic Horizon from E.H. On Books and More (whom I believe is across the pond). This is actually a post they did awhile back when Cecile read one of Erotic's recommendations as her first foray into M/M romance:

From the keyboard of E.H.:
As you all know recently Cecile decided to take onboard the challenge of dipping her feet into m/m genre waters. Cecile being Cecile does nothing by halves – so I toss her into the deep end.
I started with a short read that was a winner for me on so many different levels. It has audio and visual effects when it came to the smut scene and as Cecile was determined to rip off that virgin badge – I set her the task of finding a quiet place, put her head down, and give NOTHING BUT TROUBLE by Jenna Byrnes a go. From there things went downhill – of all the places Cecile chose to read her first m/m book – yup right next to hubby….

(We IM the whole discussion – so you guys have to decipher and make the best of this conversation. I had a blast…)

erotichorizon: Hello little grasshopper
cecile.smith75: hey there !! i read one of those books last night.... not the historical one.. the other one

erotichorizon: and how was it.... which one
erotichorizon: ok - any good
cecile.smith75: nothing but trouble
cecile.smith75: omg... at first i have to say that i was a bit.. squeamish at first... but omg it was freaking hot. i fogged up my ereader under the covers it was so hot.

erotichorizon: where was hubby
cecile.smith75: sleeping, lol
cecile.smith75: where else, lol

erotichorizon: you evil - thing... the true mark of a bitch.....
erotichorizon: wait until the man sleeps then you pounce
cecile.smith75: well, some things have never changed. he was sleeping from about 830. hey... he is lucky i did not wake him up!

erotichorizon: you are baddddddd
cecile.smith75: yea well... it was really good

The Book That Did The Deed:

Adrian Scott doesn't expect to fall in love with his employer after spending one night with him. Graham Elliott is handsome and exciting, a very wealthy man, not in Adrian 's league. But their night together was intoxicating, and Adrian can't shake the thought of making a life with this older man. As per their arrangement, they have two more nights together. Will that be enough time to convince his boss they belong together, or will the deal prove to be nothing but trouble? (m/m contemporary erotic romance)


(Here’s our final chatter)

erotichorizon: How do you feel now that you have made the leap.
cecile.smith75: Well, very hot ~ just kidding. I feel like I am peeking into someone else's world; like a peeping tom. If that makes sense.

erotichorizon: Ok - Did you have to built yourself up to reading it or did you just jump in?
cecile.smith75: I just jumped in and read it. No build up, no illusions, just straight forward jump.

erotichorizon: what was the most surprising aspect of the scenes for you?
cecile.smith75: In this particular book, Nothing But Trouble, the most surprising thing about it was the emotions that were expressed. I could almost feel the angst of the characters and could feel the passion just the same.

erotichorizon: The M/M aspect of the book - now that you have read it, was it worth.
cecile.smith75: Yea, to find out what everyone was getting all hot and bothered about... oh yep!

erotichorizon: Did you actually read the smut scenes or did you jump them
cecile.smith75: Oh no... No skipping for this virgin... I ploughed through those scenes and then went back and re-read them again. You know, just to make sure I got it. I have to say though, that at first I was a little skirmish about reading them. I hesitated before I got there and had to examine the why did it matter question of gender differences...

erotichorizon: Which bit worked for you - hearing it being describe or actually visualizing it.
cecile.smith75: Hearing/reading it being described. The only part of it I visually pictured was the leading up to the actual act, until about half way through the book, then I started visualizing the act of two people in smut heaven.

erotichorizon: Was it what you expected...
cecile.smith75: No, I really had no expectations going in this. I mean, I have read reviews before, but nothing really prepared me for the actual reading it with my own eyes.

erotichorizon: And?
cecile.smith75: And it kinda took me by surprise ~ surprised that I liked it. It is different, do not get me wrong... but the passion is there, the emotions are there, the smut is there... (not in a bad way), the putting yourself out there is there. The only thing that ever held me back was it was two men. If you know me, I like my men, but normally catering to me. Knowing that it was a m/m book did prepare me for no woman in the HEA or the romance of the book. I guess because it is always thought of as taboo... And like I said, when I first started reading, I was a little skirmish about reading it.

erotichorizon: Do you want to discuss the book or do you want to write a review about.
cecile.smith75: We can discuss the book, if you want too... I know others want to know what I thought of reading my first m/m. So, talking about it with someone as "experienced" as you... I think is perfect, lol

erotichorizon: Ok....
erotichorizon: What did you think of the plot?
cecile.smith75: It was almost like a "Pretty Woman" plot. And I absolutely love that movie. So this pulled at my heart strings.
cecile.smith75: I also liked the concept of older man/younger man.
cecile.smith75: Me being the cougar I am, I associated with it, if that makes sense.

erotichorizon: Yup, I thought so as well..... What about the pace of the book?
cecile.smith75: Since it was a short story, I thought the pace was very good. I was never at a point where I wanted to put the down - even for a second. Especially towards the end, omg!

erotichorizon: Ok - Did you have any challenges reading about the physical side of the relationship. Was any part of the love making, as expected, less or more than you expected.
cecile.smith75: At the beginning of the story... I was challenged at the idea of reading about two men having sex together. But once the story kicked off and I started reading, the story unfolded and it was more than just about sex. But when I got to the first sex scene I was tempted to skip it... or skim it, but I pushed forward and read it. I needed to read it and see how I felt and if I did not like it, then I would just skip the rest, but it was okay... the description of the lead up was just as hot as any other sex scene in any other romance book I have read.
erotichorizon: Ok

erotichorizon: And that leads to my next question... what did you think of the emotional aspect of the book?
cecile.smith75: Well done. All of the emotion one hussy wants in her romance novels were there. I could feel the "let down," I could feel the hard time Elliot had about coming out. But the storyline of His (I forgot the younger guys name, hold on) was wonderful. I felt for the poor guy. The story was real, the emotions were real. It was something in a m/f relationship I could see happening.

erotichorizon: There was a moral issue there - How do you feel about how the author dealt with that..
cecile.smith75: I liked that. It was very touching. I don't want to give to much away because I think this would be a great book for those virgins out there... But the moral issues was dealt with, with class. And the family issue for Adrian was very well played and I like how that was handled. Showed Adrian had more strength than he thought he had.
erotichorizon: Well said my dear.

erotichorizon: Did the length of the book suit the story.
cecile.smith75: For it being my first time, yea. Really, I would like to have seen more between Elliot and Adrian, but the pace of the book was prefect for this size of the book.

erotichorizon: anything else you want to mention about your first experience with m/m...
cecile.smith75: The power of the emotions surprised me. For the good. I was not sure what to expect of the book... or how I would come away feeling, but I do know it was a hot read.

erotichorizon: With m/m book there is a misconception that the story would be different because it has male protags doing the nasties.. What would you say?
cecile.smith75: no, i think it has to do with how you view m/m books. I mean at first I was hesitate about reading those books because I did not know if I would be able to handle the reading of two males being involved with each other . But as I read the chapter and I saw the human side of the emotion. Now don't get me wrong, I want my woman involved in any relationship, but for m/m, it is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Those that will want to read it have to be easy, carefree about what they read and remember they are reading it because they want a story.... And if they get uncomfortable, close the book.

erotichorizon: now that you have had a few days to read and simmer - How do you feel now about waiting so long to try m/m
cecile.smith75: Crazy, romance is romance. The taboo of reading it is still in the air, like I said... I feel like I am peeping tom. But I will be back for more - soon - very soon! I guess I can see how some would still say it has a ick factor to it, but really - it is fantasy land...

erotichorizon: I'll leave it there and when you are finished a few more books - I'll ask you the same question again.
cecile.smith75: okay...


Cecile's Final thoughts:
My cherry has been popped and popped by the best... Erotic lead me to the perfect book to be broken in. This book was a treat to read - it really was. The character's relationship was believable and their life situations was one on a real basis. My heart went out to Adrian and his situation and I so fell in love with him. It was short and smutty enough for me to be welcomed into the world of m/m... but I still wanna be in the middle, haa haa!!! Smut here I come....


Erotic Review OF NOTHING BUT TROUBLE

“I want you to spend the night with me. I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars.”

Those were not the words Adrian Scott expected to hear when he is called into the office of the owner of the casino where he works. Although he has always been attracted to the man, and despite the fact that he has a girlfriend and is definitely out of his league, he genuinely did not think the boss played with the boys as well.

Graham Elliott, owner of the Graham’s Aces casino, has one secret, and that’s his attraction to men. He hides it so well that not even the men he eventually approaches are aware he is into men. When he makes a proposition to one of the casino staff, the last thing he expects is for trouble to follow in his wake.

When Graham does what he normally does and propositions Adrian for a set amount of nights for an agreed amount of money, it all sounds tawdry and tasteless. However, the author has humanized Graham with his care and respect for Adrian’s situation so that you easily forgive him for how he starts the relationship.

Adrian is consistent in his values and true to his sexuality, irrespective of how he goes about dealing with life's challenges and changes. He is a character you can’t help loving and genuinely wish the best for.

NOTHING BUT TROUBLE is a great outing by Jenna Byrnes; the wealth of emotions that is condensed in this short story definitely highlights this author as a superb storyteller.

E.H. © Erotic Horizon

And remember... Keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!

M/M Guest Post: ALPHA Reader interviews Jay Bell, author of Something Like Summer

The lovely blogger, Danielle - ALPHA Reader, recently read the novel 'Something Like Summer', and she liked it so much that she decided to contact the author and ask some questions, then generously offered to showcase her interview here at Book Addict as part of M/M Romance Month!!!

Danielle, the floor is yours:

________________

Q: How long did it take you to write ‘Something Like Summer’ – from idea to finished manuscript?

Six to eight months seems to be my average to reach a completed first draft, but I believe SLS went a bit quicker since I was even more enthusiastic about the project than usual.

Q: So, ‘Something Like Summer’ is a very frank account of what it is to be a gay teenager. Everything from secret sleepover business to feelings of isolation is covered with honesty and tenderness. How much of the story is fiction and how much is autobiography that reflects your own life growing up as a gay teenager?

This is a very tricky question because SLS has so many yarns of truths tangled up in knots of fiction. A good example is when Ben’s poem is published in the school newspaper, but altered without his permission by the journalism teacher. This really did happen to me, except it wasn’t my super sexy boyfriend that trashed the darkroom with me but my best friend. The circumstances around me being caught were different too, and I took the blame out of fierce loyalty to our friendship and not because of love. This is the sort of twisted truth that frequently fills both the teen and adult portions of the story.

To complicate matters further, there are many truths in the book from other people’s lives. Ben and Tim weren’t the only ones to be caught having sex by the police, and I’m not talking about certain celebrity either. In this respect, Something Like Summer has its roots in truth but isn’t at all autobiographical. When I look at Ben’s life, I recognize the same feelings I had, but not the same events. Ben’s teen years are relatively calm compared to what I went through. Take the amount of trouble he gets into and multiply it by ten, and we wouldn’t even be halfway there.

Q: Gay fiction, particularly gay teen fiction, is notoriously hard to publish through conglomerate publishers. Is that why you decided to self-publish ‘Something Like Summer’ with CreateSpace?

My first novel, The Cat in the Cradle, was published through a small press and I found the experience extremely frustrating. I’m a control freak when it comes to my books. I want to chose how the type is laid out, the spacing of the margins, what the cover looks like, where and with whom the book is distributed… everything! The publisher was as accommodating as could reasonably be expected, but I still wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to see if I could do just as good or better on my own and I’m very proud of the end result.

I also realized that I didn’t feel like doing most of the work and sharing half the profits. Authors write the story, obviously, but these days are also expected to handle the majority of their book promotion. Since anyone can hire a cover artist and editor, this doesn’t leave much for the publishers to actually do. I can understand that learning typography or the ins and outs of publishing aren’t everyone’s forte, but if one is willing to put in the work, then there are many benefits to cutting out the middle man.

Q: Now, this must be asked (if only to keep hope alive!) – is Tim based on anyone from your life?

I try not to ever base characters on real people. I enjoy exploring my character’s faults, and few people are grateful for being publically exposed like that. So is there a Tim in my life? Not as such, but there might be a Jace.

Q: ‘Something Like Summer’ looks at the many aspects of being young and homosexual – Ben is ‘out’ and proud, but still struggling with loneliness and bullying. Tim, meanwhile, is in denial and firmly closeted. What do you hope your readers take away from both Tim and Ben’s approaches to their sexuality?

So many stories put readers in the driver’s seat of a closeted character, reminding them of the fear and anxiety that accompanies that state. Instead of doing this, I hoped that closeted readers would enjoy being Ben for a while, to experience being free of that burden while also seeing themselves from the outside. I wanted them to become frustrated with Tim, to realize how good his life could be if he would just take that leap of faith. At the same time, I wanted to ensure them that being closeted doesn’t make you a bad person, even if it might drive you make bad decisions. Even after all he puts Ben through, Tim is still worth loving. I think we can forgive him of his short comings because all of us, gay or straight, understand what it’s like to be scared.

Q: The novel begins in 1996, and it’s a very different world with regards to open homosexuality and acceptance. Do you think there’s a big difference between being a gay teenager in the 90’s and now? Would ‘Something Like Summer’ have been different if it started with Ben being a high school student in 2011?

I get a lot of letters from young gay people and the experiences sound very much the same. The biggest difference today is how high profile issues like gay marriage are, and how gay people and couples are being represented more and more in the media. The importance of this can’t be underestimated. I still remember the first time I ever saw a gay porn magazine, and being amazed that the guys inside weren’t leather daddies or drag queens. I honestly didn’t know that gay people could look just like anyone else. Thanks to the caricatures portrayed in films like Police Academy, my views were seriously skewed. I think that sort of naïveté isn’t as common today. Kids are growing up seeing a variety of gay characters on TV, and hopefully recognizing that their options are unlimited.

Q: I love the cover art of ‘Something Like Summer’! Did you do the artwork yourself?

No, the cover art is done by a ridiculously talented and handsome artist. His name escapes me at the moment, because I can’t stop thinking about how boyishly sweet his eyes are when he smiles, the way he moves his lips when he writes a letter, or the way he sings falsetto gibberish while taking a shower.

All right, all right, the artist’s name is Andreas and he’s my husband. Andreas has his own creative career, so being able to come together for book covers or the interior illustrations of The Cat in the Cradle has been very fulfilling for us both. Not as good as sex, mind you, but still pretty nice.

Q: Just from browsing your website and reading your blog, it sounds like you’re living a pretty romantic love story yourself. You moved to Germany to be with your husband (without knowing the language or anything?!)! Do you have any plans to turn your real-life romance into a novel?

Luckily, our relationship would be much too boring to make a good story. Conflict is what drives every plot forward and Andreas and I have had surprisingly little in our time together. However, I imagine that as time goes by, some aspects of our relationship will sneak their way into my stories, if they haven’t already.

Q: Do you read a lot of gay fiction? Who are some of your favourite LGBT authors and what are some of your favourite books?

I read a fair mix of gay and straight fiction. As for LGBT authors, I read all the usual suspects, but there are some names that don’t get mentioned enough. Chris Corkum’s “XOXO Hayden” really blew me away. The concept of a normal kid’s life becoming intertwined with that of a pop star sounds unrealistic, but he managed to make it completely believable and moving. I think this novel will be a hit if it ever comes out as a reasonably priced eBook.

I was late in discovering R.W. Day’s “A Strong and Sudden Thaw” but highly respect the novel’s class, heart, and especially the character voices. I was turning the pages of that one so fast that the book nearly caught fire.

Rick R. Reed hardly needs any introduction, but I think his novel “Orientation” deserves more love. The book's concept is original and the execution thrilling. I suspect it will one day be considered a classic and a must-read for the gay genre.

Q: What novels/short stories are you working on at the moment?

I have an upcoming short story called “Language Lessons” about an arrogant brat that thinks he’s too good for love. I expect it to be out in the spring if my dreadfully (ok, wonderfully) honest test readers stop giving me such a hard time about it. Later this year should see the release of my third full length novel, currently with the working title of “Purgatory,” which takes place entirely in the afterlife realms of different world religions. Here’s the blurb:

John Grey is dead… and that’s just the beginning of his problems.

Purgatory should have been a safe haven for souls that belong neither in Heaven nor Hell, but instead John finds himself in a corrupt prison, one bereft of freedom or pleasure. Along with his decedent friend Dante, John makes a brave escape from Purgatory only to fall straight down to Hell and into the arms of Rimmon, a handsome incubus. After succumbing to Rimmon’s charms, John is soon playing ambassador to Hell, visiting the afterlife realms of other cultures to recruit an army strong enough to stand against Heaven. As interesting as his new job is, John's mind keeps returning to Purgatory and the souls still trapped there. Somehow John must stop a war he doesn’t believe in and pull off the largest prison break in history, all while desperately trying to attract the attention of an incubus whose heart belongs to another.

Q: What advice do you have for any budding novelists?

Never give up. Do everything in your power to get your stories out there. If you can’t find an interested publisher or agent, I promise you that you’ll still find interested readers, and their opinion is the only one that matters.

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Many thanks to Danielle and Mr. Bell for a fabulous interview!!!

Jay Bell can be found here:
Blog: http://www.jaybellbooks.com/
Twitter: @JayBellBooks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jaybellbooks