Guest Post & Giveaway: Megan Derr - Backwoods Tour - "Snakes and Alligators"

Hi, y'all! Please welcome one of my favorite authors, Megan Derr, and be sure to check out the bottom of the post to see how you can enter to win a copy of Backwoods Asylum. :D

♥ Piper

~*~

 

Hello, faithful readers ^__^ I hope the day is behaving itself for you.

Today I am babbling about location, because it's not something I often make a point of doing in my stories. I am largely of the mindset that you do not need to be explicit in location all the time. I'm generally happy to put my characters in nondescript cities and let readers fill in the blanks howsoever they choose.

But this story definitely bears hallmarks of where I live – the state of North Carolina, on the east coast of the United States and well into the south :3 I am a military brat, with no real roots, but NC is the place I consider home. Currently I live right on the coast, in the city of Wilmington. It's all ocean, tourists, here there be pirates, and right where I live, alligators! They tend to stay hidden most of the time, but there are about five million signs warning you not to go swimming (boats are okay, just don't fall out).

Somewhat more common to the region as a whole (though less common, I think, the further west you go. I've never lived on that end of the state) is the snake Skylar shifts into:  the water moccasin (also often called the cottonmouth). It's a type of pit viper (his parents are rattlesnakes, a more dangerous type of pit viper), and one of the most aquatic :3 Though you definitely do not want to get bitten by one, it's not as deadly as most say, and generally speaking they prefer to run the hell away. My only time getting too close to one was as a kid, when we were visiting relatives and playing in the lake. My uncle told us to get out, and a short time later he used a shovel to cut a moccasin in half.

You are way more likely to get bitten by one of the asshole spiders we have around here (brown recluses and black widows. Uggghh spiders) than a moccasin.  

Sadly, while I have encountered gators, moccasins, and spiders o'death, I have not ever encountered red wolves, which apparently are doing well here (I did not know we had wolves until I went to research for this story).

So if you're ever inclined to visit, enjoy the beaches, the mountains, but beware the occasional bitey thing :3  Also keep a look out for Venus Fly Trap poachers, because apparently that's a thing.

The book responsible for all this rambling:

 

Skylar is used to the way people think of him as frightening, mean, and dangerous. Snakes are not the most popular shifters around and the fact he grew up wild doesn't help. He knows the way he's chosen to live alone in the woods only makes things worse, but he didn't think it meant people thought him capable of killing a couple of wolf puppies.

Determined to find the real monster who left them to die, Skylar calls up the only wolf he knows, a man he always wished would see him as more than a snake …

 

Purchase at LT3

 

GIVEAWAY

 

If you would like a chance at winning a copy of the book responsible for this accidental tour, leave a comment (make sure there's a way for me to reach you). Bonus points if you tell me what sort of interesting creatures lurk around your neck of the woods :3

Winner will be drawn next Wednesday, May 29^th, using random.org

I hope your week is going well ^__^

Much love to the Babes for having me, they are made of wonderful and fabulous ♥♥♥

~*This contest is open to adults age 18 and up. Your comment confirms that you are of legal age.*~

 

ABOUT MEGAN

 

Megan is a long time resident of m/m fiction, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she's not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her cats, or watch movies (especially all things James Bond). She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all around the internet.

maderr.com

maderr.tumblr.com

maderr.livejournal.com

lessthanthreepress.com

meganaderr@gmail.com

@amasour

Guest Post: Dragons Guh-Lor – "Dracones" with Lor Rose

I've always loved dragons. There's something about them that intrigues me. Their legends, folklore, and general mystery draw me in. Add in dragons that shift into delicious man candy? Oh. Hell. Yes.

When I saw Storm Moon Press' Dracones anthology call, I knew I had the perfect world for it. A dragon series called Tarragon was nestled in my works in progress pile (WIPile) and decided Dracones would fit perfectly. I did have one small problem... My series was set. What could I do? I knew I didn't want a side story slapped in there. I wanted something that would be part of the series, but not necessary for the series to make sense.

Makes total sense, right? Yeah, it didn't to me either at first.

I played with the idea of giving a glimpse into a future book, but then I realized it would detract from the book. Well damn... I was down because I didn't have anything for this awesome anthology call. I had no idea how to make it happen, and it was frustrating. So frustrating I do believe I snapped at just about everyone. Forcing an idea is never a good thing, so I set it aside and worked on other things. Then it happened. I was doing something, I don't remember what, and I saw this man in my head. He was dirty and upset but he looked at me with such determination in his eyes I knew he had something to say. That man was Stormy; he's one of the MC's in "Chanson Commencante de Guerre", my Dracones title.

The title itself translates into "The Beginning Song of War" from French. I never intended to write this section of story; I always intended to refer to it only in the later books I have planned, but then Stormy showed up. This anthology call truly is the beginning of the series. Tarragon centers on the war between dragons and dragon shifters and "Chanson Commencante de Guerre" shows the beginning of what happened to cause this war. It doesn't seem like a major point in history in the grand scheme of things, but it's the root of everything. It all happens because of Stormy and Rayvak; without them, I wouldn't have a series at all and before writing this, I had no idea.

When I first started this story, I wasn't expecting to learn anything. I thought I had the world hashed out, figured out, fleshed out, and had all the questions answered. I was wrong. I knew how the war started, but I didn't know the specific story and men behind it. Originally, it was legend so old even the oldest dragons didn't know if it was true or not. As I wrote, I found things I hadn't considered before. I've made notes, and now the series will flow even better. What those things are I can't say (a girl's gotta save some secrets for the story), but what I've learned will only make the series better.

This was the fist time I wrote an anthology story based in one of my paranormal worlds. I've done this several times since, and I've learned not to stifle the world I've created. The characters have opinions and views, and their personal story may influence their world as a whole more than you think. I’d much rather learn these things now (in an anthology call) than later down the line, when I'd be forced to rewrite a whole book or two. Because honestly, who likes rewrites? I know I don't.

Now, I purposely look for anthology calls that fit a paranormal world I have. The reason I look for specific calls is to help flesh out my worlds and help me see what I haven't seen yet. I recommend it for any author building a world of their own.

My dragons have taught me a lot about world building, and I've listened. Stifling is a no-no, and listening is a must. I suppose those two lessons could be applied in life, no?

What can dragons teach you?

 

 

Lor Rose is a snarky, over the top, genderfluid, polyamorous demipansexual with dark hair and pink highlights (although sometimes the color varies). She started reading very questionable M/M fanfiction at a very young age in the closet. Literally. Though, that didn't stop her from getting caught once or twice. This early love of things M/M sparked her writing career. Her short stories are in Storm Moon Press' Gay & Lesbian Coffee BreakQuickies and Dracones anthologies. She can be found on Twitter @Lor_Rose9009.

Guest Post: Erin Sneath on the "Queer Fear" anthology and "Reading Arteries"

For me, writing erotica happened mostly by accident. I appreciate a good hot story as much as anyone, but it was never my priority, genre-wise. For the most part, I've been writing horror and science fiction. My Queer Fear entry started as both of those things, but it morphed until this anthology was the only place to send it. I may have to either blame or thank my friend Tiffany Sostar for that.

Tiffany is a writer, a pillar in the Calgary queer community, and a feminist academic who studies smut. Three years ago, she started a monthly writer's group called the Smutty Story Circle. I joined partly for social reasons, since a number of my friends are members, but also because the exercises in writing groups tend to be a great way to combat dreaded writers block.

In this group, the exercises are mostly in the form of writing prompts. Tiffany (or anyone else who has an idea) suggests a prompt, which is usually one word or a phrase. The writers have fifteen minutes, using a sand timer, to write as much as they can, using the prompt as a springboard. Once the time is up, the writers can read aloud what they have written or keep it to themselves. We are encouraged to give one another positive feedback, but not negative criticism, since the exercises are less than first drafts, and ideas about sex are so personal that it is hard to do an on-the-spot critique and keep it about the writing style rather than about the writer. The point in this group is to keep writing, and we can leave the critiquing to other groups that we're in.

I haven't been to meetings as regularly as I would like, but I do enjoy the challenges it presents. How does one write a physically intimate scene without sounding either clinical or goofy? Our language makes it difficult to say things that are genuinely sexy.

As a resource, I bought a copy of The Big Book of Filth. It is a rather thorough thesaurus, but it reads as though it belongs in a shop's humor section rather than with the reference books. Fair enough. In my experience, sex as a conversation topic with anyone other than people who study sex (or people who hang out with people who study sex) often devolves into something reminiscent of the old Monty Python sketch, "Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more, say no more!"

What I learned from the Smutty Story Circle is that the pieces we churned out were at their most effective when they were about who the characters are and what they desire most and have those things inform what the characters do, rather than a mere play-by-play of activity.

My short story "Reading Arteries" came from the idea that some people are only attracted to people of one gender. When it comes to people's identities, I take them at their word. Anything less would be unfair. Still, I find the concept hard to wrap my head around, just as many people find it hard to grasp that for some, 'type' is not so much gender-specific as it is some-other-personal-category-specific. The best speculative fiction (science-fiction, fantasy, horror, etc) seems to come from questions we have about human thought and behaviour, whether it be our own, our friends' or society's as a whole. Even stories with gods and aliens and magical beings are really about humankind, as such characters provide a clear contrast. I suppose what I'm saying is that the best things about horror and science fiction are the same as the best things about erotica. The main difference is the intended response from the audience, and there's nothing wrong with a bit of variety on that count.

In any case, "Reading Arteries" is a story about two people and their loves and obsessions and losses and how things get complicated with the invention of a designer drug. I'm grateful to Storm Moon Press for deciding to publish it in the Queer Fear anthology and look forward to finally reading the other entries. Queer erotic horror sounds pretty specific as sub-genres go, but I suspect that there will be fair bit of diversity in the mix.

Here's to chills and tingles and a lovely "little death."

Erin Sneath can be found on Twitter @ErinSneath. Check out "Reading Arteries" in Storm Moon Press' Queer Fear anthology, now available for $4.99 in ebook formats.

 

Giveaway: Evolution by Sam Kadence

Hey, all! Sam Kadence has offered up a copy of her new release, Evolution, to one lucky commenter! Please see the bottom of the post for the giveaway rules. :D



A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title 

Gene Sage has only ever wanted to sing, but his band, Evolution, is pushing him toward the big time. He finds it hard to focus on making musical history when he’s dreaming of graveyards and seeing ghosts. And while all he can think of is hiding who he is from a world unforgiving of anyone different, he discovers he’s also the ultimate snack for vampires and demons. When Gene literally runs into—over—his idol, Kerstrande Petterson, rock god, vampire in hiding, and music cynic, his life falls over the edge into chaos. 

Jaded by the world and nearly a decade in the music business, Kerstrande thinks Gene wants to use him to make Evolution immortal in more than one way, but he can’t seem to brush aside the young singer’s enthusiasm. 

Getting involved with Kerstrande drags Gene into otherworldly power struggles. Between the ghosts stalking them, the media painting supernaturals as villains, and a vampire out of control in the city, the only way for Gene and Kerstrande to survive is for Gene to embrace his powers—and his destiny.

~*Giveaway Rules*~

There will be two winners for this drawing. Leave a comment on this entry with your name and email address. That counts as one entry. If you want to toss your name into the pot more than once, you can do one, or all, of the following:

-Be a follower of Babes in Boyland +1 (If you're already a follower, that counts too! Just mention it. :))
-Pimp this contest on your Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads status, etc., and provide us with a link to said promotion(s). +1 per link
-Follow us on Twitter! (See the sidebar for our names and links to our accounts). If your Twitter name is different than the one you use here, please let us know. +1 for each of us.

And that’s it!

Contest ends: 5/19/2013, Sun, at 9PM CDT.

Note: This contest is open worldwide. We will contact the winner via email. The winner will have 48 hours to contact us, or we will draw again. Winner will be chosen by random drawing. And I know it shouldn’t have to be said, but if you win, please respect the intellectual property of the author and don’t share the book or give it away to anyone else.

~*~

 

Can't wait to see if you win? Buy Evolution here!

Interview: Poppy Dennison on Writing and "Soul Magic"

Hey, all! This is Piper Vaughn interviewing Poppy Dennison for Babes in Boyland. Please give her a warm welcome today. :D

Thanks Piper! I’m so excited to be here!

So, Poppy, you had a new book come out on the 6^th, Soul Magic, the third book in your “Triad” series. Tell us a little about it.

Soul Magic continues the story of Simon Osborne, apprentice mage, and his mate Gray Townsend, who were introduced in Mind Magic (book one). Simon and Gray are searching for answers after an attack by a mysterious creature and are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their pack.

It also introduces the (much-anticipated) relationship between Cormac, a centuries old vampire, and Liam, the High Moon Pack Beta. Let’s just say those two have been waiting for a while to get their groove on!

Are there more to come in this series or does #3 finish up your Triad?

Soul Magic is the final book in the trilogy which features Simon and Gray as main characters. I have two spin-off novellas coming out (one in September/October, and the other next spring) where other aspects of this world are explored outside of the High Moon Pack. Don’t worry Simon and Gray fans. They’ll still make an occasional appearance.

Tell us about the world in the “Triad” series. How did you come up with it? What’s your approach to world building?

I’d had the idea in mind for a while that different types of magic would have to be involved in order to make the paranormal world make sense. If it was all the same, then vampires and werewolves would be the same! Since they aren’t, the magic that gives them their abilities must be different as well. I coupled that idea with the idea of Mind, Body, and Soul (Spirit) which is found in many religions. If each type of magic were representative of a different aspect of religion, how would it affect the creatures holding that magic? After much research and many paranormal romances read, I delved into the Triad world to see if I could make a little magic of my own happen.

For me, world building is one of the first things I do when I begin working on an idea. For paranormal books, in particular, there are a lot of pesky little details you need to consider. What happens to a werewolf’s clothes when he shifts? It’s little things that create consistency and depth of the world for me. I do the same with my characters—I make sure I know enough about them so that as I weave them into the world, I can be sure how the different rules will impact them. It’s a lot of fun, and by the time I’m ready to start writing, I have plenty of detail to work with. It also helps when certain characters *coughs* Cormac *coughs* insist on throwing me curve balls as the story progresses.

I’ve noticed the majority of what you write is paranormal, specifically shifters. Why paranormal? Can we look forward to any contemporary titles from you? Sci-fi maybe?

Paranormal romance has been my true love for many years. I doubt I’ll ever get away from it completely. Ever since my Buffy the Vampire Slayer days (and before…but that would date me J), I’ve wanted to read nothing but paranormal. I usually only watch paranormal television/movies too! I’m an addict! LOL. But seriously, the idea of different beings in our world, of something that we can’t explain, has intrigued me since childhood. I’ve found a way to put all those what if questions in my head to work through writing.

That said, I do have several contemporary works scheduled for the next year! I’m really excited about the newest series I’m writing, which will debut in November/December with Dreamspinner Press. It’s definitely not my werewolf comfort zone and I’m loving every minute of it!

What’s coming next for you writing wise?

Next up is a novella with Dreamspinner called Born This Way. I’m so excited about this little book. It’s really sweet and plays around with a few of my favorite tropes! Plus, the main character is a liger shifter (lion father/tiger mother) and he was so much fun to write! It’ll be out in June/July with Dreamspinner.

After that, the first spin-off book for the Triad verse is planned. It’s called Wild Magic, but I can’t tell you too much about it without giving away spoilers! *g*

Recently, Creature Feature, your duology with Mary Calmes came out. Do you have any other joint projects coming up it the future? Co-writing?

Oh, Creature Feature was so much fun. Mary was a doll to work with and we had so much fun creating our stories. When we decided to work together, we thought it would be fun to just give ourselves a couple rules: 1-paranormal, 2-set in a specific place. Other than that, we went to town and surprised each other with what we came up with! So. Much. Fun.

I don’t have any other joint or co-writing projects planned at this time, although there might be one in the early stages of discussion!! It would be a long time before that came to fruition though.

And now for a few fun questions.

Favorite color? Poppy Red, of course! *g*

Favorite song of the moment?  For some reason, I absolutely adore Mumford and Sons “I will wait”. I don’t know what it is about that song, but if I hear it on the radio while I’m driving, I’ll come home and look it up on youtube just so I can hear it again. There’s something really haunting and beautiful about it. I love this line the most: “I’ll be bold, as well as strong. And use my head alongside my heart.”

*sigh* Love it. It’s my motto.

 All-time favorite book (m/m or otherwise)? All-time favorite is probably Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Followed by The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy, which is probably one of the best love stories ever. Hmm. I sense a theme. I guess I like stories where there’s lots of angst and confusion and mix-ups, huh?

As for m/m books, that is such a hard question. I have so many books that are comfort reads in this genre! I recently re-read Marie Sexton’s Promises and fell in love with it all over again. As for m/m paranormal (outside of Mary Calmes, who says I have to start giving a new answer to this question), I really love Jourdan Lane’s Soul Mates series. I love the twist she puts on the world and the fun and different characters.

Favorite hobby aside from reading and writing?

That depends on the time of year! Once the cold weather goes away and spring has finally sprung, you’ll usually find me outside tinkering in the garden. We grow our own vegetables and can them, so there’s a lot of work to be done. I find it really soothing—as long as the muse doesn’t start talking to me when I’m pulling weeds. And yes, that’s what normally happens! Other than that, I love to sew and try to spend a little time every week tinkering with different projects. I’ve made purses and costumes, and am currently learning more about tailoring. It’s a challenging hobby, but I love having something beautiful to show for my work.

What authors would you say have influenced you the most?

That’s actually a really tough question! I learn something from every book I read. Now that I’m writing, I find myself going back to the books I loved so much as a reader to see if I can capture exactly what it is that I loved about them. Funny thing is, it’s really hard to put your finger on what makes a book magical!

Thanks so much for being with us today, Poppy. Hope you enjoyed hanging out with the Babes. :)

Thanks for having me! I had a blast. And Piper, for the record, I blame you for my current obsession with pie!  (Happy to share my pie obsession, Poppy!)

Soul Magic

Triad: Book Three

ISBN-13: 978-1-62380-580-7

Publisher: Dreamspinner

Genre: Paranormal M/M

Price: $6.99 eBook $14.99 Print

Pages:  220

Release Date: May 6, 2013

Blood runs soul-deep. Cormac hasn’t been the same since the night the High Moon Pack was attacked. With his magic weakened, he’s consumed by a bloodlust he hasn’t felt since he first became a vampire. His need to replenish his power makes him a danger to his last remaining family member, and his hunger makes him careless. And that’s just the beginning of his troubles. Feeding from pack beta Liam Benson was supposed to slake his appetite, not leave him craving more.

Simon Osborne and Gray Townsend are trying to fight a being history says shouldn’t exist—one with all three types of magic. The pack must use all of their resources to combat the mysterious triad, even turning to the shady Council of Mages for help. While Cormac struggles to reconcile his past failures with his current desires, Simon must attempt the impossible: an alliance between mind, body, and soul.

Buylinks:

Dreamspinner Page http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_602


About Poppy:

A sassy southern lady, Poppy Dennison developed an obsession with things that go bump in the night in her early years after a barn door flew off its hinges and nearly squashed her. Convinced it was a ghost trying to get her attention, she started looking for other strange and mysterious happenings around her. Not satisfied with what she found, Poppy has traveled to Greece, Malaysia and England to find inspiration for the burly bears and silver foxes that melt her butter. Her love of paranormal continues to flourish nearly thirty years later, and she writes steamy love stories about the very things that used to keep her up all night. If her childhood ghost is lucky, maybe one day she’ll give him his own happily ever after.

You can find out more about Poppy’s books on her website http://www.poppydennison.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poppy-Dennison/270574609631110?ref=ts

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ParanormalPoppy

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5108648.Poppy_Dennison

Guest Post & Giveaway: "Out of Your Depth" by Jude Dunn

Out of Your Depth

by Jude Dunn

 

Ever been there? Out of your depth and unsure of what to do, yet you have to find a way somehow to cope with the situation you find yourself in. Right? I remember my first time.

I was nineteen and heady with hormones. I had finally admitted to myself that I was gay by then, but as a southern boy raised in the Bible Belt, I was still closeted to all but a few people. A friend I was out to who was a year ahead of me at the University of Alabama decided I needed to loosen up (read that as “get laid”), so he invited me to an off-campus gays-only party. “You’re going to love it, Jude. Your chance to see what gay life is like when we let our hair down.” (Actually, his exact words were, “It’s going to blow your mind and your cock, Jude, plus a couple of other body parts.”) I salivated over the coming event (and did other anticipatory things of a personal nature) for a week, then spent two hours throwing everything in my closet on the floor until I found something that I decided was the least embarrassing thing I had to wear. My friend picked me up and drove me there. With my heart in my throat I walked in ... and found myself completely out of my depth.

That’s exactly what happens to Dave Rogers, the protagonist in The Birdman of Saginaw, my new e-book from Less Than Three Press. Dave’s circumstances are radically different from mine at nineteen, but his experience is quite similar.

Dave is twenty-six and works at a pet shop. He delivers a couple of sun conures to a circuit court judge’s home and is blown away by a man not many years older than he is who sweeps him off his feet and into a world levels beyond his experience.

Dave’s natural, hormone-laden default state (just like mine at nineteen) is enflamed by his discovery that the judge cross dresses, and a comic mishap throws him into a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He is at turns elated and depressed, aroused and confused. He’s thrilled that a strong and handsome older man wants him, but uncertain about how he’ll manage when thrown into a social circle levels above his upbringing as the middle-class son of a laid-off auto worker who’s bitter about his bad luck.

Here’s a snippet of Dave’s first encounter with the judge, Lucas Gourdeau, who collects birds of every kind. The scene occurs in Gourdeau’s large, outdoor aviary, where he receives the two sun conures Dave is delivering to him.
 

Gourdeau took the cage from Dave. As their hands brushed together, a quiet shiver of pleasure trilled up Dave’s arm and into his chest. Gourdeau straightened and looked directly into Dave’s eyes, his face full of delight. Dave’s pulse quickened. If he keeps this up, I’m going to melt. Dave watched Gourdeau turn and walk to the far side of the aviary, ducking under a perch. He put the sun conures on a low table then opened the cage and stood back. At first the conures sat still, studying the opening. One pecked at its breast; the other scooted closer to its companion. Dave saw joy in Gourdeau’s eyes and elation on his face. His intense focus on his new birds gave Dave the opportunity to check out his body.

He obviously works out. Bet he’s got a six-pack. Dave started to lick at the corner of his lips, then caught himself and stopped before his tongue slipped into view. Gourdeau turned to face the cage and Dave saw that his upper back was broader than he expected for a slim man.

“Come on, sweethearts. You’re home now,” Gourdeau said softly as he dropped into a full squat to be eye level with the birds. The motion lifted his tee and pulled his jeans downward to reveal sheer black underwear with the word Pink centered at the top edge of the garment. Dave’s eyebrows shot up.

Fuck me. That’s Victoria’s Secret.

 

Oh, dear. What’s a horny young man to do? Does he step out of his comfort zone for a chance to be with a man who can give him an exciting new life?

Out of his depth, indeed.

The Birdman of Saginaw is my first published work with Less Than Three Press, and I’m delighted to join their roster of authors. I write in several genres, but my first love is gay romance and erotica. I’m working on a variety of stories and a novel, and I blog at judedunn.com. Don’t drop by unless you enjoy being pleasured by words (wink-wink).

And check out the wide variety of  other m/m stories at Less Than Three Press to delight your senses and body parts.

 

GIVEAWAY

If you would like a chance at winning a copy of The birdman of Saginaw, leave a comment with a way to contact you and you'll be entered for a chance.

Winner will be drawn next Monday, May 20^th, using random.org

~*Giveaway open to readers 18 and older. Your comment confirms that you are of legal age.*~

 

 

Jude Dunn is an author whose work spans a number of genres, including gay romance and erotica, science fiction, thrillers and adventure stories, and mainstream fiction. He is an editor for a specialty publishing house by day, but his passion is telling tales that entertain and inspire his readers. Dunn lives in Chicago and enjoys a number of pastimes, from gourmet cooking and sampling a variety of wines to jazz and performing his own music as a local pianist. His cat, who has yet to answer to any of the myriad names Dunn has tried, keeps him company in between his always anticipated and passionate visits to Toronto to spend time with his husband of nine years. Dunn’s work is sometimes subtle, sometimes fiery, but is always an entertaining and satisfying read.

Guest Post: "Imaginary" by Jamie Sullivan

Hi, all! Please welcome Jamie Sullivan today and be sure to check out the link at the bottom of the post to find out where you can do to win a free copy of Imaginary!

~*~

Hello and welcome to the final stop of the Imaginary Blog Tour. Thanks to Babes in Boyland for hosting me today!

I’ve had an interest in M/M romance for well over a decade, but for most of that time I assumed there wasn’t an audience for my work. I assumed that you had to be writing a heterosexual love triangle (preferably with toothless vampires in it) to get anything published. I had never considered epublishing until my very talented friend Talya Andor mentioned that she was had a book coming out with Less Than Three Press. 

When I checked out its website, I knew I had found a home for my writing. My first submission was to the press’ Fairy Tale serial. I’ve been penning stories about magical beings for as long as I remember – notebooks full of were-cats and mermaids in childish handwriting still gather dust in my attic. Even as a young teen, though, I was more interested in the close male friendships that littered my stories than the obligatory love interest. Finally, I realized that those close male friends WERE the love interests.  I had always thought about trying to get published, but I figured that since I couldn’t seem to stop the boys from kissing other boys, or the girls from kissing girls in my stories, that I’d never have a chance. LT3 turned out to be the perfect place to publish these m/m supernatural stories.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed receiving my author copy of The Bestiary and seeing my name in actual paper print, I think that epublishing is a hugely exciting development for non-traditional writers (and readers). Contemporary publishing is so dictated by what books can sell millions of copies, to support the publishing houses and printers and agents and marketers, etc. The idea of small runs of stories that aren’t just reiterations of what’s already popular becomes impossible. Epublishing and small publishing houses like LT3 are absolutely the solution to that kind of stagnation – they give the little guy a chance, and let people try writing outside the box.

Ebooks also combat the very real problem of the price of print these days. I haven’t bought a hardcover book in years, simply because I can’t justify the twenty-five to thirty dollar price tag for something I may read only once. Libraries are a savior there, but of course, don’t help to support authors. The very reasonable price of ebooks means that readers get to experiment with content – it’s not a risk to buy a book from an unknown author, or to read something different than the last five books you purchased.

LT3 particularly encourages a wide variety of genres and content within its listings – from steampunk, to dystopias, to supernaturalism, to rom coms. And so my story about a special child and the friend that only he can see has a place where I can share it with the world.

I’m hugely excited to put Imaginary out into the world. I know all writers say this, but it truly is my baby, and I’m very proud of how it turned out. I hope other people connect with Aaron and James the way that I have, and enjoy reading about their adventures together.

This blog tour has been an incredibly fun experience, which forced me to actually articulate some thoughts about my own writing – from the themes I hope I conveyed in Imaginary to how I actually get words down on the page. It’s also been a fun for me to tour some of the great m/m sites out there, which promote these stories, their writers, and their readers. So I want to say thanks again to all five sites that have welcomed me this week, as well as thanks to everyone who’s stopped by to read my rambling thoughts about writing. I hope that I’ve piqued your interest for Imaginary, and for those of you who do check it out – I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

Blurb

Aaron is a lonely, unloved boy when he first meets James. Their friendship seems like a dream come true—or perhaps just a dream, because no one else can see or hear James. Aaron stubbornly clings to his new friend, however, even when the friendship makes him an object of scorn and ridicule. No matter the years that pass, or the challenges they face, Aaron refuses to give up on his best friend—but life might just find a way to take James from him anyway.

Excerpt

Jazmine walks him to the door, a big smile on her face.  "I had a great time," she tells him.

"Yeah, me too," Aaron says, trying to sound like he means it. 

"We could do it again some time … "

"Yeah, definitely."  Aaron shifts his gaze out to the road, wondering how long it'll take him to walk home from here.

Jazmine frowns slightly.  "I'll see you tomorrow, anyway," she finally says.

"Yeah, of course," Aaron says.  Where else would he be?

She gives him a tiny smile.  "Well, bye."

This time, he sees it coming.  Her cheeks are pink and she's already closing her eyes as she leans in.

Aaron figures there's not much he can do about it, so he lets himself be kissed, applying slight pressure to Jazmine's lips.  At least most of the strawberry flavor has worn off.

"Okay!" Jazmine squeaks as she draws back.  "Bye!" She darts off into her house, leaving Aaron standing on her front stoop, bemused.

He wonders what's going to happen when he sees her at school the next day.  Is he going to be expected to kiss her all the time?  Because he's pretty sure he should get some say in that, but Jazmine just keeps doing things without asking him.

It's a long walk home, but that gives him time to puzzle over his date.  And he guesses it must have been a date, since there was kissing.  That seemed to be one of the prerequisites, anyway, although on TV dates are more exciting than sitting in someone's room, doing math homework. 

Still, they got almost all the problems done.  So, there's that.

He shrugs, scuffing his sneakers in the dirt as he walks. 

Kissing Jazmine wasn't quite what he had expected.  On TV and in movies, people always seemed pretty in to kissing.  But it had been awkward more than anything else.

Maybe it was because he didn't think Jazmine was "hot" the way Ryan and Alex did.

Would it be better with a different girl?

He thinks about the girls in his class.  They're okay, he guesses, but he doesn't know if any of them are "hot." 

His head is still in the clouds when he passes the cow pasture, and he almost doesn't see James sitting there, a book in hand.  He catches sight of him out of the corner of his eye and stops himself before he walks right by his friend.  James doesn't notice, too absorbed in what he's reading.

"Hi."  Aaron drops down beside him. 

"Oh."  James carefully marks his place.  "Hi."

Aaron suspects he wants to ask where Aaron has been all afternoon, but James has sworn to be more understanding about Aaron's need for other friends.  He almost never complains about it these days, although he does sometimes offer Aaron big, sad eyes, that make him want to stay home with James anyway.

"How can you tell if a girl is hot?" Aaron asks without preamble.

"Hot?" James echoes, frowning. 

"Yeah, you know.  Hot."  Aaron gestures abstractly.  He can't really explain the term any better, since he obviously doesn't know what qualifies. 

"Well, I guess if they're pretty?" James suggests.

Aaron nods.  It makes sense, but although he can objectively see that Jazmine is pretty—as are some of the other girls in his class—he doesn't know if that makes her hot.  Or, her prettiness doesn't make him hot, which he thinks might be more to the point.

"Why?" James prompts.

"Ryan and Alex both think Jazmine is hot."

"Jazmine … from your class?" James frowns again, the look he gets when he's puzzling something out.  "The one with the dark hair?"

James knows everyone in town—he spends so much of his time just watching other people, that he remembers all their names and faces.

"She kissed me today," Aaron says, and feels a little proud even though he hadn't really enjoyed it.

James's eyes widen.  "Really?"

Aaron nods, wondering if James is impressed.  But James just frowns and looks away.  "Was it nice?" he asks quietly.

"I guess."

"Oh.  Um, I have to go."  James stands abruptly.

Aaron laughs, but then realizes James is serious.  "Go where?" James has nowhere else to go, no one else to see.

"I forgot something," he says vaguely and hurries off down the lane.  Aaron thinks he sees James wiping at his eyes and frowns.

It had been a very strange day.

 

~*~

You can purchase Imaginary at LessThan Three Press.

Check out Jamie’s journal for a chance to win a copy of Imaginary.