Title: Seven Minutes
Author: Grace Kilian Delaney
Genre: MM Romance
Publisher: Dreamspinner
Publication date: December 7, 2016
Length: 55 pages
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32930685-seven-minutes
Heavy metal singer Stone Manson never acknowledged his attraction to men. But when he meets sexy cross-dresser Devon at a party and ends up paired with him for a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven, he can’t deny his reaction. His confusion leads him to mess up—big time—with Devon, but after some soul-searching, he decides to do everything in his power to show Devon how he feels.
Devon doesn’t make a habit of dating closeted men, and he isn’t about to be anyone’s experiment. It’ll take a lot to convince him that Stone is serious about a relationship, but Stone is certainly giving it his best effort—and Devon is warming up to the idea of the hot, tattooed rock star in his bed, and maybe even in his life. And when a threat from Devon’s past reemerges, Stone might offer just the support Devon needs to get through it.
**Full disclosure: I had the privilege of beta reading this story.**
This is a terrific story, short enough to read on a cozy afternoon. It should hit the high notes for people who enjoy “you’ll know it when the right one comes along” tales.
Stone and Devon are a pretty unlikely couple, but it’s precisely because they don’t fit the usual molds that they work perfectly. I’m not usually a fan of the “manly man” type, but Stone wears it so well it’s impossible not to like him. He wants to be this bad boy, but he isn’t. I’m a sucker for “hardened with a heart of gold,” so he won me over.
As much as I like Stone, Devon is my favorite. He’s gender variant, and he doesn’t fall into a stereotype of what that’s supposed to look like. He’s a treasure. The two of them are so absolutely right together. On the surface, they look like they might fall into stereotypes, and yet they never do. Stone might be a gruff guy-guy, but he’s also sensitive and a bit emotionally needy as someone just discovering himself. Devon’s got confidence in spades, and his cross-dressing and femininity don’t ever turn him into a woman stereotype stand-in.
My favorite thing here is that Stone and Devon both save each other, yet neither of them is a white night. They show each other what it means to be both soft and strong, and when it comes down to it, they’re able to draw on each other’s support to stand up for themselves. That’s the best kind of relationship.
For a sweet and sexy romance, lovable characters, and just the right touch of humor and fun, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.
What inspired you to write this story?
I wanted to do something contemporary, and my friend, Paige Gabriel, came up with the idea of a cross-dressing MC. Stone’s character fulfilled my teenage dreams of being a heavy metal singer. The unlikely pairing seemed like a fun thing to write.
Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?
Initially, I identified with Stone in that he’d been burned by love, yet he remained open to experiences. Deep down, he didn’t want to be grumpy—me neither. But Devon is my favorite. He’s got that confidence of accepting who he is and doesn’t feel the need to chose between identifying as male or female; he’s at home with both. When I picked my pen name, I included both a female and male name. The action was intentional, but at the time I hadn’t realized how true it felt. I’d always be the boy when I was a kid playing, and yet I liked all the things associated with being female. It’s taken many years for me to reach the level of self-acceptance Devon possesses, and now I just go with my mood, like him.
What was the hardest part of writing this?
I have to say trying to figure out how Devon identified and how to write about him/her in a light that would convey a strong, confident character was a challenge. I am grateful for all of my beta readers and Dreamspinner Press for their suggestions and guidance.
Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?
This scene between Stone and his bandmate/best friend Matty is probably my favorite. I love their relationship and their banter because they’re not afraid to get in each other’s face and tell it like it is.
“Admit it,” Matty said. “You haven’t been the same since you met Devon.” The grin returned, and I restrained myself not to punch it the hell off his face.
“Fine. So the fuck what if I like him?” I’d had enough. “Are you gonna disown me because I like cock?”
He barked a laugh. “Dude, I’m like a fungus. You can’t get rid of me.”
Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.
Oisin, Devon’s best friend, needed his own story and happy ending. I’m hoping the full-length novel Waking Oisin will be out by Spring.
Oisin Harrison, a UNLV law school student, is poised to take over his father’s multimillion-dollar law firm, and it’s making him miserable. He’d lost his fiancée last year when she realized he truly was bisexual and the occasional hookups he’d had since felt empty. Wanting something more, Oisin attends an invite-only fetish party where he meets a former Dom. This Dom has Oisin seeing the future—a talent inherited by his grandmother—and it’s not entirely good, but the good parts reveal this man is everything Oisin has dreamed about, if only he wasn’t set to be the next junior partner in Oisin’s father’s law firm.
Trenton Fisher loves working as an attorney, though a recent case had him and his colleagues fearing for their lives. When Trent learns a potentially violent man may be attending a fetish party, Trent regresses to his former life as a Dom to warn the Dungeon Master. What he didn’t expect to find was the senior partner’s son, Oisin Harrison, a younger man he’d fantasized about but never met, one breath away from letting the violent man dominate him. Forced to take charge, Trent risks his beloved career to protect the man, a risk costing them both far more than Trent ever anticipated.
How has your life changed since becoming a published author?
Being this is my first time published as a writer (I am a published musician), it’s changed the way others view me more than it’s changed my perception of myself. Having the opportunity and the gift of being published opens doors and makes other publishers and authors take me more seriously than before.
If you could take a time machine back 10 years, what would you tell your past self?
Just be yourself. Stay true to your art and quit drinking and hiding so much.
What do you hope people say about you after you’re gone?
She was a kind soul who inspired me.
Word Sprints!
- Plotter or pantser? Plotter
- What’s your favorite book? Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman
- What’s a charity/cause you support? World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)
- In school, were you more academic, artsy, or athletic? Artsy
- What superpower do you wish you had? The ability to heal people
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Grace Kilian Delaney lives somewhere in paradise—mentally. In the wee hours of the morning, and with an audience of a dog and two cats, she writes about hot and horny men. Thankfully the animals don’t care if she talks to herself, which she does albeit quietly as to not wake her husband. When not writing words, Grace can be found composing music, pretending she’s an opera singer, playing piano, twisting herself into yoga positions, or sweating it out at the gym.
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