Book Tour: Love Unlocked: A Beaten Track Anthology

Author:

Claire Davis and Al Stewart

Victoria Milne

Dawn Sister

J P Walker

Caraway Carter

Ofelia Gränd

Debbie McGowan

Title: Love Unlocked

Release Date: February 14, 2016

Blurb: Love Unlocked is a collection of seven short stories and novellas – unique LGBTQ romances inspired by the Love Lock Bridge.

THE STORIES:

The Trap by Claire Davis and Al Stewart

Writer’s Lock by Victoria Milne

Locked in the Moment by Dawn Sister

The Weekend by J P Walker

The Scarlet Lock by Caraway Carter

He Melted Us by Ofelia Gränd

Chain of Secrets by Debbie McGowan

Pages or Words: 156,000 words, 550 pages

Categories: Bisexual (1 story), Contemporary (7 stories), Fantasy (1 story), Gay Fiction (6 stories), Lesbian Romance (1 story), M/M Romance (6 stories), Romance (7 stories)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28506378-love-unlocked

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Various

THE TRAP by CLAIRE DAVIS AND AL STEWART

New job – sexy boss – fate – Art…

When Sal attends an open exam for an apprentice artist to work alongside the infamous Matthew Picard, the last thing he expects is to be the winner. But then his role is revealed and nothing is ever the same again. As he toils day and night on the unique sculpture, strange sensations begin to affect both him and the watching master artist.

Matthew Picard thought he was through with men and love. What he wanted was for Sal to help him create one final monstrous masterpiece – The Trap.

But as he observes his young apprentice, his focus shifts, and so do the very walls of the gallery.

Is it the beauty of art, or something more magical at work?

As the sculpture is created, a power is unlocked.

Can love save them, or will they be trapped forever?

WRITER’S LOCK by VICTORIA MILNE

Spending a month in Paris to write his romance novel had seemed like the perfect plan, but one week in, Phil Pearson is suffering from a severe case of writer’s block. With barely a word written, he’s fed up and ready to cut his trip short.

When Laurent Marceau sees Phil in his café, it sends him hurtling into the past, opening old wounds and reminding him of the love he lost. But, after watching the aspiring writer struggle for inspiration, he surprises himself by offering to show him Paris through the eyes of a true Parisian.

Finally bursting with ideas, Phil is delighted to put pen to paper, albeit badly at first. As the writer finds himself falling in love for the first time, Laurent knows he needs to decide quickly if he’s strong enough to return his affections, or whether it would be better for them both if he walked away. He knows he may not have a choice, once Phil finds out the truth.

LOCKED IN THE MOMENT by DAWN SISTER

Due to a misunderstanding, the troll that lives underneath one of the most romantic bridges in Paris inadvertently unlocks every single padlock lovers have left there over the years. L’Authoritié de Fée Folklorique are up in arms. He has no idea what all the fuss is about. The noise was driving him mad. He just wanted a bit of peace and quiet.

A spell is cast, leaving the troll in a bit of a predicament. He is charged with the seemingly impossible task of fixing the locks before the spell can be reversed and he is allowed to return to his home. There are other complications, the least of which is the insistence and persistence of a fairy who is determined to help him against the wishes of his own people.

Now the troll has a dilemma. What is more important to him? The only home he has known for two thousand years, or a fairy he has just met?

THE WEEKEND by J P WALKER

Nat’s been through a rough breakup and trust does not come easily. When she accompanies a group of friends to Paris for a hen weekend, she finds a connection she wasn’t looking for, in the form of beautiful, passionate Morgan. They quickly fall into a wonderful weekend fling and even engrave their initials into a lock and attach it to the most romantic bridge in the world, Love Lock Bridge.

But was that weekend fling all there was, or will news of the bridge being taken down lead to something more?

THE SCARLET LOCK by CARAWAY CARTER

Brandon Marshall, in Paris for his twin sister’s wedding, has a fling before the big day. At the end of a whirlwind week of discovering each other, Brandon and his lover place a scarlet lock on the Love Lock Bridge.

Follow Brandon through six years of letters – to the citizens of Paris, on everything from how to make love, to eating passionate fruit – and to the lover, who is now his brother-in-law.

The locks are being removed, the bridge refitted… What will be the fate to The Scarlet Lock?

HE MELTED US by OFELIA GRÄND

All Delron wants is to live his life with Phillipe, but when their love lock is stolen from Pont des Art, their relationship is in jeopardy. Without the lock holding them together, Delron is convinced they’ll crash and burn. The only way he can save their relationship is to find the stolen lock, and that is just what he plans to do, no matter what.

Phillipe loves Delron, he really does, but it’s driving him insane that Delron can’t see that a padlock is simply a piece of metal. The lock has nothing to do with them, not really. Up until the night the lock was stolen, their life was great, but Del’s crazy behaviour has Phillipe wondering if he has ever really known his boyfriend.

Delron’s search leads him through art-filled Paris, but will a symbol of love ever be enough to soothe the mistrust his quest has planted in Phillipe? Phillipe always thought he’d spend the rest of his life with Del, but who can live with anyone willing to break the law just to find a padlock when they can buy a new one in just about any shop?

CHAIN OF SECRETS by DEBBIE MCGOWAN

Josh and George have always shared the special bond of friendship. From days in primary school, to holidays spent riding their bikes along the canal, theirs is a promise to remain best friends forever.

But can that promise withstand the trials of adolescence, and the changes in their feelings towards each other?

This anthology has a little something for everyone who is in the mood for love. There’s a good variety of stories. I initially chose to read it for the three authors with whom I was familiar, but I was pleased to discover new-to-me authors I’d like to read more from. I’ll review each story individually (with a rating) and then give an overall rating.

The Trap by Claire Davis and Al Stewart

What a fantastic introduction to the anthology. I’m partial to genre fiction with literary leanings, and this story delivers on all counts. It’s intense, sexy, and thought-provoking. Both Sal and Matthew represent different angles on the classic “tortured artist” trope, yet neither of them feels like a cliche. I love the way the narrative strings readers along as Sal works on his epic sculpture. I was hooked from the first page, and I read it in one sitting because I simply had to know what was going to happen.

The whole story is hot and sensual, drawn out in the manner of a passionate encounter and with a crescendo and resolution to match. I loved the underlying themes around the meanings of love and lust and what happens in the aftermath when the heart-pounding climax is over. It’s the perfect read for people who enjoy a highly intellectual erotic romance. For an all-around outstanding story, raw passion, and deep thoughts, 10/10.

Writer’s Lock by Victoria Milne

Another favorite story, this one is quite different from the first. It has more sweet than heat, with some emotional moments that hit a few tender points. I loved the slowly unfolding friendship and love between Phil and Laurent. It was particularly easy to connect with Phil’s search for inspiration and the way his real life and fictional world intertwine.

This is a very well-written story with likable characters. Phil and Laurent don’t change a whole lot as people, but they do change in how they see love and each other. It’s a hopeful story, full of promise they’ll find what they need and get their happy-ever-after. While it’s a fairly standard romance, there are enough fresh elements to keep it from feeling bland or recycled. It’s a cozy read perfect for a quiet afternoon and a cup of tea. For tenderness, warmth, and heart, 9/10.

Locked in the Moment by Dawn Sister

This story was a stretch for me. I’m not generally a fan of first person present tense, and it took me a while before I felt less jarred by it. I simply didn’t end up feeling a whole lot of connection with the characters or the story at first. However, I love the concept of a romance between a troll and a fairy; it’s a clever take on a few gay tropes, but both of them smash the stereotypes. The idea of being paired up to fix the troll’s mistake is fun, and the banter between them is witty and often hilarious. It did feel like it dragged a bit at points and rushed at others, and given the story’s resolution, I couldn’t figure out why some of the events were necessary. Despite that, it was still a good read. It’s probably best enjoyed by people who like fantasy and fairy tales. For an original concept, smart dialog, and a sweet surprise at the end, 8/10.

The Weekend by J P Walker

I am always delighted to find a great f/f story, since lgbtq+ romance is so heavily populated by m/m. This story was everything I needed. I loved the playful beginning of Nat and Morgan’s relationship. Even though it starts with a weekend fling, I like the way it’s handled. Although Nat does think of Morgan often, and compares other potential lovers to her, we don’t get a melodramatic ten years of Nat spiraling into attempts to recreate her Paris experience. Instead, she learns something about herself and her previous partner.

The romantic “chase” scene at the end borders on cliche, but in the context of the anthology and given how excellently it’s written, it makes perfect sense and provides a satisfying conclusion. For women I’d want to know personally, a fun take on the one night stand, and a big romantic finish, 9/10.

The Scarlet Lock by Caraway Carter

When I see a story tagged as bisexual, I’m immediately on high alert. I love seeing bi-identified characters, but I’ve also learned to be wary. What I thought was good in this story is that Hubert is unquestionably bi and doesn’t identify himself based on who he’s in a relationship with. On the down side, his bisexuality felt more like a plot device than an integral part of who he is, as evidenced by the “one last fling” trope (i.e., he can’t really be satisfied with a woman/has to prove his bisexuality through sex with men). I ended up thinking he was kind of a jerk. In fact, none of the characters are especially likable, to the point I wondered if that’s how we’re supposed to feel.

What I did love were the letters. Those were full of the emotions and consequences the narrative lacked. I might even have liked if the whole thing had been told through the letters. Believe it or not, I did really enjoy the story, despite my misgivings. It’s well-written, and there are some difficult things touched on in the story. I’d have loved something longer where we could more fully explore the long-term fallout of the events. For taking a chance with a bi character, a box full of love letters to the world, and the courage to talk about hard topics, 8/10.

He Melted Us by Ofelia Gränd

I have mixed feelings about this one as well. I loved the first part. It’s well-written and full of humor which is simultaneously a bit over the top and yet sharp-witted. The incident with the Sharpie is possibly one of the best things I’ve read in a long, long time—I laughed so hard at Delron’s oddities I was afraid I might wake the whole household. I was caught off-guard, however, by the way the cleverness fizzles and simply becomes drama after Delron and Phillipe blow up. I’m all for seeing a relationship over the course of a long period of time, but I’m not convinced this was the format to do it. I didn’t dislike it; I just wish it would have resolved sooner or differently or that it had stuck to the humor. For witty laughs, a fresh look at the lovers’ misunderstanding, and a keen way with words, 8/10.

Chain of Secrets by Debbie McGowan

I’m not ashamed to admit this was probably the biggest factor in choosing to review the anthology. Josh is just about my favorite character ever and the closest thing I have to a literary soul mate, so you’re not going to get an exactly unbiased review here. I’ve been reading about these characters for the better part of a year in order to catch up, and I’m invested in their lives and loves. But no matter how much I adore them all, I really do read these stories for Josh.

I first “met” him in Ruminations and was drawn to his combination of innocence and acute observation of the world. It’s highly entertaining to see little-kid Josh demonstrating that skill set right from the beginning, including his deep, almost intellectual love for his friends while simultaneously and consistently underestimating himself in his relationships. There are a lot of spoilers in this story for the entire series, so I can’t be specific about all the little details I cherished or the individual sentences which reminded me why I fell so hard for Josh in the first place. I suppose the only thing I can say is that it’s beginning-to-end pitch perfect and answers a bit of my lingering curiosity. For many sighs of amusement, exasperation, and finally happiness, 10/10. (And Josh gets 10 all to himself just because.)

Overall

For a great concept, a wide range of styles, and exceptional writing, the anthology gets 9/10 fountain pens.

Individual Stories:

The Trap by Claire Davis and Al Stewart: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/thetrap

Writer’s Lock by Victoria Milne: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/writerslock

Locked in the Moment by Dawn Sister: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/lockedinthemoment

The Weekend by J P Walker: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/theweekend

The Scarlet Lock by Caraway Carter: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/thescarletlock

He Melted Us by Ofelia Gränd: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/hemeltedus

Chain of Secrets by Debbie McGowan: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/chainofsecrets

Anthology:

Beaten Track (ebook): http://beatentrackpublishing.com/shop/proddetail.php?prod=loveunlocked_format

Beaten Track (paperback): http://beatentrackpublishing.com/shop/proddetail.php?prod=loveunlocked

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Unlocked-Claire-Davis-ebook/dp/B01BHBW1FM

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Unlocked-Claire-Davis-ebook/dp/B01BHBW1FM

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-loveunlocked-1978041-166.html

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/612682?ref=b10track

From “The Weekend” by J P Walker

It’s funny how when you break up with someone, especially under awful circumstances, you realise how much was missing. When I’d first moved out of Katie’s, all I could remember were the good times but now, with Morgan, I couldn’t help but make comparisons. Those good times with Katie came nowhere near how incredible it had been to spend a day with the beautiful woman sitting across the table from me. If I’d been in any doubt before about how much I liked Morgan, I wasn’t any longer. I really did.

After dinner, we went for another stroll around Paris, appropriately dressed this time, with warm coats, and Morgan linked her arm with mine and rested her head on my shoulder. Every now and then, we stopped to look in awe at the beauty of the city around us—the buildings, the street names—Paris was quickly becoming my favourite destination, truly the most beautiful place I had ever been. Eventually, we found ourselves on the Pont des Arts bridge, surrounded by beautiful lights. I knew of the bridge, known as ‘Love Lock Bridge’, but didn’t really know of the tradition that went along with it.

We watched the lights shining from all the locks, and I felt my heart swell. Thousands of couples, all of their declarations of love and commitment…I felt overwhelmed in the presence of so much love. Without any warning at all, my eyes filled with tears. Morgan had wandered ahead, only a few steps, to look at the names on some of the locks, but she noticed my tears and within seconds was by my side and holding my hand. She looked at me questioningly.

“So beautiful,” I said and buried my face in her hair. My word, what a bloody soppy git I had become.

Morgan held me, rubbing soothing circles on my back, and I could hear the jangle of her bracelets. When we parted, she gave me an almost secret grin and reached into her pocket. I looked at her quizzically and then saw what she had in her hand: a small red padlock with a key still inside.

“It’s from my suitcase, I’d forgotten I’d shoved it in my pocket until we got here. Whaddaya say?” She winked.

I nodded and checked my pockets, to see if I had a Sharpie—I love doing crosswords on trains, don’t judge. I found one in my inside pocket. Yay!

“OK, what’s your last name?” I asked as I took the lid off with my teeth.

“Freeman.”

The pen fell out of my mouth as I gaped at her. Morgan Freeman? Seriously? Then she started laughing and swatted me on the shoulder.

“Just kidding, can you imagine? Ha! It’s Wilson,” she got out between laughs.

I shook my head at her antics. She was a riot.

“What’s yours?” she asked after I’d written ‘MW’ and ‘NB’ on the small lock and deposited my pen back in my pocket.

“Bliss,” I replied smiling.

“Really? Bliss? You’re…Nat Bliss?”

“Well…Natalie Emilia Bliss. But yeah…Bliss.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.” I was enjoying her reaction. Her eyes were shining bright, and puffs of vapour hung in the air as she breathed.

She brought her face close to mine and laid a soft, warm kiss on my mouth, immediately turning me on. I was quickly becoming addicted to her, and giving me a little fix like that left me silently begging for more. Chasing the dragon—I began to doubt if I would ever again find a high like Morgan Wilson.

Claire Davis and Al Stewart

Al Stewart and Claire Davis write about people who are not perfect. Claire embraces the dark side, and Al the good side of the force. Their work is there for a fusion of both, mixed often with kink and humour.

Contact and Media

Website: http://astewartcdavisbook.wix.com/author

Goodreads:

goodreads.com/author/show/8328423.Claire_Davis

goodreads.com/author/show/8510218.Al_Stewart

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Claire-Davis-and-Al-Stewart/764501920298271

Beaten Track: beatentrackpublishing.com/clairedavisandalstewart

Victoria Milne

Many years ago, Victoria chose the words ‘watch this space’ to accompany her picture in the school yearbook and had no dreams of being a writer. Sixteen years later, after someone joked that she should be an author, she began the first page of her very first novel and realised how perfect those words had been.

As a latecomer to the world of creative writing, Victoria is now making up for lost time and enjoying every second of the experience.

In the rare moments these days when she’s not writing or dreaming up new plots, she can usually be found at either the ice rink or the dojo and all of these activities are done listening to loud music.

Victoria would love to hear from anyone who shares her passion for writing; and in particular from anyone who has tips on how to tame the editing fetish she has unwittingly acquired along the way.

Contact and Media

Goodreads: goodreads.com/VMilne

Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004591036789

Beaten Track: beatentrackpublishing.com/victoriamilne

Dawn Sister

Dawn is from the North East of England. Her life is spent juggling. The juggling balls are: children, husband, work (occasionally), voluntary work, professional knitting (notice she doesn’t class this as work), and writing. When she has time she actually sleeps.

The whole point of writing for Dawn is just to get it all off her chest and out of her head. If she doesn’t write it down then she ends up having long conversations with the characters out loud and her husband thinks she’s crazy.

Contact and Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dawnsister1

Tumblr: http://dawnsister.tumblr.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DawnSister

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DawnSister

FictionPress: http://www.fictionpress.com/~dawnsister

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/~dawnsister

J P Walker

Jem Roche-Walker was born in Norwich and moved to the Northwest in order to attend Edge Hill University, studying Social Work Studies. After studying, she began working in rehabilitation for patients with acquired brain injuries and spent seven years writing her first novel, Knights of the Sun, (2013, Beaten Track).

She lives in Burscough with her wife and baby girl and loves spending family time with them.

Contact and Media

Goodreads: goodreads.com/JPWalker

Facebook: facebook.com/jpwalkerknightsofthesun

Beaten Track: beatentrackpublishing.com/jpwalker

Caraway Carter

Caraway Carter has worn numerous hats. He’s been a furniture salesman, a dresser, a costumer, an actor/waiter, a rabble rouser, a poet and most recently a writer. He married his husband on Halloween and they are the loving parents of two rambunctious cats. He loves words and stringing them together, he loves sex and sexy men. He loves seeing how far his muse will take him and he’s looking forward to entertaining you.

Contact and Media

Website: carawaycarter.com

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/13539002.Caraway_Carter

Beaten Track: beatentrackpublishing.com/carawaycarter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarawayCarter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarawayCarter

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carawaycarter/

Ofelia Gränd

Ofelia Gränd is Swedish, which often shines through in her stories. She likes to write about everyday people ending up in not-so-everyday situations, and hopefully also getting out of them. She writes contemporary and paranormal, and dreams about one day writing a post-apocalyptic story—if that ever happens we’ll see.

Her books are written for readers who want to take a break from their everyday life for an hour or two.

When Ofelia manages to tear herself from the screen and sneak away from husband and children, she likes to take walks in the woods. She’s recently discovered the miracle of podcasts and spends her strolls listening to wise people talk.

If you want to know more, subscribe to Ofelia’s Mailing List:

http://ofeliagrand.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c080076874c9baaaee71b5ba1&id=75932554a5

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874960.Ofelia_Gr_nd Google+

Facebook 1: https://www.facebook.com/ofelia.grand

Facebook 2: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ofelia-Grand/1405427199716172

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ofeliagrand/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ofeliagrand

Website: http://ofeliagrand.com/

Debbie McGowan

Debbie McGowan is an author and publisher based in a semi-rural corner of Lancashire, England. She writes character-driven, realist fiction, celebrating life, love and relationships. A working class girl, she ‘ran away’ to London at seventeen, was homeless, unemployed and then homeless again, interspersed with animal rights activism (all legal, honest ;)) and volunteer work as a mental health advocate. At twenty-five, she went back to college to study social science—tough with two toddlers, but they had a ‘stay at home’ dad, so it worked itself out. These days, the toddlers are young women (much to their chagrin), and Debbie teaches undergraduate students, writes novels and runs an independent publishing company, occasionally grabbing an hour of sleep where she can.

Contact and Media

Twitter: @writerdebmcg

Facebook 1: facebook.com/DebbieMcGowanAuthor

Facebook 2: facebook.com/beatentrackpublishing

YouTube: youtube.com/deb248211

Tumblr: writerdebmcg.tumblr.com

LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/writerdebmcg

Google+: plus.google.com/+DebbieMcGowan

Goodreads: goodreads.com/DebbieMcGowan

Pinterest: pinterest.com/b10track

Website: debbiemcgowan.co.uk

Today I’m welcoming Dawn Sister, JP Walker, Caraway Carter, and Debbie McGowan to chat about writing, life, and their current projects.

Dawn Sister (“Locked in the Moment”) on Difference.

Difference is not a barrier. It’s a basic need

A Troll and a Fairy, not a terribly conventional pairing in any sense of the word. Trolls are big, hairy ugly brutes with bad tempers and filthy habits. Fairies are delicate, fluffy, glittery, ephemeral beings that float about granting wishes and leaving fairy dust all over the place. It’s their differences that make it work, though.

Conventional couples are not really my thing. Ordinary everyday things don’t really interest me when I’m giving birth to plot bunnies. I like to embrace the differences between two people and then make their love story as believable as any other. Age gaps, height differences, cultural conflicts, language barriers. None of these things are actually barriers to love, it is our own concepts that create the barriers. “They couldn’t possibly fall in love because they’re too different.” In my world the differences are never a barrier. A twenty-year age gap: no problem. A great height difference? Stand on a chair. Ugly? It’s only skin deep and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Equal rights are all very well, but to be truly equal, those rights have to be inclusive of everyone, not just gender, but everything that sets one person apart from anyone else.

When I first met my husband (before he was my husband obviously) I didn’t think: “Oh here’s someone who is equal to me, let’s get it on.” I thought: “Here’s someone I really like.” I was surprised when I was asked if our differences bothered me. I wondered what differences they meant. I mean, yes there were the obvious ones: I’m female, he’s male. He could grow a beard; I wasn’t quite at that stage. When I dug deeper into the question, I realised a few of my friends thought he was too old for me. What? The age gap is six years. We are adults. It wasn’t as if he was a twelve-year-old asking out a six-year-old. Age becomes unimportant once you are past the age of needing to care (that’s eighteen in the UK, by the way). So yes, apparently the age gap, to some people, was huge! For some reason they thought we couldn’t possibly be happy unless we were exactly the same age. That’s just codswallop. We’re not in high school anymore. It’s the same for any pairing that doesn’t fit people’s conceptions of the socially acceptable norm. This is why some find it very difficult to accept same sex couples, or racially mixed couples, or in the case of my story: a troll and a fairy.

We have to view these things with more open minds. Difference is just what the other person brings into a relationship to fill in your gaps. I obviously needed a bearded, older bloke to fill in the blanks of my life, and there he was. I didn’t know everything about him before we began our relationship; we are still discovering things about each other that are different even after sixteen years together. We’ll still be discovering those differences years from now.

Difference is what keeps us together. If there were no differences, then life would be boring.

Vive La Difference.

Word Sprints!

Plotter or pantser? Panster initially, then plotter when I get about half way through the story.
Reusable or disposable grocery bags? Reusable. The environment has taken enough of our crap.
What’s your favorite food? Chocolate followed by sushi, in that order.
What’s your wake-up routine? Wake up…come on…WAKE UP!
Who has inspired you the most? My mum is the bravest person I know. She has MND and now cannot speak or eat. She’s none too steady on her feet either, but she is always smiling and she still manages to nag me via text. She also manages to knit. She’s amazing.

J P Walker on “The Weekend“

What inspired you to write this story?

I was already a little sad that the Love Lock Bridge in Paris was being taken down, especially when I heard some testimonies from lovers who had left locks there. One woman in particular stands out. I watched her speak on the news, saying she and her late husband had left a lock with their initials scratched into it. She was deeply saddened it would no longer be there. But she did state she had very beautiful memories of Paris and being there with her husband.

When Beaten Track asked me to write a story surrounding the Bridge being taken down, I was thrilled. I love to write F/F romance, and setting it in Paris was really exciting. I felt inspired when my fingers struck the keys—when names, faces and emotions started appearing—I’m always changing stories as I write them.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

I understand what Nat is going through. I haven’t experienced infidelity but I am one among many to have had their heart broken to the point you believe the damage is irreparable—then meeting someone who totally bewitches you to the point of passionate longing. It’s a wonderful feeling to know you’re not closed for business.

The person I met, I’m now married to and we’ve been together eleven years.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

Condensing! I love to write short stories, but there are many times I know I could write about the characters, their journey, their adventures…for a lot longer than the final word count. I always just have to hope that the reader can still enjoy it with a lot fewer words.

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

“Guess this is the end of our adventure?” She glanced sideways at me.

I gazed at her beautiful face and traced her cheek with my fingertip. “Or a beginning?”

“That sounds better,” she said with a smile.

I love this passage because ‘The End’ of a love story is never really that. ‘The End’ is always a beginning for the characters. In each of my stories, I try to summarise at the end how their lives turned out and if they ended up staying together—to let the reader know it was just ‘The Beginning’ for them.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I’m working on another F/F short story, though it will be quite a bit longer than ‘The Weekend’. It’s called ‘Counting my Breaths’ and tells of a young married woman who begins an art class and falls for another female student, whilst battling panic attacks that leave her counting her breaths as a coping mechanism and trying to determine if she should remain in her marriage.

Also I’ll be writing the last book in my ‘Knights of the Sun’ trilogy. The sequel ‘Fighting the Stars’ is going to be published very soon and I need to get a move on with the last book! I’m also going to attempt writing ‘Knights of the Sun’ as a screenplay and see if anyone wants to make a movie from it!

What are some of the jobs besides writer that you’ve held?

When I was a student, I worked in local bars and had cleaning jobs. For the last nine years I have been a carer/personal assistant to a young man who suffered a near fatal head injury. I do a great deal of his rehabilitation work: physiotherapy, speech therapy, motor control etc. My wife and I have been foster parents for a little over a year and so far we love it and although very challenging at times is extremely rewarding.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Not giving up. My first book ‘Knights of the Sun’ took me seven years to write—around being a student, working, growing up—and it took three years for anyone to notice it. After sending what felt like hundreds of chapters and letters out to publishers, I nearly gave up—many times—then I met Debbie McGowen at Beaten Track Publishing. Not only was she willing to publish my book, she told me it was agreat story and that my enthusiasm was the reason she was a publisher. She seemed so excited to meet me, and that really made me feel special and like I had done something worthwhile.

What do you see yourself doing in another 1, 5, and/or 10 years?

Well in another year my wife and I will (hopefully) be pregnant and still fostering in the home we currently live in. I’ll have written my last ‘Knights’ book, and I’ll be marketing myself as much as possible.

In five years we will hopefully have bought a house and have three children of our own and still be fostering. I would hope ‘Knights of the Sun’ has been made into a movie!

In 10 years… I’ll be forty. I imagine I’ll be living in a large house with a few foster children as well as our own. I have an office I sit and write in, that my wife let me decorate. If we’re fostering consistently, that could be our main income, and I wouldn’t need to work. I could just write all day. That’d be awesome!

Word Sprints!

Coffee or tea? Coffee! Always Coffee!
Musical theater or rock concert? Rock Concert, standing near the front, screaming and dancing.
What’s your favorite ice cream? Salted Carmel… Mmmmmmmmm.
Do the people in your life know about your writing? My wife has always been pushing me to write and try to get published because she has an immeasurable amount of faith in me and my words, which, after 10 years since I started my first book, still means the world to me.
Morning person or night owl? Morning person. I work full time as a carer, and my partner and I are foster parents, so I’m up at 5 a.m. each morning to get in a bit of writing before I go to work.

Caraway Carter on “The Scarlet Lock”

What inspired you to write this story?

I had seen a trending story on Facebook about the removal of the locks from the Love Lock Bridge in Paris. An idea came to me, and I wondered what was going to happen to all those people who locked their love on that bridge.

At the same time, I read about a woman who was leaving love letters around New York, and Brandon just started talking.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to?

Brandon Marshall Why? Because, I’ve been in the same boat, experiencing an amazing time and then realizing that you can’t go further. I love that Brandon looks inward and begins taking care of himself, standing up for himself, and when the love shows up, he’s in just the right place to act.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

That I had to kill off a couple of people, and when I read the section to my husbear, he said, “You are making me cry.” I apologized, but smiled a little on the inside, because it did what it needed to do.

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

The book is written through six years of letters. This was one of my favorites:

Left in a bin of baguettes at the corner market

***

Hello, seeker of love. If you are holding onto your lover’s hand, if they are slipping their arm around your shoulder, or you can see them across the crowded store, continue reading this letter. If they have not found you yet, read as well.

Your lesson from this letter is to buy a baguette.

May I also suggest a round of Banon Cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves, a bottle of Chenin Blanc, and grapes.

Slice the baguette and toast it.

Debbie McGowan (“Chain of Secrets”) on Storytelling and Culture

Tell us a bit about your cultural, ethnic, religious, and/or spiritual background and how it informs your writing.

I think probably all of us at some point pick up the geneaology bug. I had it for a couple of months, and much of what I discovered confirmed what I’d been told of my ancestry. I’m English – born in England to white English parents, who had white English parents – but a generation earlier, it gets interesting. On my dad’s side, we’re fifty-fifty Scots-Irish, with my Scottish great grandfather (Ebenezer John Black McGowan – how good is that name?) marrying an Irish woman. On my mum’s side there are also some Irish ancestors, but mostly it’s a mix of Scousers (Liverpool) and Moonrakers (Wiltshire).

So culturally and ethnically, I identify as English – not British, because it has a different political connotation – and it is absolutely the foundation of my writing. I love our little corner of the world – the countries that make up the ‘United Kingdom’ and the mix of cultures within. There is so much diversity here, which is worth sharing and celebrating. I love all the different foods, traditions and histories, and I work hard to represent these honestly in my stories. I also have something of an obsession with spoken English dialects and accents, and I spend a lot of time listening closely, to capture the nuances in language and pronunciation.

Religion/spirituality…it’s a tough one to answer in short form. My dad used to be in the Purple Sons of Derry – a lodge of the Orange Order. I don’t want to get too heavily into this, because it’s a huge, ugly part of Anglo-Irish history, and it shows the dark side of religion, the wars fought in the name of God. I’m old enough to remember the IRA’s ‘attacks’ on England and the North of Ireland, but I only understood ‘The Troubles’ when I came to study them briefly at university. It’s a politically complex tangled mesh of ideology, so I’ll just say that writing realist fiction based in England (and Ireland) means exploring those complexities and breaking apart widely held misconceptions.

As a child, my parents left me to explore religion for myself, and I went to church on my own every Sunday. I was in a church youth organisation for a long time, and later I was part of a worship group (musicians). Then I co-wrote (with Nige) a stage show about a young man who falls in love with a drag queen, and the vicar expelled us from the worship group for condoning homosexuality. It was at that point I walked away from organised religion, but my beliefs were always more philosophical than dogmatic.

If I have to stick a label on me, I’m an atheist, in that I don’t believe in an omniscient creator, but I do think we’re ‘spiritually’ connected to each other and to our physical/metaphysical realm. So I guess I’m a bit of a new age hippie, really.

What cultural value do you see in storytelling?

Storytelling is so powerful and important. In one sense, it’s about passing on our history to future generations, through aural traditions and in creating records of what life was like in the past.

But it’s also about here and now, and that’s where I see the greatest cultural value of storytelling. Each story is a glimpse into the lives of others. It can help us understand, empathise, appreciate difference.

It’s education by stealth, because while we’re reading for pleasure, we’re seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. It’s a communal pot of knowledge we can all dip into any time we like.

How do you hope your writing influences other people?

I hope my writing makes people think. I don’t go all out to be political, or to make a point, but I do write about real social issues – mental health, homelessness, poverty, terminal illness, bereavement, discrimination/social exclusion, and so on.

I also hope that regardless of the journey, when readers reach ‘The End’, they feel inspired, content, satisfied, happy – a positive mind state of some sort. My writing isn’t for everyone. Maybe it’s only something a tiny number of readers appreciate. But if it’s had a positive influence on just one person, then it’s worth it.