Arts

Author: Thianna Durston

Title: Finding His Home

Series: Men of Falcon Pointe

Book: Two (Can be read as a standalone)

Release Date: February 26, 2016

Pages or Words: 205 pages

Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/165152-men-of-falcon-pointe

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Catt Ford

Sebastien Cather moves to Falcon Pointe with a dream to live life his way. Offered a room at 959 Brenton Street, he discovers how liberating it can feel to live among accepting people, especially when he quickly gains a boyfriend in Avery, a fellow student. Unfortunately Avery isn’t his first choice. His roommate David is fascinating and good-looking, and Bastien would do anything to have him–but he doesn’t think the attraction is returned.

Tensions rise as his roommates’ wedding is threatened and his present and past life clash. Outed by the national media, Bastien is sure he will never be able to return home again. Just as he’s sure he can’t handle any more stress, David let’s him know of his interest. Bastien slowly makes his way forward, trying to find firm footing in the minefield that is his life. But when his landlord makes an announcement about the future of the house, it may change all of his dreams.*

Dreamspinner eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7444

Dreamspinner Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7445

 

Thianna Durston is a writer by day and supernova by night. Or at least that’s what the faeries tell her. And who is she to deny those pesky *cough* lovely little creatures?

She lives in the Pacific Northwest, though her heart belongs elsewhere. In the meantime, until she can return to the place she calls home, she happily lives in a city that still thinks it’s a small town. Thankfully, it has given her muse lots of amusing places to start a story.

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ThiannaDurstonAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThiannaDurston

Website: http://mm.thiannad.com/

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*Note: This book contains theories regarding gender and sexual orientation which are not endorsed by this blog.

 

Author: Suzey Ingold

Book Name: Speakeasy

Release Date: February 18, 2016

Pages or Words: 244 pages

Categories: Gay fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/suzeysays

Publisher: Interlude Press

Cover Artist: Cover Art by Colin Moore; Cover design by C.B. Messer

In the height of the Prohibition era, recent Yale graduate Heath Johnson falls for Art, the proprietor of a unique speakeasy tucked away beneath the streets of Manhattan where men are free to explore their sexuality. When Art’s sanctuary is raided, Heath is forced to choose between love and the structured life his parents planned for him.

Paperback: http://amzn.to/1mGtvXF

Heath swallows, playing over an idea that had formed shakily in his head after he saw Frankie, since Art walked through that door and possibly longer without him being fully conscious of it. “Maybe it’s time I was honest. Tell them that I don’t want to marry Ginny or work with my father. Let the pieces fall where they may.”

“You would do that?”

“If it meant being with you, I would do anything.” Heath sits up and the sheets fall to pool around his waist. “I know what I want, now. And it’s you and whatever a future with you brings.”

Suzey Ingold is a writer, linguist and coffee addict, currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Brought up in a household where children’s books are quoted over the dinner table, literature has always had a strong influence on her life. She enjoys traveling, scented candles and brunch. Her short story, “The Willow Weeps for Us,” was included in “Summer Love: An LGBTQ Collection,” published by Duet, an imprint of Interlude Press (2015).

Homepage: www.suzeysays.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzeysays

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzeysays/

Today I’m welcoming Suzey Ingold to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Speakeasy.

What inspired you to write this story?

I’ve always loved the 1920s and the Jazz Age in New York City, and it’s something I’ve wanted to write about for a long time. But Speakeasy really came to life from Heath, who started forming in my head before I had any idea where the story was going to go.

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

I do feel a strong connection with Heath. He’s living a life that is not quite his own: going along with the wishes of his parents’ and what they want for him, even if it’s not necessarily what he wants. There have been times in my life when I’ve let my parents guide me because I haven’t known what I wanted or needed from life, and it’s a really tough cycle to get out of.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

Usually I find starting any project the hardest but with this one it was actually an entirely unpredictable incident. Back in April 2015, I fractured my toe completely by accident and it led to me being housebound and almost immobile for a couple of weeks. That’s not that long, really, but I’d never had an injury like that and being stuck in one place unable to even really go outside affected my mood quite badly. That was right when I was in the midst of writing and, even though it would have been the perfect opportunity to write, I just couldn’t because I was so miserable. It was really tough getting back into it after that period of time.

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

Art turns Heath until his hands rest at the small of his back as he pulls him into his chest. “Cash,” he whispers, the tip of his nose nudging against Heath’s. “Or check?”

“Cash,” Heath replies without a moment’s hesitation. He stands on his toes as he joins their lips with his heart beating so loudly he’s sure that Art must be able to hear it in the quiet of the subway station.

In researching this book, I found out about a whole lot of Jazz Age slang—most of which has fallen out of use today, although some still remain in other contexts. One of my absolute favorite ones was “cash or check?” which means “will we kiss now or later?” I used it several times in my book in the build up of Art and Heath’s relationship and I really love the romantic,’20s feel of it.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I’m currently about to start work on a contemporary short story set in London—so I’m coming back home after spending so much time (mentally) in New York writing Speakeasy! I can’t really say much more right now but I’m really excited about it and it’s giving me the opportunity to write about something I’ve wanted to for a while now…

How do you choose names for your characters?

Choosing names is one of the things I find really hard, because a lot of really good names I wouldn’t use because they might remind me of someone I know or once knew! For Speakeasy in particular, one of the things I did was find lists of popular baby names from certain years and try and find ones that I thought suited the kind of characters I had in mind. Some names got changed during the writing process: Amelia was originally Juliet, and Alfie was originally Oliver.

Where do you look for inspiration for new stories?

I wouldn’t say I look for inspiration in one particular place—I try to be open to the possibility of taking anything as an idea or inspiration. I’ll often write down random little things I see in my day-to-day life: anything that draws my attention, or makes me laugh, or makes me think. These might become entire stories in my head, or they might become little anecdotes in a larger story. For example, one time, I was on the tube in London, and a pigeon walked into my carriage and rode very calmly to the next stop and then walked off. I don’t know what I’ll do with that (if anything) but it was too entertaining not to make note of.

What else do you use to immerse yourself in the story (music, visuals, etc.)?

Music is my number one resource: for Speakeasy, I listened to a lot of jazz and swing and also more modern electroswing while I was writing. I’ll also try and read other books in that genre or set in that period, or watch films. During the summer, when I was in the process of editing Speakeasy, I was reading a collection of Fitzgerald’s short stories, to try and keep my head in the Jazz Age era.

Word Sprints!

Coffee or tea? Coffee is my life source.

Cats or dogs? Cats—we have all the same favorite activities.

What’s a charity/cause you support? Mind, a British mental health charity.

Do you have any body art? Five tattoos and a nose ring (much to my mother’s distaste!)

As a kid, were you a Goody-Goody or a Wild Child? Such a Goody-Goody; still am, a bit.

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Author: Kate Lowell

Title: Rise of the Alpha Squirrel

Series: Nutty Romances

Book: Two (Series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment)

Release Date: February 25, 2016

Pages or Words: Approximately 24,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28690157-rise-of-the-alpha-squirrel

Publisher: Kate Lowell

Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix

Nathan’s met Vince’s family, but Vince hasn’t met Nathan’s, and Nathan would like to keep it that way. Holy smoked almonds, what else do you do when you know how completely nuts your relatives are?

Why, you ease your man into it, by introducing him to normal shifters. Assuming you can find any.

But with a gossipy werehummingbird spreading the news, and a pair of young red pandas wreaking havoc with their fainting goat friends, Nathan’s about ready to climb into a pine cone and pull it in after him.

Then the local playboy weremoose hears about Vince, and Nathan has to find his inner alpha or the consequences will be worse than moldy hazelnuts.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BRUW1SU

AllRomance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-riseofthealphasquirrel-1985056-145.html

“Breakfast,” Vince said and waved a hand toward the table.

It was a squirrel’s wet dream. Or it would have been, if good-enough-to-lick-all-over-then-eat Vince hadn’t been sitting on the other side of the table. Maybe he could say it was any other squirrel’s wet dream—whatever, it was the breakfast of Roman squirrel emperors.

A pile of thick, deep brown pancakes waited for him in the center of his plate. Raspberries and shaved almonds sprawled seductively over the side of the stack, glistening with sweet, sticky maple syrup. Some of the less audacious ones hid decorously beneath the edges of a heavy daub of whipped cream, but Nathan knew they were there, waiting for him to discover them. He could see them peeking diffidently out, uncertain whether they wanted to attract his attention or not.

And the best part—the most gorgeous massage therapist in the world was sitting across the table from him, watching him with eyes that were dark in more than just the usual way. He looked at Nathan like Nathan was a maple walnut ice cream with a peanut dip. Like he wanted to lick him all over and suck bits of him deep inside his mouth…

From Your New Life as a New Adult

Introduction

As in all families, the day eventually comes when you will feel the undeniable urge to leave the nest, or the burrow, or the family stream, and venture out into the world of humans. While this isn’t a path that we can recommend because of its attendant risks and difficulties, the lure of the human world cannot be denied. After all, we too were once your age.

Many weres venture into the human world and make it back unscathed. However, just as many return to their families shell-shocked and emotionally scarred by the sheer strangeness of humans. The vast range of possible experiences makes it difficult for families to adequately prepare their children for that world; some don’t want to do it at all. Which is understandable—human society is so very odd that it can be difficult to find a way to approach the topic without so much discomfort on both sides of the conversation that no real educational progress is ever made.

Therefore, over the course of this book, we will attempt to provide the guidance necessary for a safe sojourn in the world of humans. To this end, we will cover many and varied topics, including—but not limited to—grocery shopping, finding an apartment, finding a job, nurturing your animal side without being discovered and, of course, the pluses and minuses of romantic relationships with humans.

Kate Lowell lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farm house that has way more personality than it has any right to. During the winter, she spends her time dreading snow, cursing at snow, shoveling snow, and scheming ways to shove it down the kids’ necks. During the summer, she prays not to have snow. 🙂

Kate likes to play in ALL the sandboxes. While her main genres are paranormal and contemporary suspense, she is also interested in science fiction, fantasy and—weirdly—romantic comedy. She’s willing to pay large amounts of money to anyone who can come up with a Time Turner, or find her an agreeable Time Lord to sort out her scheduling problems.

You can contact her at katelowellbooks (at) gmail.com . If you think you’d like to try writing gay romance, come visit her critique group (Link can be found at http://katelowell.com). New members are always welcome.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008313548018

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kate_Lowell

Website: http://katelowell.com

Other: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7132484.Kate_Lowell

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