INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
1) Links to website and list of books with purchase links.
Book Links
Keeping House
Telling the Truth
Amazon
All Romance Ebooks
Breathless Press
Loving Jacob
Breathless Press
Amazon
All Romance Ebooks
The Librarian
ARe
Amazon
Bookstrand
Breathless Press
Word Play
Breathless Press
Bookstrand
ARe
Amazon
2) How long have you been writing? What got you in to writing?
I've been writing for publication for a little over a year. I always wanted to write, even as a child, but somewhere along the line reality and the need to put a roof over my head and food on the table put that ambition on a back burner. When I retired form teaching, I picked writing up again, first as a hobby for my own entertainment, and then a friend convinced me to try for publication.
3) What was your first published book? Looking back, is there anything you’d change about it?
Keeping House was my first published book. It's been out less than a year. If I were writing it today, I'd probably make it longer. I have all these random ideas, and I know they're eventually going to go into a sequel. SO, I probably should have kept going.
4) What or Who has influenced your writing?
I think my writing is influenced by the music I listen. I also take a great deal of inspiration and support from the writing group I belong to, Story Orgy.
5) Where do you get your ideas?
Ideas seem to come from all around. Mostly from people. I mean, I conceive my characters first, and build a plot around them, rather than creating a plot and building characters to suit it.
6) What hinders your writing? (distractions? noise?)
I think my own lack of belief in myself is what hinders me most. I'll sit down and look at what I've written and think "This is worthless". When that kind of mood overcomes you, it's very difficult to put a word on the page.
7) What genre are you most comfortable with? What would you like to explore?
I am most comfortable with contemporary m/m romance. I am venturing into a Regency m/m this year, and *fingers* crossed, will try my hand at a romantic mystery.
8) Are you a by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer, or do you have to use an outline to put your collective thoughts into some semblance of common sense?
I have done both. I think that most of the time I have a mental outline to work form, but it's very general. Only twice have I actually written out an entire detailed outline.
9) Which of your books is your favorite? Why?
I think I have to say that Keeping House is my favorite of my stories. The characters really hit home with me, and everything just worked out perfectly.
10) Do you incorporate some of yourself into your characters? Personality traits? Likes? Dislikes?
Yes. How could you help but do that? My characters pick things up from me- like the music they listen to, or their views on fashion.
11) What do you think is the perfect hero/heroine? Why?
A perfect hero is one who overcomes his flaws to be with the one he loves. Or one who makes me laugh, or sigh...
12) What is your latest release? Please share the blurb and purchase info with us.
The Librarian
BLURB:
Valentine Michaels has just taken a vow of celibacy. Adrian Grey intends to take full advantage of that vow to re-create his relationship with Val.
Val is at a crossroads in his life. A college dropout, he's gone as far as he can in his career as a cosmetologist, owning his own style salon. He no longer finds satisfaction in it, though he's put years into proving to his bigoted parents that a college degree and the veneer of straightness aren't the only roads to success. They'd turned their backs on him, and he proved he didn't need them to make it.
His love life is no better than his working life. His relationships always start with a bang and fizzle into boredom, or worse, anger.
Adrian has his own agenda for helping Val: he's been in love with Val since they were freshmen. The intervening years of listening to Val's gossip about his lovers and relationships have taught Adrian just what it was he did wrong all those years ago, and he thinks this time around he now knows exactly how to get—and keep—his man.
Buy Links: The Librarian
ARe
Amazon
Bookstrand
Breathless Press
13) What do you have in the works?
My next release in February is Truth or Dare book #5, Taking the Dare.
14) Do you have any suggestions/comments for prospective authors?
Don't give up. Keep writing, keep trying.
JUST FOR FUN:
1) If you could be an animal, what would it be? Why?
I'd be an elephant. I have memory issues, and an elephant never forgets.
2) If you had super powers, what would they be? Why?
Hmmm...the ability to teleport a cup of coffee to me in bed. I hate getting out of bed first thing in the morning to fetch that cup of coffee.
3) What would be a perfect date for you?
Perfect for me would be a walk in the woods or on the beach to watch the sun rise or set, maybe a glass of wine.
4) Do you have any obsessions? What are they?
Boy, do I. I’m obsessed with a lot of things. Too many to name.
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Publisher: Breathless Press
Format: all e-book formats
Adrian writing in purple ink stunned him more than the idea that Adrian had a crush on him. After all, they'd been down that road once before. Purple ink was so not Adrian. Black. Or Blue. Traditional. Classic. That was Adrian.
"Yeah, did you like it? Here, grab a cup of coffee and a pastry and let's take a walk." The other man turned and walked out the door, apparently assuming that Val would follow.Val grabbed a coffee and hurried to catch up with Adrian. Jeez. Now what would he do? He had to let Adrian down gently. No sense ruining what had been a perfectly good friendship. No way could he ask Adrian to help with the redecorating project now. Distance, not closeness, was called for.
"Listen, Adrian, we have to talk. I really meant it when I said I'm not interested in men right now and honestly," he touched the other man's arm sympathetically, "you're just not my type, you know? So, much as I appreciate all the little gestures, I just feel friendship for you, okay?"
The other man's blue eyes sparkled at him, in apparent—amusement? "Are you done, Val?"
"Well, yeah, that's what I wanted to say. No hard feelings, right?"
"Right, Val. Let me set you straight on a few things before we talk about feelings, okay? First of all, I noticed you were down Friday, so I sent you the flower, yeah. I love those bird of paradise flowers. The colors are so sunny and cheerful. Then this morning, I wanted to talk to you about something, and sorry, but the coffee and pastries were as much because I knew I'd be hungry as for you. Yeah, you're hot as hell, but I know I'm not your type. And you know I know it, too. That's why you've been ramming tales about your wild and crazy love life down my throat for the past ten years, isn't it? I've heard about every new man as soon as you've met him, and every break up when it inevitably comes along. Why do you do that, Val? It's not for your own benefit, you know? You've been making sure that I knew that you weren't interested in hooking up with me all these years. I fucking get it, okay? You don't seem to see that I'm not the same man today as ten years ago. And that's your loss, not mine. I've done things, experienced things in the last few years that have helped me define who and what I am, in and out of bed, Val. Too bad you can't say the same."
Val swallowed and pulled his hand back. He shook his head as his brain whirled trying to keep up, to comprehend all the data Adrian threw at him in one long speech. "Whoa. Sorry. I just talk while I'm working, you know? I... Shit...sorry."
***Be sure to visit Lee Brazil's Blog for more information about his writing.
2 comments:
Thanks for having me over, Shannon!
An elephant? hmmmmmmmm *giggles*
Love this interview! <3
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