Character Interviews,  Erotic

Interview with Henry Webb from Becoming His Master @MQBarber #RLFBlog #EroticRomance

This feature includes a book cover, blurb, buy links, short questionnaire, and social media contacts for the author.

About the Book

Title Becoming His Master (Neighborly Affection #4)
Genre LGBT erotic romance
Author Name M.Q. Barber
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
Blurb (up to 300 words)
From rescue to romance…
Teach a wounded submissive the value of his service. The task ought to be an easy one for an experienced dominant like Henry Webb.
But novice Jay Kress challenges his teacher like no other. Still bearing the bruises of an encounter outside the bounds of safe consensual play, Jay is desperate to submit to the man who saved him—and shamed by his desires.
Henry recognizes the dangers of a relationship built on hero worship. He’ll teach Jay how to stay safe, that’s all. He won’t take advantage of the younger man’s trust. He won’t share his fantasies about his dark-haired, athletic student. He’ll never claim this submissive for his own…
Becoming His Master is a Neighborly Affection series prequel that tells the origin of Henry and Jay’s relationship in their pre-Alice days.

Buy This Book

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-His-Master-Neighborly-Affection-ebook/dp/B00ONTR8AY
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/becoming-his-master-mq-barber/1120611649
Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/becoming-his-master
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/becoming-his-master/id936584977?mt=11&uo=4

Author Social Media

Interview with Henry Webb

What is it that you want, but cannot have? Authors call this the conflict of the story.
What I most desire is an impossibility—to have met Jay, my sweet-natured submissive, before an odious predator led him down a path toward harm. Failing that, I want to see him whole and happy. As a submissive and as a man, he’s a delight. He’s quick to learn and eager to please. He has a ready smile, a fit body, and an incomparably beautiful soul. But he needs a mentor, not a lover. I’m pledged to help him find himself. I cannot do that if I self-servingly bend his desires toward me.
What’s your internal limitation? Meaning, what is it about you that makes it so you cannot do what it is you need to do during this story?
I’m told, by well-meaning friends, that my self-denial at times borders on masochism. I suspect there’s a bit more to it than that, but it’s true that I hold myself to an ethical standard that many others do not. Flawed I may be, but I would rather take care in imposing my will on others rather than later discover I’ve caused an unforgiveable result.
What inner doubt causes you the most difficulty?
That I am not, and cannot be, a mind reader. Most dominants I know — the good ones, at any rate — want to provide the best experience for their submissive partners, whether for a single night or a lifetime. Alongside the granting of authority and power comes the expectation of omniscience. I strive to know my submissives, to gauge their moods and their desires, to recognize when they long for more and when they have had enough but fear saying so would disappoint me. But I am not a god. Like any man, I make mistakes. The consequences of an error can be harsh, both emotionally and physically.
What’s your external complication? In the story world your author created, explain what it is you fear most.
I fear that Jay, in his vulnerability, will return to the man who hurt him. The urge to belong is a powerful one — and a dangerous one. I am attempting to encourage his independence, but he is beautifully submissive. He yearns to be owned. If I cannot teach him to prioritize his own safety, he will return to a poisonous relationship rather than remain alone.
Are you happy with the way your story ended? Why or why not?
I am delighted. Jay has surpassed all of my expectations. I could not have imagined this joy in my life. But having found it, I am loathe to allow even a minute to slip away.

About You: Questions for the writer.

You have the length of a tweet (140 characters) to describe yourself as a writer. Let’s see what you can do.
From a flurry of ideas channeled through a ballpoint pen, sweetly erotic literature emerges.
Why did you choose to write about this character?
Henry spoke to me. When a character is so insistent about telling his story, it’s impossible to push him aside. He’s a bit unusual for a fictional dominant, and I found his style intriguing.
Was there anything you discovered about this character that was a surprise to you?
Becoming His Master was my first chance to write a novel-length piece from Henry’s perspective. “Surprise” might not be the right word, but he astonished me with how deep his caretaking streak runs and how thoughtful he is about the plans he makes for his submissives. Being a good dominant is a lot of work!
When you wrote about this character, what made you the most happy? What made you the most sad?
Henry makes me happiest when he’s happiest, which is almost always when he’s guiding someone else toward a better place in their life. He’s very good at seeing problems and working out the necessary steps to surmount them — for others. He’s not as good at turning that perception on himself, and I think he makes me saddest when he denies himself the things he wants.
What do you want to write next?
It’s always such a tough decision! I jot down ideas when they come to me, so by the time I finish one book, I tend to have a pile of ideas for other books waiting. Recently, I’ve been debating whether to follow the same characters for a little bit longer, start following some friends of theirs, or move to a different set of people entirely — ones who’ve been waiting a while for their turn in the spotlight.
What other character from this book do you want to write about? Care to tell us why?
Oh, there are half a dozen other characters whose stories I’d like to tell. But the ones most likely to get their own books someday are Henry’s best friend Will and his friends Victor and Emma, the couple who mentored him in dominance and submission. They all have lives I’d like to explore further.
Are any sequels planned for this book?
In a way, all of the Neighborly Affection series books are sequels to Becoming His Master. It’s the first novel chronologically, because it shows us Henry and Jay as their love story began.

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