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Character Interview: Zach Kelly from When Love Takes Over @JacobZFlores #RLFblog
When Love Takes Over Jacob Z. Flores, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. We’re
excited to interview your character, Zach Kelly from the book, When Love Takes
Over.Genre: Contemporary gay romancePublisher: DreamspinnerCover artist: Michael BreyetteLength: 270 pagesHeat rating (based on movie ratings): RWill broken hearts keep a porn star and author apart or will
love take over?Zach Kelly’s life is a shambles. His boyfriend of three
years dumped him, and his writing career is going nowhere. On a whim, he heads
to Provincetown, Massachusetts, to nurse his broken heart and figure out his
next step. He’s expecting to find rest and relaxation on the sandy beaches of Cape
Cod. Instead, Zach meets a hunky porn star during a chance encounter at a
leather shop he mistakes as a place to buy a belt that is definitely not for
whipping.Van Pierce is smitten when shy and inexperienced Zach
crashes through a shelf of fetish gear. Though Van’s got an insatiable appetite
for men on and off the set, his porn persona, Hart Throb, hides a broken heart.
He’s struggling to find the reality the porno set doesn’t offer, and Zach is
fighting to find the fantasy that will set his writing on fire. The odd
goofball and the suave beefcake may either find love amid Provincetown’s
colorful pageantry where summer never seems to end–or more heartbreak than
either can imagine.Dreamspinner Press http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4098Amazon http://amzn.com/B00EC3SRK6Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-love-takes-over-jacob-z-flores/1116309941?ean=2940148562511What are your main
characters’ names, ages, and occupations?Zach Kelly is 32. He is a college English professor as well
as a struggling author. Van Pierce is 28, and he is a star for Nasty Boy
Studios.Interview with Zach Kelly
Tell us about
yourself.Oh, boy. It’s not a pretty story but here goes. My boyfriend
of three years, Ben, recently dumped me. He gave me no explanation other than
it was over. He was done, and he wanted me out of our apartment. I wanted to
fix things, like I always try to do, but there was no fixing us. According to
Ben. He was so cold and cruel that I had to leave, or I was going to lose it.
It was the last thing I needed. You see, I work as a college English professor,
but it’s not what I want to do. I really want to be a full time author, but my
writing career, well, that’s going nowhere fast. I didn’t know what else to do,
so I boarded a plane for Provincetown, Massachusetts. I needed to get away and
find out why my relationship failed and why my writing sucks.Tell us about Van.Van? Wow! Where do I begin? He’s quite possibly the most attractive
man I’ve ever met. He’s perfectly tanned and his smile, well, it’s a killer. It’s
one of those smiles that hitches up to the left, the kind that reveals he’s
both an angel and a devil merged into one. When I first saw him, I wanted to
take him in my arms, but I just couldn’t. I’m far too shy for that. Plus, he’s
a porn star. What could he possibly see in someone like me? I’m too awkward and
imperfect for someone like Van.What do you think is your strongest point?Hmm. My devotion perhaps. When I make a commitment to
someone, I see it through to the end. That’s why I wanted to work things out
with Ben. We’d been together for three years. We owed it to each other to try
and work things out, but Ben wanted no part of it. What could I do?But that’s how I’ve always lived me life. For good or bad. I
don’t give up. I keep trying until no reason to try exists. I think that’s a
strong quality. Although others might call it a weakness.What would Van say is
your strongest point?That’s a good question. I don’t know. Maybe my shy and
clumsy nature. It’s what attracted Van to me in the first place. According to
him, I was very different from all the other men he’d met in Provincetown. Most
guys come to town dressed in the same short shorts and muscle shirts. Not me! I
arrived wearing baggy ass camouflaged shorts and an ill fitting blue and white
T-shirt. I didn’t think I looked that bad, but everyone else sure did. Well,
except Van. He liked my mismatched look. He also found it endearing when I
crashed through a rack of fetish gear and stumbled my way into his life. Who
knew being such a klutz would get the attention of someone like Van?What would Van say is your biggest weakness?That’s an easy one because we’ve talked about it a lot. He
doesn’t like that I’ve lived for other people for most of my life. It started
with my father. He had this image of perfection that I felt I had to meet, and
when I didn’t meet his expectations, I felt like a failure. When I met Ben, I
did the same thing. I did what he wanted and never really questioned it. I told
you I was a hot mess, didn’t I? But I’m working on it. Van’s been helping me
with that and so have my new friends Gary, Quinn, and Tara. They’ve been the
best medicine for me.What was it like
where you grew up?I grew up in a small town called Victoria, Texas. There,
everyone knows your business, and being the son of a prominent doctor in town
only made me more visible. It was hard living in my dad’s shadow, especially
once his indiscretions came to light. I don’t like to talk about them though.
It was pretty tough on me. Well, on my entire family really. I’m still trying
to deal with everything, so needless to say, my childhood wasn’t the best.What do you wish was different about your life?I wish I had more confidence in myself. I used to as a
child. I challenged everything—my father, life, school, the world, but that
only seemed to get me in trouble. I learned that it was just easier to go with
the flow. But that hasn’t worked out so well for me, has it? But I’m working on
it. That’s part of the reason I came to Provincetown. To find myself and the
person I once was.If you were given
your fondest wish, what would it be?To quit my day job and work full time as an author. It’s
really what I love to do. But I’m not quite there yet. And I need to figure out
why. Reviews for the books I’ve published myself haven’t exactly been stellar.
They say my characters are two dimensional and that my plots are contrived and
over-the-top. Maybe it’s because I haven’t really lived my life yet, which
makes it difficult to create a fictional world. You have to live and have a
life to be able to write believable stories. At least that’s what I believe.Describe a place of
perfect refuge.Right now, it’s Provincetown. When I first got here, I was
stressed and unsure. But now, well, let’s just say being here has been good for
me. The people here are great, and they are willing to take in a stranger and
treat him like family. It’s like my troubles in Texas didn’t follow me to the Cape.
I think that makes P-town a perfect refuge for most anyone.As a child, who was
your best friend? Tell us about him/her.My best friend was Tommy Martinez. We’ve been friends since
the second grade. We don’t talk as much as we used to. Which is sad. But when I
was a kid, we were inseparable. It was also kind of tough being his best
friend. Tommy wasn’t your average kid. He always had his shit together. Like he
was an adult or something. Sometimes, I felt as if my dad preferred him to me
because Tommy knew what he wanted out of his life and just went for it. Things
were never that easy for me.What do you wish I had asked you? Please ask and answer it
now.How about this: where do I see things going with Van?
Truthfully, I don’t know. I like him. A lot. Probably more than I should. But
he lives in Provincetown, and I live in Texas. Plus, he’s a porn star. What
kind of future could the two of us possibly have?About Jacob Z. Flores
Jacob lives a double life. During the day, he is a respected
college English professor and mid-level administrator. At night and during his
summer vacation, he loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to
write man on man fiction, where the hard ass assessor of freshmen level
composition turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid
appendages of the characters in his fictional world.Summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, provide Jacob with
inspiration for his fiction. The abundance of barely clothed man flesh and
daily debauchery stimulates his personal muse. When he isn’t stroking the
keyboard, Jacob spends time with his husband, Bruce, their three children, and
two dogs, who represent a bright blue blip in an otherwise predominantly red
swath in south Texas.Website/Blog: http://www.jacobzflores.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/JacobZFloresFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/jacob.flores2Tumblr: http://jacobzflores.tumblr.comYou May Also Like
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Excite Me a romance from @authortbrooks #RLFblog #LGBT
Excite Me Today’s featured book is Excite Me by Taylor Brooks.Phillip Archer spent the past ten years playing as a starting
defensive end in the NFL. After a career-ending injury he was forced to rethink
his life, and his future. Stepping down from the hustle and bustle of the limelight
and taking a job as the offensive coordinator of a small Pac-10 school seemed like
the perfect remedy to get things back on track and kick-start this new chapter in
his life.Richard Olson was single, independent, and loving life in Southern California. He had his career that he loved as a
veteran lifestyle reporter for the local news, and that was all he needed to keep
him happy and warm at night. Or so he thought. The day he ran into his old college
crush Phillip, all bets were off.The only question that remains is who will win, or if perhaps
they both end up playing for keeps in a game of winner-take-all.Buy links
Find Me Here
Twitter http://twitter.com/authortbrooks -
Your Happy End @acosmistmachine #RLFblog #superhero
Your Happy End EE Ottoman welcome to Romance Lives Forever.
Let’s talk about your book,Your Happy EndGenre: Gay Romance, Queer Superhero RomancePublisher: Less Than Three PressCover artist: Megan DerrLength: 14,000 wordsHeat rating: quite kinky to exceptional (depending on your
glove kink)Tagline: Love and robot spiders.Blurb:By day Jun is co-owner of a comic book shop. By night, he
provides the high tech gear used by superhero team Ghost Hawk and The Spider.
Cooper is the computer genius and information specialist behind the vigilante
known as The Shadow Avenger. Attraction and a love of graphic novels make for a
good start, but if they want to last Jun and Cooper will have to overcome
secrets, danger, Cooper’s past and Jun’s firm belief that people in the
superhero business don’t get happy endings.Buy links:Less Than Three Press http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=92&products_id=493What are your main characters’ names, ages,
and occupations?Jun is in his mid-twenties, he designs and builds high tech
equipment for superheroes.Cooper is also in his mid-twenties, and works as in
information specialist for another superhero.InterviewHow did you get your start in the industry?I had been writing for myself or publishing on the internet
for free for years never thinking I could actually get published. Then I saw an
open call over on Less Than Three Press’ website and it looked fun and I was
between jobs so I had some spare time. I sat down and wrote what would
eventually be the short story ‘Regarding the Detective’s Companion.’ When I
submitted it I never thought it would be accepted and was shocked, but very
happy, when it was.What do you enjoy most about writing?I love coming up with new characters, getting inside their
heads and figuring out who they are and how they think. I love world building,
getting the opportunity to design a culture from the ground up is incredibly
exciting and challenging. I am getting more and more found of writing plots and
coming up with increasingly complex twists. I also love writing about sex,
figuring out how the characters feel about their bodies, their sexualities,
themselves as sexual people (or not), their kinks and their desires … It’s
just a lot of fun.What is your work ethic when it comes to
writing?I consider my writing to be a job and thus try to treat it
with the same level of seriousness as I would any other job. I try to make time
everyday for writing related work. Responding to my publishers and editors as
promptly as possible is important to me, as is being thorough and trying to be
as professional as possible.How do you cope with stress as an author?Truthfully being an author is the least stressful job I’ve
ever had. Being a full time graduate students is lots more stressful as is any
of the other day jobs I’ve held. Writing, editing contacting people about cover
art and such is what I do to unwind. I have learned to pace myself though, to
take some time off and spend it with my family or just make myself a nice
dinner and what something fun on tv.Do things your family or friends do ever end
up in a book?I think aspect of most people I’ve met end up to some extent
in books. I am very paranoid about writing someone, living or dead, too
completely into a book though and usually try very hard not to do that. I want
my characters to stand on their own and not be tied to an actual person. Places
though — houses I’ve been in or streets I’ve walked down — will sometimes
appear in my stories whole sale.What are some jobs you’ve done before (or
while) you were a writer?I’ve been a full time student for most of my life. Right now
I am in graduate school studying intellectual history. I’ve also worked as a
paralegal in legal aid, as an intern in a human rights investigation office, as
part of an youth ministry team, as a fast food employee and I am now working
for resident life at my university.Which of your books would you recommend to
someone who doesn’t normally read your genre, and why?I think Your Happy End would be a good one if you were
looking for something fun and sexy but didn’t know where to start. It’s a
short, light hearted story that doesn’t take itself too seriously and isn’t too
deep or angsty. I think it would be an enjoyable read to dip your toes in the
water, especially if you were a superhero fan or a fan of geeks falling for
other geeks.If you love fantasy or horror but weren’t too sure about the
whole gay romance thing then I’d definitely keep my eyes out for my upcoming
novel Like Fire Through Bone which is fantasy/horror adventure story with a
solid romantic subplot and some pretty hot sex scenes. There is definitely
enough fantasy and horror there though that I think genre fiction fans would
enjoy it.What kind of books do you read when taking a
break from your own writing?I read a lot of LGBTQ romance and erotica. I also love
reading fantasy, science fiction, and gothic horror. I read a lot of
non-fiction both for research for my writing and for my history degree. Every
so often I read mystery and historical fiction as well.What do you think is the future of
traditional publishing?It’s hard to say. I think ebooks are the way of the future
although I doubt paper books are going anywhere anytime soon. We will continue
to see more small presses springing up and do quite well. Although I do think
there is a case for self publishing, there will definitely continue to be a
place for traditional publishing.What is your favorite holiday and why?I adore Halloween. I love watching horror movies, reading
horror stories and making slightly scary food, getting dressed up. It is one of
my favorite times of the year.What do you like to do when you’re bored?I very rarely getting truly bored because I am almost always
doing something. When I have some spare time though tend to I cook, usually
something complicated and time consuming. I knit, I just finished knitting a
Doctor Who replica scarf. I wanted it to be as close to the one Tom Baker wore
in Ark In Space as possible. I read, I watch tv, mostly though I write.If your life became a movie, who would you
want to play you?Mark Gatiss with glasses, his natural hair color and some
awesome suits. It would involve mummies, haunted houses, ornithology, mysteries
in Manhattan’s Chinatown,
fashionable menswear, and a great deal of alcohol and geekery.Please underline which statement is
more like you:“I am a vacation spa because I am laid back and
relaxed.”“I am a ten-countries in ten-days tour vacation,
because I do things as fast as possible.”Please complete the
sentencesI love pizza with mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, tomato
slices, olives, veggie sausage, and goat cheese.I’m always ready for unexpected wormhole through space and
time or possible rescue abandoned kittens.When I’m alone, I talk to myself, but mostly write.You’d never be able to tell, but I am just a little bit
weird. And unusually short.If I had a halo it would be made from the bones of my
enemies.If I could model vintage inspired menswear I’d do it in a
heartbeat.I can never be a professional pole dancer because I’m not
coordinated enough.Find Me HereTwitter: http://twitter.com/acosmistmachineFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/EeOttoman -
Surfeit for the Senses | Interview @TalyaAndor #RLFblog
Talya Andor, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about
your book, Surfeit for the Senses.Genre: Contemporary gay romancePublisher: Less Than Three PressCover artist: Aisha AkejuLength: 66,000Heat level (based on movie ratings): RTagline: Where the recipe for love mixes up equal parts rivalry
and the determination to come out on top!Blurb: With the buzz and drama of competition behind them, Alex
is determined to focus on the one thing that matters most: his budding relationship
with Nik. All the pieces seem to be finally falling into place, as he settles into
his new living arrangements and gets back into the rhythm of the kitchen, while
he and Nik spend all their precious free time together.Life never stays smooth for long, however. The combined weight
of family tragedy, television fame, and new, unexpected responsibilities strain
the bonds of Alex and Nik’s partnership, and conflict between them demands they
settle the question of equality once and for all. Pulled in so many directions,
it may be more than a new relationship can take.Buy links:Publisher http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=90&products_id=488What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?Alex Koch is twenty-two, and a chef who has been graduated for
nearly a year from the Culinary Institute of America. Nik Schulze is the same age,
and also a chef.Interview
How did you get your start in the industry?Around the time my grandfather died, I made a blog entry about
how he had always, always encouraged me
in my writing, and every time he saw me he asked how that was coming and whether
he’d get to read something I’d published, and one of my regrets was not having gotten
to that point before he passed away. I was invited by Less Than Three Press to submit
manuscripts for their consideration—so I took the chance! I submitted three, and
happily they were accepted. I’m proud to say that one of my first novels was dedicated
to my grandfather and his memory.What is the most important thing you do for your career now,
as compared to when you first started writing?Put myself out there, really. Before, I was always afraid to
submit anything, because I feared rejection. Now, I think I could take that to move
forward and become stronger. I wrote several novel-length manuscripts before I ever
had the courage to send anything out for submission—about nine? Maybe more? The
most important thing was to stop holding onto those for “some day” and
make now that day. Finish, work with my own pre-readers to get them as polished
as possible, and submit for publisher consideration, then go from there.What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?I get really focused, sometimes to the point where my friends
will urge me to take things easy, take a day off once in a while. From my perspective,
I take too much time off—there’s so many projects, I want to write everything while
the ideas are fresh and flowing! I tend to shoot for a goal of 2,000 – 3,000 words
a day, putting it in consistently, and that gives me decent turnout without sacrificing
quality. That allows me to pace myself and still have good output. Even then, sometimes
I feel like I’m going too slow. It took me about three months to finish my latest
novel, and I feel like I should have had it done in a month and a half, tops. Sometimes,
I have to remind myself to relax and take things as they occur. I have burned out
before, overreaching myself.How do you cope with stress as an author?Sangria o’clock! Just kidding. Speaking candidly, I try to pace
myself. It’s important to strike a work/life balance. In my case, I basically have
two jobs: the day job, and the author job. I make sure to keep up with my hobbies
as well, and my exercise regimen, and that keeps me not only grounded, but prevents
me from sinking too far into one manuscript or another. It can get really hectic
at times—this week I had to put together a blog tour, I got a print copy to approve,
there was a daily word count to meet, I got feedback on a manuscript, and things
were super busy both at home and at work—but I also made time for down time. I watched
a couple of my favorite shows, exercised daily, and had date night on Friday. It’s
a juggling act! And I seize every moment of it.Do things your family or friends do ever end up in a book?I think it’s impossible not to be influenced by that, for sure,
but I don’t think my friends or family would recognize themselves in any of my characters.
I don’t build my characters with my own friends or family in mind, either—I construct
them to their own individual specifications.Which of your books would you recommend to someone who doesn’t
normally read your genre, and why?Appetite, for starters!
I know it may not necessarily be everyone’s cup of tea, with such an intense focus
on food and fine dining, but Alex goes through a character arc that I really enjoyed
constructing, and seeing Nik through his eyes was challenging and rewarding.What kind of books do you read when taking a break from your
own writing?M/m fiction primarily, though I currently have some books on
my pile by Brandon Sanderson and Melanie Rawn. I’m a bit eclectic, I read everything
from contemporary to high fantasy to sci fi, and I tend to follow writers across
genres. That reflects a bit in my own writing; I always love to try new things.Imagine you get to go on a dream vacation, but you have only
one hour to pack and leave, and it starts as soon as you finish this interview.
What will you take with you and where will you go?My dream vacation would be a tour through Europe, culminating
in a Mediterranean cruise, ideally with a flight to Japan
at the end that would give me some time in Tokyo before I returned to the States. I could
be ready to go in an hour! I’d throw a variety of clothes in a suitcase, stuff my
laptop in its case, and I’ve already got international calling enabled on my cell
phone and my passport in my purse. I’d take my Kindle and iPod for the airplane,
and bring it on.What do you like to do when you’re bored?This is a rare state for me! I am really busy on a fairly regular
basis, between writing projects, that work/life balance, and being as lazy as possible
at every possible opportunity. I keep myself so occupied I can’t remember the last
time I had leisure to be bored. I’ll bet I played Sudoku, or read a book, or started
up a video game I hadn’t played in a long time. Even now, I’m itching to finish
my second playthrough of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword but I haven’t had the time.If your life became a movie, who would you want to play you?Drew Barrymore, for sure. Because she’s wacky enough, but also
tough, smart, and all-around fun, yet she’s got a serious work ethic. She’s well-rounded
and (possibly only in my head) we bear a passing resemblance to one another.Find Me Here
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalyaAndorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/talya.andor.9 -
Character Interview: Sean from The Final Line @kendallmckenna #RLFblog #LGBT
The Final Line Kendall McKenna, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. We’re excited
to interview your character, Sean Chandler from the book, The Final Line (Book 3
The Recon Diaries).Genre: M/M, military, mystery/suspensePublisher: MLR PressCover artist: Jared RacklerLength: 108,000 wordsHeat rating: 4 FlamesTagline: Love and Dog TagsBlurb:Staff Sergeant Corey Yarwood is an instructor
at the Basic Reconnaissance Course. His last deployment ended in horror, but he
can’t remember those events. Battling severe PTSD, Corey’s drinking is growing out
of control.Sean Chandler walks into a dive bar, and
into Corey’s life. An actor and a musician, Sean has the empathy and compassion
to sooth Corey’s pain, and the strength to support him as he struggles to heal.Corey’s lost memories are pivotal to a civilian
murder, and a military investigation. Remembering could mean salvation, or destruction.
Will the truth be too much for Sean to handle?Buy links:
MLR http://kendallmckenna.com/books/the-recon-diaries/What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?Corey Yarwood, 27 years old, Staff Sergeant, US
Marine CorpsSean Chandler, 30 years old, actor/musicianInterview with Sean Chandler
Tell us about yourself.Well, okay. My name is Sean Chandler. I’m thirty years old. I’m
an actor, a singer, and a song writer. I graduated from USC as a musical theater
major. I’ve had several roles on Broadway as part of ensemble casts. Recently, I’ve
been getting some high profile supporting roles in movies. Mostly, though, I’ve
had a lot of guest roles on popular and genre television shows, and I voice a lead
character in a very successful animated film franchise. Most of my success has been
in acting, so far, but I would really like to work in music a little more.Tell us about Corey.Corey. Oh, excuse me. That would be Staff Sergeant Corey Yarwood,
USMC Force Recon. He’s a big, blond, blue-eyed, tattooed Marine. He’s so strong
and so capable, he doesn’t feel the need to prove any of it. He’s really sexy, and
really funny, and has no idea. He’s also the strongest person, emotionally, I’ve
ever met, but he doesn’t know that about himself, either. He puts up with my crazy
job and my unpredictable hours, like it’s nothing.
Fire for Effect What do you think is your strongest point?My creativity or my sensitivity. They’re probably intertwined.What would Corey say is your strongest point?My patience. He thinks I’m more patient than I really am, though.
For some reason, he thinks it’s a burden to talk to him about the things going on
in his life and his career. But it’s not. He’s interesting and enjoyable to be around,
so no patience is involved. He just refuses to believe me.What do you wish was different about your life?I love my job and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. But it
requires a lot more travel than I wish it did. If there was anything about my life
I wish was different, it would be that I didn’t have to travel quite as much. Corey’s
job doesn’t let him travel with me very much, and it even takes him away for days
or weeks at a time. I guess it’s not the travel that I’d change, it’s the being
away from Corey so much. I don’t want to think about him getting deployed again.If you were given your fondest wish, what would it be?I’ve already been given my fondest wish.About the Author
Kendall McKenna’s first work of fiction was written at the worldly
age of nine, and was a transformative work that expanded on the story told in a
popular song of the time.She tried her hand at vampire and cowboy fiction, winning high
school poetry and short story contests along the way. It wasn’t until she discovered
the world of m/m erotic fiction and found
her stride with cops, Marines and muscle cars,
that she felt inspired to share her stories with readers who enjoy the same things.Putting herself through college by working in a newly-created
HIV testing clinic in her local Department of Health, introduced Kendall to the gay and lesbian community. Understanding and
empathy has made her a lifetime advocate of GLBT issues.A brief bout of unemployment gave Kendall
the time and focus she needed to finally produce a novel worth submitting for publication.
Her first novel, Brothers In Arms, introduced the world to her authentic
military stories and characters.Kendall
was born and raised in Southern California, where
she still lives and works. A non-conventional relationship has kept her happy for
the last decade. Her four dogs enjoy it when she writes, as she sits still long
enough for them to curl up around her.
Brothers in Arms Previous Books
Brothers In Arms (The Recon Diaries)Fire For Effect (The Recon Diaries)Strength of the Pack (Tameness of the Wolf)Nights In CanaanBooks Coming Soon
Strength of the Wolf (Tameness of the Wolf)Contest
Leave a comment with your email to be eligible to win an e-book
copy of The Final Line (Book 3 of The Recon Diaries).Find Me Here
Website: http://kendallmckenna.comFacebook: http://facebook.com/kendallmckennaTwitter: http://twitter.com/kendallmckennaBlog: http://kendallmckenna.com/kendalls-blog-3/Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/kendallmckenna -
Sunday Kind of Love @CharleyDescote #RLFblog #LGBT
Charley Descoteaux, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk
about your book, A Sunday Kind of Love.Genre: M/M Contemporary Erotic RomancePublisher: Amber Allure (Amber Quill Press)Cover artist: Trace Edward ZaberLength: Extended Amber Kiss (13K words)Heat rating: 3Blurb:Jazz trumpeter Jake McKynnie is living a lonely existence in
LA, convinced that’s the best he can expect from life. He indulges in a bender to
drown thoughts of missing his estranged son’s high school graduation, but to his
shock, finds the boy on his doorstep the next morning. DJ grew up in a small Oregon town with his mom
and stepdad, but now he’s come to LA with big dreams of becoming an actor. He’s
also not above doing a little matchmaking for his lonely father while he’s at it.Jake takes DJ to a friend’s salon, where he gets a hairstyle
fit for professional headshots. As they leave the salon, however, the observant
DJ sends Jake back inside alone to see Mason, the sexy stylist who was checking
him out, which leads to a thrilling and memorable encounter.After their impromptu tryst, Jake can’t get Mason’s strong hands
and hot body out of his mind. And for the first time in years, thanks to his son
and Mason, he can actually imagine an exciting future when it comes to his personal
life. Yet Mason’s hiding something about himself, and his secret could force him
to blow town at any time. Will he stick around long enough to replace the ghost
of Jake’s past?Buy links:Amber Quill Press http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SundayKindLove.html OR http://tinyurl.com/mpsxjzxWhat are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?Jake McKynnie is pushing
fifty, he works as a session musician by day and plays double bass and trumpet in
jazz clubs by night.Mason Hall, also pushing
fifty, is currently working as a colorist in a full-service salon.Interview
What inspired you to write this book?This story began with
a photograph and a comment by a reader on Goodreads, and took shape as a series
of “What ifs”.I don’t own the picture
so I can’t post it here, but you can see it on my Pinterest board for this book. Once
I saw that picture I knew I had to write Jake’s story (I’d known him for quite a
while by then).The 1st “What if”:
What if DJ, the boy who calls Jake “Dad”, showed up at his door the morning
after graduation?#2: What if Jake took
DJ to his friend’s salon to get an “LA appropriate” hair cut?#3: What if one of the
stylists (the hot one who ties Jake’s tongue in knots, of course) was the reason
Jake hadn’t been to the salon for a while?Jake, DJ, and Mason took
off with the story from there and I had to dance fast to keep up. They had control
as soon as Jake and DJ entered the salon, but it took me a little longer to figure
that out.A couple of readers of
my debut, Comfort and Joy, said they wanted
more information about some of the supporting cast. I’ve felt that way after reading
a story too, so I gave it serious thought and decided to fill in some of the gaps
sooner rather than later. A Sunday Kind of
Love does that in a roundabout way.Which character in your current book do you think readers
will like the most? Why?I hope they like Jake.
He’s a little dumbfounded by DJ’s arrival but does his best to rise to the occasion.
Life has knocked him around a bit but he’s a scrapper and even though he thinks
he’s given up (on a lot of things), I doubt he ever could.When you write, what things do you want close at hand? (Coffee,
water, chocolate… pictures of gorgeous hunks for inspiration…?)I usually have a large
mug of Diet Mt. Dew, too many tabs open on my browser (for “research”),
and a bunch of toys cluttering my desk. Right now I have a full cast of Star Trek
(TOS) Mini-Mates, and a headless Barbie-sized doll with magnets in her feet—she
poses like a dream but her head keeps falling off!Are you a plotter, or do you prefer to make it up on the spur
of the moment?I’d love to be a plotter!
I’m sure there would be a lot less editing in my future if I could do that. But
I just try to listen to the characters and they usually tell me what to do.Any advice for new authors?Write the stories you
want to read and work on developing your own unique voice. Voice is the best tool
a writer has, so guard yours like your favorite grandchild.What aspect of your life do you write into your books?The world-view I inherited
from being born into a low socio-economic class. When I was a kid my family was
on public assistance for many years, and I lived with a single mom in the early
1980s. I’ve been on my own since I was seventeen and spent some time homeless, so
you’ll probably never see anything too upscale in my fiction!What other jobs have you held besides writing?I’ve done a lot of different
jobs over the years—sometimes two or three at a time. I’ve been a florist assistant
and a waitress, worked in a book store and a deli, a three-person newspaper and
more than one library, and spent time on both sides of a bar (cocktail waitress!).
I also tried to pass as a corporate drone for a while and didn’t do half bad considering
I wrote sometimes when I should’ve been working!What are you currently reading for fun? Anything for research?I like a little of everything
when I’m reading for fun: Stephen King to Barbara Kingsolver, Michael Cunningham
to Holly Black. Lately I’ve been preoccupied devouring Jordan Castillo Price’s backlist
. Her PsyCop series is amazing, but I caught up too fast and now have to wait for
the next one to come out!Some of my latest research
topics have been photographing hummingbirds, trails and hikers’ camps on the Oregon coast, qualifications of a home health aide in Montana, and tattoos. Oh,
and the great Lee Lofland book Police Procedure
& Investigation: A Guide for Writers (Howdunit) has been on the table beside
my easy chair for the past six or seven months.If you could time travel what era would be your first stop?I’d stop in the mid-
to late-60s and spend as much time as I could just going to concerts: Led Zeppelin,
The Doors, Janis, Jimi, the original lineup of The Grateful Dead—if I could, I’d
keep doing that until 1991 so I could see Alice In Chains’ Facelift concert in Seattle
that was almost snowed out!What kind of music do you listen to while driving? Same question
when writing?In the car it’s usually
jazz—it keeps my road rage in check. When I write, though, I need silence (or as
close as I can get, living on a busy street!). Sometimes I’ll prime the pump by
listening to the soundtrack for a story before I start writing, though.Do you play any musical instruments?No, but I wish I did!
I’ve spent a lot of time with musicians, and even did some singing in a bar band,
but the only thing I really have the discipline to stick with is writing.What’s your favorite movie?The Wizard of Oz. It’s
delightfully subversive but wrapped in a shiny package of fairy-tale normalcy. Plus,
the flying monkeys are cool.Are you the eldest, middle, baby, or only child?I’m the elder of two
girls, which is probably why I’m so bossy.Please complete the sentence
I love pizza with salami and olives.I’m always ready for a Romance!When I’m alone, I write.You’d never be able to tell, but I spent my 40th birthday
in the pit at OzzFest.If I had a halo it would be black
leather with fringe.If I could rule the world I’d make sure everyone could
make a decent living doing something that gives them joy.I can never stop writing because my characters would
never let me sleep at all!Find Me Here
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharleyDescotePinterest: http://pinterest.com/charleydescote/Blog: http://cdescoteauxwrites.com/Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/aqe7g7r
