Renae:  Today I welcome to my blog a brand-new author.  Izzy Van Swelm has made the wonderful transition to being an author with her first novel, Soulmate for Sin, which was released in January. 

Soulmate for Sin

The effects of an attack on Sin, a twenty-nine year old university lecturer, reach out further into his future than Sin could ever imagine.

In a story, which seems doomed to start with an end, Sin learns about the forever kind of love, and how family is not just biological. 

Soulmate for Sin shows how twists of fate can take a loving, but ordinary family, from a small market town in England, and turn them into something extraordinary. 

 

Renae:  Hi, Izzy.  Tell me, how hard was it to write your first story?  What bits were easy?  What was the hardest bit?

Izzy:  First of all, thank you so much for having me on your blog today! I’m a bit of a fan of yours *grin* so I’m very honoured.

Hmmm that’s difficult to answer really… I’ve always had stories in my head but I was at University for 10 years, which meant I learned to write in a way that is hopeless for fiction. The hardest part is changing my style of writing. I say ‘is changing’ because it’s an ongoing process that doesn’t always go well. Lol. Story outlines come to me when I’m in bed trying to sleep, or in the shower. I keep a pen and notebook on my bedside cabinet as I often get really cool ideas then forget them by the morning! When I write, the characters seem to take over and the stories go off in odd directions.

Renae:  And where did the idea of this story come from?

Izzy:  I always wanted to write about ordinary people falling in love, but real love is extraordinary, so I wanted to add the soulmate twist, as I think it the most romantic idea of all. I like to highlight that, however ordinary we think we are, there is something ‘extraordinary’ about all of us.

Renae:  I admit that I haven’t read the story, it’s in my ever growing TBR pile.  So when I read the blurb, I’m confused.  I went to some of the reviews for clarification, and I’m even more confused. **LOL**  Is this paranormal?  Sci-fi?  How would you classify the story?

Izzy:  I’ve read your FB threads - with your busy life you are forgiven for not having read Soulmate… yet *wink*

I class it as a romance pure and simple. However, family plays a big role in it - the families we create at different times in our lives. I think the confusion comes because of the soulmate thread. *wink* The prologue explains where the idea of soulmates originated. Then, about chapter three, SIN meets the incarnation of his soulmate in the future, which may be a dream or not *wink* and there is a cute epilogue concerning his future soulmate… can’t give away too much. I had great fun writing snips about the 31st century LOL.

I think it’s quite limiting to put definite labels on books. What began as a marketing tool is now restricting people when they go to read. We have tags, warnings, blurbs, reviews and excerpts… before we even read the prologue. I think it makes us, as readers, lazy we don’t just try something anymore.

Renae:  To me, the blurb feels very philosophical.  “In a story, which seems doomed to start with an end…”  Do you think you have a message for the reader?

Izzy:  My prologue tells about the belief in ancient Greece regarding ‘split aparts’ / soulmates, and if I believe in anything it is the strength of love. I like to think that when you find your split apart / soulmate, the essential part that makes you both unique will never be parted again, even by death and time.

I dedicated the book to my ‘split apart’ - it was something we used to talk about when we were first together.

Renae:  Reviewers have commented that they were taken on an emotional journey at times.  Was that deliberate, or did you just go where the story needed to go?

Izzy:  The first chapter does include an attack because the characters are gay, and although the attack is very short and not explicit, the repercussions are at the core of the story. It isn’t possible to write a story like that without it being emotional. I like to think it is also quite funny and sweet in places – I wanted to make the book optimistic where good triumphs.

Renae:  You talk about soulmates.  Is that a personal belief of yours?  How often do you think we find our soulmate in real life?

Izzy:  Yes, I like to believe that something as strong and positive as love doesn’t die with us, and our essence or soul goes on looking for its soulmate in the next life and so on, until they are reunited. I suppose it’s a form of reincarnation, so if we find love in this life, but it ends or fails, we may find the perfect love the next time round. All love is wonderful though, whether it is our ‘split apart’ or not.

Renae:  I understand you are writing a sequel to Soulmate for Sin?  Is this correct?  What is this book about?

Izzy:  I have several works in progress, and the sequel is one of them. I get asked a lot, what happened to Charlie? Well the sequel is his story, Charlie’s Rainbow. It is a romance set in the same location, but more focussed on The Rainbow Lounge, that also appears in Soulmate…and Charlie’s life. This book includes, the amazing Clitty Sparkles, lovely Lady Charlotte, a stalker and precocious three year old twins. What could possibly go wrong!

Renae:  When will it be out?

Izzy:  Um... hoping that my publisher still wants it LOL… I hope the end of the year.

Renae:  Where can people contact you?

Izzy:  I have an author page on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/IzzyvanSwelm  

Plus, people can also friend me as Izzy van Swelm. I’m on twitter and on Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/IzzyvanSwelm

Renae:  Thank you for joining me on my blog.  Congratulations on your first release, and I hope it is #1 of many to come.

Izzy: Thank you again for having me Renae *big grin*

Renae:  Today I am not only putting out the welcome mat, but I’m putting out all the palm leaves and coats I have. (If you didn’t get that reference, you may wish to google Palm Sunday).

Joining me today is one of my favourite authors – BG Thomas.  **fan girling** I adore his stories, and even more, I adore him.  And I know a little secret – it was his birthday yesterday.  So I extend the warmest welcome and happy birthday greetings to BG Thomas!

BG:      Thank you. You're making me blush.

Renae:  So are you going to tell us how old you are?  (This is a multiple choice question for you):
            a. Old enough
            b. Getting there
            c. Too old – what the heck happened?
            d. Shit, I don’t feel that old
            e. When you get to my age, you stop counting

BG:      Let's just say my mental and emotional age don't match my physical age. I look in the mirror and ask, "Who is that old guy?" LOL!

Renae:  Okay, okay.  Now we get to the good part.  Your writing.  You have your latest book out in two days, Autumn Changes (Seasons of Love #3).  It is the third book in the series, following Spring Affair (#1) and Summer Lover (#2).

Blurb: Asher Eisenberg is a brilliant actor, destined for fame and fortune. But a traumatic incident in his past has caused him to reject his Jewish heritage and hide from everyone behind walls of arrogance and selfishness, and he blurs his loneliness with a lot of sex and alcohol. When he meets Peniamina Faamausili, however, he strangely can’t stop thinking about the young man.

Peni is struggling with his sexuality, the Mormonism he was raised in, and the Samoan heritage that calls to him. He longs to receive the pe’a—the traditional Samoan tattoos-- and learn more of his people's ways. He has no interest in a man like Asher, who appears to use men and put them aside and whose drinking can't help but remind him of the drunk driver who killed his father. But he can’t deny his attraction to Asher and finally agrees to a date if Asher can go thirty days without a drink.

Asher is about to go on a journey that will awaken him to his friends, his past, his future, and even to love. But that awakening could well demand the sacrifice of the dream he holds most dear.

Renae:  This is your first true series.  I know you have two stories out for The Boy Who Came In From The Cold, but that seems like more of a spin-off, than a series.  Tell me – what inspired this series?

BG:      With me the answer is usually a lot of things. The series is about four best friends. Each book focuses on one of the friends. Meaning that they are all stand alone books, but if read them in the order I wrote them, they do build on each other.

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Broken Hearts Club, and that is because it portrayed one of the most realistic views of gay men and gay friends. I wanted to do something like that. I find gay friends fascinating because I often observe that from the outside, you can't imagine why they're even friends. They might (from the outside looking in) seem to even hate each other. But inside that tribe? Look out! Fierce loyalty and love.

Another interesting thing about gay friends is many times they met by having a one night stand. They realized they didn't want a repeat performance, but something deep and powerful clicked and they become the best of friends instead. All of these things are something I wanted to explore.

And finally, a few years ago a pagan friend of mine asked me to participate in a year long celebration of the passing of the seasons. Since I honor all spiritual paths (that cause no harm to anyone) I agreed. We got together eight times over a year and noted many different cultures traditions and honored them and the four seasons. Suddenly, the summer which seemed to go by in a flash, and winter, that seemed to take centuries to pass, all leveled and balanced out. It was a powerful experience.

So that is how it came about and it has been an incredibly rewarding part of my life and writing career. I have loved writing each book and learning about the four men, plus watching them grow as people and friends. They have become the most real of all my characters. It will be rough giving it all up!

Renae:  I’m assuming there will be a winter to follow?  When will this be out?

BG:      Tentatively titled Winter Heart, it should be out before the end of October this year.

Renae:  One thing I adore about your writing BG, is that you include all types of men in your romances.  It mirrors my own writings and beliefs (which is probably why I love you so much **mwah**).  Your characters are older, younger, bigger, smaller, hairier, and smoother than the “norm” we often find in m/m.  You pick “real” men to star in your stories.  So when Spring Affair arrived, I swooned.  Now you’ve hit upon my second favourite topic – the non-white character.  I saw the cover and began chanting yes-yes-yes.  Why do you think that there are not more non-white romance books out there?

BG:      Well, I can only assume it mirrors the entertainment industry at large. Look at the typical TV show. Mostly white characters. Look at the movies. Mostly white characters. In fact, ironically, when there is a show with non-white characters as the stars, there are little to no white characters!

Renae:  Did you find it hard to write these characters.  As far as I’m aware you’re not Jewish, Mormon or Samoan.  Did you require a lot of research?  Do you have friends to help you?

BG:      I work at a place that is incredibly diverse. We have people from all over the world including Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico and...you guessed it...Samoa.

I found myself incredibly drawn to the many Samoan people. I fell in love with their language and culture and was fascinated how they had married the old ways with the new. Almost all Samoans have been converted to Mormonism. And yet, they still (for instance) will endure the incredible painful and dangerous process of getting a p'ea, the traditional Samoan tattoos that cover almost every inch of a man's body from his knees and up to above the waist. They taught me language and have invited me to Samoan weddings and fed me. I knew I had to write about these amazing and noble people. When I mentioned it, they were very excited.

And yes, it was very difficult. Between the Mormon Samoans and Jewish people, it was nerve racking. But I loved it. I have had many Jewish friends as well and even lived in Skokie for a couple of years, a major Jewish community in the Chicago suburbs. It was a powerful experience. I loved it. And I don't know if I will ever attempt anything like it again!

Renae:    And then you’re touching on alcoholism.  Do you have an experience with this?

BG:      Not personally, although I've seen it ruin friends’ lives. One guy I got to know was clean and sober for several years. He was also newly out of the closet and the only place he could find gay men to hang out with was bars. After a year or so he found himself drinking again and soon lost his job and the last I heard, he actually died. It was very sad.

The alcoholism factor came across when I realized that gay men might drink a lot--since a lot of their socializing takes place in bars--but that Asher was drinking a lot more than his three friends. I was startled when I realized that he might be an alcoholic. It's up to the reader to decide if he had gotten that far, of if he escapes that trap...

Renae:  Your Seasons of Love books are rather long compared to the norm.  Which makes me happy because I’m getting huge value for money.  Was there a lot of story to tell?

BG:      Gosh, yes! *rolls eyes* Originally, for instance, the first chapter of Summer Lover is Scott arriving at this "queer" men's gathering out in the woods--which was inspired by this ten day event I go to every year (for years). But Scott is the curmudgeon of the group--the last of the four you would imagine going to such an event. I suddenly realized people wouldn't believe it. I had to get him to the place where he would be willing to go. I have notice through the years men show up at the real life festival broken, suicidal, and in despair--and leave, if not healed, then well on their way to such healing. Spending ten days out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of gay men relying on each other for everything is a powerful spiritual experience. I knew I had to write about it--and that wasn't happening in 60 thousand words.

Renae:     How long did it take you to write these books?  Did you have to have them all finished before submitting to your publisher?

BG: These books take longer to write than anything else I write. I've written novellas in two or three days! And I am talking 20 thousand word stories. But these books have so many levels and so much depth. They touch on a lot of themes. Addictions, low self esteem, body issues, religion, alternate-to-Judea-Christian-religion, spatiality, suicide, the death of beloved relatives and more. And there is a lot of personal stuff as well.

For instance, co-dependency. I was with a man for ten years that should have ended long, long before it did. He was a sex addict, he put my health and life in danger constantly, he abused me mentally and emotionally--and I didn't leave because I was terrified he was right, and that I would be alone forever if I did. That is Wyatt's story in the fourth book. He has to find himself and believe he is worthy of love. He is going to do it. But it's ripping my heart out writing it. The ending will be so triumphant though, just as in my real life, and I hope very inspiring.

And no, they weren't all written. If it had been a case where the novels weren't stand alones, Dreamspinner Press would have pretty much insisted that all four books be done first. They want to make sure a reader doesn't get burned by getting invested in something that never gets finished. That's not the case here, although by this point I think I have a ton of readers who would breach the castle with torches and pitchforks if I don't tell Wyatt's story--Winter Heart--which is the last one and the one I am writing now. 

Renae:  Asher and Peni – (how do you pronounce “Peni” anyway?) – come from very different cultural and religious backgrounds.  Do you see this a lot in your own life?  Do you think it enriches the relationship or hinders?

BG:      First of all he pronounces his name like the coin; "penny." It is short of course for his whole name, which is Peniamina--which is pronounced Penny-ah-me-nah. And guess what? It is the name I was given by my Samoan friends at work. It is the Samoan name for Benjamin! I'm telling you a big secret here! LOL!

As for seeing this a lot in my life, I do as far as friends are concerned. And I am always asking them about their lives and wanting to hear about what it was like to live in countries so different from my own. And it certainly enriches my life.

As far as romance goes, I've never dated anyone that wasn't pretty standard USA. Not that I wouldn't, but...I am married! So that is really out of the picture.

Renae:  Okay – I promised myself I wouldn’t ask, but I have no self-control.  The naked in nature theme on the front of this series.  Where did this come from?  (And damn, it’s hot!)

BG:      Well, they are totally inspired by the works of Alphonse Mucha. He was very famous in the 1920s and practically created art nouveau. I fell in love with his work in my late teens but what made me disappointed was that out of his thousands of works, he only did about four or five paintings of men. They were always scantily clad/near nude women. I wished and wished he'd done some male art. He also did several famous four seasons print sets.

So when I was talking to Paul Richmond about what we might do for the series, he says to me--I couldn't believe it!--that he had always loved the work of Alphonse Mucha, but was sad that the artist had pretty much only ever painted women. He'd been wanting to do an Alphonse Mucha inspired set of prints, but with men--and what did I think of that? Would I mind?

Needless to say I was squealing and shrieking and jumping up and down and my husband comes rushing upstairs from his basement/man-cave thinking something horrible had happened! And what really made me happy was that Paul took the men from the second cover from my photography! And the third comes from a (very bad) sketch that I did. I have really got to be a huge part of these covers and it means a lot to me. Here's to hoping that he will offer some kind of print of the four covers when they're all done. Wouldn't that be nice?

Renae:  What are you working on now?

BG:      Well, Winter Heart, as I said. I am hoping to have it done in a month. I also just finished a ghost story that I hope will blow your socks off and will appear in the fourth volume of the Gothika series!

Renae:  Where can people find you?

BG:  You can find me on Facebook here (please feel free to friend me!): https://www.facebook.com/bgthomaswriter

This is my website: https://bthomaswriter.wordpress.com/

And I have a blog that I am very proud of called 365 Days of Silver. In it I am endeavoring to write a post every single day for one year expressing something that I am grateful for. Being grateful attracts more things in our lives to be grateful for. So far I've managed it! The one funny thing is that a friend of mine set it up for me and she lives in England and right now it is set hours ahead of me. So sometime it looks like I might have missed a day because I posted later in the evening and it was the next day in the UK! LOL! Anyway, here is the link to that and I would be honored if anyone checked it out:  https://365daysofsilver.wordpress.com/

Renae:  Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming and visiting me today.  I am ultra excited about this book.  So I hope you had a fantastic birthday, and good luck with the release. 

BG:  No! Thank you! Because I've done a bit of "fan-girling" myself by being in your blog. You are an amazing writer and I am so happy to be getting to know you! And thanks for the birthday wishes! HUG HUG HUG!

I haven’t posted a blog on here for a while – not a lot to say.  I mean, I will always have something to say, but I haven’t been inspired to share my thoughts lately.  But a funny/not-so-funny thing happened to me recently, and I thought I would share with you, so you can laugh at me and with me. 

Those who know me, or have read previous blogs of mine, may realise I have only recently cracked opened the closet door and told some of my family that I write.  It’s been an amusing journey of mine.

There were a lot of reasons I didn’t tell my family before now. I didn’t wish to tell my family, because I thought that it could all so easily go down the drain.  And having my whole family asking me about my failed attempt at authoring was the best reason to stay in the author-closet.

You see – I’m proud of my writing.  But I don’t want my family to read it.  I don’t want them to read my sex scenes.  I don’t want them to ridicule my writing.  I don’t want them to comment on what they think I should’ve written.  I don’t want them to tell me what I should do next.  Because they will.  I’m the youngest, and they just automatically think I need to be guided by their “older” wisdom.

And the gay thing?  How do I tell them that?  Unless I personally sit down with every single member and explain it in depth, and make sure they know why I write MM, I can’t be sure that they won’t be saying inappropriate (and hurtful) stuff.

I dreaded their reactions.  I thought I knew how it would go.  Some would be surprised and excited for me.  Some would be in disbelief that their youngest sister could so something like that.  Some would want to know details.  Some would want to see the proof.  Some would want to know about how much money I earned.  Some would mock.  Some would laugh.  Some would be insanely jealous.

Not that I need accolades from them or anything.  But I do get sick of, “Oh, and Renae.  She’s just a mum.”  If I didn’t believe that being the best mother you can be, and raising our future generation, is the most highly regarded thing I could ever do in my life, I would’ve been completely demoralised by my family’s attitude long ago.

But I now have enough confidence in myself, and my writing, to weather the storms (including ignoring unasked for advice).  So, I made a decision.  I would tell them the truth.  I would tell them that I write “romance” and that’s it.  I wouldn’t show them my stuff or reveal my pen name.  And if they squirrelled me out, and were offended – then that would be their problem.

I waited for an opening.  Back in September 2014, I made the decision, that next time my mother, in-laws or siblings asked me how I was going, or asked me about returning to the workforce, or even asked me what I had been up to recently, then I would tell them.

Currently, in April 2015, I’m still waiting.  How sad is that?  Not one single family member of mine has asked me about my life in over 7 months.  I’ve listened to their stories about their work, kids, study, friends, relationships and illnesses, and not one person has said, “And you, Renae?  How are you travelling?”

So a couple of weeks ago I told my mother.  She took it well.  She nodded, and then told me what sort of stories she thinks I should write.  Then the conversation turned back to her, and the saga of her life continued.

With the closet door cracked, my husband then proudly told my in-laws while I hid at home.  My FIL wanted to know how much money I earned.  My MIL apparently cried with happiness.  I was grateful for their support. 

Then last week I told my brother-in-law.  He was impressed and thought it sounded great.  He asked some questions, and we talked.  He didn’t really understand the breadth of Amazon, and usually shuns anything that required a computer to facilitate, so it was a little rough going.  Books are not his thing.  He thought it a noble hobby to be doing.

It has therefore been a mixed bag of responses so far – and somewhat in the ballpark of where I expected.

But it is the reaction of my BIL’s girlfriend who has me absolutely stunned.  A whole week later, I’m still replaying the scene in my head, trying to work out what I did wrong.  And THIS is what you need to laugh with me about.

So picture me sitting on a lounge, discussing everyday things – the weather, parenting, diets, etc.  I decided to broach the subject and asked if my BIL had told her – about the ‘writing thing’ I had confessed the previous day. 

GF:  No.  What?

Me:  You see…  ahh… it’s kind of a secret.  But I… (embarrassed blush)… I write books.  I’m an author.  I have several novels published.

GF:  (nods)

(Embarrassing pause)

GF:  I need to go and study now.

And she got up and walked away.

I sat there stunned.  Did she not believe me?  Did she think I was lying?  Did she not hear me?

I mean, if someone told me that they were a writer, the first thing I would ask is what genre and in what form did they write?  Poetry?  Screen play?  Journalism?  Fan Fic?  Epic novels?  eBook, print or online?

I mean – that would be polite, wouldn’t it?

Maybe it was shock.  Maybe it was a hard pill to swallow that I don’t just loll around the house all day pretending to raise my children (which I think she believes, and is another story).  Maybe it was complete disinterest in anything about me (which is highly likely).

But to not even acknowledge that I spoke?  I don’t know how I’m feeling.  Stunned, perplexed and insulted, I think.  I guess it’s a life experience.  I should write it in a book, but I don’t think readers would believe me…

Renae:  Today I welcome a fellow Aussie to my blog to talk about her new release, Storming Love: Flood—Adrian & Lockie.  This book was released on the 3rd of April and is a part of MLR Press’s Storming Love: Flood series.

Blurb:  Sometimes a flood cleanses more than just the land—it cleanses the soul as well.

Adrian Clarke knows his life is a hot mess. This is only one of the reasons he boards a plane and flies halfway around the world—so he can escape everything that's determined to see him break. Lockie Rivers has worked his whole life on Tenderfoot Downs. After his boss died, Lockie remained as caretaker for the new owner—a man who'd never even set foot on the place. When circumstances bring them face to face, a flash flood comes along to threaten their very existence. Can virtual strangers work together to save their home, their hearts, and find their own slice of heaven?

Renae:  So tell us a little about this series of MLR’s.  Are the books all based around the same flood?

NJ:  Yes these six stories are based around the same flood and some of our characters or where we live appear in each other’s stories

Renae:  Who had the idea for the series? 

NJ:  I was approached by MLR and asked if I’d like to participate in writing these flood stories, but me & my fellow author’s decided where our story would be set and who the main people were I the township.

Renae:  Do you have your own experiences with floods?

NJ:  Yes. I have lived through a few…back in 2011 I was like two minutes up the road from ground zero. I was trapped on my property for almost a week. Luckily for me and by the grace of whoever my guardian angel is that there is a slight rise between Placid Hills & Grantham… that small hill saved me and my neighbours. They say it was 100 year flood, but we got hit three years running.

Renae:  I’m guessing from the blurb, that Lockie is inclined to hate Adrian on sight.  I mean, Adrian has never even been to the place and is in the position to influence Lockie’s job.

NJ:  that is correct. But there was a reason why he’d never been to Tenderfoot Downs. When he does arrive he’s really just looking for a place to call home. A place to get away from the problems that are bringing his life down. Lockie on the other hand is just pissed that for someone who professes to love his Aunt he disrespected her by staying away for so long.

Renae:  Adrian seems like a man under stress.  I always find that people deal with stress in very different ways.  I often become hyper and have problems winding down.  Others become depressed or insomniacs or lose the plot all together.  Did you really think that throwing a flood at your stressed out character would make him fall in love?

NJ:  No. But honestly the guy deserves break in life. What the reader doesn’t get to see is all the crap that poor Adrian endures in his life in Australia. Not saying Australia is a bad place to live because I absolutely love it. I’m just glad he stepped from being full-on stressed to being stressed with someone to have his back—if that makes sense?

Renae:  Is this HEA?

NJ:  Yes this is a HEA… I like HEA’s. Not saying they probably won’t have their ups and downs, but basically Adrian and Lockie are a good fit.

Renae:  Floods can be devastating.  They wash away everything.  Will Adrian’s place still be there when the floods diminish?

NJ:  The house will be. As will the secondary barn, but everything else is damaged. I foresee a lot of repairs and clean-up needing to being done

Renae:  Where can people buy?

NJ:  I know I go on sale April third—MLR will be the first to release and then where ever else they sell through—here is our release schedule:

April 3 Storming Love: Flood--Adrian & Lockie by N.J. Nielsen

April 10 Storming Love: Flood--Bridge & Doug by Jenn Dease

April 17 Storming Love: Flood--Pete & McKenzie by Jambrea Jo Jones

April 24 Storming Love: Flood--Steven & Derrick by AC Katt

May 1 Storming Love: Flood--Euan & Gregg by Pelaam

May 8 Storming Love: Flood--Patric & Sam by Cherie Noel

Renae:  What are you working on now?

NJ:  I’m finishing off The Lines of Marsden 3: You Make Me Die In Pieces, and have started on my DRitC story: Hollow’s Trouble. Also working on Hidden Hearts 1: Harder & Harder To Breathe, HH 2: One Last Kiss Goodbye is already in the hands of my beta reader.

Renae:  Where can people contact you?

NJ:  People can find me here:

Blogger (Where I ramble), Wordpress  (About my books)

Facebook, Facebook Author Page, Twitter

Goodreads, Linked in, Google+

 
PUBLISHER PAGES

Fireborn Publishing

MLRPress

Totally Bound Publishing


Renae:  Thanks for coming and visiting.  I find the whole flood idea so intriguing!  I’m looking forward to this.

NJ:  Thank you for having me. I’ve actually loved reading all of the different natural disaster series MLRPress has been putting out. I hope readers enjoy my story as I put a lot of my own memories into Adrain recalling the 2011 floods.

May the floods never happen again in my lifetime.

Renae:  One of my favourite people in the whole of this world is Suki Fleet.  How lucky for me then that she also writes fantastic M/M romance stories, and she likes to chat over Facebook?

Suki:  It’s such a pleasure to talk to you, Renae. You always make me smile <3

Renae:  I have been fan of Suki from her first release, This is Not a Love Story.  So when I hear the words “new Suki Fleet story”, my heart goes bumpity-bumpity.  Suki’s newest story is out in 8 days – count ‘em off!!  So on the 16th of April, we’ll all get to experience, The Glass House. 

At seventeen, Sasha is a little lost and a lot lonely. He craves friendship and love, but although he’s outwardly confident, his self-destructive tendencies cause problems, and he pushes people away. Making sculptures out of the broken glass he collects is the only thing that brings him any peace, but it's not enough and everyday he feels himself dying a little more inside. Until he meets Thomas.

Thomas is shy but sure of himself in a way Sasha can't understand. He makes it his mission to prove to Sasha that he is worthy of love, and doesn't give up even when Sasha hurts him. Little by little Sasha begins to trust Thomas. And when Sasha is forced to confront his past he realises accepting the love Thomas gives him is the only way to push back the darkness.

Renae: I like the imagery of the broken glass – is this how Sasha see himself?

Suki:  Yes, Sasha identifies with being broken, but however hard he tries he can’t fix things on his own. Instead he gives up on himself. He becomes resigned and thinks that broken is just who he is. 

His negative view of the world was initially what drew me to writing his story.

In the first few pages Sasha sums it up by saying: “I’d found my place in the hierarchy of things a long time ago.”

Thomas fights to show him there is no hierarchy.

Renae:  I sense that Sasha has a tortured past.  Is this correct?

Suki:  Yes. Bad things happened to him. But Sasha overcomes them. This is probably one of the most uplifting stories I’ve written.

Renae:  You often write about youths in the direst of circumstances.  Is there a reason for this?

Suki:  I like to see characters fight to overcome the most awful odds. I like to see them find a way to succeed when no one thinks they can.

The strength of the human spirit amazes me.

Renae:  Would you classify this story as HEA?  HFN?  Not even “H”?

Suki:  LOL. HEA all the way. (It’s got a bit of H for humour too!! XD)

Renae:  Another theme I often see in your work is the unrequited love – or at least it seems that way to the character, that their love is not and will never be returned.  How often do you think this happens in real life?

Suki:  Oh I think it probably happens a lot, which is why I write it. I like to give my characters what real life can’t always give us.

Renae:  Are you more comfortable writing in the YA genre? 

Suki:  Definitely. Young adult/new adult, that’s the genre I enjoy writing the most--the struggles with identity, the intensity and excitement of new experiences, the mistakes that come from inexperience.

Renae:  What are you working on now?

Suki:  I’m currently writing a story for the M/M goodreads DRiTC  event.

After that I’ll come back to Foxes—my story about the kid who lives in an abandoned swimming pool looking for his best friend’s killer.

Renae:  Where can people contact you?

Suki: 

https://www.facebook.com/suki.fleet.3

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7919609.Suki_Fleet

http://sukifleet.tumblr.com/

http://sukifleet.wordpress.com/

Renae:  Thanks for coming along today and talking to me.  Good luck with this release.  I can’t wait!

Suki:  Thank you so much for having me, Renae <3 <3 <3

Renae:  Duck!  It’s April Fools Day.  And what better way to celebrate than to have Penny Brandon visit me.  **giggles**  Okay, sorry Penny.  That was a mean joke.  I am very, very pleased to have Penny visit me on my blog.

A little bit of history on my behalf.  All M/M authors will have a story on how they came to write M/M.  Me – I wrote my first M/M novel because I was reading M/M, and that’s how all the ideas in my head were manifesting.  How I came to read M/M was that I heard the term “bromance” mentioned and was intrigued.  This was back in the dark ages before I had a kindle, so I was buying all my books in paperback.

The first book I purchased was Promises by Marie Sexton.  The second?  Bringing Him Home by Penny Brandon.  If I look up from my desk, I can still see this book sitting there with its other M/M friends I ended up buying because I adored the genre.

So if you like my writing, you will need to thank Penny and Marie for making me fall in love with M/M in the first place.

Penny: Hi Renae. Thanks for having me on your blog, and thanks even more for admitting I may have influenced you in writing M/M. (Even if it was only a little bit).

Renae:  So thanks for popping along, Penny.  You’re here to promo your new book First Kiss (The Looking Glass #2).  Let’s take a look at it.

The second Brenn saw Joey’s image in the magic mirror, he was hooked. The moment he saw him in real life, Brenn knew Joey was going to be his forever. Joey was flirty, and fun, and he had the most gorgeous smile, but then Joey told him he was dying. Though devastated, Brenn didn’t want to give up on Joey, so he offered to look after him and make his last few days as comfortable as possible, but was that going to be enough when all Brenn really wanted was for Joey to live.

Brenn was everything Joey could have wished for; strong, built, and with amazing eyes, and Brenn was in love with him. That would have given Joey something to live for, if it hadn’t been too late. He had about three weeks left, but that didn’t seem to matter to Brenn. Brenn wanted to take him home, and Joey was willing to go with him, but on two conditions. He wanted Brenn to make love to him before he died, but no kissing.

Renae:  Oh, no, oh, no…  Please tell me?  Is this story going to break my heart at the end?

Penny:  Would you honestly think I’d do that? It was hard enough for me to write about Joey being sick; it would have killed me if he’d died. Thankfully Brenn saved him and we get our happily ever after, but sorry to say there is a fair bit of anguish along the way. Brenn obviously doesn’t want Joey to die, and Joey realizes too late there isn’t anything he can do about it.

Renae:  Phew.  Okay – for those unfamiliar with the series, can you explain the concept of the mirror to them?

Penny:  There is an ancient magic mirror that, at the moment, resides in an antique shop. A select few who look upon its surface are shown their one true love. Simon is the mirror’s keeper, and it’s his job to explain to those who may have trouble believing what they’re seeing that they have to give that love a chance. He doesn’t know the how or why, but he does know it’s real.

Renae:  I’m confused – why no kissing?  Or is this going to spoil the story?

Penny:  For Joey, kissing was the most intimate act of all, and he’s been determined to save that part of himself for the man he falls in love with. Though he knows Brenn loves him, Joey is too scared to love him back, fearing it would hurt Brenn more when he finally dies. Fucking though? That’s what Joey does best and he desperately wants to experience it one last time, so when Brenn promises to do what he can, Joey jumps at the chance, but with that one condition.

Renae:  In book one, Choices, we got Marc and Liam’s story.  Are Brenn and Joey connected to these two?

Penny:  Only by the mirror. It picks out those who need help finding the one who will make their life complete. Marc would never have found the right person for him if he continued to keep dating women, though he wasn’t sure if being with a man would necessarily be any easier, considering he was straight. Brenn saw Joey in the mirror and was instantly smitten. It was his love for Joey that gave Joey the chance to live. In this story, it was Joey who needed Brenn to find him. It doesn’t matter who finds who, as long as they end up finding each other.

Renae:  Does the reader need to read Book #1 in order to read this one?

Penny:  Because Simon is the mirror’s keeper, he explains the magic to those who see their true love’s image, so if you’re reading the second book First Kiss first, it won’t matter.  All the stories in this series can be read as a standalone, but of course I’d love the readers to read all of them. However, I warn you. Simon has been waiting years for the magic mirror to find his one true love, so you won’t want to miss his story.

Renae:  It sounds devastating – to find your life’s love, only to find out they don’t have long to live.  What made you think of this story?

Penny:  I generally get a scene in my head, and then create the story around it. For Brenn and Joey, the scene that came to me was the hospital one. It was so heart-wrenching I had to know what brought the two men there, and would it all end well for them. Luckily I was writing the Looking Glass series, so I could give them a magical ending, which may not have been the case otherwise.

Renae:  I’m thinking of all the things I would be doing if I only had three weeks to live – among them would be writing letters to my family and getting my papers in order as to not leave a mess for my loved ones.  I can’t imagine taking time out to fall in love.  Where is Joey’s family?

Penny:  He has no idea where his mother is, though he had tried to contact her. She had abandoned him at his Grandmother’s, and it was his Grandmother who brought him up. She died of a very familiar sickness, and it was the way she’d clung onto hope until her dying breath that made Joey decide to just live for the moment. He didn’t want to fall in love because that would have made him want to keep on living, and he thought it was too late for that.

Renae:  Will there be more books in the series?

Penny:  Of course! There’s Simon’s story, which is next, but the mirror still has to keep helping those who need it. I can’t say too much about how that happens because I can’t reveal what happens to Simon when he finally finds the one, but I hope it will keep the readers involved and wanting more.

Renae:  Where can people buy this story?

Penny:  My publisher Loose Id, have all my books for sale on their website, but you can also purchase from Amazon, All Romance E-books, and places like Barns and Noble etc.

http://www.loose-id.com/looking-glass-2-first-kiss.html

Renae:  What are you working on now?

Penny:  Two stories at the moment. Simon’s story, as I’ve mentioned, but also my Voodoo Doll book. This one is a little off the norm. Steve finds a voodoo doll on his bed. It looks like his neighbour Nathaniel. And it moves. From there both Steve and Nathan begin a journey of struggle and discovery, all while trying to stop the doll from killing them. I’ve just finished this, and hope to have it out within the next few months. So definitely keep an eye open for it.

Renae:  Where can people contact you?

Penny:  My e-mail is pennybrandon@hotmail.com, and I’d love to hear from readers. 


You can also check out my blogpage. www.pennybrandon.blogspot.com.au  where you can find my FREE short stories to read, or you can friend me on facebook. www.facebook.com/penny.brandon.3

Renae:  Thanks for visiting, Penny!  I hope you’ve had a lot of fun.  My TBR pile has just grown by another book. **wink**

Penny:  You should see my list with all of yours on it. **smile**. I’ve really enjoyed being here, so thank you once again for inviting me to be with these other amazing authors. (Including yourself of course).