The Steam Room

It's All Relative

Hi folks! I'm DC Juris, and I'll be the guest blogger today. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a transgender guy who writes GLBTQ and heterosexual romance - contemporary and fantasy.

Today, I want to talk about a tricky subject: family relations.

Anybody who knows me knows I grew up in a difficult situation. My mother was a codependent hoarder with manic depression and delusions. My father was a physically, mentally, and sexually abusive alcoholic. I had brothers and sisters, but they were all grown and didn't live with us. The rest of my extended family - aunts, uncles, cousins - frequently turned a blind eye to the way we lived.

Suffice it to say that, once I was old enough, I got out on my own as soon as I could. In fact, I moved 1,200 miles away. Part of me felt guilty, though, for leaving my mother behind in a bad situation. So in 2003, against the advice of just about everyone who knew me, I moved my mother up to NY State to live near us.

I shouldn't have. I really, really shouldn't have. Things between her and I went from bad to worse. She had me convinced, for a while, that the reason she was still abusive toward me and unhappy in general was because she didn't like where she was living. So, my husband and I talked, and we moved her in with us. Before we did so, we had a long talk with her about setting ground rules. She was going to be in what had originally been a separate little apartment, so it had a sink and a stove, but we wanted a level of control over what she brought into the house (remember - she's a hoarder) so we'd be sharing the main kitchen in the house. She assured me that she would stick to the rules - that she wanted to.

But, after a while, a coffee pot showed up back there. Then she started keeping some food in the cabinets. Then the stove - which we'd unplugged - got plugged in. And then she bought a microwave. All during this, we kept talking to her about the rules she agreed to, about how she said she wanted to participate in our lives but wasn't holding up her end of the bargain. I ended up blurting out one day "You need to move out." Yeah. Tact…is not often my friend.

I thought that, away from my father and the life that made her unhappy, she'd be a different person. I thought that, given the chance to have a relationship and enjoy a life with me and her grandkids, she'd be a different person. I learned that she is who she is, and no situation changes that.

It's not just my family, though. I'm not my husband's family's favorite person. His mother has issues with me because of how I raised our kids. She doesn't like that I held our kids to high standards, and didn't let them get away with things. I'm not talking about some unreachable standards - I expected them to do their homework, keep their rooms clean, help out around the house, and keep up their personal hygiene. That's really about it. To this day, I will look at our youngest (who is moved out living on his own now) and ask him if he has brushed his teeth lately. I mean, seriously - you can tell he hasn't. Why should he slack off like that? And why should anyone let him? She takes offense that I point these things out. ::shrugs:: Everyone has their ways.

I guess the biggest difference between my family members and myself is that I live in the now - in the present. I'm firmly planted in the here and now. I can't change what happened - I can't go back and fix yesterday. I can only make tomorrow better. Most of my family members live in the past. They're very much caught up in what happened years and years ago, or how they wish their lives had been. It's impossible to hold a conversation with my mother without her going off on a tangent about my childhood, her childhood, etc. etc. There are no fun little chats. There's no "So, Danny, how's the writing going?" or "I saw this great documentary on hyenas the other day…" Even when I try to start out that way, it's just more of the same. It's tedious and exhausting and unpleasant.

What's more, every time we do talk, which is rare, she always ends up back at the same thing: she wants me to tell I think she did her best by me growing up. Well, I don't think that, so I won't say it. I don't believe in lying to people to placate their sense of self worth. Speaking of that…someone noticed the other day that, when I hung up from a call with my mother, I didn't say, "I love you." They asked me why, and I said, "Um…because I don't." They dissolved into a long rant about how I should be glad to still have my mother, that their mother had died, etc. When they were done, I simply shrugged and said, "Your life with your mother was different than mine. If it hadn't been, you'd feel the same way."

My sister clings to her sense of family. She visits her father, even though her father was pretty much the same as mine (mom knew how to pick 'em). She still talks to and visits with our dysfunctional brothers. Every time, she ends up either feeling depressed or in some kind of insane argument. I don't see the point. Family is definitely important, don't get me wrong. But not at the sake of my own sanity. I've cut myself off from toxic people, and I'm not ashamed of that.

https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/271/No-Place-Like-Home" target="_blank">https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/271/No-Place-Like-Home

Maybe this is why so many of my characters have issues with their families? Take Calliph from "No Place Like Home," for instance. Bad blood between him and his brother (same with me and most of my siblings), his father is dead but wasn't a peach when he'd been alive (same here) and his mother is pretty much toasted mentally (same here). The one big difference is that Calliph still feels an obligation to his family, whereas I don't. But maybe that's why he's the way he is. Maybe he's a manifestation of what I feel I should be. I feel like I should feel some sort of obligation, but I don't feel any at all. I worry for what that means about me.

MY LINKS:

www.dcjuris.com

www.facebook.com/dcjuris

www.twitter.com/dcjuris

http://dcjuris.blogspot.com/

Ringing In the New Year with D.H. Starr

Resolutions

I experience a mixture of emotions when I think of that word. On the one hand, I think it’s great there’s a time of year when people reflect on themselves and think about what they can do to improve their lives in some way. On the other hand, it seems like a limiting event which can lead to disappointment. Why is it only at the beginning of a new year that a mass process of goal setting takes place? Why aren’t we actively attempting to improve our lives and setting benchmarks along the way to measure our progress?

When I talk to people or read their resolutions on Facebook and other places, I notice a trend of highly specific or overly general goals. The more specific ones, like quitting a bad habit, are usually tied to an underlying condition which is leading to the behavior. If that underlying condition isn’t dealt with, most people don’t achieve their resolution. On the flip side, general goals like treating others nicely or being a better person are so vague they can easily be pushed aside because there’s nothing tangible to grab onto as a measure of growth and progress.

Out of curiosity, I looked up the top 10 New Year’s resolutions and here is what I found.

1) Spend more time with friends and family

2) Work out

3) Lose weight

4) Quit smoking

5) Enjoy life more

6) Quit drinking

7) Get out of debt

Learn something new

9) Help others

10) Get organized.

Of these resolutions, the first is the only one which seems to be specific enough to concretely measure, but broad enough to be incorporated into several steps along the way. For instance, you may create a calendar for yourself and begin to reach out to friends and plan various events. Maybe you like to cook, so you work in a dinner party. Maybe you like the theater and invite a friend to purchase tickets with you. Maybe you do something even more involved like set up a weekly family night. The point is, you can track how much time you are spending with family and friends, but you can also take several steps along the way toward achieving that goal so it becomes a natural part of your “lifestyle.”

When reflecting on my own life, I believe I don’t have a good balance between attending to my personal and professional goals. Specifically, I am so focused on the professional that I have allowed it to hamper my social life in ways that leave me feeling unsatisfied and a bit lonely. I could say I’d like to find a boyfriend or add going to the gym to my routine. Perhaps I could carve out regular time for my writing. On the flipside, I could simply say I want to have a better balance in my life. That is what I want, but it’s so general that I wouldn’t know where to start and would probably give up right away. While each idea is a step in the right direction, none of them, on their own, seem to address the overarching issue which has continually popped into my head…I’m not paying attention to the whole me.

So how can I find the right combination of broad and specific? What are the patterns in my life which have become too comfortable and easy? For me, it comes down to thinking about where I am, where I want to be, prioritizing, and mapping out a plan. Right now my career is taking up the majority of my life and I’m so tired and spent by the end of the day that I don’t have the energy to work out or write. I’m single and while I have great family and friends. I don’t want to build a “life” with them the way I want to build a life with a partner. So by New Year’s Eve 2012, I want to see that I’ve worked time into my life routines for working out, dating, attending to hobbies like cooking, and making sure I honor my characters and readers by writing every day. So for me, it’s about listing what I have and what I want, ordering them from most to least important, and planning steps along the way so my patterns change.

As you think about your resolutions and goals, try to see if they are too specific and daunting or too vague and elusive. Look at where you want to be in the coming year, and plan steps you know you can achieve. Celebrate small successes and know that we are all struggling with bettering ourselves so you’re not alone.

I wish you the greatest of luck and please check in with me to give me a nudge and encouragement on reaching my goals this coming year. I’ll be thinking of you too!

Check out Feed, Prey, Love at http://ai-press.net/

DH Starr is an author of gay erotic romance and LGBT young adult fiction. A hopeful romantic at heart, he thrives on creating characters who struggle and suffer as they work their way towards self-discovery and happiness. He’s been told by some readers that his tendency to torture his characters makes them want to kill him while reading, but they are relieved and happy by the end. You can learn more about DH Starr and his books by visiting his website at www.dhstarr.com or on his blog, www.dhstarr.blogspot.com.

What are your resolutions for the New Year?

When I first discovered The Steam Room, I immediately became enthralled. What a wonderful atmosphere and location for exploring the erotic. Thanks so much for having me here, and I’m looking forward to chatting about my erotic paranormal The Vampire, the Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome.

Why don’t you slip into something comfortable, wrap yourself in a fluffy towel and sip on a cool drink, and let’s get it on!

Blurb:

Haunted by paranormal abilities that she can’t control, and plagued by nightmares about a demon that seeks her soul, Lily Anima travels to New Orleans in search of salvation.

In the French Quarter, Lily dives into the paranormal world and enlists the help of an unlikely couple: a vampire, Lawrence Justice, and a werewolf, Trevor Pack.

As the trio encounters ghosts, voodoo and unspeakable evil, will Trevor and Lawrence be able to help Lily turn her powers into a gift rather than a curse? And when Lily discovers that she needs to lose her virginity in order to embrace her powers and get the demon off her back, will the twosome be able to survive as a threesome?

Buy Link: http://www.ravenousromance.com/fantastica/the-vampire-the-witch-and-the-werewolf-a-new-orleans-threesome.php?keyword=louisa+bacio

Kindle Buy Link for The Vampire, the Witch, and the Werewolf

Website Link(s): http://www.louisabacio.com

http://louisabacio.blogspot.com

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqf1x58P6zE

Excerpt:

“And the whole ‘can’t have sex thing?’” Lily asked jumping to the heart of the matter. Coming up on thirty and still a virgin. She felt like a bad imitation of an old maid. There was a time in her life when she wanted to wait for the “right” person, but lately she’d begun to feel desperate.  When it simply wouldn’t happen, she felt like she would give it up to just about anybody—but she did have her standards, no doubt.

Now? Now she was old enough to realize that it all mattered. Her heart was at stake, not just her body. Thinking about getting horizontally physical, and being in such a close proximity to Lawrence cranked up her hormones. She pulled at the neckline of her turtleneck. Either the temperature had skyrocketed recently, or she was even worse off—and hard up—than she liked to admit.

“Still working on that issue, too. It seems connected to the other powers situation,” Law said, “and I don’t totally understand it.”

He stopped looking at the notes in his hands, and turned his attention to Lily. As his eyes caressed her, she felt her nipples perk up, as if her body knew something was about to happen that her mind wasn’t necessarily privy to. Dampness settled between her legs, letting her know that physically she was more than ready for a lover. Perhaps, Lawrence acted as a key. Maybe she needed a non-human lover. Maybe something about her body connected to his on another level that neither of them knew about. And where did that leave Trevor?

Within an instant, she saw Law’s pupils dilateand his interest level rise. Just as quickly, he looked away, and the feeling dissipated. Either she had been imagining the connection, or he’d squashed it for some reason. She wished that she could read him, and his feelings. She strained to pick up on something, but if it had been there, he’d blocked her.

Louisa: I think my glasses are starting to go up in here. Let me clean up a little bit, and then we can delve into some of these killer questions.

TSR: Tell us about The Vampire, the Witch, and the Werewolf.

Louisa: Pure sexiness exists within the paranormal realm. With the Twilight frenzy, so many people chose between Team Edward vs.Team Jacob (personally, I have a Wolf Pack T-shirt). There’s this dichotomy between the long-living, intelligent vampire, and the passionate (hot) werewolf. In The Vampire, the Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome, the question that comes up is, why choose?

TSR: Who is your favorite character (yours or someone else’s) of all time?

Louisa: Tough question. Currently, it has to be Eric Northman – as portrayed by Alexander Skarsgard – on True Blood. The character is complex – evil but wants love. He does things that others would consider bad, but the morality, for him, doesn’t exist. Plus, Skarsgard is a helluva lot of man to love. (My husband is 6’4”. I like a tall man.)

TSR: What’s your favorite movie and why?

Louisa: For someone who teaches film studies, I’m almost ashamed to say Grease. Yet, I also know that I’m not the only one that adores the simple love story, the “bad” teenagers and the addicting soundtrack.

TSR: You’ve written several F/F and M/F novels. What inspired you to try ménage?

Louisa: Love knows no bounds. I enjoy reading ménage– the thought of multiple partners pleasing each other is stimulating, and ultimately, I don’t think that we’re only here to love only one person. If a love doesn’t work out for whatever reason, I don’t think that means a person has “missed” their chance at love.

TSR: I see Anne Rice (A.N. Roquelaure) snagged you with her Sleeping Beauty series.  What other sources of inspiration do you have for writing erotica?

Louisa: Sources for inspiration … you mean like my uber-sexy, Air Force hubby who knows how to fix things with his hands? Or the musicians and athletes I’ve dated? Inspiration comes from life and imagination, and that blur between the two.

I enjoy watching people, and capturing that joy of relationships. I also think I’m a good study of people and how they interact. 

TSR: What’s one thing you really, really want to do and why?

Louisa: Hmmm… I really enjoy traveling, but I don’t think I travel “well.” I’m not one of those people who can physically go-go-go, and I’ve learned that as I’ve gotten wiser (older). Two “wish-list” spots are touring the New England states and Greece. In 2012, my husband and I are planning on doing the trip through New England, and we’ll see how many I get to see: Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire …

As for Greece, I’m torn with the current economic crisis. As an English major – bachelor’s and master’s degree – it’s an absolute must for me … some day.

TSR: If you cook, do crafty stuff, or have a hobby, please share the details with readers.

Louisa: Cooking actually relaxes me. I’ve always said that if I wasn’t a writer, I’d be a chef. There’s nothing better than making a huge pot of spaghetti sauce on a Sunday, inviting family and friends and then enjoying a long meal with plenty of wine!

And while I wouldn’t call myself a ghost hunter, I’ve been on a few organized events and the results definitely intrigued!

TSR: What’s next for you?

Louisa: The paranormal world within New Orleans once again captured my muse. I’m in the midst of the sequel to The Vampire, the Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome. Titled Chains of Silver, the book focuses on the werewolf’s sister Silver, who was adopted at birth, and we also continue with the storyline of our original threesome. 

Personally, I’ll be at the GayRomLit Retreat in NewOrleans in October, where I’m sure I’ll uncover some additional inspiration.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to visit The Steam Room. You’ve been such a kind host, and hospitality has been wonderful! Watch out for those things that go bump in the night (and in The Steam Room)!

The Steam Room Welcomes author and columnist Xavier Axelson!

TSR: Tell us about The Incident

Xavier: The Incident is an erotic, gritty M/M romance that touches on the themes of forgiveness, personal freedom and the power of love and the brotherhood that exists within law enforcement.

TSR: Who is your favorite character ever and why?

Xavier: I love my latest character whose name is Dock, he is not in The Incident but another novella that will be released this summer titled The Birches.  He is passionate, funny and a lot like me, surprisingly so, I read some of The Birches out loud to a friend and he immediately said, “you’re Dock.”  So I guess I came through him and didn’t even realize it.  The Birches is possibly my most personal piece.

TSR: You have a very direct writing style with a cheeky edge of humor.  What influences the way you write?

Xavier: Thanks!  I am a victim of my muse.  I honestly don’t know what is going to happen until it is actually happening.  I often will write and then look back and not realize what I’ve written, I am really just going with whatever comes to me.

TSR: What do you think of the philosophy ‘Gay until proven straight’?

Xavier: My thoughts on sexuality have changed recently and I could write extensively about this but will sum up what I believe by saying this:  “Sexuality is like electric energy, it moves and can really be anything you want it to be, but until you commit to it and the plug meets the socket there cannot be a connection.”  I think there is way too much time spent trying to define sexuality when there should be more time being authentic to who you are and being honest with who you are involving yourself with.   

TSR: How did you get into writing erotica and how do you combine it with horror without losing that romantic edge?

Xavier: I got into writing erotica by chance.  I read an article in the LA Weekly and read about this huge industry of women who were writing Gay erotica and thought, “well, if they can do it, why not a Gay guy?” and so I did and love everything about it.  My horror writer is in all of my work.  I think everything I write is a little rough and edgy and sometimes violent but I am focusing  more creative energy on my horror stuff right now.

TSR: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite thing to do?

Xavier: Sleeping.

TSR: Do you cook?

Xavier: I do cook. I love to cook and have actually exorcized many demon in thekitchen.  I have a fascination with brownies right now and recently made cookies and cream brownies that were possibly concocted in Hell, they are that sinful.

TSR: What’s next for you?

Xavier: I’m releasing The Incident this summer followed by The Birches also expected by the end of Summer both with Seventh Window Publications.  I will then release three of my novellas from Seventh Window as a print collection hopefully in time for the holidays.  I also have a novella titled “Lily” to be released with Silver Publishing coming out this fall.  The rest of the summer I am spending editing the first of three erotic horror novels that I will be submitting for publication in the fall.

Buy Link:  http://www.seventhwindow.com/

Link to Xavier’s Amazon Author Page where you’ll find some of his other releases

Website Link: http://xavieraxelson.com/

The Steam Room welcomes best-selling author Joyee Flynn!

TSR: Tell us about Midnight Matings.

Joyee:  I had this crazy idea, to write a whole series where each book started from one point. All different versions of what happened that night and afterwards. I called Stormy Glenn and Gabrielle Evans, told them my basic idea, and it just snowballed into this huge project they both were on board with. It's been an exciting ride and one of our main ways to have fun with the series is to write some of the most off-the-wall paranormals we can come up with. I mean, who's ever heard of a mouse shifter?! But I had a blast writing him.

TSR: What draws you to writing M/M paranormal fiction?

Joyee:  I've been a paranormal girl for as long as I can remember. I got in trouble once in grammar school because I called a teacher a liar when she said there was no such things as vampires. I told her until she met everyone in the world, she couldn't say for sure. Do I believe in them? Not really, but I don't believe that there aren't any for sure either. I'm old enough to know I don't know everything. And M/M… I just find it out. Guys have been fantasizing about girl on girl action for years. So why can't women want to read about two guys getting it on?

TSR: Why did you go with a series of novellas—not unlike one of your favorite writers,Charles Dickens—instead of a choosing a longer novel format?

Joyee: I write longer 200k books in my mainstream works. When I started writing as Joyee, I liked that the books were shorter, fun reads that you can sit down after dinner and be entertained that night and go to bed with a smile (hopefully). To me, some of the best parts of longer books are where they meet, the hoops they have to jump through, and then that you know they'll make it. Sometimes anything after that seems to just be there to pad word count. I just really write like I drive, fast and to the point!

TSR: I noticed you like Anne Rice and Shakespeare, two of my favorite authors. What draws you to such disparate types of writing?

Joyee:  They are, but they aren't at the same time. Obviously different at the baser level but in the deeper levels of the stories they both write a lot about the paths least taken. Shakespeare wrote about rebels going against the trend of the era, the heroes and heroines of his stories and Anne Rice is ALL about going against the grain. Even her vamps can't abide by their own rules. I like that their characters aren't always the cookie cutter, unflawed, unrealistic protagonists.

TSR: How did you get into writing erotic romance?

Joyee:  Theonly difference between romance and erotic romance is that I can say cock. I don't have to veil the word and call it a member… and that's just me. I'm not the type of person to beat around the bush or sugar coat. Sex is sex, fucking is fucking, and making love is making love. And a chicken is a chicken, no matter how you dress it up. So when it came time to choose a genre that was most like me and something I thought I might be able to excel in, I went with my personality. Just spit it out and get to the good stuff!

TSR: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite thing to do?

Joyee:  Right now, unpacking…. oh wait, you said favorite thing, not least favorite thing, lol. I read, a lot. It's an expensive habit. Pup and I play in the yard a lot and it just always makes me smile how excited he is to always go get the same damn tennis ball. Other than that, normal stuff, I like movies, catching up with friends, going out sometimes. I'm not very eccentric… At. All.

TSR: If you cook or do crafty stuff, please share a favorite recipe or project with the readers.

Joyee:  I make candles. It's very cathartic and I love when my entire house smells yummy or pretty. So no real recipe, but advice if someone wants to do it. Always have the cold water running when you’re pouring hot wax because you WILL burn yourself at some point and it's good to be prepared!

TSR: What’snext for you?

Joyee:  I've got a super secret project coming out at the end of this year that I need to get in gear on. I've been sworn to secrecy about it, but I will say there will be no waiting to find out what happens next. Or no more than a day!

Important Links:

Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/squeak-and-a-roar

Website Link: www.midnightmatings.com

Leave a comment for Joyee between now and June 1st.  One lucky reader will be chosen to receive a copy of Joyee's latest release Squeak and a Roar.

TSR Welcomes Back Best-Selling Author Gale Stanley

TSR: Tell us about Sleepless Knights.

Gale: I wrote Silent Knights last year. It started out as a submission for an anthology and just kept getting longer and longer. It was released in October of 2010 and I intended it to be a stand alone book.  A reader sent me a very nice message telling me how much she liked it, and I should write a sequel. Right then I knew there was more to the story and SILENT KNIGHTS was born. Thank you Lisa! The book is dedicated to you.

It continues the story of Andy and Paul who are now a couple. The dreaded two-year itch infects their relationship, Paul becomes distant and Andy doesn’t know how to reach him.  He takes Paul to Carmel-by-the-Sea for a romantic weekend and on the way home they pick up a hitcher.  Zach is a drifter looking to trade sex for a roof over his head. He never expects to fall for the two hot guys that pick him up on Pacific Coast Highway.

TSR: Tell us about Some Like it Rough.

Gale: SOME LIKE IT ROUGH is the second book in The Gentlemen’s Club series, but each book can stand alone. Richard, one of the two main characters, played a smaller part in book one. I knew he had a story of his own and it plays out in book two. He’s a very wealthy man but he lost his long-time partner to cancer and he’s resigned to spending the rest of his life alone – until he meets a younger man from the wrong side of the tracks and falls hard.

TSR: You’re making quite a name for yourself in the M/M world. What draws you to writing in this subgenre?

Gale: Some people are surprised that I write MM fiction but it never occurred to me that there was anything strange about it. After all I wrote a series about wolf-shifters and I’m not a werewolf. Even while I was writing my paranormal MF romance, Call of the Wilds, I realized that I liked writing the male POV much more than the female.

My career path might have something to do with that. I used to work on a survey crew on construction sites. When I was hired, women were a rarity in the field. In an office of fifty, I was one of four women – a secretary, a payroll clerk, a drafter and me. I wore a hard hat and steel-toed boots and worked outside with the guys. Needless to say they weren’t thrilled to have me – at first. Once they figured out I wasn’t going anywhere, I became one of the guys. They were an unbelievable cast of characters. I learned a lot about men and I enjoyed working with them more than the women. POINT OF BEGINNING, the first book in The Gentlemen’s Club series, takes place in an office much like the one I worked in. But believe me, truth is stranger than fiction.  

TSR: I loved Silent Knights.  As a reader, I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. As a writer, I’ve been too chicken to write a sequel featuring the same characters. What are the pros and cons of revisiting favorite characters like this?

Gale: Well, as I said, I didn’t plan to write a sequel, but once I got the idea I ran with it. I enjoyed revisiting Andy and Paul. They revealed more of themselves and Paul mellowed a bit. I empathized a lot with the new guy. Zach had a hard time growing up and did some bad stuff along the way, but his strong character reveals itself. I can’t really think of any cons.

TSR: You have an age difference between the characters in Some Like it Rough.  What challenges did that present?

Gale: Great question.  Age is relative. I’m more interested in the character’s history, and the journey they’re taking. In Some Like it Rough, there’s an age difference of maybe fifteen years. Julian is in his thirties, Richard is nearing fifty. So neither one is a kid and they both have life experience behind them. The biggest difference between them is lifestyle and I think it will be interesting to see if they can keep making it work.   

TSR: If you could have one of your characters from any of your books come alive for a guilt-free day, who would it be and why?

Gale: I don’t have to think twice about that one. It would be Malcolm from Call of the Wilds. His physical characteristics are based on Clive Owen, who I have a mad crush on. It’s no secret, my husband is well aware of my infatuation.  I own every one of his movies on dvd. My favorite is Sin City.

TSR: What’s next for you?

Gale: I have a new paranormal series in the works with Silver – Symbiotic Mates. The first book, HUNTER AND THE HAWK, will be released in April. Book two, PETER AND THE WOLF, comes out in May. It’s about two species, vampires and Lycans, who are forced to put aside their enmity if they want to survive.

I just signed a contract with Silver for ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK, Flight Plans: 1. It’s a contemporary MM romance, no release date yet.

And I’m also continuing the Black Wolf Gorge series for Siren. But the location has shifted to New Mexico, so I’m thinking the series title will have to change. 

Important Links:

Buy Link for all of Gale’s M/M books: http://silverpublishing.info/index/book_authors_id/48/typefilter/book_authors

Silent Knights on KINDLE

Sleepless Knights on KINDLE

Point of Beginning (Gentlemen’s Club #1) on KINDLE

Some Like it Rough (Gentlemen’s Club #2) on KINDLE

Website Links: http://galestanley.net/

                            http://galestanley.blogspot.com/

                            http://www.facebook.com/gale.stanley.author

Contest: Comment for a chance to win an eCopy of Some Like It Rough.

TSR is proud to present Lauren Gallagher

TSR: Tell us about your latest novel.

Lauren: Well, the one coming out very shortly (March 9 from Carnal Passions) is Reconstructing Meredith.  I’m especially proud of this one, partly because it was one of the most difficult books I’ve ever written. This is the sequel to Light Switch, and explores the challenges of a dominant trying to rehabilitate an abused, traumatized submissive.

Here’s the blurb:

“Scott,I need your help.”

Five words from a woman he hasn’t seen in five years, and Scott Moore’s world is thrown off its axis. Ex-girlfriend Meredith has resurfaced with a past full of horrific abuse at the hands of a man who called himself a Dom, and she has the scars to prove it. Now she needs Scott’s help to reclaim her sexuality and put the past behind her.

Scott is more than willing to help, but he has no idea the toll it will take on him, not to mention his other polyamourous relationships. What’s more, while Scott and Meredith face down her demons, their own past won’t be forgotten. Neithe rwill Scott’s feelings for Meredith…

It’s a very emotional roller coaster for both of the characters, and I hope it will be for the reader as well. It certainly was for me, good Lord…

TSR: Your characters are very realistic.  I think I’ve met most of them in real life. They’re not beautiful people; they’re as complex and flawed as the rest of us.  Why do you choose to create characters like this rather than work with those who are rich and beautiful and perfect?

Lauren: That’s probably one of the best compliments I’ve gotten in a long time, so thank you. Perfect characters are annoying. I can’t relate to them, and if I can’t relate at least on some level, I can’t write about them. I like my characters to be more accessible, the kind of people my readers and I can relate to.  It’s easy to fall in love with someone who’s flawless.  It’s a lot more challenging to fall in love with someone with quirks, flaws, problems, etc, so to me, it means more when they do fall in love.

TSR: Most of your stories take place in or around Seattle and include some element of baseball.  Why?

Lauren: LOL I didn’t even realize baseball showed up so many times. Usually a matter of  “okay, these characters need something to do…baseball game!”  or “something to discuss/distract in a bar…baseball game on TV.”  And I’ll admit, I like baseball, so that’s admittedly a little bit of me slipping into my stories.  In fact, as I write this, I just realized I was, earlier today, working on a chapter in my current WIP in which the characters are at a baseball game. *sigh*  I’m hopeless.

As for Seattle, it’s my hometown. I’m more familiar with it than anywhere else, so I can make it more authentic.  Whenever a story or scene takes place in a real city, it’s most likely one I’ve visited: San Francisco in Until It’s Over, Vancouver in The Best Man, etc. Other stories, such as Cover Me, are in completely fictional cities.  Seattle is just my default setting because it’s most familiar to me. I just finished a book in January that takes place almost entirely on Maui, even though I’ve never been there, and eventually I’m going to set something here on Okinawa, which is where I live now.

TSR: You write M/F under Lauren Gallagher and M/M under L.A. Witt.  What is the biggest difference between these two romance dynamics? 

 Lauren: There really isn’t one, to be honest.   Not one I’ve picked up on, anyway.  People are people, emotions are emotions. There’s the stereotype that men don’t know how to talk about feelings, or don’t like to, or can’t, or that women are the exact opposite. Quite honestly, I think we’re all closer to the middle. Uncomfortable conversations are uncomfortable for most people.  Yeah, some of my boys have a hard time coming to terms with their feelings or admitting them…but so do some of the girls.  Sort of like the physical differences: on the surface, you’d think everything would be way different, but it really isn’t that much different.

TSR: Your newer stuff delves deeper into BDSM, a concept with which you’ve lightly flirted in the past. What piques your interest in this part of the erotica genre?

Lauren: Part of it was simply my own curiosity about kink, which led to reading some BDSM fiction. This led to the second part: realizing there was a lot of fiction out there that showed a serious – even dangerous –lack of understanding of what BDSM is about. I wanted to write something that wasn’t, for lack of a better description, rape masquerading as BDSM.  Then the more I wrote, the more I enjoyed writing it, so it’s probably going to be a regular occurrence in my work.  

TSR: You work with multiple publishers.  What do you like about that?

Lauren: The coolest part is that my publishers all have different turnaround times for releases. With one, I can sign a book and it’s out in about 3 months.  With others, it’ll be 6, 9, or 12 months out.  It makes it a little easier to spread my release dates out a bit.  I get twitchy if I look at my “coming soon” list and see it getting sparse, or see a big gap between releases, so this gives me some ability to fill in those gaps.

The other cool thing is working with different editors.  I’ve learned a lot from them about grammar, style, my own bad habits, etc. It’s been quite an education.

On the flip side? It has resulted in getting multiple sets of edits at the same time, or a galley copy and a set of edits, or something like that.  I’m one of those people who sweats bullets if I’ve got someone waiting on me for something and I haven’t started on it, so when I have to work on something for one person while postponing something for another, well, I’m sure you can imagine. But that’s about the only thing I can think of that’s even remotely negative, and I’d hardly even call it negative. It’s just something that’s made me learn the fine art of time management.

TSR: What’snext for you?

Lauren: As far as upcoming books…a lot.  Between now and the end of May, I have a few books coming out under both names from Samhain Publishing, Loose Id, Carnal Passions, and Amber Quill, plus a short story in a collection from Evernight Publishing.  There’s also a M/M/M BDSM novel coming out in August and a not-nearly-as-dirty-as-I-usually-write-them romance novella in September.

As far as what I’m writing next? Your guess is as good as mine.  I’ve given up trying to predict what I’ll be writing beyond 2-3 months from now, because I’m nearly always wrong.  That said, I’ve got a few sequels brewing – including one I’m working on now that’s the follow-up to a previously-released book – and a couple of books may end up turning into ongoing series. Not sure yet. I’m branching out a little into speculative fiction, I’ve recently finished an urban fantasy/shapeshifter novel.

But don’t worry: the dirty stuff isn’t going anywhere.

I’m giving away an electronic copy of any book in my backlist as L. A. Witt or Lauren Gallagher.  Leave a comment to be entered!

Buy Links:

·  CarnalPassions

·  AllRomanceEbooks

·  Bookstrand

·  Amazon

Check out Lauren's backlist on her website: http://www.loriawitt.com/

Please welcome author Scarlet Hyacinth!

TSR: Tell us about your Kaldor Saga.

Scarlet: Enraptured was the first book I’ve ever written. The story is quite funny, actually. I started writing it while I was supposed to be working on my dissertation. My mother could never tell that I wasn’t writing anything remotely scholarly, given that she doesn’t speak English, so she couldn’t nag me that I was lazy. So, it was a lovely pastime,something I loved, and wanted to share with everyone else. Later I started posting it online as a free read, and it evolved into a much more complex storyline than I originally intended.  Truth be told, I only ever intended it to be a trilogy, with three couples, all of which appear in Enraptured: Gabriel/Lucien(the main characters), Kalin/Cade and Orin/Zeli.

The Kaldor Saga now stretches over two worlds, including characters from both Earth,and its parallel world, Kaldor. While in Enraptured, the story revolves around a smaller cast, it gradually expands to include many more, as friends, family and mysterious enemies come to the fore.

In many ways, Over the Edge marks this twist, as the mood changes from the lighter, sweeter, more romantic one in Enraptured, toward a somewhat darker, deeper tone. I’m not sure whether it is because I am maturing as a writer, but in a way, I wanted to point out that happily ever afters are very hard to get. Something will always pop up that will mar it, even if it probably wouldn’t be something as drastic as what I used. You then have to rely on your loved ones, in this case Kalin and Cade, to fix what is broken.

My latest release, Destinies in Darkness, features a couple that wasn’t in the original story, Eric and Keenan. Part 1deals with the love story of this couple, while Part 2 reunites them, and the rest of the characters introduced in Part 1, with the Kaldorian side of the cast.  As a matter of fact, Part 2 will come out tomorrow (Dec 28.) In this installment, the readers will find out the protagonists of the next story, Second Chances, which will be published next year, in spring.

TSR: What draws you to writing MM romances?

Scarlet: Well, there are two significant things that draw me to MM romance. The first one is that I find it with great potential from an emotional point of view. I also have a greater liberty with my heroes. For example, in an MF romance, I can’t make a heroine weepy or clinging on the male, as she would simply not appeal to the independent women who read the books. In MM, if the hero sheds a tear, he is simply in touch with his sensitive side. *grins

But seriously, I think that MM romance is much more challenging and with several aspects that an MF book would not have. For example, GLBT relationships are still looked down on in many countries, my own included. I hate that, and my writing is a sort of passive resistance to the general trend. Perhaps, in the future, I can do more for the GLBT community in my country.

And finally, I also write it for a very simple reason: it’s hot. What can be more delicious than two (or more) hunks getting it on?

TSR: You mentioned on your website that you don’t plan to ever write another ménage romance.  Why not?

Scarlet: You saw that? Haha. That was true at the time when I posted it, but not so much now.  From my point of view, ménage romance is very complex, simply because it involves an increase in emotion that is sometimes difficult to convey. But since then, I have changed my orientation and decided to take a chance.

As a matter of fact, four of the books on my coming soon list are ménage, the two sequels of my Deadly Mates Series (Spell of a Predator’s Moon and Dragon’s Bloodmoon), as well as two new books contracted with Silver Publishing: The Plot Bunny and Awakenings.

TSR: Would you ever consider writing straight or mixed (ménage with bisexual characters) romances?

Scarlet: I have many times considered writing other types of stories, including straight romances. As a matter of fact, I am considering venturing into mainstream fantasy sometime in the future. I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and I want to go beyond what I have already accomplished. But for now, MM romance is what I love to write, and I will stick to it.

TSR: You’re from Romania.  How did you get into writing English-language novels?

Scarlet: English has always been a passion for me, ever since I first started going to school. In high school,  I continued my studies of it and went on to take university classes in English. During this time, I read a lot, from Shakespeare plays, to philosophy, all in English. Then, a friend of mine introduced me to MM romance novels, and I was hooked. From then on, writing my own stories was only a step away. Of course, it took time for me to get good enough. Many wonderful people helped along the way, the great staff at Siren Bookstrand who gave me a chance and taught me how publishing is done. In many ways, I’m here now because of them.

TSR: I had a Romanian friend in college who used to roll his eyes at the mention of vampires.  You list vampires as among your favorite things.  What draws you to them?

Scarlet: I find vampires dark, interestingand romantic. Like your friend, I roll my eyes when I hear people mentioning the bloody ways of the Transylvanian “Count Dracula”. I read references of it in books, and it makes me laugh – which is why, even if Romania appears in my books, you’ll never find it as a “stronghold” for vampires. That aside, I have always been drawn to the darker side of romance, the bad boys, so to speak. And I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to live forever, but deprived of something we “humans” take for granted. 

TSR: What’s next for you?

Scarlet: Many things. I will, of course, be continuing the series already in progress. Book 5 of Kaldor is on the waiting list, as well as the following books of Deadly Mates. I have also started a new ménage series, Guardians. The first book, The Plot Bunny, will be available in a few months, from Silver Publishing. I also tried my hand at a more taboo subject, that of twincest, in Awakenings. And of course, I have many, many ideas, all struggling to get out of my head.

Important Links:

BuyLink: http://www.bookstrand.com/destinies-in-darkness-part-2

WebsiteLink: http://scarlethyacinth.webs.com/

Contest Information:

Hi,Michele. Thank you for having me here at The Steam Room. And hello to all the readers out there. Tomorrow is the release day for Kaldor Saga 3: Destinies in Darkness, Part 2, and as such, I figured I could tell everyone a bit about my Kaldor Saga. Since we’ve just passed Christmas, I am also offering a copy of the first book of the saga, Enraptured, as well as a copy of my first ménage story, The Three Horsemen of the Black Forest.

All you have to do is comment on the blog and tell me what’s on your mind, what interests you and, most importantly, what you’d like to see.

I hope you enjoy reading my books and I am looking forward to your questions and comments.