A Jordan Christopher Guest Spotlight : LC CHASE with Giveaway!

Hi everyone! When Meredith approached me about filling in for her this weekend I was a little lost as to what I would post. I had several ideas for topics ruminating in my head, but not any particular one that I was in love with. Then I read Let It Ride by L.C. Chase and I immediately knew what I was going to post about. I figured why not keep with the normal Saturday Author Spotlights that Meredith has going and feature LC during my time here. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I first came across LC Chase’s work as a cover artist. Her art is beautiful and extremely well done. She’s done book covers for a lot of notable authors within this genre. I followed her for a while before I ever discovered that she is also an author. Being a southern boy who grew up around horses and livestock, I was instantly drawn to her Pickup Men series. I bought the first book, Pickup Men, and read it in two days. I didn’t want to put it down and I was sad when it was over. Don’t get me wrong, the ending was perfect, but I still wanted more. I was thrilled to hear that she was hard at work on book 2 titled Let it Ride. I bought Let it Ride the day it released and stayed up all night reading it. By morning I was done and in love with her characters…again.

I mentioned this in my review of Let it Ride (click here if you'd like to check it out), but I’ll say it again here: I love the way LC Chase writes her characters. They’re all very realistic…to the point where you feel like they’re your best friends at the end of the book. You feel as if you know them and are meeting up for dinner that weekend to hang out and catch up. Her plot lines are not contrived or overly dramatized like many others out there. She simply writes honest characters that you can’t help but fall in love with.

I got the pleasure of chatting with LC in preparation for this post. I sat down with five questions to pester her with. She was a doll and humored me. Enjoy!

1. Where did you get your inspiration for the Pickup Men series?

A: In a dream, actually. Except in my dream Marty was making one last ditch attempt at getting Tripp to acknowledge him, so he decided to do a bull ride. That of course didn't end well and he blacked out thinking Tripp had finally come for him but now it was too late. That initial spark went through several revisions, but the story still opened in a similar way. As for the characters being pickup men...I often volunteer at a local rodeo and one day got to watching the pickup men at work. They intrigued me because I realized how integral they are to a successful rodeo, yet you don't hear a great deal about them. Unsung heroes. :-)   I also knew from the beginning one of Marty's best friends was maybe not as straight as everyone seemed to think. 

2. Do you have a favorite line/scene, and if so which one?

A: I have to pick one? From both books? Oy... That's really hard. I don't want to spoiler anything too much in either, but I think I'll go with a fave line from the end of chapter 1 in Pickup Men: "Darkness wrapped around him, pushing out sound and thought, and blessedly, the pain of broken bones and shattered dreams." 

3. Will there be a book 3? Is it Cory's story? (Note: go read Let It Ride to meet Cory!)

A: There will definitely be a book three. I've just finished the rough draft and it's slated for release the beginning of September. Yes, Cory will be a main character in this one, but the story is more about the man he falls in love with. You've actually met him in Pickup Men. That's all I'm saying. ;-)

4. Are your characters based on real people or are they completely made up?

A: They're mostly made up. Sometimes people I know inspire or influence them in the beginning, but once I start getting deeper into the story my characters become living, breathing people in their own right, with their own personalities and quirks. One of my favorite parts of writing is discovering who they are. 

Oh, there was one story I co-wrote a few years ago, where the main character was based on a good friend. That's a bit hard for me though. I can go everywhere my fictional characters take me, but if it's someone I know...definitely some boundaries I won't cross. ;-) 

5.  What's something you wish you were asked in interviews, but never are?

A: No one ever asks me what I'm wearing right now...using their sexy voices, of course.

  LC Chase's Contact links:

Facebook

Website

Riptide

Amazon

Goodreads

I hope you guys enjoyed getting to know LC Chase a little more! Be sure to check out her social media accounts and don’t forget to read her books!

The Big Tour Contest:

 In celebration and thanks, I’m offering goodies for three lucky readers . . .

 COWBOYS IN PIXELS: One ebook copy of any title in my backlist. Open to worldwide entries.

COWBOYS IN PRINT: One signed paperback copy of Long Tall Drink, the extended edition. Open to worldwide entries.

 COWBOYS IN PENCIL: One original 8” x 10” graphite pencil artwork by yours truly.

The finished artwork will be revealed on the last stop of the tour on Tuesday, June 3.

Entries are limited to US and Canada residents only.

 What do you have to do to win? Just answer one or both of these questions in the comments section below:

 1 – Who is your favorite cowboy of all time—fictional or real, past or present? Mine is Clint Eastwood as “Blondie” from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly movies.

 2 – Give me your best guess on what the pencil drawing is of—cowboys are a given so you’ll have to be a bit more creative.

 Don’t forget to leave your email address too! Contest closes at midnight Pacific Time, on June 4th. Winners will be drawn randomly on Thursday, June 5th.

Reporting Images in Social Media

Not a day goes by I don't read someone saying the words, "So a picture of mine got reported and was removed." Often, accounts are suspended or terminated. I ask myself, "What was so bad that it needed this kind of reaction?"

A few months back an author had to shut down his author page on Facebook because photos were being reported. Now, anyone who knows Facebook (and if you don't, you need to crawl out from under your rock) you know you have to click LIKE to follow that page. How sad is it that this author was tracked, stalked and reported for posting a photo.

Today I read about another author having a picture removed because it was offensive. Let's talk about this word offensive...

offensive (from The Oxford Dictionary)

Syllabification: of·fen·sive

adjective

1 /əˈfensiv/ Causing someone to feel deeply hurt, upset, or angry: the allegations made are deeply offensive to us offensive language

1.1(Of a sight or smell) disgusting; repulsive: an offensive odor

2 /ˈäfensiv/ [attributive] Actively aggressive; attacking: offensive operations against the insurgents

2.1(Of a weapon) meant for use in attack.

2.2chiefly North American (In a game) of or relating to the team or player who is seeking to score.

Now, I'm not talking about pictures of abuse. These aren't even political pictures. They are pictures of love. These are kisses between same sex couples. In the last 3 months I have watched this and I have seen a steady increase of photos being reported. 

I won't sit here and say I have never reported a photo. I will however defend my reasons. I friended someone, or they friended me on Facebook and they seemed as fine as a perfect stranger can be. One day they posted a picture about animal abuse. Not a picture to help animals, no. This person posted photos of abused animals and how he was for it. I did report the photos, and him and unfriended and blocked him. 

Now if you friend an author that you know writes in a genre you aren't interested in. On the top right part of your facebook page is a "unfriend" option. Why report them? Just go away. 

Same as on Twitter. I was reported awhile back for posting pictures of very beautiful CLOTHED men. But someone reported me and I disputed it, was denied and have forever been banned from Twitpic. Makes no sense.

The point here is this. If it isn't HARMING you, like literally HARMING (look up the word if you are staring at the word with a vain attempt to understand it) Leave. It. Alone. 

The world will not explode from 2 men kissing or 2 women hugging. The rainbow flag will not start an apocalypse.  The photo of a man in a speedo will only make ovaries go kaboom. That's it. Abusing your right to report images of love takes away from things that require Social Media's attention. 

People need to get their priorities in order.  If Social Media OFFENDS you so much then go back to your abacus and move along. The world will never be a place you will understand.

 

FREE TODAY AND TOMORROW Jude Ouvrard's WONDERLAND

LINK TO GET YOURS FREE!

Wonderland free on Amazon

BLURB:
Lucas Colton is far too young to go through all this pain but meeting poetry teacher, Preston Davidson, changed everything. His life went from heartbreak to joyful and then, from friendship to love. The impact Preston had on Lucas’ life was mesmerising. What would you do if you knew you may not have a tomorrow?

Release Day of Wolf Bound by Theo Fenraven *Review and Giveaway*

Blurb:

A year after suffering a disastrous end to his relationship with his partner, teacher Jon Anderson trades his apartment in the city for a lake house in the country. Told there is an author living nearby, Jon, who dreams of being a writer, goes in search of him and finds the attractive older man in a small, rustic cabin on a tiny island on a neighboring lake. Harrison Kalmes shows Jon around, but makes it clear he’d rather be left alone. Jon respects that wish until the night he and his friend, Suzie, drink a little too much scotch and impulsively decide to visit the island.

What happens then is the start of an incredible journey that will eventually take Jon all the way to mysterious and seductive Transylvania in Romania, where he searches for the answers that will save someone’s life while setting him on the road to rediscovering his own.

Beware the woods. Transylvania isn’t only about vampires.
I'm funny when it comes to paranormal. I either love it or hate it. I fear grabbing that sci-fi book from an unknown author and hope for the best. Theo Fenraven has dipped his hands in the paranormal before and I wasn't disappointing then and I'm not disappointed now.

It's rare when an author can make the unbelievable into something the reader can relate to. This story was not just about the shifting of the physical being but the shifting on the mental being too. Shaky ground and uncertain futures, about being in control even when you are pulled by things out of your control. We constantly struggle with that in our everyday. To see it from this perspective was fascinating.

Theo is a writer I very much look forward to reading when a new book comes out and I have been waiting for this. You can love paranormal or not, either way this book will suit you well. Wolf or human you will have no choice but to be pulled in by these majestic creatures and embrace the human in them.

How many times we wish we can hit reset, or wake up to find out that was a test and it all starts right now. Wolf Bound, for me, gave me that kind of feel. That, "You have no idea how big this world is and how much there is you'll never see unless you go and look for it," kind of feel.

It's a literary breath of fresh air that I highly and excitingly recommend!

BUY LINKS:

ARe
Amazon US
Amazon UK

Be sure to check out Theo Fenraven's Authors page on Amazon as well and see all his work:

Theo on Amazon

Also check out Theo on Wordpress: Theo on WP

For one VERY lucky reader Theos is giving away a copy of Wolf Bound!!! SO COOL I KNOW!
I'll run the giveaway for 5 days, to give you all a chance. Winner will be emailed and you have 48 hours to respond. I will need to know the format you'd like and Theo will email it to you.

REMEMBER*** Reviews are vitally important for authors. Review on as many sites as you can.

HAPPY RELEASE DAY THEO! Good Luck Everyone!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Saturday Spotlight: Anna Martin *Interview and Giveaway*

There is a lot to say about this author. All of it fabulous! She was another one of those authors that was recommended to me. Of course the second I read Tattoos and Teacups, I wondered where she's been all my life!

Instantly I thought, this is someone I am going to have on One Click Buy!  She wrote a short to Tattoos and Teacups called Tattoos and Tinsel and it was so wonderful. When you fall in love with characters like Robert and Chris it is such a treat when they come back into our lives. Even if it's briefly.

Blurb:
As a teenager, Robert McKinnon left his native Scotland and moved to America. That was sixteen years ago, and Professor McKinnon has never quite settled in his new home or found his place this side of the pond. He might be prematurely old, but he has his cat, and his books, and that's all he needs.

Then Chris Ford explodes into Robert's life with a crash of cymbals. The younger man is the polar opposite of Robert's calm civility. Bright tattoos cover his skin, and he wears his hair in a Mohawk and plays drums for a rock band. But he's a shot of color in Robert's black-and-white world, and Robert turns out to be the one thing Chris can count on. Despite all the reasons it shouldn't work, somehow it does.

Even if Robert wasn't looking for love especially not with someone nearly ten years his junior he can't deny being with Chris is fun. But sometimes Chris's free-spirited nature leaves Robert feeling vulnerable. If they can't find a balance between tattoos and teacups, their relationship won't survive and neither will Robert's newfound lust for life.

Blurb:
It's Christmas at Rob and Chris's house; the tinsel has been hung, the sugar cookies are baking, carols are blaring out of the stereo and, despite Rob's best efforts, there is a definite feel of Christmas cheer in the air.

Rob doesn't know it yet, but Chris has one or two holiday surprises hidden up his heavily tattooed sleeves...

From this point on, I was a super fan! The woman has talent. She wears her creativity like Chris wears his tattoos.

So, when one of her fellow author friends went on and on about Jurassic Heart... yup, you guessed One Click Buy. 

It is different from Tattoos and Teacups. THANK GOD! What I mean by that is; I love versatile authors. When a writer can venture out and hit new topics, grow different characters and plot out a tale that will make you buckle up, you know they most likely won't let you down.

Jurassic Heart taught me A LOT while entertaining me at the same time. I wish Anna Martin was my teacher in school! The lady knows her stuff. If she doesn't? Well, you better believe she is a researcher!

Blurb:
When paleontologist Nick Eisenberg learns that someone thinks they have found velociraptor bones in Alberta, his curiosity overrides his desire to stay in London. After all, he’s one of the world’s leading experts on prehistoric predators and has always wanted to look for the velociraptor’s North American cousins. There’s only one problem: eco-conservationist Hunter Joseph. While Nick supervises the dig, Hunter rallies support from the locals to oppose the way the team is destroying the landscape in their search for dinosaur bones.

Nick and Hunter just cannot get along. Hunter is self-righteous and pouty. Nick is narrow-minded and geeky. But they have to figure out how to work on the same site without killing each other, especially since someone else out there seems determined to cause Nick more problems than he could have ever imagined.

I have never been bored reading Anna Martin. When a book closes and I can say, "That was worth every penny and then some." I know they have earned their stripes! SHE has earned every one!


I have a great interview with Anna Martin and a very FABULOUS giveaway!! Before we get to the giveaway, check out the torturous Q& A!! ;)

**INTERVIEW**

1. In the book Jurassic Heart (which I loved) it's chuck full of knowledge and weaved in to a wonderful story. What sort of research did you have to do for that book?

Research?! What’s that?

I’m joking, of course. To be honest, there are a few topics that I geek out about big time. Dinosaurs is one, Ancient Egypt is another, Roman and Greek mythology and culture, Paris, One Direction, Disney…

I’ve been obsessed with dinosaurs since I was a kid and rebelled(!) against the fact that my parents wouldn’t let me watch Jurassic Park because I was too young and it was too scary, by buying the book and reading it instead because they didn’t police my reading (more fool them). Then I bought the sequel. These days I’ve got multiple copies of the paperbacks because I’ve read them so much they’re literally falling apart.

For the research I needed to do for the book, it was more fun to me than work. I get to learn more about dinosaurs? AWESOME.

2. You write in the M/M genre, What draws you to this genre?

I started in the M/M world in Fan Fiction, partly because Harry Potter loves Draco Malfoy and no one will ever convince me otherwise, and partly because I realised that those characters deserve their love stories and happily ever afters too.

The het romance world is so saturated with cookie-cutter novels, and I see real diversity and scope in M/M romance and fiction. I know what I would write if I was going to venture into “traditional” romance, but I can’t make myself do it. There are too many M/M stories that I need to write first – sometimes I feel like I’ve got something to say when it comes to M/M books, but I don’t really have anything to say with regards to het romance. So I just don’t say it.

3. I loved your characters in Tattoos & Teacups. Chris and Robert are total opposites. Do you believe that opposites attract and do you often like to write characters that are totally different?

That story really hinged on the fact that the two men were so different on the surface, yet underneath they were actually really similar. Same with Nick and Hunter in Jurassic, actually. In real life, I think I’d prefer to be with someone who’s as big a dork as I am.

4. Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

Outline? What’s that?! (Haha!)

I figured this out recently. I’ve never, ever been able to write to an outline. I think that’s because I write as a reader. I write things I want to read about myself (hence all the dinosaurs and tattoos and hot guys) and if I know how it ends, what’s keeping me writing it? I want to discover the world as a reader as I’m putting words on the page as a writer. Sometimes my plot twists take me by surprise.

5. Can you tell us about your newest project?

There’s a few ways to answer that… What I’m writing right now is a story called Signs and it’s a new adult book about a deaf teenager who has a physical and social impairment, and how he interacts with another boy who has a lot of psychological demons. All being well, you should see that next year.

The next book I’ve got coming out from Dreamspinner Press is the third book in the Another Way series, called To Say I Love You (keep reading - *giveaway klaxon*!)

In between those two books I’ve got a co-authored book with the darling Tia Fielding due out in the summer, called Solitude; a book of my own about a single father called Summer Son; and another co-authored novel with the superstar MJ O’Shea called Macarons at Midnight. All are due out before the end of the year with Dreamspinner Press.

I’ve been busy!!

6. What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

I’m going to talk about Signs, since that’s in my head at the moment. I actually started writing this one last year, then had a bit of a crisis of faith and shelved it until last week when I picked it up again. Anyone who follows me will know I don’t really do angst…. at all. I hate hurting my boys. For this story I’m trying to balance the blooming new romance with the very real issues both boys face in their day to day lives without undermining either side of the story. I also didn’t want it to be a “being fixed by love” story because those really annoy me, so I have to figure out how to write something realistic and convincing, yet ultimately satisfying for the reader.

7. Any tips on what to do and what not to do when it comes to writing and marketing a book?

Love it. Love what you do, be passionate about it, and share that passion with people. Don’t “write what you know”, because my day job is doing marketing for a pensions company and trust me, no one needs to know about that. Write what inspires you, what makes something hum in your veins and gets you out of bed every day. If you love what you do, there will be someone out there who’ll love it too.

8. How do you relax?

I don’t. I’m very highly strung, as many of my friends will attest to! I sleep a lot… Sleep is my friend. Oh, and I watch Disney clips on YouTube. I don’t have time to watch a whole film, so having Let It Go on repeat helps.

9. Is there an area in your writing you haven't ventured toward yet that you very much want to?

I’m sort of drawn to, but scared of, historicals. I heard a story about Marlon Brando and how he had a male lover for most of his life, through his multiple marriages to women, there was always this one male lover there for him. I’d love to do something set in old Hollywood: glamour, betrayal, love, drama… a big sweeping love story. I’ve also talked about a modern history story, mid 1990’s, pre-mobile telephones. I think that could be fun.

10. Since social media is a huge deal, how can fans follow you?

 

I have fans?! (No, I know I have fans. And I love both of you.)

I’m on Facebook (ALL THE TIME) – www.facebook.com/annamartinfiction

Twitter @missannamartin (I’m a terrible twitterer. Find me on Facebook instead.)

tumblr blog (so, so, not safe for work. Or for at home, most of the time) annasdenofiniquity.tumblr.com

And I have a website, if you’re looking for an easy place to find all my books and blurbs in one place, plus a couple of freebie stories – www.annamartin-fiction.com

There are NO WORDS to express how much I adore Anna's personality. When I did this interview I knew I appreciated her talent and when I spoke with her regarding this Spotlight, she was outstandingly kind and respectful. When I got this back I was laughing so hard. She is a pure delight... AND OMG LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF SHE HAS COMING OUT! 

She mentioned up there about Book 3 of Another Way series, To Say I Love You.So for those who aren't familiar with that series here are the blurbs to book 1 and 2...

 

 Blurb:

On the surface, Jesse Ross is an average guy in an average relationship with his college sweetheart, Adele. But what his girlfriend doesn’t know is that he’s having an affair—with a man—and exploring his sexuality in ways she never could imagine. His compartmentalized life suits Jesse just fine, and he has no intention of coming out of the closet either as a bisexual or as a submissive.

However, Jesse takes a tumble when his Master, Will, admits to wanting more, wanting Jesse as his partner, not just his submissive. Suddenly Jesse's conveniently pieced-together life isn’t quite so comfortable. In the end, Jesse has to lay it all on the line—for his girlfriend, for his lover, and for himself.

  

Blurb:
"Sequel to Another Way"

It's been three years since Jesse Ross had to choose between his Master and his girlfriend-three years he's spent living in a loving relationship with Will, his Dom, and finally being open about his sexuality. To the outside eye, Jesse and Will's relationship is settled, solid, and romantic: people expect them to settle down, get married, have a family. It takes a car crash to expose the papered-over cracks in their life together.

Traumatized by the crash, Will finds his confidence shattered. After unintentionally causing Jesse pain during the accident, Will finds it impossible to hurt him in the bedroom, and suddenly he has to reassess his ability to be Jesse's Dom. The emotional and physical deadlock leaves Jesse struggling to hold the pieces of their tattered relationship together. The physical scars may heal with time, but the emotional trauma has left more damage than either man could have anticipated...

AND NOW... We talk about the giveaway!!! Anna is giving a lucky person a chance to win a copy of BOOK 3 of this amazing series!!!

Blurb:
After six years of romance and kink, Jesse Ross and Will Anderson have had their ups and downs and come through them stronger and happier. But when Jesse’s mother dies unexpectedly, Jesse is forced to return to his childhood home in Georgia to help his family cope. Will transfers from Seattle to his company’s Atlanta office, but love their way is out of the question while they’re staying in Jesse’s parents’ home. So Will buys a small house for them to fix up and find some privacy.

When their lives start to settle back into something like normality, Will and Jesse resume their recently neglected BDSM relationship. Along with the security of Jesse’s submission comes trouble, as a local man tries to lure a lonely, grieving Jesse away from Will, and one of Will’s coworkers causes tension between them. Both men are forced to reassess what really matters, and where their romance is heading


Simply enter below. The contest will run until Friday May 30th! The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond. Once I hear from you I will send Anna your contact info and she will send you your book. If I don't hear from the winner in 48 hours I go to the runner up.

Good luck everyone and a HUGE thank you to Anna Martin for enduring my painful questions and rewarding you all with this amazing chance to win!







a Rafflecopter giveaway