Saturday Author Spotlight: A.M. Arthur #Interview & #Giveaway

I am super excited to have A.M. Arthur, author of What You Own, Belonging Series, and so many more amazing books as my Spotlight author this week. It's wonderful knowing when you open a book by an author you know you're going to be blown away. You're going to go on a journey that is written beautifully and will submerge you into a fantastic world. That's what you get with A.M. Arthur.

She has an INCREDIBLE giveaway for one fan today and, of course, a wonderful interview. I'd like to take a moment and look at some of her books first:

For Ryan Sanders, the Paige Community Center is more than a place where he teaches at-risk teens about musical theater. He found a sense of belonging there during one of the hardest times of his life. With the center facing a financial crisis, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep the doors open—even soliciting fundraiser donations from Langley-Quartermaine Financial.

Adam Langley has a plan: survive an internship at his father’s company, finish college, get his trust fund, and find his former high school best friend Ryan and beg his forgiveness. In that order, because if Ryan does forgive him, Adam believes he’ll finally find the courage to come out to his wealthy, bigoted father.

Adam’s carefully considered plan is shattered when Ryan appears at the office a full ten months before Adam is ready, and Ryan is just as stunned. Against his better judgment, Adam gets involved with the fundraiser—and Ryan. Old feelings won’t be denied, and as Ryan and Adam reconnect, they realize neither knows the entire truth about the horrific night three years earlier that tore their friendship apart.

Twenty-two-year-old Alessandro Silva knows that returning to tiny Perch Creek to help his foster mother was the right thing to do. With no degree and a delinquent's reputation, he's lucky to have landed a job waiting tables. But not everyone is happy he's back, and the only thing keeping his move home from being a total bust is his boss's hot brother.

Jaime Winters spent most of his life watching the world go by, first from a series of hospitals and then from behind big stacks of textbooks. Studying is easier than facing the fact that years of heart failure means he's still a virgin at twenty-three. Until the new waiter in his sister's diner awakens desires he'd long ago given up on.

The last thing Alessandro wants is to fall for someone as fragile as Jaime. And Jaime may have a new heart, but he's scared of what giving it to another person would mean. Their no-strings-attached, instructional approach to sex keeps emotion safely at bay, until a secret from Alessandro's past forces them to confront their feelings in the present…

Cole Alston swore he’d never return to his childhood home in rural North Carolina, but when his mother dies, he inherits her hoarded property. He hopes to sell everything and use the money to start over in Canada, far away from his abusive ex-boyfriend. It’s a daunting task, and Cole has no idea where to start. Luckily for him, the local antique store owner, Jeremy Collins, volunteers his services in sorting the hoard. Their professional relationship soon evolves into a personal one, but Cole must overcome his past and his anxiety before he can accept a new man in his life or the possibility of a happy future.

"Fixing the home can heal the heart-if you can find all the pieces. "

Police officer Samuel Briggs is getting to know the people on his new, third-shift beat, but he'd prefer they not know too much about him-or the painful past that drove him away from New Mexico to start fresh in small-town Stratton, PA.

All he wants is peace, a manageable routine, and time to fix up his project home. There's no room in his broken heart for a new relationship. It's crowded with too many memories. But there's something about the Dixie's Cup short-order cook, who's flirty one minute, distracted the next, that piques Sam's interest.

Part-time cook, part-time hardware salesman and full-time handyman Rey King lives to work-but not because he loves it. Relationships? No time. Until one glance at Sam's haunted eyes sends a plumb line straight to his wary heart.

One afternoon of impulsive, no-strings sex begins to grow into a cautious friendship. But when Rey is seriously injured protecting a friend, the cracks in their already shaky foundation begin to show. Falling in love wasn't in either man's recovery plan...and this time, the risk could be too great.

Warning: Contains one emotionally wrecked cop, one angsty short-order cook, a few too many secrets, some meddling small-town folk, and plenty of hot man-on-man action.

Of course you can check out all her books on Goodreads: A.M. Arthur on GR or other links that will be posted below.

INTERVIEW

 You're doing an awesome giveaway to one fan. An ARC of your new book The Truth As He Knows It (Out February 10th) Tell us about this book?

Truth kicks off a brand new series, Perspectives, which will have at least three titles. It’s the story of Shane, a guy who strips for extra cash to keep the lights on, and Noel, a rookie cop who’s still in the closet. They’re an unlikely pair at first, but they can’t deny their mutual attraction, and after one night of very hot sex, they both realize they want what should have been a one-off to be a lot more.

Except, you know, secrets. Secrets like whoa.

 What is your process like (From idea to print)?

Well, most of my books don’t go to literal print, but I understand what you mean. My process is fairly straightforward. I always have something new simmering while writing a WIP, so I never lack for projects. When I’m ready to start something new, I always begin by writing biographies for the two heroes. I need to know who these guys are, and what they’ve already dealt with in their lives. That’s not to say I outline their book. But do need to know their history.

Then I write. I have a notebook to keep track of things like eye color and friend’s names. Lately I’ve been printing out calendar pages by the month so I can keep track of the passage of time more easily. After I have a first draft, I let it sit a few days before going through and reading it. I try to read it in one day, which helps make sure the timeline is right. I also edit as I go, tightening and removing extraneous words. Then I polish up an outline and submit it to my editor.

 Are there going to be anymore Belonging Series books?

No. Belonging was meant to be a three-book trilogy. That doesn’t mean I won’t write a short or something featuring the characters. And they do pop up in my new Restoration trilogy from time to time, so they aren’t gone for good.

 How much say do you have in your covers when dealing with a publisher?

For each book I fill out an Art Fact sheet. It asks about the heroes’ appearances, important locations, theme, things I don’t like on covers. The art department goes from there. Afterward, every publisher is different. For my Dreamspinner books, I am usually given 3-4 mock ups that I can comment on/choose from, and a final cover is made from that feedback. Samhain consistently knocks my covers out of the park.

Carina has been an interesting journey, and I love them for listening. The initial covers for No Such Thing and Maybe This Time weren’t my favorite, and by the time Stand By You came out, we were having discussions about unity and making the series feel the same. So I was very, very blessed when I was given two brand new, gorgeous covers for NST and MTT that flow very well with SBY.

 How do you come up with the titles for your books? Do you know them from the beginning or do they form as you write?

Yes. LOL. It depends. Sometimes I know the title right off the bat. I knew the title for Perspectives #2 before I wrote a word, and I already know #3. The Belonging titles all changed during production for various marketing reasons. I’d say most of my titles are ones I initially came up with. So far I think I’ve had to change four. Even if I come up with a title while writing, it may not be what the publisher ends up using.

 Do you remember, and if so can you tell us, what the first M/M book you read was and did it push you toward writing in this genre?

Regularly Scheduled Life by K.A. Mitchell. I saw the review on Dear Author, and I thought “wow, this sounds amazing.” I only kind of new about m/m romance, but not really. Until then, the bulk of my exposure to m/m was fanfiction. That particular book didn’t push me to start writing m/m romance, exactly. But it began my long, exciting journey of reading within the genre, and I have no regrets.

 Do your books (any or all) have a playlist? Is music key? If not what helps keep you in the zone?

You know, not really. Half the time I write to silence or to the white noise of a fan running in the background. If I do play music, it’s instrumental.

 Tell us about some of your future projects?

After Truth, I have Getting It Right releasing March 16. This is the first in a new Carina Press trilogy called Restoration, and it features Belonging supporting character James “Tag” McTaggert.  A lot of folks have been asking for his book, so I’m really excited to share his love story. Restoration #2, Finding Their Way, releases in July, and this is Tag’s friend Boxer’s story. And October will see Perspectives #2, The World As He Sees It, which is Tristan’s story. So far, that’s 2015.

 In The Truth As He Knows It, is there any parts of you or your experiences that you incorporated into this book?

You know, I never think too hard about what of myself goes into my books. But thinking on it, the strength of Shane’s relationship with his older brother Jason is very much like my relationship with my big sister. We’d do anything for each other, and we’re very close. Granted, we haven’t been through any ordeals as traumatic as Shane and Jason, but the love and loyalty is the same.

 What forms of social media, and/or websites do you have so your fans can follow your career?

Email: am_arthur@yahoo.com

Website: http://amarthur.blogspot.com/

Twitter http://twitter.com/am_arthur

Tumblr http://www.tumblr.com/blog/am-arthur

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/AM-Arthur

GIVEAWAY

So now you know the giveaway. One LUCKY reader will win an ARC copy of The Truth As He Knows It! *Cheers* Just enter below. Contest runs until February 6th. Winner will be notified via email so be sure to check your spam. 

I want to thank A.M. Arthur for being with us today and sharing her future projects and giving one of you an awesome chance to win this book. 

Good luck to you all. Remember... Review. It matters!


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