It's such an amazing treat to have Jacob Flores as my Saturday Author Spotlight! He's written outstanding books such as The Gifted One, Provincetown series, Please Remember Me, and The Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge series. And so many more. We will take a look at some of Jacob's work, do an interview, that I have to say was a lot of fun, and end it all with a giveaway. Let's get this show on the road!
Mason Blackmoor just
can’t compete with his brothers, much less his father. They represent
the epitome of black magic, strong, dark, and wicked, and though Mason
tries to live up to his respected lineage, most of the spells he casts
go awry. To make matters worse, his active power has yet to kick in.
While his brothers wield lightning and harness the cold, Mason sits on
the sidelines, waiting for the moment when he can finally enter the
magical game.
When a dead body is discovered on the football
field of his high school, Mason meets Drake Carpenter, the new kid in
town. Drake’s confident demeanor and quick wit rub Mason the wrong way.
Drake is far too self-assured for someone without an ounce of magical
blood in his body, and Mason aims to teach him a lesson—like turn him
into a roach. And if he’s lucky, maybe this time Mason won’t be the one
turned into an insect.
Not surprisingly, the dislike is mutual,
and Drake does nothing to dispel Mason’s suspicion that the sexy boy
with a southern drawl is somehow connected to the murder.
If only
Mason didn’t find himself inexplicably spellbound whenever they are
together, they might actually find out what danger hides in the shadows.
As his birthday
approaches, Matthew Westlake fears more than just growing a year older.
He fears never seeing another year at all. Each birthday brings a close
call with death, leaving holes in his memory, recurring nightmares, and
one more glimpse of his guardian angel. This birthday Matt must stand
against ancient evils that have hounded him since birth, because he is a
Gifted One—a seventh son of a seventh son.
Within Matt rests
the unlocked potential of a force for good, but it also makes him a
target. Being the Gifted One and dodging demonic attacks aren’t Matt’s
only problems, though. He’s fallen in love with his protector, the
Archangel Gabriel, and Heaven will condemn that love to save Matt’s
soul. But Heaven doesn’t count on Gabriel loving Matt in return, defying
divine law and placing them in danger from demons and angels alike.
Zach Kelly’s life is a
shambles. His boyfriend of three years dumped him, and his writing
career is going nowhere. On a whim, he heads to Provincetown,
Massachusetts, to nurse his broken heart and figure out his next step.
He’s expecting to find rest and relaxation on the sandy beaches of Cape
Cod. Instead, Zach meets a hunky porn star during a chance encounter at a
leather shop he mistakes as a place to buy a belt that is definitely
not for whipping.
Van Pierce is smitten when shy and
inexperienced Zach crashes through a shelf of fetish gear. Though Van’s
got an insatiable appetite for men on and off the set, his porn persona,
Hart Throb, hides a broken heart. He’s struggling to find the reality
the porno set doesn’t offer, and Zach is fighting to find the fantasy
that will set his writing on fire. The odd goofball and the suave
beefcake may either find love amid Provincetown’s colorful pageantry
where summer never seems to end—or more heartbreak than either can
imagine.
Interview
Thank you so much, Jacob, for being here today and for
enduring my many questions. My questions
aren’t too horrible. A bit scattered. I never know where there going until I
start asking them. So good luck lol.
Thank YOU for having
me here today, and I’m sure the questions will be just fine. I understand about
being scattered. With a full time job, a daughter, a man, and writing, my plate
is quite full. I sometimes run into myself in the hallway!
You say in your bio, you live a double life. English
professor by day and a writer of man on man romance by night. I’d love to know,
which came first. Teaching or writing? And did the other inspire you to do the
other?
Writing has always been
my passion. I started when I was a kid but back then I wrote comic books. I
used to sit at my grandmother’s dining room table for hours just writing story
after story, and I would actually rush through my homework so I could write
more. It was wonderful or so I thought. My uncle, who was only about eight
years older and more of a brother, thought it was weird, but I didn’t care. I
taught myself a lot through those comic books. I learned about cliff hangers,
plot development, and character growth to name a few. Being an author is what I have always wanted
to do. Teaching is what I decided to do. I do enjoy teaching. I work with
wonderful people and get to interact with some amazing students, but I’d be
lying if I said teaching was my passion. That has always been writing.
Just as your books inspire authors, what authors or books
have inspired you?
The most influential
author in my life has been Sandra Cisneros. I’d always wanted to be an author,
but I never thought it was possible. I grew up in the barrio of San Antonio,
TX, and I didn’t think I had a voice anyone would want to read. Then I came
across The House on Mango Street, and
my world changed. Here was someone writing about my culture and in a voice I’d
grown up listening to. It really inspired me to get my voice out there.
Do you have a favorite conference/ convention you attend,
what is it?
Oh my God! GRL. I
love it! I’ve met so many wonderful readers and authors there, and I’ve
developed some pretty great friendships there as well. It’s less of a
conference and more of a homecoming. This year, the conference is in San Diego,
and I can’t wait. Thankfully, it’s only a few days away.
I will be attending
RT for the first time in 2016. It’s a huge conference, and I’m a bit
intimidated. Still, I’m looking forward to the new friendships I’ll make there.
What’s the most crazy, insane, absurd thing you’ve done to
try and get out of writers block?
Bribe my muse with
vodka and cookies. It happens all the time and it always works. He’s such a
slut for alcohol and sweets. I have no
idea where he gets that from!
If you had to choose one of your books to become a major
motion picture, which would you choose and who would you cast?
Hmm. That’s a tough
one. If I have to choose one, I’d choose Spell
Bound, the first book of the Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge series. I
chose that one, hoping that they would make the rest of the books in the series
into movies as well. Haha!
As for who I would
cast, that’s easy. I’d cast Ian Somerhalder as Mason Blackmoor and Zac Efron as
Drake Carpenter.
What literary character is most like you and why?
I’ve never been asked
this question before, and I really have no clue. I’d love to say someone
awesome like Sherlock Holmes or King Arthur, but I’m probably a cross between
Veruca Salt and Huckleberry Finn.
I like to buck
authority like Huck, but sometimes getting the golden goose is all that
matters.
There’s a belief that in order to sell books, in a way, you
have to sell yourself. But there are many very introverted authors out there
who simply can’t put themselves out there like so many do. What advice could
you give them?
I understand
completely. I’m actually an introvert as well. It’s not easy putting yourself
out there, but it’s necessary. Readers fall in love with authors as much as
they do the books, so it’s important for authors to interact with readers.
I recommend starting
small, establish that social media account and become involved in the community
and with readers. That one small step will open many more doors and many other
paths toward self-promotion.
Can you tell us what you’re currently working on?
I actually just
finished the first book of a new contemporary romance series that I have
pitched to Dreamspinner’s new imprint Dreamspun Desires. I can’t talk too much
about it right now, but I can tell you all books center around one major
theme—weddings!
Now that that
manuscript is complete, I will start writing the fourth book of the Warlock
Brothers of Havenbridge series called Spell
Fall. I can’t wait to get started on that one. I closed up a big plot
device in book 3, but I paved the way for a whole lot more to come.
Have you ever had a dream that has inspired one or more of
your books?
I actually have. It
was The Gifted One, the second book I
wrote for Dreamspinner. I had a dream where I was trapped in a room and a
monster was on the other side of a locked door, trying to get in. The darkness
around me was alive and something threatening was after me. I had no idea what
it was or where I was. Then, the door opened at the same time a bright light
appeared behind me. I woke up asking myself: what was after me? Who brought the
light?
My answers turned
into one of my very favorite books about a man who falls in love with his
guardian angel.
How can your fans follow you and your books? Twitter,
facebook, website?
Pinterest:
Goodreads:
Google Plus:
Thank you, Jacob for talking with me.
Thank you for hosting
me today. I’ve had a great time, and I hope to be invited back soon.
Giveaway
One person will have the chance to win their choice of any Jacob Flores book.
Simply fill out the rafflecopter below. Contest ends October 9th!
Winner will be contacted via email so please check your spam!
Have fun and good luck.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
