Guest Blogger: Scarlet Hyacinth

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Lucas Black, a famous author, finds himself struggling with writer's block. As he falls further and further into his obsession, his lover Simon breaks up with him. Depressed, Luc prays for a muse and is surprised when his prayers are actually answered in the person of a young man named Dury, who claims to be Luc's plot bunny. Dury is everything Luc shouldn't like, eccentric, mysterious, and far too beautiful. But in spite of his doubts, Luc cannot help but feel an increasing affection for Dury.

After his painful separation from Luc, Simon Roth is unable to continue sculpting. Seeing his ex on the street with someone else only serves to reopen old wounds. To his shock, that someone -- a mysterious man named Dury -- begins to stalk him, pushing Simon to contact Luc once again. Simon realizes with dismay that Dury's gentle coaxing reaches out to a deep part of him, one he'd thought reserved for his lost love, Luc.

Even as the two artists acknowledge their feelings for each other, they understand they have both fallen for Dury as well. Dury, however, hasn't told them everything. His secrets may well be the death of them all.

Interview with Scarlet Hyacinth

1.) You have so many releases! How many words do you write a day?

I write as the inspiration strikes me. Sometimes I'm simply stumped, other times I can write up to 5000 words/day. I've been known to write more, ironically before I published my first book. But I've learned that sometimes, it's better not to force oneself and take a break if you're stuck.


2.) Is it true that the majority of m/m romance readers are women?

I think it depends on the book and on each writing style. Writers within the genre are very different, some male, some female, some writing fantasy, other contemporary or historical. There are certain stories that mostly drawn female audiences. Mine, for example :). But I have no doubt that there are also male readers who read these books.


3.) What do find important when writing from a male POV?

Writing any POV is all about emotion. So with men, you have to empathize with their desires and what they'd think or want. Of course, in romance books, this is often painted pink. I'm not sure how many males would declare their love openly and be so dedicated. But it's important to keep it as realistic as possible.


4.) Do you think cover art plays an important role for ebooks?

Definitely. Especially for readers who are not familiar with your work, a good cover can make all the difference in the world. Lots of eye candy and a beautiful design can attract the eye to your book, and therefore make for a purchase.


5.) What are you working on now and what can we expect from you in the future?


I am currently working on the fifth book from my Deadly Mates series, on the second book in my Bloodkin series, Lover's Obsession, as well as on the second book in my Guardians series, Schadenfreude.

The first book in the Guardians series, The Plot Bunny, will come out from Silver Publishing on the 26th of March. It is a very special book for me, and I hope the readers will enjoy it a lot. The entire Guardians series is a menage m/m/m paranormal and fantasy rotating around the concept of creation and involving different types of artists, from writers to singers.

The first book in my Bloodkin series, Bed and Breakfast, will be out somewhere in May, also from Silver. It is a fantasy BDSM m/m series, and probably as you can tell, it has some "vampirical" aspects. I have two more releases from Silver Publishing, Awakenings and Artie the Good Witch. with Awakenings being my first foray into twincest and Artie my first attempt at writing comedy.

My next release is in a couple of days, from Siren Publishing. It's called Mending Shattered Souls and it's the fourth book in my Kaldor Saga series. Of course, in the future, I'll continue writing Kaldor, Deadly Mates, finish Bloodkin and all the other projects currently on hold. Hopefully :D.

Thank you for inviting me to be interviewed.

Visit Scarlet Hyacinth's WEBSITE

Guest Blogger: Author Sloan Parker

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Lincoln McCaw lost everything -- his home, his job, his partner -- after he caused a fatal accident. A year later, he's drowning the guilt and despair in whiskey, but he needs to move on. His sister and her kids are counting on him. Then he meets a man who ignites a passion Lincoln thought he’d never find. Too bad one night is all they can have together. Now he needs to figure out how to turn away from the only person who makes him feel alive…before whoever is sending him threats decides Lincoln needs to suffer more than he already has.

Jay Miller is surrounded by grief and misery until he finally gives in to all those years of sexual fantasies about being with another guy. Realizing he’s ended up in the arms of the man who caused his wife’s accident, he tries to pull away. But how can he give up a friendship he needs more than anything -- a friendship and a love that could save him? He may not have time to make the choice before someone else destroys it all.

Interview with Sloan Parker

1.) Where do you get your ideas for new books? Is it from a carefully planned outline, a scene from a movie, a single idea?

My ideas come from a lot of places. Life mostly. Daydreaming, photos, people watching, my dreams, blogs, music, news stories, even a snippet of a conversation can send me off on a tangent into my own world. Once I have my mind set on the characters, the plot ideas really start to flow. I have a folder full of ideas (some several pages long, some only one sentence). I turn to these when I want to start dreaming of a new idea and new characters.
I do a lot of pre-planning and outlining before I start the first draft. Actually, my outline is more of a rough draft than an outline. I’d never let anyone read it, but it has the bulk of the story, and in some scenes includes detailed descriptions, actions, and dialogue.



2.) What is your favorite genre to read and write?

Within m/m I’ll read most any genre. Usually I check out the blurb and the excerpt first, and if those have sold me on the theme and author’s voice, then I’m game. I would say within m/m romance 80% of what I read is contemporaries, suspense, mystery, paranormal, and sc-fi. For non-m/m romance I usually read erotic contemporaries and romantic suspense.

So far I’ve written mostly erotic stories, either contemporaries or romantic suspense. I did write one vampire m/m which I may do something with someday. I was still learning a lot then and that manuscript has some major issues. I love the story and the characters, though, so I hope to revisit it at some point.


 3.) Do you think the popularity and availability of m/m romance will continue to climb?

I do. I hear all the time about romance readers who are reading their first m/m, wanting to read one, or are about to. I think many more romance readers are open to the idea of reading a gay romance (or will be after sampling one) than we are seeing reading in the genre today. It may just be a matter of opportunity to try something they are unfamiliar with. Maybe they’ll win a free book in a contest or receive a glowing recommendation from a friend. Even with the explosion within m/m in the past two years, I think we’ll see more even more in the next five years. Although it may become a more gentle incline at some point. 

If these readers try out some of the more quality stories, then I think most will be pleased and will continue to explore the genre. The availability of quality stories is the key, as is the case in any niche market. If readers are unhappy with the story, the characters, and the writing they will give up after a few tries and return to the kinds of books they had a more positive experience with. Luckily for the m/m romance reader, we have a plethora of talented authors and publishers producing quality work. I think the longer the m/m readers have been reading in the genre, the more demanding they are going to become. They’ll want quality work, competitive prices, attractive covers, and multiple formats for ebooks. 


4.) How do you deal with pronouns when writing m/m or m/m/m?


It’s kind of funny, I had less trouble with the pronouns when writing my m/m/m than I did when writing my m/m. Although the m/m/m was in first person so that one was mostly like writing an m/m when it came to the male pronouns. I’ve found the best approach is not to give it too much thought when I’m writing and revising. If I sit and stare at each sentence and over think it, I really mess myself up. When I’m doing my final polish, I’ll give the pronouns more thought. I focus on context rather than correct usage. The reader doesn’t want to be pulled out of the story to figure things out. If they can understand the pronoun in context, then for me, it’s fine. And having good critique partners can really help because they are reading the story fresh. Unclear pronouns will jump out for them a lot easier than for you. 



5.) What are you working on now and what can we expect from you in the future?

I have two novels currently in the works. Both are m/m erotic romances. One is a friends-to-lovers story titled HOME AGAIN. The other is a suspense for a secondary character from my first release MORE. That one is still untitled. I call it Kevin and Walter’s Story for now.


Thanks, Winona, for inviting me by your blog today. These were fun and interesting questions, and I had a great time answering them.

Best of luck with your blog and the upcoming release Choosing Love.

Visit Sloan Parker's WEBSITE