My Personal Review for Stirring Up Trouble by ZA Maxfield

I had the pleasure of reading one of the funniest and well written books I have read in a awhile. Stirring Up Trouble is funny, heart warming and sexy all wrapped with a big red bow. Ms. Maxfield delivers a story that will charm the socks off of you and leave you smiling once the last page is read.

Now onto my review of Stirring Up Trouble......

All Toby Andrews knows is that he is a good Chef but has lousy luck when it seems bad things happen whenever he is around. He can’t help it when things go wrong, he just magically in the thick of it. Forced out of working the haute cuisine in the heart of New York City, Toby finds himself unemployed and eager to get revenge on the food critic that destroyed his dreams. Finding work at a local restaurant that is on its last legs, Le Potiron, Toby finds he likes the area, the people and especially the surly owner/cook, Evan Blankenship. Sparks fly between the two men as both men find out the lesson in success as they work together in and out of bed to make Le Potiron successful.

I got to admit, I love stories with a little humor tossed in the story to liven things up. Z. A. Maxfield does a wonderful job in creating a story that is funny, sweet and sexy all at the same time. Ms. Maxfield is a talented author who knows how to create the right balance when adding humor to her stories. Too much overwhelms, too little makes it seem off balanced. This author knows how to keep the balance and delivers a classic comedy story that will have you laughing out loud at times while rooting for Toby and Evan to get their happily ever after. 

What I loved the most was the setting. I could literally picture Le Potiron in my head and the delightful cast of characters that run it. All the characters were multi-dimensional, flawed beings that I could relate to. Toby had an ego but he was so charming it was cute. Evan hated people and being in the restaurant business, all he wanted to do was cook and not deal with them. Enter in Toby. Sparks fly between the two as Toby helps Evan and La Potiron become a success. Toby also learns that he cannot just steamroll over Evan either. It was fun to see these two work out their differences even as their relationship grew amid the pages. A few secondary characters had me hoping they return in the second book, All Stirred Up. They kept the story moving nicely and there was no interruptions in point of view. 


Stirring Up Trouble is a perfect beach read on a sunny afternoon. Light hearted, sensual and fun, ZA Maxfield has another winner. I am eager to see what goes on when we see what happens to Evan's brother, Brandon in All Stirred Up. ZA Maxfield has a talent in creating stories that have a sweet yet sexy romance with a dash of humor in it. I look forward to seeing what else this author can deliver for her readers in the future.


My Rating for Stirring Up Trouble: 4 Stars


Read Stirring Up Trouble and find out what happens for Brandon, Evan's brother in All Stirred Up.

Guest Author Day with SJ Frost

So let’s get this party started. Please tell us about yourself. What got you interested in being an author?

I’ve always had a love for books, and used to tell myself stories even before I knew how to write.  I’d take characters from my favorite books and create all new stories for them in my mind.  As I got older, I started put the pen to the paper and created my own original stories.  So it was really all the authors I read and the worlds they created that got me interested in writing.  But it wasn’t until college when I really took the idea of getting published seriously, and that came about from having written what would eventually be my first novel, CONQUEST.  There was something about the story where I wanted to share it with others and hopefully give readers the same kind of enjoyable experience my favorite authors had given to me.

Can you tell me a bit about your most recent/upcoming release?

Sure can!  Back at the end of December, I had a novella released at MLR Press titled FINDING A DREAM.  It’s a spin-off of my Conquest series, and follows a teen who’s getting bullied at school, and seeks help in his idol and favorite stage actor, Brandon Alexander.  This one is a really special work for me because my editor and I are donating all our royalties from it to The Trevor Project, which works to provide life affirming and life saving resources to LQBTQ youth.

Then my newest release will be an m/m vampire erotic romance novel, NATURAL INSTINCTS.  It’s my first foray into writing vampires and I had a blast working on it!  This one is also going to be published at MLR Press, and is do out very soon!

And in a couple months, I should have another m/m erotic romance novel coming out, BLACK HEART DOWN.  I’m jumping back into writing rock stars with this one and it takes place in the Conquest “world.”  It’ll be published at MLR Press, too. 

For any readers who may not have read any of your books, can you just give us a little sneak peek into world (i.e. the type of genre you write, type of stories you like to write....etc)?

I write m/m erotic romance, most of it in a contemporary setting.  My Conquest series follows the members in the rock band, Conquest, and others who are connected to them.  My stories can get pretty steamy, but the focus of all of them is always on love.

How much of yourself, if any, do you put into your characters?

They’re so much more interesting than me!  So not too much.  Most of them are more outgoing than I am, and some have interests very different than I do, which leads me to doing a lot of research to learn about the things they like.  A few have really big personalities, like Jesse Alexander, the lead singer in Conquest.  He’s kind of larger than life, but he’s a rock star, so I think that comes with the job.  But I do tend to think of all my characters as unique individuals in of themselves.

Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future?

I’d like to write a historical fiction someday.  Of course, my idea for it would still be m/m, so I guess that’s not a wholly different genre.  But I would also like to write a fantasy trilogy, true sword and sorcery stuff.  It’s what I used to write when I was younger, all unpublished.  It might even have a female hero! 

If you could throw a party with any five people (living or dead) who would you pick and why?

Freddie Mercury – Because he was a music god and my favorite artist of all time.

Gackt – Another music god and a favorite artist of mine.  Probably second favorite after Freddie, actually. 

Alexander the Great – I’ve always had a fascination with Alexander and to be able to sit down and talk with him would be beyond amazing.

Laura Joh Rowland – She’s one of my favorite authors and I’d love to have the chance to talk with her about her books.

Casanova (Giacomo Casanova) – Because a man whose name centuries later is still connected with the art of seduction, who wouldn’t want to talk to him!

What are at least five things you have on your bucket list and have you done any of them?

Most of mine involve places I want to travel to, and I haven’t gone to any, so traveling to Japan, China, England, Ireland, Scotland, and many more are all on the list.  I guess we’ll throw all those under one thing.  I’d also like to:

2.) Do more charity work – have accomplished that somewhat, but I’m not satisfied and would like to do more.

3.) Have ten novels published – not yet, but I’m getting closer.
4.) See some of my favorite musicians perform live, especially Gackt and David Garrett – I’ve seen some, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and others, but not Gackt or David Garrett.

5.) Write that fantasy trilogy! – Not even close *sigh*

Is there one series/author you feel is a must read for readers to explore (can be e book authors or print NY house authors)?

It’s really hard to narrow it down to one, but I’d have to go with the Sano Ichiro series by Laura Joh Rowland.  They’re set in Tokugawa Japan and follow a samurai detective.  She has a really lush writing style and the stories are always intriguing.  I actually still have to finish that series myself.  She’s written a couple new ones, and I’ve fallen behind on her writing with trying to stay on top of my own!

For m/m series (yeah, I know, I’m breaking the rules listing a second series.  Sorry!), Jambrea Jo Jones has the Alliance series she’s working on, the first one, RETRIBUTION, is out now,  with the sequel, SALVATION, coming soon, and more are planned.  The first book is m/m, the second will be m/m/f.  I really enjoy sci-fi stories, and she creates a very cool world with super sexy characters and hot intimate scenes.

Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?

I prefer silence when I’m writing, but I’ll listen to music for inspiration beforehand or afterward.  Since I’ve written a lot about rock stars, I think almost all my books could have a sound track to go with them, but I also think every reader would probably connect different bands to my guys.  And even going further, each character, Jesse, Evan, Julian, and the other guys would all could have different artists to represent them.  I’m getting complicated, aren’t I?  I should’ve just said “yes” and the soundtrack would be mostly rock and some classical J

What is coming up for you in 2011?

I have my vampires going live here in 2011 with NATURAL INSTINCTS, and hopefully, I’ll be writing at least one other book with them that may also get released this year…depending on how fast I can write it.  There are also going to be more rock stars with BLACK HEART DOWN and maybe, just maybe, a classical violinist and a kilt wearing Scottish rock drummer from a whole new band in an m/m novel tentatively titled, HEARTSTRINGS.

Are any of your characters just like you or have personality quirks/traits of you or someone you know?

I don’t think any are like me, and I don’t write much based off real people in my life.  Well, I take that back.  Some of the “villain” characters have had influence from some not very nice people I’ve known.  It’s a lot harder for me to write characters who have hateful, bigoted attitudes because it’s a mentality I don’t understand or relate to, so then I have to look at real life and the unfortunate times I’ve witnessed people being like that.  But for the most part, my characters are just themselves.

Where can readers find you on the web?

http://www.sjfrost.com/

http://sj-frost.blogspot.com/

http://www.mlrbooks.com/books.php

NATURAL INSTINCTS by S.J. Frost

Coming soon to MLR Press

Blurb:

Andreas Nikandros has one focus, to kill the vampire he believes murdered his sister, and he knows with their greater strength, the surest way to kill a vampire is to become one.  As a zoologist, he’s used to looking at the world from a natural standpoint, but when he sets out on a quest to find a vampire to Turn him, what he finds in Titus Antonius Calidus is the last thing he expected.  Titus has lived for over a thousand years, and in that time has only ever given his heart to one man.  As they follow their natural instincts, they discover something truly worth living forever for, each other.

Excerpt:  *In this scene, after attempting to confront the vampire he believes murdered his sister, Andreas Nikandros is under attack by the vampire’s minions, and he meets Titus Antonius Calidus for the first time.*

Andreas stumbled into the alley, reeling to catch his balance. He whirled around. A fist smashed into the side of his mouth. The force knocked him to the side and the ground. He landed hard, his body rigid with shock and pain.

Andreas struggled to suck in a breath, then lost the little bit of air he gained when a sharp-toed boot slammed into his ribs. He curled his body into a ball. Through his pain, laughter deafened him. Andreas lay still, waiting for the next strike to come. His mind moved far too sluggishly in forming a plan for escape, and it seemed fixated on one thought: he’d failed.

A voice broke through his thoughts and over the laughter.

“Children, children, look what you’ve done.”

The laughter ceased.

The rich baritone spoke again. “Clearly you’re undeserving of such a fine treat.”

Andreas sensed the other vampires moving away from him. He opened his eyes to see them standing in a cluster near the wall of the restaurant, their gazes fixed beyond him. He couldn’t help but think they resembled a pack of hyenas when forced to bow to a lion, unable to do anything but watch as their prey was stolen from them.

Andreas felt a presence standing over him. A hand touched his shoulder and pushed him onto his back. Andreas’s gaze traveled up long legs clad in black pants to a steel-gray silk shirt and over each button to the top where two were open to reveal ivory skin. He looked at the slender jaw, the high cheekbones framed with platinum-blond hair, and met the silver stare of the other. 

Troy took two quick steps forward. “Back off, Calidus! He’s ours!”

The blond vampire snatched Troy by the arm, muttering under his breath. “Troy, no. No one’s allowed to call Lord Titus that.” His voice dipped lower, though Andreas still caught him mumbling the word “ancient.”

Troy shook off the other’s grip. “I know who he is, Isaac, and I don’t give a shit. That piece is ours!”

Titus looked up from Andreas to Troy. With fluid grace, he stood, his gaze locked on Troy. Even without the gaze focused on him, Andreas could feel the lethal threat radiating from Titus.

Troy slunk back toward the door. “Don’t think I won’t tell Lord Renart about this.”

“I’d be grateful for the favor,” Titus said.

Troy backed through the door, Isaac and his companions mimicking his movements.   

Titus kept his gaze on the door until it closed, then brought it back to Andreas. “And now for you.” He bent over him and dipped the fingers of one hand into Andreas’s hair near his temple, drawing them through the curls. “Let’s get a better look at you.”

Titus slipped his hands under Andreas’s arms and, with the ease of lifting a small child, hauled him to his feet. He spun Andreas around, holding him under the light hanging above the backdoor and looked into his eyes, drinking in their blue-gray hue.

“Like the sea before a storm,” Titus said softly.

His strength returning, Andreas got his feet under him and moved to take a step back. Titus dug his fingers into Andreas’s upper ribs, stopping him. Andreas stood eye to eye with him, his heartbeat quickening. “Titus, that’s your name?”

Titus tipped his head closer to him, his lips a fraction from Andreas’s. “Titus Antonius. And yours?”

Andreas took a breath, inhaling Titus’s exhale. “Andreas Nikandros.”

Titus bowed his head, bringing his nose closer to Andreas’s neck. “A Greek name.” He lifted his head, his eyes focused on the rivulet of blood coursing from Andreas’s bottom lip to his chin. “Maybe you carry ancient blood also.”

Titus touched the tip of his tongue to Andreas’s chin and licked up the red line, a deep groan rumbling from his throat as he did. There was a sweetness to Andreas’s blood, just as his natural fragrance had betrayed, and the energy and virility of his essence sent a euphoric rush through Titus.

My Personal Review for Anything For You by Ethan Day

You know you found the perfect author to read when you start smiling within the first five pages of one of their books. Ethan Day is  one of my favorite GBLT authors and nope I am not stalking him *shakes head as I click through his website seeing what else I can read*, I claim to be a very devoted fan. * hides the pink silly string*

Anything For You is his latest release and one I fell off my chair laughing while reading. I can attest my butt and hip don't like Ethan right now but I don't count them too much in the whole "stalking the author" plan. *snickers*

Ethan Day has another winner with Jason Miller finding that staying in the closet is about as hard as falling in love...with your polar opposite in fact. Chad Wellington is out and proud to be a gay man. Falling for Jason was easy.....getting Jason to admit to himself that it was ok to be gay and out was a little bit tougher. The snarky comments from Jason had me giggling, the acceptance from Chad was a delight and the holy moly, melt the panties sex scenes had me wishing I could call DH home for an afternoon "lunch break". *fans face*

Two opposites attract yet somehow managed to be just perfect for one another is what ANYTHING FOR YOU is about. Mr. Day is a talented author who definitely has the feel for his characters and lets them have their fun while telling a highly entertaining story. If you are looking for a sweet, romantic story that will leave you with a smile on your face then grab ANYTHING FOR YOU. I am hoping Mr. Day comes back to Jason, Chad and their friends in the future. I would love to see what they are doing next. 

Want your Ethan Day fix? Stalk...err check him out...oh hell with it.....run over to his website and see what lovely books he has out and coming soon. If you see me there....walk away...slowly....like you don't see me. *grins*

Guest Author Day with Haley Walsh

Tell us about your latest release. What inspired it?

It was an idea I had for a while and then some of the mystery was based on a true story…which I can’t tell you about because that would be giving it away. FOXE TAIL, my first gay mystery, is also my jab at living in a rather right wing sort of area in southern California (yes, we have them). But let’s let the blurb do the talking: Skyler Foxe is a brand new English teacher in his hometown of Redlands, CA. He loves literature, loves his students, and loves his friends, though he doesn’t love keeping his orientation a secret, afraid of the backlash in this conservative region. But will murder thrust him into unwanted limelight? Skyler’s principal’s son ends up dead outside a new dance club. Does it have to do with the fact that he’s gay, or is there something more sinister afoot? And what’s the connection to the high school? Is the macho football coach or his mysterious and gorgeous new assistant coach involved? Skyler and his cadre of off-the-wall but well-meaning friends—Jamie, the high-spirited webpage designer; Philip, the straight-looking coffee house owner; Rodolfo, the Latin American queen who looks like Antonio Banderas; and Skyler’s best friend Sidney, the straight female detective —join forces to find a killer.

What genres and authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?

I love mysteries, as you might have surmised, so I read a lot of those from a panoply of writers. I also read gay erotica and gay mysteries, as well as yaoi mangas, but I read a wide variety of things, from nonfiction for research and for fun to lots of YA stuff since those are now written with a darker sort of strain with lots of interesting themes. But there isn’t any one thing I concentrate on reading.

 What was the hardest part of writing your book?

I’ve been at this so long that I really didn’t struggle with it. I did try to get a hold of the local police department so that I could get some real information but I’m afraid they shut me out so I’ve had to make do with generalizations and info from other research. 

When writing your description of your hero what feature do you start with? Eyes, age, hair color, etc? 

In this case, I started with hair. I wanted him to be very blond, platinum, with gray eyes. But I usually look in magazines or online for images of the characters I write about. Sometimes they are well known actors, which is helpful when you wish to hear their voices in your head. The cover image model is not quite what I had in mind but he’s pretty cute so I thought he would do.   

Is there anything special you do to get in the mood to write?

Depends what I’m writing that day. If it’s a love scene, then I check out some “stuff” online. At least I use it as an excuse to do so. 

 Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Being a woman of a certain age, I find it necessary to be a plotter these days. I outline rather extensively because I have to write pretty fast. I have three books to write a year in three different genres so I found I had to be more efficient.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

FOXE TAIL is first in the series and it’s the only one out right now, so that’s easy! The series sort of starts with an interconnected trilogy, like a TV pilot to the series. The second will be called FOXE HUNT and the third FOXE FIRE. Each book has its own mystery to be resolved, but there is a bigger mystery arc going through all three books to be concluded with FOXE FIRE. After that, each successive book in the series can be read on its own, though there will continue to be a romance story arc where it will still be necessary to read them in order. 

What are you working on now? Anything you want to mention to the readers?

I will be working on FOXE HUNT shortly, but I am also working on my other series as well (which you can see at www.JeriWesterson.com) 

If you could be a paranormal creature, which one would you be?

Something that might change into an animal. It would be cool to fly or run full tilt on all fours.

What’s a guilty pleasure you have?

Reading manga, watching anime…and that terrible, terrible television show 1000 Ways to Die.

You can erase one embarrassing experience from your past. What will it be?

There’s far too many to pick just one.

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Caution, Bitch Crossing

Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?

As for the novels, I have to work on one at a time. There’s too much to do and concentrate on for me to divide my time. But authors have to blog and do other promotional things at the same time that they are writing so we are always multi-tasking.

 When not writing, how do you relax?

I love to cook, make my own pasta, bake bread, homey things like that. I used to do wood carving and make birdhouses but I definitely don’t have time for crafts anymore.

Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?

I wanted to write Skyler’s story for a little light-hearted fun. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had writing dialogue. I think readers will really fall in love with Skyler and his friends.  

Where can we find you on the 'Net?

Several places. The website, where you can read a first chapter: http://SkylerFoxeMysteries.com, the blog http://SkylerFoxeMysteries.blogspot.com, and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/skylerfoxe.mysteries. FOXE TAIL is available in print and on Kindle or directly from MLR Press at www.mlrpress.com

FOXE TAIL
A Skyler Foxe Mystery Book 1
Available at Manlove Romance, All Romance E-books and Amazon Kindle
MM Contemporary Mystery


ay teacher Skyler Foxe thought teaching English Lit was murder. Wait till he falls into the real thing.

Skyler Foxe is a brand new English teacher in his hometown of Redlands, CA. He loves literature, loves his students, loves his friends, especially his best friend Detective Sidney Feldman. But he doesn't love keeping his orientation a secret, afraid of the backlash in this conservative county. But will murder thrust him into unwanted limelight? Who killed his principal's son outside a gay dance club? And what's the connection to James Polk High? Is the macho football coach or his mysterious and gorgeous new assistant coach involved? Can Skyler trust anyone at the high school when there seems to be conspiracies around every corner?

Sneak Peek Excerpt:

“Friends?” Jamie cried. Skyler cringed. Jamie could be pretty shrill when he wanted to be. “That’s so great! Welcome to the Skyler Fuck Club.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Skyler threw his head back. He felt his face redden and gave up trying to save his dignity.

“The Fuck Club, hon. Or S.F.C. for short. Skyler’s best friends—us—have all started out by being his lovers. We were hook-ups. And then we weren’t. And then we became friends. It’s just like a movie on Lifetime.”

Rodolfo stared at Skyler with a wicked grin curving his lips. “These two?” he asked, gesturing.

Skyler nodded wearily. Let this be over soon.

“I’m Jamie and this is Philip. Always call him Phil-ip,” he whispered out of the side of his mouth.

But Philip wasn’t having any of it. “Forget it, buddy. Friendships aren’t forged with a baseball bat.”

“I don’t believe I was talking to you, bitch,” said Rodolfo, jutting a finger into Philip’s chest.

“Hey, asshole. Nobody invited you here.”

“Nobody invited anyone here!” yelled Skyler, anxiety mounting. “Jesus! Just everyone! Shut up!”

The room suddenly stilled. Except that Rodolfo couldn’t seem to resist one last, “Asshole!” at Philip. That started it again.

Skyler pushed them apart. “That’s it! Get out! All of you!”

Jamie slid his arm around Skyler’s shoulder. “Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed. What’s the matter? Bad hook-up?”

“No.” He leaned into the comfort of Jamie’s arms. “Jesus. I just had one hell of a fucking awful night.”

“Well,” said Jamie, “we did come over to snag you for a late lunch and maybe later hit Trixx.”

“I don’t feel like going to a bar tonight.”

Jamie pressed black-lacquered nails to his chest. “I do. I haven’t gotten laid in weeks!”

“I want to go, too!” said Rodolfo.

Jamie smiled at him, checking him out. “Antonio wants to go.”

“Rodolfo,” Rodolfo corrected.

“Whatever. Come on, Sky! Let us take you out.”

He wriggled out of Jamie’s arms. “I told you no. Last night…last night…” He sat heavily on the sofa and rested his cheeks in his hands. “Guys. You just don’t know…Okay. Last night I went dancing with Sidney at that new place in San Bernardino. You know. Beat?” Skyler licked his lips. This was harder than he thought. He glanced up at Jamie’s sympathetic eyes. “I found a dead body.”

“Wait a minute,” said Philip soberly. “You saw a dead body? What happened?”

“Found. It was awful. His throat was cut and he’d been there at least two days. He smelled pretty bad.” He was feeling a little sick again. “But worst of all, he was my principal’s son.”

“What do you mean?” asked Rodolfo, crouching next to Skyler’s knee.

Philip scoffed. “What do you mean what does he mean? He’s a teacher, his boss is the principal, that was his son. Even in Mexico these things are simple enough to understand.”

“Ecuador, pene.” He turned pointedly from Philip and reached out a hand to touch Skyler’s leg. “Poor amante. Are you okay?”

“It was pretty bad. I went with Sidney to tell Mr. Sherman about his son.”

“Who is Sidney?”

“She’s another friend. She’s a cop.”

“A Fuck Club member?”

“No.” said Skyler. “She’s a girl. We’ve never—” He glared disgustedly up at his blue-haired friend. “I’m going to kill you, Jamie.”

“Sorry, sweetie.” Jamie nibbled on his fingernail.

The doorbell rang. Everyone turned toward it. They must be getting too loud. Plaster walls only hid so much.

He got up again and pulled open the door.

“Hi guys!” said a cheerful Sidney, stepping through.

“Hi Sidney,” they chorused back.

“Looks like the gang’s all here,” she said. Leaning toward Skyler, she kissed his cheek and quietly said, “You okay?”

“I guess.”

Sidney looked at the gathering again and spotted Rodolfo. “I don’t know you, do I?”

“Rodolfo Gamboa de Guerrero,” he said, offering her his hand, palm down.

She almost took it when she stopped in mid-gesture. “Wait a minute.” She glared at Skyler. “Isn’t this the crazy trick who bashed your car? Do you want me to arrest him?”

 Rodolfo snatched his hand back and planted it firmly at his hip. “She’s too butch to be a Fuck Club member.”

Sidney gawked. “You told him about the Fuck Club?”

Skyler threw up his hands. “I didn’t! Jamie did!”

Everyone began to speak at once. Skyler surrendered to the sofa again and dropped his head in his hands. Oh God.

Friends.

Guest Author Day with Pat Brown

New writers studiously study how-to articles online, in writer's magazines and in the hundreds of books published on how to write in the belief that there is some secret that all published writers know and if only they could find it, they'd be published too. I'm afraid it's not true. There is no magic wand that can transform you from unpublished to published. The process is the same for everybody, for some it's just longer than others. Even when the dream is realized, it's not the end. You publish one book, one short story or perhaps an article, the next one is not a shoe-in. You might get more consideration for having been published, but you can just as easily be rejected again for your latest work.

It took me 33 years between the first book I wrote at 17 to having my first book published when I was 50. In that time I wrote at least 8 novels that were not published, in some cases probably weren't publishable. But each one was a learning experience I built on until I produced a book that someone wanted. But after that there was more rejection. The second book in the L.A. series was rejected and I ended up taking it elsewhere, to a small, independent publisher, which was a step down from the New York publisher I had started with. I'm still glad to be published by them and have continued with them since then. But I still want to break back into the New York publishing world and I've been pursuing an agent for the last year. So far I have over 250 rejections on two books I've queried. That's 250+ times I've had to read 'Sorry, not for us' since most of the rejections have been form letters. A few have been requests for fulls or partials, most of which also resulted in rejections.

Those statistics would make it easy to give up, right? But I’m stubborn and my persistence paid off. On November 11 I sent my last query to the Literary Group International – since they wanted a 30 day exclusive, I save them till last – and on November 12 I received an email saying the query intrigued them and they wanted to see the full. I sent it the same day and like most of my other queries I forgot about it by burying myself in new writing and editing. That’s what will kill you the fastest in the querying game – if you keep waiting for a response and constantly checking your email or phone to see if it’s on, you’ll drive yourself crazy. It’s better to get busy with something else and try to forget. Which by this time I was pretty good at doing. I was already thinking ahead to the new year when I would start submitting the novel to editors. So when I got the email in December I didn’t know what it was at first. Most of my queries come back as replies, so they have the subject that says; Query: Shadows and Smoke so I know right away it’s a response. This one didn’t. This one came in with the subject line: Fantastic Book. I opened it thinking it was a fan telling me they’d loved a particular book of mine. I get them sometimes. But the minute I opened it and saw the book title I was confused. This was in regard to Shadows and Smoke. I tried to remember the beta readers I had sent it to, but there were only 2 and this didn’t come from either of them, so what was going on?

Then I looked more closely at the sender and at the rest of the email. It was from the President of LGI and he loved the book. He wanted to represent it. I read the whole email and frankly, I was a little dazed. I shut the email down and went back to look over the rest of my emails. Then I went back and read it again. I did this a few times – I actually got up and walked around a bit then came back and read it again. It took probably a good 10 minutes for it to sink in. Even then I felt like I was walking around in a daze.

I was very lucky. The email came in late in the day so I knew the agency would be closed and it was a Friday so they wouldn’t be open until Monday. I spent the entire weekend researching the agency with every resource I could find, including talking to a couple of their client authors, both of who said they were great to work with. So on Monday I sent in my reply and said I’d love to have them represent me. On Tuesday they email the contract to me and I read it through carefully (it was very short and straightforward) and mailed it back.

Now we’re getting into the Christmas season so I don’t expect much. I had a couple of emails from one of the agents who had a couple of questions about the manuscript and we worked on that. I received the signed contract back and now it’s just waiting to see what happens next.

But am I waiting around? No, I’ve already started a new historical novel set in New York in the late 1800s so I’m busy researching and writing and don’t allow myself much time to think about what’s happening now.

My point in all this is, though I have 11 fiction novels published, 2 more at the publisher waiting to be published, and several short stories, I am no more guaranteed the next book I write will be published by anyone. Publishing is a business going through a lot of changes right now, and no one knows where it will be in 5 years, let alone 20.

So why do it despite all the rejections? I do it because I can't NOT write. Whether or not I get published I will always write because the stories are in me and have to be told. With that compulsion I will keep writing no matter if the next book or the one after that is never published or I decide to self publish an ebook, I will write.

As a new writer, only you can decide if this path is for you. No one else can make that decision or stop you from trying. If you want to write, despite the odds, then I say go, write.

My motto is taken right out of Galaxy Quest -- 'Never give up, never surrender'

Blurb for Between Darkness & Light

LAPD homicide detective Russell Hunter. A shadow man, an enigma. He is a man who has purpose but no goal. A figure who walks between the darkness and the light in search of salvation from the terrible mistakes of his past.

 

Detective Russell Hunter emerges from darkness into fine artist Stephen Fischer's life. He is the darling of the Los Angeles art world, on his way to the big time. Can these two unravel the mystery surrounding the death of two of L.A's art critics before Stephen becomes the next victim. The downtown Los Angeles old financial center is the heart of this thrilling murder mystery and the unwanted love that grows between a cop with a dark secret in his troubled past and an up and coming world class artist.

Hunter is a troubled man, with dark demons eating at him. Stephen is too intensely involved in his life as a rising art star to be interested in a relationship, especially a relationship with a man with a turbulent past he refuses to talk about.

http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowAuthorBooks.php?list=_ABKLIST26&author=P.A.!Brown

P. A. Brown's Links:

 

http://www.pabrown.com  My novels under P.A. Brown

http://gkparkerhistorynoir.blogspot.com/   My writing under my pen name GK Parker.

http://twitter.com/pabrown  Twitter

http://www.facebook.com/PatABrown  Facebook

Win a FREE Book from Rick R. Reed

M/M Author Rick R. Reed just announced his first ever full length M/M Romance story TRICKS is now out and he wants you to check it out. Go to his blog HERE and get all the information on how to enter the contest for a chance to win a signed print copy of TRICKS. The book looks really good and I know I cannot wait to read it. Can't wait? You can grab it at Amazon, Kindle store or at MLR Press.

TRICKS Blurb:
Tricks can mean many things: sex partners, deceptions, even magic. In Rick R. Reed searing love story, it means all three.

Arliss is a gorgeous young dancer at Tricks, the hottest club in Chicago's Boystown. Sean is the classic nerd, out of place in Tricks, but nursing his wounds from a recent break-up. When the two spy each other, magic blooms.

But this opposites-attract tale does not run smooth. What happens when Arliss is approached by one of the biggest porn producers in the business? Can he make his dreams of stardom come true without throwing away the only real love he's ever known? And will this question even matter if the mysterious producers realize their dark intentions?


Rick will draw the winner on Sunday November 7th.

What are you waiting for? Love M/M.....take a chance with Rick R. Reed's wonderful books.