Vicktor Alexander's Blog, page 23

Hey Vicksters!

Okay, so I decided that I would let you all know what the schedule for this blog is. I'm going to try really, really hard to keep to it. I make NO promises, because my brain is like swiss cheese sometimes, lots of holes there, but I will try my HARDEST to keep to it.

I won't be posting anything on the weekends (Saturday & Sunday) unless there's something special going on, like The Sweet Spot M/M Yahoo Group's RAD (Reader Appreciation Day). Saturday and Sunday are my days off unless I'm trying to meet a deadline, in which case I'm trying to meet a deadline and am focused on writing. Hardcore.

So here's the schedule for the blog:

Monday: Ask Author

Tuesday: Next Ask Author Reveal. Tantalizing Teaser Tuesday (a snippet from either an upcoming book or a WIP that's NSFW)

Wednesday: WIP Wednesday (an unedited excerpt from a WIP from my never-ending list)

Thursday: Tate Pack Thursday (a diary entry from one of the Tate Pack cowboys or mates)

Thursday Before A Release: Thursday Before ______ (Behind the Scenes of the release. Background. Little known facts).

Friday:  Each Friday will be different. The first Friday of every month: Flash Fiction Friday (Yes, I'm bringing this back, I know you guys have been asking about My Girlfriend's Brother)/The second Friday of every month: Freaky Friday (Guest Blog Posts from other authors)/Third Friday of every month: Blog Pimpage Friday (I'll talk about awesome blogs that I follow)/Fourth Friday of every month: TGIF (My favorite Recipes, Music, Movies, TV Shows, etc.)


Okay, now let us hope that Vic can stick to his own schedule! LOL. Have a great Sunday everyone and honor your fathers tomorrow, even if the man you think of as your father isn't your biological one.


-Vic

This Saturday, June 15th is Reader Appreciation Day at the Sweet Spot Yahoo Group. Readers are encouraged to stop by to enter the giveaway, read excerpts from authors and chat with authors and other readers of M/M romance. The giveaway will run from 8am-8pm/est.

The lovely ladies who run the RAD event: Sloan Parker, Jambrea Jo Jones, and SJ Frost have provided banners to show what is being offered as well as what to do to enter the giveaway:









Here’s how to enter the giveaway:
1. If you haven’t already, join the Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheSweetSpotMM/
2. Watch the group page (or your email if you choose to receive emails from the group) on Saturday, June 15th for a message with instructions on how to enter. The subject of the post should read something like “Enter the Giveaway: Respond for a chance to win”
3. Reply to that message between 8am and 8pm EST indicating you’d like to enter the giveaway.

That’s it. You’ll be added to the drawing for your chance at a random prize.

Complete List of Prizes
Leigh Ellwood – reader’s choice of one M/M backlist title
Lex Valentine – ebook copy of BITTER BONDS
Lex Valentine – ebook copy of SAVE YOUR LOVE
Tara Lain – ebook copy of SNOW BALLS
Diana DeRicci – ebook copy of IT’S RAINING MEN
Willa Okati – ebook copy of MIGHTY CASEY
Harper Fox – ebook copy of BROTHERS OF THE WILD NORTH SEA
L.M. Brown – ebook copy of Silver Presents: THREE’S A PARTY anthology (including L.M. Brown’s m/m/m story “The Other Man”)
Vicktor Alexander – ebook copy of IMPOSSIBLE, TATE PACK BOOK 6
Vicktor Alexander – signed paperback copy of ELIAN
Michael Mandrake – ebook copy of winner’s choice from backlist
Jambrea Jo Jones – ebook copy of winner’s choice from backlist
Sloan Parker – winner’s choice of $15 Amazon.com gift card or All Romance eBooks gift card
S.J. Frost – ebook copy of winner’s choice from backlist

It's Happy Happy Release Day here at The Purple Fantasy Den!


Impossible , book 6 of the Tate Pack series released today and I am so uberly excited to hear what you all think. It was nice to return to the ranch, to hang with the guys again and I think you'll all be very shocked by what happens in the story. Though I am to warn you that it's angsty and will make you cry, at least according to my betas.

In light of it being "Happy Happy Release Day" I decided to do more than just give you the blurb, excerpt, cover and buy links, I thought I would tell you all why I really want this book to do well. Also, one lucky person who comments will receive a free ebook copy of Impossible.

Last year I made a promise to donate half the profits of Impossible to The Trevor Project and half of the profits of Untouchable to the It Gets Better Project. I made these promises in light of all of the teenagers who felt as if the bullying, the scorn, the oppression, etc. that they suffered was just too much and committed suicide. I made it in light of the online friend I'd made who also succumbed to the darkness. I made the promises because of Justin, Angel, Ryan and Keesha who all have come to my rescue, more than once, when I tried to give into the darkness.

I made the promise because of Susan.

Who is Susan?

When I was fifteen I moved in with my bio father in Pensacola because I was making a lot, a lot, of really bad, really dangerous life decisions. I didn't want to stay with my father, but at the same time, the decision to move had been mine (try to figure that one out). When I first moved up to Pensacola, I was the outsider. I was one of maybe six black kids in the youth group at the church my father and I went to that consisted of over 200 teenagers, I was the only one of all of my friends who had engaged in a sexual relationship, had done drugs, drank liquor, rebelled, etc. I felt out of place. But I pushed on and began to clean up my act.

Then I met Susan.

Susan and I had a similar story. Our backgrounds and childhoods were similar and so because of Susan I had someone I could talk to. About a lot of different things. And I was the only person outside of Susan's mother and a mutual friend, Eve, who knew Susan's biggest secret.

Susan was a lesbian.

Because of the church we went to, the friends we had, Susan and I didn't feel comfortable a lot of times sharing the thoughts, desires, the dreams or even our true feelings to those around us. But whenever we were alone, in her purple bedroom, with the walls covered with newspaper clippings, her bed covered in a black duvet and her cat hissing at us from underneath the bed, we could talk about those things.

Susan and I talked every day. We emailed (yes, they had email when I was 15), we called each other on the phone and we hung out all the time. We promised to stay in touch. We promised to look out for each other. We promised to keep each other sane and to keep each other's head above water.

I didn't keep my promise.

When I moved back to Winter Haven, Florida I was 16. It didn't take long for me to fall back into my old ways. And wracked with guilt I started dodging Susan's calls. Responding to her emails with one line or two-line sentences. Before long the phone calls, the letters and the emails stopped. I'll be honest and tell you that I was relieved. At 16 I was already responsible for my younger siblings, for helping out my bio mom, a single mother, around the house. I had school, my after-school activities, my siblings' after-school activities, and my job, I couldn't and didn't want to be responsible for someone else.

I only found out that Susan committed suicide four months after we stopped talking, two years later when I went back to Pensacola for seminary.

I have been wracked with guilt ever since.

For over thirteen years since we stopped talking and eleven years after I heard about Susan's suicide, I have been walking around with that over my head and I wanted to donate to The Trevor Project for Susan. So that maybe it won't happen again. To try and atone for deserting a friend when she needed me most. While I understand when people tell me that it's not my fault, I can't help but feel as if it is.

I don't think that I've ever talked about Susan with anyone outside of my therapist and other friends who knew her, but I'm happy that I have shared it with you all now.

There is a world full of Susans out there and I want to do my part to help.

Half of my profits from Impossible, book 6 of the Tate Pack series, will be donated to The Trevor Project. If you want, when you buy the book, you can leave me a comment here and let me know if you bought the book because of someone, ie "This is for my friend_____" and each time I make a donation to The Trevor Project I'll remember those who are mentioned.

I hope you all enjoy Impossible. Thank you for helping me, help others and honor Susan.

And now, here's where you can buy Impossible:
Kindle
ARe
BookStrand
R&P


Blurb:

Alexander Dieson always knew that he was different. Yes, he could shift like the other wolf shifting cowboys on the Tate Ranch, but he could also make fire and a host of other things. When his parents move him to California from Texas he resolves himself to spending a life alone.

Ross Barber discovers the scent of his mate hours after the younger man moves away with his family. He spends ten years searching for Alex and finally finds him just after Alex’s life has been completely turned upside down.

Ross promises Alex that he will help find his mate’s missing siblings but in the process of their search they learn the truth about Alex’s DNA and are completely shocked by the way their lives and the Tate Ranch changes because of it. And when they learn how high up the plot to kidnap and sell paranormals actually goes, the Tate Pack will never be the same.


Excerpt:

“Hey! You!”
Ross looked up at the shout and found himself facing the throng of men who had left the house and now spread out to surround him. The man holding the toddler walked back to the front of the house before he returned. Ross looked around at them all, noticing the pack’s Alpha stood among them, not at all shocked that he would be involved in something shady—most Alphas he’d met were—testing his odds and figuring out his best course of action. His father was a former Green Beret and his mother had been Special Ops.
Ross had been trained from the crib in hand-to-hand combat, just like his sister. They’d been trained to kill when they had no other options, and his parents had always made sure they knew how to get themselves out of any situation they ever found themselves in. Most people would think his parents had done him a disservice by raising him to be a fierce killing machine, dominant, aggressive… mean as all get out, but Ross didn’t see it that way. There were some fucked up things out there, and not all of them were in the paranormal world. Ross, his sister, and their parents had come in contact with evil in its purest form and he would be damned if he would ever be caught unaware.
He tensed his muscles, ignoring the fact that he was completely nude because of his shift, and waited for the first man to come charging at him. That was always where people went wrong. They immediately went on the offensive when it was defense that won games, no matter what his football coach had told him.
“Hey, look, we don’t want any trouble,” Vet said, the new Alpha, if the power that swirled around him, almost bringing Ross to his knees, was any indication. His hair, which looked black in the darkness, blew in the late night breeze and his scent wafted up to Ross’s nostrils. Ross took in a deep breath and wrote the Alpha off as his mate again. He hadn’t been back at the Tate Ranch in quite a while. Even though much of it was like returning home, there were still aspects of the pack lands that were new to him. Namely, the fact that the men before him were older and their scents, while at the core were still the same, had subtly changed. Ross knew Vet. They had, in fact, gone to preschool together, come out to each other, lost their virginity together, and had shifted together for the first time. It was shortly after losing their virginity to each other that Ross and his family had left the pack to assist in a rescue mission.
Apparently the pack had added more new members since then. One of them was his mate, but Vet, even with his new, more powerful, cloying scent, wasn’t his mate. None of the men who currently watched him were. Which meant that his mate was in the house. “We just want to know what you’re doing skulking around the Dieson home. I am the new Alpha of this pack, and I would have you identify yourself.”
Ross tucked away the name Dieson for later and bared his neck to the Alpha in a show of submission. “My apologies, Alpha. You may not remember me, but my name is Ross Barber. My family and I just re-joined the pack today. You met with my parents earlier.” Ross waited for Vernon “Vet” Tate to nod before he continued. “I smelled my mate and came to find him,” he finished simply. He noticed the large man who had been holding the toddler earlier tense and immediately turned his attention to him. “Do you know who my mate is, Beta?”
Ross grinned when he saw the big man blink at him in stupefaction. He wasn’t sure how he was always able to know exactly what someone’s position was in a pack, coven, herd, company or wherever, but from the time he was a child, it had been a gift of his. He could either peg what they currently were, or what they would end up being. It freaked people out all the time; he just saw it as a fact of life.
The larger man recovered from his shock and growled low in his throat, showing a small measure of aggression at Ross’s blatantly disrespectful tone with him, before his shoulder drooped and he whimpered in the back of his throat. The sound was one of despair, and Ross felt his blood run cold. Had something happened to his mate? And what did the Beta mean to the man who belonged to Ross?
“His name is Alex Dieson. Alexander Mitch Dieson. He’s not here anymore,” the Beta answered.
Ross felt his heart stop in his chest. He crouched low to the ground, a growl rumbling up from his belly and bursting forth from his lips. He didn’t know why the Beta sounded so upset that Alex was gone since he’d obviously had something to do with it, but Ross didn’t care. The Beta would be the first to go. The other wolves crouched low, and Ross ignored the small, niggling voice at the back of his mind that pointed out that there was no smell of blood in the air anywhere, so his mate wasn’t hurt. Ross’s eyes took in the other wolves, and he noticed that the Alpha remained standing.
“Hold it, guys. He doesn’t understand,” he said, the power in his words causing them all to freeze. He stared at Ross and sighed. “Alex isn’t dead or hurt. At least, we have seen no evidence that he is. We came to invite him out for our weekly bowling party and found his home deserted. All of his stuff is gone, as well as those of his parents. We believe they left town sometime earlier today, without the permission of the Alpha, and with no indication about where they were going. They didn’t leave a note or a letter behind to explain their actions, either, though Alex did leave something written on his wall for us to see.”
Ross didn’t allow the Alpha to continue talking, instead turning and yanking off the doorknob to the back door in his rush to get inside. He ignored the shouts of the men behind him as he ran upstairs. He followed the scent of his mate and charged into the room where the smell was heaviest. He stopped when he saw the words written on the bare blue wall. There, written in large, black permanent marker were words that filled Ross with hope and a determination to find the man who belonged by his side.
I’ll be back.
Ross would make sure of that. He would find his mate and bring him back to Wichita Falls, where he belonged, no matter how long it took to find him.

Releasing TOMORROW! Impossible , book six of the Tate Pack series. Woohoo!

It's available for pre-order from ARe, BookStrand and the R&P website:
http://www.bookstrand.com/impossible-mm
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-impossible-1219147-145.html
http://www.roosterandpigpublishing.com
Half of my profits will go to benefit The Trevor Project so be sure to get your copy so we can help those who need it.
Impossible is a lot more angsty and heartbreaking than the other Tate Pack books. I even cried while writing it. But I hope you all enjoy reading it more than I enjoyed writing it.
And now.... Here is another excerpt from Impossible:

Alex, age 16
NfALEX glared at his parents as he placed his hands on his hips. “Are you shitting me? We can’t leave! I can’t move. What about Ton?” he asked desperately.
His mother sighed heavily as she brought her hand up to his cheek and stroked it lovingly. “Honey, you’ve told us—more than once, I might add—that Ton is not your mate. Why would you persist in having a relationship with him when he is not the one Fate intended for you?” She shook her head as if he confused her. “It just makes no sense to me at all.”
Of course it didn’t make sense to her. She was old and had found her mate when she was a little younger than him. While she and her mate, his father, hadn’t mated immediately, they’d at least known who the other was. Alex was adrift in a sea of hormones, lust and destiny. He wanted to find his mate, he really did, but at the same time, he just wanted to get his dick sucked, or have Ton pound his huge cock up his ass. Alex knew that his mother would be horrified if he shared that piece of information with her, however, so he crossed his arms like a petulant child and kept his mouth shut.
“Come now, Son, don’t be that way,” his father said with a small chuckle as he rubbed the top of Alex’s blond head affectionately. Alex scowled at him and reached up to smooth his hair back in place. He really hated it when his dad did that, treated him as if he were still just a little boy. Alex knew he was anything but a little boy. He was mature in the pack, finally having become a full grown wolf a few weeks back. He was having sex with his boyfriend, Anton “Ton” Forrester, and had already been told that when he was old enough, he would be trained to be a member of the inner circle of the Alpha. Hell, in light of all that information, Alex was practically an adult. Why couldn’t his parents get that? He could live on his own if they were determined to move away from Tate Ranch.
Alex loved Texas, loved Wichita Falls, and especially loved Tate Ranch, home of the Tate pack. There were a number of advantages to being a wolf shifter: speed, strength, simplicity of life when he was in his wolf form, having a fated mate who was created just for him and who he, in turn, was created for. Although the best thing about being a wolf shifter was the pack. Alex had a family that he loved, but his family would never be able to take the place of his pack. A pack was a family as well, closer, bonded, who all followed the rules, wishes, and direction of their Alpha. A pack shared your secrets and always had your back. It was an amazing thing, having a pack. Alex wouldn’t trade the Tate Ranch for anything in the world. Nothing.“We can’t move,” he tried his argument from a different angle. “You have to have permission from the Alpha to leave his pack and the approval of the Alpha whose territory you’re moving into.” He nodded, proud of himself for remembering that mandate from his shifter class.
His parents merely laughed as they continued to grab his clothes and pack them into different suitcases. Alex wanted to be indignant, he wanted to fight back, but they were his parents and knew best. If they said that they were moving for his own good, for the good of their family, then he had to take their word for it. And while, by pack shifter standards, he was full grown, at sixteen he was still a minor according to human law. The Tate pack tried to follow the human law as much as possible, and in that moment, Alex hated that fact.
He knew the real reason they were moving though they would try to deny it. Alex was a weird kind of wolf shifter. Alex had powers and gifts like those of a witch and magic at his disposal. He could toss fire—the more tumultuous his emotions were, the hotter the flame was. He could make himself invisible or change into the form of any animal that he chose if he focused on it hard enough. When he was a toddler first displaying his powers, his parents had taken him to the Southwest council, whose positions were largely ceremonial, but who occasionally stepped in and asserted their power and authority, and the elders there had condemned him as an abomination. They had demanded that his parents kill him or cast him away from the wolf shifter community. His parents had refused and they’d lived in fear since then.
He’d been cautioned his entire life to watch his temper and on his sixteenth birthday his parents had taken him to the South council. They had told him it was merely a formality, but he’d scented the lie, felt the tremor of the dishonesty on his skin, and wanted to call his parents on it, but he hadn’t. When he’d been escorted out of the room and his parents shown in, he’d hoped that things had gone well. Then, mere weeks after they’d taken him to visit those horrible men, they had come to him and mentioned moving to California. This would be the sixth time they’d moved since he’d shifted involuntarily for the first time at the age of thirteen. Alex really wanted to keep protesting but he knew they were doing it for his good and for that reason, he couldn’t and wouldn’t fight against moving, but he would leave a note for Ton. He might not have been Alex’s mate, but he was in love with Ton all the same. Ton was the closest thing Alex had to a happily-ever-after, and he refused to give that up, because his mother and father had always warned him about finding his mate, and while they hadn’t gone into details, he could sense that finding his mate would send his already unstable powers into a tailspin. He didn’t want that, and though he ached with the need to find and be claimed by the person created for him, he also didn’t want to do anything that would cause his powers to get out of control... more than they already had. He was pretty sure that the next time he used his fire someone was going to wind up dead, and Alex didn’t want to take that chance. 

The time has come!

Time for questions for Stephani Hecht who will be in the hot seat on Monday, June 17th!








So ask away! Send your questions to: [email protected] with the subject line: Ask Author Questions Stephani Hecht.

I asked one of my favorite people to do Ask Author after she was requested by some readers: Lor Rose. Lor was gracious enough to answer about 32 questions from you readers. So sit back and enjoy what she has to say.



About Reading 1. Do you read MF or MFM books? How about the FF genre?MF? Not so much. I think it’s because growing up MF pairing was the normal. I tend to steer towards the abnormal. MFM I will but most of the time I find them annoying. FF I have but not as much as I’d like.
2. Who are your favorite authors?A list in this case is my friend (in no particular order other than this is how they come to mind): Joey W. Hill, Terry Goodkind, Lynne Hagen, Joyee Flynn, Stephanie Meyer, JK Rowling, Patricia Lynne, Vicktor Alexander, LM Murphy (unpublished), SL Armstrong, K Piet, KA Merikan, Blaine D Arden, Piper Vaughn, and me just to name of few. If I named them all this would go on for days.
3. What are some of your favorite books?Rough Canvas by Joey W Hill is definitely one of my favorites. It was my first “official” MM book and it was a good choice on part. But mostly I enjoy types of books. For instance, I’m a slut for any effeminate male, androgyny, cross-dressers, and dubious consent. Of course I have my tough manly man cravings as well. I also enjoy young adult books as well. Not just romance YA but action and adventure ones as well.
4. Do you ever not finish reading a book? If so why?I try to finish everything I start but sometimes the characters are just so bad I can’t. Or the world is badly put together. Homophones used inappropriately drives me nuts as well.
5. Do you have any pet peeves about publishing or when reading books?Homophone abuse. Cannot. Stand. It pulls me out of the story faster than a bee sting to the ass.
About Writing 1. Have you ever thought of collaborating a book? If yes, who would be the author that you would want to work with? If no, why not?Thought about yes. Done anything about it, no. I think Vicktor Alexander mentioned doing something once but I can’t really remember. As to who, I don’t really know. I think I could with Vicktor because I know how we work together in other aspects. Though I wouldn't have a clue as to how to collaborate with another.
2. What do you do when you get writer's block?Usually I work on something else. Recently I was blocked on two projects and I didn't know why. Set them aside for four months till I figured it out. The problem was I couldn't write them at the same time due to time line reasons. Now, I did a thousand words on the one I need to finish first in about forty-five minutes. I’ll also write my thoughts on a blank piece of paper and figure it out. I've been known to tweet my frustration as well and basically “talking to myself” on Twitter has worked.
3. If you couldn't write what would you do?Train horses and teach others how to ride. My butts been in a saddle for the past seventeen years so I like to think I know a thing or two.
4. Who is your favorite character that you have written about?Dominik Lew hands down. His story isn't out yet but the struggles he goes through and the path he must take to become whole again is inspiring even to me. I hope someone who has gone through similar struggles as him will find peace and comfort in his story. His is a very hard read and the first book made me cry more than once but it’s worth the end result.
5. Do you write about more than one story at a time?If I didn't I would never get anything done. EVER.
6. Do you plan on writing for a while to come?I've always written stuff. There’s stories in my file cabinet from junior high left unfinished. I've close to or over 150 stories to write and more are being added all the time. Not writing isn't an option for me.
7. Do like to write series or do you prefer to write single stories?I love series. Almost everything I have is a series. Even one story-line of anthology calls are essentially a mini series; you just don’t need to read them all in order to understand what’s happening.
8. How long does it take for you to complete a book?It depends. If I’m really feeling the flow and buckle down I can get a 50,000 word novel on paper in a month. Sometimes it takes three months. Anthology calls of around 10,000 words usually only a month. Mind you that month includes: coming up with the concept, outline, and writing it.
9. What is the longest and shortest story you have ever written?Longest is a book still on my hard-drive entitled Violent Indigo. It sits around 80,000 words if I remember correctly. The shortest is around 2,300 titled Freeing Pain. It’s a free short story from Storm Moon Press.
10. Would you ever write about a man and a woman?I am currently. Well, sort of. I’m writing a polyamorous, bisexual, BDSM vampire story entitled Multifarious. It’s MMMMMF and delicious. It’ll be around 90,000 to 100,000 words when completed.
11. Would you ever write about Ninja's?Angsty, martyr type ninjas or funny ninjas? Are these super-human ninjas? What am I saying? Who doesn't like ninjas? I’d need an idea for a ninja though... And holy hell! Whoever asked this question, you've got it!
12. What inspires you to write a story?All sorts of things. Usually I see or hear something and I ask, why? Or, someone will say something and it triggers a thought and the thought just spirals out of control from there. (see previous question)
13. Have you ever wanted to write any other types of books like horror, mystery?When I set out writing I don’t limit my book to just “horror” or just “mystery.” If those elements happen to appear then awesome.The only time something I write is limited like that is for an anthology call but even those I break the rules. For instance, I’m writing one right now that’s a WWII historical but I added the twist of a shifter. I’m a rebel.
14. What gave you the writing "bug"?  Was there an influence such as a person, an event or a song maybe?This question is a hard question and I played with not answering it all. When I was young I had a best-friend name Anthony. He and I used to draw and write together. He passed away when I was ten and that event killed writing for me. What sparked it back into life was my friend Deanna eight years later. I was at her house while she was cleaning. I sat on the sofa (out of the way cause I’m smart like that) and I found something Anthony and I started before he died. It was the first chapter to something but we didn't know what. I asked Deanna if I should finish it. She paused in cleaning to look me square in the eye, “Finish the shit.” is all she said and I listened. I re-wrote what Anthony and I did and it became the preface to Violent Indigo. I just kept writing and it morphed into lovely MM things.
15. What is your favorite type of story to write about?I’m a very angsty writer by nature so, angst? I like the struggle of the character finding themselves in whatever shitty hell hole life tossed them in. On the flip side I have one freebie, Mail Order Cowboy , that’s fun, light, and cute. I enjoyed writing it just as much as my angst.
16. What would you recommend to other people who would like to start writing for the first time?That’s easy. Write it. In truth this a loaded question more blog post worthy than just a single question...
17. What genre do you find the easiest to write in/about?Hmmm. Paranormal is easiest for me for sure. Don’t know why ether, I just naturally gravitate to it. I only have only contemporary series right now, Emotio. Everything else has some form of paranormal, mythical, otherworldly feel to it.
18. What genre do you find the hardest to write in/about?  Is there a genre you shy away from?I shy away from historical fiction for sure. The fear of messing up some important history date or event scares me. Researching isn't fun for me, either. Dislike it. Creating my own history and worlds on the other hand...
19. How long have you been writing?Eighteen or so years I’d say. “Professionally” January marked a year when I self-published. With a press, six months.
20. What is your favorite book you have written?Barrack and Willow’s first book, You are the Other Half of Me. Willow is just sassy and fabulous. The book comes out in August from Storm Moon Press.
21. Where would you recommend someone to start reading one of books?That depends on their comfort level... If they’re open to explicit sex scenes than Mail Order Cowboy . If not then Freeing Pain ; it’s a little softer with no explicit sex, just the illusion of sex.
About Me 1. What is your favorite thing to do to decompress from life (stress)?Ride my horses or sex. Duh.
2. Which one of your characters do you wish you were like?Willow, I think. Only because he has a penis and is uber rich.
3. Which if any of your characters is more like you?Well Laurel in Multifarious is me so...
4. If stranded on a desert island, what would be the 3 most important articles you would save?Articles; so things not people, right? If things: paper, some kind of writing utensil, and a flare. If people: I’d rather die than choose because I can’t. I love all of my partners too much to make that decision.
5. Do you have a favorite genre to write? Read?Anything M/M (or M+) I’m game for.
About Being Published 1. Some actors cannot watch themselves onscreen – as an author, what goes through your mind’s eye when you read your own work?I’m assuming these means once published. Really? Nothing too much. I have moments of “others are reading my work!” okay -- moving on. Some things I read more than others but that stems from personal preferences than anything else.
2. Did you ever think you would become a published author? Or did you always think it was only a "dream"?I originally didn't want to mess with the hassle of finding and submitting to a publisher so I decided to self publish. I went to GRL last year and a publisher approached me and said they want me to submit to them. Within a month of GRL I was signed. Things just went from there. I was lucky enough for my publishing home, Storm Moon Press, to find me. I know for some, finding the place where you mesh well with those you work closest with is daunting.
Lor's Available Titles From Storm Moon Press You may also find her at LorRose.com or on Twitter at @Lor_Rose9009 Contains Lor's Commencante de Guerre

Contains Lor's His Nonexistent Coffee Break

Now Available for Pre-Order and Releasing June 14, 2013: Impossible, Tate Pack Book 6. As I promised last year, half of the profits I receive for the book will go to The Trevor Project.

Here are the buy links and the blurb/cover/excerpt for the next book in the Tate Pack series:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...
http://www.bookstrand.com/impossible-mm

Blurb:

Alexander Dieson always knew that he was different. Yes, he could shift like the other wolf shifting cowboys on the Tate Ranch, but he could also make fire and a host of other things. When his parents move him to California from Texas he resolves himself to spending a life alone.

Ross Barber discovers the scent of his mate hours after the younger man moves away with his family. He spends ten years searching for Alex and finally finds him just after Alex’s life has been completely turned upside down.

Ross promises Alex that he will help find his mate’s missing siblings but in the process of their search they learn the truth about Alex’s DNA and are completely shocked by the way their lives and the Tate Ranch changes because of it. And when they learn how high up the plot to kidnap and sell paranormals actually goes, the Tate Pack will never be the same.

Excerpt:

“Hey! You!”
Ross looked up at the shout and found himself facing the throng of men who had left the house and now spread out to surround him. The man holding the toddler walked back to the front of the house before he returned. Ross looked around at them all, noticing the pack’s Alpha stood among them, not at all shocked that he would be involved in something shady—most Alphas he’d met were—testing his odds and figuring out his best course of action. His father was a former Green Beret and his mother had been Special Ops.
Ross had been trained from the crib in hand-to-hand combat, just like his sister. They’d been trained to kill when they had no other options, and his parents had always made sure they knew how to get themselves out of any situation they ever found themselves in. Most people would think his parents had done him a disservice by raising him to be a fierce killing machine, dominant, aggressive… mean as all get out, but Ross didn’t see it that way. There were some fucked up things out there, and not all of them were in the paranormal world. Ross, his sister, and their parents had come in contact with evil in its purest form and he would be damned if he would ever be caught unaware.
He tensed his muscles, ignoring the fact that he was completely nude because of his shift, and waited for the first man to come charging at him. That was always where people went wrong. They immediately went on the offensive when it was defense that won games, no matter what his football coach had told him.
“Hey, look, we don’t want any trouble,” Vet said, the new Alpha, if the power that swirled around him, almost bringing Ross to his knees, was any indication. His hair, which looked black in the darkness, blew in the late night breeze and his scent wafted up to Ross’s nostrils. Ross took in a deep breath and wrote the Alpha off as his mate again. He hadn’t been back at the Tate Ranch in quite a while. Even though much of it was like returning home, there were still aspects of the pack lands that were new to him. Namely, the fact that the men before him were older and their scents, while at the core were still the same, had subtly changed. Ross knew Vet. They had, in fact, gone to preschool together, come out to each other, lost their virginity together, and had shifted together for the first time. It was shortly after losing their virginity to each other that Ross and his family had left the pack to assist in a rescue mission.
Apparently the pack had added more new members since then. One of them was his mate, but Vet, even with his new, more powerful, cloying scent, wasn’t his mate. None of the men who currently watched him were. Which meant that his mate was in the house. “We just want to know what you’re doing skulking around the Dieson home. I am the new Alpha of this pack, and I would have you identify yourself.”
Ross tucked away the name Dieson for later and bared his neck to the Alpha in a show of submission. “My apologies, Alpha. You may not remember me, but my name is Ross Barber. My family and I just re-joined the pack today. You met with my parents earlier.” Ross waited for Vernon “Vet” Tate to nod before he continued. “I smelled my mate and came to find him,” he finished simply. He noticed the large man who had been holding the toddler earlier tense and immediately turned his attention to him. “Do you know who my mate is, Beta?”
Ross grinned when he saw the big man blink at him in stupefaction. He wasn’t sure how he was always able to know exactly what someone’s position was in a pack, coven, herd, company or wherever, but from the time he was a child, it had been a gift of his. He could either peg what they currently were, or what they would end up being. It freaked people out all the time; he just saw it as a fact of life.
The larger man recovered from his shock and growled low in his throat, showing a small measure of aggression at Ross’s blatantly disrespectful tone with him, before his shoulder drooped and he whimpered in the back of his throat. The sound was one of despair, and Ross felt his blood run cold. Had something happened to his mate? And what did the Beta mean to the man who belonged to Ross?
“His name is Alex Dieson. Alexander Mitch Dieson. He’s not here anymore,” the Beta answered.
Ross felt his heart stop in his chest. He crouched low to the ground, a growl rumbling up from his belly and bursting forth from his lips. He didn’t know why the Beta sounded so upset that Alex was gone since he’d obviously had something to do with it, but Ross didn’t care. The Beta would be the first to go. The other wolves crouched low, and Ross ignored the small, niggling voice at the back of his mind that pointed out that there was no smell of blood in the air anywhere, so his mate wasn’t hurt. Ross’s eyes took in the other wolves, and he noticed that the Alpha remained standing.
“Hold it, guys. He doesn’t understand,” he said, the power in his words causing them all to freeze. He stared at Ross and sighed. “Alex isn’t dead or hurt. At least, we have seen no evidence that he is. We came to invite him out for our weekly bowling party and found his home deserted. All of his stuff is gone, as well as those of his parents. We believe they left town sometime earlier today, without the permission of the Alpha, and with no indication about where they were going. They didn’t leave a note or a letter behind to explain their actions, either, though Alex did leave something written on his wall for us to see.”
Ross didn’t allow the Alpha to continue talking, instead turning and yanking off the doorknob to the back door in his rush to get inside. He ignored the shouts of the men behind him as he ran upstairs. He followed the scent of his mate and charged into the room where the smell was heaviest. He stopped when he saw the words written on the bare blue wall. There, written in large, black permanent marker were words that filled Ross with hope and a determination to find the man who belonged by his side.
I’ll be back.
Ross would make sure of that. He would find his mate and bring him back to Wichita Falls, where he belonged, no matter how long it took to find him.

The next author up in the hot seat is author Lor Rose. Published with Storm Moon Press, Lor Rose is also the co-owner of The Rooster & The Pig Publishing. It's time for you to ask your questions of the lovely and talented Ms Rose.






Remember that Lor will only answer 20 questions unless she chooses to answer more. You have up until Friday morning to ask questions. You can send your questions to: [email protected]
Looking forward to your questions!
-Vic

Congratulations Jbst for being chosen as the winner for Ask Author: Vicktor Alexander.

You can choose either Impossible, Tate Pack 6, my next upcoming release or any book from my backlist.
I will be contacting you later on today to find out your choice.
Thanks to everyone for commenting and don't forget to comment on Gabrielle Evans's interview and submit your questions for Lor Rose.
-Vic

Hey Vicksters! I am so happy to welcome to Ask Author today one of my favorite authors and favorite people: Gabrielle Evans!

Gabrielle answered 20 of your questions and even offered up a giveaway. One special person who comments will win any book from Gabrielle's backlist and a Love is Love T-shirt.

And now let's welcome to the hot seat: Gabrielle Evans!




Q: Do like to write series or do you prefer to write single stories?A: I don’t really have a preference. Though, if you look at my backlist, you’ll see that I don’t have any stand-alone titles. I have nothing against writing them. I’ve even tried a few times. I tend to get very attached to my secondary characters, however, and I feel like everyone needs their own story. I haven’t decided if it’s a curse or a blessing.
Q: Do you write about more than one story at a time?A: I am ADD and OCD, which is one seriously messed up combination. I do manuscript hop on occasion, and I’ve been known to work on as many as four stories at a time. I really try not to do this, though, and just focus on one story. Otherwise, I end up with a sword fight in modern day Time’s Square.
Q: What is your favorite genre to write about?A: I love paranormal, but contemporary is probably my favorite. Contemporary adds a level of realism that you can’t get with other genres. We all daydream about meeting Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dreamy in the check-out line of the local grocer. I won’t hold my breath that he turns out to be a werewolf or vampire, though.
Q: It is quite noticeable that female writers of the MM genre outnumber that of men – why is that you think?A: I think it’s just the nature of the beast, and it’s not limited to M/M. While men outnumber women in the broader spectrum, women tend to dominate the romance genre. Whether we like it or not, the world likes to categorize people—and this includes authors—and place them under tidy little labels. Do I agree? Not at all, but I gave up trying to fix stupid a long time ago.For whatever reason, there is this stigma that men can’t write romance. Perhaps it’s because women are viewed as the “softer” sex and are naturally more predisposed toward romantic relationships. Maybe we have been conditioned to believe that a “real” man would never write romance, and therefore, readers are less inclined to try his new novel. I don’t know the answer, but for whatever reason, it is much harder for a man to find success in the romance genre.
Q: How about the FF genre?A: I think the genre is seriously underappreciated. I’ve read some beautiful stories in lesbian romance that had me bawling like a baby. As with any other genre, it can be cringe-worthy if not written well, but for those who have the gift, there is a depth of emotion in FF romance that intrigues me.
Q: What are the genres that you generally read, excluding MM?A: I don’t have a lot of time to read these days, and when I do, it’s not usually romance. I love suspense, horror, thrillers, and dramas. I’m currently reading Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz. His main character, Odd Thomas, is one of my all-time favorite leading men!
Q: I’ve never read anything by her, so my question would be where does she suggest someone new to her work start, and why?A: I always recommend Gods of Chaos 1: Devil Did Grin. It’s a fun piece, and one of my favorite books I’ve ever written. It’s not too angsty, but not too fluffy, and you will walk away from it (hopefully) with that “awww” feeling.
Q: Have you ever written someone into your story just so you could vent your emotions with them (good or bad)?A: LMAO! All the time! It really is true. Be careful how you treat authors, or you may just find yourself in one of their stories. *wink*
Q: Have you always wanted to write romance books?A: Actually, no. I didn’t even start reading romance until I was in my mid-twenties, and it was more out of curiosity than anything. I’ve always been partial to authors such as Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and Ted Dekker. Birthright by Nora Roberts was the first romance I ever picked up, and I’m happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. Then I discovered authors like J.R. Ward and Jeaniene Frost and realized I could have my monsters and romance together!
Q: What is your favorite out of shifters or vampires?A: Probably vampires right now. I love both, but I’m a little burned out on shifters at the moment.
Q: If you were stranded in any of your worlds (books) which one would it be and who would your mate be?A: Wow, what a great question! Hmmm, I think Sexually Awkward. The series is set in Indianapolis, which is where I live, so I’d know my way around. I’m a little geeky, a little sensual, and a whole lot awkward, just like my characters. As for a mate? I’m totally in love with the werewolf biker, Asa Chandler. Readers haven’t met him yet, but I have, and *sigh* he is dreamy.
Q: Where do you write at? In an office or a comfy chair?A: I mostly write in my office at my desk. When I need a break or some background noise, I move to my laptop on the sofa and put on reruns of some of my favorite TV shows.
Q: In what series is your favorite couple and why are they your favorite?A: I’m always going to have a special place in my heart for Braxton and Xander from The Moonlight Breed. They were my first couple, the ones who started it all, and I just love their romance.
Q: What is your most favorite scene that you wrote and for which character?A: Tough question. There is a scene in Haven 2: Faith, Trust, and Stardust that still pops into my head all the time. Kendall is a pixie, something he thinks he should be ashamed of, and he locks himself in the bathroom to try to cut off his wings. It’s up to his mate, Cassius, to rescue him from himself. It’s not a happy scene, but it is powerful.
Q: How long have you wanted to be a writer?A: I think I always wanted to be a writer. I started writing poetry and short stories when I was in elementary school. I had convinced myself it wasn’t a realistic dream and attempted to pursue other career paths for a while. Sometimes, I guess fate really does know best.
Q: What is the longest story you have ever written?A: Lawful Disorder 2: Strip: Tease and Search at 56,843 words.
Q: What made you start to write about paranormals?A: My first published book was a M/M paranormal romance. I didn’t exactly “decide” that’s what I wanted to write. The characters just kind of showed up and said, “This is how it’s going to be.”
Q: What is the shortest story you have ever written?A: I wrote a short piece for the BookStrand App, titled Everyday Love. It came in at right around 10k words, and the expanded version, due out this summer, it just under 15k words.
Q: Which one of your characters do you wish you were like?A: I think I’d like to be Cayson Downs from Sexually Awkward. He is strong but kind and embodies all the qualities I admire in people.
Q: Which if any of your characters is more like you?A: All of my characters have little pieces of me in them. Gavin Hart, from To Protect and Punish, is a lot like me. He works hard and has this enormous desire to be liked and accepted. He cares too much about what other people think, and he doesn’t accept change very well. For the most part, he has his life under control, but there are times when he becomes overwhelmed and need someone to step in and tell him everything will be okay.