Hi everyone! Today I am very excited to welcome author Geoffrey Knight to the blog. Geoff is here as part of the Storm Moon Press Anniversary Tour and to talk to us a little about himself and his books. As part of the tour, there is also a great giveaway so be sure to check out details at the end of the post.
Although we have reviewed Geoff’s work here on the blog, this is his first visit so please join me in giving him a big welcome!
This is probably gonna sound weird… As a kid growing up in the 70s in several small country towns in Australia, you never really considered yourself gay. And neither did anyone else, for that matter. It wasn’t exactly a case of being denied the opportunity to figure it out, it’s just that in that environment, you had zero contact with the gay world. There were certainly no openly gay people in these towns—at least none that I knew of—and back then, parents and teachers considered the gay life to be so far removed from the world we lived in that it just never crossed anyone’s mind that anyone in their care or class was gay. Of course, reality tells us otherwise. But back then, nobody suspected I was a young boy growing up gay… least of all me.
However, there was one shred of evidence that, looking back, proves otherwise.
I had a sense of hero worship—bordering on infatuation—with the adventure heroes of television at the time. Remember Captain Steve Burton in the TV series Land of the Giants? He was hot. Who could forget Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man? What a hunk! And hands up, who remembers the TV series of Tarzan from the late 60s and early 70s starring Ron Ely wearing nothing but a loincloth and dimples to die for? Yes, I remember it well. And for heroics that were out of this world, there was always Apollo and Starbuck in the original Battlestar Galactica to set my thrusters off.
And the list didn’t stop at TV heroes. Every trip to the cinema in the late 70s and early 80s was a new adventure in hero worship. There was Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in Star Wars, Flash Gordon in his tight red singlet, and of course Indiana Jones (in his first adventure, not the last one).
These were all straight action heroes, designed to be the aspirations of men and the objects of desire for women. But what few people realize is that, for gay men… they do the job of both.
To the gay man (or boy, as I was at the time), action heroes were at once aspirational and sexy. They were buff, handsome, charming, and courageous. They were everything from the lovable rogue to the boy next door who saves the universe. There’s just one thing that was always missing… the gay gene!
And so, after a lifetime of watching these hot heroes fall in love with their damsels in distress, I finally decided to start writing novels where the hot action hero falls in love with… another hot action hero! It makes perfect sense to me. After all, gay men are just as brave and capable as any straight man out there; some of us are even stronger, having to wade through so many emotional battles to find our strength and be the man we are. And why shouldn’t there be a gay Indiana Jones? Why wouldn’t Jason Bourne find a different kind of gun to hold? Why shouldn’t James Bond curl up with another man under a mink rug inside a submersible pod with expensive French champagne on tap?
Thus my gay heroes were born. First came my Fathom’s Five team in their first adventure The Cross of Sins (available now through Storm Moon Press), described by one reader as “Gay Raiders of the Lost DaVinci Code”. You’d also be forgiven for likening it to Charlie’s Angels and Tomb Raider. In a nutshell, it’s the story of Professor Fathom and his men—New York gun-for-hire Jake Stone, Texas cowboy Shane Houston, Brazilian biologist Dr. Eden Santiago, Italian model and art expert Luca da Roma, and college quarterback Will Hunter—who are in search of an ancient work of art that a fanatic sect of the Church will stop at nothing to destroy. But while Professor Fathom’s five hot and horny adventurers manage to sizzle in bed, one thing that was truly important to me was the quality of the story, the mystery, the adventure that I concocted. I wanted the plot to make sense and read like any other page-turning adventure… but with gay sex!
The same applied for my other gay adventure series, including Drive Shaft and the Scott Sapphire adventures (also coming soon through Storm Moon Press).
In one way, I had an agenda: I wanted to tell the world that gay men can be action heroes, too. But I also wanted to add something new and sexy to the action genre, to entertain my readers, to give gay men and women who love reading gay novels the thrill of seeing a man who can survive a car chase, stop a bomb, and fall head over heels in love with another man, all in one story.
Oh, but don’t worry, I could never stop at one. Just like that big boulder in the Peruvian temple at the start of Raiders of the Lost Ark, I’m on a roll… and my gay adventure tales are far from over!
Geoffrey Knight has been a traveler ever since he could scrape together enough money to buy a plane ticket. Born in Melbourne but raised and educated in cities and towns across Australia, Geoffrey was a nomadic boy who grew into a nomadic gay writer. His books are the result of too many matinee movies in small-town cinemas as a child, reading too many Hardy Boys adventures, and wandering penniless across too many borders in his early adult life. His adventure novel, The Cross of Sins can be found at Storm Moon Press.
Giveaway Opportunity!
This guest post is part of Storm Moon Press’ 3rd Anniversary Blog Tour! Comment on this post or any other post on the blog tour with your e-mail address, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win the Grand Prize of receiving 1 FREE e-book each month of 2013 from that month’s new releases for a total of 12 free e-books! Runners up will receive a $25 gift certificate to their choice of Amazon or All Romance eBooks. For more details and to find out about our 3rd Anniversary, head over to Storm Moon Press’ Official Blog. Thanks for joining us!
I really enjoyed this post! So true everything you said about growing up in a small town in the 70s. Most readers enjoy the hot, sexy times in a story, but I love when there’s a great mystery/adventure/suspense plot to balance it. Those are the books that keep you reading to see what will happen in the big picture, not just if the hero will get his man. I’m going to have to check them out!
georgiagreen73 AT gmail DOT com
Great interview and cooment. Oh yes, Apollo and Starbuck from the 70’s.
I do Like a great story – and if the two MC’s get together thats a big bonus
I love mystery and adventure plus sex i.All adds up to great reads.
I love all those characters and it’s fun to have Geoffrey’s characters and stories to read.
What a fun post! Even though I was too little for most of those shows, I do have a weakness for ’70s boys (yes, the hair, damn it). I always slash cop show buddies in my head…no wonder I go for m/m!
Forgot the e-mail: vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
That was a very nice post, loved the story that Geoffrey shared 🙂 Thank you for that!
I can very much relate to the story, growing up in the 70, but in a huge city. I was fortunate, however, being a girl. Hugging and kissing and snuggling and holding hands with your female friends was never a big deal, but that was pretty much it.
As for James Bond – who knows? We might yet live to see him and another guy snuggling together in the most unlikely places (with champagne, of course) – lol Daniel Craig’s character is moving in the right direction, it seems 😉
Speaking of other movies. Just want to add that I was so bummed that at the end of “Mirror Mirror” Sean Bean did NOT marry Armie Hammer. They looked so good together! *sigh*
mura32 at hotmail.com
Yes. There were so many hero types on TV during that time to admire.
strive4bst(At) yahoo(dot) com
Your post is quite refreshing! We grew up in the same era though in opposite sides of the globe. TVwise, we depended on what ever shows were brought to our small Island. Some of the shows I hear others talk from those years I never got to watch but now, of course, know about them. Tarzan was one show we did get to see and I don’t think there was a girl who was not madly in lust with him! 😀 To me, my child/youth infatuation was mainly in singers like Paul Mcartney and Davey Jones. Then there was David Cassidy… Yep, I always liked them pretty and still do!! That you have taken your own heroes and given them life with their own gay partners is fantastic! What a great imagination!
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading it very much!!
~Rush~
taina1959@yahoo.com
Loved your post. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the fun post!
elaynelost at yahoo dot de
I’m from country Australia as well, same time period, and I could definitely follow Geoff’s comments about not even considering the possibility of being gay in those environments. Steve Austin was my fantasy back then – I think I mainly wanted to be bionic though 😉 …I love the idea of action heroes falling for each other – mystery with romance wrapped up in hot bods! Yum. I’ll definitely check out these books.
What a charming post! Lol, The Six Million Dollar Man was SMOKIN hot! If you can write a post as delightful as this, your books must be awesome. Thank you!
brendurbanist at gmail dot com
Oops, I loved Hotel Pens! Gorgeous.
Great post! I love how your books are not only about action heroes, but also capture the feel of those action movies.
Mmmmm, Harrison Ford, you do have good tastes! I loved the post with all the action and adventure stories! And thanks for being a part of the contest!
Ann
Kyreadinggirl@yahoo.com
This post absolutely made me smile. Thank you for sharing a little bit of your background with all of us, Geoffrey, and I look forward to checking out your adventure series. It sounds great!
Great post!
Yes, gay Indiana Jones! I’m so in. 😛 I’m going to be looking you up, Geoff, count on it!
ashley.vanburen[at]gmail[dot]com
I loved your post! I hate the stereotype that gay guys can’t be macho supermen, they all have to be girly and feminine. I just disabused someone of that notion last night in fact. I love your books Geoffrey and I’m glad you write your heroes. Cause what’s sexier than a superhero getting it on with another superhero (or even a villain :P)?
tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com
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