Today I am delighted to welcome author J.L. Merrow back to the blog. ย J.L. is here to talk to us about her new releases, Poacher’s Fall and Keeper’s Pledge, both of which I am reviewing this week. She is also offering up a great prize from her back list, so be sure to read the giveaway details to enter.
So please join me in giving J.L. a big welcome!
Please Feed the Authors
No, Iโm not begging you to chuck us the odd sandwich or two (although if youโre feeling inclined, Iโm rather partial to smoked salmon and cream cheese on granary). Iโm not even asking for your money, even though book sales are my meat and drink.
Iโm talking about getting in touch. Dropping us a line. One big difference between writing fanfic and writing professionally is the amount of feedback you get from readers. Popular fandom authors typically get hundreds of comments on a story; profic authors get a handful of reviews and, if theyโre lucky, emails.
Which, let me tell you, makes each email received pretty darn special. Itโs incredibly heartening when someone takes the time to write a few lines about how they enjoyed a book. Writers often feel theyโre shouting into a black hole; itโs fantastic when someone actually answers.
Case in point: back in March last year, I got an email from Germany. The writer, Inge, was enquiring about out-of-print titles, and at the end, expressed the hope Iโd be writing the sequel to Pleasures with Rough Strife soon, as it was a favourite of hers.
Ah. Well. Confession time: a couple of thousand words in, Iโd pretty much decided to shelve the project indefinitely. The plot Iโd had vaguely in mind had proved impossibly unwieldy, and Iโd already stripped out part of it and used it for a free flashfic, Daylily (which you can find on my website). As you can imagine, I felt a bit bad about admitting this to my German correspondent. So I thought maybe Iโd just have another look at the thing…
And guess what? It worked better without the complications. Suddenly I could see where I was going with this story, and what the themes were. Not quite so suddenly, I found myself with a novella twice the length of the original story. This prompted another look at Pleasures with Rough Strife, which has now been re-issued in an expanded version under the title of Poacherโs Fall, with a fabulous new custom-made cover.
I was delighted to be able to send a copy of Poacherโs Fall and its sequel, Keeperโs Pledge, to Inge. I hope she enjoys them.
So if youโve got a favourite author who seems to be dragging their feet on a story youโre interested in, why not drop them a line?
You never know, your email might just be the impetus the author needs to get that story written. And you may even end up with a dedication and a free ebook. ๐
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Giveaway
Giveaway Question: Have you ever received a letter, a call or an email (or any other new-fangled method of messaging) thatโs had far more impact than your correspondent ever imagined? Have you ever sent one?
Alternatively, which famous author (living or dead) would you most like to write to, and why?
Iโm offering a free ebook of winnerโs choice from my backlist to one lucky commenter on this post. Iโll be making the draw around lunchtime on Monday 4th Feb, GMT. Good luck! ๐
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Blurbs
Poacher’s Fall
One snowy night just before Christmas, 1922, poacher Danny Costessey rounds off a night trapping rabbits by climbing a tree to fetch some mistletoe for his motherโonly to fall and break his leg. Taken to the manor house to recover from his injuries, Danny meets the reclusive owner, Philip Luccombe. Village gossip has it Luccombe went mad during the war, but Danny soon realizes heโs simply still mourning his late lover. As friendship grows between them, Danny starts to fall for handsome, shy Philip.
Dannyโs lively nature, roguish good looks, and ready laughter enchant Philip, and he finds himself being drawn out of his shell whether he will it or not. But when Danny tries to move beyond friendship, Philip panicsโand his rejection threatens not only their happiness, but Dannyโs health.
This is a revised and expanded version of the story previously published under the title ofย Pleasures with Rough Strife.ย Everyone who has purchased a stand-alone copy ofPleasures with Rough Strifeย from the Dreamspinner website (ie not as part of theย Mistletoe Madnessย set) will be able to downloadย Poacher’s Fallย free! ๐
Available in mulit-format ebook from Dreamspinner Press
Keeper’s Pledge
A sequel to Poacher’s Fall, set four years later, in 1926.
Landowner Philip Luccombe has been enjoying a passionate relationship with young poacher turned gamekeeper Danny Costessey for four years now. Dannyโs love has brought him out of the shell he retreated into when his first lover died after the Great War. But this Christmas, visitors to the manor threaten their happiness.
Philipโs young cousin Matthew is artistic, vivacious, and flirtatious: just the sort to remind him of his long-dead first loveโand to emphasise the social gulf between Philip and Danny.
But the worst danger comes from much nearer home. An old flame of Dannyโs is discovered in incriminating circumstances, forcing the lovers to keep their distance for fear of being tarred with the same brush. Meanwhile, Dannyโs younger brother, Toby, has grown to resent the connection between his brother and the lord of the manor. Danny wants to do the right thingโbut thatย could divide the lovers forever.
Available in mulit-format ebook from Dreamspinner Press
Trick of Timeย
When Ted Ennis steps out the doors of the Criterion Theatre for a cigarette and finds himself in Victorian London, he begins to doubt his sanity. At first he thinks it’s all a film set, and is sure that the strikingly handsome young man leaning against a lamppost must be the leading manโฆ
What starts as a sordid transaction with a beautiful rent boy quickly turns into something much deeper, drawing him back again and again as he gets to know Jem and craves meaningful encounters with him.
But Ted doesn’t understand the exact conditions necessary for his trips through timeโand for Jem, time may actually be running out. Now Ted has one last shot to get back to Jem and save their relationship, before it’s too lateโฆ
Carina Press | Amazon US | Amazon UK
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Bio
JL Merrow is that rare beast, an English person who refuses to drink tea.ย She read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where she learned many things, chief amongst which was that she never wanted to see the inside of a lab ever again.ย Her one regret is that she never mastered the ability of punting one-handed whilst holding a glass of champagne.
She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance and the paranormal, and is frequently accused of humour.ย Her novella Muscling Through is a 2013 EPIC ebook Award finalist.
JL Merrow is a member of the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.
Find JL Merrow online at: www.jlmerrow.com, on Twitter as @jlmerrow, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jl.merrow
It works the other way too! If I email an author, I get excited if there is a reply – wow, a real live author, writing to me!!
I think I’d write to one of the authors of those books we had to read for O levels (showing my age to UK readers!) and ask them to explain them – I always got the story but not the deeper meanings! john Wyndham, Day of the Triffids; George Orwell, Animal Farm. Also like to see what the likes of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, bronte’s would make of their continuing appeal.
Oh, yes – I’d ask William Golding to explain The Inheritors! ย I struggled with that one terribly at school.ย
And I’d love to be able to talk to Austen and the Brontes about how popular they still are. Dickens, not so much – he was big in his day anyway. ย ๐
What terrific questions! It’s hard to choose one author, but I would choose Charlotte Bronte. There are so many layers to Jane Eyre that I would want to discuss with her.
Good choice! I was blown away by the emotion in Jane Eyre the first time I read it. ๐
An email I received about a short poem style (or perhaps consider it as a scene) I wrote about a kiss (two men kissing) put me on cloud nine when the man who wrote the email, thinking I was a man, said he’d love to have a date with me. He claimed that the short story gave him hope to find someone who would someday kiss him the way I described. I emailed him back telling him that his letter was very sweet but that perhaps he would not want to be kissing a woman because, after all, I AM a woman. Needless to say, I never heard from him again.
What author would I like to contact? Well, since I love writing/reading action/horror, I think I’d love to get pointers from Stephen King. I love his books, (The Fog) I like reading a story that keeps me at the edge of my seat, and it’s something I’m trying to emulate in my Gay stories. My NaNo story deals with Demons and Angels and I hope once published, it will have that effect on the readers.
Last night I purchased Trick of Time and read it. That, also, is a type of story I love reading, where a person goes back into the past. Think A Love Letter, the Hallmark movie, or The Notebook. I’ve read a couple of free stories that deal with the subject and it just fascinates me! Do I want to live in that era? Oh Hell No!! If I was going to go back it would have to be as a man and I love my neck! LOL
Thanks for the giveaway!!!
~Rush~
taina1959 at yahoo dot com
Wow – that must have been some kiss you described! ย Is the story available to read anywhere?
What ย a fantastic email to get – even if you did have to let the guy down gently!
I’ve just started reading Stephen King’s “On Writing”, and it’s a fascinating read. ย I need to read more of his books!
Glad you enjoyed Trick of Time! ๐
It is a short piece so I added it here… Maybe it will end up in one of my books someday!
The Kiss
As we stand there in front of each other my eyes turn to yours, staring at you, willing your eyes to look back at me.
My mind is screaming, ‘please! Look at me! I’m begging you!’.
Suddenly, as if being heard, you turn your head, in slow motion, ever so slowly, your eyes start traveling from my body… to my chest… my mouth, then gently they deposit themselves into my eyes screaming silent words toward each other.
So much wanting, so much needing, raw desire exploding through the irises. It’s so clear the words they are communicating and we have no choice, we are helpless, we have to please them, please ourselves.
Your eyes travel to my mouth, I swallow hard, lick my lips. Your eyes widen acknowledging what is to come.
Slowly… Ever so slowly your hand reaches up, touching my face, thumb playing circles on my lips.
Slowly… Your hand travels to the back of my neck holding me ever so gently.
Slowly… I see your lips coming closer, ever so slowly to gently caress my expectant ones.
My mind….reeling, expectant, dizzy with want.
Soft as a feather’s touch my tongue explores your soft lips as they offer an invitation to proceed.
Tongues touching. Heat exudes like molten lava traveling from our faces, our chests, our torso, depositing itself farther below allowing the rush of blood to play havoc with us.
Passion arises, tongues twisting like mating snakes, fighting for control, fighting for dominance, for pleasure.
Sucking, biting my bottom lip, down to my throat, taking small samples of my essence, learning my skin.
So much ecstasy between you and me.
Moisture covers us like a clear silk curtain. Hearts beating like a natives drum. Fire surging upwards from in between us heating our bodies without mercy.
Our mouths locking once again, while breathing becomes more and more difficult. We try to quench the thirst, satisfy the mind, exhaust the need.
Hands convulse, learning every crevice of our bodies, giving incessant welcoming pleasures.
Brain becomes cloudy, we hold each other tight, breath catching until…..
Relief….
Wow, that was intense! Particularly liked the end. Thanks for posting! ๐
I wouldn’t say an email or correspondence unless you count in writing fanfic. I’m really pleased when a reader tells me that I captured the OC’s personalities exactly like how the original author had written the characters. That always makes me happy.
What author I would like to correspond with? Hmmm, I think maybe Parmahansa Yogananda because his book was one of the most inspirational and thought provoking books I’d ever read at the time and it got me into yoga for awhile.
penumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com
I think any form of positive feedback is great to get – writers, whether fanfic or pro, put in a lot of hard work, and it’s good to get that recognised. ๐
I hadn’t heard ofย ย Parmahansa Yogananda, but he looks like an interesting guy!ย
I remember writing a synopsis of some television star’s interview (something very inelegant and not particularly creative, I felt) and got such positive feedback and even an offer for writing up more synopses. What a complete shock that was. I had just written it up for fellow fans of the show in case they’d missed it, and to get such a response really blew me away. I think we sometimes get stuck in our heads about who we are and how we have to improve that we don’t see all the wonderful things about ourselves that others do. So, remembering that, I always try to compliment people’s writing even on something “simple,” because for a reader, that does make such a difference to have it done well.
Thank you for the story, J.L., and its gentle reminder of how important reaching out truly is. Also, Inge, if you’re reading this, thanks for that nudge you sent J.L.’s way!
I think it’s easy to forget writers, actors etc are just people too! ย Everyone loves to get a bit of genuine interest in/praise for their work. Especially now everyone leads such busy lives, it really means something if someone has taken the time out of their day to let you know they love what you’re doing. ๐
I think an author that I would have loved to hear from was Toltsoy. ย Very deep andย philosophical. I often wonder if people realize the impact of their words so for that reason I always try to be careful what I write.
Yvette
yratpatrol@aol.com
Heh, I think I’d be too much in awe to write to Tolstoy! ย But yes, it always pays to consider what you write. ๐
You make a good point in your “Feed the Author” comments. I think a lot of readers, myself included, just assume that authors are inundated with fan email and accolades for their work. But there are so many good books that I enjoy that it does seem sort of selfish to enjoy the fruits of your labor and not express my appreciation for the time you spent to bring it to the public. I’ll be a little more contemporary in my author I’d love to hear from since in my old age I’ve relegated deep thought to my sleeping hours…preferring lighter fare to occupy my reading time these days. I’d love to sit down and chat with Amy Lane because I love so many of the characters in her books. And she always brings just the right amount of angst to the story.
I know what you mean about preferring lighter fare these days. ย I seemed to have a lot more mental energy for reading the heavy stuff when I was younger!
And why not drop Amy a line? I don’t know her myself, but I’m sure she’d be chuffed! ๐
I’ll resolve to give my authors cudos from now on. So don’t be surprised if you hear from me in the future. I have to be honest, I’ve only read one of your works so far. I read “Pricks and Pragmatism” when it first came out and I really did enjoy it. Being a self professed geek, I loved it when Russell ended up with the hot guy. Loved it even more when Luke realized that he wanted to be had by the geek. I have several of your books on my radar screen right now. So many books, so little time.
Yup, geeks need more love! ๐
Luke and Russell make a cameo appearance in Hard Tail, in case you were interested!ย
I’ve always wanted to write to Dave Bidini, since his takes on travel and sports are always so engaging (even though his THE FIVE-HOLE STORIES let me down somewhat–then again, the thought of hockey erotica made my expectations too high).
Hockey erotica? The mind boggles! ๐
Is that ice hockey? Wouldn’t it get a bit chilly? And what do they do with the puck…? ๐
This is going to sound really nerdy, but I would like to write the the Venerable Bede. He is credited with the first true English history but on one knows how much of it is true! I would love to find out what was embellished and what was real! Yes, I did study a little English history in college…
OceanAkers @ aol.com
Oh, corresponding with Bede would be fascinating! ย It’d be great to hear about his sources.ย
Actually, another one I’d like to talk to would be Geoffrey Chaucer. ย Quite apart from the famous Tales, he seems to have led a fascinating life. ๐
I got very excited the first time a biggish-name historical novelist I hadn’t met anywhere responded to my comments on her blog.
I love how the internet makes writers so much more accessible to readers, and vice versa! ๐
Name dropping alert. Every author I’ve ever emailed has been remarkably gracious. Kaje Harper enjoyed a conversation i quoted between my mother and I (Mom asked to read one of Kaje’s books; I said no.) I was thrilled! Jordan Castillo Price ASKED ME A QUESTION. Yeah, it’s all caps because that’s how happy I was!! (!!!) I am always amazed and gratified when authors respond to my emails, they seem to appreciate my enthusiasm, and are invariably friendly. I have innumerable examples, but I will never take this for granted. I thank them all!
It’s always a thrill to get in touch with someone you admire, isn’t it? I’m sure they were all just as chuffed to hear from you! ๐
Oops, forgot to add: I love JL Merrow’s work quite fiercely! Thanks!
Good catch! ๐
And the winner is… Yvette! I’ve sent you an email, Yvette, so give me a shout if you don’t get it. ๐
Thanks to everyone who commented! It’s been great chatting with you all.ย
Congratulations to Yvette for winning the giveaway! ย And big thinks to J.L. Merrow for stopping by!
Thanks so much for hosting me! ๐