Joyful approach badgeHi guys! Today I am happy to welcome author Anna Martin to the blog. Anna is here as part of our Joyful Approach: Countdown to GRL. She will be talking about her new release, Kid Gloves, and has also brought a copy to give away.  So please join me in giving her a bit welcome!

And Now For Something Slightly Different…

Kid glovesThis year I’m going to be releasing something that’s really quite different to anything I’ve written before. To start with, Kid Gloves is a novella, which is a format I’ve never used prior to this. Secondly, it’s a Steampunk story, which is a genre I’ve never worked in before. Thirdly, it’s wildly kinky which is… actually, something I’m fairly familiar with.

It all started rather innocently – I saw the Dreamspinner Press open call for submissions for an anthology they were putting together on a Steampunk theme. That’s where the idea came to me, to write a short story about a man who makes bionic limbs out of “leather and metal and magic”. That was the plan… it didn’t take long for it to spiral, though, and suddenly Dalton and Finn’s story was something much more.

Since it was my story, and I was feeling rather defiant, I decided to infuse it with a whole list of my kinks: tattoos, dreadlocks, an older/younger dynamic, men in corsets and stockings (who are still exceptionally masculine), role reversal, seducing of the innocent… and probably a few more. For some reason it worked.

Like I said before, the Steampunk genre is one I’m not too familiar with, and I purposefully didn’t read anything else in case it subtly influenced my own work. Instead I immersed myself in historical London and let the East End be what shaped the story. My sister used to live in Bow, and the story goes that anyone who can hear the bells of Bow church can call themselves an East-Ender. Columbia Road, where the story is set, is set a little further afield but still firmly within that corner of London.

As many readers will know, by the late 1800’s the practice of archery had fallen out of fashion with the advent of the guns that helped forge the British Empire. Still, I wanted to play on Finn’s otherworldly, earthy roots, and arming him with a bow and arrow made more sense than giving him a gun.

Dalton, too, has an affinity with nature that marks him as different to the rest of the population. I imagined that his skills were developed over a number of years, although the ability to create things was always one that he held, even as a child. This might be the reason why he was cast out so easily by his family.

So, that’s a little taste of what’s next from me! I’ve got quite a few things lined up for 2014; a novel, Jurassic Heart, which is (maybe unsurprisingly) about palaeontologists on a dig in Alberta. After that is a novel I’m calling Summer Son at the moment…. and I’ll tell you all more about that a bit closer to the time.

Most of all, remember to look me up in Atlanta – it’s a big journey for me, coming all the way from England – and I’m so excited to see everyone.

Take care!

Anna


Giveaway

Anna has brought a copy of Kid Gloves to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment below to enter.  The contest closes on Thursday, September 19th at 11:59 pm EST.

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.