Hello everyone! Today I am thrilled to welcome back to of my favorite authors, Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt. They are here as part of the tour for their latest release, If It Drives (which I read and loved). They have also brought along a great giveaway. So please join me in giving Aleks and L.A. a big welcome!
Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/Aleksandr Voinov/L. A. Witt blog tour for the newest Market Garden story, If It Drives!!
Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off our backlists (excluding If It Drives) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 7th, and winners will be announced on April 9th. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.
On Learning to be a Dom
When Aleks and I set out to write If It Drives, one thing became immediately obvious: our POV character, Cal, has no clue how to be a Dom. He’s very much a service top – he gets off on being what his partner needs him to be – but he’s never played the role of a Dom before. Since that’s exactly what James needs, Cal is in a bit of a bind. How in the world does he give James what he needs when he doesn’t know how?
Quite simply… he learns how.
Enter Nick and Spencer, from If It Flies and If It Fornicates. In those two books, Spencer is learning how to be a submissive. He’s naturally submissive, but he still has to learn what that entails. What does a Dom expect of him? What should he expect of a Dom? How does this whole darned thing work?
Cal is basically in the same position, except he’s on the other end of the flogger. So, he enlists Nick’s help to show him the finer points of being the Dom James needs.
Personally, I love this dynamic. I love the idea of Doms and subs not only filling that role for their partner (and for themselves), but needing to learn how to fill that role. Nobody is born the perfect sexual partner, even in a vanilla arrangement, and I rather enjoy watching a character work out the kinks (as it were) of being the ideal partner.
Even if it means, you know, tripping over their own feet and falling flat on their face once in a while.
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Aleksandr has been published for twenty years, both in print and ebook. He has ten years’ experience as a writing coach, book doctor, and writing teacher, and until recently worked as an editor in financial services.
After co-authoring the M/M military cult classic Special Forces, Aleksandr embarked on a quest to write gritty, edgy, sometimes literary M/M and gay fiction (much of which is romance/erotica)—the only way he can use his American Literature degree these days.
He’s been published with Heyne/Random House, Carina Press, Samhain Publishing, and others, and is an EPIC Awards winner and a Lambda Awards finalist.
Connect with Aleks:
- Website: aleksandrvoinov.com
- Blog: aleksandrvoinov.blogspot.com
- Twitter:@aleksandrvoinov
- Goodreads: goodreads.com/Vashtan
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L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer currently living in the glamorous and ultra-futuristic metropolis of Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a disembodied penguin brain that communicates with her telepathically. In addition to writing smut and disturbing the locals, L.A. is said to be working with the US government to perfect a genetic modification that will allow humans to survive indefinitely on Corn Pops and beef jerky. This is all a cover, though, as her primary leisure activity is hunting down her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who is also said to be lurking somewhere in Omaha
L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).
If It Drives Blurb
If it flies, drives, or fornicates, it’s cheaper to rent it.
After driving James Harcourt, his wealthy banker boss, around for a year and a half, Cal isn’t surprised by much anymore. Not even James’s regular trips to Market Garden, London’s most elite gay brothel.
But when James leaves the Garden alone one night and turns to Cal instead, Cal’s floored. After crushing on his boss for ages, it’s his wet dream come true . . . until the awkward morning after. Cal still has a job to do, but he wants to offer more. Yet James doesn’t take him up on it; he keeps Cal at arm’s length and continues his chauffeured jaunts to Market Garden.
As Cal learns what James needs from the rentboys, he tries to fill that need himself. But there’s more to James’s penchant for rentboys than Cal realises, and it may be one role that Cal can’t fill without overstepping his duty.
If It Drives is available March 31st from Riptide Publishing.
Giveaway
Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off our backlists (excluding If It Drives) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 7th, and winners will be announced on April 9th. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.
- 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. Â 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.
Really looking forward to this one. Â It will be nice to catch up with Nick, too. Â Such a great series! Â Thanks for the giveaway!
That’s one of the reasons why I really enjoy writing a series… checking in on previous couples and seeing they’re doing all right. 🙂Â
Sounds like an interesting series. And if I win, would love to try out some other items from Riptide. Thank you, and keep on blogging.
Thank you – and yes, you can’t go wrong with Riptide’s catalogue, in my humble opinion. 🙂Â
I’m about halfway through this series and looking forward to the rest of the books. Â Thanks!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy them. 🙂Â
I love reading the development and learning process, too, and Aleks and L.A. write it so well. And, I’m so glad to see Nick and Spencer coming back to help Cal; I’ve missed them!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂 It really enjoyed reprising Nick in this, though he was a bit of a scene-stealer. 🙂
Love this series – haven’t read this one yet so would love a chance at winning a copy.
Thank you – and good luck!Â
I need to read this series! It’s on my wishlist now.
Thanks for commenting. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 🙂Â
I need to read this series. I am adding it to my list.
Thank you! 🙂Â
I liked this one the best of the series.Â
For me, it’s a competition between Capture and Surrender and If It Drives, so far. Though I think the part where Percy finally gets his arse kicked will place highly, too. 🙂
I think so much attention is given to the sub side of the equation that people forget that there’s a major learning curve for Doms, too. Great post!
Exactly! It annoys me that Doms are often portrayed as all-knowing, even clairvoyant. They have to figure things out too.
L.A.
I have heard many good things about this series. I would love to have the chance of discovering your books by myself.
Thanks fot the giveaway
Thanks for commenting and good luck! We hope you enjoy. 🙂Â
Great post. I’m really looking forward to giving this a read.
Thank you! And good luck!Â
Thank you for the chance to win! I have my eye on quite a few of your backlist books 🙂 This one looks really great, too!
Thanks! Between Lori and me, we have like about hundred books out. O_O
Thank you for the chance!!!
Thank you for commenting and good luck!Â
I really love these authors and am eager to read this one. It sounds so good and have heard great things about it.
Thank you and good luck. 🙂
Thanks everyone for stopping by, and to Joyfully Jay for hosting us!
L.A.
I loved getting to see ‘old’ couples and characters again; makes everything so much better. 🙂Â
I like the whole take on ‘learning how to be a dom’, as well. You rarely see those stories written – it’s more about how people have to learn how to be a sub (which are also wonderful stories, mind you!).Â
astrid(dot)holm@live(dot)dk
I love revisiting characters and pushing them out of their comfort zones. 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
I have the other books in the series, I just need to move them up the list.
You could start with the shorties. 🙂 Thanks for commenting!Â
If it’s about bdsm, I’m in! 😀
Definitely! The If It Flies/If It Fornicates/If It Drives triad is very much about BDSM, but all the others have at least a healthy dose of power exchange and negotiation. 🙂
You mean they aren’t immediately perfect for each other? Wha?
🙂
I know, what a shocking thought! 🙂Â