Today I am so pleased to welcome Tere Michaels to Joyfully Jay. Tere has come to talk to us about the rerelease of her book Faith & Fidelity. She also has brought a great giveaway!  Please join me in giving Tere a big welcome!

Faith & Fidelity

 

First off – let me thank Joyfully Jay for hosting me today. I appreciate the support and the space to chat a bit about the rerelease of “Faith & Fidelity.”

When this book was first published – back in September 2008 – I had no idea what the future would hold. No inkling that bloggers and reviewers and readers would fall so deeply in love with Evan and Matt, no understanding of the long journey I would be taking with the boys (and you)! And the idea that writing gay romance would become my career?

No clue.

I didn’t even know there would be this many books in the series! Jim was demanding a happy ending of his own about ten seconds after he made his first appearance, and I was glad to give it to him. That Evan and Matt would demand more time – well, that was a happy surprise.

Now, here we sit, six years later, rereleasing “Faith & Fidelity” and embarking on final ride for this series. Wow.

Creating a popular series is equal parts magic and mayhem. It’s a writer’s dream to craft a world and characters that people cannot get enough of. We all want to capture minds and hearts and to leave people clamoring for more. And for me? What happens after the HEA is my favorite part! Falling in love is a maddening rush – keeping love alive and vibrant as the years go on can be slightly less stimulating, but no less interesting to me.

The affection people have for Matt and Evan is precious to me. I mean – it’s like somebody complimenting you on your kid. “Hey, great job creating this person!” You want to high five yourself and go, “Hells yeah!” (Or maybe that’s just me.) You feel flushed and proud that other people feel the attraction and the rush of delight – and they want to keep going.

So what’s the mayhem?

Okay – now imagine you have two kids. Or six. Or ten! And you think they’re all pretty darn awesome. You’re proud of them equally. But people come up to you and they only compliment the oldest. And you’re thinking – well, I also created the other ones. It’s all from the same brain (loins, heart, soul, passion). Don’t get me wrong – I love talking about Evan and Matt. I love their journey. I am happy with the way their story is going to come to an end. But creating a successful series can also overshadow other things you’re proud of.

It can also manifest as a “I’ll never do anything this loved/awesome/successful ever again. Ack I’m doomed.” (Or maybe that’s just me). I worry about my other creations, judging them on a scale from one to Faith Love & Devotion.

Scary, that’s what it is.

At the end of the day, I just love to write. I love coming out the other side of the struggle to put words to paper, words that will warm hearts and stir affections. I have my own love affair with my career – the exciting thrill of creation, the stressful maintenance of what comes after. How to keep the love alive.

Well, I am profoundly grateful that readers have shared my long love affair with Matt and Evan and the world they inhabit. Through the easy times (Matt), through the hard times (Evan!), through the droughts and monsoons of ideas – you guys have stuck with me. When I left the trail to tell other stories, you came with me. When I waited and waited for the final stories to come for the Faith, Love & Devotion, you were patient.

(I almost typed that with a straight face…)

Magic and mayhem. It’s been quite a ride and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.


Blurb

Faith & FidelityReeling from the recent death of his wife, police officer Evan Cerelli looks at his four children and can only see how he fails them. His loving wife was the caretaker and nurturer, and now the single father feels himself being crushed by the pain of loss and the heavy responsibility of raising his kids.

At the urging of his partner, Evan celebrates a coworker’s retirement and meets disgraced former cop turned security consultant Matt Haight. A friendship born out of loneliness and the solace of the bottle turns out to be exactly what they both need.

The past year has been a slow death for Matt Haight. Ostracized from his beloved police force, facing middle age and perpetual loneliness, Matt sees only a black hole where his future should be. When he discovers another lost soul in Evan, some of the pieces he thought he lost start to fall back in place. Their friendship turns into something deeper, but love is the last thing either man expected, and both of them struggle to reconcile their new and overwhelming feelings for one another.


Bio

Tere MichaelsTere Michaels unofficially began her writing career at the age of four when she learned that people got paid to write stories. It seemed the most perfect and logical job in the world and after that, her path was never in question. (The romance writer part was written in the stars—she was born on Valentine’s Day.)

She is a member of RWA, Rainbow Romance Writers, and Liberty States Fiction Writers. Her home base is a small town in New Jersey, very near NYC, a city she dearly loves. She shares her life with her husband, her teenaged son—who will just not stop growing—and three exceedingly spoiled cats. Her spare time is spent watching way too much sports programming, going to the movies and for long walks/runs in the park, reading her book club’s current selection, and volunteering.

Nothing makes her happier than knowing she made a reader laugh or smile or cry. It’s the purpose of sharing her work with people. She loves hearing from fans and fellow writers, and is always available for speaking engagements, visits and workshops. Send here a message through her contact page or connect with her on Twitter(@TereMichaels) and Facebook .


Giveaway

There is a giveaway that will be available throughout all blog tour stops. One ebook copy of “Faith & Fidelity” and a $25 gift certificate to your online book retailer of choice. To enter, follow the link for the Rafflecopter giveaway. 

Rafflecopter giveaway

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • By entering you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions set out by Rafflecopter for entries.
  • 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.
  • Void where prohibited by law.
FILED UNDER: Giveaway, Guest Post
TAGGED: