Today I am so pleased to welcome Leta Blake to Joyfully Jay. Leta has come to talk to us about New Year’s resolutions and her latest release, Smoky Mountain Dreams. (I loved this one and reviewed it here.) She has also brought along a fabulous giveaway! Please join me in giving Leta a big welcome!
We’ve all made ‘em. We’ve all broken ‘em.
New Year’s Eve Resolutions.
I thought it would be fun today to talk to the characters of the books I’ll be giving away, as well as the characters of my latest book, Smoky Mountain Dreams, which spent over a week at #1 on the Gay & Lesbian Romance charts at Amazon and three weeks in the top ten! Color me gobsmacked! 😀
But with no further ado, let’s talk to Matty and Rob from Training Season about their resolutions for the New Year.
Matty: This year I resolve to be more. More everything. More me, more beautiful, more exciting, more extreme, more fun, more powerful, more for Rob, more for me, more for the world. Just more. And better. And thinner. No, not thinner, because that would be bad. According to Rob. Who can be the boss of me all he wants because I like it. In fact, I think that should be his resolution—to boss me around MORE. There’s a theme this year, Rob, and it’s more, more, more.
Rob: Sounds about right. Or sounds like you anyway. My resolution is to keep up. If I can. Sometimes I wonder if I can ever be…but I also resolve not to wonder. About that anyway. It doesn’t do anyone any good. So I’ll resolve to do my best and help Matty do his best and to help him achieve a realistic measure of “more” and simultaneously become more myself.
Will they break these resolutions or keep them? You can find out this spring when I hope to be able to release the sequel to Training Season.
Next let’s hear from Leith and Zach from The River Leith. What are your resolutions, guys?
Leith: My resolution is to find a new career goal. I’m no good at being aimless. It makes me antsy and short-tempered. I need to find a new love-of-my-life—besides, Zach, I mean! I mean, a career! Not a person! I’m a one-man kind of guy, so I just mean that I need something to do with my life. Zach has his bar and I’ve got…classes that aren’t really doing it for me anymore. I need a new direction and I resolve to find one.
Zach: Hello, my lovelies! I also need a new direction in life and it’s called One Direction. They need to come join me and Leith in the bed. Pronto. We’ll wait here.
Leith: You’ll be waiting here without me then.
Zach: You’re ridiculous but very cute. In truth, I don’t need a new direction or a One Direction, either. I’m entirely satisfied with my life. The one thing I’d love to do is make time to write a book about when Leith and I met and fell in love the first time. He’d like to know more about it and I think it would be…healing for me. But as far as resolutions go, well, I suppose I resolve to have started on this book by the end of the year. But keep in mind! Resolutions are made to be broken! *laughs*
In all seriousness, I would love to write that book for Zach, but I’m not sure where it would fit in with my writing schedule. Still, one must never say never when one is at the mercy of the muse!
Lastly, let’s meet Christopher and Jesse from Smoky Mountain Dreams. Do you guys have any resolutions to share?
Jesse: I want to show Christopher the world. I resolve to at least see him under the Riviera sun before the year is up. It’s all so new and good that I don’t know what else to say. My heart wants to promise more, but my mind tells me that I need to wait. He just makes me so damn happy.
Christopher: Jesse makes me really happy too. I’m going to say my resolution is to start the YouTube channel I’ve been thinking about and to strengthen my relationship with Jesse’s kids and family. If we’re going to work out as a forever thing, then that’s where I have to concentrate, because it can’t ever be just about us and how we feel about each other.
So practical these two! I swear they are much steamier and intense in the book! There’s a scene I keep hearing readers go on about…involving a string of fake pearl beads. Yes. I’ve heard that’s a pretty impractical and super-hot moment between the two of them. 😀
As for me, my resolutions are:
- Finish Training Complex, the sequel to Training Season.
- Finish Book Three and Four of the Pictures of You series. A 1990’s coming-of-age, romance-driven series. Book One will be released in Fall 2015.
- Publish at least two new books in 2015.
What are your resolutions? How likely are you to break them?
Blurb
Sometimes holding on means letting go.
After giving up on his career as a country singer in Nashville, Christopher Ryder is happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee. But while his beloved Gran loves him the way he is, Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. Even when he’s center stage, he aches for someone to see the real him.
Bisexual Jesse Birch has no room in his life for dating. Raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children’s mother, he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Bio
Leta’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively, but her passion has always been for writing. She most enjoys crafting the romance stories that she would most like to read. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.
You can find out more about her by following her online:
Giveaway
Leta has brought a paperback copy (within the Continental US) or ebook copy of Training Season or The River Leith to give away to THREE lucky readers! Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Friday, January 2nd 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.
My resolution is to be more outgoing.
That’s a great one, Cornelia! I’m not sure I’ve got one. I need to give it some thought! 😀 Good luck on the drawing!
My resolution is to help my dad more, so for starters, I’ll be working all day, not just mornings as I’ve been so far. I loved the resolutions for your characters and I’m looking forward to reading Training Complex! Thanks for the chance!
Mari, that’s a lovely resolution! 😀 I’m sure he’ll love your help. Thanks for reading and good luck on the draw!
My resolution? To try to lose some weight, because sadly I’ve put it on pretty well this last year! How likely am I to break it? Well, I’m hoping that’s a pretty small chance, but time will tell.
I share you desire to lose a little weight. It’s the modern way, isn’t it? 🙂 I hope you have all the success in the world in your endeavor and good luck on the drawing! 😀
Thanks for the giveaway. The new series you are working on sounds intriguing.
Thanks, Alexandra! 😀 I’m excited to finally get this series out. It’s been about ten years in the making. I wish I was exaggerating. 🙂 Best wishes in the New Year! And good luck on the drawing! 😀
I resolve to be a kinder person. Start with me and see where it goes.
Aw, man, that’s a lovely resolution. And, yes, be kinder to yourself, my friend. That is a wonderful place to start. <3
Best wishes that you have a successful new year! And good luck on the drawing! 🙂
I want to enjoy life more.
That’s a deep answer, Debra. Such an important question to ask ourselves–are we enjoying life to the fullest? If not, why? What’s holding us back? And then making a plan to grab life by the horns. I love it. Good luck to you on this. And on the drawing, too! 😀
Leta i would love to participate in your giveaway but I already own both books and have reviewed them on my sight. Good luck with the new book I know I will be buying it as soon as i can afford it
Apparently i can’t spell since my email was wrong so im resubmitted the comment
Leta i would love to participate in your giveaway but I already own both books and have reviewed them on my sight. Good luck with the new book I know I will be buying it as soon as i can afford it
Aw, Kristy! I’m honored that you own both books. <3 Thank you so much for your support and readership! May the New Year bring you joy!
I always want to get less distracted and fretful over life’s little things…I’ll try again next year!
Haha! Oh, me too! Letting stuff go is something I’m learning with age, though sometimes it is hard. 🙂 Good luck on your resolution and on this drawing, too! Happy New Year!
New year’s resolutions? As always, eat healthier, exercise more, spend more time with my family… I always try to improve my unhealthy habits, but you know, it is so difficult….
Congratulations on your new release. The book sounds really great. 🙂
Oh, yes, all the healthier resolutions! I share those as well! 😀 Hope the New Year brings you joy! Good luck on the drawing!
I’m not making any resolutions because I always break them. Instead of making them I just go through the year and make changes when the time seems right for me. That works out best for me.
Haha! I love that you know yourself! I also usually break mine in some way. Hopefully not this year. 😉 May this New Year bring you joy! Good luck on the drawing! 😀
Please count me in. Thanks.
Good luck, Karl! Happy New Year!
My resolution is to participate in the Goodreads M/M Romance group’s Don’t Read in the Closet event this year, to publish some free fiction on my blog, and to write a first draft of the story I wrote during this year’s NaNoWriMo. I might not get to all of it, but I’m really determined to do as much of this as possible.
You can do it, Kezia! Just push on through the self-doubt, etc. It’s normal. 🙂 Best wishes to you and good luck on the drawing! 😀
I’m still going strong on this years resolution (working out at a gym), so next year I want to try spending a little less time at the computer and a little more time doing stuff, although this is so vague I think I need to make it a little more concrete.
Yessssss! Less time on the computer! I want that, too. I specifically want to take my kid up to do some easy hikes in the mountains this year. It’s about time I get her into that sort of thing. 🙂 Best wishes for the new year and good luck on the draw! 😀
Great post & giveawaay. I have to think about my resolutions before I commit.
Happy New Year, Rodney! 😀 Good luck on the drawing!
Thanks for the great post and giveaway! I’m trying to change my eating habits going into the New Year and beyond. I am also trying to be a more positive person as well.
Hooray positivity! 😀 I’m annoyingly positive for the most part, so I’ll send some of my Pollyanna your way! 😉 Good luck on the draw!
I don’t usually make resolutions, probably because they’re so easily broken, but I am looking forward to a new year and new possibilities. Thanks for the chance to win! Happy New Year!
Thank you, Antonia! Happy New Year to you, too! And good luck in the drawing! 😀
I don’t usually make New Year resolutions but I think for this year I will and that is:
1) Find a stable job (better paying one at least)
2) Be proactive
3) Lose some weight and keep it off.
Those are admirable resolutions! I hope you are able to achieve them all! 😀 Good luck on the drawing!
I never break the covenants I make for Rosh Hashana but sometimes break my resolutions for New Years so I tend not to make any that are too important. 🙂 This year my resolution is to make my bed daily. I love going to bed in one that is all neat and tidy but getting up that extra 7 minutes early (yes, I’ve timed it) can be sooo difficult, especially in the winter. But I’ll try! If I can make it all the way through January I’ve heard it will become habit. I hope so.
Oh, lovely resolution! I feel like my house is in need of so much help that making the bed would be putting make-up on a mutt. 😛 Good luck to you in the drawing!!
Spend more time with my family. Before I know it, my kids will be all grown up. Of course this probably means I should spend less time reading!
🙂 I have a similar resolution for my personal life. I only have about nine more years before my girl will go to college and that will zoom by. More family time! Good luck on the resolution and the drawing!
I don’t really make resolutions. Nothing against them really I just never have. I figure I’d break them in like a day.
LOL! I hear ya! 😀 Good luck in the drawing!
Resolution for the new year…hmm.
1) Try to lose some weight
2) Pace how much time I spend on social media…it can really take over your life if you let it
3) Look into going back to school to get my Bachelor’s degree.
Hope the New Year is good to you
Thanks for a chance to win.
Ohhh, yessss, the social media one is good. Me too! Me too! I hope you also have a wonderful New Year! Good luck on the drawing!
Please count me in.
You’re counted! 😀 Thanks for the interest! Good luck on the drawing!
My resolution: eat healthier and maybe find a different job. 😉
Good luck on the job!! 😀 And you can totally do it with the eating healhier! 😀 (Says the woman who doesn’t ever cook.) Good luck on the drawing!
My resolutions are meditate every day to improve as person and continue learning English
Oh, meditation! Lovely! 😀 And English! Cool goal! Thank you for your interest and good luck on the drawing!
My resolutions would be to start working out a little everyday and to work on regulating my sleep schedule (working evenings and nights really messy with it). Happy New Year!! Thanks for the chance to win!
Working out! I absolutely need to add this one to my list. Happy New Year to you! Good luck on the drawing!
My resolutions are to work on my health and to find opportunities to volunteer in my community.
Those are incredibly admirable resolutions! Good luck to you! 😀 And good luck on the drawing! Happy New Year!