Today I am so pleased to welcome Keira Andrews back to Joyfully Jay. Keira has come to talk to us about her latest release, A Way Home (which I am reviewing later today and really loved). She has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving Keira a big welcome!
On Writing Religious Characters in Romance
There’s a huge market in North America for “sweet” (i.e. no sex) and “inspirational” (i.e. Christian) m/f romance. (I’ve never seen m/m inspirationals, but I might have missed them.) There are also “edgy inspirational romances”. What these books all have in common is that they’re written from a Christian perspective and espouse faith.
One of the most frequent questions I’ve been asked about my gay Amish series is whether or not it’s inspirational/Christian. It is not. While religion plays a vital part in the characters’ lives, there’s no religious messaging or moralizing from me. Some of the characters may sermonize (Bishop Yoder springs to mind!), but those are their views, not mine. And there is most definitely sex in this series! (And in all my books. I like sex.)
I’m not religious, which might be a surprise to some readers. I’ve been asked how I can write religious characters when I don’t believe, but the answer is simple: to write any character I have to walk in their shoes. Whether they’re an international superspy, champion figure skater, or a gay Amish man. To me it’s no different.
I don’t need to believe in a specific religion personally to feel empathy for my religious characters, or respect for their thoughts and feelings. Isaac and David believe in God, and that’s what matters. As a writer, my job is to make sure my characters are true to themselves. Of course they’re all in my head, but they feel real, and sometimes they’re very opinionated—which is what makes writing so much fun.
Isaac and David’s struggle with their beliefs and the fact that they’re gay continues in the third book in the trilogy, A Way Home. They need to accept who they are and come to terms with what that means for their faith, but it isn’t easy…
Are there any inspirational/Christian m/m books out there with religious messaging? Let me know if you’ve read any!
Blurb
Isaac and David never thought they’d go back to the Amish world. But when Isaac’s younger brother is stricken with cancer, they don’t hesitate to return. Their relationship is on the rocks after insecurity and fear drove a wedge between them in San Francisco, and David is determined to make things right. Yet if they thought navigating “English” life was confusing, being back in Zebulon is even more complicated.
Their families are desperate to bring them back into the fold, and pressure from the community builds. Isaac and David yearn for a future together, but each day it becomes harder to hide the truth about who they really are. They’re caught between two worlds, and if they’re not careful it could tear them further apart.
Can Isaac and David make their way back to each other—and find a place to call home?
This is the final chapter in a trilogy of forbidden Amish love.
Bio
After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal, and fantasy fiction, and—although she loves delicious angst along the way—Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”
- Website: http://www.keiraandrews.com
- Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/2Z-G5
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/keiraandrews
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keira.andrews.author
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1366040.Keira_Andrews
- Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/keiraandrews
Giveaway
Keira has brought a backlist book to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Sunday, April 12th 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.
Me me me.. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for the giveaway!! Congrats on the new book!
I have this latest book but haven’t read it yet. I’m looking forward to it.
I was eagerly waiting April 8th for this book’s release when it showed up on the 7th! I bought it immediately and just started it. I love Keira.
Loved the first two books in this series and looking forward to reading the third book, although don’t really want the series to end.
Thanks for the great post! And I am glad Keira likes the sexy scenes because she does an great job with them! 🙂
I think religion is part of many’s lives. It should be included in some books.
Loved the first two books and started #3 this morning!
Often when I stumble across religion in m/m books, it’s very negative. As at least a nominal Christian myself, this can be very disheartening. A positive one that came out recently (and is on my wishlist) is Inclination by Mia Kerick.
There are tons of m/f Christian romances (and I’ve even read a few), but I’ve never seen an m/m either.
Thanks for the post and giveaway chance!
Thanks for the post and the chance to win!
I would love a chance to win a copy. Love the series so far <3 Thank you for the giveaway chance!
Thank you for the giveaway! I would love a chance to read the book!
I’ve never read any inspirational/Christian stories. Thanks for the chance to win.
I’ve heard such good things about A Forbidden Rumspringa. A diverse range of friends have read and loved the book. Now that the third book is out I really should get started! 🙂 Thank you for the giveaway.
Jay, thanks so much for having me, and thanks to all for your responses and support! 🙂
Always a pleasure Keira!
Enjoyed the post. I’ve picked up A Way Home but haven’t gotten to start reading it. I hope to resolve that issue this weekend. Thanks for a chance in the giveaway.
Thanks for the great post! It’s been a while since I read it, but I remember that “Covet Thy Neighbor” by L.A. Witt did an interesting job of discussing religion and faith, especially since one of the main characters is a pastor and the other main character is an atheist. It’s part of the Tucker Springs series. Thank you for the chance to win!
It is a tricky question as the books I have read. which feature religion in some context, have shown sometimes there is acceptance but more frequently there is not, especially if it conflicts with the ethos of the particular religion or a person within the family group. Thank you for a chance to win one of Keira’s books and for this interesting post
Thank you for the post! I have been wondering about the Amish since my in-laws in Florida took me to a roadside stand to buy pies from them.