Today I am so pleased to welcome Vanessa North to Joyfully Jay. Vanessa has come to talk to us about her latest release, Blueberry Boys (which I adored and reviewed here). She has also brought along a great tour wide giveaway. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!
So, you heard there was religious stuff in this book…
Talk about a subject I never, ever thought I’d write: religion. I mean—I write romance novels. Sexy ones! About queer people! I can’t go five minutes without swearing, and my son’s first three-word sentence was blasphemous. How could I write about religion? Vanessa North and God stuff? Do these things even go together? How does that work?
So. How did it happen? While I am not a religious person, I understand and appreciate the comfort and the joy people take from faith and from religious practice. I am all for people celebrating traditions that bring them peace, love, and happiness—regardless of whether I participate in those traditions or not. I’m not religious, but I’m not anti-religious either.
Blueberry Boys, like all of my stories, is a book about family and community in addition to being a sexy romance. The story is set in a small New England town—Blandford—whose dominant architectural feature is the church in the center of town. Built in the 1820s, the church is a beautiful example of a colonial meetinghouse. While it doesn’t actually hold services, and hasn’t in years, it’s a striking symbol of the town’s history. So for Blueberry Boys, I created a congregation to fill the church, and a man whose faith was an integral part of his life as a main character.
Over the last ten years or so of my life, I’ve known a handful of men—some close friends, some merely acquaintances–my age (I’m 38) and older coming out for the first time. I started toying with the idea of a coming out story as part of Jed’s narrative, and from there the ideas started to flow and Jed’s faith became a vital part of his coming out.
I didn’t set out to write a story about religion. But sometimes you just gotta go where the story and the characters take you, and in this case, I can’t imagine it any other way.
Blurb
Connor Graham is a city boy—a celebrated fashion photographer in New York. When his uncle’s death drags him back to the family blueberry farm, all he wants to do is sell it as quickly as he can. Until he meets his uncle’s tenant farmer.
Jed Jones, shy and stammering, devout and dedicated, has always yearned for land of his own and a man to share it with. Kept in the closet by his church, family, and disastrous first love, he longs to be accepted for who he is. But now, with his farm and his future in Connor’s careless hands, he stands to lose even the little he has.
Neither man expects the connection between them. Jed sees Connor—appreciates his art and passion like no one else in this godforsaken town ever has. Connor hears Jed—looks past his stutter to listen to the man inside. The time they share is idyllic, but with the farm sale pending, even their sanctuary is a source of tension. As work, family, and their town’s old-fashioned attitudes pull them apart, they must find a way to reconcile commitments to their careers and to each other.
Bio
Author of over a dozen novels, novellas, and short stories, Vanessa North delights in giving happy-ever-afters to characters who don’t think they deserve them. Relentless curiosity led her to take up knitting and run a few marathons “just to see if she could.” She started writing for the same reason. Her very patient husband pretends not to notice when her hobbies take over the house. Living and writing in Northwest Georgia, she finds her attempts to keep a quiet home are frequently thwarted by twin boy-children and a very, very large dog.
Connect with Vanessa:
- Website: vanessanorth.com
- Facebook profile page: facebook.com/AuthorVanessaNorth
- Twitter: @VanessaNWrites
- Goodreads: goodreads.com/VanessaNorth
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Blueberry Boys, Vanessa North is giving away a $30 Amazon gift card! Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 5, 2015. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Follow the tour for more opportunities to enter the giveaway! Don’t forget to leave your email or method of contact so Riptide can reach you if you win!
- 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.
- All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
- 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.
I’m really looking forward to reading this. It looks like it’s right in my happiness zone!
Thank you, Leigh!
I’m not a really religious person myself either, but I understand religion is very important for a lot of people, and sometimes it must show in their stories. That’s why I do not mind reading about religion or the issues it brings about in some people’s lives.
The book sounds really good. It is next in my TBR list
susanaperez7140(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you, Susana! I think religion is such a huge part of the human experience, whether we personally participate or not. It seems it would be impossible to avoid completely in literature!
Even though I am not religious and never have been, I don’t have an issue with it in books the way I’ve seen some readers do, refusing to pick up a book if there’s anything about religion in it. The characters’ beliefs are another aspect to them, just like the people I interact with in real life, and I like getting the chance to see the world through their perspective. I’m glad you followed where the story and characters took you.
caroaz [at] ymail [dot] com
Thank you, Carolyn! I’m glad I did too, not just for the story’s sake, but it also led to some really interesting conversations with my friends who ARE religious, lots of great respectful philosophical discussion about everything from church politics (something new to me!) to memories of church growing up. It’s really cool how sometimes writing a story can lead to a better understanding of the real people around us too. 🙂
I’m yet another who is not religious; however, I have no problem with reading about characters for whom religion is important. Blueberry Boys sounds like an enticing read!
Thank you, Kareni!
I’m not religious either but many people are and it’s interesting to read about characters who are and how their faith affects their life . I’m looking forward to reading the book it’s on my wishlist.
Thank you, Shirley Ann!
I just don’t understand religious beliefs that are used to as a basis for justifying hate.
ree.dee.2014 (at) gmail (dot) com
I don’t either!
Blandford was settled primarily by members of the Presbyterian church, which this year adopted language providing for gay marriage, and Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage. The division within the national Presbyterian church plays an important role in the story, but I don’t think any part of the story justifies hate.
Fabulous guest post! This book sounds like such an interesting, exciting, and intriguing read. Thanks – allyswanson at hotmail dot com.
Thank you, Ally!
Congratulations on the new book!
annmarief115 at gmail dot com
Thanks Ann Marie!
Interesting post, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
serena91291@gmail.com
Thank you Serena!
I’ve read some really good books that revolve around religion. I find it very interesting.
aelnova@aol.com
I do too–whether or not I believe as the characters do, I enjoy a spiritual element to a book. A great example is Leta Blake and Indra Vaughn’s Vespertine, which I had the pleasure to beta for them–a fantastic book about a gay Catholic priest. I’ve also heard AMAZING things about Tamsen Parker’s Craving Flight (Orthodox Jewish couple), which I haven’t read yet, but I am DYING to sink my teeth into.
Great post, one of the things I loved about this book is the fact that the character was Christian, but he wasn’t preachy about it. Such a fantastic story!
slickreads1100 @ gmail dot com
Thanks so much, Sharon!
I have enjoyed following the blog tour. thanks so much
debby236 at gmail dot com
Thanks, Debra!
fun cover
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Thank you! LC Chase designed this amazing cover–she’s so talented, I really admire how she took the mood of the story and brought it to life 🙂
Thanks for the interesting post! violet817(at)aol(dot)com
Thanks, Toni!
I’m eager to read this!
vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com
Thank you, Trix!
Another on the list of not being religious. It’ll be interesting to see what things I pick up.
humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
Thanks HB!
Religion has the capacity to help guide people to be good people and do the right thing in life. It is a shame it is also used (mis-used?) to spread hate and excuse crimes against others.
I have been looking forward to reading this book but even more so after reading your review – notably the reference to it being tender.
@hojurose
Thanks, Jenny!
LOL – I loved how you described yourself in the opening and your son’s first sentence (I am dying to know the actual words he said). I, too, am not religious. I don’t have any issues with someone having a personal faith, but I do take umbrage with a lot of organized religion. For example, my parents are very religious and they let their pastor tell them how to vote (for example against a marriage equality proposition), which I can hardly comprehend. I wish religion just lifted people up instead of the terrible things people use it for.
Anyway, I am looking forward to reading Blueberry Boys and enjoyed the tour. Thanks to Jay for the wonderful review.
jen(dot)f(at)mac(dot)com
Oh my gosh, I totally made something up when I told his pediatrician, that’s how bad it was. O.O But he used it in appropriate context! <.<
I appreciate some religion in my romances at times. Being spiritual myself, it’s nice to see some representation!
ashley.vanburen[at]gmail[dot]com
I think it’s important for everyone to see themselves in literature. we need windows *and* mirrors. 🙂
I’m loving the sound of this book more and more with each stop. Going on my wish list.
goaliemom0049(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks, Laurie!