Today I am so pleased to welcome Brandon Witt to Joyfully Jay. Brandon has come to talk to us about his latest release, Son of Money. He has also brought along a backlist book to give away.  Please join me in giving Brandon a big welcome!

Son of Money Banner

 

I know that my books are about gay men. That is a duh moment, to be sure. I write Gay Romance. That said, it’s rare that I write a novel where one of the female characters doesn’t steal the show. In my Men of Myth series, it was Sonia, so fierce and damaged and powerful. In The Shattered Door, it was Maudra, so strong, original, and a bit odd. In Then the Stars Fall, Wendy became the entire story to me at times. Even in Under a Sky of Ash, the drag queen ManDonna was the heart of the story (yes, I know a drag queen isn’t a woman). Some of my reviews praise my female characters. A few make comments along the lines that I need to remember that I’m writing about men.

Well, fuck that. I write about people, and not just one type. I also write about imperfect people, people who don’t always make the decisions we wish they would—both the men and the women.

Kayla ImageIn Son of Money, there honestly wasn’t a strong female character planned, at least not one with a lot of page time. It was all going to be about Randall and Noah and I was going to stick to that, damn it. Kayla, Randall’s sister-in-law was only going to be a side character and have a few quippy lines. Then she bullied her way in and made me fall in love with her.

Randall and Kayla’s family is extremely wealthy, extremely elitist, and extremely controlling and dysfunctional. Kayla, on the surface fits into that picture perfectly. She’s gorgeous—the most beautiful female character I’ve ever written, as far as physical features go (and she doesn’t hesitate to let us know that she’s had some help in that area). In a lot of ways, she’s also shallow. She is very concerned about her looks, her hair, her weight, her nails, her fashion—you get the idea. She also ‘has allowed herself’ to be controlled by her husband, mother-in-law, and father-in-law. Kayla revealed herself slowly to me, gradually letting me see her core of strength that was initially easy to dismiss because of her beauty and the way she allowed herself to be treated. If you ran into Kayla on the street, you might pass her off as a blonde Kardashian. Easy to pass off as nothing more than a Barbie Doll and arm candy. She’s so much more.  (BTW, this isn’t meant to be derogatory toward Kardashians. I’ve never seen an episode, I’ve never been the least bit interested. Though, whether they are shallow or not, I must admit, I admire their brilliance in making a career of themselves. Hello, tangent much?)

I’ll warn you of this, you will not like every decision Kayla makes. You may even be irritated at me for allowing her to be written the way she was, and as I always do, I’ll simply say I write the character as they tell me to write them. (And, yes, I know that’s a copout, but it really does feel true inside the crazy in my head.) You’ll be frustrated with her at times, and (I hope) you will cheer for and with her at times as well. I also hope you’ll fall in love with her as desperately as I have.

Son of Money is the story of Randall Morgan, a gay man, finally taking control of his life and learning to stand tall, proud, and in the sun. The book is also about Kayla, a woman seen as worth nothing more than her beauty, who is learning to be brave, to take a stand for herself, her daughter, and her brother-in-law. It’s also about both of them finding love. Randall learns to be his own hero. Kayla does as well, in addition to being a hero to those around her. She marches to her own drumbeat. She won’t listen to me, to you, or her father-in-law any more. And I love that about her.


Blurb

Son of Money CoverRandall Morgan, youngest son of one of Seattle’s wealthiest families, rejected his family’s money to live free of their control and pursue his career as a photographer. To make ends meet, Randall does erotic photography and massage—a secret he keeps from his family so he can remain a part of his young niece’s life. But the price of that relationship is high, and Randall is slipping under his family’s thumb.

Noah Carroll is the spokesperson for the Seattle Humane Society, and the city holds a special place in his heart. When fate intervenes during a pet adoption  at the humane society, Noah finds himself face to face with his first love—Randall.

While Noah and Randall are not the teenagers they once were, the flame of a first kiss long ago draws them together. Their romance is just beginning to grow, but someone is out to destroy Randall and expose all he keeps hidden.

When secrets and rumors thrust Randall into the public eye, his relationship with Noah isn’t the only thing that comes under threat.


Bio

Author Photo (credit to David Schmidt)Brandon Witt’s outlook on life is greatly impacted by his first eighteen years of growing up gay in a small town in the Ozarks, as well as fifteen years as a counselor and special education teacher for students with severe emotional disabilities. Add to that his obsession with corgis and mermaids, then factor in an unhealthy love affair with cheeseburgers, and you realize that with all those issues, he’s got plenty to write about….


Giveaway

Brandon has brought one ebook copy of any of his backlist titles (excluding anthologies) to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Tuesday, June 28th 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.
  • 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.
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