Today I am so pleased to welcome Bryan T. Clark to Joyfully Jay. Bryan has come to talk to us about his latest release, Diego’s Secret. He also has brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving Bryan a big welcome!

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Bryan has written some questions and answers for himself that he is sharing with us today! 

 

Let’s start with some easy questions before I hit you with the tough ones. Dog or Cat?

OMG… I love kittens! However, I’m allergic to them. I found that out the hard way. I was once given a stray kitten that was nearly starved to death. I kept that cat for twenty-one years before her passing. Therefore, I guess, out of default, I’m a dog person.

 

Do you believe in soulmates?

I believe there is someone for everyone. I have seen that over and over and said many times, “I can’t believe he or she found a boyfriend.”  Soulmates, to me, sounds like you were always meant to be together, until death do you part. I’m not buying that. You have to work in a relationship, pay attention to the other person’s needs, and when those needs change for whatever reason, you have to be willing to adapt.

 

You are kind of a deep person, aren’t you?

I don’t think of myself as deep. But, I do know that I have many complicated layers to me. Stuff I’m still learning. I feel that this personal growth influences my writing.

 

It requires a lot of discipline to be a successful writer. Do you have a specific regime in how you approach your writing or is it more of a spontaneous experience?

I haven’t had a spontaneous experience since I was sixteen years old, drooling over my math teacher! Today, I consider myself a ‘plotter’.  Just like in my daily life, I plan everything out.  Not to say that it always works out as I planned, but it’s easy to adjust, if you have a plan.  Every book starts with an outline.  From there, I use a method called ‘The Three Act Structure’, which divides the book into three acts, the beginning of the book, the middle, and the end.  I know certain things have to occur in each act.  This sets the pace for the development of the story.

 

In a couple of scenes early in the book, Diego reacts strongly to some of the things Winston says to him that puts Diego on the defensive. For Diego, those statements were drawing a line between him and Winston and threatening the possibility of any kind of relationship between them. How central were these scenes to the development of their story?

They were essential. We all have things that we don’t necessarily like about someone else. Depending on who that someone else is, we grade how much importance we’ll give it.  When it is something that strikes at the core of who you are, and feelings and love are involved, it becomes much more difficult to navigate through.  This is what happened to both Winston and Diego.  They thought they had life all figured out but they didn’t know, what they didn’t know.

 

Let’s talk for a minute about the dialect in the book. Diego is primarily Spanish speaking. Winston is a natural and sophisticated English speaker. And yet, these two were able to communicate with one another and fall in love. How were you able to make this language difference work for the reader?

English is overrated anyways. Love is the real language. We are equipped with many senses; sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. You know when a person is looking at you with affection, you know a gentle touch; the mind is sensitive and powerful and words become less important.

 

Okay, I saved the hardest question until last. What’s your definition of a friend?

As much as I am a people person, I don’t make friends easily. I think, because of having been in law enforcement for over twenty-seven years, I tend to keep people who I don’t really know, at bay. I don’t trust easily and you have to earn my trust, and that takes a long time.  I value my close friendships. I know they have my back, even when I’m not present. They’re the ones who tell me, without hesitation, when I am wrong. Because I trust them, I also trust their opinion. I hate liars and people who are fake. Be yourself, and if that causes you insecurities, then acknowledge that, and then work on them. I have many insecurities and I work on them every day.  None of us are perfect, but we are special in our own way.

 

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Blurb

Copy-of-CoverCan love conquer our deepest secrets and fears?

Are the challenges worth the struggle?

Eight years ago, at the age of seventeen, Diego Castillo came to the United States illegally from Mexico. Working long hours in the family landscaping business, he now shares a tiny apartment with his two machismo brothers in Southern California. Diego has worked hard to keep his desires for other men a secret from his brothers. He’s worked just as hard to keep his undocumented status a secret from the world he now lives in.

Thirty-two-year-old Winston Makena is beautiful, intelligent, and intimidating. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but no amount of money can relieve the enormous grief he is suffering from his husband’s sudden death. He is one of Diego’s best accounts and lives a life in stark contrast to his gardener’s. Winston’s wealthy upbringing has influenced his ideas, leading him to certain biases.

Winston believes he could never love again. Diego believes that his family’s lives depend on him keeping his secrets. What neither of them know is that the heart knows no such boundaries. Will social divisions, ideology, and secrets destroy both their chances for happiness?

Can love really conquer all?


Bio

Copy-of-Bryan-200dpiBryan Thomas Clark is a funny, loving, family-oriented, and proud member of the LGBTQ community. After twenty-seven years in law enforcement, Bryan retired in 2015 to focus on his writing full time. Behind his computer, working on his next novel, Bryan writes Romance with real emotions that represent the moral dilemma that his characters face in their pursuit of love. He brilliantly weaves real life situations filled with difficult challenges, where his vibrant characters experience personal growth, and of course, what we all desire, lasting love.

Bryan writes M/M Romance with an emphasis on moral dilemma. His multicultural characters and riveting plots embody real life, filled with challenges, personal growth, and, of course, what we all desire—love.


Giveaway

Bryan has brought a tour wide giveaway. Just follow the Rafflecopter below to enter. 

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