Today I am so pleased to welcome Clare London to Joyfully Jay. Clare has come to talk to us about her latest release, With A Kick Collection #2. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

Confessions of a Reckless Reader

In recent months, as a writer, I’ve published an MM romantic comedy short, an MM series audiobook, an MF erotic short, an (upcoming) paranormal MM short, and now I’m working on an urban paranormal with MM and MF relationships. No, this isn’t a post about how busy I am LOL because a lot of this writing was already done. Like buses, several publishing dates arrived at once. You all know how that goes!

But this post IS about variety and diversity in reading, and how I find it the spice of life. I hope you’re happy with me sharing that with you today!

We all have favourite reads, whether by author or genre, by novel or short story length, by home or international setting… etc. But do we allow ourselves to get channelled down that path too narrowly, and too often at the expense of new experiences? I’ve always believed that an enthusiastic reader will read LOTS and that includes breadth as well as depth.

When I was at school, around age 11, my class was each given a paperback to read and then we had to swap them around. I read National Velvet, Northanger Abbey, Cider With Rosie (ok, so I never finished it*heh*), Skellig, The Rose Round, and The Man Who Would Be King. And so many others! I may not have read some of those authors ever again, but I read them THEN, I drank up those words and wild imaginations like hot chocolate, and I still treasure some of those books as my very favourites.

Books speak directly to your emotions. They speak more vividly at certain times of your life, they can reflect your different moods, and the messages can be different. They keep you on your emotional toes! Skellig made me cry all over again when my son had it as a comprehension exercise at HIS school. I resisted Dickens when I was young, spooned up his books like honey in my thirties, but don’t have the patience to do them justice now. Some books I loved in the past now turn me off: some which I previously ignored are now a gateway to a whole new genre.

Who knows why a certain book catches our eye? We appreciate our friends’ recommendations, but reading a book is so personal you can’t rely on having the same reaction. You may be looking for a sweet contemporary romance but suddenly be attracted to a striking cover, or the blurb for a dark BDSM, or a coming-of-age drama from the other side of the world. I’ve done all that. You tell yourself, there’s just *something about it*…

Surrender to that urge, I say!

I mourn the passing of bookstores because it’s not the same, browsing online. You’re already channelled when you log in, by your preferences or past purchases. You have to make the effort to look outside your own personal box.

Maybe I’m distracted too easily by something new and shiny. I certainly don’t waste time anymore if I’m not enjoying a book, whereas in previous years I would have battled through to the end as a matter of principle. That hasn’t always stood me in good stead in my writing career, as I should probably have concentrated on making a name in one genre only.

But I have found the most exciting and surprising delights in books, and despite my preconceptions! Science Fiction that wasn’t too techie, past classics that weren’t irrelevant to today’s world, military thrillers that weren’t too gory, horror that wasn’t too… scary LOL.

I’m not saying check out my wide range of stories in particular – contemporary romance, fantasy, horror, romantic comedy, paranormal, thriller, crime, when the hell am I going to settle down?! – but please keep your bright eyes open for new and unusual reading experiences this year. You have nothing to lose except for the cost of an occasional misjudgement, and a world of words and worlds to gain!

What adventures in reading have you taken? Tell us about any unexpected gems you’ve discovered, or new reading paths you’ve taken!

Clare’s current activity log
With A Kick Collection #2 NOW in audio – http://mybook.to/WAKCollection2
The Accidental Baker in ebook – http://mybook.to/accidentalcl
Inside Man in ebook – http://mybook.to/insidemancl
The Sexy Librarian’s Dirty 30 v3  – https://www.stupidfishproductions.com

Bio

Clare London took her pen name from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant.

She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic, and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter three stage and plenty of other projects in mind… she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

Clare loves to hear from readers, and you can contact her at all her social media.

• Website + blog: http://www.clarelondon.com
• Join up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dv7Pl9
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/clarelondonauthor
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/clare_london
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1276146.Clare_London
• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/clarelondon
• Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/clare-london
• Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=Clare+London
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarelondon11/