Welcome Tara Lain
Welcome to Tara Lain, who is guesting at my blog today, and promoting her book: The Scientist and the Super Model. Tara and I met online at a Savvy Authors workshop and have been crit partners. She writes beautiful male on male romance. I mean, these guys, I could fall in love with. The excerpt from her book is PG-13, but gives you a flavor for her writing and the powerful emotions she unearths. Welcome, Tara!
The Mystery of Writing Male/Male My sincere thanks to Sharon for hosting me today in celebration of my new release, The Scientist and the Supermodel. As you may know, this book is primarily a M/M story. It’s the prequel to my M/M/F ménage called Genetic Attraction and tells how the two men who are the heroes of that book met and fell in love. Sharon, along with a lot of other people, ask me why I decided to write male/male romance rather than male/ female. I’ve given a lot of quick, glib answers (I love men. Two is better), but I’ve also given it some serious thought. First let me say, I love male/female romance too. I read it and I write it in the form of M/M/F ménage, but I haven’t written a traditional M/F story yet. May happen. But there is something about male/male … A woman who commented on my blog awhile back talked about gender roles. She said she didn’t like the traditional gender roles that seemed to dominate so much male/female romance, and so she liked to read male/male instead. Personally, I think many of my favorite writers create some kick-ass heroines, whether literally or figuratively, and they transcend gender roles pretty thoroughly. But there is no doubt that when the love affair is between two or more men, the gender roles are much more fluid. They can be dominant or submissive, take care of each other in whatever way they choose rather than what society outlines. I enjoy mixing up my characters’ personality traits making my seemingly alpha males into sexual submissives or my obviously effeminate men into decisive, stand-your-ground heroes. It’s all possible with more than one man to play with.
I also enjoy exploring the emotional identity of men. I’m not a man (I’m a happily married woman) and don’t know exactly what they feel, but I do know that no two men are exactly alike any more than two women are. I like to show a range of emotions – men who are comfortable with their feelings versus those who hide from them, men who are extremely verbal as well as the strong silent types. While it’s possible that two men together just doubles the testosterone as some suggest, isn’t it also possible that not having the traditional male protector role in a relationship can allow men to be more vulnerable and open? While the world is fortunate to have some brilliant gay men who write terrific LGBT fiction, I think the role of men together is enhanced by having a woman’s view of what’s possible. Since we don’t have to be limited by “what has always been true for us” in these relationships, we can visualize them broader, more diverse, more full of imagination and possibility than has yet been conceived. After all, romance is fantasy but fantasy has always shown us what could be true. So that’s a little of why I love writing M/M fiction — and I learn more every day. If you’ve never read a M/M book, I suggest giving it a try. It just might turn out to be a passion for you as it is for me. AND NOW I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE CONTEST I’m Running for My New Releases!!! 8 BOOKS THIS MONTH! 4 Books Next Month. Here’s the first simple step: Comment on this blog and leave your email address. I will copy it and enter it in the drawing for the 2 books being given away during this week. One copy of The Scientist and the Supermodel and one copy of Genetic Attraction. You’ll be notified by email if you win. Comment and email, simple. Here’s MORE CHANCES TO WIN! (more complicated so read closely LOL) · Go to my Book blog http://beautifulboysbooks.blogspot.com. Leave a comment and follow the blog (if you already do follow, it counts). You will be entered in EVERY drawing until the end of the month. Two books will be given away every week and you’ll be entered in all those drawings. · Go to every blog on my blog tour and leave a comment on the day of the post (or at least in the same week) and you will be entered again during the week in which the post is made. · The entire blog tour is listed on my website http://www.taralain.com/blog_tour_schedule.html and updates will be posted regularly so check it out. There will also be Yahoo Group chats and TRS parties where I will be giving away other books so watch for those! Whew!! Remember, you can take each one of these steps and have a bunch of chances to WIN! (You just have to enter, the logistics are my nightmare! LOL) Got it? Comment and leave your email. And thanks so much for coming to say hi. : )
Jake has a mad hidden passion for his older boss, Emmaline Silvay, so why is he getting all hot and bothered when he sees this gorgeous man in a bar? Though Jake thinks of himself as straight, he’s been having a lot of trouble getting excited about any of the girls he’s dated. He doesn’t have any such trouble with the supermodel, which throws his whole world into confusion. Roan Black knows better than to fall for some straight guy, especially a PhD scientist who couldn’t possibly be interested in a high school dropout, could he? Well, maybe they can just have sex ….Excerpt PG-13 – The Scientist and the Supermodel M/M erotic romance by Tara Lain: The bar suited his mood. Dark, a little musty, it looked like the renovations throughout the old Los Angeles hotel hadn’t made it this far yet. Candles glowed on the few tables at the back and on the massive horseshoe-shaped bar that dominated the room. He climbed onto a barstool away from the door. From their badges, it looked like a few conference attendees had found the place, but he didn’t recognize anyone. Perfect. “What can I get you?” The buxom, California-blonde bartender smiled and looked like she might be offering more than a drink. No fucking thank you. “A dirty martini, two olives.” He barely knew what that was, but he’d heard a friend order one and liked the sound of it. Just the way he felt. Lack of performance. At twenty-five. Not exactly every young man’s complaint. In college, he’d been a serious cocksman, banging half the girls he met. He wasn’t exactly proud of that, but it was the truth. The last couple years, though, except for his dreams of Em, he just didn’t have the enthusiasm. Since his PhD. Since Tom. The bartender placed the drink carefully in front of him, displaying a rack to make a centerfold weep. He grabbed the martini and took a swallow — Jeeeezuz! The bartender grinned as his eyes teared. She inconspicuously placed a glass of water in front of him and walked away. He’d definitely failed the finals in macho tonight. Another mouthful, and he let it slip down his throat this time. Was this supposed to be good? Bitter, burning. He’d think of it as penance. Thinking. There was the rub. Tonight wasn’t the first — or even fifth — time he’d been half-cocked with a girl. Maybe it was the studying, writing his dissertation. He knew doctors said that stress could affect a guy’s…ability, interest. He’d gone for months without a girl while finishing the doctorate. No problem. But, of course, there’d been Tom. Tom had cared for him. He could admit it now, even though he’d tried to ignore it then. And Jake — shit. He’d been a shit. The next big swallow of the martini went down real smooth. “Want another one?” He startled at her voice. “Sure.” ’Cause he felt very, very dirty. A nice buzz set in. Not much of a drinker. He adjusted his wire rims. Man, he’d never feel the same way about them after tonight. Clark Kent, huh? He liked that. He looked across the bar through a comfortable little haze. There were a couple of conference nerds, possibly an LA hooker trying to persuade them to view her etchings, some other random business types, and — Who did that guy think he was, Brad Pitt? A baseball cap and sunglasses in this black hole. How could he see his drink? Jesus, was he drinking champagne? Alone? The bartender was Johnny-on-the-spot with the next martini, and Jake took another mouthful. Oh yeah, just like silk. He hoped there was a lot of nutrition in an olive, because this sure as fuck was dinner. He looked up again at the guy across the bar. At least he thought it was a guy. He could see longish hair sticking out from under the cap. And the mouth… From what he could see, those lips would make Angelina Jolie jealous. Maybe a girl? As he took another swallow, he saw the guy/girl’s hand reach out for its flute of bubbly and miss. Only a quick grab saved the glass from tumbling over. Jake could almost feel how pissed the person was. The cap was ripped off by an impatient hand, letting a mane of shining, black, chin-length hair fall free. The creature looked around like it was searching for predators, then pulled off the huge black sunglasses. Holy fucking Christ. Gorgeous. He knew this was LA, the land of the genetic celebrities, but this was ridiculous. Okay, Jake, you’re staring. He looked down into his martini and took another slug. But he had to look again. Peeking up over the edge of his glasses, he watched the guy — it was a guy, he was pretty sure now — take a deep breath, like he was really relieved not to be flailing around in the dark. Cheekbones. That was what you saw first on that face. Architectural masterpieces with perfect hollows beneath. Shit, the guy was looking! Jake looked away fast but was pretty sure the guy had seen him staring. Now that was embarrassing, but he couldn’t quite believe what he’d just seen. He took off his glasses, wiped them on a napkin to kill time, and then put them back on. He sneaked a peek back to find the guy looking down at his champagne, so Jake just stared. The guy was the most beautiful man — person…creature — he could ever remember seeing. Yeah, it was definitely a guy, even though the face was like some kind of idealized being, half female, half male. Large eyes rimmed with heavy lashes and the Angelina lips were offset by a clean, very male jaw and strong, arched brows. His hair looked black, although the candles on the bar picked up a little touch of red, and it was cut in a lazy European style that swept hair onto his forehead and shagged it around his face. As Jake watched, the man pushed his fingers into that hair, pulling it back off his luminous face for a moment, and then released it to fall again in idle perfection. The guy was young, probably younger than Jake. There was just one problem. If this was a guy, why did Jake suddenly have less room in his suit pants?
Reach Tara Lain at: E-mail: tara@taralain.com Website: http://www.taralain.com Author blog: http://taralain.blogspot.com Book blog: http://beautifulboysbooks.blogspot.com Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541791.Tara_Lain Savvy Authors: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/member.php?2398-Tara-Lain Twitter: http://twitter.com/taralain Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Tara-Lain/100001514105686
Jake has a mad hidden passion for his older boss, Emmaline Silvay, so why is he getting all hot and bothered when he sees this gorgeous man in a bar? Though Jake thinks of himself as straight, he’s been having a lot of trouble getting excited about any of the girls he’s dated. He doesn’t have any such trouble with the supermodel, which throws his whole world into confusion. Roan Black knows better than to fall for some straight guy, especially a PhD scientist who couldn’t possibly be interested in a high school dropout, could he? Well, maybe they can just have sex ….Excerpt PG-13 – The Scientist and the Supermodel M/M erotic romance by Tara Lain: The bar suited his mood. Dark, a little musty, it looked like the renovations throughout the old Los Angeles hotel hadn’t made it this far yet. Candles glowed on the few tables at the back and on the massive horseshoe-shaped bar that dominated the room. He climbed onto a barstool away from the door. From their badges, it looked like a few conference attendees had found the place, but he didn’t recognize anyone. Perfect. “What can I get you?” The buxom, California-blonde bartender smiled and looked like she might be offering more than a drink. No fucking thank you. “A dirty martini, two olives.” He barely knew what that was, but he’d heard a friend order one and liked the sound of it. Just the way he felt. Lack of performance. At twenty-five. Not exactly every young man’s complaint. In college, he’d been a serious cocksman, banging half the girls he met. He wasn’t exactly proud of that, but it was the truth. The last couple years, though, except for his dreams of Em, he just didn’t have the enthusiasm. Since his PhD. Since Tom. The bartender placed the drink carefully in front of him, displaying a rack to make a centerfold weep. He grabbed the martini and took a swallow — Jeeeezuz! The bartender grinned as his eyes teared. She inconspicuously placed a glass of water in front of him and walked away. He’d definitely failed the finals in macho tonight. Another mouthful, and he let it slip down his throat this time. Was this supposed to be good? Bitter, burning. He’d think of it as penance. Thinking. There was the rub. Tonight wasn’t the first — or even fifth — time he’d been half-cocked with a girl. Maybe it was the studying, writing his dissertation. He knew doctors said that stress could affect a guy’s…ability, interest. He’d gone for months without a girl while finishing the doctorate. No problem. But, of course, there’d been Tom. Tom had cared for him. He could admit it now, even though he’d tried to ignore it then. And Jake — shit. He’d been a shit. The next big swallow of the martini went down real smooth. “Want another one?” He startled at her voice. “Sure.” ’Cause he felt very, very dirty. A nice buzz set in. Not much of a drinker. He adjusted his wire rims. Man, he’d never feel the same way about them after tonight. Clark Kent, huh? He liked that. He looked across the bar through a comfortable little haze. There were a couple of conference nerds, possibly an LA hooker trying to persuade them to view her etchings, some other random business types, and — Who did that guy think he was, Brad Pitt? A baseball cap and sunglasses in this black hole. How could he see his drink? Jesus, was he drinking champagne? Alone? The bartender was Johnny-on-the-spot with the next martini, and Jake took another mouthful. Oh yeah, just like silk. He hoped there was a lot of nutrition in an olive, because this sure as fuck was dinner. He looked up again at the guy across the bar. At least he thought it was a guy. He could see longish hair sticking out from under the cap. And the mouth… From what he could see, those lips would make Angelina Jolie jealous. Maybe a girl? As he took another swallow, he saw the guy/girl’s hand reach out for its flute of bubbly and miss. Only a quick grab saved the glass from tumbling over. Jake could almost feel how pissed the person was. The cap was ripped off by an impatient hand, letting a mane of shining, black, chin-length hair fall free. The creature looked around like it was searching for predators, then pulled off the huge black sunglasses. Holy fucking Christ. Gorgeous. He knew this was LA, the land of the genetic celebrities, but this was ridiculous. Okay, Jake, you’re staring. He looked down into his martini and took another slug. But he had to look again. Peeking up over the edge of his glasses, he watched the guy — it was a guy, he was pretty sure now — take a deep breath, like he was really relieved not to be flailing around in the dark. Cheekbones. That was what you saw first on that face. Architectural masterpieces with perfect hollows beneath. Shit, the guy was looking! Jake looked away fast but was pretty sure the guy had seen him staring. Now that was embarrassing, but he couldn’t quite believe what he’d just seen. He took off his glasses, wiped them on a napkin to kill time, and then put them back on. He sneaked a peek back to find the guy looking down at his champagne, so Jake just stared. The guy was the most beautiful man — person…creature — he could ever remember seeing. Yeah, it was definitely a guy, even though the face was like some kind of idealized being, half female, half male. Large eyes rimmed with heavy lashes and the Angelina lips were offset by a clean, very male jaw and strong, arched brows. His hair looked black, although the candles on the bar picked up a little touch of red, and it was cut in a lazy European style that swept hair onto his forehead and shagged it around his face. As Jake watched, the man pushed his fingers into that hair, pulling it back off his luminous face for a moment, and then released it to fall again in idle perfection. The guy was young, probably younger than Jake. There was just one problem. If this was a guy, why did Jake suddenly have less room in his suit pants?
Reach Tara Lain at: E-mail: tara@taralain.com Website: http://www.taralain.com Author blog: http://taralain.blogspot.com Book blog: http://beautifulboysbooks.blogspot.com Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541791.Tara_Lain Savvy Authors: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/member.php?2398-Tara-Lain Twitter: http://twitter.com/taralain Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Tara-Lain/100001514105686
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No one wants to be the first posting so here it goes…*S*
Beautiful Alaskan morning (we are loving the rain here to aid the firefighters on the forest fires here) to both ladies Tara and Sharon.
Thank you for the post and sharing what drives your passion to write.
And for the wonderful excerpt from the book.
Thank you for the contest cause now I will work on winning this one to read after I finish Genetic Attraction..*S*
Thanks!
Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com
Thank you, Darcy Brave First Commenter! So glad for your rain! Appreciate your visiting me and Sharon. : )
Great post, Tara.
Thank you, Anne. Really appreciate your comment. : )
Hi Tara – I never thought I'd enjoy reading m/m stories and picked up my first one because I was curious. You're right – it's the different dynamics that make them engrossing reads. Good luck with your new book. It sounds great.
Thank you, Shelley. I was the same. I picked up a M/M book by one of my favorite M/F authors and was instantly hooked! Thank you so much for you comment.
BTW, Anne and Shelley, you're unofficially entered in my drawing for a copy of the book that takes place next Saturday. If you want to leave your email addresses, we can make it official. : )
Shelley,
Thanks for being honest. I think rounding out our reading with stories we might not otherwise have bought or read, is a good thing. I had exactly the same reaction, even though my husband and I have been happily married for 40 years this week.
It's all about the character and the love relationship that makes a book a great read. And we can learn so much from each other and our writing skills. It was a gift that Tara and I were paired up for the workshop, and we got to be friends.
She doesn't write angels, but we have a lot in common.
Anne and Darcy,
Stick around. I'm so pleased you found my blog, through Tara, and hope you stop by from time to time.
Hi Sharon– It's my delight to have met you through Savvy, become friends, and to get to be on your blog today. I've gotten some tweets from people telling me how much they enjoyed the post. Some of my Blog Tour Contest players may be dropping in during the week to comment to gain another entry in the contest so i will keep an eye out. I sure have enjoyed my day. : )
I enjoyed the post; it was quite interesting and informative. I also enjoyed the excerpt; it was great!
Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
Thank you Tracey! This was one that took a lot of thought. Glad you enjoyed it. ; )
I have to agree with your take on M/M…as a reader it definitely takes things to a different level. Surprisingly so! Love the excerpt, can't wait to read!
Thanks Sharon for hosting and Thanks Tara for posting 😉
Cici
cicisnook[at]gmail[.]com
Thank you Cici. Appreciate your take on this.
: )
Cici,
I always love it when I am surprised, in a good way. Thanks for stopping by and come back again.
Tara,
You did a great job this week!
Tracey,
Thanks for stopping by and be sure to come back again! Tara is a gem, isn't she?