Joining
me in the Hot Seat today is author,
Tamsin Baker.
Bio:Tamsin Baker is an Aussie girl who only found erotic romance
about ten months ago. Before that she read sexy romance, skipping the plot
looking for the ‘good bits.’ Since then she has written and obtained 18
contracts of varying lengths with erotic romance and erotica. She absolutely
LOVES reading and writing it! She has two other jobs, kids and a hubby too, but
writing is a passion that she has to indulge, for fear of insanity.
Q: Can you tell our readers a little about your
writing? What genres do you enjoy writing?
What
genre's don't I write is probably a shorter list :) At the moment I have
BUY AMAZON
contracts in everything from historical sweet, (with my other secret pen name) up to full m/m erotica. (vampires, shifters, fantasy, ménage) I love m/m and any sort of menage with m/m in it. I tend to get a little obsessed. For example, I wrote a historical, vampire menage trilogy in about two months which moved onto a shifter menage trilogy, but now I’m a bit over that and am up to my ears in m/m BDSM stories and can’t get enough!
BUY AMAZON
contracts in everything from historical sweet, (with my other secret pen name) up to full m/m erotica. (vampires, shifters, fantasy, ménage) I love m/m and any sort of menage with m/m in it. I tend to get a little obsessed. For example, I wrote a historical, vampire menage trilogy in about two months which moved onto a shifter menage trilogy, but now I’m a bit over that and am up to my ears in m/m BDSM stories and can’t get enough!
Q: Do you write on a schedule or when the Muse
decides?
Oh
definitely when the muse decides. I have two part time jobs and two kids under
4 so I don’t have the most flexible schedule, but as I said, I’m an obsessive
personality so when I need to write- I write!
Q:
Can you tell us about your writing process, for example, do you write an
outline first?
No-
never. I use to, but haven’t written an outline in over 6 months. I tend to
just see the initial scene, start writing it and follow where my characters
tell me to go.
Q: What qualities do you instill in your heroes?
Pride,
the need to look after someone they love, good work ethic, great lovers… of
course J
Q.
Coffee or tea?
Neither…
sorry… yuck. Peppermint tea maybe?
Q.
Beach or countryside?
Beach!!!!
Q.
Do you write about the places you know or prefer to take your readers to exotic
places?
Both
really. I have books set in Melbourne, then I have a lot of books set in
Regency London and even one in a fantasy alternate Earth. I like to mix things
up J
Q:
Where do you get your inspiration?
I’ve
written a lot of stories for submission calls, just because I like having
structure. m/m, 20-40K etc etc. Other times I just think, I’ll have a go at
this, a scene appears and off I go.
Q:
Would you change anything in your life to make writing easier.
A
few hours everyday where I’m alone, the house is clean, hubby is happy and the
kids are asleep.
Q:
We have all suffered submission rejections. How do you cope? Do you have any
advice to other writers on coping with rejection?
Oh,
I still get rejections! Mostly I just pout and send it off to another
publisher. I used to think there was something wrong with my writing, but now I
know that you have to find a publisher that likes your style too. I do have
awesome critique partners, so my work is thoroughly critiqued and edited before
I send it anywhere, so that’s probably the most important thing. Remember to
have a ‘real’ author look at your work and shrug off rejections. Everyone gets
them!
Q:
What do you like to read and who are your favourite authors?
At
the moment, as I said, I’m obsessed with m/m- specifically were wolves. Shannon
West is a particular favourite, though I loved some m/m erotica pieces I read
the other day by Shaun Michael and the lovely HC Brown J
HC: Why thank you kindly .
Q:
Do you write one novel at a time or do you move between works in progress?
Always
more than one. I’m usually actively working on 2-3 and have 2-3 in the
background. Keeps me from getting stuck and keeps my mind happy/active.
Q:
Do you have times when the Muse is away on holiday?
Hmmm,
not really. I had one week about 3 weeks ago where is knocked out a 20K story
in 7 days and burnt myself out. I couldn’t write anything for 10 days, so I
read everything Shannon West has written instead! Got back in the saddle pretty
quick after that J
Q.
What motivates you to write?
I
just love it. It makes me happy. Full stop really.
Q.
What advice would you give to unpublished authors approaching an e publisher?
Make
sure your work has been thoroughly critiqued by someone who knows what they are
talking about- find out which publishers are good, and go for it!
Q:
Is there anything you would like to share with us about upcoming releases?
Q:
Can you tell
us a little about your current novel?
Blurb:
Marcus is a 30-year-old successful architect. He wants someone
to love and knows the right man will turn up when he least expects it. That
moment arrives at his friend’s party. He sees Danny for only a moment, yet his
interest is piqued. What could be more irresistible than a blue-eyed beauty who
is completely untouched?
Danny knows he doesn’t find women attractive, but how is he
going to find out if he’s gay? His sister’s party answers his prayers and the
most gorgeous guy he has ever seen asks him out. But can their love survive
when Marcus wants more than a closeted partner and Danny wants nothing more
than to hide forever?
Excerpt:
(warning- we spell ass, ARSE in Australia J, just sayin’)
“So, how old
are you Danny?” Thomas asked.
Danny
grimaced, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. He didn’t like Thomas’s voice. It was a
little too high, the pitch was annoying. As were his questions.
“Twenty-one,”
Danny answered honestly with a confident smile. He was in his prime sexually,
or so they said.
Marcus
slapped Thomas’s thigh. “That was rude.”
Thomas scoffed.
“How is that rude? I bet you didn’t even know that.”
Marcus
looked back at Danny. His intense brown eyes caused Danny’s cheeks to heat.
They knew so little about each other but the attraction that burned between
them was intense.
“You working
or studying Danny?” Thomas asked. His hand drifted over Marcus’s hair and
stroked it.
Marcus
swatted him away, which was good to see, but Danny found it distracting.
Couldn’t they stop playing like that in front of him?
“I’m at uni
for another year.”
Thomas moved
so that his legs were now draped over Marcus’s lap. Marcus looked up again with
an uncomfortable pull around his mouth, but he didn’t move them away.
Danny saw
red, his belly dropping dangerously as he pulled his clenched fists into his
lap to hide them.
“What are
you studying at uni, Danny?”
“Structural
engineering,” he spit out. Would Thomas stop touching Marcus? It was really
getting on his nerves now.
Thomas poked
Marcus in the shoulder with his finger, his eyebrows rising in surprise.
“How
perfect.”
Danny looked
between the two men, his chest tightening as the truth settled in. They
obviously knew each other well.
“Why?” Danny
asked, unable to stay ambivalent to the source of their humour.
Marcus
smiled at him and shifted as though he were uncomfortable.
“Because,
I’m an architect. You could probably come and do an internship with me next
year.”
Danny shook
his head. There was no chance of that. Even if something did eventuate out of
this mess, he wouldn’t like working under someone he had known intimately.
The men
returned and they all ate the pizzas and talked about the football scores, who
the teams would trade, which coaches they liked. It would have been any other
normal guys’ night of football except for the deep sense of disappointment
Danny was feeling. He hadn’t been honest with himself before. He had thought he
would be fine with just waiting and seeing what happened. But he wasn’t.
He wanted
Marcus to want him, not Thomas. Jealousy was ripping his insides apart.
The second
half passed much slower. Essendon lost their momentum and began to lose, so
Thomas cheered even harder. When he wasn’t caressing Marcus, that was.
Marcus
didn’t return any of the touches, but it was obvious he was used to such
attention. Were they a couple? Casual fuck buddies? What?
Either way,
he wasn’t staying to find out.
When the
football finished, the men soon picked up their phones, keys and wallets and
headed for the door.
“Nice to
meet you,” Danny responded to most of their goodbyes. It was time for him to
leave. He couldn’t believe he had actually thought Marcus wanted him.
“You aren’t
staying?” Marcus asked him as he moved towards the front door. He turned to
face his tormentor. Why had Marcus invited him over if only to tease him?
Danny’s chest was hurting just from the stress of breathing. His stomach was
clenched tight.
“No, I think
Thomas wants to stay. Three’s a crowd.” Danny couldn’t stop the venomous words
as they escaped from his mouth. He didn’t want to sound like an angry child,
but fuck, was he mad.
“Oh, jealous
are you? Are you always going to be like that?” Marcus cocked his head and his
brown eyes moved over Danny’s face in an assessing way.
“I’m not
bloody jealous. It’s just obvious you two are fucking. So I might as well
leave.” Danny tried to move past Marcus, but the big idiot stood his ground.
Marcus
smiled a really irritating pleased smile. “Oh, I like this side of you, Danny.”
Furious now,
his teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached, Danny growled. He needed to get out
of here. He went to move but Marcus backed him up against a wall and gripped
both his hands, lifting them up near his head.
Danny glared
at the man who held him, effortlessly, against the wall.
“Let me go,
Marcus.”
“Where are
you going, Danny?” Marcus’s brown eyes looked concerned, but there was
something else there too.
“Home. I
don’t want to stay.”
Marcus’s
eyes narrowed and he pressed his pelvis in close. “But I want you to stay.”
Danny
groaned and turned his head away as Marcus used his hard cock to rub against
Danny’s. He hardened instantly.
“No!” He
groaned against the conflicting emotions and tugged at the hands that held him.
Marcus was too strong and he couldn’t free himself. He should have been a
little scared, he wasn’t.
Marcus bent
his head forward and licked the skin just below his ear. Danny shivered and bit
his lip. What was it about this guy that made Danny want him so badly?
“I want you
Danny, so much. I want to suck your cock. I want to fuck your arse. I want to
listen to you scream as you come over and over again. Are you sure you don’t
want that too?”
Danny’s eyes
slid shut as his arousal went up another notch. His breathing was coming out in
pants now. He had never felt like this before.
“Ah...
Marcus? I’ll see you at work on Monday?”
Danny’s eyes
flew open and he looked towards the door. Thomas stood there, looking as
embarrassed as Danny felt.
Danny tried
to pull his hands away but Marcus held him tight.
“Yeah,
great. Lock the door and pull it shut, would you, Tommy?” Marcus casually asked
his mate whilst still pinning Danny to the wall.
Buy
Link:
http://steamereads.com.au/product/hearts-truth/
Author’s
links:
Thanks so much for having me here Heather
ReplyDeleteGreat interview HC and Tamsin. I'm worn out just reading it.
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome :-)
ReplyDelete