Author Interview: Jodi gets BOLD with Garrett Leigh

We are very happy to welcome Garrett Leigh to the Smoocher’s Voice blog today. Leigh’s most recent novel, Bold, the third book in the Blue Boy series, is available at LooseId.

Garrett Leigh is a British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Black Jazz Press. Her protagonists will always always be tortured, crippled, broken, and deeply flawed. Throw in a tale of enduring true love, some stubbly facial hair, and a bunch of tattoos, and you’ve got yourself a Garrett special.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible. That, and dreaming up new ways to torture her characters. Garrett believes in happy endings; she just likes to make her boys work for it.

Garrett also works as a freelance cover artist for various publishing houses and independent authors under the pseudonym G.D. Leigh. For cover art info, please visit blackjazzpress.com.

You can learn more about Garrett on her website.

Jodi:     Thank you, Garrett for taking the time to answer some questions for our readers. Please tell us a little about yourself and why you write in the m/m genre.

Garrett:       I write in the MM genre because it’s the best fit for the stories that end up on paper. I haven’t yet found a female voice, but I’d happily write HET if I ever did.

Jodi:            What inspired you to write the Blue Boy series?

Garrett:       Blue Boy began with Levi Ramone and Bullet, which brought us Sonny too, but Bullet was meant to be a standalone. Fortunately, Cam, Kai and friends had other ideas…

Jodi:            Did you have to do research about the porn industry for this series?

Garrett:       Ahem. A little, but more for logistics and terminology than anything else, and I have a few pals who work in the business help me out. Rather than looking up anything dirty (I have my own ideas, thanks, haha) it was more a case of trying to keep things realistic.

Jodi:     The characters in this story are intriguing and intense. What was the inspiration for these men?

Garrett:       The idea of the series was to show the men behind the porn, and explore a little how much of themselves they take into their work…how much they hold back. With Levi it was very much a case of he was who he was, scene or not, but I think Kai and Matthew approached their work as a means to be someone else for a while.

Jodi:     Jon is such as deceptive character. His true personality is revealed in book two, but in the third book, it is clear that his deceptiveness has hurt a lot of people, especially Cam and Matthew. What motivates Jon?

Garrett:       Jon is the gift that keeps on giving, eh? Even though he’s long gone. All will be revealed in due course, but rest assured, we haven’t seen the last of Jon.

Jodi:     In the first book of the series, Bullet, readers meet Levi and Sonny. Sonny seems to still be struggling with his relationship with Levi in the newest book. Why does Sonny have such a difficult time accepting friendship and love?

Garrett:       All that is Sonny will be revealed in the fifth and final book. Bear with me.

Jodi:     One of my favorite characters is Cam. Bones is such an intense book. In this book, you explore the concept of these men being a commodity for the studio. Jon clearly takes advantage of Cam’s emotional stress. Why does Cam turn to Jon and not his friends for support?

Garrett:       Cam has cast himself as Mr. Cheerful, best friend to everyone…except himself. I think Cam has spent so much time looking after others…being there for them, being that constant presence, he’s forgotten how to look after himself, emotionally, at least.

Jodi:     The concept of the men being a commodity shifts in Bold. Jude and Mac are the cause of the change. Tell us a bit about Jude and Mac.

Garrett:       Jude and Mac. Wow. Their story is…craaaazy, but I don’t think I have ever written a pairing who love each other more.

Jodi:            Do you have a book planned centered on these two men?

Garrett:       Yes. Watch this space.

Jodi:     It seems the men in this series are a bit lost. Kai doesn’t seem to realize what is missing even when he is looking right at it. Tell us a bit about Kai.

Garrett:       Kai is lost. He’s never found his place in the world, and I reckon that will be the case long after the series ends. Some people are never meant to.

Jodi:     Kai feels he is not fit for any type of profession other than using his body, but Matthew, Cam, Jude and Mac see his potential. Kai doesn’t want people to underestimate him, yet he underestimates himself. Why does Kai have such a hard time accepting what they tell him?

Garrett:       Kai has spent his whole life being laughed at, taken advantage of, and being told he’s not good enough. Or, worse, being completely ignored. Dancing has given him confidence, but it’s not enough. Kai needs to be loved…to feel loved, and truly believe it. Hopefully, with Matthew, we’ve given him a chance.

Jodi:     It appears that Matthew had a dysfunctional relationship with Jon at the same time Cam did. What brought Matthew to Blue Boy studios?

Garrett:       Matthew was scouted by Jon at a rival club. Matthew is a very different boy to Kai, but there’s an innocence to him Kai doesn’t have. I don’t think Jon would’ve ever coaxed sassy Kai into his bed, but it didn’t take much to turn Matthew’s head. But the important thing to remember about Matthew is that he won’t be with Blue Boy for long. That kid is going places.

Jodi:     It is interesting that Matthew and Kai are both playing the “long game,” but they seem to be expecting different outcomes. Is there a specific point where Matthew realized the game is changing?

Garrett:       I think Matthew knew from that first kiss something was different, something he perhaps wouldn’t have noticed if they’d been fucking from the start. I think you can miss things if you go for broke too soon. However explosive a chemistry can be, every tree needs its roots. Or something profound and pretentious along those lines…haha.

Jodi:            Will there be more books in this series?

Garrett:       Yes. Two. I just have to find time to write them.

Jodi:            What is your next project?

Garrett:       It’s a secret. A big one. Hoping to reveal all by the end of the year.

Bold

Book 3, Blue Boy series

Dancer Kai is the sweetheart of Blue Boy Studio. Cute and petite, he’s the slender bottom every top loves to pound. But nothing is ever quite as it seems, and beneath his golden curls and giggles lies something else…an edge no one can quite put their finger on.

Is Kai bored? Or does he crave something more?

Blue Boy Studio is under new ownership. Veteran porn star Jude has seen it all before, and with the help of Kai’s mentor, Cam, they figure Kai needs a change. Enter Matthew, a fellow dancer and the newbie on the block.

Kai isn’t impressed. Matthew is hot, but Jude and Cam’s plans seem beyond his reach. Can Kai really do…that? He doesn’t believe it, but with Matthew along for the ride, it’s time to be bold and find out.

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Bullet

Book 1, Blue Boy series

Levi Ramone entered the gay porn market for one reason, and one reason only: he needed the cash to pay his momma's spiraling gambling debts. Seven years later, he's a veteran with a reputation as one of Blue Boy Studio's most ruthless tops, and when his boss suggests it's time for a change, he finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Figuratively speaking, at least. 

Enter Sonny Valentine, a go-go dancer at Blue's sister club, Silver's. Levi has secretly admired Sonny from afar for years, but there's a problem. He can't stand Sonny and the feeling is entirely mutual. When Levi learns Sonny is to play the third part in a scene he already considers his worst nightmare, he figures things can't get any worse. 

But when preparations for the scene from hell collide with tragic events in his personal life, he finds his fast-growing, red-hot attraction to Sonny just might be the only thing left between him and a bullet.

Bones

Book 2, Blue Boy series

Cam is a veteran porn star at Blue Boy Studios. Known as Mr. Nice Guy, he’s the top every newbie bottom wants to be paired with.

But in recent months his beloved hardcore scenes have dried up. Instead, he finds himself stuck with a string of monotonous foreplay scenes. He takes his frustration to his boss, and warped kind of lover, Jon Kellar, but Jon won’t bend. Cam is a commodity and will do as he’s told…in every way.

Cam’s frustration builds, but a chance meeting with a hot BMXer distracts him. Sasha Tate is gorgeous, warm and wonderful; everything Cam has ever wanted. They bond over shared interests and a sizzling mutual attraction. Cam is exhilarated and thrilled, until his chosen profession gets in the way.

Sasha pulls back, and before Cam can fix it, life comes at him from all fronts. A crisis threatens much more than his relationship with Sasha, and as his world implodes he begins to realize that life will never be the same again