We are very happy to welcome the talented Brandon
Shire to the Smoocher’s Voice blog today. Brandon’s most recent novel is Summer
Symphony. Brandon has joined us quite a few times on our blog and we are always
happy to have him return.
Brandon Shire is a writer of
contemporary LGBT fiction. Some of his writing touches upon serious subjects,
but most is seriously smexy. Mr. Shire
was chosen as a Top Read in 2011, Best in LGBTQ Fiction for 2011 & 2012,
and garnered several Honorable Mentions and a Rainbow Award for Best Gay
Contemporary Fiction.
Ten percent of the proceeds from
the sale of any of Brandon’s books are donated to LGBT Youth charities
combating homelessness.
Connect with Brandon:
Jodi: Thank you, Brandon, for taking the time
to answer some questions for our readers. I am a big fan of your writing and
books and was enthralled with Summer
Symphony. The plot in this book examines the circle of life and love, and
provides the reader with a whirlwind of emotions. Tell us a little about the
process for developing the story. What prompted you to explore this topic for
the novel?
Brandon: This novel was
prompted by a conversation I had with my mother. She was staring off into the
distance one day and I asked what was on her mind. She told me about the two
sisters I had who were lost to miscarriage. She had not forgotten about them
some seventy-plus years on. With
children of my own, I wondered how I would feel as a man, and that led to what
became Summer Symphony.
Jodi: When readers
meet Martin Zoric, he is at a low point in his life. He is depressed and
grieving and unable to move on from the death of his unborn daughter. Dr.
Elisabeth Kubler Ross defined the five stages of grief. At the beginning of the
book, Martin seems resigned, but as the book continues, readers realize Martin
seems stuck in the anger stage. Why is Martin unable to move through the stages
at the same pace as his wife is?
Brandon: I think it is because
Martin has no ‘vehicle’ to help him move. His wife has gone. He feels his
career is in tatters, and music, which was once the love of his life, has not
offered him a way out of the pain. In
short, he feels rejected by all things he once held dear and becomes internally
resentful which, of course, leads to anger.
Jodi: On your website,
you wrote that while you were doing research for this book, “found little to
help men deal with the pain of losing an unborn child,” when you came across
the Grieving Dads website.
What is so different about the loss of a child for a man than for a woman?
Brandon: I would have to
say society’s perception of what it means to be male. There are large swaths of
society which still believe that a man must be emotionless in the face of such
a loss. He is to be the rock for his spouse and nothing more. The physical connection of a woman to her
child can’t be denied, however that shouldn’t be used to discount the emotional
attachment a father has to his unborn child. And yet, often, it is.
Jodi: Martin is so
heartbreakingly lost, and Fillipa is a strong presence in this book. Although
Martin is convinced Fillipa does not understand his devastating loss, she becomes
an outlet for him to relieve some of his grief. Their connection is through the
music. At one point in the story, the narrator tells us “Music hadn’t saved
Martin, and for that he was angry.” Yet, ultimately, music provides a way for
the characters to move on with their lives. Why did you choose music as the
undercurrent theme in this book?
Brandon: There are many well
documented studies which show music as a very effective therapy for grief and
depression. Music is something which speaks through emotional and language
barriers and touches the soul. It
resonates in places where words can’t go. It seemed natural to me, and I was
lucky enough to find the studies to back up what I found to be innately true in
my own life.
Jodi: The romance
between Ren and Martin is underscored by the music. Was this a natural
connection for you to make?
Brandon: Absolutely. The
two main characters are world class musicians. Music is where they let their
soul free and find answers.
Jodi: The relationship
between Martin and Minerla is complex. What type of research did you do
regarding the time period and the Romani people?
Brandon: I spent several
months researching Croatian history and the movement of the Romani through the
country. The Homeland War was a minor
point within the book, but it had such factual impact that I spent quite a lot
of time digging into it since it crossed so many cultures.
Jodi: Ren is a complex
character with great depth and amazing insight. He is conflicted by duty to his
family and wanting to be true to himself.
Both his mother and Emi are putting pressure on him in different ways.
Why is the conflict to be who he is such at odds with what his mother wants him
to do?
Brandon: Japanese culture
is much different than what we experience in the West, and while it has changed
quite a bit in the last decade, there is still a central triad – honor, duty,
and family – that pervades much of the
Japanese society. To step outside of that is to risk loss of face and status. Ren’s mother comes from an older generation,
and she seeks what’s good for the family honor. Ren, being younger and already accomplished in
his field, bucks at the idea that he is beholden to his lineage.
Jodi: Is
there a message you want readers to ascertain from this book?
Brandon: There are two
themes in Summer Symphony – love & grief. The story is a tight intertwining
of both of these emotions. But I think the main message must be that men grieve
just as much as women over the loss of a child. Even in their lonely silence, a
man’s heart is just as broken. As a society we sometimes forget that.
Jodi: Your next book,
which just came out, is The Love of Wicked Men.
Tell us about the concept for this book and why you have chosen to write the
book in installments.
Brandon: Wicked Men is an erotic,
legal thriller. As the title suggests, this book is about bad boys and hot sex.
Early readers have already labeled it Grisham-esque with an erotic twist. I’m
releasing this book in installments (episodes) to give M/M readers the
opportunity to influence the outcome of the story before it is written. Several
aspects of the plot have already changed with the input I’ve received from
readers.
Jodi: The
book is available now?
Brandon: Yes, the first
episode just came out on Amazon.
It’s free for Kindle Unlimited and Prime users.
Jodi: What
is next on the horizon?
Brandon: I have several
projects ahead, but for the moment fans want me to concentrate on the Wicked
Men series.
Summer Symphony
Martin Zoric had vivid dreams of
fatherhood, of a small hand pressed to his, of pink dresses and girlish
laughter. Then his wife had a stillbirth and his world fell apart.
He listened to the unwanted apologies,
stood by his wife as was expected of him, and kept his façade strong and firm
for the entire world to see.
But does he have the strength let go and
really grieve?
When Ren Wakahisa landed in Croatia he was
hoping to escape the cultural pressures put on him to conform. His family
wanted him to forsake love for duty. They viewed his happiness as secondary to
familial prosperity.
Does he have the courage to be who he
wants to be? Or, will he yield to their wishes?
Summer Symphony is the story of how two
men find their answers and what they learn about strength, and grace, and the
endurance of love.
Buy Links
The Love of Wicked Men (Part One)
Sid Rivers and Jack Brown are two sides of the same
coin. One is a lawyer with his own firm and dreams of money and power; the
other is a criminal with a lengthy record and a quest for vengeance. When they
meet, sparks fly. But was their meeting an accident? Or, was it planned by the
billionaires who want to control their destiny?
The Love of Wicked Men is an erotic journey into the underbelly of the legal
profession, the corporate culture of profit-at-any-cost, and the secret world
of industrial espionage.
IN THIS EPISODE:
Sid Rivers has been very successful at helping his smaller corporate clients
silence their critics and retain their profits. His success has caught the
attention of a trillion dollar industry, and now Sid thinks he is about to
realize a dream he’s held since childhood –unlimited wealth and unlimited
power.
Jack Brown stops in and robs the local Shop-n-Go and nicks Sid with his knife.
He sets into motion a plan of revenge that has been smoldering within him for
years. But his plan requires he get close to the same man who has become the
representative of his enemies.
Buy Link:
Susan Mac Nicol is a self confessed
bookaholic, an avid watcher of videos of sexy pole dancing men, self confessed
geek and nerd and in love with her Smartphone. This little treasure is called
‘the boyfriend’ by her long suffering husband, who says if it vibrated, there’d
be no need for him. Susan hasn’t had the heart to tell him there’s an app for
that…
Eddie
kissed back, wanting nothing more than this moment, this man in his body and
his lips on his. Somewhere a bell rang and for a minute Eddie thought it might
be the sound of his own passion translated to tinkling sleigh bells and
fireworks like in the cartoon movies when two people kissed. He smiled at that
thought then as the bell got more insistent and irritating, he turned to Gideon
only to find he was no longer there. Eddie scowled and reached across to where
the annoying bell sound was….
