Author Interview: Cam Interviews Suki Fleet

Author Interview with Suki Fleet.

Cam:

Hi Suki! Welcome to Smoocher's Voice. Thank you for joining us today. 

Suki: 

Hi Cam, thank you for having me! J

Cam:

You've recently published your first book through Harmony Ink, called This is Not a Love Story. Congratulations! Can you tell us a little about the book?

Suki: 

Thanks J Well, despite what the title says, it is a love story, a love story about two homeless teenagers and their struggle to stay together and find a way off the streets. My intention was for readers to see and feel everything through Romeo’s eyes, all the good and all the bad.

Cam:

Why did you decide to write lgbt Ya? And why about Homeless youth? 

Suki: 

Well, I guess with this story I didn’t consciously set out to write YA, it just kind of happened that these characters were young. A week before I discovered Harmony Ink and submitted this story, I wasn’t actually aware there was a market for YA LGBT stories at all outside of mainstream presses.

I’ve written M/M romance for a number of years, mostly NA romance. But this story was inspired by a homeless kid I saw crying in an alleyway in the town that I live in. People were stepping over him and ignoring him as though he wasn’t there. It broke my heart and it still breaks my heart to know that there are other kids out there in the same situation. I wanted to write a happy ending for them, an ending where they have a choice, because being on the streets takes away every choice but the most basic ones.

Cam:

One of your characters also has a disability, not being able to speak. Was it more difficult to write a character with this sort of disability? 

Suki:

 Romeo came into my head fully formed. I never plan or do character charts, most of the time characters come to me as if they are real, three dimensional people that I can imagine meeting and conversing with, so being mute is just the way he is.

Some characters are more difficult to write and it’s harder to hear their voice than others (and this is something I’m not sure I’ll ever really know the reason for) but Romeo has perhaps been the easiest character I’ve ever written. It was everything that happened to him that was hard (emotionally anyway) to write.

Cam:

What sort of research went into preparing to write this book?

Suki:

I didn’t have to do a lot of research. My location was one I was very familiar with as I lived in London for a number of years. And the struggles of someone who has nothing was also something I could relate to.

The plight of homeless teens has always been something which I’m deeply affected by.

Cam:

What's coming next? What are you putting out next? 

Suki:

I have a contemporary M/M novella called Skeleton coming out with Dreamspinner in Oct/Nov. That one is a lot sweeter and not so dark. 

And I have just finished a spin off to this story (about one of the secondary characters, Crash, entitled Wild Summer).

Cam:

Where can readers purchase your books or find you on social media? 

Suki:

Media Links

http://sukifleet.tumblr.com/

GoodReads

Facebook

http://sukifleet.wordpress.com/

BUY LINKS

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5011&cPath=55_1095

Cam: I also want to mention that in addition to the titles that Suki mentioned above she also has a recent release as part of the M/M groups Don’t Read in the Closet Event: Love’s Landscapes. The story is a free read called Metronomy and can be found here:

Metronomy

Thank you very much for Joining us Suki! 

Blurb: 

When fifteen-year-old Romeo's mother leaves one day and doesn't return, he finds himself homeless and trying to survive on the streets. Mute and terrified, his silence makes him vulnerable, and one night he is beaten by a gang of other kids, only to be rescued by a boy who pledges to take care of him.

Julian is barely two years older than Romeo. A runaway from an abusive home, he has had to make some difficult choices and sells himself on the street to survive. Taking care of Romeo changes him, gives him a purpose in life, gives him hope, and he tries to be strong and keep his troubles with drugs behind him. But living as they do is slowly destroying him, and he begins to doubt he can be strong enough.

This is the story of their struggle to find a way off the streets and stay together at all costs. But when events threaten to tear them apart, it is Romeo who must find the strength within himself to help Julian (and not let their love story turn into a Shakespearean tragedy)

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5011&cPath=55_1095

Review By Cam: That's Who I Am by Jayden Brooks

Title: That's Who I Am

Author: Jayden Brooks

Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Rating: 4/5 Smooches

Blurb: 

Jared Winters’s life has been little more than a collection of moments where he didn’t think before opening his mouth. Always a bit different, he’s learned to accept an existence on the outside looking in. But one day, his mouth lands him in a position that nearly costs him his life. Only the timely intervention of Sophie, his twin Conner’s ex-girlfriend, saves him.

Siblings Sophie and Donovan Carrigan step in and offer support, comfort, and a place to call home. Under their care, Jared begins to heal and learns to trust just enough to act on his attraction to Donovan. He just hopes it’s worth the risk.

Review:

This is definitely on the "books that made me cry" shelf. From the very beginning I felt awful for Jared, and his situation. I hated Jared's family with a passion. 

After landing in the hospital, Jared is taken in by Donovan and Sophie. He is constantly struggling to keep his mouth in check so he doesn't blow the best chance he has at getting well, while at the same time dealing with his growing attraction for Donovan, and trying to be a support system for the pregnant Sophie. 

First of all let me say, this is Jayden's debut story, and I'm so excited about that! I am always almost afraid to review for friends because I WANT so badly to like everything they put out.. as we all know that is not always the case. Luckily that is not an issue in this case. 

I loved this little story. You get such a connection to Jared. You are rooting for him the whole way. I wish some of the other relationship dynamics were explored a bit more. You got to see Jared really come into his own, and the roles that Donovan and Sophie both play in making that happen. To survive something of the magnitude that Jared did and have them come out thriving at the end of the story is amazing. 

I'm so looking forward to seeing the impact that this promising new writer has. I can't wait to read more. 

**Thank You to Jayden Brooks for providing a galley copy in exchange for an honest review

Buy Links:

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Review by Cam: Dangerously Happy by Varian Krylov

Title: Dangerously Happy

Author: Varian Krylov

Publisher: Self Published

Rating: 4/5 Smooches

Blurb: 

Aidan has always played it safe. Instead of pursuing his dream of creating innovative music that makes his soul sing, he settled for a degree in software, a job in a cubicle, and a spot in a generic band with his buddies. 

And he's always been straight. But when he's seduced by magnetic local literary luminary Dario, Aidan must decide whether to keep playing it safe, or succumb to a ravenous passion and a nourishing love unlike anything he's experienced before. Will he find the courage to go after real happiness if it means admitting he's in love with a man? 

Their journey together isn't easy. Sometimes it isn't safe. Even if Aidan has the courage to admit he's in love with Dario, can he endure the repercussions of the traumatic event in Dario's past? 

This novel has mature content and is intended for readers over the age of eighteen. Although this is a story about two men falling in love, there are extended, explicit sex scenes, including some BDSM, m/m/m and m/m/f scenes. There are references to sexual violence which may be a trigger for some readers, although there is no graphic depiction of rape in the book.

Review

This is a new author to me. Mostly because, I believe this is her first foray into m/m. The book was pretty well written. There were some minor editing things, but it didn’t detract from the book too much.  The formatting did hit upon one of my pet peeves… At 83%, the story was over and the rest was excerpts and filler. I dislike that.

This is a GFY (gay for you) story, but done a little bit differently. Aiden is straight (or so he thinks). Dario is gay and out. When they hook up, it’s this big secret. It doesn’t seem to bother Dario so much, but Aiden is jealous, and very conscious of what he believes Dario is giving up by the hiding of their relationship. There are also several sub-plots running through this, with BDSM elements, and rape, and threesomes with both a woman and another man. There is a lot going on.

I think that Ms. Krylov juggled it all with grace. The story was very erotic. There is a lot of sex. Sex is what binds the story together, and all of it moved the plot forward. Neither of the characters are perfect. They both have hang ups. They both make mistakes. I liked that most of their family and friends seemed to take everything in stride. There was no big, “You’re gay, we hate you, scene.” I know that it is common, but it’s nice to see a story that didn’t do it. (coming from someone who stressed over coming out, only to find no one cared)

The ending was sweet, and simple. I loved it. I also loved that this story was written in first person from Aiden’s point of view. You are actually quite a ways into the book before you even find out Aiden’s name. I am very much looking forward to seeing more m/m by this author. I hope she continues to write and grow in the genre. 

** Images with excerpts borrowed from the Author's facebook 

** Thank you to Varian Krylov for providing us with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review

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YA Review by Cam: Fag by Krissy Bells

Title: Fag

Author: Krissy Bells

Publisher: Harold Blue Publishing

Rating: 4/5 Smooches

Blurb: 

Aaron Garrett is many things in life: he is a son, a friend, a student, and caring boyfriend to his lovely girlfriend Leigh Ann. In these roles, he is kind, hardworking, smart, loving, dedicated, and considerate. At Jefferson High School, he is a leader, a football star, and well-respected by his peers. Aaron’s life is perfectly on track, he is pursuing a college scholarship and hopeful for the future, except for just one thing: Aaron Garrett is gay. When a former child star from Aaron’s small Southern town saturates the national media after making homophobic comments, Aaron’s life is turned upside down as supporters rally around the sentiments. Social media attention begins to swell nationally and locally until it begins to eat away at every part of Aaron’s existence.

Review:

Honestly this book was a hard read for me. My heart broke for Aaron and the ending made me angry. I don't like a book that leaves me hanging on a cliff. 

This book is about a boy who is gay in the south, living in a closet because he knows that he won't be accepted. This is a harsh reality even in these more accepting times. This kid exists in far too many families across this country. He is a nice kid, a kid who wants to do what's right and doesn't want to hurt anyone else. He wants to believe that it doesn't matter, until it does. It's real, and it's not going away, and people will find out. 

The word "Fag" in this book is a catalyst that sends Aaron into a tailspin after it is etched into a favorite teacher's blackboard. Suddenly he's having trouble reconciling what his mother, girlfriend, and best friends think on the topic, especially when he's harboring a secret locked deep inside him.

It always astonishes me how parents can stop loving their children over who they might fall in love with. It's like they forget that parental love should be unconditional. I don't love my children if... I love my children. I may not like everything that they do, but I love my children. I won't turn my back on them because they might fall in love with someone of a different religion or race, so why should gender matter? Of course, it shouldn't, but many many parents forget about that until it is too late. Too late to make amends. 

I don't want to give away spoilers about the book, but there are some triggers, and you need to be aware of that going in. This book does not have a happy ending, but it's an ending that happens far too often. 

Krissy Bells wove a captivating story, and I hope that this book has a sequel. This story certainly shows what can happen when a young person feels they are pushed to their limit. 

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Review by Jodi: Don't Trust the Cut by Kade Boehme

Title: Don't Trust the Cut
Author: Kade Boehme
Publisher: Loose Id <-- purchase link from publisher
Rating: 4.5/5 Smooches








Blurb: 

            Tucker Gray is a Baltimore, MD waiter, hailing from the Deep South, whose mental health issues and past relationships have made it hard to trust more than the cut. After he hits what he thought was rock bottom Tucker decides to keep close to the ones who stood by him and keep his head down, until he finds something to prove it can get better.

Jesse Bauer is unsure what his future holds after an injury forces him to retire from the marines. With all of the decisions he has to make in his civilian life with all of its freedoms and possibilities, he feels staying closeted and keeping the people in his life happy will keep down the chaos.

Until the night he met Tucker Gray at a party he thought that’d be possible, but both of them are instantly and strongly in lust. As their relationship grows Jesse has to prove himself and Tucker has to learn to trust more than the cut.

Review:

Ernest Hemingway wrote, “If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows, and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water.”

Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory of writing suggests that the reader has to look beyond what is showing on the surface. That is what Kade Boehme seems to be challenging the reader to do in his novel Don’t Trust the Cut.

This novel is an intense, rollercoaster of a story. These characters will cling to your psyche long after the last page is read. Boehme’s characters are well-developed, beautiful, troubled and credible. There is a sad note of realism that permeates this story. Don’t Trust the Cut is not a light hearted romance. This story teems with angst, turmoil and drama. The beautifully descriptive prose are well written. The tension in the story is alleviated with a large dose of humor.

Don’t Trust the Cut focuses on the inner turmoil of two characters, Tucker and Jesse, who are drawn together through an intense, electric connection. Electricity crackles when their eyes meet across a crowded room.

“The man [Tucker] slowly scanned the crowd, and when his honey-brown eyes landed on Jesse’s stare, Jesse couldn’t look away. Pow! Crack! Was all he could hear in his head as a flame started to ignite between them.”

Of course, this is very tip of the iceberg. This instant attraction, which threads its way through the book, starts an avalanche of an emotional rollercoaster for the characters and reader.

Tucker Gray is a dynamic, multifaceted character. Tucker is diagnosed as having bipolar disorder and his method of dealing with stress is drinking and cutting. His previous relationship was filled with domestic violence and ended with a violent attack and a suicide attempt. Tucker’s scars, from the mental illness and self-mutilation, embarrass him and make him feel weak.

On the surface, Jesse Bauer is the polar opposite of Tucker. Jesse appears to be strong and self-assured. He joined the marines at the age of 18 and planned to be a career military man. Jesse is forced to retire from the military after being injured in combat. His future is unclear. He has lived a life of following the rules and running away from his homosexuality. Between his mother’s deep religious views and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, Jesse is an emotional mess. Just before Jesse thinks about telling his mother the truth, he is gutted by her words.

“She looked at him like he was foolish. “What’s a mother to think when her son has a woman like Miranda and keeps her dangling on a string for so long? She’s either raised an emotionless bastard or he’s gay. … I’d settle for emotionless bastard. Gay is such a jagged pill.’”

But Jesse is drawn to Tucker. The electricity between the two is palpable. Between Jesse’s mental anguish and Tucker’s self-depreciation, the rollercoaster continues to soar. Being in a relationship with a person who has a mental illness can be challenging. It is even more challenging to be in that relationship when you are unaware that the person has a mental illness. The inevitable crash is painful for everyone.

Tucker, Jessie and the female minor characters Allison and Miranda are all flawed and painfully realistic. Throughout the story Allison, Miranda and many of the other minor characters serve as catalysts for Tucker and Jesse’s relationship and mental states.

Boehme does a great job dragging the reader into the emotional turmoil of the characters. Boehme has an engaging writing style, although at times, the writing is a bit choppy. This style adds more realism to the story. If you are looking for a heart wrenching, contemporary m/m romance with lots of drama and angst, you need to read this book You may need to keep a box of tissues handy while reading.

           

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Review by Cam: Out of the Blackness by Carter Quinn

Title: Out of the Blackness
Author: Carter Quinn
Publisher: Carter Quinn Books
Rating: 5/5 Smooches 

Blurb: 

A childhood of abuse has left Avery so physically and emotionally scarred he believes he shouldn’t be alive. His only sanctuary has been his relationship with his older foster brother Sam. Avery finally lets Sam convince him to start therapy to help overcome his crippling anxiety, but even that can’t prepare him for the upheaval caused by meeting Noah Yates.

Noah is everything Avery fears. He’s large and physically powerful—and undeniably capable of destroying Avery’s hard-earned progress. Although Noah seems to have a tender streak when it comes to him, Avery is terrified of being victimized again. But no matter how many times he tries to push him away, Noah never goes far.

Noah wants to save Avery, but can he be the catalyst Avery needs to begin the journey out of the blackness?

Review: 

I read this book when it first released bay in July of 2013, and I absolutely loved it. I loved the broken-ness of Avery and the patience and perseverance of Noah. Noah never gave up or truly pushed Avery. 

I worked with abused children for a long time and I've seen the lasting effects that abuse can have on them. The absolute worthlessness that Avery feels is one of those effects, and changing that damaging way of thinking is incredibly difficult. 

I really liked that the characters in this book took their time. There was no "magical cure" or quick fix. I think maybe some of Noah's easy acceptance was a bit too good to be true, but I've been told there really are nice people like that. Noah took his time, and got to know Avery in as much of a non-threatening way as he could. I liked that he had a connection to Sam's girlfriend's family. I think I would have liked to have seen a little more of Noah's back story. 

I also loved the other supporting characters. Sam especially. He really stood by Avery when there was no one else, and he was willing to do everything in his power to ensure that Avery had the life he deserved to have. That is one amazing big brother. 

Throughout the book I really felt sad for Avery. So sad that he had been through so much and that he'd been stripped of his self-worth. 

All in all this was a great book, by an amazing author, and I very much look forward to seeing what Mr. Quinn will be putting out next. Not to mention that Carter is an amazingly nice guy, who I was happy to be able to speak with in Atlanta last October. I was also lucky enough to get to listen to him read an excerpt of the book, which reminded me that I needed to re-read it and review it.. finally. 

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