Guest: Interview with Charlie Cochet.
With me today is Charlie Cochet, writer of historicals and talking about books, history, and with a free read download. All yours, Charlie!
1. When and why did you begin writing?
My whole family can be broken down into two groups: the creative side, and the law enforcement side. I fell into the creative side, while my younger brother fell into the law enforcement side. When we were little, my brother loved to play with toy police cars and dress up like a policeman for Halloween, while my most favorite thing to do in the whole world was to open my big box of Crayola, draw a picture, and make up a story to go with it. Now he's a policeman and I'm a published author. Though for me, it took me a little longer to pinpoint exactly what I wanted to do. I loved drawing as much as I loved writing, but it was always assumed I would go into art, but the writing always had a strong hold on me. After college, I spent some time doing freelance art, but something was still missing, so I started writing again, and it felt amazing. This time, it felt right, and I knew I had to make a real go at it.
2. When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I don't believe you have to be published to be considered a writer, but for me, it was when I was offered my first contract. Unfortunately, I’m one of those ‘see it to believe it’ types. When I opened that email, I just sat there staring at the screen, stunned. By this point, I had written quite a bit, mostly for myself, never thinking I could do what I loved so much for a living.
3. What inspired you to pen your first novel?
I’ve been writing for a long time, but as I got older, the urge to write more grew stronger. A few years ago I was sketching some random fellas in 1930s garb, and this one fella stood out. He had a story to tell, so I started developing him as a character and before I knew it, I had a whole cast and then a whole book. Believe it or not, this het novel was what got me started in m/m romance. It was a natural progression. In this book-the first book in a series which will hopefully one day come to be, my main character’s best friend ends up coming out. I hadn’t intended him to, it was his decision. The more I wrote about this fella and his lover, the more he started taking over the book to the point where I had to stop writing, because it was no longer about my main character, but his gay best friend. That’s when I started thinking about what I was writing. After reading a whole lot of m/m romance, I was inspired to write my own. Thanks to this fella, Chance from The Auspicious Troubles of Chance was born, and as a thank you to him and his pal, the two fellas from my het historical romance are mentioned in the book.
4. Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
I had been reading m/m romance for a while, but as I mentioned, I loved reading romances set in the 20s and 30s. I knew what I wanted to read, but was having trouble finding it. Then by chance, I came across Tamara Allen’s Whistling in the Dark. That story and her writing stayed with me for days after I’d finished the book, a feeling I hadn’t had from a book in a long time. I promptly gobbled up everything else she had written. I was in love with her writing, and I wished there were more stories like hers. I had already been contemplating writing my own m/m romance due to the direction one of my characters was taking in the m/f historical romance I had been writing, but I was inspired to just go for it after I’d read Whistling in the Dark. I know that my own writing is still far from being as awe-inspiring as hers, but I’m hopeful I can get there.
5. You mention on your blog that you were an artist prior to being an author. Do you draw your characters or scenes as you're writing?
I used to create a lot of concept art for my stories back in high school and college. When I was coming up with characters, I used to sketch them out first based on the image of them I had in my head. I would do some full color art of them as well as scenes. Time restraints after college made it a little more difficult, but I kept it up. Since I’ve been a published m/m romance author, I haven’t had much time, but I hope to get back to offering readers artwork of the characters in my books. Remi from The Amethyst Cat Caper was the inspiration for my logo and web graphics, so you’ll probably be seeing a lot more of him soon.
6. What are your favourite historical periods to write about?
My absolute favorites are the 1920s and 1930s, which are the periods all my historical stories are set in. These eras have always fascinated me, from the people who lived in these times, to the fashion, the music, the movies, everything. Cary Grant is one of my all-time favorite classic Hollywood actors, and I fell in love with him from the moment I saw him onscreen. Not only was he gorgeous and charming, but incredibly talented. When I first started reading m/m romance, I couldn’t understand why there weren’t more stories set during these periods. The roaring twenties and dirty thirties had so much going on, the plot possibilities are endless. So I decided if I couldn’t find the kind of stories I wanted to read, I’d just have to write them myself.
7. What are some of the most awesome/coolest things you've learned in the process of research?
I don’t know about cool, but one of the most fascinating and disturbing things I learned through my research is probably in regards to Prohibition and how far the government and the temperance movement were willing to go to enforce this moral law. In their attempts to discourage people from purchasing and drinking alcohol, the government had chemists create poisons, which they then poured into batches of alcohol, alcohol that made it out to the public blinding and killing people. They knew tier poisoned alcohol was killing people in droves, yet they continued, creating even stronger poisons with no sympathy for the people because in their opinion, people were breaking the law. The worst part was that those who enforced this law were hardly ‘dry’ themselves, and citizens often commented on the ‘special deliveries’ being made almost daily to the White House. Prohibition was a spectacular failure, one that had the opposite effect of what he government had been trying to achieve.
8. How do you come up with titles?
I tend to wait until I’ve finished the story to come up with a title, unless inspiration strikes before then. I often get inspired by old song titles, usually from a 1920s or 1930s song relevant to the story. Roses in the Devil’s Garden, When Love Walked In, Lost in My Waking Dream were all inspired by old songs. For The Amethyst Cat Caper, I knew I wanted something reminiscent of an old pulp detective story, because it has that sort of vibe to it, and it revolved around an amethyst cat. I try to be creative with my titles, but it’s one of the hardest parts of creating the story.
9. What do you see as the influences on your writing?
Old Hollywood is certainly an influence. Depending on what story I’m writing, I try to capture a little of that old Hollywood feel. Whether it’s noir, screwball comedy, or sweeping romance, I tend to write with a little exaggeration and Hollywood glam. I’m not going for the straight up historical with social commentary, I’m going for entertainment with heart. I want to whisk folks away to another time, make them smile, laugh, and maybe shed a tear or two. Hopefully I’m succeeding.
10. Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Sure! At the moment I’m working on two stories, one is my first contemporary novel based on shifters but with a twist (it’s kinds hush hush), and the second is book #2 from my Auspicious Troubles of Love series - Johnnie’s book. I have more of Johnnie’s book written so I’ll share a little about that one. Johnnie first appeared in The Auspicious Troubles of Chance as one of the brats. He was eighteen years old when Chance first met him, loud, foul-mouthed, and incredibly troubled. Now in book two, Johnnie is grown up and still all those things, only now we add Henry to the mix.
Johnnie met Henry back in Chance’s story, and he’s been in love with him since. Henry is also in love with Johnnie. Sounds simple right? I mean they love each other, they know how the other one feels, so you’re probably asking what the problem is. Well, if you read the first book, you probably know what the problem is. Johnnie. Despite how he feels about Henry, Johnnie knows himself too well, knows that his reckless and explosive behavior will only end up hurting a good man like Henry, and it’s not a chance he’s willing to take. He wants to change, wants to leave his past behind him, but his demons are holding on tight and coming out to play. Until he can figure out how to deal with what’s going on inside him, Johnnie is determined to stay away from Henry, which is far easier said than done. Problem is, will Johnnie end up taking the whole of Hawthorne Manor down with him in his attempt?
11. What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
Good characters, storytelling, and plot. I’m more forgiving of a story that doesn’t have much plot if the characters are engaging than if you have an awesome plot and your characters are about as interesting as a paper bag. I’m very character driven, so to me, good characters make a huge difference. If I don’t care about your characters, why would I care about what happens to them? Obviously everyone is different, and different characters may or may not appeal to certain people, but on the whole, if none of your characters appeal to anyone, then we have a problem, especially if you’re writing romance.
12. How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
I used to be a Pantser 100%, but the longer I’m writing, the less that’s happening. I don’t plot out every single detail, but whereas I pretty much just used to sit down and write whatever came to me at the time, I now have outlines and chapter breakdowns. For my shifter series, I have all four books plotted out and a heck of a lot of side information. That’s not to say things won’t change depending on where characters lead me, but at least I have an idea of where I want things to go, and I think that’s helping me become a stronger writer. I feared that having that kind of structure would stifle my mojo, but it’s had the opposite effect. Now, when I think about a chapter, it’s easier for me to get inspired with all kinds of scenes and dialogue.
With characters, I try to know as much about them as I can before I start writing, but again, I don’t plot out their entire life because as I write them, their behavior, their interaction with other characters, more and more of their personality starts coming to light. They start to develop and grow before my eyes in a natural way. It’s like getting to know someone in real life. When you first meet them, you don’t know their whole life story. As you get to know them, become friends, you start learning things about them. That’s how it works with my characters.
13. What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted/when you first saw the cover of the finished product?
When my first book was accepted, I was stunned and for a while, in disbelief. Then I jumped around like a loon for a while, sat back down, and reread the email a bunch of times. When I saw the cover, I was in love. My first cover was for The Amethyst Cat Caper. I was so incredibly nervous because it was my choice. When I was instructed to find stock photography from my publisher, I was freaking out. What if I picked something and everyone hated it? As an artist, the importance of design has been engrained in me since the beginning, so I knew how important this was, but I also wanted to make the whole process as painless as possible for everyone, so I scrolled for hours and hours until one particular image jumped out at me. I knew then exactly what I wanted, so I created a mockup and sent it off asking if I could pretty please have that cover. They did a wonderful job and gave me exactly what I wanted. That cover ended up being a nominee in the Goodreads M/M Romance Member’s Choice Award for Best Cover 2012.
14. What books have most influenced your life?
I don’t know about influencing my life, but I certainly have books that have influenced my writing. I’m a big fan of Raymond Chandler and his Philip Marlowe mysteries. I also grew up reading romance and loving it, so when I turned to writing, there was never a question of what genre I’d be writing in.
15. Finally, the question I ask everyone I interview - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be, and why?
That’s a tough one. I would have to say maybe a Redwood? I love forests, the tranquility and beauty away from the hustle and bustle. I would definitely want to be a plant away from it all, immersed in nature.
Thank you so much for hosting me, LJ. It’s been a real treat!
The Only Star (Book #1.5 in the Tea House Tale series)
By Charlie Cochet.
Blurb: A year ago, tea house proprietor Remington Trueblood unwittingly ended up with the Amethyst Cat, a priceless artifact stolen and misplaced by the notorious Gentleman Thief. Determined to retrieve his cat, the thief headed for New York City, unaware that Pinkerton Detective Stanley Hawk was on the case. What Remi and Hawk didn’t expect-aside a whole heap of trouble, was the whirlwind romance which swept them off their feet.
With the thief gone, Remi and Hawk have settled into their new roles as lovers, and nowadays their biggest challenge comes from running the Purple Rose Tea House, and avoiding the shenanigans from the old gals at the Society of Lavender Lilies. Little do they know trouble lurks near, and it’s far more perilous than matchmaking grannies.
Excerpt:
“So how many granddaughters does that make today?” Hawk asked, placing Remi’s coat on the rack beside his own.
“Four granddaughters, three nieces, three daughters, and one grandmother.”
Hawk’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “One of the old gals propositioned you again?”
“Mrs. Halaby. She said if I ever found myself in need of company, she would be all too happy to have me down at her villa in Rio de Janeiro.”
“I’m guessing she didn’t mean having you over for tea.”
“Not if her expression was anything to go by,” Remi replied with a shudder.
Hawk pulled Remi into his arms, his head tilting to one side as his gaze went to Remi’s lips, his voice husky and low. “Well, you are quite a catch.”
“Shame I’ve already been caught.” Remi nuzzled his face against Hawk’s neck, loving the feel of stubble growing in. It made him appear even more dashing, like one of those motion picture cowboys. Hawk could intimidate most folks, but not Remi. He was getting awfully good at knowing just how to make his grumpy detective purr.
“I like what I’m hearing.”
“Only what you’re hearing?” Remi teased, kissing his way down Hawk’s neck.
“I like that too.”
Remi laughed as he slipped his hands under Hawk’s suit jacket and pushed it off his shoulders. It cascaded to the carpet, and in a matter of seconds, was joined by Remi’s suit jacket, their waistcoats, and ties. “How is it you always manage to stay so calm and collected around them?”
“Hey, if anyone knows how to play it cool, it’s me. I’m a detective, remember?”
“You haven’t worked a case in nearly a year.” Remi pushed Hawk’s braces off his shoulders, letting them hang at his sides before starting to unbutton Hawk’s shirt.
“That’s true, but I think I might have something soon.”
“Oh?” He helped Hawk out of his shirt, wondering if they would make it to the bedroom this time. Something told him there was little chance of that.
“Yeah, some of those old gals who come in look awfully shifty. Especially that Mrs. Grimfield.”
“Mrs. Grimfield is ninety six years old!” Remi laughed, shaking his head.
“Those are the ones you gotta watch out for. They look all innocent, but the moment you turn your back, that’s when they get you. I swear she goosed my backside the other day.”
“Now you’re just exaggerating.”
Hawk’s eyes narrowed. “Well, if it wasn’t her, it was her husband.”
Remi couldn’t help but laugh at Hawk’s antics. He continued to undress Hawk, all the while enjoying the way Hawk’s hands roamed over him. His hands were always gentle, caressing his skin at every opportunity. Whether it was touching Remi’s hands, his neck, his face, Hawk was always making physical contact even if he didn’t realize it, even if it was minimal, and Remi cherished it. He also appreciated a man who could make him laugh the way Hawk did.
“Old birds aside, I still have my badge and my gun. You wanna see my gun?”
“Your gun, huh?” Remi ran his hands up Hawk’s firm chest, loving the feel of all that hard muscle.
“Come on. Let me show it to you.” Hawk took Remi’s hands in his, pulling him along with him as he walked backward toward the couch. He sat down and pulled Remi down, encouraging him to straddle his lap. Remi was all too happy to oblige.
“I suppose it is rather impressive,” Remi said, purposefully grinding his hips down against Hawk’s, drawing a low groan from him.
“I’m a pretty sharp shooter too.”
“Give you an inch-”
“Or several.”
“You are terribly off the cob at times, you know that?”
“And you love it.”
“I do.”
“There’s always the ducks.”
“Oh Good Lord, no. No duck jokes.”
Hawk opened his mouth only to have Remi put a finger to his lips to stop him. “Your gun is going nowhere near me if you so much as utter one foul joke.” It was only when Hawk burst into laughter that Remi realized what he’d said. He let out a low groan and covered his face with his hands. “Heaven help me. He’s got me doing it now.”
“You’re adorable.”
“Shut up,” Remi grumbled. “Are you going to bugger me or what?”
“Ooh, feisty. Am I going to need the handcuffs?”
Remi tried his hardest to hold back his smile. “You keep winding me up like that, detective, and I may just need to be retrained.”
“Promise?”
“Kiss me.”
“Yes, sir.” Hawk covered Remi’s lips with his own, their playfulness quickly giving way to burning desire. There were times at the tea house when Hawk was going about his duties, or chatting with the manageress, that Remi simply couldn’t keep his need from surfacing, and it usually lead to Remi calling Hawk into his office, locking the door, and then proceeding to do everything in his power to remain silent while Hawk took him either on his desk, up against the door, or at times on the floor.
Those of course didn’t include the times Hawk surprised him. Sometimes he wondered how they managed to get any work done at all.
“Bedroom?” Hawk mumbled against Remi’s lips, his hands slipping down into Remi’s trousers.
“I don’t think I can wait that long.” Remi unbuttoned Hawk’s trousers just as a voice caused him to nearly jump out of his skin.
“So sorry to interrupt.”
“Jesus! What the-” Hawk instinctively pulled Remi off him, his arm thrown across Remi’s chest to keep him safely behind him. They both sat dumbstruck, their gazes on the man who had managed to invade Remi’s flat without making a sound. Most shocking of all, was who stood before them.
“Remi, I need you.”
Slowly, Remi stood from the couch, unable to believe his eyes. He was alive?
“Gray?”
Dear God, the Gentleman Thief was alive!
Available as a free download from charliecochet.com or All Romance eBooks: here.
Connect with Charlie
Website: http://www.charliecochet.com
Blog: http://www.charliecochet.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charliecochet
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/charliecochet
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CharlieCochet
1. When and why did you begin writing?
My whole family can be broken down into two groups: the creative side, and the law enforcement side. I fell into the creative side, while my younger brother fell into the law enforcement side. When we were little, my brother loved to play with toy police cars and dress up like a policeman for Halloween, while my most favorite thing to do in the whole world was to open my big box of Crayola, draw a picture, and make up a story to go with it. Now he's a policeman and I'm a published author. Though for me, it took me a little longer to pinpoint exactly what I wanted to do. I loved drawing as much as I loved writing, but it was always assumed I would go into art, but the writing always had a strong hold on me. After college, I spent some time doing freelance art, but something was still missing, so I started writing again, and it felt amazing. This time, it felt right, and I knew I had to make a real go at it.
2. When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I don't believe you have to be published to be considered a writer, but for me, it was when I was offered my first contract. Unfortunately, I’m one of those ‘see it to believe it’ types. When I opened that email, I just sat there staring at the screen, stunned. By this point, I had written quite a bit, mostly for myself, never thinking I could do what I loved so much for a living.
3. What inspired you to pen your first novel?
I’ve been writing for a long time, but as I got older, the urge to write more grew stronger. A few years ago I was sketching some random fellas in 1930s garb, and this one fella stood out. He had a story to tell, so I started developing him as a character and before I knew it, I had a whole cast and then a whole book. Believe it or not, this het novel was what got me started in m/m romance. It was a natural progression. In this book-the first book in a series which will hopefully one day come to be, my main character’s best friend ends up coming out. I hadn’t intended him to, it was his decision. The more I wrote about this fella and his lover, the more he started taking over the book to the point where I had to stop writing, because it was no longer about my main character, but his gay best friend. That’s when I started thinking about what I was writing. After reading a whole lot of m/m romance, I was inspired to write my own. Thanks to this fella, Chance from The Auspicious Troubles of Chance was born, and as a thank you to him and his pal, the two fellas from my het historical romance are mentioned in the book.
4. Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
I had been reading m/m romance for a while, but as I mentioned, I loved reading romances set in the 20s and 30s. I knew what I wanted to read, but was having trouble finding it. Then by chance, I came across Tamara Allen’s Whistling in the Dark. That story and her writing stayed with me for days after I’d finished the book, a feeling I hadn’t had from a book in a long time. I promptly gobbled up everything else she had written. I was in love with her writing, and I wished there were more stories like hers. I had already been contemplating writing my own m/m romance due to the direction one of my characters was taking in the m/f historical romance I had been writing, but I was inspired to just go for it after I’d read Whistling in the Dark. I know that my own writing is still far from being as awe-inspiring as hers, but I’m hopeful I can get there.
5. You mention on your blog that you were an artist prior to being an author. Do you draw your characters or scenes as you're writing?
I used to create a lot of concept art for my stories back in high school and college. When I was coming up with characters, I used to sketch them out first based on the image of them I had in my head. I would do some full color art of them as well as scenes. Time restraints after college made it a little more difficult, but I kept it up. Since I’ve been a published m/m romance author, I haven’t had much time, but I hope to get back to offering readers artwork of the characters in my books. Remi from The Amethyst Cat Caper was the inspiration for my logo and web graphics, so you’ll probably be seeing a lot more of him soon.
6. What are your favourite historical periods to write about?
My absolute favorites are the 1920s and 1930s, which are the periods all my historical stories are set in. These eras have always fascinated me, from the people who lived in these times, to the fashion, the music, the movies, everything. Cary Grant is one of my all-time favorite classic Hollywood actors, and I fell in love with him from the moment I saw him onscreen. Not only was he gorgeous and charming, but incredibly talented. When I first started reading m/m romance, I couldn’t understand why there weren’t more stories set during these periods. The roaring twenties and dirty thirties had so much going on, the plot possibilities are endless. So I decided if I couldn’t find the kind of stories I wanted to read, I’d just have to write them myself.
7. What are some of the most awesome/coolest things you've learned in the process of research?
I don’t know about cool, but one of the most fascinating and disturbing things I learned through my research is probably in regards to Prohibition and how far the government and the temperance movement were willing to go to enforce this moral law. In their attempts to discourage people from purchasing and drinking alcohol, the government had chemists create poisons, which they then poured into batches of alcohol, alcohol that made it out to the public blinding and killing people. They knew tier poisoned alcohol was killing people in droves, yet they continued, creating even stronger poisons with no sympathy for the people because in their opinion, people were breaking the law. The worst part was that those who enforced this law were hardly ‘dry’ themselves, and citizens often commented on the ‘special deliveries’ being made almost daily to the White House. Prohibition was a spectacular failure, one that had the opposite effect of what he government had been trying to achieve.
8. How do you come up with titles?
I tend to wait until I’ve finished the story to come up with a title, unless inspiration strikes before then. I often get inspired by old song titles, usually from a 1920s or 1930s song relevant to the story. Roses in the Devil’s Garden, When Love Walked In, Lost in My Waking Dream were all inspired by old songs. For The Amethyst Cat Caper, I knew I wanted something reminiscent of an old pulp detective story, because it has that sort of vibe to it, and it revolved around an amethyst cat. I try to be creative with my titles, but it’s one of the hardest parts of creating the story.
9. What do you see as the influences on your writing?
Old Hollywood is certainly an influence. Depending on what story I’m writing, I try to capture a little of that old Hollywood feel. Whether it’s noir, screwball comedy, or sweeping romance, I tend to write with a little exaggeration and Hollywood glam. I’m not going for the straight up historical with social commentary, I’m going for entertainment with heart. I want to whisk folks away to another time, make them smile, laugh, and maybe shed a tear or two. Hopefully I’m succeeding.
10. Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Sure! At the moment I’m working on two stories, one is my first contemporary novel based on shifters but with a twist (it’s kinds hush hush), and the second is book #2 from my Auspicious Troubles of Love series - Johnnie’s book. I have more of Johnnie’s book written so I’ll share a little about that one. Johnnie first appeared in The Auspicious Troubles of Chance as one of the brats. He was eighteen years old when Chance first met him, loud, foul-mouthed, and incredibly troubled. Now in book two, Johnnie is grown up and still all those things, only now we add Henry to the mix.
Johnnie met Henry back in Chance’s story, and he’s been in love with him since. Henry is also in love with Johnnie. Sounds simple right? I mean they love each other, they know how the other one feels, so you’re probably asking what the problem is. Well, if you read the first book, you probably know what the problem is. Johnnie. Despite how he feels about Henry, Johnnie knows himself too well, knows that his reckless and explosive behavior will only end up hurting a good man like Henry, and it’s not a chance he’s willing to take. He wants to change, wants to leave his past behind him, but his demons are holding on tight and coming out to play. Until he can figure out how to deal with what’s going on inside him, Johnnie is determined to stay away from Henry, which is far easier said than done. Problem is, will Johnnie end up taking the whole of Hawthorne Manor down with him in his attempt?
11. What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
Good characters, storytelling, and plot. I’m more forgiving of a story that doesn’t have much plot if the characters are engaging than if you have an awesome plot and your characters are about as interesting as a paper bag. I’m very character driven, so to me, good characters make a huge difference. If I don’t care about your characters, why would I care about what happens to them? Obviously everyone is different, and different characters may or may not appeal to certain people, but on the whole, if none of your characters appeal to anyone, then we have a problem, especially if you’re writing romance.
12. How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
I used to be a Pantser 100%, but the longer I’m writing, the less that’s happening. I don’t plot out every single detail, but whereas I pretty much just used to sit down and write whatever came to me at the time, I now have outlines and chapter breakdowns. For my shifter series, I have all four books plotted out and a heck of a lot of side information. That’s not to say things won’t change depending on where characters lead me, but at least I have an idea of where I want things to go, and I think that’s helping me become a stronger writer. I feared that having that kind of structure would stifle my mojo, but it’s had the opposite effect. Now, when I think about a chapter, it’s easier for me to get inspired with all kinds of scenes and dialogue.
With characters, I try to know as much about them as I can before I start writing, but again, I don’t plot out their entire life because as I write them, their behavior, their interaction with other characters, more and more of their personality starts coming to light. They start to develop and grow before my eyes in a natural way. It’s like getting to know someone in real life. When you first meet them, you don’t know their whole life story. As you get to know them, become friends, you start learning things about them. That’s how it works with my characters.
13. What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted/when you first saw the cover of the finished product?
When my first book was accepted, I was stunned and for a while, in disbelief. Then I jumped around like a loon for a while, sat back down, and reread the email a bunch of times. When I saw the cover, I was in love. My first cover was for The Amethyst Cat Caper. I was so incredibly nervous because it was my choice. When I was instructed to find stock photography from my publisher, I was freaking out. What if I picked something and everyone hated it? As an artist, the importance of design has been engrained in me since the beginning, so I knew how important this was, but I also wanted to make the whole process as painless as possible for everyone, so I scrolled for hours and hours until one particular image jumped out at me. I knew then exactly what I wanted, so I created a mockup and sent it off asking if I could pretty please have that cover. They did a wonderful job and gave me exactly what I wanted. That cover ended up being a nominee in the Goodreads M/M Romance Member’s Choice Award for Best Cover 2012.
14. What books have most influenced your life?
I don’t know about influencing my life, but I certainly have books that have influenced my writing. I’m a big fan of Raymond Chandler and his Philip Marlowe mysteries. I also grew up reading romance and loving it, so when I turned to writing, there was never a question of what genre I’d be writing in.
15. Finally, the question I ask everyone I interview - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be, and why?
That’s a tough one. I would have to say maybe a Redwood? I love forests, the tranquility and beauty away from the hustle and bustle. I would definitely want to be a plant away from it all, immersed in nature.
Thank you so much for hosting me, LJ. It’s been a real treat!
The Only Star (Book #1.5 in the Tea House Tale series)
By Charlie Cochet.
Blurb: A year ago, tea house proprietor Remington Trueblood unwittingly ended up with the Amethyst Cat, a priceless artifact stolen and misplaced by the notorious Gentleman Thief. Determined to retrieve his cat, the thief headed for New York City, unaware that Pinkerton Detective Stanley Hawk was on the case. What Remi and Hawk didn’t expect-aside a whole heap of trouble, was the whirlwind romance which swept them off their feet.
With the thief gone, Remi and Hawk have settled into their new roles as lovers, and nowadays their biggest challenge comes from running the Purple Rose Tea House, and avoiding the shenanigans from the old gals at the Society of Lavender Lilies. Little do they know trouble lurks near, and it’s far more perilous than matchmaking grannies.
Excerpt:
“So how many granddaughters does that make today?” Hawk asked, placing Remi’s coat on the rack beside his own.
“Four granddaughters, three nieces, three daughters, and one grandmother.”
Hawk’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “One of the old gals propositioned you again?”
“Mrs. Halaby. She said if I ever found myself in need of company, she would be all too happy to have me down at her villa in Rio de Janeiro.”
“I’m guessing she didn’t mean having you over for tea.”
“Not if her expression was anything to go by,” Remi replied with a shudder.
Hawk pulled Remi into his arms, his head tilting to one side as his gaze went to Remi’s lips, his voice husky and low. “Well, you are quite a catch.”
“Shame I’ve already been caught.” Remi nuzzled his face against Hawk’s neck, loving the feel of stubble growing in. It made him appear even more dashing, like one of those motion picture cowboys. Hawk could intimidate most folks, but not Remi. He was getting awfully good at knowing just how to make his grumpy detective purr.
“I like what I’m hearing.”
“Only what you’re hearing?” Remi teased, kissing his way down Hawk’s neck.
“I like that too.”
Remi laughed as he slipped his hands under Hawk’s suit jacket and pushed it off his shoulders. It cascaded to the carpet, and in a matter of seconds, was joined by Remi’s suit jacket, their waistcoats, and ties. “How is it you always manage to stay so calm and collected around them?”
“Hey, if anyone knows how to play it cool, it’s me. I’m a detective, remember?”
“You haven’t worked a case in nearly a year.” Remi pushed Hawk’s braces off his shoulders, letting them hang at his sides before starting to unbutton Hawk’s shirt.
“That’s true, but I think I might have something soon.”
“Oh?” He helped Hawk out of his shirt, wondering if they would make it to the bedroom this time. Something told him there was little chance of that.
“Yeah, some of those old gals who come in look awfully shifty. Especially that Mrs. Grimfield.”
“Mrs. Grimfield is ninety six years old!” Remi laughed, shaking his head.
“Those are the ones you gotta watch out for. They look all innocent, but the moment you turn your back, that’s when they get you. I swear she goosed my backside the other day.”
“Now you’re just exaggerating.”
Hawk’s eyes narrowed. “Well, if it wasn’t her, it was her husband.”
Remi couldn’t help but laugh at Hawk’s antics. He continued to undress Hawk, all the while enjoying the way Hawk’s hands roamed over him. His hands were always gentle, caressing his skin at every opportunity. Whether it was touching Remi’s hands, his neck, his face, Hawk was always making physical contact even if he didn’t realize it, even if it was minimal, and Remi cherished it. He also appreciated a man who could make him laugh the way Hawk did.
“Old birds aside, I still have my badge and my gun. You wanna see my gun?”
“Your gun, huh?” Remi ran his hands up Hawk’s firm chest, loving the feel of all that hard muscle.
“Come on. Let me show it to you.” Hawk took Remi’s hands in his, pulling him along with him as he walked backward toward the couch. He sat down and pulled Remi down, encouraging him to straddle his lap. Remi was all too happy to oblige.
“I suppose it is rather impressive,” Remi said, purposefully grinding his hips down against Hawk’s, drawing a low groan from him.
“I’m a pretty sharp shooter too.”
“Give you an inch-”
“Or several.”
“You are terribly off the cob at times, you know that?”
“And you love it.”
“I do.”
“There’s always the ducks.”
“Oh Good Lord, no. No duck jokes.”
Hawk opened his mouth only to have Remi put a finger to his lips to stop him. “Your gun is going nowhere near me if you so much as utter one foul joke.” It was only when Hawk burst into laughter that Remi realized what he’d said. He let out a low groan and covered his face with his hands. “Heaven help me. He’s got me doing it now.”
“You’re adorable.”
“Shut up,” Remi grumbled. “Are you going to bugger me or what?”
“Ooh, feisty. Am I going to need the handcuffs?”
Remi tried his hardest to hold back his smile. “You keep winding me up like that, detective, and I may just need to be retrained.”
“Promise?”
“Kiss me.”
“Yes, sir.” Hawk covered Remi’s lips with his own, their playfulness quickly giving way to burning desire. There were times at the tea house when Hawk was going about his duties, or chatting with the manageress, that Remi simply couldn’t keep his need from surfacing, and it usually lead to Remi calling Hawk into his office, locking the door, and then proceeding to do everything in his power to remain silent while Hawk took him either on his desk, up against the door, or at times on the floor.
Those of course didn’t include the times Hawk surprised him. Sometimes he wondered how they managed to get any work done at all.
“Bedroom?” Hawk mumbled against Remi’s lips, his hands slipping down into Remi’s trousers.
“I don’t think I can wait that long.” Remi unbuttoned Hawk’s trousers just as a voice caused him to nearly jump out of his skin.
“So sorry to interrupt.”
“Jesus! What the-” Hawk instinctively pulled Remi off him, his arm thrown across Remi’s chest to keep him safely behind him. They both sat dumbstruck, their gazes on the man who had managed to invade Remi’s flat without making a sound. Most shocking of all, was who stood before them.
“Remi, I need you.”
Slowly, Remi stood from the couch, unable to believe his eyes. He was alive?
“Gray?”
Dear God, the Gentleman Thief was alive!
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