Meet the Character Blog Hop.
So I’ve been tagged by the my long-time good friend Meredith Shayne to participate in the Meet the Character Blog Hop, where those of us who are so inclined talk a little bit about the characters from our latest--and upcoming--books. Meredith introduced us to Shane Cooper, from her recent release Cutting Out. You can read more about Shane in Meredith's post here.
Cutting Out is out now with Bottom Drawer Publications and you can get it here.
Blurb:
A twenty-year veteran of the shearing shed, Aussie Shane Cooper loves his job, and the home he’s made for himself in New Zealand. If he’s a little lonely, he’s got good mates to keep his spirits up. When a hot, cocky young shearer named Lachlan Moore catches his eye at a competition, he’s content to look but not touch, knowing the young man is out of his league.
Lachie wouldn’t mind a piece of Shane, but the gorgeous gun shearer from Australia is soon forgotten when the Christchurch earthquake hits, and tragedy strikes Lachie’s family. Lachie deals with it the best he can, cutting himself off from all he knows. A year later and he’s back in the shearing shed, out of practice and lacking confidence. That Shane’s there to watch him flounder doesn’t help his nerves.
As Lachlan struggles to re-acclimatise, Shane can’t resist giving him a hand to get back on his feet. As they move from friends to something more, Shane finds himself wanting to know everything he can about Lachie. But Lachie’s got secrets he desperately wants to keep, and when things come to a head, those secrets might just mean the end of them before they’ve truly begun.
*~*~*~*
And onward we go. Introducing Gray, one of the two main characters in my current release, Mythica.
What is the name of your character?
Gray. He has no surname or middle name. It's just Gray.
Is he a fictional or a historic person?
Oh, definitely fictional!
When and where is the story set?
Present day, and in the South Australian seaside towns of Tiddy Widdy Beach and Ardrossan. The Innes National Park at the bottom of the Yorke Peninsula gets a mention too.
What should we know about him?
Gray is an alien, from a race called the Sy'lph. He is one of only two hundred who escaped their home planet in a deep space vessel when invaders destroyed the place and every life on it. With the last survivors of his race, Gray travelled through the galaxy, until the ship reached Earth. They asked for and recieved asylum as refugees--after a long period of discussion and voting with the United Nations--and settled around the world. Gray used to live and work in London, but decided he wanted to see more of Earth, specifically those places that are more remote and less urban. He wanted to visit Australia, so he asked for a work placement there. He was given the job of a senior community officer with Bridging Lives, the government office that works to help the poor, the sick, students, imigrants and mythica.
Gray, and his fellow sy'lph, do not understand hate. He has no concept of it, and has little comprehension of why a person would hate something or someone. He is a little naive in that regard, but he is generous and compassionate to a fault, has a wry sense of humour and is intelligent and interested to learn all that he can about his new home. As sy'lph are, in their natural state, creatures made of liquid metal, their scientists created a synthetic shell in humanoid form for the sy'lph to wear over their true shapes when on Earth. This is for two reasons, the first being that it's less alien in appearance and the second and more important one is that the light spectrum of the natural state of the sy'lph is such that it blinds anyone and anything that looks at them.
Gray is also extremely passionate and devoted to those he loves; he cares for the friends and family of his lover, Caiden, and adores Caiden himself unconditionally, even if Caiden, who is a mythica, doesn't think too highly of himself at times. In his human synthetic form, Gray is just over six foot tall, slender with a muscular frame, pale-skinned with blue-green eyes and mussed blond hair. He is often smiling, and enjoys life.
What is the main conflict? What messes up his life?
When Caiden is kidnapped by Free Earth, a terrorist group dedicated to eradicating all mythica life, Gray grows very angry and with a friend and colleague, recruits an Aboriginal tracker to help find Caiden. He is filled with fear that something will happen to Caiden, as they haven't known each other long and he's fallen in love with him.
What is the personal goal of the character?
Being able to live free, happy and peacefully, with his lover, Caiden Jones.
Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
It's out! Mythica is available now at Bottom Drawer Publications.
*~*~*~*~*
Now to introduce you to the two authors who I’m handing the blog hop baton to. Both of these lovely ladies will be posting on November 10th, so watch out for their posts.
First up: My good and dear friend and co-author, Cate Ashwood. Cate's release is forthcoming in 2015, so here's a little bit about it. (I've beta'd this one, and I have to say, this is a terrific book.) It's called "Thirty Things" and will be out with Dreamspinner Press.
Blurb:
Finn and Nate have been best friends almost their whole lives, but Finn has something he's never told Nate-despite the fact that Nate isn't gay, Finn has been in love with him since he was eight years old. Finn has kept his feelings a secret for twenty-one years, terrified of what would happen if Nate ever found out.
One month before Finn's thirtieth birthday, Nate gives him his gift; a road trip across America to check off a list of thirty things to do before Finn turns thirty. Starting in Crawfordsville, Indiana, they tour the country, experiencing new things and meeting new people. Along the way, Nate discovers Finn's feelings for him, and Finn makes some discoveries of his own.
Learn more: http://www.cateashwood.com/coming-soon.html
Visit Cate: http://www.cateashwood.com/
Second up is L. V. Lloyd, fellow Adelaidean who's an author after my own heart, loving science fiction! L. V.'s release is Lunar Affair and it's available here.
Blurb: Lieutenant Jack Alexander has wasted years, waiting for his best friend, Marc Duran, to return his affections. Perhaps it is time to finally move on and find someone new. However, when Major Ethan Pattisson is sent to the planet Mayia to investigate the theft of hundreds of illegal weapons, Marc comes under suspicion, and Jack can’t help stepping in to save him. When Jack finds himself caught in the middle between Ethan and Marc, he discovers that unrequited love might soon be the least of his problems. Fourth book in the Aurigan Space Saga series, although it can be read as a stand alone story.
Learn more: http://www.amazon.com/Lunar-Affair-Aurigan-Space-Volume/dp/1502451247
Visit L. V.: http://lvlloyd.com/
Remember, these guys will be posting on the 10th, so check 'em out when the date rolls around!
Cutting Out is out now with Bottom Drawer Publications and you can get it here.
Blurb:
A twenty-year veteran of the shearing shed, Aussie Shane Cooper loves his job, and the home he’s made for himself in New Zealand. If he’s a little lonely, he’s got good mates to keep his spirits up. When a hot, cocky young shearer named Lachlan Moore catches his eye at a competition, he’s content to look but not touch, knowing the young man is out of his league.
Lachie wouldn’t mind a piece of Shane, but the gorgeous gun shearer from Australia is soon forgotten when the Christchurch earthquake hits, and tragedy strikes Lachie’s family. Lachie deals with it the best he can, cutting himself off from all he knows. A year later and he’s back in the shearing shed, out of practice and lacking confidence. That Shane’s there to watch him flounder doesn’t help his nerves.
As Lachlan struggles to re-acclimatise, Shane can’t resist giving him a hand to get back on his feet. As they move from friends to something more, Shane finds himself wanting to know everything he can about Lachie. But Lachie’s got secrets he desperately wants to keep, and when things come to a head, those secrets might just mean the end of them before they’ve truly begun.
*~*~*~*
And onward we go. Introducing Gray, one of the two main characters in my current release, Mythica.
What is the name of your character?
Gray. He has no surname or middle name. It's just Gray.
Is he a fictional or a historic person?
Oh, definitely fictional!
When and where is the story set?
Present day, and in the South Australian seaside towns of Tiddy Widdy Beach and Ardrossan. The Innes National Park at the bottom of the Yorke Peninsula gets a mention too.
What should we know about him?
Gray is an alien, from a race called the Sy'lph. He is one of only two hundred who escaped their home planet in a deep space vessel when invaders destroyed the place and every life on it. With the last survivors of his race, Gray travelled through the galaxy, until the ship reached Earth. They asked for and recieved asylum as refugees--after a long period of discussion and voting with the United Nations--and settled around the world. Gray used to live and work in London, but decided he wanted to see more of Earth, specifically those places that are more remote and less urban. He wanted to visit Australia, so he asked for a work placement there. He was given the job of a senior community officer with Bridging Lives, the government office that works to help the poor, the sick, students, imigrants and mythica.
Gray, and his fellow sy'lph, do not understand hate. He has no concept of it, and has little comprehension of why a person would hate something or someone. He is a little naive in that regard, but he is generous and compassionate to a fault, has a wry sense of humour and is intelligent and interested to learn all that he can about his new home. As sy'lph are, in their natural state, creatures made of liquid metal, their scientists created a synthetic shell in humanoid form for the sy'lph to wear over their true shapes when on Earth. This is for two reasons, the first being that it's less alien in appearance and the second and more important one is that the light spectrum of the natural state of the sy'lph is such that it blinds anyone and anything that looks at them.
Gray is also extremely passionate and devoted to those he loves; he cares for the friends and family of his lover, Caiden, and adores Caiden himself unconditionally, even if Caiden, who is a mythica, doesn't think too highly of himself at times. In his human synthetic form, Gray is just over six foot tall, slender with a muscular frame, pale-skinned with blue-green eyes and mussed blond hair. He is often smiling, and enjoys life.
What is the main conflict? What messes up his life?
When Caiden is kidnapped by Free Earth, a terrorist group dedicated to eradicating all mythica life, Gray grows very angry and with a friend and colleague, recruits an Aboriginal tracker to help find Caiden. He is filled with fear that something will happen to Caiden, as they haven't known each other long and he's fallen in love with him.
What is the personal goal of the character?
Being able to live free, happy and peacefully, with his lover, Caiden Jones.
Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
It's out! Mythica is available now at Bottom Drawer Publications.
*~*~*~*~*
Now to introduce you to the two authors who I’m handing the blog hop baton to. Both of these lovely ladies will be posting on November 10th, so watch out for their posts.
First up: My good and dear friend and co-author, Cate Ashwood. Cate's release is forthcoming in 2015, so here's a little bit about it. (I've beta'd this one, and I have to say, this is a terrific book.) It's called "Thirty Things" and will be out with Dreamspinner Press.
Blurb:
Finn and Nate have been best friends almost their whole lives, but Finn has something he's never told Nate-despite the fact that Nate isn't gay, Finn has been in love with him since he was eight years old. Finn has kept his feelings a secret for twenty-one years, terrified of what would happen if Nate ever found out.
One month before Finn's thirtieth birthday, Nate gives him his gift; a road trip across America to check off a list of thirty things to do before Finn turns thirty. Starting in Crawfordsville, Indiana, they tour the country, experiencing new things and meeting new people. Along the way, Nate discovers Finn's feelings for him, and Finn makes some discoveries of his own.
Learn more: http://www.cateashwood.com/coming-soon.html
Visit Cate: http://www.cateashwood.com/
Second up is L. V. Lloyd, fellow Adelaidean who's an author after my own heart, loving science fiction! L. V.'s release is Lunar Affair and it's available here.
Blurb: Lieutenant Jack Alexander has wasted years, waiting for his best friend, Marc Duran, to return his affections. Perhaps it is time to finally move on and find someone new. However, when Major Ethan Pattisson is sent to the planet Mayia to investigate the theft of hundreds of illegal weapons, Marc comes under suspicion, and Jack can’t help stepping in to save him. When Jack finds himself caught in the middle between Ethan and Marc, he discovers that unrequited love might soon be the least of his problems. Fourth book in the Aurigan Space Saga series, although it can be read as a stand alone story.
Learn more: http://www.amazon.com/Lunar-Affair-Aurigan-Space-Volume/dp/1502451247
Visit L. V.: http://lvlloyd.com/
Remember, these guys will be posting on the 10th, so check 'em out when the date rolls around!