Bayou Book Junkie: Wild and Precious by CJane Elliott ~ Virtual Blog Tour, Author Interview, Giveaway

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Wild and Precious by CJane Elliott ~ Virtual Blog Tour, Author Interview, Giveaway

Author Bio:

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn't looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is an ardent supporter of gay equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.

In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

Where to find the author: CJane at cjaneelliott@gmail.com. Her website is http://www.cjaneelliott.com. Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJaneElliott and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cjane.elliott

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: AngstyG

Blurb:

Aspiring writer Brent Granger has good friends and a great job at an arts magazine in DC, but he’s batting zero in the arena of love. Brent begins to get a clue why things aren’t working with women from his strong attraction to his gorgeous, gay, and already attached boss, Graham Stoneford. When he sees a personal ad from a man that quotes his favorite poet, Brent decides to do something wild and answer.

Enter Cody Bellstrom, easygoing bisexual musician, who is happy to initiate Brent in the ways of gay sex. Brent now has a new problem: he realizes he’s gay and no one in his life knows it. Cody tires of hiding their relationship, but Brent finds it challenging to come out to family, friends, and especially to Graham. In the end, Brent must confront the truth of where – and with whom – his heart lies.

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

Excerpt:

As Brent sat cross-legged on a pillow, tearing pieces off the rubbery bread and dipping them into various dishes he couldn’t identify, he realized he was having more fun than he’d had in ages. Along with being thoughtful and smart, Graham was one of the most hilarious people he’d ever met, and Brent was in stitches for most of their lunch.

“If only my dates could be like this,” Brent said, after another bout of laughter between them, then widened his eyes. “Oh, wow, man, that sounded dumb.”

Graham didn’t seem fazed. “They’re not? But why? You’re so fun to talk to. Any woman would be nuts not to appreciate you.”

“Uh, well, tell them that. But I guess I don’t really appreciate them either. I don’t know, it’s like, awkward and boring most of the time. Whatever. Ari keeps trying to set me up, but…. Anyway, how did this get into talking about my love life, or lack thereof?”

Graham regarded him, warmth in his eyes, and said softly, “You’ll find it, Brent. Everyone deserves to have love in their life. You’re young. You’ll find it.”

Graham’s words touched Brent, but the intensity of the moment made him uncomfortable. Even worse, he noticed he was getting aroused.

He shifted on his pillow with a weak laugh. “Hey, no more of this ‘young’ crap, okay? You’re not that much older than I am.”

Pages or Words: 80 Pages

Author Interview:

What made you want to write this particular book?

This story is the result of a prompt in a writing community to write an m/m story based on a movie. I chose the movie “Kissing Jessica Stein” which is about a straight woman who tires of trying to find a relationship and decides to answer a woman-seeking-woman personal ad. Although in the movie Jessica’s adventure is a result of temporary bi-curiosity, in my story the main character Brent realizes through his bi-curious experimentation that he’s actually gay.

How do you come up with the titles?

It’s sometimes hard to come up with a title, but for this book the title Wild and Precious comes from a Mary Oliver poem, The Summer’s Day. The last line is: Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Brent keeps confronting that message throughout the book, and it impels him to be courageous about owning his sexuality and about pursuing his passion to be a creative writer.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Life is short and life is precious. Be who you are and do what you really want to do, even if it’s scary or looks like it can’t happen. Take a chance.

What are your current projects?

I’m working on the third novel in the Serpentine Series now, with a projected release date of August, and hope to have a fourth one out by the end of this year. The third one has Jed Carter from Serpentine Walls as the main character. If you haven’t read Serpentine Walls, Jed is the nice, shy guy that the main character Pete starts a “friends with benefits” relationship with, even though Jed would like more. Readers identified with Jed and I wanted to write a book where he gets his own happy ending.

Do you pay attention to literary criticism?

I use my editors and some trusted fellow writers for criticism and try not to get too riveted on my reviews. I figure once my story is out in the world, it’s no longer mine, and people have a right to their opinions.

Tour Dates: December 31, 2014 – January

Tour Stops:

31-Dec

1-Jan

2-Jan

5-Jan

6-Jan