Virtual Tour: Go Your Own Way by Zane Riley ~ (Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)
Book Information:
Author Name: Zane Riley
Book Name: Go Your Own Way Book one
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Cover Art by Colleen M. Good; Design by BuckeyeGrrl Designs
Blurb:
Will Osborne couldn’t wait to put the roller coaster ride of his public education behind him. Having suffered bullying and harassment since grade school, he planned a senior year that would be simple and quiet before going away to college and starting fresh. But when a reform school transfer student struts into his first class, Will realizes that the thrill ride has only just begun.
Lennox McAvoy is an avalanche. He's crude, flirtatious, and the most insufferable, beautiful person Will's ever met. From his ankle monitor to his dull smile, Lennox appears irredeemable. But when Will’s father falls seriously ill, Will discovers that there is more to Lennox than meets the eye.
Pages or Words: 326 pages
Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance
Excerpt:
Lennox leaned forward until Will could smell the peppermint on his breath and the smoke on his clothes. He shivered again and tried to make himself back away. But his body didn't seem to want to cooperate any more than Lennox. Will met his eyes—could see himself reflected in them. They looked like a pair of pennies, bright and bronze as if they were sitting in a shallow, sunlit fountain. It was a beauty Will didn't want to think about.
"You don't have to tease so much," Lennox whispered. That smile stayed on his face, and Will had to look away. His eyes fell on his hands gripping his chair and the white knuckles under his skin. If he looked in those eyes again, he would do something stupid. Like slap Lennox—or kiss him.
Author Interview:
Why do you write m/m books?
It was never actually a conscious decision to write m/m books. I'm part of the LGBTQ community and naturally I'm drawn to characters more like myself. Growing up there were never any protagonists that were transgender or gay or genderqueer or bisexual or anything else. Nobody I read about was like myself, they were all cisgender and heterosexual. Writing about characters that are more like myself was a comfort at first. Now it's become a lot more meaningful because I know, from my own experiences, how important and life-changing it can be to have a wider range of representation for people.
What inspired you to write this book?
The main inspiration was the idea of a young man, a teenage boy, who's reached a point in his life where he has nothing. His family's broken up and his parents are gone. He has grandparents that aren't accepting and only want to change him. Nobody in his life wants him as he is besides his younger sister, and he's not allowed anywhere near her. Having a young man, particularly a gay young man, struggle to be safe and find people to share his life with was something I wanted to explore. I wanted to take him from his struggles and hardships and bring him into a place where he can grow into the young man he has the potential to be.
What was the hardest part of writing a book?
Most days just sitting down long enough to write is difficult for me. But the hardest part of the process was after I wrote that first version of the manuscript. I had no idea what I was getting into with the editing process that follows. That's when the real fun begins. Sometimes it's a lot and other times you can get through it at a good pace. It was definitely a learning experience this first time around, but I'm much more prepared for the next one.
Do you pay attention to literary criticism?
I certainly read anything that comes my way, but I don't always take every criticism into consideration. Normally, with a critique, I'll read it, give myself a day or two, and then come back to it with only the work in mind and not any emotions that may be brought to the surface by reading it. I like to really consider what's being said and see if I agree or not, see in what ways it's a valid criticism, and see if it's a part of my writing style I'm working to evolve or if it's something I want to continue. It's important to be aware, but it's also important to be strong in your convictions and to grow at your own pace, and in your own ways.
What would you say is your idea of the perfect date?
I'm going back and forth between two extremes, and which it is would depend on how well I know the person and what our relationship was. It would either be a quiet night together, laying down in the grass in the backyard, if it's nice, watching the stars and talking about anything and everything. And the second one would be spontaneous. A call saying they're on their way over and that they've got train tickets to somewhere. Or bus tickets or we're driving all night to somewhere new we've never been before.
About the author:
Zane Riley wrote his first work of fan fiction in the fourth grade, a Star Wars story in a notebook recently unearthed from the back of a closet.
Zane is a transgender writer and recent recipient of a degree in English: Creative Writing from the University of Mary Washington. Go Your Own Way is his first novel.
In his spare time, Zane is a musician and frustrated fan of the Baltimore Orioles.
Where to find the author:
zane-riley.com
Twitter: @ZaneNebula
Tour Dates & Stops:
5-May
6-May
7-May
8-May
11-May
12-May
13-May
14-May
15-May
18-May
Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press Gift Card
Thanks for the interview and for hosting me today! :)
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