Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Empty Nests by Ada Maria Soto ~ (ARC Review, Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Empty Nests by Ada Maria Soto ~ (ARC Review, Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)
Book Information:
Author Name: Ada Maria Soto
Book Name: Empty Nests
Series: Nested Hearts
Book #: One
Release Date: June 12, 2015 
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press 
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond

Buy The Book:

Blurb:

Neither James nor Gabe has ever had a real relationship. They might make a connection if they can get past their differences—and their fears.
At age fourteen, James Maron decided to prove he wasn’t gay despite vast evidence to the contrary. Now at thirty-two, he’s getting ready to send his son to college and wondering what he’s supposed to do next. Outside his son, his life consists of an IT job he hates and watching telenovelas with the women in his apartment building. 

Gabriel Juarez is the CFO of a technology giant. He has looks, charm, fantastic wealth, a workaholic personality, and a string of boyfriends who only stick around because he’s too busy to tell them to leave.

A bad laptop/projector interface causes James and Gabe’s paths to cross. Friends, family, and coworkers jump to match Gabe with a nice guy, and James with anyone. But are they too different? Everyone will have to tread very carefully to keep things from ending before they start.

Pages or Words: 68,835 words
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

Excerpt:

“So,” Dylan started as he scraped the last of the noodles from his plate. “Remember that conversation we were having about the new AP English teacher?”

“If you pull a piece of paper out of your pocket right now, I will never forgive you.”
Dylan grinned and pulled a tightly folded piece of paper from his pocket. “Saturday after next, if you want, you have a date.”
James was pretty sure teenagers were not supposed to be as hung-up on their father’s love life as Dylan was. “No. No, I do not.”
Dylan pushed over a printout from his school’s faculty webpage. There was a phone number handwritten at the bottom. “Thirty-five, no kids. He likes music.” Dylan had highlighted that line. “You like music, he likes music. He said he’d love to take you to see a band he likes.”
“Goddammit, Dylan! I do not need you setting me up with strangers.”
“He’s not a stranger, he’s the school’s AP English teacher, and I wouldn’t have to if you’d get out of the house once in a while. Seriously, Dad, I’m out of here in less than a year. I don’t want you moping around this place alone. I worry about you turning into a crazy old cat lady.” 
Tracy's Review:

 4.5 Stars

*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for an honest review*

I. Couldn't. Put. It. Down.
I stayed up reading, until I couldn't hold my eyes open anymore and had no choice but to finish the next day. This book held me captivated from the first word. There were things I loved about these characters, but there were things I also found somewhat not believable.

 I LOVE James. He was an amazing character. I especially love the relationship he has with his son. He's a parent but also a friend, as well and he seems to know how to balance both. He and his son Dylan have an amazing relationship. I can't imagine most men would fight for their right to be a single parent at the age of just 15, but I had respect for him for that. I admire him for living the way he does to make sure his son has the best, and will get a good education.

My only problem with James, is the sexual part of his story is not really all that believable. I'm sorry I can't believe this man, even if he has only been on a handful of dates hasn't gotten past kissing in his 32 years? Except once with a girl?! Sorry that part just wasn't believable.

I liked Gabe's character, but his story didn't hold me as intrigued as James' did. The book is told in dual POV's and I found my self waiting for the POV to switch back to James. I found his parts much more interesting. Maybe because, as a parent I can relate to him.

What the story was lacking was chemistry. I just didn't get the chemistry I wanted to between the main characters. It was lacking something, and I hope the author finds it in the second book. I am looking forward to seeing where James, Gabe and Dylan's story goes.
Author Interview:

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Ada Maria Soto author of Empty Nests
Hi Ada, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hi, I'm Ada.  I'm a born and raised Californian Mexican-American currently living as an expat in the South Pacific with a toddler and my partner. I have studied and worked in theater, film, and television with all the usual crummy side jobs of a struggling artist. I have dysgraphia and phonological dyslexia but I try not to let that slow down my writing.  I love sports and am dedicated to the Oakland A’s, San Jose Sharks, Auckland Blues, USA Rugby Eagles, New Zealand All Blacks, New Zealand Black Caps, and the Chennai Super Kings.

Empty Nests is about James Maron and Gabe Juarez.  At age fourteen, James decided to prove he wasn’t gay despite vast evidence to the contrary. Now at thirty-two, he’s getting ready to send his son to college and wondering what he’s supposed to do next. Outside his son, his life consists of an IT job he hates and watching telenovelas with the women in his apartment building.

Gabriel Juarez is the CFO of a technology giant. He has looks, charm, fantastic wealth, a workaholic personality, and a string of boyfriends who only stick around because he’s too busy to tell them to leave. 

A bad laptop/projector interface causes James and Gabe’s paths to cross. Friends, family, and coworkers jump to match Gabe with a nice guy, and James with anyone. But they might be too different. Everyone will have to tread very carefully to keep things from ending before they start.

How do you feel about e-books vs print books?
As a writer I think e-books really changed the game, especially when it comes in self-publishing.  Up until very recently self-publishing really just meant vanity publishing or you were rejected by everyone else because you sucked.  Now, for better or worse, it can just mean you didn't want to deal with a traditional publisher and you don't end up with 5000 copies of an unsold book sitting in your garage.  Just an ego hit when you look at your Amazon ranking.  
It has of course also allowed for the rise of the independent publisher.  E-books combined with print on demand have allowed for publishers like Dreamspinner press to target a small selection of the market that a larger publisher might ignore because of the overhead.
As a reader I'm not picky.  I like proper print books in my hands and filling my shelves but I also live in New Zealand.  Books are bloody expensive here because of the shipping costs.  The selection is smaller because if the shipping costs, and even if you buy a book online the shipping costs a lot.  Last time I went to the states my partner and I spent about 400$ on books which would have easily been a solid grand in NZ.  Sometimes e-books are just more efficient and cost effective.

What process did you go through to get your first book published?
I wrote a book, I freaked out about it, almost deleted it, rewrote it and freaked out some more until a friend slapped me upside the head and told me to just submit it.  I got lucky and it was accepted.  After that it was a matter of signing the contract and getting taken through the editorial process.

How do you find or make time to write?
Daycare.  Two days a week the kid is in daycare and these are my work days.  I don't have any other 'job'.  Writing is my job and I have a very short work week so I just make the best of it.  If I'm lucky I can squeeze in an hour during a nap time but usually I have other stuff to do.

Name one person who you feel supported you outside of your family members?
Cooper West.  She is my primary evil enabler.  She kept me from deleting Empty Nests and will cheer me on no matter how absurd a goal I set.  So much of what I write is completely her fault.

Tell us about a book you’re reading now.
I'm currently flipping between Tortilla Flat and Hell & High Water.  I usually have several books on the go at once until this year when I realized I had over 20 started and not finished.  I'm going through them two at a time.  One in print and one in digital.  I'm not starting any new books until I get through those twenty.


About the author:
Ada Maria Soto is a born and raised Californian, Mexican-American/WASP, currently living as an expat in New Zealand. She got her Bachelor’s degree in Theater Directing at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, which she attended in a fit of stubbornness. She got a Master’s degree in Film and TV Producing from the University of Auckland in New Zealand which she applied to on a manic whim. Nine years later she’s still in Auckland with a partner, kid, and mortgage.

She has dysgraphia and phonological dyslexia which can lead to some interesting typos.

She is a sports fan dedicated to the Oakland A’s, San Jose Sharks, Auckland Blues, USA Eagles, New Zealand All Blacks, New Zealand Black Caps, and the Chennai Super Kings.

Where to find the author:
Official Website: http://adamariasoto.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ada.m.soto.568
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AdaMariaSotoAuthor
Twitter: @adamariasoto
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+AdaSoto/posts
DSP Author Arcade: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/ada-maria-soto
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5321801.Ada_Maria_Soto

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