In the Spotlight with Bayou Book Junkie ~ Author Jamie Deacon
Hi, Jamie Deacon, and welcome to Bayou Book Junkie. Jamie’s first novel, Caught Inside, published on 09/29/16 caught my eye, pun intended, and made me keen for an interview. It’s a brilliant tale of young love, with decent characters, and a down-to-earth-ness that made me believe in the tale and in the leads. I’d love to read more from this author, and luckily, this is book 1 in a new series, yay!! And, BBJ’s readers, have no fear as yours truly will be pestering begging whining watching out for more from Jamie. ☺
BBJ: Please tell us all about yourself, Jamie, and what inspired your debut novel.
Jamie: Thanks so much for inviting me here today! If I were to sum myself up, it would be as an incurable book junkie who prefers the company of a select few to large gatherings, drinks way too much tea, has a weakness for desserts (especially anything involving cream), and is somewhat of a geek when it comes to watching TV quiz shows.
Since I spend so much of my free time reading, it probably won’t surprise anyone to learn that this is where the inspiration for Caught Inside came from. The moment I picked up Don’t Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble, I fell in love not only with this captivating novel, but with the genre of m/m romance in general. Those few short chapters where Nate and Adam explore their attraction to each other in secret caught my imagination, and Luke, Theo, and the whole tangled mess of their relationship was born.
BBJ: And is writing the RL job, Jamie, or does it help you escape from RL? And, how quickly do you write?
Jamie: Both, really. While I’m fortunate enough to write full time, for me, stories have always held the power to open portals into alternative worlds, my own as well as those created by other authors., Blessed, as I am, with the double whammy of Depression and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, escapism plays a vital role in keeping my sanity intact. Because of my conditions, I’m not able to write as fast as I would like. Yet, even if it takes me longer than it might have otherwise, I’ve discovered that passion and determination can generally be relied upon to give me a push in the right direction!
BBJ: Name 5 things you absolutely couldn’t do without.
Jamie: My laptop, a mug of tea, dessert of some description, my bed, and the Audible membership which provides me with a regular supply of audio books!
BBJ: As you’re among friends here at BBJ, can you tell us a little about book 2 and its leads? And, will Theo and Luke appear as side/background characters? Or if not, will readers be catching up with them later in their HEA? Please?
Jamie: Since Book 2 takes place in Luke’s home city of Brookminster while he’s away in Cornwall, both he and Theo are otherwise occupied, but Luke’s best friend Dean does make a cameo appearance. In contrast to surfing, the sport that plays such an important part in Caught Inside, and which, before doing my research, I knew next to nothing about, Forbidden Steps is based around something I’ve experienced first-hand. When I was nine, my parents divorced and my mum remarried, so I know something about step families, the conflict and drama that can result when two hitherto separate family units are dismantled, then pieced together to make something entirely new. Of course, unlike the feelings my heroes Taylor and Ben struggle with, I’ve never been remotely attracted to my stepbrother…just for the record!
BBJ: Are you open with friends/family/colleagues about writing gay romance? Have there been any surprising reactions?
Jamie: Oh, I’ve never made any secret about what I write, and, good-natured teasing aside, my family and friends have been incredibly supportive. No, probably the most surprising reaction is that everyone I’ve told about my book wants to read it!
BBJ: When will book 2 be out, Jamie, and…ahem…purely in the interests of research, what would be the right incentive to make you write faster? (Hmm. Did I mention Lauden, Seph and Joe, great coffee, that I can whine/beg/plead like the best of ‘em!?)
Jamie: Hehe. Well, Forbidden Steps is still in the first draft stage, so it’s impossible to say when it might be finished. That said, given my aforementioned weakness for desserts, if someone were to send the odd sugary treat my way… In the meantime, a short story of mine will be appearing in an anthology of NA m/m romances, and my partner and I are also in the process of setting up Love Bound Promotions with the aim of helping authors across the romance genre market their work.
BBJ: What do you tend to read for pleasure? Do you read reviews of books, your own or otherwise?
Jamie: YA and NA are my favourites, although I’ll read any sub-genre—contemporary, historical, dystopian, LGBTQ… There’s something about YA and NA fiction, the rawness of the emotion, how the characters are just discovering themselves and what they want in life, that really appeals to me. As for reviews, I do read them but only after finishing a book, so that I don’t go into it with any preconceived ideas or expectations.
BBJ: How many tales are you planning in the Boys on the Brink series, and, do you see yourself writing in genres other than YA/NA?
Jamie: Since the Boys on the Brink novels will be self-contained stories, this gives me the freedom to write as many as I have the inspiration for. At the moment, I have tentative ideas for five novels after Forbidden Steps, as well as a romantic suspense trilogy set in a prestigious art college, and a couple of standalones. They all hover on that line between YA and NA, though. For the same reason I love reading novels about young people, late teens/early twenties is my favourite age to write about!
BBJ: And finally, the quick fire round:
What’s your star sign? I’m a Cancer.
Your ideal day consists of… My perfect day would be spent with my amazing boyfriend, and would involve an indecent amount of laziness and plenty of good food.
What about the UK makes you proudest? I’m proudest of the UK’s tolerance towards those from different cultures and religions, especially compared with attitudes in other parts of the world.
Who’d play Theo and Luke if the guys made it to the big screen? Not being much of a movie watcher, my knowledge of young British actors is sadly lacking, but my dream would be for Caught Inside to be turned into an audio book narrated by the incredibly talented Ed Westwick.
Slave to cats or BFF to a dog – or something else entirely? I’m definitely a dog person. In fact, I’ve recently been partnered with my very first guide dog, and Percy and I are the best of friends!
Describe yourself in one word. Me in one word…distractible.
Bubble bath, book or glass of wine to relax? Next holiday destination? Definitely a book to relax, and luckily I can do my traveling that way as well, since there are no holidays in my immediate future. I’m an impoverished writer, don’t you know?
Favorite food? Ooh, food again. If I had to pick just one favourite, it would have to be Pavlova…or cherries…or crunchy roast potatoes…or treacle sponge pudding…or… Oh, it’s no use. I can’t choose just one.
Lastly, what’s your guilty pleasure? And my guilty pleasure? Jilly Cooper novels!
Blurb:
Luke believes he has his life figured out…and then he meets Theo.
It should have been simple—a summer spent with his girlfriend Zara at her family’s holiday cottage in Cornwall. Seventeen-year-old Luke Savage jumps at the chance, envisioning endless hours of sunbathing on the private beach and riding the waves on his beloved surfboard. He isn’t interested in love. Though his rugged good looks and lazy charm mean he can have his pick of girls, he has no intention of falling for anyone.
Nothing prepares Luke for his reaction to Theo, the sensitive Oxford undergraduate who is Zara’s cousin and closest friend. All at once, he is plunged along a path of desire and discovery that has him questioning everything he thought he knew about himself. No one, especially Zara, must find out; what he and Theo have is too new, too fragile. But as the deceit spirals beyond their control, people are bound to get hurt, Luke most of all.
It should have been simple—a summer spent with his girlfriend Zara at her family’s holiday cottage in Cornwall. Seventeen-year-old Luke Savage jumps at the chance, envisioning endless hours of sunbathing on the private beach and riding the waves on his beloved surfboard. He isn’t interested in love. Though his rugged good looks and lazy charm mean he can have his pick of girls, he has no intention of falling for anyone.
Nothing prepares Luke for his reaction to Theo, the sensitive Oxford undergraduate who is Zara’s cousin and closest friend. All at once, he is plunged along a path of desire and discovery that has him questioning everything he thought he knew about himself. No one, especially Zara, must find out; what he and Theo have is too new, too fragile. But as the deceit spirals beyond their control, people are bound to get hurt, Luke most of all.
About the Author
Jamie lives in a tranquil spot close to the River Thames in Berkshire, England, and has always been just a little out of place—the only redhead in a family of brunettes; an introvert far more at ease with dogs than with people; a connoisseur of simple pleasures in a society intent on the quest for wealth and fame. Despite an outward cynicism, Jamie is a romantic at heart, and, when not immersed in a book, can mostly be found writing emotional stories where young men from all walks of life are thrust headlong into the breathless, euphoric, often painful whirlwind called love.
Connect with Jamie
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