Elin Gregory

My guest today is Jon De’Lisle, an author who really is writing what he knows. Many thanks Jon for visiting ad for answering my questions so fully.

First, Elin, thank you so much for having me here today. It’s always an honor and a privilege to be hosted on an interview.

My name is Jon De’Lisle, and I live in New Mexico. The Dantone Project is my first published (self-published actually) novel. I began writing the book in my sophomore year of high school. It actually started as more of a journal for me to express my feelings on paper (or a computer screen). I had realized within that year that I was gay, and had not yet come out to anyone.
I created a character, somewhat like me, by the name of James Warner. I’d had a passion growing up to work in the field of private investigations. The beginning chapters of the book reflect the turmoil and emotions I was feeling at that time. It was actually very difficult for me to type out the words making my character gay for the first time. It was as much of a struggle for me as speaking those words about myself to another human being, only about a year later. In the beginning, I did not know where the story of The Dantone Project would lead. I wrote it off and on and finished the first draft the summer after I completed high school. I edited it off and on with various re-writes throughout my college years, before finally accepting it as it was and building up the courage to release it to the world.

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Elin : Can you tell me a little about yourself? For instance, do you have to have a day job as well as being a writer?

Jon : I keep myself pretty busy most of the time. Following in the footsteps of my character, James, I’m a licensed private investigator. While that is currently not my primary “day job” right now, I do still work in the field of investigations. Working with victimized populations and using my brain is what keeps me going, even though I have a love/hate relationship with the field. It’s chaotic, and unpredictable, which goes against the half of me with an OCD type nature. Still, I’ve been doing this kind of work for so long that I expect the chaos. The difficulty I find is returning to the land of fiction in my head after chasing facts all day. It’s hard to tell my brain to just make up stuff, and that whatever rules I conjure up are valid.

Elin : When you aren’t writing, is there any other creative activity you enjoy? Have you ever written about it?

Jon : In regards to art, or creativity, writing is probably my strongest activity. I’m not musically inclined at all, although I do enjoy listening to the music of others. My drawing is pretty horrific too; even my stick figures would give someone a nightmare.

Elin : What are you reading? Can you recommend something that you wished you’d written yourself?

Jon : As a writer myself in the sub-genre of gay detective fiction, I admire quite a few authors who write in this genre as well. My favorites would have to be the Donald Strachey mysteries, by Richard Stevenson, and the work of John Peyton Cooke. Mr. Stevenson’s Donald Strachey is a gay private investigator in New York State who investigates a lot of gay-related cases.

Mr. Peyton Cooke writes gay themed mysteries and thrillers, some of which are historical pieces. My favorite is the novel Torsos, which takes place place in Cleveland during the 1930’s, and revolves around a historically accurate serial killer. Peyton Cooke’s The Chimney Sweeper and Haven: A Novel of Anxiety are also really good.

Elin : In that crucial inspiration stage of a new story which comes first? Plot, situation or character?

Jon : With The Dantone Project, the character most definitely came first. James was developed as a reflection of myself, with the story developing and evolving around him. I think the answer of “which comes first” is very individual, and somewhat dependent on the individual work. I think most authors are inspired to write different works for different reasons. Whatever the inspiration is probably has some influence on what parts of that individual work are developed first. I have several other works on my hard drive in which the character has been developed at the same time as the situation. Most of these are still in their infancy, and haven’t been developed into anything very solid yet.

Elin : Do your characters arrive fully fledged and ready to fly or do they develop as you work with them? Do you have a crisp mental picture of them or are they more a thought and a feeling than an image?

Jon : My characters seem to develop over time. In fact, there are still things I’m figuring out about James and Clint (the main characters in The Dantone Project. I’m still developing them which beginning my work on the sequel to the novel.

Elin : Is there any genre you would love to write, ditto one you would avoid like a rattlesnake? What inspired you to write about a private investigator?

Jon : For the time being, it appears my genres of fiction revolve somewhere between detective fiction and thriller/horror. I have a few projects I’m working on in more of the horror genre. I’m not sure how much I would care to write romance fiction, or at least, purely romance. There were some periods of time while writing The Dantone Project that I had to take a break. Even though it is not a purely romantic story, after a few failed relationships in my personal life, my characters’ fictional romance and interactions seemed too disgusting and sappy.

My inspiration to write about a private investigator came from my passion for film noir and “old time detective stories”. I grew up watching movies like The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep and others, and playing adventure computer games with detectives as main characters. As I got older, my interest expanded to old time radio shows from the 1930’s to the 1950’s. As The Dantone Project began to develop in my mind, I desired to blend the feel of a film noir story with a gay character. In a nutshell, this is how the story began to develop beyond the creation of the character, James.

Elin : Do you find there to be a lot of structural differences between a relationship driven story and one where the romance is a sub plot?

Jon : I’m going to try to answer this question, although I don’t really consider myself a romance writer. I would believe there to be some structural differences between a relationship driven story and a sub plot romance. In The Dantone Project, the romance is a sub plot. It develops in the background, dependent on the interactions between James and Clint (James’ client), and the course of the investigation that James conducts, which is the main plot.

I would imagine the roles of the main plot and sub plot to be reversed in a primarily romance-plot driven story. In these stories, I would imagine any sub-plot would be dependent on the development and outcomes of the romance within the story.

Still, I believe the basic elements of any plot to still be existent in both types of stories. There still has to be a introduction, and conflict introduced in order to make the story interesting, and to eventually lead to a conclusion.

Elin : Put together your ideal team of men/women – drawing from all and any walks of life, fictional or non-fictional – who you would want to come to your rescue if menaced by muggers/alligators/fundamentalists?

Jon : I would like to be rescued by the heroes I have in my everyday life, because they are the ones who would truly save me. These heroes would be my boyfriend, parents, and my close group of friends.

Elin : Villains are incredibly important in fiction since they challenge the main protagonists and give them something to contend with beyond the tension of a developing relationship. The cruel sea. The serial killer. The society itself. Your hero’s inner demons. What sort of villains do you prize?

Jon : There is something to be said for the villains that we cannot see. Growing up, the horror movies that I found the scariest were the ones in which the nemesis was unseen. I think that it is the fear of the unknown that makes these the best villains. If you cannot see your villain, you do not know what it is, and even worse, you do not know how to defeat it.

As a mystery writer, I also treasure villains who are psychopaths. These are the enemies who hurt people, and commit crimes without a conscience, nor any remorse for what they are doing. These are the kinds of criminals who, if caught, cannot be rehabilitated, and leave society no choice but to lock them up for life. I find it fascinating to delve into the minds of these types of villains, to see how they tick. they’re desirable, because in a way, they are not human.

Elin : What kind of research did you conduct for The Dantone Project, and James’ PI business?

Jon : The research that I conducted was pretty basic. I began my training as a private investigator in real life during my writing of the book. In so doing, I was able to use my knowledge of real life private investigators in my story, at least for the most part.

For example, when I began writing the book, PI’s were not licensed in the state of Colorado. However, in 2012, voluntary licensure was implemented. This was something that was re-written in my editing of the book, prior to officially being released. James’ use of a gun is somewhat more of a fictional liberty taken on my part. Not all private investigators carry guns, and in many states, a concealed carry license is separate from a PI license, or at the very least, two different types of PI licenses. In my own state, I’m licensed solely as a private investigator, with no permit to carry a gun.

The biggest challenge I found in my writing of the book was developing the story in Denver, Boulder, and the town of Niwot. I’ve never personally been to Niwot, and my experience in Denver is limited. I relied heavily on online maps and websites during my research. Even after completing my research, it took a great deal of convincing my brain to take such fictional liberties, to create my story in a real place I had not thoroughly explored first-hand.

Elin : What are you working on at the moment? Can you discuss it or do you prefer to keep it a secret until it’s finished.

Jon : I’m currently working on several short stories that I hope to release on the Kindle at some point. I am also working on the sequel to The Dantone Project, picking up where it leaves off. It’s still in the beginning stages of development, but I’m hopeful my progress will be quick. I’m excited to see where James and Clint progress at this point.

Elin : Could we please have an excerpt of something?

Jon : The excerpt I’m including is the first interaction between Clint and James. This gives readers a sneak peek into James’ mind, as well as an introduction to the main plot, and the investigation he will be conducting.

With a sense of alarm, I straightened myself up, and ran over to the security control panel on the wall in the office. I turned on the outside front door camera. From what I could see on the small screen, it was a white Toyota. As the occupant got out of the car, I could begin to make out his physical appearance. He looked like he was probably in his mid twenties…my age give or take a few years. He appeared to be fair complected, with either blonde or light brown hair. His build looked slender, but it was hard to tell for sure as a bulky coat was wrapped tightly around him. I hardly had time to think when his face appeared at the front door and I heard the knock. I saw the silhouette of a figure against the foggy glass.
My heart skipped a beat and I seriously considered not opening the door, but instead tiptoeing away and pretending not to exist. Wiping the newly formed sweat from my brow, I turned to the door. I opened it, and got the first look of who would turn out to be my most interesting client yet.
“Are you the private investigator?” The man spoke in a calm, soothing, and seductive voice. His face was in the form of curiosity and suspicion. I wondered why he needed some low life like me.
“Well…” I said, observing my door. “either I am or it appears I’m in the wrong apartment.” was my only reply. “What can I do for you, Mr..?”
“Brussell. Clint Brussell. I called earlier. May I come in?” With only the slightest hesitancy, I moved aside to let Clint in.
“Certainly, Mr. Brussell, please come in and take a seat. My name is James Warner, you can call me James.”
“Thank you, James. Call me Clint.” Clint looked at me with a sort of curiosity in his eyes. Somehow, I felt a little nervous around him. Like he was seeing through my thick skin and scanning my soul. I found it hard to look him in the eye; as if doing so would reveal every dark secret I had instantaneously. Dammit me! Stop this! A person can sense someone else’s fear. If I don’t act confident, he will discover my weaknesses…
Clint came in and sat in one of the chairs I had in front of my oak desk. I closed the office door and walked over to my squeaky old chair. “Well Clint, why are you in the need of a PI?”
“James, I…I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to try to tell the whole story.”
“Take your time Clint, I’m here to help.” There was about a thirty-second pause before Clint seemed to get his nerve up to talk.
“My brother, Damen, went missing about five days ago.”
“Go on.” I was having a hard time listening to him and paying attention. The biological side of me, naturally being messed up, was making me feel attracted to him. I felt lightheaded, and somewhat of a tingling sensation began coursing throughout my body. The biological part of my mind felt a strong desire to get to know him better. The logical part of my mind told me to listen to his story and help him, and the angry side of me was yelling at me for being attracted to him. He was just so…perfect. What else could I say?
The first thing that really caught my attention about him was his eyes. They were the bluest, most pure eyes I had ever seen on a guy. His pupils remained trained on my very own eyes as he talked to me; observing my every move with curiosity. He had sandy brown-blonde hair that waved in and out across his head, in beautiful proportions. His nose was perfectly symmetrical to his luscious lips and his eyes; it was a perfect size, not at all smudgy or ugly. His ears were made of the best skin, all smooth and very appealing. Beneath his head, his strong neck appeared very alluring and disappeared into his collared button-up shirt…
Next, my eyes moved down to his arms and took their appearance in. I could tell they were strong, the muscles beneath the skin not bulging, just enough power in them to be quite desirable. The hands at the end of each arm had five fingers which all appeared quite delightful and interesting. I wondered what it would be like to hold them.
Just about the time my mind began to wonder just how tasty his legs might be I remembered just what I was supposed to be doing and interrupted my bliss. I rubbed my eyes and let out a groan. Clint asked if I was okay, and after a quick nod of my head, he continued.
“Damen and I have always been close. When times are rough, we always help each other out. We always share everything. We have a great trust in each other. We can even sense when the other one of us is in trouble and feeling bad.”
“Clint, could you give me the age relationship between you and Damen?”
“Certainly. Damen is five years older than I am. He’s thirty-one and I’m twenty-six. Like I’ve said, we have always trusted one another. However, about three weeks ago, I sensed a change in his character. He was quieter than usual and kept to himself a lot more. He became jittery and clumsy, especially when the phone or doorbell rang. One day, I approached him and asked him about all of this. He really wasn’t acting normal. He tried to convince me that everything was fine, and that he was just feeling down about himself lately. He said that it would be okay and I should not worry. He thanked me for my concern and caring and then left.”
“Do you and your brother live in separate homes?”
“Yes. We each have an apartment over in Boulder. But, since we care about each other so much, we talk at least three or four times a week. Of course, we each have our own lives and jobs. I’m a web site designer and he works for a small business he started which does scientific studies of different sorts.”
“Does he have many competitors?”
“Well, I really don’t know. He hasn’t really shared a lot of information on the fine details of the company.” Clint started to change positions and cleared his throat.
“I apologize, Clint. Would you like some water?”
“Yes, thank you James.”
I got up and went over into my kitchen and filled a plastic cup with tap water. I returned to Clint and handed it to him.
I heard a noise to my right. Shawn entered the room dreary eyed and in some lounging clothes. He paused and looked surprised at the two of us. “A client, Jim?”
Yeah, Shawn, this is Clint. He’s requesting my services. Clint looked a little startled at Shawn and then looked back at me.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Clint, this is my high school friend Shawn. He just arrived earlier today to visit for a while.” Clint seemed to relax a little. Shawn was starting to look more awake.
“Oh, I thought maybe he was your brother or roommate or something.” Clint raised his eyebrows at me. Shawn didn’t seem to really notice, or he didn’t get it. “Jim, do you have any coffee?”
“Sure. It’s in the cabinet. Go ahead and put another pot on. I’ll be done here in awhile.” Shawn headed off to find a drink, and I resumed my talk with Clint. “So, why don’t you tell me how Damen went missing, and why you’ve requested my services?”
“It was about five days ago. We were arguing on the phone and I demanded to know what was going on. He told me that everything was fine and I didn’t need to make a trip down to his place. Well, of course I was concerned. I quickly got in my car and headed down there. Something didn’t feel right and my fears were confirmed when I got to his block. There was a white van spinning out of the parking area close to his apartment. I knew that it was important so I got the li-cense number. Of course, it could be wrong, but I have nothing else to go on.”
This certainly was intriguing. I awaited the rest of the story as Clint licked his lips. I noticed the tingling sensation coming back. Chewing myself out in my head, I managed to get it to go away again.
“Please continue, Clint.”
“The license plate was from New Mexico. I tried to follow the van but lost it fairly quickly; so I returned to his apartment. I was stopped along the way by his landlord who told me I couldn’t go into his apartment. Something to the effect that Damen had left and the door was locked. I was really concerned by this time. I pretended to be leaving and when the landlord left, I headed back to Damen’s apartment. The door was busted down. From what I could see there was a mess inside and that was all. However, on the floor I found a slip of paper. Opening it, I found this letter typed in plain font.” Clint pulled out a note that read:

Clint, I hoped the day would not come when I would have to bring you into this mess of which I appear to have become the focal point, but if you are reading this, there is no other choice. My work has gotten out of hand, and lives are at stake, perhaps including my own. If anyone comes asking you about me, pretend we had a falling out. Tell them you haven’t seen me in five years…ten years. Whatever you have to. Just make sure they leave you alone. I’m so sorry. I did not mean to bring this evil into our lives. If we never have the chance to see each other again, I want you to know how much I love you, and am proud to be your brother. Be kinder to yourself, and take good care of mom for me. Damen

“Is this all you found?” The note certainly didn’t give much information.
“Yes. I started looking around his apartment more but I was interrupted quickly by his landlord again.”
“What did his landlord do?”
“I tried to ask him what happened. He asked me who I was and when I told him I was Damen’s brother, he acted like he didn’t believe me. He threatened to call the cops on me if I didn’t leave right away.”
“So you left?”
“Well he could have been bluffing, but I didn’t feel like risking it. Of course I contacted the police after I left and they did their own search. They’ve classified it as a standard missing persons case, but they haven’t found any leads.”
“Well. I think you’ve given me something to work on. I’ll need to make a copy of this letter, and I’ll need to get some other information. Details on Damen’s work and his apartment address. I’ll need to get in there and look around.”
“That’s fine. How much do you charge?” This was a tough question. The problem being that I was very low on money, so I really should charge a good amount. But would that be honest?
“I charge four-hundred dollars a day, plus expenses.” Clint didn’t even blink.
“I can probably manage most of it…” He pulled out his wallet.
“Give me a decent amount to start with, the information I asked for and a number to reach you at.”
“Okay.” He gave me all the information I needed. As for a number I could reach him at, he only gave me an address. I got the feeling he wanted to see more of me. My paranoid side told me to ditch the job right away and get the hell out of there. My logical side said, “Hang on bud, let’s just sniff around a bit.” As for a retainer, he gave me two grand. Not bad.
“I’ll be in touch, Clint.”
“Yes, I hope so.” He stood up and stuck out his hand. As I shook it, he took his left hand and placed it over my right. He then slowly slid his hand across mine. All this was starting to turn my knees to jelly so I quickly pulled back. I just hoped I didn’t look too nervous. He turned around and walked out leaving me alone, but with hope…

~~~

Elin: If we would like to follow you online, do you have any social media links that you are pre-pared to share?

Jon : For now, my spots on the internet are pretty humble. I have a basic website, a Facebook page, GoodReads profile, and my Amazon Author’s page. Here are my links:

http://jonbogart.wix.com/jondelisle

https://www.facebook.com/authorjdelisle

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7764899.Jon_De_lisle

I would like to also give credit to my amazing graphic designer, and the incredible job he did on my book cover – Damien Shay

The Dantone Project by Jon De’Lisle

Blurb:
James Warner is on the verge of a breakdown. He’s a 27-year old private investigator working at a mom and pop diner just to make ends meet. He’s also gay, and with the exception of his out of town high school friend Shawn, he doesn’t have a friend in the world. All that is about to change, however.
A biological weapon project has fallen into the hands of the wrong people, and the project director, Damen Brussell, has gone missing. His brother, Clint, has hired James to find his brother, and the reason behind his disappearance. In one week’s time, James will resuscitate his private eye skills, as well as face his inner demons about what, and who, he truly is. James will encounter true love, as well as pure evil, in this missing persons’ investigation that will take him through Colorado, and into the canyons of Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. James and Clint will both learn so much more than just what exactly is so dangerous about The Dantone Project.

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It’s a while since I’ve done one of these. There have been so many good books to read and so many good authors to promote that I haven’t been bothering to blog.

Extra points if you recognise who used this diary in which film.

Mostly this is because I didn’t have much to write about on my own account. I’ve betaed a few terrific novels over the past year but haven’t actually written much.

However, Sue Roebuck tagged me in a writing progress meme – check hers out, she’s been busy – so that’s a good excuse to talk about writing.

1. What am I working on?

At the moment I have a short story on the go which may or may not meet the 31st March deadline. This is about a Londoner trying to make a new life somewhere rural. I have a finished novel in a file fermenting for a bit before I try the second draft. The first is rough as a badger’s chuff but I think could be made fun.

I have another long short – about 25k – inspired by the Black Knight sketch from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, that was returned to Riptide Press on a revise and resubmit request in January. It’s another 4 weeks before I can legitimately email to ask for confirmation that the editor received it so I’m doing my best not to think about it. This is hard.

2. How does my work differ from others?

I’m not sure that being different from others in ones genre is a good idea. People go to  M/M to read lots of good red hot explicit man on man boinking. Disappoint them at your peril. It will be reflected in your reviews and your sales.

So naturally I do disappoint. Sex happens in my books but it’s the fact that it has happened and the effects it has on the relationship that is important, not whose hands/mouth/feet/other body parts went where, how often and from what exact angle. I have read thousands of brilliant mainstream novels where this was acceptable and am saddened that books with gay protagonists can’t be accepted as just being part of their genre – horror, sci fi, historical, detective – without having to have the erotica label applied to them as well.

3. Why do I write what I do?

I once saw a plaintive comment from a well known gay male author – no names no pack drill – along the lines of “Where are all the good humoured historical stories with gay protagonists where they end up happy instead of dead?” and thought “Damn, I’ve been writing things like close to that for 40 years”.

I write action adventure stories, often historical, about gay men. I’ve always written action adventure about men, often men who have a very close ‘buddy’ relationship with each other to the exclusion of female companions. I never read M/F romance, apart from Georgette Heyer, but preferred what my husband describes as bloke books with masses of plot and action, where the heroes swing from the rigging, or charge with the Light Brigade or keep their heads down in the trenches. Sometimes there’s romance but generally the important relationships are man to man – Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin spring to mind. Adding a soupcon of romance between the guys just seems logical if they care about each other that much and ups their stress levels enormously  when they are in danger.

4. How does my writing process work?

Not very well at the moment. My circumstances changed radically last year when my husband retired and the hours I could spend in the evenings have been cut right back. However ideally the process would be as follows:

• Get an idea and think about it for a year or so
• Do the background reading
• Work out first draft in head
• Type first draft early in the morning before anyone else is awake
• Suffer existential angst about a 3rd into the story that halts writing
• Overcome angst and carry on, or abandon project and work on something else
• Finish project, hate it, put it aside
• Look it out some months later and decide that it might be better with more work
• 2nd draft then off to the darling betas
• 3rd draft with edits and polish
• Try to decide what to do with the finished MS

That’s actually the easy part of the process. Once the writing is done there’s the submission process. If the book is good enough to be accepted there’s the editing process. Then – Oh God – marketing! Writing a book is just a little bit of the work.

I’m supposed to tag people so I choose – um – Charley Descouteau, Jay Dellamere Northcote, R S Charles and Anna Martin. Have at it, folks.

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My guest today is Troy Lambert, currently on tour, celebrating the release of his new novel, Stray Ally!

Troy is a freelance writer and researcher, who also works as Senior Editor at Tirgearr Publishing. At present Troy is writing novel number seven, between working with and helping other authors.

He lives in the southern part of Idaho with his wife, two of his five children and two dogs.

Welcome, Troy, and thank you for visiting my blog.

Readers: don’t forget to look for the giveaway!

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Elin: Can you tell me a little about yourself? For instance, do you have to have a day job as well as being a writer?

Troy : Last year I started writing at home full time. For the last four years I have been writing at home pretty much full time hours while still working part time at a Museum. I still do some consuling with museums from time to time.

Elin: What are you reading? Can you recommend something that you wished you’d written yourself?

Troy : I’m currently reading a collection of novels by a group of authors calling themselves “The Twelve.” There are some great reads in there by the likes of Allan Leverone, Vincent Zandri, Josh Grahm, Aaron Patterson, and others.
But as for a book I wish I had written? I love Heath Lowrance’s thriller, City of Heretics, and I hear he is working on another similar title now. I can’t wait to read it.

Elin: In that crucial inspiration stage of a new story which comes first? Plot, situation or character?

Troy : For me character always comes first, and my work seems to all have similar themes. The situations vary, but by and large they follow the “man in hole” plot formula. Something bad happens, and the protagonist(s) have to struggle in some way to get out of it.

Elin: Do your characters arrive fully fledged and ready to fly or do they develop as you work with them? Do you have a crisp mental picture of them or are they more a thought and a feeling than an image?

Troy : I wrote about this recently. I usually have a shadowy picture of them, but until I write, they don’t start to move, and the picture stays blurry. Once I start to tell their story, they tell me more of it.

Elin: Is there any genre you would love to write, ditto one you would avoid like a rattlesnake? What inspired you to write about a man who befriends a dog in a dangerous situation?

Troy : I would love to dabble in some sci-fi. I have a paranormal bent to my thrillers anyway. It would be hard for me to write Regency romance, as I know way too little about the genre, but I’d write just about anything else with the right story.

Stray Ally came to me in the middle of the night, and the idea of a dog with some pretty unusual intelligence and friends helping a man out of a dangerous situation really came from my own life, when I was really in a bad place, and a dog really was my best friend. The book is dedicated to him.

Elin: Do you find there to be a lot of structural differences between a relationship driven story and one where the romance is a sub plot? {This is probably not appropriate for dedicated romance authors, nor for people who would never write a romance but might appeal to people who write in lots of different genres}.

Troy : Nope. A story is a story, and the driver, or motivation should not change the structure. In most of my novels there is some romance in the sub plot, and Stray Ally is really relationship driven in some ways, although the relationship is between a man and a dog.

Elin: Villains are incredibly important in fiction since they challenge the main protagonists and give them something to contend with beyond the tension of a developing relationship. The cruel sea. The serial killer. The society itself. Your hero’s inner demons. What sort of villains do you prize?

Troy : I like the sympathetic villains. The ones we all identify with in one way or another. Many of the bad guys I write are not pure evil but rather think they are doing good, but just have a distorted view of what “good” is.

Elin: What are you working on at the moment? Can you discuss it or do you prefer to keep it a secret until it’s finished.

Troy : I am currently working on a new novel, tentatively titled “Revival.” It’s a dystopian suspense thriller, but no more spoilers. You will have to stay tuned for more about that project.

Elin: Could we please have an excerpt of something?

Troy: Here’s an excerpt from my latest release, Stray Ally.

~~~

The skateboard collided with my windshield, and I braked with both feet, screeching forward. The body hit the glass next, spider-webbing it as the skater’s helmet-clad head struck the glass in the center of my vision. The rear view mirror separated from the window and hit the center of the seat with a thud as the car skidded to a stop.

Marsha is gonna be pissed, came the unbidden thought. We just replaced this windshield.

Where did he come from? Creedence still blared from the stereo speakers and I turned the ignition key to the rear. Silence descended, broken a moment later by distant sirens.

I lifted my hand and felt wetness on my forehead, cut by—something. Glass? Must have been.

I opened the door, dazed. Under the helmet, a young face offered a blank stare. Nothing but blackness in the eyes: no color. Not good.

“You okay, kid?” I felt stupid asking. Stupider for expecting a response. “What were you doing on the freeway?”

I heard distant voices. Looked up. Kids, on the overpass above. Did he fall?

They pointed. One slugged the other one. A scuffle broke out and they ran. All of them.

The sirens came closer. Another car pulled up, tires squealing as it stopped, rocking on its springs.

“What happened? Is everyone okay?” the driver asked.

Struck dumb, I just pointed. The skateboard rested half on the roof, half on the shattered windshield. The skater lay below it, unmoving, his left foot against the hood ornament, the Mercedes star cocked sideways.

“Is he..?”

He didn’t finish, but rushed over, feeling for a pulse, checking for breath. All things I should have done, but couldn’t.

He shook his head, glanced over at me. “What was he doing here?”

shrugged.

“Did you see him?”

Head wag, substituted for speech.

“Are you okay?”

Another head wag. I couldn’t articulate what was wrong.

You’re bleeding.”

I managed a nod, and then my legs gave out. I dropped to the pavement and grimaced as my tailbone impacted the hard surface. I heard a whimper. It must have been me, because the other driver rushed over.

I stared ahead, seeing and not seeing the scene.

###

Blurb: A strange accident on the freeway, accusations of murder, and an encounter in the Idaho wilderness all propel Todd Clarke into a new friendship with a dog named Sparky. But Sparky is no ordinary dog, and there is more going on than Clarke could have imagined.

A military commander he investigated for Aryan activity and links to domestic terrorism is after him, and he’s not sure why until another chance encounter provides the answer.
With Sparky and the help of his canine friends, will he be able to figure out the Colonel’s plan and stop him in time? All Clarke knows for sure is none of it would be possible without the help of his Stray Ally.

Buy Link: Stray Ally: http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Lambert_Troy/stray-ally.htm

Author Website: http://www.troylambertwrites.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authortroy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Troy-Lambert/191932724173411?ref=hl
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Troy-Lambert/e/B005LL1QEC
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Authrotroy

Click on the Writer Marketing Services graphic for the rest of the blog tour and more opportunities to win.

 
Giveaway:

Best story of a dog (Stray Ally) that you rescued or that helped you through a hard time sent to author@troylambertwrites.com by March 29th wins a $25 Amazon gift card.

Winner and story shared on my blog Monday, March 31st. Share your story today!

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Please welcome C R Guiliano, who is busily blog touring to celebrate her latest release, For You, which will be available from Wednesday 12th March!

Don’t forget to look out for the rules of the giveaway.

Second Chances

This is a subject I’m very torn over. I want to say, everyone deserves a second chance. But when does it become too many second chances? Two very personal experiences in my life tell me that second chances aren’t always a good thing. I gave someone second chances, over and over and over again, only to be disappointed every single time. Another person I know gets second chances all the time, and she throws them away as if they mean nothing, without regard that those chances might just disappear.

So…do you put restrictions on second chances? Limitations? Ultimatums? Where is the line drawn?

People make mistakes. We are all human and it happens. People get hurt by those mistakes. They say that forgiveness is divine. I say forgive, but don’t ever forget. And if the person you are giving a second chance to blows it, then it’s time to be done. Time to move on, no matter how much it might hurt. In the long run, you will be better off.

Life is too short to continue a cycle of second chances, even if some day it might be the second chance that sticks. We can’t predict the future, so why let yourself get hurt over and over in the hope that the person you are giving a second chance to actually cherish it as the gift it is?

I know, that if I were given a second chance, I would remember that it is only in that person’s forgiveness that I have it at all. I make a mistake, the person hurt is not obligated to forgive, or give me a second chance. It was a conscious choice they made because they saw something in me that made them believe I deserve it. Because I know this, a second chance, to me, is something to respect, and not to screw up again.

Because, it might be the only one you get.
~~~

GIVEAWAY! Each comment will be entered to win a copy of For You! You can get additional entries by following the blog tour.
6th ~ http://tempesteoriley.com/blog/
7th ~ http://www.bookwhoresunited.blogspot.com/
8th ~ http://www.prismbookalliance.com/
9th ~ https://elingregory.wordpress.com/
10th ~ http://taralain.com/blog/
11th ~ http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
12th ~ http://sidlove.com/

For You
Blurb:
Graham and Jeremy’s first meeting sparks an explosive and passionate relationship that proves opposites attract. However, as time wears on, their differences cause a lot of strain between them.

Jeremy, a first grade teacher and softball coach, is deeply closeted and sees no way out of the darkness. Graham is out and proud and doesn’t understand Jeremy’s fear at revealing his sexuality. After four years of trying to balance the differences, Graham leaves.

Jeremy is heartbroken, knowing that the love they feel is the real thing. He knows he’s the one who needs to change, but old habits are hard to break. He’ll need support from friends and family to make things right with Graham, but most of all he’ll need to find strength within himself to be honest about who he really is.

About the author:

CR Guiliano is an avid reader, which logically morphed into the love of writing. She writes in many genres, but is most happy writing the love between two men (or more!). She makes them work hard for their HEA and considers herself an expert in angst. CR finds her favorite form of writing is in serials, where she can continue to write about characters who have captured her heart and she hopes to have captured her readers’ as well.

You will usually find CR cuddled up to her laptop creating stories to entertain, inspire, and bring your emotions to the surface. CR has a huge warren of plot bunnies that is growing every day, and can’t wait to fill out each story idea and share them all with her readers.

CR was proudly nominated in the Goodreads Best Anthology Nominations and was thrilled to be included with the many talented writers from the same anthology.

CR is a committed advocate for the GLBTQ community and does her best to change society’s attitudes, one mind at a time. You can learn more about CR Guiliano and her stories at the following locations, and feel free to drop her line as she loves to hear from anyone interested in her or her writings:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CR-Guiliano-Author/243814592322136?ref=hl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crguiliano
Author blog: http://crguiliano-author.blogspot.com/
Works-in-progress blog: http://guilianowip.blogspot.com/
Website: http://crguiliano.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pernwish
E-mail: pernwish@gmail.com

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My guest today is Jean Erhardt, native of Ohio but currently resident in Portland, Oregon, with her partner and their two Cairn Terriers, Hollis and Higgins. While she has written other books (non mysteries) she is currently focused on the Kim Claypoole mystery series.

The first book in the series, Small Town Trouble, was released in 2013 in eBook, print and audiobook. The second in the series is due out in May, 2014, Stay tuned for the title and cover reveal!

Don’t forget to keep reading to take advantage of Jean’s generous giveaway.

###

Elin: Can you tell me a little about yourself? For instance, do you have to have a day job as well as being a writer?

Jean: Yes, like many writers, I have a day job. I work full time as a sales counselor for a funeral home and cemetery in Portland.

Elin: When you aren’t writing, is there any other creative activity you enjoy? Have you ever written about it?

Jean: I am a professional painter, working primarily with oil on wood. I am excited to say that I will be curating as well as showing work at the Cannon Beach Gallery on the Oregon coast in May.

Elin: What are you reading? Can you recommend something that you wished you’d written yourself?

Jean: I am currently reading A Bitch Called Hope by Lily Gardner. It’s a well written and interesting noir mystery set in Portland.

I wish I had written Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books. I’d be a multi-millionaire.

Elin: Do your characters arrive fully fledged and ready to fly or do they develop as you work with them? Do you have a crisp mental picture of them or are they more a thought and a feeling than an image?

Jean: My characters generally arrive fully realized. I am lucky that way.

Elin: Is there any genre you would love to write, ditto one you would avoid like a rattlesnake?

Jean: For many years, I wrote and published short stories, mostly with themes of betrayal and loss. Real upbeat stuff, eh? There is nothing more satisfying than reading or writing a beautiful and strange short story.

Elin: Put together your ideal team of men/women – drawing from all and any walks of life, fictional or non-fictional – who you would want to come to your rescue if menaced by muggers/alligators/fundamentalists?

Jean: An all-time favorite hero of mine is Robert B. Parker’s PI Spenser. He is complex-intelligent, humorous, crafty, a good cook and a bad ass when necessary.

Elin: What are you working on at the moment? Can you discuss it or do you prefer to keep it a secret until it’s finished.

Jean: Currently, I am working on the fifth book in the Kim Claypoole mystery series. I have completed books two, three and four, and they are in the can! I have also started to write a new mystery series featuring Portland PI Haley Hammel. For years, I worked as a PI here in Portland and I will be drawing on some of my experiences and crazy adventures.

Elin: Could we please have an excerpt of something?

~~~

EXCERPT-SMALL TOWN TROUBLE

“Gimme,” I said, snatching the binocs from Amy. After all, I was the professional. Charlene was out the front door all right, headed like a high wind for a compact white car. She looked agitated. I couldn’t tell which form of agitation it was. Maybe she was twerked off at somebody, maybe she looked scared. Maybe she was just excited about getting off work.

Charlene wore short cutoff jeans, an ultra-tight T-shirt and sneakers. Her white-blond hair was pulled into a huge, floppy bun.

“What’s she doing now?” Amy wanted to know.

“Looks like she’s punching out for the night.”

In the weird blue light of Jimmy’s Place, I watched Charlene unlock her car door. She jumped in and promptly fired up a cigarette, then started the engine. Before I could say booballabies, Charlene sped out of the lot.

I cranked up the Toyota. “Let’s roll.”

The rainstorm that had been threatening all evening picked an inopportune time to let go. I flicked the Toyota’s wipers into high gear as the huge splotches came harder and faster, all the while trying to keep Charlene’s car in my view finder. I laid well off her tail, a little too well, actually, and we lost sight of her completely for a few minutes, caught back up, then I lost her again. I was definitely rusty in the tailing department.

I was also a bit distracted by a persistent pair of headlights in my rearview, but decided that I was just suffering from a slight case of the paranoids.

“Damn,” Amy said, binoculars once again pressed into action. “Can’t this car go any faster?”

Amy was right. Faster was the way to go. I put my foot to the pedal, passed a pickup truck which had turned onto the highway, and closed the gap. I was counting on the rain to make it tough on Charlene to notice us if she was inclined to check her rearview. The pavement was slick in spots from oil and from being dry too long, and the dang Toyota was having trouble holding the curves. Maybe I’d trade it in next time for whatever Charlene was driving. At least get myself a new set of tires.

“Aha,” Amy said, as Charlene’s car came back into view.

I clocked her. Charlene was doing a cool eighty on the straightaway.

“Hold up,” Amy said. “I think she’s turning off.”

Charlene made a hard right, headed out route 132. I let her make the turn, then followed her lead. The rain wasn’t letting up and, at this point, neither was I.

We went on like this for a couple miles, us on her tail and the rain beating the car like a platoon of angry little drummer boys. Then, without warning, Charlene jammed on her brakes and swerved off to the side of the road. I made a quick decision and, just short of her, cut a sharp right, and we bumped hard down an old rutted lane. I rolled just far enough down the road to get out of sight, then I cut the lights, spun us around and pulled off on the shoulder. I killed the engine and hoped we hadn’t attracted attention.

We were close enough to hear Charlene’s car humming.

“Now what?” Amy said.

I shrugged. “I don’t know yet.” I tried the binoculars again, but they weren’t much help. The trees were thick and clumped in all the wrong places. “What is she up to?”

“Maybe she lost a contact lens.”

“Maybe not.” A car coming up the highway from the opposite direction slowed and pulled in behind Charlene. There was the sound of a car door opening and slamming. Charlene’s lights and engine died. Then I heard a man’s deep voice. Hadn’t I heard that voice before? Charlene and the man spoke briefly, then it sounded like Charlene was getting into his car. More door slamming.

“Whoa,” Amy said, “a low-rent rendezvous?”

After a moment, his car pulled out of the turnoff, the headlights sweeping the trees, and headed quickly back up the highway. It looked like Amy and I were back in the tailing business.

The car was a dark, late-model sedan, nothing fancy, and Charlene was definitely on the passenger side.

The rain had let up a hair and Amy was working the binoculars again. “I think they might be arguing,” Amy said. “She’s waving her hands around.”

“You get a look at the guy?”

“Just the back of his head. He doesn’t appear to be wearing a hat, if that’s helpful.”

Amy was getting good at this. “Can you read the plate?” Maybe I’d get lucky later and find someone to run it.

Amy refocused. “Nope. Can’t quite make it out. Get closer.”

I knew it was risky, but I was working for Amy now. I gave the Toyota more gas and moved in on them.

“Oh, for chrissake,” Amy said, “I think they’re kissing.”

“Well, are they arguing or kissing?” I had seldom done these simultaneously with much success and figured no one else did either. “Get closer.”

I was practically driving up his tailpipe now. I took a good look, mentally noted the plate and backed off a bit. Amy was right the second time. They were making out. Charlene had her arms around the guy’s neck and, in between road checks, she’d suck on his face.

“Well, this is interesting,” Amy said.

~~~

Small Town Trouble by Jean Erhardt

Blurb: In Small Town Trouble, the first in my mystery series, you get acquainted with Kim Claypoole’s irreverent ways of dealing with the peculiar characters and events that seem to follow her around. Claypoole’s misadventures begin as she leaves her home in the Smoky Mountains to help save her kooky mother, Evelyn, from financial disaster. Setting off to assist Evelyn, AKA “The Other Scarlett O’Hara,” with her newest personal crisis, Claypoole leaves her Gatlinburg doublewide and the Little Pigeon, the restaurant that she owns with her partner and sometimes best friend Mad Ted Weber as well as a steamy love affair with TV diva Nancy Merit.

Claypoole’s savior complex leads to more trouble when she bumps into an old flame in her hometown who asks for help clearing her hapless brother of a recent murder charge. In true Claypoole fashion, she gets more than she bargained for when she gets dragged into a complicated quest to find the true killer that involves topless dancers, small-town cops, a stream of backwater character and even a meeting with the Grim Reaper. We’re never sure if Claypoole can muddle her way through the murky depths of this bizarre murder mystery before it’s too late. With biting humor and wit, Small Town Trouble will leave you guessing what’s around the next corner in the quirky world of Kim Claypoole and looking forward to her next adventure.

Giveaway

To be entered into a draw to receive a copy of Small Town Trouble, just comment to this post telling us the speed Charlene was doing on the straightway

Follow Jean here –

Website: http://www.jeanerhardt.com

Jean’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanErhardtAuthor

Kim’s Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/KimClaypooleFanClub

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