My guest today is Natalie Alder, best known for her contemporary M/F romances but here today because in her latest book she has branched out into M/M.
Welcome, Natalie. Perhaps you could tell us a bit about yourself?
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I’m forty-seven years old, live with my husband, three rescued cats and a frog in a small farming town outside of Boston.
While growing up in Massachusetts I had several pets: dogs, cats, a rabbit and a parakeet. I belonged to 4-H and besides animals I entered sewing, photography and baking events at the yearly 4-H fairs. It was during that time in my life when a story about a forbidden love between a horse farm owner’s daughter and one of the farm’s hands started brewing in my head. I wrote it down (before computers!) and stuffed it away.
I went to college and became a physical therapist. My professional career focus varied having treated children through the elderly and specializing in neurological conditions as well as rehabilitation following joint replacements. I worked doing traveling physical therapy, short-term contracts, all over the US. Places I worked included Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Montana as well as Milwaukee and San Francisco. The work allowed me to meet and learn about many different people and their customs in their local environment.
I carried the pages with the story of forbidden love written on them with throughout those years. And as I gained life experiences and matured, I added to and modified the story. Having mostly driven from assignment to assignment I spent a lot of time driving and sight-seeing across the country. During those times I entertained myself listening to music or dreaming up stories I would someday also write. At one point during those years I spent two months traveling the east coast of Australia and New Zealand’s southern island. Another time I spent a month traveling across Europe. Once my travel bug left I returned to Massachusetts where I began work in the health insurance industry.
Besides writing, I love to sew, knit, write, sing and drink martinis (not necessarily at the same time). I love martinis – the classic martini – none of those sweet mock-a-tini drinks! In fact, I have a martini glass collection. I also love shoes. I have hundreds of pairs.
I write stories about romance. They center on learning about the characters backgrounds, personalities and life circumstances that mold them into who they are and how they love.
Each book in The Tapestry Series features a different member of the Becker family and together the series tells the family’s story, much like a tapestry
The family owns Bridgeton Pass Farms, a race horse farm, in the fictional town of Carnegie, South Carolina. William Becker is the sole heir owner-operator of the farm. He has three children: Cole, James and Audra. Their mother died of breast cancer when the children were young.
When you aren’t writing, is there any other creative activity you enjoy? Have you ever written about it?
From “about me” above, besides writing, I love to sew, knit, write, sing and drink martinis (not necessarily at the same time). I’ve never written about any of these things.
What are you reading? Can you recommend something that you wished you’d written yourself?
Currently I am reading Book 1 in Lilly Christine’s the McGreers Series, Crashing into Tess. I am a fan of Jostein Gaarder and wouldn’t mind if I could say that I wrote The Orange Girl. I love Mr. Gaarder’s style of writing, thought provoking and lyrical. This story does make you think while being romantic, rich in description and heartfelt.
In that crucial inspiration stage of a new story which comes first? Plot, situation or character?
For me, the situation comes first. Everything else develops from that primary situation.
I understand that the protagonist of your latest work is bisexual. How much research did you feel you needed to do before writing a character on the LGBTTQ spectrum?
I think that my life experiences were the primary “research” done to write this character. Like most writers, I’m very intrigued by and observant of human behavior. Once it was written, a few friends read it and gave feedback to hone the character.
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?
My characters and their stories develop as I work with them. I have a general idea or even a specific trait but the rest develops as I write. James Becker, in my Tapestry Series, was stoic from my conception of him but that was all that I had in mind about him. His being bisexual developed as the story developed.
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.
Book 3 in The Tapestry Series, Woven Interests, was just released on July 6th. Each book in series features a different member of the Becker family and together the series tells the family’s story, much like a tapestry
The family owns Bridgeton Pass Farms, a race horse farm, in the fictional town of Carnegie, South Carolina. William Becker is the sole heir owner-operator of the farm. He has three children: Cole, James and Audra. Their mother died of breast cancer when the children were young.
Book 3 is the story of James Becker. It involves a m/f/m relationship that develops and some intrigue ongoing from prior books.
Could we please have an excerpt of something?
From Woven Interests, Book 3 in The Tapestry Series by Natalie Alder
It was dark inside, as expected. James waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The music was sultry, jazz fusion and almost soothing. This place calls for a gimlet martini James thought to himself. Noting the bar along the right wall he sauntered to a free stool and sat before placing his order. The couple had chosen a small table and were sitting with their heads close together talking. Wall sconces and small, red, shaded lamps on café tables casted a dim glow throughout the club. The music was being played live by a trio of older gentleman set precariously on a stage too small for them and their instruments. The sound of a cocktail glass placed on the marble topped bar got James attention. He turned to see the bartender place his martini in front of him.
“Want to start a tab?”
“Sure, why not?”
“I don’t really give a damn whether you do or not, sonny. What’ll it be?”
James let a smirk escape after a brief moment of feeling insulted. “Start a tab for me.”
The bartender nodded and walked away. James brought his drink to his lips. The smell of gin and lime filled his senses as he took the first sip.
“Not a very likeable character now, is he?”
James held his drink at his lips as he thought to gain recognition of the voice. Slowly he lowered his glass and set it on the bar top before raising his eyes to see Remy standing next to him.
“May I?” He motioned to the bar stool in front of him.
Swallowing hard, James could only manage a small nod of approval. Remy looked so fucking hot. Maybe it was because he hadn’t seen him in a week but James didn’t think so. The man was just simply gorgeous, no matter what. James watched as Remy maneuvered his body to sit on the stool. Grabbing a section of the material of his pants leg at his thigh, he hitched the pant leg up, giving himself more room in the crotch of his pants.
“What can I get ya’?” The gruff bartender had returned.
“Same,” Remy said pointing to James’ drink.
“Put it on my tab,” James told the bartender. And to Remy he said, “May as well since he went through the trouble of setting one up for me.”
Remy smiled. James dick twitched and cursed softly.
“What?”
James looked at Remy questioningly.
“You cursed.” Placing his elbow on the bar and his head in his hand, Remy leaned forward, closer to James. From this position, he stared into James eyes and waited for James to reply.
Those piercing blue fucking eyes, James thought as he let himself get lost in them. Sensing the danger of allowing himself to do so, he answered Remy.
“You smiled.”
“My smile caused you to curse?” And still he sat smiling at James.
“No, my dick twitching because you smiled at me caused me to curse.”
The wet tip of Remy’s tongue came out and slid across his bottom lip. Neither broke eye contact. James could feel his jaw tighten in frustration. The bartender placed Remy’s drink in front him and walked away. Still without breaking eye contact Remy picked up his drink and took a swallow.
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If you would like to follow Natalie and her work, click on the following social media links.
tsu https://www.tsu.co/NatalieA
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006176148184
Author Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNatalieAlder
Website http://www.nataliealder.com/
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NatalieAlder/posts
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32799040-natalie-alder
Amazon Page https://www.amazon.com/author/nataliealder
Twitter https://twitter.com/NatalieRomance
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/nataliealder396/
Manic Readers https://www.manicreaders.com/NatalieAlder/
The Romance Reviews Author Page http://www.theromancereviews.com/mypage.php?location=NatalieA
The Romance Studio Author Page http://theromancestudio.com/1315181514member.php
Buy links:
Woven Interests
Blurb:
Uptight, serious, introvert…those were the words most used to describe James.
The middle brother in the Becker family, owners of a prestigious race horse farm in South Carolina, though austere was covertly a playboy.
Unable to resist a beautiful body, whether male or female, James never had a desire to commit to just one. A consummate player, he had no interest in a relationship.
Never say never. A broken ankle was the catalyst that led James to consider a relationship. Falling for a man already in a committed relationship with a woman was intricate enough. But the likelihood of their woven interests in each other becoming a real relationship was threatened by shallow judgment, the media and a troublemaking former barn hand.
**CONTENT WARNING: m/f/m, f/f/m, and m/m romance with strong language and explicit sexual content intended for mature readers only. 18+ ONLY PLEASE**
Crewel Work, Book 1 in The Tapestry Series http://amzn.to/1yrUqcD
Trouble Looming, Book 2 in The Tapestry Series http://amzn.com/B00TCW6GD
Woven Interests, Book 3 in The Tapestry Series http://www.amazon.com/Woven-Interests-Tapestry-Book-3-ebook/dp/B0112R7BHY
Woven Interests YouTube video teaser http://youtu.be/XsFv79duZkg
Elin Gregory 
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