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Character Interview: Adam from Out in the Sticks @HLewisFoster #RLFblog #LGBT
Out in the Sticks About the Book
Title Out in the SticksGenre Gay romanceAuthor Name H. Lewis-FosterBook heat level (based on movie ratings): RLawyer Adam Sibden has moved to the charming English village of Sharpley to forget about men. But when he
takes his car to the local garage, he can’t help being attracted to the handsome
young manager Jim Turley. At the village pub that evening, a misunderstanding leads
to a highly embarrassing moment for Adam, but Jim thankfully comes to his rescue
and makes him feel more at ease.As the winter weather takes hold, Adam finds himself stranded
with a punctured tyre, following a disastrous meeting with his ex-boyfriend Lucas.
Adam calls the garage’s breakdown service, and when Jim ventures into the snow to
find him, he offers more help than Adam could have hoped for.Buy This Book
JMS Books http://bit.ly/1vCOZBFAmazon http://amzn.to/1oeuxEzBarnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1o5tMw4ARe http://bit.ly/1lDdr07Smashwords http://bit.ly/1osHFHKInterview with Adam Sibden
Tell us about yourself,
please.My name’s Adam, I’m in my thirties and I’m a lawyer. I’ve just
moved to a village called Sharpley—I still work in Nottingham,
but I decided to move out of my apartment in the city. It’s been a tough year, and
I wanted to make a fresh start. I really like living ‘out in the sticks’, as my
colleagues call my new abode. There a few downsides—the village shop is shut by
the time I get home and the broadband speed is pitiful—but the big upside is the
people I’ve met here, especially Jim.What is it that you want,
but cannot have? Authors call this the conflict of the story.I suppose what I really want at the start of the story is to
forget about men. That was the whole point of moving out to the countryside. I had
such a rotten time with my ex, Lucas, I didn’t even want to think about having another
relationship. But then I met Jim, and what can I say? He made me realize there are
some good men out there—and Jim is the best of them.Tell us about your significant
other, that person who makes living worthwhile.Jim manages the local garage, and he’s a damn good mechanic,
but he’s great with the customers, too. That’s where I met him, in fact, when I
took my car to be serviced, and he’s been part of my life ever since. I know it’s
corny, but Jim is the most amazing man I’ve ever met. He is gorgeous, of course,
but he’s kind and generous, too. I didn’t think I’d ever trust another man when
I split up with Lucas, but Jim was there for me as a friend, and now he’s so much
more. He’s rescued me in so many ways, from a punctured tire to a broken heart,
and I can’t imagine my life without him.What would that person
say about you?I think he’d say I’m a bit impractical—I still can’t build a
decent fire in the hearth at Sage Cottage. Luckily Jim is an expert, having lived
in the countryside most of his life. I hope he’d say I’m pretty good in the kitchen—I’m
better than Jim, anyway. The only thing he’s not brilliant at is cooking—he even
managed to burn baked beans—so I guess he loves me for my culinary skills, and hopefully
a few other things, too.If someone from your past
showed up, who would you NOT want it to be, and why?Sadly, there are quite a few people I was happy to leave behind
when I moved to Sharpley. The person I would least like to see, however, is Lucas.
He turned out not to be the person I thought he was, but in some ways I’m grateful
to him. If it wasn’t for him, I never would have moved to Sharpley, and I never
would have met Jim.Are you happy with the
way your story ended? Why or why not?Twelve months ago, I thought my life was over, but now I’ve made
a new life in Sharpley. I can see a future now, with Jim and all the other friends
I’ve made here, so I couldn’t be happier with the way my story ended.About the Writer
You have the length of
a tweet (140 characters) to describe yourself as a writer. Let’s see what you can
do.I always like to write something new – historical, contemporary,
futuristic – with all sorts of characters and settings. Variety is the spice of
my writing life.When you wrote about this
character, what made you the most happy? What made you the most sad?What made me most sad was the way Adam had been treated by people
he thought he could trust. He’s a good person and he feels really let down. He’s
trying to make the best of things, by moving to a new place, but he still bears
a lot of emotional scars. The happiest aspect of the story is the fact he meets
Jim, who is exactly the right person to help Adam build his new life in the countryside.Why do you write?I write because I love it. I won’t say it’s not difficult sometimes,
and fitting it in with everyday life can be tricky, but now I’ve started, I can’t
imagine stopping. It’s an amazing feeling, to know that people anywhere in the world
could be reading my stories, and when someone tells you they’ve enjoyed your writing,
it makes all the hard work worthwhile.What do you want to write
next?At the moment, I’m writing a story set in the 1960s, in an English
university town. It’s really interesting writing a story that’s not quite contemporary,
but not quite historical. I hope I’ve captured the spirit of the time, both its
possibilities and limitations, and the effect this has on the characters. While
it’s perhaps not such a straightforward romance as some of my stories, there are
some lovely characters in it, and I hope readers will enjoy it when it’s published.Author Bio
H. Lewis-Foster has always worked with books, in one form or
another. As a keen reader of gay fiction, she decided to try writing herself, and
is now the proud author of several short stories and a debut novel.H. has lived in various parts of the UK and has recently moved to the north of England, where she’s
enjoying city life, especially the theatres and cinemas. She tries not to watch
too much television, but is a big fan of Downton Abbey, and while she’s writing,
she loves listening to Test Match Special (where they spend far more time talking
about cakes than cricket!)H. has also ventured into playwriting and was thrilled to see
her first play performed at the Southend Playwriting Festival earlier this year.Author Social Media
Twitter https://twitter.com/HLewisFoster -
RLF Gems: Top Bloggers for 2013 #RLFblog #BloggerAward @vickibatman @LSbooks
Top Blogger 2013 Award. In December, Romance Lives Forever had 30 posts in a 31 day month
(Christmas Day was a day off). On the 30th, there was a post celebrating Cover
Love, a feature introduced in 2013.Top Five Bloggers for the Month
(judged by page views)1. Vicki Batman2. Kristina Knight3. H Lewis Foster4. Sabrina York5. LA SartorHonorable mention: Elodie Parkes and Diane Saxon.For the year, it was no surprise that the new feature Publisher Week
brought in top honors. Three times in 2013, for one week, a single publisher
was featured. Two special events held during the year also grabbed the top
spots. The Marketing for Romance Writers Summer Camp
Events
post shared news about a free marketing camp for
authors, and the Halloween Pizza Party shared favorite pizza toppings by a
large number of our guests. The other top winners were all individual authors who rocked the blog in
2013.Top Bloggers for 2013
(judged by page views)1. Liquid Silver Books
(June)2. JMS Books (September)3. EM Lynley (April)4. Boroughs Publishing (February)5. Marilyn
Baron (August)6. Susan
Taylor (March)7. John Steiner (January)8. MFRW Summer Camp
Events (July)9. Vicki Batman (May)10. Halloween Pizza Party (October)11. Vicki Batman (December)12. Elle James, Delilah Devlin (November — a shared post)Special mention: Vicki Batman
Vicki has been a frequent guest and contributor to the blog, and has
been the top blogger twice in 2013. As a thank you to her, I’m presenting her
with one year of cover ad space at no cost. Sincere thanks to Vicki for her friendship
and support of the Romance Lives Forever blog.
RLF Gem Award Romance Lives Forever features authors and new books. It has a
blogger’s FAQ page with a downloadable guide and optional interviews. Readers
can follow via Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, Bloglovin’, Linky
Followers, email, an RSS feed, and there’s a blog button readers and authors
can grab.. RLF takes up to three images per article, so authors can share
previous books. The blog uses author or publisher names as SEO tags on posts,
and author Twitter handles in the titles. The site is broadcast over Triberr
with a potential reach of over a million readers via its Twitter-linked
network. Twitter mentions are also gathered in several Paper.li ezines, giving
the author an additional opportunity for promotion.The Romance Lives Forever
Paper.li ezine features guest authors on its front page every day. The Yahoo Group Romance Lives Forever has
nearly 1200 members, and is Kayelle’s private group. It is open once a month to
authors who have been guests on the blog. Guests get one day to post info,
share news, book releases, offer contests, and so on. For that day, the group
is open and members are allowed to reply and take active part. It’s like an
old-fashioned chat, where you can share and answer questions. Only authors who
have reserved the day are allowed to post, so it’s exclusive. There is no
charge. You can read more about it here: http://is.gd/rlfauthordayShare your book cover on Romance Lives Forever
Limited spots to share book covers are available. Cost is $3
per month, with discounts for covers posted for one quarter and up to one year.
Covers can be changed monthly.Sign Up for a Future Post
Click the tab above or click here: http://is.gd/rlfblog_requestMy thanks to all who took part this month. You made Romance Lives
Forever a great place to discover new books and authors.Other participants this month in alphabetical order by first
name are:
AJ Kelton, Beth
Barany, Brenda Whiteside, Barbara Donlon Bradley, Dana Lorraine,
Kristin Wallace, Dariel Raye, JL Sheppard, Joanne Wadsworth, Kate Lowell, Kayelle
Allen, KC Klein, Keira Andrews, Kim Cresswell, LM Brown, Patricia
Walters-Fischer, Rhonda Laurel, Tricia Andersen, Victoria Pinder -
Character Interview: Nat Seddon from Burning Ashes @HLewisFoster #RLFblog #LGBT
Burning Ashes H Lewis-Foster, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. we’re
excited to interview your character, Nat Seddon from the book, Burning Ashes.Genre: Gay RomancePublisher: Dreamspinner PressCover artist: Leah Kaye SuttleLength: 200 pagesHeat rating: SensualTagline: Sporting rivalry turns to passion in a tale of true
love and cricket.Blurb: Intelligent and confident, Australian cricketer Nat Seddon
is one of the world’s best bowlers. He’s openly gay, but keeps his private life
to himself, with everything under control. But on the last day of his team’s Ashes
tour of England, he meets Scott
Alverley, England’s
promising new batsman. Nat tries not to be attracted to Scott, but he can’t help
finding the privileged young man handsome and endearing. Nat is tempted by a little
end of tour fun, but finds himself playing agony uncle to a virgin. Instead of going
home to bask on a beach, he spends a wet week in the north of England with Scott.
Try as he might to resist, he can’t help falling hopelessly in love.The hectic sporting calendar is a persistent obstacle to their
growing romance; Nat and Scott are rarely even on the same continent. They make
the most of the time when they can be together, but the months apart take a toll
on Scott, professionally and personally. The possible solutions are nearly unthinkable,
but if they are willing to make sacrifices that will change their lives forever,
they might hold on to the love they found in the Ashes.Buy links:Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4255Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Burning-Ashes-ebook/dp/B00FS1RTXC/What are your main characters’
names, ages, and occupations?Nat and Scott are professional cricketers. Nat Seddon is 27 years
old and plays for Australia,
while Scott Alverley is 21 and plays for England.Interview with Nat Seddon
Tell us about yourself.Hi there. My name’s Nat Seddon. I’m a professional cricketer
and, as I’m sure you can tell from my accent, I play for Australia. I’m a fast bowler, which
means I have to keep myself pretty fit, and at six feet five, there’s quite a lot
of me to keep fit. I love cricket, but when I’m not playing or training, there’s
nothing I like more than curling up with a good book and a glass of wine.Tell us about Scott.I know this’ll sound really soppy, but Scott is the only man
I’ve ever loved. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a virgin when we met, but my sexual
partners had always been friends and nothing more. But then I met Scott and everything
– and I mean everything – changed. I don’t
mind admitting I was a bit uptight before I met Scott. I was always in control of
my life and I didn’t let anyone get too close. We spend so much time travelling
in this job, I didn’t want the heartbreak of a long-distance relationship, but the
moment I met Scott, well…I tried so hard not to fall for him, but there wasn’t a
damn thing I could do about it.Scott couldn’t be more different from me. He’s got wavy blond
hair and he’s quite slender for a sportsman. And let’s face it, he could be a catwalk
model. I still get shivers just looking at him sometimes. He’s the most beautiful
man I’ve ever met–and the scattiest. He’s so disorganized and he comes up with the
daftest ideas. You’d never think he passed his exams with flying colours at that
posh school he went to. But he’s also the sweetest, kindest man I know. He’ll probably
drive me nuts when we finally get to live together, but I don’t care. I love him
and that’s all there is to it.What do you think is your strongest point?I think most people would say it’s my dedication to my work.
I dread to think how many hours I’ve spent in the gym and the practice nets over
the years. I want to help my team win, whatever it takes, and I suppose I’ve brought
that same dedication to my relationship with Scott. I hate it when we’re apart just
as much as he does. I guess I’m not capable of doing anything by halves.What was it like where you grew up?I grew up in Brisbane.
My mum is a doctor and my dad’s a barrister, so I had a pretty comfortable childhood.
I went to a good school and I had some great friends, so I really can’t complain.
I got a bit of stick when I came out, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Mum was amazing.
She was so supportive, whereas Dad…let’s just say I steer clear of my father if
I can. He’s never come to terms with what he calls my ‘lifestyle choice’. The truth
is he can’t stand the thought of his only son with another man. We’re civil to each
other for Mum’s sake, but that’s as far as it goes.As a child, who was your best friend? Tell us about him/her.My best friend at school was Andy—he’s a writer now and still
a good mate. We had so much fun together and got into all sorts of scrapes. I told
Andy I was gay when we were fifteen—he was the very first person I told. He shook
my hand in this really grown up way and said, “That’s all right, mate. Makes
no difference to me.” Then he got together with our other friends, Mark and
Barry, and they swore to beat the crap out of anyone who gave me any trouble. I
was big enough and strong enough to look after myself, but it was great to know
they were all on my side.Describe a place of perfect refuge.That would have to be Honeysuckle Cottage, Scott’s parents’ place
in the Lake District. We went there the day after
we met, and we really got to know each other there. It was where we made love for
the first time too, and you never forget that. There’s an open fire and cozy sofas,
and shelves overflowing with books. The views of the countryside are breathtaking,
and the housekeeper, Mrs B, keeps the fridge stocked with delicious food, which
Scott is only too happy to cook. So I’d be glad to hide away with Scott in Honeysuckle
Cottage any time. Good food, good books and the man I love. What more could a guy
want?About the Author
H Lewis-Foster has worked with books,
in one form or another, since leaving university. As a keen reader of gay fiction,
she decided to try writing herself, and is now the proud author of several short
stories and a debut novel.H. has lived in various parts of the
UK and has recently moved to
the north of England,
where she’s enjoying city life, especially the theatres and cinemas. She tries not
to watch too much television, but is a big fan of Downton Abbey, and while she’s
writing, she loves listening to Test Match Special (where they spend far more time
talking about cakes than cricket!)Find Me Here
Website: http://hlewisfoster.wix.com/booksTwitter: https://twitter.com/HLewisFoster
