#ReadAroundTheRainbow: My favourite creepy story

Read Around the Rainbow

As you’re probably aware, #RAtR is a blogging project I am doing with a few friends who also write LGBTQIA romance. You can find everyone by clicking here or on the image to the right.

This month we are, obviously, writing about our favourite creepy or Halloween story. This is a dead easy post for me to write, as I have an outstanding all-time-favourite Halloween story–The House on Druid Lake by Isabelle Adler.

It’s kind of a cosy mystery as well as a Halloween story, which should be counter-intuitive but turns out not to be at all.

The House on Druid Lake

Oliver’s a bit of a mess–his last relationship was abusive and he’s moved from Florida to Baltimore for a new job and a fresh start. He moves into a flat in an interesting old house, sight unseen except for the photos in the listing on the internet. The very attractive landlord is a bit odd as are the rest of the tenants. It was such a set-up…creaky old house, mysterious tenants…I loved it and immediately began working out what particular kind of entity each person was.

The house turns out to be the target of an unscrupulous developer and Oliver and his new landlord have to outwit them. Nym, the landlord, has his own secrets and hang-ups and I found their relationship development satisfying and well-rounded. There are some pleasingly inexplicable little bits…I don’t like my magic systems to be spoon-fed to me and there were little loose threads independent of the main story that gave me things to ponder once I’d finished. It’s a very happy Halloween book and I love it!

Here’s everyone else who wrote this month:

Amy Spector : K. L. Noone : Ellie Thomas : Nell Iris : Holly Day

Guest Interview: Anne Russo

Today we welcome Anne Russo to the blog to answer some questions. Morning Anne! Thank you for dropping by.

Firstly, why are you doing this interview?

Hello! Thank you so much for letting me stop by today! I’m here to talk about my new release, The Dead Don’t Dream, the third book in the Dead Generations series which was released on October 1st. 

What started you writing?

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I wrote my first short story sometime around the age of eight, and my first novel (though not a good one by any means) around sixteen. I have also written poetry, short stories, and many half-finished books off and on as well. But, the Dead Generations series is the first of what I hope to be many future published works.

Where do you write?

I have a home office that I retreat to, where I let my imagination run wild, and where I can be alone with my thoughts, and my characters, and just have the freedom to let go, and see where that takes me. Ideally, I’d love to retreat to a lake-side cabin deep in the woods. There is something about solitude, and nature that really fuels my creativity.

What do you like to read? 

I read almost an equal mix of fiction, and nonfiction, biographies of historical figures being my go-to. I also enjoy most fiction genres: contemporary, historical, sci-fi, fantasy, and horror novels being what I vary between. If they have elements of romance, even better! I prefer stories with queer and/or diverse characters but I’ll read anything that makes me feel and fuels my imagination. 

What are the three books you’d take to a desert island? Why would you choose them?

Oh boy, that’s a tough one! I’m going to go with pure entertainment reads since you know, stuck on a desert island and all. I would have to say The Stand – by Stephen King, The Passage – by Justin Cronin, and The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice. All amazing, super engrossing reads, and a great way to pass the time. 

Writing is an intrinsically solo occupation. Do you belong to any groups or associations, either online or in the ‘real’ world? How does that work for you?

I do not, besides a few group chats which are enormously helpful, encouraging, and a fabulous support system. I love being part of the writing community, and lending my help where and when I can. It’s great to have a tribe, and while I’m still looking for mine, I’m going to try and be as helpful as I can. I especially love beta reading for other authors, and helping them with brainstorming projects they might be stuck on, it really helps my own work as well. 

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Besides writing, I love to read, bake and listen to podcasts (I’m especially into ones covering topics like true crime, history/science, and the paranormal.) I’m a huge movie buff and absolutely love classic films, so I’m big into that. I also love spending time outdoors, and in nature when I can. Traveling, and exploring new places is another love of mine. I love visiting local museums, and bookstores when I do. But mostly, I prefer being home with my partner, relaxing, I enjoy being a homebody.

Tell me a little bit about your most recent release. What gave you the idea for it? How long did it take to write? What did you enjoy about writing it? What did you hate?

My newest release, The Dead Don’t Dream is the third book in the Dead Generations series. Dead Generations tells the story of a complicated, and tortured assassin, Ian Abbott, and a idealistic, and brilliant doctor, Adam Morrow, whose chance encounter leads them both on a dangerous path, where they soon learn the connection they share is far deeper than mere attraction.

It’s a dark read, full of many twists, and turns, and while an emotional read, at its heart is a love story that is as equal parts beautiful as it is tragic. I’m immensely proud of it, and how far it’s come. It began as a small nugget of an idea, a few years back and it grew, and grew until I finally had no choice but to sit down and let Ian and Adam tell me their story. I’m so glad they did!

 It’s been a crazy, wild ride, and what I’ve enjoyed most was creating a cast of characters, and a love story (however dark it may be at times) that readers seem to truly enjoy! I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of writing these two, and as I plan on writing six books total for this series, I hope that sentiment continues to hold true. 

As for what I’ve hated about writing it, not much. Writing is my true love! But there have been a few periods of self-doubt throughout this process, as well as wondering if I made the right decisions with certain plot points, and characters actions. Not to mention struggling from time to time with the one thing every writer dreads, writer’s block. All and all the entire process has been incredible. I wouldn’t change any of it, even the tough times for anything in the world.

The Dead Don’t Dream

Sequel to The Dead Don’t Mourn

After Katherine foils Ian and Adam’s plans, Ian self-destructs, drowning himself in alcohol and murder while Adam fights to stay sane under Katherine’s watchful eye, biding his time as he plots his revenge. Determined to keep them apart for good, Katherine takes her evil schemes one step further, leaving Ian and Adam unable to separate reality from fiction, friend from foe.

Still seeking answers to who betrayed them, Ian’s quest for vengeance puts him on a brutal path of destruction, setting off a devastating chain of events that changes everything for the group and leaving him more alone than ever. Broken and losing hope, Adam deals with a vengeful face from the past, one who will stop at nothing to claim Ian for himself. Locked in a battle for survival, Adam must do everything in his power to stay alive.

Their precarious situation takes an even more dangerous turn when Adam runs off and Katherine tasks Ian with bringing him back. It is a journey that will lead both men on a collision course with the ghosts of their shared and twisted past, and ultimately, each other, as they struggle to protect a future worth fighting for.

NOTE: This story contains scenes of torture, violence, death, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and a brief scene of bullying and hate speech. This book ends on a “happy for now” ending with the promise of more to come. 

Amazon US : Amazon UK : JMS Books

Find Anne on Social Media.

Guest Post: Ellie Thomas and Trick of the Light

Thank you so much, lovely Ally, for having me as your guest. I’m Ellie Thomas, I write MM Historical Romance, and I’m here today to chat about A Trick of the Light, my October release for JMS Books.

For this Halloween submission call, authors were requested to pick either Trick or Treat for their stories. Although I picked Trick for last year’s story, A Tricky Situation, making the same choice was deliberate rather than an oversight. Honest!

A Tricky Situation was Kit and Ned’s story, two young men of different colour and class in 18th century Bristol. After a dramatic encounter, when Ned rescues Kit from being mugged by some thugs, Kit, who is from the wealthy merchant class, struggles to stand up to his overbearing and ambitious father to fight for his own life direction and his growing bond with Ned.

That story lingered in my mind. So, not long afterwards, I got the idea of a parallel story, set in much more recent history featuring another young man living in the same house that Kit inhabited, struggling with similar issues. As this seemed suitable as a Halloween story, it seemed entirely appropriate to have Kit feature as a friendly and sympathetic ghost!

What engaged me about both stories was the idea of Kit and now Kenneth, my main character in A Trick of the Light, emerging from their haunting fears and insecurities at Halloween to be free to be themselves. Both are young gay men wanting to pursue a relationship without having their life ambitions dictated by an unsympathetic parent.

Despite draconian laws, many gay couples throughout history must have managed their happy ever after. After all, it was common for men to share lodgings as a matter of course. By choosing to set the second story in the late 1950s, I could imagine a more relaxed future for my modern couple, Kenneth the would-be aeronautical engineer and Gino, the son of an Italian immigrant café owner.

With the social reforms in the UK in the 1960s, not least the implementation of the 1957 Wolfenden Report, Kenneth could achieve his ambitions, and in time, he and Gino could live together as a couple without fear of the law. Knowing there were opportunities and happiness ahead for him and Gino, rather than feeling angst when writing about Kenneth’s moment of crisis, I felt uplifted and inspired. 

Trick of the Light

Kenneth Taylor has bright plans for a future as an engineer. In the summer of 1957, as soon as he returns home to Bristol from two years of National Service in the Royal Signals, a furious row with his dad means he’s thrown out of the house, and his prospects are in jeopardy.

He finds lodgings in the hilltop, bomb-damaged suburb of Kingsdown, determined to be independent and juggling night school with his humdrum day job. He soon meets Gino, the good-looking son of a local café owner and is thrilled when the attraction proves to be mutual. As their romance blooms, Kenneth finds unexpected encouragement from an apparition in the mirror who inhabited the house in the late 18th century.

When the ghostly vision of Kit also appears to Kenneth in his dreams, it seems they have much in common when Kit reveals his dilemma at a similar age, concerning his growing attachment to a young man, Ned. Past and present intermingle as Kenneth faces parallel and difficult decisions. But can he trust Kit? Or is it all merely a trick of the light?

Buy at Amazon : Buy at Publisher : Buy Elsewhere

Read an Excerpt

Kenneth got in the habit of dropping into the café when not in a rush for the bus. It wasn’t only the charms of the waiter but the hospitable atmosphere of the family-owned establishment that helped him pine less for his mum and sister.
Despite unprepossessing beginnings, his room on Kingsdown Parade was starting to take shape. The hilltop area might be a bit worn and battered, but he had all he needed nearby and was grateful for the convenience of the Co-op store at the top of the road. Also, his mum had sneaked a few items to give to Pamela to pass on to him, so his digs looked a bit more homely. 
But as autumn began, he had to admit he was cold. He only switched on the two-bar electric fire for a short while in the evenings as he couldn’t afford to keep the electric meter ticking over too fast. One blustery Saturday afternoon, when his fingers nearly froze as he sat at the desk in front of the draughty windows trying to complete his homework, he decided he needed a change of scene.
Grabbing his bag of dirty washing to take to the launderette, he snagged his satchel and required textbooks and headed off down the hill. Once his laundry was in the machine, and the woman on duty kindly promised to put the wet load into the drier, he crossed the road to the café. He hoped that by now, he was enough of a regular customer to get away with ordering only the milky coffee he’d acquired a taste for. 
He’d missed the lunchtime rush and was glad he’d had a sandwich at home beforehand since the scent of hot food was always tempting. Instead of the waiter, it was a girl who served Kenneth today. She looked young enough to still be in school, most likely expected to help out at the weekends, the resemblance to her brother evident in her dark eyes, olive skin, and wide smile.
She didn’t quibble at his order of coffee, so Kenneth arranged his books on the table and started to study. He was so focused on his calculations that he was taken aback when a voice asked, “Would you like a top-up?”
He looked up from his exercise book to see the waiter smiling down at him. Hesitating, he started to scrabble in his pocket for any change remaining from his trip to the launderette when the waiter said, “It’s alright. It’s on the house.” With another smile, he took the cup and saucer, allowing Kenneth to admire his departing backside.
When the waiter returned, he seemed inclined to chat further, asking, “What are you studying, then?”
“Engineering,” Kenneth replied. “Well, the bare bones of it anyway.”
“Smart fellow,” the waiter retorted, raising his elegantly arched eyebrows. “Dad would like me to study,” he said with a nod to the man behind the counter. “But I’m flat-out here most days, and anyway, I'm not brainy enough,” he added with an eloquent shrug of his shoulders. It seemed unfair to Kenneth that someone so attractive and personable should lack confidence in his ability. Without pausing to feel self-consciously tongue-tied, Kenneth replied, “If you can remember every order and give the right change all day, every day, then you must be savvy. There’s plenty of education growing up and working in a café."
“Maybe so,” the waiter agreed with that charming smile. 
He seemed about to continue the conversation when a call came from the counter. “Gino, service for table two!”
“Speak of the devil,” he said. His smile deepened as he lingered. 
“Doesn’t your dad need you?” Kenneth asked. As soon as the comment was out of his mouth, he wished he hadn’t spoken aloud. 
“Nah, my sister’s helping too, so there’s no rush,” Gino replied. “Dad would soon let me know if it’s urgent. And anyway, I’m not usually in the habit of dawdling at the tables chatting up pretty boys, so I’m sure he’ll let me off this once,” he added with a dazzling grin as Kenneth felt a blush rising over his face to his hairline. 
“Arrivo, Papa,” Gino called over his shoulder, before sauntering back towards the counter with a distinct sway of his hips.

Buy at Amazon : Buy at Publisher : Buy Elsewhere

Meet Ellie

Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader especially about anything historical. She mainly writes historical gay romance.

Ellie also writes historical erotic romance as L. E. Thomas.

Website : Facebook : Twitter : Goodreads : Bookbub

#SampleSunday: Out of Focus

The second Theatr Fach story, Blown Away, is coming out in November. But in the meantime for #SampleSunday, here’s a snippet from Out of Focus for you.

Welcome to the fictional town of Llanbaroc, on the north Welsh coast between the sea and the mountains! There’s a decent tourist trade, but there’s also a very close-knit local community, including resident hoteliers, the theatre/community centre, the hospital, the college, the hospital and the donkey sanctuary. There’s a livestock and produce market every Saturday and it’s a centre for the surrounding farming community.

ENEMIES TO LOVERS, A BROKEN WRIST, HURT-COMFORT AND PINING. A SHORT CONTEMPORARY GAY ROMANCE SET IN A LITTLE WELSH THEATRE.

Luke was furious. Bloody furious. His theatre. His crew. Alex.
He’d got back after a leisurely look round a potential new supplier of scissor-lifts and harnesses followed by a pub lunch with the business owner to find the theatre in uproar. Alex had tipped over on the zargees…which was bloody ironic given it was the approaching new height restrictions about using ladders to rig that had sent Luke on his errand.
He’d gone straight to the hospital and found Alex about to check himself out against the doctor’s advice. Bloody Alex, as well. 
Alex had been a thorn in his side since he’d started in post two years ago. It was a tiny theatre and the chief technician was responsible for anything with a plug on it as well as showing the film programme and doing the lighting and sound for shows. They’d done a panel interview and Luke, a couple of members of the board and Lacey the theatre manager had seen half a dozen people. Alex had come out head and shoulders above the rest. 
He’d walked in on his first proper day on the job and looked at Luke from underneath his ridiculously long eyelashes and smiled and said something perfectly professional that Luke hadn’t heard, because he was gone. Gone, gone, gone. His heart had given a big thump, he’d flushed from his chest to his hairline and he’d taken an actual physical step back because otherwise he’d have done something stupid.
Everyone on the circuit knew about Alex Tilsom by reputation. Not his professional reputation, although that was solid. His unprofessional reputation, as Luke privately thought of it. 
It was a small industry. 
Luke had seen whole companies explode because people fell into bed with each other and the detonation when they fell out of bed again meant they couldn’t work together. He’d been at Theatr Fach for a long time now and although there were no actual rules against it, his personal tenet was to keep his professional relationships professional. 
So he let Alex’s good natured flirting roll over him, he didn’t respond like he wanted to and he never, ever commented or ribbed him like the others did about his latest conquest. It was worse because strictly speaking he was Alex’s boss. He tried very hard not to be the older creep who letched on his staff.
Newsflash. In this case he did not always succeed. 
It made him feel uncomfortable and itchy inside his own skin. Alex was a funny guy. He worked hard, he was good at his job. He charmed passing crew and volunteers into bed and out again with no drama before or after. He’d be gone in two or three years…he was the sort of person who saw Theatr Fach as a stepping stone to something bigger and more challenging. 
All Luke had to do was hold on to that thought and not smile back.
He’d thoroughly fucked that up in the last twenty-four hours, hadn’t he? It was his job to go and see what was going on at the hospital. And he supposed he could argue it was his job to stay with Alex overnight if no-one else could, if the stupid arse wouldn't stay in hospital like he should have. 
It wasn’t his job to mostly fail to sleep in the armchair in the corner of the man’s bedroom and creepily watch over him all night. Or was it? Was that on the right side of the line? Fuck it, who knew any more. 

Out of Focus

Cover - A. L. Lester - Out of Focus

Alex has never quite believed he’s good enough. Not as a person and not as a lighting technician. He hates that however hard he tries he can’t get his boss, Luke, to like him. In the two years he’s been in the job it’s become a Thing with him and he’s got a huge crush on the man. He needs to move on for his own sanity and his career and he’s just about to accept a job at a bigger theatre when one of the volunteers he’s bedded and dumped pushes him off a ladder.

Luke likes Alex a lot and has done since the day he walked through the door of Theatre Fawr two years ago. He doesn’t date his staff though, or do casual—and Alex is the epitome of casual. So Luke keeps his distance despite Alex’s constant flirting.

Will Alex’s injury give Alex and Luke the push they need to open up to each other? Or will Luke’s inadvertent discovery that Alex has a secret job offer push them further apart?

A 17,500 word short story in the Theatr Fach universe.

Amazon US : Amazon UK : Everywhere ElseGoodreads

Out of Focus. Gay romance, Welsh theatre, hurt-comfort, enemies-to-lovers.

#RAtR: Favourite M|M books clothed in autumnal covers

Read Around the Rainbow

As you’re probably aware, #RAtR is a blogging project I am doing with a few friends who also write LGBTQIA romance. You can find everyone by clicking here or on the image to the right.

This month, to celebrate the start of autumn, we’re talking about our favourite books with red, yellow and orange covers! Mine are The Salisbury Key by Harper Fox, Slippery Creatures by K. J. Charles and The Lawrence Brown Affair by Cat Sebastian.

The Salisbury Key by Harper Fox

The Salisbury Key is one of my favourite Harper Fox books–and there are so many to choose from. Most recently I’ve listened to this in audio and it’s a perfect rendition.

There’s a lot of pain in this story. Warnings for suicide, grief and the trauma that falls out from them. It’s a long time since I read it and because the audio is much slower than I read myself, I think the grief had much more impact on me.

Dan is devastated when his older partner kills himself, and sets himself to find out why through the haze of emotion and guilt he’s surrounded by. He meets a young soldier, Rain, who he has an instant connection with and together they open a can of worms containing biological weapons and evil. It’s a bit of an odd mixture with the archaeology thread, but it works really well and it’s a favourite of mine. The narration is perfect. I loved Rain’s voice in particular and I love this version of the cover.

Slippery Creatures by K. J. Charles

This is the first of the Will Darling Adventures and I cannot tell you how much I love all of them. Not quite as much as The Green Men…but the cover colour was wrong, so here we are :).

1920s stories are very much my bag both to read and write and this one hits all my beats. Sparky flappers, wounded heroes, people utterly messed up from four years of war finding their feet again and a long, involved mystery arc that threads all three books together.

Highly recommend.

The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian

I love this series of Cat Sebastian’s. They are early eighteenth century historicals with an excellent portrayal of late Georgian England.

In this episode, we meet Lawrence, the definitive Mad Scientist archetype. He’s shut up in his ruinous castle in the middle of the countryside. Is he mad, though? Or is he just neurodivergent? YOU DECIDE! I love him.

I also love Georgie, who’s a proper con-artist, but goes straight for love and has to get himself out of the pickle he’s got himself and Lawrence involved with.

There is also a very large dog, which is another reason to highly recommend it.

Find everyone else’s favourite’s here!

Nell Iris : Ofelia Grand : Amy Spector : Ellie Thomas : Holly Day : K. L. Noone : Addison Albright