Author: Gavin Atlas
Release Date: June 7th, 2014 (early release May 9th, 2014)
230 pages
Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1590212219
E-Book ISBN: 978-1590215906
5 Star Review
Release Date: June 7th, 2014 (early release May 9th, 2014)
230 pages
Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1590212219
E-Book ISBN: 978-1590215906
5 Star Review
Does the idea of a naïve young buck who can’t stop himself from losing his ass turn you on? Or would you rather experience life as a bottom who is every top’s fantasy? Through unquenchable lust or uncontrollable need, these are bottom boys who live to please and wouldn’t have it any other way. Gavin Atlas, author of the best-selling collection The Boy Can’t Help It, offers a second dose of porn stars, college boys, strippers, acrobats, and athletes taken body and soul by business tycoons, cops, mischievous professors, and other dominant men who won’t take no for an answer. Your journey through these stories will offer humor, affection, and true devotion, but please stay seated as you’re taken deep into the psychology of sexual submission. If you enjoy the dazed confusion of youthful studs helpless to escape the penetration of aggressive, powerful tops, come meet a few who will always grant you the Full Ride.
The Full Ride: Bottom Boys Get Play by Gavin Atlas.
This is a collection of gay erotica short stories and they are very powerful and amazing so if this genre excites you then watch out as The Full Ride will have you in total ecstasy from the very first line in story one. If the idea of a young guy giving up his ass over and over and can't stop excites you or experience life as a hungry bottom then prepare yourself for some hot and steamy reading. These bottom boys love to please their tops in every which way possible and the tops are very willing to take these bottom boys for their own animal lust. This book of gay erotica stories has the beautiful characters of pornstars, college boys, strippers and athletes taken by cops, rich men and in general very and I mean very dominating men who don't know what NO means.
Gavin has written such beautiful gay erotica stories in this book and I couldn't get enough of his vastly interesting characters and the way he comes up with such great chemistry between these men. I enjoyed his style of brilliant writing where I was glued to each page and praying that the story was not about to end but then the next story was just as beautifully and erotically written. There are too many stories and characters to go through to sit here and write about them but trust me when I say this, they were so amazingly written. My only thing I would tell Mr. Atlas is that he has to write a book about each story as I loved the characters and the scenes so much that I want more of them. The author wrote in such a realistic way and the gay sex scenes were so dead on correct and well researched that any gay man reading them would be relating to them in such a profound way. Some books speak about gay sex but Gavin wrote exactly how gay men have hot passionate sex. When I was reading through these stories and sex scenes, I was thrilled that an author had the guts to write about the real gay sex and not just some misguided romance between men. You will so love reading about the true meaning of pure hot and sensual gay sex and the chemistry they share. I loved the stories too as they were so real and almost every gay man knows these characters or actually is one of these characters.
Here is a list of the stories for you!
-He Could Stop Traffic
-Pink Cowboy Hat
-Revenge as an Art Form
-Welcome to Fair Warning
-The Full Ride
-Fair Trade
-Tanners Tuck-In Service
-Three-Way At the Western
-Daddies in Damian
-And Brawley Threads the Needle
-The Laius league
-Il Circo dei Fiori
-Which Way to Dominance
-Engine of Repression
I highly recommend this book...The Full Ride: Bottom Boys Get Play (Collection of Gay Erotica Stories) to anyone who loves to read about hot gay sex, hot gay men, hot gay scenes and beautifully written characters and brilliantly written stories then this book by Gavin Atlas is most definitely the one for you!!!!!
"Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review."
Reviewed by Paul at Gay Media Reviews!
This is a collection of gay erotica short stories and they are very powerful and amazing so if this genre excites you then watch out as The Full Ride will have you in total ecstasy from the very first line in story one. If the idea of a young guy giving up his ass over and over and can't stop excites you or experience life as a hungry bottom then prepare yourself for some hot and steamy reading. These bottom boys love to please their tops in every which way possible and the tops are very willing to take these bottom boys for their own animal lust. This book of gay erotica stories has the beautiful characters of pornstars, college boys, strippers and athletes taken by cops, rich men and in general very and I mean very dominating men who don't know what NO means.
Gavin has written such beautiful gay erotica stories in this book and I couldn't get enough of his vastly interesting characters and the way he comes up with such great chemistry between these men. I enjoyed his style of brilliant writing where I was glued to each page and praying that the story was not about to end but then the next story was just as beautifully and erotically written. There are too many stories and characters to go through to sit here and write about them but trust me when I say this, they were so amazingly written. My only thing I would tell Mr. Atlas is that he has to write a book about each story as I loved the characters and the scenes so much that I want more of them. The author wrote in such a realistic way and the gay sex scenes were so dead on correct and well researched that any gay man reading them would be relating to them in such a profound way. Some books speak about gay sex but Gavin wrote exactly how gay men have hot passionate sex. When I was reading through these stories and sex scenes, I was thrilled that an author had the guts to write about the real gay sex and not just some misguided romance between men. You will so love reading about the true meaning of pure hot and sensual gay sex and the chemistry they share. I loved the stories too as they were so real and almost every gay man knows these characters or actually is one of these characters.
Here is a list of the stories for you!
-He Could Stop Traffic
-Pink Cowboy Hat
-Revenge as an Art Form
-Welcome to Fair Warning
-The Full Ride
-Fair Trade
-Tanners Tuck-In Service
-Three-Way At the Western
-Daddies in Damian
-And Brawley Threads the Needle
-The Laius league
-Il Circo dei Fiori
-Which Way to Dominance
-Engine of Repression
I highly recommend this book...The Full Ride: Bottom Boys Get Play (Collection of Gay Erotica Stories) to anyone who loves to read about hot gay sex, hot gay men, hot gay scenes and beautifully written characters and brilliantly written stories then this book by Gavin Atlas is most definitely the one for you!!!!!
"Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review."
Reviewed by Paul at Gay Media Reviews!
AMAZON / AMAZON CA / AMAZON UK / BARNES & NOBLE / SMASHWORDS
Excerpt #1 from “He Could Stop Traffic”
Officer Karl Wilkes tore his eyes off the college boy to check his phone. The incoming call was one he’d been anticipating for weeks. He looked back up. The boy was Latino, and at second glance, damn familiar. His tight tan t-shirt showcased a pumped chest and narrow waist. His shorts revealed tawny, muscular legs with a fine down.
Stop staring and answer the phone.
How did he know him? The boy’s walk was sultry and confident. His muscular body reflected a disciplined workout. Despite the conservative haircut and textbooks, the boy seemed out of place. It could have been the sensuality rolling off him, but something made Karl think he belonged on a stripper pole, not on his way to class.
Answer the damn call, Karl.
As he clicked the TALK button, Karl saw the stoplight tattoo on the boy’s neck. Heat curled through him as vague memories formed. Oh, hell. I think I’ve had him. If he was who Karl thought he was, he was Hondureño, unbelievably good sex, and his name began with a “T.” What was it?
“Uh…this is Wilkes. Lieutenant, I’m about to give that presentation about the profiling program. Do I need to scrub it?”
Lieutenant Corley might have been lousy at returning calls, but he wasn’t a prick. “No, that’s important. Just make sure you have your Plan A ready for Main Street at five this afternoon.”
Karl’s eyes went wide. “Wait, I’ve been asking about this for months. Why—”
“Wilkes, a federal wig’s son vanished last night, here in Houston. We’re almost certain it’s El Sistema.”
“Oh…fucking shit.”
“Exactly. Disaster. On the other hand, the problem you’ve been going on about finally has everyone’s attention.”
Karl had apprised the department that the occasional disappearance of male prostitutes outside of a couple hustler bars was likely a larger operation that didn’t just affect the “deviant” element. The white shirts at Main Street sometimes paid attention when gangs kidnapped women, but gay boys? Never. If any of them besides Corley had given a rat’s ass before today, Karl wouldn’t have known. “But do we have the device? And two detectives?”
“Checking on the first question and one, but not two. Weren’t you going to work on that?”
Karl huffed. “I’ve been scouring the region for agents who fit the requirements, but there’s nothing. Now if I’d been chosen for the Vice Unit, I’d have prioritized—”
“Christ, Wilkes, trust me. I know what this means to you. You’ll be on the unit once you’ve had a couple years under your belt. Everything you got by five tonight, clear?”
“Get back to me about the device, please, Lieutenant,” Wilkes said before his superior hung up. The hallway had cleared. Which room was C219? He heard his cousin’s voice coming from the down the hall. “Officer Wilkes from the Houston Police Department was supposed to be—”
“Made it, Tanya.” Karl jogged into the brightly lit classroom. He saw her wince because he’d forgotten to call her Professor Dawes in class again. But he had a recovery plan, and he turned to the students. “Just because she’s my cousin doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have my head if I missed…this.”
There was the boy, and he clearly recognized Karl. The name came to him. Tomás. Tomás Torres, the alleged pizza delivery boy who was really a stripper, who was really a nude housecleaner, who, so it would seem, was really a college student. Karl gave him a quick smile and turned away, blood rushing to his groin as his mind now flooded with memories: Tomás in nothing but a jockstrap taking Karl’s dick in position after position. It hadn’t been much more than a year. Had he gotten that swept up in work? How could he have forgotten how good it felt to be inside that stud? And how much fun they’d had afterward, talking, cuddling, and laughing at stupid movies? Stop it. You have a presentation to give.
Excerpt # 2 from “The Full Ride”
“Hey, bud,” Mr. Laszlo said when I arrived, his massive frame still covered in a pinstripe shirt, tie, and wool dress pants. “You look down. More calculus trouble?” “Yes, but that’s not why I’m here.” I stripped off my shirt. “Right now, I want to get fucked.” Mr. Laszlo raised his eyebrows and gave me a half smile. “I hoped that’s why you came over.” As much as I had begged, Mr. Laszlo refused to touch me until after my eighteenth birthday. In the two months since, he’s been inside me at least once a week. When I was a sophomore, two seniors from the soccer team gave me enough experience to know Mr. Laszlo was a phenomenal top. He unbuttoned my denim shorts, and they fell to the ground. He chuckled. “Look at this. No underwear. Ooh, and you’ve shaved your crotch. Are you using your mother’s tanning bed naked? You’re getting brazen, young man.” He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, spanking and groping me all the way to his bed. In moments he had me lubed up with my legs in the air. He wanted me to practice putting
condoms on him so I’d know later in life if my partners were using them correctly. He could tell from my moans that I was too impatient for that today, so he suited himself up. He entered me slowly. I breathed great puffs of air while my hole adjusted to the penetration. “Ooooh, Nicholas,” he said. “So nice. I’m not hurting you, am I? Should I go slow?” “I’ve been bad. My ass needs to be punished.” Mr. Laszlo was never angry with me, but I loved angry sex, and he liked to role play. “Then you’re going to be pummeled, young man, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” “Oh, yes, sir,” I said, moaning. I looked up at him while he fucked me, slowly increasing his pace. Mr. Laszlo was six two and built like a bouncer. My mom said he was Hungarian and “looked like an actor on a soap opera.” She flirted with him every chance she got. Take that, Mom. He’s fucking me. I put my hands above my head, pretending Mr. Laszlo had me tied up. I’d asked him to in the past, since it was my number one fantasy, but he’d said we weren’t ready. However, keeping my hands above my body encouraged him to jerk me off. I loved that. “I adore fucking your ass, Nicholas.” My tutor’s breathing was ragged from shoving in and out of me. “God…your skin is so soft, and your body is so beautiful.” “I’ve been working out every day,” I boasted. He squeezed my arm muscles without slowing his pace. “I can tell,” he rasped. “May I tell you a secret?” Even though his thrusts made my entire body rock, I did my best to look into his dark brown eyes. “You’d better tell me, boy.” His vise-tight grip on my nipple and pumping of my cock made me feel owned by his lust. “Since I can’t ever please my dad, my goal in life is to please men with my hole. Men like you.” “Mmm,” he said. “I see.” I felt little jolts of wonderful pain as he nipped at my neck. “Instead of going to college, I’m going to be your permanent ass slave.” “Oh…yessss,” he hissed. His thrusts increased. He began to grunt. I felt his balls slap against my butt cheeks, and each stroke hit my prostate hard. Yep, I was too dumb for college. All I was good for was getting my ass fucked. Those thoughts sent me over the edge. I shot in his hand in wave after wave. God, he was good.
At the same time, Mr. Laszlo shoved in one last time, shouting, “Yes…Jesus, Yes!” His face was red and dripping sweat. “Did you want me to finish fast?” he asked, wiping my come off his hand with a towel. “I would have lasted longer if you hadn’t turned me on with talk of being my slave. Why did you say your ass needed punishing anyway?” The satisfaction I’d felt from coming drained. “Hey, what’s wrong? You look so sad.” He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I didn’t get into college. Maybe I’m bad at math, but that’s not the problem. My parents made me apply to top schools, and they all rejected me. I feel like a loser. If college isn’t an option, I’ll spend my life getting fucked. At least that makes me feel good.” Mr. Laszlo snorted and shook his head. “Whoa, don’t give up on college, bud.” Then he blinked and tilted his head. “You don’t really think you want to spend your life getting fucked, do you? I felt my face flush. “I do, sir. I bet being your slave would be perfect.” “Buddy, I’d love that, too, but not in place of college. I can help you get into an excellent school. Fenton University of Central Kentucky. I used to be a professor there.” “Kentucky? There’s no school my parents would pay for there.” Mr. Laszlo led me by the hand back to his kitchen, both of us still naked. He wanted to teach me to cook. “Your parents won’t have to spend a dime. In fact, we’ll tell them as little as possible, okay? I’ll help you get something called a Bardache Scholarship, and you’ll receive a full ride.” He squeezed my ass and smiled.
Officer Karl Wilkes tore his eyes off the college boy to check his phone. The incoming call was one he’d been anticipating for weeks. He looked back up. The boy was Latino, and at second glance, damn familiar. His tight tan t-shirt showcased a pumped chest and narrow waist. His shorts revealed tawny, muscular legs with a fine down.
Stop staring and answer the phone.
How did he know him? The boy’s walk was sultry and confident. His muscular body reflected a disciplined workout. Despite the conservative haircut and textbooks, the boy seemed out of place. It could have been the sensuality rolling off him, but something made Karl think he belonged on a stripper pole, not on his way to class.
Answer the damn call, Karl.
As he clicked the TALK button, Karl saw the stoplight tattoo on the boy’s neck. Heat curled through him as vague memories formed. Oh, hell. I think I’ve had him. If he was who Karl thought he was, he was Hondureño, unbelievably good sex, and his name began with a “T.” What was it?
“Uh…this is Wilkes. Lieutenant, I’m about to give that presentation about the profiling program. Do I need to scrub it?”
Lieutenant Corley might have been lousy at returning calls, but he wasn’t a prick. “No, that’s important. Just make sure you have your Plan A ready for Main Street at five this afternoon.”
Karl’s eyes went wide. “Wait, I’ve been asking about this for months. Why—”
“Wilkes, a federal wig’s son vanished last night, here in Houston. We’re almost certain it’s El Sistema.”
“Oh…fucking shit.”
“Exactly. Disaster. On the other hand, the problem you’ve been going on about finally has everyone’s attention.”
Karl had apprised the department that the occasional disappearance of male prostitutes outside of a couple hustler bars was likely a larger operation that didn’t just affect the “deviant” element. The white shirts at Main Street sometimes paid attention when gangs kidnapped women, but gay boys? Never. If any of them besides Corley had given a rat’s ass before today, Karl wouldn’t have known. “But do we have the device? And two detectives?”
“Checking on the first question and one, but not two. Weren’t you going to work on that?”
Karl huffed. “I’ve been scouring the region for agents who fit the requirements, but there’s nothing. Now if I’d been chosen for the Vice Unit, I’d have prioritized—”
“Christ, Wilkes, trust me. I know what this means to you. You’ll be on the unit once you’ve had a couple years under your belt. Everything you got by five tonight, clear?”
“Get back to me about the device, please, Lieutenant,” Wilkes said before his superior hung up. The hallway had cleared. Which room was C219? He heard his cousin’s voice coming from the down the hall. “Officer Wilkes from the Houston Police Department was supposed to be—”
“Made it, Tanya.” Karl jogged into the brightly lit classroom. He saw her wince because he’d forgotten to call her Professor Dawes in class again. But he had a recovery plan, and he turned to the students. “Just because she’s my cousin doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have my head if I missed…this.”
There was the boy, and he clearly recognized Karl. The name came to him. Tomás. Tomás Torres, the alleged pizza delivery boy who was really a stripper, who was really a nude housecleaner, who, so it would seem, was really a college student. Karl gave him a quick smile and turned away, blood rushing to his groin as his mind now flooded with memories: Tomás in nothing but a jockstrap taking Karl’s dick in position after position. It hadn’t been much more than a year. Had he gotten that swept up in work? How could he have forgotten how good it felt to be inside that stud? And how much fun they’d had afterward, talking, cuddling, and laughing at stupid movies? Stop it. You have a presentation to give.
Excerpt # 2 from “The Full Ride”
“Hey, bud,” Mr. Laszlo said when I arrived, his massive frame still covered in a pinstripe shirt, tie, and wool dress pants. “You look down. More calculus trouble?” “Yes, but that’s not why I’m here.” I stripped off my shirt. “Right now, I want to get fucked.” Mr. Laszlo raised his eyebrows and gave me a half smile. “I hoped that’s why you came over.” As much as I had begged, Mr. Laszlo refused to touch me until after my eighteenth birthday. In the two months since, he’s been inside me at least once a week. When I was a sophomore, two seniors from the soccer team gave me enough experience to know Mr. Laszlo was a phenomenal top. He unbuttoned my denim shorts, and they fell to the ground. He chuckled. “Look at this. No underwear. Ooh, and you’ve shaved your crotch. Are you using your mother’s tanning bed naked? You’re getting brazen, young man.” He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, spanking and groping me all the way to his bed. In moments he had me lubed up with my legs in the air. He wanted me to practice putting
condoms on him so I’d know later in life if my partners were using them correctly. He could tell from my moans that I was too impatient for that today, so he suited himself up. He entered me slowly. I breathed great puffs of air while my hole adjusted to the penetration. “Ooooh, Nicholas,” he said. “So nice. I’m not hurting you, am I? Should I go slow?” “I’ve been bad. My ass needs to be punished.” Mr. Laszlo was never angry with me, but I loved angry sex, and he liked to role play. “Then you’re going to be pummeled, young man, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” “Oh, yes, sir,” I said, moaning. I looked up at him while he fucked me, slowly increasing his pace. Mr. Laszlo was six two and built like a bouncer. My mom said he was Hungarian and “looked like an actor on a soap opera.” She flirted with him every chance she got. Take that, Mom. He’s fucking me. I put my hands above my head, pretending Mr. Laszlo had me tied up. I’d asked him to in the past, since it was my number one fantasy, but he’d said we weren’t ready. However, keeping my hands above my body encouraged him to jerk me off. I loved that. “I adore fucking your ass, Nicholas.” My tutor’s breathing was ragged from shoving in and out of me. “God…your skin is so soft, and your body is so beautiful.” “I’ve been working out every day,” I boasted. He squeezed my arm muscles without slowing his pace. “I can tell,” he rasped. “May I tell you a secret?” Even though his thrusts made my entire body rock, I did my best to look into his dark brown eyes. “You’d better tell me, boy.” His vise-tight grip on my nipple and pumping of my cock made me feel owned by his lust. “Since I can’t ever please my dad, my goal in life is to please men with my hole. Men like you.” “Mmm,” he said. “I see.” I felt little jolts of wonderful pain as he nipped at my neck. “Instead of going to college, I’m going to be your permanent ass slave.” “Oh…yessss,” he hissed. His thrusts increased. He began to grunt. I felt his balls slap against my butt cheeks, and each stroke hit my prostate hard. Yep, I was too dumb for college. All I was good for was getting my ass fucked. Those thoughts sent me over the edge. I shot in his hand in wave after wave. God, he was good.
At the same time, Mr. Laszlo shoved in one last time, shouting, “Yes…Jesus, Yes!” His face was red and dripping sweat. “Did you want me to finish fast?” he asked, wiping my come off his hand with a towel. “I would have lasted longer if you hadn’t turned me on with talk of being my slave. Why did you say your ass needed punishing anyway?” The satisfaction I’d felt from coming drained. “Hey, what’s wrong? You look so sad.” He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I didn’t get into college. Maybe I’m bad at math, but that’s not the problem. My parents made me apply to top schools, and they all rejected me. I feel like a loser. If college isn’t an option, I’ll spend my life getting fucked. At least that makes me feel good.” Mr. Laszlo snorted and shook his head. “Whoa, don’t give up on college, bud.” Then he blinked and tilted his head. “You don’t really think you want to spend your life getting fucked, do you? I felt my face flush. “I do, sir. I bet being your slave would be perfect.” “Buddy, I’d love that, too, but not in place of college. I can help you get into an excellent school. Fenton University of Central Kentucky. I used to be a professor there.” “Kentucky? There’s no school my parents would pay for there.” Mr. Laszlo led me by the hand back to his kitchen, both of us still naked. He wanted to teach me to cook. “Your parents won’t have to spend a dime. In fact, we’ll tell them as little as possible, okay? I’ll help you get something called a Bardache Scholarship, and you’ll receive a full ride.” He squeezed my ass and smiled.
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR: GAVIN ATLAS
1-Who is Gavin Atlas?
Aaaand I’m already stumped. That shouldn’t be a difficult question, should it? Gavin was found in the woods and raised by a Scottish falconer and his partner, the dashing young son of a Greek shipping tycoon. Are you buying it? No? Sigh. As you get to know me, you’ll notice I find identity to be a struggle.
2-What was it that made you want to write about gay characters and erotic sex scenes?
The first part is easy. Those are characters I’m likely to know the most about in terms of psychology and life experience. The erotic sex writing is more complicated, and it’s a question I ask myself a lot. One reason I keep coming back to it is that it’s something I’m good at.
3-How do you come up with such interesting gay storylines?
First, thanks! Second, I have no idea, but let’s figure it out. I think Natalie Goldberg, who wrote Writing Down the Bones, said to start with your obsessions. Story can come from there. There was a time I was obsessed with Dutch Masters’ paintings, and there was a time I was obsessed with Las Vegas casinos. The first turned into “Revenge as an Art Form,” and the latter turned into “Three-Way at the Western.” I had to battle with both stories to make them worthwhile, but especially the second. It took a long time to make the story truly about a character instead of about the obsession. I think some of my other best stories were triggered by innovative calls for submission I received from Joe Pittman, Cecilia Tan, and Jerry L. Wheeler. Those stories (“Which Way to Dominance,” “Slavery by Degree,” and “Engine of Repression”) were so difficult to write, but I’m still thankful to all of them.
4-Was it difficult writing such erotic sex scenes when you first started writing?
Not really. I think it becomes more difficult once writing sex scenes is no longer new. I have to fight harder for originality and heat. If you’re asking if it was difficult to share them for publication, then yes. A little.
5-Jason Frazier does your audio book for The Full Ride, how did you choose to pick him? Also what are your thoughts of his work on your book?
Funny story. Jason said “Hi” to me on Facebook and told me he would be performing the audio book. My reaction: “Wait, there’s an audio book? No one tells me anything!” Thus, I’m sure my publisher, Steve Berman, picked him. Now I’ll make the rest up: Steve was going to surprise me for my birthday, then he realized it was better business sense to hire a hot actor to act than to jump out of a cake. And he still got to say, “Surprise!”
As far as what I think? Jason’s work is phenomenal. He sent me “Revenge as an Art Form” as a sample, and it was like listening to the writing of a much better author because I was that gripped. He made me laugh out loud. I had to listen to it three times. Here is his website, by the way.
6-When did you first realize that you were a writer?
I realized I wanted to be a writer in fourth grade after I read a book by Ellen Conford called Dreams of Victory. When did I realize that I am a writer? Hmm, I’ve never considered that
question until this minute. I’ll guess since May 2010 when I was put on a panel of writers at Saints and Sinners. Before the panel I expected to feel like “Who am I kidding? I have no business talking to other people about writing,” but I think I did well. That made me realize I’d learned enough from pro writers over the years that maybe I am one, too. Although when I say that you should imagine me looking at my sneakers and kicking imaginary dirt.
7-What genre of writing would you classify yourself with?
I was informed the other day that I am a writer of “gay twink erotica.” Did you know there is more than one genre of gay erotica? Me neither, but actually, bear erotica is something I’ve never written. Speaking of bear erotica, Paul, you should totally interview Ron Suresha and Jeff Mann because they will rock your world. Okay, now I’m distracted. What was the question?
8-What's the most difficult element of being an author today?
When I mentioned being distracted a second ago, I was being silly, although I do have trouble with ADHD. But distraction is a battle for most writers, I suspect. Finding time to write, to read, to make enough money not to starve, and to spend enough time with people not to be lonely is tough by itself, but I think for most people, the enemy is distraction.
9-What advice would you give an author, just starting out, who wants to write gay fiction?
This is not original to me, but here goes: If someone says “I want to be a writer, but I’m terrible at it,” she or he should write anyway. With enough practice and with enough reading of fiction by good writers, she’d go from terrible to not bad to pretty good to published.
Also, you specifically asked “gay fiction,” and I’d say if the beginning author enjoys reading gay fiction, then right on. What you most enjoy, Beginning Author, is probably what you’ll be best at writing.
10-Where would you like to see your career in 10 years from now?
With my ADHD, I’d be surprised if I could ever earn a master’s degree. But if I could qualify as a creative writing instructor, at the junior college level, for example, that would be fantastic.
11-If a reader hasn't read any of your books yet, which one would you recommend?
Oh, hey! Thank you for the soft lob promo question. You are totally my favorite interviewer. I think my new book, The Full Ride, has a lot of my best work, so hopefully that’s a good place to start. On the other hand, The Boy Can’t Help It, has two of my hottest stories ever. And then romance readers have said they prefer Slave to Shadows since it’s a longer piece and takes the concept of “happily ever after” literally, or as close to it as I can imagine. While I’m at it, there’s a new Gavin Atlas release, Snapshots of Seduction, that just came out with photos by Garrett Matthew of model Cody Allen. Do you know the photo fiction they used to have in Playgirl? Incredibly hot photos of a sexy guy along with a narrative? Like that, except hopefully readers will find the fiction component to be a big improvement. Garrett’s photos are beautiful.
12-What kind of research do you undergo when writing those hot gay sex scenes?
“Undergo,” he says. Like there should be hazard pay. I love this. You’re so funny, Paul. And no, I’m not answering.
13-What is something that you would like your readers to know about you?
Hi, Readers! You all deserve huge hugs! Is there something readers wouldn’t know? I tell people everything, so I’m not sure I’m sitting on much undisclosed information. Oh! I collect inexpensive gemstones even though I don’t wear jewelry at all. I keep them in a treasure chest-shaped box. My friend said, “What? You just keep them for no reason? What are you? A dragon?” So, apparently I’m a dragon.
14-What do you want to be remembered for most?
Hopefully for being a good guy who liked making people smile. Also, I hope something I write has lasting significance. That would be wonderful, too.
15-What do your readers mean to you and how interactive are you with them?
I can only think of a few readers who aren’t also writers or reviewers, and the fact that they contacted me means a lot. I’ve written a few fan letters – Ann Harleman, Felice Picano, and Aaron Allston are the ones that come to mind. To get one of my own was unbelievable, so I think my readers mean a lot and can make a big difference when it comes to how I feel about myself.
Interacting? I think mostly Facebook and Livejournal at the moment. A little bit on Goodreads, too, and I’m also on Authorgraph if anyone wants a personalized e-book. If they have “meet the author” pool parties on Fire Island, my invitation must have gotten lost.
16-Do you have a Philosophy by which you live?
Not officially, but “treat others the way you’d like to be treated” is something that often guides me.
17-What is your favourite curse word?
Do you mind if I get distracted again? I have a plan to start a new curse word fad that you can help make happen. You know the host from the Actor’s Studio show who always asks this question? We should honor him by making him a curse word. As in “Where the James Lipton do you think you’re going?” or “Jesus, Mary, and James Lipton! I just banged my shin!” What do you think?
18-What was the last book you read and your thoughts on it?
I’m a terrible reader. The ADHD thing. I last read Best Gay Romance 2014, edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane. Outstanding. Every story. Oh, you should interview them, too. (The editors, I mean.) And now I’m reading a book of stories called Next to Nothing by Keith Banner. Beautiful and atmospheric. In the mid 90s I read a short story collection by Kevin Canty called A Stranger in This World and a novel by David Bowman calledLet the Dog Drive. Both of those were unsettling and fascinating and, for those reasons, stayed with me. I think Keith Banner’s book will do the same.
19-If you could come back as any animal or mammal, what would it be and why?
I wonder what animals feel happy and safe most of the time? Probably a pampered house cat who gets to sleep a lot, but then is also clever, adorable, and somehow solves cozy mysteries. That’s what I’ll be.
20-Lastly, any hints on your next book that you might be working on?
I often plan for Gavin Atlas to retire except as a publicist and interviewer. Then I keep coming up with concepts for short story collections. One is called Stud Pups Go to College and another is Ecstasy Angels which would largely involve magic or slipstream elements. Then I have an idea for a novel where a bottom boy hustler kept by DC politicians suddenly gets custody of his sister’s infant son. That wouldn’t be erotic, but would deal with the “that’s all I’m good for” mentality. How far have I gotten? The title (It May Be Necessary to Lose Everything Else) and some notes. I’m not any further with the short story collections. That’s typical for me. If editors aren’t breaking down my door, telling me I have to write something for them, I often practice my house cat impersonation.
Thanks for all the great questions, Paul.
Aaaand I’m already stumped. That shouldn’t be a difficult question, should it? Gavin was found in the woods and raised by a Scottish falconer and his partner, the dashing young son of a Greek shipping tycoon. Are you buying it? No? Sigh. As you get to know me, you’ll notice I find identity to be a struggle.
2-What was it that made you want to write about gay characters and erotic sex scenes?
The first part is easy. Those are characters I’m likely to know the most about in terms of psychology and life experience. The erotic sex writing is more complicated, and it’s a question I ask myself a lot. One reason I keep coming back to it is that it’s something I’m good at.
3-How do you come up with such interesting gay storylines?
First, thanks! Second, I have no idea, but let’s figure it out. I think Natalie Goldberg, who wrote Writing Down the Bones, said to start with your obsessions. Story can come from there. There was a time I was obsessed with Dutch Masters’ paintings, and there was a time I was obsessed with Las Vegas casinos. The first turned into “Revenge as an Art Form,” and the latter turned into “Three-Way at the Western.” I had to battle with both stories to make them worthwhile, but especially the second. It took a long time to make the story truly about a character instead of about the obsession. I think some of my other best stories were triggered by innovative calls for submission I received from Joe Pittman, Cecilia Tan, and Jerry L. Wheeler. Those stories (“Which Way to Dominance,” “Slavery by Degree,” and “Engine of Repression”) were so difficult to write, but I’m still thankful to all of them.
4-Was it difficult writing such erotic sex scenes when you first started writing?
Not really. I think it becomes more difficult once writing sex scenes is no longer new. I have to fight harder for originality and heat. If you’re asking if it was difficult to share them for publication, then yes. A little.
5-Jason Frazier does your audio book for The Full Ride, how did you choose to pick him? Also what are your thoughts of his work on your book?
Funny story. Jason said “Hi” to me on Facebook and told me he would be performing the audio book. My reaction: “Wait, there’s an audio book? No one tells me anything!” Thus, I’m sure my publisher, Steve Berman, picked him. Now I’ll make the rest up: Steve was going to surprise me for my birthday, then he realized it was better business sense to hire a hot actor to act than to jump out of a cake. And he still got to say, “Surprise!”
As far as what I think? Jason’s work is phenomenal. He sent me “Revenge as an Art Form” as a sample, and it was like listening to the writing of a much better author because I was that gripped. He made me laugh out loud. I had to listen to it three times. Here is his website, by the way.
6-When did you first realize that you were a writer?
I realized I wanted to be a writer in fourth grade after I read a book by Ellen Conford called Dreams of Victory. When did I realize that I am a writer? Hmm, I’ve never considered that
question until this minute. I’ll guess since May 2010 when I was put on a panel of writers at Saints and Sinners. Before the panel I expected to feel like “Who am I kidding? I have no business talking to other people about writing,” but I think I did well. That made me realize I’d learned enough from pro writers over the years that maybe I am one, too. Although when I say that you should imagine me looking at my sneakers and kicking imaginary dirt.
7-What genre of writing would you classify yourself with?
I was informed the other day that I am a writer of “gay twink erotica.” Did you know there is more than one genre of gay erotica? Me neither, but actually, bear erotica is something I’ve never written. Speaking of bear erotica, Paul, you should totally interview Ron Suresha and Jeff Mann because they will rock your world. Okay, now I’m distracted. What was the question?
8-What's the most difficult element of being an author today?
When I mentioned being distracted a second ago, I was being silly, although I do have trouble with ADHD. But distraction is a battle for most writers, I suspect. Finding time to write, to read, to make enough money not to starve, and to spend enough time with people not to be lonely is tough by itself, but I think for most people, the enemy is distraction.
9-What advice would you give an author, just starting out, who wants to write gay fiction?
This is not original to me, but here goes: If someone says “I want to be a writer, but I’m terrible at it,” she or he should write anyway. With enough practice and with enough reading of fiction by good writers, she’d go from terrible to not bad to pretty good to published.
Also, you specifically asked “gay fiction,” and I’d say if the beginning author enjoys reading gay fiction, then right on. What you most enjoy, Beginning Author, is probably what you’ll be best at writing.
10-Where would you like to see your career in 10 years from now?
With my ADHD, I’d be surprised if I could ever earn a master’s degree. But if I could qualify as a creative writing instructor, at the junior college level, for example, that would be fantastic.
11-If a reader hasn't read any of your books yet, which one would you recommend?
Oh, hey! Thank you for the soft lob promo question. You are totally my favorite interviewer. I think my new book, The Full Ride, has a lot of my best work, so hopefully that’s a good place to start. On the other hand, The Boy Can’t Help It, has two of my hottest stories ever. And then romance readers have said they prefer Slave to Shadows since it’s a longer piece and takes the concept of “happily ever after” literally, or as close to it as I can imagine. While I’m at it, there’s a new Gavin Atlas release, Snapshots of Seduction, that just came out with photos by Garrett Matthew of model Cody Allen. Do you know the photo fiction they used to have in Playgirl? Incredibly hot photos of a sexy guy along with a narrative? Like that, except hopefully readers will find the fiction component to be a big improvement. Garrett’s photos are beautiful.
12-What kind of research do you undergo when writing those hot gay sex scenes?
“Undergo,” he says. Like there should be hazard pay. I love this. You’re so funny, Paul. And no, I’m not answering.
13-What is something that you would like your readers to know about you?
Hi, Readers! You all deserve huge hugs! Is there something readers wouldn’t know? I tell people everything, so I’m not sure I’m sitting on much undisclosed information. Oh! I collect inexpensive gemstones even though I don’t wear jewelry at all. I keep them in a treasure chest-shaped box. My friend said, “What? You just keep them for no reason? What are you? A dragon?” So, apparently I’m a dragon.
14-What do you want to be remembered for most?
Hopefully for being a good guy who liked making people smile. Also, I hope something I write has lasting significance. That would be wonderful, too.
15-What do your readers mean to you and how interactive are you with them?
I can only think of a few readers who aren’t also writers or reviewers, and the fact that they contacted me means a lot. I’ve written a few fan letters – Ann Harleman, Felice Picano, and Aaron Allston are the ones that come to mind. To get one of my own was unbelievable, so I think my readers mean a lot and can make a big difference when it comes to how I feel about myself.
Interacting? I think mostly Facebook and Livejournal at the moment. A little bit on Goodreads, too, and I’m also on Authorgraph if anyone wants a personalized e-book. If they have “meet the author” pool parties on Fire Island, my invitation must have gotten lost.
16-Do you have a Philosophy by which you live?
Not officially, but “treat others the way you’d like to be treated” is something that often guides me.
17-What is your favourite curse word?
Do you mind if I get distracted again? I have a plan to start a new curse word fad that you can help make happen. You know the host from the Actor’s Studio show who always asks this question? We should honor him by making him a curse word. As in “Where the James Lipton do you think you’re going?” or “Jesus, Mary, and James Lipton! I just banged my shin!” What do you think?
18-What was the last book you read and your thoughts on it?
I’m a terrible reader. The ADHD thing. I last read Best Gay Romance 2014, edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane. Outstanding. Every story. Oh, you should interview them, too. (The editors, I mean.) And now I’m reading a book of stories called Next to Nothing by Keith Banner. Beautiful and atmospheric. In the mid 90s I read a short story collection by Kevin Canty called A Stranger in This World and a novel by David Bowman calledLet the Dog Drive. Both of those were unsettling and fascinating and, for those reasons, stayed with me. I think Keith Banner’s book will do the same.
19-If you could come back as any animal or mammal, what would it be and why?
I wonder what animals feel happy and safe most of the time? Probably a pampered house cat who gets to sleep a lot, but then is also clever, adorable, and somehow solves cozy mysteries. That’s what I’ll be.
20-Lastly, any hints on your next book that you might be working on?
I often plan for Gavin Atlas to retire except as a publicist and interviewer. Then I keep coming up with concepts for short story collections. One is called Stud Pups Go to College and another is Ecstasy Angels which would largely involve magic or slipstream elements. Then I have an idea for a novel where a bottom boy hustler kept by DC politicians suddenly gets custody of his sister’s infant son. That wouldn’t be erotic, but would deal with the “that’s all I’m good for” mentality. How far have I gotten? The title (It May Be Necessary to Lose Everything Else) and some notes. I’m not any further with the short story collections. That’s typical for me. If editors aren’t breaking down my door, telling me I have to write something for them, I often practice my house cat impersonation.
Thanks for all the great questions, Paul.
Blog: Livejournal – “No Rest for the Wicked”
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