Tag Archives: more

Who’s Gary? I’ll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours

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I dedicated my latest novel, HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, to one very special young man named Gary. Who is he? I wrote a guest post several years ago where I shared about Gary, my very first love. Since How to Save a Life’s been out for a few weeks, I thought I’d repost that old blog entry for anyone who’d like to know more about the story behind the dedication.

The following was originally posted at Fiction with Friction on March 25th, 2010.

My first release is available at Loose Id this week, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The book is titled MORE and is the story of a confirmed loner who breaks all his rules for two men he meets at a sex club. Too bad his father will do almost anything to put a stop to the relationship.

Writing and submitting a book was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. And with its release I’ve been thinking a lot on life and goals and love and risks.

Thinking about all that took me back in time to my very first love.

He was an older boy who lived down the street from me and wanted to play “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” Uh, get your minds out of the gutter, folks. He was talking about my horse and his goat.

And no, those aren’t some special code words for penis and vajayjay. I grew up on a farm. I really had a horse. And he really had a goat.

There was much discussion on the deal. I think it went like this…

Gary: “I’ll bring my goat tomorrow.”

Me: “Okay.”

Gary: “You can show me your horse.”

Me: “Okay.”

I think I mentioned he was older than I, and I was seriously crushing on him, so words weren’t my forte right then. I was lucky I could form single syllables.

The next day, he dragged that goat almost a mile from his house to mine along a major two-lane US highway. I can just imagine all the truckers and summer vacationing families laughing at this kid walking his goat down the center of the ditch, the blazing sun beating down on them, sweat dripping off his brow, the stubborn goat stopping every few steps, and Gary dragging it by the little rope he had looped around her neck. You really would have thought Gary was getting a piece of ass for how much effort he went to with that goat. That boy loved horses.

I would’ve loved a kiss, but I never did get to kiss Gary.

After the horse/goat deal, we didn’t see each other as much. When it came time for me to go to the same high school as he, I decided I’d work up the nerve to talk to him again. It was my chance to get him to notice me. I had it all planned out. I was going to be lost, wandering by his locker and have to ask him how to find my next classroom. Not the greatest setup, but I was fourteen. Give me a break.

Never did get to try it out, though. Gary was killed in a car crash before the school year started. As far I know, he never did get to ride a horse.

That’s a regret I still carry with me. I should have asked Gary if he wanted to take my horse out for a ride, even if it meant I’d get in trouble when my parents got home. I should’ve offered. I should’ve asked.

I should’ve kissed him.

If I had only known that summer we spent together was the only one I was ever going to have, I would have taken a chance sooner.

Sometimes taking a risk is the best option. So my advice…if there’s ever something you really want to try but are afraid to, don’t let the fear stop you. I wanted to write a novel about three men who meet on the same night and fall in love. I guess…dreams really do come true.

So what was your first love? Your first crush? Did you kiss? Hold hands? Come on, I’m feeling nostalgic. Share…

Good luck to each of you on making your own dreams come true.
Sloan

On Writing: The Essence and Passion of a Story

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The following was originally posted at Loose Ends, but I wanted to share here as well for all my writing followers.

Last year Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats tweeted 22 rules of storytelling. Now that I’m knee-deep into a first draft again (writing the sequel to my m/m/m menage MORE), I keep going back to some of those tips she mentioned when it comes to the basics of storytelling.

Two of my favorites are:

“Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.” — Emma Coats

“What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.” — Emma Coats

I think these go hand in hand when writing a first draft. I have to know the basics of what I’m trying to say and I have to be driven to share that story. I believe if the author lacks a passion for writing any particular story, the readers can tell.

When first starting a novel-length book, if I don’t have a firm grasp on the core concept of the story as well as the passion to tell that story, I stumble my way through the first draft, going back over the plot outline and who the characters are at their core until I land on the truth of what I’m trying to say.

Some questions I ask myself:

  • Who are these men? What do they believe about love? What goals do they have in life? What are their biggest dreams? What are their biggest fears? All of these can help drive the plot.
  • What are the basics of the plot in one sentence? One paragraph?
  • What is the ending of the story? What happens just before the ending? How are the characters emotionally impacted by the conclusion of the plot?
  • What in my own life (what experiences, dreams, hopes, imaginations) is influencing me to write this story?
  • What is it about my own beliefs and passions about living life that stirs me to write this story about these characters?

For me the journey of discovering all this is what makes storytelling such a powerful, enjoyable experience. It may stretch out the process of writing that initial draft, but I think my stories would not be the same (and neither would I) without it.

You can read the full list of Coats’s tweets here:
The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar

Thank you, thank you!! How to Save a Life a Bestseller

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To all my readers, a huge thank-you for helping HOW TO SAVE A LIFE reach the Top 10 Bestseller’s list (currently #4) at All Romance eBooks and the Gay & Lesbian Romance Bestseller list at Amazon (top location spotted was #4). My first novel MORE has even reappeared as a bestseller (#2 in Gay & Lesbian Erotica at Amazon). THANK YOU, EVERYONE!

Also, thank you for all the recent emails and other messages about the book. Hearing from readers means a great deal to me, and your words of appreciation and encouragement seriously help me through the tougher writing days. I’m thrilled so many of you are enjoying Walter and Kevin’s story.

All my thanks,
Sloan

 

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop: How to Save a Life

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Thanks to the talented Harper Fox, I’ve been tagged in the Next Big Thing Blog Hop. This fun event spanning blogs all over the world gives authors a chance to talk about their current work-in-progress, answering ten questions, then tagging a few more authors to do the same in a week’s time. Thanks, Harper, for giving me a chance to share!

Now on to the questions.

1 What is the working title of your book?

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE. I decided to talk about this one since I’ve just begun working on MORE book 2 and wouldn’t have much to share yet, and I’m technically still working on HOW TO SAVE A LIFE as it goes through line edits and proofing.

2 Where did the idea come from for the book?

Walter Simon was originally featured as a secondary character in MORE. When I first sat down to work on his story, I knew a few things: 1) I wanted this book to include some element of suspense, 2) I wanted it to include the Haven (the club where we first met Walter…the pic above reminds me of the lounge in the Haven), and 3) I wanted him to fall for a much younger man to play off Walter’s insecurities of growing older and his feelings that his best days were behind him.

From there, I expanded on his backstory and did a character interview/sketch with both him and Kevin. I spent one long afternoon sitting in my dining room with note cards lying all over my dining room table as I brainstormed ideas about these two men and what they were trying to accomplish. Once I knew Kevin was a reporter going into the club undercover, the idea for the villain really took off and so did the fact that Kevin and Walter were on a desperate mission to save the lives of several missing gay men.

3 What is the genre of the book?

Gay erotic suspense. This might be my book with the most suspense. Or at least, the most intense suspense. However, there’s probably more character interaction between the heroes in this one than Breathe and Take Me Home.

4 Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Oh man, this is tough. If HOW TO SAVE A LIFE were really going to made into a movie, I’d be thrilled to see some undiscovered actors in the roles. I love those breakout performances that just pop off the screen and aren’t clouded in any way by the off-screen persona or the life of the actor. But if I were to think of more known actors: Let’s see…for Walter…maybe an athletic George Clooney, dark-haired with a dusting of gray. And for Kevin…Justin Timberlake with longer hair.

5 What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Passion ignites when a serious security expert and a klutzy reporter just accepting that he might be gay form an unlikely alliance to save the lives of several missing men.

6 Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?

It will be published by Loose Id and is scheduled for release on January 15, 2013.

7 How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The outline took about a month to put together. That included a scene-by-scene breakdown of the story and any high-level research. Then the first draft took several months to finalize, but that included several rounds of revisions to the first ten chapters (which I don’t always do that early in the process).

8 What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Hmmm, I really try hard not to compare my work with others, so I’m going to have to skip answering this question. When I’m reading m/m, I’m looking to enjoy the story, the characters, the world, and romance the author created. Sometimes I may try to find ways to learn from the author (what are they doing that really works for me as a reader, what about the plot and characters really moves me), but I don’t look at it in terms of a true comparison to my own stories. For me, I think that would take away any enjoyment from the act of reading, and I love to read gay romance too much to lose that.

9 Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Walter Simon. From the moment I finished writing MORE, I knew I wanted to write a story for Walter. I couldn’t leave him alone any longer. No matter how much he thought he liked his nice, quiet life, he needed someone like Kevin to come along and trip right over his feet, someone who would give him the spark of really living he’d been missing for a long time.

10 What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE is a May/December coming out romance that I hope will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about a man having his first sexual experience with another man, as well as those who like some intrigue along with the romance.

Now on to who I’m tagging: my friends and fellow M/M authors SJ Frost and Jambrea Jo Jones have agreed to share about their works-in-progress next. They will be answering these questions in one week, so be sure to check out their blogs next Saturday.

 

A Story Preview in a Word Cloud

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Last week I posted at Loose Ends (the Loose Id author blog) about Wordle, a neat web app that generates word clouds of any text.

I’ve created clouds using sample text from each of my books and added the Wordles to my website. Just a different way for readers to preview my stories.

I was surprised by some of the words that showed up in prominence. And some that didn’t.

MORE:

BREATHE:

TAKE ME HOME:

And here’s one for a preview of my next book release, HOW TO SAVE A LIFE:

Short Interview with Richard Marshall from MORE

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I shared this on my Yahoo group a few weeks ago, but thought I’d post here as well.

I’m going to be writing More book 2 very soon. Since this one will be written in Richard Marshall’s point of view, I decided to sit down with him and ask a few questions, take the time to hear things from his perspective. Here’s how our talk went…

I sat across from Richard in the small coffee shop. He was in casual slacks and a dress shirt, but he carried himself like he was in a suit and tie. He gave the waitress a smile as she brought out our coffees, and then after she left our table, he leaned back and watched me. I got the feeling I was being interviewed as much as I was planning to interview him, only he didn’t ask me a single question.

“Thanks for agreeing to do this,” I said.

“You’re the one running the show.” He gave me that knowing smirk I’d come to expect from him.

“Okay, first question. What drew you to Luke that first night?”

“His eyes. He was hiding a lot behind a cool I’m-not-taking-anything-seriously facade, but his eyes gave away the truth. Something about that mask he wore and those eyes told me there was a lot of passion hidden behind the nonchalant exterior. I wanted to see what he’d be like once we closed the bedroom door.”

“You’re a pretty take-charge, protective kind of guy. Is there anything you wouldn’t do for your men?”

“Sure. I wouldn’t…well, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. I guess kill someone, but that’s a boring answer. I’d be lying anyway. I would do that to protect them. To save their lives, I’d do just about anything. But I’m guessing you already knew that, that’s why you asked. To get me to admit that in the right—or wrong—situation, I’d go too far. You’re one sneaky author.”

I laughed. It was fun pushing his buttons, seeing if he could figure out my motives. “Do you worry about being in a threesome? If you guys can really keep this going long-term?”

“No.”

“Do you wonder what people think about you guys together?”

“No.”

“Do you have any doubts about your age difference with Matthew?”

“No.”

I kept my gaze locked on him.

He stared back at me. Slowly, he took a sip of his coffee, set the mug down, and said, “He’s still finding his way, and I know I can help him in that, help him reach the goals he sets for himself, help him get everything he wants out of life. That’s not a bad thing.”

“No, it’s not, but are you sure you can help him get everything he wants?”

“You’re thinking of something I haven’t?”

“Maybe.”

He considered me. “What will it take to get you to tell me?”

“Hey, it’s about you and him. You probably already know, deep down. One more question.”

He gave a sharp nod, threw me that smirk again, like he just knew I’d have a tough time keeping it to one question. “Go ahead. Last one, and then I have to take off.” He seemed reluctant to admit that.

“You’re almost too perfect at times. There has to be something about you that you haven’t shared with your men yet.”

“That’s not a question.”

“Can you think of something you haven’t wanted to tell them?”

“Yes.” He stood, threw down enough cash to cover our coffees and a generous tip, and said, “I’m sorry that I have to go. I liked talking with you more than I expected.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be talking again.”

He laughed at that. “Yeah, I guess we will.”

This interview was also posted on my website’s Behind the Story page for MORE.

 

Get a “Kindlegraph” autograph for my books

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My books are now on the Kindlegraph website. You can request a personalized autograph with the cover for each book (MORE, BREATHE, and TAKE ME HOME), and it will be sent directly to your Kindle.

If you want the inscription personalized: When you send in your request, insert your name as you’d like it to appear into the comments box.

Get started here.

 

More Zodiac Signs for MORE

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While updating my website, I realized I never added Luke’s Zodiac info to my More Behind the Story page. I’ve also included it below. I’m getting geared up to work on book 2 with Luke, Richard, and Matthew. Can’t wait to tell more of their story. I’ll be sharing news, snippets, and interviews as I work on the book so stay tuned. More to come…

Character: Luke Moore
Book: More
Zodiac Sign: Taurus

  1. “Underneath their cool, calm and collected exterior, Taureans differ greatly from all the other signs of the zodiac. Taureans manage to discreetly stay apart from the crowd, even though they have a well-earned reputation for being socialisers.”
  2. “And, there is no such thing as an open-book Taurean.”
  3. “Their feelings, fears and desires often run far deeper than anyone around them would guess.”
  4. “Most Taureans like their creature comforts and hate change because it takes them out of their automatic pilot condition of separating themselves from the world around them.”

Zodiac Source

All my blog posts with behind the story information are also available on my website.

Ask Sloan Day & An Interview With Richard from MORE

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Today (September 1st) is another ASK SLOAN Day on my Yahoo group. Stop by to see what questions readers are asking or to post your own question. You can also send your questions anonymously via email, and I’ll post it along with my answer to the group.

I’ll also be featuring a short interview with Richard Marshall from MORE. I’m gearing up to start writing book 2, which will be in Richard’s point of view, and it was fun to sit down with him and ask a few questions. I hope you can stop by and check it out.

All posts are archived at the group so if you’re reading this after Saturday, you can still join to see what I’ve shared.

Sign up below or via my Yahoo page.

Part 5 of More Than Just a Good Book & Another Giveaway

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Part 5 of MORE THAN JUST A GOOD BOOK is now available on my website. You can read part five here or download parts 1-5 of the serial story in one PDF. Hope you enjoy reading Mark and Scott’s continuing story. I probably won’t work on the next installment until I get the last of HOW TO SAVE A LIFE sent off to a couple people for feedback. I’ll keep you posted on the progress of both.

Want to be among the first to read the next installment of MORE THAN JUST A GOOD BOOK? You can sign up for my newsletter here. I announce the link there first, along with a giveaway for free books in every issue and other exclusive content.

Also, I’m guest blogging at Jessica Freely’s blog today, talking about the importance of reading for me as a writer and giving away a PRINT copy of MORE. Stop by and leave a comment to enter. The giveaway ends on Monday, July 9th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be contacted via email.