Spotlight & Giveaway: F.A.S.T. Balls - Tara Lain
Book Spotlight:
F.A.S.T. Balls by Tara Lain
Blurb:
F.A.S.T. — Firefighter Assist and
Search Team
Firefighter and surfing champion, Jerry Wallender, looks like a hero to the world, but he can’t see it. He keeps falling for these intellectual guys who end up making him feel dumb and unneeded. On top of that, Mick Cassidy, super-gorgeous firefighter and total homophobe, makes Jerry’s life miserable with his slurs. Then one day Mick’s nice to Jerry and, at the Firefighter’s Ball, Jerry offers a helping hand and ends up with a hand-job. What the hell is going on?
Mick Cassidy is great with fighting fires and solving math problems but rotten with people. Raised by a gay-hating preacher, Mick’s carefully constructed world of gay bashing starts to crumble when he meets Jerry, the nicest, kindest man he’s ever known. Mick’s never wanted a woman and can’t stop thinking about sex with Jerry. In fact, he can’t stop doing it. Does that make him gay? And if he’s gay, what happens to his whole life? A hook-up between sweet Jerry and mean Mick might be total disaster — or the smartest idea Jerry ever had.
Buy Links:
Amazon - http://amzn.com/B00FAUSUO8
Book info
Title: F.A.S.T. Balls
Author: Tara Lain
Genre: MM Romance
Publisher: Etopia Press
Available Formats: ePub, Kindle format, Pdf
Keeping the Spice in Sex
Scenes
Hi
everyone. I’m delighted to be here today celebrating the release of F.A.S.T.
Balls, a MM romance about a gay firefighter and the homophobe who falls
in love with him. One of the things I get asked most often as an erotic romance
writer is “how do you write all those sex scenes and still make them fresh?”
The first time I answered this question I had written 9 books and I said “Ask
me after 19”. I’ve now written 21 books and I find most of my answers are still
the same.
A sex scene has to have a reason for being
and that reason is (almost) never “to have sex.” Like all scenes, a sex scene
needs to advance the plot and/or reveal character both to the character himself
and the reader. In my new release, F.A.S.T.Balls, my homophobic
firefighter, Mick, feels more and more attracted to Jerry which is against
everything he’s been taught by his preacher father. The first time the men have
sex, it’s such a confronting thing to Mick that it’s part attraction, part
horror, part curiosity, and a major helping of guilt. The scene is so not about
just sex.
So,
when I consider adding a sex scene to a book I ask “why does this scene exist”?
What is it designed to accomplish? What will it show? Answering those questions
helps determine the action of the scene, it helps shape the dialogue, the
internal thoughts and feelings of the POV character. And, if I stay true to the
characters’ voices and back-stories, that automatically makes each sex scene
different from others that I’ve written. At the end of the scene I ask myself
“have we learned what we need to know from this scene”? Has it moved the reader
in a certain way? If so, it’s probably a sex scene unique from others in at
least significant ways.
Obviously,
sex scenes are designed to make the reader feel, well … sexy! So first they
have to make me feel that way. If I write a scene mechanically, I go back and
start to add the touch, taste, smell, visual interest, and above all, the feelings
of the characters. Because I write in deep point of view (or try to) I lock
myself into the experience of the point-of-view character and I know when he
feels deeply so will I.
But then, ask me again after ten more books. : )
Author Bio:
Tara Lain never met a beautiful boy
she didn’t love – at least on paper. A writer of erotic romance, mostly
male/male and MMF ménage, Tara loves all her characters, but especially her
unique heroes. In fact, her readers say her tagline, Read the Beautiful Boys of
Romance, about sums it up. Her first romance novel was published in January of
2011. She’s now on book 21. Her best-selling novels have garnered awards for
Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance and Tara
has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards.
Some people call Tara “the Balls
girl” in honor of her best-selling MM contemporary romance series, Balls to the
Wall. Readers send her suggested titles for her next Balls book! Three of the
Balls books, Volley Balls, Fire Balls and Snow Balls, were on the Amazon list
of the top selling 100 gay romances in 2012.Tara also has a popular paranormal
series called the Aloysius Tales and an award-winning ménage series titled
Genetic Attraction.
In her other job, Tara owns an
advertising and public relations firm, and she carries her promotional
instincts into her writing career as well. She lives with her soul-mate husband
in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her
books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on
her tombstone it will say “Yes”!
Stalk Me Links:
Website:
http://www.taralain.com
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/taralain
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while I have a soft spot for Jerry, I really liked Rodney :)
ReplyDeleteI love all my boys, but do think Rod is pretty special. : )
DeletePlease don't make me choose!!
ReplyDeleteLOL. Yes, for me it's like asking who is your favorite kid. : )
DeleteEven though I'm a huge Tara buff, I haven't read this series yet! Unbelievable, and even I'm not sure why. Her boys are always so lovable, so I know I'll have a hard time choosing!
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Trix i can hardly believe you've missed the Balls boys. Hope you like them. : )
DeleteI don't often remember character names after I read them. But I'd say either Adam James or Hunter Fallon. I like conflicted characters that go through growth. Also that tend to be Alpha Males in RL but can be submissive in the bedroom ;)
ReplyDeletepenumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Wulf. Thank you! I love those guys too. I'm definitely into conflicted! LOL : )
ReplyDeleteI like the character Rod.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nova. He's the favorite of a lot of people! : )
DeleteI have all 5 Balls ebooks and my favourite of them is F.A.S.T. I love the way you redeemed Mick and gave him & Jerry their HEA. So sweet and satisfying.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kali-mar! I'm so glad you liked it. : )
DeleteIt depends on which book I am reading. Rodney is definitely up there, but I also have soft spots for JJ (in Snow Balls) and Jerry. I don't know!! That is a hard question. I also like the redeemed Mick and all the changes he went through. And I liked Hunter. I can't answer this question.
ReplyDeleteJean you sound like me! LOL
DeleteDavid is still my favorite! He's yummy and he tames TWO men. :-D
ReplyDeleteWow. I love that you're voting for my David! : )
DeleteDang, that's a tough one. I'm going to have to go with David, as he started all this off, so he has a special place in my heart.
ReplyDeleteDavid thanks you! : )
DeleteHmm, I don't know! David? Or maybe Rod? But Jerry is fab too!
ReplyDelete