Musical Monday and a Cyber Monday bundle deal

 

Fall is all about the rockstars for me, what with the Rocktoberfest series winding down for the year and the holiday books beginning to release. Music has always been my first love, from the moment I learned what a melody was, I've learned to hum, sing along with the radio, and sing horribly in the car when the radio stations do far too much talking and far too little playing of music. My favorite birthday present of all time remains the guitar I received the year I turned fourteen. I still have it, it is still my go to practice guitar when I have the itch to play, and it's still the one I pull out when I'm feeling inspired enough to try my hand at songwriting the way I have for each of my rockstar books. 

Each of the lyrics contained inside, even when the characters are still playing around trying to capture the sound they are after, is one that I've written specifically for that book, that band, and usually the situations going on within the book, but the thing that most people don't know about my rockstar romance books is that each one has been inspired by one particular song. It might be the theme, it might be a line, or it might just be the mood the song invoked, which translated into the vibe of the book while I was working on it. Sometimes, that singular song winds up being the one that I play on repeat in the early stages of the writing or even the 'collecting underpants' phase where I'm still trying to capture the feel of the characters and their storyline and making notes on all the elements that I'd like to sprinkle throughout the book. It's an awesome way to slip into the storytelling zone too, where everything else fades away almost completely and all of my focus is dialed in to what the characters are telling me. 

For last year's Rocktoberfest novel, Bleeding Dawn, my focus song was Far Away by Nickleback. One of the reasons it resonated so much with me in regards to that book was because of the yearning that Tripp has to stop the world and both of their careers and just have a season in time to spend with Zakk and discover if the passion that flares between them whenever they meet up on the road is something that they could sustain in the long run. 

Far Away: 

Both men are members of high-profile bands who have been touring and making music for well over a decade. The problem is that they are only in the same place a handful of times a year. Tripp would give anything for some downtime, where they can just melt into obscurity and be anyone but who they are when they climb up onto the stage. He's starting to feel like the heat of the desert road is burning him alive and that all of those pent-up emotions, as well as the tension between him and his brother, is going to consume him. Would be so easy to slip off across the sand and melt into a dune on the back of some strange, psychedelic serpent, never to be heard from again. The only thing he wants to make sure of first is that Zakk will be there beside him for the ride, no matter how wild it gets or how far it goes. 

Zakk's feelings about being away for too long and the way their schedules mean that they are constantly waiting for each other, longing for each other, brooding, miserably missing the sound of the other's voice and pulling up each other's music through streaming stations just to feel a little closer to the one they're thinking about, are all rolled up in Far Away and I played it so much that by the time the book was finished, I could sing every word of that song. At times a difficult story to write, Bleeding Dawn is one part redemption, one part love story and one part forged families, because to me, that's what the bands in this story truly are. They are a family because they've worked hard to mesh not just musically, but personally, so that when it's time to create together, it's a fun and joyful experience, not one to be looked on with dread because now someone has to deal with people they'd rather not be working with. I hope you'll check out their story and the other novels in the bundle, to see if they'll fit your rock n' roll needs. 

As for Halfway to Someday, that book was hard for a different reason. Jesse Winters, lead guitarist of Wild Child, a band also mentioned in Bleeding Dawn, has not been having a good year and the main reason for that is a relationship that has gone sideways. At the start of the novel, he's taken refuge in a cabin in the mountains and he's trying to decide whether or not to give up his career or, in loo of walking away from music completely, leaving his band and going solo somewhere he can do it all digitally and never have to show his face on a stage again. He's got an ex who can't take the hint, secrets he isn't ready to share, and so many regrets that it's hard for him to sort them out sometimes. The last thing he expected was his bandmate's cousin showing up at the same cabin Jesse has secluded himself in. He's not prepared for the concern that Ryker shows him, or the feels that begin to emerge when they are left snowed in and stranded, with a stalker lurking nearby.  

It's funny, but when I first started to work on the story, I was listening to a lot of Black Label Society and there were actually two songs that I kept coming back to over and over and wound up looping because they so perfectly fit the emotions that I was hoping to capture. Of the three books, it has the most angst and ugly cry moments, but it also had so many magical moments when Ryker and Jesse came together to be the shoulder the other needed to lean on. While there were at times when it seemed like each song reflected each of the main characters, the deeper I got into the book, the more I realized that they each fit both Jesse and Ryker at different points of the book, and it was in those moments that they really came through for each other. 

The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away

Scars

For the final book, Desolation Angel, which was actually the first of the three written, it was old school hair metal that I went back to time and time again, and among those songs, there was one standout and that was Whitesnake's Here I Go Again. Dare was such a unique character, because for the most part, music is the only real life he had. He dreams up the songs, getting lost in moments of creation where the outside world fades away so bad that the only thing he can hear is the songs that roll through his head. He's struggling against it, and the fact that he feels like that's the only thing he can have, not love, not real-life moments like learning to drive or going on proper dates, just the songs the universe gives him and the lost time when he zones out so bad he can't even remember not to burn dinner. What he experiences isn't a typical kind of zoning out, there are several factors at play, and part of the joy of writing this book was getting to explore the ways they could be dealt with in a positive manner that helped Dare come to see that 'normal' was subjective and that he didn't have to change himself to be loved. 

If you're curious about my rockstars and their stories, I've got a unique sale going on right now through payhip that would allow you to get all three: Rockstar Romance Bundle

Best wishes and Rock On!

Saturday Author Spotlight: JP Sayle

 

Happy Saturday and welcome back to the Saturday Author Spotlight here at Rainbow Lyrics and Mellow Mushrooms. Dealing with a hacking issue on both my social media and Amazon accounts might have slowed me down a little, but we're back and we've got months of spotlights lined up in addition to cover reveals, exclusive snippets, character interviews, and so much more. 

Today we are pleased to welcome JP Sayle to the blog. For those who don't know her, she is the amazing woman who is making potato shifters the norm. From cake adventures to travel misadventures, she is a joy to get to know. Welcome JP. 

Q. Of course, me being me, I've got to jump right into the questions, especially knowing the recent trip you just returned home from. I've gotta know, what’s the creepiest place you’ve ever sat in to write or drawn inspiration from?

A. Salem, in the witches house dungeon where they held those convicted of witchcraft. The feel of the place made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

2.      Q. What are some of the quirks you share with your characters?

A. Family that likes to interfere. Property of a Billionaire, Nanna in that book is my mother, always thinking she knew best. 

Wanting someone strong to take care of me. I’d never let it happen, I’m too independent, but a part of me does. 

Age gap romances, that’s me. The smallest age gap between me and my partner was seven years.

Q. Of all the characters you’ve written, which one do you like the least and why?

A. Luke, in Always More and The App Daddy Kink, he was never going to get a book, yet somehow I found this character talking to me who could only see himself with Luke.

Q. What was your most difficult character or story to write? Why?

A. Ferron’s Journey, because of what he suffers in the trilogy. It’s heartbreaking and it led to me writing Chozen, two books that broke me and writing for several months. They tore my heart out.

Q. If any of your books were to be made into a movie, which one would you like to see on the big screen and who would you like to see play your main characters?

A. Where it all Began, this is an easy choice. The book is set in the 12^th century and involves Vikings. I always saw Jason Mamoa playing the part of King Olaf the black. He’d rock the part of a man who suffers for love. 

Q.  Describe your writing space?  Is there anything you have to have when you write? A favorite type of pen, certain music, a stuffed critter that always keeps you company?

A. My office is small, but it has all my bookish things in there. Fairy Lights around the large board that sits in front of me. I’ve lots of crystals and energy wands to create a positive space. Music, I list to playlists for every book to get the feel of my characters. It really helps me focus on how I see them. I also have lots of rainbow items most given as gifts from readers. I love my space.

Q. What has been the biggest influence on your writing? Why?

A. As a small girl I suffered a huge loss and books became my escape from the chaotic world I was thrown into. I always wanted to be able to give back that gift to others. To have a place to escape too.

8.     Q.  Is there a particular genre that you have always wanted to dabble in but haven’t had the opportunity to explore yet?

A. Proper crime fiction, I have sort of dabbled, but not like I want to.

9.      Q. Is there a particular book that you’ve written that you wish more readers knew about? If so share a little about it here:

A. That’s a hard one, if I had to choose I’d say Headshot. A boy beaten and kicked out of home is found by the manager of a charity home that takes in young men who are gay and find themselves homeless. It’s a story of how the faith of one human can make all the difference to a persons life. 

Q. If you were to write a spin-off book featuring one of your side characters, whom would you choose and why? Can you tell us a little about the story you’d like to feature them in?

A. See this is my issue all my characters want a book and my readers want them too. So in the end anyone who makes an appearance in my books will at some point get a story. This is how I have so many interconnecting series. The App series, connects to Flamingo Bar, La Trattoria Di Amore, The Playroom and Billionaire’s Playground. As you can see spin off’s galore.

Q. Do you celebrate when you finish writing a book? If so, how?”

A. Initially it was with a spa day, but then I got prolific and that became harder, as the place I go gets booked up months in advance. So I moved to going for Sundaes at this great ice cream shop.

Q. What are some of the things you wished you knew about becoming an author before you headed down that path?

A. The amount of admin. No one talks about the requirement to wear so many hats in the business and how that creates oodles of admin that can suck the life right out of you.

Q. We all know that there are myths of what a writer’s life is like and then there are the realities of it. Can you share the funniest myth you ever heard and how that differs from your own experiences.

 A  I don’t think I’ve actually heard any?? I know it’s hard work, that it requires dedication and that without a creative spark you are dead in the water!

14   Q. If you could have dinner with any author, living or dead, who would that be and what would you like to talk to them about?

 A Easy, Patrica Cornwell. I love her books, crime after romance is my biggest love. I’d talk about what inspires them. How they keep the characters and arcs straight. She really mixes it up and you need to have a handle on everything, because it all counts in the end.

Q. If you were to interview one of your characters, what would you ask them and how do you think they’d respond. (Alternately, if you’d like to write out that interview, I’d be happy to add it and share it with the readers. 

A. I’d interview Griff, he’s my only gay for you character. I’d ask how he copes with Charlie’s Nanna. What if anything he’d do to keep Charlie safe. What makes Charlie so different from other men?

Q. A lot of writers cut their teeth on fan fiction. Has there ever been a book, movie, or tv show that you’ve been so passionate about that you wanted to change certain parts in order to make the storyline go in the direction you’d hoped it would and if so, what changes would you make to it?

A. Nope, never felt inclined to do fanfic, I like to make up new stuff I suppose.

Q. As a writer, what would you choose as your spirit animal or the animal that best reflects your writing style?

A. Elephant for sure is my spirit animal. It’s larger than life and that reflects how I write. I don’t curb myself ever. I run with my thoughts and keep on plodding. There might be pitfalls all around, but I’ll keep on going.

Q. If you couldn’t be an author, what do you think you’d be doing for a living?

      A. I was a nurse manager, if that hadn’t sucked so badly in the end, I’d have stayed put and carried on. It did me a big favour for sure.  

      Q. Do you attend author events? If so, what’s the most amusing thing that ever took place at one that you attended, or your most amusing experience as an author attending one of these events?

A. I frequently attend events. Five this year was a killer! Amusing, my husbands reaction to when readers get enthusiastic about my characters. He doesn’t get that to us they are real. He looks utterly bewildered.

Q. What is a book you wished you had written and why?

A. Cruel and Unusual by Patrica Cornwell. The book is so intense and in depth with twists and turns, you are clueless as to what is going to happen next. It starts with an execution of a prisoner on death row. Which leads everyone on a journey no one expects!

Q. What projects do you have in the works and would you be willing to share a snippet of one of them here?

A. I’ve three projects I’m in the process of finishing. A Sucker for Christmas. It’s a tentacle’s book, which I love to write. A Little Christmas Matty’s Secret. This is Daddy kink, and Matty and Weston, god they are so adorable and hot together! And lastly if any one knows me then they know about my potato shifters, yep you read that right. I’ve a charity anthology I’m part of so I’m doing a Dinosaur and a potato shifter book. Yep crazy but I love it. Here’s an unedited snippet.

 

A Boy Called Blu….

 

The bartender turned his incredulous gaze to me. He took a step back, something I’d gotten used to as his nose wrinkled, and he scoped out my size. “Where you been? Living under a rock.”

At seven feet tall and larger than a tank, with as many muscles, folks gave me a wide berth. “Don’t have a TV,” I answered, keeping the natural growl in my voice as low as possible, returning my attention to the screen as the tiny blond explained about how he was a potato shifter and his mate was a wolf. That the two babies he held were their pups.

My dinosaur made a grumbling sound in my head and urged me to leave.

I’ll go when I’m ready.

“Then you don’t know ‘bout Potatoville and how there’s all these weird vegetable shifters sproutin’ up everywhere?” Cautious was the only way to describe how the dude eyed me when I returned my attention to him at his obvious pun.

“Nope.”

The guy leaned on the bar and grinned like he was about to share a big secret, then his lip curled up like he’d smelled something bad. “You ain’t one of those weird and wacky shifters, are you? You smell kinda funny. What are you?”

His voice was strident and drew attention from others in the bar. I sighed and kicked myself for giving in and coming into town, which was full of wolf shifters. Telling this dude I was a deinonychus dinosaur would get me accused of lying, and then folks would want me to prove it. That never ended well for them. My dinosaur wasn’t friendly and didn’t take too kindly to assholes.

They’re all assholes. Let’s go find the potatoes.

Hearing my dinosaur say the word ‘asshole’ never got old. It was a recent addition to the words he learned from the books I read recently—in the last century. Hearing him tell me to go find the potatoes, yeah that I wasn’t so amused about. 

 

Q. What is the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

A. Write what you know! It’s a total croc. It should be write what you love to read. What makes you giddy with excitement and keeps you entertained.

Q. What is your favorite season to write in and why?

A. Winter time as I love summer and being out in the sunshine. It’s hard to resist going out even when I’ve deadlines.

 Q. What’s the funniest typo you’ve ever written. 

    A. I actually have a great autocorrect, so there aren’t any that I really notice.

    Q. If you could spend a week writing anywhere in the world, where would you want to go.  

    A. Any place that I can see the sea from. That’s my goal to own a place where I can see the sea from my office window.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope folks will turn in tomorrow for Lazy Sunday Cinema, where we will be deep diving into a family movie this time. Until tomorrow, have a happy rest of your day!