One thing I’ve always admired about our wonderful m/m community is the way we all come together when times are tough. There is so much love and support in times of adversity. When The Smoke Clears is an example of m/m authors banding together for a good cause.
This time the cause is the Australian bushfires. The 2019/2020 bushfire season saw whole communities devastated, and countless wildlife injured or killed. And tragically many lives were lost to the terrible fires that raged across the country.
It was a pleasure to join together with some amazing authors to produce When The Smoke Clears, an anthology of gay romance stories set against the backdrop of the fires. The anthology is on sale for a limited time (one month) so grab your copy now. All proceeds from the sale of the anthology go to the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Wildlife Victoria.
Buy Link
www.books2read.com/whenthesmokeclears
Buy Link
www.books2read.com/whenthesmokeclears
Check out the earlier post on Love Bytes to read the opening lines of each story.
My story is called Facing The Heat.
Trent Masterton is no stranger to loss but it now looks as if his dreams are coming true. Callum, a man he thought was out of reach, takes a starring role in his life and suddenly the future looks bright. But a raging bushfire has other ideas, and once again, Trent is faced with losing everything he holds dear—his home, his business, his new-found love. In the devastation that follows the fire, Callum keeps Trent from falling apart, giving him the strength and determination to rebuild his life. However, it looks like the fire might have the last say and be the thing that tears them apart.
The inspiration for the story…
I was moved by the stories of everyday people facing loss. The photos of the devastation broke my heart—homes destroyed, businesses burned to the ground, entire communities torn apart. But I also heard stories of bravery and resilience, news articles about communities coming together and helping each other, and people determined to move beyond the tragedy. I was particularly in awe of all the volunteers who made so many sacrifices to save others. These volunteers were the inspiration for my Callum, a man who wants to volunteer for the Rural Fire Service so if something like this disaster ever happens again, he’ll be read and able to help.
Buy Link
www.books2read.com/whenthesmokeclears
Thank you for your support in purchasing this anthology. It’s a wonderful cause and I’m sure you’ll enjoy all the stories.
Nic xx