A warm Love Bytes welcome to author Mia Kerick visiting us on her blog tour for Here Without You.
She answers some questions for us , shares an excerpt and there is a giveaway to participate in.
Welcome Mia!
Book Name: Here Without You
Book two of the Once Voice series. Can be read as a standalone, but not suggested.
Release Date: February
Author Name: Mia Kerick
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.
Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.
Where to find Mia:
Blog: www.miakerick.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick
Dreamspinner Author Arcade: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/mia-kerick/bio/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6474518.Mia_Kerick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiaKerick
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond (Photograph by Dan Skinner)
Blurb:
With all of his scratched and dented heart, Nate DeMarco wants to be two places at once, but he’s been forced to make an unbearable choice. Having barely survived high school, Nate and his boyfriends, Casey Minton and Zander Zane, are ready to move forward in life. Casey and Zander have left home to attend Boston City College. Nate remains in New Hampshire to protect his volatile younger sister from their increasingly violent, alcoholic uncle. Nate suffers with anger, resentment, and loneliness as he battles what he wants against what he feels he must do.
Now separated, the young men fight to stay in contact. However, they’re each faced with their own separate issues. Casey must cope with residual fear from having been bullied in high school. Zander obsesses over the establishment of One Voice, the new gay-straight alliance at Boston City College. Nate fights for his sister’s very survival. Meanwhile, the intensity of the boys’ relationship increases, both sexually and emotionally, as happens in long distance relationships.
Nate’s futile effort to live two lives leads to tragedy, which blasts Nate, Casey, and Zander apart. Can the three young men find their way back to a united path before it’s too late?
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, New Adult, Romance
Buy Links:
Please tell us a bit about the books in series?
The series is called One Voice, and the first book is a YA called Us Three, in which three very different kinds of boys—a nerd, a jock, and a burnout—get to know each other through a school project, and in the process they fall in love. They learn to see each other—kids they originally thought were so very different from themselves—in a whole new light. And once they bonded, there was no breaking them apart, even when severe bullying became a problem. This first story largely focuses on Casey’s troubles.
The second book in the series is called Here Without You and it is a New Adult novel. The young men are now eighteen and are ready to step out on their own, however, only two of them are able to take the opportunity to move forward in their lives. In book two, the intensity and intimacy in the relationship between the three grows, despite the serious problems Nate is experiencing at home.
Did you have a second book in mind when you wrote Us Three?
I really did not have a sequel in mind. I wrote Us Three, but many readers expressed to me that they wanted to know what happened with the three boys in the future. So I wrote Here Without You.
Are there more planned for the three men in these books?
There is a third and final book planned. Again, I wasn’t sure I was going to write this book until recently, when I realized that I had written a book that focused largely on Casey, and then one that centered on Nate. I needed to tell Zander’s story. And I needed to conclude the young men’s story, and (maybe) give them their happily ever after. So I have planned a final story called Coming Into the Light. Dreamspinner Press has purchased an absolutely gorgeous cover photo of the same three young men, again taken by Dan Skinner, for this book.
What authors do you like to read?
I enjoy reading Michael Bowler and Cody Kennedy and Amy Lane and Mary Calmes. And so many more authors, really. It is nearly impossible to cut this list down.
Where is your favorite place to write?
My favorite place to write, and where I am sitting right now, in fact, is on the couch in my Red Sox room, a family room that is dedicated to the Boston Red Sox. I have written thirteen or so books, mainly on this couch. A disturbing fact: we are replacing the couch with a very plush and soft sectional. I hope this change in seating doesn’t affect my writing, but my current couch has seen many better days. It has to go.
Do you set yourself goals for the year? Why or why not?
I usually do not set official writing goals. I just keep on writing. But this winter has been and is going to continue to be crazy. I have three book releases, three blog tours, and three series of promotions to do in less than a month. I guess my planning was slightly off, but this is how it came together.
I would honestly like to try to plan a little better for the spacing of my future books, so yes, I have made a tentative plan of what I would like to get accomplished in the next year. I would like to write three new novels this year—the third and final book in The One Voice Series, Coming Into the Light, which will probably be the last of the three books I write this year. I have two Young Adult novels in mind, one a comedy and one a tearjerker. I think I will start with the tearjerker as Trevor and Lanny are begging for their story to be written. And I also have a YA novel called Love Spell, about a gender nonconforming teen boy that is currently in submission, and so I WAIT, which is very difficult for me. But my goal is to get that book published sooner, rather than later.
It appears that 2015 will be as busy as 2014.
2 NATE’S DIARY
August 23 (they only been gone about half a week now)
SO MAYBE this is a bit fucked up, but I’m gonna put it down on paper in black and white, and maybe when I read it back to myself, it’ll seem more normal.
Here’s the thing. Like Casey says, us three is a throuple. Three dudes in love. Whatever. Cuz I sure as shit love them guys, and nothin’s gonna change that. So, yeah. There’s two dudes in place A and one dude, alone, in place B. I just figured them two would be gettin’ busy in bed in their fancy dorm room whenever they had a chance—cuz that’s what guys do, right?
Well, apparently not so much. Last night they Skyped me. There them two were, sittin’ all cozy on Casey’s rainbow-colored bedspread. The floppy stuffed unicorn that me and Zander gave him for Christmas junior year was propped up behind ’em, starin’ at the computer, like it was lookin’ right at yours truly. I felt real alone and a little like a loser (fucked-up fact is they only been gone a couple days), but I leaned back on my bed and acted like I didn’t give a shit.
Casey said, in this adorable proper voice, “Nate, there’s a topic Zander and I feel it’s imperative we discuss. It’s a matter of great importance.” He already sounds like a doctor, and he’s only a freshman in college.
Zander was just starin’ into the computer at me, sorta studyin’ my I-don’t-give-a-shit-about-nothin’ expression.
“What’s such a big friggin’ deal, babe? Lay it on me.” That was pretty cool soundin’, I thought.
“Well, Zander and I want to have a discussion about…. Nate, we want to discuss physical intimacy. In that….”
Even on Skype I could see that two spots on Casey’s cheeks had turned bright pink. Looked like he was having trouble spittin’ this out. And he was the talker in our throuple.
“Zander and I are here together, without you, and we’ve talked about this—”
“I expect you two’ve been goin’ to town on each other every night since you got to college and are prob’ly itchin’ to strip each other down right now.” Both of my guys’ eyes popped open wide when I said that.
“Actually, Nate.” Zander spoke up cuz it seemed that Casey was suddenly at a loss for words. “We haven’t, and we’re not gonna.”
“Huh?” That just kinda flew outta my mouth. “Come again, guy?”
Casey found his voice. “We aren’t going to sleep together unless you’re with us. We discussed it, and neither of us think it would feel right.” He glanced at Zander, and them two nodded at each other. “We aren’t going to do anything in bed together until you’re here for a visit.”
Pages or Words: 216 pages
Tour Dates/Stops:
16-Feb
17-Feb
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
18-Feb
Because Two Men Are Better Than One
19-Feb
20-Feb
Rafflecopter Prize: $25 All Romance e-Books Giftcard
I am really looking forward to reading (and reviewing) this book. I was definitely in the ‘you have to give us a sequel’ camp. And have a feeling I’m going to be just as desperate to read the third one.
And can I just say that he cover to this book is bloody beautiful. I totally fell in love with it the moment I saw it.
Thank you for hosting me on your awesome site and for asking me such thoughtful questions!!
Carissa- I fell in love with the cover to. And the book three cover is GORGEOUS!!
Maybe you can keep the couch in the garage, just in case the sectional changes your writing..
So glad the boys are back!
Wow! This book looks and sounds hot 🙂 The excerpt shows how strong the love and bond is with this throuple! I can’t wait to read it! Congrats on the new release Mia!
I enjoyed Us Three and I’m looking forward to reading this one too!
Can’t wait to read this!!
Congratulations! I bought the first book about a week ago after seeing the gorgeous cover for this one. I’m looking forward to reading them both!