A warm welcome to author Ann Lister joining us here on her blog tour for new release “Meant For Me”
Ann talks about why writing gay romance, shares an excerpt of her new release and there is a fantastic giveaway to participate in!
Welcome Ann!
Author Name: Ann Lister
Book Title: Meant For Me, The Rock Gods series, Book 5
Publisher: SleighFarm Publishing Group
Book Length: 270 pages, 85,000 words
Genre: Gay Romance, Erotic
Book Release Date: May 28, 2015
Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis from Book Cover By Design
Story Blurb:
Tony Wilcox, the quiet keyboard player for Ivory Tower, has always believed he was straight. A sexual encounter with his best friend leaves Tony questioning his heart and the unwavering attraction he has for Jared. Living and working together is no longer enough for Tony… he wants more. He wants Jared as his.
Jared Baker, the bass player for the band, has a past that is getting in the way of him fully embracing what he wants… Tony. He’s tried everything to create distance between them, but none of it eliminated the feelings he has developed for Tony.
Trying to suppress the anger and confusion from Jared withdrawing from his life, Tony does his best to get beyond the feelings he has for his friend. When Jared becomes deathly ill, it’s Tony that he calls for help and Tony has to decide if he can heal Jared without giving away too much of his heart.
Can best friends find their way to true love and discover if they were meant for each other, or will the challenges of life force them to choose separate paths?
Buy Link:
Amazon: Meant For Me
Questions To The Author
I often get asked why a straight woman would want to write gay romance. My answer is, why not? To me, the gender of the characters falling in love doesn’t matter one bit. Nor should the gender of the author who wrote the M/M romance matter. If the story is well written and the reader can feel the love developing between the main characters, that is all that should matter.
Also, the building relationship in the story, whether it be between two of the same sex, or a polyamorous tripod, shouldn’t be important. If the story is based in love your readers should be able to feel that emotion – no matter who it is that is falling in love.
I started my writing career writing short, erotic M/M stories, then wrote a several full length M/F erotic romances before I found my way back to the M/M genre. When the story for Fall For Me, Book 1 in The Rock Gods series hit me, it felt like I was back home and writing about something I was already very familiar with.
Shortly after Fall For Me released I discovered most of my reader base were straight women like myself. I do have gay men reading my novels and you might wonder why I don’t have more than I do. But, just because a man is gay doesn’t mean he enjoys reading romance and my stories are heavy on the romance.
Another question I get asked a lot is, how can a straight woman write about the physical aspect of gay sex. My answer to that is, yes, I am a woman. Thank you for noticing. You are correct, I will never have the supreme pleasure of experiencing gay sex (perhaps in my next life – lol!) so for that aspect of my stories I refer to my gay friends who do have a lot of experience with gay sex. Also watching gay porn helps with the visuals and choreography to make the scene I’m writing realistic. When I complete some of the sex scenes in the story I will forward them to my gay friends to critique and they are always very honest in what is right or wrong about it.
The bottom line is: Love is love and it should be celebrated. People should stop worrying so much about the people involved and just be happy for the lucky ones that find love.
Jared continued to gently rock his hips against Tony to ease them through the aftershocks, then leaned in to offer Tony a soft, lingering kiss. When Jared’s eyes opened, Tony was staring up at him. The intensity of that gaze took Jared’s breath away and he rose up to his elbows again.
“You okay?” Jared asked with tenderness.
“Isn’t this where you freak-out and leave?” Tony asked.
Jared’s eyebrows bunched together. “I told you, T, I’m not leaving,” Jared replied. “Being with you like this only makes me want more, so much more.”
Tony pushed his fingers through Jared’s hair and tucked a piece behind his ear. “There’s no girl here between us to act as a buffer, and no other logical way you can pretend this didn’t happen. Can you blame me for thinking you might bolt once the buzz of this wears off?”
“I know my track record with you isn’t the greatest, but things are different now—I’m different,” Jared proclaimed.
“How so?” Tony questioned.
Jared ran the back of his fingers across Tony’s cheek. “I guess you could say, I finally found the balls to admit to myself what it is I’m feeling,” Jared said. “More importantly, I found the backbone to come here and tell you.”
Tony shook his head. “I’m sorry if I’m being skeptical about this, but you’ve either run or pushed me away at very pivotal moments. At this point, I’m finding it difficult to understand where you’re coming from, and what’s really going on inside your head.”
Jared dropped down to Tony’s chest and his face rolled into the bend of Tony’s shoulder. It took a few seconds, but Tony’s arms finally wrapped around Jared’s back and Jared nuzzled in closer. God, he loved the warmth of Tony’s embrace. It offered so much more than comfort. It felt safe.
“I’m so sorry for putting you through that, and if there was a way I could take it back I would,” Jared said with his lips against Tony’s neck. “Truth is, I had trouble…accepting things.”
“Do you think it was easy for me?” Tony asked. “Jesus! How do you come to terms with wanting your best friend like this? There’s no easy way to accept something like that. You either go with what you’re feeling, or walk away, and that’s what you seemed hell bent on doing.”
“I’m here now, T, and that has to count for something,” Jared whispered.
Tony shifted beneath Jared and they both felt the come cooling on their skin. Jared eased off to Tony’s side and rolled from the bed. He walked into the bathroom and returned with a towel to clean them both. When he reached the bed, Tony was already using tissues from the nightstand to wipe the mess off his stomach. Jared climbed back onto the bed and finished cleaning Tony with the towel, then tossed the towel onto the floor and stretched out on his side facing Tony. He slid his leg over Tony’s thigh again, dropped his head to Tony’s shoulder, and ran his fingers over Tony’s chest and stomach. He loved the way Tony’s soft dusting of hair tickled the pads of his fingers.
“I don’t know how I can prove it to you, T, but I will. And, I’ll keep on proving it to you every fucking day you’ll let me,” Jared’s voice was soft, but he knew Tony was hearing every word loud and clear. “I’m not running, and I was serious about wanting more.”
Ann Lister writes erotic love stories using beautifully drawn characters; flawed and emotionally damaged, and at the height of their careers, each in search of the one thing that still eludes them: love.
The Rock Gods series gave her Bestselling Author status on Amazon. Each book in this series brings her two favorite elements together: musicians and the love between two men. These stories focus on what it truly means to love; love unconditionally, love without restrictions or labels, love without fear or judgment – to just simply love.
Author Links:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Lister/95422803480?fref=photo
Website: www.annlisterpublications.com
Twitter: @AnnListerAuthor
Rafflecopter Prize:
*** US ONLY
- 5 signed copies of one Rock Gods title (5 winners)
- 5 swag bundles (5 winners)
- 1 signed set (4 titles) of The Rock Gods series
- *** WORLDWIDE
- 1 digital set of The complete Rock Gods Series (1 winner)
- 5 e copies of a Rock God book of choice (5 winners)
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6/1/2015 Hearts On Fire Reviews
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6/3/2015 JP Barnaby
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6/3/2015 Eyes On Books’ Next Favorite Reads
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6/5/2015 Prism Book Alliance
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Amazon Buy Links Rock Gods Series:
- Fall For Me (part 1)
- Take What You Want (part 2)
- Make You Mine (part 3)
- Looking at Forever (part 4)
- Meant For Me (part 5)
I’ve heard so many good things about this series! I can’t wait to read it. Thanks for the great post and giveaway chance.
I have this series on by TBR list, I look forward to reading it soon.
Congratulations on your latest release the book sounds really good. Thank you for the great Giveaway.
ShirleyAnn(at)speakman40(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk
I just got the first book and can’t wait to get started!
Txs so much for supporting Ann awesome post
Ann Lister–Love is Love–and loved this Book–thanks for the Blog hop LB
Great series, already read the first three.
Heard the series was good. Adding to list.
Love, love this series – currently reading Wheland & Rooster’s story in anticipation of Tony & Jared’s story!
I have been waiting for this book! I love the series. Thanks for a chance in the giveaway.
congrats on the latest release
Can’t believe I haven’t read this series yet because I love stories about musicians. Thanks for the giveaway. 🙂
I have not had a chance to read this series but I will now. I have some catching up to do.
Love, love, love this series!! Looking forward to reading Meant for Me!!