Love Bytes would like to extend a warm welcome to author CJane Elliott, here today on her blog tour for Sex, Love, and Videogames.
Welcome CJane!
Author Name: CJane Elliott
Book Name: Sex, Love, and Videogames
Series: Serpentine Series #3 (Can be read as a standalone)
Release Date: August 21, 2015
Pages or Words: 264 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Blurb:
Shy guy Jed Carter has always felt invisible next to his charismatic older brother, Kent. Kent’s master plan for Jed is simple: University of Virginia, business, sports, and ladies’ man. None of it is Jed, except for playing on the rugby team, which he joins in defiance of soccer-loving Kent. Jed comes out in his sophomore year and starts seeing Pete, an attractive junior, who uses him for sex and videogames. Jed wants more—in life and in love—and starts making his own plans. First on the list: getting to know Charlie, the handsome guy working at the local videogame arcade.
Charlie Ambrose has always felt like an oddball, and not just for his tendency to stutter. Being gay sets him apart from his African-American community, and as a “townie,” he doesn’t fit in with the college crowd. Charlie’s inspiration is his cousin, Morocco, who’s transgender and doesn’t give a fig about fitting in. Art is Charlie’s passion, and when a local videogame designer discovers him, Charlie’s living a dream. The only thing he’s missing is love. But the last person Charlie expects to find it with is a cute, white U.Va. rugby player named Jed.
Categories: Contemporary, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, New adult, *Trans, Interracial
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing CJane Elliott author of Sex, Love, and Videogames. Hi CJane, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
Hello! Thanks so much for having me on your blog today to talk about my newest book, Sex, Love, and Videogames, the third novel in the Serpentine Series. The Serpentine Series books are standalone contemporary novels set at the University of Virginia. Although many characters are in more than one book, each book can be read separately. Sex, Love, and Videogames features Jed Carter, who is the quiet nice guy Pete Morgan takes advantage of in Serpentine Walls. Its other main character is Charlie Ambrose, who is what U.Va. students call a “townie.” Charlie is biracial and grew up in a tight-knit African-American family and church community in Charlottesville.
Tell us something about your character’s friends.
Morocco Ambrose is Charlie’s cousin and best friend since they were born. She’s transgender and as extroverted as Charlie is introverted. Morocco is fiercely loyal to Charlie and he to her. They support each other in many ways throughout the story. When Jed first shows interest in Charlie, Morocco kicks Charlie’s butt when he’s talking himself out of pursuing Jed.
Jed has an extroverted best friend also, by the name of Myesha. They met during high school and Jed escorted Myesha to the prom where she introduced him to the joys of dancing. After that, he and Myesha make it their mission to go dancing as often as they can. Myesha takes a keen interest in Jed’s would-be love life and is overjoyed when he finally gets with nice guy Charlie.
Myesha and Morocco bond instantly when they finally meet, and Jed and Charlie moan to each other about being out-numbered by “the Ms.”
These four become so tight that they end up sharing an apartment together in Richmond, Virginia, while they pursue their college studies. I wouldn’t be surprised if they kept sharing living quarters for several years to come.
What activities do your characters absolutely hate?
Jed hates being in a fraternity, something he did only because his older brother Kent is in one and expects Jed to follow in his footsteps. After Jed joined SAE, he had to contend with homophobia, drunken frat brothers, and the expectation that he’ll hit on co-eds along with everyone else. He despises it and drops out after his sophomore year.
Charlie hates school, period. He has dyslexia and although quite intelligent, was never a good student. After making it through high school by the skin of his teeth, Charlie is done with academics. The only kind of schooling he’s remotely interested in is art school. By the end of the story, he has plans to apply for the art program at the university where Jed is now studying physical therapy.
What makes Charlie different from Jed’s last boyfriend, and vice versa?
Neither Charlie nor Jed had an actual bona fide “boyfriend” before they got together, in the sense of someone with whom they were emotionally attached and publically connected. But both of them had a “friend with benefits,” and in both cases they were left unsatisfied with the experience.
Jed’s first sexual partner is Pete Morgan, the cousin of Jed’s friend and rugby teammate, Bud. Pete never makes Jed a part of his life, other than Pete showing up to Jed’s dorm room for sex and videogames. Jed clings to hope that the relationship might develop but isn’t all that surprised when Pete dumps him. Charlie is way more into Jed than Pete ever was – he admires Jed, thinks he’s amazing, and wants him to be a part of his life.
Charlie’s first sexual partner is Trey, now known as T-Bone, who grew up in the same neighborhood and attends the same church. Unlike Jed, Charlie has never been under any illusions that his thing with T-Bone is going to develop into something more. For one thing, T-Bone doesn’t identify as gay, and he only shows up when he wants sex. Charlie isn’t really interested in things going further, and especially not after T-Bone gets involved with a woman. It’s not until Jed Carter shows up in his life that Charlie discovers what love is all about. Jed thinks Charlie is handsome, sweet, and talented, and shows him in many ways how much he cares.
What were Jed and Charlie’s favorite subjects in school? Their least favorite?
Neither guy’s favorite subject was academic. Jed loves sports and physical fitness so his favorite class in school was P.E. Jed also excelled in Math and was part of the Mathlete team in high school.
Charlie is an artist through and through so his favorite class was always Art.
Jed’s least favorite subject was English, because reading tends to bore him.
Charlie’s least favorite subject also was English, because he finds it difficult to read because of his dyslexia.
What’s your favorite decade and why?
The 1960’s because of the cultural revolutions that occurred: women’s rights, civil rights, the anti-war movement, the sexual revolution. I believe all of these movements made the U.S. a better place to live.
“Okay, warm up laps!” Beau led the rugby team in a slow circuit around the perimeter of Mad Bowl. After a few laps, he stopped and had them do stretching exercises.
The other team did their warming up, and when they moved to take positions, Jed noticed a pair of people standing on the sidelines. His breathing stopped for a second. Charlie stood, hands in his pockets, shifting from foot to foot, while Morocco, a vision in a pink track suit, set up a camp chair (apt name, that) and sat down. Morocco saw Jed looking and waved. Charlie turned and gave a small wave himself, and Jed waved back, heart beating faster.
“Who’re they?” Bud asked, squinting over at them.
“Um, Charlie’s a guy who works at Lucky’s. In the gaming area. And the other is his cousin.”
“Hmm. Townies?”
“Yep.”
“She’s cute.”
“Um, well, about that….” Jed cut himself off because the referee blew the whistle. Time to play ball and hope he did well in front of those two.
The game proved the usual testosterone-fest, with lots of grunting and body contact. When Jed scored some points, Morocco produced pom poms that matched her outfit and waved them wildly.
At the break, Jed ran over to them for a minute to say hi—fuck what the rest of the team thought.
“Jed, child, my word!” Morocco fanned her chest. “Y’all are such manly men! Rugby is going to be my new obsession, I just know it!”
“I like it. My mom never let me play contact sports in high school, so I kinda love ramming into people.” Jed felt his cheeks flame at what he had said. Crap-a-doodle.
But Morocco laughed and Charlie faked a cough so he could smile behind his fist.
“So, hey, thanks for coming. I gotta go back now.”
Charlie nodded as Morocco said, “We’ll see you after the game.” She picked up her pom poms. “Wa-hoo-wa!”
When the team huddled before the second half, a homophobe named Welburn said with a sneer, “Who are those freaks on the sidelines?”
Another guy laughed. “Yeah. I thought all the he-shes lived in San Francisco.”
“What’re you talking about?” Bud peered over toward Charlie and Morocco. “That girl?”
Welburn spit on the ground. “That girl is no she. She’s a he. What the hell are they doing here?”
Beau raised his voice. “Hey, concentrate, guys. We need to win this game.”
Jed held up a hand to stop Beau from continuing. “Before we do that, you all need to know that those are some friends of mine. So shut your fucking faces before I shut them for you.” He leveled a lethal glare at Welburn and his compatriot.
Fueled by his anger, Jed played an amazing second half, and the team pulled out a victory on the strength of his points alone. After their team high five, he trotted over to Charlie and Morocco. Charlie smiled broadly while Morocco jumped up and down. “Jed, Jed, Jed! Wa-hoo-wa! Thass right!”
“Okay, okay.” Jed couldn’t help laughing at Morocco’s outrageous enthusiasm. “Thanks for coming to the game.”
“It was fun. I’m glad we came.” Charlie took a step back, seemingly surprised to have gotten two stutter-free sentences out.
“I’m glad too.” They gazed tentatively at each other, and Morocco suddenly got busy folding up the camp chair.
Where can you buy the book?
After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.
CJane is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.
In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.
Where to find the author:
E-mail: cjaneelliott@gmail.com
Tour Dates & Stops:
21-Aug Boys on the Brink Reviews, Divine Magazine, Jessie G. Books, Bayou Book Junkie
28-Aug Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Happily Ever Chapter
4-Sep Amanda C. Stone, MM Good Book Reviews
11-Sep V’s Reads, Bike Book Reviews, The Novel Approach
18-Sep Hearts on Fire, Love Bytes
25-Sep The Jena Wade, My Fiction Nook
2-Oct Inked Rainbow Reads, BFD Book Blog
9-Oct Prism Book Alliance, Molly Lolly, Velvet Panic
Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of any Serpentine Series book
I liked Pitfall!