A warm welcome for author Andrew Grey rejoining us here at Love Bytes to talk about his newest release “Fire and Rain”
Welcome Andrew 🙂
Title: Fire and Rain
Author: Andrew Grey
Series: Carlisle Cops #3
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: Jan 11 2016
Blurb:
Since the death of their mother, Josten Applewhite has done what he’s had to do to take care of his little brother and keep their small family together. But in an instant, a stroke of bad luck tears down what little home he’s managed to build, and Joss and Isaac end up on the streets.
That’s were Officer Kip Rogers finds them, and even though he knows he should let the proper authorities handle things, he cannot find it in his heart to turn them away, going so far as to invite them to stay in his home until they get back on their feet. With the help of Kip and his friends, Joss starts to rebuild his life. But experience has taught him nothing comes for free, and the generosity seems too good to be true—just like everything about Kip.
Kip knows he’s falling hard for Joss, and he likes the way Joss and (brother) make his big house feel like a home. But their arrangement can’t be permanent, not with Joss set on making his own way. Then a distant relative emerges, determined to destroy Joss’s family, and Kip knows Joss needs him—even if he’s not ready to admit it.
Book Links
Hardest thing about character development.
I think the hardest thing about character development is making each one unique. It’s very easy for a writer to fall into a pattern and have the characters start to seem the same. I try very hard not to have that happen. Sometimes my characters are strong, others have a weakness or disability. When developing a character I think it’s important that each one have their strengths and weaknesses. Everyone does things well and we all have certain things that we suck at. I like to think that the trick in life is to find that person who compliments you.
For me the most difficult part of character development are the flaws. Its easy for me to come up with and develop their strengths and those things that they do well. I like my characters to be smart and funny. I also like them to be kind, loyal, and strong, willing to stand up for what’s important because those are things I hold dear. But good characters aren’t perfection, so I have to ask myself what their weaknesses are or what is this character most afraid of in life? What s their greatest fear or how do they react under pressure. That shows our true nature and as a writer we have to let our characters come up short sometimes so they can grow.
Josten woke with a start. It was still dark, but he was too warm and definitely too comfortable. Something was wrong. When he opened his eyes and saw the streetlight-illuminated room with a fireplace and nice curtains, he remembered. Isaac was still asleep, burrowed down into the covers, pressed right against him, but he began to stir. Josten wanted to break into tears, but he’d already done that once and that was enough. He and Isaac had been fed and given a place to sleep that wasn’t on the streets or in one of those dormitory rooms with dozens of other people snoring, crying out, or just plain yelling their fear and terror in the middle of the night.
“Josten,” Isaac whined from next to him. “I have to go.”
“Okay,” Jos said and lifted Isaac out of the bed. He quietly opened the door and walked as softly as he could across the upstairs hall to the bathroom, where a nightlight burned. He set him on the potty so he could go.
“I like it here. It’s warm and there are no scary people.”
“I know.”
“Can we stay here? Mr. Policeman seems nice.”
“I doubt it,” Jos said. This was only for one night, and after Kip gave them some food in the morning, he and Isaac would be on their way. Maybe he could find a way to make some money so the two of them could get to a place where they might have a chance. What he needed was a job and a place to live. He’d had both of those not long ago, but then everything had gone to hell in two days. Two fucking days was all it had taken to pull his life away from him and put both him and Isaac on the streets. He hadn’t known it could happen that fast, but it had, and Jos didn’t know what to do to fix it. “Are you done?”
Isaac nodded, and Jos helped him off the toilet and helped him wipe. Then Jos pulled up his pajamas and lifted him into his arms. When he opened the door, he found Kip coming up the stairs with a glass of water. Jos smiled and took Isaac back to the bedroom and closed the door. He heard Kip go back to his room, and then the house was still once more.
“This is really nice,” Isaac said as he burrowed under the covers.
“I know it is, but we can’t get used to it, okay? I don’t know where we’re going to have to sleep tomorrow, but I’ll do my best for you. I can promise you that.” Jos hugged Isaac to him. “Now go to sleep, okay?”
“Okay,” Isaac said and laid his head on the pillows. They were too soft for the likes of them. It had been longer than Jos wanted to admit since he’d slept someplace as nice as this. His fears for tomorrow kept him awake for a while, but fatigue eventually won out.
Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.
Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Author Links
Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey
For Other Works by Andrew Grey
(Please Be Sure To Stop by His Website to See All of His Works)
The ones listed below is for the Carlisle Cops Only
Fire and Water (1)
Fire and Ice (2)
Fire and Rain (3)
Thank You for Hosting and Sharing Fire and Rain by Andrew Grey with your Followers.
Yippy a new Andrew book!
I have a slew of authors I love as well as Andrew Grey. Lisa Oliver, Sandrine Gasquet Dion, Kindle Alexander, James Cox, Andrew Jericho, AE Via, Marcy Jacks, Amber Kell, Stormy Glenn, Stephanie Hect, Rob Colton and way too many others to list.
Of course, Andrew Grey (and Dirk Greyson). Also auto-buy Victoria Sue, Shannon West, Amber Kell, Eli Easton, Sean Michael, RJ Scott, Piper Vaughn, Charlie Cochet, Bailey Bradford, Sara York, KC Wells, Em Lynley, Samantha Kane, Havan Fellows, Lee Brazil, Nick Starr, Ava March, Anya Byrne, Keira Andrews and others I can’t come up with names for right now. Oh, Victor Alexander, Amy Lane, Let Blake, Mary Calmes, Sue Brown. Phew, I’m sure there are more but I’m tired and imagine you are too!
Congrats on the new release! Thanks for sharing about character development and the steps you take to make each character unique.
Great post & can’t wait to read this one! So many favorite authors and books, it’s hard to list them all – Andrew, of course (so many good series), Mary Calmes (Jory & Sam), Ethan Day (Sno ho!!!), Amy Lane (the knitting stories among others), JL Merrow (Shamwell!), Tara Lain (Balls ha ha), Heidi Cullinan, Bailey Bradford, Josh Lanyon, oh I could go on FOREVER.
Although I would say the list would be shorter if I stated the MM authors I did not like, I am not really sure I have come across a published author that I would not seek out again. If they have a go at it, I respect that and will give them a go. I own a lot of Andrew Grey’s books, so can easily say he is on the favourite authors list. Call it sucking up or the truth – both are true.
Some of my favorite books are Fire and Water, Love Means… No Shame, Inside Out and A Taste of Love.
Right now my favorite is Sue Brown! All of the Morning Report books are fantastic! Also RJ Scott Texas Series, Piper Vaughn, Eli Easton, Sean Michael Mannies Inc, Charlie Cochet Thirds,and KC Wells Collars ans Cuffs!