Love Bytes says hello and welcome to author Jeff Adams stopping by today for his blog tour on new release Somewhere on Mackinac, part of Dreamspinner press their states of Love Series.
Jeff talks to us about the characters of his new book, shares an exclusive excerpt and brought with him a giveaway to take part in!
Welcome Jeff 🙂

I’m very happy to be Love Bytes Reviews today as the Somewhere on Mackinac blog tour continues. Many thanks to Dani for hosting me.

Somewhere on Mackinac is part of Dreamspinner Press’s States of Love series, which sets romances at unique locations or evens in each of the fifty U.S. States. Using the small island of Mackinac, which sits in the middle of the Michigan straits between upper and lower peninsulas was fun for many reason, not the least of which were fond memories of visiting during my childhood.

In the story, Chicago native Jordan Monroe travels to the island to enjoy the Somewhere In Time fan weekend. For those who don’t know, Somewhere in Time is a 1980 time travel/romance starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour that was filmed on the island. Jordan, who has been single for some six months is looking forward to the weekend involving his favorite movie.

He doesn’t expect to become smitten with local stable owner Miles Coulter on his first day. At first he sees Miles from a distance, but in short order he’s in the man’s carriage to make a trip to a famous Mackinac fudge shop. In no time, Miles also takes an interest in Jordan.

For Jordan, the weekend wasn’t supposed to lead to love but, just maybe, get him back in the right mindset to start dating again. Miles also isn’t looking for a relationship because he’s got business problems thanks to some mismanagement courtesy of his brother. Even as they acknowledge there are feeling between them, Jordan and Miles have a hard time seeing how anything can work. After all, Jordan’s on the island for only a few days and has life and work in Chicago. Miles can’t imagine living anywhere except Mackinac.

To do a long distance relationship or not is a significant discussion point for them. Jordan’s got money, but Miles doesn’t want charity even if its to aid traveling back and forth. There’s also the issue of work. Jordan can work anywhere that he’s got a working phone and wi-fi connection. For Miles, it’s very different since time away would mean entrusting everything to his staff (and that might work in the winter months, but not in the busy tourist season).

Neither of them wants a vacation hook up either. However, as they spend more time together, it becomes obvious they must figure something out.

It can be a very tough thing to sort out long distance relationships at any point, but it’s got to be particularly hard when a couple is just starting out. It’s the time where you learn about each other and spend tons of time together, some of it just random. It’s easier in the era of Skype and FaceTime, but it’s not the same as actual in person time together. While I know many who make long distance work at different points in relationships, I know, even after 20 plus years of being with my husband, I don’t particularly like have to be away from him on the weeks I have to be travel for work.

In the exclusive excerpt below I offer a small peek at Jordan and Miles enjoying an evening together while broaching their distance conundrum.

Also below you’ll find a Rafflcopter so you can register to a win a free ebook of Somewhere on Mackinac. I’ll be back periodically over the next few days to see if you’ve left any comments too. I love to read what you all have to say and I’ll definitely make responses as well.

“The pictures I promised,” he said. He flipped pages slowly as he told stories. “Dad was on the transportation crew helping haul stuff around the island with our carriages so he was usually at the major filming locations. He had a Brownie camera, and he took tons of pictures. It was a pretty old-school way to take pictures even in ’79, but he loved it. He actually developed these in the workshop.”

“These are fantastic. They should be on the DVD extras.”

“When they were doing the most recent version, they asked if he’d license some, but he declined. It was one thing to show them at the Grand for the convention goers, but he didn’t want to outright sell them.”

He talked through page after page of pictures from the various places that I’d seen on the location tour. We took turns with who ate and who turned the pages, careful to keep the book clean. The candids with the stars as they were setting up scenes were my favorites. The last page of the book was the best of all—Christopher Reeve squatting down to the same level as a young Miles, dressed in his Superman T-shirt.

“That’s amazing.” I skimmed my hand just over the surface of the photo. It was easy to see the man sitting next to me in the child from the photo. He was adorable, looking at Reeve with awe. “You look like you’re actually meeting Superman.”

“I thought I was, or meeting Clark Kent, anyway. My dad says that I asked him where his glasses were.”

I laughed. “Oh my God. That’s way too cute.”

Miles took the book and set it on the coffee table, next to our empty dessert dishes. He snuggled in next to me, arm across the back of the couch, but close enough that it brushed against my neck. Despite only knowing Miles less than a week, I felt like I belonged here. It didn’t make sense, but I wasn’t going to question it.

I scooched over and nestled in as his hand dropped to cover my shoulder. I was pretty sure I could stay here, forever.

“You cold?” Miles asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“Nope.”

Miles kissed the side of my head with the softest peck, and I let go of a long sigh.

“I haven’t felt like this in a long time,” I said without moving.

“How so?”

“This… comfortable.” I adjusted so I was still snuggled close but angled my head so I could see him better. “You make me feel like I’m supposed to be here.”

We held each other’s gaze for a moment before he spoke. “Maybe you are.” He ran his free hand over his beard. “We’ll just have to see where it goes.”

“I’ve been thinking about that. I can come up here often.”

“I’ll come to see you too, especially in the winter when business is slow and the staff can handle everything.”

“Caleb will like that,” I said as Miles raised an eyebrow. “You can’t tell me that Caleb isn’t grooming himself to take over the business with all the work he’s doing.”

A happy laugh spilled from Miles. “He’s definitely got a future with horses if he wants it, whether it’s with me or a place of his own.” He shifted the conversation back to the original topic. “Do you think it’s foolish to try this long distance?”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the movie, you have to take certain chances when it comes to finding the love of your life. I need to know if that’s you.”

“I knew from your bumbling words when I took you to get the fudge that I felt something with you.”

Heat warmed my face as Miles hit the embarrassment button.

I brought his head to mine so I could kiss him. The kisses were tender. Getting to know Miles on a more intimate level was intoxicating. It was a good thing we were sitting because I wasn’t sure if I could stand.

Time had no meaning while we were making out. In the moments I stole glances at him, he looked blissful, and if I caught him with his eyes open, they were alive with passion. When he pulled back just enough so I couldn’t reach his lips, it felt like a lifeline had been pulled away.

“I hope I’m not too forward by asking this, but would you like to go upstairs?”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blurb:

How far would you go for the man of your dreams?

Now that he’s single, Chicago businessman Jordan Monroe can finally take his long-desired trip to Mackinac Island for the Somewhere In Time fan celebration weekend. On the first day, Jordan finds himself attracted to Miles Colter, a handsome local stable owner who is giving horseback tours of film locations.

Jordan is surprised and charmed that Miles pursues him. When Jordan learns the stable is in trouble, he wants to help despite Miles’s resistance. As their relationship grows personally and professionally, Jordan dreads the issues that face them—an ex who won’t let him go, the complications of a long-distance relationship, and a secret he knows he shouldn’t be keeping.

Can Jordan and Miles find a way to forge a love as timeless as the romance in their favorite film?

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

 

Buy Links:

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

IBooks

Kobo

Jeff’s written stories since he was in middle school and became a gay romance writer in 2009 when his first short stories were published.

Jeff lives in rural Northern California with his husband of twenty years, Will. Some of his favorite things include the musicals Rent and [title of show], the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins hockey teams, and the reality TV competition So You Think You Can Dance. If forced to pick his favorite book it would be a tie between Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and David Levithan’s Every Day.

 

He also co-hosts the weekly show Jeff & Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast with his husband. You can learn more at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

 

Links:

Website: http://jeffadamswrites.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeffAndWill/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterJeffAdams