Love Bytes is happy to welcome to the blog author Erin McLellan to join us for the promotion of new release “Controlled Burn”.

Welcome Erin 🙂

If My Characters Were at Hogwarts

It’s probably completely clichéd for a millennial to be obsessed with Harry Potter, but I am. And while writing Controlled Burn, I created character profiles for the two main characters—Joel and Paulie—as well as most of the secondary characters. One of the first things I did while developing these characters was determine which Hogwarts Houses they would end up in.

First up, we have Joel Smith:

Joel has a pretty big secret that he keeps for a large portion of the book, and he’s able to hide important aspects of his past with relative ease. He certainly exhibits the cunning, resourcefulness, and adaptability that are inherent in Slytherins.

Next up, Paulie McPherson:

Paulie actually displays traits from a lot of different house. He’s dedicated and patient, like a Hufflepuff, and clever and intelligent, like a Ravenclaw. But ultimately, he’s a Gryffindor. He has had to make several big, life-changing decisions, and he couldn’t have done so without a huge reserve of courage and bravery. Plus, he’s incredibly loyal.

And lastly, we have Travis, who is Joel’s best friend and will be getting his own story next:

Travis is quirky, creative, clever, and emotionally intelligent (Joel describes him as “people smart”). Travis is always interested in learning new things, and gives some pretty stellar advice through the course of the book. He approaches situations rationally and logically.

Now, as a bonus, I took a Buzzfeed quiz to see which Game of Thrones houses Joel and Paulie would fall into, since we’re in the middle of a new season. Joel was House Stark and Paulie was House Martell. I’m not sure I agree with that assessment, but Buzzfeed quizzes never lie, right?

What about you? What’s your Hogwarts House? I’m a Hufflepuff, definitely.

About Controlled Burn

At eighteen, Joel Smith’s life fell to pieces. His boyfriend died in a car crash while reading a sext from him, the local newspaper outed them both in the aftermath, and his parents got a divorce. Joel did everything possible to outrun his past: he moved to Oklahoma for college, legally changed his name, and started over.

Since then, he hasn’t let anyone get close—not his classmates, not his roommate, and definitely not his hookups. The strategy has served him well for over three years. Why would he change it now?

But Joel doesn’t plan on the articles about his boyfriend’s death being used as a case study in one of his classes. And he doesn’t plan on Paulie McPherson, who is sweet and giving and fun. In Paulie, he finds a home for the first time in years.

But love isn’t simple, and lies have a tendency to get in the way. Joel must figure out if he’ll allow his grief to rule him, or if his connection with Paulie is worth letting all of his walls come tumbling down.

Now available from:

Riptide Publishing.

Amazon

About Erin McLellan

Erin McLellan writes contemporary romance, often set in the South or Midwest—particularly Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas—with characters that are complex, good-hearted, and sometimes a little quirky. Erin likes her stories to have a sexy spark and a happily ever after.

Erin has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in library and information studies from the University of Oklahoma. She has always enjoyed writing, but becoming a librarian and meeting enthusiastic romance readers helped her find her own writing passion. Now Erin cheerfully writes romance with characters across the LGBTQIA spectrum. A former public librarian, she still enjoys being surrounded by books and readers, but Erin hopes to find her stories on the shelves as well.

Originally from Oklahoma, she currently lives in Alaska with her husband, and spends her time dreaming up love stories set in the Great Plains. She is a lover of chocolate, college sports, antiquing, Dr Pepper, and binge-worthy TV shows.

Connect with Erin:

• Website
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Pinterest

To celebrate the release of Controlled Burn, one lucky winner will receive a $25 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on August 19, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!