Book Title: Sweet Thing
Author: Isobel Starling
Publisher: Decent Fellows Press
Book Release Date: September 8, 2017
Cover Artist: Isobel Starling
Length: 83k words/237 pages
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Blurb
French male model Simeon Duchamp has a lot of explaining to do.
Two years after a breakdown Simeon is off drugs and booze and wants to stay that way.
On his road to reclaiming his life and modeling career, Sim first needs to apologize to the man he hurt the most -his ex-best friend and object of his unrequited affection Pieter Bayer. Pieter now has a long-term partner, artist Emily Raven, with whom he shares a baby son. Sim is amazed when Pieter accepts his apology, and invites him into his family.
Closeness to Pieter sees Simeon’s longing for his friend is rekindled. But then, when Simeon meets an attractive older man, Bastian Roth at an Art Exhibition, he realizes that there is a soul more broken than his, and Simeon feels compelled to help. Simeon’s connection with the troubled Bastian Roth turns his world upside down. He has to decide whether to allow himself to fall for the man who wants him or pine for the man he can never have.
***THIS BOOK CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE***
Please note: This story contains graphic descriptions of gay sex.
The Spirit of Radio (And Audiobooks) by Isobel Starling
I recently had my very first radio interview—an author and narrator chat with the narrator of my audiobooks, Gary Furlong, hosted on Beaten Track Radio by author F.E Feeley Jr.
I’ve been a late night radio fan since I was ten years old. I used to steal my mum’s small transistor radio from the kitchen each night and secretly list to Radio Luxembourg under my covers when I should have been sleeping. That statement dates me a lot, I know. Let’s just say it was the early 80s and leave it at that! My love for radio continues, but affections have shifted to audiobooks, andeven though I still love radio – particularly comedy on BBC Radio 4, audiobooks have stolen my heart.
The radio interview happened because my author friend S.J Himes did ‘Author Chat Live’ on Beaten Track with the narrator of her Beacon Hill Sorcerer series and newly released “The Solstice Prince” (Realms of Love), Joel Leslie Froomkin. Fascinated to hear the show, I tuned in. For a start, it was great to hear S.J’s voice. Like with many of our online friends we don’t speak in real life, and only read one another’s words. We all have to guess at who our friends really are and put our own voices to them, so it was lovely to hear her voice and make her real. I already knew Joel Leslie’s voice from listening to his audio books so no surprises there. F.E Feeley Jr was a genial, informative host with an eclectic taste in music, so overall, the show was a lot of fun to listen to. It was particularly interesting to hear about the different ways of working with writing and narration.
I mulled over giving it a try and mentioned this to S.J. She encouraged me with DO IT! in my messenger inbox. So, never one to walk away from a challenge I contacted my narrator Gary Furlong, and he immediately said yes. I emailed Beaten Track on the Sunday after S.J Himes, and Joel Leslie had done their show, hoping to schedule something for a few weeks time. Then I got an email asking if we could do it the coming Sunday…with just four days notice. It was soon, WAY sooner than I’d anticipated. I thought I’d need more time to mentally prepare myself to do it, but Gary said he was available so, taking the bull by the horns I said yes.
Anxiety bubbled under the surface for the few days before the interview, andI constantly asked myself “What the hell have you done?” I was worried about getting brain freeze mid-sentence, and about swearing, because I swear like a sailor on shore leave. Also, I didn’t want to sound like a nerd, and having a drop o’ Irish in me, I know I’m prone to ramble on with a good yarn!
I used to be a sociable person but, life changes have meant that these past few years have seen me less willing to ‘put myself out there.’ I rarely even speak on the phone these days, unless it’s to family, a trusted friend, or I’m complaining about something! F.E Feeley Jr was gentle and reassuring with me, andI was so relivedwhen he suggested we do a sound test the day before the show.
Online communication is something I’ve always struggled with. The internet connects us in some ways and disconnects us in others. We all have an online persona that, while a part of who we are, can never encompass it. We rate sincerity by what we see. I like to look a person in the eye and get the ‘cut of their jib.’ We cannot measure a person by eye contact online to see if they’re genuine or faking. Being a writer, or a narrator for that matter means we spend a lot of time alone with voices in our heads. It’s isolating, and while we connect with the muse,we disconnect with other things that make us human, like having a good natter, for instance. Disconnection wears at the soul. It’s easy to be a keyboard warrior, but reaching out and saying hello as one person to another person is another matter. It can be really hard if you’re out of practice. With my current headspace I feel I need to reach out a bit more, so the moment I plugged into the Beaten Track radio station portal and heard Frederick say ‘Hello,’and eventually Gary, it was such a delight. Hearing them both chat with me and each other calmed my fears a little. It made me take a reality check and remember times when I’d had to speak in public that were a million times more intimidating than having a natter with a writer host and my narrator.
The show itself on Sunday 29th April was lots of fun. I wish you could hear it, I reallydo, but sadly it wasn’t recorded. It’s a shame because, as we say in Ireland, the craic was good! I shared some rambling stories about how I became a writer. And Gary shared some not so rambling stories about how he became a narrator. We spoke about the Shatterproof Bond series, and our current audiobook “Sweet Thing” —a tumultuous tale of betrayal, friendship, and second chances, set in Berlin. Gary excelled with this audiobook, voicing characters not only in French and German accents, but speaking in French and German too.
As a special treat, Gary narrated some exclusive Shatterproof Bond content in the voices of Sam and Declan which were lovely, so I was sad the show wasn’t recorded. But, being an absolute gentleman, Gary recorded the swoon-worthy excerpts which you can listen to here.
Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr was an engaging, intelligent host and the two hours seemed to fly by. He’s looking for more interviewees, so authors, narrators, if you have something to say let readers hear your voice. Be brave, take a step out of the writing cave and give it a try.
Links
Sweet Thing by Isobel Starling is out in e-book, paperback, and audiobook
Born in Germany, Isobel Starling spent most of her twenty-year professional career making art in Ireland. She relocated to the UK and, faced with the dreaded artist’s creative block, Isobel started to write and found she loved writing more than making art.
Isobel is currently working on her fifteenth book. The Shatterproof Bond series is an Amazon Gay Romance bestseller and is being translated into French with Juno Publications, German with Deadsoft Verlag, and Italian with Quixote Edizioni. The series is also available as audiobooks, narrated by Gary Furlong.
“Sweet Thing” will be translated into French by Rienes-Beaux Publishing, and Italian by Quixote Edizioni.
Social Media Links
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Aaaaaahhhhhh omg I lurve you Isobel! You and Gary and Freddy were fabulous.
Glad your interview worked out. Anxiety can be a nasty thing and it’s pretty darn normal to feel it beforehand.
I love second chances…romance…forgiveness…soul mates. I think you’ve combined them into what looks to be a wonderful book!
I wish I could have hear the broadcast. 🙁
I’m so glad it worked out!