Hi, I’m Jenya Keefe. Welcome to my blog tour! I’ve been writing for my own pleasure for too many years to count, and now my first novel is being published by Riptide Publishing! It’s called Relationship Material, and I’m delighted to talk with you about it.

Relationship Material is about a guy who had a terrible childhood and suffered a violent assault when he was a teenager. He suffers from PTSD and chronic anxiety, and though he functions well enough in society, he doesn’t feel worthy of the love offered him. It’s about Portland, the love of a good dog, learning to be brave, and being open to joy.

My writer’s group

I’ve written fiction for fun my whole life, and it’s always been a solitary I-can-never-share-this-with-anyone sort of activity. So it was a major step for me when I joined a writer’s group a few years ago. Once a month we pick a theme, submit writing samples, and gather at a local coffee shop to discuss each other’s work.

Because I was extremely shy about sharing my work, if this had involved rigorous critique, I doubt I would have had the nerve.

But my writing group isn’t about critique. It’s about reciprocal and mostly-unconditional love and appreciation. Here’s the deal: these people read what I write and shower me with warm praise. In return I read and vocally adore everything they write. We drink coffee and have some gelato, and everyone leaves happy.

Occasionally we put up a pretense of deliberation, like this: “I’m not sure this word works here – what do you think?” Recently someone in my group said, of my work, “I’m not sure how you eat an apple meditatively. Maybe that adverb isn’t the one you want.”

But that’s really not why we come. We come to inspire and encourage, and receive inspiration and encouragement in return.

Is it useful to my writing? Uh, no. No one’s craft is improved via this exercise in mutual back-scratching. (Although “meditatively” really did need to go.) If you’re feeling salty, you might even say that this arrangement is artificial and transactional.

Naturally, I prefer not to see it that way. We live in a world that can be unkind, and I’ve learned to treasure kindness. Without the kindness of this group of people I would never have had the guts to send a single query letter, much less submit my work for publication.

I’m aware that the world isn’t going to greet my books with the same welcome expressed by my writers’ group. There will be readers who think I could have used a bit of rigorous critique in my process. No argument from me on that point.

But sometimes I quail at my own audacity, taking my once-solitary hobby and sending it out into the world, where people can and will publicly dislike it. The generosity of my writing group made that possible, and I’ll always treasure it.

About Relationship Material

It’s not always possible to meet in the middle.

Registered nurse Evan Doyle doesn’t consider himself fit for more than occasional hookups. He has a good life, but the emotional aftermath of a horrific crime makes him feel too damaged to date. So when his sister’s hot bestie, Malcolm Umbertini, comes on to him, he turns him down flat. Mal is Relationship Material: the kind who thinks in the long term. What would Evan do with a man like that?

As a prosecuting attorney, Mal’s learned how to read people, and he knows there’s more to Evan than meets the eye. Mal has faced his own hardships since his family kicked him out as a teen, and he respects Evan’s courage and emotional resilience. More than that, he wants Evan—in his bed and in his life. But can he weather another rejection?

Both wary, they agree to a no-strings fling. Mal knows that Evan wants things to stay casual, but he’s falling in love a little more with each encounter. With health, happiness, and bruised hearts on the line, Mal and Evan must risk everything for love.

Now available from Riptide Publishing!

AMAZON

About Jenya Keefe

Jenya Keefe was born in the South. She has an advanced degree in European history, and has spent much of her life working the kinds of jobs a history degree qualifies you for: gift shop employee, lumber grader, classifieds clerk, hot glass artist. She currently lives in the Seattle area, where she works at a library. She has always written stories.

Website: www.jenyakeefe.com

Twitter: @JenyaKeefe

Pre-order Jenya’s next release, The Musician and the Monster, coming September 30th from Riptide Publishing!

To celebrate this release, Jenya is giving away a $15 gift card to Powell’s City of Books! Powell’s is an independent bookseller located in Portland, the setting for Relationship Material. Those not in Portland can shop online. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on August 10, 2019. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!