A warm welcome to author Evie Drae joining us today to celebrate new release “Beauregard and the Beast”, part of Dreamspinners Dreamspun Desires.
Welcome Evie 🙂
When I first set out to write Beauregard and the Beast, I did so with the goal of creating a modern LBGTQ+ twist on the old favorite. However, I didn’t want to do a beat-by-beat retelling. Instead, I framed my pursuit as more of a re-imagining than a retelling. I wanted to find the heart of the story without focusing too hard on the details.
That being said, there are a few places where I definitely used the source material to structure a scene or cast a character. Most notably, in my decisions for the main characters’ names. With Bo, it was an easy and obvious choice. I’ve had Beauregard—with the nickname Bo—on my character names wish list for ages now. This seemed the perfect time to bust it out.
Adam, on the other hand, took a bit more thought. His MMA fighter name of “The Beast” was just as straight-forward as Bo’s, but his real name took a little digging. Before his transition in the pre-Disney Beauty and the Beast, the Beast was named Prince Adam. It seemed a fitting nod to the original fairy tale and a fun little Easter egg, of sorts. Plus, by giving Adam the nickname, it helped me to structure his character a bit. In another parallel to the source material, Adam is nothing like the Beast persona he’s been forced into adopting.
Then there are the two primary side characters, Kyle and Lulu. Their names don’t have any special meaning, but they each serve as a bit of a mash-up of multiple characters and plot devices from the source material. Kyle, who is Adam’s manager and BFF, takes place of all the various living household items from the fairy tale. He’s the one who brings Bo into Adam’s home and sets out to play matchmaker between the two. Lulu, on the other hand, represents Belle’s father. She’s the reason Bo winds up at Adam’s, and the reason he feels like he can’t leave—because he has to support her. And without giving away too many spoilers, she also plays a role in Bo leaving Adam much as Belle leaves the Beast in the original. But no worries, I’m a firm believer in the power of a solid HEA. All is right by the end.
Finally, because it’s one of my favorite parts of the Disney cartoon, I will say this: Yes, there’s a library scene. I couldn’t help it. Plus, it worked quite well to support Bo’s bookish side and to introduce the bond he and Adam create over their shared love of reading and, eventually, learning.
As an exclusive treat just for the readers of Love Bytes, here’s the first little snippet from my own rendition of the famous Beauty and the Beast library scene:
“Oh my God.” Bo lifted a hand to cover his gaping mouth as he stepped into the room. No, not just a room, but a library. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in the same rich mahogany as the one in his bedroom lined every wall. More bookshelves, slightly shorter to allow the warm glow of morning sun to peek over their tops, stood back-to-back to form aisles down the center of the room. A cozy nook with overstuffed leather armchairs, a shared ottoman, and a plethora of colorful throw pillows and fuzzy blankets sat off to the side.
Adam stepped up beside him and folded his arms. His grin had somehow grown in both size and absurdity. “I thought you might like this.”
Bo dropped his hand and shook his head. “There must be thousands of books in here. Have you read any of them?”
When Adam quirked a brow, his grin slipping into a wry smirk, Bo gave himself a mental kick to the nuts. Of course he’d read them. Maybe not all, but at least some. He wasn’t the brain-dead meathead the media made him out to be. Not by a long shot. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“It’s all good.” Adam clapped Bo on the shoulder. “I give off the dumb jock vibe on purpose. It’s more intimidating that way. People think I’m stupid enough to do the crazy shit. Keeps ’em on their toes because they never know what to expect.”
“Oh. Right.” Bo nibbled on his lip and stole another glance to the side. Adam lit up as he scanned the room. His passion for the vast collection was evident, and when those smoky irises shifted to meet Bo’s gaze, another punch to the proverbial gut had Bo clutching at his stomach. Why did Adam have to be so perfect?
“Go on, look around. Anything that strikes your fancy is yours for the reading. I’ve got a little bit of everything. I can’t seem to pick a favorite genre, so I read it all.” Adam gestured around the room. “It’s my guilty pleasure.”
TITLE: Beauregard and the Beast
SERIES: Once Upon a Vegas Night (Book 1)
AUTHOR: Evie Drae
RELEASE DATE: August 20, 2019
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
HOUSE LINE: Dreamspun Desires Book #88
GENRE: Contemporary M/M Romance
WORD COUNT: 54,846
His greatest prize can’t be won in the octagon.
BOOK BLURB:
A Once Upon a Vegas Night Tale
His greatest prize can’t be won in the octagon.
Champion MMA fighter Adam Littrell needs no distractions as he prepares for the fight that will determine whether he retires. But when he opens the door of his swanky Las Vegas home to his new personal assistant, Bo Wilkins, staying focused becomes a struggle.
Aware of Adam’s surly reputation, Bo doesn’t expect to like his new employer, let alone fall for him. But Bo is pleasantly surprised when a shared love of books leads them to study for their GEDs together and plan for a life after their current careers. Adam won’t be able to fight forever, and Bo wants a relationship on equal footing.
But just as their relationship is getting off the ground, the sister Bo raised needs his help, and he drops everything. With Adam’s final match looming and Bo in a different city, reuniting will be the real challenge.
WHERE TO FIND BEAUREGARD AND THE BEAST:
Evie Drae is a registered nurse by day and an award-winning male/male romance writer by night. She has won first place in seven Romance Writers of America® (RWA®) competitions, including the prestigious title “Best of the Best” in the 2018 Golden Opportunity Contest. She is a double finalist in the 2019 Golden Heart®, in both the Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense categories, and finished as a second-place runner-up in four additional RWA contests. As an added perk, she landed the fabulous literary agent Eva Scalzo from Speilburg Literary following a dual win in two separate categories of the 2018 Heart to Heart contest.
One of Evie’s favorite things to do is encourage her fellow writers. To that end, she started the #writeLGBTQ and #promoLGBTQ hashtags on Twitter to support and promote LGBTQ+ authors and allies while providing a safe space to connect and grow as a community. She is married to the love of her life, is the mother of three wonderful fur babies, and runs almost entirely on coffee and good vibes.
Evie loves to link up with fellow writers and readers. You can reach her directly at EvieDrae@gmail.com or find her on her social media accounts listed below. Twitter is where she’s most active but be sure to check out her blog too. She focuses on reviews for LGBTQ+ authors and allies with the occasional quirky advice/recommendation post just to toss things up.
WHERE TO FIND EVIE:
Website/Blog: https://www.eviedrae.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvieDrae
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eviedraeauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Evie_Drae
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eviedrae/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eviedrae/
RELEASE WEEK GIVE AWAY (ENTER BY AUGUST 26th, WINNERS ANNOUNCED AUGUST 27th, 2019):
The GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive a personalized signed copy of Beauregard and the Beast, a $100 Amazon Gift Card, and an assortment of author swag! The RUNNER-UP will receive a personalized signed copy of Beauregard and the Beast and an assortment of author swag! Your followers can enter by clicking the following link: https://promosimple.com/ps/e886/b
LINK TO BOOK TRAILER: https://youtu.be/c0cUznn1AW4
NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP: http://eepurl.com/dymBtz
Seems like such a great book!