Two Hours in a Car, Iris Faire
Imagine this scene. It’s 2016. I’m driving two hours a day to and from work, humming along in my car, going to a job I semi-love. I’m in the second year of this position and I’ve narrowed the route down to a science. Using part back roads, part highway, it’s only fifty-five minutes on a good day to drive thirty-seven miles. There’s no good direct route. Factoring in inclement weather or highway construction or accidents, it’s worse on a bad day.
After listening to all my favorite playlists and singing at the top of my lungs in the car for the first year of this job, I then move on to podcasts. But even that got boring after a while. Pretty soon, a story takes shape in my brain and keeps me company on my drive. It’s a historical fiction, I think, with some raunchy romance elements thrown in, because without a clue about writing romance, why not write a sexy erotica romp set in the olden days?
Pretty soon, the characters have names and faces. They have period costumes. The town has a name and a timeline in U.S. history. Scenes present themselves one after another to me, and characters are interacting with side characters. Then a storyline develops, a plot that weaves in and out of the scenes, something involving saving the native children from the big bad cavalry, if memory serves.
After two months of this constant crowding in my head by the characters demanding attention, I finally sit down over the holiday break and write the damn story out in a week. My kids think something is possessing me watching my fingers pound the keyboard. When I type The End, I breathe a tremendous sigh of relief. There, finished, and now life can return to normal.
But it can’t. It doesn’t. I labor over the story for a few months before realizing I don’t like historical romance for a variety of reasons. (*cough* endless historical research and I never liked history class anyway—what was I doing here again?) And hey, those contemporary romances with steamy, heart pounding love scenes are much more fun to read, and require much less research. Cue the discovery of M/M romance, too!
So I read more, and write more, and try to develop story ideas, and try to learn how to write along the way. Oh, and look at the beautiful cover models, teasers, and graphics all vying for my attention. Because it’s more fun to look at gorgeous men and design things in Canva than to write some days.
A few years of this pass by until I decide unanimously: I suck at writing.
Forget this. Forget that I have five partially written manuscripts, two of which are so close to being done. But I stuff everything into a box on my desk and turn the computer off. I couldn’t write another word.
But I keep reading and studying what others are doing.
A year goes by and a fire is lit once again. I have the urge to write. Fresh ideas hit me. Only this time, I promise myself to see it through. To self-publish and complete something.
I set a daily writing goal. I tell myself it’s not a matter of IF I’ll write today, but WHEN I’ll write today. And it works. I finally type “The End.” I self-publish a book, and make it happen. Then I repeat the process.
Despite an imperfect journey to earn the right to say I’m an Indie Author, it’s my journey. My writing still needs improvement. I make silly marketing mistakes all the time. But the stories keep coming to me. My secret is the car. I still get my best ideas driving in the car, always at the ready now with my Voice Memos open so as not to miss a single idea.
My advice for new writers: 1) Write the dang book. 2) Stop thinking, write the dang book. 3) Study what others are doing, both their mistakes and their successes. 4) Promise yourself you’ll get that first book done and on the market no matter what. Don’t stop until you do.
Only one man could save me. What I found in him was unexpected.
Book Title: Hot Stepdad Summer
Author: Iris Faire
Cover Artist: Iris Faire
Release Date: January 30, 2022
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance LGBTQ Romance, Romantic Suspense
Tropes: Taboo -stepdad,forbidden love, bisexual and gay awakenings, mafia suspense
Themes: Coming out, acceptance, found family, first loves
Length: 33 000 words/ 122 pages
Heat Rating: 4.5 flames (There are a few steamy scenes that get spicy and intimate and real for our main couple – but nothing involving BDSM. Maybe a tiny bit of hands around the throat, that’s it.)
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Blurb
Wrongs righted. Love fated. Passionate desires unleashed.
I didn’t need a protector. And I wanted more than a hot alpha possessing me.
I desired love. What I found in him was unexpected. If only the world around us would stop judging, we would have a chance to build a life together.
When the past caught up to me and a friend, dark forces surrounded us.
Only one man could save me.
It turned out his protection, his possession, and his love all claimed me, fulfilling every dream possible.
Iris Faire weaves a tale of past wrongs righted, of love fated, and passionate desires explored. The quick read romp ends in a happy ever after. It can be read as a stand alone, but will have you wishing for more in the interconnected Stepdad Summer Series.
“Who were those guys?” His fists balled up on my stomach, and I heard the crack of his jawline tightening with teeth gnashing. These signs of his possession turned my heart to jelly.
“Relax there, Mr. Protective. They were punk ass college guys on spring break. Never saw them again. And I haven’t been with anyone since . . . Until last night. With you.”
“Me? So you were my first in forever, and I was as well for you?” He squeezed me tighter.
“Hm-hmm. After your birthday, I intended to quit for sure. But then you came to see me. So I danced for you. And then I kept going, wondering if you might come back. And you did. Every Tuesday and Thursday, when Mom had her meetings like clockwork. Somehow, you made me feel safe. And . . . I enjoyed dancing for you. I liked your eyes following my every move.”
“Don’t go back. I don’t want you there. I can’t stand the thought of other men watching you, touching your G-string or going anywhere near your skin.”
I tightened our hold once again, wiggling my bottom against his half hard morning wood. “Hm. So you’re the jealous type. I like it.”
“Yeah, maybe I am. Besides, I should have stopped you when I first saw you. If I had given any thought to how dangerous it might be for you there . . . maybe Nico wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“Fucking Nico,” I said with upmost affection for my friend. “It probably didn’t matter. His drug use would have still gotten out of hand, maybe slower is all.”
“Still, don’t go back. Quit today.”
“And work where? I can’t stay at moms, and can’t stay at Dominic’s. It’s nice of you to offer here, but I need a job to afford my own place.” I already had a printout of some jobs to check on for the week. Coffee barista, nighttime janitor . . . nothing really appealing, but my options narrowed without a degree or career trajectory. I’d go to hell before admitting Mom was right about college.
“Stay with me. I’ll take care of us until you find something else.”
“Yeah?” I twisted, facing him, and cupped his cheek. I hung on every hope for what this meant between us.
“Hm-hmm.”
I brushed his lips, taking full advantage of this euphoric morning feeling. This thing right now between us, undefined, yet perfect. Undeterred by an uncertain future, simply luxuriating in each other’s arms before time or whatever life threw at us took it away.
He worked down, brushing his lips across my neck and Adam’s apple.
“Mm. If I stay with you, does it mean I get more of your lips all over me?”
“Whatever you want, I’m happy to provide,” he said, pushing me onto my back. Brushing his whiskers down my torso followed by his soft lips and tongue, every move of his grew like little reassurances of our path ahead, freely exploring whatever this was between us.
Iris writes from the comfort of her kitchen, while sipping vanilla lattes on a good day—even in summer. Writing MM Romance is a nice distraction from her many other commitments, like needle-working, homemaking, and mom taxi service. While it’s terrible fun to invest time in her book characters, she’s not expecting to quit her day job anytime soon.
Visit her website to keep up to date on her latest work in progress.
On a more serious note: Iris has a teen who is trans. And she loves them with her whole heart and soul.
Author Links
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