Friend Friday - Sue Brown

Welcome all. I told you I decided to do "Friend Fridays" in order to try something new and give you more to read. This is the KICK-OFF FRIDAY and we have here Sue Brown. I met Sue this year in Tampa at Rainbow Con. She was simply delightful, but I did not get enough time or enough hugs. I plan to remedy that next year! I also did NOT get a picture with her.

This is Nicole Dennis, Michael Kudo, and Sue Brown

Sue agreed to do an interview and I think that will more than likely be the format of many FRIEND FRIDAYS. Stop by and see what various authors have to say and check out their websites and books. :)

I hope you enjoy the posts.

Her Website

•       What inspires your writing?

Sue - So many things inspire me. I’m a news junkie, particularly LGBT news, and anything can trigger an idea. For instance The Sky is Dead was triggered by the spate of LGBT suicides in 2012. The Isle of… Where? was inspired by a short family holiday on the Isle of Wight. Hairy Harry’s Car Seat came from a comment of one of my daughter’s friends about dog hair on car seats. Morning Report was because I like cowboys. What? I can be shallow too.

Me- I find that very funny:) Cowboys are niice. 

•       When did you start writing m/m romance?

Sue - I started in Torchwood fanfiction in 2007, but it took me a while to venture into original fiction. Nothing Ever Happens was my first longer story and that was written in 2008. I got my first story published in 2010 in a Dreamspinner anthology. Wow, it seems so long ago now.

Me- I believe we've been writing for the same amount of time. Cool. Nice to see we have things in common. I think I like interviews :)

•       Are you a full time author?

Sue - Yes, I am. Aren’t I lucky? I finished my degree in 2012 and decided to try and write full time. I wanted to be around at home for my teenage kids, and in hindsight it’s proved to be a very good decision.

•       Who is your favorite author?

Sue - Too many favourite authors to answer that question!! ;). Also, I value my life.

Me- Good answer …lol

•       How many books have you written so far?

Sue - Forty plus. Not sure exactly how many. I write short stories to novel-length, but in my heart I’m a short story writer.

Me- YOU ROCK!!

•       Tell us a little about your novel, Frankie & Al

Sue - Frankie meets his ideal man; only the first time he’s drunk, the second time he gets knocked over and the third… well, you’ll need to read the book.

•       How long did it take you to complete it?

Sue - I can’t remember. A few weeks I think. I’m a fairly slow writer but Frankie & Al flowed quite well.

•       Who is your favorite character in the novel and why?

Sue - Definitely Frankie. He’s funny and vulnerable with a sharp tongue. I’d love to be that quick, but I’m the one searching for the quick response.

•       How much of yourself did you manifest into your favorite character?

Sue - As I said above, I guess Frankie is who I’d like to be. I projected my ‘ideal’ self into him.

•       When someone reads Frankie & Al, what do you hope they gain from reading it?

Sue - I’d like them to feel they’ve had a laugh. I write so many heavy-going books. This was purely for fun.

•       Can you share four things you’ve learned about the business?

Sue - Promote, promote, promote and sit on your hands when there is a drama. Seriously, stay away from the drama llamas. It will suck your creative energy. And if you don’t promote you’re committing career suicide.

Me- words of wisdom!

•       How do you keep your creative "spark" alive?

Sue - Dog walks, moaning to my friends and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

•       What is your suggestion or piece of advice to new and upcoming writers?

Sue - Write the book, finish the book, submit the book. It’s not rocket science and I promise that feeling when you get an acceptance email is incredible. So do it and tell me all about it.

Me- Sounds about right! 

•       Where we can find you on the Internet?

Sue - You can find me on

my website: http://www.suebrownstories.com/

my blog: http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.co.uk/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/suebrownstories

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suebrownstories.

•       Could you please share your favorite excerpt from Frankie & Al with us?

Frankie & Al

JANE STARED at Frankie openmouthed. “How can you shovel that much food into your mouth? Don’t answer that until you’ve chewed!”

“Frankie’s got a huge gob,” Charlotte said.

Frankie chewed obediently because Jane was scary. Charlotte he would have just sprayed with crumbs. “It’s a gift,” he said and took another huge mouthful.

“Ugh!” Jane pulled a face. “You like this man?”

Charlotte grinned at Frankie. “I love this man. He makes my day at work bearable.”

“Ditto.” Frankie loved her and her husband, David. “Otherwise I’d have to put up with Edward Shitbag all by myself.”

“You’d have killed him by now,” Charlotte said.

“Fucking right I would. That man deserves to be hanged by his own polyester tie.”

“He can’t be that bad,” Jane protested. She was cuddled next to Joan, quiet and sleepy. Tina and Lindsay had gone home after the club, protesting their exhaustion.

“This is the man that believes all lesbians haven’t been porked by the right man,” Frankie said.

“Kill the bastard painfully,” Jane said flatly.

He grinned at her.

Charlotte moaned as she put the last of her sandwich in her mouth.

“Good?” Frankie asked.

“The best. Breakfast at Greasy Joe’s in the morning with my favorite people. What could be better?”

“I’ll remind David you said that,” Joan said.

“Most of my favorite people.” Charlotte licked her fingers. “He is my soul mate.”

“Aw, isn’t that sickening.” Frankie pretended to gag.

“Just because you haven’t found your soul mate, you don’t have to knock mine.”

“You really believe in soul mates?”

“You don’t?” Joan asked.

Frankie looked at the couple, huddled as close as they could in public, and Charlotte, who adored her husband passionately. “Maybe for some people, sweetness, but not for me.”

“Why not?”

“Because guys like me have fun and sex, not cuddles on the sofa and walks with the dog on the common. We don’t get the beige life.” Frankie had seen heteronormative life described in a book as “beige,” and he liked that description. So many of his straight friends seemed happy to settle for dull and boring.

“You don’t get it or don’t want it?” Jane asked.

None of the girls seemed offended by his rejection of their lives.

“I….” Frankie had to think for a moment. “I don’t want it.”

Charlotte nodded. “You never want to settle down?”

He shook his head. “Not me. I just want to have fun, you know?”

“I know, sweetie,” Charlotte patted his arm. “But at some point even that gets old and the sofa looks real comfortable.”

Frankie didn’t need reminding that he was too old to be a twink. He beamed at the girls. “I’m going home to get my beauty sleep. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“What are you doing this weekend?” Charlotte asked. “We’ve got a barbeque if you want to come.”

Frankie tried to think of a way of declining without saying he’d rather gouge his eyes out with a red-hot poker. A couple of hours in the company of happy couples and their brats were his idea of hell.

Charlotte burst out laughing. “Frankie, if you could see your face! Don’t worry, I won’t be upset if you stay at home and count your ingrowing hairs.”

“I don’t have any ingrowing hairs,” he said, thoroughly offended.

“Course you don’t. See you on Monday.”

Frankie kissed them on the cheek and headed for the door. Dawn had arrived with a pale pink-and-blue sky, and thankfully no rain. He decided to walk home, relaxed and full, and ready to sleep. At this time of the morning, he could cut off a few minutes by walking through the station concourse without negotiating hundreds of tourists.

He stepped off the curb, and after that, he wasn’t sure what happened except his world spun crazily out of control. He heard the sound of a car horn, and Frankie was thrown off his feet, only to land on the ground, an excruciating pain in his hip.

What the fuck?

“He just stepped out in front of me. You saw that, didn’t you? He didn’t look at all. He was probably after a score.”

Frankie opened his eyes and glared at the man standing over him. “Thanks for your concern, arsehole, but I’m not a druggie. Give me your phone number, address, and insurance details,” he said brusquely. At least, he aimed for brusque rather than weak and feeble.

The man sniffed and vanished out of sight. Frankie contemplated getting up. On the other hand, the ground was comfortable and he had nowhere to be.

“An ambulance is on its way. You have a habit of getting into trouble, don’t you?”

Frankie turned his head to deny the charge and was fixed by the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. “Take me home,” he said and was rewarded with a smile from the man.

“Huh, a faggot. Might have known.”

The driver was really getting on Frankie’s nerves. “Give me the details and then you can get lost.”

A hand squeezed Frankie’s, and Green Eyes said, “Give me the details. You can talk to the police and I’ll look after my boy here, before he gets into any more trouble.”

“Frankie,” Frankie said.

“What?”

“My name’s Frankie.” Frankie gave a melting smile to the nice man with dark hair and gorgeous green eyes. Then he glared at the driver. “That’s Mr. Lawsuit to you.”

“Listen, you little—”

Green Eyes sighed. “How the hell did you manage to get to adulthood, Frankie? The ambulance is here, thank God.”

Frankie was really pleased because fuck knows the pain in his hip was hurting like a bitch, and no one seemed to give a shit about him, and his mum would wash his mouth out with soap and water if he kept swearing, and….

His brain shut off as Green Eyes kissed him.

“What the…?” he said faintly.

“You were talking again, Frankie. It seemed the best way to shut you up.”

Frankie was about to ask if he could do it again when they were interrupted by a woman wearing a green monstrosity. Seriously, couldn’t they find anyone to design better uniforms than this boiler suit?

“What’s happened here?” she asked perkily.

Oh great, a perky girl. Even her ponytail swung in a perky fashion. Frankie hated her on sight.

“Frankie got hit by the car. He’s been conscious all the time.”

The girl smiled at Frankie. “How are you feeling, Frankie?”

He rolled his eyes. “How do you think I feel? Like I’ve been hit by a fucking car.”

Her smile didn’t fade, but Green Eyes said, “I’ll wash your mouth out with soap if you don’t start being nice to the lady.”

“You could always spank my arse,” Frankie suggested hopefully.

“You’ll have to spank your boyfriend later,” the paramedic said. “We need to get him to hospital.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Green Eyes said. “I was on my way to meet my mum and I saw the incident.”

“Ah, sorry. I thought I saw you kissing him.”

“You did. It’s a remarkably good way of shutting him up.”

“It only works with hot men,” Frankie said hastily in case the paramedic got any ideas.

“Understood,” she said with a completely straight face and then ruined it by grinning at him. “Way to go to pick up a guy.”

She held out a hand for a high five. Frankie tried hard to respond, but the pain was making it difficult for him to move.

The paramedic frowned. “Where does it hurt, Frankie?”

“Everywhere.” Frankie swallowed back the rising nausea. “I feel like shit.”

She was all professional now, feeling down his body. “We’re going to get you to hospital now.”

Frankie tried to nod, but she stayed the action. “Just stay still and let us move you. We’re going to put a collar on you so don’t move.”

Green Eyes loomed over him. “I’ve got to meet my mum, Frankie, or I’m in trouble. I’ll leave you with the ladies.” He bent down and brushed Frankie’s mouth with his. “My mum is seriously ill, or there is nothing that would keep me from coming with you. I’ll see you again. This is the second time, and things like this always run in threes. Try not to drink so much next time.”

Frankie frowned. The second time? Next time? What the hell was he talking about? What was his telephone number? But he didn’t get a chance to ask as he was loaded into an ambulance. The doors closed on hot Green Eyes, and Frankie was left with Ms. Perky Green Boiler Suit.

Someone up there had a sick sense of humor.

Me - So thank you for stopping by. I hope this was a fun Friday interview. I was happy to get to know Sue a tad bit more than before. I hope you will stop by for more FRIEND FRIDAYS. Check out her WEBSITE. and look for more books from Sue Brown.

And remember …. NAMES CAN NEVER HURT ME is coming your way on August 11, 2014. You can Pre-Order it here. Dreamspinner gives a FREE eBook with the purchase of paperback. And I noticed while copying the link, NAMES is ON SALE today! Jump on it!