LE: I’m excited to be hosted by Wade Kelly for our Dirty Dozen
Blog Tour - thanks Wade! GRL is now just around the corner and I’m trying not
to freak out…though it’s my favorite time of the year it’s also fraught with
packing danger. To wit – this week I’m at a conference in Napa and managed to
forget shoes, brush, shampoo…the list goes on and on and Chicago is soooo much
farther away. Here’s my stab at answering our group questions and please come
by and visit us at GRL:
Wade: What inspires you most
when you are writing?
LE: The little voice in
my head? I don’t know, I’m actually pretty random and undisciplined when it
comes to inspiration – almost anything including the smallest detail might
light a flame - like driving down the freeway and looking over at another
driver going 80 mph. Could be the driver, the motion, the car itself, the
scenery at the side of the road…anything can spark a story.
Wade: What brought you to
write m/m? What keeps you writing in this genre?
LE: Honestly? I think it was the kindle app. I was suddenly reading tons of romances…a
genre I hadn’t spent much time reading since I was a pre-teen, but they were
cheap and plentiful. Eventually I stumbled across Jade Buchanan’s “Nut Cream”
and I was hooked on the genre. What keeps me writing gay romance? I think the
stores are relevant for the time we live in, I think contributing to the truth
that ‘love is love’ is important. And besides, the inspiration photos are hot!
Wade: Of all the characters
you've written, who is your favorite and why?
LE: I think my favorite character is Davis “Fat Boy” Newman from the 6 Days
series. He wasn’t the original romantic foil for my MC Nick – he was just an
extra in the scene. Instead of staying quiet and doing what he was told, he
completely took over the story and swept Nick off his feet. I love that he has
more patience and empathy than either Nick or I do and that he continues to
surprise me.
Wade: Many of us have pen
names that we use and there are an infinite number of ways and
reasons behind them, but I doubt many of them reflect the names we
wish we’d been born with. If you could micro-manage the ultimate
do-over, what birth name do you want? What nickname?
LE: I wanted something more exotic than the name I was born with…instead I
hung out with friends who were much older than me so the only nickname that
stuck was ‘Kid’. So annoying. My pen name is a combination of me real initials
so I’d recognize myself, and my favorite country.
Wade: Name one unusual fact
about yourself that you think your readers would be surprised to learn.
LE: I won’t use an umbrella at all – I prefer to get wet.
Wade: LOL, ME TOO!
Wade: What do you do that
most injurs the progress of your writing, and why do you do it?
LE: I’m over committed. I have multiple jobs and family obligations and I
don’t say no. Maybe I can’t say no. It’s hard to put myself first and my
writing suffers for it.
Wade: If you had to trade
writing for another creative pursuit, what would it be?
LE: That’s easy –
painting. I have a talent for it. Color makes my mouth water.
Wade: In
one sentence, write the beginning of a sex scene using some kind of food. Think
of it as your hook.
LE: I’d order
him beers all night if he kept this up—the pink tongue sliding through the foam
on his upper lip made me hard—all I needed now was a way to convince him I had
better, more satisfying things to lick.
Wade: Name
one of your favorite characters of all time that someone else wrote. Can be M/M
or any genre.
LE: Jory from Mary Calmes’ A Matter of Time series – he’s my go to read when
I want a break. He’s the perfect blend of all the worst and best qualities a
character can have with the redemptive heart.
Wade: If you could be one of
your characters, who would you be and why?
LE: This
is a very hard question – all my characters are pretty flawed… but in The
Fourth Act, which is a free read, there is the character of Ford, the stage
manager. Ford was a surprise. He’s a former dancer with a core of steel but he
moves through the story with physical and emotional grace that I envy.
Wade: How many versions of a
book do you usually write before you arrive at ‘the one’, and how does your
editor impact that?
LE: I write one draft (I tend
to revise as I go) and submit – sometimes I have it beta read sometimes not, so
the editor is vital, sometimes by asking that most simple and most powerful of
questions “Why?”… which can change everything.
Wade: If you came with a
warning label, what would it be?
LE: Slippery
when wet. No wait those are road signs… sorry. Warning label… hmm… Subject to
inappropriate and incomprehensible bouts of humor and sarcasm. An old roommate
once came home with a vellum for my door that he’d made at work: “HISS, SNARL,
SNAP, GROWL”. Apparently he wanted me to post it as a warning to everyone else
to approach with caution when I was in one of my “Moods”. I have no idea what
he meant by that… I still have it somewhere.
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY – Enter Here! (Sorry,
we’re all out of ponies…just fabulous books by exceptional authors)
Can This Be Real - Blurb:
Chef
Christian De Guisse can't trust a man who doesn't love his food, while
Detective Andrew Simmons won't let any man close who thinks he's
broken---somewhere between these two points, love is possible, but only if they
get real.
When Chef Christian De Guisse accidently
outs Celebrity Chef Jordan Slayer during a fight in front of The Times
entertainment reporter---it only gets Christian ex-boyfriend status and a
one-way plane ticket to culinary exile in Oregon. But a fortuitous meeting with
Detective Andrew Simmons at the Portland airport keeps Christian and his
collection of exotic herbs out of the hands of Homeland Security, starting the
chemistry simmering between them. Andy isn't much of a foodie and for a chef
who communicates love through his cooking this may be one hurdle too
high...until they're finally ready to get real.
Buy Links:
AUTHOR BIO: > LE Franks
LE Franks lives in the SF Bay area and writes M/M Romance in a
unique mix of humor and drama with enough suspense to produce fast paced
stories filled with emotion and passion and featuring characters that are
quirky and complicated and sometimes a little bit dark. LE Franks is a best
selling author Published through MLR Press, Dreamspinner Press and Wilde City
Press and is a 2013 Rainbow Awards Finalist for Prodigal Wolf, a paranormal
romance co-written with Sara York, available at MLR Press, Amazon and online
bookstores.
>>>>>>
Other Dirty Dozen posts on the tour include:
Date ~ Author is Hosting Author
Sept 1 ~ Max Vos Carter Quinn
Sept 4 ~ diana.copland TM Smith
Sept 7 ~ JC Wallace Max Vos
Sept 10 ~ Jeff Adams Diana Copland
Sept 12 ~ le.franks JC Wallace
Sept 15 ~ Ethanstone Jeff Adams
Sept 18 ~ writerwadekelly LE Franks
Sept 21 ~ Morticia Knight Ethan Stone
Sept 23 ~ tempeste.oriley Wade Kelly
Sept 25 ~ rafehaze Morticia Knight
Sept 28 ~ Carter Quinn Tempeste O’Riley
The links before today have the actual posts. After today have the general website address. Jeff Adams is much faster at updating the list so if you need to visit HERE for direct links :)
Remember that each stop contains the Raffelcopter to enter and win goodies. Enter to win!
I'm writing this comment as I read. Chicago has walmarts. It's not a third world country. Are you sleeping with me one night?
ReplyDeleteI inspire you the most, why do I have to keep reminding you. Is Sue coming to GRL?
Again, wrong answer. You have phantom wee wee disorder. Own it.
Okay, true story. I didnt know your real name, I call you mom. And we were talking to people and I said something - no idea what or why, but it was your real name. I had NO CLUE. Okay, I'll tell everyone. Bertha Rae. (See why she thinks LE is exotic?)
We've never talked about this, but I love JORY! Hands down, love him and Mary Calmes. She's nice like you. Good people.
See, you do this to me all the time. You and Sara. I write like 90 versions. You write 1? I might not like you anymore.
I agree with the roommate.
Very pretty picture. I love your sunglasses. You're very pretty.
Thank you for this question and answer, I love this so much. You are such a strong talent and great person. I cant wait to see you in Chicago. You are def a high point of the trip. <3!