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.
• 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!
