Holding Together
As with all my books, Holding Together is about the stresses of life on a relationship. I love taking an established relationship, in this case Luca and Darius, and turning it upside down. At the start Luca is the breadwinner, working all hours whilst his boyfriend, Darius finishes university. But Darius can’t find a job after he graduates and gets bored with no work and not seeing Luca. When Darius starts staying out later and later, Luca takes matters into his own hands and forces Darius to work at the gym in a menial role. Then Luca is taken seriously ill, and Darius has to do some growing up fast. Like my Morning Report cowboys, stress is placed on their relationship and both partners have to learn to adapt and deal with the situation if they are to survive as a couple.
This is book two in the Arches series so what can you tell us about the first?
It starts with Matt being dumped by his waster of a boyfriend, Milo, and he takes to his bed to mourn the end of his relationship. His neighbour notices the dustbin hasn’t been taken in after a week and calls the police, who break into the house to discover Matt, somewhat rank after a week of hiding in bed under his Simpsons duvet. When Matt emerges and resumes his life, he meets a good-looking man at his gym, who turns out to be one of the policemen. Gabe makes his interest in Matt very clear, but is prepared to wait until Matt is ready for a new relationship.
The book has been compared to Charlie Richards and Kristen Ashley, so how does this make you feel?
I am very happy to be compared to such diverse authors!
You got into M and M erotica when you saw two men kissing on your favourite TV series, so what is this and tell us about this moment of revelation!
I usually say it’s all thanks to the Daleks, but actually it was Russell T Davies and Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood, the Dr Who spin-off. I was having my usual Sunday evening nap and I woke up to see Captain Jack kissing the real Captain Jack Harkness in a 1940s ballroom in Cardiff.
Have you ever had an epiphany moment?
That was mine. I saw the two men, dressed as RAF captains, in an embrace and thought, “I can write that.” Three days later I was writing Torchwood fanfiction. I stuck with fanfiction for a couple of years and then someone introduced me to original gay romance fiction. If someone had asked me what genre I would like to write I’d have never thought about gay romance, but that was what kicked the Muse into action, and she hasn’t shut up since.
How do you juggle being a mother and a writer?
It gets easier as the kids get older. My daughter has learnt to cook! Initially I would only write when they were in bed, but as they’ve got older and writing has become such an important part of my life, they’ve got used to Mum being glued to the netbook/laptop/computer – we go through many machines. At one point I was trying to complete a Theology degree, do a part-time job and write, plus take care of my family. I cannot tell you how relieved I am that it is now just writing and family.
How much relationship making and breaking do you think goes on in gyms?
To be honest, the rare occasions I’ve been dragged into a gym, I’ve been too busy trying to bolt for the door to notice any relationship making and breaking. However, it’s an enclosed space, with partially clothed people flexing their muscles. You can’t tell me there aren’t looks, and flirtation, and… let’s leave it there.
Tell us about your earliest attempts at writing m and m erotic fiction.
I consider my early fanfiction days my apprenticeship, not only for writing, but also learning about the dynamics of gay relationships. I was lucky that I connected with gay men, some of whom I’m still friends with, and they guided me through a different mindset. I think my early attempts can be considered enthusiastic. It took me a couple of years to write full length plotted books such as Nothing Ever Happens and Morning Report.
Where did your inspiration for the gym come about?
In Tumbling Blindly, Matt needed something to do to fill his Tuesdays when his boyfriend was off doing other things! Men seem to go to gyms. My kids use the gym and I spent my time watching the people at a safe distance from the machines.
Why is it important for gay men to have a place where they can meet up with other like-minded people?
I asked this question on my Facebook of my gay male friends. I thought this summed it up nicely. “All people like to meet other like-minded people in a place where they can be comfortable and who they are without prejudice. It's not just a gay thing!”
What is next for you?
Aside from writing, I am currently promoting the gay romance genre in the UK with a new site, UK Gay Romance, as the genre is relatively unknown in the UK. We have only been going a couple of weeks but we have already covered marriage equality from a gay man’s perspective, spotlighted the Isle of Wight, discussed readers’ favourite gay romance books based in the UK, and conducted interviews and giveaways. Gay Romance is a growing genre, and it’s about time we shared just how brilliant it is with the UK.
You can purchase Holding Together from Total-E-Bound Publishing!