I'm pleased to have S.L Danielson on the blog to answer a few questions.
MM: The MC is an overweight older man, unlikely but his story was touching. What inspired you to use him?
SL: I had an idea a long time to use an usher or bellhop, someone homely and big, who fell in love at first sight with a gorgeous patron. I morphed it into a suicidal bellhop who met a gorgeous doctor! I wanted someone out-of-the-ordinary, Joe average.
MM: The other character Doctor Jack says all the right things, who is the physical model for him if you have one?
SL: He'd kick me if he knew this, but he's close to the image of my brother when he was younger. He was very cute in his younger years.
MM: I consider this a heartwarming story with a twist. (trying not to spoil) What made you give us that towards the end?
S.L: Thank you! I had actually changed the ending a bit, at the behest of a beta. The original ending had lots of extra drama and a possibly tragic event, but I changed it to where it's a much happier ending for them both.
MM: Do you feel its a problem in gay erotica romance or any romance for that matter that our characters are always the same? Hunks, hot women, etc?
S.L: Not so much a problem, but a lot of the characters are too perfect for me; I'm flawed, all of my men are flawed, it speaks to the reader better in my humble opine. I do love the perfect, gorgeous men too, but mine just have to be on Prozac.
MM: The book was self published on Lulu, did you try shopping it to a publisher before?
SL: I did, and they turned it down, so I did it myself. I loved it too much to let it just be shelved.
MM: Will there be a sequel to Bernard?
SL: I've kicked that around a bit; ending as it did (no giveaway) it would almost call for one...but not right now. I have the rest of this year and half of next year booked already; but you never know!
MM: How long have you been an author?
S.L: I've been a writer most of my life from early childhood, but it hit its stride in my teen years and I've never stopped.
MM: I see you self-pub and are with a publisher. Is there a benefit to this?
S.L: The self-pubbing was more a control issue and I wanted to have a certain release date; or it got turned down. Now, with the publishers, I have a cover artist and editor assigned to me, (which I had already), but the biggest benefit is exposure on sites that I do not have access to, and the clout of being actually accepted and published.
MM: What message do you want to send to your fans through your writing?
S.L: I want to send the message that I accept gays, I love them, and I don't bash them at all. I portray 'real' men in 'real' situations with family, friends, jobs, life!
MM: As a fellow fem in the genre, do you feel any sort of bias from male writers or fans who don't appreciate that you write gay romance?
S.L: I used to; I got the question all the time how did I even have any idea of what two men making love was like! Use your imagination...love is love.
MM: How did you get your started in gay romance?
S.L:In my mid-teens, about 16 actually. I'd just met my first gay guy and had a crush on him (before I knew)...but he was so kind to me and I really appreciated that. My mind blossomed it out from there that they are like everyone else, just in love with their own sex.
****
SL's latest release is Life after Math. She was here earlier with a blurb. Please read it here.
Thanks to SL for the great interview. My next author spotlight will be Tom Williams, the author of The White Rajah.
4 comments:
I love the title. I don't suppose you could post a blurb and excerpt by any chance? Nice cover.
Thanks for stopping in Sarah. :)
http://ladyauthorsld.blogspot.com/2010/10/coming-by-oct-31stbernard.html
Here's the blurb for it from my own blog...as for an excerpt...let me put one together!
As requested: here is a blurb from Bernard.
Cover was courtesy of Jade...love her work!
After rounds were finished, Jack came back to check on Bernard. He knocked on the door softly to announce his entrance.
“Come in. Hey, Doc.”
Jack smiled. “Hi again. I’m just about to head home, but I thought I’d check on you one last time. It was nice meeting your mother today. She has a lot of spunk.”
Bernard sighed aloud and put his hands behind his head. “That’s one word for it. I love her to death but she drives me crazy sometimes. Her idea of healing me is seeing me get married and having a big family.”
Jack eyed the monitor and wrote down his vital signs. “Not your style?”
“Not hardly. I didn’t know what I wanted for the longest time, wonder if I still do. I just know it’s not in line with what she wants for me.”
“Is that why you’ve stayed in one place for so long?”
He pulled his hands out from behind him and rubbed his arms. “Yeah, I think so. I’m too afraid to change, so I just stay put.”
Jack noticed him rubbing his arms. “Feeling chills? You don’t have a fever--?”
“No, no. Thanks. Just things are crazy in my life, you have no idea.”
Jack smiled at him. Bernard loved seeing the glowing teeth and the rosy lips that housed them. He sat down and checked the bandages. “Change can be overwhelming, but it can also be exhilarating. One day changed my entire life.”
“One day? What happened?”
“Well, I was at a family reunion and my Uncle Howard was having a heart attack! We had no idea it was happening but somehow I remembered CPR and I saved his life! That day changed my entire life. I went to school and became a cardiologist. “
“Wow! So that made all the difference?”
Jack smiled at him. “Completely. It made me want to be who I am today and lucky enough to have been here to save your life.”
Bernard tried not to stare too long into the gray eyes that enchanted him. He strained for something to keep him there longer. “Doc?”
“Yes?”
“How do my stitches look?”
The doctor carefully placed the gauzed wrists into his hands one by one and looked them over. “Any pain or discomfort?” Jack asked.
Bernard smiled nervously. “No, no. Just wanted to know.”
“Well, let’s take a good look here.” He pressed on them lightly to feel the sutures. “Good. They’re flat so it appears they’re healing nicely.” He pulled back the tape and gauze and ran his fingers over the stitching he’d done. It was flat, with no sign of infection. Bernard tried to feel the tan fingers without being too obvious. Jack smoothed his first two fingers over the chubby palms of his patient and tested his reflexes. Bernard’s hand closed in around the Doctor’s hand and held it for a moment. “Can you squeeze my hand?”
Bernard tried to and succeeded. “Not as easy as I used to. That’ll make work fun with toting all that luggage around.”
Jack carefully re-wrapped the gauze. “You’d have to wear braces or splints until it fully heals.”
Nancy appeared in the doorway with his tray. “Knock knock! Dinnertime!”
Jack let go of his hand, much to Bernard’s disappointment. “I’ll let you eat your meal. Time for me to go home and sleep for a while.”
“Doc?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
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