Monday, June 10, 2013

Andrew Q. Gordon with Purpose *Plus TWO Contests!*

Today I bring you another author feature with a contest to win a free copy of Andy's newest eBook, as well as a grand prize drawing from his blog hop for a gift card. There's a link at the end of the blog to a list of all the sites/blogs he'll be visiting! Now, without further ado, I bring you:
 
 
Changing Bunnies


Times change and with them the issues of the day. In 2004, a big issue was the 'threat' gay marriage posed to the country. Amendments were strategically placed on the ballots of several states, including the critical, must win, state of Ohio. The gay marriage 'bans' passed fairly easily and helped bring out the 'conservative' vote.  Don't ask don't tell was used to don't let fags stay in the military. And a gay athlete? They stayed in the closet until their playing days are over unless they want their playing days to be over.

No this isn't a post about politics or gay rights – thought it is Gay Pride Month so maybe it should be – rather it's about plot bunnies.  The changing times mean hot button issues no longer seem as 'hot.' I started writing Second Shot[1] in 2009. Back then, there no gay male professional athletes had come out during their playing days, only after. The military still had the ban on openly gay soldiers and gay marriage was available in a small handful of places only.

 Many of the plots in M/M fiction revolved around closeted athletes, soldiers, and sons.  What if my teammates learn I'm gay? My parents will disown me. I'll be discharged if I come out.  Today, those themes seem a bit passé.  That's not to say that they don't still exist, but a story about a gay soccer player who is outed to his team and is accepted doesn't seem so fictitious now that Robbie Roberts has come out and is playing for the two time defending MLS champion L.A. Galaxy. His first game held no gay baiting, no name-calling. His sexuality was – happily – a non-issue.
                                                                                                                 
The same can be said about gays in the military. Same sex weddings are being held for soldiers in military chapels with military personnel officiating. For more proof, one only needs to look at the You-Tube channel of RussMarine2014 the self styled "Your favorite gay marine" and his boyfriend to know that being an openly gay soldier isn't the stuff of fiction and our wildest dreams.

All that and we didn't really touch on gay marriage. (Has everyone noticed how close we are to having enough states ratify gay marriage that getting the needed 2/3 of the states to ratify a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage might not be possible anymore?)

So what does this say for the all those future bunnies? My hunch is that going forward, we're going to see more M/M romance/fiction where the issues that keep the MC apart has little or nothing to do with their being gay. It won't seem so unbelievable to write about an out baseball player and his love interest. The plot can be about distance or jealousy and not the player's need to remain closeted at all costs.
 
Sure the old plot lines will still exist. No one said the world is perfect. If it were, we wouldn't see the unacceptably high rate of suicide among LGBT teens. We wouldn't read about all the hate and bigotry directed toward LGBT people. But what we are seeing is that it's not the exception to be accepted anymore.

Interestingly enough, it might become harder to find compelling conflicts going forward. I think we can all live with that 'problem.' I know I can.

 Purpose has an element of the old 'bunnies' in it; Ryan's family rejected him when they found out he was gay. That happens before he and Will meet. So while it is an element, it is a minor subplot to the story.


The shape of things to come? Maybe, but it depends on the story I suppose.

 
 

Blurb:

Forty years ago the Spirit of Vengeance—a Purpose—took William Morgan as its host, demanding he avenge the innocent by killing the guilty. Since then, Will has retreated behind Gar, a façade he uses to avoid dealing with what he’s become. Cold, impassive, and devoid of emotion, Gar goes about his life alone—until his tidy, orderly world is upended when he meets Ryan, a broken young man cast out by his family. Spurred to action for reasons he can't understand, Gar saves Ryan from death and finds himself confronted by his humanity.

Spending time with Ryan helps Will claw out from under Gar’s shadow. He recognizes Ryan is the key to his reclaiming his humanity and facing his past. As Will struggles to control the Purpose, Ryan challenges him to rethink everything he knew about himself and the spirit that possesses him. In the process, he pushes Will to do something he hasn't done in decades: care.



Excerpt:


“You had the chance to tell your family and you didn’t?”

“Twenty-five years is a long time.” Forty is even longer. “Too many questions would have been posed. It was easier to do it out of sight.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” Ryan ran his hand lightly over Will’s body for another couple of seconds, then he sat up. “Actually, no it doesn’t. I’d give anything to see my family again, and you ignore yours.”

Will knew he needed to say something. This wasn’t about him, it was about Ryan, but he had to think about his response. Rolling onto his side, he brushed a lock of hair from Ryan’s face. “It’s not that simple….”

“Sure it is. You pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, I’m still here and I wanna talk.’ What’s complicated?”

Smiling, he shook his head. “No, I meant it’s not as simple as saying I’m ignoring my family. They can’t know about me, about It.”

“Why not?”

“Ryan….” He knew how exasperated he sounded, but Ryan still didn’t get it. Sure, he tried, but Gar was so different. How could he expect anyone to understand? “Everything comes back to It. I have to do what It wants. Agent Barrington is not the first one to try to track me, just the newest. Imagine if my family saw me, knew what happened? All seeing them would do is create a trail for someone to follow. It’s hard enough keeping one step ahead of everyone. If they knew my real name….”

Ryan bit his lower lip, then sucked on it after a moment. “You say I don’t get it. Will, you don’t get it. Change your appearance so you look older, or make up a story. Tell them you’re working for the government and this is what happened. That you’re an experiment gone wrong… or right.”

So much passion for something so remote. But Ryan did make a good point. He didn’t have to show up looking like the Will who disappeared. Maybe…. “If I agree to call and meet them, will you come with me?”

“You… you want me to come with you?”

His first thought was to say, “It’s your idea,” but he caught himself. Ryan needed to be included, not put on the spot. “Yes.”

Ryan’s lips slowly curved up until it was a full smile. Will found it infectious and joined him. “So, will you?”

Leaning in, he brought his lips to Will’s ear. A gentle kiss later, he said, “Of course.”

After a moment’s pause, Ryan twisted so his back was pressed against Will’s body. Wrapping his arms around his companion, Will tried to forget what he’d promised to do. It could wait a day.

The feeling of peace Ryan projected left Will drowsy. Content to lie wrapped together, he cleared his mind, ready to just sleep. Ryan’s breathing announced he was in similar state.

It chose that moment to make its presence known again.



Contest:  For a chance to win a free eBook copy of Purpose leave a comment answering the following question:

What type(s) of conflicts in a M/M story do you find most interesting?


Please include your email address so we can notify you if you win. A winner will be chosen from the valid entries on June 13th, 2013 using Randomizer.org.


In addition, all comments from all guest blog posts between June 10, 2013 and June 21, 2013 release date will also be entered to win a $15.00 Dreamspinner Press credit. The winner will be chosen using Randomizer.org and each person who comments on any of the Purpose guest blog posts during the book giveaway time will be entered. The drawing for the pre-release gift card will be on June 25, 2013. One entry per blog but you can enter on each participating blog for more chances to win a copy of the eBook or the Dreamspiner Press credit.  For a complete list of eligible blogs, please see the Purpose book page on my blog:





[1] Second Shot is available for free on Gay Authors – it is not edited and probably needs it, but it was and remains a free story posted on line.

32 comments:

  1. Thanks Cia, You've always been a good friend and colleague. And thanks for helping me kick off the Purpose pre-release tour.

    Andy

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    1. Absolutely! I have experienced a lot of the benefits of the close-knit author community and spreading that helps everyone. Promoting other authors who are putting out great eBooks is just one part of that!

      Delete
  2. I'm very much looking forward to your latest release, Andy!

    One of my fave themes is bad boy made good by transforming power of love - LOL, yep, guilty of being a romantic!

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    1. Thanks Lily, Hmm bad boy turned good. I like to think bad boys are good in their own way, but that's just me. :)

      Delete
    2. There's a little good in everyone.... and a little bad too! No one is a true saint!

      I just like the idea of love bringing out the best in a person - maybe helping them get their priorities straight eg: workaholic realises family more important.

      Delete
  3. My favorite is two flawed/broken people meet and fall in love. I love it when they learn from each other and heal each other, or at least depend on each other against the enemy. That is why, I'm so interested in your novel :D Count me in!
    my email address is nemo.amarcord@gmail dot com

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    1. Theia,

      Thanks for answering, I think the two broken men finding each other is a great vehicle to explore so many emotions. If done right - and I hope I did it right - it makes for a great story.

      Delete
  4. I really like enemies to lovers. I like stories that start out with them hating each other and then end up falling in love when they get to know each other better.
    sstrode at scrtc dot com

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    1. Sherry - My friend and sometimes co-author Anyta Sunday did a whole series on that topic. It was one of my favorites - she did a nice job of transitioning the 'pair' from enemies into lovers. I'm not sure I can do it so well. But hey, I do love a challenge. :)

      Thanks for commenting.

      Delete
  5. I think I'm the odd one out here because I don't have a favorite conflict. Although I do like some external conflict, for example when in the typical shifter stories one of the men has to protect the other from someone in their pack/society.

    Good luck with the release, Andy!

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    1. Chris -

      You and your shifter :P But there's that dom/sub side of your writing coming out - and you do it well. :)

      Thanks for stopping by and participating.

      Delete
  6. Well I find sci-fi, human to alien conflict to be really interesting. Although all the others that were suggested are really good too.

    lori
    loriwarwick220@yahoo.com

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    1. Lori -

      That's a good plot bunny too. Julie Lynn Hayes and M. A. Church did a really good one with that theme that came out last month - Be My Alien - It's actually one of my current very early WIP so maybe I'll do one too one day.

      Thanks for coming by.

      Andy

      Delete
  7. Tease!! That's what you are Andy :P You give us an excerpt like that and ... sigh.. I am waiting and waiting and crossing the dates, to see when Purpose comes out! (or comes to me :P )

    Don't count me in the contest, but I would of course like to answer that interesting question. Conflict huh.. personally, I am a sucker for stories in Fantasy genre... or sci-fi, at times. So, well, I like a story where the main character is powerful, with supernatural abilities and is oblivious to it. And then the love interest comes into his life and shows him his true identity! It is cliche, I know, but if it is done well, it is just what I need!

    Fantasy mixed with some Romance, is a treat to me!! Look what TLGM did to me :D

    Wishing you success Andy! I know, for a fact, that Purpose will be amazing ;)

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    1. Sid,

      Patience. If I gave out too much at once, no one would read the rest of the posts. :P

      I think that is why we get along so well - Fantasy with romance treats me well too. :)

      Thanks for stopping by and for being such a good friend.

      Andy

      Delete
  8. My favorite conflict is when there's a huge barrier or obstacle in the way of the relationship, but against all odds they end up together, and stronger for it.

    Kayla
    (kayla.zantow@gmail.com)

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    1. Very nice. Now I should have asked people to give examples of their favorites, but yeah, don't push my luck :P

      Thanks for answering.

      -AQG

      Delete
  9. Interesting question. One of the conflicts I like is when a person doesn't feel worthy of someone's love. It's beautiful to watch the self-respect grow. Of course people don't need another person to do that, but sometimes a person can so be in their head, hearing the same loop of ugliness that they don't see the amazing person they are until someone shines a light on them.

    Thanks for the chance to win.

    caroaz [at] ymail [dot] com

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    1. Carolyn

      Thanks for that answer. I think those story lines are compelling as well. In Purpose - Ryan has that problem to a degree. I'm not sure he ever gets over it, but. . . Well I best not say too much more or no one will buy the book :-P

      Thanks again and good luck in the drawing(s).

      -AQG

      Delete
  10. I'm a big fan of the "gay for you" trope. I enjoy the internal battle of "I want him but I don't like men that way" and how he eventually comes to terms with his sexuality. Always been a favorite of mine.
    Can't wait to read Purpose!

    Nic
    mccormnj@yahoo.com

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    Replies
    1. Nic,

      I have to say - "Gay for You" while big, isn't my favorite. But your reasoning is spot on - the internal battle, if done well, does make for a good read. Thanks for commenting and good luck.

      -Andy

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  11. I like the conflict from when a character decides that they want or need to change in some way. It could be the gay for you or someone who has only done casual hook ups wanting to commit. I also love the books where a former bully has changed his ways . Coming Home by M.J. O'Shea is one of my favorites with that theme.

    The conflict can come from the other half of the couple afraid to trust the change lasting. It can also be that the people around them don't want to accept it.

    Traci

    tracikurtz@att.net

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    1. This is very similar to the theme in Latter Days where Christian is a hook up artist and avowed noncommittal until he meets Aaron. [It was Aaron right? I forget] And that is a powerful plot bunny filled with lots of tension and conflict because usually the reason to change is very different from what this person is used to. I'd say there is an element of that in Purpose, Will decides to 'come back' so he can keep Ryan. Not that I'm hawking the book or anything :)

      Thanks for commenting.

      -Andy

      Delete
  12. Friends-to-lovers is my favorite...I like to see the evolution of a relationship between partners (or potential partners), more so than something external (though a combination can be very effective).

    Trix, vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Trix,

      First congrats on being my first - and only so far - two timer :P I appreciate the support.

      Second - friends to lover is one of my favorites, but it is hard to do well in my opinion. The transition form best friends to lovers is tough because you need to not over do the why are they apart and then the how they get over it. But I've seen some good examples so I know it can be done.

      Good luck and thanks for following the tour

      -Andy

      Delete
  13. I am in favor of any conflict that is written well. I think one type that interests me alot is when someone has to decide if they should stay or leave someone, whether there is someone else in the wings or not. I like when someone can be honest with themselves and look inside and want what is healthy. Afterall, there are many reasons why people stay in a relationship and it's not always a healthy reason.
    I've only just became aquainted with your work through the Wed. Briefs and have enjoyed the story, but reading your actual novel would be the way to get to know you as a writer. Afterall, those brief entries controlled by such low WC's do not leave much room for real development of a story. Congrats!
    ~cannd
    cden23@aol.com

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    1. Wow that would be some story if someone could include all that in a story. :P

      Thanks for reading and for following me. I appreciate the support.

      Delete
  14. I have to say I've always been a bit partial to any story with an MC who's become so jaded and closed off in life that he needs someone special to show him there is more to live for. Those type of stories always makes an impact on me and I have to admit I do like my characters a bit stoic and unflappable.

    humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

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    Replies
    1. That's always a good plot device. I've read a few like that that I've totally enjoy.

      Thanks for commenting and stopping by.

      -AQG

      Delete
  15. Thanks to all who entered and commented. And an especially big thanks to Cia for hosting me. I'll pick the winner shortly. Once they're notified, I'll announce it here and post it on my website.

    -AQG

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  16. The winner of this eBook give away is lori warwick. Congrats to you and thank you again to everyone who commented, you are all still entered in the pre-release grand prize.

    -AQG

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  17. Congratulations Lori!!! Thank you again for visiting Andy; good luck with your newest eBook.

    ReplyDelete

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