Hi! Welcome back to Anna’s World. I haven’t done an interview in a while and today I’m going to remedy that. I have the fabulous Christopher Craven with me and he’s going to tell us about his work. Let’s get started!
1. What inspired you to choose your genre (genres)?
Well to start off, I myself am gay and I was introduced to the genre after a relative recommended a T.A. Chase book and from that point I was hooked. With thoughts in my own head, I finally became determined to write my own. Thus, Miles Turner and Landon Black were born!
2. We all have issues with balancing our time between writing, editing, promoting, along with other obligations and personal time. What works best for you?
To start Anna, I honestly don’t know what personal time is. As a career man working a busy 9 to 5 Pharmacy job, it’s really hard to grasp hold to the concept of ‘free time’ since when I’m not at work—I’m still at work. (Sounds like an oxymoron, but this is truth for me.) However, I juggle that time away from the pharmacy very carefully. I enjoy television way too much and I have a list of things I like to do besides writing. When I’m not at work, like most other gay men, I love to shop. This makes it harder for me to stay home all the time because I am always out shopping somewhere. No matter where it is, be it clothing, groceries or as of late—appliances and interior decorating!
3. Shopping…wow…I can definitely relate! So tell us about your characters now. What type of hero do you normally choose? What type of heroine?
Miles Turner and Landon Black will ALWAYS be my babies. They’re the originals and I loved writing them so much that I wrote ‘Accord’ (their sequel) and a prequel novelette titled ‘Tryst’. My hero characters (being solely M/M Romance) usually have a couple flaws. I’m not a picture perfect type of person and I don’t reckon many people in the real world really are. And even the most affluent of people oftentimes have bigger issues than the rest. With the story of Miles Turner and Landon Black, they have such a close relationship. From the outside looking in, they appear to have perfect lives. However this couldn’t be any less true! For those that have read October Sun (Now re-published as Plight) know that Miles and Landon have their own plethora of problems. To everyone else who haven’t the pleasure of reading them, it only takes a couple of chapters to become fully engrossed in each man’s set of diverse problems.
4. Who are some of your favorite authors? Did they inspire you to write?
I grew up reading Dean Koontz and Stephen King since the sixth grade. “Goosebumps” and “Nancy Drew” just didn’t interest me anymore and it was time for me to evolve my literature experience into adult related material like murder mysteries and bone chilling thrillers like “Intensity” by Dean Koontz or his most famous, “Mr. Murder”. After reading them, I’d developed an entire plot chart for a book I was determined to write but never had success. It was going to be a sci-fi space murder mystery. HA! I still laugh upon thinking about that crazy idea. Then a handful of years ago, I’d been introduced to the world of Gay Romance. There, I first read T.A. Chase books. Then I found my first A.J. Llewellyn title and fell in love with those characters. Josh Lanyon and Andrew Gray taught me the possibilities of linking gay romance with a twisting/suspenseful storyline. Hank Edwards then emerged from the abyss of Facebook literary contacts that I regularly talked to. But it wasn’t until months into our online friendship that I read one of his titles. There have been several others along the way.
5. What has been the most difficult aspect of your writing career?
Negative customer reviews! As the author, our stories and our characters are just like children. We think we’ve taught them all there is to know about life. Hell, we make them do what we want them to do after it’s all said and done. So while we like each of our titles (for the most part), it is hard for many of us in the industry to accept the fact that some people didn’t or will not appreciate the same aspects of our “babies” that we do. Of course as authors—we give ourselves entirely too much credit and sometimes it goes to our head.
6. We can all relate to the negative reviews, believe me! Give us a little dirt about yourself. What’s your favorite guilty indulgence?
SOAP OPERAS! I have to watch DAYS OF OUR LIVES every single day. Only until recently did I just have a general appreciation for soaps. But after I became friends with a former soap star and her mom (an iconic soap opera lead writer) did my appreciation grow into a full-on respect for the whole cast and crew of soap operas.
6. OMG! I was heartbroken when Soapnet went off the air! You’ll have to catch me up! But first tell us about your newest book.
Well, I will share the series that follows the most recently republished ‘Plight’ as the never before released sequel and prequel (story) are releasing soon. Below are the covers/synopsis’s for how they release this summer.
(already released) amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KCPHPLK
As a defense attorney, Miles Turner believes everything in his life is supreme. At the peak of his career, he takes on a high profile case that if he plays his cards right, would sufficiently line his wallet. The task is to defend a famed heir notorious for his constant troubling attention in the limelight. Miles finds resolve to all of his issues through his partner, but the recent decline in his everyday wellbeing compromises this trust.
After stumbling upon Miles in a bookstore, former underwear model Landon Black is finally settling down in life. To occupy his time, he takes classes to earn a degree as an accounting major. But studying late at night comes difficult with the extra-curricular activities deep within their Los Angeles abode. Landon has finally discovered the simple joys—love, learning and life.
With an impromptu family reunion back home in Colorado, Landon cannot fathom which of those simplicities could break when they spend a weekend around his prejudiced father. But as members of the “Black Pack” come together in the snow capped mountains of Colorado at Lake Alexander, no-one can see what’s looming ahead– an event with consequences so severe it stands to alter all of their lives forever. Prepared with nothing but his integrity and a heart full of hope, Miles is praying for a miracle while Landon, forced to play a high stakes game of life-or-death, is asking himself if the love he has is enough to offer.
**Prequel Novelette to Plight**
(Coming June 25th, 2014) to Amazon Kindle (first)
So many things can occur within just a short span of time. It’s just the concept that Miles Turner has been grappling upon while stepping into the realm of criminal law. After passing the California Bar Exam, he’s been offered a prime spot within a firm that can set his future success as a defense attorney. But the one concept of life that constantly seems to be missing is what he needs the most—love. The hectic workload piling up on Miles’ plate just doesn’t allow enough of his valued time to mingle. After a chance encounter at a downtown Los Angeles bookstore, the meticulous lawyer soon understands that he’s the only one who can author his life.
Landon Black, a Colorado native turned California underwear model, is at his wits end with men. After his painful breakup with Johnny Steele back home in Western Colorado, Landon believed that he must focus all his time on such a star studded career in order to go further in the industry. His lacking trust for others compounded with a general discontent for life quickly shifts upon bumping into Miles Turner during a sweltering summer afternoon. The two men finally fill empty voids within themselves as they embark on an immense journey of juggling two separate worlds into one unified love.
**Sequel book to Plight**
(Coming August 13th, 2014) to Amazon Kindle first
Just weeks after the murder of his close friend, Kevin Donahue sets out on a personal vendetta to track down the killer responsible. He stops at nowhere to ensure the madman pays for the evil acts haunting his circle of friends. During the lengthy investigation, he’s arrived close to solving the mystery. But all his extended hours must come at the cost of spending less time with his soul mate. Kevin realizes he must delegate and prioritize his duties as a Lieutenant in order to manage an unrehearsed wedding to his lover. However to his surprise, there’s more beneath the surface of Miles’ death and Kevin must remain dutiful in his ranks without solely taking matters into his own hands.
Deciding to place his education on pause, Shane Caruthers consoles Landon and helps his friend come to terms with Miles Turner’s gruesome death. While on the academic sabbatical, Shane comes to the revelation that life is too short and he wants to marry Kevin with a less elaborate ceremony than they originally intended—and much sooner also. After Shane convinces Kevin of all the benefits to eloping, the lovers invite Landon Black to join alongside them on their hasty marriage celebration. Upon departing Los Angeles for a weekend, the trio are shocked to find Miles’ killer still up to their same antics. Kevin must placate Shane and Landon all the while risking his life to apprehend a cold-blooded criminal.
Want to know more about Christopher’s work and keep up on the latest? Go to his brand new website at http://www.christophercraven.com
You can also find him on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/authorchriscraven
Thanks so much for being with us today and telling us a little about your books! Best of luck to you.
Thanks everyone else for joining us. Have a great week!
Love,
Anna
Anna Kristell Romance 