Monday, August 12, 2013

Book Tour for Breathless Press 4th Anniversary With Lee Brazil (Interview & GIVEAWAY)


I'm honored to be part of the 4th anniversary of Breathless Press by presenting the wonderful Lee Brazil, who's written some of my favorite m/m-themed books.  Through my interview you'll get to know a bit more about Lee and Lee's latest book release, Temptation.  Along with this great author comes an AMAZING GIVEAWAY with the chance to win a Kindle Fire as well as GCs to Breathless Press!  So keep reading and join in on more celebrating by visiting the other blogs hosting this tour.


Breathless Press is an e-book publisher specializing in Romance and Erotic(a) stories.
Our mission statement is simple: To provide the opportunity for readers to connect with romance authors through the purchasing of quality e-books at a low price.
Starting in the summer of 2009, Breathless Press came into existence. Since then, we have been producing top end romance and erotic stories for valued readers to enjoy.

TSP:  Knowing what you do now about the publishing business, would you have done anything different career-wise?
LB:  Well, that's tough. I only know what I know now because of how I did things to begin with. And that's even more confusing in my head than it is on paper. I guess that primarily, the main thing I'd have done differently from the beginning would be to diversify sooner. I worked primarily with one publishing house for nearly two years, and I should have spread things out some.
TSP:  What does your writing space look like and do you surround yourself with any particularly inspirational items?
LB:  My writing space is…organized clutter. I clear it every weekend. As for inspirational items, I find most of my inspiration in music and in the relationship my SO and I have forged in the sixteen years we've been together. He refuses to sit on my desk top, so…yeah. Lol.
TSP:  The majority of your books are m/m in nature, what draws you to that genre?
LB:  I like the idea of reaffirming that HEA is for everyone.
TSP:  Which of your books would you like to see made into a movie and who would play the main couple?
LB:  Hmm. I guess I'd like to see Keeping House as a movie, with maybe Harrison Ford as Donovan and some young unknown playing Mischa.
TSP:  Of all the heroes you've written, who's the most heroic in your opinion?
LB:  I kind of think that Adrian from The Librarian is the most classic hero I have. He's a bit arrogant in his determination that he knows what's best for Val, and manipulative in getting Val to agree with him. But, he has integrity and his motives are pure.
TSP:  What sets Breathless Press apart from other publishers?
LB:  Let's see, where to begin? There's Victoria Miller's awesome cover art. At BP, authors have a voice in what their cover looks like, and they are so incredibly supportive and determined to bring the author's vision to life that cover art is a big draw. The editing staff is excellent, and the publisher is always willing to listen and to work with authors.
TSP:  How has the digital revolution affected your career and how you market yourself?  Do you have an eReader yourself?
LB:  I have a kindle and I read in pdf on my computer. As for marketing, I'd say that I’m probably not a good judge, because all my books are ebooks. I maintain a social media presence on several networks, and I can't really imagine how authors managed before there was social media. If I had to guess, I'd say that the new electronic foundation of publishing makes marketing easier for all of us. There's a whole host of promotional opportunities out there now that just weren't there twenty years ago.
TSP:  My site's all about favorite things, so what are your favorite things/the things you can't live without?
LB:  Music. Coffee. Wine. Tequila. Books. The Sunrise…I have too many to list them all!

After a hot interlude at a holiday party, Lake Wynters and Solomon Arsdale exchange phone numbers but not promises. Lake is fine with that until something happens he's never experienced. As days pass without Solomon calling, Lake discovers he just can't forget the sexy older man. Giving in to temptation, he takes matters into his own hands and visits Solomon at his office, breaking his own dating rules.
Waiting in Solomon's office, Lake is shaken to the core by how much Solomon's acknowledgement of their encounter means to him, and how much more he wants it to lead to.
But when the door he's eagerly watching opens, it brings new temptation in the form of AdonisKosmias. Adonis isn't anything like Solomon. Not many would call him beautiful. His features are too harsh, his body too angular. But he moves with fluid grace and his hair falls in perfect waves and his eyes sparkle with warmth. From the first touch of his hand Lake is thrown into even greater confusion. So distracted by Adonis's touch is he, that when Solomon finally makes an appearance, their hands are still clasped.
Meeting Solomon again while holding hands with another man wasn't in Lake's plan. Neither was anything that happened afterward.

EXCERPT:

I'm Lake Wynters, I reminded myself as I paced, keeping an eye on the massive oak door that stood stalwart between me and the man I'd come to see. The secretary tried to make me sit, even offered me a copy of a news magazine to read. I think my blank look surprised her. She wanted me to sit in that plush but horrible amber colored chair and wait quietly for Solomon to decide whether my claim to friendship was a lie. I sort of was, and I sort of wasn't. But that wasn't why I paced.
And it wasn't because I wasn't sure if my pants would crease or fuzz would stick to my butt either. I just couldn't be still. It was unbelievable how much my existence seemed to hinge on his decision to acknowledge me. So I paced around the soft brown carpet, from the window that overlooked the parking lot and a very distant view of the sparkling waters of the ocean, tothe chair. The door didn't open, even though it felt like it must have been a half hour since she'd called through and his deep voice had asked for a few minutes.
He's going to remember me, he's going to see me; he's going to be glad I came. He wouldn't have given me his number otherwise, would he? I wanted to believe that so badly. Because I wanted to see him. I didn't want to get brushed off. Why wouldn't he want to see me again? I was pretty...we would look great together, and I'd already proven to him that I knew what the fuck I was doing. That thought had me cursing silently as my cock stirred a bit. Okay—no remembering the blow job in the vestibule.
Just remember the indulgent smile. The way his hand closed around the number written on his palm. The way his thumb wiped the tiny drop of semen from the corner of my mouth. Yeah, those were the things I needed to remember, the things that said more than getting off for fun, the things that said maybe what we'd had meant a little something more.
Every little sound fell on my ears like a blast from a car horn, from the coiffured secretary's hands clattering on the keyboard to the hushed slur of paper in the printer. Wearing me down, tearing at the confidence I'd mustered in order to come here today.
I wanted to double-check my appearance, run to the nearest restroom and check my makeup, the shine on my boots, the cut of my jeans. I wanted to tell her to forget it, to run out and get my hair done, buy new boots, new jeans, anything to chase away the doubt this man created in me.
I was on edge and I didn't like it. I didn't like being here. I didn't like that he hadn't called me. Why hadn't he called me?
Everyone always calls me.
Not Solomon Ardale. I closed my eyes and his face hovered there in front of me, dark, solemn eyes, strong smooth jaw. The bold, aquiline nose I'd kissed playfully two weeks ago, the thick dark brows I'd traced with my fingers.
The moist hot mouth that had captivated me with one swift brutal kiss before he'd pushed me aside. Had he tasted himself in that kiss? Certainly his taste lingered in my mouth. That flavor was so imprinted in my memory that I could savor its echoes today, the blend of salt and sweet and bitter, smooth and slick against my teeth, my tongue.
But he left me there, mouth hanging open, clutching the little white business card he'd given me after I wrote my number in eye liner in the palm of his hand.
He hadn't called.
Not to ask me to dinner, or the theater, or a movie.
He wasn't even interested in a repeat performance.
Why did it fucking matter? I didn't think he was in love with me. I didn't expect him to even like me overly much. After all, a half an hour at a party isn't much to base affection on.
And yet, here I was, wasting prime holiday shopping time sitting in a stuffy office hoping to see someone I'd only met once.
The door behind me clicked and I spun around, expecting to see Solomon, but instead it was a younger man, handsome in his own way, but leaner with a darker appearance. That explained why Solomon hadn't admitted me right away. He was with someone. The relief I felt made me a little wobbly in my heels, but I smiled at the newcomer, letting my suddenly lighter spirit show. Maybe I smile too much for the camera and it came off as flirty instead of friendly, because one arched brow rose high and I nearly giggled. It made him look very much like an inquiring Vulcan and less wicked than I'd first thought.
He looked me over slowly, extending a hand in greeting. "You're Lake Wynters?"
I accepted his hand, squeezing gently, just as my behavior coach had taught me. "I am. You'll get used to it. It's my real name. My parents were wannabe hippies. I had to get over it, just one of many things." Jesus, why was I babbling? More to the point, why did this man's dry, firm touch send goose bumps up my arm?
"Will I? Get used to it, I mean?" He smiled a little, just the tiniest quirk of his lips, but I felt at ease suddenly.
"I think so. At least, I hope so. And you are?" I wanted to put a name to a face that I would surely remember for a long time. I had the feeling we could be friends, maybe more than friends.
"I'm Adonis Kosmias. Alas, my parents were also enamored of odd names." He smiled fully now, white teeth gleaming between full dark lips.
"Adonis?" He seemed to find the name amusing, but it sounded nice to me. So did the husky note in his voice and the gentle laugh that came as he recognized my confusion.
"He's the Greek god of beauty and desire. Come in, Solomon will see you now." I realized our hands were still clasped, though neither of us made any pretense at shaking and felt my neck and ears flame instantly. I blushed. I'd be walking in to see Solomon with my ears and cheeks flaming red. So much for appearing sophisticated and debonair. My cover, such as it was, was blown.
But, the Greek god of beauty and desire? Yeah... I could understand his laughter. Not many would call this man beautiful. His features were too harsh, his body too angular for beauty. But he moved with fluid grace and his hair fell in perfect waves and his eyes sparkled with such warmth.
His touch distracted me from Solomon, who was now willing to see me. On the other side of the door I'd been obsessed with just minutes earlier.
The door opened before I remembered that I could tug my hand out of his grip and didn't need to wait for him to release it. So, what the man I'd dreamed about for two weeks saw when I stepped into his office, was me holding hands with another man.

BUY LINKS:   AMAZON   |   BREATHLESS PRESS   |   ARe

AUTHOR INFO:

A multi-published author with Breathless Press, Silver Publishing, Evernight Publishing and Total-e-Bound, Lee Brazil is a retired teacher of grammar and composition. Moving around the country a lot as a child meant a constant stream of new schools, new locations and new people. As a child Lee was swept away into incredible worlds with the turn of every page, from Camelot to Sherwood Forest, the deck of a whaling ship, or the frigid Alaskan tundra. Every book spurred new adventures. Even before Lee started putting what if's on paper, the stories were there. As Lee grew into adulthood, the stories changed, and the focus changed from wild adventures and feats of daring to simpler, more enduring themes. Today Lee writes about one of the most basic of human needs...the need to love and be loved.

Lee on FB:  http://www.facebook.com/lee.brazil
Lee on Twitter:  @leebrazil
Lee Blog:  http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com/
Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/leebrazil/
You Tube:  http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmjXLWlO4c2_5ZZQigbeZg?
Facebook Links:
https://www.facebook.com/leebrazilauthor
https://www.facebook.com/SOGroup
https://www.facebook.com/BreathlessPressPage
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Truth-or-Dare/262636600433556

**********GIVEAWAY**********

a Rafflecopter giveaway

15 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting me here today! *sips coffee and waves* Love that rafflecopter give away! too bad authors can't enter those are some fabulous prizes! Ah well, best of luck to all of you who enter to win!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank YOU for being here today and don't forget that you're back here tomorrow when we get to talk more about Temptation. I'm looking forward to it! And yes, these are some AMAZING PRIZES! BP is being very generous and I wish everyone luck!

      The Scarf Princess

      Delete
  2. WOW!!! That was just not right to leave a person hanging on a Monday morning...Can't wait to get my hands on this one. Marie melisk1966@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great interview and loved the excerpt! Thanks for this awesome giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Other than the beautiful excerpt? I thought it was pretty neat that Lee Brazil picked Keeping House as the one Lee would like to see made into a movie, because Keeping House is one of my favorite M/M books. Loved it so much!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good interview! And I really, really like the blurb and excerpt for Temptation!

    Please count me in for the giveaway! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. This one really appeals!

    vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm not typically a fan of M/M but this sounds interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for the giveaways! I enjoyed reading the excerpt and the interview.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Victoria really does wonderful covers :D Im a fan of her work.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like hearing positive comments about BP...I keep hearing them!

    Barrie

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love Harrison Ford; great that you would choose him for your book :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very interesting excerpt :)

    penumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hmm, now i want to know what happens... Thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This may sound strange but I liked the info on Lee. Harrison Ford is one of my favorite actors.

    ReplyDelete