Author Interview: ALEX MORGAN

Author Interview by A.J. Llewellyn

1. Hi Alex and welcome to the Divas’ den! I would like to thank you for stopping by and want to start by asking about your two nome des plume, Alex Morgan and Alan Scott. I know Alan’s work is mainstream rather than erotic, but there is a paranormal element threaded through these stories. Please tell me a little bit about both these talented authors.

Thank you, AJ! I appreciate and am quite honored with the invitation. I wrote my first two novels under the name Alan Scott (since my last name is difficult to pronounce) and those did have the paranormal elements of psychic powers such as telekinesis, telepathy and clairvoyance. I’ve always been fascinated by comic books and the super-hero genre as well as mysteries. So I created a group of men who were trained to develop psychic powers and apply them to solving crimes. Think of X-Men meet Hercule Poirot!

When loveyoudivine Alterotica was asking for gay erotica short stories for publication, I saw an opportunity to have my creations finally in print. So I developed the character Corey Shaw (handsome, telepathic and gay) to solve a murder involving the BDSM community. I wasn’t prepared to mix my mainstream with my gay erotica works so I went with the name Alexander Morgan, my ‘pirate’ name since 1995, for loveyoudivine.

2. Which of them is closest to your heart and do they ever fight with each other? Do you ever have to pull over on the side of the freeway and tell Alex and Alan to play nicely?

LOL! No, I’m not that over-the-top. Think of them as the super-hero and his secret leather identity.

3. His secret leather identity? I love it! Provincetown features heavily in your stories…is this a place you love?

Yes, I’ve been to Provincetown several times and just recently to do a little research for “Safe Word”. When I came up with the idea of a murder in the gay BDSM community, I thought that Provincetown would be the ideal setting for the story.

4. I know you live in Washington DC with your partner and your cat…please tell us a little about your life there. It is a place of inspiration for you?

Not yet. But I’m thinking about picking up where Margaret Truman left off. All of her mysteries took place in the DC area, but she never wrote “Murder in Adams Morgan” or “Murder at the Green Lantern” (the Green Lantern is a popular gay bar here).
I draw most of my inspiration from my travels around the country (much like Agatha Christie who wrote her books based on her travels around the globe). For example, my first novel “Inside Passage to Murder” is set on a cruise ship in Alaska. “A Faire Day for Murder” takes place during a renaissance festival in Oklahoma.

5. I thought Corey Shaw was a convincing hero in your short story “Safe Word” from the MEN Anthology. He is also in another short story I believe…”Provincetown.” Any plans to bring him back?

I first introduced Corey in a short story written for a contest on Writing.com and then featured him again in another story “Provincetown” for an erotica contest. I created “Safe Word” with him specifically in mind. “Provincetown” is now a chapter in the extended version of “Safe Word” which I discuss a little later in the interview.

You will see Corey in future works, although I have no immediate plans for him.

6. You seem to favor BDSM as a genre…what is your feeling about the genre in general? May I ask if you practice this in your life?

Oh, you’re getting rather personal here, AJ! LOL

AJ says: I've been told that before!

No, I do not practice this in my life although I’d love to. There I’ve let out my deepest darkest secret. I do love the BDSM concept and the Power Exchange between two men. To me there is nothing hotter than a handsome man tied up and at the mercy of another. This can create many different situations for a writer of BDSM to develop, since the dynamics have endless possibilities!


7. Alex, I am on my way over! Ahem...let me ask you, which erotic fiction authors do you read? And which are your favorite authors?

The erotica authors on Writing.com are excellent and I love reading their works. For the longest time, I shied away from reading any type of gay literature because I found the stories to be more unbelievable than a group of super-powered mutants or a 200-foot tall, radioactive Tyrannosaurus Rex destroying Tokyo.

I enjoy reading Jon Michaelsen’s work “Pretty Boy Dead”, a murder mystery set in Atlanta’s gay community and Sephina’s “Servants of Night”, an erotic vampire story.

8. I know you are a big mystery lover…if I was new to the genre, what would be my five top must-reads?

These choices are my opinion only, so another mystery lover would probably disagree and have an entirely different list, but mine’s better! LOL

1. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. This was the first book I read outside of the “Hardy Boys” and loved it. Hercule Poirot figured out the mystery without being in the wrong place at the wrong time like Frank and Joe. What a concept!
2. Any Brother Cadfael novel by Ellis Peters. She is probably the best author of historical mysteries. Her works have been made it onto the silver screen with Derek Jacobi in the title role.
3. Ashes of Aries by Martha C. Lawrence. Ms. Lawrence is the only other mystery writer I have found (so far) that has a psychic sleuth. Elizabeth Chase is a psychic investigator and based on Ms. Lawrence’s own experiences studying the paranormal. “Ashes” is not her first novel but I find it to be a better work. I think she was working her way through the Zodiac but for some reason, she only has five novels.
4. Green Grow the Dollars by Emma Lathen. Emma Lathen is the pseudonym of two women who also wrote under the pseudonym R. B. Dominic. Lathen’s sleuth is John Putnam Thatcher, a Wall Street banker. Dominic’s is Senator Benton Safford from Ohio in Washington, DC. In “Green Grow the Dollars”, Thatcher solves the mystery in a very simple way. He makes a phone call and asks one question. Lathen’s books are also fun to read since many were written in the 60’s and 70’s, when bankers’ offices had mini-bars but no computers.
5. Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne. Tremayne is the pseudonym of a well-known expert on ancient Ireland. His sleuth is a young nun Sister Fidelma. I like his series because he puts so much of the society and environment from that era into his stories that ancient Ireland comes to life in his pages. Margaret Frazer also has a great historical series with her Dame Frevisse character.

9. My to-read list just grew bigger! LOL...I know you have some upcoming releases…one for LoveYouDivine in the MOH Anthology and a Halloween story. Please tell me about them and also please tell me what else you’re cooking on the stove.

Actually, my short for Men On Holiday is “Soumets-toi á moi”, a Mardi Gras theme. The title can be translated loosely to mean “Surrender the booty”. It involves the ghost of the pirate Jean Lafitte stalking two young men who have discovered a piece of his treasure.

I have also submitted a story to loveyoudivine titled “Love’s Snowblind”. The idea came from a friend of mine in Canada who has extremely poor eyesight. “Love’s Snowblind” is about a man getting lost in a forest during a blizzard and is rescued by a (near) blind man, who takes him back to his cabin and nurses him back to health. There is a short but unique bondage scene in it, of course!

And I am in the process of expanding “Safe Word” into a novel! I’m very excited about that. It is in the first editing phase right now so no date for its release has been set.

10. If you could get a publishing deal to write one non fiction book on anything in the world you wanted, what would it be and why?

I have been so intrigued by the works of Erik Larsen “Isaac’s Storm” (Galveston Hurricane of 1900), David McCullough’s “The Johnstown Flood” and David Laskin’s “The Children’s Blizzard”. It’s not that I have a morbid fascination with weather-related catastrophes but I am so impressed with the authors’ abilities to chronicle the changes in weather prior to the disasters, and then recreate minute-by-minute the series of events as experienced by the people in those communities.

I would like to write about the destruction of Port Royal, Jamaica by earthquake, fire and then tsunami in 1692. It was a haven for pirates during that era and was nothing more than a heathen den of iniquity and hedonism and its destruction was heralded as God’s punishment on the evil. I’d like to recreate the catastrophic events of that dreadful day in the same manner as Larsen, McCullough and Laskin.

On behalf of Dark Diva Reviews, I'd like to thank you for stopping by today Alex and for putting up with me!

Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to reach out to your audience, AJ!

To find out more about this talented author, please visit his links:

http://pennedbyalanscott.com/alex_home.htm

www.loveyoudivine.com

Author Interview: CAROL McKENZIE

Author Interview by A. J. Llewellyn

1. Hi Carol and welcome to the Divas’ Dark Den! My first question to you is about your latest release Cowboy Dreams for the Men on Holiday Anthology. It’s actually M/M/ rather than a M/M story isn’t it?

I appreciate the warm welcome AJ and many thanks to Divas’ Dark Den for having me today. Okay...now to answer your question. Let’s see...I wrote a story titled Cowboy Dreams over a year ago and it is not gay lit but more M/M/F historical. The story that released this December, 2008 at loveyoudivine is titled Cowboys’ Christmas.

C.C. is a gay love story with bits of eroticism in it. Two rodeo hands hook up after fulfilling their obligations to the rodeo circuit one cold December day in the state of Washington.

AJ says: Wow that sounds hot!

Thanks AJ! To clarify, Cowboys’ Christmas is not “porn” hot, but it’s more a romantic, warm story. At thirty, their backs ache from the rigors of being bucked off horses. Because they work different circuits, time separates them, but their love remains in tact. Every year they meet at the same spot and spend time together. The story contains couple of lovemaking scenes. C.C. is my addition to the print anthology to be published by loveyoudivine in 2009 titled Men On Holiday.

2. Was Pure Artistry - which is in the original Men antho - your first foray into the M/M realm and how did it come about?

A couple of years ago, I wrote Day of Reckoning which was my first serious attempt to write gay lit. I’ve always loved cowboys, gay or straight, and found that I had a lot of fun writing them. I believe Pure Artistry is the third attempt to write gay lit. I’ve read Lassoed by B.A. Tortuga and her work inspired to write my own story. I also watched (and loved) the movie Brokeback Mountain. This award-winning movie also inspired me to write M/M.

3. What kind of research did you do to write M/M?

As far as research goes, I’ve read stories by Ally Blue, (Willow Bend) and B.A. Tortuga, (Lassoed) and J. M. Snyder (Working Man). I’ve read articles on blogs which serves up a great source of research material. My deceased stepson was gay and for this reason I’m drawn to and know a little about this type of literature and lifestyle. The M/M title which necessitated a lot (I mean a lot) of research is releasing at www.ShadowfirePress.com January 16th, 2009.

Its title is Pirate of Purgatory Island and is about a Pirate who saves a Boston medical understudy from another pirate who plans to take him aboard his ship as a sex slave.

4. A pirate? That sounds amazing! I love pirates - but since it is involves a med student it’s clearly not a period piece…so I am curious what this research involves?

It involves many hours of study. Regarding pirates and medicine of the 1700s, I learned a lot from history.org . Google and the local library are both helpful instruments of research.

As you know, obtaining a degree in medicine today differs greatly when compared to the study of the profession in the 1770s. Doctors of Medicine chose young, bright men to study and work under their tutelage. There were very few skilled practitioners and a lot of people died from illnesses that today are seemingly simple to cure. A lot of quacks set up practice and made people deathly ill or killed them with their creative cures.

5. I cannot wait to rea this! Let me ask you, have you encountered any negativity being a woman writing gay erotic fiction? There is a disturbing groundswell for this…but my feeling is men have been writing as women and about women for years. Victor J. Banis pointed out to me that Brokeback - which you mention here, was written by a woman. He goes so far as to say that a man could have written this book. What is your opinion on this debate?

No, I’ve not personally encountered negativity. I believe most open-minded people realize that it is the Twenty-first Century, and creativity should not be thwarted by people telling people what subject or who they should write about. It’s akin to telling an artist what or who they may paint a picture of.

6. I know you also write F/F fiction. Is this a genre you plan to continue and which do you prefer?

I enjoy switching genres after finishing a story. F/F stories, to me, are as much fun to write as M/M stories. I plan to continue writing more of them for each of my three publishers, loveyoudivine, Shadowfire Press and Siren-Bookstrand Publishing. All this genre flip-flopping gives me a chance to regroup mentally and emotionally when the story is finished. I enjoy writing not only M/M and F/F, but also M/M/BF and interracial BF/WM.

7. What, in your opinion is the reason that so many women are flocking to this genre both as writers and readers?

Quite frankly, two attractive men loving and lusting after each other, is mesmerizing and turn a lot of women on...including me. I guess that’s why I write it.

8. A bisexual female writer I know also suggested to me that women feel gay men have a sexual freedom of self expression that they don’t have and therefore get to live out their fantasies in some ways by writers of gay erotic fiction and of course, gay porn. I was quite taken by this analysis. What do you feel about what she said?

To shove everyone under one umbrella of thought is a questionable practice and I cannot speak about how everyone feels. I suppose, in some cases, she is right, that some men may be freer in their sexual expression.

Women, who were once suppressed, are finally becoming freer in thought, expression, and creativity. Some women have a more romantic, softer side than men. A definite niche prefers romance as opposed to the “porn” side of M/M relationships.

9. Did you read much M/M before you wrote this piece and who are your favorite authors?

As I’ve stated previously, I read stories by B.A. Tortuga, Ally Blue, and J.M. Snyder. They’re enjoyable authors to read. However, I’m finding that there are many talented authors out there who write M/M. A.J., some day soon I will read one of your books.

AJ says: Wow, thanks!! And since I am a man and the other authors you mention are women, are they any male authors you read?

Since you’ve mentioned it, I read the free read that you offer on your website today. It was HOT! So, I guess you’re one of the male M/M writers that I’ve read.

AJ: LOL. Thanks, Carol!

Of course I’ve read the wonderful works by Jon Michaelsen and Max Griffith who are authors at loveyoudivine. They are friends and we all belong to a forum at WDC and criticize each other’s work.

AJ says: I adore Jon Michaelsen's work too.

My favorite gay blog is Debriefing the Boys. I get great story ideas from it. It is located at: http://debriefingtheboys.blogspot.com/2007/12/full-disclosure.html

10. I know you are married with children…how does your family feel about your erotic fiction? Are they supportive? Do they read it?

Actually, I write incognito. My husband knows what I write and is very supportive. My two living sons are grown and have families. They live far away and don’t know what I write. I’m not ready to tell them

11. What are you working on now?

I’m inspired to write another gay cowboy story. In fact, I’m ironing kinks out of a possible plot now; I hope it flies.

12. Please tell me something about your writing routine. Do you write every day?

I write every day from four to four-thirty in the morning and write in spurts until three in the afternoon. Between chunks of prose I tackle mundane matters like housework and errands. My most productive writing occurs when I get warmed up, between five and six in the morning.

13. I am always intrigued by writers’ muses. Stephen King says his is a grumpy guy with battered wings and a massive cigar. What is yours like?

Ahhh, Stephen King is a prolific writer and his impression of his muse is hilarious. I love his stories, especially The Stand and Tommyknockers.

My muse (a real P.I.T.A.) is elusive, like a wraith. She gets her kicks by aggravating me when I instead need her support. She is difficult to get along with, can be obnoxious and derives pleasure from sitting on my shoulder or standing behind my chair, questioning my punctuation and grammar and filling my mind with doubt regarding the preceding paragraph.

AJ says: your muse is a PITA? Must be a close friend of mine!

On behalf of Dark Diva Reviews, I’d like to thank the wonderful and talented Carol McKenzie for stopping by today. Please learn more about this awesome author at her links:

http://www.carol-mckenzie.com/

Carol’s blog is www.xanga.com/mckbooks and she invites everyone to stop by!

Author Interview: JON MICHAELSEN

FOR THE LOVE OF MEN - Interview By A.J. Llewellyn

1.Hi Jon, welcome to the Divas! When did you start writing M/M fiction and which authors - M/M specifically - appealed to you the most when you started writing your stories?

I have been writing stories as long as I can recall. I began writing M/M fiction sometime in my late teens and wrote my first novel at seventeen. Authors that appealed to me at this age were Patricia Nell Warren and James Kirkwood. In my early twenties, I discovered the writings of Michael Nava, Felice Picano, Armistead Maupin and Andrew Holleran.

2. I am intrigued that you describe yourself as an author whose characters 'just happen to be gay'. Do you see a difference between this and books that state themselves as M/M fiction?

Yes and no. I guess my answer depends on the targeted audience, material or which author. Some of my favorite novels do not contain a single gay character (or perhaps they get the obligatory cameo role), yet I find that I read many stories as if the protagonist is “gay” – so what if he/she has a love interest of the opposite sex! Why limit ourselves, I ask? I’ve been gay as long as I can remember, but it took years of personal growth before I began to speak so candidly about it. I don’t think my sexuality defines who I am – so why should it define my characters?

3. You mention one of my favorite authors Felice Picano as being an influence. I only recently discovered him and was over the moon about a short story of his, The Married Man that I read in an anthology called New York Sex. I could talk to you about him all day but what is it about his work that you particularly admire?

OMG! I discovered Felice Picano about two years ago. He released Like People in History, to date my favorite novel of his. I couldn’t believe that I never came across his titles before. Perhaps because most mainstream bookstores at the time didn’t carry gay-themed titles as much as they do currently, albeit a very limited selection. I searched online and ordered four more titles of his work right away: The Lure, The Book of Lies and Onyx. What intrigues me most about Picano’s writing is his uncanny gift of absorbing the reader into his characters’ lives. You don’t ever want his stories to end! I’m also intrigued by his versatility in his writing; he doesn’t stick with one genre.

4. I must mention something here about your personal life. I know you have been with your lifelong partner for 22 years. Congratulations! How do you sustain a relationship that long in this crazy world?

(Laughs) I’m always amazed when people – even close friends – seem shocked at the number of years I have been with my partner. We got together during the mid-80s and the rage of AIDS was not yet realized by our community, and indeed the world. I’d like to say we met at the right time, the right place, but our introduction was far less dramatic. Sustain, you ask? I think any relationship takes hard work. Our partnership is no different than a marriage between a man and a woman, with exception of obvious legal exclusions.

5. What are the three things you love most about him? Quick…first things off the top of your head…

His loyalty, honesty and enduring love.


6. What is your life like in Atlanta and have you found it to be gay friendly? Do you have a writerly ritual, like a fave coffee shop hangout?

Atlanta is very gay friendly! At least, within the city limits and some of the immediate suburbs. Once you get outside the city, outside the interstate perimeter I-285 (locals called it “OTP” or outside the perimeter), acceptance and tolerance lessens the further away from town one drives, but the boundaries of acceptance keep expanding each year.
My favorite haunt to pound out a few words in my laptop while enjoying a great cup of joe, friendly staff and excellent music is Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse http://www.outwritebooks.com/ which is in the heart of Midtown, the gay mecca of Atlanta. In fact, I wrote scenes from my current e-book, Voyeur, while seated at a favorite table near to the window and glancing out at the tall buildings of Midtown. Outwrite is located at the corners of Tenth and Piedmont, a popular spot that manages to find its way into the pages of several of my stories, including my current work-in-progress; a murder/suspense novel releasing sometime early next year.

7. Have you considered getting married in California and can I come to the wedding??

No and Yes! We’ll wait for marriage to become legal in Georgia before going that route. When that happens - or we move to a state that legalizes marriage between same-sex couples, absolutely!

8. I promise not to embarrass you or spit at anybody, unless they ask me to, of course…Okay Jon, dish. You say you have three monstrous terriers. What are their names and how bad are they, really?

Have you ever owned a terrier?

AJ says: I have a golden retriever. In her puppy days when she chewed everything and tried to kill the cats, I threatened to turn her into a throw rug. The dog understood and has been a Stepford Dog ever since…but do go on…

LOL. Well, we have terrors, er terriers (!), but we love them dearly. You can’t threaten them; they’re up for the challenge! Each is unique in personality and smart as a whip. Their names in order of age are Gracie, Monte and Morgan and they are the of the same breed, Lakeland Terrier. I’m exaggerating some, but any terrier owner will tell you to keep an eye peeled in their direction at all times as they get bored and get into trouble at the drop of a dime.

9. If you were a Disney character, which one would you be, and why?

Hands down, Nemo! I love the ocean and plan to retire hear the water one day. My family lives in Florida. I would love to travel the currents and see the “underworld” like Nemo.


10. Do you read a lot? What books do you enjoy the most?

I read all the time. When I’m not writing or editing my own work, I’m reading and/or reviewing another author’s writing as part of an online writing workshop I’m involved in. I usually read two or three novels simultaneously; one sits in my car, one bedside my bed and another near where I happen to relax for the evening in the house. I love to read! In order to keep the story lines from merging, I’ll try to read different genres. For instance, currently I’m reading Rick R Reed’s psychotic serial killer thriller, IM.

AJ Says: Hold it right there. He is my new favorite author. He scares the pants off me! I loved IM!

Wow, what a thriller! Have you seen the cover of his new release set for October 2008, Dead End Street? OMG! The cover of the novel sends shivers up my spine! I can’t wait to read it. I’m also reading The Mistress and the Mouse by J.J. Giles, an erotic soap-opera that would make hardcore Dallas and Dynasty blush! The third book I’m re-reading at the moment (yes, re-reading since I read all stories prior to publication during creation) is the all male, erotic romance anthology titled, Men, from Loveyoudivine, which includes my story, Voyeur.

11. I have asked other M/M authors this and it continues to enthrall and baffle me. Why do you think so many women have become increasingly drawn to M/M fiction over the last couple of years?

I honestly do not know. No one was more shocked than me to learn that most of the people buying my e-book, Voyeur, are women. That holds true for the recently released print anthology, Men.

12. Can you personally tell if a woman (passing as a man) is writing M/M fic and what is the difference in your mind?

A difficult question to answer. I believe it can depend on the author, perhaps their experience to some degree. There is some m/m fiction where I can peg the difference on the spot, similar to if I tried writing m/f fiction – I don’t have the experience or knowledge in some areas of m/f couplings that would lend credibility to the story. I feel the same holds true in some m/m fiction written by women sometimes. But, I’m often proven wrong. Take Anastasia Rabiyah, for instance. She’s a wonderfully gifted writer who recently released, The Blindfold, another story in the Men anthology. If I’d read the story without knowing the author was a woman, I’d swear a gay guy penned it! Just goes to show, can’t judge the greatness of a novel by the gender of the author alone.

11. What are you working on now and please describe your writing process.

I’m in the editing stages of a murder/suspense novel that should go to my publisher by the end of the year centered on a closeted gay-homicide detective in Atlanta, Georgia; the first in a series. I have at least three novellas in the hopper that I hope to submit before the end of the year, and a selection to be included in Men II, which is set for release in early 2009.
My writing process? Scattered! I work on the story that I’m in the mood for at the moment, what ever jumps forward. I can move back and forth, work on a short-story or my novel based on where my muse takes me. I carry a micro-cassette recorder (remember those?) with me in the car at all times. I’m usually recording scenes, dialog or story ideas while tooling down the highway.

12. I was fascinated to see that on your website, you described Michael Crichton as a literary influence. Is this where you get your 'twisty' inspiration for your books?

Some, yes. Others include Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, M. Night Shamalyan, John Grisham and David Baldacci – and a recent discovery, Max Griffin.

13. I just ran your name through the Vampire Name Generator. It’s pretty cool, actually. This is what came out: The Great Archives determine you to have gone by the identity:
Emperor of Scandanavia
Known in some parts of the world as: Father of The Steely Moon
The Great Archives Record: A child of the Moon Goddess - Cold, determined, but of the light in the night.

Now imagine that you, Steely Moon, have just landed with a thud in Atlanta. Georgia in the gay ‘hood. What one special, unusual vampire trait do you have?

Wow, you’ve put me on the spot! How about, that I can move among the living even during daylight hours, a rarity of my heritage borne centuries ago.

14. Cool Answer…Now, forgetting you’re not single just for a moment, if you could conjure up any outfit and any man in the world you, Steely Moon, wanted for a hot night on the town, what you wear and who would your date be? And how long would it take for you to put out?

Hands down, my date would be Christian Bale. We’d dine at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead in formal tuxedos, before heading out for the evening later in black jeans, dark boots and t-shirts. To “put out”? Depends on when he’s called into action in his bat suit.

15. Oh you have a great sense of humor. I love it!! So, what is next after Men II?

My goal? Lots and lots of writing! Men was just released this month, and before I know it, Men II will be here. I need to finish editing my murder/suspense novel, Pretty Boy Dead, and start on the second book in the series, as well as other projects throughout next year. Also, I have an idea for a ghost story.

16. One final question while I still have you under the harsh spotlight of the interrogator’s death beam…am I the sexiest guy to ever interview you?

Well, of course!!

On behalf of Dark Diva Reviews, I would like to thank Jon Michaelsen for stopping by today…and for being such good fun!!! Find out more about him at:

http://www.jonmichaelsen.com/
www.myspace.com/jonmichaelsen

Order my current e-book
http://tinyurl.com/LYD-Voyeur

Order Men from loveyoudivine
http://tinyurl.com/LYD-MEN

order MEN from Amazon.com
http://tinyurl.com/MENwhoLOVEmen

http://www.loveyoudivine.com/