Monday 27 November 2017

Balls & Chains series - author interview

BALLS & CHAINS SERIES – AUTHOR INTERVIEW


I am delighted to welcome the lovely Amara Lebel who has written a story for the ‘Balls & Chains’ series of which I am the series editor (and book 1 ‘To Claim a Mate’ was one of my stories).

Welcome, Amara. Please tell us about yourself…


"I am not Perverted. I am a Depraved Sensualist. There is a difference!"

My name is Amara Lebel, and I am an Erotic Romance and ManLove author. I come from a small town in Northern Ireland called Derry, where I now live with my handsome (French) hubby and gorgeous family. I'm a full-time mum of three, and believe me when I say they keep me busy. I spend my days chasing after my lil darlings, my nights lost in Yaoi, and thanks to my amazing husband I spend my weekends writing up a storm.

A huge fan of all things male, I can honestly raise both hands and say that I have an unhealthy addiction to all things M/M. I watch, read and drool over everything to do with gay couples. Yes, I am a little perverted, yet in a good way. It’s where I get my inspiration from, and I am not ashamed to say it. I also have a vast Yaoi collection which I devour religiously - for those of you not in the know Yaoi, and/or Shounen-ai, is MM anime and manga, ranging from Light to Hard core. There are so many genres within this genre alone that there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

I have always had a love for erotica, gay romance in particular. Kallysten is my favourite author of MM erotic romance. I adore her characters, the worlds she created, and the relationships she built within them. She was a huge influence in my decision to write, and of course the genre I chose. Kally was the one who opened my eyes to world of MM romance, and now I am truly obsessed.

With a little encouragement I eventually put pen to paper and wrote my first ever MM romance, Denial (The Unrequited Trilogy #1), which was published in Sept 2014. Now I take great pride in sharing my erotic stories of forbidden lust and enchanted romance with all of you, my fellow depraved sensualists.

If you would like to know more about myself, or my books, please feel free to get in touch. I will happily answer your questions!


…….


Your Writing

The ‘Balls & Chains’ series has a specific genre and setting – gay shifter stories set in a BDSM club. How did you find these themes easy (or hard) to work with?

When I heard about the Balls & Chains series I thought that it would be a great opportunity to write something new. I have always written gay romance, so I had no issue from this perspective. Yet, to date, my stories have only ever been Contemporary Romance. With ‘Taming the Alpha’, I could branch out and try my hand at not only Paranormal Romance, but with BDSM in greater detail. It was a challenge for me, but one I accepted gladly. Being a fan of PNR it was easy enough to get into the groove of plotting a storyline and writing the wolves, the BDSM, however, I found more difficult. I have some experience with the Lifestyle in real life, so I had very little research to do, I could work from experience. My problems stemmed from writing the BDSM scenes in a way which made them exciting and believable for the readers, yet worded in a way which didn’t offend those in the Lifestyle who may happen to lift my book and give it a read. I think I managed to succeed with Cade and Blake’s story, fingers crossed, huh. 
(And you did extremely well! I had no idea reading it that it was your first time writing a paranormal story! JD)


This is Luminosity’s second book in the ‘Balls & Chains’ series. Have you had any stories accepted in an anthology before?

Yes, back in 2014 I participated in an anthology for Breast Cancer Awareness called Shades of Pink. An author friend of mine, Kallysten, set it up, and is in fact looking for authors to participate in the 2018 anthology as we speak.

The stories included in the anthology were a variety of genre and hotness levels. Yet they all had the same theme – Pink. The anthology sold for a limited time only, and all proceeds went to a cancer research charity.

You can find my short story, Gabriel’s Rose, here on my website as a Free Read:


I also participated in an anthology with my fellow ManLove authors called, Gypsy’s Wolf, a M/M Paranormal Romance. There were 25 of us involved, and we all wrote a chapter each, building the storyline and characters. All proceeds go to charities which tackle homelessness in young LGBTQ people. You can find the book here - http://www.bookstrand.com/gypsys-wolf


Balls & Chains’ are MM stories. What other sexual orientations do you normally write or are you solely an MM writer?

To date most my stories have been M/M, although, as mentioned above, I do have a Free short read which is M/F and I am currently working on a Paranormal Romance which is also M/F. I don’t really know why, but I find it easier to write love between two men than I do with a straight couple or two women. I have a feeling that a majority of my future releases will also be M/M, but at least I will have some variety in there.
(It’s interesting how we are drawn to a particular sexual orientation. I have written MM myself but prefer to include a woman in my stories. JD)



Tell us about the characters in your story (eg, a short paragraph describing them like Matt is 30 and he works as a plumber. He has dark hair, piercing blue eyes and is SOOO sexy).

Cadeon Rosseau is tall, dark and dangerous. Originally from the French Alps, he has a gorgeous French accent. He is tan skinned, with brown hair and black eyes. With his strong jaw and regal nose, the guy is handsome, sinfully so. Alpha of a pack which disowned him, not only is Cade dominant, but he’s also jaded and scarred. At 150 years old, he’s been through a lot, but from the looks of him you wouldn’t think he’s any older than his early thirties. Cade refuses to work, instead living off the fortune he inherited from his now deceased family.

Blake Copeland is Cade’s polar opposite. Fair haired, he has blue eyes, smooth skin, and a light aura. He is kind-hearted and reserved, a true English gentleman. At 300 years old, he is the only remaining wolf of his pack, which was forced into extinction at the hands of the humans. Having no choice but to live among them, Blake forged a career in the medical trade, and is a fully qualified apothecary – or doctor to you and I. Blake is a submissive male, yet get on his wrong side and he will surely bite back.

All in all, these two males are sexy as hell. . .


Please give us the blurb for your story ‘Taming the Alpha’:

Welcome to Balls & Chains, a BDSM Club for gay men. Cross the threshold and see the worlds of humans and shifters collide as these alphas dominate, and betas submit.

Past sins have forced Cadeon Rosseau into isolation, his pack turning against him and casting him out. Self-hatred and mutilation made him the male he is today. An alpha in his own right, he prowls the rooms at Balls & Chains in search of the one who will either save him from himself or break him completely. Jaded and alone, he finds it difficult to pull away from the self-made hell which has become his life, until a new submissive garners his attention…

Curiosity and a need for adventure lured Blake Copeland to the doors of the famous gay BDSM club. He craved distraction from his monotonous life and had been assured that he would find it there. Little did he know exactly how true that statement would be. Not only did Blake find what he was looking for, but he also left with a slightly unhinged mate in tow…

Will these two lone wolves find the strength to battle the obstacles in their path and build a future?




Although Luminosity Publishing is based in the UK, they have published stories from authors from several different countries. Your story is set in the US but has French and English main characters. Can you tell us which country are you from and why choose those countries for your characters?

Well, I am Irish, born and raised in a small town in Northern Ireland, UK.

As for my males – It’s no secret that my lovely husband is French. This being so, I understand the language very well, and have always wanted to put these skills to use in one of my stories. There was never any doubt in my mind that one of my menfolk would be a handsome French man. Hence, Cadeon Rosseau was born!

When I had originally thought up Cadeon, the stubborn fool had been bisexual, and his lover American. Yet over time, as his story unfolded, I finally settled on him being gay with an English lover. Cade demanded it, and no matter what way I tried to change his story, I just couldn’t seem to change that fact.
(Ah! That explains how Cadeon ended up being French. But I love how it was Cade that demanded an English lover! LOL. JD)



About You


When was your first book published and with whom?

My first book, Denial, The Unrequited Trilogy #1, was released in September 2014, and was published by Siren Publishing, Ltd.


Give one thing about yourself that you would like to change?

Hmm. . . there isn’t really much about myself I would like to change, nor my lifestyle. If I were to want anything, it would simply be more hours in the day so I can write more.


Name three people you would like to be shipwrecked with (and why)?

Kallysten – Fangirl #1 here! I would love to meet this lady, and squeee loads, and pick her saucy M/M legend brain!
Chris Hemsworth (as Thor) – Rawwwwwwwr need I say more?
Maria Bilak – I need to spend some time with girlfriend, why not get stranded together on a desert island where we can fangirl over Kally and drool over Thor!


What’s the strangest (bravest, funniest etc) thing you’ve ever done?

It’s a secret. . .
No, I’m kidding. There have been a few milestones in my life that I’ll always remember, for different reasons, some good and others bad. To give you a few examples; I have had several girlfriends. I survived something horrific. I am a qualified Mental Health nurse. I married the one and only man I have ever been with. I am friends with a very famous idol in the book world. I enjoy Role Play. I dabble in the BDSM Lifestyle. I adore Latex. I have been to Australia, Thailand and the Middle East. I have released several M/M books. . .

The most awesome thing I have done, is create my family. My little demons are amazing, and I wouldn’t change them for the world. They are a piece of me, and a piece of their papa. . . our mark on the world.

The bravest thing I have done to date, is win my battle against skin cancer. I was given the all clear in October, and I am beyond pleased. From the time I found the strange mole, right up until the consultant told me the melanoma was all removed, had been the hardest few months of my life. Stress, worry, doubts, body image issues, more stress. . . but I won. So, yay me!! #warriorswearblack
(Well done, you! Getting past cancer is a nightmare but you’ve come out the other side. JD)


Please give links of how fans can find you on the internet/buy your books.


Are you Stalkin’ Me? ‘Cause that would be Awesome!

  


I have had a great time, thank you so much for having me, Jennifer, and thanks to those who have stopped by.     

You are very welcome. It was fabulous interviewing you. Good look with your book and thank you so much for writing for the ‘Balls & Chains’ series.

NB: This series is open to anyone – it is a gay shifter series set in a BDSM club. Full details can be found on Luminosity’s website. http://luminositypublishing.com/submission-calls/





2 comments:

  1. Woohoo this was awesome! Thank you so much for having me, darhling!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great Inteview. Can't wait for release day!!

    ReplyDelete