I want to thank
Kerry for having me on the blog today. It’s always fun to visit new blogs, like
I Am a Book Addict and Proud of It, and hang out with friends. I was asked to
write about the LGBT genre, how it’s gone mainstream, who reads books like Catching
Cary, and why LGBT books are more accepted.
The LGBT genre has
gone more mainstream because the tag LGBT doesn’t have the same taboo it once
did. Accepting who you are and what you want to do has become more
conventional. People seem more curious. It’s pretty great.
Another thing
that’s sent the LGBT genre farther into the mainstream is the tastes of the
readers. Men tend to like to watch two women together and women are getting
more comfortable with admitting they’d like to read about two men together.
There’s something sexy about two strong men in bed together. There isn’t the
over-analyzing that can be in a standard m/f romance. Guys don’t usually talk
about their feelings. On the other hand, when the stories contain two women,
there are an abundance of emotions and the overall feel is softer. The stories
are hot, but tend to be more emotionally driven.
Catching Cary, the
third book in the Zero, Ohio series, is on the softer end of Male/Male romance.
Yes, it’s erotic, but it’s emotional and focuses on the two men on their
journey rather than just the heat factor and I think that’s what appeals to
readers. They can step into the world of Zero, Ohio and learn about the
characters, while feeling the heat.
I think that’s what
readers want—good stories that pluck the heartstrings. Does it matter if the
story features two men? Not really. The collective mind of the readers has
opened and evolved. We read what we like. I think it’s great. There are always
new worlds to discover and pairings to enjoy.
Being gay has a bit
of a stigma to it, but not nearly as much as it used to. There will always be
places where sexual orientation isn’t accepted. That’s why I like books—you can
enjoy, explore and do things you might not otherwise be able to do. Maybe that’s
why LGBT books are more mainstream—the possibilities are endless in books. You
can be whomever and whatever you want (and have hot book boyfriends).
So I post the same
question to the readers. Why do you think LGBT books have gone more mainstream?
I’d love to know.
Thanks to Kerry for
having me. This was a lot of fun. J
Here’s a little
more about Catching Cary:
Catching Cary
by
Megan Slayer
Sometimes
giving into fate gets you to the place you most want to be.
Cary Hazard walked away from his life as the front
man for the band, Cascadia, to embrace a quieter existence in Zero. With no
celebrities and no one wanting things from him, he’s happy. He’s also lonely.
He wants to find that one special person to warm his nights and love him—tattoos and all. Will he or
end up alone again or will the hunk at the Eight Ball bar be his saving grace?
Layne Stevens has a past he’s not proud of. He’s looking for redemption, but not in the
hands of a former star. If he can stay in the shadows, he’s happy, but lonely.
The man singing at the bar has his full attention. He wants to wrap himself up
in the guy’s strong arms. Will he be able to open up and offer his heart or
will the truth destroy everything he holds dear? It’s a matter of catching
Cary.
Catching Cary
Zero, Ohio
Amazon(available soon!) | Barnes & Noble(available
soon!) | All Romance eBooks
(available soon!) | Decadent(available soon!)
Enjoy the following excerpt for CATCHING
CARY:
The busboy he’d been ogling moved to the table next to Cary.
He plunked the tub down and rested one hand on his hip. “How are you doing on
that beer? Your server took off. If you want another, I’ll get it.”
“You’re serving tonight?” Cary finally saw his face. Thick
dark lashes framed his hazel eyes. A silver ball decorated the space between
his bottom lip and chin. A tiny bit of mahogany-colored hair dusted his cheeks
and concentrated on his chin. The man looked young. Like, young enough to be
Cary’s son, young. Damn.
“Yeah.” He snorted. “I’m a jack of all trades tonight. My
boss, Tyson, called me in to wait tables, but the guy who normally busses quit
an hour into the night.”
“Well, since you’re serving, I’ll take a vodka and lime.”
Cary nodded once. “Thank you.”
The man smiled, but dipped his head and blocked Cary’s view.
When the guy came back with the glass in hand, he winked. “Here you go.” He
placed the drink on the table. “You did a good job on that song. This lot
wouldn’t know good music if they had it whacked over their heads.”
“You know Cascadia’s stuff?”
“I’ve got the cassette. My older brother passed it down to
me. I’m more into harder stuff.”
“Ah.” Cary sipped the drink, liking the burn of the vodka
down his throat. The brother passed the cassette down.... Good God.
“The tape broke so I got the CD over at Vintage. Leon hunted
it down for me. He’s good at that stuff.” He cleared the empty beer bottles
from Cary’s table. “Speaking of Cascadia, you nailed the flourish at the end.
Most people can’t do that and kill it when they try.”
“Thanks.” The tips of his ears burned. He knew he’d nailed
the flourish, but hearing the words from the younger man pleased him. “Lots of
people sing it?”
“Nah.” He
shrugged. “Most people tear the currently popular crap apart.” He
picked up the
bin. “I’ll be right back. If you need anything, I’m Layne.”
@copyright Megan
Slayer 2014
Here’s a little
more about me:
When she's not
writing the stories in her head, Megan Slayer can be found luxuriating in her
hot tub with her two vampire Cabana boys, Luke and Jeremy. She has the tendency
to run a tad too far with her muse, so she has to hide in the head of her alter
ego, but the boys don't seem to mind.
When she’s not
obsessing over her whip collection, she can be found picking up her kidlet from
school. She enjoys writing in all genres, but writing about men in love suits
her fancy best. The cabana boys are willing to serve,
unless she needs them. She always need them. So be nice to Javier
or he will bite--on command.
She also masquerades under the name Wendi Zwaduk and is
published through Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press, Decadent Publishing , Liquid
Silver Books, MLR Press, Resplendence Publishing, and Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Megan’s site: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
Megan’s blog: http://theauthormeganslayer.blogspot.com
Megan on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5330530.Megan_Slayer
Megan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theauthormeganslayer
Megan
on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MeganSlayer
Take a peek at the other books in Megan's Zero Ohio series:
Saving Sam
by
Megan Slayer
Give up his dream or go for exactly
what he wants?
An AllRomance Ebooks Bestseller
Zero, Ohio
Enjoy
the following excerpt for SAVING SAM:
Josh plopped down on the bar stool and
studied his old friend. The man modeled efficiency. In ten minutes’ time, he
cleared the tables, soaked glasses in water, and shut neon lights off. He still
embodied the free spirit Josh had been in school. The red tips brought out the
hazel in Sam’s eyes, and the guyliner accentuated the planes of his angular
face. He even kind of liked the piercing below Sam’s bottom lip. What would it
feel like if they kissed?
Heaven, more than likely. He’d wanted to
tackle his former best friend for a quickie so many times, but never had.
Somehow the line “we’re better as friends,” didn’t wash now, any more than it
had back then. And who was this Ziggy? He didn’t remember his friend calling
his junk by a name, but what did he know? Things changed with time. Maybe now
he did and maybe he’d finally gone after his calling. A couple months earlier,
he’d posted on Facebook about the club he still wanted to start for the LGBT
youth in the area. Had he started the club yet? God knew he could use his past
to help others.
“I need to wipe the tables down, then
sweep.” Sam grabbed the broom and headed for the far side of the room. The
chains on his pants swung in time with his steps. In the garish light, the red
in his hair stood out even more but didn’t detract from the light in his eyes.
Hell, he preferred him with the unusual hair color.
He mused on their collective past. Sam had
worked the thin-and-nerdy look in college, but he’d grown gaunt. Dark scruff
decorated his thin cheeks and sprinkled down his neck. His shoulders slumped
more, and he didn’t make eye contact as much.
Looks didn’t matter. He’d always had a crush
on his friend. In school, he’d sworn he wouldn’t act on the feelings because
they got along too well. They’d ruin the friendship with sex. Too bad his heart
had never forgotten his former roommate.
Sam stopped running and wiped the sweat
glistening on his brow. “I forgot how much work there is when Jen and Clay
aren’t here.”
“Then let me do some.” Josh grabbed
his hand. “Come here.”
@Copyright
Megan Slayer 2013
Zero, Ohio
Mixing Mike
by
Megan Slayer
Zero, Ohio, where the temperatures might be below freezing but you
can always melt the frost with
smoking hot sex.
* * *
For these two men, this record could be the soundtrack
to their lives – if they’re willing to mix things up.
Meticulous
and organized, air traffic controller Mike Larson has every reason to be wary
of mixing his passion for music with love. When Mike’s hunt to complete his Top
100 of the ‘80s list brings him to Vintage Vinyl, a shock of guyliner, dyed
hair and flamboyant personality rocks his orderly world. Can he risk a step
outside his comfort zone for a chance with Leon?
Flamboyant
Leon Sanders uses attitude to keep others at a distance, because he doesn’t
believe in love or a lasting relationship. When he turns up the charm at his
music store Vintage Vinyl, he makes the best sales. Something about the quiet
man beckons Leon to give love a chance, but does he dare mix it up with
Mike?
Enjoy
the following excerpt for MIXING MIKE:
“Good. You’re
still here.” The voice stopped Leon. The people who came to Vintage tended to
ask him for help locating special items, but none of them sounded quite like
this guy—low and husky.
“I need to find
George Benjamin,” the man said.
Leon whipped
around, ready to tell the customer to go inside and fill out a special request
form at the counter, when he paused. The moment he clapped eyes on the man, the
breath wrenched from his body. Tall, blond, muscles—but not built like a brick
wall—and green eyes. Holy hell, he loved green eyes.
Although the guy
projected a calm, smooth exterior, the way he balled his fists made Leon wonder
about his story.
“You’re looking
for the Peach Slayers record, aren’t you, baby? It’s their rarest album, but
the best music they ever made. Everyone wants a copy, but no one can seem to
get their hands on it.” Leon hooked his fingers in his jeans pockets. The
chains from his wallet to his belt loops clinked. “I had one and it grew legs.
Someone stole it about four months ago, hon, but we might be able to find you
something—close.”
“Oh.” Green eyes’
shoulders slumped. Still, the polo shirt wrapped around him like a second skin,
giving tantalizing glimpses of the hard body underneath. “Damn. That’s the last
one I don’t have.”
His salesman
feelers perked. “You’ve got a collection or you just really like the hits of
the ’80s, babe? Which one is it?” Leon shifted his weight from his left foot to
his right and adjusted his pants to hide the burgeoning erection. God. Looking
at a man with green eyes was now all it took to turn him on? What a horn ball.
Still, something about the hunk made him want to look twice.
“It’s silly to
most people, but I love music. All music. One of my things is to collect every
number one album. I’ve got a whole list of the top hits of the 1980s and I’m
only missing two.” He clenched and unclenched his fingers, then stuck out his
hand. “Think you can help?”
Leon shook his
hand. “I might be able to do—something. For a fee.” The guy liked music almost
as much as he did and sounded almost as neurotically methodical about
collecting records. “You’ve got the old Hot Twenty-Five lists?” A man after his
own heart. “Okay, I’ve got to ask. Disc or vinyl? You strike me as the vinyl
type, but I’ve been surprised before.”
“Vinyl all the
way.” The guy smiled and his eyes twinkled. “I’m Mike.”
“And I am in love.”
@copyright Megan Slayer 2013
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