Welcome to another exciting edition of TELL ALL TUESDAY. This week we have the amazing author Johnny Miles. I’ve been following Johnny for a while and I’m glad everyone else is getting a chance to know him better too!
So, without further ado . . .
Tell us a little about yourself, Johnny.
A little about me. Hmmm. I don't know why this is always the most difficult for me. But, okay. Here goes. I'm an ex-New Yorker living in Fort Lauderdale. I have a wonderful partner of 14 years, 4 pugs and a cat. I've had numerous jobs/careers from phone sex operator to pseudo pornster (behind the camera and in front). I love eating out; take that as you will. A good bottle of wine. Coffee. Spending time with my friends. Good conversation. I also love theatre, reading, movies and music. Not very exciting I'm afraid but if there's anything specific you'd like to know, don't hesitate to ask!
How long have you been writing?
I've been writing ever since I can remember. At first it was for school, because I needed to. You know, essays and compositions. Things like “What I Did On My Summer Vacation,” or “What I Did Over Easter Vacation,” etc. But we grew up poor. My mom was on welfare. With 4 kids to feed and clothe there wasn't a lot of money available to do any fun stuff. So I just started making things up!
Do you write exclusively erotic romance?
No. Writing erotic romance is something recent. Actually, the first thing I wrote -- that got published and paid me money – was a story for Numbers magazine, back in the mid-80s. Since then I've written tons of gay erotica but it was basically porn for porn's sake. Very little story. I wrote a stage play that got some very good comments, considering it was my very first try. And I've got dozens of outlines for other stories that are not exclusively erotica or romance. Now it's a matter of sitting down and writing them.
What inspires your stories?
Almost anything can inspire me to write a story. While sitting in a coffee shop and watching other people my mind will sometimes make up stories and scenarios. Sometimes real-life experiences will inspire me. Or a newspaper story. A magazine article. Inspiration is actually the easy part. It can come from almost any source, a movie, a book, a song. Even just a person's unusual name! Motivation, however -- the follow-through to inspiration -- is what is often difficult.
How do you choose a publisher? Who are your current publishers?
My current publisher is Loose Id. I didn't really choose them as much as I stumbled across them. A dear friend of mine is very good friends with Bobby Michaels and he shared my writing with Bobby. Bobby in turn shared with someone at Loose Id. When I first met Treva on a cruise, I didn't make the connection at first. We hit it off, became friends and then it clicked who she was. The more she and I talked about writing I took it upon myself to write a M/M romance and submit it to Loose Id. It was more of a challenge than anything else. I remember thinking, “How hard can this be?”
Needless to say I was definitely not accepted the first time around.
What is your latest release?
My latest release is “Casa Rodrigo.” I'm very excited about it because I just got an e-mail that informed me the book was going to print soon. It's available as an e-book but I'm afraid of a traditionalist. I like holding a physical book and I'm still getting used to the whole e-book thing.
Casa Rodrigo Blurb:
On a lush, tropical island inhabited by rogues, thieves and villains, where men take the law into their own hands, a father and son are thrust into tumultuous events that will change their lives forever.
Bernardo de Rodrigo is proud of his son. Alonso is handsome and winning, and everyone he meets is instantly drawn to the tall, warm Spaniard. But how could either of them have known that a forbidden love is about to claim Alonso’s heart?
Arbol, the charismatic male slave who was saved from the clutches of Raul Ignacio MartÃn, feels an instant connection with Alonso, the moment he looks into Arbol’s eyes, the moment they touch.
Bernardo has other things to worry about, however. He’s trying to exorcise himself of an intensely gratifying yet shame-filled sexual affair with Raul, who secretly adores Bernardo but doesn’t know how to show it.
When Raul blackmails Bernardo, their dark and sordid relationship not only threatens the bond between father and son, it places Arbol’s life in danger. Now Bernardo must make a difficult choice that could further alienate his son while Alonso must find a way to keep the man he loves.
I love that cover! Casa Rodrigo can be purchased through Loose Id here: Buy Link
What is your writing process like? How long does it take you to finish a story from beginning to end?
My writing process is very different from project to project. Sometimes I come up with a title and work the story around it. Other times, a character name has popped into my head and I build a story around that. Then there are times when I write character bios/descriptions and just keep fleshing it out. I have a few stories like that, years in the making, that have not yet materialized fully.
Is writing your full-time job? If not, how and when do you find time to write?
During the past 18 months, while I was still unemployed, writing quickly became an almost full-time job. I would like it to be so soon! The last couple of weeks I've been working on a freelance project so I haven't really had time to do any writing and I'm really getting itchy to get back to it!
Do you have other published works? Please tell us about them!
I do! In fact, I have several. Some are self-published and available through Lulu.com. But they're more total stroke material.
Another one is “My ABCs” the story of a little boy and the psychologically damaging words he learns – ethnic slurs, derogatory remarks – that scar him for life; even more so than the physical and sexual abuse he endures. “My ABCs” was written under a different pen name, however.
My absolute latest, which was accepted for publication by Loose Id, is “Lauderdale Hearts.” It's the story of Blake Hudson, a 39-year-old New York City advertising exec who suffers a heart attack, comes to Fort Lauderdale to recuperate and winds up falling in love with a smoldering massage therapist.
How do you market your work?
I haven't really done a lot of marketing. I have, however, contacted a local book seller here in Lauderdale about the possibility of an event once “Casa Rodrigo” is available in print. I've advertised on the GLBT Bookshelf and I also comment about my work on Facebook.
I have tried to figure out GLBT, but I think it might be beyond my mental capabilities! Oh well, you’re marketing there too!!
What do you love most about writing?
The escape. The characters are fun and so are the storylines but definitely the escape is the biggest draw for me.
Who are some of your favorite authors and books?
I have many. Off the top of my head, though: Armistead Maupin, J.K. Rowling, Gregory Maguire, Janet Evanovich and Darren Shan are my current faves. Recently I became addicted to Val McDermid and Michael Jecks. In the past I was a huge fan of Stephen King, Harold Robbins, Judy Blume and anything with a deep, dark, gritty story. And there are tons more!
If you’d like to know more about Johnny, please visit his website: Johnny Miles.
