Happy New Year and Welcome to the first edition of Tell All Tuesday for 2011. Here in paradise (for many) it will soon be the Year of the Rabbit. A rabbit year is a quiet, placid year after the previous Tiger year. A person born in the Year of the Rabbit has the most fortunate of signs.
We are fortunate to have with us today Sloan Parker! Sloan is a gay romance novelist and a very wonderful person. Thank you for joining us, Sloan.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m from northern Ohio where I live with my partner of too many years to admit and our three neurotic cats. I’m an author of m/m erotic romances and romantic suspense.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since the second grade when I first entered a short story in a local competition. I didn’t win, but after that there was no turning back. I’d been attacked by the writing bug. During college I began writing suspense and romantic suspense and continued to do so on and off for years without loving the results. Then I read an erotic m/m romance and was inspired. I started writing my own erotic romances and liked the characters, the heat, the passion, and the storylines I was coming up with. A couple years later I finished my first release, MORE, which was published in March 2010.
Do you write exclusively erotic romance?
Currently I’m only writing romances that have some level of erotic content. I’m not sure where my writing will go in the future, but I have a feeling even if there are only one or two sex scenes in my stories, I will probably desire to write those scenes in an explicit way. I love the emotional and sensual power of erotic romances.
What inspires your stories?
I’m inspired by so many things in the world: TV, movies, art, news stories, television, strangers walking along the street, overheard conversations, people watching. Anything, really. The smallest gesture of a stranger can become an entire story in my mind.
How do you choose a publisher? Who are your current publishers?
I’m currently published with Loose Id. When I was preparing to send out the first book that I felt was ready for submission, I created a spreadsheet of e-publishers available for m/m romance, evaluating each for several criteria, including quality of published works, website, cover art, customer service, reputation, contract details, etc. I selected my top three choices of publishers by evaluating the results of that list.
What is your latest release?
My latest release is BREATHE, an m/m suspense available now at
Loose Id.
Blurb for Breathe
Lincoln McCaw lost everything -- his home, his job, his partner -- after he caused a fatal accident. A year later, he's drowning the guilt and despair in whiskey, but he needs to move on. His sister and her kids are counting on him. Then he meets a man who ignites a passion Lincoln thought he’d never find. Too bad one night is all they can have together. Now he needs to figure out how to turn away from the only person who makes him feel alive…before whoever is sending him threats decides Lincoln needs to suffer more than he already has.
Jay Miller is surrounded by grief and misery until he finally gives in to all those years of sexual fantasies about being with another guy. Realizing he’s ended up in the arms of the man who caused his wife’s accident, he tries to pull away. But how can he give up a friendship he needs more than anything -- a friendship and a love that could save him? He may not have time to make the choice before someone else destroys it all.
I love your cover Sloan! You are very fortunate indeed!!
What is your writing process like? How long does it take you to finish a story from beginning to end?
My process seems to always be evolving, but as of now, I outline every story before I start writing (sometimes using note cards to organize my ideas into scenes). While outlining I’ll create character sketches with all sorts of details about my main and secondary characters. Then I write a first draft that’s pretty rough. From there I revise and expand until I’m happy with the story and characters. After that, I edit line by line until it’s as polished as I can make it. My last full-length novel took about 10 months to outline, write, and revise. With each subsequent project, I hope to improve upon that timeframe.
Is writing your full-time job? If not, how and when do you find time to write?
For the past couple of months I’ve been writing (and doing the business tasks related to writing) almost full time since my freelance work has slowly shifted to part-time work. Now I can write during the day and do my other work in the evenings. I’ve found writing and promotion to be a huge undertaking, but also the most rewarding, enjoyable experience of my life.
Do you have other published works? Please tell us about them!
In addition to my latest release, I have another novel published by Loose Id, MORE, an m/m/m polyamory suspense. It’s the story of a confirmed loner who spends one explosive night in a sex club with two men who make him want to break all of his self-protective rules, especially the no-repeat clause. But his father, a senator, is determined to destroy Luke's something more. MORE won this year’s Rainbow Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance and is a finalist in the 2011 EPIC awards. I also have two free short stories available at my website.
How do you market your work?
So far I’ve done a blend of blogging, social networking, and paid advertising, as well as participating in group discussions, chats, and other author online events. I love connecting with readers, not just to share about my work, but to learn about what they like in the genre (which authors, titles, and themes they enjoy reading). Listening to what readers have to say is helpful in knowing as much as I can about the market and what readers want in a story.
What do you love most about writing?
I love creating the characters: who they are, what they’ve been through, where they think they are going, where they are actually headed, their doubts, fears, lost loves, and more. As I flush out the details of these fictional characters, they become real people and react in very real ways to the conflicts I throw at them. It’s amazing to me how things just start to fall into place once I know how my characters would act and respond in any situation.
Who are some of your favorite authors and books?
This is such a difficult question. There are so many authors whose work I’ve enjoyed. I’ll name a few of my favorite authors (all who’ve had several books I’ve loved): Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Lisa Gardner, Sue Grafton, Dean Koontz, Robin Cook, Robert McCammon, W. A. Hoffman, Linda Howard, Josh Lanyon, Jordan Castillo Price, Tere Michaels, Ethan Day, J. L. Langley, Ally Blue, M. L. Rhodes, Lee Rowan. And that’s just a start.
Sloan has graciously agreed to give away a copy of BREATHE to one lucky commenter! So don't forget to leave your contact info (or, if you prefer, sent it to me privately).
Mahalo again, Sloan, for joining us in the new year. We hope your Year of the Rabbit brings much fortune in your writing and life!
To learn more about Sloan, please visit:
