The Author Spotlight will focus on a different author every few weeks – it may feature an experienced writer who has a long history of published books, or a new author who is destined to be a future star. Today our Author Spotlight will be on Liam Grey.  You can keep in touch with Liam at the links following the interview!  This post contains affiliate links.

Author Spotlight: Liam Grey

First off,  I want to thank  Liam for taking the time to answer these questions for me. Please feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comment section below!

 

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

What is the title of your newest or upcoming book?

It’s Christmas Everywhere But Here

What publisher is this book being published by?

Dreamspinner Press

What is the publication date?

12/3/2014

It’s Christmas Everywhere But Here

By Liam Grey

Purchase links:  Amazon / Dreamspinner/ Goodreads

THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Liam Grey is a numbers and data nerd by day, an aspiring author and hopeful romantic by night. An early love of books was fostered by both his parents and his school teachers, though it’s doubtful any of them imagined it leading to him writing gay romance. He currently resides in the Pacific Northwest, and is in love with the mutable weather and landscape (though his sinuses politely decline to comment.)

Can you give the readers a brief summary of your latest book?

For the first time in years, Russ has gone home for Christmas, his step-children in tow. Their father, David, is deployed overseas and won’t be back in time for the holiday. Russ’ relationship with David, how he’s raising the kids, and Austin’s withdrawn personality, a result of his Aspergers, are all open for criticism from Doris, Russ’ religious mother. Russ genuinely wants his parents in his kids lives, but he’s not sure how much more he can take. David’s early return on Christmas Day only heightens the tension. Bound by a promise to his mother, the lover’s reunion is chaste. A suspicious Doris barely leaves them alone long enough to even chat. Staying there hurts, leaving will cause more hurt, and David is far too tired and skinny to Russ’ mind. When an overwhelmed Austin brings the tension to a boil, Russ stands up for his family, knowing it’s the right decision even if his mother disapproves. Her hurt is her choice, he won’t change for her. Russ, Dave, and their kids head out for home early, and the lovers find some time alone before they’re welcomed home by Dave’s surprised parents.

What genre does it fall in?

Contemporary Romance

Will you share a few words about your latest book, other than the usual blurb?

This story came out of my process of separating from the Christmas traditions of my parents, and trying to decide how I wanted to approach the holiday on my own terms. The child and the parent with conflicting ideologies (religion vs atheism, anti-gay vs homosexual, take your pick) are like that trust exercise where you have to press your backs together and then stand up or sit down. Only there’s a knife wedged between your backs. And if one party pushes too hard, or pulls away too fast, the knife will fall or twist and someone’s going to bleed. It’s a delicate balancing act, and if one party thinks they know best, and forces their will on the situation, instead of working together, it hurts. Russ and his family get to move towards that point of working together. Mine’s not there quite yet.

Give us a little insight into your main characters! Who are they?

The protagonist, Russ, loves his life with his kids, misses his deployed husband, and has mostly shaken off the guilt and second guessing engrained by his religious upbringing. He didn’t plan on being a dad, but he loves David and David came with kids, and well… things happen you don’t expect. While he misses the heck out of his partner, he is a little surprised at how proud he is of what he’s accomplished as a dad, especially considering his kids’ quirks. David isn’t a point-of-view character, but he does have an impact on the story, mainly through his absence. He’s a little goofy, plays hard, loves hard, and was way closer to needing to retire from the military than he realized before his last deployment.

Will we be seeing these characters again any time soon? Is this book part of a series?

Nope.

Tell us a little bit about your writing style.  When and where is your favorite time/place to write?

It usually happens at home, either at the desk or in the armchair with the laptop. The armchair is more comfortable, but the desk has a better keyboard.

What sort of book do you enjoy reading in your free time? What was the last book you read?  Did you enjoy it?

The last book I read and finished was Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett. Yes, I enjoyed it very much. He’s one of my favorites. We will ignore the number of half-finished books I have laying about, gnawing on my bookmarks.

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?  Have you held any interesting jobs while you worked on your books?

I’ve always loved telling stories. Sometimes it took the form of singing or acting, and sometime writing stories. So, “storyteller” has always been an informal part of how I defined myself. Writing was a way to formalize that and explore that bit of myself a bit more. Whoo. IT Support tech, while being a full-time college student. Then was a TA, which was easier on my free time, but a different type of challenge.

What does your writing process look like?

Messy as shit.

Why did you choose to write GLBTQ romance?  Why not another genre?

Being a gay man, I keenly feel the lack of gay protagonists in my favored media (sci fi, fantasy). While my books have yet to go into that final frontier, I wanted to write characters and situations that filled that gap. And gay romance can happen in a horror or fantasy or sci fi setting, too.

One last questions…totally unrelated to books!  I am a passionate foodie.  Is there one thing in your pantry that you would be horrified for people to know that you eat?

Um … do microwave popcorn or frozen vegetables count? *gets up to look* Store bought pasta sauce? I don’t think of those as horrifying to the general public, but some people would give you the side-eye for them.

Thankyou so much for answering my questions.  I think my readers will enjoy learning more about you!  Good luck in your future writing!

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE AUTHOR:

Find out more about Liam by visiting  the author’s website.  You can also check out their profile on Goodreads or follow on Facebook .