Welcome to Queer in Color! Please introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Taylor V. Donovan, a part-time, accidental author of gay romantic fiction and suspense. Why ‘accidental’ you ask? Because writing, let alone publishing, was never a dream of mine. I’ve always been good at editing stories in my head, though. I can spot plot holes ten miles away and I love characterization, but that was it…until a friend asked me to co-write something with her to keep her accountable, as she had started writing several stories but was finding it difficult to finish any of them. It was at that time I found out I had a voice and was a chronic plotter with anal tendencies that needs a title and a playlist before I start writing, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Tell us about your one of your books!

As everyone who knows me or has read me knows, I’ve been on hiatus since 2014. Not from writing but from publishing. It was tough for a while. I wasn’t inspired to write and when I did write, I wasn’t satisfied with the stories. It is the reason I sat on ‘Six Degrees of Agony,’ a story my readers have been waiting both patiently and not-so-patiently for years. I am a tough costumer, especially when it comes to my own work, and I’m committed to only releasing my best, so my apologies for the delay but I had to make sure the story was up to my standards. You all will start seeing installments from ‘By Degrees’ in 2019.
 
Now, to the reason I’m writing again, my beloved Puerto Rico, which inspired when nothing else could, and, as a result, ‘The Caribbean Tales’ series was born.
 
‘Forces of Nature’ is the first book in this new series set in my hometown, featuring our culture, traditions, and a mostly Boricua cast. I can’t wait for you guys to read it and get familiar with who we are.

1) What inspired you to write this story?
The inspiration for ‘Forces of Nature’ was Puerto Rico’s financial crisis and Hurricane María which, as everyone knows, devastated the island. I wanted to explore how unemployment has separated families and contributed to the ever-growing diaspora and why most of us can’t wait to get back home.

2) How did your characters come into being? Were you inspired by your own life experiences, by travels, someone in your neighborhood, etc.?
I can’t deny there’s a little bit of me in Saúl Cartagena Toro. Having moved to the United States seventeen years ago, I’ve dealt with homesickness, the pain from being away from my family, and the frustration from not being able to help as much as I wish I could when something happens down there and I can’t hop on a plane right away. I definitely shared some of my experiences with him, ;-)

3) What makes your story and/or characters unique and interesting?
Culture. I didn’t shy away from showing the good along with the bad, nor from portraying my people just like we are.

4) What themes and/or tropes are in your story? Have you written these themes/tropes before?
I have never set out to write any particular trope. Mostly, I want to cover themes but ‘Forces of Nature’ is a story of second chances…of realizing mistakes, owning up to the responsibility of hurting the person that means the world to you, fighting to win them back, making amends, and hoping love will prevail.

5) What is your most cherished writing accomplishment/accolade/memory?
‘Disasterology 101’ hands down. It is a story about a guy suffering from a bad case of obsessive compulsive disorder written in a completely realistic, true-to-the-condition way, at a time when stories about mental illness weren’t that popular in gay romance. Since then, many stories have been written dealing with mania, bipolar disorders, depression, you name it, but at the time it was a risk, and it paid off. I will always be proud of it and grateful to all the readers who gave it a chance and showed me there’s an audience in this genre for the kind of stories I want to contribute.

Xoxo
Taylor

Taylor V. Donovan is a compulsive reader and author of gay romance and suspense. She is optimistically cynical about humanity and a lover of history, museums, and all things 80s. She shamelessly indulges in mind-numbing reality television, is crazy about fashion, and passionate about civil rights and equality for all.
 
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Welcome to Queer in Color! Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! My name is Meg and I’m from Queensland, Australia. I currently write gay romance, straight romance, and am about to dip my toes in some YA. I love to read and write everything. I’m just a lover of words. I have my Bachelor of Psychology and I’m about to head back to dreaded university to study my Master of Social Work. I am very passionate about mental health, which I think shows in my books.

Tell us about your one of your books!

North to Zombieville isn’t my latest book, but it’s one of my favourites. One of the characters is Dallas Jenson, a half-army soldier. In this story, Dallas and his husband Raleigh, are stuck in a zombie apocalypse. It’s set in my beautiful city of Townsville, Australia. In the beginning, they are separated, and Dallas is desperate to be reunited with the man he loves. It’s about the trial and tribulations of living in a world infested by zombies.

1) What inspired you to write this story?
I’ve always loved zombies. My love began before The Walking Dead. It began thanks to a ‘little’ computer game called Left 4 Dead. Much like most zombies games, it involves players who have to shoot zombies to survive. Ever since I began playing it, my obsession grew. I wondered to myself, “What would happen in Townsville if there was a zombie apocalypse?” and suddenly, the idea of North to Zombieville was born.

2)How did your characters come into being? Were you inspired by your own life experiences, by travels, someone in your neighborhood, etc.?
I’ll begin with Dallas. I chose Dallas to be a half- man because of my experience of a cruise around New Zealand. For those who aren’t familiar with the , they are the indigenous, Polynesian people of New Zealand. They are beautiful people and a stunning culture, and that trip inspired me to write a

Raleigh is a white male, and he’s very different from Dallas. He’s sheltered, and unlike his husband, has never laid his hands, or gaze, on a gun. This might seem surreal to some, but due to the extensive gun laws in Australia, it’s a very possible thing. I was born before the laws, and I remember being a young child around some guns. My pop held my hands around a shotgun as I shot a cane toad (which are considered pests in North Queensland). But the gun laws came into effect when I was a child and many were forced to either surrender their guns or forced to buy a gun license and lock their guns up. Since those laws, I have never seen a gun because I don’t hunt and I live in a city. With Raleigh, I wanted to explore the idea of a character who isn’t some action hero. Someone who isn’t that great at shooting a gun because he’s never seen one, let alone touched one.

3) What is your most cherished writing accomplishment/accolade/memory?
Being published by Dreamspinner. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought a publisher would want to publish any of my work, but that didn’t stop me from trying. In 2015, I submitted a short story to one of their anthology calls and received a rejection letter. I wasn’t surprised, but I forced myself to keep writing. At the time, I was writing North to Zombieville, and even though I submitted it to them, I never actually expected to be accepted. I waited for more than 13 weeks, and I’d gave up on the idea of it happening, so when I received the acceptance email, I was beyond overjoyed. I couldn’t believe it. My greatest dream had come true. I will never forget the moment I got that email. At one in the morning, I was ringing my mum and dad, my nanna, and my uncle to tell them the good news! Haha.

4) What are you planning to write next?
I have so much work I need to write. My second Zombieville book is half completed and its story revolves around Slade and Matt. The third will be about Fijian Cade (I admit, I LOVE Polynesian people) and his love interest. I’m also working on some shifter stories and a contemporary. I write whatever inspiration hits at because sometimes, inspiration likes being annoying.

5) What are some of your favorite resources for writing and/or publishing?
My tribe. An author is nothing without their social support, whether it be their family, their real life friends, or some of the most important people in the world: their fellow authors. I have so many amazing author friends who have commiserated and celebrated with me. They’ve given me the amazing support I need. They know what the struggles are and that’s what I love about the writing community, 85% of us are in together. I won’t lie and say there aren’t people who think of it as a competition (That’s just **cocky** right?), but there are a much larger community in it together. I would be nowhere without my beautiful author friends.

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Welcome to Queer in Color, Morticia! Please introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been writing since I was a kid and actually got quite serious about it when I was twelve—at least as serious as a twelve-year old gets! But I wanted to be a published author even then and subscribed to the Writer’s Digest, had a book that listed literary agents, learned how to write a query letter and so on. I was a bit over the top lol. But then, rock music changed everything and being a musician took over for the next twenty years.

At the end of my music business career, I began to drift toward writing again. This included bios and press releases for bands, magazine articles and working with a rock guitarist from a famous 80s rock band and a Rolling Stone journalist on their memoirs. But the urge to tell my own stories was the real dream. Any type of writing gig that paid the bills was great, but the muse wanted more.

Tell us about your latest release!

Several of my BDSM Kiss of Leather series books feature PoC, but the most recent one was my first MMM in the series. Switching Places tells the story of characters who have made brief appearances throughout the series and how once they get together, this unlikely threesome finds the HEA that has always alluded them. The silver fox Dom, supermodel switch and virginal sub discover that what they each bring to the romance table makes them perfect for one another.

1) What inspired you to write this story?
I love the idea that everyone has someone out there who would be perfect for them, but sometimes we disregard people who on the surface don’t seem right for us. However, if we let them in, we might discover a true gem.

2) How did your characters come into being? Were you inspired by your own life experiences, by travels, someone in your neighborhood, etc.?
Sub Elliot is inspired by a man who opened an Armenian restaurant in a sort of biker/rural area where I used to live (The River with Dennis Hopper was filmed there to give you an idea of what I mean). Not so much who Elliot is as a person, but his family history and the struggles they endured. I was practically the restaurant owners only customer back in the day, so he would sit with me and tell me about where he was from, what his life was like there and about the Turkish Armenian genocide—something I’d never known about. Elliot’s family history and business is based on that restaurant. Man, I miss that place! The food was amaaaazing.

3) What themes and/or tropes are in your story? Have you written these themes/tropes before?
There are a variety, which is the most satisfying for me to write. There’s age gap, interracial, BDSM, D/s, virgin, and body image issues. I’ve written all of these, but Elliot’s worry over his weight and having a crush on a supermodel who he’s convinced could never be attracted to him was new for me. I’ve felt these same concerns before for myself and wanted to explore them from a different standpoint than writing a bear, where the bear is confident and has a positive body self-image.

4) What are you planning to write next?
I have way too many projects planned, but one that I’m very excited about is a pirate standalone with a very naughty theme that I’ll share at a future date *wink*. I’ve been doing lots of research and even though I have other projects I need to finish first, I can’t wait to begin. I’m hoping I can have it out late 2018/early 2019.

5) What is your dream story, the story of your heart, that you hope to write someday?
Truthfully, I feel as if I’ve written it. Rocked Hard comes out later this month, and it draws from a lot of my experiences in the music industry. I even used lyrics to songs from my own band. But the two main characters, a rock star making a comeback and a younger journalist who idolized him as a kid and is questioning his sexuality, ended up becoming very dear to my heart.

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Tai wishes Master Lucas wasn’t such an adamant Top, but he’s also crushing on the sweetly submissive Elliot. Could he have it both ways?

Tai has hit a wall in life. From all outward appearances, he’s the guy who has everything—looks, personality and money. But the modeling gigs are drying up and he still hasn’t found that special someone to call his own. The part-time work at Kiss of Leather is quickly becoming full-time to prevent the drain on his dream-business savings.
Elliot fell for the stunning Tai from almost the moment he met him. If he wasn’t so self-conscious about the weight he’s recently put on, maybe he could work up the nerve to make a move. However, not only is he a virgin who’s never done a scene before working in a BDSM club, but he’s also sure that Tai has a thing for Master Lucas. There’s no way he could ever compete with the handsome silver fox.
When Master Lucas confesses to Tai that he doesn’t only see him as a hookup and offers him a contract, there are a ton of considerations. They both realize that serious compromises would have to be made for them to have a relationship. But what if they found a third, a sub who could bottom for Tai and also do TPE with Master Lucas? Once the idea takes hold, Tai knows just the perfect boy for them both. Even better? He’s right there at Kiss of Leather, and Tai can’t wait for Elliot to turn them all into a throuple.

Welcome to Queer in Color, Remmy! Please tell us about your latest release.

My name is Remmy Duchene and I live in the cold, white (not so much this month) north. I’ve been writing professionally for about sixteen years now. I can now proudly call myself an Amazon Bestselling author. What do I write—interracial/multicultural erotic romance. When I’m not writing, I work for lawyers and when not doing that, I’m trying to sing, taking pictures and bugging family and friends.

I think I would like to talk about WHISPERS of LOVE. This book is a lot different from most of the other books I’ve ever written. I think it has a lot more heart and deals with the characters’ emotional state as well as what makes them hard.

1) What inspired you to write this story?
The cover. I kid you not. Emmy at StudioENP made this premade cover that was so stunning, it was begging to have a story written.

2) How did your characters come into being? Were you inspired by your own life experiences, by travels, someone in your neighborhood, etc.?
Aside from my killer obsession with all things Japanese, Hilo Adachi had always been in my head. He’s been one of those characters you get and you think nah, I can’t write that. I’ll screw him up so bad! Matthew is more of a character that came to me on the fly. For both these men, I was inspired by my city, Toronto. The colours, the smells, the people. I wanted to put as much of Toronto in this book as possible.

3) What makes your story and/or characters unique and interesting?
Aside from the fact it’s a Blasian story (Asian/Black) mix that you really don’t see all that often. I think Hilo and Matthew are different because they are from different sides of the track. And it’s not, one is bat-shit crazy and the other is a stalker. Nothing like that. They are just two people that if fate hadn’t designed their love they would never have met.

4) What themes and/or tropes are in your story? Have you written these themes/tropes before?
Lord—well, it’s not enemies to lovers. I’m not entirely sure there is a trope per say. If I had to pick one, it would be instant attraction that doesn’t work out as easily as most instant attraction tend to. They had to go through their struggles and pay their dues even though the moment their eyes met both felt something. As of if I’ve written this before…Kind of.

5) What is your most cherished writing accomplishment/accolade/memory?
I won an award for writing Interracial romance from Evernight Publishing. It was especially great since the readers were the ones who voted for me.

6) What are you planning to write next?
This is a loaded question. I am in the process of writing a story tentatively titled EMBERS at the moment. I am not a planner when it comes to writing. If I do that, I never get anything done. It’s about a hockey player who has suffered a major injury and is forced to return home and face some hard truths.

Please look for me/follow me on the interwebs.
You can find me at my website at https://remmyduchene.wix.com/remmymantasy
Twitter: @remmyduchene
Instagram: @manluvlikeaboss

Remmy

Buy Whispers of Love on Amazon

Hilo Adachi learned one very important lesson from his father—unconditional love is a sham that always with strings attached.
Broken and alone, he works as a bike messenger while moonlighting as a graphic designer. When he meets Matthew Ellington, the last thing Hilo is looking for his love, but how can he deny the fact that one look from Matthew’s beautiful, brown eyes leaves him yearning for things he has no right to? How could he possibly imagine he deserves a man like Matthew?
​Matthew Ellington has it all – a successful clothing line, a loving family and money. But he’s missing love and while he isn’t actively looking, he isn’t going to ignore it should love come along. The moment he lays eyes on Hilo, he knows he wants him.
But Hilo’s demons keep getting in the way.
​Matthew is a fighter, and Hilo’s demons have met their match.

Welcome to Queer in Color, Brenda! Let's get to know you and your latest release.

I've been an RN for 30 plus years and started writing for publication about five years ago. I've lived most of my life in and around Washington DC before moving to a small town in Ohio ten years ago with my wife. I've a masters degree in education and I credit having to write my thesis between the time my kids were born and their first birthday with teaching me to how to write in the margins and make use of every minute of time to write when opportunity presents itself.
 
My most recent release One is set in Italy and I outlined it sitting in the University of Milan's cafeteria while waiting for my wife to finish up a panel she was moderating.  Mac, the lead character in One was a secondary character in a short story from a collection I published in 2016 and I liked her so much I decided she needed her own story and deserved to find love. We had taken a day trip to Bellagio the day before and I had seen and chatted with the perfect woman for Mac on the trip, and from that One was written. I loved the world I created form Mac and Lana so much I hated leaving it when I finished writing the novel.

1) What are you planning to write next?
I'm currently working on another F/F/F BDSM romance novel set in the shared universe of Rowan House, from my first novel Sum of the Whole, it will mesh with my next release in the series Both Ends of The Whip, set to release in April of this year.
 
2) Who is your favorite character you’ve ever written?
So far Mac has my heart, she's still my favorite although it's a little like choosing a favorite child.
 
3) Do you read while writing? Why or why not?
I read outside my genre when writing to avoid inadvertent plagiarism, so I read fantasy romance and westerns, as well as historical romance when I'm writing.
 
4) What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Don't quit, don't let people discourage you, don't compare yourself to anyone else, and write what you want to write.
 
5) What’s your writing schedule like?
I write from 9am to 12pm Monday through Friday. I work evenings when I work at the hospital so even if I'm scheduled at the hospital I get my writing time in, I'll also go back and write for a couple of hours after my kids are asleep if I'm in a hurry to get a rough draft completed.
 
6) Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I'm a plotter, I'm in love with 3x5 cards and use those and a scene list to outline, but it's a loose outline and often the finished product is very different form the original outline.

Brenda

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Hello, Giovanna! Please tell us about yourself and your latest release.

I’m a United States Navy veteran and have traveled various parts of the world. I have a Masters degree in education, and was about to start my classes for my second Masters when I decided to listen the voices in my head and began to follow them.

Phoenix Harcourt is a single father who was kicked out of his home when his parents found out that he was an omega. After losing his alpha mate, Phoenix turned his focus to his daughter and the successful company that was left in his care. With a threat to his life, Phoenix hires a bodyguard who wants to protect more than his body. He also want’s Phoenix’s heart. 

Hired to protect an omega, Lucius Payne had one goal: do his job and nothing else. He was never one to mix business with pleasure. Moreover, finding an omega mate was not in his plans, especially when it is the man he is supposed to protect. When his job becomes more complicated than he was expecting. 

Can Lucius convince Phoenix to trust him with his heart as well as his body?

1. What inspired you to write this story?
I’ve always been fascinated by Omegaverse and the idea of fated mates. I wanted to write a story about two characters. Even though, they know they are fated mates, there’s some push and pull in their relationship.

2. How did your characters come into being? Were you inspired by your own life experiences, by travels, someone in your neighborhood, etc.?
Travel plays a lot with the characters I write, along with their family background. If you notice in a couple of my books one or two of my main characters have an Italian background. Italy is important to me because it was the first country I ever been to outside of the United States, and it’s where I met and married my husband. I draw a lot from my husband’s multi-national family. I’m also Jamaican and eventually will add my own nationality and some of the history in my novels. When I started writing I made a conscious decision that no matter the world I was writing, I want them to be filled with diversity. I think it’s an essential aspect of my writing. Reality is filled with diversity and so should the characters and the world we write.

3. What is your most cherished writing accomplishment/accolade/memory?
My most cherished writing accomplishment was and still is publishing my first novel. I was scared out of my mind, but I knew that if I didn’t do it, I would have regretted trying in the first place.

4. What are you planning to write next?
I’m currently working on three new Mpreg novels with diverse characters and backgrounds. Each story is paranormal romance, and of course, there will be some sort of conflict that will bring the characters together.

5. Do you have any writing rituals? Favorite sweater or snacks you have to have?
My ritual starts with a cup of coffee and browsing through the news and Facebook. Then I put on one of my favorite robe, and begin looking through my notes – whether they are on a sticky, written in a notebook, or something I typed the night before.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer questions about my work and myself. 
Giovanna Reaves

Good morning. I’ve wanted to do another article about diversity in fiction for a while now. My first was about interracial romances and why I love writing them. With so much chatter going about the need for diversity in books, I had to speak on it again.
 
First let’s start off with a question for authors. Since I’m an author too, I figured I’d begin here. You’re an author and you have an idea for a story which features a character of a race other than your own. Say it’s a black male and you as a white female or male aren’t sure what to write. Do you scrap this idea, even though it could be one of your best books or do you try doing it yourself and using what you’ve seen on TV as your guide? I’ve talked with authors before who’ve said they’d rather not do the “black” character for fear of getting it wrong, but unless you’re doing a historical, say something in the days of slavery or in 1920’s Harlem New York, what could you possibly get wrong?
 
I say this because I’m a black female who may not fit the mold of the so called black stereotype.  One example, I like rock music and not rap. I don’t talk slang like many may perceive a black person to do. Yet, I’ve seen books with black characters who fit that description. In many publications, even those written by black authors, black characters are painted a certain way. The way they talk, dress, the neighborhood they’re from. Is it wrong? Not necessarily, but does it hold true for every black male or female? No. What I’m getting at is, when you’re an author you don’t have to draw from those stereotypes unless it fits into the plot. If your story is centered around black males who talk slang and dress a certain way fine. The problem comes in when every book paints black characters that way.
 
What about you as the reader? If the cover features characters that aren’t like you, are you more apt to shy away from it or does it even matter? I’ve heard rumblings about covers with black characters not selling well. Even worse, publishers haven’t put people of color on the front at all because they fear it won’t be marketable. Why is this? Do we live in a world that is fully white? No, so why should this even be an issue? The book should be judged on its plot and subject matter. If that’s interesting to you then you shouldn’t be deterred to read it because of the characters on the front.
 
I’m an author and reader who loves reading and writing books containing diverse characters. Some people might take issue with certain books because of the race. That’s not me. If the storyline is interesting I’ll read it whether it be two of the same race or multicultural. We live in a very diverse world so why wouldn’t we want more books that reflect today’s society?
 
In my opinion, authors should be the leaders in showing what’s outside the box. We should be writing characters whether they’re of different race, sexual orientation, able-bodied or not, religion, and/or gender. Fiction is supposed to be about freedom to express yourself and it shouldn’t be held back because of what people think or say. People in general just want well written books with fleshed out characters not the colors of their skin or what religions they are.
 
We need more diversity in fiction for so many reasons. Why stifle creativity because of our various differences? I’m sure you’re saying it’s easier said than done but if we all do what we can to embrace diversity around us someone else might just learn from it and pass it on.  

When you think about book covers, it should represent what happens in the book. If it’s a mystery, it might be dark with big letters or some kind of complex scene. Fantasy, perhaps illuminations, bright lights that appear to be magic. In romance, most of the time you have people. Whether it be one or multiple torsos, they usually says it’s a romance. Now, that isn’t always the case. Many romances have no people on them, which is fine too. Regardless of how it’s presented, it’s supposed to attract readers.
 
Now, let me be clear, this isn’t a post about covers being overpriced, ugly, or done on Photoshop or Canva. It’s about the message your cover gives when it’s on Amazon or any other platform as well as in the book store. What am I saying about the book through this cover?
 
Speaking from the author viewpoint, I want all my covers to reflect the diverse world I live in. Unfortunately, many times that doesn’t happen. Since I write mostly people of color, specifically characters who are black, the variety of stock models is limited. This can be very disheartening because the world is diverse so our options should be vast. Still, in 2017 this is a problem and an even bigger one when it comes to writing queer romance. I’ve been told a lot of models, especially those from marginalized groups don’t want to be associated with a queer book for fear of backlash. I respect that, but it doesn’t make it any easier for authors like myself. However, me, a person of color, will make every effort to put my PoC character on the front for everyone to see. I’ve been adamant about that even with my publishers. With one, only my PoC was on the front and I asked the wonderful artist to add his white counterpart, which she did. Not everyone will get this chance, so I fully understand it isn’t easy with a publisher.
 
However, if an author is self-publishing a book with a PoC, do all you can to include that character. As I stated, the number of PoC models are few and far between and many of them get used multiple times. (Shoutout to Karamo Brown) Despite him being reproduced on hundreds of covers, it represents a character of color you wrote.
 
From the perspective of a reader, your book will be the first one I pick up. Why? Because I see someone who looks like me on the front. Before people get upset, that doesn’t mean those are the only books I read. Again, I live in a diverse world so I want to read books about other races and cultures as well, but when I see a book that includes people from a marginalized group such as my own, I will pick up those first.
 
Regardless of anything I say it is still your book. If you feel better about making the book with a PoC “fit in” with the rest to gain more sales, by all means, do that. This isn’t a slap on the wrist, it’s only my thoughts. I truly believe that any author who goes the lengths to create a character of a race or culture different than their own, should do everything they can to show that character. In my opinion, it shows you are trying to promote diversity, inclusivity, and aren’t concerned that the story might lose a couple of notches on Amazon best seller’s list. People continue to cry for more diverse romance, but a big reason they can’t be found is because the marginalized person isn’t on the front.
 
And let me add, although I primarily mentioned race, this goes for other things too.
Writing a story about a blind man?
A person in a wheelchair?
Someone with a hearing impairment?
A different religion?
Include something or someone that reflects that.  I guarantee if you do, it will stand out above the rest.
 
So, to conclude, this isn’t a slam on anyone. Authors, you have the right to do with your cover what you will. However, representation matters, especially these days when our society wants to go backwards. Fiction authors should be leaders when it comes to open-mindedness and diversity. Let’s continue to move forward, instead of going back.