Why I Love Writing M/M
Michael Mandrake
aka Sharita Lira
Greetings readers! My post is a bit of an update from
the first few posts I’d made about the same subject. Since I’ve been around the
past four years, I’ve learned a lot and I wanted to restate the reasons why I
love it.
In the beginning, it was about it being taboo, it made
me hot, etc, but now, it’s more about my enjoyment for writing romance. I
discover with every story I write, I’m putting a little bit of myself in every
character, whether it’s my snarky side, my long winded, my love for the
overdramatic. Notice I said, overdramatic. That doesn’t make me a drama queen!
*snicker* I do love the tension, but occasionally, I love a story without all
the heartache. I like the fluff as my favorite fellow writer put it.
Ever since I was a teen, I loved reading stories about
two people falling for one another. It started with the cutesy Harlequins or my
grandma’s Barbara Cortland novels and then I wanted to know more about the
steamy with Fern Michaels and Jackie Collins. In many people’s eyes, those authors
put out smut, but hey, it had a romantic element, or tried to. *grins* The
bottom line is, it opened the door for what we know now as erotic romance.
Then I started getting into Anne Rice and much later,
Zane, who also writes erotica. The common thread? In those stories there was
something about two people connecting, finding a common ground, and maybe love
somewhere along the way. Perhaps it wasn’t clearly stated, but reading between
the lines, you saw something in those characters that made you enjoy that book.
And so, that spurred me into wanting to write my own,
but it wasn’t until I gained the confidence through encouragement from friends
and the fanfic community did I get the courage to publish. It took me a while,
but here I am. Now, just like the authors before me, I enjoy writing about two
people connecting. Most of the time, I just like them to be two men. Other than
the genitalia, what’s the big difference? Men have feelings, desires; they have
their ultimate partner just like women do. They have hang-ups, fears, some
express their feelings openly, some do not. Why should writing m/m be singled
out?
Sure, a lot of men might fit what society calls a
“real man” but in Shar’s world, the characters may not always fit that mold.
They’re unique, most of the time imperfect, not always what America considers
as everyday males. They debunk stereotypes, cross over boundaries, they’re
human to me and they connect. I love that the most and as much as I am a feminist,
I love writing about the opposite sex.
So my ideas are better defined. Yeah, it still makes
me hot, I love the taboo, but most important, I just love writing romance and
the fact that it’s between two men, shouldn’t be a big deal. It is after all
about human interaction. I enjoy it, and God willing, I’ll continue to do to
for years to come.
Thanks for listening.
Blurb: Every once in
a while, the average looking guy scores!
Robert
McIntyre is a closeted, average looking sports columnist for the Daily Read.
Unfortunately, his desire to stay in has cost him the chance at love more than
once. However, now it seems his luck will change since his editor has asked him
to interview, Jake Valenta. Jake and Robert knew one another in college and
when he heard from a mutual friend that Jake might be bisexual, Robert didn’t
believe him.
Before
Robert’s trip, they discover a mutual affection for one another. Jake shares
his desire to stay behind closed doors because he can’t stand being called a
fag, but desperately wants Robert to be his man.
Robert
and Jake want a chance to reconnect on a more personal level, but will this
budding relationship ruin their careers?
Buy links:
Excerpt
During my junior year in 2009, I recall when my bestie, a female named Alex let me know the deal on Jake. She was fully aware I was gay and had no issue keeping my secret safe. Back then, it wasn’t a good idea to let anyone know you were homosexual. Oklahoma was part of the Bible belt meaning you’d suffer either at the hands of nagging kids who wanted to taunt you or overzealous bible thumpers who’d pray for you to be saved and or converted.
Either way, I’d learned staying in the closet throughout high school, college, and adulthood was the best option not only for my well-being, but also my sanity. Sad, but I figured why put myself through unnecessary trouble?
As per usual, Alex and I found a table in the corner away from the so-called cool kids. Many people thought we dated which was cool because it kept everyone from jumping in my business.
“Robert.” Alex placed her tuna salad sandwich on the table and dropped her book-bag on the floor. “Have I got some exciting news for you.”
Although hungry, I pushed the fork through the cafeteria’s version of authentic Mexican because it looked really unappetizing. It really sucked being a poor college student who could only afford to eat in the college cafeteria.
“What might that be?” I shoved the tray away and took the other half of her tuna sandwich.
She glared at me and shrugged, “Jake’s into guys.”
The moment she’d finished her sentence, I stopped chewing. “You’re kidding, right?” I put the rest down on the table and quickly swallowed it before I choked.
Alex smiled, “Nope, I’m not. My friend Lori Tate used to fool around with Jake. She says he confessed it while talking about sex.” She took back her lunch.
“Really?” My mind started to consider the possibilities. We were two years apart and seemingly since he wanted to stay on the down low, we could make this work, right?
Prizes
During my junior year in 2009, I recall when my bestie, a female named Alex let me know the deal on Jake. She was fully aware I was gay and had no issue keeping my secret safe. Back then, it wasn’t a good idea to let anyone know you were homosexual. Oklahoma was part of the Bible belt meaning you’d suffer either at the hands of nagging kids who wanted to taunt you or overzealous bible thumpers who’d pray for you to be saved and or converted.
Either way, I’d learned staying in the closet throughout high school, college, and adulthood was the best option not only for my well-being, but also my sanity. Sad, but I figured why put myself through unnecessary trouble?
As per usual, Alex and I found a table in the corner away from the so-called cool kids. Many people thought we dated which was cool because it kept everyone from jumping in my business.
“Robert.” Alex placed her tuna salad sandwich on the table and dropped her book-bag on the floor. “Have I got some exciting news for you.”
Although hungry, I pushed the fork through the cafeteria’s version of authentic Mexican because it looked really unappetizing. It really sucked being a poor college student who could only afford to eat in the college cafeteria.
“What might that be?” I shoved the tray away and took the other half of her tuna sandwich.
She glared at me and shrugged, “Jake’s into guys.”
The moment she’d finished her sentence, I stopped chewing. “You’re kidding, right?” I put the rest down on the table and quickly swallowed it before I choked.
Alex smiled, “Nope, I’m not. My friend Lori Tate used to fool around with Jake. She says he confessed it while talking about sex.” She took back her lunch.
“Really?” My mind started to consider the possibilities. We were two years apart and seemingly since he wanted to stay on the down low, we could make this work, right?
Prizes
3 Ebook copies of Reconnection
1 $5 Amazon GC
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Muse and Author
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Muse and Author
Michael Mandrake
pens complex characters already comfortable with their sexuality. Thorough
these, he builds worlds not centered on erotica but rather the mainstream plots
we might encounter in everyday life through personal experiences or the media.
To find out more
please visit Michael
Mandrake at Wordpress
Author Sharita
Lira:
In one word, crazy. Just crazy enough to have 3 4 different muses
running around in her head, driving her to sheer exhaustion with new plot bunnies
and complex characters.
In addition to being a computer geek and a metalhead, Sharita
loves live music, reading, and perusing the net for sexy men to be her
muses. She’s also a founding member and
contributor to the heavy metal ezine Fourteeng.net.
For more information, please visit http://www.thelitriad.com as well as her Facebook
fanpage, The Literary Triad.
Thank you so much JC for hosting me
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