Welcome Dale Cameron today to the Reading Nook blog. Please don't forget to enter the giveaway, readers, for a chance to win a great prize basket of wonderful books from the author.
Now lets talk with the author about their new book, Myths, Moons and Mayhem.
Can
you tell us a little about yourself?
My
earliest years were in Spain just after the death of dictator Francisco Franco,
as the nation transitioned to democracy. After that, my family moved to the
Netherlands, where my neighbors explained to me that the monthly air-raid
sirens that went off throughout the city were practice in case the Nazis
decided to invade again. Or maybe the Russians. But more likely the Nazis. (At
the time, World War II was not “history,” since most adults could remember it.)
To
this day my recurring nightmares don’t involve demons, ghouls, or serial
killers, but rather Nazis and fascists.
Outside
of air-raid sirens and Dutch dourness (which I say with the utmost affection),
I had a pretty happy childhood in Europe. I went to international schools; by
the time I was eight I’d shared classes with kids from at least a dozen
nations. It was in the Netherlands that I started to write as a hobby, not just
for class assignments. Sometimes it was my favorite hobby; other times it fell
behind stamp collecting and pretending I was every single member of the Swedish
supergroup ABBA.
As
the years progressed, I continued writing and, eventually, editing. I was on
the staff of my high school’s literary journal, an editor at the college paper,
a newspaper and magazine intern, a freelance book reviewer, a reporter for a
daily newspaper, and an editor for several non-profits. I sent poems and short
stories to literary magazines, and sometimes they got accepted. I felt hemmed
in by literary fiction, so I started writing fanfiction and genre fiction.
That’s
what’s brought me to where I am today, a queer purveyor of gay romance and
erotica, with a dash of speculative fiction on the side.
What
are you currently working on?
Right
now, I’m mostly working on getting the word out about Myths, Moons, and
Mayhem, the anthology I edited that just came out from Sexy Little Pages,
right in time for Halloween. It’s a sexy collection of nine paranormal stories
featuring gay ménage a trois.
It
was conceived over a Facebook chat I had with Sexy Little Pages publisher Anna
Sky last winter. She thought it would be fun to release a Halloween anthology
of gay ménage erotica with that title, and ever the sucker for a good pun (the
book’s initials and the abbreviation for gay ménage are both MMM), I naturally
agreed.
But
you probably meant what stories am I working on! I’m working on an MM
romance novella based in Madagascar, the same setting I used for my story “The
Cave” in Myths, Moons, and Mayhem. The novella is a contemporary romance
without any paranormal touches.
If
you could be any paranormal creature what would you be?
A
spotted hyena shifter, maybe? Forget about The Lion King and spotted
hyenas being ugly and evil. Sure, they’re a little odd-looking if you expect to
them to look like dogs or cats, but accept them on their own terms and you can
start to see how well-suited they are to their environment.
I’ve
had the opportunity to travel in areas where spotted hyenas live, and I think
they’re just fascinating. They’re incredibly smart and very curious about the
world around them. Seriously. Just find a place where you can watch spotted
hyena cubs at play, and after an hour or two, you’ll swear they are the most
charming, intelligent young creatures you’ve ever met. I might be including
humans in that equation…
Spotted
hyenas have a complex social system, and while it’s got its downsides, I like
the fact that adults care for each other’s young and that groups are fairly
cohesive. They’re brave—they’ll walk right up to a lion and snatch a meal out
of its jaws if their group is hungry, which I guess is why The Lion King
hates them—but more often they recycle, chewing up bits of carcass that other
animals leave behind. They can digest bones! That’s pretty hardcore.
What
genres do you write in?
I
write in most of the subgenres of romance and erotica, and sometimes outside
either of those genres. Writing is my time to have fun and explore new things,
so I’m always curious about experimenting with new ways to tell stories. So far
I’ve written contemporary romance, erotica, erotic romance, paranormal, sci-fi,
fantasy, urban fantasy, magical realism, young adult, and literary fiction.
I’ve never written a mystery or a Western, so maybe I should try one of those.
If
zombies attacked what kind of supplies would you want?
A
light sword, a double-headed axe, an endless supply of clean water,
non-perishable foods, a first-aid kit that included basic antibiotics and a few
epinephrine injectors (assuming the zombies have made visiting hospitals and
pharmacies out of the question), lots of toilet paper, a blanket, a bar of
soap, and a chainsaw.
Do
you keep a notebook near for when new ideas pop into your head?
Yep.
I have one that I keep by my bed. The trick is making sure the pen stays with
it.
What
do readers have to look forward to in the future from you?
Besides
the Madagascar romance, I have a gay Mormon novella and outlines for two other
gay Mormon books sitting in my drafts folder. One of them takes place at a
fictional version of Gallaudet University, the world’s first university for the
deaf and hard of hearing, which I lived near after moving to the US.
In
the meantime, I’ll continue to write random short stories as the muse strikes.
When
and where do you like to write? Are there any favourite places you like to go?
I
usually write in my home office, because that's where I have my whole ergonomic
set-up: Kinesis keyboard, Dragon Dictate, sitting-standing desk, and three
different mouses (one foot operated) to prevent either hand from tiring out.
I
got my first repetitive stress injury in college, so I have to be careful about
this stuff. Though I do write by hand or on a laptop at the kitchen table
sometimes. I just can't do it for extended periods, or soon I’ll be in so much
pain I have to use a pencil in my fist to operate the keyboard. (The last time
I worked myself into that state was a few years ago, and I'm trying to make
sure it doesn't happen again.)
If
I’m traveling, I’ll write anywhere: the bus, an airplane, the backseat of a
car, a coffeeshop, those really gross charging stations at airports, a stoop,
my host’s kitchen table. I travel with an ergonomic keyboard and extra mouse if
I’m going to be away for an long time, unless I’m traveling somewhere with
relatively little access to electricity, in which case I bring a blank notebook
and lots of writing utensils.
How
do you like to relax after a day writing?
I
like to go for a walk or run, by myself or with my partner. I usually bring my
camera along in case I see any cool birds or plants, though if I'm running I of
course can't bring my camera with the telescoping lens, just a pocket camera.
(The magnification on a cell phone isn't very good for shooting pictures of
birds.)
I
take my cat out for walks, but often this is more boring than relaxing, because
her idea of walking is to wander a few feet, settle down on the ground, and
then stare at some invisible prey for the next eight minutes before she's
willing to move again. So I usually bring a book or do stretches or bring my
camera and hope I, also, find something interesting to stare at.
Nature
documentaries or a good TV series like Orange Is the New Black are among
my favorite indoor winding-down activities. Not that this last season of Orange
Is the New Black was relaxation-inducing ...
I
like to quilt and bake, as well. These tend to be more wintertime activities.
My mom sent me the Great British Bake-Off cookbook for my birthday, so I
have that to look forward to this winter.
How
much of your own personality bleeds into your characters?
Few
of my characters are autobiographical in outward terms, but bits of my
personality definitely find my way into them. They have tendencies toward
navel-gazing; social awkwardness and uncertainty about how to respond to
certain social cues, whether it's while flirting or at work or making small
talk with the neighbors; a sense of belonging to more than one culture, and
also a sense of belonging to none; and a love of cats.
Though
not all of my characters share these traits. One of the fun things about
writing fiction is immersing yourself in someone else's worldview. I've had a
lot of fun writing extroverted characters and people who focus more on what
their five senses tell them than on the chatter between their ears.
And
I love to write characters with hobbies or professions I have little firsthand
experience with—flying model airplanes, being a professional wrestler, digging
up fossils—because then I get to do research. And I love doing research.
I used to be a reporter, and the itch to ask a million questions about things
I'm no expert on—it's never gone away.
Title: Myths,
Moons & Mayhem
Editor: Dale
Cameron Lowry
Authors: Rebecca Buchanan,
Elizabeth Coldwell, Rhidian Brenig Jones, Morgan Elektra, Greg Kosebjorn, Clare
London, Dale Cameron Lowry, Carl Redlum, Rob Rosen
Publisher: Sexy
Little Pages
Genres: anthology,
paranormal, menage, LGBT, MMM romance, MMM erotica
Universal ebook Link: https://books2read.com/mythsmoons
Amazon universal link (paperback): http://getBook.at/mmm
More information: https://dalecameronlowry.com/books/myths-moons-mayhem/
Myths,
moons, and mayhem make the perfect threesome—and so do the men in this
anthology.
Enjoy nine
erotic stories of paranormal ménages a
trois fueled by lust and magic, where mystical forces collide with the everyday world and even monsters have their own
demons to conquer.
A werewolf
gets a lust-fueled lesson on fitting in with the pack, a professor unlocks
ancient secrets and two men’s hearts, and a pair of supernaturals find
themselves at the erotic mercy of a remarkable human. Ghosts, fairies, aliens,
and mere mortals test the boundaries of their desires, creating magic of their
own.
Penned by
favorite authors such as Rob Rosen and Clare London, as well as by newcomers to
the genre, Myths, Moons & Mayhem
is an eclectic mix of paranormal lust and polymythic beings that will spark
your fantasies and fuel your bonfires.
Giveaway
To celebrate the
release of the paranormal gay ménage anthology Myths, Moons & Mayhem, editor
Dale Cameron Lowry and Sexy Little Pages are giving away trick-or-treat baskets
filled with delectable paranormal, scif-fi, and ménage ebooks (epub or mobi)
for your reading pleasure.
Excerpt from “The Cave” by Dale Cameron Lowry in Myths, Moons, and Mayhem
About
“The Cave”: Losing
sleep to the sounds of his tent-neighbors’ nightly lovemaking has nature
photographer Ethan at his wit’s end. What kind of magic can convince the two
men he should join them?
An
ecstatic moan rises over the crackle of the cooking fire, followed by a sudden shhh!
“As
soon as I get home from Madagascar, I’m going to tie my husband to the bed and
fuck the living daylights out of him.” Heather glances over at the tent our
cohorts, Joseph and Mendrika, disappeared into minutes ago, and from where the
sounds emanated.
I’ve
been half-hard all evening from watching the two men at dinner, and now hearing
them—if Heather wasn’t here, I’d have my dick in my hand already. Instead, I
focus that energy into the fire, poking at the coals with a long stick. “Since
I don’t have a husband, I guess my hot fantasy about getting back to the US
involves taking a long shower and sleeping in an actual bed.”
“Well,
that too. Maybe I’ll sleep first, then fuck him. They both sound pretty
tempting.” She laughs, but it turns into a yawn. She covers her mouth. “Sorry.
Long day.”
“That’s
the understatement of the century.” I rub my shoulder, which still twinges from
the afternoon’s emergency rescue.
“You
look a little tired too, Ethan.”
“A
little, I guess. Happens sometimes after I use magic. You want to compare notes
tomorrow instead?” Heather and I are on assignment, covering a paleontological
expedition for one of our regular nature magazines. We usually stay up after
everyone else to go over our notes from the day and write up a blog post if we
have good material. It’s why we’re out here now while the rest of the team
sleeps—or fucks.
“Are
you sure? I know how much you hate to get behind.”
“Positive.
Get some sleep.” I pat Heather’s elbow.
She
winces.
“Sorry,
did you hit it during the fall?”
“I
hit everything.”
“Go
to bed. I’ll get the fire, and—”
Another
sound emanates from Mendrika and Joseph’s tent, this one deeper and even less
controlled than the previous one. Then a gasp and a stutter, like whichever one
of them made the noise is trying to regain control of himself.
My
cock shifts in my field pants. The fire pops, its flames too large for the
ember fuelling it.
Heather
does a double take. “Did you do that?” She knows me too well.
“Maybe?”
An
impish grin spreads across her face. She pokes my elbow, then points to the
blaze. “Those horny bastards are
getting to you, aren’t they?”
“If
you already know the answer, why are you asking me?”
“Oh,
c’mon. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Ethan. Everybody’s magic gets
stronger when they’re turned on.”
“I
don’t see you levitating.”
“Only
because I’m so exhausted from today.” She yawns again and stretches her arms
above her head. “I don’t understand how Mendrika has the energy for sex after
doing acrobatics in that pit with me all afternoon.”
“Maybe
he’s leaving all the acrobatics to Joseph.” The fire sputters again as I let
myself imagine Joseph in a particularly gorgeous contortion, his legs wrapped
around Mendrika’s shoulders, his back arched, his thick neck stretched long and
taut with pleasure.
“You’ve
clearly given this some thought.”
I
don’t answer. No, I haven’t, isn’t an
option. Heather can spot a lie from a mile away. And Yes would lead to too many questions. A man gets to keep some
things to himself, and my fantasies about Joseph and Mendrika have grown into a
prized possession over our two weeks in Madagascar—especially since our first,
clothing-optional trip to the local watering hole.
About the Editor
Dale Cameron Lowry’s number one goal in life is getting the cat to stop eating dish towels; number two is to write things that bring people joy. Dale is the author of Falling Hard: Stories of Men in Love and a contributor to more than a dozen anthologies. Find out more at dalecameronlowry.com.
- Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/dalecameronlowry
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/DaleCLowry
- Tumblr: dalecameronlowry.tumblr.com
- Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/dalecameronlowry
- Newsletter and free reads: dalecameronlowry.com/news/
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