Guest Author Day with LM Somerton

Runaway Donkey

Inspiration can come from the strangest places. The seed of the idea for the whole Fairground Attractions series came from a morning flicking through old photograph albums with my mum. She was having a sort out, getting rid of a lot of old holiday pictures and getting all modern by scanning some of her favourites. We came across one of me, aged about seven, sitting on a donkey, wearing a navy blue cagoule with the hood up, heading towards the sea. It’s one of those childhood incidents that has stuck with me over the years, and not remembered that fondly I have to admit.

Weston-super-Mare, or Weston-Super-Mud as it was known, was the closest beach resort to my home in Bath in the south-west of England. It was a big treat to go there on a day trip so if one was planned, we went, rain or shine. More often than not it was raining. I don’t remember asking for a donkey ride, but I got one. The wind inflated my raincoat to the size of a barrage balloon and the donkey headed straight for the sea, me bouncing helplessly on its back. Fortunately, at Weston the sea goes out so far at low tide that the donkey ran out of steam long before it reached the water and I was rescued.

Looking at the picture brought back memories of my favourite parts of those trips - the pier. There were a few rides and amusement arcades at the end and I always looked forward most to the hall of mirrors and the ghost train, which was a rickety affair and scary only to an over-imaginative seven year old. I could never get up much speed on the helter-skelter and still remember the nervousness waiting for the carousel to stop so I could choose my favourite horse before anyone else.

So looking at that single picture sparked the idea of a series of novellas linked together and themed around the different rides. The first book in the series, Ghost Train, came out last year and today book two, Merry-Go-Round is released. These will be followed by Helter-Skelter later this year. I’ve added some murder and mayhem to the setting along with some D/s romance. The image of a young child on a runaway donkey is definitely not included.

Book Information

Merry-Go-Round

Fairground Attractions #2

Even the brightest places have shadows.

Stevie is sweet and shy—the only hint of an independent spirit comes from his lilac hair. For years he’s harboured a crush on his best friend, Adam, who is everything Stevie isn’t. The problem? When it comes to love, Adam is a bit slow on the uptake.

On top of that, Stevie fears the escaped killer known as Harlequin is targeting his friends, and clings to his role managing the merry-go-round for some semblance of normality. But someone is watching from shadows even the summer sun can’t penetrate.

Realising that life can be all too short, Adam takes steps to ensure that Stevie will be his. All his protective instincts kick in when Stevie attracts some unwanted—and very dangerous—attention, but he can’t take care of him alone. The group of friends needs to band together because the bright lights and whirling horses of the merry-go-round won’t be enough to keep Stevie alive. Some killers are far too good at hiding in plain sight.

Reader advisory: This book contains a brief scene of sexual assault.

General Release Date: 26th February 2019

Buy links:

Pride Publishing: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/merry-go-round

Amazon Universal Link: http://getbook.at/MerryGoRound

Genre: MM BDSM, thriller

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Excerpt:

            They found a gap in the promenade fence where there were some steps leading to the beach. Groups of people sat around small fires and barbecues. Music played in various places and one party had a guy playing guitar while his friends sang. Stevie let Adam lead him down towards the sea where the pebbles were finer and it was easier to walk. They strolled in silence for a while, no awkwardness between them. Stevie breathed in the salted air, which flavoured his lips and stiffened his hair. It grew quieter as they walked away from the town centre. A sliver of moon provided some illumination, reflecting silver on the crests of the waves. Here and there lights blinked on yachts and fishing boats out at sea.

            “I wonder if there’s a smuggler’s boat out there somewhere,” Stevie mused. “Waiting for an opportunity to come ashore.”

            “It wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Adam said. “It was a shock to discover that the amusement park was being used as an exchange point though.”

            “I know!” Stevie gripped Adam’s hand a little tighter. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Garth, alone in the ghost train, tripping over a body. I know his natural habitat is dark and spooky, but even so. I’d have screamed the place down. That ride scares me on a normal day.”

            “You’re not the only one,” Adam confessed.

            “Really? I didn’t think you were afraid of anything, whereas me, I’m terrified of spiders in the bath, snakes, worms and celery.”

            “Celery?”

            “Yep. Mum put a bunch of it on the table one mealtime when we were having salad. I went to take a piece and there was a slug down inside the stalks. Now I can’t even look at the stuff without freaking out. I’ve never told anyone else that.”

            “I promise to protect you from rampaging celery, okay?”

            “How did you manage to keep a straight face while you said that?”

            “Because there is one thing I am afraid of…you not being happy.”

            A thousand butterflies carried out aerial displays in Stevie’s stomach. He stopped and turned to face Adam. “One thing would make me very happy right now.”

            Adam blinked. “What’s that?”

            “Kiss me.”

Bio and links

LM lives in a small village in the English countryside, surrounded by rolling hills, cows and sheep. She started writing to fill time between jobs and is now firmly and unashamedly addicted.

She loves the English weather, especially the rain, and adores a thunderstorm. She loves good food, warm company and a crackling fire. She's fascinated by the psychology of relationships, especially between men, and her stories contain some subtle (and some not so subtle) leanings towards BDSM.

LM is winner of the National Leather Association’s Pauline Reage Award for best novel and the 2016 and 2018 Golden Flogger Awards for best BDSM novel in the LGBT category. She has received multiple Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards and won the Action and Adventure category of Divine Magazine’s Book Awards. You can track her down online here:

Pride Publishing page: https://www.pride-publishing.com/author/lm-somerton

Website: www.lmsomerton.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lmsomertonwrites/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lmsomerton

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/lmsomerton/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/L.M.-Somerton/e/B00AV9XRW8

Queer Romance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/l-m-somerton/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmsomerton/

MeWe: https://mewe.com/group/5addfb9cc544201039da1a61