Please welcome multi-published author Sage Marlowe to Pick a Genre Already. Today Sage is sharing an excerpt from Sub-Culture, the sequel to Sub-Mission and has kindly sub-mitted to my version of an author interview. (that's bad, I'm sorry)
Welcome Sage...
What
was your favourite book as a child/teenager?
Wuthering
Heights by Emily Bronte. I had to read it in English class, and I must have
been the only one who loved the book.
Who was
the first author or what was the first book you read that introduced you to the
genre that you most enjoy writing in?
Hmm, I
can’t actually remember the first book, but some of the first MM erotic romance
authors I read were Ally Blue, TA Chase, LB Gregg and Harper Fox.
Do you
believe in love at first sight? And if so have you ever been so afflicted? Did
you do anything about it? (Did you go for it?)
Well,
the first time (literally) I set eyes on Mr M, I had this peculiar feeling.
Nothing definite, but somehow I just knew we were meant to be together. We were
work mates and spent the best part of two years fighting like cat and dog until
he ditched his partner and we started going out. It took all of two weeks for
him to move in with me and this New Year’s Day was our seventh anniversary so I
guess yes I believe in love at first sight.
Is
there a particular word you overuse or writing technique that your editor(s)
ride you about? Mine is over using the word ‘harshly’.
Really.
Just. Quite. Doing instead of do. Too many adverbs. Way too many adverbs. But I think I’m beginning to get the hang of
showing, not telling after my editors made me pour gallons of blood, sweat and
tears into one manuscript in particular.
Have
you ever suffered from writer’s block? (Or do you even believe in it?) If so,
how were you able to overcome it?
I have
never suffered from writer’s block as such – fortunately. Sometimes I’m too
wound up to focus on a story after a hectic day, but usually just re-reading
the last paragraph and beginning to type gets me back in line. On the rare
occasions when that doesn’t work, I do other writing-related things like
writing blog posts or I just grab a book and read a couple of pages, because
that is the best way to make me itch for a writing session.
If you
could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Hmmm…
Tough one. London and Texas are the two places where I’d most like to live but
it would be hard to pick one
If you
could bring one of your own characters to life, who would it be and why?
I’d
love to meet all of them, but if I had to choose just one, it would be Noah
from the Sub-series. Sub-Mission is my first published book, so Noah and Pierce
will always hold a special place in my heart, but Noah is also an amazing
person. His strength and loyalty never fail to impress me and while he has his
flaws just like the rest of us, he is a great friend and a wonderful dad.
What
are you reading right now?
I’m
actually in between books and trying to figure out which one of the titles on
my huge tbr-pile I should pick.
If you
were to do a reality show, which one would it be?
I’m
extremely camera-shy, so if I ever got involved with reality TV, I’d be the one
behind the scenes, writing about it.
What is
the craziest, most exciting, or most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?
Saying
yes to Mr M
 |
| Matt Bomer |
Name a
celebrity, athlete, musician, etc. you’d most like to get naughty with.
Hah,
easy. Matt Bomer.
H K (Sigh)
If
there was a movie made of your life what would it be called? Which celebrity
would you want to play you?
Good
grief, who would even want to make a movie of my life? The only title that
comes to mind is This Madness Is Called
My Life, and I think Natalie Portman would be great for the role. I really
liked her performance in Black Swan,
especially the scenes when her character was about to go insane. Yes, very much
me.
Favourite
movie?
There
are too many movies I like. I can’t possibly narrow it down to just one.
Dream
Vacation?
I
don’t have it planned yet, but what comes to mind are sunshine and horses,
possibly Texas. Oh, I guess I see cowboys…
Dream
Car?
Aston
Martin DB9, the all black version please.
Favourite
Ice Cream Flavour?
Chocolate
chip
Did you
make any New Year’s Resolutions?
Yes. I
have decided to read more this year because I was so busy writing last year that
I barely had the time to just relax with a book in my hand.
What
can readers look forward to next?
My next
release is the third book in the Romeo& Julian series, A Life as a
Ghost, which will be published with Siren-BookStrand in March. Then there
is Shifting Perspectives, the first
book in my new shifter series Shifting
Changes. It is currently submitted and will hopefully also make it for a
March release.
My next
novel is titled Fantasy for Sale. It
will be published on June 3rd, 2013 by Total-E-Bound.
My
current WIPs include the sequel to Re-Submission,
the next books in the Shifting Changes
series and many more.
Please
tell us about your newest release.
Sub-Culture is the sequel to my debut
novel, Sub-Mission. It finds Noah and
Pierce five years after the bumpy start to their relationship.
They have settled well into their lives as a happy couple but raising two
children, combined with a lot of pressure in their jobs, is beginning to take
its toll.
Sub-Culture takes a look at an essentially happy and well-tuned couple who have to
understand that life requires constant adapting to circumstances and that
loving your partner also means giving them the freedom and space they need to
develop.
Blurb:
When life gets on top,
delving into a sub-culture may be just what it takes to keep a sinking
relationship afloat
Five years after the bumpy start to their relationship, Noah
and Pierce have settled well into their lives as a happy couple. The arrival of
a new child should have made their matrimonial bliss complete, but the strain
of raising a baby and a teenager, combined with a lot of pressure in their
jobs, is beginning to take its toll.
In the midst of what already is a potentially explosive
situation, Noah’s younger brother Jonah comes to stay with them, forcing Noah
to face the issues he still has regarding his homophobic parents and adding to
the emotional pressure he is under.
When Noah starts behaving oddly and Pierce just can’t seem
to put his jealousy to rest, the cracks in their relationship become too severe
to ignore any longer. They struggle to keep their sinking love afloat but as
Noah craves the comfort a certain sub-culture can offer, Pierce finds himself
wondering just how far he is willing to step out of his own comfort zone to
save their love.
Reader Advisory: Sub-Culture is the sequel to
Sub-Mission and a part of Noah and Pierce’s story is also featured in
Re-Submission. Whilst each book stands on its own, to enjoy the story in full,
it is recommended to read the books in the order of release (Sub-Mission,
Re-Submission, Sub-Culture)
Story excerpt
"Fuck, not again!" Shifting, Noah snatched the
duvet under his arm, turned around and buried his head in the pillow.
"Uh, it’s your turn, love," Pierce reminded him,
struggling a little to recall how to work his voice, if only he wasn’t so
incredibly, mind-numbingly tired. He dragged an eyelid open and glanced at the
clock on the nightstand, but only because it was there anyway, straight in his
blurry line of vision. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered.
An assembly of cool, greenish dashes informed him that it
was half past two. That meant he would have three more hours of sleep until he
had to get up. Noah would have four—in theory.
"No way!" Noah’s protest was muffled by the pile
of pillows and duvet he’d buried himself under, but was nonetheless vehement.
"It was my turn last night already."
"Sorry," Pierce mumbled, half apologetic, half
relieved and completely anaesthetised with fatigue. "That was the night
before last."
"Fuck." He felt the mattress bounce as Noah sat
up. There was a noisy inhalation of breath—Noah yawning. "Shouldn’t he be
able to make it through the night without another feed by now anyway?"
Right on cue, another long, heartbreaking and ear-splitting
wail sliced through what was left of the night’s peace and quiet.
"Try telling him that," Pierce retorted.
"Pheebs stopped needing night feeds—"
"When she was six months old. I know. But Phinneas just
isn’t Phoebe. He is who he is and he happens to need his milk at night so we
have to give it to him. You have to give it to him."
"Yeah, right," Noah grunted but pushed to his
feet. "Coming," he grumbled on the way out into the hall, then,
seconds later, his voice sounded much gentler as he said, "Well, hello,
you little sleepless gremlin. Got the munchies again, haven’t you?" More
words followed, but they were too low for Pierce to make them out.
Knowing
Noah, it was a mix of sweet little nothings and good-humoured insults, which
was his usual way of dealing with the baby whenever he was overtired and needed
to vent some of the resulting grumpiness. Noah would never allow himself to let
the fiery side of his temper show around either of their two children. It was
what made him a wonderful dad—part of it, anyway. He was patient, generous,
funny… Pierce found it increasingly hard to focus on the noises Noah was making
in the kitchen while he was preparing the baby’s bottle.
No, they weren’t in the kitchen any longer. Already, Noah’s
light-hearted chatter was growing louder as he approached their door on the way
back to Baby Phin’s bedroom. Listening to the soothing, familiar tone of Noah’s
voice, Pierce let the sweet melody of the faint accent in it lull him back to
sleep.
The peace didn’t last long. Thirty minutes, according to the
cool, greenish dashes on the alarm clock. The mattress bounced again but, instead
of Noah’s six foot tall, hard-muscled body, something—or rather
someone—significantly smaller, and also a lot bonier, crept into Pierce’s bed.
A tiny, but pointed elbow hit him in the ribs with an accuracy that would have
made a professional wrestler proud.
"Fu—Phoebe!" Pierce gasped as the air left his
lungs a lot faster than he’d intended it to. "What are you doing
here?" He rubbed the spot just left of his sternum. It was going to turn
into a nasty bruise.
"Phin woke me up," Phoebe complained.
"That’s no reason to be out of bed at this time,"
Pierce pointed out.
"But I can’t sleep."
"No, of course you can’t sleep when you’re walking
around and—Oi!"
Occupying the space Noah had deserted only half an hour ago,
Phoebe had snatched the duvet in a very good imitation of her father. Just like
he had earlier, she turned around, buried her head in his pillow and started
snoring. So much for not being able to sleep.
Pierce knew he should move her, but the notion of getting
out of his warm, almost comfortable nest was more than he could face. Besides,
his own limbs felt like lead. How he was supposed to move with the added weight
of a twelve-year-old if even his own body was too heavy for him to drag out of
bed was beyond him. He was still contemplating whether or not he should try to
carry her back into her own bed or simply ignore the late-night visitor and go
back to sleep when Noah returned. Another half-hour had passed, as the numbers
on the alarm clock pointed out.
"Taken," Pierce warned and indicated Noah’s side
of the bed.
"Fan-fucking-tastic!" Hovering in front of the
bed, Noah glared down at his sleeping child. "Why didn’t you tell her to
go back to her own room?"
"Couldn’t. By the time I realised what was happening,
she was already rolled into that duvet, tight as a tick.
What was up with Phin?
You’ve been gone quite long."
"I know." Noah let out an exasperated sigh. Or
maybe it was just another yawn. "I had to change him after I fed him, then
he was awake and wanted to play, puked on himself, so I had to change his
clothes again—the usual." He watched Phoebe for another moment, then he
murmured, "What do you think I should do about her now?"
About the author:
Sage is a multi-published author of gay erotic romance and
loves taking romance to the edge. The edge of passion, the edge of pleasure,
the edge of propriety.
Hopelessly in love with books from a very early age on, Sage
has dreamt of writing one for years while working on the day job instead. It
took a very persistent character in the company of a much-adored Muse to
finally get the first novel going. The fact that this gorgeous guy was gay came
as a bit of a surprise, but it explained a lot.
Ever since, Sage has been the willing slave to all the
fascinating guys who just keep queuing up and want their stories told. This has
resulted in several published books and countless manuscripts at various stages
of completion, so there's always something to work on—preferably at night when
the rest of the house is asleep.
Sage's characters often have a dramatic and sometimes
traumatic past and need to battle some demons to be with the one they love. But
don’t worry, they get quite a lot of naughty action along the way to keep them
happy and there will always be a happy end!
Contact and buy links
For all books published with
Siren-BookStrand, go to: www.bookstrand.com/sage-marlowe
Re-Submission has been nominated for Best BDSM book of 2012 in the LRCafe Awards. Voting ends January 19th, so go out and vote!! Check out Sage's website for more info.
Thank you for joining me today, Sage.
