Mid-Willamette Fiction Writers

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN by Aiden Ainslie

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Young) — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:01:00 +0000

Pleased welcome Aiden Ainslie author of KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

by Aiden Ainslie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: M/M romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

I was lucky to have an excellent English teacher and enjoyed literature all through high school. Jane Austen was my favorite though it was definitely not cool for a guy to enjoy romantic stories. I dabbled a little with my writing in high school but it had always been somewhat of a guilty pleasure. Five years ago, I started to take it more seriously and attended workshops and seminars to acquire novel writing skills. After a career in engineering and IT, I was finally able to quit my day job during the pandemic and focus on what I really love – writing MM romance.

2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?

As in any novel, it is essential to have strong character development and a good plot. The author has to take the reader on a journey and make them care about the main characters. MM romance has a rather defined structure and I like that. There has to be the awakening of a relationship, excitement, tension and then despair when all seems lost. This genre also demands an inevitable happy ending.

In MM romance, authors can employ the added dimension of sex. For me, it is important that every sex scene have a clear purpose. It must show the vulnerabilities, the growing trust, or some other dimension of the relationship between the MCs. Gratuitous sex scenes merely serve to interrupt the flow of the storyline.

3. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

The TV coverage of the Tour de France is an annual sporting highlight that I never miss. It is a thrill to see the riders battling it out as they race through spectacular scenery dotted with quaint villages, French Chateau and ancient monasteries among lush green forests. The setting simply begs for romance.

Because I am a keen cyclist myself, I am in awe of the skill, endurance and mental stamina needed to compete at a professional level.

I did some research and was surprised to learn that there has never been an openly gay rider in the Tour de France. That got me thinking. What if? What if the leader of the Tour de France, who has to be utterly focused on the race, finds himself distracted by a burgeoning attraction to a guy? He doesn’t only have to balance these feelings against the commitment to his sport but also has to deal with years of repressed sexuality. That would make a good story, wouldn’t it? Especially if the romance starts in Paris!

4. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

King of the Mountain is the first book in the Love at Lake Clyde series. I have already completed books two and three, Master of the Wild and Ruler of the Waves. They are stand-alone stories but readers enjoy them more if read in sequence. That way one gets to know the supporting cast of well-meaning, meddling folks in Clydesdale.

I am currently working on the fourth and final book in the series, Lord of the Sky.

5. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

I identify with Clifford, the cyclist. Of course, I am much older and not nearly as good-looking. But I identify with him because of the heartache that comes from years of repressing one’s attraction for men. The human mind is a wonderful, powerful thing. It even allows us to lie to ourselves for decades. Clifford wasted so much of his life and missed out on so much happiness before Gabe finally made him come out of his shell.

6. Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder your writing?

I did belong to a small group of four writers for a while. I was lucky that this group was respectful, honest and constructive in their criticisms. We also had lots of fun and drank too much wine. It was helpful when I started my writing career. Then, some people moved away and the group folded. In retrospect, that was a good thing because I realized that I had become too dependent on them. I was writing to please the group rather than be true to myself and my characters.

7. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

A few years ago, I joined “Jericho Writers”, based in Oxford, U.K. They are a group of writers who run webinars on all aspects of creative writing, editing, publishing, marketing, etc. Through those webinars, with very lively online chats among the participants, I realized that writers are just normal people like me. If they could get published, why not me? And so, I took the plunge.

8. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I have an engineering and IT background, hence I do plan in advance. I create a roughly three-page outline and maintain a series of spreadsheets to keep track of all my characters, the timeline, places, etc. It is amazing how quickly the cast of supporting characters grows in a novel. And, if you write a novel over a period of nine to twelve months, you can easily get confused as to their age, mannerisms, relationships, or history.

So, I keep all that straight via a set of spreadsheets. But, once I start, I allow the story to evolve. It is a most satisfying feeling when the main characters start to take on a life of their own and virtually dictate deviations to the story line. You sit and write and then think, “Gabe would never do that. He would rather do…” and the story veers into a new direction.

9. How do you maintain your creativity?

I talk to my characters. Not out loud of course (for fear of being carted off and locked up), but in my head. I go for long hikes and solitary bike rides and the motion just gets my brain going. Often, I have to stop to dictate new ideas into my phone. Then, when I sit at my computer, I weave these new angles into the storyline.

10. Who is your favorite character in the book? Can you tell us why?

Gabe O’Reilly, the second main character, is just an all-around adorable, good person. He has maintained a childlike ability to enjoy the simple things in life and to be enchanted by art and natural beauty. That doesn’t mean he’s a pushover. Quite the contrary. He knows who he is and is at peace with himself and the world around him. There isn’t a bitchy bone in his body. I’ve always admired people like that.

11. Anything else you might want to add?

The MM romance genre appears to be heavily populated with stars from very specific sports: baseball, football, and hockey. King of the Mountain, and the other books in the series, also showcase sports stars who are athletic, determined, and highly competitive. But I deliberately wanted to showcase lesser-known sports such as cycling, cross-county and sailing to give readers a fresh dimension. Several reviewers have commented on how much they have enjoyed going on a virtual Tour de France.

BLURB:

CLIFFORD

After years of hard work and training, I finally have the chance of fulfilling my lifelong dream of winning the Tour de France. Nothing can be allowed to distract me from this mission, especially not Gabe O’Reilly, the adorable art student from San Francisco.

But he looks so vulnerable – all alone in France.

I would be failing in my patriotic duty to a fellow American if I didn’t take care of him, wouldn’t I? And what possible harm could come from spending twenty-four hours with him on the shores of the Mediterranean? I deserve that little break, don’t I?

GABE

I have never seen a human specimen as perfect as Clifford Du Frey. During our fleeting encounter in Paris, I saw a man who was funny, caring, and tender – so very different from the way the media portray him. He is everything I could ever dream of in a boyfriend.

But in what universe will an international sports superstar pay any serious attention to me?

Do not get involved, my brain yells; you can only get hurt again. But my heart is thrumming to a different tune.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

CLIFFORD

In my line of work as a professional cyclist, me-time was rationed like the tiny, individually wrapped squares of chocolate my mother would give me as a reward for good school results. Of course, once I had found her secret stash, I used to help myself and haughtily decline her miserly tokens of approval.

But there was no secret stash of time. I had to live with the given rations to deal with my anxieties. I knew what none of the team even suspected – this was do-or-die, my last attempt at finally pulling off the big win that had eluded me throughout my ten-year professional career. I knew that I would not be able to muster the hunger for another Tour – to withstand the hundreds of hours of training rides in extreme heat and the Alps' arctic altitude. This was it. But if my cycling career was at an end – then what? It was all I had ever done. My grueling schedule had not allowed me to attend college. At twenty-eight, I stared into the chasm of obscurity, a has-been, yesterday’s hero discarded with yesterday’s trash.

I nursed a coffee and was about to spiral into a pit of self-doubt and anxiety when I noticed a young man at the restaurant entrance. His indecision was palpable. He had a camera on a strap around his neck. Who still used cameras? Didn’t everyone have a smartphone? And he held a copy of the Lonely Planet in one hand. He wore cargo shorts, a UC San Francisco T-shirt, and leather sandals. There was something so open, innocent, and vulnerable about him that it tugged at my jaded heart. He might as well have had “American student – rip me off” tattooed on his forehead. Physically he was gorgeous – average height with sun-tanned skin and the perfect proportions that come from working on a farm or construction site. The soft curls of his dark hair shone in the midday sun and fell in unruly waves over his forehead. I had the fleeting, insane urge to push my fingers through that hair so that I could get a good look at his eyes. A few well-heeled ladies in the bistro were giving him the once-over, but he was utterly oblivious.

The man bit his lower lip as he studied the menu, and it was as though I could read his mind. The hand in his pocket was no doubt assessing how many euros he had and whether he could afford the expensive bistro which the Lonely Planet recommended as a “must-do.” Again, his eyes scanned the packed restaurant, and the waiters were too busy to notice his dilemma.

To this day, I do not know what made me do it. I, who had wanted anonymity, to get away from the oppressive togetherness of a competitive sports team in a foreign country. I, who desperately needed time to straighten out my head. I, who definitely did not need any distractions in my life. I rose from my seat and beckoned for the stranger to join me at the intimate table with its white tablecloth, the vase with lavender, and the table-setting for two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Aiden Ainslie lives in the Diablo foothills, east of San Francisco. He grew up in various small towns and loves to draw on that small-town feel for his romances: the sense of community but also the petty grievances, intrigue and rivalries. “An author has to draw on personal experience to create authentic stories.”

According to Aiden, setting and mood are critical parts of a romantic story, hence he is always taking pictures of romantic settings to be used in future novels. Check them out on his website www.aidenainslie.com

When Aiden is not writing or listening to audiobooks, he likes to cycle and hike. During those solitary pursuits, he dreams up the characters and plots for his MM Romance novels. He also enjoys zipping around town on his motor scooter, drinking coffee at the local coffee shops, and watching people to get inspiration for his writing.

Website: www.aidenainslie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aiden.ainslie

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AidenA36208349

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/KING-MOUNTAIN-LOVE-LAKE-CLYDE-ebook/dp/B0996S9871

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/king-of-the-mountain-by-aiden-ainslie

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58576572-king-of-the-mountain

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

PLEASE MENTION THE PRIZE THAT THE AUTHOR WILL BE GIVING AWAY:

The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4656

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

This is the last check-in for 2013 and we want to hear from you!

How was your year in writing? Are you thinking about your writing goals for next year?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?
#end

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Sorry I'm late!

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Young) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 15:34:00 +0000

Lighthouse at Chania, Crete

Didn't see the notice that it was my turn to blog until this morning. Internet has been spotty at best so I'm posting late. This is a beautiful country with scenery that words don't do justice. The history seems to go back so far. All around Chania there are walls. It seems the Greeks kept building walls but the Ottomans kept invading.

Right now I'm sitting across from the Athens airport waiting for tomorrow morning and our flight home. It was a beautiful sunset but the view was from behind a dirty window. We traveled from Crete to Athens this morning. Some of you have been following my blog and reading about the places we have visited. My blog will no longer be a travel blog although I still have been places I haven't shared and will continue to share occasionally.

Thirteen hours until our flight leaves for home. First stop Frankfurt, second stop Vancouver, Canada then on to PDX. We have taken six flights since we started our journey a little over three weeks ago and we have three left.

See ya all soon!

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Two Days And Counting

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Young) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 16:12:00 +0000

I'm counting down the days until we leave for Athens--Loci (not sure if spelled right) Albania then on to Crete. Looking forward to seeing the acropolis, delphi, Olympia and so much more. Crete and Santurini by ferry and sunshine. Wonderful southern California weather. Will post on my blog some of my adventures and photographs. Also excited about meeting my son-in-law's parents and grandparents.

Where have all of you been and where do you want to go?

Next on my list is Dublin. I've been to the England, Scotland and Paris so Ireland makes sense. My hubby wants to travel to Australia. So do I but the time on the plane seems formidable.

On my bucket list: swimming in the Mediterranean. Yup! Going to do just that.

Now I'm borrowing pictures from my daughters trip to Greece.

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

TAKING THE CREATESPACE PLUNGE…

noreply@blogger.com (Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel) — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 23:32:00 +0000

NOW IN PRINT!

POSTED BY: Genie Gabriel

Web site: www.GenieGabriel.com

I'm following in Barb Cool Lee's footsteps and taking the plunge into the world of self-publishing. Actually, I'm only dipping my toes in to see how the water is.

I have the print rights to my ebooks, so I am self-publishing the print version to one of my books as an experiment. On the surface, using CreateSpace looks like it will allow me to obtain these printed books at a price I can actually be competitive at in-person booksignings. These books arrived early this week and the quality is good!

The first test of this will be an event with forty authors at the Salem Library Authorama on Saturday, September 28 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is free to the public and will be held at the main library, 585 Liberty Street SE in Salem. I'd love to see you if you can make it.

With print books, I'll also try a contest on Goodreads, where I am slowly finding my way around.

I'm also offering a print copy of this book as a prize in an online party I'm participating in this week at The Romance Studio. They are giving away many prizes, so if you're interested the event is being held at <http://trsparties.com>. Over 125 authors are participating with books ranging from sweet romances to triple-XXX rated. Stop by if you'd like to and sign up for prizes and read excerpts of lots of books. :)

Of course, offering my book in print is part of my marketing and promotion plan to let as many potential readers as possible know about what I write. I love the convenience of ebooks, but discovered I'm still excited about holding a physical book I wrote in my hands. Yes, part of it is ego. However, it's also a way to meet the desire of readers who may also like the experience of reading a physical book.

I'm excited and looking forward to seeing how having affordable print books affects sales of all my books.

-GenieGabriel

www.GenieGabriel.com

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Sweet Sexy Sadie is on tour!

noreply@blogger.com (Christine Young) — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 07:01:00 +0000

Sweet Sexy Sadie, released August 20, 2013 is now on tour with Goddessfish. If you have time please stop and leave a comment for a chance to win an Amazon Gift Card. Familiar names are so welcome.

Stops are listed here:

September 2: Long and Short Reviews
September 3: Dalene's Book Reviews

eptember 3: United By Books
September 4: Books to Light Your Fire
September 5: Books and Other Spells
September 6: Simply Ali
September 9: All I Want and More
September 10: Rose and Beps Blog
September 10: Welcome to My World of Dreams

September 11: Perusing Princesses
September 12: Sharing Links and Wisdom
September 13: Musings From An Addicted Reader
September 16: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
September 17: TBQ's Book Palace
September 18: My Reading Obsession
September 19: Wicked Readings by Tawania
September 20: Crazy Four Books

Title: Sweet Sexy Sadie

Author: Christine Young

Email: achristay@aol.com

Genre: Erotic Romance

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 5

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

From the first time Sadie’s eyes met those of Brody McKenna in the hot Sierra Madre Mountains, theirs was a potent attraction—not gentle, slow, and easy, but hot, hard, and all-consuming. The daughter of a dysfunctional family, Sadie had dreams no man could wrench from her with hot sex and an all-consuming passion. She’d challenge this alpha male with all the strength she possessed. But her red hair, fiery temperament, and indomitable spirit obsessed Brody...and he knew he had to find a way to show her he was more than he appeared and convince her to make a life with him.

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah Wright) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week? What do you plan to accomplish this week?