Interview and Giveaway: A Rose by Any Other Name by Charlie Cochet

TNA: Hi, Charlie, I’m so glad you could stop in to visit with us today. Why don’t we start things off by having you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Charlie: Thank you so much for having me over at the fabulous Novel Approach! It’s always such a treat to be here. For those who may not know me, my name is Charlie Cochet and I’m an author of M/M Romance. I write various genres, from Historical to Paranormal, my latest big release being a new law-enforcement shifter series called the THIRDS. Action. Comedy. Romance. And that one weird guy.

I currently have three historical series: Tea House Tales, The Auspicious Troubles of Love, and Fallen Rose. Two Paranormal series: A Little Bite of Love and the THIRDS. And one Fantasy series: North Pole City Tales. Although they’re all very different, they do have something in common. I’m a big romantic sap, so you’ll find plenty of sweet moments in each story, along with a good dose of humor.

TNA: It’s been two years since you introduced readers to Harlan Mackay and Nathan Reilly in Roses in the Devil’s Garden. Now you’ve got A Rose by Any Other Name coming out tomorrow from Dreamspinner Press. After so many books released between these two, was it easy to put yourself back into the mind space of the world Nathan and Harlan inhabit? How much of a role will they play in Julius and Edward’s story?

Charlie: I started A Rose by Any Other Name not long after I finished Roses in the Devil’s Garden, so it wasn’t difficult to get back into the mind space. In a sense it was easier because I had a lot more time. Roses in the Devil’s Garden was written for the Goodreads M/M Romance group’s writing event in 2012, and the timeframe was very tight for me, despite it being a novella. I hope to revisit Harley and Nate’s story and lengthen it to novel length when my schedule permits. But I was excited to get back to the guys. Usually to get back into the right “voice”, I’ll read a historical. Then I’m raring to go.

A Rose by Any Other Name takes place two years after Roses in the Devil’s Garden. The story is a standalone, but I’m hoping when readers get introduced to Harlan and Nathan, they’ll want to read more about them. Those guys are just too much fun to write. Julius made quite the impression on Harlan back in Roses in the Devil’s Garden and their friendship has only grown stronger. Although Julius brings the guys up in the story, it’s not until near the end that Harlan and Nathan show up. When the bullets start flying, you know these two aren’t far behind. Despite their brief appearance, they leave quite an impression. Perhaps not the impression Edward was expecting, but Harlan and Nathan are definitely here to stay.

TNA: The series is set in the 1920s, during prohibition in the United States. What is it about this period in history that fascinates you enough to want to set your stories there?

Charlie: It’s a period that has been glamorized by Hollywood since back in the day, but I love it. I adore classic Hollywood films, and they’ve been a great source of inspiration for me. The fashion, the music, the movies, what was happening in society, all of it fascinates me. The Roaring Twenties was most prevalent in big cities like New York City where flappers danced the Charleston with their scandalous dresses, rouged lips, and bobbed hair. It was the birth of the teenager. Youngsters rebelling against old traditions and social norms. The country was undergoing a big change with the Temperance movement and Prohibition attempting to force a moral code upon its people.

Prohibition brought about bootlegging, big name gangsters, the birth of speakeasies, and a short period where the LGBT community was able to emerge from the enclaves of Greenwich Village and Harlem into midtown Manhattan. The “Pansy Craze” swept through the city, and clubs with “pansy acts” became the hottest shows in town. Everyone from the Astors to the Rockefellers attended drag balls. A Rose by Any Other Name was inspired by these events.

The Pantheon is an Ancient Greek themed cabaret for wealthy gay men hidden inside the Parisian nightclub, where scantily dressed young men offer a night of bootlegged liquor under the painted stars and fulfill their patrons’ fantasies. Anything goes at the Pantheon. Nights are filled with wild parties, a never-ending flow of champagne, and debauchery. The jazz is hot, the shows hotter, and the dangers lurking in the shadows explosive. Julius plays Eros, the star of the show and most desired performer at the Pantheon.

TNA: Do you find there’s a sort of built in romanticism to the Historical genre, at least from a fictional standpoint? In other words, Harlan and Nathan, Julius and Edward must hide themselves and their feelings for each other from the world. Do you think that secrecy lends itself to deeper bond and a natural emotional element in a story? How so?

Charlie: I think it depends on the story. So far the majority of the historical characters I’ve written have come to terms with their sexuality long before our story takes place, which isn’t always the case with this genre considering the tragic reality of the times. I know the history and don’t dismiss the hardship of LGBT people of the time, but I like to focus on the romance between these men. The history plays a large part in their struggle, but most of the conflict comes from the world and people around them rather than their internal struggles with being homosexual. I think the characters share a certain understanding, but their bond comes from their personal relationships to each other. Harlan and Nathan were best friends before they became lovers. Their bond was solidified during the war when they met. Julius and Edward’s bond I think is touched a little more by the secrecy. Their bond stems from a mutual desire to be loved by someone who sees them for who they really are rather than how the world sees them or the image they present.

TNA: I know it’s a little premature to ask, considering you’re just releasing A Rose by Any Other Name, but do you have a plan for the future of the series? How many books can we anticipate, and will each book feature a new couple? Would you give us a little tease about who to expect to front the next book?

Charlie: I’ve wanted to write Harlan and Nathan’s story for a long time. That’s to say, their story from the beginning. How they met in France during the war and fell in love. I’d also like to write Danny and John’s story. Both are equally challenging in their own ways. Harlan and Nathan’s story will be my first venture into writing the war, while Danny’s story deals with heroin addiction. They’ll have to be spread out because I know they’ll each be emotionally exhausting. I’ll be looking at where I can fit them into my schedule sometime next year.

TNA: If the series were made into a movie, whom would you cast in the roles of Harlan, Nathan, Julius, and Edward? What makes each of those actors perfect to play the roles?

Charlie: As I’ve discovered from casting the THIRDS, casting is incredibly hard! Sometimes it comes to you right away. Sometimes it takes a great deal of searching. It’s no surprise that casting for Historical is a lot more difficult for me than contemporary. You not only have to find an actor who you could see playing the part, but who looks the part, and then of course the actors have to fit each other. So far, I’m still casting these guys.

TNA: What can we expect from you next? Any new releases coming soon?

Charlie: Quite a few actually. In November I have the release of Rack & Ruin, book three in the THIRDS series. In December is the release of Vixen’s Valor, the third story in my North Pole City Tales series. 2015 is looking to be another busy year of releases for me, so stay tuned! Readers can check out my writing and release schedule here.

A Rose By Any Other Name
Fallen Rose: Book 2

Genre:M/M historical romance, 1920s
Length:Novel 270 Pgs
Published: Sept 12, 2014
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
ISBN eBook: 9781632160300
ISBN Paperback: 9781632160294

Nights in the roaring city remind bright young things that life’s too short to take for granted. Tucked away in Times Square hides the Pantheon: a secret cabaret for wealthy gay men. Pretty young men in elaborate costumes and rouged lips are eager to please, and the champagne flows all night long. It’s a world of frivolity, fantasy, and debauchery. As Eros, the most sought after performer at the Pantheon, Julius uses his beauty and charm on enthusiastic patrons, but growing weary of superficial love, he longs to make a better life for himself.

Five years after being declared mentally unfit after surviving the trenches of No Man’s Land, Edward Joseph Clarence Junior pieced his shattered life back together. Now he’s ready to take on the family empire. To celebrate his thirtieth birthday, Edward’s cousin takes him to the most posh nightclub in town, the Pantheon. Falling under the sway of Eros, Edward and Julius find a love they’ve never imagined and the chance for a future they had only dared to dream about. But as Ares, a notorious gangster and Julius’s most important—and dangerous— client watches them, the threat to their love and their lives grows by the day.

Available in eBook & paperback formats September 12th from Dreamspinner Press

Paperbacks ordered through Dreamspinner Press qualify for Free Shipping to GRL for pick-up!

Use code: GRL2014

Giveaway

About the Author:

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Website | THIRDS HQ | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Newsletter

Blog Tour Hosts
11th Sept – The Novel Approach
12th Sept – Dreamspinner Press Blog Release Day Party
13th Sept – Hearts on Fire
15th Sept – Joyfully Jay (Exclusive excerpt)
16th Sept – Attention is Arbitrary
17th Sept – Prism Book Alliance
19th Sept- Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews (Exclusive giveaway)
20th Sept – The Blogger Girls
22nd Sept – Bookwinked