Interview and Giveaway: Pumping Iron by Nya Rawlyns

TNA: Hi, Nya, thanks so much for being here with us today. Let’s start by having you tell us a little bit about yourself.

Nya: My main claim to infamy amounts to a case of possession—by two creatures who stole my heart: Little Miss Mayhem, a rescue kitty abandoned by the side of the road in a storm, and my mare Miss Winnie who crossed the rainbow bridge but is never far from my thoughts.

Other than that, I deal with a warren of characters subletting space in my head. Occasionally I knock on a door, to be greeted by a complete stranger, almost always male (*waggles eyebrows*, my headspace, my fantasy), who invites me in for coffee—or something stronger—and tells me a story.

I have a Muse. His name is Rowan and he’s a bit of a cad, a roué, naughty as all get-out and prone to disappear with a paramour at the drop of a pair of fuzzy manacles. He sometimes dons killer red stiletto heels, making me wildly jealous since he looks way better in them than I ever could!

Before I wrote I was a competitive trail rider with >1000 competition miles under my spurs. I lived on a sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay, off the grid for nearly two years. I’ve packed into the Wind River Mountains and call the Rockies my second home, though the Jersey shore occupies a very special place in my heart also.

A good day is one where my characters make me laugh, cry, shout in frustration, or sigh with contentment.

TNA: Your series, Bad Boyfriends, is set in the world of male escorts. What is it that attracted you to the idea of the business and inspired you to write a series around it?

Nya: After exploring the trope of gay clubs and men cruising for casual and not-so-casual hookups, I grew curious about the men who’ve taken the next step, becoming professional, high-end escorts—using acting and other skills to take them in whatever direction their dreams and hopes and plans dictate.

Unlike the seedier underworld of ‘hos and pimps, Bad Boyfriends screens the talent, trains them, provides security, and matches escorts and clients very carefully, albeit not always successfully. This world revolves around well-kept secrets as the rich, the powerful, the movers-and-shakers, all place their trust in Kane’s establishment to see to their very special needs, relying on his and the escorts’ discretion.

The undercurrent of danger and the element of choice make for some compelling character story arcs. These men are uniquely qualified for their career choices. They are intelligent, strong, attractive companions who thrive in a world of privilege and culture—where pushing boundaries ups the stakes and the potential rewards.

TNA: Who would your ideal escort be? What would he look like and what character traits would make him the perfect man for you to spend time with?

Nya: Anything with a pulse? Oh wait… TMI! Um, let me try to broaden my horizons.

Intelligent, witty, athletic (likes basketball, folks, you know… sports stuff), can discuss books, movies and art as well as debate the latest bad referee call at a Steelers game. I look for passion—in life, in love. Looks? Not so important, though I wouldn’t kick a shirtless hunk out of bed for eating crackers.

If he sits a horse like a cowboy born to the saddle? Oh yeah, baby.

Guess that means if I’m looking for an escort to entertain me in NYC, that date better include a trail ride in Central Park. After? Methinks a Broadway show and a late dinner. Italian sounds good.

Yup, definitely Italian.

TNA: Your guys in the series are in peak physical condition, so let’s go there. You’ve got the choice of any man in the room, each possessing only one perfect physical attribute: one has a great upper torso–shoulders, back, and pecs; one has a slim waist and eight-pack abs; one a high and tight arse with those awesome side-dimples; the last has perfectly muscled, long legs. Which man would you choose and what makes his body part your favorite?

Nya: Long legs that can wrap around a horse’s girth … and other things. Legs that look good in boot cut jeans, sporting cowboy boots or Redwing shitkickers or nicely polished wingtips. Muscling should be long and lean, not bulked up and bulging. As for the rest, I love au naturel (but not long enough to braid), a metrosexual five o’clock shadow or nicely trimmed beard, bedroom eyes and hands that have seen a day’s work. And I like them at least old enough to drive or ones who have an older brother … with a pulse.

TNA: Obviously Sean Rourke and Mike Douglas, your MCs in Pumping Iron, have some awesome physical chemistry going on, but what about their personal chemistry? What would you say makes these two fit so well together?

Nya: Sean and Mike are the epitome of opposites attract. Sean is Bad Boyfriends’ A-list escort, handsome, buff but not over the top, and quite accomplished at playing his part with whatever type of client seeks his favors. Mike is a jock—a trainer to the stars with a military demeanor and a semi-permanent scowl. Both men carry secrets resulting from poor life choices that come back to haunt them. When they are thrown together to monitor and entertain a high profile client, it’s their shared wicked sense of humor and a determination to see their project to its conclusion that ignite smoldering embers. It only takes one kiss and a wee challenge to convince them it’s time to move beyond business as usual.

TNA: In the movie Bull Durham, Crash Davis says he believes in “long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.” Do your guys believe that too? What do they find most sexy?

Nya: The client from hell, Lovett Junior, doesn’t make it easy for Sean and Mike to explore a relationship in the privacy of their own space. In fact, Junior has a naughty little secret: he likes threesomes. And when he can’t get that, Junior likes to watch. In the spirit of “the client is always right” both Sean and Mike are hard pressed (yes, a pun) to come up with viable options to keep the man entertained while pursuing each other. Long, slow, wet, and sexy kisses might be fine, they’re just not happening on Junior’s watch. So the men make do with mini-challenges—usually a race—with the oh-so-satisfying reward not necessarily going to the winner.
What both men find sexy is math … the kind where one plus one equals two, in a forever kind of way.

TNA: Thanks again for being with us today, Nya, would you care to share all the place we can find you on the internet?

Nya: Thank you for having me! It’s been a pleasure.

Facebook | Twitter | Website/blog | Website/Nya’s Store | Nya on Amazon | Nya on ARe/OmniLit | Nya on Nook/B&N

Blurb: Book 2 in the Bad Boyfriends Series

What does it take to bring a slow simmer to a rolling boil?

Sean Rourke is hiding in plain sight as a Bad Boyfriends A-list escort, hoping to dodge the bullet from a few career missteps.

Mike Douglas’ financial backing and very special negotiating skills have him partnering not-so-silently at Bad Boyfriends, as well as running a training center for athletes and gym rats.

Eying each other at a distance is all they’ve allowed themselves until a joint special project at a seaside retreat in the Hamptons, entertaining a wily Boston attorney, shows them exactly how well they fit together, in more ways than simply business as usual.

Amazon | Amazon UK | ARe | B&N

The Giveaways: Combination of Rafflecopter and Individual Blog Giveaway

The Novel Approach Giveaway: Nya Rawlyns is offering TWO Ebook Bundles, Curling Iron: (A Bad Boyfriends Novella) and Pumping Iron (A Bad Boyfriends Novel), to a couple of lucky readers.

THE COMMENT-TO-WIN CONTEST IS CLOSED

To enter the Rafflecopter giveaway of an e-copy of each book, plus the chance to win a chain maille bracelet by MetaMDesigns (US Residents Only), just click on the image below.

Good luck!