Lisa: We’re pleased to welcome author CJane Elliott to The Novel Approach today to chat a bit about her new book There You Are, the sequel to Wild and Precious.

CJane, let’s start by having you tell us a little bit about your new book.

CJane: Hi there! Thank you for having me on the blog today to share about my new novella, There You Are, which is the second book in the Wild and Precious series. There You Are picks up the story of Cody Bellstrom where we left him in Wild and Precious. He moves to Portland, Oregon to join a funk band and meets the man who is to become the love of his life, Phineas MacDonald. But they both have issues to work through before they can get to their happy ending.

By the way, a third story in the series, Sand-Man’s Family, will be released by Dreamspinner in the spring. It’s the story of Phineas’s nephew, Sandy Nixon—his coming out and running away from home, and what happens to him after the events of There You Are.

Lisa: What, in your experience, is the most satisfying thing about being a writer?

CJane: It’s hard to describe. It’s like I’m in a world—the world of my characters—and I’m living their lives and going through their ups and downs. I’m totally immersed. I laugh when they make jokes, and I tear up when they’re moved or sad. I’m glad I’m a romance writer because I also get to accompany them to their happy endings.

Lisa: Do your characters ever take over your writing and make the story go somewhere you hadn’t originally planned?

CJane: All the time. My best stories have come from the characters taking the reins and telling me where to go. I love when unexpected themes or ways to tie the story together pop up, and that’s always from what the characters are doing, not anything I plan ahead of time.

Lisa: How did you celebrate the release of your book?

CJane: It was right before Christmas, so after my Christmas Eve release party on the Dreamspinner blog, I kicked back. My husband cooked a great meal and we had friends over to help us celebrate.

Lisa: How did you come up with the idea for this book?

CJane: I hadn’t planned a series when I wrote Wild and Precious. But many who read that novella really liked Cody Bellstrom and wanted to know what happened to him. So I wrote There You Are as the story of Cody. I had the idea of him taking a cross-country train journey right away, and I knew that would be a metaphor for how Cody likes to keep moving. I also had the idea of him meeting a young man on the train (Sandy Nixon in the book) and that leading to Cody getting involved with the young man’s uncle. At first, I thought of having the uncle be a taciturn, cowboy sort of guy. But then I decided to place the story in Portland, and that opened up a whole other kind of person for the character of Phineas MacDonald.

Lisa: Okay, this question comes from Will Parkinson, not me—have you ever written naked?

CJane: Ha ha, no. The closest I’ve come is wearing a sleeveless shift during warm months. I dress to be comfortable when I write and I don’t think I’d find writing naked all that comfortable!

Lisa: Thanks again for dropping by, CJane. Much success to you and the new book!

And, readers, be sure to click on the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for the chance to win an e-book from CJane’s backlist.

Good luck!

Blurb: Bisexual musician Cody Bellstrom is a free spirit, easygoing and unattached. On a cross-country trip, Cody befriends young Sandy Nixon and gets him safely to Portland and his uncle, Phineas MacDonald. Beautiful Phineas turns Cody’s life upside down, and Cody learns he’s not as unattached as he aspires to be. With the hard-won knowledge of what lies underneath his need to be free, Cody wins a chance at real freedom and true love.

Ever since his longtime lover Allen died, Phineas MacDonald has lived a circumscribed life. He stopped performing as fierce drag queen Phanny Hill and works part-time in a bookstore. Phineas never expected to find love again. But when sexy and caring Cody Bellstrom turns up, Phineas feels his orderly life slipping out of his control. Cody brings him alive again, but now Phineas must find the courage to let go of his grief over Allen and give love a second chance.

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press || Amazon || ARe || Barnes & Noble || Apple || Kobo || Google Play

Note: This Series Is Best Read In Order

Wild and Precious: Book One: Aspiring writer Brent Granger has good friends and a great job at an arts magazine in DC, but he’s batting zero in the arena of love. Brent begins to get a clue why things aren’t working with women from his strong attraction to his gorgeous, gay, and already attached boss, Graham Stoneford. When he sees a personal ad from a man that quotes his favorite poet, Brent decides to do something wild and answer.

Enter Cody Bellstrom, easygoing bisexual musician, who is happy to initiate Brent in the ways of gay sex. Brent now has a new problem: he realizes he’s gay and no one in his life knows it. Cody tires of hiding their relationship, but Brent finds it challenging to come out to family, friends, and especially to Graham. In the end, Brent must confront the truth of where – and with whom – his heart lies.

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press || Amazon

About the Author: After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.

In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

Where to find the author: E-mail || Website || Twitter || Facebook