Come What May: An Interview and Giveaway with Author A.M. Arthur

Lisa: We’re so pleased to welcome author A.M. Arthur to The Novel Approach today, on the tour for her latest novel, Come What May.

Thanks so much for joining us, A.M. Why don’t we start by having you tell us a little bit about yourself and this new book?

A.M.: Hello! I’m an m/m romance author, who mostly writes contemporary but occasionally delves into paranormal. I live in Hicksville, USA with two rambunctious cats and a large collection of horror film DVDs.

My newest release, Come What May, is the first in a new NA romance series with Carina Press. Jonas Ashcroft is suspended from college after a fraternity prank goes wrong, and he’s stuck working in his aunt’s thrift store—his very first job ever. Tate Dawson runs an LGBT homeless shelter nearby, and when their paths cross, sparks fly. So do insults, misunderstandings, and smexy times.

Lisa: How did you come up with the idea for Come What May?

A.M.: I knew I wanted to write a series that, in some way, featured an LGBT teen homeless shelter. There is a hugely disproportionate number of LBGT teens on the streets, as compared to their cis-het counterparts, and they often face as much of a threat in regular shelters as they would on the street. There simply aren’t enough resources for these kids, and while my All Saints House is fictional, it’s something that is sorely needed in cities and towns all over the country.

The setting was the easy part. I knew I wanted to write New Adult stories again. And I wanted to stay linked to my previous two Carina Press series, Belonging and Restoration, so I kept the series in Wilmington, DE. After that, it was a matter of figuring out my heroes.

Lisa: What would you say is the most satisfying thing about being a writer?

A.M.: For me the most satisfying thing about being a writer is hearing from my readers. I love it when someone sends me an email, or even just a Tweet, saying that something I wrote touched them. That they really want to see a supporting character get their own HEA. That I made them cry (joyful tears or sad tears, I evoked an emotion out of them. By stories are truly affecting people, and I love it.

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

A.M.: All. The. Time. I do outline my stories to an extent, but I rarely have the entire thing in my head when I start. Large brush strokes, usually. And while I know the story line is fluid, sometimes a character says or does something, and I’m like, “What now? You can’t do that.” But they’re usually right, and resisting that instinct to follow the character never ends well.

While writing Say It Right, the second book in the All Saints series, I had multiple moments where Marc would do something, and I’d be all “Really?” and he’d say “Yup,” and I’d go “Are you sure?” and he’d just put his foot down. So I’d let him have his way.

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

A.M.: Usually I’ll celebrate by giving myself the day off from doing anything more stressful than some promotional links and tweets. Sometimes I go shopping, sometimes I just sit on the couch and reach other people’s awesome books.

Lisa: (And because Will Parkinson knows how much I love this question :-D) Have you ever written naked?

A.M.: Dear lord, no. I don’t like sitting around naked, not even in the blistering heat, so I can’t imagine any circumstance where I’d write naked. The closest thing I’ve ever come to it is working out story kinds in my head while taking a shower.

About the Book

Series: All Saints: Book One
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: 23 May 2016
Length: 320 Pages
Categories: New Adult, Contemporary, M/M Romance
Blurb: Jonas needs Tate. He just doesn’t know it yet.

Or at least, he doesn’t want to admit it. Because there is no way Jonas Ashcroft is gay. He’s a straight, carefree frat boy player, just like any good son of a conservative state senator. If only his struggle to convince everyone—especially himself—didn’t leave him so miserable. No matter how many girls or bottles he drowns himself in, Jonas can neither escape nor accept who he is.

Enter Tate. He’s smart, confident, and instantly sees right through Jonas’s surly exterior. Sure, he’s done things in life he’s not proud of, but he knows who he is and what he wants. And what he wants is Jonas. As their easy friendship intensifies into something more, Tate introduces Jonas to a life he’s never known. One filled with acceptance and sex and a love that terrifies and excites them both.

But some inner demons refuse to be shaken off so easily. When Jonas’s old life barges in, he faces a shattering choice, one that could destroy everything he and Tate have fought so hard for. Sometimes love just isn’t enough—and sometimes it’s exactly what you need.

Buy Links: Amazon US || Amazon Int’l || Barnes & Noble || Kobo

About the Author

A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone’s throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland.  She’s been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop.  She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn’t been coined yet back then) with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories. A.M. Arthur’s work is available from Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, Dreamspinner Press, and SMP Swerve.

When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder.  She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

Where to find the author: Facebook Page  || Twitter || Tumblr || Website

The Giveaway

$25 e-gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner’s choice)

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Follow the Tour

23-May: The Novel Approach, Gay Media Reviews, Gay Book Reviews, Man2ManTastic, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Mikky’s World of Books, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
24-May: Oh My Shelves, MM Good Book Reviews, Attention Is Arbitrary, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
25-May: Unquietly Me, Havan Fellows, Prism Book Alliance
26-May: Love Bytes, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Sassygirl Books
27-May: Hearts on Fire, 3 Chicks After Dark, Multitasking Mommas
30-May: Happily Ever Chapter, Books A to Z, Joyfully Jay
31-May: Dawn’s Reading Nook, Jessie G. Books, Book Lovers 4Ever
1-Jun: My Fiction Nook, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Making It Happen
2-Jun: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Full Moon Dreaming
3-Jun: V’s Reads, As The Pages Turn
6-Jun: Outrageous Heroes, BFD Book Blog
7-Jun: Cathy Brockman Romances, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy
8-Jun: Three Books Over The Rainbow, Bayou Book Junkie
9-Jun: Kirsty Loves Books, Divine Magazine
10-Jun: Alpha Book Club, Molly Lolly