Guest Post and Giveaway: Love Is Heartless by Kim Fielding

Please help us welcome author Kim Fielding to TNA today on the tour for Love Is Heartless, her newest release from Dreamspinner Press. Kim’s here to talk about something near and dear to my height–or lack of it, to be more specific, so enjoy and then be sure to check out the Rafflecopter giveaway below to enter for the chance to win an e-copy of Running Blind and a $10 store credit at Dreamspinner.

Good luck and welcome, Kim!

Short People

A few years ago, I met one of my fellow Dreamspinner authors in person for the first time. (He shall remain nameless—but his initials are Andrew Q. Gordon.) His first words to me? “I thought you were taller.”

I am not taller. I am, in fact, exactly five feet tall. I like to think I’m much bigger in print.

Most of the time, I don’t mind being short. I mean, it’s not like there’s much I can do about it. Even high heels don’t help because I’m too clumsy to manage them. And let’s face it—even in heels, I’m still short.

Sometimes being vertically challenged can be a pain. It’s hard to find clothes that fit. I have to keep a step stool in my kitchen and drive cars that allow me to adjust the seat properly. I usually have to ask for help to reach the overhead bin on airplanes. I often ask my family to reach things for me—my daughters outgrew me when they were 11—although my 5’ 10” husband has an obnoxious habit of insisting I could reach something if I really tried. Right. And sometimes strangers may have trouble taking a short middle-aged lady seriously, although I’m generally pretty quick to teach them that I am a force to be reckoned with. Mwah-hah-hah.

But as I said, most of the time, my height doesn’t bother me. I think short men have a more difficult time than short women. Some people even claim that short men might suffer from Napoleon complex—that they overcompensate by becoming hyper-aggressive. There’s not much empirical evidence for that syndrome. But a teenage boy or young man who’s shorter than average and who leads a very rough life might need to become especially tough just to survive.

That’s the case with Nevin Ng, the protagonist in Love Is Heartless. He’s five foot four. He grew up in foster care and group homes, ended up as a police officer as an adult, and can beat up men a lot bigger than he is. Everyone knows that Nevin is no pushover, that he doesn’t take crap from anyone. But only a very few people also know that despite his tough-and-mighty exterior (and famously foul vocabulary), Nevin is also loyal and kind. Nevin would never admit to himself that, deep inside, he’s looking for love. But a certain man named Colin Westwood is about to learn all about Nevin’s complexities.

Are you satisfied with your height? Would you be taller or shorter if you could?

Small but mighty—that could be Detective Nevin Ng’s motto. Now a dedicated member of the Portland Police Bureau, he didn’t let a tough start in life stop him from protecting those in need. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, and he doesn’t do relationships. Until he responds to the severe beating of a senior citizen and meets the victim’s wealthy, bow-tied landlord.

Property manager and developer Colin Westwood grew up with all the things Nevin never had, like plenty of money and a supportive, loving family. Too supportive, perhaps, since his childhood illness has left his parents unwilling to admit he’s a strong, grown man. Colin does do relationships, but they never work out. Now he’s thinking maybe he won’t just go with the flow. Maybe it’s time to try something more exciting. But being a witness to a terrible crime—or two—was more than he bargained for.

Despite their differences, Colin and Nevin discover that the sparks fly when they’re together. But sparks are short-lived, dampened by the advent of brutal crimes, and Colin and Nevin have seemingly little in common. The question is whether they have the heart to build something lasting.

Buy links: Dreamspinner Press

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Find Kim: Website || Facebook || Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

The Giveaway

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