Guest Post and Giveaway: Changing Colors by Elyse Springer

Welcome to author Elyse Springer and the Changing Colors virtual blog tour! Changing Colors is the fourth book in the Seasons of Love series from Riptide Publishing, so, aptly, Elyse is here to chat about the evolution of the series, as  well as to offer a great giveaway that you can find entry details about below.

The Evolution of a Series

The Seasons of Love series two years ago. No, wait… it began one year, eleven months, two weeks, and five days ago (plus or minus a few hours). I was doing NaNoWriMo for the first time in a couple of years, and had an idea to write a romance novel about a man with amnesia. So I wrote the line, “He woke up to gentle fingers carding through his hair, and a raging headache,” and Whiteout was born.

And now, two years later, Changing Colors marks the end to the most incredible journey of my entire life. I’ve changed a lot since Noah Landers first came to life. And the characters themselves have changed a lot since that initial inception as well.

Heat Wave was originally a ménage romance, while both Thaw and Changing Colors were, at some point in their early journey, both M/F (asexual and a M/trans-F). Both of those evolved as I learned more about the characters, and worked with a talented team of editors (and some extremely helpful and patient friends) to find a path.

Changing Colors is probably the book that evolved the most. For one thing, Gee was originally a black man; however, I quickly realized that I’m not qualified to write a story about a black non-conforming man from the South. There are so many nuances to that character, and I quickly became aware that I could not do that story justice. (It’s a story I would desperately love to read, though!)

But the biggest change to the book came from an unexpected source: the 2016 U.S. election. I started C.C. in late October of 2016, and ended up scrapping a large part of what I’d written after November. Instead of a book about opposites attracting, it became a book about being true to who you are even when doing so is terrifying. It became a book about how love trumps everything.

It also became my goodbye to my first series, so I was able to slide a few fun things in for myself—and for readers of the previous three books to find and smile about!

Stories, I’ve discovered, evolve just like people do. And I’m excited to see how these characters evolve going forward. Maybe there are still more stories to be told!

About the Book

Tony Quinn has a knack for figuring people out. He likes labels, likes to be able to put everyone and everything in tidy boxes. As a theater director, it allows him to run a production without too much drama. But when he meets Gentry—“call me Gee”—in a bar one night, he discovers that some people aren’t so easily defined.

Gee Parnell is unlike anyone Tony has ever met before. He refuses to conform—to Tony’s expectations, or to society’s gender roles. He’s sexy and flirtatious, unapologetic and unashamed. And Tony isn’t sure he’s okay with that. So he breaks things off and escapes back into his well-ordered life.

But then an attack leaves Gee bloody and bruised, and Tony realizes that he isn’t ready to lose him. Not only is the passion between them off the charts, but Gee shows him a different way of understanding people. However, an exciting new job opportunity means that Tony has to decide between hiding his sexuality and his relationship with Gee, and his newfound appreciation for the color and beauty Gee brings to his life.

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About the Seasons of Love Universe

New York is the city that never sleeps: where everything can change in the blink of an eye, and where anything is possible—especially romance. In the bitter cold of winter or the impossible humidity of mid-summer, your own happily ever after might be right around the corner.

The people of New York come from all walks of life, and the relationships are just as diverse. So whether you’re a waiter or an aspiring actor, a banker or a model, falling in love can happen quicker than the seasons change.

 

 

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About the Author

Elyse is an author and world-traveler, whose unique life experiences have helped to shape the stories that she wants to tell. She writes romances with LGBTQ+ characters and relationships, and believes that every person deserves a Happily Ever After. When she’s not staring futilely at her computer screen, El spends her time adding stamps to her passport, catching up on her terrifying TBR list, and learning to be a better adult.

She’s always happy to chat with other readers, and you can find her online at: Website || Twitter: @ElyseSpringer || Facebook

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Changing Colors, one lucky winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 28, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!