Welcome to authors Anyta Sunday and Andy Gallo and the tour for the re-release of their collaboration, (Un)masked! We’ve got a great post about do-overs to share with you, and there’s a giveaway, too, so be sure to check out those details below.
How Often Do You Wish You Could Get a Redo?
Did an awesome comeback pop into your head after the time had passed to respond? Or maybe someone says something and in the heat of the moment the best you had for a retort is, “I know you are but what am I?”
I’ll confess, I see a lot of myself in that Seinfeld episode where George comes up with the perfect put down way after the time to say it has passed (like days later) and then schemes to get a second chance to use his ‘awesome’ comeback. I often look back and wonder why didn’t I say “X” or do “Y”
That is true for many things in life, and for authors that includes your first book. When you go back and reread something, there are things you’d like to redo. That’s because writing isn’t static. It evolves with time. (Hopefully for the better.) Unless you’re Harper Lee, your first book isn’t going to be your legacy. For the rest of us, each book is likely better than the last.
The more experienced “you” looks back at newbie “you” and wants to slap newbie around and ask why did you do that? It’s so obvious “you” should have done this. Alas, that ship has sailed long before you knew better. Except sometimes you can get a mulligan and have a chance to redo things. So it is with (Un)Masked.
When we decided to re-release (Un)Masked, Anyta and I* knew we had a chance to correct a few things. Not changes to the plot or adding new characters. We tightened up a few spots and fixed a few flaws we wished were not there. The result is a much cleaner version that is easier to read and hopefully more enjoyable.
Now I’ll confess, much of the refinements came from Anyta. I don’t know any writer who puts more energy into improving her craft than she does. My collection of ‘how to write better’ books owes it’s existence to Anyta reading them first and then suggesting the good ones. Some of the fixes were things I’d never have questioned, but seeing the results made me a believer.
So if someone tells you there are no second chances in life, you can correct them. Sometimes the planets align and you can fix the little things that drive you nuts. You just need to keep evolving for the better and be vigilant for the opportunity.
*When (Un)Masked was originally published, I used my Andrew Q. Gordon pen name for both my MM Romance and Fantasy books. To differentiate between the two genres, I’ve chosen a new pen name – Andy Gallo – for this and all future MM Romance works.
About the Book
Title: (Un)Masked
Publisher: Anyta Sunday & Andy Gallo (Self-Published)
Buy Links: AnytaSunday.com
Release Date (Print & Ebook): October 30, 2017
Subgenre: MM gay paranormal romance, magical realism, new adult
Book blurb: Walker has two wishes: to perform the play of his dreams alongside his best friend at Wellington’s Tory Street Theatre, and to meet that special someone. Someone he’d go to the ends of the earth for. Someone who might only exist in fairy tales.
When Jay meets accordion busker Lethe Cross, it’s like living a dream come true. Lethe’s music captivates Jay, and he resolves to meet the man who plays so beautifully. But then he discovers Lethe’s life is more like a nightmare. The phrase “down on his luck” can’t begin to cover it. Determined to help, Jay does some snooping for answers—and winds up on the wrong end of a centuries-old curse. The good news is there’s a way to break it. The bad news is it might cost Jay his life.
This book was previously published by Dreamspinner Press. This updated 2nd edition has some rewritten parts and has been line edited again.
“What made the book for me? One word: Gristle.
Gristle, the straight boy, Jay’s best friend, his “bro,” is one of the best characters I’ve had the joy to read this year. His devotion to Jay is breathtaking, his snark so very snappy […]. Read this book if nothing for the character of Gristle. […] Spectacular.” –T.J. Klune, Author of For Real, Bear, Otter, and the Kid, and Lightning-Struck Heart
Tour Excerpt
“You want to forget that race?” I asked. Lethe nodded.
His need pressed up against mine and I wished there was something to brace ourselves against so we could stay close like this. Lethe shifted back slightly and took me in hand. I gasped as the first waves of shock somersaulted through me.
Recovering, I returned the favor, gently stroking him, absorbing the heat that coursed through my hand. I’d waited for the chance to be this close with Lethe, and it fueled my hunger for him. Closing the few inches between us, I pressed my lips against his, asking—no demanding—him to let me have my fill. The salt on his lips only added to my lust. It was him. This was where we bonded.
We gently stroked each other, while we waged a back-and-forth battle with our tongues neither wanted to win. My control was slipping as our breathing quickened. Waves lapping against our waists muffled the growing moans we evoked from each other.
Kissing him like no one before, I poured my soul into him, accepting his in return. This was right. He was right.
“Jay.”
My attempt to kiss over his word was met with Lethe turning his head. “Lethe?”
“I don’t want our first time—my first time—to be here.”
“I thought you have—”
He brushed his wet, salty fingers against my trembling lips. “I have, but never with someone who cared about me. You’re the first person who doesn’t see the person they most want.”
“Yes, I do.” My whisper carried over the churning water, softening his eyes even more.
“Even more reason I want to feel your body on mine without shivering from cold. Come back with me?”
I pressed my lips against his ear. “I’m going to take my time kissing every inch of you. I’m going to say your name when we come.”
About the Authors
Heart-stopping slow burn.
Anyta Sunday is a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. She loves to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.
Some of her favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.
Anyta writes a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy. Her books have been translated into German, Italian and French.
Member of Romance Writers of America.
Connect with Anyta: Website | Twitter | Facebook | To receive a free e-book, sign up for Anyta’s newsletter here!
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Andy Gallo’s stories capture how he wished he’d spent his formative years, instead of how it really happened. Unfortunately for his characters, they find themselves infused with some of Andy’s less noble qualities.
A hopeless romantic, Andy writes seated next to a hundred year old Smith Brothers typewriter he inherited from his grandfather. He also dreams of superheroes and wizards and sees no reason why two men with superpowers can’t fall in love just like everyone else. Although not all of his stories have a paranormal bent, a touch of the supernatural never derailed a good read in his mind.
Married and living his happy ever after, Andy helps others find their happy endings in the pages of his stories. He and his husband of more than twenty years spend their days rubbing elbows with other parents as they raise their daughter. Embracing his status as the gay dad, Andy sometimes has to remind others that one does want a hint of color even when chasing after their child.
Connect with Andy: Website | Facebook
The Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Thanks so much for having us as your guest, Lisa!