B.J. has Coffee & Cake with A. E. Ryecart.
- B.J.
- Nov 12, 2018
- 8 min read
Welcome to my coffee and cake time with M/M Authors.
Get to know a little bit more about your fave Authors as we chat over a coffee.
Today I have the company of the A.E. Ryecart.
Find out what motivates her, how she got into the M/M genre and her plans for the future.
If you enjoy these posts please share them and let me know. Big Hugs B.J.
Hey, It's coffee and cake time again I have been joined by Ali, the Author of the Deviant Heart and Barista Boys series. She has agreed to come along and chat with me to give us a little insight into her world.
As always I will sort the coffee Ali, Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to write M/M fiction?
I write under the name of A E Ryecart, but most people call me Ali. I’m English and live just outside London with my husband. My books are all set in London as that’s where I grew up and spent my working life, so I can write about the city with authenticity – and all the locations exist, although with a little artistic license applied.
I gave up the Evil Day Job in 2015, after building a career in HR management. A period of unemployment, following redundancy, gave me time to dabble with writing. I’d been reading mm romance for a few months, and the more I read the more I thought I can do that! I wrote my first book, Imperfect, in long hand and in between half-hearted attempts to look for a job. Yep, approx. 75k in long hand, on an A4 pad. I found a new job, stuck it for six months and resigned. I’d found what I wanted in life, and it wasn’t HR.
Wow a brave step but one many Authors would love to take. It's good you found M/M, I always find it interesting to know how writers start out in this business. What would you say is your greatest success story so far?
Depends how you define success. In terms of writing, my Barista Boys stories seem to be well liked (on the whole!). On a broader level, finding the mm community has added a new layer and a richness to my life, and has introduced me to some wonderful people who have become close, personal friends. I’d call that a success story in itself.
That's great and a good sloid start. Now we all need a little help when we start out, I have met some fantastic M/M Authors who have given me good advice and helped keep me focused.
Who in the M/M community has help you on your journey?
I can’t not give Barbara Elsborg a thumbs up. She welcomed me from day one, and has been a fantastic beta reader for all expect my first book. Barbara is a tough but constructive critic, and I’ve learned so much from her. There are other authors, too, who have given me words of advice (often huddled in corners with glasses of wine), conversations that have been important and thought provoking – and which remain off-record!
Fantastic, I've seen Barbara's books around as well.
Do you still have a day job or are you a full time Author?
Nope, I walked out of the EDJ in 2015 with a spring in my step, a song in my heart and no money in my bank account.
It is wonderful to see someone going after their dreams, I look forward to many more of your great stories.
Whats is your favourite word?
Malarky, meaning nonsense or bullshit. I use it all the time, in life and in my writing. Such a great word! Say it out loud, it just rolls off the tongue.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Hmm, hard question. I can tell you what I wouldn’t want to do: work in a factory that grows beansprouts. I’ve done that. Weird, but true. Honestly, it’s not a good career choice.
Yes I've done some strange jobs over the years lol. Ok, here's one I'm not sure I should ask but I'm going to anyway on a scale of one to ten, how weird are you?
Oh, I’m a solid gold ten.
Yay my second 10 from all the coffee and cakes so far, good for you.
The M/M community has its up’s and down’s. But what are some specific things you would advise newbies to watch out for in the community?
Don’t get caught up in the depressingly regular bouts of drama. I’ve seen too many people damaged by it all.
Listen to your beta readers. You don’t have to take their advice (you write the story, not the other way around) but if more than one is making similar comments, it’s wise to take note. That’s not exactly ‘community’ but it’s sound advice.
That is good advice, I have to agree there will always be drama but you have a choice whether to get involved. Just write what you enjoy and your readers love. Let me throw in a couple more quick fire questions for you.
What was the last book you read ?
Sebastian’s Journal by Eden Elsworth. Very hard hitting and dealing with tough subjects. A reader on my list recommended it, and I’m very glad she did.
I haven't seen this one before I will have to check it out. I love the cover as well.
What was the last movie you watched at the cinema ?
The Meg. Such bad acting! Such a hammy script! Such a Jaws rip-off! Such great fun! No art house for me, I’m far too shallow.
That was Harry's fave as well I still haven't seen this one.
I have to say meeting you today has been great and you are doing great so far, What is coming up for you on the horizon?
My Christmas novella, A Kiss Before Christmas, goes live on Amazon on 15 November but is currently available for pre-order at http://mybook.to/AKissBeforeChristmas. It’s a sweet story, full of the warm and fuzzies.
I’ve always been a greedy girl, and I have another Christmas story called Company for Christmas. Think rent boy, think wealthy man, think a touch of Cinderella and you’ll get the picture. It’ll be released later in November, so no link yet I’m afraid. It’s a 16k short story and began life as my contribution to the Rainbow Advent Calendar, but it just grew and grew and refused to stay at the 3k limit I’d set it.
The Rainbow Advent Calendar is a wonderful idea. It’ll be bursting into life on 1 December, and will be great fun. A bunch of us who write LGBT+ fiction have got together to each publish a Christmas or seasonal story daily up until 24 December. Instead of a chocolate each day, you get a free story. So much better for the waistline. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1673039336093815
The calendar is great and I have a special story coming in the calendar as well from two of my fave characters.
I loved writing the Christmas themed stories, and it makes me want to write more in that vein which kind of surprised me as my other books are heavy on the angst and are gritty reads. I’ll also be finishing up my Deviant Hearts trilogy in the New Year (I’m way behind schedule with that for a million and one reasons). I’m thinking of some standalones, plus a softer, less angsty series is running around in my head at the moment.
I will look out for the Christmas story and you will certainly be busy next year, lastly before we say goodbye, How do our visitors get in touch with you?
Okay, my website is www.aeryecart.com. It’s in need of an overhaul, and that’s on the books for next year. You can sign up for my monthly newsletter there and as a welcome I’ll send you a free story. In my newsletter, I keep readers updated on what I’m working on, what I’ve been doing, books I’m reading and would recommend, plus any juicy nuggets I think would be of interest. It’s a nice, chatty newsletter, and I love it when readers come back to me with comments.
Also Facebook at www.facebook.com/aeryecartauthor
And Twitter at www.twitter.com/aeryecart
Thanks for joining me and Ali for Coffee & Cake. If you have enjoyed our chat join me soon when I meet up with Lillian Francis very soon..
Books from A.E. Ryecart
Radical Hearts (Deviant Hearts #2) - A.E. Ryecart
Blurb:
When the past shatters the present, how can their future be saved? Taking shelter from a storm in a ramshackle bookshop, security consultant Lee Adams only wants to wait out the weather. Wary and cautious following the collapse of his long-term relationship, Lee’s got no time and even less interest in having a man in his life but when the flirty, dark-haired assistant invites him to a campaign meeting to save an old pub from being bulldozed out of existence, Lee finds himself saying yes when everything tells him he should be saying no. For Dominic Russell, the Save Charlie campaign is personal. Charlie’s was where the frightened teenager he’d once been found a safe haven to be himself without fear or shame – until the events of a long-ago night ripped his world apart and forced him into a decision that changed his life forever. Against the background of Lee and Dominic’s unfolding love story, the campaign to Save Charlie is falling apart. Nobody’s interested and nobody cares – until a stranger with vision, passion and conviction arrives. He’s the shot in the arm the campaign needs, and he’s come with a full syringe. But something about Charlie’s saviour doesn’t add up. A whispered revelation, an angry confrontation, and the campaign takes a dark and disturbing turn. As Dominic’s new-found trust is tested to the breaking point, everything he’s trying to save threatens to destroy him. For Lee and Dominic, preserving the past might just tear down their future.
Like the Blurb Amazon Buy Link
Click the Cover
Captive Hearts (Deviant Hearts #1) - A.E. Ryecart
Blurb:
“Too young, too blond, too skinny. Billy Grace was everything my head told me I didn’t want. Too bad my heart had other ideas.” When Dashiell Slater uses his fists to stop a vicious assault, the last thing he expects is to be offered a job as reward for being a Good Samaritan. Out of work and short of cash, all he has to do is chauffeur Billy around. It’s easy money so saying yes should be a no-brainer. And if the offer’s not quite legal, so what? Dashiell’s smart and savvy, and knows how the world works. But there are strings attached, and Dashiell doesn’t want to get entangled. He’s ready to say no and walk away – until he sees the fear, despair and fathomless sadness in Billy’s jade-green eyes. “He was everything I wanted, but couldn’t have. What was the use in dreaming when I was already bought and paid for, the property of another man?” Billy’s life is a daily round of fear and abuse. One wrong word or one wrong look can mean a beating, or worse. Dashiell’s everything Billy’s heart craves – a man who’ll love and protect him, who’ll keep him safe and catch him when he falls. But Billy can’t have what he yearns for, because to give in to his heart means breaking a promise he’s vowed to keep at all costs. A soul-searing kiss, a whispered promise, and the chance of a future together is there for the taking. But life is never that simple and danger surrounds them at every turn. Imprisoned by devotion, duty and obligation, Billy’s heart is captive, but can falling for Dashiell finally set it free? Captive Hearts is a full-length novel of approx. 79,000k words and is the first in the Deviant Hearts series
Like the Blurb Amazon Buy Link
Click the Cover
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Come back soon for more Authors who join me for Coffee, Cake and a Chat?
Thanks B.J.
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