Welcome to DJ Manly's guest blog

D.J. Manly….Blogging You.


When someone asks you very nicely if you would blog, what do you say? I say, okay, sure, but what am I going to blog about? What do I have to say that might be interesting enough to make people take a few minutes out of their busy schedules, to read it?

SEX. There I know that got at least a few people to pause as they scanned the page. NAKED MEN. Um…did you scroll to the top now?? BEAUTIFUL MEN… NAKED…. HAVING SEX. Do I have your attention now?? I love doing that.

I guess what I’d like to blog about is something I think, or I like to think, I know something about, stories about beautiful men, at times naked, who fall in love and have sex, or have sex and then fall in love, or have sex, and don’t fall in love. You follow…I’m rambling.

Why do I write these books? And why do we read them…especially straight women, and you know who you are…lol…?

To answer the first question, why do I write this stuff, because I think it’s realistic. Now don’t bend over laughing, I mean that. And I’ll back up what I said in a few minutes.

Aside from the fact that these kinds of books should take you away from your everyday routine, and bring magic, pleasure, and happy endings into your life, men do meet, fall in love, have sex, sometimes lots of sex (if they’re lucky). I’ve written a lot of books in my life, and I’ve written books with very little sex in them or no sex at all. I’ve also experienced (first hand, or by rumor), gay porn. You all may be shocked, but gay porn bores the hell out of me. I’ve seen all I need to after the first five minutes then I’m nodding off. There is no story, no motivation, hell they hardly know each other’s names.

And books that have no sex, well…even if they are the best written books on earth, they don’t ring particularly true to me in one respect, these characters are completely chaste, physically and emotionally. It’s like someone writes a story and censors it…like…Henry work up at ten, said good morning to his love, Hank, and went to take a shower… blah… blah… blah… We experience this characters’ life, but the sex somehow gets edited out, or at least anything remotely related to it. Let’s say that they don’t have sex, it’s a religious reason, a medical reason…they really don’t like each other, whatever…but even that’s not talked out. Look, everyone either, has sex, thinks about sex, or wonders why they’re not having sex. In fact, we are obsessed with sex, but yet at the same time in some books, extremely uptight about admitting characters have ever heard of it.

Gay porn, on the other hand, doesn’t make any sense to me either. No one has sex ALL the time, or for that length of time. We couldn’t function, and we’d get just a tad worn out. This, “hi, how you doing, let’s get it on,” does nothing for me at all.

Sex has an emotional connection, and I don’t care what the motive is for having it, or with whom. It’s not just a physical reaction to a stroked libido. It might be just sexual desire, but even that requires a work up.

I like to think my books are character driven. It’s not the sex scenes I get high on, it’s the interplay between two complex characters, and how that leads them to want to express something physical that rings true to me.

Sex in books should make sense. It should be there when it appears to be something that might realistically occur between two people (sometimes more in some books.) I don’t count how many sex scenes there are in my books. They vary depending on the plot. If two guys are in danger of get killed, they’re not going to stop for a quickie. Sex between characters is sometimes a release of tension, or results from a build up of pent up desire. It says something about those characters.

I admit that some of my books have more sex in them than others, but it’s the plot which determined the when and where, and the how much. The sex is used to move the plot ahead, not stall it, or just because the writer hasn’t put one in for twenty pages.

I’ve heard people say that “erotica” if you want to label what I write that, does not fall in the same category as some so called “serious” writing, but these so called “serious books” were only erotica with the sex edited out. Think of all the classic books you’ve read, and think of the places where sexual scenes between the characters might have occurred, and if you read between the lines, they did. Because, the sexiest organ in the human body is the brain, and whether we edit out the sex or not, it’s still there when you read. If the writer doesn’t spell it out for you, the reader just fills in the spaces.

I personally look forward to a time when sex just becomes an extension of the pleasure of reading, and doesn’t have to be labeled into some other category just because it occurs more than once, and is well detailed. I also look forward to the time when people are not concerned with what genitalia one’s lover has, and just come to understand that people fall in love with a person, what’s inside, and that’s what makes the difference between staying together, or breaking apart, after the infatuation with the genitalia is over (well maybe not over completely…but you get the picture.) If you’re still in love when you look into your lover’s eyes, even when they have the flue, or are ninety two, then you’ve found the true meaning of love.

And that said, they’re won’t be any ninety two year olds in my book, only BEAUTIFUL, NAKED MEN HAVING SEX, (just wanted to check and see if you were still awake), because let’s face, we all want to escape, lose ourselves in the pleasure, which has no consequences, except to make us laugh, and cry, and smile…and ORGASM. Sorry, I got carried away there…but you get the picture, don’t you?

So, if you don’t want to have to fill in the blanks, leave that to me, I’ll do it for you… so you can just sit back, relax, have a glass of wine, and escape.

Be happy, and keep reading. And remember to fill in the blanks when you read those classics. I know I do. And meanwhile, I’ll keep on doing it for you…but remember guys, there is a plot, and it really enhances those sex scenes…so don’t skip the build up. You know what they say about foreplay, and I pride myself on it.


Love you.

D.J. Manly

Visit me and find out what I’ve been up to at

www.djmanlyfiction.com



Interview with DJ

Welcome Mr. DJ Manly to Love Romances and More, thank you for joining us.

Did you always want to become a writer?

When I was a kid I started writing because I just had to. It was in me. I didn’t actually say” I want to become a writer when I grow up.” It just somehow developed into one. I published my first book and viola, suddenly I was a writer, but I wrote even when I had no clue as to what to do with it. I used to bully people to sit and listen to me read my stories. That’s where the real pleasure was for me. I’d ask them what they thought of the characters and discuss their motivation and the dialogue. The characters were alive to me, and it’s still that way.

What is the most, and the least interesting fact about writing?


The most interesting fact about writing, in my opinion is that a writer gets to create and control an entire world. It’s like you’re an orchestra conductor creating and conducting a symphony. You have the power of life and death over your characters. You can make it all work out in the end, in spite of what they have to do to get to that point. You can’t do that in real life.


I think the least interesting fact is that writers sacrifice a lot to create these worlds, and there is still the mechanical aspect which involves grammar and pacing and plots. You create a world but it should make sense and you have to be able to transfer your images to the reader. This is not always easy to achieve, and you have to work at it. Writing can be hard work.

How did you celebrate your first release? What was it like to see your book in a bookstore? Do you have a special ritual for celebrating a book release?

I believe that I celebrated my first release with a bottle of wine. And you know, I don’t have a special ritual any more when a book comes out, and that’s too bad. I’m happy of course, I go look at it, but then it’s on to the next. Writing is a compulsion for me. When I finish a book, I’m quite anxious to get an idea for another. And the wheel turns.

How did your family react to fact that you also write M/M romance novels? Have your family read your books?


Some people in my family have, and some haven’t. They all know what I write. I’ve written other books that some people prefer, under another name, non erotica but there’s always a gay character in it, but not everyone has the same tastes. People in my family who have read my work tend to like it.

Most authors are also avid readers. Is this the case with you? If so, who are some of your favorites? Have any influenced your writing?

I am an avid reader. I run a business and read a lot of non fiction, but when I do have a chance to read a novel, it’s usually vampire fiction, or authors like Frank McCord, Margaret Laurence, Charles Dickens, Anne Rice. I’ve read all the classics of course but I can’t say I’ve been influenced by any one author. One of my all time favourite books is Wuthering Heights.

Your release date is really full, which I love as a fan of your books, do you have a problem with deadlines and have you ever suffered a writer’s block?


NO, I usually don’t have a problem with deadlines. I don’t commit to something if I know I won’t have time to finish it, problem solved. I don’t suffer from writer’s block, I suffer from over work at my office, which produces exhaustion and translates into a curtailing of creativity. My business tends to wind down in summer months so that’s when I write like crazy. And I still manage to produce a book or two or three during the year, but I definitely slow down as my business heats up. Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in a day.

Do you prefer stand-alone books or series?

I don’t have a preference. If a book lends itself to a series, then fine. Sometimes the characters say what they have to say and they want me to leave them in peace. I comply. After all, usually I give them enough grief before the happy ending.


Your characters come to life in your books. Do you feel each of your characters live with you as you write? Do their lives sometimes take over a part of your life? Can you name an example? Do you have living role models for your characters?

My characters live as I write and then I leave them alone although if they are really persistent, I can’t leave them for too long. I’m in control, no worries there.

My characters are probably a complexity of many people, not one person in particular. But there’s often a lot of me in my characters. If the book ends and that’s all the characters have to say, I bid them adieu.

Where do you get the inspirations for your books?

It just comes to me. I start sometimes with one idea, and I think that would fun, and then I just take it from there. I have a basic story line in my head, and I write and see what develops. I am not happy however until I find the perfect name for my “boys”. This bugs the hell out of me. It is my pet peeve.

Do you find it difficult at times to write love scenes?

Not difficult, but I have to be in the mood. And sometimes I’ll quit writing just before a big love scene, take a break and come back. My favourite thing about writing is creating the dialogue, that is what breathes the life into them.


What is your favorite book from the books that you have written so far? Who are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?


My favourite books? The ones that wrote themselves, and surprised me, the ones my fingers couldn’t type fast enough to capture. Amusing Amanda I enjoyed writing. It was different, the entire series was fun. I really can’t choose one in particular. They are all unique. I think most recently my favourite book to write was Last Call. I was really satisfied with that story when I finished. Dakota and Patrick were beautiful together, and beautiful to work with.

You have written Paranormals, Fantasy, SciFi and Contemporaries, which is your favourite genre?
I don’t have one. I write what my mood tells me to. I am not at all genre driven, I am character driven, and if the characters are good, they can play in any world they choose…

Which book was the hardest to write and which the easiest?

Arsenic and Rio was challenging because it involved a lot of research about Brazil and Rio, and coffee production. It was also very emotional to write. Another one was Welcome to Beaconsfield. It was about the sexual abuse of children, and it was a touchy issue. The challenge was to present the issue realistically, but not make it objectionable to read, and to still make the love story central.

If you could change places with one character from your books, who would it be and why?

Change places with one character in my books? Um…maybe Tony in the soap The Russo’s. He discovers something very exciting about himself he didn’t know when he’s young, that is father is actually a famous rock star. And although it’s painful, it opens up a whole new life. Or maybe Zack, in The Pro. He’s the perfect combination of heart and brawn, but he’s flawed. My characters are flawed, and that’s what makes them human. What I hate is reading about a character that seems perfect. No such thing, they’re like cardboard. My men have problems and often love is their saving grace.

It’s hard to say who I’d trade places with. I actually like me a little too much to be them too long. They have too many huddles to jump before they get where they need to go usually. lol.


If you could travel through time to visit a special time period or famous person, what or who would it be and why?

I’d love to visit Alexander the Great, if he looked like Colin Farrell…heheh…no, I think it would be Charles Dickens. We’d get a long. He was a man ahead of his time, and I think I might be to. I have ideas that people will share in only fifty years…When I was four-teen I was spouting gay rights and women’s rights, and talking about how they were interconnected. You can imagine what my friends and family thought. Whoa! When I got to university, I wrote my thesis on that and I was told it was “innovative.” Hey, I thought, I’ll be happy when these ideas are just part of mainstream ideology. I never asked to be “ahead of the ideological clock” but I think I may be. If I was far older, I would have been a freedom rider during segregation, but perhaps long before the 1950’s and 60’s. People always tell me, D.J. if you went back in time, they’d string you up. Now, you get the picture?


Do you listen to music while you are writing and if so what music is it?

No. It would distract me. I write in absolute silence. When I listen to music, I listen to music and sometimes surf the net, but I don’t write.


If you could choose of your books for a movie, which one would it be and who would you choose as the cast?

Every time I write something, people tell me ‘that would make a good movie.’ I’d love to see them all made into movies, but I’ll just pick off the top of my head and say, “Arsenic and Rio.” I can imagine the beautiful shots of Rio, and the coffee plantations of Columbia. Actors would be hard to choose. I’d be so picky. Someone hunky and Spanish for Angelo of course, and his co-star, I don’t know. I can’t picture any actor off hand in that role.



Are you working on anything right now, and can you tell us a teaser about these projects?

I’m always working on something. I just finished several books. I’ll choose a couple of them, and talk a little bit about them. You’ll see it soon on my web site under coming attractions. It doesn’t even have a cover yet. It’s called Last Call, and it’s love story between a younger man and older man. The older man (not old! Forty), is kind of a cowboy, and the younger is the best friend of his son. Um….intrigued? I loved writing this book. It’s a beautiful story. It’s different but don’t worry, readers, not so different that you won’t get the expected elements, hot sex, romance, and conflict.

I also wrote another called The Whispered, which is a ghost story in Australia. This one is spooky, sexy, and a little unexpected too. I’m pleased with both these books, and I hope my readers will enjoy them.

I finished two anthologies…one called Higher Learning, and the other The Posers. The first has three love stories about teachers and students, the second is about people pretending to be something they’re not. Again, I’m very pleased with how these turned out.

There is another coming called Alpha Males, a love story, with some comedy and a battle. It’s about two actors in an erotica movie.

Brennus’ Witch- Ancient Stone, will be out August 1st at Extasy Books.

Die hard fans of this series hound me all the time to continue the saga of Brennus and Darien. And I don’t mind. These guys are kind of timeless, and very sexy.

I will leave you a teaser from Last Call

When the alarm rang at six thirty, Patrick headed to the bathroom. He opened the door which was ajar, then froze. Dak stood there in front of the mirror, shaving, a big white towel wrapped around his waist. He didn’t notice the intrusion as he gently scraped the straight razor over his jaw. It was clear that he’d just gotten out of the shower. The mirror was still steamy, and droplets of water stood on his bronze skin like diamonds. God, but he was well put together.

Patrick’s cock was hard when Dak noticed he was there.

He paused with the razor, glanced at him through the mirror.

“I’m a sorry, I thought it was empty.” His voice was shaking. He tore his gaze away from his damp, naked flesh and backed out of the bathroom. “I’ll come back.”

“I’ll be finished in a minute,” Dak said.

Patrick stood outside the door, his back leaning against the wall. He closed his eyes. Did Dak have any idea of the effect he'd just had on him? He thought not. He wasn’t even sure if Josh had told Dak that he was gay. Anyway, it didn't matter, nothing was going happen between them.

“All done,” Dak announced, coming out of the bathroom, his face clean except for a trace of shaving cream on his lower jaw. “You can go.”

“Wait,” Patrick said. He placed a hand on Dak’s forearm and reached up to dab at the shaving cream with his finger, “you have shaving cream on your…” He stopped talking because Dak seemed to be holding his breath, and he was looking at him in a way that made Josh feel as if he was too. God, could this be happening? Could Dak possibly be feeling it too? He lowered his hand, stepped back.

“Thanks,” Dak smiled.

“Don’t mention it,” Patrick muttered, heading for the sanctuary of the bathroom. When he got inside, he stripped off his shorts and wrapped his hand around his erection. “Damn.” He got under a cold shower and stroked it a few times, trying to think of anything but Dak, naked, standing there with only that towel wrapped around his waist.

He got his erection under control and went to get dressed. Twenty minutes later, he had put on his jeans and a sweatshirt, and was on his way downstairs.


Big congrats to your latest releases, can you please tell us something about them

Latest release is Diamond in the Shade at Liquid Silver Books. It’s about a vampire hunter and a vampire who is kind of a crime fighter in the supernatural world. I wrote a sequel, which will come out as well at Liquid Silver sometime in the early fall I imagine.


Also Summer at Extasy just came out recently, and it’s an inspiring love story. Someone just wrote me and said it was their favourite. It’s written in the first person, which I do once in awhile. I love the voice. It’s about a guy who was the son of the housekeeper for this rich family, and he falls for the rich man’s son.

So I hope I’ve answered all your questions. Thanks for the interview. Visit me at www.djmanlyfiction.com

Contest:

Name four of DJ's paranormal titles and send the answers to danny.lrm @ gmail.com with the e-mail header DJ Manly to win a free download of his books