Hello everyone! Today I am really excited to welcome author (and artist) L.C. Chase to the blog. L.C. is here as part of our Joyful Approach: Countdown to GRL. She is sharing an interview with us and is also offering a great giveaway of her release Pickup Men. Please join me in welcoming L.C.!
One on One with L.C. Chase
I thought I would do a little something different today. A while back I helped out my buddy Kade with a blog post by interviewing him. It was rather entertaining. *g* So when I was thinking up things to write about for some of my blog posts, I thought, “Hey! I know…” So without further aideau, take it away Kade!
Hi guys!
Kade Boehme here. Today I’m here to help my main squeeze, the FABULOUS L.C. Chase pimp her latest release, Pickup Men. Now I adore the book so I’m honored to help in the blog tour process. We thought we’d have a little Q&A for you guys, so hope y’all enjoy!
First, congrats on the release of Pickup Men! You’ve worked hard to make Tripp and Marty’s story as rockin’ as it can be and I’m diggin’ these sexy cowboys.
L.C. Chase: Thanks, Kade! I really had fun writing their tale, and hopefully people enjoy it.
Kade Boehme: Now on to the good stuff. First can you explain for those who may not be familiar, what exactly are “pickup men?”
LC: The pickup men are usually two cowboys, often in matching gear, who “ghost” the arena during the bronco and bull riding events. They are there to make sure the cowboys get safely out of the ring after their rides — literally on the backs and shoulders of the pickup men — guide the roughstock back to the corrals, and generally oversee the safety of every competitor and animal. If a cowboy gets in trouble, such as his hand gets caught in the rigging and he can’t dismount, the pickup men launch into action to control the bucking horse, and get the cowboy freed and safely out of the ring. Their job is dangerous and requires pure guts as much as skilled horsemanship. They’re the unsung heroes, and the rodeo couldn’t go on without them.
KB: We all love sexy cowboys. What inspired you to write about them?
LC: Cowboys and horses! ’nuf said. 
Oh, you want more? Well . . . it all started way back when I was just a little munchkin. When spending weekends at my grandparents’ house, my grandpa used to let me stay up late to watch classic westerns with him — Sergio Leone style featuring Clint Eastwood. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is still my all time favorite movie. That’s where my cowboy love began, and it never faded.
KB: I know you’ve planned two more books in the Pickup Men series. Care to divulge any juicy tidbits as to what we might expect in the follow ups?
LC: I dropped enough hints and foreshadowing into the first book, so all the players are there already. Except for one. The love interest for the main character in book three will be introduced in book two. Maybe. Book two’s couple shouldn’t come as any surprise: Bridge and Eric. I’ve only barely started on this one, but I’m looking forward to telling their tale. Bridge is a character and a half, and Eric has some darkness in his past, but guaranteed there will be a whole lot of HEA for them. Their story is going to overlap book one a little, so we’ll get a different POV on some things, but we’ll also get to see how Marty and Tripp are doing post-Pickup Men. The main character for book three I’m keeping under wraps for now. His story is going to be a difficult one to tell, and he has a LONG way to go. That was probably a dead giveaway right there. *g* If anyone asks me I’ll plead the Fifth.
KB: Now, this is kind of a newb question, but I love hearing what got people into M/M. What made you choose to write M/M? Or did it choose you?
LC: Both, actually. Like a lot of people, J.R.Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series lead me to M/M romance. Everything that happned between those two characters, Blay and Qhuinn, meant so much more, was so powerful, and it broke my heart that they couldn’t just be. So I went looking for stories where there was a HEA. I was in the middle of writing another story at the time, M/F, but then I had a dream about these two guys, and the ache I felt in my heart for them was so visceral that everything else got shoved aside for M/M. I haven’t looked back since.
KB: Okay, so you’re also known as a succesful cover artist. What’s the experience like turning the story in an author’s head into something visual to help bring the story to life for readers?
LC: Exciting! I love when I manage to get it just right for an author. I never design up a concept and say “here’s your cover”. I try do a few concepts, usually, variations of what they’ve specifically asked for (as close as possible), and occasionally offering a concept completely different. Sometimes that ‘never would have thought’ turns out to be exactly the right thing. You just never know until you see it. But this is the face of their story and my hope, my goal every single time, is that I can help give them a face that not only gives an impression of the story, but makes people stop and take a second look when scrolling through a long list. Sometimes that’s all the difference.
KB: Any tips for someone getting into M/M or cover work?
LC: Go with your heart, on both counts. If you’re not feeling the joy then it’s going to reflect in your work. Also with both, take the time to study and learn your craft. Study everything you can about writing, read and watch what seasoned, quality big names in the genre (and beyond) are doing, take workshops and classes, and write, write, write. Every day, write. With cover art, there are a few programs out there, but really, if you have a professional goal in mind Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard. Take classes to learn the program, watch tutorials on the internet, take a design course, study typography — which is a serious artform of its own — play with filters, effects, and plug-ins. Watch the trends, not just in your genre, but across all genres and mediums. And don’t stop. There is always more to learn, and room to improve, no matter what level you reach. Above all else, have fun!
KB: I know you’re doing what you love to do. Is this something your inner child aspired to? I wanted to be a rock star or a spy (you know, the kind that was a writer like Harriet the Spy) What about you?
LC: I wanted to be a rock star too! I even sang lead for an all-girl rock back, once upon a time. We even went to Hollywood, but I ended up going to art school instead . . . and working for a design company that did CD labels and jackets. Still managed to combine my love of music and art. *g* My inner child has always been an artist, though. I actually wrote my first book in grade two, complete with my own illustrations. I’ve pretty much always followed my inner child’s aspirations, and always been happy I did.
KB: We all know I’m a bit . . . cynical. We’ll use that word. I always think of you as my Fairy Romance Sister (no way you’re old enough to be my mother. C’mon!) What makes you keep the faith (in romance, obviously)?
LC: Ahh, Kaderade. You always know how to make a girl smile. I guess maybe it’s easy for me to keep the faith, for the most part, because I’m optimistic and idealistic by nature. I believe there is someone for everyone, and I’ve seen it time and time again. Doesn’t romance, whether happening to you or watching it happen to someone else, just make you feel all warm and squishy? It shows me that all is right in the world and I’m not misguided in keeping my faith alive. The world could do with more of that.
KB: What’s something no one knows about L.C. Chase?
LC: Hmm . . . I won a bet with Tommy Lee, backstage at a Motley Crue concert.
KB: Care to share an excerpt and/or some background info on Pickup Men before we go?
LC: Okay, here’s a teeny tiny teaser . . .
Marty closed his eyes. Tripp leaned in closer and inhaled deeply. The familiar scents of warm woods and leather and fresh rain acted like a balm to his aching soul and invoked everything he wanted and craved and needed most in this life. God, how he’d missed that smell. Missed Marty. He needed Marty more than he needed to breathe. His fingers twitched to touch, to trace skin and bone and muscle he knew every dip and valley of, to run his hands through the long, dark hair. To simply lie side by side after making love, talking and caressing and just being . . . the only peace Tripp had ever found in his whole fake excuse of a life.
KB: Anything else in the works to tell us about? WIPs to share?
LC: Next up is a holiday novella due to be released mid-November. If I ever get it finished, that is. It’s a sweet short story about two men stranded during a blizzard, and it’s actually based on actual events. Loosely. I was living in Denver, CO when the snow storm of 2006 shut down DIA for two days.
KB: Okay, so I have one last question that I know all us L.C. Chase readers are dying to know. What in the ever-loving hell happened to that blasted charger in Riding With Heaven?
LC: No way! You’re the second person to ask me this in the last week! LOL Well yes, what did happen to that charger? It’s a mystery, isn’t it. Evan never did find it. He was going to search the truck the following morning, but got a little sidetracked by his freak out thinking that Lucas had left him behind. And then Lucas, well . . . he can be disracting.
Alright, guys. This has been a Kade Boehme exclusive interview. (haha!) Hope y’all had fun. I know I did! Best of luck to Marty, Tripp and L.C. with Pickup Men. Can’t wait for more, more, more!
Blurb
It takes a pissed-off Brahma bull named Shockwave to show rodeo pickup man Marty Fairgrave the cold hard truth about champion bull rider Tripp Colby: Tripp will never leave the safety of his closet or acknowledge Marty in public. Sometimes loving someone just isn’t enough, and after a year of hiding what they are, Marty finally sees the light—and it’s no longer shining on Tripp.
Tripp Colby would do anything for Marty. Well . . . almost. He’s never loved anyone before, and isn’t quite sure how to handle it now. But he knows Marty is his everything, and in order to win him back, Tripp will have to overcome his darkest fears and step into the light.
But no matter Tripp’s intentions, the cost might be too high and the effort too late for these two cowboys to ride off into the sunset.
Where to Get Pickup Men:
Riptide Publishing: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/pickup-men
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pickup-Men-ebook/dp/B00DTJJHKI
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-pickupmen-1228430-149.html
About L.C. Chase
Cover artist by day, author by night, L.C. Chase is a hopeless romantic and adventure seeker. After a decade of road tripping on three continents, she now calls the Canadian West Coast home. When not writing tales of beautiful men falling love, L.C. can be found designing book covers of said beautiful men, reading, drawing, hiking the trails with her goofy four-legged buddy, and fighting her root beer addiction.
You can find out more about L.C., story extras, works in progress, and cover designs at her website: www.lcchase.com, or her blog: www.lcchase.blogspot.com. She can also be found on Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.
Giveaway
L.C. is giving away a copy of Pickup Men to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment below for your chance to enter. The contest closes on Friday, September 13th at 11:59 pm EST.
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