Come What May (All Saints #1) by A.M. Arthur
Release Date: May 23, 2016
Goodreads Link
Publisher: Carina Press
Cover Artist: Carina Press
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is lucky to be interviewing A.M. Arthur, author of Come What May. Hi A.M., thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
Hello! I’m an m/m romance author, who mostly writes contemporary but occasionally delves into paranormal. I live in Hicksville, USA with two rambunctious cats and a large collection of horror film DVDs.
My newest release, Come What May, is the first in a new NA romance series with Carina Press. Jonas Ashcroft is suspended from college after a fraternity prank goes wrong, and he’s stuck working in his aunt’s thrift store—his very first job ever. Tate Dawson runs an LGBT homeless shelter nearby, and when their paths cross, sparks fly. So do insults, misunderstandings, and smexy times.
• What’s the easiest thing about writing?
For me, one of the easiest things about writing is developing my characters and creating their biographies. Since plot is informed by character, I always get to know my heroes ahead of time. I write out their personal histories, their family members (if they have any), and any major events that have affected their lives. Knowing these things helps me know where these characters are personally and emotionally when the story starts.
• Name one author (living or dead) you’d like to write with?
Oh gosh, there are so many fellow m/m romance authors I adore and respect so much. But the first person who comes to mind is K.A. Mitchell. She was the first m/m romance author I read many years before I attempted to write in the genre, and she remains one of my favorite authors. Her Florida books are top favorites.
• Tell us about your cover and how it came about.
I have to give kudos the amazing art folks at Carina for my cover. During development, they mentioned that they wanted to get away from the split-screen style used in my previous series’ and I was cool with that. I have to admit, I was flabbergasted by how perfect the cover is. The embracing couple is Jonas and Tate. Even the tiny detail like the glasses Tate is holding! They really nailed this cover.
• Is this book part of a series? Do you have ideas that could make it into a series? If it is a series, tell us a little about it.
Yes, Come What May is the first in a new series called All Saints. The name comes from both the thrift store where Jonas works, and the homeless shelter that Tate helps run. It’s a New Adult series, featuring characters in their early to mid-twenties, who are at emotional crossroads in their lives. The second book in the series, Say It Right, features Tate’s best friend Marc.
• Word association. Tell us the first thing that comes to mind when you read these words.
Ketchup – Mustard
Flakes – Frosted
Elastic – Band
Timer – Cooking
Google – Something
Blurb
Jonas needs Tate. He just doesn’t know it yet.
Or at least, he doesn’t want to admit it. Because there is no way Jonas Ashcroft is gay. He’s a straight, carefree frat boy player, just like any good son of a conservative state senator. If only his struggle to convince everyone—especially himself—didn’t leave him so miserable. No matter how many girls or bottles he drowns himself in, Jonas can neither escape nor accept who he is.
Enter Tate. He’s smart, confident, and instantly sees right through Jonas’s surly exterior. Sure, he’s done things in life he’s not proud of, but he knows who he is and what he wants. And what he wants is Jonas. As their easy friendship intensifies into something more, Tate introduces Jonas to a life he’s never known. One filled with acceptance and sex and a love that terrifies and excites them both.
But some inner demons refuse to be shaken off so easily. When Jonas’s old life barges in, he faces a shattering choice, one that could destroy everything he and Tate have fought so hard for. Sometimes love just isn’t enough—and sometimes it’s exactly what you need.
Pages or Words: 70,000 words, 320 pages (print edition)
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance
Excerpt
“It’s small,” Jonas said.
“Better than a cardboard box or foster care.” The sharpness in Tate’s voice echoed in his frown.
Jonas had never known anyone before who’d been in foster care, and saying so would probably make him the biggest douche on the planet. It also took the edge off some of his irritation over the total mindfuck that was Tate Dawson. “It’s way better than both of those things. You worked hard for this place, Tate. I haven’t worked hard for anything in my life.”
“I disagree.”
He blinked. “You do?”
“Yes, I do. I think you work very, very hard to convince yourself and the world that you’re something you’re not. I think you work very, very hard to be perfect when no one is, and the only thing anyone should ever do is just be her or himself. Be true to you, not to what others want from you.”
Jonas’s throat squeezed tight. “I can’t.”
Tate took a step closer, bringing a gentle waft of sweat and something sweet. “Why not?”
He saw the barest reflection of himself in Tate’s glasses and he didn’t like it. He stepped back. Tate snagged his wrist and held him there. The touch sent awareness buzzing across his skin, down his spine and straight to his balls. H needed to pull away before this got out of control.
And then his rebel brain decided it was a good idea to glance at Tate’s pink lips. Lips that Tate, the asshole, licked with slow swipes of his tongue.
Jonas yanked away his hand away so hard Tate stumbled. “I’m not gay, so you can get that ‘fuck the frat boy’ fantasy out of your head right now.”
Instead of being cowed, Tate planted both hands on his hips and said, “Who are you trying to convince? Because it’s just you and me in this room, and I’m not the one who brought up your sexuality. You did.”
Damn him. “Why won’t you leave me alone?”
Tate’s gaze drifted over his face as he sought for words. “Because every time we’re together I can tell you’re struggling with something. You put up this lone wolf front to keep people at arm’s length so you don’t have to work so hard to pretend, but it’s exhausting you. Jonas, you can be yourself with me. Whoever that is.”
“I can’t.” Talking was getting harder around the lump in his throat. His heart was kicking too fast and his chest ached.
“Look me in the eye.” Tate closed the three strides between them, then curled a warm hand around the back of Jonas’s neck. “Look me in the eye and say you don’t want to kiss me right now.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Nook
Meet the Author
A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone’s throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland. She’s been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop. She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn’t been coined yet back then) with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories. A.M. Arthur’s work is available from Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, Dreamspinner Press, and SMP Swerve.
When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder. She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.
Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/A.M.Arthur.M.A
Twitter: http://twitter.com/am_arthur
Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/am-arthur
Website: http://amarthur.blogspot.com/
Tour Dates & Stops:
23-May: The Novel Approach, Gay Media Reviews, Gay Book Reviews, Man2ManTastic, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Mikky’s World of Books, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
24-May: Oh My Shelves, MM Good Book Reviews, Attention Is Arbitrary, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
25-May: Unquietly Me, Havan Fellows, Prism Book Alliance
26-May: Love Bytes, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Sassygirl Books
27-May: Hearts on Fire, 3 Chicks After Dark, Multitasking Mommas
30-May: Happily Ever Chapter, Books A to Z, Joyfully Jay
31-May: Dawn’s Reading Nook, Jessie G. Books, Book Lovers 4Ever
1-Jun: My Fiction Nook, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Making It Happen
2-Jun: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Full Moon Dreaming
3-Jun: V’s Reads, As The Pages Turn
6-Jun: Outrageous Heroes, BFD Book Blog
7-Jun: Cathy Brockman Romances, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy
8-Jun: Three Books Over The Rainbow, Bayou Book Junkie
9-Jun: Kirsty Loves Books, Divine Magazine
10-Jun: Alpha Book Club, Molly Lolly
Giveaway
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Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: A Pride Promotions Book Tour and Contest, Author A.M. Arthur, author interview, Come What May (All Saints #1) by A.M. Arthur, first in a series, gay fiction, M/M New Adult Fiction, New Adult, Romance
