Book Name: Wild and Precious

Release Date: December 31, 2014

Author Name: CJane Elliott

Author Bio: After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is an ardent supporter of gay equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.

In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

Where to find the author: CJane at [email protected]. Her website is http://www.cjaneelliott.com. Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJaneElliott and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cjane.elliott

Q&A with CJane Elliott

BFD Book Blog – January 20, 2015

Q: So you’ve travelled all around North America. What’s your most favorite place in North America? Best story to come from a place you’ve visited?

A: I’d have to say San Francisco is my favorite place. I lived there for four years and found it to be a magical city. The very first story I completed (although it was published after my first two novellas), Stay Right Here, is set in San Francisco. Someone read it and said “this story is a love letter to San Francisco.” I think that about sums it up.

Q: You’ve written both Fantasy and Contemporary MM stories… which is your favorite?

A: I’ve only written one fantasy story, my published short story Stepping Through. It’s a story very dear to me because I wrote it after a long dry spell and it felt like it came right from my soul. Here’s a blog post I wrote about that experience: http://cjaneelliott.com/stepping-through-writers-block-and-filling-my-creative-well/. But contemporary is my main genre, and my Serpentine Series novels are contemporary new adult, featuring mostly college-aged guys.

Q: You mentioned Wild and Precious takes place in DC and you love the seasons there – which season is your favorite?

A: It’s a toss-up between autumn and spring. They are both beautiful seasons in the DC area. But I’ll say autumn because my birthday is the day before Halloween, and that whole time of year has always been special for me.

Q: Which of your characters is your favorite (I know, I know it’s like asking which is your favorite kid) and why?

A: Out of all my books I would say Aidan Emery from the Serpentine Series is my favorite, because he goes through so much and turns out to be a good guy in the end. A lot of people couldn’t stand him in the first book, Serpentine Walls, but I got interested in why he was such a cynical user – what made him that way? That’s why I wrote Aidan’s Journey and in that story Aidan goes through hell and back, but emerges whole and complete, and with his happy ending.

Q: Is there a story that is trying to bust out of your brain that you haven’t put on paper yet that you want to share with us? Maybe a sneak peak at a future story?

A: What’s busting out of my brain right now is my third Serpentine novel, as yet untitled, which is due to be published this summer. It’s the story of Jed Carter, who is the nice guy who gets dumped by Pete, the main character in Serpentine Walls. Here’s a scene (from my unedited draft) of when Jed comes out to his entire fraternity. Bud, a character people will recognize from Serpentine Walls, is Jed’s teammate and friend, Kent is Jed’s brother, and Tucker is Kent’s roommate and the only one who knows Jed is gay.

****

“Welcome to SAE house, Bud! Glad to have you living here this year.” That chipper statement came from incoming fraternity president Russell Lodge. A poli sci major, Russell was a preppie type and nice to everyone.

“Thanks, man. I’m so stoked.” Bud looked around, grin as broad as ever. “So where’m I rooming? Attic or basement dungeon?”

Amid the general laughter, Tucker drawled, “Oh, didn’t they tell ya? On the roof, man.”

“Nope. In my closet, Doremus. You’re my manservant.” This last was said by Beau Flannery, a hulking guy who was on the rugby team with Bud and Jed. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, Jed thought, but he was an okay guy.

“In the closet?” scoffed Rex Diamond, Jed’s least favorite frat brother. “Sounds like you guys need to come outta that closet, cuz I mean, Beau and his manservant? Fags in love.”

“Up yours,” Bud said, but retained his good-natured expression.

“Girls, girls,” Kent slurred, waving his hand. Jed has lost count of how many beers Kent had consumed. “Keep the fags outta this.”

Jed heard a crunch and looked down to find he’d clutched his soda can in a death grip. Worse, when he glanced up he caught Tucker eyeing him, concern on his face.

“Shut it about fags.” Bud’s smile had disappeared and he rocked back and forth on his feet. “My cousin’s gay, all right? So, fuck you guys.”

“Hey, chill, Doremus.” Rex sneered. “I don’t have a problem with ‘em. As long as one of those weirdos don’t hit on me in the locker room.”

“Hit on your ugly ass? Not likely,” Kent said, and then laughed. “But, yeah. S’long as they keep their hands offa dis” – he grabbed his dick for emphasis – “they can do whatever they want with their butt sex.”

Amid the groans from the rest, Jed felt the anger building up inside boil over. “Hey!” The loudness of his voice startled him and he was more surprised to find that he’d stood up. Then he noticed he had everyone’s attention and his insides seized up with fear. Oh crap. What am I doing? “I… I’m fucking sick of this. Shut up about gays. All of you. Stop calling them fags and quit assuming they want to get in your pants. That’s just ignorant.”

“Yeah!” Bud gave a vigorous nod.

“Whatever.” Looking bored, Rex burped.

“Um. Okay.” Relieved at the lack of reaction, Jed prepared to sit down.

Then Kent sat up, removing his feet from Tucker’s lap, and leveled a steely stare at Jed. “Wait. What is up with you about gays?”

“Drop it, K.C.,” Tucker said, but Kent went right on, eyes still boring holes into Jed.

“Why do you care so fuckin’ much? Who gives a shit what the queers do as long as they don’t get it on us?”

Jed’s neck prickled like a guillotine was poised to plunge. “Because….” He took a breath and caught Tucker’s encouraging nod. “Because I’m gay. Okay? So shut up about something you know nothing about.” Jed sat down and stared at his hands as stunned silence filled the room.

Russell finally spoke. “Well. That’s fine.”

“Fine? Bullshit it’s fine,” Rex snarled. “SAE isn’t for fags. Christ, no.” His face had become almost purple with rage. “If we’d known that about you, you’d never have gotten in.” He glared at Kent, who sat like a stone, face blank.

“That ain’t true,” Tucker said.

“It better not be, ‘cause I ain’t interested in living with a bunch of assholes,” Bud said, his expression now thunderous. He came over and clapped Jed on the shoulder. “I got your back, homie.”

Russell raised his voice. “Listen. SAE welcomes members regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation. You can read it in the bylaws.” He gazed around the room, eyes alight with challenge. “Now that that’s settled, why don’t we order pizza and talk about next weekend’s back-to-school party?”

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: AngstyG

Blurb(s): Aspiring writer Brent Granger has good friends and a great job at an arts magazine in DC, but he’s batting zero in the arena of love. Brent begins to get a clue why things aren’t working with women from his strong attraction to his gorgeous, gay, and already attached boss, Graham Stoneford. When he sees a personal ad from a man that quotes his favorite poet, Brent decides to do something wild and answer.

Enter Cody Bellstrom, easygoing bisexual musician, who is happy to initiate Brent in the ways of gay sex. Brent now has a new problem: he realizes he’s gay and no one in his life knows it. Cody tires of hiding their relationship, but Brent finds it challenging to come out to family, friends, and especially to Graham. In the end, Brent must confront the truth of where – and with whom – his heart lies.

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

Excerpt: As Brent sat cross-legged on a pillow, tearing pieces off the rubbery bread and dipping them into various dishes he couldn’t identify, he realized he was having more fun than he’d had in ages. Along with being thoughtful and smart, Graham was one of the most hilarious people he’d ever met, and Brent was in stitches for most of their lunch.

“If only my dates could be like this,” Brent said, after another bout of laughter between them, then widened his eyes. “Oh, wow, man, that sounded dumb.”

Graham didn’t seem fazed. “They’re not? But why? You’re so fun to talk to. Any woman would be nuts not to appreciate you.”

“Uh, well, tell them that. But I guess I don’t really appreciate them either. I don’t know, it’s like, awkward and boring most of the time. Whatever. Ari keeps trying to set me up, but…. Anyway, how did this get into talking about my love life, or lack thereof?”

Graham regarded him, warmth in his eyes, and said softly, “You’ll find it, Brent. Everyone deserves to have love in their life. You’re young. You’ll find it.”

Graham’s words touched Brent, but the intensity of the moment made him uncomfortable. Even worse, he noticed he was getting aroused.

He shifted on his pillow with a weak laugh. “Hey, no more of this ‘young’ crap, okay? You’re not that much older than I am.”

Pages or Words: 80 Pages

The Summer Day

Mary Oliver

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean-

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

Christina’s Review:

Wild and Precious by CJane Elliott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG! i LOVED this book!!!

i was a little bit anxious for a bit when i thought there might be a love triangle here but it was absolutely perfect for me. graham and brent are absolutely perfect for each other and so sweet together. they are both literary lovers, artistic in their own way and beautiful.

the writing was really good (i can’t wait to read more by ms. elliott) and the secondary characters were perfect!

View all my reviews