One of the pleasures of the writing community is all the fascinating people you meet, both in person and online. Imagine, this week on my blog I get to chat with an author from Florida and another from South Africa! Our love of writing and books makes ours a small world indeed.
Neil Plakcy is the author of the “Love on” series, set on South Beach, and the Have Body, Will Guard adventure romance series, as well as many other gay mystery and romance titles.
He is a professor of English at Broward College in South Florida, and has been a construction manager, a computer game producer, and a web developer – all experiences he uses in his fiction. His research includes a great deal of time spent on South Beach talking to good-looking younger men.
His website is www.mahubooks.com.
Today, Neil is here to tell us about his latest release, Love on the Pitch.
Fourth in my “Love On” series. I’ve
wondered for a long time about what happens to guys who reach the pinnacle
they’ve worked for– and then have to move on. After losing his dream of
playing in the NFL, Warren Updegrove is drifting aimlessly, supported by the
affection of his best friend, math grad student Thom.
Will his search love in the sports bars and
playing fields of Fort Lauderdale end in the arms of sexy rugby player and
former Olympian Victor— or will Warren recognize Thom waiting for him on the
sidelines?
You can order the e-book or print edition from Amazon or the e-book from other vendors.
Let’s peek inside.
“Hold on,” Warren said to Victor. “You competed in the Olympics?”
“In Vancouver in 2010. On the luge team.”
Warren knew how hard you had to work to achieve anything in sports, and he was awed. “I feel like I should do that thing, you know, where the guy bows down and says, ‘I’m not worthy,’” he said. “I’ve never known an Olympic athlete before.”
“And I’ve never known a guy who made it all the way to the NFL before,” Victor said. “That’s why I thought you might understand.”
Warren studied the photos and Olympic pins Victor had collected while Victor got them beers. He had a box full of stuff of his own, things like field passes with his name, a photo of him at the NFL draft. But he hadn’t wanted to face it so he’d pushed it to the back of his closet.
“I’m glad you came up to me at the party,” Warren said. “And not just because, you know. I need something in my life like you have. Maybe rugby will do it for me, too.”
Victor smiled. “I hope so.”
Warren leaned forward and put his empty beer bottle down on the glass coffee table. “I’d be happy to have you in my life, too. On whatever terms.”
“Warren. Don’t settle for anything. Figure out what you want and go for it.”
“I know what I want. You.” Then he leaned over and kissed Victor on the lips, hard.
Victor struggled against him. “Whoa, Warren. You don’t have to push that hard.”
Warren looked down at his lap, embarrassed. “Sorry. I don’t have much experience kissing.”
“We’ll have to remedy that, then,” Victor said, and took his hand.
Let’s chat with the author.
Tell us about your inspiration for this story.
I wrote a book of erotic short stories, Three Lambs, about members of a gay frat, and Warren Updegrove first appeared there as an angry football player whom frat brother Thom Lodge has to tutor in math. As I considered which of the characters from Three Lambs deserved his own book, I kept coming back to Warren. I’ve been fascinated for a long time with guys who work so hard to achieve a physical goal, like participating in the Olympics or playing a professional sport—and what happens to them when they can no longer compete.
What do you love about the genre you write in?
I love writing gay romance because I believe in happy endings, and because I want to explore all the different ways in which gay men connect, fall in love, and live happily ever after.
Tell us about your journey from aspiring writer to published author.
I was an English major in college and took lots of writing courses, but it wasn’t until I began studying for my MFA in creative writing that I really began to understand how to tell stories. My classes and workshops jump-started my writing. But it wasn’t until I came out myself and began writing about gay men in love and danger that my writing came alive, and I was able to get published.
Love and danger–sounds like a potent mix. What does your writing space look like?
At home, I sit beneath a poster of the Yousuf Karsh black and white photograph of Ernest Hemingway, and I’m inspired by his unswerving gaze. But every day I write at my local Starbucks, where I can shut out the distractions of partner, dog and household chores.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
I’ve done a lot of mentoring through Mystery Writers of America. First, I advise up and coming writers to write. Apply your butt to your chair and write, as often and as regularly as you can. Writing is a muscle that improves the more you exercise it. That goes hand in hand with reading—read widely, and deeply in your genre. Learn what readers expect and how to satisfy their expectations.
Authors always seem to have a teetering To Be Read pile. What’s in yours?
I get a lot of advanced reader copies through NetGalley, which I review on various sites, so my Kindle is full of mysteries, romances, and science fiction and fantasy I am longing to read. I also have a three-level bookcase my father built beside my bed full of paper books, particularly poetry, which I prefer to read in print so I can savor the language.
Which authors have inspired you?
Hemingway, of course. Jack Kerouac, Jimmy Buffett, and John Knowles, whose A Separate Peace started me writing my own stories when I was sixteen.
Neil would like to hear from readers! You’ll find him on
his author website, his blog, Amazon author page Facebook Goodreads Pinterest Twitter email Linkedin
