Author Name: Fai Marie Dawson
Book Name: Please Understand
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Melody Pond
Release
Date: July 30, 2015
Blurb:
To keep his mother off his back, Fox struggles to live life as a straight
man. Following his failed marriage, he thinks he’s found a piece of heaven when
he meets Audrey, a sexy dark-haired beauty. When he’s introduced to her twin
brother, his life turns upside down. Mrs. Jones, a regular shopper at Fox’s
quaint neighborhood bookstore, steps in to referee the fall-out. Can Fox
maintain relationships with both Audrey and her brother? Can a late night train
chase bring Fox closer to the one he loves? How far will Fox’s mother go to
keep her son tight in her clutches?
Pages or Words: 239 pages/82,000 words
Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Gay
Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, *Trans
Excerpt:
It was shortly after lunch on Friday
that Mrs. Jones came in. Although she had shown such tenderness to Audrey, I
was still in fear and awe of this woman. To me she was curt and demanding. I
still dreaded Fridays on account of her. Today she barged through the door:
middle aged, shaped like a tank, with a formidable purse that I suspected she
could brandish as a weapon if she so chose. I shamefully admit that I hid,
shaking, in the back room. I remained hidden behind the door as I watched
through the space under the hinge.
She marched straight over to Tommie, who
was innocently concentrating in his chair, bent over his laptop. He didn’t
stand a chance.
“You, there!”
Tommie looked up and scanned the shop.
Not finding me, he sacrificed himself for the greater cause.
“Yes?”
“Tommie?”
He said something I couldn’t hear then
he looked around the shop again, I supposed in a vain hope that I might come
rescue him. I saw him take a deep breath, preparing himself for the inevitable.
Poor man didn’t have a clue what he was up against. I knew I should come out of
hiding, but so help me, I didn’t have the strength. I had been dealing with her
on my own every Friday for over a year, and my morbid curiosity wanted to see
what she could do to someone else.
“What can I help you with, Ms. ––?
“Mrs. Jones.” She said it decisively and
firmly. No question about it, she was Mrs. Jones. Like no other, she stood like
a rock.
He nodded and snapped his laptop shut.
“What can I help you with, Mrs. Jones?” When he stood, her eyes scanned down
his body like a CT scan, slowly taking in and savoring every inch carefully.
He carried his laptop and set it on the
shelf under the front counter. Mrs. Jones took in the view from behind, her
head tilted thoughtfully.
I remained silent. This was getting
interesting. I was seeing a side of Mrs. Jones I hadn’t known existed. I was
anxious to see if Tommie could handle her.
“Well,” she said a bit breathlessly.
“Tommie, your jeans are a bit tight.” He turned slowly, but her eyes settled on
his midsection, centering on the zipper of his jeans.
“My eyes are up here, Mrs. Jones.”
“Totally inappropriate!” But her eyes
still wandered appreciatively over Tommie’s landscape.
“Very well, Mrs. Jones,” I saw him smile
pleasantly then ask, “But may I help you find something?”
I didn’t hear what she said, but to my
dismay, he led her to the closet where my adult books were stashed. I almost
came out to prevent the disaster that I anticipated, but instead of
indignation, within moments they returned to the front desk, and I watched as
he rang up her purchases. She had chosen several books.
“I hope you enjoy these, Mrs. Jones.”
“You’ve been most helpful, Tommie, not
like that naughty Fox that you work for.”
She waved goodbye happily and blew him a
kiss as she went out the door, her purchases held tightly to her ample chest.
“Coward!” I assumed he was talking to
me, although he didn’t look up.
Buy the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Please-Understand-Fai-Marie-Dawson-ebook/dp/B01323CPB8
Q & A with author Fai Marie Dawson
Q & A with author Fai Marie Dawson
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Fai
Marie Dawson, author of Please
Understand. Hi Fai, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a
little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
Wicked Faerie's - How do you feel about e-books vs print
books?
Fai Marie Dawson - I
enjoy both e-books and print books. They serve different needs.
E-books
are great when you need to tote your ‘library’ around with you. Reading while
traveling, in the waiting room, or in the middle of the night and you don’t
wish to turn a light on. Not to mention you can still buy books when your
bookshelves are crammed full, and there’s no more shelf space for even one more
book (as mine are)!
Having
said that, print books are pure magic. The smell of the paper and ink. The
weight of the author’s words in your hands. Reading by the fire in your
favorite chair, with your blanket. The comforting sound of a turning page. Does
it ever get better than that?
WF - What process did you go through to get
your first book published?
FMD - While
working on revisions and final editing of Please
Understand, one of my beta readers suggested that I attend the Gay Romance
Northwest Meet-Up last September. I signed up for their pitch sessions, and met
Laura Baumbach of MLR Press. She asked to see my manuscript. In November, she
offered me an e-book contract, and true editing began. The editors were great
to work with! The artwork for the cover was done by one of their artists,
Melody Pond, and I was very pleased with it. Overall, it was a very positive
experience.
WF - How do you find or make time to write?
FMD - Writing
for me is not a luxury but a necessity. When I don’t write, my anxiety is like
a teakettle on to boil, screaming with the pressure. I have to make time to
write, spilling emotions onto the page. My wife insists…
So,
I respect my writing time like I would a regular job. I set goals and reward
myself when I meet them. I have a group of writers that I have made myself
accountable to, checking in each day with what I’ve accomplished. We meet once
a week for lunch, and gossip about our characters.
WF - Name one person who you feel supported
you outside of your family members?
FMD - I
had many friends outside my family that supported me
through the writing of Please Understand,
but one stands out. Wendy. She is my personal cheerleader, my champion that
always seems to know when to text or call, a very kind soul who understands my
doubts and my personal demons. Her favorite question: “So what are Fox and
Tommie doing now?”
WF - Tell us about a book you’re reading now.
FMD - A
few days ago I began The Secret Keeper
by Kate Morton. I had not read any of her work before, and a friend suggested I
read it. I was immediately drawn in by the descriptions of the characters and
scenes, the flashbacks into England during WWII, and a murder! I’m savoring
every word.
Meet Fai Dawson:
Fai Dawson lives
in a small town thirty miles northeast of Seattle Washington in the foothills
of the Cascade Mountains with her beloved wife, Becky. Together, they work on
restoring their 110-year-old Victorian home. She spends her days writing,
blogging and walking Moxie, their Newfie-Chow through the rainy streets of
town. Pepe, a brave and proud tuxedo cat is her muse, ever mindful of providing
inspiration for her next project. Although she has filled countless journals in
her life, she began writing seriously in 2009 as a way to deal with anxiety.
She is currently working on her next manuscript.
Where to find Fai Dawson:
Tour Dates & Stops:
Rafflecopter
Prize: TBD
No comments:
Post a Comment