Author Guest Post

Shoulder Season by Jackie North: Exclusive Guest Post and Excerpt, Release Day Review

August 10, 2018 by Denise

Two young men from two different countries find a common language as they recover from broken hearts and broken bones. Can they rebuild their lives together?

Ben’s boyfriend has not only dumped him, he’s also cancelled their mutual travel plans. Since Ben has the time off and the money saved up, he decides to travel anyway, and based on a last-minute, very inexpensive red-eye airline fare, ends up in Reykjavik, Iceland.

He’s ill-prepared for the weather and knows nothing about the country, so he considers flying home the next day. Except his new neighbor, Solvin, a local Icelander who is currently on leave from work due to a car accident, shows up with a cane and shoulder sling and literally falls into Ben’s apartment. It’s the beginning of an adventure that might show Ben how good life can be… and that coming home sometimes means traveling halfway around the world.

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

Title: Shoulder Season
Author: Jackie North
Release Date: August 10, 2018
Category: Contemporary, World of Love
Pages: 84

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Hello and thank you Two Chicks Obsessed for letting me guest post on your blog today! I’m here to promote my soon-to-be released book from Dreamspinner, which is Shoulder Season. But also, I’m here to talk about Iceland, where the book takes place.

Iceland to me has always seemed a faraway, rather exotic place that I would never be able to travel to. The location always seemed too remote, too obscure, too cold, and thus impossible. I’d always heard that Greenland was named Greenland to entice visitors and settlers and that Iceland was named Iceland to keep people from going there. Whether or not that’s true, it certainly worked on me! Iceland was foreboding, far away, and very, very cold.

As I grew older, of course, my opinion changed. I began to see the appeal of any Nordic country, be it Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Greenland, and, yes, last but not least, Iceland. Travel videos and blog posts, as well as the images, the stories about equality among the citizens, the low crime rate, the clean, healthy lifestyle, made me realize that yes, I’d like to go to a Nordic country. But which one? Well, because Iceland was an island, not to mention all those geologic wonders contained in this little country, it won my heart.

If I were to travel there, I’d like to go by boat around the island, stopping off to see all the sites and scenery. I want to bask in the waters of the Blue Lagoon, I want to see the geysers, view the northern lights, and pet sweet-faced Icelandic ponies. I want to eat fermented shark and homemade skyr, the famous Icelandic yogurt. I want to visit all the waterfalls and stand behind as many as will let me, especially Seljalandsfoss, which to me is the prettiest. I want to dance at the edge of the famous (and dangerous) sneaker waves at Black Beach. I want to do everything!

Top of my list is to visit a sculpture called the Sun Voyager. In Icelandic, it’s called Solfar. The sculpture is in the shape of a ship built of bones, and sits at the south end of XYZ bay. It faces the water, and the blue air sweeps over the edges of the sculpture. What I’d love to do is stand there with the Icelandic wind in my hair while the setting sunlight gleams on the metal and, as the sculpture is intended to do, be carried off on thoughts of hope and anticipation as to what the future will bring.

I thought I would share a little excerpt from Shoulder Season:

“What’s the sculpture called again?” asked Ben as he opened the door for Solvin. Solvin gave him a smile as he clambered in. When Ben was settled beside him, Solvin asked a question in Icelandic, and the taxi driver answered, and off they went, down the placid streets of Reykjavik.

“It’s called the Sun Voyager, the boat of dreams,” said Solvin, and he looked at Ben as he said it. “It represents hope and new beginnings.”

New beginnings seemed to be what Iceland had become for Ben, a country where he could start as he meant to go on and where every conversation didn’t end in an argument, and cups of coffee could be drunk in a casual way, with no need to rush off afterward. He settled back in his seat, and when his hand touched Solvin’s thigh, he left it in place and brushed the backs of his fingers along the material of Solvin’s jeans. Not only did Solvin not move away or push Ben’s hand off, he dipped his head and smiled at Ben as though they shared a secret the taxi driver didn’t need to know about.

All the way through town, Ben left his hand there, looked at the blush on Solvin’s cheeks, and thought about new beginnings.

This is a new to me author and I was drawn to it because I am, quite honestly, fascinated with Iceland. Like top of my bucket list fascinated. And this story gave me a nice look into the country.

Ben heads off to Iceland on a spur of the moment trip after being unceremoniously dumped by his boyfriend and their joint vacation cancelled. He got a cheap flight and what seems like an Air BnB apartment to rent but no other plans. Until he meets his neighbor Solvin who is off of work for 6 weeks while recovering from a car accident.

A friendship and very sweet little romance blossoms. They didn’t jump right into bed together. There was no frantic kissing and groping up against a wall. Instead, Solvin takes Ben out sight seeing around Iceland. Everyday they get closer. They were both shy and timid and adorable together.

There was a bit of repetition in the book as far as Ben dwelling on his very recent ex boyfriend and I honestly skimmed over a bit of that as I didn’t think it was necessary to move the story forward.

There is a HEA which is fairly implausible, but hey- why not. We read romances for the HEA’s, not the plausibility.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Jackie North has been writing stories since grade school and spent years absorbing the mainstream romances that she found at her local grocery store. Her dream was to someday leave her corporate day job behind and travel the world. She also wanted to put her English degree to good use and write romance novels, because for years she’s had a never-ending movie of made-up love stories in her head that simply wouldn’t leave her alone.

As fate would have it, she discovered m/m romance and decided that men falling in love with other men was exactly what she wanted to write books about. In this dazzling new world, she turned her grocery-store romance ideas around and is now putting them to paper as fast as her fingers can type. She creates characters who are a bit flawed and broken, who find themselves on the edge of society, and maybe a few who are a little bit lost, but who all deserve a happily ever after. (And she makes sure they get it!)

She likes long walks on the beach, the smell of lavender and rainstorms, and enjoys sleeping in on snowy mornings. She is especially fond of pizza and beer and, when time allows, long road trips with soda fountain drinks and rock and roll music. In her heart, there is peace to be found everywhere, but since in the real world this isn’t always true, Jackie writes for love.

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JackieNorthAuthor/

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/jackienorthMM

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackieNorthMM

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/jackienorthauthor/

Website: https://www.jackienorth.com

Email: jackie@jackienorth.com

Iceland Images zip contains copyright-free images from Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/

* Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review – nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. *

Exclusive Monthly Author Column: Victoria Sue talks about Heroes and Babies

July 16, 2018 by Denise

As always, we LOVE having Victoria Sue join us for her monthly guest column. This month, she is talking about her new branding and babies! Make sure you check out her giveaway at the bottom and let her know what you think about her column, her rebranding, her books, her hair, whatever! 🙂

Heroes and Babies

For those of you that have seen my rebranding by the super talented Jay Aheer, I wanted to explain and answer a few questions!

Does that mean you are going to have babies in every book?

Probably not in the way most people think! Its not suddenly going to become about milk and diapers, night time feeds, or saving for college – its more a narrowing down of themes.

Let me explain…

My two best selling series are The Enhanced – an x-men type paranormal, definitely a romantic suspense with guns, action, the odd dead body… and The Kingdom of Askara – wolf shifters MPreg fantasy.

You couldn’t get much different.

But the themes of heroes saving the world either for the younger generation or the younger generation being hands on are crucial.

For example – In my fantasy MPreg book The Alpha King, the baby is actually delivered by the very competent thirteen-year-old younger sister of the Alpha King.

In Five Minutes Longer the key to making the world a better place is by saving the enhanced kids, and there are quite a few talented teenagers involved. Obviously, all of the books are about the enhanced adults falling in love while battling prejudice and the odd serial killer…but you get the idea.

I’ve even thought about writing a young adult in the series.

Heroes?

And not in the way most people think. In my series Sirius Wolves the first ever human to become a pack Alpha wasn’t even a wolf. He was a bilateral amputee and he definitely didn’t need physical perfection to save the day or the pack, he just needed a big heart. Amputees feature in my books frequently because of my dad. He served in the Royal Navy and was an amputee, and growing up he was my biggest hero.

But heroes come in all shapes and sizes. The next “team” enhanced book is called The Strength of His Heart. This is a direct quote from the Disney movie Hercules. “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.”

And for those of you that have read the series I think this sums up Vance perfectly.

Guns Blazing?

Sometimes, okay probably more often than not to be honest. The next enhanced book to be released is called Guarding His Melody – and yes with a bodyguard who brandishes a very large gun. (!) But the real hero is Sebastian who has been deaf since he was six years old. His battle for independence is every bit as fierce as any war.

Future Plans and a Giveaway! 😊

Guarding his Melody (enhanced) is to be released September 25^th

The Strength of His Heart (enhanced) is to be released in December

Matt’s Rainbow (Rainbow Key) somewhere in between I hope.

In Safe Hands – book one of my new series containing – yes you guessed it, heroes and babies will be out early next year. In Safe Hands is the story of an ex-military bilateral amputee who has to be a bodyguard to an actor who is being stalked, threatening not only himself but his seven month orphaned niece.

I have a special give-a-way this month. An audible code for a copy of Beneath This Mask the third book in the enhanced series featuring Gael and Jake, and a very special enhanced child, or any ebook from my backlist. Leave a comment to be entered!

Lost In Indigo by V.L. Locey: Exclusive Guest Post, Blog Tour and Giveaway

July 13, 2018 by Denise

Mathieu Beresford was so close to seeing his dream come true.

The thirty-eight-year-old captain of the Buffalo Surge had led his team to the final round of the playoffs with his aggressive defensive play and leadership. During the first game of the championship series, he was taken down, and his leg snapped upon impact with the boards. From his hospital bed, Mathieu watched his team go on to win it all.

Adrift in anger, resentment, and the new direction of his life, he returns to his mansion along the St. Lawrence River. Alone and sulking, Mathieu is not prepared for Indigo Neu to enter his life. The genderflux twenty-year-old botany major signs on to play nursemaid, confidant, and groundskeeper over the summer and slowly leads Mathieu out of his confusion––one tender smile and touch at a time.

The deeper Mathieu falls, the more he wonders if being lost might not be so bad after all.

Cover: Designs By Sloan

Length: 70,695 words approx.

Amazon US

Hi there! My name is V.L. Locey and I’m thrilled to be here today! In case you’re not familiar with me I’m an MM romance author, primarily hockey romance, but I do also write non-sporty contemporary, paranormal, and mythological gay romances. Today we’re going to talk a bit about when I knew I wanted to write.

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I think that I always had the inkling that I was an author. Way back in the day I always loved English classes, and was the only happy student when essays or book reports had to be written. As far back as I can recall there had always been stories inside my head, I just had no idea that I could put them down and paper, let alone that people would want to read them!

What a shock that was the first time I penned a Marvel fan fiction story umpteen years ago! It was a monstrous mess of tangled grammar and sloppy punctuation – I still have comma issues – but those problems aside, people read it. And they liked it! After a few years of writing tons of fan fiction, I decided to try my hand at novel writing and I’ve never looked back. I believe that people are born creatives. They either have the love of writing, painting, dancing, making music, or any of the other creative outlets or they don’t. I’m so eternally grateful that I have a profession that I adore.

Thanks for dropping by!

Skate hard and love deeply,

V.L.

July 10 – Love By tes, We Three Queens, OMG Reads, July 12 – The Blogger Girls, Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter, Jen’s Corner Spot, Bookaholic & Kindle, Wicked Reads, July 13 – Two Chicks Obsessed, July 14 – Katie’s Book Corner, Megan’s Media Melange, July 15 – My Fiction Nook, July 16 – Urban Smoothie Read, Xtreme Delusions, Mainely Stories, My Book Filled Life, July 18 – Wicked Faerie’s Tales, Jessie G Books, Mirrigold, Bayou Book Junkie, Lillian Francis, Making It Happen, MM Good Book Reviews, July 19 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, July 21 – Bayou Book Junkie

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, Dr. Who, Torchwood, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, two Jersey steers and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.

When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day of Wrath (Taking Shield Series Book 5) by Anna Butler: Exclusive Guest Post and Giveaway

July 13, 2018 by Denise

In less than a week, Bennet will finally return to the Shield Regiment, leaving behind the Gyrfalcon, his father, his friends… and Flynn. Promotion to Shield Major and being given command of a battle group despite the political fallout from Makepeace the year before is everything he thought he wanted. Everything he’s worked towards for the last three years. Except for leaving Flynn. He really doesn’t want to leave Flynn.

There’s time for one last flight together. A routine mission. Nothing too taxing, just savouring every moment with the best wingman, the best friend, he’s ever had. That’s the plan.

Bennet should know better than to trust to routine because what waits for them out there will change their lives forever.

Length: 106,470 words

Amazon US

Amazon UK

KOBO

Smashwords

The Bitter End

More than a decade ago, I started writing oddments—bits of scenes, action sequences, short stories—that would eventually grow into the five Taking Shield books. At that time, the idea of codifying those bits and pieces into a series telling one big story was just a twinkle in the eye and a mental ‘Someday, maybe’, but even then, I knew how the series would end. Indeed, one of those scraps of a scene held the eleven words that I thought would make the perfect last line.

A couple of months ago, I wrote “The End” at the bottom of the final page. Not just the final page of one of the books in the series, but the final page of the entire series. And I still don’t quite know what I feel about that.

Yes, I’ve only seriously worked on the series for the last four years, but it’s been a part of my writing life for at least the last ten. That’s a big chunk of time. Of course, there’s a real sense of achievement when, close to half a million words after I started, Bennet and Flynn have reached the end of their story. Not to mention the surge of relief that I did it with sanity (mostly) intact, marriage still strong and without ignoring most of my RL responsibilities to family, friends and the dogs. I’ve done it. Finished it. Bennet and Flynn have reached their final paragraph.

So. Yes. Of course I feel some elation and satisfaction. Triumph, even.

And then there’s the regret. The ‘oh no, it can’t be over!’ feeling that wells up from somewhere down near the solar plexus every time I contemplate a future without Bennet, Flynn, Caeden, Cruz, Quist… . The slight feeling I have of being rudderless, aimless, whenever I look at the Shield book covers on the wall and realise there won’t ever be another one. It is one ginormous, universe-wrenching pang of sorrow to write those final words on the last book of five, and send my boys off to editing for the very last time. I feel quite lost, actually, as if someone’s taken all my navigation computers off line. It’s a species of empty nest syndrome, I expect.

A bit of me is dancing and singing at finally finishing. Another bit is very triste and bitter-sweet and woebegone. I shall miss this series both terribly, but it has to be done. I have to let it go. All I can hope is that it gets a good reception and that others come to love Bennet and Flynn almost as much as I do.

There is one thing I’m very proud about. The final line I planned all those years ago? Exactly where I ended up. I was right: those eleven words make the perfect full stop to the Shield series. The adventure getting there has been wonderful. I’ve learned so much about writing, about characterization and plotting—and myself!—en route, and I’m both elated and regretful that the story of Bennet and Flynn is finally done.

Taking Shield Series

Gyrfalcon (Book #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Heart Scarab (Book #2) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Makepeace (Book #3) Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Chains of Their Sins (Book #4) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Anna Butler was a communications specialist for many years, working in various UK government departments on everything from marketing employment schemes to organizing conferences for 10,000 civil servants to running an internal TV service. These days, though, she is writing full time. She recently moved out of the ethnic and cultural melting pot of East London to the rather slower environs of a quiet village tucked deep in the Nottinghamshire countryside, where she lives with her husband and the Deputy Editor, aka Molly the cockerpoo.

Website and Blog

Facebook

The Butler’s Pantry (Facebook Group)

Twitter

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

June 28 – Gay Book Reviews, June 30 – Bayou Book Junkie, July 2 – MM Good Book Reviews, July 9 – Love Bytes, July 11 – Queer SciFi, July 13 – Two Chicks Obsessed, July 16 – The Novel Approach, July 18 – Making It Happen

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fire and Granite by Andrew Grey: Exclusive Guest Post and Release Day Review

July 11, 2018 by Denise

The heat is growing from the inside, but danger is building on the outside.

Judge Andrew Phillips runs a tight ship in his courtroom. He’s tough, and when he hands down a sentence, he expects to be obeyed. So when a fugitive named Harper escapes and threatens his life, Andrew isn’t keen on twenty-four/seven protection… especially not from Deputy Clay Brown. They have a past, one that could cause problems in their careers.

But with Clay assigned to Andrew and the two of them together every minute, there’s nowhere to hide from their attraction—or from the fact that there’s much more than chemistry blooming between them. As the threat intensifies, Clay knows he’ll do anything it takes to protect the people who are taking their places in his heart: Andrew and his young niece and nephew.

Title: Fire and Granite
Series: Carlisle Deputies: Book Two
Author: Andrew Grey
Release Date: July 10, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 193

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I have said it before and I’ll say it again. I love this blog, especially the name because I’m just as obsessed with books and eye candy as you are. And for me, its hard to beat cop eye candy. I almost giggled to myself out loud. Maybe I should have. The last few days have been some of the hardest of my life with losing my mom. I have tried not to be maudlin, but the thoughts are everywhere, so I’ve been reading a lot. I know my mom would love that. She was a reader and the most book obsessed person I know. She and I rarely read the same books, though she did love what I wrote. So I thought we’d see how this book would do on the mom scale. (At least the my mom scale.)

Strong men with vulnerabilities, who can be relied on – check

Children, mom loved stories with kids. – check

Heat – Yeah, mom loved her some heat and tension – check

Passion – Oh yeah, mom loved that big time – check

Action and drama, something to keep the heart pumping – check

A happy, warm wash over you ending – check

Yes, I think mom would have loved Fire and Granite. I hope you will too.

Hey, hot cop!

I’ve really enjoyed this series so far… some maybe more than others, but anyone who follows any of my reviews, know that I’m such a sucker for hot dads, or….hot uncles even. In this one, we have Judge Andrew Phillips who’s being threatened by a criminal he had a few rocky run-ins with before finally making an example of him when sentencing him to prison… It seemed the felon didn’t take to kindly to the way the judge handled him or their run-ins, so when he planned an elaborate escape, he wanted revenge on the judge….

That’s where Officer Clay Brown comes in… now, this is where the water gets a little murky for me. See, Harper Grange – the felon that’s after Judge Phillips, is Clay’s cousin. Granted, they didn’t have much to do with one another’s sides of the family, even though their mothers are sisters… it still seemed like a huge conflict of interest or something… I understand that Clay is a cop and a good one too, but that’s his family… I would think that he’d be off any case pertaining to his family, and especially NOT the one and only one in charge of protecting the guy that his cousin is after. I can’t be the only one who thought that, can I?

But, if you can get over that fact… the hot cop wants to look out for Andrew, and watching them fall for one other is sweet and such a given… they’re so good for each other. Everything is so up in the air, waiting for more threats from the cousin and trying to hide out and be safe, and then Andrew gets some devastating news about his sister and her kids, making him need to jump in while everything is so crazy and take care of his niece and nephew.
They were adorable, and we all know how I feel about kids in stories… I know some don’t like it, but really… how can you not melt when somebody is so good with kids? Puppies and kids…. Throw the cold water over me, I’ll need it.

As these guys juggle a new relationship, learn how to be there for two kids who are suddenly without their mama, and a deranged lunatic just waiting to jump out and hurt you… it’s still such a sweet, somewhat angsty read. I’m looking forward to more!
And of course, we get our HFN, with snibbits from all the other hotties from this series.

4 pieces of eye candy from me on this one.

Like Breathing by Tia Fielding: Exclusive Guest Post and New Release Review

July 10, 2018 by Denise

A love as easy as breathing.

Life started out rocky for Devin Rice, but it’s turned out pretty well. He has adoptive parents and a brother who love him, and he works as a coder for his dad’s video game company. Romance is scarce, but a chance encounter leads to more than he ever expected.

While dropping off an assignment for his sick brother, Dev meets his mentor. Art history professor Seth Kent is brilliant and gorgeous, just what Dev has been looking for. Except that he’s in a long-term committed relationship.

Seth’s partner, Leaf, is older and sees the world differently due to his unusual upbringing. To him, the clear attraction between Seth and Dev isn’t a problem, it’s an unexpected gift. After all, Leaf is often on the road, going wherever rescue dogs need rehabilitation.

When Leaf meets Dev, all the missing pieces fall into place, and three men from different worlds and at different points in life fill each other’s empty spaces. For them, building a future together is the most natural thing in the world. But their unconventional love causes waves in their careers and family dynamics, and each man has his own doubts and fears to overcome.

Title: Like Breathing
Author: Tia Fielding
Release Date: July 10, 2018
Category: Contemporary, M/M/M
Pages: 240

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press ebook

Dreamspinner Press Paperback

A Gamer Writes Stories

It’s not a secret to anyone who follows me on social media, that I’m a gamer. Occasionally in my stories, my characters are gamers too. Usually that’s not a huge part of them, after all, who wants to read a romance where one of the guys is mainly sitting at his desk, playing games on his computer (or couch, on his console.)

I’ve been thinking about writing a story that’s about two guys meeting in an online roleplaying game, though, but we shall see if that ever happens. Anyway, I’m here to talk about how it is for a gamer to write stories.

Basically, it’s exactly the same as if a non-gamer would write them, I suppose. But there are differences too. For one, my gaming time is always time away from writing, and sometimes, I get sucked into a game for days at a time.

See, gaming is a hobby like anything else. Some people marathon series, others read a whole series of books at once, and others, well, go run that marathon, I guess. For me, while I definitely watch series and read books and pointedly do not run at all, gaming often takes first place.

Funnily enough, gaming often also helps me write more. No, not because inspiration, but because it helps me focus. Let me explain how. See, I have ADHD, and my mind gets to bee pretty damn annoying some days. It’s a lot of “look squirrel!” this and “oooh, shiny!” that, which doesn’t a good environment for writing make.

That’s where gaming comes in. If I’m, at that time, into a game that allows pausing, I’m using that to my advantage. (By the way, this also works with TV-shows and movies just as well.) When I’m writing, I have the game running on my computer as well. Then, whenever my brain starts to do its thing and my concentration starts to slip, I switch from my manuscript to the game. I play for a few minutes or so, and then pause the game again, and go back to writing immediately. If I can go back and forth like this, it prevents me from staying on Facebook or whatever else I might get up to online. Because that kind of distraction really… distracts me. For hours sometimes.

When I do the same technique with a TV-show, I often have them open on half my screen and the manuscript is open on the other half. Then I watch the show for anything from seconds to twenty minutes before going back to writing. Works just as well for me.

So why gaming? It’s always been hard to explain gaming to a non-gamer. But here are some of my reasons for the type of games I like to play.

There are many different kinds of games from Mario Kart to World of Warcraft to Fortnite to dozen others. Some you play alone, others with many people connected to you via the internet. When I play a solo game, it’s often like getting to live out a movie at the safety of your own home. You get to be the hero, make the decisions, run a whole country, rescue kidnapped people, or ride that dragon, maybe. What’s not to love about that?

It’s a bit different with online games. I’ll use World of Warcraft as a personal example here. WoW was first “pushed” on me by my best friend in 2006 sometime. I didn’t want to do it then, we had a bit of a crappy internet connection and I knew it would suck my life into the black hole of gaming, so I resisted for a few months.

In January 2007, though, the first expansion for WoW, called Burning Crusade, came out, and I was house-sitting for my parents for two weeks and I had time and… yeah. The rest is history. I still buy every expansion and play for a few months each year, until I get bored of it. It’s been 11 years, which blows even my mind a little.

The thing about games like WoW for me is the community. People form guilds inside the game (and many others) and find new friends there. Hell, I even introduced two of my friends from different parts of the country to each other through the game because I wanted to hang out with them both. They played together for a while, met offline, and have now been married for years.

I’ve met many of my closest friends—some who I still have, others I’ve lost over time—online and in gaming. In fact, that best friend who got me into WoW, I met in another online game over fifteen years ago.

After a long day, it’s a nice thing to log into a game and be greeted by people asking about your day and wanting to hang out with you, even when they’re sometimes on the other side of the world. Sure, there are negative things about online games, but for me, the positives have always been more important.

Where it all started from for me, then? Well, it might be the Mario Bros games when I was little. One of my best friends at the time had a Nintendo Entertainment System (yes, I’m that old…) and we used to play Mario when we were hanging out at her place.

I got my first computer in my early teens, and it was one of those grayscale ones that didn’t really have games. The one after that did, though, on floppy discs. I got those computers whenever a family friend’s work office upgraded to a newer model and they gave me the old one. So I was always behind on them, not that they were much to talk about back then anyway.

When I was eighteen, I met my first partner. They and their brother were gamers. They’d also just gotten a new gaming computer, and we got sucked into a game I’d seen a review of somewhere and wanted to play (incidentally, their brother had the game in his shelf, and they’d never noticed!)

Through the next few years we were together, we played so many computer games. We still reminiscence about the games, and yes, we still play together online sometimes.

It was during those years when I finally got a computer that could run some games, and I never looked back. Now, at 37, I’m sometimes the oldest person in a group of gamers online, but often I’m actually not. I’ve been in a WoW guild a few years back, when a sixty-something lady played too, for example. Gaming shouldn’t be about age anyways, because neither is reading or watching movies.

In my July 10^th release, Like Breathing, there’s a scene where Dev, a gamer who works in the gaming industry, shows some games to Seth, who is an art history professor. He does that because he instinctively knows that Seth will find the art in the games fascinating—and he does.

There are so many facets in gaming that most people don’t even think about. The next time you see someone you love playing a game, maybe ask if you can watch for a while? And if your kid plays too much Fortnite, talk to them calmly, ask if they could teach you how to play so you understand better, and for goodness’ sake, don’t forbid them from playing before you actually know what you’re banning them from. We all know why you’d want to limit a child’s computer time (and I agree wholly that there should be a limit, feel free to contact me if you want more of my thoughts on that), but I also believe you should know what it is exactly they’re playing.

In any case, there are many kinds of games for many more kinds of players. It all takes finding the right one for you, if you’re brave enough to open your mind a little and look.

Tia Fielding is a thirtysomething Scandinavian who is a lover of witty people, words, cats, sarcasm, autumn, and the tiny beautiful things in life. Tia struggles with stubborn muses and depression, but both are things she has learned to live with. Tia identifies as genderqueer, but isn’t strict about pronouns. Why? Because luckily, in her native language there aren’t gender-specific pronouns. Being a reclusive author living with her fur-babies is another fact of life for Tia, among the need to write that seems to be a part of her psyche by now. In 2013 one of Tia’s novels was recognized by the industry’s Rainbow Awards in the Best LGBT Erotic Romance (Bobby Michaels Award) category.

Social media:

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/authortiafielding

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tiaf/

Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/tiafielding