Welcome to the Summer Spirit by G. Jay Blog Tour put on by the awesome Tribute Books. On my blog today you get an inside look at G. Jay and his book Summer Spirit with a Guest Post and Q&A. You even get a chance to win a copy of his book at the end of the post. To find out even more make sure to stop by other stops on the tour. You can find a link to the tour page in this post. Thank you all for visiting my blog and thank you especially to Tribute Books for having me on the tour.
Summer Spirit by G. Jay
Ryan Kinkaid, a successful gay Manhattan antique dealer has had it with life in New York City, especially his random love life. Ryan has what most New Yorkers want — his own successful business, and a mortgage-free brownstone on West 71st Street. However, at age forty-one he discovers he is lacking one very important thing in his life: a meaningful and loving relationship. With summer just around the corner, the approaching heat and his restlessness are reasons for his escape from the city. A four-month rental in historic and picturesque Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with his best friend Lauren was the answer.
Renting a house built in 1810, kindred spirit Nicholas reaches out for contact, and Ryan finds himself wanting to know about the past. However, Nicholas is not the only one wanting Ryan’s attention. Ty, a handsome local man, also has strong desires for Ryan.
The stark contrast of the past collides with the present in this tale of lost and betrayed love, and irrational and undying prejudice.
In the end, all that is left is the affirmation of the value of honesty and commitment in love.
Guest Post:
The
main character in Summer Spirit is 41-year-old
Ryan Kinkaid. A New York City antique dealer who, throughout his adult life,
has looked for that certain someone with whom he could have a loving,
committed, and monogamous relationship. Some may ask, “So what’s the problem?”
The problem is that in the gay world this is not as common as one may think.
As
a gay man in my mid-50s, I have observed many gay “couples” who call someone
their “partner.” Usually it’s the person whom they live with and share living
expenses. However, their sexual lives are not exclusive. I’ve seen advances
made at parties by someone in a relationship toward someone not their partner,
or hear how when at a conference or the gym they hook up with someone. It is when
hearing those individuals say, or do, such things I want to correct them by saying,
“Don’t call him, or her, your partner. They are your roommate who you have sex
with occasionally, nothing more. You’re shopping, and are only with him, or
her, until you find someone better. Besides, it is demeaning to the other
person to know they are not good enough.”
I’ve
been chastised and criticized for this opinion. However, I certainly know I am not
alone in my view, as I have met many couples who are in loving, exclusive
relationships. However, if the truth be known, I think we are in the minority.
After
32 years, in 2010, my partner and I married in the state of New Hampshire. For
the years prior I did not need to have a piece of paper to prove my commitment
to him. I have always loved and wanted him. It is also safe to say that during
those 32 years we had been through everything there is. Thereby, if you can
stand up in front of family and friends and say vows of commitment to one
another you mean them, because you’ve lived them, proven them.
At
this time in our nation’s development, with the religious right trying so hard
to shove homosexuality back into the closet and take away what few rights we
have achieved over the years, gays have to work hard to promote positive
relationships and dispel negative stereotypes. That piece of paper I mentioned above
means everything to me.
I
have written the character of Ryan Kinkaid to hold the
same values as myself. He is not perfect or saintly; he has had his share of
experiences. He is looking for someone who makes daily living worthwhile,
someone to share life with and not be alone.
As
a writer, I would like readers to be able to connect with my characters. I try
hard to have them be realistic. I welcome any comments from readers on my book,
your views on my characters and the relationships I portray. You can contact me
through my website, www.gjayb.com.
Q&A:
Q: Please tell us about your current release.
A: Summer Spirit, A Ryan Kinkaid Mystery,
is the first in my series of at least four books about a successful gay
Manhattan antique dealer. This story starts with Ryan realizing he has had it
with life in New York City, especially his random love life. Although he has
what most New Yorker’s want – his own successful business, and a mortgage-free
brownstone on West 71st Street, one very important thing is missing
in his life . . . a meaningful and loving relationship. With summer just around
the corner, the approaching heat and his restlessness are reasons for his
escape from the city. He takes a four month rental in historic and picturesque
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with his best friend Lauren in hopes of gaining a
new perspective on life.
Renting a house built in 1810, a kindred
spirit Nicholas reaches out for contact, and Ryan finds himself wanting to know
about the past. However, Nicholas is not the only one wanting Ryan’s attention.
Ty, a handsome local man, also has strong desires for Ryan.
The stark contrast of the past collides
with the present in this story of lost and betrayed love, and irrational and
undying prejudice.
In the end, all that is left is the
affirmation of the value of honesty and commitment in love.
Q: Can you tell us about the journey that led you to write your
book?
A: On a recent trip to the South of
France, my husband and I met a successful romance novelist who, over a dinner
at a restaurant in Marseille, suggested that I try my hand at gay erotica. She
said her gay friends told her she should write some books for that genre
because they felt there weren’t any decent ones out on the market. However,
since she’s straight and it wasn’t her genre, she wasn’t interested. That
suggestion stayed with me and, after a few months, I acted on it.
In the past few years I have had in the
back of my mind the idea of writing a book. Granted whatever story I thought
was there was not based on gay erotica. But none the less, it was there.
My professional career for the last 30
years has been in the field of human resources. It afforded me the ability to
see the various sides of people. For example, how they handle change and have
an unending desire to hold on to the anger of past hurts and disappointments.
Two issues I address in my book. I’ve since ended my career in human resources,
focusing on writing the next book in the series.
Q: Can you tell us about the story behind your book cover?
A: The main graphic on the cover is a male
figure. This figure can represent one of two male characters in the book, Ryan
Kinkaid or Nicholas Walsh. In each case, the characters are unfulfilled until
this certain summer where love and contentment gives life and color, uplifting
their spirits.
What approaches have you taken to marketing your book?
Writing and publishing is all new
territory for me. Marketing the book is something I am still working on. My
publisher helped by setting up my website and I’m telling everyone I know and
come in contact with about my book.
Q: What book on the market does yours compare to? How is your
book different?
A: I think my book is unique in that if
you take away the sexual aspect of it, there would still be a decent story
there. Many books on the market that I have read in this genre are based solely
on sex acts, which meet the needs of a large percentage of their readership.
Q: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
A: I don’t know if it’s a quick, but I do not outline the book
beforehand. I let the story happen as I write it.
Q: Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s
happening.
A: Ryan, Lauren and Jason are traveling
from Manhattan to Portsmouth for the weekend. On the way they stop at a rest
area in Connecticut to use the facilities and Jason takes care of someone else’s
business (if you catch my drift) along with his own.
Q: Do you plan any subsequent books?
A: Yes, this is the first in a series of
at least four. The next book will be a continuation of the story between Ryan
and Ty and is called Autumn Reveal.
Q: Tell us what you’re reading at the moment and what you think
of it.
A: I’m not reading anything at the moment.
I am focusing on writing Autumn Reveal. However, when I do, I’m sure it will be
one of the more popular fiction books on the market. I doubt it will be gay
erotica because I don’t want to influence my writing by how another author
depicts sex in their story.
About G. Jay:
A communications graduate of the City Universities of New York, and after twenty-nine years as a human resources administrator, Jay decided to apply his understanding of the complexities and foibles of the human character in a more creative way.
Like the main character, Ryan Kinkaid, Jay is a gay man who believes in love and commitment. He and his husband have been together for over thirty years and live on the West coast of Florida with their two cats. A transplant from New York, Jay continues to travel regularly to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to connect with the New England life which he so loves.
Find G. Jay:
Giveaway:
Use the rafflecopter form below to enter to win an E-Book copy of Summer Spirit by G. Jay.
