Guest Post: Escape with Sloan Parker

I'm delighted to welcome Sloan Parker to Friskbiskit today! She's here to talk about the power and pleasure of reading, and to share an excerpt from her award-winning novel More.

I just recently read More and thoroughly enjoyed both the hot menage romance and the suspense. Now this fun read is available in both e-book and print formats.

Sloan's giving away a print copy to one lucky commenter. Read on for the details!

 

Reading is My Escape by Sloan Parker

Thanks so much for having me on the blog today, Jessica!

I’m sure many of you saw that Nora Ephron recently passed away. She was one of my partner’s favorite writers and directors, probably best known for her work on When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and Silkwood. As with the passing of any well-known person, there were many mentions of her work and her words on Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes that made the rounds...

“Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I've accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss.”

-- Nora Ephron, I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman  

I could really relate to her words.

Reading does several things for me as an author:

1. 1) It helps me connect with language in a way that working on my own stories doesn’t. Reading other people’s words (even stories in another genre and in a very different voice), somehow helps my own words flow more easily. 
2. 2) Reading gives my creative side a break. I can sit back and fall into a story and the characters’ lives. I don’t have to worry about whether I’m using vague pronouns or if the character’s motivations are strong enough or if the descriptions are vivid enough. I don’t have to evaluate every sentence, every word to make sure the meaning is clear and the emotions are compelling.
3. 3) Reading grounds me. I’m free to enter another world unlike any I would create, and this helps me get out of my own imagination, out of my own head in a way no other entertainment does. Perhaps that’s because reading is more mentally active than something like TV. It requires focus to keep me engaged, but not as much focus as my own work.

Recently, I was pleasantly surprised when I re-read my first book MORE in order to proof the paperback edition, and found I loved reading about those men and their story in a very different way than when I was in the midst of editing it. It was almost like I could step back and really enjoy it as a reader, something that is hard to do for most authors when you’re in the middle of the creation process.

In celebration of MORE’s first time in print, I’m giving away a copy of the paperback edition to one random person who leaves a comment on this post. The winner will be drawn on Monday, July 9th at 11:59 pm EST and will be contacted via email.

Blurb for MORE: 

For fifteen years Luke Moore has lived by three rules: stay off his father's radar, never spend more than a single night with any man, and never fall in love again. But one night of explosive sex and two men whom he can’t get out of his head have Luke breaking them all. Richard and Matthew push him past all his boundaries—both sexually and personally—and now he’s no longer hiding from his senator father; he’s taking him on. And he isn’t just falling for one man; he’s falling for two. If you're going to break the rules, might as well break them big.
 
But Luke’s father has his reasons for hating how his son lives, and he’ll do whatever he can and use all his power to keep Luke away from Richard and Matthew.
 
Can this threesome find a way to make their unconventional relationship last with the world around them trying to pull them apart? And will Luke be able to keep breaking his rules for Richard and Matthew, or will he head back to his familiar way of life just when his new lovers want to pull him closer?

Excerpt from MORE:

I arrived at the Haven a few hours later--the earliest ever--dressed in leather pants, a burgundy dress shirt, and a cocky smirk on my face, determined to put all thoughts of my father, my past, and any other emotional crap behind me.

The Haven was my place to play. My place to feel better about my life and how I lived it.

I wanted to fuck the shit out of someone. I wanted to dominate, to take charge and possess someone, deny him an orgasm until I wanted him to come.

My expectations of what the night would entail affected my demeanor, and I stood taller. I eyed the room for a candidate before taking a seat. The hurried manner in which I went about the task would have bothered me on any other night. Not now. I had something to prove--to myself and to the voice of my father.

Yet, as I surveyed the room and sat on a bar stool, the image of one man assailed my thoughts--a grinning, licking, groaning Matthew.

Shit. I slammed a clenched fist on the bar.

“Something wrong, Luke?” the bartender asked.

“Uh, no. Nothing. Glass of water, please.”

I raised the water to my lips and kept swallowing until I sucked in air instead of the cool liquid. I shoved the glass aside with the back of my hand. The scratching in my throat continued with each gulp of air.

I closed my eyes, and the daydream of Matthew and me slid into view. Richard soon arrived. He pushed into me with abandon while I continued to fuck Matthew.

I rubbed the back of my neck with an open hand. The gesture created more tension instead of easing it. Sex with the same men more than once wasn't the experience I wanted. Not that night. Not any night. It was too expected, redundant, reliable, and complicated. I wanted none of it.

Except I did want them. I couldn't deny how much I wanted to feel them in my arms, to touch them, to kiss them again.

MORE is now available in trade paperback and e-book  formats.

Jessica, thanks again for the opportunity to share with your readers! I hope everyone finds a good book to escape with today.
 
Sloan Parker has been writing for years, but she finally found her true passion telling stories about two men (or more) falling in love. Now she creates m/m erotic romances and romantic suspense. She loves to explore the lives of people who are growing as individuals while falling in love.
 
You can find out more about her work at www.sloanparker.com.

 

Comments

[Jessica Freely]

Oh, and yes, we got our power back on Friday night. :)

[Jessica Freely]

Congrats Danny!

Sloan, thank you for visiting. It's been a blast!

[Sloan Parker]

Sorry I didn't get a chance to post this last night. Random.org has helped me select a winner for the giveaway...

The winner is...Danny. Congratulations!! I’ll be sending you an email shortly to get your address.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by and checking out the post and thanks to Jessica for hosting, even through that nasty storm. Hope all is well at your place now.

[Sloan Parker]

Michelle: Thanks! Glad you think it sounds good. Thanks for entering.

Jo: Thanks so much! Really great to hear you think it’s a good one. I hope all is also well with you and yours.

Danny: You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by and checking it out.

Ro: Got you entered. So glad you stopped by.

Perpetua: LOL. I love that. Isn’t reading one of the best forms of entertainment in life? I am always astounded when I come across a person who doesn’t like reading fiction. I don’t know what I’d do without being able to fall into a good book and forget about any troubles in the world for a little bit. Thanks for stopping by.

[Perpetua]

Reading is one of my favourite things! I loved reading More and I would love to add it to my paper ack collection. In fact it will be mine regardless! Oh yes it will be mine lol

[Ro]

I would love a signed copy of MORE please enter my name.

Thank you
Ro
dante66@sbcglobal.net

[Danny]

Thanks Sloan and Jessica for the great interview!

Hope everything is okay after the storm, take care

dannyfiredragon@aol.com

[Johannasnodgrass]

This is a great story! I would luv to have a copy of it in pb....*hint, hint* :)

Thanks for sharin your thoughts with us Sloan. Hope all is well with you and yours.

hugs ya,
jo johannasnodgrass(at)yahoo(dot)com

[Sloan Parker]

Penumbra: Thanks for the kind words on the excerpt. It was such a fun, intense book to write.

Brandi: So happy you enjoyed their story enough to want to re-read it. That’s the highest compliment. More will be coming. I’m really looking forward to sharing the next part of their story.

Cole: So happy to hear you enjoyed More. That’s so true about reading. Where would we be without the written word and fiction? Add in the Internet and diverse people from all over can come together over the love of a story. It’s powerful and amazing when you really think about it.

Yvette: Glad to hear you enjoyed the post. Thanks for checking it out.

Emily: Thanks so much! Really glad to hear you’ve liked my other work. If you get a chance to read More, I hope you enjoy it as well.

[Sloan Parker]

Jessica: You’re very welcome. Thanks again for having me on the blog and for the kind words about More. Sorry you’re still without power. Hope they get it back up soon.

Trix: Glad you think the book sounds good. Thanks for checking out the post.

Cinders: Thanks! Very kind of you to say. I do love my readers.

Judi: Thanks! Appreciate you checking out the excerpt. It was fun doing a re-read for the print version and perfect timing too because I’m finishing up writing Walter’s book now and will be working on Richard’s after that (which will continue with the threesome in Richard’s point of view).

Ashley: That’s great to hear. I absolutely loved writing from Luke’s point of view.

Marissa: Thanks for the congrats. So glad you enjoyed what you read. Thanks for stopping!

[Michelle]

great post...love the sound of this one, please count me in! chellebe at comcast dot net

[Emily W.]

Wow, I just realized I mixed up the author in my previous comment. I meant to say Sloan but put Jessica. Sorry about that, it's been a long day.

[Emily W.]

This book sounds awesome! I've read a few of Jessica's other books and loved them! Definitely put my name in the bowl for More!

tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com

[Yvette]

What a great blurb and interview. Thanks for the chance to win.
Yvette
yratpatrol@aol.com

[Jessica Freely]

Thanks everyone for stopping by! My apologies for taking awhile to publish your comments. We lost power in the storm Wed. night and still don't have it back, so I've only got internet when I got to the coffeehouse!

[Cole Riann]

I absolutely adored this book and I'm so pleased to see it out in paperback! I'd love to have a copy of my own.

This post is quite serendipitous, I've been thinking about Nora Ephron quite a bit in this last week as well and of course, reading is the best form of creating a global community :)

cole[dot]riann[at]gmaill[dot]com

[Brandi Roberts]

I loved this story (and am reaaaaally looking forward to "More" in this series! I actually feel a re-read coming on :)

Brandi

[Penumbra]

Nice extract and blurb. Count me in for the giveaway please :)

penumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com

[Marissa L.]

Thanks for the giveaway and congrats on the novel. I loved the excerpt so please include me in the opportunity!

m.lanz28@ymail.com

[Ashley E]

I'm already rooting for Luke. It sounds like a great book, Sloan! And I love the quote. :)

[Judi P]

Congrats for the print release of MORE!!
Enjoyed the post. :)

Thank you for the contest and excerpt! ;)

Judi
arella3173_loveless(at)yahoo(dot)com

[Jessica Freely]

Thanks for being my guest Sloan! And thank you Trix and Cinders for stopping by and for your kind words. MWAH!

[Cinders]

OK I think I click right.lol Please put my name in the cap please. Sloan you are so good to your readers. And just saying Jessica love your work darling.

[Trix]

Oh, the blurb and excerpt sound fantastic...