My guest this week is one of my favorite authors, ZA Maxfield. Welcome and thanks for joining us this week, ZA!

Q: What genre do you write in, and why?
A: I write in m/m romance exclusively, but I sometimes write erotica, sometimes young adult. The stories I write can have other elements but they’re all romance, all the time.

Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: I’ve always written, but never with the idea that I was going to WRITE. Once I decided that, my first contract came in about a year.

Q: So, if you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A: Right now, I’ve just finished writing a full on blurb for my work in progress so here it is in all its blurbiness:

I’m writing about Rick and Logan, who are both in their mid forties. Rick is parenting his grandson, the child of the son he fathered out of wedlock in high school when he was under spectacular pressure to try to be straight. The kid, Nick, has had it rough and Rick’s pretty much the only one he has left. Rick loves that boy and since he never had the chance to be a part of his own child’s life because of the animosity of the boy’s mother, he vows nothing will stop him this time.

Logan has recently retired from the military where he’s kept his sexual orientation secret for over two decades. He isn’t sorry he did it, but he’s a little lonely without his peers and his family lives across the country. The minute he sets eyes on Rick, his heart turns over like an old car engine and it isn’t long before his motor is revved and Rick is in the driver’s seat.

Still, it’s not going to be easy to be a family, what with a temperamental eight-year-old-boys, custody problems, and outright extortion attempts. Logan’s out of the military and between gigs. Rick’s trying to make a family for the child he loves. Together, they’re planning to form a Family Unit, and they don’t plan to let anything stand in their way.

Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: I don’t have a favorite, that’s like children. I like some for certain things and some for others. My newer ones seem to show a progression, more skill (such as it is) and I like that. Notturno is probably fun because I bounced from contemporary to a journal written in the sixteenth century. That was fun.

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: I think I need to be alone. When people are around I tend to feel the need to observe and entertain. I tried to do NaNoWriMo write ins at Starbucks and couldn’t write a word!

Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: That lonely, sparse little shelf of books in the “gay” section at Borders in Brea. There was one lousy shelf, and hardly any books or writers, literary or genre I recognized.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Write like the wind. Don’t stop, don’t look back, do the very best you can to get the story down, go back and do edits later, and declare it done when all you’re doing is tweaking a word in every paragraph each time you look at it. Seriously. Let it go. Sub it. Then don’t think about that one ever again and write the next one until you hear anything, if you ever do. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat, ad infinitum.

Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: My evil day job, and night job, and even when I’m dead job, is motherhood.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: I read a lot of books. I don’t watch commercial television except for the Superbowl and the World Series but there are some shows I DVR. I watch DVDs like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dr. Who. I try to get into whatever the kids are into.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: I am a complete sloth. Maybe that doesn’t surprise anyone, but I have written a lot of books in a short time. All while remaining completely sloth-like.

Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: I don’t really have a favorite dirty word. I don’t think they’re very creative. I drop the f-bomb a lot though.

Q: What’s your favorite holiday, and why?
A: Halloween. I like the idea of becoming something else, and when I was a kid it was the only time we really were allowed to roam the streets at night. It seemed so alive with the possibility for adventure and romance!

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A: I have three piercings in my ears, two on one side and one on the other, but I only wear two earrings anymore, and no tattoos.

Q: If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily all at one time *g*) without getting in trouble with your significant other, who would they be?
A: Do they have to be living? I mean yeah, sure when we do it, but… Okay. Chow Yun Fat, Flashman from the series by George MacDonald Fraser, and Lillian Hellman.

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A: My family, sunscreen, and a flush toilet.

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: I wish I had something really classy to say here, but I’d make sure that we never had to work again unless we could do what we loved, and I’d see to it that the kids got through college.

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: All of them except for cooking, (it’s that sloth thing again.)

Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures you feel comfortable sharing?
A: I really like olive bars, I’ve mentioned this before, and it’s still stupid, but I love those little kiosks in the supermarket where they have marinated olives and veggies. Salty, briny, spicy, olive oily

Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
A: I love the movie Strictly Ballroom. It’s like a Band-Aid for my soul.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: I’d really like to share my housework, if anyone wants to do it they should just email me off list and let me know.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: My latest release, Drawn Together, just came out, and here’s an official excerpt of it complete with blurb and everything. Thanks so much for inviting me to do this. I find lately that I’m kind of an egomaniac and I love talking about my work. (It’s the curse of blogging.) It was entirely my pleasure to be here…probably Hope you had fun reading all this.

Drawn Together
Z.A. Maxfield
Now available at Loose Id

Rory might just be a simple southern boy from St. Antoine’s Parish Louisiana, but he knows what he wants. He’s been in love with the girl of his dreams, reclusive and mysterious artist Ran Yamane since junior high school and now he has the chance to meet her. He’s going to chuck everything and travel 1500 miles to Anime Expo in Long Beach to tell her and no one and nothing is going to stand in his way.

Ran Yamane is not a girl, but he gets that a lot. People come to him with teddy bears and chocolates and disappointment by the truckload. He’s trusted fans in the past and been tragically wrong. So when he meets Rory he’s understandably wary, but resigned. What he’s not prepared for is his magnetic attraction to the young man, Rory’s apparent willingness to overlook his gender, and the fact that their lives are both thrown into chaos when his number one fan (and psycho stalker) shows up to get revenge.
“Well,” Yamane grimaced and continued walking away. “Then I guess you know I… have relationships with men.”
Rory caught Yamane’s hand to stop him. “That ship kind of sailed when you put your tongue in my mouth, Ran-sensei,” Rory raised his eyebrows.
Yamane blanched. “Can we go get a drink somewhere? Do you mind missing the movie?”
Rory thought about that. “I only came here to find you,” he admitted carefully. He tried not to flinch under Yamane’s searching gaze.
“I thought you would be halfway home by now,” said Yamane as they walked.
“You mentioned that. Should I leave?” asked Rory, kicking another abandoned cigarette butt to the gutter. “Man, I hate it when people use the street as an ashtray.”
Yamane took out his pretty gold lighter and cigarettes. “May I smoke?”
“No.”
“I see,” Yamane stopped. “Then how about we make a trade, every time I want to smoke, you stop me by kissing me.”
Rory almost tripped. “Uh–”
Snick. Yamane lit his cigarette. “Problem solved.”
“Just don’t drop your nasty butt in the street.”
Yamane just stared implacably. They stood watching the traffic on Pine Avenue. He finished his cigarette in silence, carefully putting it out in a planter before throwing it in a trashcan. They entered the hotel lobby together and found The Lobby Bar, which exuded an airport lounge ambiance.
“This isn’t very attractive,” Yamane said, looking at his watch. “Are you very tired?”
“I haven’t slept much” Rory admitted. “I drove a long way.”
 “What would you like to drink?”
“Whatever you’re having,” answered Rory with a smile.
Yamane went to the bar and said something to the bartender. A moment later he motioned Rory over. “He’d like to see your I.D.”
Rory produced his wallet, and got his drink. As they were carrying them back to the table he said, “At home, all you have to do is prove you can hold a paper cup.”
“I’ve never been to New Orleans,” said Yamane, “perhaps someday I’ll visit you there.” They set their drinks on the table.
“Oh, I can see my grandmother now,” Rory threw his hands in the air and waved them around, saying in an agitated falsetto, “Oh, Claude! Oh, Claude! Rory has done brought home a Japanese Man! Somebody get me the salts.”
Yamane looked away. “I can see where that might be a problem.”
Rory briefly touched Yamane’s hand. “Nevertheless, I would be delighted.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” said Rory, “And I can show you all the best places.” His eyes clouded with sadness. “The ones that are still standing. Po’ Boys, pirates, and luscious white-trash junk food like you’ve never imagined.”
Yamane considered him. “What can I be,” he asked lightly, “now that I can’t be your sacred maiden?”
Rory thought about that for a long time while the warmth of the bourbon permeated his heart and spread to his fingertips. He clinked his ice around a little in his glass. “Perhaps you are still my sacred maiden.”
“Seriously,” said Yamane. He toyed with his own drink. “Now, what does that mean I wonder?”
Rory yawned self-consciously. “When you find out I sincerely hope I will be the first person you inform.”
Rory watched as Yamane walked to the bartender and–somehow–retrieved the entire bottle of bourbon from him. He came back to the table, putting on his coat and taking up his messenger bag.
“Bring your drink,” he told Rory.
They walked together to the elevators, pressing the button for the third floor. If anyone thought it odd that they carried their drinks and an entire bottle of bourbon, no one said anything. When they got off the elevator, Rory used his room key to open the door and crossed the room to the window.
“Damn,” he said. “It doesn’t open. I hoped there was a balcony.” He turned entirely around, a little unsteady on his feet, and plopped down in the corner where he’d napped that afternoon. “I wanted to sleep on a balcony and watch the sun rise.”
“You’d have a bit of a wait. Where you’re looking it doesn’t rise; it sets,” Yamane informed him. “Surely you’d rather sleep in the bed.” He took off his coat. “There are two. Safety in numbers.”
“I’m fine,” mumbled Rory. He stuffed his messenger bag under his head.
“At least take a pillow.” Yamane pulled a couple pillows off the bed and took them to Rory. Getting their drinks, he sat down cross-legged near Rory’s head with his back against the wall. “I brought your drink, if you want it.” He handed it over.
Rory sat up a little. “Nice. Thank you. It’s been rather a long day.”
“Yes, it has,” murmured Yamane softly. “Peewee’s big adventure.”
“Do you mind dimming the lights a little?”
“I don’t mind.” Yamane got up to turn off all but the light in the bathroom. “That okay?”
“Thank you.” Rory was drifting. Ran sat back down next to him. In the dim light Rory could hear the ice rattle in his glass as he sipped his drink.
 Rory briefly opened his eyes and found Yamane looking at him curiously. “What are you looking at?”
 “That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” said Yamane, lightly brushing a ribbon of hair back from Rory’s face. “I have no idea at all.”