This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by
Goddess Fish Promotions. Ryan Lawrence will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?
My two published works, Vindictive and Vindictive Too, are both Queer Thrillers with a delicious additive of soapy drama. I've been very open about my love of Twin Peaks. This show inspired me tremendously to write in the Thriller Genre. Creator/writers David Lynch and Mark Frost invented a world, not just a town, filled with mysteries, tragedies, and high drama, populating it with a collection of well-developed characters: quirky, heroic, and malicious. While watching each episode unfold, something resonated within me, sparking my imagination. I felt compelled to create my version of a town where secrets, lies, and tragedy ran free. Queer Thriller, specifically, has become my focus because, for one, as a gay man, I'm queer, and I want to add my voice to this burgeoning sub-genre. I also find that character diversity and minority experiences in fiction open up so much potential for new, unexpected storylines.
What research is required?
A reviewer for Indiereader once questioned whether I was a martial arts master or a great researcher; watching 80's ninja action films is the extent of my "training." I'm neither employed as a professional assassin nor sustain myself on a diet of revenge and torment toward family members. I'm also not the CEO of an international corporation or own a French Chateau. Sound research creates an entertaining, believable narrative. Reality--truth and facts--can be a tricky space to work within. Suppose a novel isn't Fantasy or Sci-Fi. In that case, a reader's suspension of disbelief can stretch only so far before their enjoyment is curtailed by ridiculous implausibility. Or falsehoods easily discovered by a quick Google search. And more than research is needed, personal interest in your subject matter is vital. As an author, if you aren't fascinated by the subject matter you're writing about, how do you expect to write, let alone create a world which will enrapture others?
Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.
Forgiveness, as a process for healing, is difficult--sometimes impossible. If one cannot forgive (or will not, depending on personal perspective), harbouring resentment is a path to life-long misery. Either forget or take action. Acceptance or revenge. Nothing satisfying exists in between.
Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?
I can only write in absolute silence. I’m easily bothered by music, television, and human chatter, quickly losing concentration when surrounded by a cacophony of annoying distractions. I often work with noise-cancelling headphones on.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Regarding my writing process, I take time to develop a story, formulate and outline a unique plot, and design the characters’ personalities thoughtfully. I’m no pantser, but I allow for organic creativity. If inspiration strikes, I’m not so rigid that I won’t alter the course of a character’s preset fate or adjust a storyline.
Look to your right – what’s sitting there?
My cat Dora and a green tea Frappucino, non-fat, no whip, on my writing desk.
Anything new coming up from you? What?
I'm steadily working on the untitled third novel in the “Vindictive” series, which may be the final one. However, I have ideas for two more, one featuring the Bergé family's complete history and another about my favourite assassin, Amanda Reid, The Silver Dagger. These would be stand-alone novels, not direct follow-ups to the untitled third book.
Something I'm currently working on that I'm incredibly excited about is my Blog over on my website, ryanlawrenceauthor.ca. Along with reviews of LGBTQ+ books and my own pieces on topics that interest me, I'm beginning a series of Author Profiles of LGBTQ writers, starting with those in the Queer Thriller and Queer Horror genres. I'm starting this endeavour with two amazing talents: Matthew Dante, the author of the Fractured and Rough Edges series, and Eric David Roman, the author of Long Night at Lake Never. It's going to be a fun and informative ride.
Do you have a question for our readers?
Do you read Sutter Cane? (If you get this, you get a gold star!)
The best revenge never includes forgiveness. To truly punish the guilty, something worse must be done to them.
A chain of vengeful events is set in motion when a man's brutally murdered body is found in an alley behind a seedy bar. Inspector Declan James is put on the victim's case, only to discover his intimate connection to the slain man. After a not-by-chance meeting with the mysterious Véronique, a woman on a mission to right a terrible wrong, Declan finds himself mired in an intricate web of corruption, lies, and coverups.
Marie and Jacques Bergé, the owners of the internationally renowned Château Bergé, act publically as the pinnacle of society and wealth, but behind closed doors, their lives are in turmoil. From Marie's erratic behaviour and bizarre disappearances to Jacques's not-so-secret love for another woman, Fairporte's "it" couple teeters on the edge of destruction.
In the shadows, a bearded man, powerful and dark of heart, secretly orchestrates his machiavellian manoeuvres from a place of sadism and despair.
From the bustling core to the rustic outskirts of Fairporte, ON, secrets, suffering, and rage are found everywhere. As the cruel desire pain, the wronged seek retribution, and the fragile break, will anyone get their revenge before death or madness claim them?
Read an Excerpt
“Jules, you’re the best,” Jacques stated as a big smile appeared across his handsome, chiselled face. Instinctively, he reached across the table and placed his hand on top of hers. “I can always count on you.”
“Jacques, we’re in public,” Jules whispered, retracting her entire arm. She saw several of the high-end restaurant’s patrons eyeing them curiously. Their piqued interest crafted brazen, sly smiles on their soon-to-be gossiping mouths.
Jules glared daggers at the spectators; they all quickly shrank back, intimidated by her ferocious sneer. She did not care about anyone’s opinion or judgment, but she refused to back down from her public stance that she and Jacques were solely business associates and close friends. If Marie was in the picture, there could be nothing else between them.
“I don’t care!” Jacques roared. “I want to hold your hand. Quand je dis que je t’aime je le pense vraiment! When I say I love you, I really mean it!”
Jules rolled her eyes and, in a low voice, replied, “What does love have to do with anything? I know you love me, but we’ve been over this. You can’t have it both ways. As long as you’re with that basket case you call a wife, we can’t—oh, whatever. I’m not talking about this. Speaking of Marie, one of my favourite topics, have you heard anything?” Jules’s sarcasm was on full show.
“Oh, Jules!” Jacques cried, frustrated. He knew it had been reductive to say he loved her, but for once, he wanted to completely forget about Marie, her issues, and his life outside of this moment with Jules. Admitting defeat, Jacques stiffened up, arched his back, placed his hands in his lap, and answered Jules’s question.
“No, not yet. Marie left for her session without me. She’s very upset about what I said to her regarding the twins. Marie is not a basket case, Jules. She’s troubled. And she’s the mother of my children. Can’t you show just a little compassion? Or some respect for her? I mean, come on, you drove her right out of the party last night, and she never returned!”
Jules shrugged and ate some more of her salad.
About the Author: Ryan Lawrence was born and raised in Guelph, ON, and he is a graduate of the University of Guelph in English Literature. Ryan lives in London, ON, with his husband, Todd, their cat Dora, and his massive comic book collection that once fell on Todd. He's okay.
Website:
http://Ryanlawrenceauthor.ca
Twitter:
) http://www.twitter.com/RyanLAuthor
Instagram:
http://www.instagram.com/ryanlawrenceauthor
https://www.amazon.com/Vindictive-Too-Ryan-Lawrence-ebook/dp/B0BPYGP6W1/
a Rafflecopter giveaway
