For today’s stop on the Blowing Off Steam virtual tour, Joy Lynn Fielding answers a few “get to know you” questions for us.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite book or author you like to recommend? Do you have a comfort read?
I would happily recommend Dorothy L Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey books to anyone who hasn’t yet had the pleasure of encountering them. My comfort reads are Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances. My absolute favourites among them have me laughing out loud, no matter how many times I may have read them. I love the seemingly effortless way she creates the world of the Regency, underpinned by such exhaustive research. She is a truly feel-good read!
Kathy: What is your guilty pleasure?
At the moment, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I don’t seem able to physically remove the DVD from my player.
Kathy: Favorite meal?
So many! Today’s vote has to go to something I cobbled together from what I had in my cupboard at the time, and which I have since made rather frequently because I liked it so much. It consists of sauteed onions and mushrooms and chopped lightly steamed broccoli mixed with pasta and green pesto sauce. All sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese, and served with a generous glass of red wine. And now I’m hungry. 🙂
Kathy: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
I used to be a university administrator, which I enjoyed, so I’d probably still be doing that.
Kathy: If you could time travel, what time period would you visit?
I’d love to visit the ancient Etruscans, much of whose history is still shrouded in mystery. Their surviving artwork and jewellery is beautiful, and I’m nosy and would love to understand more of their civilization. There’s also the fact that Italy has stunning countryside.
Kathy: Can you tell us a little about Blowing Off Steam?
Sam would tell you it’s about tea, toast, and the most beautiful locomotive in the world, while Ryan would claim it’s all about how damn cool he is. But as it’s me you’ve asked, I’ll say it’s about all of those things, and also about two people who fall in love with a train and what happens when they meet.
Kathy: What projects are you working on now? Any other projected releases for 2015?
I’ve had a few health issues over the past months which have prevented me from writing for a while, but as soon as I’m well enough, I will be getting back to the drawing board for the last book in my Strength of the Pack series, which follows the fortunes of a small pack of shifters in Colorado. I hope that will be ready for release this year.
After that, who knows? I’ve learned not to second-guess where inspiration will come from—I can safely say that I never expected to write a book about trains! 🙂
Title: Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd
Genre: Contemporary, M/M, Romance, Suspense Elements
Length: Novel/Word Count: 66,000
Summary:
Two guys, a train, and lots of steam.
Sam Chancellor has been in love with the steam engine Old Bess since he was six years old. Well, maybe not literally, but even when he’s lost everything else in his life, he’s always had her. But now her place in his heart has been unexpectedly challenged. Her new driver, Ryan Saunders, is the embodiment of all Sam’s fantasies.
Ryan has written off Sam as just another geeky trainspotter—until the moment Ryan sees him without his usual shapeless hoodie, and realizes that for a nerd, Sam’s pretty built.
When Ryan overlooks Sam’s awkwardness long enough to suggest a hook-up, Sam seizes the opportunity—and Ryan—with both very eager hands. Finding common ground in their shared love of Bess, their time together is better than Sam ever dared dream.
But there’s a reason Ryan never talks about his past. And when Ryan’s job is threatened, Sam’s well-meaning intervention puts both Ryan and Bess in deadly danger.
Product Warnings: Contains train geekery, bed-hogging, a hero with no experience and another with plenty to spare, and a spider called Mabel.
Add to Goodreads.
Purchase Links: Samhain Publishing * Amazon * B&N * Kobo
Excerpt
“You’re kind of built for a nerd, aren’t you?” Ryan said. “I guess trainspotting’s a more active hobby than I’d thought.”
Sam should have walked away because this guy was insufferable. Except there was humour gleaming in those eyes as well as something else. Something that if he wasn’t entirely losing his mind was actual, sexual interest.
In him, Sam Chancellor.
“It’s all that running alongside the engines to get the numbers down,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.
To his amazement, Ryan laughed. A true laugh that caused his eyes to crinkle at the corners. It made him even more gorgeous than he already was.
“Ryan Saunders,” he said. “I drive old Bessie.”
“Bessie?” Sam was horrified at the heresy. “She’s Bess. She’s always been Bess.”
“Given I’m the one whose hands have been over every inch of her, I guess she’s allowing me intimacies the general public doesn’t get,” Ryan said.
The low seductive voice and the thought of Ryan’s hands stroking over him the way they did over Bess meant Sam was getting hard. He clutched his satchel in front of him like some sort of shield, except that wasn’t helping at all because it was pressed against his dick and, God above, he was about to get a hard-on, here and now, right in front of Ryan Saunders.
“You haven’t told me your name,” Ryan said.
“Sam,” he choked out. “Sam Chancellor, and I have to go.”
He put his head down and fled.
Author Bio
Joy Lynn Fielding lives in a small English market town, where she indulges her passions for vintage aircraft, horse-riding and gardening (though not all at the same time).
Joy has a tendency to wax lyrical about the fascinating facts she discovers during her research for books. Thankfully she has a very patient Labrador who has a gift for looking interested in what she’s saying while he waits for the food to arrive.
Author Links: Website * Facebook * Email * Goodreads
Giveaway
Follow the rest of the tour:
25-May
26-May
Book Reviews and More by Kathy
27-May
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
28-May
Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat
29-May
Thanks so much for having me here today! I’ll be popping in and out all day if anyone has any questions for me, or would like to share their own favourite authors or time-travel destinations.
My pleasure! Congratulations on the new release 🙂
The first train ride I ever took was to Philadelphia by Amtrak. It was really nice.
It’s a while since I last took an Amtrak train, but I remember it seemed really luxurious compared to our UK ones. I’d love to ride one again!
i always take the train to visit a friend of mine who lives in northern part of the province i live in. its always a nice trip
It sounds it! I always enjoy being able to watch the world go by and not worry about little nuisances like traffic or navigation.
When I was a kid my uncle loved trains and would take me and my cousins along with my mother on local train rides in rural Ohio. We had so much fun.
That sounds wonderful, Cathy!
I’ve never been on a train
I find they can be a lot of fun, getting to see a different perspective on the world from the one from the road and travelling without effort, or they can be a nightmare if they’re running late and there’s nowhere left to sit.
When I was a little girl my mom took me to visit my grandfather at his job. He was foreman at the steel mill in PA. His friend ran the trains. That day I got a short ride in the engine car from one end of the yard to the other. I remember wearing his hat and everything. When the short trip was done I got a twinkie .
Congratulations on the new book
That sounds brilliant, Denise. I think every train ride should culminate in a twinkie! And thank you. 🙂
My family did a train trip across Canada , they loved it. My mom took a small train ride at the White Mountians in NH . I would love to try a trip by train someday.
I was lucky enough to take the train from Vancouver to Whistler a couple of years ago and the scenery was stunning. I’d *love* to try the cross-Canada trip, Deb!
Many vacations involve a train ride. My best experience was riding The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver.
How strange – I’ve just replied above to Deb who mentioned that same trip. I’d *love* to try it one day, Katherine.
I love train rides! I used to travel on Amtrak from L.A., CA to Albuquerque, NM twice a year to visit my mom. After I moved to Abq in ’98, when her health started failing the Amtrak rides stopped! Luckily in the last few years, a commuter train, the Rail Runner Express, started up here in town and I get to ride it a couple times a year for fun 🙂 Thanks for the chance! Your book sounds amazing!
Thanks so much, Suzanne! Your LA-Albuquerque trips sound like a great way to enjoy the country you travelled through, and I’m all for riding trains for fun. 🙂
My favorite train ride was in England on vacation. Beautiful countryside. Congrats on the release!
Thanks so much! I think somehow train rides on vacation are always more fun. 🙂