Finding King

Today I'm so excited to bring you the amazing, Casey K. Cox. I can't tell you enough about how much I love this woman. I think we can all be thankful for the ocean that separates us, if we lived close there would be a lot of wine consumed;)

Hitting the shelves today is Casey's new book, Finding King. Finding King is the first installment of the Sci-Fi trilogy in The Breaker series. If you are a fan of Sci-Fi, Jade Archer, or Mark Alders, then this series is right up your alley. After I read it, I needed more! I can't wait to see where this series is going to lead. ~clears throat~ Get to writing Casey!!

Ms Cox was gracious enough to sit down and chat with me about her writing process and the world created for Finding King. I hope you guys enjoy! Don't forget to pick up your copy today!! 

In Finding King, we meet a flight crew of ALEM's. Could you tell us more about ALEM's?

ALEM stands for Artificially Life Enhanced Mammals. It basically means that through genetic
manipulation certain biological characteristics in the human genome have been enhanced. It started back in Earth’s history, as man prepared for space exploration. The enhancements were designed to make the long space flights less wearing for the crew. Genetic hybridisation increased muscle and bone density, improved lifespan and eliminated the propensity for disease. The ALEM also have accelerated learning and expanded brain capacity. It wasn’t long before the government agencies who designed the programmes decided the superhuman guinea pigs were too much of a threat to their own cosy lives. The procedures were outlawed and the ALEM exiled to various outer colonies, one of which—Rexalon—became the home planet for the new species. The initial ALEM teams set up business manufacturing superhuman soldiers to sell to the highest bidders.


How did this world come to you?

I think it’s been with me for a long time. I’ve always had a fascination with genetics, right from the
days of watching Brave New World back in the 80’s, which was a TV mini-series take on Huxley’s
short story. I also remember being intrigued by the concepts in programs like Logan’s Run, and
books by Greg Bear, Asimov and Arthur C Clarke. And of course, I’ve always been a sci-fi fan. As a
writer, I like the idea of science trying to make things better, but the reality turns out to be a very
different story with corruption and greed tipping the balance.

 Jessie had a lot of issues to deal with when he was finally discovered. Will we see more of what happened to him in this next story?

There will be snippets of Jessie’s journey in the next one, but the second story is really concentrating
on the development of different characters. I don’t want to say too much about it at this stage :P

What are your plans for this series? You already have us hooked! We need more!!

Three definite stories. The series is called The Breaker, and as such focuses on different
crew members in each episode as well as telling a larger story across the series. Whether there will
be anything to come after the Trilogy, I can’t say at this point. It’s up to the muse.

Have we seen the last of Traygo? 

Very unlikely. He’s the bad guy, lol.

What are Erlins and Drows? Will we see any in the future books?

Erlins and Drows are humanoid races with slightly different skill sets to humans (or ALEM). Erlins are skilled architects and builders.

On the short side, with thick, heavy limbs, and very strong, with brilliantly creative minds. Think Cro-Magnon. Drows are tall and heavily muscled, better for security and fighting. They are also excellent for interspecies breeding, one of the few species in the Galactic Council that can be used to incubate any of the local humanoid races. We will definitely see more of them.

You have a change to win a copy of Finding King over at The Armchair Reader until 4/01, you don't want to miss out!

Casey K. Cox is also the author of Be My Boy, Dropping a Stitch in Time, and The Rise of Alec Caldwell

You can purchase Finding King at Less Than Three Press and  All Romance Ebooks

Thank you so much Casey for stopping by and allowing us a little glimpse inside Finding King. Now everyone needs to rush out and purchase a copy:) Have a great day everyone!

Summer

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

The beautiful and amazingly talented, LC Chase was kind enough to tag me in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. This blog hop was created so authors could discuss their latest release or their current WIP (Work in Progress). LC got our engines running with her current WIP, American Muscle I'm gonna slow it down and tell you about my latest release, Substitute Heart. 

First, I want to share. This was the angel I received after finally submitted my story. When someone from my writing group submits a story, the stunning Xara X. Xanakas always gives our stories an angel to watch over them in the submission process. Isn't he breathtaking! 



1. What is the working title of your book?

Substitute Heart. I have to show you a picture of the AMAZING cover! I cried when I first saw it. Aisha, from Less Than Three Press designed it. (See Right-->)

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
The title actually came first along with the first chapter. It was the first time I ever just sat down without thinking about what happens next, and wrote what I saw playing in my head.

3. What is the genre of the book?
Gay contemporary romance. 

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie
rendition?
I think Travis would be played by Matthew Mitcham and Oliver would be played by Vin Diesel. 

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A solider returns from the dead to help husband move on. 

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?
Less Than Three Press published Substitute Heart on Dec. 12.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I wrote the first chapter and set it aside until almost a full year later. I picked it back up, only taking a week or so to complete. 

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I haven't come across any in my genre per say, but I would say Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. 

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I love military stories. I always cry watching one YouTube video of a soldier returning home after another. This is picture (Left) also spoke to me. A lot of my work as a brotherhood theme, I admire their work and sacrifice. They are men and woman of honor. 

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
When one of my best childhood friends passed away, I always wanted that one last chance to say goodbye. We all weren't blessed with that peace of mind of knowing our loved one is safe and okay. Travis gets to not only say goodbye, but know without a doubt that his former husband is always with him. 

To keep this blog hopping, here’s a list of awesome authors I think you should check out:
Zach Sweets and Casey K. Cox

Getting Cozy with Casey!

Casey Cox, author of The Rise of Alec Caldwell joins us today for this weeks Author Spotlight. Sit back, take a sip of tea and get to know the rising star.

Where do you call home? 

West of England. I live right on the border between England and Wales, where the Severn Vale meets the estuary of the Bristol Channel.

What other hobbies do you have?

I’m a hobby junky. I’ve had a go at most things over the years from furniture restoration and upholstery to quilting to collecting fountain pens and inks to making paper. Anything to do with crafts, textiles and art, I’ve probably gone through a phase with it.

How long have you been writing?

In fits and starts since I was a kid. I had a few things published back then, mostly poetry, some shorts. Writing has always been a way for me to survive, break out of the everyday and escape to a happier place – even when the world I’m creating isn’t always happy.

This latest phase of writing fiction began about three years ago. I’d predominantly been an academic writer for a number of years at that point. I penned a pretty mammoth MF series that opened up a new avenue in writing for me. I’d always been a fantasy/paranormal writer but this was contemporary and I liked the change of pace. I decided to take writing fiction more seriously this time around and signed up for a few writing courses at university to investigate the craft from the roots up. One of my characters from that series was questioning his sexuality. I started to read MM to see how the scenes I’d written compared and I’ve been here ever since.

How did you get your start in the writing world?

Which time around, the MM world? I wrote a cross over fan fiction piece for the Aleks Voinov Group. Special Forces meets The Administration. People liked it so I started on a few original MM projects including Be My Boy for HSD last year.

Read Here

What projects are you working on?

My WIP file is like a bottomless pit of scenes and ideas that rarely make it past a few thousand words. The stronger projects at the moment are a paranormal piece for LiAW, a sequel for Be My Boy, a sequel for a novella currently with a publisher for consideration, Alec… oh, and a novella I’m working on for an open call. Wow, that’s a lot.

Alec Caldwell...tell us how you came up with his story!

Ah, my lovely Alec. The series was born from a very enjoyable daydream. A single scene that played out in my head over a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Being a D/s fan in real life, my personal fantasies tend to lean that way. To an extent, the world that Alec lives in has always been there in my head. It wouldn’t surprise me to find something like The Order hiding behind some of Britain’s stuffiest halls. It’s an exaggeration of the distinct undercurrent, in this country at least, that there are whole swathes of society that are out of reach to us. It’s all about who you know and how far you buy into their system.

The first outing of this world on paper was for an MF erotica piece a few years ago. Alec’s little afternoon fantasy fitted into it so well it made sense to set it there. This time around, things are more fun and less political.  

               

Once established with the first few scenes, Alec grew very rapidly as a serial adventure. At the time, I was working on an open call and completely stressed out. It was a conscious decision from the very beginning to let Alec’s story run without the usual constraints. I wanted it to be fun, an escape for me when other WIP’s weighed heavy, a space to let the muse run wild. The story breaks naturally in a handful of places so it made sense to package episodes as Volumes. Some people prefer to download a whole novel rather than wait for the next chapter.

What can fans of the series look forward to?

I’m not sure how much I should say. Alec has a lot more to discover that’s for sure. The third Volume is about Alec putting together the pieces of what he wants out of life. Up to this point he’s been caught up on a fast train and swept along for the ride. As he gains more life experience he’s sorting through the things that work for him and those that don’t. Hamilton is also going through a transformation. The question is whether their needs will continue to be in alignment as they change and adapt to new situations.

The fourth and final volume will answer the big questions – who ends up with whom – and whether their current lifestyle is sustainable.  I’ve already made promises that Sebastian gets his HEA so that’s a given. Whether it’s with Alec, remains to be seen.

It’s funny talking about the final volume. I still can’t imagine, at this juncture, there being a time when I’m not writing Alec. 

Favorites:

Ice Cream: Chocolate, mint and coffee. Uh, together would be nice.

Wine: Red. Malbec or Grenache are favourites though a good Merlot wouldn’t go amiss.

Vacation Destination: What’s a vacation? I travel a lot of work so don’t really go on holiday. I love Cornwall, Finland and South Africa. My dream holiday would be either Iceland or New Zealand (nothing to do with finding Dan and Vadim, honest) – somewhere with glaciers and live volcanoes as I’m a bit of a geology geek.

Genre: MM, MMM, MMMM, MMMMM – you get the idea.

Season: I grew up in a seaside town where the population trebled during the summer so it has always been autumn – the season of descending peace and being able to walk along the pavement without being pushed into the path of oncoming traffic.

Snack Food: Chocolate, chocolate flavoured things, chocolate covered things (including cheese – no really, you should try it)…

Bell Jar Memory as an author you will cherish forever? 

The first squeeing email from a reader that just loved, loved, loved something. It’s that defining moment where you say to yourself – ‘people I don’t know are actually reading my stuff and hey like it – wow – I’m an author’.

 I would like to thank Casey Cox for stopping by! I can't wait to see what else this talented author brings to our bookshelves:)

You can follow Casey on her website, GoodReads, and email. 

You can also read the complete series of The Rise of Alec Caldwell...here

Thanks again, Casey!