MM ROMANCE AUTHOR OF THE WEEK TALI SPENCER

I’m pleased to have with me here this week, M/M Romance Author, Tali Spencer.  I'm a huge fan, especially of her novel Thick as Thieves. Thank you for joining me for this interview Tali, let's get started.

COULD YOU PLEASE SHARE THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU?

Curious, open-minded, and imaginative.

PLEASE ORGANIZE THESE WORDS, PLACING THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU FIRST AND BRIEFLY EXPLAIN YOUR REASON.  

FAMILY, WRITING, SEX, MUSIC, FRIENDS, ANIMALS, LOVE, SPORTS, CHILDREN 

Love. Children. Writing. Sex. Friends. Family. Animals. Music. Sports.

      These are so hard to rank, almost impossible really. But I tried and ranked them according to how they’ve played out in my life choices. The love my husband and I have anchors my world. I upended my life so I could be with him, so I clearly chose love above everything else. 

"Go Packers!"

     After that comes my kids. I gave up publishing (couldn’t pay the mortgage or insurance) so I could provide for them. But after love and my children, writing is the most important thing, followed closely by sex. Because both are too fun to give up. 

      I don’t have a lot of friends, but they’re closer to me than my family other than my husband and children. Everything after family depends. If it’s football season, sports can sometimes be right up there with sex. Go Packers!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING?

      I published a poem in a school newsletter when I was in the third grade and I wrote my first novel in high school. It’s safe to say that novel will never be published, because it was dreadful, possibly the worst fantasy story ever written. Quite a few years have passed since then and I’ve never stopped writing. I published two science fiction novels a long time ago before I took a hiatus for personal reasons. During that time I still wrote fiction at every opportunity. But mostly I wrote public relations materials, grant proposals, and medical articles. A few years ago I decided I would try writing for publication again. I’m so glad I did!

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?

Sequel soon to be WIP

Victory Portrait, a fantasy romance about a triumphant general who becomes infatuated with the beautiful slave of the artist painting his official portrait. The novel belongs to my Uttor series, which follows the fates of a captive royal family. The slave, Peta, is one of the captive princes, and the general, Darius Arrento, is the man who conquered his country. Their romance is hot, kinky, tender and complicated by turns. It’s nearly finished, and then I will turn my attention to the next Thieves book, Thick as Ice.

Vorgell by Oscar Ibarra, aka Demacros

WHICH CHARACTER IN YOUR BOOKS DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH, AND WHY?

      There’s at least one character in every book I can point to and say, “That one’s closest to me.” But let’s see… I think the one I identify with most is Vorgell, the barbarian in Thick as Thieves. He’s in a strange land, innocently did something that got him in trouble, and is just trying to figure things out as he goes along. Fortunately he’s adaptable and doesn’t get easily ruffled. Sexually, he’s not what others expect him to be, and that frustrates him. Finding someone who accepts his needs and likes him just the way he is makes a huge difference in his life. That’s me in a nutshell. Learning someone could love me just the way I am changed my life.

SHARE THE NAMES OF A FEW AUTHORS WHO INSPIRE YOU.

       The list would go on for days, but right off the top of my head I would say Harper Fox, because she writes books that leave me green with envy and impatient for the next one; JK Rowling, because she handles success with so much grace; and Shira Anthony, who has taught me so much about how to publish and promote in this digital age.

Voice actors

IF YOU WEREN’T A WRITER, WHAT OTHER CAREER WOULD YOU CHOSE?

     Voice actor. I have a decent voice and love giving readings. It’s so much fun to speak differently for each character! I’ve been called on a few times to perform on the radio or in commercials and think acting off a voice script is the most fun in the world. I wish I’d thought of it sooner because from what I hear it pays really well.

 SHARE THE MUSIC/MUSICIANS THAT YOU LIKE AND HOW THEY ADD TO YOUR LIFE OR WRITING?

       Two singer-songwriters top my pop list: Aimee Mann and Matthew Sweet write songs that hit me in the brain and twist the gut. The lyrics are smart and strike deeply personal, emotional chords. Richard Thompson’s tunes inspire stories; I love his deep, masculine voice and some of my characters would totally sing those verses.

        When I write, I often listen to video game music because it doesn’t have lyrics to distract me. It’s great! Bombastic, emotional, triumphant. I especially love Nobuo Uematsu. Give any of his Final Fantasy soundtracks a listen. Scenes in several of my novels are indelibly linked to some of those pieces, especially from FF VI, VII and IX.

  Excerpt From Thick as Thieves

Vorgell and Madd have escaped into an alley. Madd is ready to go out on the street but Vorgell….

Vorgell glanced down his body. He’d lost his trousers and loincloth back in the forest and his nakedness was sure to draw attention. “No,” he said, “I think I’ll stay here.”

Madd stopped walking and snapped around to glare in warning. “The fucking baron is after you, and—”

“I thought he was after you. After all, you escaped.”

“And took you with me.” Madd frowned, his dark gaze traveling down Vorgell’s body and taking in his state of undress. “I guess we’ll have to find you some clothes.”

Vorgell liked that idea. “You could just hand me your cloak.”

“No!” Madd clutched the garment closed at the throat. “We’ll… find you something else.” He sighed. “You don’t get it, do you? We need to disappear. You consumed an entire unicorn horn, and—”

“And I’m horny all the time now. I know.” As if to confirm that point, Vorgell’s cock twitched and plumped at the sight of his companion. Even wrapped in shadows and with a water stain from the puddle on his ass, Madd was bewitching. Vorgell’s blood warmed just to look at him. “But I don’t see what that has to do with—”

“Are you really so gods-addled clueless? A mere sliver of unicorn horn makes a man horny for days. You consumed the entire horn! You filled your gargantuan body with so much fucking unicorn magic you’re now a walking, talking reservoir of enchantment! And you’re not a magician, are you? You’re like a toad sitting on gold coins! You can’t get rid of your pot of gold because you don’t know how to use it!”

Vorgell blinked at the little guy’s rage, struggling to see past the fact that Madd looked unbearably cute when he gestured and paced and sputtered. So cute Vorgell wanted to push him against the moldy wall and silence him with kisses while he pushed his cock against that delectable, lithe body. He fought to keep focus as his cock stiffened to full engorgement.

“I can do magic?”

Madd rolled his eyes. “No. You fucking are magic. Like a unicorn. Your blood, your bones, every living part of you, is filled with the shit.” He sighed. “Why the hell do you think I bit you in the tower, except to get at the magic? Or sucked your cock just now? Which, by the way,” he added, “I don’t plan on doing regularly.”

“But you’re good at it. And, well, I thought—” But then he realized he hadn’t been thinking for some days. It was time to start doing it. “So you are using me?”

Madd looked him in the eye. “Yes. And you’re fortunate in that. Because although I’m not a particularly good magician, I’m much more ethical than the baron or his like. Or any of the Wizards’ Guild. That lot would be bleeding you by now and amputating toes to suck on for a little extra spell power.”

Vorgell considered this. He distrusted magic users. He also knew a thing or two about unscrupulous men and could be one himself when the situation demanded. He hadn’t carried Madd away from their prison out of gratitude, but for purposes of ravishment. The latter still sounded like a good idea.

“So you’re saying the Baron is after me?”

“And me too. I’m high on his list of people he wants dead, especially now. I was busy, and not exactly praying for his good health, my last few days in that cell. For better or worse, we’re both hunted men. We’re in this together, so we might as well make the most of it. Let’s get you something to wear, and—”

Shouts for help broke out from the direction of the archway at the alley’s end, accompanied by screams and the clashing of swords. Vorgell’s nerves leaped. At last! He’d had enough of unicorn horns and talk of magic. A good fight was something he understood.

“Battle!” he cried. He ran toward the melee.

That's all folks. If you'd like to read more of Thick as Thieves you can find it at Amazon  and Dreamspinner Press. . 

  

I loved Thick as Thieves, check out my review.  I will be among the first in line when it's sequel, Thick as Ice, arrives. 

 Thank you for stopping in Tali. 

Readers, Tali Spencer can be found online here:

BLOG: http://talismania-brilliantdisguise.blogspot.com/

FB: Facebook

GR: Goodreads 

TWTR: Twitter

EMAIL: tali.spencer1@gmail.com