The Evolution of Romy

by A.M. Arthur

Thank you so much to the Blogger Girls for having me on their blog to promote my October releases Foundation of Trust (Cost of Repairs #5) and Stand By You (Belonging #3). I’m so excited about these books, and particularly about the evolution of Romy Myers, one of the heroes of Stand By You.

Romy made his first appearance earlier this year in the first Belonging book, No Such Thing. At first, he was simply the guy that flirted and danced with that book’s heroes. And then he stuck around and went home with Ezra. I didn’t expect much out of the character, whose name wasn’t even Romy at the time (I honestly don’t remember what it was originally). And then he was gone and Ezra told his friends that Romy had scampered off early to a retail job.

Somehow I knew that was a lie. And I knew at some point he’d get his own novel, but I knew that Ezra had a bigger mouth and he was going to come first. So it didn’t surprise me when Romy reappeared in the second Belonging book, Maybe This Time. Except this Romy was different. He’d gotten himself in a bad spot, and he didn’t know how to get free. We see Romy once in the first half of the book, and then he disappears until the final few chapters. And once I realized why Romy needed help, I had to stop everything and write his back story. I had to know how this spirited young man had allowed his life to reach a very literal breaking point.

And it was during those final few chapters that I knew who Romy’s hero was going to be. I didn’t see it coming until Brendan picked up a baseball bat and went to help out a stranger, just because his best friend asked him to. Brendan was the kind of strong, gentle soul that Romy needed. The problem with Brendan, as is explored in more depth is Stand By You, is that he’s straight. Or at least, everyone thinks he is…

Once Brendan’s confusion over his sexuality was set, and Romy began to see Brendan as a stable, loving force in his life, the story (forgive me for the cliché) practically wrote itself. These two had a story to tell, and it was an absolute pleasure telling it. Brendan needed to take control of his life and be honest with the people he loved. Romy needed to find a safe place to heal, so he could allow himself to trust again. This book is so special to me, and I truly hope readers fall in love with Romy and Brendan like I did.

About Stand by You

Three months after his rescue from an abusive boyfriend, twenty-two-year-old Romy Myers has landed his first legitimate job—bussing tables at his friend’s new coffee shop. The job has brought him some stability after years of abuse have left him feeling damaged and broken. He’s working hard on his panic and social anxiety, and those things are often tempered by the big, burly presence of Brendan Walker.

From the moment ex-football player Brendan helped rescue Romy from his ex’s abuse, he’s wanted to protect him. And he does, from a distance, with joking text messages, a new gym routine to toughen him up and a genuine friendship. So far it’s been easy—but Brendan’s feelings aren’t just friendly anymore…
When an argument spirals out of control, a hot and heavy make-out session causes Romy’s friendship with supposedly straight Brendan to reach a new level. The last thing Romy wants is to fall for another guy who could potentially shatter him, but Brendan also wakes up a part of him he thought had been destroyed by violence—his heart.

Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About Foundation of Trust

David Weller thought he had it all—a loving partner who gave him a ring, a steady job he didn’t hate, and so much hope for the future. But in the wake of a devastating diagnosis, everything he thought was solid and real lay in pieces at his feet.

Four years later, he’s still sifting through the rubble of his life. His catering partnership occupies his days, while his nights are filled with dangerous sexual hookups and very bad decisions. Then the last person he ever expected to see again walks back into his life.

Owen Hart’s single biggest regret is the way he was forced to leave David behind—no explanations, no chance to make it right. Until now. Finally free of eight years of lies, Owen’s back for the only man he’s ever loved.

An incendiary encounter in a club proves that time hasn’t weakened their physical connection, but David’s wounds run deeper than Owen’s deception. And if David can’t first forgive, Owen doesn’t have a second chance in hell.

Warning: This book contains an Australian transplant with a head full of secrets, a party planner with enough baggage to sink a battleship, and a surly teenager who just wants them both to get over themselves.

Available at: Samhain, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About Author

A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone’s throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland.  She’s been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop.  She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn’t been coined yet back then) and “The Young Riders” with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories.

When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder.  She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

Contact her at am_arthur@yahoo.com with your cooking tips (or book comments). You can also find her online, as well as on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. A.M. Arthur’s work is available from Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, Dreamspinner Press, and Musa Publishing.

As part of this blog tour, A.M. is giving away a PDF copy of Foundation of Trust to one lucky winner!! To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Don’t forget to check out Nikyta’s review of Stand by You to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!