Posts Tagged With: Lynn Kelling

Honorary Blogger Lynn Kelling: Writing a Deaf Main Character + Giveaway!

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Writing a Deaf Main Character

by Lynn Kelling

My new release, Hush, isn’t the first book in which I’ve written a deaf character, but it is the first time I’ve done so with the main character—Rune, the main character of Hush, first appeared as a secondary character in my novel Bare. I was so thrilled and energized to tell Rune’s point of view as someone with a different means of communicating, that the story flowed quickly onto the page. He doesn’t speak and is recently, completely deaf. Because of this, he is quite focused on the before and after of when he lost his hearing. He’s learning how to let go of the life he had before the motorcycle accident that caused several injuries, and actively figuring out how to adapt to brand new circumstances. The people in his life are not experts at American Sign Language, to say the least, but technology (and patience) help fill in most of the gaps.

As the writer of this story, having a point of view from a main character who rarely engages in traditional dialogue with quote marks posed some technical challenges. I needed to decide how I was going to convey exchanges in sign language, or in written form via mobile apps or old school notepads. It was crucial to me that dialogue still be recognizable as just that, even without the visual cue of quote marks, so that the narration of the story is distinguishable from the conversations. For the most part, italics are used for this purpose in Hush. In my research, I saw this approach in other novels with deaf characters who sign and don’t speak (such as Joe Hill’s The Fireman), and it seemed to work well. I also describe the way the signs look wherever it adds to the scene or story, though I didn’t want to be too heavy-handed with descriptive passages either.

Aside from the practical hurdles, I really enjoyed getting to tell a good portion of Hush from the point of view of someone who struggles to fit into a world that doesn’t make it easy to do so for people who are differently-abled. Rune doesn’t ask for much of others—just to be recognized as an equally-valid presence and given some respect. He’s seen people let their gaze slide over him, avoiding interactions that might challenge them. He’s well familiar with how things might be awkward in some cases, such as using apps like Grindr to hook up with guys, when there’s a chasm of silence standing in the way once it’s time to meet face-to-face.

But this story isn’t about his hearing loss. It’s about the choice to not live life as a victim, but as someone capable of making positive change in the world. Rune’s not interested in becoming the guy he was before the crash. He wants to be better, stronger, braver, and he wants it all to mean something in the end.

I found there’s a lot of beauty and humanity in the ways Rune communicates. He’s always mentally engaged, putting more effort than most of us do into everything he tells people, just in trying to make himself understood. So, it could be seen that the things he tells others carry more weight. He uses body language more than my characters usually do. He’s an expert at reading a room, and because he’s become used to watching people’s movements closely for signs of them trying to speak or sign to him, not much gets passed him. There’s an added intimacy to his ASL conversations, to the letters he writes, the texts he sends, because most of the time they’re intended only for the eyes of the recipient. He does feel isolated because of his deafness, so any small gesture of simple human kindness that’s extended his way is absolutely treasured.

I learned a lot by living in his world, and found it’s a really beautiful place to be. Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Hush by Lynn Kelling

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Hush
Author: Lynn Kelling
Series: The Manse #4
Heroes: Rune/Oliver/Jackson
Genre: MMM Contemporary BDSM
Length: 398 Pagees
Publisher: Enspire Publishing
Release Date: April 17, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Rune Tooby is a smartass rebel and closeted gay biker with The Born Soldiers motorcycle gang. Rune’s life centered on casual sex and less-than-legal employment, until a pickup truck full of homophobic white supremacists rammed into his bike, destroying his hearing and shattering his life. Learning to live deaf and silent overwhelmed Rune, sending him to humbly beg help from the last people he trusts completely: the rich and powerful Dominants of the Manse, who trained Rune in the arts of BDSM.

Oliver Hughes, cocky day trader and sexual Dominant, lives a life of indulgent luxury. Despite this, he feels adrift and unneeded since his beloved submissive, Jackson Whitney, became absorbed into life as a family man and cardiologist, leaving him little time for his Master. When a meeting between Rune and Oliver is carefully arranged by the leaders of Manse, it starts a wild ride, sweeping up everyone who gets too close to the explosive pair. Rune and Oliver find themselves on a path filled with frustrating miscommunications, rage-filled vengeance, and painfully unearthed secrets.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Arctic Restitution by Lynn Kelling

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Arctic Restitution
Author: Lynn Kelling
Series: Arctic Absolution #3
Heroes: Jaye/Dixon
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 80,000 words
Publisher: Forbidden Fiction Publishing
Release Date: May 23, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  As he approaches his twenty-second birthday, the three-year anniversary of the brutal attack in an alley that nearly cost him his life in a few different ways, Jaye Larson thinks he’s left behind the ghosts from his years spent incarcerated, but when he’s delivered a mysterious letter with terrifying implications, old monsters rear their ugly heads. His normal new life in remote Zus, Alaska, with his lover, Dixon Rowe, the heart of a found-family that supports Jaye in ways he’s never before dreamed possible, is threatened by old deals and ties he begins to fear may never be broken. While old alliances strive to draw Jaye backward, Dixon and the rest of their family are called to step up to keep him steady. When the letter turns out to be just the first clue in a chain leading both Jaye and Dixon back inside the walls of the Federal Corrections Institute of Sheridan, Oregon, all of them are left facing carefully-held secrets and terrible new truths that refuse to be ignored.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Character Interview with Ev and Adam from Bare by Lynn Kelling + Giveaway!

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Interview with Ev and Adam from Bare

Lynn: Evelyn. Adam. Thank you both for speaking with us today. How has all of the recent publicity been affecting you?

Ev: You can just call me Ev.

Adam: Evelyn is fine, Lynn. Trust me. I don’t think the publicity has affected us much, other than giving us reasons to focus on other things, like work.

Lynn: Ev, do you agree with that?

Ev: Yeah, I do. I haven’t really been paying much attention to the press, or even my own email or social media accounts, especially after everything happened. After I said my part, I felt like the fallout wasn’t really about me anyway, but other people’s reactions. Sometimes it’s best to step back and let things play out without interfering. It’s been all about school for me. Granted, it is kind of difficult to ignore the attention when you’re actually appearing on Good Morning America, so there are some odd days.

Lynn: Let’s take this back a little. Pretend our readers today don’t know all of the juicy details of your story, haven’t seen Adam’s gorgeous paintings—they really were breathtaking—

Adam: Thanks Lynn, I try.

Lynn: Pretend they don’t even know your relationship to each other. Describe each other for me, and what you see in the other.

Ev: Oh no…

Adam: (laughs) Should I answer honestly?

Ev: No! Sorry. But no. Please God, no.

Adam: Should I answer as if I were a Senator’s son, filtering my every thought and feeling for mass consumption and dulling all of the rough, hard edges so no one is shocked or offended?

Ev: Yeah, that’d be much better.

Adam: Even though we’ve agreed truth is our friend?

Ev: See, Lynn, he does this thing where he answers questions with other questions, and it leads down some pretty fucked-up rabbit holes. Don’t fall for it. (clears his throat) So, I’ll start then. Adam Buchanan is… well, he’s colorful. I mean that both literally and figuratively. The fire-engine-red hair and the bright blue eyes. The paint splatters that are always covering his clothes and skin. But it’s in his personality too. He pushes people. Challenges them to think and face things they might never have without coaxing. He doesn’t play things safe and he’s not afraid to offend. I mean, he’s got the whole lawyer side to him too, so he does things in a really intelligent way. It’s always totally thought out. Almost disturbingly so. Anyway, it’s one of the things I liked about him right away, because I appreciated how unapologetic those qualities were. He was visually loud, and messy, and crossed lines I’ve always lived between.

Adam: So, I’m colorful? What does that make you?

Ev: Nope, not falling for it.

Adam: Lynn, I think my work describes Evelyn better than my words ever could.

Lynn: Well, then describe your work for us.

Ev: Oh, he can totally do that. He talks about his work constantly.

Adam: And what are you implying when you say that?

Ev: Are you just doing it on purpose now? I can’t tell. But I’ll answer that one to say that I meant you do self-promotion, which is a necessary part of your job, and something you’re rightfully passionate about.

Adam: And I’m not rightfully passionate about you?

Ev: (groans) Lynn, do you see what I’m dealing with here? It’s impossible not to fall for this crap. Should I answer Lynn’s question for you?

Adam: (pauses to look at Ev, then begins to speak) I’m a painter. I’m also an adjunct professor at Lehigh University, which is where Evelyn and I met. Lately, the focus of my work has been in exploring vulnerability in male sexuality in order to expose the ways our society attempts to force men into rigid gender roles that limit our opportunity to safely and comfortably express broader truths.

Ev: It’s a mouthful, isn’t it?

Adam: That’s what he said.

Lynn: And Ev, how do you factor into Adam’s work?

Ev: He paints me.

Adam: Among other things. Evelyn does inspire me in a wide variety of ways.

Lynn: Ev, does Adam inspire you too?

Ev: (smiles, falls quiet, bows his head)

Adam: (rests a hand on Ev’s knee and whispers) It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t need to—

Ev: No, I do. It’s an important question. I just—

Adam: You’ve been through a lot. You don’t have to push yourself.

Ev: (struggles to speak and holds Adam’s hand) You have… no idea… how much Adam inspires me. He’s changed my whole life. And I know how corny that sounds, but to know how clearly he sees me, and everything he’s done in such a short time for someone he didn’t even know? The things that inspire Adam are really important. They are. They matter on a huge scale, but the ways Adam inspires me? That’s everything.

Lynn: I think we can see what you mean—both of you. Thank you for joining us today.

Adam: You’re welcome. (kisses Ev)

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About Bare

32129904Ev Myers was looking for trouble when he signed up to do nude art modeling, but he wasn’t expecting this much trouble. All he’d wanted to do was rebel against the moral limits of his strict religious family and the PR requirements of his father’s senate seat. He saw how much bigger his world could be when Professor Adam Buchanan opened Ev to new passions and new experiences but when Ev’s family learned how far he had gone, they decided to resort to kidnapping and brainwashing to save their son from sin and scandal—even if it kills him.

Available at: Forbidden Fiction, Amazon, All Romance eBooks and Smashwords.

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An Excerpt from Bare

“So does that mean you’ll do it?” Hope lingered in the question. Led by instinct, Ev found his answer.

“I think so. Yeah. I will. But…” How to say it? “What are you going to expect here? I’m guessing it’s not just posing.”

“It can just be posing, if that’s where your comfort level is.”

Thinking of his family and church, when he wished he wasn’t and was focused only on his own preferences instead, Ev fought not to get sidetracked by conditioning. What they thought about Ev posing for this man didn’t matter, or so he tried to tell himself.

“I’m not a prude or anything,” Ev clarified. “I was just… wondering. Like, would touching be involved?” The painting Adam had set out indicated one of his last models had been touched.

“Not without your permission.”

He imagined it without wanting to—being touched like the subject of that painting had been, by another man. It made a shiver race up Ev’s back. Folding his arms tighter, he squirmed.

“Would I need to be…” Ev exhaled, tripping on the next word, feeling mortified for even thinking it.

“Hard?” Adam guessed, maybe by reading into Ev’s body language, his arms wrapped around himself, his fingers rubbing his lips.

“Yeah.”

“You wouldn’t need to be, no. But, total honesty, I would be able to work with it if you were.”

Ev blew out a breath. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-five. You?”

“Almost twenty.”

“Okay. No pressure, Ev. If this doesn’t work for you, you can bail at any time. It’s okay. You won’t hurt my feelings.”

“You’re not gonna, like, put my name on these are you? Or tell people?”

“I’ll totally honor your privacy in whatever ways you request. I swear it. My work hinges on honesty. What happens here only leaves this space through the artwork. I do take reference photos, but I keep those locked up when I’m not using them.”

Ev hesitated, mostly because he really wanted to do it, and the realization scared him. It made him question his ability to make rational decisions. There were so many dangers here; he’d be crazy to stay.

Adam just waited, watching.

“I know what they pay at the school for the models,” Adam said, interrupting Ev’s indecision. “Twenty bucks an hour, right? Double that for your hourly rate when you sit for me, and that’s just to start. If this works out, I’ll increase the amount as we go.”

“Adam, that’s insane. I can’t take that much money from you for this.”

“I insist. I’m a professional, hiring you as a professional model. I’ll be photographing you, as I said, in addition to simply using you as a reference for my paintings. The rate I’m paying is not astronomical.”

“Really? Wow, maybe I should’ve just done this instead of go to school.”

Adam just raised an eyebrow at him, looking profoundly patient and equally as determined. “Well, you are suited for it, in my humble opinion, but an education is invaluable. I say do both.”

There was another pause, filled with tense anticipation.

Ev pulled off his jacket. Folding it over his arm, he said, “Okay.”

The idea of getting forty bucks an hour was ridiculously amazing, but that wasn’t what convinced him. It was the temptation—something he’d successfully resisted his whole life, and he was just plain exhausted by the effort. Maybe it was time to take a calculated risk.

“Okay,” Adam agreed. “If you’d feel more comfortable changing into a robe first…”

Steeling himself, Ev took a deep breath, then pulled his shirt over his head. Bare-chested, feeling his nipples stiffen, he said, “Kind of cold.”

“Right. Sorry,” Adam apologized. He pulled out his phone, tapped at it a few times and said, “There. The heat’ll take a moment to warm things up. I’ve got space heaters too.” Walking away, he emerged only a second later, wheeling a small heater up to a bed. Adam shifted the bed slightly under the lights overhead, then turned on a few professional looking large soft box boom lights, shifting them closer and angled to cast light on the bed. The heater was shifted even closer. The set-up was similar to various television and photography studio sets he’d visited as the Senator’s son—though without the bed and nudity—and the familiarity was comforting.

While Adam fussed with the arrangements, Ev unbuckled his jeans. It took a flare of courage before he was able to push them down, toeing off his sneakers and socks along with the pants. That left him only in snug, black, low-rise boxer briefs, the thin cotton straining to contain him even though he was completely flaccid. Needing warmth more than anything, Ev walked into the path of the space heater, rubbing his hands together, then rubbing his arms. Right away, he felt more comfortable and less tempted to run for cover.

Once Adam had things arranged to his liking, he finally turned around. His gaze swept down Ev’s body, then upward to his face. Ev tried to read into the look, or the thoughts behind it, but couldn’t.

“I’d like to do some sketches, maybe take some photos, just to see what’s working. It’ll probably take a while for me to narrow it down to one pose. Who knows, maybe I’ll start a few pieces at once. Are you sure you don’t want a glass of water or anything before we start?”


“Nah, I’m good. Um,” he reached for his briefs, stopped himself, then went ahead and hooked his thumbs under the waistband. He felt Adam watching as Ev slid the underwear off. By the time he’d stepped out of them, briefs wadded up in his hand, he was breathing harder. His balls drew up, his skin both hot and cold in places. It felt wrong on many levels, in ways it hadn’t in the classroom earlier that day.

But Adam wasn’t reacting in a negative way, or telling him to cover back up; he just kept scrutinizing the view of Ev’s body. “Would you rather lie down or sit to start?”

“Whatever you want.”

“Okay, then come lie down here,” he said, pointing to the bed. Ev shuffled over, fighting the urge to cover himself with his hands. “Are you okay with me using my hands to help position you? Be honest.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Okay. If you change your mind, just tell me.”

Ev sat on the edge of the bed, then lay back.

“Shift up the bed a little more.”

He slid upward. Adam’s hand touched Ev’s knee. “Relax your legs. Let them fall open.” Gentle pressure urged Ev’s legs apart. Ev thought his breathing sounded too loud in the quiet of the room. The light touch of Adam’s fingertips on the inside of Ev’s left knee sent a thrill to Ev’s cock. Inwardly, he groaned with dread, his tension reflecting in his expression.

“Bring your arms up so your hands are on either side of your head. Just relax them.” Adam arranged Ev’s hands, letting the fingers curl, and the back of his hand resting by his face. “Good. Keep your head turned to the side.” The curled fingers were by his eyes. His chest rose and fell, with each breath seeming to come quicker than the last.

Watching from the corner of his eye, he saw Adam draw a sheet over, letting the corner of it cover Ev’s stomach, keeping his chest and genitals exposed.

“Nice,” Adam murmured, his eyes everywhere, all over Ev. Ev got the sense that Adam had gone into his head, concentrating on his ideas and plans instead of judging Ev’s body in any way, which helped Ev stay calm. Adam went back to the supply cabinets along the wall and brought out a large camera with a long lens. He moved close again, bringing the camera up to his eye and adjusting the focus. The soft whir of the machinery was a pleasurable little sound, acting like a tickle over Ev’s cock.

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About Lynn Kelling

Lynn Kelling began writing in order to tell stories that aren’t afraid of the dark, don’t hold anything back and always strive to be memorable, forging lasting attachments between character and reader. Her inspiration comes from taking a closer look at behaviors and ideas lurking at the fringes of life—basically anything that people may hesitate to speak of in mixed company, but everyone wonders about anyway. Her work is driven by the taboo in order to expose the humanity within it. Lynn is an artist, designer and lover of any form of creative self-expression that comes from a place of honesty and emotion, whether it’s body art or opera. She has had multiple novels published, has written over seventy works of erotic fiction of varying lengths, and always has several novels in progress.

Find out more about Lynn on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or email her at lynn@lynnkelling.com.

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As part of this blog tour, Lynn is giving away an eBook copy of Bare! 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 Just Jen’s review of Bare to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Character Interviews, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Bare by Lynn Kelling

Reviewed by JustJen

32129904Title: Bare
Author: Lynn Kelling
Heroes: Ev Myers/Adam Buchanan
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 363 Pages
Publisher: Fantastic Fiction
Release Date: November 15, 2016
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Ev Myers is a former high school football star and Republican State Senator’s son, raised in a strict Southern Baptist household where his only option was to be silent, behave and, no matter how he might be feeling, to put on a happy smile. Desperate to escape the pressure to be the man his family insists he become, Ev has fled Kansas to attend college and is working to find out who he really is beneath the lies and carefully composed public image. But when he applies for a job as a nude model for a life drawing class out of a desire to be seen in a way that shatters all of his family’s taboos, it’s just the first step on a path that leads him away from everything he’s ever known. Handsome and headstrong adjunct arts professor, Adam Buchanan, is the first person to recognize Ev’s potential, and his determination to have Ev realize the importance of truth and stark honesty, as well as the beauty of flawed vulnerability provides the hope Ev needs to escape a world rife with kidnapping, brainwashing and deadly determination cure homosexuality, using whatever means necessary.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cover Reveal: Bare by Lynn Kelling + Exclusive Excerpt & Give Away!

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Bare

by Lynn Kelling

Blurb: Ev Myers is a former high school football star and Republican State Senator’s son, raised in a strict Southern Baptist household where his only option was to be silent, behave and, no matter how he might be feeling, to put on a happy smile. Desperate to escape the pressure to be the man his family insists he become, Ev has fled Kansas to attend college and is working to find out who he really is beneath the lies and carefully composed public image. But when he applies for a job as a nude model for a life drawing class out of a desire to be seen in a way that shatters all of his family’s taboos, it’s just the first step on a path that leads him away from everything he’s ever known. Handsome and headstrong adjunct arts professor, Adam Buchanan, is the first person to recognize Ev’s potential, and his determination to have Ev realize the importance of truth and stark honesty, as well as the beauty of flawed vulnerability provides the hope Ev needs to escape a world rife with kidnapping, brainwashing and deadly determination cure homosexuality, using whatever means necessary.

Bare is scheduled to release November 15, 2016!

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And the moment you’ve been waiting for! Bare cover reveal… Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Cover Reveals, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Only the Lonely by Lynn Kelling

Reviewed by Susan65

29283644Title: Only the Lonely
Author: Lynn Kelling
Series: Twin Ties #0.5
Heroes: Evan Savage
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 55 Pages
Publisher: Fantastic Fiction Publishing
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Evan Savage is a young teen desperately searching for something to hold on to and a way to be noticed. Living in rural Whippoorwill, Pennsylvania, his only family is an absentee father who leaves Evan alone for days at a time while away for work. Friendless and bullied at school, with only a nearby preacher named Jimmy to look out for him; Evan gratefully accepts attention wherever and however he gets it. Sometimes it feels like part of him is missing, and every day the void consumes more of Evan’s ability to fight back against his circumstances. While looking at himself in the mirror within a recurring dream, his reflection keeps reaching out to him with happiness he doesn’t feel, from a world different than his own, though much less tangible. Anonymous sexual encounters with strange men satisfy Evan’s need for company and reassurance that he’s someone worth wanting, as well as test his boundaries. But, faced with the growing temptation to slip away for good, it’s up to Jimmy, and Evan’s dream-world counterpart, to try to keep him there.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2016, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Honorary Blogger Lynn Kelling: Bringing FCI Sheridan to Life + Giveaway!

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Bringing FCI Sheridan to Life

by Lynn Kelling

By far, the toughest part of writing Caged Jaye wasn’t capturing the emotionally charged moments Jaye had to live through, but the place he was forced to live in.

Writing a story almost entirely set in prison is a daunting, challenging task. I haven’t personally been to prison, though I have family members and friends who have. The particular place I needed to capture was beyond the experience of those in my circles.

Jaye is arrested in Anchorage, Alaska. The Alaskan penitentiary system is different compared to the rest of the United States. Many of their inmates are transferred down to the lower 48 because they simply don’t have the facilities in Alaska to hold them all for the full length of their terms, especially if the sentence is a long one.

One of the facilities they do actually transfer these inmates to is called FCI Sheridan. Small disclaimer: my version of FCI Sheridan is not in any way intended to be an accurate depiction of the actual place. I used its name and created its form within Caged Jaye for my own purposes. But first, I did one hell of a lot of research about it.

I combed through the websites of some of these facilities used by the Alaskan penitentiary system in order to understand their procedures, systems, laws, buildings, staff, etc. I downloaded copies of their orientation documents and read them cover to cover, taking all sorts of weird notes about the specific programs offered to the inmates, the hierarchy of the administration and staff, the organization of the facilities, the contents of the cells, what specific inmates are permitted to possess… the list goes on and on. It was wildly fascinating stuff and I highly recommend digging in yourself if you find it to be of any interest.

They get very detailed in the A&O Handbooks, one of which Jaye would have received before his arrival. Cells are to be cleaned daily – baseboards dusted, windows washed, walls cleaned of spills, shoes neatly arranged under the bed with the toes pointing outward, floors swept and mopped. Pictures are not to be attached to the walls. No cardboard is allowed in the cells. There’s a distress button located inside each cell. Television hours are from 6 a.m. until work call. Health care Rights and Responsibilities are specified (e.g.: Right #5 is you have the right to be treated with consideration, dignity and respect. Responsibility #5 is you have the responsibility to treat the staff in the same manner.)

The more I knew about the inter-workings of basic, daily things, the more Jaye’s world came alive. I tried to add in realistic detail wherever I possibly could when it added to the story, but not in a way that was overwhelming or unnecessary for the reader.

Some plot points demanded specific research into certain things. One was the utensils provided to inmates, and the carefully controlled way food trays and utensils are distributed as well as manufactured. I found information and discussions between people who have been incarcerated about a special type of brown plastic that’s used for the utensils, which will not break but only bend, so that it’s not used to create weapons.

I researched the ways contraband tattoo machines are created and the parts procured, as well as ways the supplies have been hidden from guards, and the social effects and benefits of being a tattoo artist in prison. I’m a big fan of prison documentaries, so I was fascinated to get to see some actual contraband tattoo machines built piece by piece from parts acquired through illicit barter systems.

It wasn’t just the prison facility I needed to understand. I looked into the way Jaye would have actually been processed at the Anchorage Correctional Complex and the way he would have been transferred down to Oregon.

To help me better understand the human factor of what Jaye was facing during his time served, I read the Fish: A Memoir of a Boy in a Man’s Prison by T.J. Parsell, which is about a seventeen-year-old gay kid who is sentenced to four and a half to fifteen years in prison after attempting to rob a Photomat with a toy gun. The level of T.J.’s terror, the heartlessness of the way he was treated by the people who were supposed to be taking care of him, the danger of every moment when he was locked away with other inmates who only saw his weakness with the ravenous lust of the hopeless and cruel – it all informed my knowledge of what Jaye went through as well. Being incarcerated, especially at such a young age, is a fundamentally transformative experience. Those who come out of prison are not the same people who went in. Their ingrained survival and mistrust of everyone around them, the importance of trade, value and respect, the inability to take care of themselves in practical ways all adds up.

Some moments in our lives are more vivid than others. They stay fresh, sharp and huge in our minds, long after they’ve occurred. To do Jaye justice, and everyone like him, I knew I needed to shape all of those layers so the reader walked away with a good sense of the endurance and strength of character required just to survive with some degree of sanity and physical health in tact. Those of us who are fortunate enough to avoid doing time ourselves still owe the rest of our fellow humans at least a basic understanding of what we’re putting them through by locking them up together for large spans of their lives. I hope that by reading Caged Jaye, you’re left with a greater appreciation for the suffering of these men and women, and a desire to see their circumstances improved. They’ve more than earned it.

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About Caged Jaye

51Yeh6sGLdL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_It’s Jaye Larson’s nineteenth birthday, and all he wants is to spend time with his boyfriend, Kris, and his mother — the people he loves most, who make life worth living. But faced with his mother’s demons, the imperfections of his relationship with Kris, and dangerous, homophobic strangers, one by one, all of Jaye’s dreams are soon derailed. Plunging into a waking nightmare, shortly after going to bed alone, Jaye wakes in an alley, pinned down by two men with slow, bloody rape and murder in mind. It’s just the start of Jaye’s fight for his life, and his sanity, as time and time again, he’s forced to make impossible choices to survive, no matter what it costs.

Available at: Forbidden Fiction & Amazonblogger_bee_trans

About Lynn Kelling

Lynn Kelling began writing in order to tell stories that aren’t afraid of the dark, don’t hold anything back and always strive to be memorable, forging lasting attachments between character and reader. Her inspiration comes from taking a closer look at behaviors and ideas lurking at the fringes of life—basically anything that people may hesitate to speak of in mixed company, but everyone wonders about anyway. Her work is driven by the taboo in order to expose the humanity within it. Lynn is an artist, designer and lover of any form of creative self-expression that comes from a place of honesty and emotion, whether it’s body art or opera. She has had multiple novels published, has written over seventy works of erotic fiction of varying lengths, and always has several novels in progress.

Find out more about Lynn on her WebsiteFacebookTwitterPinterest or email her at lynn@lynnkelling.com.

Blog_Tour_Giveaway

As part of this blog tour, Lynn is giving away an ebook copy of Caged Jaye 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 JustJen’s review of Caged Jaye to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , | 4 Comments

Book Review: Caged Jaye by Lynn Kelling

Reviewed by JustJen

29074839Title: Caged Jaye
Author: Lynn Kelling
Series: Arctic Absolution
Heroes: Jaye Larson
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 188 Pages
Publisher: Fantastic Fiction
Release Date: April 12, 2016
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  It’s Jaye Larson’s nineteenth birthday, and all he wants is to spend time with his boyfriend and his mother—the people he loves most and who make life worth living. But, faced by his mother’s demons, the imperfections of his relationship with boyfriend, Kris, and dangerous, homophobic strangers, one by one, all of Jaye’s dreams are soon derailed. Plunging into a waking nightmare, shortly after going to bed alone, he wakes in an alley, pinned down by two men with slow, bloody rape and murder in mind. It’s just the start of Jaye’s fight for his life, and his sanity, as time and time again, he’s forced to make impossible choices and survive, no matter what it costs.
Continue reading

Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Honorary Blogger Lynn Kelling: Inspiration for Loving the Master + Giveaway!

Honorary_Blogger_Post

Inspiration for Loving the Master

by Lynn Kelling

Loving the Master is the story of David and Shea—a wealthy, powerful Dominant and a clumsy, geeky, near-homeless teenage waiter—how they met and what happened after they did. These two first came to life in the novel, Bound by Lies. They were secondary characters adding seductive mystery to the life of Jenner Parrish, a former high school football star turned bar owner, who also happens to be a deeply closeted Dominant using a web of lies to maintain absolute privacy. David was the rich, charismatic older man who trained Jenner in the art of BDSM and domination. Shea was David’s fiercely protected collared submissive and long-time partner. In Bound by Lies, we briefly met David, but not Shea. We knew, however, that David and Shea had both enjoyed intimate closeness with Jenner during his training, and that Manse, David’s privately owned and operated gay club and BDSM playground, was a world Jenner couldn’t help but go back to explore over and over again.

Writing Bound by Lies left me wanting to know more about David and Shea. With David’s money, power and status, what kind of man would he choose to devote himself? Who would capture David’s heart so desperately that he’d do anything to keep this mystifying submissive safe, living for years as the most cherished and secreted-away part of David’s vast world?

Next, I wrote the novella, Learning from the Master, prequel to Bound by Lies and sequel to my new release, Loving the Master. There we finally got a look at David and Shea’s dynamic, as well as how Jenner was chosen as David’s protégé, yet it didn’t tell their story as completely as I knew it needed to be told.

Loving the Master is a tale of opposites – a young, headstrong CEO with the world at his fingertips faced with an awkward comic book geek with a heart of gold. As much as Shea loves his superheroes, it was the fairy tale Cinderella that most directly inspired this story. That was just the starting point, though. Whether he likes it or not, David has been cast in the role of Prince Charming, with everything that entails to live up to. He has an image to uphold and an empire to run, when all he really wants is someone waiting for him at the end of his very long days without any hidden motives, wondering how he’s doing and ready to hold his hand without any mind paid to David’s titles or legacy. He’s searching for someone who will appreciate him as a person, first and foremost. Shea, on the other hand, is an unlikely Cinderella. He’s not after money or fame. He’s not particularly good at anything or a spectacular physical specimen. All he wants is for his long streak of bad luck to run out so he can finally get his feet firmly planted under him. There is no magical transformation that will smooth out all of Shea’s flaws. There’s only the pair of these two young men in vastly different extraordinary circumstances, seeking quite sincerely to find some very basic things in order to attain a shockingly normal kind of happiness.

I wrote this story while working on a few others with particularly dark themes, and while dealing with some traumatic events in my personal life. David and Shea helped me find a happy escape from all of that. They made me laugh and fall in love. In a strange, unforeseen and heartbreaking turn of fate, between writing this book and editing it, I lost my youngest brother. However, David and Shea had both already endured the loss of a sibling. As I read back through the story, I found them giving me advice on how to cope and showing me how to pick myself up to keep going. It was a little bit of magic for which I’ll always be grateful. These two guys are near and dear to my heart. I hope my readers enjoy them as much as I have.

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About Loving the Master

27294701Billionaire Dominant David Davenport needs a break from the loveless isolation imposed by wealth, responsibility, and the stress of running the Manse, his private gay club. While at lunch with an old friend, David finds himself enchanted by the charming and submissive nature of Shea Whittier, their young waiter. David offers to help the young man out with his personal troubles, never suspecting the danger he’s putting them both in.

Available at: Forbidden Fiction & Amazon

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About Lynn Kelling

Lynn Kelling began writing in order to tell stories that aren’t afraid of the dark, don’t hold anything back and always strive to be memorable, forging lasting attachments between character and reader. Her inspiration comes from taking a closer look at behaviors and ideas lurking at the fringes of life—basically anything that people may hesitate to speak of in mixed company, but everyone wonders about anyway. Her work is driven by the taboo in order to expose the humanity within it. Lynn is an artist, designer and lover of any form of creative self-expression that comes from a place of honesty and emotion, whether it’s body art or opera. She has had multiple novels published, has written over seventy works of erotic fiction of varying lengths, and always has several novels in progress.

Find out more about Lynn on her WebsiteFacebookTwitterGoodreads or email her at lynn@lynnkelling.com

 

Blog_Tour_Giveaway

As part of this blog tour, Lynn is giving away 1 set of paperbacks of both Bound by Lies & Loving the Master!! To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

She’s also giving away 1 paperback copy of Loving the Master on Goodreads! To enter, just click the link below!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Loving the Master by Lynn Kelling

Loving the Master

by Lynn Kelling

Giveaway ends February 23, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

 

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 JustJen’s review of Loving the Master to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , | Leave a comment