Desktop Post: Snowblind

Mar 1, 2017 is the release day for "Snowblind". This is a contemporary m/m romance suspense story published under the Dreamspun Desires line by Dreamspinner Press.

Here's the blurb:

Snow, steam, and secrets.

The latest snowstorm carries something unexpected to the doorstep of Hutch’s secluded Alaskan cabin: a stranger named Jude, the most beautiful man Hutch has ever seen. Jude says he’s in the area for a ski trip and that he fled a domineering lover, thinking he could make it into town. But Hutch is a suspicious SOB and treats his unwanted guest warily. The problem is Jude isn’t just gorgeous, he’s funny and smart and flirtatious.

Two gay men snowed in for three days—things happen. Really good things. By the time the storm clears, Hutch finds himself a little too attached to Jude Devereaux, San Francisco-based male model. But is Jude what he claims to be? Or is he entangled in the secrets Hutch moved to Alaska to escape?

<Note: To avoid spoilers, the blurb doesn't go very deeply into the plot.>

DESKTOP POST

This is a very plot-intense romantic suspense story with two hot alpha males. I don't want to give any of the plot away, so I'm going to stay very vague with my descriptions. This will probably make the most sense to those who have already read the book.

Here are some visuals to go along with the story that I researched or used for inspiration while writing. These are Googled images and they don't belong to me, nor are they published in the book.

HUTCH

Hutch is an ex special forces guy living in a remote Alaskan ski town. He's a big guy, very tough, sort of like the larger man in this photo below. I didn't really have a specific face in mine when I wrote him, though I can see him in my head. He's a bit beaten up, like an older boxer.

JUDE

Jude was inspired by Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders. Peaky Blinders is a BBC drama about a family of gangsters in Birmingham (UK) in the early 1900's. Cillian Murphy plays the head of the family. It's a terrific show if you haven't watched it.

ALASKAN CABIN

The first third or so of the novel is set in a cabin in Alaska during a snowstorm. The photos below show cabins in about the right size with steep roofs, like in the story. (Yes, the roof is important. You'll see.)

Hutch's Alaskan cabin is in an area with spectacular aurora borealis.

Weapons

I'm not much of a gun person (or at all), but for this story I had to research lots of weapons, because Hutch definitely is a gun person. Here are some goodies from his arsenal.

Flash bangs

Hand gun and clip

Mini grenade launcher

M41 rocket launcher (used in the story when Hutch wants to make a big impression)

Hutch's "Whites" -- military uniform to blend into snowy landscapes

Spanish Villa

Later in the story, there's a Spanish-style villa on the coast in Brazil. It's of new construction and fairly ostentatious. Some visual inspiration I used:

Epilogue

Here's a quiet beach in Cuba that helped inspire the epilogue.

That's it for this desktop. I hope you enjoy the twisty-turny plot and suspense in Snowblind as well as the very hot Hutch and Jude!

Here's a link to the Amazon Page.

Eli

Desktop Post: Falling Down

Nov 9, 2016 is the release day for "Falling Down". This is a contemporary m/m romance set in New Hampshire in the fall. As is my tradition, this is my release day "Desktop" post, where I share images that inspired the story.

Here's the blurb:

Josh finds himself homeless at eighteen, but he has a plan. He’ll head north on the bus to New England and spend October there for his mother’s sake. She always talked about going to see the fall leaves someday. And when the leaves are done and the harsh winter comes, Josh plans to find a place to curl up and let go. It will be a relief to finally stop fighting.

Mark spent his life trying to live up to the tough swagger of his older brothers until he pushed himself so far against his nature that he cracked. Now a former Marine, he rents a little cabin in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he can lick his wounds and figure out what to do with the rest of his life. One thing was clear: Mark was nobody’s hero.

Fate intervenes when Josh sets up camp under a covered bridge near Mark’s cabin. Mark recognizes the dead look in the young stranger’s eyes, and he feels compelled to do something about it. When Mark offers Josh a job, he never expects that he’ll be the one to fall.

The snow is coming soon. Can Mark convince Josh that the two of them can build a life together before the flurries begin?

Desktop Images:

Josh Rivers

Josh, 18, is from Alabama. He's been living on the streets for three months, having left home after his mother died. Josh was extremely close to his mom, who was a single mother for most of Josh's life. Her sudden death left Josh emotionally traumatized and without any financial or emotional support. Not seeing an easy way off the streets, or any point in trying, Josh is planning to take his own life at the begining of the book. But then he meets Mark.  Josh's exterior was inspired by Adam Driver. He's very thin but has a large frame and big features.

Mark Sullivan

Mark, 24, is New Hampshire born and bred. The youngest of five boys, Mark grew up trying to emulate his macho older brothers and father and in denial about being gay. He went into the Marines to prove himself, but instead learns he can't stand combat and loathes everything about war. After being discharged , he questions his own courage and everything about himself. He's still in the closet to his family.

When I was looking for visual inspiration for Mark, the closest I found is Jeremy Renner.

Bigler's Pond

Most of the story is set at Bigler's Pond in a fictional town in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. This photo was the inspiration for Bigler's pond, with its covered bridge and surrounding gold leaves in the fall.

The White Mountains

Josh decides to travel to New England to see the fall leaves since it was one of his mother's long-cherished dreams. He ends up in Gainsville, New Hampshire in the White Mountains. This is a fictional town but  the area is based on Jackson, New Hampshire, pictured below.

I'm not even sure where the photo below was taken, but it still inspired me! I immersed myself in fall vibes to write this book.

Mrs. Fisher's house

Mark hires Josh to help him paint a huge old Victorian house with tons of gingerbread trim, like the house below.

Gregory Crewdson and Richard Tuschman

Josh has ambitions to be an artist (though he doesn't always admit it, even to himself). At one point in the book he thinks about a series of paintings that would have a similar feel to photos by these two photographers (whom I love).

The hike at Mount Chocorua

Mark takes Josh on a local hike.  This is a real hike/location and I wish I was there!

The rescue

I had some help with my rescue/medical scenes from Claire, who is an EMT in New Hampshire. Below is a photo I found online of an emergency tent of the sort the police in the area might carry.

Also, this extremely well-written article for Outside magazine gave me a lot of help researching hypothermia.

That's it for this desktop. Although "Falling Down" is one of the more angsty tales I've written, I tried to give it a melancholy sweetness. And of course there's an HEA!

This book will be on kindle unlimited for 90 days, then on all platforms.

Eli

Desktop: "A Second Harvest"

July 1 2016 is the release day for "A Second Harvest". This is a new contemporary romance featuring a May-Dec couple. It's set in Lancaster County, PA, where I live, and is the first in a new series called "Men of Lancaster County". This is a stand-alone story and doesn't have a cliffhanger ending. Future books in the series will feature different couples and unconnected story lines.

Here's the blurb:

David Fisher has lived by the rules all his life. Born to a Mennonite family, he obeyed his father and took over the family farm. He married, had two children, and goes to church every Sunday. Now with his kids both in college and his wife deceased, he runs his farm alone and without joy, counting off the days of a life half-lived.

Christie Landon, graphic designer, Manhattanite, and fierce gay party boy, needs a change. Now that he’s thirty years old, he figures it’s time to grow up and think about his future. When his best friend overdoses, Christie resolves to take a break from the city and get his life back in order. His aunt left him a small house in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and he heads there to rest, recoup, and reflect.

But life in the country is boring, despite glimpses of the hunky silver fox next door. When Christie’s exuberant creativity latches on to cooking, and he started gourmet-ing up a storm, he decides to approach his widower neighbor with a plan to share meals and grocery expenses. David agrees, and soon the odd-couple find they enjoy spending time together. A lot.

Christie challenges all the boundaries of David's closed world and brings out feelings he’d buried long ago. Can he find the courage to break free of the past and take a second chance at happiness?

Desktop Images:

As is my habit on release day, I'm posting images that inspired me while I was working on this story, or images that just remind me of the story. Here we go.

David Fisher

David, 41, is a Mennonite farmer. He feels much older than he actually is, having been widowed and having two grown kids in college. He lives alone on his Pennsylvania farm and has no idea what to do with the rest of his life. Below is a stock image I found that reminded me of David.

Christie Landon

Christie, 30, is a sophisticated New Yorker and a graphic artist who works for an advertising agency. He's a rather infamous gay party boy in the Manhattan club scene until he relocates to the country temporarily to settle his late aunt's estate--and moves in next to shy, serious David. Christie is fierce, stubborn, and knows his own mind. He's also has a kind heart and is a generous and loyal friend.

The visual I had in mind for Christie is based on Max Carter, a star with Cocky Boys. Max is amazing! Look him up.

David's Farm

Well, once again, I have written our own 20 acre farm into a story. :-) Here it is with snow, like in one of the scenes in the book.

You can see more pictures of our farm in this guest post I wrote for my Amish murder mystery. David's farm is based entirely on our farm, though he has a lot more acreage of fields.

The birth of the calf

I wrote a guest post about this event with photos of me attending at our calf's birth IRL. I'll post the link here when the article goes live.

Bora Bora

David was born and raised on the Pennsylvania farm where he still lives. Being a farmer it was hard to ever get away from home to travel. So he feeds his closeted adventurer with a collection of National Geographic magazines. His favorite place in the world is Bora Bora. And eventually this makes for a rather special evening. Here are some photos from that (fictional) article on Bora Bora in David's magazine.

The Maori Exhibit

During the story, Christie takes David on a surprise trip to Philadelphia to view a travelling exhibit on the Maori of New Zealand. This was based on an actual travelling exhibit. Some pictures below.

Philadephia Art Museum

Here are some photos of the gazebo at the Philly art museum they visit, and the exterior of the grounds.

The Duplex in Brooklyn

The end of the book features a duplex in Brooklyn. Here are some reference shots I found online for the duplex.

That's it for this desktop. "A Second Harvest" is one that came from the heart. It's about finding a second chance for happiness in life. I hope you enjoy it! You can read an excerpt and find purchase links on my page for A Second Harvest.

Eli

Desktop: Midwinter Night's Dream

Nov 25, 2015 is release day for my Christmas novella "Midwinter Night's Dream". Here's my desktop of images that inspired me. MICAH SPRINGFIELD

First, of course, is Micah Springfield, one of the MCs in the story. Micah is Hank's brother from "Unwrapping Hank". He's a laid-back, hippy kind of guy with dreads. The images that inspired me for Micah are pictures of SAMUEL LARSON from Glee. (yes, before he cut his hair)

'

LEO DAYSON

Micah's love interest in "Midwinter Night's Dream" is Leo Dayson, a senior theater major, gay activist, and general OCD hard ass. For visuals, I found the picture below of a young Chris Hemsworth. The young part is key, because in the photo below, he's not the hugely muscled Thor version, but a thinner, more sensitive looking guy (but still intense).

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM:

As might be apparent from the title, the plot of the story is inspired by the Shakespeare play, Midsummer Night's Dream.  Leo is producing a version of Midsummer Night's Dream (the play) and he's going to be holding it in the Springfield family's barn.

The story also mirrors the play a bit, with Micah crushing on Leo, a girl named Yasmine crushing on Micah, and Leo's bff, Helen, crushing on Yasmine.

(above: From the 1999 film version of "Midsummer Night's Dream")

Sloane and Grinch make up our story's "Puck".

And a lot of the action is set, once again, on the Springfield family farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It's a snowy Christmas in the story.

I hope you enjoy this holiday romance. Merry Christmas!

Eli

Desktop: "The Black Dog" (in claw anthology)

It's my tradition to do a desktop post when I have a new story release, showing images that inspired my story. "The Black Dog" is in "claw", the 3rd gothika. It's a gothic m/m anthology with three novellas by myself, Jamie Fessenden, and Kim Fielding. The theme of the claw anthology is beast shifters. Jamie and Kim's stories feature werewolf shifters and mine, a massive black hound.

INSPIRATION:

I love gothic stories and horror movies. Both of my previous gothika stories were influenced by some of my favorite books or movies. ("Wuthering Heights" and "Frankenstein" for stitch's "Reparation" and "I Walked with a Zombie" and "Wide Sargasso Sea" for bone's "The Bird").

The inspiration for "The Black Dog" comes from "Hound of the Baskervilles" by Sir Conan Doyle.

I love this Sherlock Holmes story, the mood and atmosphere of it. Though I have to admit always been a little disappointed that the 'solution' to the mystery ends up not being paranormal at all.  In "The Black Dog", that's not the case. SAY NO MORE.

Initially, I was going to do a modern take on "Hound of the Baskervilles", sticking true to the original plotline. But as I began working on it, I wasn't satisfied with that and I decided I needed to pull in some other influences and go my own way.

LOCH NESS MONSTER

I liked the idea of having a legendary creature in my story, and a small town where monster-hunters might go to try to track down this legend. I'm a fan of TV shows where people are trying to track down Big Foot and other fabled beasts.  "The Black Dog" is set in Scotland and the legend of the Black Dog (which is fictional) is the only thing bringing in dribs and drabs of tourists to the tiny Northern Scotland hamlet where my story is set. The Black Dog is like a poor cousin to the Loch Ness Monster.

SCOTLAND AND HAMISH MACBETH

Gothic stories are defined by their setting. It's critical to have someplace that feels mysterious, spooky, and isolated, where the normal safeguards and rules don't apply.

I decided to set "The Black Dog" in an isolated region on the northern coast of Scotland. Why? Well, first I felt the story had to be on the British Isles because the original inspiration, "Hound of the Baskervilles" is a very British story. But I wanted someplace that would still be very remote in the current day.

I decided on Scotland, primarily due to my love of the TV series "Hamish MacBeth". Hamish is a constable in a small town in Scotland and I loved the rural, isolated feeling of the show. What a great place for a spooky tale! The show was also the inspiration for my main character, Hayden, who is a constable in the small Scottish town of Laide.

More pics of my setting:

HAYDEN MacLAIRTY

Hayden, my main MC, is a huge "almost ginger" Scotsman, a police constable, patient and steady. Simon calls him "Mount MacLairty". Yes, he's big. He's the seventh son of a seventh son, and he loves living in the tiny hamlet of Laide and wouldn't have it any other way, despite the fact that all his older siblings have moved to big cities and the modern world.

I don't really have a picture that does Hayden justice, but not to leave you hanging, here's a lovely Scotsman for you...

SIMON CORTO

My other MC is a writer from New York. Simon is intelligent, sophisticated, he loves to travel, doesn't mind roughing it, and has made a career writing fictional stories around real monster legends. I picture him looking like a younger Neil Gaiman.

And last, but not least, some inspirational beast pics I grabbed off the web while writing:

That's it for this desktop. I hope you will give "The Black Dog" a read!

You can read an except and find ORDER LINKS here.

Eli

Desktop: "Unwrapping Hank"

My 2014 Christmas novella, "Unwrapping Hank" released today!  Here's my traditional desktop post in which I share images that inspired me while I was writing the story. THESE IMAGES ARE TAKEN OFF GOOGLE and do not belong to me. They do not appear in the book itself but only in this post. If anyone has an issue with one of these being in this post, please email me at eli@elieaston.com and I'll be happy to remove it.

SLOAN:

I Googled a lot to find this guy. He has the sort of smart ass, intelligent, slightly Euro look. Sloan!

HANK & MICAH:

My husband just told me today there's a new thing called a "lumbersexual" -- a guy who has a beard and wears flannel and likes to build things. That's Hank all right (well, maybe not the building things). His brother Micah is slightly more on the hippy side. Here are a few images I found that remind me of Hank and Micah.

PSU (Penn State Uni in State College, PA)

Here are some mood-setting location shots.

DEAD SANTA PARTY:

I mocked this up and then decided not to include it in the book.

LILITH AND KARMA:

The parents of Hank and Micah are lovely hippy, homesteading peeps.  Here are a few images I found for inspiration.

THE TURKEY:

I was too soft-hearted to write the turkey-killing ceremony. I'm sorry.

AMISH COUNTRY CHRISTMAS:

Actually,  the Springfield's farm turned out to be very autobiographical. It's based on our real farm in Lancaster County, PA. We do have 3 cows (named Trueheart, Tinkerbell, and Bessy) and chickens. Our barn similar to the one in the book.

GRINCH:

Our bulldog, Lucy, walking out by the cornfields along the lane by our house. Lucy was the cover model for Wrapping Hank.

TALLY HO tavern in Lancaster

Is a real place.

'

That's it for this desktop!  The story is live today!

Here's the Amazon link.  (kindle edition)

Here's the link for ARE (epub, pdf, kindle editions)

Eli

Desktop: "The Bird" (in "bones", gothika #2 anthology)

Today is the release day for "bones", the second volume of the gothika series -- m/m romance with a gothic twist. This volume is all about Voodoo. There are 4 novellas by Kim Fielding, Jamie Fessenden, BG Thomas, and myself.  You can get it at 25% off for a short time on Dreamspinner.

My story is called "The Bird" and here's the blurb:

“The Bird” by Eli Easton Colin Hastings is sent to Jamaica in 1870 to save his father’s sugar cane plantation. If he succeeds, he can marry his fiancée back in London and take his place in proper English society. But Colin finds more than he bargained for on the island. His curiosity about Obeah, the native folk magic, leads him to agree to a dangerous ritual where he is offered his heart’s most secret desire—one he’s kept deeply buried all his life. What happens when a proper English gentleman has his true sensual nature revealed and freed by the Obeah spirits?

COLIN

First off, the story is set in the West Indies during the end of British rule.  I've always been interested in old horror movies set in the tropics like "Island of Dr. Moreau", "I Walked with a Zombie", "White Zombie", etc.  So the horror side of this story was definitely influenced by those films.  On the romantic side, this story definitely owes a nod to "Wide Sargasso Sea", both the book and film, which has a visceral sense of sweaty, muggy senuality. I love the film version starring Nathaniel Parker, so he is the model for my lead character, Colin.

SUGAR CANE PLANTATION

The story is set on a sugar cane plantation in Jamaica owned by a British Earl.  His third son, Colin, is sent to set the plantation to rights after being mismanaged for years by a lazy overseer.  I found some great resources online for the workings of a colonial-era sugar cane plantation.

TIYAH

One of the women who works on Colin's family plantation is Tiyah, rumored to be a powerful Obeah woman. Below is a stock image I found that reminded me of Tiyah. She's very beautiful. Colin ends up doing Tiyah a significant favor. And in return, Tiyah offers to give Colin "his heart's desire" through Erzulie, an Obeah loa. Colin is curious and he agrees, but he has no idea what is about to happen.

THE BIRD

A bird features heavily in this story, as a metaphor and a magical conduit. The bird looks like the one below, which is a black-crowned night heron.

MAJOR JOHN PIVOT

John Pivot is a neighbor of Colin's in Jamaica, an Englishman who lost his wits in war and has been exiled to Jamaica by his family to be hidden away. John's fate is more linked to Colin's than Colin realizes.

RICHARD

Colin's best friend since his school days and perhaps more.

MORE MOOD SETTING JAMAICA PICTURES

That's it for this desktop!  I hope you enjoy reading "The Bird".  Please leave a comment for me at goodreads or amazon if you do.

Cheers!

Eli

Desktop: The Mating of Michael

"The Mating of Michael" launches today, Jun 30th, 2014!  That makes me exceedingly happy.  "Michael" is the first full-length novel I've written in m/m romance (it has 73K words).  So if you've been looking for a 'longer' Eli Easton story, this is it.  It's the 3rd in my "Sex in Seattle" series but features a brand new couple and can be read as a stand-alone.

Link to buy "The Mating of Michael" at the Dreamspinner site.

It's my tradition to do a 'desktop' post showing images I used for info and inspiration while writing a book, so here are my images for "The Mating of Michael".

MICHAEL LAMONT:

Of course, first and foremost is Michael himself. He's a gay sex surrogate who works with the Expanded Horizons sex clinic in Seattle.  Michael is fairly small and beautiful. He has a flirtatious nature and a gentle soul.  The inspiration for his 'exterior shell' came from Isaiah Garnica, an LA based model.  Here are a few of my favorite shots:

JAMES GALLWAY (aka J.C. Guise)

Michael's love interest is a reclusive science fiction writer who is in a wheelchair thanks to a childhood bout of polio.  I describe him as having a large and rangy, almost 'Lincoln-esque' face and body. Below is a reference shot I liked, though my James's legs are withered by the polio.

 

EXPANDED HORIZONS SEX CLINIC (Where Michael works part-time)

It's located on Capitol Hill in Seattle (my old stomping ground). It's fictitious, but I picture the building like this:

ELLIOT BAY BOOK STORE (Capitol Hill, Seattle)

Michael meets James here when he's doing a book signing

LEM (one of Michael's patients)

Lem is a sweet man, an older accountant with terrible shyness issues.  Here's my photo reference for Lem:

 MARNIE:

Marnie is a regular (non surrogacy) patient of Michael's in his work for an in-home nursing company.  She's a total hoot!  I searched for the most outrageous old lady shots I could find -- imagine this times 10!

MOUNT RAINIER PICNIC

Michael decides to act as 'muse' to James, and he takes him to several beauty spots near Seattle.  They have a picnic here:

STEAMBOAT ROCK AND COULEE DAM (Central Washington)

Two more places Michael takes James

MEDGAR EVERS POOL

James and Michael have their second meeting at this pool in Seattle, which has a lift for disabled swimmers

That's it for this story. I'm looking forward to seeing your reviews and comments on "The Mating of Michael"!

Eli

Desktop: Heaven Can't Wait

 

"Heaven Can't Wait" is a 17K word m/m romance novella that is being published as part of Dreamspinner's Daily Dose for 2014.  It's also available as a stand-alone novella here.

You can read an excerpt on my site on this page.

Here's the blurb:

When Brian Matheson dies at nineteen, his soul is in limbo. He has one chance to redeem himself before he’s thrown into a nasty pit. All Brian has to do is save the life of Kevin Anderson, a boy he and his friends tormented for being gay. 

Kevin thought he’d finally escaped bullying. But his college roommate, Chuck, and his homophobic pals, prove him wrong. Now he can only wait for another room to open up—and try to keep his eyes off sexy, uber-straight Chuck. 

Chuck is struggling to keep up the tough-guy façade everyone expects, but being trapped in a dorm room with the prettiest twink he’s ever seen isn’t helping him keep his feelings hidden. 

If Brian can untangle this mess, he’ll deserve his wings

This is my traditional "desktop" post, where I share images I used for inspiration during the writing of "Heaven Can't Wait".

Kevin & Chuck:

Above was my visual inspiration for Kevin and Chuck.  These guys are Ty Roderick and Max Carter in a scene from Cocky Boys.  I really love these two together and the contrast between them physically, so I had them in my head for Chuck and Kevin.

Cole Hall, University of Madison, Wisconsin

My story is set in heaven and on the U. Madison campus.  My niece went there and I enjoyed a long walk around the campus one fine spring day.  Below is the dorm where Kevin and Chuck share a room.

Peter

I think my favorite character in this story is Peter, the no-nonsense, highly impatient judge that Brian faces in heaven. I knew if I was going to include heaven in a story I couldn't approach it too seriously as it would quickly get deep and maudlin. So my approach is very lighthearted and humorous--and Peter provides that (and also the title of the story).  Here's my idea of what Peter looks like--Alan Rickman (if he were wearing white robes).

And finally, a little 'mood' inspiration.

That's it for this time.  Hope you enjoy reading "Heaven Can't Wait".

Eli

Desktop: "stitch: Reparation"

The anthology "stitch" releases Apr 21, 2014. It contains four novellas by m/m romance authors including Kim Fielding, Sue Brown, Jamie Fessenden, and myself.  You can read about all the stories and an excerpt of "Reparation" here. PURCHASE LINK on Dreamspinner Press website.

This post is a 'desktop' post in which I share my inspiration and visual images I used while writing the story.

Inspiration for Setting & Mood:  Wuthuring Heights

Even though "Reparation" is a sci-fi dystopian novella, set on a different planet, it was inspired by Wuthuring Heights.  I've always loved the setting of Wuthuring Heights--the sense of desolation and isolation of the moors, the wild weather, and the primal feel that gives to young Heathcliff and Kathy.  Wuthuring Heights inspired my barren planet of Kalan and the sort of eighteenth-century English feel to the characters. Below are some of the Wuthuring Heights-ish images I used for tone.

Edward Palmer

Edward was born the second son in a family of spore farmers on the planet of Kalan. It's a very privileged position because the Federation values the spores highly and they only grow on one planet.  Edward both loves and hates the barren Kalan, a place where almost nothing grows except for the spores. He was never meant to take over the family farm.  He's not hard and ruthless like the other Kalanese farmers.  But he's forced to take over when his father and brother are both killed.  Struggling against the harsh conditions, and his own too-sympathetic nature, Edward is in desperate need of an ally.

"Reparation" has a somewhat Edwardian feeling and I used Jeremy Irvine from BBC's "Great Expectations" for inspiration for Edward.

Knox

Knox is a huge humanoid, a "recon" or reconstitute. Recons are labor slaves on Kalan, and they're part robot and part the remains of executed Federation prisoners.  Knox exists in a sort of mindless haze of drudgery until one day he saves Edward's life and is pulled into the curious young man's orbit.  Edward needs help to survive the harsh winter and Knox can provide it, but being around someone who treats him like a human being again, who gives him books, and expects him to carry responsibilities, causes Knox to remember things from his brain's past life that threaten his current stability.  And it doesn't help that Edward is genuinely kind, very attractive, and seems to want Knox.

I love Frankenstein characters and I had fun with Knox. His body is simply huge, muscled and masculine while his mind is a far more delicate thing.  I based his general looks (dark hair, face etc) on Tom Hardy in Wuthuring Heights.

For his body, I used a number of sports images for inspiration including Jeremy Shockey and Clay Matthews:

Trevellyn (tray-VELL-an)

It's a bit of a spoiler to say who Trevellyn is, but he is important in the story.  I based him on Ralph Fiennes in Strange Days.

The Spores

The spores, which are farmed on Kalan to make life-saving pharmaceuticals, are an important character in the story.  The families that hold the huge farms and harvest the spores are exempt from the Federation military service, are wealthy, and have other privileges.  It's a very harsh life though, and if a farmer slips up and loses too many of the precious spores, his land can be taken from him.

The spores in "Reparation" are from a type of lichen that grows on the rocky purple surface of Kalan.   Below are some research images.

If you're curious about "Reparation" you can read an excerpt here.

Or check out the Goodread entry here.

Eli Easton

Desktop: "The Enlightenment of Daniel"

"The Enlightenment of Daniel" releases on Dec 18th.  Per usual, I'm posting a "desktop" for it.  These are the images that I used for inspiration while I was writing the story.  I hope they can either intrigue you enough to read the story or, if you've read it, provide some interesting visual references. PURCHASE LINK:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4440

READ AN EXCERPT HERE:  http://elieaston.com/books-by-eli-easton/the-enlightenment-of-daniel/

Daniel Derenzo:

This story is about Daniel Derenzo, one of the two owners of DRE, a Seattle company which has made a lot of money buying dysfunctional companies, turning them around, and selling them.  Daniel is, in a word, the business shark of the two-man team.  He is the one who takes over the failing companies, often via hostile take-over.  Yet I didn't want a typical nasty tycoon.  The character of Daniel needed humor.  He's an often unintentionally funny Type A who is a bit bumbling in a always-over-thinking-it type way. Sort of Woody Allen meets Gorden Gekko.  He also is good-looking and very concerned about his image.  I couldn't figure out who Daniel looked like until my husband suggested Ben Affleck.  And, yeah, when Ben does his uptight-bumbling-intellect thing, he is Daniel-esque. Here are a few photos of Ben in more of a 'Daniel' persona.

Nick Ross:

Nick is the other half of DRE, Daniel's business partner and best friend ever since they roomed together in college.  As Daniel puts it, Nick is the 'nice' to Daniel's 'mercenary'. Once Daniel has successfully taken over a company, Nick goes in and makes everyone happy, wins over the employees, and makes the company healthy again. Nick needed to be softer, charming, and appealing.  He's a super nice guy who doesn't necessarily stick up for himself.  He's also scruffier and not as obsessed with his appearance as Daniel (and a bit of a ginger). I picked Ewan McGregor as a physical model for Nick.

Marcia Ross:

Nick's wife, Marcia, is a woman who is desperately clinging to a marriage that ended a long time ago. She's concerned with image, yes, but also has been convinced by her mother that divorce will ruin her two kids and that it's her job to maintain the marriage at any cost.  Marcia is not really a villain to me, she is someone who is stuck in a rut and can't even see how bad things are, nor does she have any idea how to fix them. She's just determined to hang on to the status quo. If you can imagine a drowning person punching and fighting the person trying to rescue them out of fear--that is Marcia.  By the way, she gets an HEA too.  I picture Marcia as a sort of blonde, Housewives of Beverly Hills type visually, but she does change by the end of the story.

Jenny Ross:

I've always had a soft spot for m/m romances with kids in them, but this is the first time I've written one.  Nick has two children including Jenny, who is 13.  Jenny is a typical teen but she's struggling to find her own identity separate from her mother.  Below was the inspiration for Jenny **post make-over**.

Sylvan Ross:

Sylvan is Nick's other kid, an 8-year-old boy.  He's all boy, a goof-ball, and just "a love sponge".  Here's my reference for Sylvan.

Frank Derenzo aka "Iron Man":

"The Enlightenment of Daniel" has a theme of fatherhood.  The entire story begins when Daniel's father, Frank, calls Daniel to the hospital as he is dying of cancer. He gives Daniel a "Marley's ghost" lecture, warning him not to spend his life pursuing only business, as Frank has done, but to fall in love, live life, and be happy.  Frank is a major character in this book--I love him to death (literally, apparently). He's sharp-tongued and provides some comic moments.

Expanded Horizons Sex Clinic:

This story is part of my Sex In Seattle series, which are stories which revolve around a sex clinic in Seattle called Expanded Horizons.  (This story, however, is completely stand alone).  Daniel goes to Expanded Horizons for counselling when he starts having sexual feeling for Nick.  This is pretty disturbing to Daniel,  because he's 34 and he always thought he was straight.  The building below is a reference for Expanded Horizons.

Dr. Jack Halloran:

Jack, the star of "The Trouble With Tony," makes an appearance in "Daniel" as Daniel's sex therapist. He helps Daniel figure out these new feelings, and if he is actually gay or not.

Michael Lamont:

Michael is the gay sex surrogate at Expanded Horizons. When one of Jack's patients could benefit from actual sexual contact with a licensed therapist, it is Michael who does it. He's works with everything from E.D. patients (erectile dysfunction) to those with severe handicaps or fear of intimacy.  I LOVE MICHAEL and I'm currently writing his book (Sex in Seattle #3).  He has a wonderful scene in "The Enlightenment of Daniel", though.  Daniel goes to Michael to test once and for all the theory that he is gay.  Hot!  [Note: Michael physically is inspired by model Isaiah Garnica, who is in the photo below.]

Locations:

Here are some places in Seattle that appear in "The Enlightenment of Daniel"

Above: The Metropolitan Grill where Daniel and Nick have lunch

Above:  Molly Moon's ice cream where Daniel takes Nick and the kids

Above: Safeco field from the VIP seats. Daniel takes Nick and his kids to a game here.

The House/Cabin on Bainbridge

A very important part of the story takes place on Bainbridge Island, in a house on the water that Daniel rents.  Here're some inspirational photos for that.

Special Bonus:

Daniel's John Lobb shoes, which star in the first scene.

And the (hubba hubba) bathing suit Daniel wears at the cabin.

That's it for this book!  I hope you enjoy this story.  If you do, drop me a line at eli@elieaston.com or tag me on twitter at @EliEaston

PURCHASE LINK:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4440

READ AN EXCERPT HERE: http://elieaston.com/books-by-eli-easton/the-enlightenment-of-daniel/

Eli

Desktop: "The Trouble With Tony"

It's release day for "The Trouble With Tony!" Whenever I write a story, I like to google images for inspiration.  Sometimes they’re for mood, sometimes they’re characters (major and minor), sometimes they're locations, and sometimes they’re things like a building or a shop or a car that I just like to have a visual reference for.  I thought it would be fun to share these with readers.

** Note:  I own none of these images – they’re from google.  These images were not used in the book, but if you have a problem with my having an image on this website, please email me and I’ll remove it.  

So without further ado, here’s my “Trouble with Tony” desktop:

TONY DEMARCO

Tony is an Italian-American private detective from Brooklyn now living in Seattle (in part to elude his big, Italian-American family who don't know he's gay).  He was a cop for six years but decided to to go it alone as a P.I. after being shot in the leg.   He’s very funny.

I had several images on my desktop to inspire me to write Tony’s character.  Here’s my favorite:

This pic was identified as Fabio Cannavaro by a commenter.  Thank you!

DR. JACK HALLORAN

Our other MC, Dr. Jack Halloran, was a combat surgeon in the US Army for 8 years until an I.E.D. damaged his left arm, making it impossible for him to do surgery.  His PTSD made even working in an ER impossible.  He’s now a sex therapist for Expanded Horizons.  He’s not a big guy, but he’s a serious bad ass.

I searched for a 'blonde doctor' image to inspire me and I like the attitude on his face.  This one made it onto the cover!

 Stock image

MICHAEL LAMONT

Oh, Michael!  I’m currently working on Sex in Seattle #3, which is Michael’s story, but he makes his first appearance in “The Trouble With Tony”.  I love this character!  Michael is a sex surrogate and also does in home nursing care part time.  He’s slightly built, very cute, and extremely compassionate/empathetic.  In my head, Michael is physically based on Isaiah Garnica.

Isaiah Garnica (LA based model/actor)

SETTING: SEATTLE’S CAPITOL HILL

The story is set in Seattle, mostly in and around Capitol Hill, a gay district in Seattle that’s up on a hill (hence the oh-so-brilliant name).  My husband and I had a house on Capitol Hill for 15 years and I love the neighborhood!  I greatly miss it.  Here are a few scenes of this funky/cool area.

EXPANDED HORIZONS

Expanded Horizons is the name of a (entirely fictional) sex clinic on Capitol Hill around which the series revolves.  I pictured it on Pike Street between Broadway and 15^th, which is an area I walked often.  It’s not a very big building. The clinic has a waiting room with receptionist area, three therapists offices, a staff kitchen and meeting room and a, ahem, massage room.  This is about the style/size of the building.

DISCOVERY PARK

I’m an avid hiker, so I worked a few of my favorite places to hike into the story.  Tony meets up with his police detective buddy, Mark, to discuss the case at Discovery Park, a Seattle park that I miss dearly now that I’m no longer in the area.  It has a beach, lighthouse, woods and trails on a bluff, and gorgeous views.

The trail along the top of the bluff.

 One of my own photos taken whilst hiking with a friend

MT RAINIER’S SKYLINE TRAIL

One of my favorite hiking trails of all time is the Skyline Trail at Mt. Rainier.  It's quite high in elevation.  You can hike right up to the glacier and the views are spectacular.  Being above the treeline, the flowers and vegetation are really different from most NW forests.  Tony and Jack discuss the Skyline trail earlier in the book and then the epilogue takes place there.

Image by Smigelski Photography :  http://www.smigelskiphotography.com/2011/10/mount-rainier/

That's it for this desktop!  I hope the pictures add to your enjoyment of the story.

ABOUT THE SERIES:

Sex in Seattle #2, "The Enlightenment of Daniel," has been written and contracted to Dreamspinner and is due out in the Dec/Jan timeframe.  This story is about a patient of Jack Halloran's.  Daniel is a high-powered Type A business man who has a midlife crisis when he learns his father is dying of cancer.  Daniel comes to several life-altering realizations --first, that he's gay and secondly, that he's in love with his male business partner who is in a marriage-in-name-only relationship for the sake of his kids.

Sex in Seattle #3, "The Mating of Michael" (working title), is my next writing project.  Tentative pub date is April 2014.  This is, of course, the story of Michael Lamont, sex surrogate for Expanded Horizons.  I'm very excited to bite into this one!

Eli