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!