A LIFE WITHOUT YOU - ERICA PIKE - REVIEW & INTERVIEW

A Life Without You

Boston Boys Series #1

Author: Erica Pike

MLR BOOKS

Link to purchase:

http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=EP_ALWOY

ISBN # 978-1-60820-525-7 (print) $12.99

            978-1-60820-526-4 (ebook) $6.99

Release Date: January 2012

Cover Artist: Deana C. Jamroz

Page Info: 236 pages, 73,000 words

*****

BLURB:

Jesse's like a bar of soap: the tighter Adam holds on, the faster Jesse slips away. Or that's how it feels to Adam. It doesn't help that Jesse has a girlfriend back home and claims to be straight, but there's no way with all the sparks and physical intimacy flying between the two roommates.

When Adam believes he has reached his ultimate happiness, the bedroom walls come crashing down with a visit from Jesse's girlfriend.

Now Jesse has to decide if he can come to terms with his sexuality, while Adam has to learn to accept that Jesse might never be able to crawl out of the closet.

 *****

REVIEW

   When Jesse and Adam meet at the beginning of the semester there is an attraction on Adam’s part but Jesse seems distant until one drunken encounter leaves him questioning everything he ever believed about himself.  He always knew there were feelings hidden within himself about other guys but he had never dealt with them until he met Adam who is open about his sexuality and his longing for Jesse.

   Jesse continues to see his fiancé from back home while carrying on a sexual relationship with Adam, emotionally draining both of them.  It isn’t until Jesse discovers that the woman he thought he loved has cheated, leaving him with the possibility that he has a sexuality transmitted disease.

   Eric, Adam’s best friend, fiercely protects him against further emotional injury after Adam has a break down that leaves him inconsolable for a month. 

    Will Adam forgive Jesse?

     For lovers of emotion driven romances this book will be a feast.  There is a lot of angst and turmoil between the main characters as well as several of the supporting cast.  Each player in this drama has an agenda and works to meet that goal.  There is a great deal of cheating, heartbreak, and forgiveness, along with love, friendship and acceptance all rolled in to make a complete story that no reader will regret investing their time in reading.  There is some sex but it is in limited but appropriate proportion to the story.

    MLR has developed a reputation for releasing some of the best romance and suspense novels for men who love men and A LIFE WITHOUT YOU is a terrific addition to the ever growing line up.  This is just book one in the Boston Boys series, so watch out for the continuation as Erica brings us the stories of Eric, Jazz, Cal-Al, and who knows who else she may add to this unique group of college guys.  I know I’ll be there and ready.*****

INTERVIEW:

Rwig43:

Where did you get the idea for ALWY?

Erica Pike: I got the idea for A LIFE WITHOUT YOU (ALWY) about a year ago after I read my very first gay romance: SPICE AND SOLACE by KC Burn. Up until then I'd been reading a lot of yaoi manga, so I was already sucked into the man-to-man love. I'd written stories in a different genre - with nothing published - and decided, after reading KC's book, that this was something I wanted to try out.

Adam in ALWY is basically my fantasy guy. You know, the tall hot and handsome who always plays the male role in your day dreams. I think ALWY may be a bit yaoi-inspired because Jesse's kind of like a naive uke (bottom). Most yaoi I've read is college-manga, so I sort of automatically chose that scene. Unrequited love is also something that is very common in manga and what better hell than being in love with your supposedly straight roommate?

I'd like to add that although this book may be manga-inspired, the other books I've written aren't. This was my first gay romance where I was still finding myself and my voice.

Rwig43: Why did you decide to write M/M romance? You certainly have a good idea of what foes on between two guys between the sheets.

Erica Pike: Okay, the answer to the first question and second question are kind of mixed in my first answer.

Rwig43: This is the first in a trilogy? Or will the series be longer?

Erica Pike: I haven't decided yet. The plan was to write Adam, Eric, and Jazz...but I'm tempted to write about Cal-Al and Terry as well. Then there's how Rick and Benji met. While I'm at it, I'm currently working on Boston Boys 1.5 - a novella about the time Adam and Jesse go to Jesse's birth-town to tell Jesse's mom he's gay...and I have Christmas stories planned out for three of the couples. Looks like it's rolling into something bigger than just a trilogy, hehe.

Rwig43: You will be doing stand-alone novels between the Boston books, right?

Yes. I'm currently working on a paranormal viking novel that takes place in 934. As an Icelander I've learned a lot about this era in school and from the viking sagas and other books. I don't need to research vikings or Iceland/Norway so much, but I'm trying to figure out sleeping arrangements in Ireland at that time (if work-hands slept in the same houses as the farmers (like they did in Iceland) etc.). You'd be surprised how hard it is to find info on that!

Rwig43: Going back to ALWY, Eric is a little spit fire.  What can we expect to see when you get to his book?

Erica Pike: The same and so much more, hehe. He's a blast to write. I giggled the whole five weeks it took to write his story, and then I giggled more during the edits. The words he uses to describe himself are "short and snazzy - hot, and happy"...but in ABSOLUTELY ERIC he discovers that he's not really all that happy. He tired of being a boy toy and wants to discover the kind of love Adam and Jesse have - only a lot less mushy, and without the emoness and drama.

The problem with Eric is that once he bites onto something, he's very eager to go. He makes the rushed mistake of pushing away the right guy (Alex) by going for a hot Latino. When he realizes he may have made a mistake, Alex is no longer available.

Rwig43: What plans do you have for Jazz, or have you thought that far ahead?

Erica Pike: Hottie Jazz is still a bit of a mystery to me. He's an artist who plays a guitar. He's very relaxed, carefree and affectionate. I planned to set him up with Eric's cousin...but now I'm thinking he should maybe join a band. He'd make a cool rocker, right? But still, there are so many rocker stories out there and I'd have to do something completely different to make it stand out.

Rwig43: Thanks for working with me on this interview, I think it will turn out great with the review.

Erica Pike: Thank you, Randy This was fun.