In the end, it's not these challenges that threaten to tear them apart, but deeper issues of trust and betrayal.
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Read an excerpt from Somebody to Love
About Carolina Valdez
Carolina Valdez was multi-published and an award-winning freelance writer prior to selling her first romance to an electronic publisher. For fun, six years ago she dared herself to enter Amber Quill Press's contest for erotic short stories. "Dark Stranger" was a winner, and she's been happily writing for their Heat and Allure imprints ever since. She's had novellas place in The Lories, and her first gay romance, "Tie 'Em Up, Hold 'Em Down," finaled in the 2009 Passionate Plume Contest Novella Division. "Smoldering Embers," her latest paperback release collection includes the Passionate Plume Finalist, its sequel, "Hangin' With My Window Man," and "Hole In One," a stand-alone.
"Lure," an erotic heterosexual crime novella, was a 2007 EPPIE finalist. So far, all of her gay stories have hit Amber Quill Press's Top Ten Best Seller lists.
Ms. Valdez married her college sweetheart, and they live in southern California. They have married sons and grandchildren. She's a 21-year breast cancer survivor, and the photo shows her completing the 2008 Women Running Wild 5K, Palm Springs. Proceeds provide free mammograms for women without health insurance.
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Can be found at www.carolinavaldez.com
An Interview with Carolina Valdez
By Holly Hewson for The Romance Studio
HH: Carolina, thank you for talking with us at TRS (The Rainbow Studio). Please tell us about your featured book, Somebody to LoveCV: I'd love to. Thank you for the opportunity to do so.
HH: This is an intriguing story. Two men who face so many obstacles to be together. Where did you get the idea for their emotionally charged story? CV: "...emotionally charged story?" What a nice comment!
The jumping off point was choosing Somebody To Love as the title. A gay man in the closet with no one to love and no one to love him in return popped into my mind. So who would he be? I'd just seen a TV feature on helicopter logging in deep forests where that's the only way to remove the felled logs, and I found videos on how it's done on the Internet. So Nate became a heli-logger, a business owner and pretty much a loner because it was dangerous for his gayness to be known. His circumstances almost rule out finding somebody to love.
HH: What do you like best about Kevin and how do you go about writing a television star? CV: Living in the Los Angeles area, it's all about Hollywood. We have relatives who work in the TV and film "business," as it's called, so it was relatively easy to visualize stalking, paparazzi, and lack of privacy. And although it's acceptable to be a straight actor playing someone gay, the reverse is pretty much still unthinkable. What I like about Kevin is his sense of humor and that he's a decent, regular guy who recognizes the inconstancy of Hollywood and fame. He knows what he wants at the deepest level, and it's a permanent relationship--somebody to love.
HH: What do you like best about Nate and why might he be perfect for him? CV: In a way, no one's more grounded than Nate. Well educated, liked by friends and respected by loggers for his skills, emotionally he's empty and insecure about his ability to be loved long-term. Kevin's humor, his self-confidence and pursuit of Nate are perfect to fill that void and make Nate whole.
HH: What else do you have in store for lucky readers? CV: I'm finishing up a were-snow leopard story featuring a veterinarian and a Lakota Native horse whisperer. It's due for a February or March release.
HH: What drew you to write M/M?
CV: Like tackling the above paranormal were story, writing my first M/M story was a new challenge. My first M/F erotic romance was penned to enter a contest--to see if I could write erotic. With M/M I simply wanted to see if I could do that, too.
HH: Your stories are so good and it really shows you enjoy what you write. Do you see that in your work? CV: Wow! Another compliment. Thank you! Yes, I enjoy what I write although when I first start out I'm not always sure I can pull it off or that my readers will like it. I don't outline or write synopses, and I always reach a dead point in a story where I don't know what my characters should do next. I'm at that point today in the were-snow leopard story. So far I've managed to stumble past--or my characters kick me past--to come out on the other side. We'll see if I can again.
HH: What would you most like to accomplish by this time next year? CV: I've been writing only novella length, but I've already started a were novel series, Inhabiting the Night: Tiger, Tiger. This time with vampires. I hope to write at least two novels next year.
HH: What's your favorite guilty pleasure? CV: Chocolate. Dark chocolate. And mint ice cream.
HH: Any special plans for the holidays this year? CV: Our children usually fly across country for Christmas to visit with the families of their wives. We always touch bases here before or after to celebrate, but it's always a little empty on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day when we're alone. Our kids always call long distance, but this year some of them will be with us on Christmas Day itself! Such a joy. It'll be wonderful.
Thank you, Holly, for such interesting questions.
HH: Thank you!
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