Author Lee Brazil on Reality and Romance Fiction #3

Ladies and gentleman:

My friend, author Lee Brazil.

How do you it's not? Hmm? I mean, seriously.... how many of you have seen him naked?

Good morning all!  Thanks for having me over DaveK, KevaD. *sips coffee*  Nice to see all of you. For those who don't know me, I'm Lee Brazil, author of m/m romance for Breathless Press and Story Orgy.  I'm a coffee addict, a music lover, and a cynic on days that contain the letter a. This causes me some conflict, as I'm a romantic on days that end in Y.

So my answer to this question depends on when you ask it.  Do you believe in love at first sight?  Some readers are adamantly opposed to what they call insta-love.  Others like it just fine. Some people like love at first sight only when it involves shifters.  *eyes widen* Because that makes it more believable? That mythical creatures fall in love instantly is more believable than that human beings do?

*sips coffee*  Today I'm a believer.  I read the sweetest book last night. It was indeed a love at first sight story.  Green eyes met blue across a crowded room.  The earth stood still.  The main character forgot to breathe; he was so entranced with the vision of loveliness gazing back at him. Hearts beat and stall, skip and throb, mouths go dry or wet, and the physiological symptoms are all there. They make their way across the room, with remarkable ease, blindly guided by love itself as neither breaks eye contact. Without a word these two men are locked in one another's arms and kissing passionately.

Then a dead body falls from the sky or some such and they must solve a crime together before they can actually be together, but it's all just a minor inconvenience...because they have love, and they know it.

Okay.  That's a great bit. I love stories like that. Recognizing that you love someone is almost as huge a commitment as marriage itself. Anyone who thinks that's it- I said I love you and that's the end of it, is crazy. *sips coffee* But that's a post for another day. Time to let the cynic play.

Yeah. Okay, so that guy whose gaze you met across the room? He's not looking at you. There's a TV monitor directly over your head and the highlights of Monday's game are playing. You just think he's looking deeply into your eyes and smiling. The truth is his team scored a miracle play in the fourth quarter and he won $50 from the scowly guy standing next to him.

Or maybe he is looking at you.  Because your face is turning blue and your eyes are bugging out because you forgot to breathe. *Snort* Okay, okay...he is looking at you, and he really sees you.  But what then? The crowd parts and leaves a shining path between the two of you as though Moses approved of your union?  Yeah right. 

In my experience what happens next is more like, you take a sip of your drink trying to look all cool, and the toothpick with the garnish stabs you in the cheek, or the eye, or the nose.  Or you swallow too much and choke. Or my personal favorite, you're so busy staring that you misjudge the distance between lips and glass and pour Midori down your shirt. (because this NEVER happens when you're drinking something that is NOT neon colored)            

Then his smile gets bigger and your cheeks burn brighter and you smile weakly. You stumble away from the wall that's been anchoring your "throbbing, soaring heart" to earth and dash for the bathroom before your silk "on the prowl" shirt gets permanently stained...

If you're really lucky- or not- he meets you at the bathroom door with an offer to help you clean up.

And you know what? Even then, I'm not sure it's love at first sight, or love of a good joke.

But, if you make it through that, and all the other pitfalls, then you're going to need a sense of humor, because long term relationships are not for the faint of heart.

Now, remember, this is just a tongue in cheek look at why romantic fiction is better than reality...I did a bit of research...not too much, because I'm retired, damn it, and I'm lazy like that. Seems 60% of people surveyed in Psychology Today believe in love at first sight, and a whopping 50% of those surveyed have experienced it. 

So there you have it...Love at first sight, reason #3 why romantic fiction beats reality! *looks to the side* What?  I didn't?  *Shakes head* I've just been reminded that I didn't tell you whether I really believe in love at first sight or not.  Who am I to judge? I fell in love with a voice on the phone...And we celebrate our fifteenth anniversary this year! So, yes...I believe with love all things are possible.

Got a love at first sight story to tell? Funny or touching, real or imaginary...share it here and be entered to win a copy of my latest short novella, Loving Eden.

Loving Eden is not a love at first sight story- It's a "recognize that there might be something between us if we take the time to find out" story.  Which is kind of what happens a lot of the time, isn't it? You meet someone, and if things line up right, you could have a great relationship.  If he leaves on the next bus and you never hear form him again, you aren't going to be devastated, because even though the potential was there, the seed wasn't watered, and nothing grew...Wait...I wasn't going to talk about that in this post... Anyway, here's a bit of Loving Eden to entice you to share you stories with us today.

Title: Loving Eden

Genre: m/m contemporary romance

BLURB:

Eden St. Cyr wants to let the boy who's crushing on him down easy. Drew Harris wants to protect his son from what he considers a disastrous relationship. Neither of them counted on being attracted to the other.

Eden St. Cyr has wandering feet.  He shuffles around the country from place to place and college to college, changing majors and lovers at whim. When Bailey Harris starts following him home, mooning around and showing signs of affection, Eden hatches a plan to let the kid down lightly before he leaves for the next semester, the next college, and the next lover.

Drew Harris is stunned at the changes in his son.  His responsible dependable, cheerful boy has become a moody despondent, irresponsible teenager. Drew knows exactly who to blame, too.  When Eden doesn’t' return his phone calls, he's forced to be a little more devious in his plans to get the bad influence out of his son's life.

An unexpected attraction derails both men from their plans, but when Bailey walks in at the least appropriate time, can things be put right?

EXCERPT:

Eden stepped up to the doorway inadvertently brushing against that hard muscled body as he did so. Heat seared through his thin T-shirt and gooseflesh prickled his arms. He bit his lip to keep the moan inside, just nodding his head, too afraid that his arousal would show to speak. He ducked his head and made to move into the room, when a hard warm hand closed around his upper arm. He found himself turned to face Bailey's dad, and looked up into puzzled blue eyes.

"We'll talk later, yes?" The man asserted. Eden was trapped in the depths of those deep blue eyes and unable to utter a response. A big, calloused hand came up to cup Eden's jaw, thumb rubbing gently over the two-day growth of beard he hadn't bothered to shave. Shaking his head, Drew began to speak again but then his head tilted slightly to the side and his lips came down. Eden caught his breath in surprise. Surely Bailey's dad wasn't going to kiss him?

But he was. Warm dry lips pressed to his own briefly, sliding a little to the side, nipping lightly at his own lower lip. The gentle kiss swept right across his mouth in a brief warm touch that left him craving more. It had barely begun before Drew pulled away.

Buy Link: http://www.breathlesspress.com/loving-eden

Author Contact: http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com/