Contest:
At each stop of the tour, I'll give away a copy of
an ebook from my backlist to one randomly drawn commenter. For Men Like Us, the newest release, isn't eligible.
At the end of the tour, I'll select one person from
all of the commenters and that person will win a swag pack, containing *tons*
of Brita Addams swag.
1.
Tell us about your
newest release.
My newest release is, For Men
Like Us and is available at DreamspinnerPress. It is about two men who find their lives entwined by tragedy. War
has left them both scarred, physically and emotionally. Should one fail in his
self-appointed mission, the other will forever be mired in memories of a life
lost. However, success could mean destruction to them both.
Here is the blurb:
After
Preston Meacham’s lover dies trying to lend him aid at Salamanca, hopelessness
becomes his only way of life. Despite his best efforts at starting again, he
has no pride left, which leads him to sell himself for a pittance at a molly
house. The mindless sex affords him his only respite from the horrors he
witnessed.
The Napoleonic War left Benedict Wilmot haunted by the acts he was forced to
commit and the torture he endured at the hands of a superior, a man who used
the threat of a gruesome death to force Ben to do his bidding. Even sleep gives
Ben no reprieve, for he can’t escape the destruction he caused.
When their paths cross, Ben feels an overwhelming need to protect Preston from
his dangerous profession. As he explains, “The streets are dangerous for men
like us.”
2. Can you tell us a little about your
favorite scene in the story?
I'd love to. The scene takes
place when Ben spies Preston outside the molly house. His intention is only to
see him, not speak to him or engage him. He just wants to see that he is all
right. However, when he moves his injured foot, the noise draws Preston's
attention. Preston turns back toward the alley and begins a conversation with
Ben. The poignancy of the scene has stuck with me. Ben is so lonely and so
guilty for his part in the direction Preston's life has taken. Preston's
kindness pushes him to do the one thing he didn't want to do.
I described the scene to Anne
Cain, who recreated it on the beautiful cover of For Men Like Us. It is even better than I had envisioned.
3. What was one of the most surprising
things you learned in creating your story?
We are all human and have the
basic need to survive, sometimes without regard to the price that survival
might cost us. Ben paid a heavy price for his sexuality and continued to pay
even after falling in love with Preston. Freedom isn't free, is what we say
about our fighting men, and that hasn't changed. Ben's wartime experiences
lived with him, as did Preston's. Their lives are inextricably interwoven, the
good and the bad.
Ben's survival hinged on
Preston's and that alone made "their" survival, as a couple, so
important.
I'm not surprised by that
revelation, but it is one that stays with me. When a person has the conviction
to pursue what they want, no matter the cost, it makes for a powerful story.
4. What authors or friends influenced you
in helping you become a writer?
The one person who has been my
champion, always, is my husband. He encouraged me in the beginning to write,
because he knew that was something I had always wanted to do. Many factors
played into the delay in my writing career, but when I showed the interest to
pursue it in earnest, my sweet darling provided the time and support I needed
to do it.
He took over the house so I
could concentrate on writing. That was huge for me. He does a mighty fine job
of things too, and having a wonderful dinner ready every evening is something
I'll never stop telling him "thank you" for.
5. What does your family think about your
career as a published author?
My family is extremely proud
of me, because they all know this is something I've wanted since I was a girl.
Each, in their way, has inspired me, if only with a smile and word of
encouragement. They are a very special group of people.
6. Besides writing, what other interests
do you have?
We love to travel and do so as
often as we can get away. History is a passion for me, so when I'm not visiting
battlefields or famous historical landmarks, I'm reading about our past, as a
nation and as a universe.
I am a genealogist and have
been for many years. Many of my stories are inspired by things I've uncovered
in researching my own family history.
I also love some reality TV—Big Brother, American
Idol, Amazing Race, Chopped, Face Off. I'm hooked on Cake Boss (Hoboken style,
baby!), and most any cooking competition show. Evenings are devoted to time
with my honey, so you might find us watching just about anything. Our guilty
pleasures. We also watch a ton of documentaries, period pieces, and
biographical pieces. Right now, I'm immersed in the French and Indian War.
7. Can you tell us about what’s coming up
next for you writing wise?
Expanding on my love of
history, I've decided to write a series, which begins in 1754 and spans 200
years. Each book (four or five) will involve generations of the same family ie:
the second book will be about the child of the couple in the first book, and so
on.
The entire thing was inspired
by a story in my family history, where my fifth great-grandfather was asked to
marry a housemaid who was in the employ of a prominent New York family. The
wealthy guy was married and had oopsied
with the little maid, creating my fourth great-grandfather. However, the man's
wife was the prominent daughter of the governor of NY, and well, you can see
that this little indiscretion wouldn't have gone over well with the
aristocracy.
This story was passed down
through the family, but I honestly have no idea if it is true or not. There are
elements of it that are entirely fabricated, such as my fifth great-grandfather
being paid off to the tune of $30,000, and later becoming the mayor of Walla
Walla, Washington. This great political victory supposedly took place at the
same time he applied for his Revolutionary War pension in 1818, claiming to be
worth a mere $29.00. The keepers of the family history didn't appreciate my
investigation of Walla Walla and my getting the man's military records, which
included his pension application. Then, there was the inconvenient fact that he
never left upstate New York in his entire life, as recorded upon his death by a
man who kept a journal of the town for nearly forty years.
However, the germ of truth
might have been in the first part, the request for him to marry and raise the
child, as my fourth great-grandfather was actually named after the prominent
land lord (as in mogul.) Also, my fifth great-grandfather was apparently
married three times, but the first two are undocumented, the names of the wives
never discovered, though the children from those unions are known.
The second book in the series
will deal with this particular event, while the first will fill in the
background for my fictional version of my fifth great-grandfather.
8. How can readers connect with you
online?
I am
everywhere and I love visitors.
Email
address: Brita@britaaddams.com
Twitter:
@britaaddams
Thank you so much for having me today. I've enjoyed
my visit!
Hugs,
Brita
