Please welcome Chris Befell author of Love Me, Please
Chris Bedell will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Love Me, Please
byChris Bedell
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GENRE: YA LGBTQ Thriller
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INTERVIEW;
What or who inspired you to start writing?
My love of reading inspired my love of writing. For example, The Wizard of Ozseries is one of the earliest series I remember reading. And I thought it’d be fun to create my own stories/characters/worlds. But it’d take many more years before I had a completed novel.
What elements are necessary components for this genre?
Well, with a thriller, you need some sort of mystery/suspense element. It’s okay if a thriller is character driven (like LOVE ME, PLEASE). But you need a sense of arrested development so readers keep turning pages. You also need a resolution to the book’s mystery element—otherwise readers will feel cheated.
How did you come up with your idea for your novel?
I wanted to write the opposite of my previously published novel LOVE HIM/HATE HIM, which was published almost a year ago by Between the Lines Publishing. In LOVE HIM/HATE HIM, the main character is comfortable being bisexual whereas in LOVE ME, PLEASEthe opposite is true. The main character is the one struggling with his sexuality whereas his love interest (a jock) is the one who is comfortable with his sexuality. And that brings up an interesting point. It’s possible for an author to repeatedly write about certain themes/issues, yet find new ways to explore said themes/issues.
What expertise did you bring to your writing?
As a bisexual male, that helped me write the main character (Colton). Colton is bisexual, yet has trouble accepting his sexuality because his mother is both abusive and homophobic.
As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
Well, in terms of other books releasing in 2022—my YA Contemporary novel PIECES OF MY LIFEreleased on January 28thand my YA Mystery novel DINNER WITH THE DEVILSreleases late in the year. I’m also working on future projects. One book I’m currently writing is An Adult Thriller (tentatively titled THE LIES WE LIVE WITH). THE LIES WE LIVE WITHis about the death of a patriarch (the CEO of a fashion company) and the secrets that his four children were keeping. But the biggest secret of all is what the deceased patriarch did over a decade ago, which could be motive enough for murder.
If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?
I’d wanna be Tripp. I think it’s cool how Tripp is the confidant and out jock. A lot of people don’t realize that sexism/misogyny and homophobia/biphobia stem from the same thing—toxic masculinity. Often sexism/misogyny is addressed in relationship to toxic masculinity. But the same isn’t always true for homophobia/biphobia.
Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?
No, I don’t belong to a critique group. This is gonna be a taboo idea, but I don’t believe in critique groups or beta readers. That being said, I did study creative writing in both undergraduate and graduate school, in addition to how I read a lot of YA books. The biggest problem with critique groups is feedback isn’t subject, and the saying “too many chefs in the kitchen” applies. My publishers are generally the only ones I take constructive criticism from. It’s in my publishers’ best interest to make my books the best they can be since they have a financial stake in the book.
What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)?
The best writing advice I’ve ever received is never give up. As trite and corny as the idea sounds, it’s so true. It only takes one “yes” for a submission to be accepted. And you never know when that can happen.
The worst writing advice I’ve ever received is, “show, don’t tell.” The problem with that advice is it “tells” and doesn’t “show.” What is it that the person wants more of? Imagery? Dialogue? Setting? Character development? So, that’s why it’s important to be as specific as possible when giving constructive criticism about a novel.
Do you outline your books or just start writing?
Yes, I’m a big believer in outlining my books. I’m always open to a better idea if I get one while I’m writing a book, but I find outlining a book helps make the revision/editing/polishing processing easier. For example, you can either figure out character/relationship/plot arcs at the front end before revising/editing/polishing or at the back end once you have a finished draft.
Who is your favorite character in the book? Can you tell us why?
My favorite character in the book is Tripp. Tripp is the main character’s (Colton’s) love interest. What I like about Tripp is he reverses the closeted, jock cliché. Tripp is a jock, yet is confident with his sexuality, whereas the opposite is true for Colton.
Anything else you might want to add?
LOVE ME, PLEASEis a book that deals with serious subjects and is definitely the literary equivalent of a gritty Netflix/cable drama. But I always offer readers hope by having a happy ending. I’m not really a fan of unhappy endings for the sake of realism. If people want realism, they can watch the news.
BLURB:
Colton should be like every other seventeen-year-old, hanging out with friends, procrastinating on homework, and dreaming about which colleges he should apply to, but Colton’s focus when he gets home every day is on how violent his alcoholic mother will be. Will he be her ashtray again or worse?
Tripp has the perfect life – handsome, from a wealthy family, and is the football player everyone wants to date. Tripp just wants to date one person – Colton, but he can’t seem to break through that tough exterior and get Colton to trust him.
A friend’s party opens the door for both to potentially get what they want, but it’s that same party ends with Colton’s best friend dead. Caught between wanting to finally find happiness with Tripp and discovering what happened to Declan, Colton discovers that he isn’t the only one who’s kept secrets. How well did he really know Declan and can he trust Tripp enough to let himself believe he’s worthy of being loved?
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EXCERPT:
The door creaked. A guy with spiked hair stood by the bedroom’s entrance.
“Sorry. Thought this was the bathroom.” Tripp tugged at the sides of his varsity jacket.
“No worries,” I mumbled.
Tripp furrowed an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”
“I’m fine.” I grabbed my Margarita, then chugged the rest of it. The tequila’s distinct taste burned my throat while I licked my lips, savoring the sweet and lime flavors. I squashed my cup, letting it fall onto the ground.
Tripp’s jaw twitched. “You don’t seem fine.”
“The bathroom is down the hall.” I shuffled towards the bed before sitting on it.
The door clinked after Tripp locked it. He joined me on the bed.
Tripp chuckled. “Something happen?”
I looked away. “It’s a long story.”
“I’m a good listener.”
“Thanks.”
Tripp placed his hands on his lap. “We lost the football game, and I’m still in a good mood. So, I’m sure your problem can’t be that bad.”
Most people might have been pissed at Tripp for making an assumption if they were me. But I wasn’t. Tripp was taking an interest in my life, and that was more than could be said for most people.
Tripp met my gaze. “I promise I won’t judge.”
“I believe you.”
“This is the most we’ve ever talked.”
“So?”
“I just meant you never speak up in class.”
“I don’t have anything important to say,” I said.
He winked. “You’re wrong.”
“Huh?”
“The quiet ones are the most insightful people.” He patted my shoulder.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Chris Bedell's previous publishing credits include Thought Catalog, Entropy Magazine, Chicago Literati, and Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, among others. His 2019 books include his NA Thriller BURNING BRIDGES (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Paranormal Romance DEATHLY DESIRES (Deep Hearts YA), and YA Thriller COUSIN DEAREST (BLKDOG Publishing). In addition to his YA Thriller BETWEEN LOVE AND MURDER, his 2020 books include his YA Contemporary I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN (Deep Hearts YA), YA Thriller THE FABULIST (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Thriller I KNOW WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED (BLKDOG Publishing), and YA SciFi DYING BEFORE LIVING (Deep Hearts YA). Besides his YA Thriller LOVE HIM/HATE HIM, Chris’s 2021 books include his YA Fantasy CROSSING DESIRES (Spectrum Books) and rerelease of his YA Fantasy IN THE NAME OF MAGIC from JMS Books. Furthermore, Chris graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016.
Social Media Links:
Twitter: @ChrisBedell
Instagram: @CJohnBedell
Author's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Bedell/e/B086JMTWRY/
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:
Chris Bedell will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeletethere are very few books in this genre - a good read..
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Angel's blog. I hope you have a great tour. Allana Angel
ReplyDeletenice excerpt
ReplyDeleteThese were great questions, thanks for sharing the interview
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt and giveaway. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDelete