✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍
Lee Brazil’s In from the Cold Series – Pulp Friction 2014 Elemental Connections!
Lee Brazil stopped by today to talk about Pulp Friction, his series In from the Cold and writing. He also brought along a terrific contest for you all to enter. Look out for the details Lee has supplied towards the end of his guest blog. Good morning, Lee!
Good morning all! Thank you, Melanie, for letting me steal your blog for the day. *sips coffee* For those who don’t know me, I’m Lee Brazil, author of m/m Romance with Breathless Press, Evernight Publishing, Totally Bound and Pulp Friction. It’s Pulp Friction that brings me here today. I’m getting ready to start working on my fifth In From the Cold book of the year, the final single title in the series.
So I thought I’d take a short break and begged Melanie to let me do a giveaway on her blog. She very kindly said yes, and then I realized…That meant I’d have to write a blog post of some sort to go along with the giveaway. Instantly, every idea deserted me. I could almost see the little buggers out the corner of my eye, like will-o-th’-wisps vanishing in droves, sparks dying out and leaving me in darkness, wondering why I do this to myself.
Then a review caught my eye…and reminded me of something. In the Out in the Cold series, Finn has always fancied himself as something of a Prince Charming, a knight in shining armor out to save the downtrodden and rescue the prince. And I thought, what about you?
What did you always want to be? What did you picture yourself as when you were ten?
That’s a kind of complicated question, because I wasn’t very steadfast at the time. I’d watch a great movie and picture myself as a character in it…Say Star Wars. I’m pretty sure that Finn would have been Luke Sky walker. Other people would choose Han Solo. I’m pretty sure that some even wanted to be Darth Vader.
Me? I wanted to be Obi Wan Kenobi.
Watch Star Trek, and people were clamoring to be Kirk, Spock, McCoy even. Not I. Hero of the galaxy? Saving the universe from Klingon oppression through sheer bravado, courage or heart? (Did you ever notice the similarities between Star Trek and the Wizard of Oz? But that’s a different post) I had a slew of favorites from Star Trek…but if you made me choose, and I could be only one? I wanted to be Scotty. Screw the universe, save my ship!
So as an adult, I have been several things. I was a student for what seemed like forever, at the whim of red tape and bureaucracy. I worked retail, and fast food, and even did a stint as a phone operator updating directories. Then I was a teacher, and I learned that Obi Wan hid a lot of his real feelings from us. Teaching is a grand profession, and it was full of moments of sheer exhilaration and joy. BUT… It is also one of THE most frustrating and wearing of professions. So yes, I did sort of fulfill my childhood ambitions to teach, but after fifteen years I retired, somewhat dis-spirited.
Today? I write. I have a hard time sometimes curbing the instinct to “teach” – i.e. write blogs on correct grammar and word usage etc. But I enjoy writing immensely and I think that I wouldn’t have made it here without that fifteen year stop in America’s classrooms.
As for Scotty? Well, my ship is a hundred year old farmhouse and sometimes it seems like keeping it standing is a full time labor of love.
What about you? Who did you think you would be when you grew up?
Leave me a comment here and tell me what you wanted to be when you were ten, and you’ll be entered to win a random drawing for a $10 ARE gift card.
*Contest begins Friday Aug. 15th and ends Friday August 22. One entry per person, winner selected by random number designation and notified via email. (Must provide valid email with comment). Winner will be selected Saturday-Sunday Aug. 23/24 and notified/announced Monday Aug. 25th.
✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎✎
Author Name: Lee Brazil
Author Bio:
Somewhere in a small town in up-state New York are a librarian and a second grade teacher to whom I owe my life. That might be a touch dramatic, but it’s nevertheless one hundred percent true.
Because they taught me the joy of reading, of escaping into worlds crafted of words.
Have you ever been nine years old and sure of nothing so much as that you don’t belong? Looked at the world from behind glasses, and wondered why you don’t fit?
Then turn the page and see… there you are, running from Injun Joe in a dark graveyard; there you are fencing with Athos; there you are…beneath the deep blue sea- marveling at exotic creatures with Captain Nemo.
I found myself between the pages of books, and that is why I write now, it’s why I taught English and literature for so many years, and it’s why my house contains more pounds of books than furniture.
If I’d had my way, I’d have been a fencer…or a starship captain, or a lawyer, or a detective solving crimes. But instead, I am a writer, and that’s the best thing in the world to be if you ask me, because as a writer, I can be all those things and more.
If I hadn’t learned to value the stories between the pages, who knows what would have happened? Certainly not college…teaching…or writing.
- Twitter: @leebrazil
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Author Page
Blog: Lee’s Musings
Facebook
Great Blog! Why of course at 10 my sights were set on geology (the study of dirt).
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s awesome! And…made me laugh. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
When I was 10, I wanted to be Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica – the original. I even had the boots (or a close approximation).
Thanks for the fun post and giveaway.
jen.f {at} mac {dot} com
LikeLiked by 1 person
Starbuck! I had a huge crush on Dirk Benedict and was incredibly disappointed that in the new version Starbuck was female. Though, she is a very bad-ass representation of the character. Thans for stopping by.
LikeLike
I wanted to be a gymnast and be in the Olympics 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice! I hope you chased that dream 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
When I was 10 I wanted to be a nurse. Didn’t happen. I want to win the gift card so I can buy some Lee Brazil books!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’d have been an awesome nurse! Thanks for coming by!
LikeLike
It is funny what aspirations and dreams we have as children and sometimes reality of the dream job is not quite what we expected. I know I loved reading and was totally fascinated by ancient history and by friend’s father adventures as an archaeologist. It was the time of Indiana Jones, but he said it was nothing like that in reality, but he did take me to a few digs in the UK and I was totally fascinated by the things that were found.
So my dream was to an archaeologist/historian, write books and have a beautiful library to store all my books in. I practically lived in every library of the schools I went to and at college and also ended working in a college library. I actually ended up teaching instead, but like you I became dispirited and have recently had a bit of a career change although I still dream about writing and I still love history.
Thank you for an interesting post and for a chance to win an ARE voucher 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yeah! Archaeology is a fascinating field- so much breadth. I hope you are enjoying your current career. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
Apologies, I left out an important detail: slholland 30 (at) outlook (dot) com
LikeLike
Well let’s see…at ten I wanted to be nine. I was having so much fun as a kid I never wanted to grow up. At ten I wanted to be a famous singer in a band with my best friend Ronald and tour the world in the coolest tour bus imaginable. We were dreamers and just thought we could sing…ha
Instead I became a ER trauma nurse….go figure.
Thanks for the blog…I plan to start the series.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rock stars? That would be awfully cool. I’ve always known I couldn’t sing, which is a damned shame because I do love music. And having spent enough time in ER rooms over the years, I have the utmost respect for the people who staff them. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
At 10… I was convinced I was going to have a horse ranch and ride all day. Apparently I wanted to be a cowboy without the cows…
Thanks for the giveaway. I really enjoyed the post and the comments!
MHupp20032003(at) yahoo(dot)com
LikeLiked by 1 person
Super secret fact? I’m afraid of cows (A story for another day) I’d prefer the ranch to be all horses, too. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
I always loved animals and wanted to work in a zoo. That never really happened so I have a zoo of animals at home 🙂 I really enjoyed Pulp Friction 2013 and looking forward to reading the 2014 series. I’m kinda waiting for them all to come out and read them all at once.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Zoo keeper? That’s awesome! What kind of animals do you have? To my surprise, I find myself currently parenting four bunnies, two cats, three dogs, and three turtles. *blinks* Yeah I think that covers them all. Our family keeps growing. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
When I was ten I wanted to be a doctor….no I’m trying for a nurse instead 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hear the program is rigorous. However, the rewards of working with people and making genuine differences in their lives? Priceless. Good luck with your goal! Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
I probably wanted to be grownup, lol. I honestly don’t remember that far back ^_^
LikeLiked by 1 person
And now that you’re a grownup? I know I still have times where I’d rather be a kid! Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
And now that I’m a grownup, I wish I was twenty years younger, lol.
penumbrareads [at] gmail [dot] com
LikeLike
Hi Lee. I wanted to be Wonder Woman when I grew up. Honestly, there’s still a part of me that secretly harbors that ambition today. Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
LaQuette, so did my daughter! We both love Wonder Woman today. How can you not?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh do not give up the dream! Invisible planes and the lasso of truth? Those are powerful tools 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
When I was 10 I was a pretty dorky kid because I wanted to be an accountant. Now 40 years later I have been an accountant for 28 years now.
LikeLike
That’s Awesome! I hope you still enjoy it 🙂 Thanks for dropping by.
LikeLike
When I was 10 I wanted to be an archaeologist. I even got teased in a summer job during college of dressing like Indiana Jones w/o the hat.
LikeLike
Did you get to carry the whip? I’d have loved to be an archeologist. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
Wow! My daughter is 10 and she really is adamant on becoming a veterinarian. So, I should remember what I wanted to be, right?! Well, I do remember I was insistent on wanting 6 kids “when I grew up” 🙂 Let’s say that changed when I had my amazing one and only! But as for a career, I can only remember wanting to be a stay-at-home mommy with my six kiddos!. Nowadays, that’s not so easy to accomplish! Thanks for letting us know about Lee Brazil and his novels 🙂
LikeLike
That’s an awesome career choice. My mom had 9 kids. I’m positive she worked harder than anyone I’ve ever met. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
I honestly can’t remember what I wanted to be at age ten. But I do know that a couple years later I wanted to be Sailor Moon. XD
blackasphodel(at)yahoo(dot)com
LikeLike
I had to Google that. I thought it might be some sort of Navy astronaut program. But its much cooler lol. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
At 10 I wanted to be an archaeologist. Currently I’m working towards a degree that will let me work in a museum. I figure that’s close enough. :O)
luminousblade@yahoo.com
LikeLike
I’m afraid that if I worked in a museum I’d spend all day daydreaming! Good luck to you. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
When I was ten I wanted a job that would let me have a pony.
LikeLike
When I was ten, I wanted to be a veterinarian. And then I was in religion class and was told girls can’t be Catholic priests. I then declared I was going to become the first female Pope.
LikeLike
At that age I idolized my mother’s job as a nurse, so I wanted to be a nurse. I figured out I could handle neither the emotions, nor the icky fluids/smells.
LikeLike
I wanted to be a ballerina because I knew a class mate that took ballet lessons.
LikeLike