One of our favorite authors is here today to talk about her latest story, Against The Grain and its inspiration! Welcome, Charlie Cochet!
My Interview with Charlie Cochet
Q . What was the inspiration behind the story?
For Against the Grain, I knew early on in the series that Ash and Cael would be getting their own book. There was just too much going on under the surface between them to not fully delve into their growing romantic relationship. From book one it’s pretty obvious to everyone (except Ash) that there’s more between him and Cael than friendship.
Q. How would you characterize your book? Alternate universe, dystopian society, sci-fi, or all of them?
That’s a tough one since it has so many different elements. I would say the THIRDS series falls under any of these: Alternative Universe, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Sci-fi with romance.
Q. Do you like to read the genres you write in?
I love to read the genres I write in. I read pretty much all genres of M/M Romance, though admittedly not many zombie or horror romances. There’s always exceptions, but yeah, I read all kinds of genres.
Q. What sci-fi warrior / soldier comes to mind first when thinking about movies or novels you love?
Captain America is the first one who comes to mind. Who doesn’t love a sexy super-soldier with a heart of gold? I love his character, from the very beginning when we meet a lanky yet brave Steve Rogers who wants nothing more than to serve his country, who’s fighting for all the right reasons without fear, until after he’s transformed into super-soldier Captain America. I’m a big movie geek, and a fan of comic book movies. They’re filled with so many fantastic characters, backstories, humor and angst. Plus their worlds are just so much fun to lose yourself in.
I loved watching Sci-fi / Fantasy movies growing up. So many amazing movies at the time: Tron, Blade Runner, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Alien, Total Recall, Terminator to name a few. Then there was the fantasy like The Princess Bride, Legend, Labyrinth, Wizard of Oz, and The NeverEnding Story. They all stuck with me and I still love re-visiting all those amazing stories.
Q. What was the first book you remember that had a huge impact on you as a person and a writer, and it doesn’t have to be the same story.
I’ve read so many books over the years, I couldn’t pick just one. My library card was my most precious possession, and the day the book mobile was scheduled to come to school was the most exciting day of the week for me. As a teen, I devoured romance novels. I loved them. So it wasn’t surprising when I wrote my first romance novel in high school. I still have it. Originally it was written across several diaries then in the age of word processing and computers, I typed it all up. It underwent many, many revisions but it still sits on my hard drive, a reminder of where it all started.
Q. Characters or plot? Which came first?
Characters. My characters always come before the plot. When I get an idea for a story and I start developing the world and what the story’s going to be about, my characters always pop up before anything else. They’re what drive the plot and the story for me. I love creating characters.
Q. What’s next for Charlie Cochet?
Quite a bit! My schedule is pretty full on right now, so there’s plenty heading this way. On Aug 19th, I have Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts being released, which is a sweet romance novella that centers on a gruff Miami SWAT officer and his brownie-baking geeky neighbor determined to kill him with kindness and baked goods. On Aug 25th, Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy is released. It’s a fantastic anthology with an amazing lineup of authors. My story The Soldati Prince features a smart-mouthed barista who discovers he bears the mark of a sexy yet dangerous tiger-shifter king from another realm. At the end of October we have Between the Devil and the Pacific Blue, a haunting story of a detective/security guard and the mysterious hotel guest he’s drawn to. In December we have the fifth book in the North Pole City Tales series, Loving Blitz which follows best friends Cupid and Blitzen on their adventures from friendship to romance.
For more information on my current works in progress or upcoming releases, you can find it all here: http://www.charliecochet.com/work-in-progress/
Thank you all so much for having me, and a big thank to everyone who’s stopped by!
Title: Against the Grain (Thirds # 5) by Charlie Cochet
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Length: Novel, 216 pages
Release Date: August 3rd, 2015
Blurb:
As the fiercest Defense Agent at the THIRDS, Destructive Delta’s Ash Keeler is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered. But his hard-lined approach always yields results, evident by his recent infiltration of the Coalition. Thanks to Ash’s skills and the help of his team, they finally put an end to the murdering extremist group for good, though not before Ash takes a bullet to save teammate Cael Maddock. As a result, Ash’s secrets start to surface, and he can no longer ignore what’s in his heart.
Cael Maddock is no stranger to heartache. As a Recon Agent for Destructive Delta, he has successfully maneuvered through the urban jungle that is New York City, picking up his own scars along the way. Yet nothing he’s ever faced has been more of a challenge than the heart of Ash Keeler, his supposedly straight teammate. Being in love isn’t the only danger he and Ash face as wounds reopen and new secrets emerge, forcing them to question old loyalties.
At one point, Ash felt Cael’s leg pressed up against his, and it was ridiculous how happy the tiny gesture made him. If it was even a gesture. Ash swiftly put it off to being an accident, but then a little later, Cael reached over and wiped a thumb over the corner of Ash’s mouth, telling him he had a breadcrumb.
“You should have seen him,” Dex said with a laugh. “He looked so adorable with his cheetah fuzz shaped into spikes, from his head down to his back. Like a little spotted punk rocker.”
Maddock shook his head at Dex. “It took me two hours to wash all the hair spray off your brother’s fur.”
“We were pretending to be Guns N’ Roses,” Cael explained. “Dex was singing ‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ and I was backup sing—er, chirping.”
Ash laughed and playfully bumped Cael’s shoulder. “I’m going to have to agree with Dex. That’s adorable.” Even in his Therian form, Ash thought Cael was the sweetest thing he’d ever laid eyes on. Cael could be in his Therian form among thousands of cheetahs, and Ash would be able to point him out. His little gestures, the heart shape of his nose, or the way he chirped away, as if anyone not in their Therian form might understand him if he tried hard enough.
Dex grabbed Sloane’s arm. “Tell me you recorded that. Doesn’t matter. I have witnesses.” Dex stood and motioned to all of them. “Witnesses! You all heard it. Ash said he agrees with me.”
“Oh, good Lord. We’re never going to hear the end of this,” Maddock sighed, getting up to clear the dishes.
“Do you realize how epic this moment is?” Dex said, helping clear up.
“It’s not really that epic,” Maddock replied.
Dex let out an exaggerated gasp. “Where have you been living? Ash Keeler has agreed with something I, Dexter J. Daley, has said.”
“About your brother being adorable. Not exactly earthshattering. He’s thought that since they met.”
The table fell into silence as they all gaped at Maddock. Well, this was news to Ash. What the hell? Seeming to notice the quiet, or more likely the lack of Dex talking, Maddock looked up.
“What are you, fish? Close your mouths.”
Four mouths promptly closed.
“It’s not rocket science. I’ve known that boy since he joined, and he’s threatened every agent he’s ever met with kicking their ass. Except for Cael.”
Hard to argue with that. It was the truth.
Dex frowned at Ash. “You threatened to kick Hobbs’s ass?”
Ash nodded. “Yep.” Was it his first week of being on the job? He was pretty sure it was the first week.
“Dude, that’s not cool. Hobbs is awesome.”
“He can also be a pain in the ass. Plus when we first met, I didn’t know he had selective mutism. I asked him a question, and he wouldn’t answer me. He’d whisper to Calvin, who’d answer for him. I got pissed off and told him if he didn’t tell me himself, I’d kick his ass.” Ash had never met a tiger Therian as big and insecure as Hobbs. The whole encounter had left him confused. Here was their new demolitions expert, and he couldn’t talk. How the fuck was he going to communicate with his team? Ash wasn’t proud to admit he’d had a shit fit. He understood the THIRDS was about equality and representation when it came to hiring, but he had been genuinely concerned about the safety of his team. Not long after, Ash had seen how wrong he’d been about Hobbs. Not that he’d admitted it.
Dex let out a sound of disgust. “Dude, not cool.”
“I said I didn’t know. I apologized afterward, and that’s saying something.”
Ash got up to help clear the dishes, with Dex going on about how he should really think about using some of those scented candles Rosa had gifted him. Ash proceeded to flip him off.
When Cael stood to help, Ash put a hand to his shoulder.
“Relax, I’ve got this.”
He gave Cael a wink and walked the dirty dishes to the kitchen with Dex yammering on behind him. The guy was like a fucking mosquito buzzing in your ear and trying to suck the life out of you. Ash placed the dishes in the dishwasher, giving grunts and one-word replies. He grabbed the dishes from Dex and put those in as well. He wished he could stick Dex in there. Finally someone up there decided to give him a break, and Dex left the kitchen, singing some stupid song about a lion sleeping tonight or something.
Ash frowned at Maddock. “Does he never shut up? How the hell did you live with this for so long?”
“It’s called patience,” Maddock replied. “Not exactly your forte.”
“Oh, I can be patient. That’s not what’s required when dealing with your oldest. I’d say sedative is more the word you were looking for.”
Maddock laughed. “Just get in there, Keeler.”
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Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!
Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
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Winner’s Prize: Against the Grain Swag Pack and $10 Amazon Gift Card.
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