Posts Tagged ‘santino hassell’

Guest Post

Guest Post: The Dream Cast of HARD WIRED

Thanks for having us here at Ever After! We hope you enjoy this dream cast from the Cyberlove series. We focused on the main characters, some supporting characters who may get their own story one day, and Kai and Garrett from Strong Signal who have several cameos!

This series has been really visual for us because so much of it takes place online with people who have to share pictures or Skype because they don’t see each other in person. Also, Strong Signal and Hard Wired are very rooted in the idea of fandom culture. To celebrate that, we created Tumblr pages for both Kai and Ian (and his alter ego Cerise), but here are inspiration pictures of the entire cast!

 

The stars of Hard Wired:

Ian played by Miles McMillan

 

Jesse played by Alex Pettyfer

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Guest Post

Guest Post: “Magnetic Couples” by Santino Hassell

Some of my favorite couples are magnetic—drawn to each other despite being opposites. Ron and Hermione in Harry Potter, Simon and Alisha on Misfits, Han Solo and Princess Leia from Star Wars, and many more. These couples usually have the most interesting relationship dynamics, the funniest banter, and the best buildup of unresolved sexual tension.

I strove to hit those goals with my characters in the Five Boroughs and especially with Raymond and David, the main characters in Sunset Park and my upcoming novel Interborough. Interborough picks up a year after Sunset Park leaves off, and shows the boys working through problems that have arisen in their relationship due to the constant stress of external issues (work, money, family). My goal with Interborough was to show they could make it for the long run, but also to get more of those fan favorite Rayvid moments.

If you’ve forgotten their dynamics, or have never read these characters before, this is a highlight reel of Raymond and David being totally different people who just can’t stay away from each other.

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Exclusive Excerpt, Guest Post

Guest Post: “Sex Talk—Co-Writing Hot Scenes in Cyberlove” by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell

Santino Hassell and Megan Erickson are back! And not only have they brought us a hilarious behind-the-scenes look at the writing process, it’s also deliciously not safe for work. (Consider this a warning and a teaser!) That’s not enough? Well, hold the phone, because we’ve also got an excerpt of Fast Connection, out now!

A lot of people ask us how we co-write sex scenes. Is it fun? Awkward? Uncomfortable?

Well, let’s just say it’s a little bit of each but usually it’s hilarious (mostly because we are ridiculous). Over the past several months we amassed a list of amusing (to us) gems from our sex-related conversations, and we’re sharing it with you guys. Anyone looking over our shoulders were a little….taken aback but we know we can trust romance readers to get it. 😉

1.“So I got this really cool wall-mounting idea…”

 

S: This scene took place during one of the famous dirty Skype scenes in Strong Signal. That book was fun. Also, Megan said that to me at random one day. I’m pretty sure I just rolled with it and was all “tell me more!” By then, it was normal for us to pitch ideas out of the blue.

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Aural Pleasures

Aural Pleasures: The Soundtrack of Caleb’s Heart

It’s no secret that many authors are inspired by music. There are times when I’ve sat in the car while stuck in traffic and briefly focused on whatever song was playing only to be hit with an idea for a scene, plot, or character.

This happened to me with After Midnight (“I’m Mad” by The Deadweather), Stygian (“La Lugubre Gondola, No. 1”, composed by Liszt), and there have been several songs that struck a chord within me while I’ve worked on the Five Boroughs novels. “The Hills” by The Weeknd not only inspired me while writing First and First, but a character in a future novel as well.

First and First is the story of Caleb Stone—a thirty-six year old gay man with a life that’s envied by most. He was born into wealth, he’s a brilliant financial analyst, and lives in a gorgeous penthouse in the Financial District of Manhattan. To others, he has everything. However, Caleb’s point of view is very different. He doesn’t think he’s accomplished anything to be proud of. He’s repressed. And he’s afraid of never being loved.

The book is sexy (probably my most erotic romance to date), but it’s also very emotional. The songs in my First and First playlist reflect that. Below, you’ll find my top five Caleb songs and explanations as to why they’re so revealing about what’s in his heart.

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Q&A

Q&A: Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell of STRONG SIGNAL

Thanks for having us on Ever After! Strong Signal releases Monday, and it’s about a deployed soldier who strikes up an online relationship with a video game streamer. Readers had some questions about Strong Signal and the co-writing experience, so we compiled their questions to answer for a blog post.

How did you come up with the idea?

S: I think the original kernel of the idea came up months ago when we were discussing streamers and cam girls. I totally forgot why we were discussing this, but it led to us going on Twitch and watching a streamer named Kaceytron (who basically spends her entire stream lampooning the stereotype of ‘sexy gamer girl’, and silly dudebros not understanding that she is trolling them).

So I was like “Megan, you have to write a story about Kacey!”, and after a month or two it came up again and were both so excited about the notion that we decided to take the plunge and write it together as a gay romance. We couldn’t find any super popular openly gay streamers besides Sky Williams, so we thought that would be interesting to explore when coupled with the rampant homophobia and sexism in gaming, and the tendency for gay internet figures to be fetishized.

How did you think you might be a good fit to write together?

M: Well, we were fans of each other’s work before we became friends. So there was always a mutual respect for each other as writers. I think that’s the number one necessity for co-writing-respect. We first thought our personalities meshed well in regard to being pretty easy-going and not egotistical. And as far as the writing style… we just kinda went with it.

How did writing work? Were you each responsible for one character? And if that’s the case, how did dialogue work?

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Q&A

Q&A: Santino Hassell, Karen Stivali, and Damon Suede on Movies

Today we have the second round of our Q&A with Santino Hassell, Karen Stivali, and Damon Suede. They are all on tour together for their newest releases, Sunset Park, Moment of Silence, and Pent Up respectively! Enjoy their answers, and be sure and pick up their books today too!

What are your favorite movies with romance or romantic elements?

Karen’s movie picks:

For romantic NY movies:

Keeping The Faith: Friends to lovers, love triangle, family struggles, and a mind-blowingly accurate portrayal of my own experience where Jewish and Catholic families are involved, all set throughout the city as if the whole movie is a love letter to NY (which I’m guessing is exactly what director (and star) Edward Norton was going for with this film). I love it.

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Q&A

Q&A: Santino Hassell, Karen Stivali, and Damon Suede

Today we have a special treat for you with not one, not two, but three authors in a join Q&A!!! Santino Hassell, Karen Stivali, and Damon Suede are all on tour together for their newest releases, Sunset Park, Moment of Silence, and Pent Up respectively! Enjoy their answers, and check back next week or the second part of their interview! Be sure and pick up their books today too!

FIRST ROMANCE (AKA My First Time):

What was the first romance novel you read? What do you remember about it? What did you like most about it?

Karen: Something I stole from my grandmother who was a romance novel addict and brought 10 when she’d visit for a week. She later kept me in my addiction by always leaving her books for me. I don’t remember a lot of titles, just that there were a lot Danielle Steele books. I do remember snagging her copy of The Thorn Birds (but it wasn’t my first). I also remember my mother flipping through some of these books, horrified, and asking “WHY do they have to have so much SEX in them?” And my grandmother and I just looked at each other and laughed. I was a very mature 11 year old at the time. Didn’t matter. I’d read all the Judy Blume books and snuck in reads of my father’s copies of Portnoy’s Complaint and Fear Of Flying already, so I was prepared for all the sexy bits (which were usually my favorite parts). What I liked most about all of the books I read was watching the characters fall in love. That still fascinates me today and is a big part of why I write romance.

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Reviews, Books, Reviews

A Few Thoughts on Santino Hassell’s STYGIAN

I intended to write this piece as a straightforward, concise and informative review. Like normal people do. Honest. Alas, it morphed somewhat into a collection of distracted and disjointed musings on the book itself and my personal scattered reactions to it. Regardless of the end result, I’d like everyone to acknowledge that I started off with a plan, and the best of intentions. Sadly, the plan quickly went to hell, which coincidentally – as my gran would say – is paved with good intentions. Then usually a swift clip around the ear would follow.

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