WELL WE GOT THE TEA POURED AND READY TO GO (WELL FOR MIKE'S IT'S COFFEE, HE GOES NOWHERE WITHOUT IT!) SO LET'S JUMP INTO THE INTERVIEW SHALL WE:
Thanks for coming Audrey, we are so happy to finally have you on! Let's get right to the questions:
1.
You have gotten quite a few new readers in the last few months, what
is the one recurring comment you have heard from them about your
books?
Besides yelling
at me for making them cry (lol) readers often comment on how
emotionally “real” my characters are and that they don’t feel
‘fictional’ but like real family and friends, and that they feel
like they are right there with them, experiencing their pain, passion
and joy. Also, I receive a lot of compliments on the way I weave God
and His love and acceptance of gays throughout my stories.
Bec- Well I can
honestly see why they would say you made them cry, because you owe us
a lot of tissue money for sure! Your boys are very easy to love and
relate to for sure! We believe, as you do, that God doesn't hate
anyone for being who they are, or for being true to themselves.
2.
As a fan of you for a while, I have gotten a chance to see most of
your boys "grow up", who is the one that you think has
evolved the most, out of any of your series?
That’s
a tough one, as they’ve all grown in their own ways. I think as far
as growing to accept and love themselves for who they are and what
God created them to be – I would have to say Sam and Noble. When I
look at all my boys, I feel like these two started out the most
incapable of accepting themselves. Others have overcome greater
“obstacles” of the past, but as far as personal growth and coming
to believe they are worthy to be loved for who they are – Sam and
Noble stand out to me. Although, I might have to include Dane in
there. Coming to that place of self-forgiveness was a long and
difficult journey for him. It is really hard to say who has grown the
most, when each of their obstacles were different. I see how each of
them struggled and overcame. I am equally proud of all my boys.
Bec-
That is a valid point for sure! All of these boys go through so much
that at some point every one of them grows in some way and learns a
valuable lesson. Those three did have a lot of issues relating to
self to work out, and those are sometimes the hardest issues to deal
with!
3.
Your series are very long with quite a few books (thankfully), is
there a certain point you stop, or do you let the stories decide
that?
Well,
writing the Phoenix books as CJ Bishop, I am subject to the wishes of
my publisher. Had it been up to me and my boys – that series would
have continued…perhaps indefinitely. As far as the series under
A.M. Snead – I don’t “plan” for their finales. As long as the
boys are willing to go on, and the readers keep wanting more of their
stories, the series will continue. I fall in love with my boys rather
quickly and have no wish to ever let them go. Luckily, many of my
readers feel the same.
Bec-
Mike and I have talked about a petition and a revolt to get the
Phoenix Club series to continue, lol if we thought it would work, we
would be all over it! We can't wait to see what will happen with Jack
and the boys, and I know Pauls story in 'Necklace' is gonna kill us!!
So, no none of your fans ever want your series to end!
4.
You know who mine and Mike's favorites of all your boys are ( Lex for
me, Clint for Mike), which boy do you get people saying is their
favorite the most?
Nate
& Kyle (Lost In Love) often come in at the top of that list, and
I have to say they are very, very special to me as well. Of the
Phoenix boys…Cole & Gabe are huge favorites, also Max &
Horatio. But then Dane & Angel rank pretty high among many as
well as Abel & Devlin. It’s hard to narrow it down with all
those boys. I guess the only ones who lost out on the “favorites”
list was Caleb and Samuel – which, I won’t lie, kind of breaks my
heart. But maybe I was the one who failed them and didn’t make
their story as compelling as it deserved to be. I did try to
resurrect them in the Chronicles trilogy, place them back in the
spotlight…maybe that awarded them some love. I hope so.
Apart
from the “main” Phoenix boys, I would have to say Lex and Clint
took the spotlight.
Bec-
I love Caleb and Samuel, as I am sure a lot of your fans do, I can't
understand why they would be last, but maybe your are right, and
giving them more time in the Chronicles will make them stand out
more!
5.
Who would you say is the character that most resembles your
character?
This
is actually an easy one for me; Sam (Boy In The Shadows). I spent a
good portion of my life feeling insecure, and I am totally in sync
with Sam’s inability to believe that someone could simply love him
for who he was. And his compulsion to run from the things that hurt –
or might hurt him, finding it easier and safer to avoid all aspects
of romance and love, than to find out he was right all along and no
one would ever truly love him. Needless to say, writing Sam’s story
was an extremely rough journey for me. But of all my boys, he remains
my most direct “counterpart”.
Bec-
I know I and may other people struggle with insecurity, and until we
realize that we are made just the way God wants us to be, some will
continue to struggle. I think your books really help people with
that, at least they did for me!
6.
The Broken Necklace is becoming a favorite of your readers, how many
books do you see in that series right now? Any spinoffs in the works?
The
‘Necklace’ story is very special to me, as Lonny and Paul were my
very first “gay” boys. Their story started it all (the original
novella, that is). Once I decided to write their story into a full
novel, I envisioned a 3-volume trilogy under the series name “That
Which Was Lost”: The Brokenhearted Necklace (vol. 1) / The Evil
That Men Do (vol. 2 – Paul’s story) / Fire Of Forgiveness, Ashes
Of Love (vol. 3). I saw volume 3 as the final piece in which Lonny
reconciles with his dad, and Paul reconciles with multiple aspects
and people from his past (not his father – there is no redemption
for him). But even if those three main volumes do come about, I can
see writing more books about Paul and Lonny. As I mentioned earlier,
I hate to let go of my boys.
Bec-
I love that story as well, and Mike fell in love with it also, Paul
is gonna break our hearts I know! We can't wait for whatever comes
our way with that story, it is sure to be epic!!
7.
Boys Of Porn is a good example of how you take what is to most people
taboo, and showing the beautiful side of it, do you enjoy doing that?
I know we enjoy reading it!
I
do enjoy it. So many people just look at the “surface” of others’
lives, judge them by what they can see – or think they are seeing –
rather than acknowledging them as “real people” who deserve
respect and love, just like anyone else. For quite some time before I
ever seriously considered writing the BOP series, I wondered if it
would be possible to write about porn stars and successfully
represent them in a way that would cause readers to love and care for
them on an emotional level, and see them as people to love, cherish
and admire first and foremost – and the fact that they are porn
stars being a secondary, less ‘identifying’ aspect of who they
are. I hope that makes sense (lol). I think maybe the BOP series is
proving that it can be done. Yes, the boys are hot and sexy, and
their scenes are scorching – but for me anyway, that is merely a
‘bonus’. I love those boys for their ‘hearts’ and their
sincere love for one another…not simply for the cold showers they
inspire.
Bec-
Ahh but they do inspire those showers don't they! I love that these
boys represent family, and loyalty, and love while in an industry
that many see as dirty, and wrong. What people won't say, is that
those that yell about it the loudest have more than likely watched
it!
8.
Last one Audrey, if there was one message that you hope your readers
take away from your books what would it be?
Above all else –
that ALL love is beautiful and to be cherished, and that God is the
God of ALL love. No one has the right to tell someone who they can
love, or that they’re wrong for feeling the way they do. A line
from one of my favorite songs says: “Don’t tell me who to love,
don’t tell me who to kiss. Don’t tell me that there’s something
wrong because I feel like this. Don’t tell me ‘no’. Don’t
tell me who to love.” That is Ray Boltz’s song ‘Don’t Tell Me
Who To Love’. A man who all his life was a gospel singer, hiding
who he was, praying for God to ‘heal’ him from his same sex
attractions. He was 50 years old before he finally came out. His song
“God Knows I Tried” is – to a T – the story of Noble’s
struggle (Made To Be Broken).
I guess I want my
message to be tolerance and understanding and compassion for those
who are different than us. And for all the beautiful gay men and
women out there, young and old…more than anything I want them to
know that God does love them, that they are beautiful in His sight –
regardless of what so many of His own people preach. The bible says
that ‘God is Love’. No one but God Himself has the right to
decide who that love covers. What puzzles and troubles me the most is
why human beings find it so much easier – and alluring – to hate
and harm…than to love and cherish. I will never understand it.
Bec- Well I
couldn't have said that any better! Thank you so much for joining us
for the fireside chat Audrey! We are gonna have to get some of your
boys in here and interview them! I know that would be a whole lot of
fun! We love you lady!!
HA! TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE AWESOME!! BELOW ARE SOME LINKS SO YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THIS LOVELY LADY, AND GET TO KNOW HER AND HER WORK. WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED HER AMAZON SEARCH RESULTS PAGE FOR EAST ACCESS TO HER WORK.
DON'T FORGET TO JOIN US BACK HERE THIS AFTERNOON FOR A MULTI REVIEW POST OF SOME OF HER SHORT STORIES, THESE HAVE BEEN MAKING QUITE THE WAVES LATELY, AND WITH GOOD REASON!
NOW THAT YOU HAVE THESE LINKS, WE URGE YOU TO USE THEM! YOU WILL LOVE ALL OF AUDREY'S BOYS JUST LIKE WE DO! THANKS FOR COMING, SEE YOU BACK THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE SHORT STORY POST! CAN'T WAIT:
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