HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! It may not be mother’s day everywhere but still I want to wish all mother’s everywhere, even if you are male, or your children are furry or slithery I wish you a wonderful day.
This month I and several of my author friends are getting together to offer moving stories, tips for coping with this pandemic, recipes or crafts, and a huge giveaway so read to the end to see the fabulous prizes and how to enter! This week’s guest is Louisa Mae, with a touching story of loss, a broken mug and be sure to read the excerpt of her book…(Hands you a tissue). Hi Louisa!
Louisa: The love of a mother for her children is something so strong and powerful, nothing can break it, or her and she will fight to protect her children.
I found this out the hard way when, at the tender age of twelve, my dad died. He was more than a person, he was a dad, husband, brother, son, uncle, cousin, friend to so many. How my mum faced knowing her soulmate was dying while keeping things “normal” for myself and my brother still astounds me.
For both of them family was everything.
How she bore the burden and knowledge he wouldn’t be coming out of hospital on that final admittance is beyond me, but we were shielded from the truth. Was this right, or wrong? I don’t know. Even now after 35 years I still don’t have the answer.
I admire her courage, determination, strength and resilience. Widowed with two children she carried on, everything was handled her way, with a sense of “this needs to be done” some people might not fully understood.
The day I found out my dad died, we’d had people round, I remember carrying a tray full of empty mugs into the kitchen when it fell, sending mugs to the floor, the only one smashed? My dad’s. His ugly brown mug was smashed. I was distraught. When I showed my mum, her response which stayed with me, was total common-sense. “It’s only a mug.” For me it was more, it was a tangible part of him, something that remained even though he was gone. Mum wasn’t being mean, or cruel. It was just the way she dealt with, a no-nonsense approach. Although in later years I suspect she felt it as much as I did, choosing to deal with it later.
The reason I’m sharing is I took this personal memory and wove it into my book Destined to Fall. Josh’s boyfriend, Simon is murdered, and Simon’s mug is accidentally dropped and smashed. The resulting response and Josh’s reaction says it all for me, and I cried writing the words. It brought it all back.
My mum is one of the strongest women I know, she endured so much and still stood tall, not letting the world break her. I have a lot to thank her for. It may not be Mother’s Day in the UK, but I’d still like to thank her for making me the woman I am today. Strong, fearless, proud.
Thank you mum.
Destined to Fall
Louisa Mae
Cover designer: Jay Aheer – Simply Defined Art
Publisher Self Published
Genre/heat: MM Romance/Heat moderate
There are parts of our lives which are predestined, and no matter how hard we try, we can’t change what will happen — what must happen. Andrew Manners understood that better than most, but it didn’t change how he felt about his past or his desire to change it.
Even angels have regrets, and after living two mortal lifetimes in his angelic form, and with countless other years ahead, he would give it all up to be with the man he’d loved and lost for just one short lifetime together.
“Everything has a price. Every journey has an end.”
The price Andrew paid when his journey ended was immortality. A gift, some would say. A curse, others would whisper.
He’s walked the earth for almost one hundred years, putting aside all selfish needs while caring and offering comfort to others. When he finds a dying man on the streets of London, he’s unprepared for how it will change his life.
“I never knew how my life could change in such a short space of time, or how one decision would affect the outcome in such a monumental way.”
Josh is inconsolable after losing his partner, and as Andrew guides the grief-stricken man through his pain, he’s forced to recall his own mortal life and the lover he left behind. Looking back allows him to see what he could find with Josh, but such a strong bond shouldn’t exist between a mortal and an angel, and Andrew struggles with the demands of his angelic duties and what his heart needs.
“I found out it was possible to love, and be loved in return, only to face losing it all.”
Knowing a relationship can only bring them both heartache, and unable to explain his angelic form, Andrew believes he will spend an eternity mourning what could have been.
“The true measure of love is what you’re willing to give up for it.”
With the terrifying prospect of living forever without the man he loves weighing heavily on his soul, Andrew seeks out a different path, one which could lead him into the hands of the demonic creatures which now hide in the shadows around him, or lead him into the arms of his soulmate. The risks are great. Andrew’s very soul is in danger. But what good is a soul without its mate?
Falling in love was easy. Falling for love would be the hard part.
Buy links: Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N22V61U
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N22V61U
Audible UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B087XBG1ZR
Excerpt/heat rating – totally PG
“Okay, do you need a hand to get him up?”
I shook my head. “Thank you, officer, you’ve shown true compassion.” I smiled at him before holding out my hand to shake his. Once we touched, I could feel how caring he was. It radiated from him. I turned my attention back to Josh, kneeling down before him.
“Josh, can you hear me? We need to get you home, okay?” He nodded, his eyes glazed over. I held out my hands to him, and with a shaky hold, he took them, allowing me to pull him to his feet. His body shuddered and he closed his eyes; it seemed the cold had taken hold of him. I wrapped my arm around him. “Where do you live?”
“Angel.” He uttered and I nodded to him, unsure if I’d heard him right. “You’d probably know Islington better, but the area called Angel. Always liked the sound of it.” He smiled. “So did Simon.” His voice wavered slightly.
“Okay then, Angel it is. Let’s grab a cab, if you’re okay with me taking you home?”
He nodded. “Yeah, for some reason I feel safe with you.” We walked a few steps before he spoke again. “It’s like you’re protecting me.” I was glad he couldn’t see the look of shock on my face as we made our way to the embankment where I flagged down a cab.
Arriving outside a large Victorian house, I was shocked when Josh opened the door and we stepped inside. I expected to find the property had been converted into flats, but it wasn’t, Josh shrugged off his jacket, depositing it on a coat stand before he turned to me. “Coffee?” I nodded, following him as he walked into the kitchen.
He moved around the open space, going through the motions rather like a robot. Once the coffee was made, he held out a mug to me, and I took it in my hand, but it slipped, crashing to the floor and smashing into what seemed like a million pieces.
“Sorry, it slipped from my hand. It’s only a mug. I’ll help clean it up.”
Moving toward him, I was stunned when he held up his hand to stop me. “Don’t. Just don’t, okay.”
His face drained of colour, and he grabbed the worktop to support himself. Immediately I knew something was wrong.
Anger flashed in his eyes and his cheeks flushed with colour. “Only a mug?” He snapped. “How fucking dare you.”
I was confused by the sudden outburst of anger coming from him given his previous catatonic state. “It was just a mug.”
He was suddenly right in front of me, his hands pushing my chest and I stepped backward.
“It wasn’t just a mug, don’t you see? It was his mug, it was Simon’s, and now it’s gone like him and I’ll never get either of them back.” He pushed me again. “You don’t know, you can’t understand what it’s like what I’m feeling.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” I muttered.
“No, you couldn’t as you’re nothing, no one. What are you still doing here?”
I didn’t rise to it, allowing him to let out his anger and frustration.
“I want you to leave.” His voice was like ice.
Bio
Born and bred in the vibrant city of Leeds in the North of the UK, I’ve always loved reading, and one of my fondest memories from childhood was the weekly visits to the library with my dad. It always seemed such a magical place to escape into through the books I read on a weekly basis.
I’d not really thought about writing in my adult life until I was introduced to the world of Fanfiction, and after reading so many, I found myself making friends through this new media. My friend, Lori, told me to have a go at writing one. That work took on a life of its own and opened my eyes to the possibilities. This allowed me to get used to plotting a story while making the characters my own. I also started to beta/pre-read for others and discovered that, much to my surprise, they valued my opinion and input.
Making the move to write M/M, or slash as it’s known, took me a little longer. After becoming good friends with a wonderful lady from Illinois called Angela who told me (repeatedly), “You should write slash, I think you’d be good at it.” I shied away from the idea for so long, but the seed was firmly sown in my mind and soon took root. I decided to write a short piece as a surprise gift for her birthday that year. Emailing it to her, given the time difference between the UK and US, this meant I was desperately waiting for her to see it and I think I heard her delighted scream.
In 2013, fate intervened and I lost my job. Through my new one, I met Nicole Colville, and the rest, as they say, is history. This marked the start of a beautiful friendship. She encouraged me to make the switch to writing original fiction, and I signed up to Nano Wri Mo 2013, but due to changing jobs I couldn’t commit the time needed. In 2014, I signed up again, and smashed the 50K word goal in 30 days with a story I love and am proud of.
I’ve been beta/pre-reading for Nicole for a while now and the confidence she inspires in me has been invaluable and a wonderful support when publishing my own work.
Stalker Links
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Backlist: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Louisa-Mae/e/B01GJ6MOQG
Coming soon: I have four short stories coming out in audible…. They are going through audio review at the moment so it’s more a watch this space until they decide to unleash them. Voyeur Vols I – IV
Now time for the giveaway! Louisa Mae is offering an ebook of Destined in the grand prize and an audio code of Destined to one lucky winner. There are two grand prizes and lots of individual ones! Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway