I am excited to have my friend, Lexi Ander, back on the Book blog today. I asked her what inspired her to write this story. Here's what she had to say:
I think everybody
knows what inspired Sumeria's Sons as a whole. But for this particular
installment of the series, what inspired it was reader comments on other mpreg
stories. When I finally wrapped my head around the fact that Tristan would be
pregnant regardless of what I wanted, I sat down and asked myself what I liked
to read when it came to mpreg? What did I want to see? What did other readers
want? Then I read a slew of reviews for other mpreg books to see what was
expressed.
The easiest answer to
the question was people wanted to see the baby being born. Most of the time,
the "birth" took place off page. Sometimes the whole pregnancy took
place off page, and at times that was understandable because the dude would
become pregnant and there wasn't an explanation of how that would really work.
Stories like that gave the impression the baby would come out the same way the
seed was planted, which really, no one wants to see. Off the top of my head,
the two best mpreg stories that I've read that had plausible on page births was
Tymber Dalton's Acquainted With the Night
and Eresse's Sacred Fate. Both of
them are very different but didn't shy away from the how from start to finish.
In Songs of the Earth and Dreams of the Forgotten, the why Tristan
had to become pregnant and then how of the pregnancy would progress was
established. With Surrounded by Crimson
the actual birth is shown. Is this the only thing that happens in the book? No, it isn't. The birth is interwoven with the
overall plot, so don't expect the babe to be born and then set off to the side
to continue on with the Tristan and Ushna's dilemmas. The infant won't
disappear to be trotted out at the end for the happy family picture. The wee
one has a part to play in the rest of the series and has a surprise or two of
his/her own.
Thank you for
stopping by and reading. I wish you good luck in the giveaway!
Blurb:
Tristan has
agreed to bond with Ushna but there is still much to do and returning to Tribe
Enkidu puts everyone on edge. Tristan is being stalked like prey all the while
fighting depression as he mourns the loss of Nikita and enduring a battle of
wills with the Elder Council over his birthright. The pleading of his adoptive
daughter only adds still more stress to the situation.
Stumbling onto a
secret prison while searching for Ushna leads Tristan to risk everything to
free a lost God. But breaking the tie to his Flame has more repercussions than
Tristan knew and the assistance of a forgotten Goddess and a centuries old
lover may not be enough to save him.
Pages or Words: 48,000 words
Categories: M/M Romance, Menage/Poly,
Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Excerpt:
Ushna was out of the car and greeting his parents
before I unbuckled the seatbelt. Hami wasn't as tall as his son but he was
wide, very wide, barrel-chested with a set of deltoids on him the size of small
children. His dark hair was cut above the ears and I'd never seen the man
without at least three days growth of facial hair. It looked good on him. That
kind of scruff made me resemble a bum.
Donya was tall and lean, one of those women who had
a natural sway when she walked. Her blue-black hair fell to her waist in thick
glossy waves. Her skin was a deep almond, darker than her husband's or son's,
and her bright, emerald-green eyes were large and expressive.
They both greeted Ushna with festive exuberance, and
why not? I'd kept him away from them for a very long time. I observed them for
a moment over the hood of the SUV. Hami picked his son up in a bear hug,
laughing loud and boisterous. Donya took his face between her palms as she
gazed deeply into his bi-colored eyes—eyes that were forever changed by me. At that
thought, I wondered how they truly perceived me. My stomach rolled with
anxiety-induced queasiness.
With all the grace of someone my size, I made my way
into the house, leaving Ushna to his family reunion. I had hoped we wouldn't
see them until after the children were born. I'd entered the home stretch of my
pregnancy. Even with the ring of illusion, I had a hard time hiding my
condition. Early in my pregnancy, Gregori had fashioned a ring of magic,
creating the illusion that hid my continually growing stomach and constructed a
normal appearance.
A pregnant male wasn't something we wanted to
explain to humans. With the looming threat of assassination, if my identity was
discovered, we thought it best to continue to keep my birthright a secret until
after the children were born. So I'd continue to wear the illusion even though
the ring wasn't much help now. The giveaway was in the walk and the way I
stood. People could see there was something different by how I held my body and
it couldn't be helped. I was able to hurry, in spurts, and then I lumbered like
an elephant—very National Geographic.
Neesie followed me into the kitchen. She was dressed
differently than what I'd become accustomed to. Gone were the combat boots,
black jeans, and white tees. She wore a pale blue silk blouse, a pinstriped
pencil skirt, and knee-high black stiletto boots. She appeared fierce in a
whole new way.
"Why didn't you wait and greet Ushna's
parents?" she asked.
With a plate in hand, I inspected the cold cuts tray
that sat on the kitchen counter. I was starved and wanted something quick to
eat before everyone came in. When I didn't answer Neesie, she took the plate
from me and started placing fresh vegetables on it.
"I thought I'd give them some time to catch
up," I finally replied. It wasn't a complete lie. "They haven't had
their son to themselves in quite some time. They don't need me hanging out in
the background."
Neesie pinned me with her golden-brown gaze.
"That is such bullshit and you know it. What's the real issue?"
I quirked a smile at her. "You know I love
ya?"
"Yes, and you're the one who called me for
dating advice because you suck at subtle. Your 'hey moron, get your hands off my sister' ranked right up
there."
"I can't help it if Mr. Octopus Arms was oblivious
to his audience."
"Go ahead and keep playing that song because I
know you still refer to him as Lonnie Fucking-Fowler. Before you walked into
the house, your face turned green and you practically sprinted in here."
"Ahh, stampede!" I gave mock crowd
screams. Neesie was not impressed.
"Spill, jackass." She shoved a full plate
into my hands and a chair under my ass. Neesie glared at me but her expression
was filled with concern.
"Fine, you tyrant. I wanted to make a good
impression. I wanted to be able to show them that I am a strong partner and
worthy of their son's love and devotion. But right now I'm huge, and miserable,
and swollen, and hungry. Why did you give me carrots? You know I hate carrots.
You're trying to torture me, aren't you? I'm an elephant, not a rabbit. I get
like peanuts or something, not Bugs Bunny hand-me-downs." I threw the
carrot at my cackling sister. The woman was not remorseful.
"Tristan."
I threw another carrot at Neesie before turning to
see who called for me. I swallowed a curse as I faced Donya. She stood in the
doorway, her large green eyes soft and liquid as she searched my expression.
"Ma'am?" Embarrassingly, my voice cracked
like I was fourteen years old.
"How can we not be proud of you, son?"
Donya crossed the room in a smooth glide and gently took me in her arms.
"We've always been proud of you, Tristan, don't ever believe
differently." Tentatively I embraced her in return and ignored Neesie's
sniffles.
Sales
Links: http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_bookx_info&cPath=116&products_id=922
About the
author:
Lexi has always
been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s
romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she
knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note
book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved
to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the
Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum
cleaners.
Where to find the author:
Web site: http://www.lexiander.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexi.ander.9
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LexiAnder1
E-mail: lexi.ander.author@gmail.com
Goodreads
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6521302.Lexi_Ander
Cover
Artist: Londen
Burden
Tour Dates & Stops:
27-Jul
28-Jul
29-Jul
30-Jul
31-Jul
3-Aug
4-Aug
5-Aug
6-Aug
Rafflecopter Prize:
1.
Prize offered:
$20 Amazon Gift card, $20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Surrounded by
Crimson, swag (pens, bookmarks)
2.
$20 All Romance
Gift card, hard copy of Surrounded by Crimson, swag (pens, bookmarks)
3.
hard copy of
Surrounded by Crimson, swag (pens, bookmarks)
4.
e-book copy of
Surrounded by Crimson
5.
e-book copy of
Surrounded by Crimson
Thank you for hosting me!
ReplyDelete