Bonus Blog: The Male Male Mystique Author Interviews Edition

I love being able to go to the source for answers to my questions. And in this case, those sources are three incredible authors who write Male/Male (MM) romance novels. Here is a selection of responses from April Wilson (AW), Samantha A. Cole (SC), and A.M. Johnson (AM). Clicking on their names will bring you directly to their Amazon author pages. I’m also including some of my thoughts regarding their responses- these are within the **….** . Enjoy!

Q1: What was your inspiration to write MM romance novels?

AW: I was inspired to write my first MM romance novel when one of the male characters (Cooper) in my long-running protector romance series [McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series] refused to pair up with a female partner. I had a female love interest in mind for Cooper, but he wasn’t cooperating. Then Cooper told me that he was interested in Sam, one of my male secondary characters in that series. I put those two together in my head, and the result was explosive. So, I gave them their own novel, RUINED, and these characters have become fan favorites. I’m currently working on another novel for them. And since then, I have started a spin-off series about an older gay Chicago homicide detective and his younger male love interest.

** I love the way April always listens to her characters. It would be so easy to force a relationship, but that probably wouldn’t feel authentic for the author or the reader.**

SC: The first MM novel I ever read was by Suzanne Brockmann. Jules and Robin got their HEA in her Troubleshooters series. Jules had been in several books and was an openly gay FBI agent. Like many of Ms. Brockmann's readers, Jules grew on me, and I wanted him to get a story. When he finally did, it didn't take me long to get into the intimate scenes between two men because they were freaking hot together! I've read numerous MM stories since then, and when my character Jake Donovan told me he was gay, I was all for it. I knew I had an opportunity to follow Ms. Brockmann's lead and give my readers enough breadcrumbs about Jake, that even if they'd never read an MM romance before, they'd be so drawn to him and willing to take a chance on reading his story. Many of my readers have told me I popped their MM cherry with Topping the Alpha and now they love the genre.

**I can confirm, Jake is freaking hot! And his story is beautifully written. Again, I really applaud Samantha for listening to her characters. And the fact that Samantha is a reader of MM romance definitely lends itself to the authenticity of her writing as well.**

AJ: Originally, when I thought of Camden and Royal [Let There Be Light], I didn't look at them as MM per se. I was just writing a love story. But the publishing world revolves around tropes and such, so I labeled it accordingly. My hope is to write all spectrums of LGBTQ stories, not just MM. My inspiration derives from my own sexuality, as a half in half out of the closet (for personal reasons) bi/pan woman, I wanted to write something that sort of encapsulated my own experiences to some extent. I chose to write in the male perspective, because for some reason, which I explore in my own head a lot, I feel more comfortable writing men than women. That being said, I hope to write a FF novel this coming year. I have a feeling it will probably be one of my most difficult and personal books.

** I am absolutely in love with the idea that the love story for Camden and Royal developed before the characters and their orientations. I will definitely confirm this is an amazing love story.**

Q2: What kind of research did you do before writing your first book?

AW: I did a lot of research before writing my first MM romance novel. I had made an author friend on FB, who happened to be a gay man. I asked him if he’d read the rough draft for me and give me feedback/advice on it. He said he’d be happy to. It’s incredibly important to me that my gay romance novels feel authentic. I do have a lot of gay male readers now, and I want to do justice to their experiences. Fortunately, I’ve had incredibly positive feedback on my gay romances from gay male readers. Even some of my straight male readers have read and enjoyed my gay romances. To me, love is love. The heart wants what it wants. Period. It thrills me to know I succeeded in meeting my goal. I also read memoirs written by gay men, I view websites devoted to sexual education for gay men, etc… I learn everything I can to help me write the most authentic novels possible. I also read a number of gay romance novels to learn what the reader expectations are. Since writing four gay romances so far, with many more on the way, I have been fortunate to make friends with a number of gay men who read my books. They have also become a great source of information for me as they’ve been incredibly supportive and helpful.

SC: I read a lot of MM books before writing Topping the Alpha and also did read articles about writing MM sex scenes and how they differ from MF scenes. I ask some male friends some questions, but sometimes that can get a little embarrassing, so Google is my friend and I can delete my browser history afterward lol. There aren't any specific sites I go to, but I will go to several different urls that come up during a search and compare them to the info on other sites.

AJ: Research is very important to my process. Depending on the characters and what they do, my research varies. If I'm writing a nurse, very little research lol, vs let say a photographer. I know nothing about photography and would have to learn a lot. This is the same as location as well. I never want my work to feel dishonest. I also have sensitivity readers to ensure I am representing an accurate picture of the characters that I am writing if it is something out of my own experiences.

** I love that these authors actually did research! I have read a few books that had some pretty questionable information included (not related to MM romance at all, mostly military or medical) and I really had to wonder if the authors did any research at all. And if they did, what happened? Did they not trust the information? Or did it not fit what they wanted to say, so they just ignored it? Either way, it was a quick turn-off for me and I haven’t read those authors again. **

Q3: Do you continue to do research for each book?

AW: Yes, I continue to do as much research as possible for each gay romance I write. Each novel focuses on a different theme or aspect, so I’ll always need to expand my knowledge.

SC: Absolutely. In fact, at a recent online author conference, there was a roundtable headed by three male authors who were willing answer any and all questions the female attendees had about what guys experience before, during, and after sex. It was one of the best classes I've ever taken, and it was great to get three different male points of view.

AJ: I will research every time if it is required =)

** These authors are always learning so they can stay relevant, accurate, and in-tune with their subjects and audiences. And that’s really freaking awesome!**

Q4: Have you received any backlash for writing MM as a female author? If so, how did you respond?

AW: No, I’ve never received any backlash for writing gay romance. Quite the opposite—gay men have written to me to THANK me for writing my MM romances. They’ve told me I got it right, and that they were thrilled with my gay romances. And of course they’re asking for more books.

SC: Not really. There are a few diehard MM readers who are female who occasionally give bad reviews to female authors who are new to the genre, but I only received one or two of them, and I never respond to bad reviews. The majority of my readers who left reviews for Topping the Alpha loved it and that's all I can ask for.

** This says so much! Feedback is the best way to know you’re doing something right. And the right feedback is key, too. Being negative just to be negative is not helpful to anyone. But positive feedback can help a writer hone their craft, and give them the courage to keep writing.**

AJ: Yes. I have had people assume my sexuality, call me bi-phobic, which I think is kind of interesting as I'm bi myself, not that internalized homophobia doesn't exist, but it really frustrates me when people assume my sexuality because I am married to a man.

Unfortunately, the culture between writer and reader is that the Author isn't supposed to respond. I read reviews, messages and if they are negative I suffer in silence because that is just the way. I would hate for readers to think they are not allowed to voice an opinion even if it is a personal attack on me, it is not my place to police reviews, at least this is what we are told as authors. So I just grin and bear it. Sometimes I may post about it, never calling anyone out, but lately I have had to mention my sexuality publically a lot more, which is hard for me based on my personal life and not being fully out to some.

As a woman writer, though, it's important to understand that I will never know what it's like to be a gay man. I only know what it's like to be a queer woman, but I try my best to rep in the most honest and sincere way. But even as a queer woman, my experience is my own, and I can only add those pieces of myself and hope they resonate for the reader.

** WOW! There is so much to unpack here! But, ultimately, it all comes down to judgment. People are judgy, often about things they have minimal to no information about. And that’s not just hurtful, it’s dangerous. It’s difficult for an author to put themselves out there for their craft, but dealing with bigotry just compounds the judgement authors already feel. I wish it were more acceptable for authors to respond to reviews, messages, etc, but I understand the relevance and importance of taking the high road.**

Q5: How do you respond to people who criticize the concept of MM books in general?

AW: It’s very rare that I come across criticism of gay romance books. Maybe on three occasions in the past several years, someone has said they’d never read a book like that, that they don’t condone homosexuality. I don’t even respond to them—they don’t deserve a response. Love is love, regardless of the genders of the partners. The heart wants what it wants, and that’s beautiful.

SC: Nobody is forcing anyone to read an MM romance (or any other genre you're not into), so if it's not your cup of tea, just move on. I'm grateful for authors like Suzanne Brockmann who brought MM literary romance into the 21st century, and I'm glad I have the opportunity to write HEAs for my LGBTQ+ characters.

AJ: Honestly, I have not come across much of that. I have had readers quit my ARC team when I started writing more LGBTQ characters, stating they won’t read MM or gay romance at all, and to that I say, don't let the door hit you in the ass =)

** There it is, they don’t deserve a response. It’s so easy for readers to just move on and not say anything. And when someone does say something, I agree that ignoring it is probably the best course of action. **

Q6: What do you hope your readers take away from your MM books?

AW: I have two objectives in writing gay romance. 1) To give lovers of gay romance (primarily straight women and gay men) books that they’ll love. And 2) to open the hearts and minds of people who might have reservations or even biases against reading gay romance. I’ve lost track of how many women readers who have messaged me to say that one of my gay romances was the first they’d ever read, that they were shocked to discover how much they loved it, and that they now actually prefer to read gay romances over heterosexual romances. If I can open the hearts and minds of readers, I am thrilled. Interestingly, there is a rather large percentage of straight women readers who now read exclusively gay romance, and not heterosexual romance.

SC: Love is love, and it's nobody else's business who a person falls in love with. I hope my readers taking a chance on one of my MM books for the first time realizes that two men (or two women or a polyamory group) can have a romantic relationship just as much as a man and a woman can. When they fall in love, it's just as real. In my most recent MM book, Wistful in Wyoming, (co-authored by J.B. Havens), my out and proud lead character told his love interest that "Nobody writes my story, my happy ending, but me!" and that has become one of my favorite lines I've ever written because it's so true, not just for MM couples but for everyone.

AJ: That it doesn't matter the gender or the biology, that love is for everyone. Everyone deserves an HEA.

Thank you for inviting me to participate in this conversation about gay romance.

** Love is Love. That’s it. I am so grateful to April, Samantha, and A.M. for answering my questions, and for writing their books. They all contribute to the conversation. And that conversation is key! **