First of all, what is coming up for SJ Coles?

My next release, out 24th May 2022, is a Courtroom Drama M/M Romance called ‘The Devil You Know’. I’m extremely excited about this project and early reviews are promising. Criminal Defence Solicitor Hilary Whyte must defend a former schoolyard bully, Dom Gosford, on a double murder charge. Hilary is conflicted because, knowing Dom as he does, he can’t be sure his client is innocent.

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However, as the trial approaches, the two men find that their connection goes much deeper (of course!) than their shared past.

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It has drama, romance, a celebrity wedding, a juicy murder, all the good stuff. And, at almost 100K words, will be available as paperback as well as ebook from Amazon or from pride-publishing.com.

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How did you find your way to mm romance?

My journey started as an impressionable teenager and Anne Rice’s ‘The Vampire Chronicles’. They were the first books I read that explored romantic relationships between male characters. I was hooked from the start.

I’ve expanded my reading a lot since then, but always found a romantic storyline between male characters (human and otherwise!) both fulfilling and engaging. Getting the chance to write my own has been a dream come true.

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Who is your favourite own character?

This is a REALLY tough one, Kristian! Asking me to chose between my babies?

Gun to my head I think it would have to be Leo Hannah, the love interest in my FBI murder mystery drama ‘Straight To The Heart’. He’s cheeky, quirky and up-beat, despite his troubled past. He was great fun to write. His potty mouth in particular!

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Which other mm romance authors do you recommend?

Josh Lanyon was the first dedicated MM Romance writer I discovered and she still remains one of the best I have ever read. She does contemporary mysteries, both dark and cosy, and her skill in writing a legitimate detective story twine with a strong (and saucy!) romantic narrative is almost unrivalled.

I also highly recommend K. J. Charles. She writes sinfully indulgent and fully immersive historical and fantasy stories.

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How do you find your way around self promotion?

Like many writers, I find this aspect of the job challenging. I love writing my stories and I write them to be read (and hopefully enjoyed) by readers. But trying to make sure they reach those readers who will enjoy them is a completely different kettle of fish and requires a lot of patience, persistence and the sort of marketing skills I’m not convinced I possess.

 

To try and overcome this I just try to make the promo open, honest and real as possible. Then it feels like sharing something I love rather than trying to convince people to part with their hard-earned cash!

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Are there any genres you haven’t tried that you’re itching to have a go at?

I would really like to have a go at historical. I have an idea in mind – a closeted aristocrat and a village blacksmith, in case you want to visualise – and it is on my list. So hopefully it’s only a matter of time!

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How much research do you do?

Quite a lot.

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Sometimes English isn’t my characters’ first language (Terje in Blood Winter, Antoine in Sun, Sea & Small-Town Secrets) so I look up phrases in their native tongue as well as dialogue facts and customs and culture from their home countries.

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I look up traffic routes so I know timing for any journeys the characters have to make and, because I have a lot of crime storylines, lots of stuff about the law and sentencing.

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Where do you write?

I would love a proper study but at the moment I just writing in my living room.

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Having said that, it has a very comfy sofa, plenty of candles and I often get joined by at least one of my two cats, so it’s certainly not all bad.

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When not putting words together, what do you like to do?

It probably won’t be a surprise I do a lot of reading, of all kinds, and watch a lot of TV and movies. I love good stories in all forms. Living them is probably one of my favourite things to do.

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Other than that, I love hiking and live music. Music is probably my next biggest passion after writing. I always have a gig or festival or two in the calendar.

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Finally, are you on social media?

I most certainly am! You can find me at all the following places and I love to chat all things M/M romance (or pretty much anything really) so do come say hi!

Insta - @sjcolesauthor

Twitter - @sjcolesauthor

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20885676.S_J_Coles

Facebook - facebook.com/sjcolesauthor

Website - sjcolesromanceauthor.wordpress.com

 

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