Today we are pleased to have in our midst, Claire Thompson. Hello Claire, how are you doing today? It is good to have this interview with you.

I see hot off the presses is A Test of Love. I know you are excited. Why not tell us a bit about Ryan and Tom, and their story.

This is Book 2 of my new series, The Solitary Knights of Pelham Bay. Here is the blurb:

Though it’s been fourteen years, Ryan Kennedy has never quite gotten over Tom Shafer, the college professor he’d fallen hopelessly in love with. Along with a deepening friendship, an almost-kiss had convinced Ryan his feelings were returned by the older man. But when Tom insisted boundaries between a professor and his student not be breached, Ryan turned his back, telling himself he was better off without Tom in his life.

Fate intervenes when Ryan receives an invitation to an alumni dinner where Tom is a guest speaker. Determined to seek him out, if only to see if the flame still burns, Ryan attends the dinner. The two reconnect, rapidly moving toward something more than just friends. Their fledgling feelings are tested when hate-filled notes begin arriving, warning each man to stay away from the other. Too new to trust completely, Ryan and Tom each struggle with how to handle the situation. When the warnings turn to violence, can the relationship survive?

Where did the idea for this series derive?

I thought it would be a new challenge for me to write a series of interconnected stories, instead of one long novel, which is what I usually do. I wanted to see if I could create separate tales that would stand on their own, but weave together as the group interacts and meets over time.

I offer Book 1: Finding Chandler, as a free read. You can get the free download at http://1romanceebooks.com , along with A Test of Love, and after January 26, Switching Gears.

Now, most m/m erotic romance concerns young, hot, sexy guys, which is great, but I thought it would be fun to take a look at a group of older guys and explore how they can still be sexy and exciting, often more so, since they actually have some experience and maturity under their belts. This series looks at older men (mid-thirties to fifties), men who have been smacked around by life a little bit, and burned by love.

The premise of the series is a bunch of guys who hang out together at a pub. The club started as a joke. Several guys burned by love decided to create a club they dubbed the Solitary Knights. A safe haven for the romantically disinclined, the guys meet once a month to drink a beer and renew their vow to avoid love at all costs. Yet beneath the laughter and bravado, each man hides a broken heart.

One night, Drew Kensington, owner and bartender of the Pelham Bay Pub, issues a challenge, “Why don’t you find that one guy—the one that got away, the one you’ve never quite let fade from your dreams? Track him down. Reconnect. Then come back here and tell us what you found out.”

I noticed that coming soon is, Switching Gears, Book 3, why not tell us a bit about this book.

Those of you familiar with my work know that my core writing revolves around BDSM and the romance of erotic submission. So I just had to give you a nice, hot BDSM tale within the series (And if the series takes off, this won’t be the last one, I assure you).

Here’s the blurb:

Jack told himself love was for losers, but what he really needed was someone strong enough to show him the truth…

Jack Harris, a tattooed auto mechanic with roguish good looks, prides himself on being impervious to love. When challenged to reconnect with the one that got away, Alexei was the first to come to Jack’s mind. It’s been years since Jack walked away from the traditional leather scene, its rigid rules and conventions too confining for a man used to taking who and what he wants. Though they’ve lost contact over the years, he’s always maintained respect and affection for his old mentor and scene partner, Alexei, the only man he ever trusted completely. Alexei hones in on Jack’s anger and restlessness, with the same uncanny knack he always had. Alexei says he has the cure … Jack isn’t so sure.

Marcos Savakis watches with disdainful amusement as Jack boasts of his sexual conquests at the monthly meetings of the Solitary Knights. Marcos has spent years in the scene, training submissives to serve others, his heart insulated from the process. At the request of a dying friend, he reluctantly accepts a new charge to train. The man he discovers waiting on his knees is the last person he would have ever expected, and the first person to touch his heart.

What three things do you find interesting about the BDSM stories?

• The added element of the power exchange. It takes a vanilla experience and adds hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry
• Coming from a m/f BDSM background (both in my writing and in real life) it’s been fun and interesting to explore the dynamics of a m/m relationship, in the context of BDSM. There’s less romance, and more grit, more rough stuff, but the love is just as pure.
• I love the challenge of trying to explain the intense power and beauty of a consensual D/s relationship. My most exciting emails are from folks who never read (or understood) BDSM before they read something of mine, and find themselves intrigued.

If you could choose one favorite genre to read, which would it be?

Boy, that’s a toughie! I like so many different types of literature. I love historical mysteries, and modern day mysteries too. I love general fiction, especially as it deals with the intimate details of daily life and relationships.

What does your workplace look like?

I sit on an opened futon couch, (on a comfy orthopedic butt pillow my husband got me so my butt would stop going numb!) with my laptop to my right, and my wireless keyboard on my lap. I commandeer whichever kid’s room who happens to be away at college at the time. I dream of the day I’ll have my own dedicated office space (and the day all these damn kids actually leave for good!) Meanwhile, I improvise.

Is your writing schedule hectic?

I work a fulltime day job, which I can’t quit because we need the health insurance. So, in a word, YES! I write every spare moment. My main writing time is on weekends from 4:30 a.m. or so until my eyes go blurry and my brain melts. Then I fit in bits here and there, but I do my best work in long, uninterrupted shots, while the rest of the house sleeps.

What is your favorite part of the book, the beginning, the middle or the end?

That’s a very interesting question. I just sat here a while pondering. I am going to go the weenie route and say all of them! Here’s why. The beginning is exciting, because I have this cool new idea and I can’t wait to get it on paper, to get started, a new book, hurrah! The middle is good, because I get to really develop the characters, to dig into the story, to fine tune and expand it, and go the new directions it dictates for me. The ending is fabulous because, wow, I might actually finish this damn thing! Light at the end of the tunnel, hurrah! I am not like some authors I’ve read, who say ending the book breaks their hearts, because they miss the characters. I’m usually delighted to bid them a fond farewell. I’m done with them. NEXT!

What is your average time to finish a book?

That’s tough to say, because I don’t write fulltime. I am very prolific, however, and type with the speed of light, which is handy. I can write a 60K novel in about three or four months, I guess. I can write these new series stories (avg 18K) in about one month. But that’s basically working weekends. Just imagine what I could do fulltime!

In the next three years, how many books do you see yourself composing?

Gosh, I don’t know! As many as I can, I guess. Maybe eight novels, and many happy installments of the Solitary Knights, if there’s a market for it.

Congratulations, Claire, you have been given a free vacation trip to, New Zealand, Alaska, or Austria, which would you choose and why?

I’d go to Austria, mainly because I’ve never been to Europe, and I want to see all the history and architecture and eat the amazing food. I have a friend from Austria who says their breads and pastries are amazing! I’ll bring extra clothes in larger sizes…

If you could choose one favorite author to be with you on a sinking ship headed to a desert island, to be stranded for a month, who would you choose?

Um, well, I’m guessing he won’t be writing a lot, doubt he’ll have his laptop or access to electricity. So I think I’ll go with an unknown who is about thirty-five, looks like a young James Spader, is witty, kind, brilliant and sexy as hell, and finds me the most gorgeous, fascinating woman he’s ever met. That should distract me from my woes, do you think?

What would a carefree day be like for Claire, if she could have anything to her liking?

Waking up in a gorgeous villa on a perfect Mediterranean beach with my true love at my side. The maid would discreetly bring in the amazing fresh breakfast and hot coffee and then melt away. After a long leisurely morning eating, sleeping and making love, we would make our way out to the beach, where we would swim and enjoy the sun, and sip pina coladas while reading our favorite books…

What is your favorite meal of the day, breakfast, lunch or dinner?

Breakfast, hands down. I love French toast and really good sausage, and lots of hot coffee with real cream, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Claire, can you give the readers your website, myspace, Facebook, or link to buy your books?

Why, I sure can!

Website: http://clairethompson.net
Indie Publishing Site: http://romanceunbound.com
Yahoo Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clairethompson
Claire’ Blog: http://clairethompsonauthor.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CThompsonAuthor
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/s.php?init=q&q=clairethompsonauthor&ref=ts

Thank you so much for sharing time with us today, Claire. It has been a pleasure and I wish you the best with your writing.

And thanks for this opportunity. It’s been fun! You asked some very good questions that made me think. I love to connect with readers, so feel free to email me at claire@clairethompson.net !

Interviewed by: Linda L.