From Henry VIII to Jesus and Judas Rock! Interview and giveaway with Julie Lynn Hayes.

I’m thrilled to welcome back Julie Lynn Hayes, author of a number of sizzling m/m reads including The Belgian Chocolate Remedy, To The Max, For the Love of Max, and The Southern Comfort Series (with S.L.Danielson). She’s dropped by to tell us about her exciting new release, Revelations — and one lucky commenter is going to be in with a chance of winning a copy!

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Q. Please tell us all about your new release, Revelations (which is going to stir some controversy, so I hear! Exciting!)

Revelations is a story that has been many years in the making. It’s Judas’ story, but it’s more than that. It’s a love story, about the things we do for love. I posited the question what if there has been a Second Coming, and more besides? What if God chose not to tell us, but sent out Jesus and his apostles, reincarnated them in order to see what lessons man has learned, if any. To try to teach man the things God wishes man to learn. My story begins in modern times. Jesus and his group have formed a Christian rock bank, Joshua Stone and the Apostles, and they travel from place to place, performing God’s will, teaching His word.

All the familiar characters are there —Judas, Jesus, Lucifer, Mary Magdalene, Mary (his mother), and even God. I know that there will be people who will be offended, but it was never my intention to do so. I think it’s important to get across the message that God loves people as they are and that He made them that way. Love, not hate.

Q. You’ve written in a wonderful variety of genres – shifters, contemporary, vampires, historical, fantasy etc.  Do you have any favorite genre to write — and any you haven’t yet written that you’d like to explore?

I write primarily, but not exclusively, in the m/m romance genre, but as for sub-genres, I love them all. I seem to have a special affinity for shifters and vampires, although I’m expanding my interest to include aliens as well now. As for one I haven’t written but would like to explore, there are a couple I can think of—time travel and detective. Working on the second one now.

Q. What inspired you to become a writer?

I’ve been reading since I was two. I devour everything I see, and have for a long time. Words have always held special meaning for me, losing myself in the pages of a book. But I think it was when my teacher was reading a story to us, maybe about the age of 8 or 9, that I began to imagine my own stories, and I began to put them on paper. The first one that I can recall involved children, a mystery, an island, dinosaurs, and diamond perfume. Sadly, that was lost long ago. By junior high, I’d written my first historical short story, taking place during the reign of King Henry VIII (I love history!)

Q. Please tell us about a typical writing day — if there is one — in the life of Julie Lynn Hayes.

Being currently employed, I spend my days at home. A typical day begins at 6:30, when I rise (I’m not a big fan of sleep, I have to admit). After I feed my cats and make a pot of coffee, I often sit and watch a show I’ve recorded, to give myself a chance to wake up. I don’t tend to write well when I’m half asleep! Then it’s on to the computer, where I deal with emails, make sure I have a blog post for the day, etc. Since I also edit, that has to be taken into consideration too. Basically I spend the day at my computer writing and editing and emailing and promoting. I make dinner for myself and my daughter, and while we eat, we watch something together. Then it’s back to the computer until I’m too tired to stay awake and I go to bed, usually around midnight or so. Of course there are variables on any given day, such as laundry, grocery shopping, other errands. I have to admit I enjoy not going to a regular day job, other than for the lack of income.

Q. Are there any characters from your books whose story you would like to re-visit in a sequel?

Yes, and I have a few sequels in the works, just need to buckle down more and quit listening to the plot bunnies! I am writing the third in my To The Max, series (I plan to keep on writing Max until I die, to be honest). I have reworked Leonardo di Caprio is a Vampire and subbed it to another publisher and have started the sequel. And as for Revelations, I am working on a story that is a companion piece more than a sequel that involves Lucifer.  I’m sure Judas and Jesus will show up again too, as I loved writing them very much.

Q. Please tell us fans about any exciting WIPs!

M.A. Church and I have written our first story together, Be My Alien, which has been accepted by Dreamspinner, and it is the first book in our series, Moonlit Skies! I mentioned some of my sequels before, so I do have those. I’ve also begun my first PI novel, Personal Business, the first few chapters of which can be found in selected Silver Shorts anthologies, but I won’t be doing those any more.  I have tons more plot bunnies in my head, and they seem to keep multiplying, so I don’t expect to stop writing any time soon, if ever.

Thanks so much for having me here today, Kay, it’s truly been a pleasure!

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Revelations Blurb:

Judas has never been very popular, not in any incarnation that he and Jesus and the others have lived through. But he doesn’t care about that. All he cares about is following the instructions of God as set forth in the script that they follow. And Jesus. For Judas has secretly loved the son of God for over two thousand years.

But now he decides that enough is enough, and he’s tired of watching Jesus die far too early, and for what? This time Judas is determined to see that Jesus lives a long and happy life, no matter what price he has to pay to accomplish it…no matter if he has to make a deal with the devil himself.

Revelations is a story of what could be, told by those who play it out, time after time after time, unbeknownst to the rest of mankind.  They’ve come back again, for yet another round.  But this time is going to be different. 

Please scroll on for an excerpt and don’t forget to leave a comment to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Revelations

Buy it from Muse It Up Publishing

Excerpt:

Prologue: God

            It’s not always easy to sit on the sidelines and watch what is happening, to resist the urge to intervene in his best interest.  My son’s that is. Jesus. But I do so, because I know it’s for his own good.  As well as for the good of mankind. I can’t let my concerns as his father override my vested interest in the fate of man. But sometimes that is easier said than done.

This morning I am not alone. Someone else is with me, someone with his own agenda, although we are not as diametrically opposed as some would imagine us to be. Good and evil aren’t the simplistic concepts some would portray them as being—there are more grey areas there than you might think. And rightly so.

He smirks. Too much for my taste, I have to admit, but sometimes he does have his moments, and he too has a part to play in what is happening in the world of men. Someone needs to fill the role of the villain, after all.

The stage is being set for the third act, the scripts have been handed round, and the actors are taking their places. Will this time end any differently than the others? That depends on my son, on Jesus. I’m thinking this will be the time when he’ll make the change.

“He’ll change nothing,” Lucifer interjects, although I’ve asked him nothing, certainly not inquired as to his opinion.

I glance at him. He’s dressed to within an inch of his life, and wears the most ridiculous sunglasses I’ve ever seen. I decide not to comment on his fashion sense. “I think he might, this time. I think he’s ready for change.”

Lucifer snorts. “It’s been two thousand years, and neither one has exactly caught on yet. Why should this time be any different?”

“Care to put your money where your mouth is?”

He eyes me carefully. “I would, but you see you have this whole mystic omnipotent God thing going on. Personally, I don’t care for those odds.”

I arch an eyebrow. “I may be omnipotent, but Jesus does have free will  and he does possess the ability to make his own decisions. You think I’d stack the deck in my son’s favor? Just to win a bet with you?”

“Let’s say I’m taking no chances.” He smiles. “Tell you what, though—give me free rein.  Let me do what I want, and you not say anything or do anything to interfere with me? As far as they’re concerned, that is.”

I open my mouth to object, he hastily interjects. “No killing, I swear to it.”

That’s better. I still have some measure of control over the serpent.

“So be it.” I agree, turning my attention back to where it had been, to my son.  I’m smirking now. Openly.

O ye of little faith, watch and learn.

Bio:  

Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she’d never dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. While working a temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all.  Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, and MuseitUp Publishing, and she has also begun to self-publish at various places on the Internet.

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Thanks so much for sharing, Julie If you’d like to win a copy of Revelations, please leave a comment, remembering to leave your email address when prompted.  Your email will not be displayed or retained for any other purpose.  Comp. closes 25th February. Thank you

Don’t forget there’s still a chance to win Stage Fright by Pender Mackie here.