Welcome, Ms. Baumbach, to Love Romances and More and to our interview.  The readers and I, look forward to this talk about your books, and getting to know you on a more personal level. 

Let us start off by telling you a little about this award-winning and highly acclaimed manlove author, Laura Baumbach, with wonderful blurbs from two of her books. 

Bit of Rough
When a handsome and seductive stranger tries to pick him up in a biker bar, architect James Justin impulsively lets it happen. But his fling with hunk Bram Lord for a one nightstand that turns into something bigger. Forceful, highly physical, Bram matches and exceeds James' sexual fantasies, but shy, uncertain James struggles to be everything the strongly committed Bram wants. Personal demons and family secrets make the road to a happy for both of them as they struggle to find balance and create a relationship they can both be happy in. 

Roughhousing
James and Bram are back in this sequel to the bestselling A Bit of Rough! They've been dating a while, now, but James is still unsure about his feelings for Bram. He's rushed into things before, and it's always backfired on him, so James wants to take it slow. Bram is so forceful, though, so sexy and convincing that it's hard to stand fast against him. In fact, Bram is the one steady thing in James' life, when everything else seems to be shifting like sand under his feet. His job is getting stressful, his apartment is getting dangerous, and James knows he's teetering on the brink of change, but is unsure what to choose. When a project at work seems to have fallen under Bram's influence through the old boy network, James decides to back off and tell Bram they have to cool down their heated relationship. Bram is willing to accommodate James--to a point. But what happens when self-assured Bram has had enough of James' insecurity? Taking up where A Bit of Rough left off, Roughhousing opens up Bram and James' relationship, following along as they become a real couple, and face the troubles that come from trying to blend two lives and two independent personalities. Their need for each other burns as hot as ever, but will that be enough to build a life on? 

Ms. Baumbach, if you would be so kind as to tell the readers little about yourself and, what you do when you are not busy writing? 

I’m a woman, a mother, a wife and a Registered Nurse when I’m not working at being an author, advertising novice and a small press owner. I’ve been married to the same man for 25 years. Together we adopted two unique and wonderful boys when they were babies who are now ages 16 and 8. They keep me busy. One is an artist and a musician while the other is destined to rule the world. <g> He has so much energy and guile I can only hope to harness it for purposes of good! Lol. When I work at my career as a RN, I’m an Emergency Trauma Nurse in a local hospital on weekend where I do double shifts. It lets me be home for the kids, write full time and manage my ad group and small press and still bring home a bit of a paycheck. Plays hell with my low back though. Age. <whine.>  

Could you tell the readers why you choose to write in the field of gay erotica? 

It’s a turn on for me. I love it. I love reading it and when I couldn’t find many quality stories, stories with more than a pasting bedroom moment and ones that weren’t written by people who obviously have never had sex let alone anal intercourse, I decided to try and write my own.  

Then after I saw how much resistance there was on some quarters against M/M erotic romance, I knew I had to keep writing it. Discrimination and bias against an entire segment of the human population shouldn’t still exist in this day and age. So I write it and I champion it whenever I can. I don’t consider gay romance a ‘kink’ like some do any more than I consider being heterosexual romance a ‘kink’.  

Ms. Baumbach, who is your great inspiration?   

I have to admit that within my genre, I read so few other authors work that it would be hard to name one there. There are prolific and time-weathered authors who I’d like to become one of. Authors who have stood the test of time and are still putting out quality work. Then there are authors I admire who write such intriguing mysteries and adventures that I wish I could be on their level. My childhood idol was Alistair MacLean, who wrote spy stories and adventures.   

Do you have a favorite scene from BIT OF ROUGH?  

The alley scene in the first chapter. I pulled it from my own experiences as young and wicked, read that as stupid, woman. But it all makes for great writing now in my declining years! <g>

What was the hardest scene to develop in BIT OF ROUGH?  

The attack in the hallway. I wanted it to feel real, skirt the edges toward a near rape, but not go there. It had to be scary, because those situations are, been there, (can’t be a wicked woman in your twenty’s without getting in to some dicey situations), but it had to be the way a man would handle it. They don’t scream for help. It took a while until I was happy with it.  

Do you have a special formulation or technique when you write?  

None. I say ‘just write the story.” I know other authors who have a formula they use to write every story and it works for them because they pop book after book out using it. But I get an idea, maybe something that will happen in the middle of a story and then I build a world around that moment.  I do write a 5-6 page synopsis down to make sure I can get from the beginning to a logical end, but then the creative process takes over and the characters take over (if I’m lucky) and the story unfolds. Sometimes the way I planned it and sometimes not. That’s why formula work doesn’t do it for me. I’m eclectic, free-form!   

Ms. Baumbach, what is the nicest thing another author said about you?   

A fellow author and friend who is firmly in trench in and published in genres other than erotic romance, recently told me I was ‘the real deal’ because my writing had gotten them to read werewolves and vampires. LOL! Now THAT was a compliment!   

Could you describe to the readers what it felt like when BIT OF ROUGH was accepted for publication? 

Amazement. I had a collection of slash fan fiction published by the creators of the fandom and their distributor asked if they had any more original M/M. I agreed to write something. Never expected it to be published, (I wasn’t an author, really) and never expected to write another M/M novel after that. After all, who would read it? Buy it? My writing?

It has all been a delightful surprise to find other readers who like what I like and like what I write. I’m still amazed. 

They say everyone has a dream, what is yours? 

Being in big name bookstores (with or without a New York contract) and having my chosen genre accepted and read without readers feeling like they have to keep it a secret.

It’s okay to read what type of romance you like, really.

What publishers do you currently write for? 

Well, all my print work will be through MLR Press right now. No one else seems willing to put M/M in print yet so I do it my self. But all the novels have been contracted through ebook publishers, too. LooseID, Aspen Mountain Press and Changeling are my main ebook publishers I go to again and again.    

How much background research went into BIT OF ROUGH and ROUGHHOUSING?  

More than I expected. Lol. I had to research architectural styles since James is an architect, and examine business hierarchy. As a RN the medical parts were all easy.

Ms. Baumbach, do you have any special interests or causes you would like to share with the readers? 

My main goal right now is letting other straight women understand it’s okay to read M/M erotic romances without guilty. And it’s okay for gay men to read them without feeling sappy. Romance is a part of everyone’s life, or they wish it were. Reading these fictional romances, erotic or otherwise, is a terrific outlet for the soul. It’s okay to get lost in a loving relationship trying to survive the odds.   

Ms. Baumbach, what are your views in regards to sex in the romance field today?   

It seems I’m a prude. Really, don’t snicker! I only write committed couple. No threesomes, no sharing. And it’s not because I don’t understand them. I do. I’ve experienced it in real life. I don’t do threesomes because I was in one for a time and it was one of the most emotionally unsatisfying periods of my life. Both men were hot, exciting, good-looking and nice guys. They treated me very well, but I found it difficult to get close to one without feeling like I was neglecting the other. The sex was great, but the emotional intimacy was always on edge. It made me unhappy. As hot as threesomes appear in books, it didn’t work for me in real life so I can’t write convincingly. Don’t even want to.  

It works great for other people in both real life and in their writing, and I’m not dissing it, but I learned from the experience I’m a one-man woman. I don’t share. I’m 100% in a relationship with one lover. I’m fierce, loyal and passionate. I write my characters that way, too, one-man men.      

You give James and Bram a realistic and personal feel to them.  Did you model anyone from the book after someone you know personally?  

Bram is a combination of my sweet, supportive, hunky husband and the idealized alpha male. I know several of them in RL. Most are cops. 

James is part me and part a gay friend of mine. He’s shy and cautious, but gorgeous and smart as hell. Confident at work and self-conscious in a social setting. The perfect balance for outgoing Bram.   

Ms. Baumbach, will you try your hand at the m/f field?  

I wrote a short M/F story that was published in BUST magazine last year, but since it was about anal intercourse, I don’t know if it qualifies! <g> 

I do have a story my 16-year-old wants me to write but he asks me write it M/F because one of the main characters in a band is patterned after him in a few years. I’m not sure if I’ll write it his way or mine. <g> It maybe my first M/F novel. 

Would you like to tell the readers about any new or upcoming releases, Ms. Baumbach?   

I have a ton in the works, but the most recent upcoming releases will be

THE LOST TEMPLE OF KARRTIKEYA, #9 in the LooseId COLLECTOR SERIES, and then GENETIC SNARE, the sequel to DETAILS OF THE HUNT.  I’m also have a short vampire/werewolve story DARK SIDE OF THE MOON coming out in the SACRED BANDS issue of the Forbidden Love magazine sometime soon. 

I’m also doing a ghost anthology I’m very excited about with authors William Maltese, Josh Lanyon and Sarah Black. It’s titled SCARED STIFF. My offering will be SOUL DESIRE. It will only be in print at present through MLR Press. My first ghost story! Lots in the works. Maybe even a sequel to my Passionate Plume nominated short ENTHRALLED for Changeling.

How can your fans reach you, Ms. Baumbach?  

Write me at sensualwriter.laura@gmail.com. I love feedback and fan mail! <g>  You can find my work here: http://www.laurabaumbach.com

Or at MLR Press here: http://www.mlrpress.com 

Ms. Baumbach, do you have any advice for aspiring authors?   

Only listen to constructive criticism, never negative remarks. There is a difference. And then write what you love. If I didn’t do both of these things you wouldn’t be reading this interview now!
 

I would like to thank you Ms. Baumbach, for sharing your talent and time with the readers of Love Romances and More.  I truly enjoyed reading all your books and hope to read more from you soon! 

And I’d like to thank you, Janalee. You were one of the first people to review and praise my work when A BIT OF ROUGH came out. I’ve always remembered your posting a glowing piece about it on your website and I’ve appreciated it to this day. Thank you.