Hi everyone! I’m so thrilled to be here visiting with you and RJ! Not that RJ and I need an interview to chat. We spend hours talking books, hockey, and generally gossiping every day. You wouldn’t believe the shenanigans we get up to. Then again…perhaps you would!
When I signed up for an interview I asked RJ if she were sure she was up to this. The last time she interviewed me we ended up writing a little book called Changing Lines and the rest is history! Who knows what will happen this time. Screenplay? Broadway musical? Tap dance tour of the US and UK? Gods only knows but whatever does spring forth from this I wager it will be a blast!
Now let’s get into the Q&A section for a discussion of my latest release, a gay historical western (bet you weren’t expecting that were you?!) The Ballad of Crow and Sparrow. There’s also a giveaway so make sure you read to the end!
I mentioned in the intro I have a brand new book out this week! And it’s not in the genre most expect from me. This one is a historical western. The Ballad of Crow and Sparrow was one of those flash of inspiration books that came to me while I was playing Red Dead 2, a video game set in the old west. While I was playing I wished that I could have a gay cowboy as a lead. My brain said, “Well write one!” and Crow and Sparrow were born the following day.
Now onto the Pick a Trio of Questions!
Will you keep writing more gay historical westerns?
Probably not, but I am currently writing three contemporary gay western romances, the Prairie Smoke Trilogy. While I enjoyed penning the historical book the research was nearly overwhelming. But I never say never. Perhaps another brilliant idea will pop into my head and my muse will grab it and run with it.
Do you write every day or do you take a day off?
I generally write every day for a few reasons. One is that I love writing! Truly, it’s just about the best job ever. Secondly is because I have a pretty busy release schedule and to keep up I have to write daily. But I do know that all work and no play isn’t good so I’ve been trying to cut back a bit here and there. So far I’m having so-so results with the days off but I’ll keep at it.
What’s the hardest type of scene to write?
This is a tough one. I really don’t mind writing sex scenes as so many other authors do. Action scenes are okay as well as I cut my teeth writing Marvel fan fiction so I know a thing or two about action! Probably the most difficult scenes for me to write are the ones where our hero/heroes are cut wide open emotionally. I’ve been told that I pour a lot of myself into my work and that is so true. So when my characters are suffering I suffer right along with them. I’ve had to walk away from certain scenes in books so I could gather myself. So yeah, those gut wrenching scenes do me in every time.
Quickfire Questions!
Favorite Movie – For romance Call Me By Your Name, for comedy Young Frankenstein.
Favorite Book – Too many to pick. Seriously, don’t make me choose just one!
Ideal Snack – Something that fills me up and tastes like vanilla coconut cake but has zero calories. It’s a dream snack I know…
Cat/Dog – Cats.
Tea/Coffee – Coffee. All day every day no questions.
The Ballad of Crow and Sparrow – 11 May
http://vllocey.com/read-crowandsparrow
Sometimes a man’s biggest blunder can turn into his greatest triumph.
Orphaned at fourteen, Crow Poulin now has to hunt and trap the White Mountains of Arizona, as his father had taught him, all alone. It’s a lonely existence, until one morning, while checking his trap line, Crow finds more than a rabbit in a snare. He stumbles across the outlaw Jack Wittington lying half-dead in the wilds. He takes the wanted man in, heals him, and in return for saving his life, the smooth-talking criminal invites Crow to join his family. Starved for human interaction and a father figure, Crow leaves the mountains behind for what he assumes will be a brighter future.
Six years pass. Crow is now a man, as well as a member of the Wittington Gang. He may be considered an outlaw, but his father’s morals are warring loudly with the lifestyle of his adopted family. When the gang decides to rob a train, Crow has no choice but to go along to keep a tight rein on the more bloodthirsty members. It doesn’t take long for the scheme to go horribly astray.
Instead of gold-filled coffers, the gang finds Spencer Haughton, son of cattle baron and railroad tycoon Woodford Haughton, cowering in the family’s opulent private car. The outlaws grab the sickly heir in hopes of ransoming him off. Things then go from bad to worse for them when the law rides down on the Wittington hideout and Crow is given Spencer to hide until the ransom is paid. The pretty young man is nothing at all like anyone Crow has ever met before. Delicate, refined, well-educated, and possessed of a singing voice to rival the songs of the birds in the trees, Crow slowly finds himself falling for the winsome rich boy. But can two such opposite souls find the love they’re both seeking in each other’s arms?
GLBTQ, MM, Historical Western Romance – Opposites Attract, Western
Release Date: May 11, 2021, Publisher: Self-Published, Series: Standalone, Length: 74,337 words, Cover Design: Quinn Ward, Available – Wide Release
Author Bio
USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, Dr. Who/Torchwood, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, and a flock of assorted goofy domestic fowl.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.
Social Media Links
- Website – http://www.vllocey.com
- Email – vicki@vllocey.com
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Contest
One commenter will be chosen randomly to win a copy of any of my backlist books. To be entered answer the following: If you could travel back in time like Dr. Who what time would you like to visit and why?
** COMPETITION CLOSES 24 May**
I’d like to go back to the 1970s and meet my grandfather.
That would be really cool!
Honesty, I think I would HATE to go back to a time when my rights weren’t the same as the white men in power. But I guess it would be interesting to see the start of the printing press so like 1500’s, boring right?
The 1960’s or 1970’s to be a part of the women’s rights and GLBTQ+ movement at their beginnings.
The Elizabethan age in Midlothian Scotland, and meet my ancestors.
I would go back to when Shakespeare was alive (late 1500s-early 1600s) so I could observe him writing his works and ask him questions about his plays.
Oh wow, that would be an amazing trip!
I would go back to the World War II era. I think it was an interesting.time period.
Me too! I always felt that I might have been reincarnated from someone who lived in that era. I love the clothes, cars, and music of that time.
Renaissance
Ooo yes, that was a great era!
Middle Ages in the Highlands in Scotland 😍
So I thought about this. I’m kind of a freak about personal hygiene and if you go too far back in time people just didn’t have the resources to practice good personal hygiene. So I decided I would like to go back to the 1920’s when flappers were the first independent American women. If I didn’t have the hang up about hygiene, then I would definitely love to have been Wyatt Earp’s girlfriend so I could experience the Wild West!
Yeah, hygiene was a bit of an issue in ye olden days. The flapper era would be a hoot!
I would love to go back and meet/talk with my ancestor that decided to risk everything and move to America. She was widowed and brought some kids with her. I can’t imagine the fear of making such a move and would like to meet her, and thank her for her courage.
That would be amazing! She must have been so strong and courageous!
The Middle Ages
Ahh yes, a fascinating time!
I would love to go to the regency area and experience all of the art, plays and balls.
Me too! That era fascinates me.
I would either go back & spend time with my mom or go back to when my son was a toddler & re-experience all the good bits.
Awwww. That’s so lovely. I wish I could go back to spend time with my mother as well. <3
This is hard. I’d like to go back to Elizabethan times and see Elizabeth’s dresses but I’d also like to go back to the 1960s because I was a little too young to enjoy them fully and it was a great time for music and fashion. I’d also now have the confidence to go out and enjoy the scene which I didn;t have then.
Same here! The 60’s were just about ending when I was old enough to recall them well. I’d love to have attended Woodstock and seen all those amazing groups.
I’d like to go back to Alexander’s time and prevent Hephaestion’s death.
Aw that’s a wonderful answer. <3
I would like to go to the 1960’s, mainly to experience all thevgreat music in person.
Yes! I said this above. One of my greatest regrets is not having seen Led Zeppelin in concert. I was too young so a trip back to the 60’s would be incredible!
Regency
Great choice!
I would like to go back to meet Cleopatra, such an amazing woman.
Oooo good reply! Ancient Egypt has always fascinated me.
I’d like to go back to the 70’s and not be such a chickenshit
Ahhh the 70’s. What an era! I remember it fondly.
The time when South Africa won the world cup for the first time after the Apartheid. I’d love to be there in person instead of leaving hospital after an operation and having to watch it in a bar before travelling home on the train. I was just a child at the time.
Hey there fellow Vicki! That would be an amazing thing to see in person!
The Victorian Period so I can meet my favorites classic writers.
I’m a widow. I would go back to 1963 when I met my husband and fall in love with him all over again.
Oh my gosh what a lovely reply! <3
Regency and meet Jane Austen.
That would be so incredibly cool!!
I would go back to the 12th century France and meet Heloise and Abelard.
Wow, what a great reply!!
I’d go back to the roaring 1920’s, it just seems like a fun time and lots of partying. I’ve always loved the flapper style dresses too
The fashions in the 20’s were so jazzy! I love the flapper dresses as well.
Turn of the century (1900) New York and Paris… streets illuminated by gaslight, they seem to have been hotbeds of creativity in the art and music realms and I think it would be exciting to experience first hand, esp the Paris Expo in 1900 where impressionist paintings were exhibited (and loathed by many!).
Marvelous answer!! That would be a fascinating thing to see.
Wow there are so many people I’d choose for this. James Dean was my first crush. I wouldn’t mind a dinner date with him. Marilyn Monroe was who I wanted to be growing up. To be voluptuous back then and still so darn sexy was not heard of. She has some pretty good motivational quotes as well. And finally Scarlett O’Hara had the personality which I envied. She was a bitch, knew it, demanded what she wanted, and never let anyone tell her she couldn’t do or have something. Either of those women or both would be a thrill to share a meal with and just get to know.
Wow what great choices! I always thought it would be so interesting to dine with Marilyn.
I love social history so I have 2 era’s I’d love to visit, first is the court of Henry VIII from the start of his reign till the beginning of Queen Elizabeth 1st. The second would be the late 1930’s till the late 1940’s. These 2 periods just fascinate me. 😊
Those would both be fascinating eras to visit!
I have more than once answer for this:
* I would love to go back enough to see if Atlantis really existed
* to Angkor, Cambodia, when it was still a flourishing city
* to ancient Babylon
To sum it up, I would like to be a time jumper, with the ability to speak the time’s languages and to have my pockets filled with whichever money they used
Oooooo visiting Atlantis – if it existed – would be incredible!!
Probably the regency era. Its my favorite to read about.
I enjoy a good regency tale myself!
Too many “historical” time periods to choose from! But honestly, I’d go back to the 80s when I was in high school and college – I initially thought I might make different choices, but that might screw up what I have now, which I wouldn’t want to do 🙂 So maybe just enjoy the times again, knowing how things turned out
That’s a really good reply. So many of us would want to fix things we messed up when we were young. Sounds like you made some good choices that you’re pleased with.
I’d like either glam-rock ’70s London or punk/New Wave-era New York City!
Rocking reply!
Honesty, I think I would HATE to go back to a time when my rights weren’t the same as the white men in power. But I guess it would be interesting to see the start of the printing press so like 1500’s, boring right?
Not boring at all! I wager there were some amazing things going in the 1500’s.
Probably the 60’s. There was so much happening with civil rights and the war/protests and space race etc that it had to feel like the world was changing before your eyes
It was an incredible era that forever changed the world and our view of it.
This may sound a bit strange, but I’d like to go back to the 80s and 90s and watch my daughters grow up again. Those were such fun years! I wouldn’t change a thing! 🥰 Well, maybe a few less hormonal-fueled arguments! 😂
Tee-hee. As the mother of a now 25 year old daughter I feel much the same about those hormone-fueled arguments of the past. 😉
I wouldn’t go back in time by choice because there were too many cons to being a woman in the past.
That’s a good point! It was tough being a woman in ye olden days.
If I could, to the Hawaiian Island, before the arrival of Capt James Cook. The hygiene issue was handled, plus the ocean and waterfalls were easily found. Same sex relations were accepted, and clothing was minimal if at all. Diet was fish, birds, eggs and plants, so healthy. Belief structure was polytheistic, and menehune were magical and mischevious.
Paradise found!
I would go to the classic Greece or to the Ancient Egypt times… so many mysteries to discover there!
I’m with you on ancient Greece. I LOVE Greek mythology and would have loved to see Athens in its heyday.
The neolithic for me! I’d love to know what were we humans like before metal and writing.
I would like to live in the days of Camelot. I love the attire from that era.
Oh yes! What gorgeous clothing!
I would go back to July 8-9, 1969, so I could be with my mom when she passed instead of upnorth with my cousinsl (I was 12).
Aww. *hugs you hard*
i would go to Victorian times.. I would love to see how they lived back then
It had to be incredibly hard but quite fascinating.
I would like to go back to the 1960’s and see the Beatles before they became ‘famous…’ in a small club in England.
That would be AWESOME!!!
Hi Diane! You’re the winner!! Can you please contact my PA Rachel at rachel@signalboostpr.co.uk for your prize? Thanks and congrats again!!
I’d love to visit the Roaring Twenties and experience the night life, see the Broadway shows and listen to the fabulous music. And a big plus, they had flush toilets.
Flush toilets FTW !! =D
I’m going to maybe change the parameters slightly as I am a great “Do Over” fan. I’d like to go back to the first year of high school at the beginning of the 80’s to be a teenager again with all my future memories intact. I would be fierce and bold and not be so scared of what everyone else thinks. I would trust my instincts and not “settle for less” so as not to be alone. I would live life with no regrets instead of waiting until my 50’s to finally be true to myself.
Great answer!!
+I would like to go back to 1926, to meet the grandfather whom I resemble.
That would be amazing!
I would only want to go back 30 years. I would want to hold my two kids as babies again. My daughter would be almost one and my son would be a newborn.
Awwww. Yes, I kind of miss those infant/toddler days with my now adult daughter as well.
Well, I guess I’m a bit boring. I’d probably go back to when I was in high school (no paradoxes in this fantasy!) and give myself a stern talking to. Set some things straight and give myself a few pointers.
Not boring at all! I’d love to have a long talk with my 16 year old self.
If I could know what I know now, I’d go back to the mid-1980’s and spend more time with my dad (he died in 1990). I absolutely loved The Ballad of Crow and Sparrow. It was really different from other historical MM books I’ve read and such a good story!
Thank you so much!! <3
I would go back to the late 80s and say yes to the one that got away!
Hindsight surely is 20/20!
I would like to go back in time to meet Alan Turing, gay genius who practically invented the computer and tell him how life gets better and try to dissuade him from suicide.
Wow, this is an incredible reply.
14thC BCE Egypt under Akhenaten
Ancient Egypt! Yes, I’ve always been fascinated with that culture.
I would love to go work with N. Tesla at his peak. I think the discoveries would be fascinating. I would also love to be an apprentice of Worth. His fashions are incredible to this day, and I’d love to get in his head. I’d also like to go live in the house of the de’ Medici’s. I’d love to learn from Catherine.
Awesome replies!!
I’d go back to the early 1970s when my mother’s extended family used to summer on the river. Great times and most of the people have passed…..
This is a wonderful reply. I miss lots of old friends and family as well…
Probably back to the time of Vikings. I’ve always wanted to know more about my ancestors.
My daughter would join you! She LOVES all things Norse.
1500’s Spain
What a great choice!!
I would go back to Friday, June 2, 2006. I would call my grandmother and tell her I would pick her and my grandfather up from the airport to drive them home myself. I thought I was too busy to do it that day so it was pushed off on someone else. They wrecked coming home. My grandparents were both killed in the accident. I never got to say goodbye. I regret not making time for them. It’s crazy how precious time can be.
Oh babe, I’m so sorry for your loss. *hugs you hard*
Time travel is hard as women had it bad a lot of the time rights wise.
I’d like to experience the 1960’s though and the pirate radio era and birth of Motown and dance with my mum on her nights out after finishing in the sewing machine factories
Yes time travel can be rough for certain members of society. The sixties were a groovy time!
I would like to go back and visit when i was little growing up and spending time doing puzzles with my grandpa again RIP