Author Tempeste O'Riley Talks About Writing | Desires Entwined Series Book Tour | Contemporary M/M Romance

Desires Entwined Series by Tempeste O'Riley  is on virtual book tour.   The contemporary M/M romance stops at Readeropolis....

Desires Entwined Series by Tempeste O'Riley is on virtual book tour. 

The contemporary M/M romance stops at Readeropolis. 

Be sure to enter for a chance to win the giveaway for a $20 Dreamspinner Press Gift Card or an audiobook from Tempeste O’ Riley (1 winner each) and follow the Silver Dagger book tour (for other dates see the link at the bottom of the post).

How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

Now, that’s a hard yet easy question to answer. The simple answer is quite a bit. But it’s not that easy, really. It depends on the character and on the story how much of me bleeds all over the book. In my first book, Designs of Desire a L O T of me was in that. I have Ehlers-Danlos, I used forearm crutches (I now mostly use a wheelchair, though I still have my crutches too), I’ve been harassed and abused due to my health and mobility issues…. In fact, that’s what inspired the story in the first place, lol.

In other stories, it’s not as overt, though life experiences still are there. In Dreamers’ Destiny Liam and Cam live in Asheville, Cam grew up in a small town in Georgia, both places I’ve been and one of the two I even lived very very close to. I won’t tell you which, but let’s just say I’ve spent more than passing time in both locals  I also have a thing for tattoos and got mine in NC late late at night at this really neat tattoo parlor where they would do “standard” tats if you insisted, but they really prefered to do “real art”. 

Honestly, I’m not sure how not to have my personality and experiences taint my writing and it not end up flat and lifeless. It’s not a matter of write what you know, but write what you feel, and those things simply come through. So how much comes through? Probably a lot more than I want. LOL. But I can only write what the smexy guys in my head do, so take it up with them. 

Do characters and stories just pop into your head, or do you take your time thinking about them? And how do you make your characters believable?

For the most part, they just show up in my head one day. They move in, without my say so, and often without my knowledge until they’re just “there” :/ LOL It’s sort of annoying, honestly. You’re going about your business or sleeping or whatever and suddenly this ‘person’ and their story invades your life, insisting on having you writing instead of whatever you were doing. Mind you, I love writing, but with my health, interrupting my sleep is never appreciated!

As for making the characters believable… that comes from the fact they are just people. Yes, I ‘make’ them up and all, but really, they are just like the guy down the street or your neighbour or your professor or… … …. I try to make sure that even when my characters are paranormal, they are still rooted in the real and normal enough that you could meet them on the street and it not be odd. I want you to read the story and see you within (and find hope, love, joy, etc. as well).

I do take a lot of time working on character development, but honestly, I find out a lot about them as I write the stories. Often I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen or what they will do until it happens and I’ve typed the scene. They take me on the ride just as the story takes you along. 

Designs of Desire

Desires Entwined Book 1

by Tempeste O'Riley

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Artist James Bryant has forearm crutches in every color from rainbow for fun to sleek black for business. He even has a pair with more paint splatters than metal. After his family’s rejection and abuse from a man he thought loved him, James only just gets through the day by painting. He lives in constant fear that he’s not worthy of anything, let alone love.

As CEO of his company, Carrington Enterprises, Seth Burns is a take-charge kind of guy, and he is instantly smitten by the artist helping with his newest project. When he witnesses James suffer a panic attack, a protective instinct he never knew he had kicks in. He truly believes nothing is unobtainable—including James—if he’s willing to put in the time and effort.

James is shy and confused by Seth’s interest in him as a person. With Seth’s support, can he work through his fears to finally find the true love he deserves, or will someone finally land the crushing blow he won’t survive?

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Bound by Desire

Desires Entwined Book 1.75

A Spin-off of Designs of Desire

Desires Entwined: Book 1.75

Despite his past abuse, James has come to terms with his relationship with his Dom and lover Seth.Seth treats James with all the trust and love his sub desires. There is only one thing left to do to make it all complete: Seth needs to put a collar on James.

**Get it FREE!!**

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Desire's Guardian

Desires Entwined Book 2

Most people see Chase Manning as the party-boy twink he seems on the surface. Only James, Chase's BFF, knows the depth of his loyalty and the extent of the wounds Chase carries inside. When Chase meets Rhys Sayer, things don’t go well, but he can’t shake his attraction to the huge, sexy man. 

Rhys is a man of contradictions and fear—a strange combination for a PI and bodyguard. He's in a bad place emotionally when he sets eyes on Chase for the first time. When Chase puts the moves on him, Rhys insults him, thwarting any possibility of a relationship. Rhys doesn’t see himself as a complicated man, but he dreads the very kind of connection he desires.

Just as they’re trying to overcome their uncertainties, Chase is put in harm’s way. Luckily Rhys and their friends have all the right talents to help Rhys save the man of his dreams.

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Desire's Pride

Desires Entwined Book 2.5

A Companion to Desires' Guardian

When Chase Manning wakes up on the first morning of PrideFest, the last thing he expects to find is his lover and life partner, Rhys Sayer, on bended knee. But the news that marriage has been legalized in the state is a game changer for both of them.

After a mad dash to the courts, all they want is to find their friends at PrideFest to celebrate. However, what happens when they arrive will bond them together forever—if their friends don’t have a collective meltdown about their sudden disappearance first.

**Get it FREE!!**

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Temptations of Desire

Desires Entwined Book 3

Alexander James Noble is a gender fluid gay man who gave up on finding Mister Right a long time ago. He’s not asking for much, though. He just wants a guy who loves all of him and appreciates his feminine form too.

At the local LGBTQ center where Alex regularly volunteers, he meets Dal Sayer, an officer of the Milwaukee PD. Because he’s been rejected one too many times, Alex doesn’t trust the huge cop and the interest he shows in him, but once Dal sets his mind on something, he goes all out. Pushing aside his preconceived notions, Alex opens up just a little and soon caves.

From their first date—while dealing with his father’s failing health and his parents’ demands for him to settle down and have children—Dal never takes his eyes off his goal of making Alex his. But proving to Alex he isn’t like all the men who couldn’t see him for who he truly was and only wanted to hide him away is harder than he thought.

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Truth in Lace

Desires Entwined Book 3.5

A spin-off of Temptations of Desire

Desires Entwined: Book 3.5

When Alexander James Noble looks in the mirror, he sees a freak looking back at him. Despite his high grades and plans for culinary arts school after graduation, his parents would hate him if they really knew him.

Forced on a shopping trip with his twin sister, Lyric, and her friends, Alex eyes the girls jealously, longing to be able to dress like them—to be them. The constant struggle of being “gender fluid,” wrestling with an identity that seems to change daily, begins to wear on Alex. But all those questions and fears seem more manageable when his sister gives him his first skirt and lace panties

**Get it FREE!!**

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Signs of Desire

Desires Entwined Book 4

Simon Tyler knows his job as a gay romance author makes his lack of faith in love more than a little ironic, but he’s tired of being used for his wallet. When a night out turns into a matchmaking scheme orchestrated by his best friends, Simon’s not thrilled, but since he’s not the target and he’s sworn off happily-ever-after anyway, he goes along with it… until he meets Adrian, the object of their efforts, and finds perhaps he hasn’t given up on love after all.

Professor Adrian Keys has tried to date Hearing men before, but being Deaf himself, he’s never had any success at making a connection. After his friends con him into going out and Adrian realizes it’s all an elaborate plan to set him up, he braces for yet another failure, only to discover there is a spark—except it’s not with the man his friends had in mind, but with Simon Tyler instead.

Not all their friends have found a way past their romantic failures, but Simon and Adrian might be on the path to happily-ever-after.

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Tempeste O’Riley is an out and proud pansexual genderfluid whose best friend growing up had the courage to do what they couldn’t—defy the hate and come out. He has been their hero ever since.

Tempe is a hopeless romantic who loves strong relationships and happily-ever-afters. Though new to writing M/M, they has done many things in their life, yet writing has always drawn them back—no matter what else life has thrown their way. They counts her friends, family, and Muse as their greatest blessings in life. They live in Wisconsin with their children, reading, writing, and enjoying life.

Tempe is also a proud PAN member of Romance Writers of America®, WisRWA, and Rainbow Romance Writers. Tempe’s preferred pronouns are they/them/their/theirs/themselves. To learn more about Tempeste and their writing, visit http://tempesteoriley.com.

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