When Loving Aidan was first released, one of the pieces that didn't fit into the story was the actual scene where Aidan met Sammy. The scene is referenced in the story. As readers we know what happened—that when Aidan moves in Sammy protects him somehow. But as readers we never experience it.

I wrote the scene where they meet as an author extra to share with readers, and while the blog where it was originally shared is, I believe, long since gone, I am happy to share it here again.

Greetings! Today we're taking the time to welcome Purple Horn Press author and co-founder Ashavan Doyon to the blog to talk about the rerelease of Loving Aidan.

I'm excited to be here! 

This series is still a favorite of mine. In part because Loving Aidan was my first novel. But also because there's a lot of personal bits spread throughout the series. From the focus on LGBT life on campus, to campus leadership, to the struggle of feeling alone on campus. These were all familiar things. And they made writing Loving Aidan both easier and harder.

Easier, yes easier, because it was something I knew. I know what the reaction of a campus to seeing someone in a flashy outfit like Aidan wears will be. I know what it looks like. I know when it will get ignored and when it will get him chased at night with people ready to beat his head in. And yes, while I was not the one wearing the outfit, I remember what it was like to have to run and to feel that fear. So in that sense writing Aidan was easy, because I could so easily put myself into the mindset of this flamboyant and very out young man and know how he'd respond. And so I knew what Aidan would do, both when he was alone and desperately in love with people he couldn't have and when he was cornered.

Harder, because damn. This shit is still hard. And that makes it painful to write about.

I love Aidan. Flamboyant. Tiny. Strong. We don't see Aidan's strength grow, because he comes into the story with it, but we see how it's grown and how he's been hurt in his conversations with Sammy and with Steven. And if you read carefully, the scars are plenty visible. Ultimately they shape the choice he makes.

Steven is easy to see as a sweet and romantic character. I don't want to take away from that, because he is—once he starts to find himself, to trust himself and to really fall for Aidan, we get to see a Steven that I think a lot of readers probably fall in love with. But Steven has a history. He hasn't always been supportive of Aidan and that teasing? It didn't start as flirting. On the other hand, the openness with which Steven offers Aidan his feelings is breathtaking. Want to know a secret? It was a surprise for me too.

I think Sammy gets a bad rep. He's a very dominant possessive guy. If you look at Aidan and how he grew up and how they meet, Aidan's attraction will make sense. He's also very driven. Sammy comes from poor-as-shit country. School is his chance to escape and he plans to escape. It's easy to miss in the focus on him being possessive that he's also a straight 'A' student with a 4.0, studying to be a doctor while managing college athletics and still reading to sick kids in the hospital on weekends. 

Loving Aidan is now on sale at major retailers, and of course here at Purple Horn Press.

Don't miss the previous two stops on this mini blog tour! 

The Passion Stroll (there's a free scene at this one—the first meeting of Aidan and Sammy)
Love Byte's LGBT Romance Reviews (giveaway! There's still a few hours left, I'll be picking a winner tomorrow, Monday 3/27/17! The winner gets to pick between a free ebook copy of Loving Aidan or American Pride)

Visit Ashavan Doyon on his website as he discusses the re-release of his first published novel 'Loving Aidan': Two men worth fighting for. Then, stop by Love Bytes Reviews. Post a comment on Love Bytes and be entered into a drawing for a free book!

One of authors' struggles in the modern writing climate is the difficulty in being discovered. This is hampered in an environment where often an author, for the best of reasons, publishes with multiple publishers, or self-publishes some of their own work. This limits the places an author can promote the totality of their work. Their website. Author Central. Goodreads. But often blog tours arranged by publishers don't want you mentioning the book you have coming out next month if it's coming from a different publisher. It's like a whole chunk of the author's life is shuttered behind a door. To me that feels too much like a closet door. I don't like it.

As a publisher, I believe in supporting the whole author. Sometimes that means supporting a book that we didn't publish here. Sometimes that means supporting an author who is just starting out and may not have made the leap to a publishing house yet. Sometimes that's as simple as doing more than saying 'no' in a rejection letter—because most of the ones we get as authors are pretty useless and don't say much to help us place that discarded story, or lift us up from the despair that accompanies the letter. 

Right now, it means supporting Purple Horn Press author Cindy Sutherland. She's in the middle of editing Love Aggression, and I know she can't dedicate as much time as she'd like to promoting some of her older titles. This one, Luck of the Irish, published by Dreamspinner Press, is a favorite. 

Why? I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for an accent done well, and I can hear Cian in my head; it's so very sexy. It gets my motor running, and the romance is sweet, that almost sickeningly sweet kind. But it winds you toward something you expect to be bittersweet, even as the two characters are so clearly falling for each other. 

I love it. I hope you will too. And until March 17, it's on sale at the Dreamspinner Press store. So, while Cindy's book from us isn't ready yet, you can still take some time to read a great story from a great author... for cheap! Seriously, it's worth checking out. Quinn is adorable, and Cian is sexy and you'll all hate David immediately. Buy Luck of the Irish for 30% off today. 

Author Cindy Sutherland discusses Purple Horn Press and her upcoming release "Love Aggression" on her blog. Check it out:
You write what ...?

Purple Horn Press co-founder Ashavan Doyon was interviewed by LoveBytes owner Dani. Check out the interview here:
Purple Horn Press interview
​
​

My husband is Ashavan Doyon. He writes gay romance novels. Maybe you’ve heard of him. It’s been a long road that started with National Novel Writing Month and writing fan fiction. Ask me and I’ll tell you all about it sometime.

When Asha finally built up the confidence to submit his work, he spent a great deal of time researching publishers. He ended up with two. So, of course, it was devastating news when we learned that one of them, one of the most venerable, was closing. He had been so careful to pick just the right ones. Then the waiting started. The waiting for his rights to be reverted, which, thankfully, they were. But what next? Four full length novels in a series, with a fifth ready to go and no publisher. It was unlikely that anyone would reprint four novels that had already been out for some time. It was decided; Asha would self-publish.

Then, more bad news: A distributer who also published was closing. At this point we all know what happened there. Writers, other publishers, advertisers, editors, customers, no one was immune. With a new release out in November, the distributor disappearing with the bulk of all fourth quarter royalties meant yet another hit in a year that had already hit Asha’s writing dreams hard. Fellow authors and colleagues lost thousands of dollars.

Asha and I started to talk. Maybe we were missing something. Maybe we could do more than just self-publish Asha’s titles. It was a big ‘If.’ So many authors have been burned that trust is a lot to ask for, especially in the current atmosphere of closings. But, we decided it was worth it to try.

So, that’s it. That’s what Purple Horn Press is all about. A safe space, if you will, for writers, editors and those negatively affected by the recent publisher closings to come together. We hope you’ll give us a chance to do right by you. I have no doubt that we will make a mistake or two along the way. But, we will never, ever, steal or cheat you. Ever. We believe that giving your word means something. And, for what it’s worth, you have ours.

—Ronald Desroches, Co-Founder, Purple Horn Press