AUTHOR INTERVIEW with PRE-RELEASE REVIEW: 'In the Ring' by James Lear
I can't begin to tell you all how excited I am to have the opportunity to interview the James Lear, 'nom de plume of prolific and acclaimed novelist, Rupert Smith.' So much so in fact I'm just gonna get right to sharing that with you here!
First I have to say, you write some of the hottest, most creative sex scenes I’ve ever read. I know that’s not a question, I just figured you never get tired of hearing that.
Thank you, it's always good to know I'm appreciated. I work hard at this stuff, interpret that as you will.
So, please tell me this is not the end! I hope you’ve got a few more Dan Stagg novels in you, and if you do, can you give us an idea what’s in store for him?
I'll always have Dan inside me. As for his future, who can tell? I've got two regular heroes in two series of novels, Mitch Mitchell and Dan Stagg, and readers always seem to want more. I have to give them a rest sometimes - Mitch had a long sabbatical, and Dan might be due for one. He started off as an erotic reworking of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels, and I think maybe I've gone as far down that road as I can. If I revive Dan it'll be in a different context. Maybe we'll go back and look at his past...
As I’ve gotten to know Dan I’m charmed to find beneath his tough-guy persona he’s a total sweetheart just looking for love. I can’t help it, I’m a romantic at heart. So, do you think Dan will ever find the right man?
I'm really not sure. Dan is traumatised by his unhappy childhood, which he alludes to a few times in the books. His parents were unloving, and he grew up in deep denial about his sexuality. He tried to hide it behind his tough-guy USMC persona, which served him well, but he's a prisoner of it as well. Also, he's experienced so much grief - which he's never really processed - that he is not in a good place for long-term relationships. Perhaps I should do a novel in which Dan goes into psychotherapy...
I think Dan seems happiest when he’s got a sweet guy, but can someone like Will, Jody, or Oliver really hold Dan Stagg’s attention for the long haul? Exactly how would you describe Dan’s happily ever after man?
It's a problem when you're writing a series of novels. If Dan settled down, that would be the end of the story. I had this problem with Mitch Mitchell - at the end of his first adventure, he found someone he thought he could stay with forever, and I had to split them up for the next novel. A lot of readers were upset by that. So I'm torn between wanting Dan to get his fairytale ending, and the need to keep the franchise ticking over.
The James Lear novels translate so well into audiobooks, the humor really shines through. Are you involved in their production at all, and are there plans to release In the Ring in audio?
That's wonderful to hear. I have no involvement at all with the audiobooks, and I'm always impressed by how much talent goes into them. I have no idea about In the Ring - perhaps if you pester the publisher, they'll do one.
And lastly, can you give us an idea of your perfect day. What does the man behind all the tantalizing erotic literature get up to for fun?
I'm seriously thinking of forging my qualifications as a sports physiotherapist, so that I can work with the Olympic men's gymnastics team. So a perfect day would basically consist of a diary full of appointments for massage and some of my controversial therapies. I'd be happy to extend my range to the armed forces, swimmers, divers, football players, and so on. I've got so much to give.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Congratulations on In the Ring, it is a wonderful novel.
Thanks for your support, it's much appreciated.
While you're here... don't miss my recommendation of In the Ring!
Title: In the Ring
Series: Dan Stagg Mystery #3
Author: James Lear
Release Date: May 15, 2018
Publisher: Cleis Press
Cover Artist: Scott Idleman/Blink Design
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Erotic Romance; Mystery/Thriller
Length: 296 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Menage; M/M/M; Law Enforcement
NOTE: There are tags or CW we chose not to disclose for sake of story arc.
About In the Ring
Dan Stagg is dead . . .
At least, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, he died in a bomb blast in Baghdad. In the Ring brings Dan Stagg to James Bond territory in an exciting story of concealed identities, beautiful double agents, corruption, power, and, of course, plenty of sex. With a new identity and some high-tech gadgets, the tough USMC officer goes deep undercover to penetrate an extreme right-wing terror group. On loan to the CIA and MI6, Dan travels to England to investigate a corrupt boxing promoter and his stable of vulnerable, sexually compliant, young athletes.
Posing as a martial arts instructor, Dan is drawn into a shadowy world of blackmail, prostitution, and pornography, where sex and money are in constant supply. Can Dan hold on to his true identity and complete the mission, or will he choose a new life working for the shadowy mastermind, Alan Vaughan? A series of erotic, romantic, and deadly encounters brings Dan face-to-face with the ugly political and criminal truth beneath the seductive surface of his new life⎯but is it too late to save himself?
where I say:
"Lear always provides a unique and intriguing mystery, a good dose of dry humor, and best of all the most hedonistic main characters I’ve ever read."
Meet the Author
James Lear is the nom de plume of prolific and acclaimed novelist, Rupert Smith. As James Lear, he is the author of The Back Passage, The Secret Tunnel, Hot Valley, The Low Road, and The Palace of Varieties. He lives in London and is the 2008 Winner of Erotic Awards "Best Writer".
For more visit Rupert Smith’s website!
