Nash Summers's Blog

I’m incredibly happy (and honored) to say that Arrows Through Archer has won in the 2017 Rainbow Awards. It’s won in the Best Gay Book category, as well as the Best Gay Contemporary category.

A huge congratulations to the other authors who participated and wrote some incredible stories this year. And a massive thank-you to Elisa and the Rainbow Awards for all the work they do, and the money collected for the various charities.

 

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It’s surreal for me that so many people have read and enjoyed Arrows. To date, it’s the longest book I’ve written and definitely holds a special place for me.

Like many of my books, I base some of the content on personal experience. For Arrows, all of the descriptions of Banff were based on memory. I’ve been to Banff many times in my life (luckily), during all four seasons, and let me tell you, my descriptions do not do it justice. It’s absolutely gorgeous and if you ever have the opportunity to visit, do yourself a favor and go.

So, a bit about the things in Arrows that I based on personal experiences:

Archer’s nephews name is Aiden, and while I myself don’t have a nephew, my SO has a nephew named Aiden, who I quite adore.
There’s a scene where Archer and Mallory are in Banff and go to Tim Horton’s. It’s almost like a family tradition now for us to stop there every time we’re in Banff. My SO (yes, judge him by this) gets a triple triple (yep, three creams and three sugars), while I usually opt for a regular. I’m not much of a coffee drinker though.
A very close friend of mine went through very similar injuries to Archer. Thankfully, they were obtained from some, uh, shenanigans, unlike Archer’s injuries. He popped his knee out of its socket and tore through 3 of the 4 ligaments in his knee. Unfortunately, that same night, he severely dislocated his opposite shoulder. We were together when it happened, the five of us friends, and it was very frightening. He was about 27 when it happened, so a little older than Archer. He was hospital ridden for a month until he had surgery, and then afterward, he had to hobble around with a cast on his leg, arm awkwardly in a sling, and crutches. It barely worked but he had to have something to help his mobility, since he was sent home and lived on his own. I often took him to physio appointments and helped to get his crutches in the trunk of my car. But don’t worry–he has returned almost completely to his former glory.

Finally! It’s coming!

Arrows Through Archer, a story I’ve been working on all year, finally has a release date. It’ll be coming out June 14, 2017 and I couldn’t be more excited. ATA is my first self-published full-length novel. No pre-order this time round.

And to celebrate, I’ve decided to do the cover reveal now, just a few weeks out. So here it is!

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After the loss of his parents, Archer Hart is consumed by grief. Each day, he struggles his way through classes, parties, and trying to put on a good front for the sake of his best friend. But at night, he falls asleep to the sound of gunshots ringing in his ears.

Mallory is a man fighting a war of emotions all his own. When his son invites his best friend back home to Banff over a college break, he’s happy for the company.

Some time during the late-night talks, subtle smiles, and long, long silences, the two men begin to find solace in one another.

But love isn’t always easy, especially when it strikes you straight through the heart.

Arrows Through Archer is a slow-burn romance with an age difference, first times, a happy ending, and no cliff-hanger.

Tags: May/December, Angst, Hurt Comfort, First Time, Slow Burn, Family

 

And here’s a little snippet from the story!

 

“What does she like?”

Mallory’s sigh was heavier than the collapse of a nation. “White wine. Reading biographies. Jazz music. Pasta primavera. Laughing. Swimming in the summer, skiing in the winter. My shirt.”

“All good things to like.”

“They are.”

“So?”

He stopped speaking. It wasn’t one of those comfortable silences full of hope and contemplation. The silence felt toxic.

“So,” Mallory said eventually. “So, I don’t know. You like puzzles and whiskey. And you listen to classic rock with me, although I’m painfully aware you don’t like it. And you love those chocolate cupcakes I brought home from the bakery last week, but you hate the bran muffins I make. And you like running and guns and silence, and Sarah doesn’t like any of those things.”

It was obvious now to see and hear how much he’d drunk.

“Mallory—”

“She doesn’t like puzzles.” Finally, Mallory turned to me, his eyes alight. “I want to be with a woman who likes puzzles.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You look so damn happy sitting at the kitchen table, puzzle pieces scattered around.”

I closed my eyes. “You should go to bed.”

“I know,” he said quietly.

I stood. “Are you coming in?”

He ignored my question as he stared down at his now-empty glass. “Puzzles make you happy, don’t they?”

Sharpshooter by nature, my instincts told me to go in for the kill. “It’s not the puzzles that make me happy, Mallory.”

Immediately, his eyes locked with mine. “Don’t do this to me, Archer.”

“Okay.”

Alone, I left the workshop, while Mallory remained behind.

 

I have big plans, guys! Big, big plans! I always do.

I’m hoping to release 3 books next year. Hoping. Planning. Aiming. Probably struggling.

I’m hoping/planning/aiming to release Ocean Soul (Afflicted Souls #2) which is about 40k done, Arrows Through Archer (which is actually on the top of my to-release list), and Thrills (Vices #2).

I know some of you guys have been waiting for Thrills for a million years, and for that, I’m so sorry. I am a fickle, fickle, lazy, fickle creature. I see a shiny thing and run away, forgetting all about the tinsel already in my claws. I wrote Thrills, decided I hated it, and am going to take another stab at it this year.

A bit about each (for whoever is curious).

Ocean Soul features Sterling, a young man who lost his soul in a game of high stakes poker. And naturally, his love interest is none other than Malcome’s fearless Sheriff (who is the law).

Arrows Through Archer is a contemporary romance between a young man named Archer and his best friend’s father. The romance is slow, unsure, and new. Tags would be: age difference, angst, slow burn, and HEA. It might be considered a quiet romance.

Thrills will be told from Carver’s POV and he will very likely be abusive (emotionally and physically), insensitive, unwavering, and probably rude. Hell, I miss Carver. Maybe I’ll work on Thrills next…

But!

On December 22 of this year, Lane’s comes out.  Hurray! And on top of that, as a little Christmas treat, I’m putting Maps, Diamonds, AND Lane’s on sale between Dec 22-26 for $0.99 each. So you’ll probably want to snag it at the discounted price if you’re planning on reading it.

Hi guys!

 

I ran a Rafflecopter draw for a $15 Amazon GC for the release of Poison Tongue, and I’m extremely happy to announce the winner:

 

Serena S.!

 

I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who entered, all the blogs who hosted, and congratulate Serena, who I’m going to be e-mailing immediately after posting this.

 

Thanks everyone!

It’s that time again–the most nerve-racking part of being a writer: release day.

Well, at least it’s the part of the publishing process that gives me the most stress. My book is out in the world, people can buy it, read it, love it, or hate it. It’s scary because of course I want people to enjoy reading my book as much as I enjoyed writing it, but on the other end, I can understand why it wouldn’t be for everyone.

But anyway.

First of all, and most importantly, I’d like to extend a huge ‘thank you’ to all the blogs who’ve hosted me over the past few weeks, and to all of the readers/reviewers who’ve given Poison Tongue a shot. Without readers, writers like myself would be singing to sparrows. So, thank you! You have no idea how much I truly appreciate each and every (good or bad) review or post.

Poison Tongue is now available! Here are the buy links:

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/poison-tongue-by-nash-summers-7346-b

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-poisontongue-2079161-143.html

https://www.amazon.com/Poison-Tongue-Nash-Summers-ebook/dp/B01IX3L4QY

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/poison-tongue

 

If you’re wondering what kind of book this is because you’re unsure if it’s right for you, let me tell you a bit about Poison Tongue, and, really, my Afflicted Souls series as a whole.

Poison Tongue could probably be tossed into the urban fantasy category, but really, if such a pile existed, I’d put it into urban paranormal. Poison Tongue is a little creepy, quite darkly romantic, and features imperfect characters with a whole lot of slow-burn tossed into the mix. I imagine Poison Tongue as a dark, quiet novel.

 

For this series, I really wanted to take a different look into the paranormal genre. This series is written as contemporary, and I wanted to give the feeling that these things–these otherworldly love stories–could be happening somewhere in the world right now. If you believe in magic, of course.

I’m not sure how the concept of writing an entire series of souls came into play. Naturally, Poison Tongue started off as a stand-alone, but when I realized how much more I wanted to write in this series, I was enamored with the idea of writing love stories which are heavily influenced by a person’s soul.

A soul can be left completely up to interpretation. I don’t know what one looks like, or sounds like, or feels like, or is, so I can make it into whatever I want. That’s what this series is about. It’s about two souls falling in love, or two people falling in love, because or despite of their souls.

But this series is heavily influenced by the darker sides of romance, and things that lurk just out of eyesight, hiding in the darkness.

 

And–for those of you wondering–the next book in the series will feature a romance between two characters mentioned in Poison Tongue.[image error] Bonus points if you can guess which two characters. (If you know the name of book #2, you can probably guess one of the characters fairly easily)

 

Happy reading, friends!

Since I actually have a few writing things going on for a change, I thought I’d take this opportunity to update my blog! And of course, also to wish everyone a very happy Spring season.

 

So. What’s on the agenda?

 

Poison Tongue (Southern Gothic #1 (haven’t thought up a series name yet which sucks and I suck at thinking of series names)) has a projected release date around August/September 2016. I couldn’t be more excited. This series is a bit near and dear to my heart. It’s a little dark, a little unconventional.

Hopefully a few readers out there enjoy it as well.[image error]

I’ve started working on Ocean Soul which is book #2 in the series. After reading Poison Tongue, you’d probably be able to guess the MC of this book.

The rights for Outshine the Stars, which is currently published with JMS Books, will be returned to me in the next few months. So I plan to add a more to the story, have it re-edited, and to a re-release for the second edition.

Lane’s (Life According to Maps #3) is in the works. I think I’m only a few thousand words in, but I’m still planning to have it written and released before the end of the year. I’ll probably be sending out a link for the ARC for review in my newsletter (whenever it’s actually written). The Maps series is a tad trickier for me to write because I have to be in the right mindset. I want it to be funny, and writing humor can be tricky.

Thrills (Cold Hard Truths #2) is another manuscript I’m rewriting. It’s a bit hard to invest time on a series that didn’t get much traction. But alas, those men won’t be left hanging. I will finish their story, slowly but surely.

I have a few other projects on the horizon. A contemporary that I plan to self-publish, titled Arrows Through Archer. I’m not too far into writing this one, but have it pretty thoroughly outlined. Can’t imagine actually getting around to this one this year. Probably 2017.

I’ll be keeping my newsletter subscribers more up to date on future releases, ARC giveaways, etc., so if you’d like to be kept more in the loop (because I suck at updating my blog), you can subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/boD5TP

 

So that’s all! By the end of the year Poison Tongue will be out through Dreamspinner Press, I’ll re-release Outshine the Stars and self-publish it, and Lane’s (Life According to Maps #3) will also be self-published. Ocean Soul will probably be finished by then, but can’t imagine it being published in 2016.

Busy year for me!

 

It’s that time again. Time to reflect on the past year.

It’s been a good year for me. Maps and Diamonds were released this year, as well as Lovers & Fighters with DSP. Also, I wrote and released fawn with the MMRG on Goodreads.

Overall, not the most productive year, but I’ll take it.

Writing isn’t my day job, or else I’d starve. But it’s not my secondary job, or even a third. Writing is that really fun thing I wish I had more time to do, but unfortunately don’t right now. My goal for 2016 is to write more.

In 2016 I plan to finish my current WIP, Poison Tongue, which I’ve been working on for far too long. Then I’ll try to find a nice home for it. I also plan to write and release Lane’s (Life According to Maps #3), and, ideally, write and finish another MM Contemporary project I have outlined titled Arrows Through Archer. Anything above that will be icing on the cake.

Edit: I will also get Thrills (sequel to Vices) finished! I will! I’ve been putting it off forever, and I really need to tie that one up. So after my current WIP is complete, onto Thrills re-write! :)

 

I want to thank anyone and everyone who’s read something of mine this year! :) And to my fans, in 2016, I promise to try to write more, and more frequently.

 

I hope you all had a fantastic 2015, and hope that 2016 is even better! Happy New Year!

 

 

Neat! Someone nominated Maps, fawn, and Vices for The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Awards. Thanks to whoever did that! Definitely made my day getting that email a few days back.

If any of you guys would like to vote, it can be done here:

Vote for Maps

Vote for fawn

Vote for Vices

 

I’m really just happy to be nominated. :)

 

Another note. I have a mailing list that I’ll link to below. I don’t use it too often, but when I do, it’s usually for giveaways, contests, freebies, etc. I’m planning to offer a free copy of Maps (#1) to my mailing list prior to releasing Diamonds (#2). Diamonds still has no release date, but hopefully in the next month or two.

Subscribe to my newsletter

Which takes me down another path. If anyone out there has read Maps and would be the kindest, best person ever, I’m looking for another beta reader for Diamonds. I would appreciate it very much and will even invite said beta reader to my birthday party.

My new novella, Lovers & Fighters, is being released with Dreamspinner Press on September 9th. I’ll be over at the DSP blog on September 8th, doing some behind the scenes posting, so please stop by so I’m not terribly lonely!

Lovers & Fighters is a novella I wrote about a year and a half ago. It’s not the most recently thing I’ve written. I kind of sat on this story for over a year deciding if I’d ever let it see the light of day. I sometimes do this with stories because I’m a fickle person.

Lovers & Fighters was my own little exploration into two people falling in love for no reason. I didn’t want either of the characters to be able to say, “I love him because _______.” I wanted them to say, “I love him, because.” That’s just the way love works sometimes.

 

Diamonds (Life According to Maps Series)(Thanks to SRAL for the naming help!) will be my newest work. It’s at 14k currently, and is it ever ridiculous. It’s ripe with teenage angst, immaturity, misunderstandings, and a lot of naivety. I’m going to aim to finish it for end of September and then send it away to my editor. Cross your fingers for me!

I’m also working on a few other things very painfully slowly. I’m easily distracted. I have a southern gothic WIP that’s been planned for ages that I need to write, and another M/M contemporary duology. Working names for said duology are:

Arrows Through Archer (#1)

Mercy in Malory (#2)

I mostly have this series planned and outlined. The series involves a large age difference and reunited lovers. Sort of. I’m anticipating this series to be heart-wrenching, and I’m also anticipating receiving a couple of death threats after book one. No end date in sight for these.

You can visit my southern gothic inspiration board here: https://www.pinterest.com/nashsummers/southern-gothic/

On that note, I’ll leave you with my southern gothic WIP prologue.

Prologue
If I fell in love with the devil, would I still have a soul?
Gran always told me he’d look like something that clawed its way out of a fantasy I never knew I had. She said his heart would be blacker than the chew in the rusty cans next to my uncle’s rocking chair. She said he’d smell like the freshly plucked peaches she used in her pies, and that he’d be twice as sweet. She said that his voice would cut into my heart and make me weep so deeply that I would forget the sound of my own voice. She said the feeling of his skin would seer my own, that my guts would coil into tight tendrils of desperation and fixation, like those girls I’d seen crying down at the sheriff’s office. She said that when he’d smile at me, it would be a reminder that the wicked creature just beneath the surface of his flesh was waiting—patiently—to eat me whole.
Gran told me that I would fall in love with the devil.
And she told me that he would love me right back.

Well, it’s happening. I wasn’t ever planning on writing any more for Maps and Lane, but I guess I just couldn’t help myself. I like to write stories that are emotionally draining, but every now and again I want to go back to writing something silly, fun, and hopefully, funny.

 

And that’s where Maps comes in. I’ve started writing Diamonds and I’m really enjoying writing it. Diamonds will be in the same (still unnamed) series as Maps, and will take place right after book one. Working blurb: The one where Maps gets a job. Hilarity ensues.

For this series, there are a few things I can guarantee:

Diamonds will probably not be the last in the series.
Maps will never change. I mean this in regards to who Maps is as a character. He’s ridiculous. He’s naive, foolish, very childish, a little (okay, maybe a lot) self-absorbed, and fairly oblivious. In Diamonds, Maps won’t deter from his character. I imagine Maps as an adult being the same version of his younger self.
This series will be angst-free. Forever! Reader’s of fawn who’ve I’ve made cry are rejoicing.
There will be teenage melodrama (only the melodrama Maps creates for himself, really), misunderstandings, miscommunication, over-dramatization, ridiculousness, unlikely circumstances, childish shenanigans,  and tons of nerdy references.
Each story will be novella length (my attention span is almost as short as Maps’).

That’s all I’ve got at the moment. I hope you enjoy Diamonds when it comes out!

 

ps. Maps’ poor parents.