Thanks so much for being here with us today, Tristram. Why don’t we start out by having you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
It is my pleasure, thank you for inviting me. I believe that if we expect readers to buy our books then we should also be willing to bare our souls for them a little. My background is rather a mixed affair. My paternal grandfather was of French descent, hence the name. The rest of me is English. As a child I was taken around Europe rather a lot and I guess that’s where traveling entered my blood. I love to travel and, unless I am writing or reading, I get unsettled easily. I am very much at home on ‘The Continent’ as they used to say and actually know France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Spain better than I know Britain. I have worked in design, tourism and yacht charter, as well as trying my hand at catering. My cooking these days is limited to home. I abhor bigotry and intolerance.
When did you discover your passion for writing? Was there someone in particular who encouraged and inspired your love for storytelling?
My English teacher at school always told me I could write but my parents gave me no encouragement, so it fell by the wayside. I have always felt that I could do it but have been so busy running round on the rat wheel that I never tried. At the end of last year I overheard a comment along the lines of if you don’t try, you’ll never know. So I began reading like a book lover who’d been told he would go blind in six months. At some point in the New Year I felt ready.
On My Knees is your first published book: how long did it take to finish the manuscript?
Just over a month. Let’s say three weeks or so, plus another week to a fortnight for polishing. I seem able to produce a novella in around a month but a full length novel, which I am working on, takes much longer.
How long did it take for the book to be published?
I had already noticed Etopia Press and read some of their publications. I was impressed by their broad outlook and modern attitude. I submitted On My Knees only to them and had an acceptance within a month. That was February. Then we had the editing process, cover design and so on, with publication on June 4th of this year as per schedule.
How much creative input did you have in the cover design for the book?
As writers will know, the author rarely gets a say on the cover. Etopia Press do take notice of your wishes, something else I liked about them. Basically, I provided clues about the story so the artist had something to go on. The first draft of the cover was sent to me for comment. I have no doubt that if I had wanted changes they would have been considered, but I loved it as it was. I still think it’s a great cover. Someone in a review on Amazon said that you can judge this book by its cover – and they gave it five stars.
Are there any parts of the story that originated from your own life experiences?
Of course. What writer doesn’t draw on experience to some extent? The crucial part, falling in love almost at first sight and against all odds, is my story. That’s why I smile to myself if someone says ‘just as if’ because it did happen – to me!
What message(s) do you hope your readers will take away from the story?
That truth is all important. Live your life as you, not as what someone else wants you to be. And I want people to see that no matter how low you get, there is always hope.
Do you find you draw your characters from the people you know, or do they even resemble you in any way?
I’m lucky that I’ve met a huge variety of people; good, bad, funny, tragic, wise, stupid, weak, poor, rich and powerful. Virtually every character I write is, at least in part, one of these. And I’m always around.
Do you write full time? If not, how many hours per day do you attempt to dedicate to your writing?
Yes, I have stopped all my other business interests now so that I can concentrate on writing. I’m not twenty-one anymore and have at least a hundred books bursting to get out of my head.
Do you typically outline your plots before you begin the writing process, or do you write in a more freestyle fashion?
I’m freestyle. I do have an idea in my head when I start writing but I find that once the characters get on stage things begin to flow and they tend to lead me.
What has been the most difficult topic you’ve ever approached in your writing?
I know what the topic is and I haven’t approached it yet. I’m waiting for the right moment, and it will have to be a full length novel. You’ll know when I do it!
What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever received with respect to the art of writing? How did it change the way you approach your craft?
Get on with the story. I used to think that you had to give detailed descriptions, but you don’t. Now I love to keep the pedal to the metal.
If you were to offer a word of advice to a new author just starting out, what would it be?
Read Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’. No matter what your genre there is good stuff between those pages. Be prepared for hard work and setbacks. Never, never give up.
Do you generally have the titles of your work planned before you begin writing, or does that occur later on in the writing process?
It’s a bit of both, really. Sometimes a title will come to me and I think it’s a good idea, then I’ll see if I can cultivate a story around it. Other times the story comes first.
What is the question you’re most frequently asked by your fans?
Are you really gay?
Have you had any particularly memorable fan experience?
That would be telling.
Are you surprised by the ever-growing female fan-base of Male/Male fiction?
Yes, astonished. I don’t understand it but there we are. I’m delighted if they want to read it. We’ll see as the genre grows if it branches in two directions; one more romantic, the other closer to reality. If that happens it will be interesting to see which way male and female readers go, if they do have differing tastes that is. It’s an exciting time. My own writing tends to be gritty rather than hearts and flowers, and I’ve just had a long deliberation with one editor as to whether it will be acceptable more to men or women. We’ll see, I suppose. Maybe both will like it.
Digital media—the e-reader/tablet computer/Android apps—is changing the way people access and enjoy books. What pros and/or cons do you see surrounding the business of e-publishing? How do you see digital media evolving in the years to come?
If you’d asked me one year ago about e-books I would have said that you’d never get me away from my print books. I got a Kindle just over six months ago and I will kill anyone who tries to separate me from it. Now I really won’t read a paper book unless I absolutely cannot get it on Kindle. First of all, Kindle is not back lit like a computer so you don’t get eye strain (that’s always the first objection I hear). Then the advantages are too numerous to list – the ability to change the font size, the portability (thousands of books in your pocket), no breaking your fingers to open up the centerfold, adding notes and highlights, instant downloads…
So, e-publishing is here to stay and will continue to grow. Whilst on the one hand it has enabled new writers to get out there, the downside is that the marketplace is awash with junk. It can be hard for the readers to sort the wheat from the chaff. I think that will settle down, so it doesn’t get me all hot and bothered. In a short time I believe we’ll see the e-book as the industry standard for fiction. Print books will always be around for illustrations and certain reference volumes. And to those who still say I’m wrong, I can only point out that someone once said, “I’ll never read a scroll. I like the smell and feel of stone.”
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
Oh, I would love to be a film star. Whether or not I could be is another matter entirely.
Aside from writing, what else do you enjoy doing? Do you have any hobbies?
I love good food and wine, music, opera, films, theatre and, erm, nice cars. I enjoy entertaining and, as I’ve said, traveling.
If we were to look around the desk where you sit to write, what would we find there?
My AppleMac, Lacie hard drive, phone, pen and pad. I’m a minimalist.
How would you describe your sense of humor?
Wicked and dirty.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Novels for less than a dollar.
Do you have a favorite personal mantra, quote, or saying that describes your outlook on life and the way you approach each day?
Truth against the world.
Do you speak more than one language? If so, which one(s)?
Italian is my second language. I can struggle along in Spanish and German but, strangely, my French is dreadful.
Of all the modern conveniences, which one would you most likely say you couldn’t live without?
Clean water.
Do you have any new projects coming up that you’d care to share with us?
My second novella, Lorenzo il Magnifico, is being released today (August 5th) by Evernight Publishing. They’ve produced a fabulous cover, which gives you a good flavor of what the book is about. In September, Etopia Press will publish my third, Fixed! Lorenzo is set in Florence, Italy; Fixed takes us to France and Monte Carlo. I’m already well on with an historical MM that started out as another novella but might expand.
Thank you again for spending some time with us, Tristram. Will you tell us where we can find you on the Internet?
My website: http://tristramlaroche.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002276172449
Twitter: @TristramLaRoche
And we’d love if you’d share a favorite excerpt from On My Knees with us.
Of course. Here we are:-
My trunks ballooned with the buffeting of the whirlpool and fizzed when I squeezed them flat. Steam, heavy with the scent of menthol and eucalyptus, rose around me and cleared my head. A few minutes of this and I would be as right as rain. Might even be able to face Diana. I lay back, stretched out my legs and closed my eyes. Christ, she could have injured me—killed me. Was it even safe to go back there? Well, I had nowhere else to go. Even if I had to go down on my knees and beg.
“Room in there for another?”
My eyes sprang open. The guy had left the pool and was coming down the steps into the Jacuzzi, steadying himself on the tubular handrail. I sat up and contracted myself into as small a space as possible while he located the seat beneath the foam and settled down.
“Quiet tonight,” he said.
That accent, what was it? There was a hint of something. What did they call it? Mid-Atlantic?
“Makes a change,” I said, shifting in my seat.
He smiled. I sort of smiled back.
“I’m Attila, by the way.” He leaned forward and offered his hand.
“Mark.”
His hand was still cool from the swimming pool, his grip firm. I now noticed the tattoos on both arms, green and orange serpents entwined around swords or daggers. They reminded me of my father’s. How I used to tremble when those arms came towards me, harbingers of pain. I looked away. Time to get out.
“Well,” I said, climbing the steps. “Might see you around.”
He nodded and smiled again. I could feel his eyes on my back as I took my towel and headed towards the door.
The changing room was still deserted, still in a mess. I dumped my wet towel in the bin and took a clean one from the rack, then went into the inner sanctum where the showers, sauna and steam room were. Since everywhere was empty, I took advantage of the steam. I sucked in the hot, moist air a few times to clear my lungs. The only sound in there was the occasional rasp of the steam outlet and the steady dripping of the condensation. Through the misted door I could see that someone else had come through from the changing room.
Attila’s outline was unmistakable as it emerged through the clouds of steam that gathered and tumbled around the open door…
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Tristram La Roche is giving one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of his latest book, Fixed, the story of a man who found love at one of the lowest points in his life. 
