Welcome to my blog tour for Waiting for Patrick. I’m offering giveaways of one signed copy, one electronic copy, and a choice of one title from my backlist. Comment below and at any of my other blog stops (posted below) to be entered to win. One comment, one entry. Dreamspinner is offering my other paranormal titles (Haunted, Lifeline, and  What No One Else Can Hear ) for $0.99 during “Weekend Reads” on September 2, 3, and 4, in honor of Waiting for Patrick being my ninth published book. Waiting for Patrick will be available at a discounted price throughout the tour (September 1 through 15). Winners of the raffle will be announced on September 16^th.

Characters Based on Real People?

As a writer, I figure anything I experience will probably come out in some story somewhere. It’s no different for the people I’ve interacted with. Usually my characters come from bits and pieces of people I know (or know of), lightly tossed, and served with house dressing. Okay, there’s not any actual dressing, but none of the final characters are recognizable as anyone else.

Many of my characters are amalgams of numerous people. Ethan, from Living Again, is based on children I’ve worked with over the years. One student had the same medical problems, another had the amputations. Both had Ethan’s vibrant love of life and ‘wide open’ energy. CJ in Ray of Sunlight was also modeled on several students (all of whom died).

Stevie, from What No One Else Can Hear, was modeled on an Autistic boy by the same name who was a resident of the Autism Center on which the residential facility in the book was modeled. He was also almost my son, even though he’s only seven years my junior. (That’s another story altogether, and I can almost guarantee it’s nothing that you’re thinking. It wasn’t a matter of a blended family. <grin>) Of course, the Stevie I knew was not an empath. Also, he wasn’t on quite as high a level of functioning as the one in the book.

Then there are the people who inspire the ‘bad guys’ in my stories. I worked with severely homophobic people for several years (one worked in the same classroom as I did for three years). Many of my homophobic characters are based on them. I find I have to tone them down…a LOT…to be believable as characters, and even then some are still pretty extreme. Again, none of the characters are recognizable as anyone in particular, but usually the things they say are things I hear people around here say all the time.

Commenters: Writers, are your characters based on people you know? Readers, what is your opinion about basing characters on people authors know (as long as they are not recognizable as specific people)? Comment to win.

Blurb

Architect Elliot Graham has bought and restored dozens of historic homes to their original splendor. As in his personal life, he loves them and leaves them, selling them off without looking back. But there’s something about the old plantation house he finds in South Carolina—a connection he can’t explain. He feels as though he recognizes the house, as if within its crumbling walls he might find something he doesn’t even realize he’s lost.

Ben Myers had promised his lover and soul mate, Patrick, that he would wait for his return. Ben has kept his word ever since Patrick left him to wait at the plantation house—during the Civil War. For the first time in many long years, Ben is no longer alone, and he reaches out to Elliot in dreams. Elliot tries to convince Ben that Patrick isn’t coming back, but Ben’s devotion is about to change not only his lonely existence, but Elliot’s life as well.

Buy Link:

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/waiting-for-patrick-by-brynn-stein-7518-b

About the Author

Brynn has always loved to write about strong male characters and their close friendships. When she found the world of m/m fiction, she fell in love. Finally, a way to bring those strong male characters together and let those emotional connections spill over into deeper relationships. Sometimes her characters go through the emotional wringer, but they always have each other.

Brynn lives in Virginia near her two grown daughters who support her writing and sometimes act as proof readers. Both of her daughters are also aspiring writers and hopefully it’ll just be a matter of time before they have their own author’s biography.

Brynn was a teacher by profession for thirty years. She worked in special education with children with emotional disabilities. She has recently changed careers and is now working as a mental health counselor to this same population and their families. When she is not working or writing, she loves to draw and paint. She also gets outside as often as she can, reads anything that doesn’t move out of the way, and is always looking for her next story.

Contact Brynn:

https://twitter.com/BrynnStein

http://brynnstein2.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/brynn.stein

Dreamspinner page:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_887

Tour Stops