BLOG TOUR: King of the Mountain by Aiden Ainslie (Excerpt & Giveaway + Guest Post)

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

by Aiden Ainslie

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GENRE:  M/M romance
BUY LINK

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BLURB:

CLIFFORD

After years of hard work and training, I finally have the chance of fulfilling my lifelong dream of winning the Tour de France. Nothing can be allowed to distract me from this mission, especially not Gabe O’Reilly, the adorable art student from San Francisco.

But he looks so vulnerable – all alone in France.

I would be failing in my patriotic duty to a fellow American if I didn’t take care of him, wouldn’t I? And what possible harm could come from spending twenty-four hours with him on the shores of the Mediterranean? I deserve that little break, don’t I?

GABE

I have never seen a human specimen as perfect as Clifford Du Frey. During our fleeting encounter in Paris, I saw a man who was funny, caring, and tender – so very different from the way the media portray him. He is everything I could ever dream of in a boyfriend.

But in what universe will an international sports superstar pay any serious attention to me?

Do not get involved, my brain yells; you can only get hurt again. But my heart is thrumming to a different tune.

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EXCERPT

GABE

Cliff stood in the shallows. His pale skin gave him the quality of a Michelangelo marble statue. His body had magnificent, classical proportions. Every muscle was clearly defined as though chiseled in stone and smoothed to perfection under the loving hand of a master sculptor. I wondered if he realized just how beautiful he was. And I still found it hard to believe that he was giving me the gift of his time.

He watched me as I strode toward him and, when I shook the water out of my hair, he warned, “Don’t you dare splash me. I like to get in slowly.”

“I won’t splash you,” I said as I stopped in front of him. His eyes were unbelievable. The aquamarine of the water reflected off his blue eyes. I had the sensation of looking into a kaleidoscope of colors yet to be invented. I placed my hands on his shoulders and kissed him on both cheeks.

He was startled but did not back away. “What was that for?” he asked.

“We’ve not had a chance to greet each other yet – the French way. The way you taught me. And,” I continued, “to say I’m sorry.”

I gave him my sweetest smile.

“Sorry for wha….”

He didn’t get to finish the sentence because I folded one leg behind him and, in the most basic of wrestling moves, tipped him backward into the water.

The look on his face was priceless, and I burst out laughing when his head emerged, spluttering and cursing.

He reached out a hand and said, “You can at least help me up.”

I took hold of his hand and found myself yanked off my feet with Cliff dunking my head underwater. I shook myself free and rose from the waves to see Cliff making a run for the beach. I lurched after him, tackled him, and dragged him back into the water. He laughed and spluttered till he gained his footing and rounded on me, grabbing my waist, the most ticklish part of my body. He held me tight with one arm curved around my chest while his free hand tickled my hip bone without mercy. I giggled and squirmed helplessly in his arms.

We horsed around in the water like a couple of drunken teenagers. Drunk on sunshine, drunk on life, drunk on L…   I didn’t dare to complete the thought. Who was I to think a man like Clifford du Frey would fall in love with me?

 

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GUEST POST

Anger and Vulnerability – Two Sides of the Same Coin.

by Aiden Ainslie

I am delighted to be back with Neverhollowed after they afforded me the honor of interviewing me for their “Castaway of the Month” series in August. DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS: Aiden Ainslie | Never Hollowed By The Stare . That interview tells you a lot about me, my favorite books, favorite songs and a bunch of personal stuff. One thing I did not reveal in that interview is that sometimes I have anger issues. There are days I’m sure my family and friends would be only too happy if I were genuinely stranded on a remote island for a few weeks.

I keep threatening to write a book entitled, “Hundred-and-One Things That Really Piss Me Off.” I’m sure readers can relate to some of these things. How about people who conduct a loud cellphone conversation on speaker phone in a public place? I mean, I’m right there. What am I? A piece of mindless furniture? It is so disrespectful. Or, how about the kids at a buffet who pile food onto their plates to overflowing? You know they’re going to eat only a fraction of the food and the parents just say nothing. It’s simply wrong in my worldview to waste food. The gym is another place rife with triggers: people who grab three towels when there is a limited supply or those who hog a piece of equipment, sitting there going through their emails. Zero awareness of others. It makes my blood boil.

Last week, I got to yoga class early and it is the custom of the group to quietly stretch, meditate and get into the zone for the class. But in this instance, there were two women nattering loudly at the back of the class. By the time the teacher started the class, my blood pressure was up at about 170. I had to call myself to order and repeat the mantra, “Aiden, it’s in your control how you respond; Aiden, it’s in your control…” And then I got to wondering, how do the characters in my book deal with anger? (It always calms me to think about the characters in my book. If no one ever again read “King of the Mountain” I’d still reap the benefit of my own personal therapy from that book.)

Clifford, the title character, is definitely wound up like a steel coil. He is super competitive, driven and the sort of guy who grinds his teeth till the sparks fly if someone cuts him off in traffic. There is a scene in the book where he suspects that someone else is spending time with his love interest, Gabe. But Clifford doesn’t explode. He doesn’t even talk to Gabe about it. He internalizes all his anger and channels his fury into his cycling. Along the way, he also snarls at his teammates who have no idea why he is acting in such a passive-aggressive manner. Typical for Clifford. He avoids dealing with the issue head-on and hence, his anger is like a pressure cooker building up more and more steam. Ultimately, it is likely to find unhealthy outlets – possibly an explosion at the worst moment.

I hope I’m not putting you off Clifford. I love him to bits but, like all of us, he is a flawed human being and his actions betray a deep-seated insecurity. Despite all his success as a sports superstar, or maybe because of it, he does not trust easily and is prone to assume ulterior motives in other people’s actions. Deep down he yearns for someone who will love him for himself rather than for his status or money.

Gabe O’Reilly on the other hand is an easy-going art student who only sees the best in everyone. He grew up surfing, so he knows all about chilling and patiently waiting to catch the right wave. He’s not likely to get involved in a road rage incident. If someone cuts a line in front of him, he’ll assume that person has an emergency or something stressful going on in their life. He’ll want to brighten their day with a smile or a word of encouragement. Gabe is my favorite character in the book because I admire and envy people who have this ability to just walk away and not let petty grievances and annoyances get under their skin.

People who are as trusting as Gabe, however, are also vulnerable. They are easily hurt by others and if they get pushed far enough, they too get angry but in a different way. Their anger is not like an explosion but rather burns steadily for a long time. Thus, when Gabe feels betrayed by Clifford, there is no quick fix to restore the relationship. Gabe’s hurt and anger are too deep-seated.

One of the supporting characters in “King of the Mountain” is Gabe’s mother, Isabella. She is a former beauty queen from Colombia with a fiery Latin temper. Her remedy for dealing with conflict is to “have it out in a good shouting match, clear the air, and put it behind you.” That might be one of the healthier ways to deal with conflict. Unlike Clifford, Isabella is not likely to die from a heart attack because she doesn’t bottle up anything. And Clifford soon finds out that Isabella gets very angry and protective when someone messes her son around.

For my future novels I plan to make this part of my character sketches, i.e., really think through how my characters deal with anger and why. Is it to hide insecurity? Is it because they are scared of conflict, scared of damaging their relationships? But then, what does it say about the strength of a relationship if it cannot withstand a certain measure of conflict? I’d love to hear from you. What is your way of dealing with conflict and anger? Who is your favorite book character and how do they deal with conflict?

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Aiden Ainslie lives in the Diablo foothills, east of San Francisco. He grew up in various small towns and loves to draw on that small-town feel for his romances: the sense of community but also the petty grievances, intrigue and rivalries. “An author has to draw on personal experience to create authentic stories.”

According to Aiden, setting and mood are critical parts of a romantic story, hence he is always taking pictures of romantic settings to be used in future novels. Check them out on his website www.aidenainslie.com

When Aiden is not writing or listening to audiobooks, he likes to cycle and hike. During those solitary pursuits, he dreams up the characters and plots for his MM Romance novels. He also enjoys zipping around town on his motor scooter, drinking coffee at the local coffee shops, and watching people to get inspiration for his writing.

Website: www.aidenainslie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aiden.ainslie

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AidenA36208349

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/KING-MOUNTAIN-LOVE-LAKE-CLYDE-ebook/dp/B0996S9871

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/king-of-the-mountain-by-aiden-ainslie

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58576572-king-of-the-mountain

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Aiden Ainslie will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also use this link:

<a href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4656″>Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>