': Empty Nests blog tour | Spotlight, Excerpt, Playlist & Giveaway {Pride Promotions}

Neither James nor Gabe has ever had a real relationship. They might make a connection if they can get past their differences—and their fears.

At age fourteen, James Maron decided to prove he wasn’t gay despite vast evidence to the contrary. Now at thirty-two, he’s getting ready to send his son to college and wondering what he’s supposed to do next. Outside his son, his life consists of an IT job he hates and watching telenovelas with the women in his apartment building.

Gabriel Juarez is the CFO of a technology giant. He has looks, charm, fantastic wealth, a workaholic personality, and a string of boyfriends who only stick around because he’s too busy to tell them to leave.

A bad laptop/projector interface causes James and Gabe’s paths to cross. Friends, family, and coworkers jump to match Gabe with a nice guy, and James with anyone. But are they too different? Everyone will have to tread very carefully to keep things from ending before they start.

Grab your copy of Empty Nests now from Dreamspinner Press!

Excerpt:

“So,” Dylan started as he scraped the last of the noodles from his plate. “Remember that conversation we were having about the new AP English teacher?”

“If you pull a piece of paper out of your pocket right now, I will never forgive you.”

Dylan grinned and pulled a tightly folded piece of paper from his pocket. “Saturday after next, if you want, you have a date.”

James was pretty sure teenagers were not supposed to be as hung-up on their father’s love life as Dylan was. “No. No, I do not.”

Dylan pushed over a printout from his school’s faculty webpage. There was a phone number handwritten at the bottom. “Thirty-five, no kids. He likes music.” Dylan had highlighted that line. “You like music, he likes music. He said he’d love to take you to see a band he likes.”

“Goddammit, Dylan! I do not need you setting me up with strangers.”

“He’s not a stranger, he’s the school’s AP English teacher, and I wouldn’t have to if you’d get out of the house once in a while. Seriously, Dad, I’m out of here in less than a year. I don’t want you moping around this place alone. I worry about you turning into a crazy old cat lady.”

Ada Maria Soto is a born and raised Californian, Mexican-American/WASP, currently living as an expat in New Zealand. She got her Bachelor’s degree in Theater Directing at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, which she attended in a fit of stubbornness. She got a Master’s degree in Film and TV Producing from the University of Auckland in New Zealand which she applied to on a manic whim. Nine years later she’s still in Auckland with a partner, kid, and mortgage.

She has dysgraphia and phonological dyslexia which can lead to some interesting typos.

She is a sports fan dedicated to the Oakland A’s, San Jose Sharks, Auckland Blues, USA Eagles, New Zealand All Blacks, New Zealand Black Caps, and the Chennai Super Kings.

Play List for Empty Nests from Author Ada Maria Soto

I'm one of those people who has to sing along to just about any piece of music with words. I'm sure I will be a giant embarrassment to my kid in a couple of years because of this. It also means when I'm writing anything I listen to has to be strictly instrumental or opera in a language I don't understand. I usually just keep tuned into Radio New Zealand Concert.

There are particular pieces of music I do listen to when I'm working on a specific kind of scene or need to get into a certain head space. I think of them as musical vitamin combos. There are also songs or albums I will listen to on loop before I start writing, again in order to get into a particular head space.

1. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 - Tchaikovsky (Played when I'm coming into a writing day low on energy. Tchaikovsky is good for this all around, except for his ballets. His ballets can fuck off.)

2. Rhapsody in Blue – George Gershwin (When I'm writing scenes with lots of little details I'll put this on loop.)

3. Star Wars Episode IV Soundtrack – John Williams (For when I'm writing romantic scenes. No I'm not kidding but I might be a little weird.)

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields – Howard Shore (For writing sex scenes)

5. Pacific Rim Soundtrack - Ramin Djawadi (For writing Really Epic sex scenes.)

6. Paint it Black – Rolling Stones (Five times on loop before writing Middle Aged Angst.)

7. Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette (A listen through before writing teen angst. And I am really dating myself with that one.)

8. Summertime Dream – Gordon Lightfoot (For sad/sweet and nostalgia)

9. Albums to keep up general motivation and energy on off days.

a. England Keep My Bones – Frank Turner

b. Recurring Dream – Crowded House

c. The King Is Dead – The Decemberists

d. Passenger – Lisa Hannigan