Author of the Month Spotlight with @wittauthor | The Shattered Door | Author Q&A Part II & #giveaway #TTCAOTM

Now that the Autism Auction has ended, it's time to start the TTC AOTM feature once again. 

This month I'm thrilled to have Brandon Witt sharing all his great stories with us!

I believe Brandon was a Movie Star in another life, his alter ego is ten kinds of fabulous. 

{click here to go to "The Witty Hour" on youtube and meet said alter ego}

This week is Witt's MM Romance book that has a Spiritual edge to it,
The Shattered Door...



The Shattered Door <-- Amazon link
3rd Edition - Dreamspinner Press <-- Dreamspinner link

After a tortured childhood and years of soul-searching, Brooke Morrison has finally settled into a comfortable life. While his sexuality prohibits him from practicing his degree in youth ministry in a church setting, he’s found a fulfilling job as a youth counselor at a residential treatment facility in Colorado. He falls in love, marries the man of his dreams, and makes peace with God. He’s happy.

 Then his buried past drags him back to the Ozarks. 

The life Brooke has worked so hard to build is crumbling in his hands in the face of painful memories and past abuse, and his confidence is withering. In El Dorado Springs, where his nightmares come to life, Brooke desperately seeks closure life doesn’t offer. Brooke must find value in himself, in his marriage, and in the world around him—and create the hope and perseverance to keep his past from swallowing him whole. 

1st Edition published by Createspace, 2011. 
2nd Edition published by Itineris Press, 2012.

Author Q&A Part II - 

What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

Old advice, but it’s true. Write. Everyday.  All the time.  It doesn’t have to be a novel or even fiction.  For several years, going through a long bout of depression and working on coming out of the closet and leaving reparative therapy, I just journaled/blogged.  Tell your story first.  

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I don’t know if I’d call it writers’ block or not.  More that there are days/weeks where it’s harder to write than others.  And, I write through it.  I treat it like a job, with minimum hours, words, ect, that I have to meet.  I do allow myself to have days once in awhile to shrug it off and give my brain a rest when the words absolutely will not flow.  When that happens, I tend to go to back to my planning notebooks and plan/problem-solve some more.  (Man, I make it sound so boring, don’t I?  Sorry!)

               

What Author’s in the genre do you read?

Oh, goodness. I hate these questions, because I’ll forget someone.  

Someone that I actually do read.  But, here’s a working list:

Eric Arvin, Bru Baker, Amy Lane, Edmond Manning, Della Boyton/Kracken, Mary Calmes, Jacob Florez, TJ Klune, Poppy Dennison, Charlie Cochet, JP Barnaby, John Inman, BG Thomas, etc. 

What comes first, the plot or characters?

Just a touch of plot.  The main struggle, or twist, or issue. 

Then the characters.

  I map out the characters to the inth degree, then move back to planning the plot and let them determine the rest of the events. 

Brandon Witt's outlook on life is greatly impacted by his first eighteen years of growing up gay in a small town in the Ozarks, as well as fifteen years as a counselor and special education teacher for students with severe emotional disabilities. Add to that his obsession with corgis and mermaids, then factor in an unhealthy love affair with cheeseburgers, and you realize that with all those issues, he's got plenty to write about.... 

Author links: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads 

I am very intrigued and heading over to Amazon to grab my copy of The Shattered Door right now! Thanks for stopping by, tune in next week when the spotlight is on Then the Stars Fall and
Under A Sky of Ash along with the Author Q&A Part III.

1st Brandon Witt is offering one lucky winner a signed paperback copy of any ONE of his books. One winner, One book, US only. 

2nd TTC Books and more is offering up a Surprise swag pack, again, US only. 

3rd something new starting this month on the blog... EVERY comment will be entered into a giveaway at the end of every month for a chance to win a $20 Amazon giftcard. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* * Something new to the blog, TTC Books and more Monthly Giftcard Giveaway * * 

EVERY comment on EVERY post will be entered into a giveaway at the end of the month. 

One winner will be chosen for a giftcard that will vary each month. 

{Amazon, B&N, ARe, Dreamspinner, iTunes}

NOTE: The rules are super simple. 1)You MUST leave your contact information with your comment 2)Your comment must be related to that post in some way 3)Any negative comments or hate speech will be immediately removed and you will not be entered into the giveaway. Remember, I have to approve all comments for the blog. Good luck everyone, and thanks for stopping by!