A big welcome to Ann Grech and congrats on the new novel! Ann was kind enough to let us hear directly from her characters.
A note from Ann Grech: In Safe Arms is my most recent novel. Ten in total, and my fifth inspired by a trip to Queenstown. This story means the world to me. It’s more than words on the page. These boys truly have my heart. I fell for them the moment they started talking to me. Trent’s brash and angry and hurting. Angelo is like a balm, healing him. Trent doesn’t understand how strong he is. It takes Angelo to show him. Best friends through thick and thin, their story is one of redemption and healing. Of kindness overcoming darkness. Of love strengthening the strong of heart. Let’s talk to your characters for a minute:
Trent: “Eh, not so much demanding as annoyingly persistent. Ann had it in her head that things were going to turn out a certain way and she didn’t like it when I told her it wasn’t happening. The first time she tried it, I was seventeen. She was all ‘I’m nearly old enough to be your Mom’—she totally is old enough, never mind nearly—'so please, listen’.†Ann: “Old enough now, really? I used to like you.†Angelo: “Mamma mia, you two. Trent, please don’t antagonize Ann. And Ann, come on, you know what he’s like.†*Ann squeezes Angelo’s hand* “I do and don’t worry, I was picking on him. He spent months not listening to me, so it’s the least I can do.â€
Angelo: “With Trent I only ever had one motivation—to love him. Whether that was as friends or as partners, that was the only thing I wanted to do.†Trent: “I needed to overcome my past. For me, it was learning to love myself, to accept myself and to heal enough that I could become the man Angelo deserves. I try every day to become that man.†Ann: “I wanted to give voice to the people who needed to see themselves in this story. It’s harrowing. What Trent went through was the worst kind of terrible. It scarred him in ways that took a decade to overcome, but with the support of his network of friends-turned-family, and especially Angelo, he found himself again. He found love. Trent says he’s trying to become the man Angelo deserves, but he already is. Yes, he’s strong willed and opinionated, he’ll always do things his way, but he has a good heart. He’s a good man. He deserves the love that Angelo wants to give him. And, you know, Angelo deserves that love too. He puts his friends first and is always there for them. He’ll be strong for you when you can’t be, and he loves unconditionally. Gentle spirited but iron-willed. He waited for a long time for Trent, and getting to experience their journey together was so special.
*Trent and Angelo look at each other and smile, before saying together:* “Yes.†Trent: “My life is nothing like I expected it to be. If I could go back in time and tell seventeen year old me what it was like, I would. Ann said my past was harrowing. It was, but I wouldn’t change a single thing to get where I am now.†Angelo: “I’m blessed. That’s all I can say. I’m blessed.â€
Angelo: “My camera, an endless supply of cannoli, and… I don’t know. A blanket?†Trent: “Pfft. Whiskey, limes and lube.†Ann: “What, no sunscreen?†Trent: “Maybe instead of Angelo’s blanket.†Angelo: “Two words: sandy crack.†Trent: “Fair call. Pre-mix whiskey and dry with lime, lube and sunscreen. Angelo can bring the blanket and food.†Ann *laughing*: “All the important things.â€
Angelo: “We cook together.†Trent: “Angelo cooks. I make a mess, then I eat. His mama taught him so many of the family recipes and he loves to make them. I’m spoiled because his food is like heaven. Simple ingredients, complex flavors and as Mama says, an authenticity that only comes with generations of Italian perfectionists who love their food.†Angelo: “We cook breakfast together whenever we can, It’s our thing. But we spend a lot of time outdoors too, fishing and hiking.â€
Trent: “Ah—†Angelo *knocks Trent with his elbow and smiles at him*: “We’re fully stocked. All the healthy stuff—plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, some handmade sausage from the local butcher and a leg of lamb that I’ll be roasting on our first day off together. Trent makes out that he doesn’t know what we have, but he was the one who bought everything.†Trent *shrugs and flushes red*
I’m writing about two really fun characters now, Pete McKenzie and Scottie Pearce. I haven’t named it yet, but the story’s very different to In Safe Arms. I’m enjoying stretching my wings while I’m writing it. It is set in the Aussie outback. Scottie is a fifth-generation cattle station owner in western Queensland and is surrounded by strong, amazing women and an extended family of his station hands. Pete is a history nerd and an expert on the Australian myth that there’s a reef of gold somewhere in the outback discovered in the early 20th Century, but unable to be relocated since. He believes he knows where the reef is and goes in search for it.
Ann Grech has a new MM romance out: "In Safe Arms." When a damaged man stumbles on a second chance, it’s all too easy to turn and run. It takes a determined photographer to convince him risk is worth it all. People deserve a second chance, right? How about a third or fourth? But what if I can’t even admit to myself who I am? I was truthful once before. I came out to one other person, and he left me broken and scarred. He destroyed the boy I was. I don’t even use the same name anymore; I go by Trent now. But I survived the streets. I got lucky and I made something of myself. I’m happy, sort of. It’s Angelo who lights up my life. He’s my world. My rock and my family. He’s always there for me. But I keep hurting him. I say stupid things, and I always keep him at a distance. Still, he knows me better than anyone. And I want him. But I can’t let myself go there. Not again. I’ve lived in denial for so long and it’s killing me. In my weakest moments, I reach for Angelo and when he slips into my arms, I can breathe. He’s my solace. Selflessly, he’s there and he never expects anything in return. No judgment, not even an explanation. Having him in my arms is everything, and it’s getting harder to push him away. I’m not sure I want to anymore. He doesn’t date, but he deserves to be loved. Cherished. Then he drops a bombshell—he’s found The One. I wish he’d fallen for me. I need that second chance to tell him. I need to risk it all because in his arms, I’m safe. I’m me. Warnings: violence, rape Giveaway Ann is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour. For a chance to win, enter via Rafflecopter: Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d4785/? Excerpt
“The cat you’re minding?†“Yep.†He nodded. I bit my lip trying not to laugh. It wasn’t funny. He was telling me about some shit that’d gone down that had upset him,but come on. How was I supposed to react? He’d used needing food for the cat he was sitting as an excuse to get out of a date. And the cat’s name was Dodge? You couldn’t make that shit up. I snorted, unsuccessfully trying to stifle my laugh, and wiped my eyes, tears welling from the effort. Trent paused and looked at me, confused, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I laughed and shook my head, holding my hand up to him. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh at you, but seriously?†I sucked in a breath, my side hurting because I was laughing so hard. “Cat food? For Dodge?†Trent’s lips twitched, and I could see him fighting the smile. I looked at him again and laughed once more, nudging him with my shoulder. “You didn’t even realize how it sounded until now, did you?†When he shook his head and finally let that smile loose, I sucked in a breath, happy for a whole other reason. It was his story andhe’d told it, but he was smiling andI couldn’t help but take a little pride in that. “Fuck me. She looked so damn horrified when I said that, but all I could think about was getting out of there.†He chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m such a dumb ass.†“Nah, you just didn’t think.†I nudged his shoulder playfully, letting him know that it wasn’t all bad. “At least tell me you got the food.†He nodded and sobered up. “I couldn’t wait to get out of there, but I didn’t want to go home either. Figured you would have been busy, so I stopped by the sports bar. Watched a footy match. Haven’t done that by myself in years, and I hated every minute of it. Suppose I had too many drinks.†My heart clenched, and I wanted to reach out to him. InsteadI leaned closer, my side pressed against his, and asked, “You didn’t drive home, did you?†I wasn’t sure whether I was begging him or scolding him for being so damn stupid. If he’d been drinking and driving not only could it be the end of his career, but more importantly,he could have killed someone. And it was all because he didn’t call me. “Nah, I walked it. The night air sobered me up pretty fast.†Thank God. I let out the breath I was holding, relief winningmy emotional tug-of-war. “So whathappened yesterday and today? You just kept drinking?†It was none of my business, I knew that, but I didn’t care. I needed to know. “Something like that,†he muttered. This was him shutting down. A noncommittal answer followed by either a subject change or him going quiet, but I couldn’t do it. I needed him to be able to talk to me. “Look, I’m not going to push you, but maybe it’ll help if you spoke about whatever is bothering you. I’m here. I’ll listen, and I’ll do my best to help, but I can’t unless you talk to me. If not me, then pick someone else. I’m worried about you.†“Some bad shit happened when I was younger. This time of year always drags it back up, but I’ll get through it.†He paused and added, “This—walking and being outside, spending time with you—it’s helping. You’rehelping.†Author Bio By day Ann Grech lives in the corporate world and can be found sitting behind a desk typing away at reports and papers or lecturing to a room full of students. She graduated with a PhD in 2016 and is now an over-qualified nerd. Glasses, briefcase, high heels and a pencil skirt, she’s got the librarian look nailed too. If only they knew! She swears like a sailor, so that’s got to be a hint. The other one was “the look†from her tattoo artist when she told him that she wanted her kids’ initials “B†and “J†tattooed on her foot. It took a second to register that it might be a bad idea. She’s never entirely fit in and loves escaping into a book—whether it’s reading or writing one. But she’s found her tribe now and loves her M/M book world family. She dislikes cooking, but loves eating, can’t figure out technology, but is addicted to it, and her guilty pleasure is Byron Bay Cookies. Oh, and shoes. And lingerie. And maybe handbags too. Well, if we’re being honest, we’d probably have to add her library too given the state of her credit card every month. What can she say? She’s a bookworm at heart. Author Website: http://www.anngrech.com Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/ann.grech.9 Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/anngrechauthor Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/anngrechauthor Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7536397.Ann_Grech Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/ann-grech/ Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/anngrech 
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