Hello everyone! Today, my dear friend and fellow eXtasy Books author Maggie Blackbird drops by to talk about her latest release, an MM YA Romance called Toy Soldiers. It hit the shelves at Devine Destinies just this morning, so go get your copy now. Links are in the body of her post.
She did a live reading with me last week from Chapter 1. It’s awesome!
Don’t forget to show her tons of love at eXtasy Books and Devine Destinies, or follow her blog on WordPress!
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Book Info:
Title: Toy Soldiers
Series:
When We Were Young, #2
Author:
Maggie Blackbird
Genre:
LGBT, Young Adult, Contemporary, Multicultural
Heat
Rating: 1 Flame
Publication
Date: October 2, 2020
Publisher: Devine Destinies
Once a thief, always a thief, and if he can’t win the heart of the boy he loves, he’ll steal it.
Blurb: Billy Redsky’s made one of his biggest dreams come true, but there’s a problem. Even though the boy he loves is mere footsteps across the hall from his bedroom, they might as well live a country apart because claiming René Oshawee’s heart is more difficult than Billy anticipates.
Much to Billy’s disgust, René can’t accept his true self, so he’s incapable of loving someone else. And all he cares about is living a life the chief and his wife foresee for their youngest son.
If Billy is to finally have what he truly desires, he must stop René from running away from who he really is and face the man in the mirror, or what they share will never blossom into true love.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55405414-toy-soldiers
Buy at
Devine Destinies: https://www.devinedestinies.com/978-1-4874-3048-1-toy-soldiers/
They were at Gold’s Coffee, a place Billy hadn’t hit since last Friday. He stirred the three teaspoons of sugar and four creamer containers he’d added to his mug. He then fixed René’s with the specified one teaspoon and one creamer because he was on the payphone, making the call to the school secretary.
There were a few people from school chillin’, one junior, a few seniors, and some OAC students who probably had spares and didn’t have to be at the school until second period. They all had their books open, studying. The ones paired up talked the odd time.
In the lobby, René looked like he banged down the phone. He threw open the door and huffed to the table. His leather jacket bounced. So did his loose cargo shorts sitting low on his hips with long underwear beneath them. Even the laces of his black boots flopped about as he bore down on Billy.
When René reached their table, he pretty much slammed his butt into the chair, sunglasses pushed up on his head. “Don’t you ever force me to make that kind of fucking phone call again,” he snarled while lifting his mug. “If the school double-checks, Danny’ll fry my ass.”
“You pretended to be your bro?” Billy innocently asked.
“Who the fuck else was I gonna be? Dad? As if.” René reached inside his leather jacket and withdrew his cigarettes. “You’re lucky Mom and Dad have Danny listed at the office as a contact, or we woulda been screwed. Now what the hell’s so important you got us skipping class?”
“Dude, haven’t you ever cut class?”
“No.” René blustered. “Never.”
This guy really had to lighten up and try some serious living. “You’re on the honor roll. There’s no chance you’ll fail because you missed one class.”
“Listen here.” René again shoved his finger at Billy’s face. “Don’t you dare try and dictate my life. Got it?”
“Why not?” Billy made a pfft sound. “You let everyone else.”
“I’m not about to let some little shit in grade ten manipulate me—”
“Cut it. If I hear you call me that again, I’m gonna smack your big trap shut.”
“You go ahead and try, and I’ll wipe this very floor with your ten-year-old, little shit, grade-ten ass.” René lit his cigarette. He’d pretty much sneered his words, since he was sneering.
“Fine, keep calling me a kid, but at least I know my own head. I don’t let everything scare me.” Billy leaned into the table.
“Scare me?” René placed his hand on his chest.
“Yeah. You don’t ever think for yourself, even though you’re more than capable of it. Why? ’Cause you’re too busy quoting their laws. Did they also give you a manual to study for all these rules they have for you?”
“Haha. Fun-ny. Not.” René kept scowling. “Now what do you need to talk about? The timer’s running.” He used his thumb to motion behind him at the clock tacked above the serving counter.
“Your attitude sucks.” Billy shook his head. “I wanted to talk to you about…the bus.”
“What about the bus?” Exasperation filled René’s tone. “If this is about catching rides again, the answer is no. Mom and Dad said—”
“See? There you go again. Mom says… Dad says… What do you feel?” Billy lightly punched his heart. “Right here.”
The flash in René’s eyes died. He sank back, folding his arms, the cigarette still between his index and middle fingers. “Yeah, they’re being a bit unfair, but I get their point, okay? I need space. You need space.”
“Space? My new space has gotten me a…” Billy licked his lips. “The gang wants me to go to the movies on Saturday. I had to lie and say your mom wants me to do stuff for her.”
“What’s wrong with going the movies?” René’s gaze was quizzical.
“It’s Carla…” Billy crushed a creamer container. “She…”
“Oh, I get it.” René arched a brow. “She’s not taking the hint.”
“No.”
“Then you’re gonna have to set her straight, like I had to be—”
“Was Moxy hitting on you?” The green-eyed monster resurfaced beneath Billy’s skin.
“Let’s say nothing’ll ever happen between her and me. You’re gonna have to do the same.” René tapped the ash into the ashtray.
“How? I’m not you. Everyone listens to you.”
“Just tell her in a nice way you’re not interested.”
There was no way possible to reject someone nicely without hurting their feelings. Billy let go of the creamer container. He glanced up at René, who had impatience written all over his face.
“I also feel as if…” Big deal if they argued. Arguing seemed to be what they did best. “I’m not on your level.” He moved his finger to himself then toward René. “We’re together, but you still sometimes treat me like…a stupid younger brother. What’s it gonna be?”
René’s eyes shifted up to the left. He glanced back at Billy, impatience still lining his face. “When you stop acting like one.”
Frustration gathered at the back of Billy’s neck. “And how the hell am I acting like one?”
“Duh. Try right now. You have us cutting class. Maturity means owning up to your responsibilities.” René banged his index finger that held the cigarette on the table. “If you acted your age, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now, would we?”
“Yeah? But you sure don’t got your balls. Your fam has them. At least I have mine.” Billy pointed down at his crotch. “And I’m not letting anyone take them from me.”
“What the—”
“It’s true. You stand up to your friends. You stand up to me. The only people you don’t stand up to is your fam or anyone in authority. You take what they say and mark it in your book of rules.”
“I don’t have my balls?” René flicked back his bangs. “And where’re yours? The reason we’re sitting here is because you don’t have the balls to tell Carla to piss off.”
“It’s not about balls. It’s about not wanting to hurt someone who’s pretty cool.”
René’s eyes narrowed. “Then go to the movies with them,” he snapped. He crushed his butt out in the ashtray, shoved back his chair, and stood. “Let’s motor.”
“No. You sit your ass back down. I’m not finished.” Billy trembled. Maybe he’d pushed René too far.
Although René didn’t sit, he didn’t leave. He folded his arms, glaring. “Then hurry it up.”
“Sit. Down.” Billy made sure his words were calm. Something was happening he couldn’t put his finger on. There was a look in René’s eyes colder than the Arctic.
René yanked out his chair and sat. “You got five minutes. The timer’s on.”
I love you. I love you so bad. I don’t know why, ’cause all you do is feed me grief. Take out whatever’s going on in your head on me. All I want is for you to love me, too. Love me the way I love you.
“I don’t want us to fight. And I don’t wanna make you mad. I just wanna be with you.” Billy couldn’t stop trembling.
“You are with me.” René’s said flatly. He reached inside his jacket and withdrew his cigarettes.
At least he’d listened. The hope sitting at Billy’s feet slithered a morsel upward. “I wish…I wish I could hold your hand right now, but we can’t.”
“No, we can’t. It’ll never happen. Ever.” René lit the smoke. He pocketed his platinum lighter he always used.
“You’re never gonna let anyone know about you. Only Keith?”
René nodded.
Their problem was René’s inability to embrace himself. Truly embrace who he was. Sure, he’d finally accepted he had a thing for dudes, after too much pushing and prodding from Billy, but René didn’t seem to embrace the idea. Somehow, Billy had to make René see he was special simply for being super-cool René Randall Oshawee, because if Billy didn’t, they’d fail.
There was
only one person who could help. He’d talk to him tomorrow morning.
* * * *
INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS
Maggie: There’s not really much to tell that isn’t
already stated in my author biography LOL.
Lets’ see. The hubby and I have
two new Alaskan Malamutes after our other “team” crossed the rainbow bridge. The two newbs are a handful, but now that
they’re closing in on five months, they’re starting to calm down a bit.
2. Having read the majority of your books, I know you love writing about Canada’s Indigenous People. Why?
Maggie:
Well, being Ojibway, it was only natural I’d choose to write about Indigenous
people falling in love. There are many
stories to tell that Canada’s First People faced, and still face. I love building issues into the romance, such
as the Indian Residential Schools, the Sixties Scoop, etc.
3. Your latest series is When We Were Young. Can you tell me what inspired you to create this series?
Maggie:
This is the result of a backstory from another novel that I started writing
around 2010. I was intrigued by the René
Oshawee and Billy Redsky characters. I
began writing a short story about them in their youth. It took off from there. I shelved the first book around 2014…I think,
to concentrate on Blessed, book one in the Matawapit Family Series.
4. The story you shelved, is this Two Princes, the first book in the series?
Maggie: No. The series was originally called The Story of Us, and the first book was titled Crazy Life. Billy was only in elementary school at the time. He was in grade seven going into grade eight. I realised he was too young, and that what I was writing was backstory, because the real story starts when the romance between Billy and René commences. So I put the book away and started from scratch to write Two Princes.
5. Can you share your writing process through Toy Soldiers?
Maggie:
There isn’t really much of a process. I
fast-draft first. That means no sneaking
back to edit. My goal is to get the book
written as fast as I can. Why? Because I’m an edit junkie. I love editing what I write.
6. How much research goes into your novels?
Maggie: It
all depends on what I’m writing. For Toy
Soldiers, I’m lucky to know a few First Nations constables. One in particular was a very big help with
law, law enforcement, family court, and criminal court. He was my “beta reader” for these scenes.
7. Let’s talk about the main characters for Toy Soldiers. What do you love most about Billy Redsky and what makes you want to shake him?
Maggie: I
admire Billy’s spunk and his determinedness.
Whatever Billy wants, he’s brave enough to get. As for shaking him…aww, he’s only fifteen
going on sixteen hehe. Kids are guided
by their emotions at this age and are very reactionary. Billy is extremely reactionary. At times I want to tell him to show some
patience.
8. The same for René Oshawee. What do you love most about him and what makes you want to shake him?
Maggie:
Even though René is extremely popular, he has much empathy for the
misfits. His best friend is a
misfit. The girl he befriended in
kindergarten is also a misfit. The same
for Billy who starts out as a misfit. As
for shaking him, the walls he has built around himself. He just won’t let anyone in.
9. What makes the When We Were Young series different from other young adult romances?
Maggie:
First, mine takes place on at an Ojibway community aka Indian Reserve. Second, we’re dealing with the child abuse,
alcoholism, criminal activity, etc. René
and Billy also have a lot stacked against them since the series takes place in
the mid nineties.
10. If a reader asked you why they should read the When We Were Young series, what would you tell them?
Maggie: I’d
say, if you like LGBT romance starring two Indigenous males who live on an
Indian Reserve and have to walk the “red road” to overcome the obstacles
keeping them from truly being together, then this is the series for you.
11. You can only recommend one of your novels to a reader, which would you choose from the books you’ve written so far, and why?
Maggie: I’d
say start with Redeemed, book two in the Matawapit Family Series. The issues in this novel focus strictly on
what Indigenous people face, and you see the problem from both sides.
12. Which novel was your personal favourite to write, and why?
Maggie:
Y’know, I’d go with Redeemed. I
really enjoyed writing Adam Guimond’s story, and his romance with Bridget
Matawapit.
13. What about works in progress?
I just
finished the proof of Because of You, the sequel to Thanks to You,
a short story for American Thanksgiving.
I sent back my edits for Better Than Gold, a short Christmas
story for eXtasy Books’ 12 Days of Christmas Collection. And I’m now fast-drafting the third book in
the When We Were Young series.
14. What do you enjoy most about writing?
Editing!
15. What do you enjoy least about writing?
Fast-drafting
LOL.
16. I enjoy doing random questions, so humour me:
- What’s your favourite movie?
Mad Max II
aka The Road Warrior
- What book is currently in your e-reader?
Beneath the
Grandstand by Amy-Alex Campbell
- Who’s your favourite musical group?
This is
tough. I have a few. Normally, I say Megadeth, but today I’ll say
Collective Soul, because I wrote a lot of the series to Collective Soul.
- What song puts a smile on your face?
There are
too many to list! But I do have a soft
spot for Fuzzy by Collective Soul.
17. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for
having me. It’s much appreciated!
* * * *
AUTHOR BIO
An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie
resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful
Alaskan Malamutes. When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds
in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush,
teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or
sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with
the people she loves most.
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