Blog-versary Author Post: Lynn Kelling, Would You Face Your Deepest Fear?
Would you face your deepest fear?
Lynn Kelling
What’s the most uncomfortable act you would agree to do? Everyone has things that test 
their personal boundaries. Maybe it’s speaking in public, or going skydiving, or eating live bugs, or being in the same room as an ex. In this case, the boundary-challenging task would need to be something you strongly resist doing, but might consider if you were properly compensated for it.
In my next release, bare, the main character, Ev Myers faces his most uncomfortable moment right at the start of the book, in the first chapter. He’s the son of a conservative Republican State Senator, raised in a strict Southern Baptist household. All his life, the list—provided to him by his family, church, and community—of acceptable behaviors was diligently monitored and enforced, and there were serious, devastating consequences for stepping out of line. So when Ev’s financial resources are cut off after he chooses a college of which his parents don’t approve, it’s all on him to figure out how to pay for his expenses. The sensible, part-time job he holds in the registration office doesn’t take him very far towards paying for necessary, expensive textbooks.
Which leads him to Plan B… nude modeling for the Life Drawing class.
Now, for some, taking it all off and allowing a room full of aspiring, talented artists capture
their vision of you might sound like a great time. For Ev, it’s less than cut-and-dried. Doing something that would definitely horrify his strict parents has its appeal, but he also knows as soon as he starts exposing himself for judgment, it could quickly turn into a nightmare. It’s not just the practical dangers to his privacy and reputation that intimidate him. Ev is a guy with many layers, and his complicated feelings—both arousal and terror—surrounding the act of letting himself be seen as he really is, is just the surface.
My novel, bare, is the story of Ev’s journey to show it all and unravel the tight ball of lies, fabrications, deceit, and fears defining his identity at the start of the book. Luckily, Ev has someone highly capable of playing devil’s advocate in handsome painter and adjunct arts professor, Adam Buchanan. Where Ev is shy and nervous about becoming vulnerable, Adam can’t wait to test each and every one of Ev’s boundaries, decisions, truths, ideas and dreams. Not only that, he takes pleasure in very real ways in pushing hard for Ev to submit, yield, bend, break and reveal his deeply hidden potential.
I have to say, I had a hell of a lot of fun with Adam in this story. He can be a real bastard in the ways he metaphorically and literally slams Ev up against walls only to tease him in his most sensitive spots. Adam uses all of the resources at his command to coax his new muse to blossom—money, age, wisdom, sexual dominance, confidence, lust, experience, and his own willingness to cut straight to the heart in every situation, no matter the cost to himself. The constant push and pull between Ev and Adam is the crux of it all, leading them both either to blissful salvation, or a very real damnation. Because Ev’s secrets were buried for good reason and their exposure threatens life or death consequences for them both.
It’s my personal opinion that it’s always best to identify our deepest fears and find ways to
face them head on. It makes us stronger, and teaches the most valuable lessons. Sure, sometimes there is a high cost to our attempts at bravery, but I find regret more often appears in the failure to explore, than in the daring to try.
Happiest anniversary wishes to On Top Down Under Book Reviews and many more to come! Thank you so much for having me!
**Giveaway**
One paperback copy of Double Heat, signed by the author and by the real life man behind the character of Officer Vargas, will be given to a lucky winner. Simply leave a comment below by Midnight (US EST) October 16th for a chance to win. Good luck!
**GIVEAWAY OVER NOW, CONGRATULATIONS TO TRISTA V**
To find Lynn Kelling’s Books –
Lynn Kelling reviews
bare blurb:
Ev Myers is a former high school football star and Republican State Senator’s son, raised in a strict Southern Baptist household where his only option was to be silent, behave and, no matter how he might be feeling, to put on a happy smile. Desperate to escape the pressure to be the man his family insists he become, Ev has fled Kansas to attend college and is working to find out who he really is beneath the lies and carefully composed public image. But when he applies for a job as a nude model for a life drawing class out of a desire to be seen in a way that shatters all of his family’s taboos, it’s just the first step on a path that leads him away from everything he’s ever known. Handsome and headstrong adjunct arts professor, Adam Buchanan, is the first person to recognize Ev’s potential, and his determination to have Ev realize the importance of truth and stark honesty, as well as the beauty of flawed vulnerability provides the hope Ev needs to escape a world rife with kidnapping, brainwashing and deadly determination cure homosexuality, using whatever means necessary.
Author Bio:
Lynn Kelling began writing in order to tell stories that aren’t afraid of the dark, don’t hold anything back and always strive to be memorable, forging lasting attachments between character and reader. Her inspiration comes from taking a closer look at behaviors and ideas lurking at the fringes of life—basically anything that people may hesitate to speak of in mixed company, but everyone wonders about anyway. Her work is driven by the taboo in order to expose the humanity within it. Lynn is an artist, designer and lover of any form of creative self-expression that comes from a place of honesty and emotion, whether it’s body art or opera. She has had multiple novels published, has written over seventy works of erotic fiction of varying lengths, and always has several novels in progress.
lynnkelling.com
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The sounds great. Thanks for the give away.
Thank you to Lynn Kelling for stopping by with a great post and giveaway to help us celebrate our 4th anniversary. As a southerner who was raised in a similar environment as Ev I can tell I’d relate to him in some ways. Congrats on the upcoming release and thanks again for stopping by!
Fear is one of those things that paralyses, not so much doing something itself, but worrying about doing it. The what ifs. I love this post and the connection it has to the book 🙂
I think many people will be able to relate to Ev, just based on the synopsis. I can’t wait for this to be released in November, and how pretty is that cover?
I know how fear can paralyze very well, unfortunately. Mine, as you know, is water – large bodies of water. Not pools or small lakes or anything like that. That’s a bad thing considering that my best friend lives a great big ocean away. 😀
The cover is beautiful and the story looks really good.
Thanks so much Cindi & Happy Anniversary!
Darn. I don’t really know what my greatest fear is! Sometimes I think I know, but I’m never sure. It’s probably handling bugs or worms. Stuff like that. I’ve had nightmares of spiders all over me. Ack! Now I’m itchy!
Ooh, I’m right there with you, Kristie. Spiders and centipedes… *shivers* I completely freak out. Can’t do it! Thanks for stopping by and checking out the post!
My greatest fear is heights. I can’t climb ladders or trees. And the older I get the worse it is. I used to get stuck in trees when I was a kid because I’d climb up & then be too afraid to climb back down. Thanks for the post & giveaway!
Yeah, that’s a tough one, Lisa. For me the fear of falling gets me more than the height itself, but having to avoid going up off the ground can make things tricky! Thanks for stopping by and checking out the post!
Thank you Lynn for gifting us with your stories, I’m always eagerly waiting for the next one. Every one of your characters (but especially Evan) feel very dear to me and I can’t wait to meet Ev and Adam.
Aww, thanks so much, Trista! I love that Evan is dear to you. He definitely stays close to my heart. Thank you for reading & good luck with the giveaway!
I am terrified of storms… I always tell myself “next time there is a thunderstorm, I’ll go for a walk and will overcome my fear”. but every time there is a storm I find myself hiding under the cover and praying for it to finish soon… That’s it for me pushing my boundaries. I hope one day I’ll get over my irrational fear, though….
Congratulations on the new book. Lynn. It sounds really good!
Oh yeah, my daughter has the same fear and it breaks my heart in trying to set her at ease until the storm passes. It’s tough when it’s something so out of your control. Thanks for checking out the post, susana & good luck with the giveaway!
I’m enjoying all these author posts for your blog versary. My fear is definitely heights. I used to work in a building with a glass backed elevator on the 16th floor. My lord it was hell!
I always prefer being behind the scenes and as an archetypal introvert observing is more enjoyable than participating, or hiding where much reading can take place without interruption 🙂 So one of my fears is to be noticed and stand up in front of others, so one day not that long ago as I decided to face that fear by retraining to be a teacher, much to the surprise of my peers, friends and family. I have many more fears to work on, but one step at a time 🙂 Happy Blogversary and thank you for all the wonderful posts… Read more »