Hi everybody,

I’m Tanya from Germany and I’m really, really excited.

Why?

1. This is the first time I talk about my writing outside my own blog. I’m sort of a guest blogging virgin.
2. I think I’m the first German author on cop. Such a burden!

When I contacted the marvelous girls from cop if it’s possible to promote my new book here they wanted to know more about me and were also interested if I could give some insight on the genre here in Europe. Well… I must disappoint you a bit. I can only talk about the situation here in Germany. But maybe I can combine the two topics while I tell you a bit more about my writing career.

I’m a twenty-something girl living in the south of Germany with a slight addiction to video gaming.

I started writing when I was at school though I totally detested the essays and articles you had to write there.

During that time Gundam Wing was released on TV here and I instantly liked that anime.

I read a bunch of fanfictions involving the various characters and sooner or later I discovered the whole paradise of Shounen Ai and Yaoi. You really can’t miss it. Gundam Wing is all about slashing the hot male Gundam pilots. There’s a real code in the fandom regarding the pairing.

“I found a new 13×6 drama!”

“Woah, no. 1+2 that’s the thing!”

…Oh, such sweet memories reading all night long on your laptop till your eyes burned.

After several (Gundam Wing) fanfictions (and years of writing practice) I wanted to try something new and started with own slash.

I was inspired by a documentary about a Russian academy of music and the young children studying there. It’s always easier to write about something you know firsthand. I had piano lessons as a child and teenager. I also decided to learn the organ. Not just an electronic or digital organ. No, the real thing. The big ones located in churches. It was fun to bring that knowledge and experience into the story.

And that was the beginning of Holz und Elfenbein. It is a sweet story about a pianist – Federico -  who cannot longer perform his rigorous concert program and is forced to end his career.

I began posting that first story online and thought: Well, that’s it. Mission accomplished.

Then the whole ebook business began to bloom! I really envied you in the US. Only three years ago it was not possible to purchase an Amazon kindle and use it here in Europe. Therefore the whole ebook market in Germany is not that big as it is in the US. We have this Fixed Book Price Agreement for printed books and ebooks. Therefore ebooks are not that much cheaper than their printed counterparts.

But it’s getting better and publisher realize that the ebook market grows steadily.

As soon as possible I bought a kindle for myself and then I discovered that huge slash scene you have. WOW.

The scene in Germany is much, much smaller. The Amazon list Tips for Gays for Kindle ebooks only comprises 70 titles.

There are only few smaller publishers which cater to our slash-craving minds. No major publishing houses at all. And more and more independent writers try their luck with self publishing. Just like me. And I think that’s because of the great opportunity Amazon offers for us. Last year Amazon started their self publishing program in Germany. I read about it and was curious. How does it work? Can I publish a book on my own? Without a publisher?

I read about the technical stuff and finally wanted to give it a try.

But can you really ask for money for a story that was free accessible for several years? I think not! That wouldn’t be fair.

I extended the story, revised it and added a hot threesome bonus. Last year I published it as an Amazon ebook. Now – thanks to Createspace – you can also buy a print version of it.

The feedback was positive. Holz und Elfenbein was leading the bestselling list Tips for Gays for several time and now I published my second story Con molto sentimento.

I tried the same route. Publish the story online chapter by chapter, gather reviews and comments from readers, form a kind of a fanbase. I think that the big advantage of this route. Even before you publish your ebook you already know if it’s working. Do people like the plot? Do they sympathize with the characters? Etc…

So now I have this revised version of Con molto sentimento which is ca. 6% longer than the original version. I added an extra chapter and again a  hot sexy bonus story.

Con molto sentimento is a term in classical music which means “to play very passionately”. It’s also suitable description for the protagonist of the book – Claude – because he’s a very passionate violinist.

For Claude it was always a problem to choose the right thing. Regardless if it was during his studies or men.  One morning he is lying in his bed next to two guys and cannot remember their names. Enough is enough and Claude decides to get a bit more respectable.

Not a bad idea at all because now he could focus on his new job. But fortune strikes again and he is confronted not with one but two of his ex-lovers: Stéphane and Honoré, the attractive surgeon called “Mister GayDreamy”. Not the mention Claude’s neighbour young Patrice who all of a sudden is very attached to him.

And for the German speaking folks:

Claude hatte schon immer ein Problem damit sich für eine Sache zu entscheiden, egal ob im Studium oder wenn es um Männer ging. Doch als er eines Morgens mit zwei Eroberungen im Bett erwacht und sich beim besten Willen nicht an deren Namen erinnern kann, beschließt er, dass es jetzt genug ist. Zeit etwas seriöser zu werden!

Eigentlich nicht schlecht, denn nun könnte er sich ganz auf seinen neuen Job konzentrieren. Doch da führt ihn das Schicksal in Form von seines Ex Stéphane und dem knackigen Assistenzarzt »Mister GayDreamy« Honoré in Versuchung. Ganz zu schweigen von seinem jungen Nachbarn Patrice, der auf einmal sehr anhänglich wird.

You’ll find Con molto sentimento on Amazon. Unfortunately it’s only available in German.

Thank you for reading!