Guest Post- He Owns My Heart by Evie Drae

Writing has been a huge part of my life ever since I was old enough to string together words into cohesive sentences. In fact, I wrote my first “book” in the third grade. Looking back on it now, the story and craft were understandably lacking, but the heart was there. And some 20+ years later, here I am. Celebrating the release of my second full-length novel into the wild and the realization of a dream I’ve had since childhood.

The journey from wannabe writer to published author has been a long and arduous one, filled with endless roadblocks and countless lessons. One of the first I learned that set the stage for my ultimate success? You’re never a “wannabe” anything, especially not a writer. If you write, then you’re a writer. End of story. Hard stop. It took me realizing that fact before I was able to pick myself up by the bootstraps and take my own dreams seriously.

Before I accepted my writing “hobby” as so very, very much more than that, I never let anyone read my words. I would write in secret, hiding my half-finished manuscripts in a labyrinth of oddly named subfolders so no one could accidentally stumble across them. Even my spouse, who knows me better than anyone else in the world, had only the vaguest inclination I still harbored those writerly hopes.

Surprisingly enough, it took joining the Twitter #amwriting community before I found the courage to face down my self-imposed barriers. The support and encouragement offered by the people I’ve met there has been invaluable to my growth and development as a writer. They taught me to not only share my words, but to welcome constructive criticism. Especially when I found my writing squad—a group of amazing and inspiring people who guided me through the twisted path that led me to where I am today.

Before I joined Twitter—only a few short years ago—I knew nothing of the publishing industry and even less about the myriad of rules that structure the writerly craft. I had only ever written for pleasure or academia, never with a true goal of putting my words into the world. But with the #writingcommunity peeps in my corner, I opened myself to the grueling process of learning to be a “publishable” writer by discovering the beauty of beta readers and the precious value of critique partners. Through that process—both by allowing others to provide feedback on my work and by doing the same for them—I learned how to truly write. From both a technical and emotional standpoint. But even more important? I discovered my voice.

If there’s any advice I could give to aspiring authors out there, it would be this: Never give up and don’t hold back. Open yourself to criticism and embrace change. We all must start somewhere, but that doesn’t mean we have to stay there. It isn’t easy as a writer to hand over your words and accept anything less than glowing feedback. The things we write are near and dear to our hearts, but by keeping them under lock and key—or by ignoring the genuine constructive criticism offered by our peers—we’re only hurting ourselves. And, last but not least, don’t get too attached to one idea. Keep writing new things and exploring your voice. With every sentence you write, you learn. If one story doesn’t get you to where you want to be, perhaps the next will.

He Owns My Heart
Evie Drae
(Owned Heart, Body, & Soul #1)
Publication date: August 11th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

2019 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Finalist in Contemporary Romance
2018 Romance Writers of America® Heart-to-Heart 1st Place Winner in Erotic Romance
2018 Romance Writers of America® Gateway to the Best 2nd Place Winner in Single Title/Contemporary Series
Only true love can free a captive heart.
Landon Jenks, retired four-time Golden Glove-winning shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, is lonely, heartbroken, and in desperate need of simple human contact. Trapped in the sticky fine print of an ironclad contract that forbids him from revealing his very-much-single status until the season finale of his reality show airs, he calls an elite male escort service that caters to the rich and wretched.
Accustomed to servicing his often less than savory clients at more upscale locales, twenty-six-year-old Toby Carmichael is surprised when his handler sends him to a run-down motel off I-55. But “surprise” doesn’t come close to describing the shock that rocks his system when a delightful stuttering mess covered in tattoos and nearly ten years his senior stumbles into the room—and right into his heart.
For the first time since Toby was forced into the life of prostitution, a kiss sparks a desire that has nothing to do with money and everything to do with genuine chemistry and the faintest beginnings of something so much more. But Toby’s dark past and troubled present make it impossible to see a future with Landon. And when the truth comes to light, a horrified and helpless Landon is determined to save Toby at all costs.
Content Warnings: Discussion of childhood verbal abuse by an adult survivor, homophobia from a close family member, discussion of previous self-harm/cutting behaviors by an adult survivor, prostitution with dubious consent (all interactions between the main characters have full consent and there are no on-page depictions of dub-con situations), consensual and experimental Domination/submission play between mostly-novice characters, mild violence between a main character and antagonist, and human trafficking associated with illegal drugs (nothing explicit on-page, only discussions related to and psychological/mental ramifications of addressed in moderate detail).

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Author Bio:
Evie Drae is a registered nurse by day and an award-winning male/male romance writer by night. She has won first place in seven Romance Writers of America® (RWA®) competitions, including the prestigious title “Best of the Best” in the 2018 Golden Opportunity Contest. She is a double finalist in the 2019 Golden Heart®, in both the Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense categories, and finished as a second-place runner-up in four additional RWA contests.
One of Evie’s favorite things to do is encourage her fellow writers. To that end, she started the #writeLGBTQ and #promoLGBTQ hashtags on Twitter to support and promote LGBTQ+ authors and allies while providing a safe space to connect and grow as a community. She is married to the love of her life, is the mother of three wonderful fur babies, and runs almost entirely on coffee and good vibes.
Evie loves to link up with fellow writers and readers. You can reach her directly at EvieDrae@gmail.com or find her on her social media accounts listed below. Twitter is where she’s most active but be sure to check out her blog too. She focuses on reviews for LGBTQ+ authors and allies with the occasional quirky advice/recommendation post just to toss things up.

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