Anniversary Shenanigans: Author Visit & Giveaway - Kaje Harper

You're not tired yet of partying are you? Because it feels like we're just getting started! Kaje Harper is here to grace us with her presents. Get ready to be amazed!

Kaleidoscope
by

Kaje Harper

I don't know what I expected from John's performance art. I've always kind of sneered at that. Y'know, people dressing up in logo tights and pretending to eat a tree, as a statement against consuming the environment. Shit like that. I figured it was a cheap way to mess around and say it was “art.”

But John came out on stage naked, his back to us. From speakers, all around the room, came whispers, sharp voices. All the slurs we know so well, from locker rooms and high school bathrooms, and from ministers and high-and-mighty politicians. “Queer!” “Faggot!” “Unnatural!” “Stay out of my space!” “Sinner.” And with each vicious word, someone dressed in a shadowsuit, crawling behind him, threw a paintbomb at his back. As the words assaulted our ears, the colors painted his back.

I felt sick. Because yeah— been there. But I'm a tough queer. I fought back when I had to. John… John's the sweetest man I've ever known. Solid and comfortable in his skin, but so kind… I guess I knew he'd have heard those words too, but this was like watching them branded into his skin. I wanted to go back in time, find everyone who'd ever said that to him, and beat them to a bloody pulp. I wanted to run onstage and cover his ears, and stand between him and the smacks and puffs of color marking his skin.

But then he spoke. He said, “I'm gay.” His voice was deep, resonant, unafraid. He reached behind himself, streaking his fingers through the chalk, smearing the colors farther across his hard, gym-carved muscles, across his thick, cut thighs, across that gorgeous ass. His fingers left trails of red, green, yellow, over his perfect skin.

He turned to face us. His front was colored too, painted in deliberate, glorious swirls of rainbow shades that framed his wide chest, trailed down his arms and legs, rose to flames of bright color on his cheekbones.

He smiled, wide and bright. His John-smile. He swept his gaze over us, and met my eyes. That bass voice warmed me deep inside as he said, “I'm gay. I'm loved. I'm beautiful.”

He is, all of those.

*****

Powerful, right? Don't forget to let Kaje know what you thought in the comments. BMBR thank Kaje for stopping by and sharing with us!

Author info:

I live in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, the mosquito is the state bird, and where sometimes in winter it can be breathtakingly beautiful. Of course, the deepfreeze chill contributes to the breath-taking, but Minnesota's a kindly, quiet place and it's home to me now. I've been writing for far longer than I care to admit (*whispers - forty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, and currently am focused on M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, history, SciFi...) I also have a few Young Adult stories released under the pen name Kira Harp.

My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. My husband finally convinced me that after all that time writing, I really should submit something, somewhere. I was thrilled when it was accepted. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing the four novels and three freebie short stories in the series. I've been just delighted by the reception Mac and Tony have received.

My first free book became the first story that I actually released - I put it up a month before Life Lessons just for the fun of getting it out there. Lies and Consequences began as a reaction to the November 2010 election. It looked like the repeal of DADT might be derailed by the political shift and I put the insanity of that law into the book. Then as I was finishing the first draft in mid-December the repeal passed. Which was great, but prompted a rewrite to a lighter and more action/romance book. This was a solo effort and I learned a lot from writing and releasing it and from the reviews. Check Smashwords for that one and many of my other freebies.

I now have a decent backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my Books page. This writing thing is addictive. So read, comment, tell me what you like and what you don't, and help me make the upcoming books even better.

You can also email me : kajeharper ~at~ yahoo ~dot~ com

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Kaje is giving one lucky winner an Audible code for her popular story, Into Deep Waters:

For Jacob and Daniel, two young gay men aboard a Navy ship in WWII, the risks were high. Not just the risks of injury and death from Japanese planes and submarines, but the risk of discovery, of discharge, imprisonment or worse. Only a special kind of love was worth taking that chance. But from the moment Daniel met Jacob's eyes across a battle-scarred deck, he knew he had to try.

Being together required figuring out what it meant to be gay and in love with another man, in an era when they could be jailed or committed for admitting the desires of their hearts. On a ship at war, their relationship was measured in stolen moments and rare days of precious leave, with no guarantees there would be a tomorrow. And if they survived the war, they would need even more luck to keep their love alive through all the years to come.





To enter to win an Audible code for "Into Deep Waters", please leave a comment on this blog post and let us know your name and a means of contacting you (e.g., email, Twitter handle, link to Goodreads account, etc.)

The giveaway is open until 10:00PM (Pacific time) on 12/5/15. Shortly thereafter, we will contact a winner whom we will select using a highly scientific "names in a hat" method (or, you know, an internet randomizer). Please respond to the winning notification within 48 hours or we will choose another winner.