Meet Charlie Cochet


I’d like to thank Michael for having me as a guest on his blog today. I’d also like to congratulate him on his upcoming release Until Thanksgiving. I wish you loads of success, Michael!

When you hear the words ‘historical romance’, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? It’s okay, you can be honest. For a lot of folks, Regency England or thereabouts comes to mind. Beautiful damsels in precariously tight bodices being clutched in the beefy arms of rogues with windswept hair. I’m not ashamed to say I grew up reading those romances. In fact, on occasion, I still enjoy picking up a good historical romance. Hi, my name is Charlie Cochet, and I write Historical Gay Romance.

Now before I go any further, let me say that I don’t write Regency Gay Romance or romances set before the 1900s–although I thoroughly enjoy reading them. One day I might write one, who knows, but at the moment, I don’t. I grew up reading historical romance, and I loved it, but then I met Mr. Cary Grant. Well, I never met him personally, I met him on screen. When I saw my first Cary Grant film, I fell deeply in love, not just with him but with that time period, and it opened up a whole new world for me. The 1920s and 1930s are my passion, so it’s no surprise when I started reading gay romance, I immediately sought out stories set during those eras. To my surprise, there wasn’t a whole lot out there, at least nowhere near the number of gay romances from other genres such as contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, and so on. I found several amazing authors who I clung to, but even then, there were specific types of stories I was desperate to read. I knew what I wanted, and it occurred to me that if I wanted these types of stories so badly, maybe I should try and write them.

Writing romance is nothing new for me. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid, and have always loved it. Of course, writing for publication is something entirely different. But I was armed with passion, and determination. I had a genre, and I had my inspiration. I wanted to take those old classic Hollywood movies I loved so much, wanted to take those gay men from those pulp stories I loved to read–the ones who continued to break my heart into little pieces with their tragic ends, and put it all together to give them their much deserved happily ever after. I wanted to write gay romances about detectives, and prohibition agents, boxers, and soldiers from the Great War, about down-and-out bank clerks from the Great Depression, about bootleggers, chorus boys, and cafe-society gents, and throw them all into the thick of it, put them through their paces, and most importantly, help them find love. So that’s exactly what I set out to do.

My stories are set either during the roaring twenties or the dirty thirties, and range anywhere from light and fun, to more emotional and gritty. We all know when it comes to Hollywood, history isn’t always portrayed accurately, and while I strive to be historically accurate in my stories, I also try to capture a little of that Golden Age of Hollywood glamour. I’m sure a lot of fellas did’t go around talking like James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart, but that’s the fun of fiction. I wanted that movie-ish type mood in each book. Depending on the type of story it is and the characters, there may be a Noir feel to the story, while another may have a more classic, screwball romantic comedy, feel. How is my venture into this very specific genre of gay romance going? Better than I could have imagined!

My very first published story was When Love Walked In, a Valentine’s Day short story about a hardboiled Private Investigator, his cat Mittens, and the down-on-his luck bank clerk our grumpy P.I. finds sleeping in the stairwell of his bachelor-apartments hotel. It’s set in New York during the Great Depression where folks found themselves jobless, homeless, and with little hope. It’s a sweet little tale of finding love in the strangest of places, and not losing hope. On the other side of the spectrum, we have my first novella, The Amethyst Cat Caper, which also takes place during the Great Depression, but shows us how the other half lives. While When Love Walked In has a more Noir feel to it, The Amethyst Cat Caper is more of a romantic comedy with a little adventure thrown in. It centers around a high-society tea house proprietor who unwittingly comes into possession of a stolen Egyptian artifact, and the handsome Pinkerton Detective keeping them safe from the notorious Gentleman Thief.

Then there’s The Auspicious Troubles of Chance, my first novel, and it’s completely different to my first two stories. This one mostly takes place during the 1920s in the French Foreign Legion, but it’s a heavily character driven story about a young man trying to escape his past–even though he does everything in his power to sabotage that. The story is written from Chance’s point of view, and you get to see his life through his eyes, from his childhood as an orphan on the streets of New York, to his first encounter with his Commandant, Jacky Valentine, and the three troubled youths under Jacky’s wing, all of whom change Chance’s life whether he wants it or not. It’s a story about love, loss, redemption, and family.

Chance’s book was written with more drama in mind, a more sweeping traditional style of romance. It spans from the early 1900s up until the 1930s where the story begins and ends. It has a very distinct voice, namely Chance’s.

For those who want to give my stories a try, Roses in the Devil’s Garden is a free novella available from All Romance eBooks. It was written as part of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s Love Is Always Write event, and has quickly become a favorite of mine. Roses in the Devil’s Garden is set in 1925 during Prohibition, and centers around two prohibition agents who are both partners and lovers. Harlan Mackay and Nathan Reilly have been together for six years, since they met in France during WWI. This story isn’t so much about finding love, as it is about the struggle to keep it, especially during a time filled with so much danger, not all of it stemming from their jobs. As Prohibition agents, Harlan and Nathan find themselves fighting another war, one they have no hope of winning. Aside dealing with raids, an ever growing number of illegal speakeasies, dangerous gangsters, and poisoned bootlegged liquor, they have to deal with their own bureau’s corruption, and a ghost from Nathan’s past who shows up to threaten everything he holds dear.

I have had the most amazing time writing these stories, and despite the small crisis of nerves I go through with the release of each one, I am absolutely loving it. I started off writing these stories because I really wanted to read gay romances set during these periods, but when I got over the initial shock that folks were not only buying the stories I’d written, but enjoying them, and hoping for more, I was thrilled! Knowing these stories are being enjoyed by readers is what makes what I do even more fulfilling. Thank you all for listening to me yammer on, and thank you again, Michael for having me!

Where to find Charlie:

Charlie’s website: www.charliecochet.com

Blog: https://charliecochet.blogspot.com

Facebook and Goodreads

Twitter: @charliecochet

Dreamspinner Press

Torquere Press

Amazon

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6 responses to “Meet Charlie Cochet”

  1. Hosting you on the blog has been a treat, and you made it very easy to do, too. I share your affection for those old Cary Grant movies–and Cary, of course! He’s still the most desirable Hollywood actor ever, in my opinion. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your inspiration.

    • Hi Michael! Thank you so much for having me. When I think movie star, I think Cary Grant. He had that larger than life presence. The looks, the voice, the charm, and the ability to make you laugh or break your heart. Absolutely inspiring!

    • Thank you so much! Yes, he was something special. Whether he was doing comedy or serious drama, he was always exceptional. Some of my absolute favorites: His Girl Friday, Arsenic & Old Lace, The Philadelphia Story, Bringing Up Baby, North by Northwest, Notorious… the list is extensive!

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