Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Michael—it’s great to be here.
I loved writing my new novel Burning Ashes, and it all started when I watched a cricket match between England and Australia one sunny weekend in London. The competition on the pitch was so fierce, the idea of an equally passionate love between such wonderfully attractive men was too enticing to resist.
You really don’t need to know anything about cricket to enjoy Burning Ashes, but it might help to know a little about the sporting relationship between England and Australia. Matches between the Aussies and the Poms, as we affectionately call each other, are incredibly competitive, no matter what the sport. The fans have a drink and a laugh together after a match, but in the heat of battle, nothing is more important than beating the old enemy. The keenest contest of them all is the Ashes cricket series and Nat and Scott, the main characters in Burning Ashes, find themselves at the centre of this friendly but extremely intense rivalry.
Australian Nat Seddon is an experienced and successful fast bowler. Six feet five of finely toned muscle, Nat dedicates himself to everything he does. And for this very reason, he doesn’t do relationships; he knows when he falls for someone he’ll fall hard. International cricketers spend months each year away from their loved ones, and Nat couldn’t stand the enforced separation. So for now, he has an uncomplicated sex life with friends in his home city of Brisbane, and that suits Nat just fine.
In complete contrast, batsman Scott Alverley is starting out on his England career, and on his life as a gay man. He’s always been too scared to act on his feelings—scared of what people would say, what effect it would have on his career. (He’s also terrified he might be hopeless at sex!) So it makes no sense at all for Scott to come out to Australia’s most intimidating player, and then to invite Nat to his family’s holiday home in the Lakes. It makes even less sense for Nat to accept his offer, but against his better judgement, that’s exactly what Nat does.
From the moment their eyes meet across a cricket pitch, Nat and Scott know they’re in trouble. They try their hardest not to fall for each other, but there’s nothing they can do to stop it. The plans they both had for their lives are torn into tiny pieces, when they realise they simply can’t bear to be apart. Add the reactions of the media, their families and teammates and you have one volatile mix.
So when you read Burning Ashes, prepare to join Nat and Scott in every possible emotion, but rest assured, these two lovers and sporting rivals have one hell of a good time along the way!
I do hope you enjoy Burning Ashes, and if you should get a taste for the fabulous game of cricket, the next Ashes series in Australia is only a few weeks away. And don’t worry if you don’t understand the rules—just watch it for those gorgeous men in cricket whites.
Blurb
Intelligent and confident, Australian cricketer Nat Seddon is one of the world’s best bowlers. He’s openly gay, but keeps his private life to himself, with everything under control. But on the last day of his team’s Ashes tour of England, he meets Scott Alverley, England’s promising new batsman. Nat tries not to be attracted to Scott, but he can’t help finding the privileged young man handsome and endearing. Nat is tempted by a little end of tour fun, but finds himself playing agony uncle to a virgin. Instead of going home to bask on a beach, he spends a wet week in the north of England with Scott. Try as he might to resist, he can’t help falling hopelessly in love.
The hectic sporting calendar is a persistent obstacle to their growing romance; Nat and Scott are rarely even on the same continent. They make the most of the time when they can be together, but the months apart take a toll on Scott, professionally and personally. The possible solutions are nearly unthinkable, but if they are willing to make sacrifices that will change their lives forever, they might hold on to the love they found in the Ashes.
Excerpt
Nat had waved off the team bus to a chorus of smutty chuckles and comments. The old school friend story had convinced them for less than a second, but there was no way he was telling them the truth, that an adorable arse and a heart-stopping kiss had lured him into making a complete fool of himself. But it really had been quite a kiss. He’d known all kinds of kisses all over his body: sweet ones, rough ones, and downright dirty ones, but he’d never seen stars in front of his eyes or felt his knees go weak. Maybe the lack of oxygen to his brain could explain his answer to Scott’s bizarre question, but the plain truth was that spending more time with Scott had seemed like a lovely idea. In fact, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
Stepping into the London drizzle last night, Nat had realized the enormity of what he’d done. He’d thought about going back to Scott’s apartment and making up an unlikely story. He could say he’d remembered an important appointment, an interview with the prime minister maybe, or an audience with the Pope. Then he’d pictured the look of disappointment on Scott’s face, the tears welling up in his eyes, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it. Dialing the airline to book his flight, he’d made an addition to his unbreakable rules. Do not play agony uncle to twenty-one-year-old virgins, especially ones with tousled blond hair and criminally cute backsides.
Nat looked at his watch, wondering if Scott was going to show up, when a sleek silver dream of a sports car pulled up to the curb in front of him. The driver’s door opened and Scott appeared, looking like he’d just got out of bed. His hair hadn’t seen a comb that morning, and his shirt hadn’t been anywhere near an iron. Scott smiled shyly, and Nat thought how unfair it was that a man could make so little effort and still look so damn good.
“Did you manage to book your flight?”
He could hardly hear Scott’s voice above the noise of the traffic, and it occurred to Nat that he could still make his escape. He could say he couldn’t get a later flight, then dash away to catch the team plane. He’d make it if he took a cab. Nat would be the butt of his teammates’ jokes the whole journey, but that was preferable to the potential disaster he faced if he got into Scott’s car. Then he saw the expression on Scott’s face, anxious and hopeful in equal measure, and Nat picked up his bag and opened the car door.
“No worries. Flight’s booked for next week.”
You can buy and read more from Burning Ashes at Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and other online bookstores.
Author Bio
H. Lewis-Foster has worked with books, in one form or another, since leaving university. As a keen reader of gay fiction, she decided to try writing herself, and is now the proud author of several short stories and a debut novel.
H. has lived in various parts of the UK and has recently moved to the north of England, where she’s enjoying city life, especially the theatres and cinemas. She tries not to watch too much television, but is a big fan of Downton Abbey, and while she’s writing, she loves listening to Test Match Special (where they spend far more time talking about cakes than cricket!)
Links
Website:
https://hlewisfoster.wix.com/books
Twitter: