Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work.
Today: Brent Archer writes stories of gay love and relationships, often with a second chance or redemption theme. Many of his stories are set in his hometown of Seattle or the surrounding area. Though writing most of his life, Brent came to the romance writing world in 2012, when he visited his cousin Delilah Devlin in Arkansas. She prodded him to write a story and submit it. So, he did, and it sold right away. With the encouragement of Delilah, his other writing cousin Elle James, and his husband, Brent embarked on a writing career. He’s loving the journey, finding inspiration and a story everywhere he goes, whether it be the local coffee shop, driving through each of the United States, or riding the train to explore the world. You can find Brent at his website, on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky.
Brent Archer’s website: https://brentarcher.net/publications/
Thanks so much, Brent, for joining me!
J. Scott Coatsworth: When did you know you wanted to write, and when did you discover that you were good at it?
Brent Archer: I started writing at 10 years old when I was in fourth grade. There was a young novelists competition, and I wrote a “novel” complete with illustrations. In eighth grade, I wrote a chapter of a time travel book for the Young Writer’s Conference. We were given five minutes to read part of our chapter. At the end of the five minutes, several of the other teen authors asked if I could keep going. That’s the first inkling for me that I was a good writer. Through high school, I wrote poetry, and my university notes are framed with poetry and illustrations in the margins. Fast forward to 2012 when I visited my grandmother and my aunt’s family. I used to correspond with my grandmother through written letters, and the family down there would all read them. My romance author cousin Delilah Devlin cornered me one day saying, “We know you can write.” She had me select a story prompt from a submissions board. I wrote a 2500-word story and submitted it. The next validation arrived a month later when the story was accepted to an anthology. My other romance author cousin Elle James said, “Welcome to the Dark Side,” and I’ve been writing romance ever since.
JSC: Have you ever taken a trip to research a story? Tell me about it.
BA: I haven’t actually taken a trip to specifically research for a story. I have, however, written about a few of the international trips I’ve taken. In 2009, I took a 14-day trip to New Zealand, and I based Memories of Coromandel on that trip. Most of the places and some of the things that happened in the book were directly from my itinerary and experiences (including the dim sum restaurant scene). My most recent novella for an anthology based on summer was based on part of my trip to England last summer.
JSC: Where do you like to write?
BA: I need life buzzing around me to write. Some of my favorite places are coffee shops and pubs. Before the Pandemic, I would walk a mile to a coffee shop, camp there until lunch and write, then walk to a nearby restaurant and write more while I had lunch, then walk back to the coffee shop for the afternoon until they closed. I got exercise walking and wrote several books that way. When Covid hit and everything shut down, I went into a bit of a slump. One of my writing friends invited me to a Zoom group where they did sprints three days a week for an hour. We’d chat until 8 am, write for 25 minutes, chat for 5 minutes, and write for 25 more minutes. I found two other writers wanting to write and set up a schedule to sprint five days a week. Though not the perfect substitute for the hustle and bustle of the coffee shops and pubs, I was able to get enough interaction to get the creative juices flowing again. I still maintain the Zoom writing five days a week. Some afternoons, I take my Surface and head out to the coffee shop to get some words down over a cup of tea or head to the pub and have a glass of wine with my writing.
JSC: How did you choose the topic for Throuple Honey?
BA: Throuple Honey came about as a conversation over the fence with my neighbor. During the pandemic, she and her husband had driven over the Cascade Mountains to spend a weekend camping, and on their way back, they stopped on the side of the highway where a couple of guys were selling fruit out of their truck. She told me about the vibe she got off the two of them, and wouldn’t it be hot to write about these two guys. The impromptu plot development session swerved into the two main characters being an established couple, both hot for the new farm hand. One of the things the guys on the side of Highway 2 were selling was honey, and I came up with the idea that the third guy would be a beekeeper. The story took off from there. With my chaotic writing style, I didn’t initially start the book with Shane being a firefighter and having the traumatic event at the beginning of the book, but I was writing Blaze of Cortez at the same time, and the idea came to me that the main characters would replace the two firefighters at the beginning of Throuple Honey. My stories generally have a redemption/second chance element to them, and linking the two books provided this element. I put Shane through a lot of heartache, but I love the story and am very proud of how it turned out.
JSC: They say to Write What You Know. Setting aside for a moment the fact that this is terrible advice…what do you nnow?
BA: I write gay relationships and hookups. That’s what I know. Because of the hot mess called my childhood, I have trouble writing healthy heterosexual relationships (though I am trying to put more of them in my books). I came out gay when I was eighteen, and since then, I’ve forged my own path through relationships, not caring what the “norms” are. While some of my storylines are heteronormative, I always set the rules of whatever relationship I’m creating and write the characters within the confines of those rules. If the rules are an open relationship or a don’t-ask-don’t-tell situation, my characters can play outside the primary couple/throuple and it’s not considered cheating. My characters tend to have complicated relationships or non-relationships with their biological families, which is also what I know.
JSC: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
BA: I started reading Madeleine L’Engle books when I was fairly young, and after reading Arm of the Starfish and A Ring of Endless Light, I was sure I’d be either an oceanographer or a marine biologist. In my teen years, I discovered Clive Cussler. His stories of daring do on the seas and finding lost shipwrecks hammered home my interest in the ocean. Unfortunately, the science weed-out courses at university weeded me out. Differential Equations and Physics 140 squashed my dreams of ever having a science career. I’d been acting and dancing since I was 15, so with my International Studies Bachelor’s Degree with a History minor firmly under my belt, I embarked on an acting career, doing stage shows all over the Puget Sound. I reinvented myself again at age 30, going back to school for an accounting degree, which kept me employed in non-profit accounting positions at arts or scientific organizations until the Pandemic. I still perform the occasional theater show or dance show, but other than living close to the water, my childhood dreams of life exploring the oceans didn’t come to fruition. I still read Clive Cussler books, though, and I binge watch the Oceanliner Designs channel on YouTube. One day, I at least want to take an ocean cruise across the Atlantic from New York to Southampton.
JSC: What other artistic pursuits (it any) do you indulge in apart from writing?
BA: I’m a pretty artsy guy. I started performing in theater when I was 15 and tried to make a career of mostly musical theater through my twenties and early thirties. Favorite roles include playing Snoopy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Sidney Bruhl in Deathtrap, Mortimer Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace, and the Minstrel/Narrator in Once Upon a Mattress. Also at 15, I joined a dance ensemble and performed all over Washington State, Alaska, and Western Europe over the three years I was in the ensemble. When I arrived in Seattle for university orientation, I auditioned for another semi-professional dance company and performed off and on with two ensembles for over thirty years. I met my husband at the first rehearsal! I’m currently part of a Scottish Country Dance demonstration group. From fifth grade until the end of ninth grade, I played French Horn in the band at school. I’ve dabbled off and on with piano over the years, and I also play a hand drum called a dumbek from the Balkan region of Europe. Singing has been the main art outlet throughout my life. I’ve sung along with the radio since I was a kid, joined a church choir when I was a teen for a couple of years, sang in a few choirs in the Seattle area, and co-founded a men’s a cappella group with my husband and two other guys. We’re still singing after 32 years.
JSC: Star Trek or Star Wars? Why?
BA: If these are the only choices, Star Trek, and specifically Voyager. While I like Next Generation and DS9, Captain Janeway had me at “Engage”. I went to a book signing that featured Kate Mulgrew and got to tell her that! My sci-fi love since 1982, however, is Doctor Who. Time travel and alternate histories have been a lifetime fascination for me. As a teen, I wanted to run away with Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor and witness history (I think I mentioned my history minor earlier). For the new series, I love David Tennant and Matt Smith’s Doctors, but the deliciously evil Missy is my favorite new-Who character. I could talk your ear off about Doctor Who for hours!
JSC: What’s your drink of choice?
BA: Tea, Earl Grey, Hot. Like Captain Picard, I function best on this delicious tea. There are several bags of loose-leaf Earl Grey in my tea cabinet, and I drink it from the time I wake in the morning until about 2 or 3 pm. In the afternoon, I’ll shift to a glass of sparkling white or rose, or a Gin and Tonic with a twist of lime to finish off the day. In the evening, I’ll either do an herbal tea or a decaf Earl Grey before bed.
JSC: What are you working on now, and what’s coming out next? Tell us about it!
BA: Because my writing process is pure and utter chaos, I actually have five active manuscripts going at the moment. I’m working towards completing my two series with two books remaining in each. Sometimes I have to roll the dice from my D&D days to decide which to work on. The main story I’m writing at the moment is a murder mystery romance set on a cruise ship during a repositioning cruise. The main character accompanies a friend on a gay cruise, not really interested in hooking up with the multitude of guys filling the ship. Sparks fly when Dave Tomlinson meets Captain Rory Carter at the drag ball. When his friend Lance is arrested for murder, he works to find the real killer. I’m about halfway done writing the story. When I’m not working on the mystery story, the other work in progress I’m writing the most on is Hiding Hayden, the second book of my Black Rock Cult series starring an investigative journalist and a sheriff’s deputy trying to expose a cult and save a vulnerable teen. Hopefully, at least one of these will be complete and released later in the year. The next story to release should be my story in Shane Morton’s Romance In Summer anthology.
And now for Brent’s new book: Throuple Honey:
Love is like honey—you might get stung, but the rewards are sweet, and they stick to you.
Firefighter Shane Ward seeks solace in a new life as a beekeeper, embracing the rhythms of farm life while grieving the tragic loss of his husband. His attraction to his two kind bosses makes Shane wonder if he’s ready to take a chance on love again.
Dante Sarcletti pours his energy into the farm he owns with his partner, Emmett Simpson, while Emmett manages the business side. The demands of running the farm have stolen the spark from their relationship. What begins as a no-strings fling with their new farmhand grows into something unexpected.
As summer unfolds, their bond strengthens. When a sudden wildfire threatens everything they hold dear, Shane must face the trauma he’s fled. When they confront the reality of love and loss, can Shane, Dante, and Emmett protect what they’ve built together before everything goes up in flameW lone romance that beautifully weaves together themes of love, healing, and connection, proving that true love can rise from the ashes.
Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Bibliopride | QueeRomance Ink
Excerpt
Shane opened the mudroom door and kicked off his shoes. He made his way into the kitchen and turned to close the door. “Hello? Emmett?”
“Good grief, what’s that?” Emmett’s voice made Shane spin to face him.
“What?” He stared into his hands at the bag of potatoes and the box of wine. “I thought we could have some wine on the porch later, and these are the potatoes you wanted.”
“Boxed wine?” Emmet’s tone dripped with disdain.
Shane frowned. “It’s Okanagan Porch Banger. This is the good stuff. It’s imported from Canada.”
Rolling his eyes, Emmett stepped forward and took the box from his hand. “With all the incredible wineries around here, you got a boxed wine?” He shook his head. “Clearly, I still have work to do on your culinary journey. I thought we covered this when I educated you on manipulated wine.”
“Now, don’t be a snob,” Shane said, annoyed but also amused at Emmett’s behavior. “You’ll like this.”
Emmett narrowed his eyes at the words on the side of the box. “Best paired with summer fun, BBQ, and easy evenings. OPB is sure to please any palate.” He set the box on the counter. “I highly doubt that claim.”
Shane checked his wristwatch again. “It’s just before four. Let’s pour a glass and sit on the porch. I guarantee you’ll love it. Do you have any paper cups?”
Frowning, Emmett moved to the cabinet where he kept the wine glasses. “No. It’s a red blend, so we’ll use the Bordeaux-style glasses. Should give us the best chance of a good flavor.”
Matching Emmett’s eyeroll, Shane grabbed the box from the counter and followed Emmett to the front porch. He took a seat next to the office window and reached for a glass. Emmett watched with a dubious stare as the dark red liquid poured into the glass from the plastic spout.
“I’m not sure I can do this, Shane.” Emmett shook his head but took the glass.
“Come on, give it a chance.” Shane poured himself a glass and set the box down between their chairs. He raised his glass. “Cheers.”
Emmett clinked his glass with Shane’s. He swirled the liquid and raised the rim to his nose. “Fruity. Smells like it might be a little on the sweet side.” He crinkled his nose. “I’m getting some notes of ashtray and armpit.”
Shane couldn’t help the laugh bubbling out of his throat. “Ashtray and armpit? Do you smell those things frequently?”
“No,” Emmett said, a grin pulling at his lips. “And I don’t particularly want to taste them either.”
“If it’ll help, I’ll go first.” Shane took a sip of the wine. Sure enough, he could taste a mix of sweet, sweat, and ash, just like Emmett had described. “I think we need some nacho corn chips to go with it.”
“Really?” Emmett’s lips twitched. “There should be some organic tortilla chips in the pantry if you need them to go with your boxed wine.”
Shane laughed. “I’ll go get them.” He set his wine glass down and headed into the house. Finding the bag, Shane filled a large bowl and returned to the porch to find Emmett pouring himself a second glass of wine. “What’s this?”
“I didn’t get enough in the first glass to figure out all of the notes hitting my palate.” Emmett frowned. “It’s not good wine, you know.”
“But, worth a second taste?” Shane winked. “Try it with a chip.”
With his frown still in place, Emmett set the box down and snagged a few chips from the bowl in Shane’s hand. He crunched on one and took a sip of the wine.
Emmett grimaced. “Well, it shouldn’t taste good at all, but somehow it works.”
Beaming, Shane settled into his seat and happily started eating chips and sipping his wine. “I knew you’d like it.”
With a glare, Emmett took another chip. “It’s a small box. We should probably finish it to get it out of the house, and tomorrow, you’ll be in charge of handling our hangovers.”
Shane gave another hearty laugh. “They don’t call it Porch Banger for nothing.”
***
Dante heard the laughter and chatter of loud voices all the way from the orchard. Curious about the source, he climbed higher on the ladder to get to the top of the peach tree he’d been working on and glanced toward the house. Emmett and Shane sat on the porch with a bowl between them, drinking what looked like red wine.
At a loss for why his lover and his beekeeper would be day drinking, he descended the ladder and pulled off his gloves. At least the guys were having some time together. Shane had been a bit reticent since their first time in bed, and Dante hoped they could bring him out of his shell. Emmett seemed to have figured something out.
Strolling through the orchard, he took his time, examining the forming fruit and looking for signs of pests. He noticed invasive weeds trying to take hold around a few trunks and made a mental note to come back later and pull them.
More laughter echoed through the trees, and Dante increased his pace toward the edge of the grove. Emerging into the sunlight, he strode to the porch to find the two giggling.
“What’s going on here?” Dante asked, his hands on his hips. “Day drinking?”
“Oh, Dante,” Emmett said, a slight slur to his speech. “We’re just having a nice glass of wine on the porch.”
Dante spied the source of the wine and felt his mouth drop open. “You, Emmett? Boxed wine? Oh, how the snooty have fallen.”
“I’m not snooty,” Emmett said, his voice full of challenge. “I’m discerning.”
“How do those chips go with the wine?” Dante asked, incredulous at the pairing and even more incredulous that Emmett would eat them.
“Surprisingly well,” Emmett said, glancing at Shane. “I didn’t think I’d like the stuff, but Shane insisted.”
Shane appeared more in control of his faculties. He offered his glass to Dante. “Want a taste?”
Arching a brow, Dante reached for the glass and took a sip. The sweetness of the wine almost knocked him over. Definitely not the kind of stuff currently residing in their almost overflowing wine cellar.
“It’s, uh, interesting,” Dante said, trying to be diplomatic.
“No, really. Try it with the chips,” Emmett said, holding up the bowl. “It weirdly works.”
“Who are you, and what did you do with my Emmett?” He glanced at Shane, unable to decide between being ticked off or amused.
Shane burst out laughing. “Sorry, I’ve corrupted him. It’s better in a paper cup.”
Dante frowned. “I’m sure.”
“No, no, no,” Emmett said, pushing the bowl of chips at Dante again. “These are the perfect glasses.”
Accepting defeat, Dante took a chip, crunched on it for a moment, and took another sip of the wine. Strangely enough, he found the salty chip defused some of the sweetness and made the wine almost palatable. Almost.
Dante handed the glass back to Shane. “You two enjoy.” He eyed Emmett. “I think I’d better do the cooking tonight.”
“What?” Emmett said, his brow furrowing. “I can do it.” He went to stand, but his legs wobbled. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Shaking his head, Dante felt a twitch of irritation. “I’m going to get you guys glasses of water, and I’ll work on dinner while you work on sobering up.” He stepped past Shane and into the house. Though he hadn’t wanted to be in charge of cooking after a day in the orchard, he did find it funny that Emmett would let himself go on boxed wine.
“He’s gonna have a hangover in the morning,” Dante muttered.