Author Guest Post with Aiden Ainslie: King of the Mountain

American cycling sensation and heartthrob Clifford Du Frey is riding the wave of success.

Welcome to one September 5th stop on the blog tour for King of the Mountain by Aiden Ainslie with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

Author Guest Post

Fact vs. Fiction. How much does the author rely on personal experience?

I am always bemused when readers ask me, “How much of your writing is based on personal experience?” The short answer: “It’s FICTION. My writing is the product of an (over) active imagination.” Of course, I suspect what tends to lurk below the reader’s question is the desire to know how much of the sex is based on personal experience. And the simple answer to that can only be, “A gentleman never tells.”

“King of the Mountain” and the other books in my “Love at Lake Clyde” series are obviously fiction. I could never have done even a fraction of the daring and wonderful things that my main characters do. I’ve never cycled the Tour de France, run a cross-country race through the mountains or had my vehicle skid off the road down a snowy embankment. I have also never flown a helicopter, let alone jumped out of one. But, on reflection, I’ve had related experiences. I have watched the Tour de France on TV, I’ve cycled in a race, I’ve flown in a helicopter and I’ve retrieved friends that had their car skid down a snowy embankment in the Sierra mountains.

These personal experiences trigger the author’s imagination and get woven into the fabric of the story. They lend authenticity and are part of why writing is so satisfying. It allows the author to give something of themselves and yet have the freedom to shape and mold it. Hence, I would like to think that “King of the Mountain” has many scenes that hold elements of my life experience.

Recently I crossed off a bucket list item and went for a tandem paraglide jump off Signal Hill in Cape Town. What an experience! The tandem running jump was somewhat hair raising but, once we were in the air, it was magical. To soar like a bird in the sky – this is what man has dreamed of for millennia. It was so quiet up there! For fifteen minutes we circled above the city and sea before gliding back down to earth.

And all that time I was virtually in the embrace of the pilot, a rugged man with the most calming voice reassuring me and pointing out the sights. I had to instantly entrust myself to this stranger. Now, if that isn’t a set up for an MM romance, I don’t know what is. So, yes, this experience will definitely find its way into one of my future novels, only with a younger, more handsome main character.

On my website I maintain a gallery of photos so that readers can see some of the places and things I have experienced that have found their way into my novels. For more, see www.aidenainslie.com.

About the Book

King of the Mountain
Love at Lake Clyde Book One
by Aiden Ainslie

Published 11 July 2021

Genre: M/M Romance
Page Count: 348
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

CLIFFORD

After years of hard work and training, I finally have the chance of fulfilling my lifelong dream of winning the Tour de France. Nothing can be allowed to distract me from this mission, especially not Gabe O’Reilly, the adorable art student from San Francisco.

But he looks so vulnerable – all alone in France.

I would be failing in my patriotic duty to a fellow American if I didn’t take care of him, wouldn’t I? And what possible harm could come from spending twenty-four hours with him on the shores of the Mediterranean? I deserve that little break, don’t I?

GABE

I have never seen a human specimen as perfect as Clifford Du Frey. During our fleeting encounter in Paris, I saw a man who was funny, caring, and tender – so very different from the way the media portray him. He is everything I could ever dream of in a boyfriend.

But in what universe will an international sports superstar pay any serious attention to me?

Do not get involved, my brain yells; you can only get hurt again. But my heart is thrumming to a different tune.

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Excerpt

GABE

Cliff stood in the shallows. His pale skin gave him the quality of a Michelangelo marble statue. His body had magnificent, classical proportions. Every muscle was clearly defined as though chiseled in stone and smoothed to perfection under the loving hand of a master sculptor. I wondered if he realized just how beautiful he was. And I still found it hard to believe that he was giving me the gift of his time.

He watched me as I strode toward him and, when I shook the water out of my hair, he warned, “Don’t you dare splash me. I like to get in slowly.”

“I won’t splash you,” I said as I stopped in front of him. His eyes were unbelievable. The aquamarine of the water reflected off his blue eyes. I had the sensation of looking into a kaleidoscope of colors yet to be invented. I placed my hands on his shoulders and kissed him on both cheeks.

He was startled but did not back away. “What was that for?” he asked.

“We’ve not had a chance to greet each other yet – the French way. The way you taught me. And,” I continued, “to say I’m sorry.”

I gave him my sweetest smile.

“Sorry for wha….”

He didn’t get to finish the sentence because I folded one leg behind him and, in the most basic of wrestling moves, tipped him backward into the water.

The look on his face was priceless, and I burst out laughing when his head emerged, spluttering and cursing.

He reached out a hand and said, “You can at least help me up.”

I took hold of his hand and found myself yanked off my feet with Cliff dunking my head underwater. I shook myself free and rose from the waves to see Cliff making a run for the beach. I lurched after him, tackled him, and dragged him back into the water. He laughed and spluttered till he gained his footing and rounded on me, grabbing my waist, the most ticklish part of my body. He held me tight with one arm curved around my chest while his free hand tickled my hip bone without mercy. I giggled and squirmed helplessly in his arms.

We horsed around in the water like a couple of drunken teenagers. Drunk on sunshine, drunk on life, drunk on L…   I didn’t dare to complete the thought. Who was I to think a man like Clifford du Frey would fall in love with me?

About the Author

Aiden Ainslie lives in the Diablo foothills, east of San Francisco. He grew up in various small towns and loves to draw on that small-town feel for his romances: the sense of community but also the petty grievances, intrigue and rivalries. “An author has to draw on personal experience to create authentic stories.”

According to Aiden, setting and mood are critical parts of a romantic story, hence he is always taking pictures of romantic settings to be used in future novels. Check them out on his website www.aidenainslie.com

When Aiden is not writing or listening to audiobooks, he likes to cycle and hike. During those solitary pursuits, he dreams up the characters and plots for his MM Romance novels. He also enjoys zipping around town on his motor scooter, drinking coffee at the local coffee shops, and watching people to get inspiration for his writing.

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Giveaway Alert!

The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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