Guest Post and Giveaway: Counting Down by Kelly Jensen

We’re so pleased to welcome author Kelly Jensen to celebrate the release of her new novella, Counting Down. She’s here to give us a little insight into her characters Marc and Henry, and there’s also a giveaway, so be sure to check out those details below.

Welcome, Kelly!

There’s Something About Henry

In Counting Down, Marc puts a lot of thought into the question: What is it about Henry? I kind of have to wonder too, because I tried to write Henry as a fairly simple and straightforward character. He’s cute, but not gorgeous. He’s good at his job, but in healthy competition. His family adores him, but only because they’re that kind of family. They adore their daughter and grandchildren and pretty much anyone they come into contact with. They’re nice people. Henry is a nice person.

Nice isn’t really sexy. Nice is to romance what a glass of hot milk is to bedtime.  So what is it about Henry that gets Marc all hot and bothered?

The “nice” thing is actually quite a big part of it. Marc thinks he’s a rebel, you see. All his life he’s been coming up with ways to disappoint his parents. He has tried to please them on occasion, but life seems to work out better for him when he moves in the opposite direction. It makes him feel like he’s in charge of his destiny when they take one road and he takes the other.

Marc can be very contrary, which can be very endearing. :)

But, deep down, he’s a really decent guy and when he pictures the person he wants to share his life with, it’s always a partner. Not an accessory. He doesn’t want to be with someone who makes him look good. He wants to be with someone he can share things with. Someone who is decent, like him. So it’s not really that surprising that he chooses Henry.

Marc also respects and admires Henry. He would never settle for someone who couldn’t hold up their end of a deal. He works hard and needs a partner who shares his work ethic. Flip side is he can also only relax with someone who works as hard as he does. Also, he and Henry have the same goal. Pursuing it together instead of in competition with each other makes sense.

Finally, Henry is sweet. Like, really, really sweet. Not in a saccharine way. He’s very genuine. He cares about people. He’s not the guy who will use someone like a ladder, he’s the guy who will hold the ladder and then expect his partner to wait at the top for him before moving on. Although his attraction to Marc is extremely physical, it’s also intellectual, and Marc likes that too. He likes that Henry seems to see him for who he is.

A small piece of that “something about Henry” is probably that he’s a guy and Marc is trying to make that work in his mind. What I love about Marc, though, is that he’s less hung up on the fact he’s gay than the fact it’s taken him this long to figure it out. And if Henry is the guy, the one, then Marc is going to pursue him until it works, because regardless of gender or orientation, Henry is the first person to push all his buttons—and the first person who seems as interested and invested as he is.

The Giveaway

Thanks for following my tour! At the end of every post, I’ll be asking a question. Leave a comment with your answer (and your email address) by 11:59pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. Every comment throughout the tour counts as an entry in my giveaway. One winner will receive $15 (US or equivalent) to spend at the Dreamspinner Press store.

Question: Do you think attraction is more physical or mental, or a balance of both?

*Must be 18 years or older to qualify
*No purchase neseccary
*Void where prohibited by law

About the Book

It’s been a week since a Christmas Eve blizzard changed the course of Marcus Winnamore’s life. Plan A is now Plan B, and the first item on his new agenda is taking Henry Auttenberg on a date. They’ve been invited to a New Year’s Eve party, and Marc is counting down the hours until midnight… until he can kiss Henry in front of his colleagues and friends.

Things don’t quite work out to plan. Finding the elevator out of service, Marc and Henry check the stairs, only to choose the wrong door, and become locked in the basement. Close quarters once again make for close conversation, and as they explore every avenue of escape, they also explore the deepening attraction between them. For Marc, this isn’t an experiment. Will he still feel that way when he has to admit to someone other than Henry that he’s gay?

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About the Author

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, co-written with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Connect with Kelly: Twitter | Facebook | Website