Muse of the Day

Red Dawn Dust Storm

As a writer, the forces of nature are often a powerful tool. Fires, floods, storms, volcanoes—all these things can be used to great effect in order to up the stakes and build tension.

Today, Sydney woke up to what looked like the end of the world! From about 5:30am an eerie red glow consumed the city as a monster dust storm blew in from the west. Apparently it's going to stay this way all day - it's very surreal. I think I'll be writing a dust storm into one of my books!

Readings in Bed

Things are about to get steamy between the sheets as I join Violet Blue, Stephen Elliott, Carol Queen and Rachel Kramer Bussel at the Supperclub in San Francisco for "Readings in Bed", a night of erotic readings presented by Cleis Press as part of Litquake X. Don't miss out—you're in for some sizzling, sexy fun!

Hollywood Hotties

Dare I say it, but director Kenneth Branagh made one of the coolest casting decisions in Hollywood history when he got Chris Hemsworth to sign on the dotted line to play Norse God and Superhero THOR, due for release in 2011.

Chris can swing that mighty hammer wherever he wants as far as I'm concerned!

Hunky Heroes

To say I'm a fan of pop culture and popcorn cinema is probably an understatement. I grew up going to the movies in a small town—well, several small towns actually—in Australia. Movies were my friend, and being a kid in the 70s and early 80s was awesome. There was so much freedom and fun to be had for a kid with a bike in a flat, dusty, country town small enough to ride from one end to the other and stop off at a matinee on the way.

I learned a lot about storytelling in those years: what worked, what didn't, and what made my heart beat faster. And rollercoaster action scenes with hunky heroes and a badass over-the-top villain always made me feel like I was alive. After all, I was a kid growing up gay, watching these hot, heroic hunks with huge biceps save the day—why wouldn't it put a smile on my face! For me those heroes of the 70s and early 80s—their look, their traits, their flaws and their ability to always get out of a tight scrape—became the inspiration for the gay heroes in my novels. Gay heroes who, I thought, were long overdue!

And who was hotter than Sam Jones in the 1980 fantasy sci-fi FLASH GORDON? Blond and bulging in all the right places, both camp and courageous, Jones' incarnation of the football-star-turned-galactic-crusader pretty much turned me gay on the spot! Hell, he even had his own action figure!

Putting Words to Music

You Know My Name Video

As an author I listen to a lot of music not only when I write, but also when I'm thinking about writing, blocking scenes in my brain, concocting themes and characters and plot twists. While I'm head down at the computer I normally listen to film scores (I have a HUGE collection) to movies like ANGELS & DEMONS or QUANTUM OF SOLACE or anything by John Williams or Hans Zimmer. But when I'm driving the car or taking a shower and thinking about what to write next, I tend to listen to songs that hold the key to something in my head that I'm yet to unlock, some dark door in the back of my brain that needs to be opened to release whatever's behind it.

Given the Bond-esque nature of my books, it's no surprise that I watch a lot of 007 movies. But when Chris Cornell's theme song to CASINO ROYALE was released, well, I knew we were in for something special. Masculine, no-nonsense, full of power and sexy as all hell, "You Know My Name" became something of an anthem for THE CROSS OF SINS. If you've read the book, the clues are all there!

Muse of the Day

Well finally I've kickstarted my blog, a hub of news, reviews, ramblings and raunchy stuff and more importantly a home for all things Fathom's Five! I've often been told I'm a visual writer—I am indeed a very visual person—and like most people I like to picture my characters in my head when I write and read a story. I'd like to say I have a definitive person in my mind for each of the characters I create, but the fact is my heroes more often than not turn out to be a sizzling mixing pot of lots of different hunks I see in movies, on the net, or in magazines. These men are something of a muse to me. And so it seemed entirely appropriate that I start up a Muse of the Day section on my blog. Consider a thankyou to all the beautiful men out there, the type of guy who has adventure written all over his gorgeous body!

It also seemed entirely appropriate that I start with model Lance LaMar, the hunk who has graced the cover of my second Fathom's Five adventure—THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS. This photo was taken by Travis Wickline for MegaMuscle.com—nice work!

THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS

The clock is ticking!

Blackmailed by Jake's nemesis - the vengeful Pierre Perron - Professor Fathom's team of gay adventure-hunters is sent on a seemingly impossible mission to uncover the legendary Riddle of the Sands in order to save one of their own from a rare and deadly poison.

But what is the Riddle of the Sands? Where are the long-lost clues and hidden maps that lead to its whereabouts? Is it a myth, a mirage, or the greatest engineering feat in the history of ancient Egypt?

From the icy plains of Siberia to the shadowy bathhouses of Cairo, from the scorching valley of the Nile to the heart of the Amazon jungle, join New York adventurer Jake Stone, Brazilian biologist Eden Santiago, Texas cowboy Shane Houston, Italian art expert Luca da Roma, and Californian college quarterback Will Hunter in the heroic adventures, hunky sex and hot, high-octane action of The Riddle of the Sands.

THE CROSS OF SINS

Somewhere in the world is a statue so sinful that a secret sect of the Church wants it destroyed at any cost. Somewhere in the Turkish desert, in the streets of London, and in the depths of Venice, are the clues to find it. And, somewhere in the hearts of five sexy, daring, thrill-seeking gay men, is the courage and die-hard determination to unravel one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

Meet Luca da Roma, an Italian model and expert in art, both ancient and modern; Dr Eden Santiago, Brazilian biologist, physician and genetic engineer; Shane Houston, a Texas cowboy and an expert in cartography; Will Hunter, a San Diego college student and football star, majoring in ancient history; and Jake Stone, an adventurer-for-hire from New York and the newest member of Professor Fathom's team of hot gay adventure seekers.

Together, they are Fathom's Five, traveling the world, solving ancient mysteries, uncovering priceless treasures, and getting into hot, sticky and sexy situations, while thwarting danger at every turn! From Venice to Vienna, from Tuscany to Turkey, from the South Pacific to the seas off Sicily, join in the heroic adventures, hunky sex and hot, high-octane action of Fathom's Five.