Gina Writes Words: Razor by Jon Keys - Author Interview

Friday 6 February 2015

Razor by Jon Keys - Author Interview

On the release day of his new book, Razor, I am lucky enough to have Jon Keys here on my blog to answer a few questions.


Hi Jon! Thank you for joining me on my blog today - I’m excited to be able to help you with the release of ‘Razor’, your m/m erotic romance for Decadent Publishing’s Beyond Fairytales line. 

To start, can you tell me a bit about yourself? You have quite a catalogue of work - what do you want new readers to know about you? 

Not that you can really tell it in this story, but I grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. A lot of my other writing is in a rural/western/southern settings. Razor is my first attempt at something more fantasy based. But even though it has a very different setting, I still really enjoyed the story. It’s probably one of my favorites of all the things I’ve written. I think it’s a break-through as far as my storytelling, I’m sure that’s part of the reason I’m so fond of it.

Which fairytale were you assigned to twist into your own story, and what were your initial thoughts? How easy or difficult was it to use the fairytale as your jumping off point?

My fairytale was “The Little Folks’ Gifts”. My initial thought seemed to be a  pretty common reaction from authors in this series. Which was essentially ‘what have I gotten myself into’. Okay, that might be a little less colorful version of what I actually said. I had no idea what I was going to do with the story. I worked on it off and on for several weeks, trying to distill the story down to its essence. I mean, what do you do with a story where coal turns into gold. How in the world was I going to change that around to anything useable? I’m glad I didn’t take on this challenge until I had a few hundred thousand words under my belt. I might have given up. But by the time the challenge showed up, I had confidence that if I gave it enough time, a new angle would show up.

So I waited, and it did appear. 


Have you got a favourite scene - which? Why?

Hmm, good question. There are a lot of scenes that I really like. Getting to the front door of the club and finding this giant guy in a kilt, knee high black leather boots, and nothing else. I really like that scene. I also like when Micah gets out of the cab from the airport and wants to kiss the ground that he survived the ride. I know that feeling.

Do you write to music and did you have a playlist for Razor, or are there songs that make you think of your characters and settings?

On this I’m the odd man out. I can’t listen to music or really have much noise when I’m writing. I just can’t focus. So I don’t have an auditory signature in my mind for Razor. I did have ‘Same Love’ in mind for the song they are playing at the ending scene. I love that song.

Would you want to live in the world you’ve created and why/why not?

Sure, I’d live in the world I created. Every one accepts James and Micah as a couple. And there’s a bar that the waiter comes to your table in leather jock straps. What’s not to like?

Is there anything you think a reader should know about your book before picking it up, or anything you might want to tell us about your characters that we won’t find between the covers?

Razor is a story that will move you from near tears to full on lust, and then to cheers of relief. James and Micah are two very different guys, a librarian and a landscape architect. Their differences have strengthened their relationship over the years and their love continues to deepen. 

Why should a reader pick up “Razor”? Give me the hard sell. :-)

If you’re looking for a story that has its share of dark moments, some beyond steamy scenes, plus twists that you won’t be expecting, then Razor is your kind of read. Oh, and get the cold shower ready, you’ll probably need it. 

How was that for a hard sell. 

Lastly, will you be asking for another fairytale to twist into a romance, or any other plans for new books?

Actually, I do. The editors for the Beyond Fairytales collection put out a call for authors to propose ideas for a rewrite of Cinderella. In the end they decided to have some of the popular stories as sub-collections and took them all. Mine was one. 

So, I’m working on my retelling of Cinderella. Only my version has Cinderella as a cowboy, the prince is the bank president’s son and the fairy godmother is a Medicine Hat stallion. I’m editing it for submission and I hope it comes out as good as Razor. 


Thank you for being here today, Jon, and for telling us a bit about behind-the-scenes while you were writing Razor.

Razor Blurb:

When the world crashes down around your ears, sometimes all you can do is punt and hope for the best. That’s exactly what James and Micah decide to do when one of them is diagnosed with cancer, and the other discovers a serious heart defect. When the doctor tells them to start working on their bucket lists, the two take a trip in an effort to create some good memories, and forget the ugly truths, while they focus on their time in each other’s arms.
Their vacation turns into much more than they anticipated when they find themselves drawn to a club like sailors to a siren. Several sexy waiters, some unforgettable lap dances, and one whip-wielding stud later, they stumble upon the answer to their prayers. Their sex is wild again, and the pair find themselves living for tomorrow. But with every answer comes questions, and Micah’s search for more may destroy them both.

Will they be able to recover from his thirst for the truth? Or will the men always live walking on the edge of a Razor?


Buy Razor:


Keep up with Jon’s work


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