Author Laura Baumbach

Hello Everyone! It’s been awhile since I’ve had a new release so I’m excited to let readers know what I have been up to lately.

I’m Laura Baumbach, author and publisher of M/M erotic romance. I have writing m/m romance for 15 years. I’ve blazed a few trails for the category of romance including founding the first RWA chapter for authors of GLBTQ romance, Rainbow Romance Writers and working to get m/m erotic romance an equal footing with traditional romance. In recognition of my efforts over the years, ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE named me ‘a pioneer of the ‘m/m genre‘ in their Oct. 2010 issue.

I became a publisher 9 years ago with my small press, ManLove Romance Press aka MLR Press, publishing some of the very best established authors and discovering new ones. The press is my way of bring the category of romance I love most to a place of recognition and respect in the romance community.

I’ve just released my first story in three years. It’s a short story, part of the STORMING LOVE: WILD FIRE series at MLR Press. I’m one of six authors in this particular disaster. Writing in this series with me are T.A.Chase, Megan Slayer, Laurie Terson, Devon Rhodes and Talia Carmichael. All terrific authors! I’m proud to be in a series with them.

My story is titled JACKSON & NICK. In the STORMING LOVE SERIES each author writes an m/m erotic romance around the same natural disaster, in this case a So. Ca. wild fire. It was a bit strange actually having a wild fire taking place out west while I wrote this story but, it did give me the opportunity to glean critical information from reports.

Here is the blurb of my story so you can get an idea what it is about:

Fireman Jackson Kain and ER physician Dr. Nick Kirby would both like nothing better than to leave behind their high-pressure NY City lives for a just a few days in the peaceful wilds of Northern Ca. Two ordinary men exploring their growing relationship in glorious, undisturbed beauty of nature. Before this trip is over, both men will need all their specialized abilities and training to survive their romantic interlude turned WILD FIRE.

Recuperating from a work-related injury, NY City fireman Jackson Kain convinces new boyfriend Dr. Nicolas Kirby to spend a few days at a secluded California cabin in the woods far away from the hustle and bustle of their stressful worlds.

Nick is a cautious man with protective walls around him that persistent, persuasive Jackson is determined to breakdown, scale or tunnel under. These few days are Jackson’s best chance to convince Nick he is sincere and reliable in all things, including matters of the heart. Unfortunately, both men are going to get more opportunities to prove themselves than either bargained for.

What was supposed to be a relaxing break from the world to get to know one another better turns into a struggle for survival, that pits both men against nature and time.

Here is a link where it and all my backlist can be found:

http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=SLS5__LB

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It was a bit of a struggle for me to get back in the process of writing. It requires discipline and I was out of practice. It took weeks to get back into the rhythm of storytelling again. I will admit that there were times when I was reading through the edits that I kept saying to myself, “I don’t remember writing that”. I mean, I know I wrote the story, the paragraph, that sentence, but I didn’t recognize my own phrasing and rhythm. I think my muse actually took over in sections and flowed right out of my fingers without touching my conscious mind on the way out. Wonderful, but…weird.

Thank god I have an outstanding editing staff. They whipped my offering into shape after I delivered my story to them. (Weeks late, I’m ashamed to admit.) I can only hope I managed a level of enjoyable storytelling that readers will embrace again.

Since I’m back in the rhythm, I’ve decided to dance the next song as well. LOL. I’m trying to decide whether to work on a new novel, a romantic suspense, or work on one of my earlier releases’ sequel. I have four manuscripts started but languishing in limbo, waiting for the characters to talk to me. I think they are mad at me for leaving them alone so long. <G>

I hope some of you romance readers out there that enjoy an action romance will give the WILD FIRE SERIES a try!