Welcome to Charles Raines

If you are going to read one book this year that is different I urge you to read Stranger in Translation. I adored the book. Alternatively I could just give you my usual order, BUY THIS BOOK! It won't disappoint you.

Now, I've said my piece, I shall hand you over to Charles Raines.

A big thank you to Sue Brown for inviting me over to her blog today. I am really pleased to be here. Some of you may already know me as Richard S. Charles, writer of slightly more mainstream mysteries with ‘a liberal sprinkling of racy romance’, where leading gay and straight characters intermingle in ‘whodunit’ plots which revolve around an island in the sun, its aristocratic residents and enigmatic, bohemian visitors (“Whispering Palms”, “Palms of Persuasion”). Today, I am my alter-ego, Charles Raines, writer of m/m erotic romance.

Why the change of genre and the new nom de plume? Good question! There are several reasons. Principally, I wanted to develop more fully the sensual gay experiences that R.S. Charles touches upon in the ‘Palms’ series. And also, I was itching to tackle a full-on m/m erotic romance, using a different style of writing. I use the two pseudonyms so that my readers know what to expect. (They also remind me which writer I am!)

By birth, I have a European background and have lived in France, a country which I adore. I also studied languages at university and there was little doubt where my first m/m novella would take place. It’s hot in the south of France, and I wanted to generate that heat in both the setting and theme of my story, “Stranger In Translation”, as well as in the characters.

Buylinks:  Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Smashwords

You can find Charles at his Facebook page.

Excerpt from “Stranger In Translation” by Charles Raines. 

Within seconds he stood towering above me, posturing. Clearly excited and well-endowed, he positioned himself level with my face. Oh, God! I was going to have to do something now. I sprang up out of my chair. He flinched, but held his ground. We were now head to head, only inches apart. I slowly pulled off my T shirt. The pain of the sunburn forced me to bite my lip. His eyes sparkled. A shameless stare at my hairy chest brought a deep grunt and a nod of approval.

His fingers fiddled with the button on my jeans. I didn’t respond. He ripped the rest of my fly open and eased my tight denims down to my sneakers. The growing effect he was having on me was becoming more and more obvious. I didn’t resist. I couldn’t resist. His hands and lips were soon everywhere, exploring every inch of my body, lingering in certain more intimate parts longer than others. I gently ruffled his hair and guided his head as it moved into the crotch of my loose-fitting, red cotton boxers. What the hell was I doing? Nuzzling into my groin he tugged down my underpants with his teeth. He’d definitely done that before! In a regular motion which started slowly and became faster and faster, he pandered to my moans and groans  Raising his teasing eyes to gaze into mine, the guy left me just short of the ecstasy I’d been waiting for.

The magic of the masculine oils from his body forced me to surrender as he came back up to look me in the face. He winked, his lips licked mine, and his tongue began to give me a full dental inspection. Lost in the moment, I returned his advances as readily as he gave them.

Pushing me forcefully towards my bedroom there was no doubt what was coming next. 


I (Sue) am adding a review from Amos Lassen for Stranger in Translation.

Amos Lassen is a tireless, respected American reviewer of GLBT books and films. He has his own review site and blogs regularly, making daily contributions to the GLBT community. He heard about 'Stranger In Translation' from another author and asked for a manuscript.