The Opposites Blog Tour Post Hosted by Twinsie Talk

The O'Raven Chronicles is pleased to present this stop post of The Opposites Series Blog Tour for Author T. M. Smith, Hosted by Twinsie Talk Book Reviews

The Opposites Series Blog Tour

TM Smith

Book 1 - The Opposites

In the year 2081 our planet survived global warming of an apocalyptic scale. When the dust settled and the water receded Dr. Anthony Smith, one of only a few hundred survivors of GWI, started society anew. Having come to the conclusion that injudicious breeding played a huge role in the destruction of Earth as we knew it in the twenty first century, he worked closely with other survivors to isolate the Dionysus gene. This gene has the ability to manipulate human DNA to ensure that all male children be born gay, and all female children be born lesbians. A new society is born.

In the year 2300 Dr. Smith’s descendants are ushering in the twenty fourth century having maintained control of the government that still rules society. Twins Aiya and Aiyan are preparing to meet their matches and take control of House Gaeland, the current ruling House. But not everything is as it seems.

Love is Love.. it knows no gender and doesn’t conform to restrictions and boundaries. Aiyan has found his soul mate in Kaden, the prince of House Devi that he is matched with and eventually marries. But when the person Aiya falls in love with tests the boundaries put in place after GWI, all hell breaks loose. And in the midst of one secret unraveling, another will emerge. There is a growing anomaly that threatens to destroy over two hundred years of progression. This anomaly is known as Opposites.

*WARNING* Opposites is a majorly M/M New Adult novel that contains explicit sexual content and relationships between gay, lesbian and straight couples

Book 2 (Novella) – The Library

The Library, an Opposites Novella, by TM Smith

Three gay couples run amuck in this short story where clothing, beds, even four walls are all optional!

Want to know what happened that night in the library?

Cirian and Rian had a fight in the library and Rian ends up naked on the desk, on his back, at Cirian's mercy.

Want to know how far things went with ice cream?

A romantic evening by the fire feeding his husband ice cream leads to a lot more than heavy petting for Aiyan and Kaden.

Want to know what was going on when those birds fled?

Travelling hundreds of miles, battling the rebels and then travelling back to House Gaeland will take it out of you. But when Tanis wants something, he takes it. Raven is about to be bent over a tree!

A Note from the Author:

I've taken three scenes from Opposites that were cut short and elaborated on the shenanigans that ensued. I also focused more in the beginning on the relationship between Cirian and Rian, to give readers a chance to know them and their inner workings better.

**Warning, The Library is a novella set in the same world as Opposites. It's an adult dystopian M/M novella that includes consenting and explicit sexual relationships between gay couples**

The Opposites

Amazon | Amazon UK | Smashwords 

The Library

Goodreads | Amazon | Smashwords 

Excerpts for Opposites {warning, Opposites is an Adult Dystopian majorly M/M series, this sneak peak may contain content not suitable for those under the age of 18, viewer discretion is advised}

Meanwhile in the forest, Aiyan stood in the shadow of the tree. His bow was cocked and ready as the deer trotted into view close to the stream. Kaden stood to his left directly behind the tree, watching the intensity in his features as he stalked his prey. His jaw was set and his brown eyes sparkled, the muscles in his arm were tensed and solid as he held his bow in place, taking aim at the deer. His mouth was just slightly upturned on one side forming that devilish, crooked grin Kaden had come to love more than anything.

Kaden thought back to the first time they kissed and that first night alone with Aiyan in his room, his body held firmly between Aiyan’s and the wall as he ran his hands down Kaden’s body and nipped at his ear. Instinctively he reached out and ran his thumb along Aiyan’s jaw line just as he released the arrow. The sound of metal hitting flesh as the arrow penetrated the deer’s soft skin could just be heard, and then the unmistakable thud as the now lifeless animal hit the ground.

Aiyan stepped to the side and pinned Kaden against the tree, cupping his crotch in his hand tightly and crashing their mouths together. Again, instinctively, Kaden moved into his touch and his lips, moaning softly. Aiyan smiled into the kiss and whispered, "Kaden, love, you’re killing me."

Kaden pulled back and laughed. "Me?!" I think you need to look again my prince, I’m the one pinned to this tree while you…." he moaned again and

closed his eyes, leaning back into the tree as Aiyan squeezed gently. He leaned in and kissed his neck then sucked at the sensitive flesh there.

"Soon, M’anam. The Mehndi ceremony is tomorrow, and then the wedding, and then…" He let the sentence linger in the air as he ran his nose across Kaden’s cheek, bringing their lips together for another kiss. They settled into a more appropriate, affectionate stance just before Rian cleared his throat from behind them. Kaden flushed slightly and Aiyan turned to see his father smiling at them. He jerked his head back toward the palace motioning for them to follow, and they did, reluctantly.

Music is a huge part of my writing process, and there are songs that take me where I need to be to write... and then there are songs specific to certain characters or chapters in the book. Early on there is a scene when Maeve, Tanis and Kaden are en route to the palace and Maeve is taking in her surroundings.

Every time I hear Celtic Dream I think about this particular chapter. Very whimsical, fresh and new. Both Aiyan and Raven play the violin, and Aiya plays the piano, so there is a lot of instrumental music I listen to when I’m writing around them. Rain on the Pond is a song that is mentioned twice in the book,

Lament has its own chapter, and Sirtaki is the dance they do at Aiya and Maeve’s wedding. Every song on this playlist is directly related to something in the book, in some fashion.

Playlist for Opposites

Youtube Playlist Link

Celtic Dream | Ronan Hardiman

Lament | Ronan Hardiman

Kashmir | David Garrett

Csardas | David Garrett

Rain on the Pond | Relaxation music

Shadow of the Moon | Blackmore’s Night

Where are We Going From Here | Blackmores’ Night

Bound To You | Christina Aguilera

Jai Ho | Slumdog Millionaire

Love Aaj Kal | ye Dooriyan

Drowning Pool | Bodies

Enya | Watermark

Come On Get Higher | Matt Nathanson

Between The Raindrops | Lifehouse w/Natasha Bedingfield

Ice Cream | Sarah McLachlan

Sirtaki (Zorba’s Dance) | David Garrett

We Belong | Pat Benatar

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A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. She now calls Texas home from her small town on the outskirts of the DFW Metroplex. Most days you can find her curled up with her kindle and a good book alongside a glass of something aged and red or a steaming cup of coffee!

At 42 years young, she's decided to enter the next phase of her life by adding the title of "author" to her list of accomplishments that includes single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Smith is and outspoken advocate for Autism and equal rights for the LGBTQ community.

Her Opposites series is based outside the normal parameters of social acceptability, examining a 'what if'... What If to be gay or lesbian were the norm? What if to be straight labeled you as an Opposite and made YOU the Outkast?

Author Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/T.M.-Smith/e/B00D8N818Ehttp://www.amazon.com/T.M.-Smith/e/B00D8N818E

Author website: www.ttcbooksandmore.com

Author Twitter - https://twitter.com/TTCBooksandmore

GoodReads book: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17619257-opposites

GoodReads author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6997897.T_M_Smith

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTMSmith

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ttcbooksandmore/

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJjm1BpCFi7kCt_KK_VyReA 

Links to all Previous Opposites Series Posts; 

Previous Opposites Post

Old Post

Older Post and Posts Links

The Creation of Raven

Separating the fact of The Man from The Author’s fiction for the character.

As many of you know I am the real life Raven of Opposites from T.M. Smith’s The Opposites series. She is one of my dearest friends and from the beginning she had decided to make me a character in her book. She wanted the character to be inspired by me and so she began to ask me some in depth questions. I don’t think either of us were prepared for the story that would unfold, or the epic journey we would take together. Neither could we have guessed how certain aspects of the character would test the level of our friendship and our sanity lol. Having a character inspired by you is one thing. Having a character based on you is quite another. My friend Tams has what I like to call a fluid type of spirituality, while I myself have very defined beliefs honed over a life time of study, training, and experiences. Religiously we come from very different perspectives. Not that our belief systems are so much opposed as they are just different. My faith demands certain things from me that to Tams’s mind is sometimes beyond challenging. So I think we both had to grow and adjust somewhat during this process so that she as a writer could have her work truly represent her while the character of Raven needed to portray a good deal of my actual spiritual traditions. It hasn’t been an easy process for the pair of us and sometimes the battles that ensue are so drama filled they are absolutely comical to on-lookers. There have been times when both of us wanted to pull our hair out….and like any siblings adopted or otherwise, there have been times when we wanted to pull each others hair out as well. I think I can safely say for both of us that our Love and Friendship for each other was never in question even when our nerves were. On her behalf I can honestly say and have to say that she has shown remarkable consideration and fortitude in dealing with what she considers some of the stranger aspects of my nature and traditions. I have been impressed with both her talent to tell a story and the way she has maintained her authentic voice through out the process of creating this wonderful series. I am truly honored to be a part of it; and though Raven and I differ in several ways, the core of who he is I can honestly say does a tremendous job at exemplifying who I am as a person. Tams and I have very different ideas of Religion and Love and we have many word wars; but these differences have helped make our friendship very strong. It isn’t just what we have in common, but what we don’t that helped both of us on this strange voyage together. 

So T.M. Smith, How did you stay true to yourself and your story as a writer while finding a way to portray someone’s real faith tradition in your work…or would you say it was less about portraying their faith tradition and more about portraying your perceptions of their faith tradition? How much of this is your fiction… How much your perception of your friend’s faith… How much of this is said persons real faith…..what is your take on this issue?

Well, ultimately I have the power of the pen so I can do what I want! mwahahahahaaaaa! Seriously though, the statement above is an accurate account of the last few years. While our faith and traditions may differ slightly, I wanted to represent that within the story and at the heart of the character Raven. I think that Raven is a mixed bag of my perceptions of Luciens faith and how far I'm willing to bend as a writer. Little requests Lu has made along the way like, not taking the lords name in vain. Now, mind you, he doesn't consider 'Goddamn' taking the lords name in vain as he says it's more of an oxymoron of a word. But other terms, which I won't type right now because he'd just delete them, do bother him quite a bit actually. So, while I use those terms when writing, I've become very careful not to use them for Raven. I've even went so far in the book I'm working on now as to show Raven showing his disdain for such terms, something he didn't do in Opposites because I was still getting to know the character.

Did you find the task of writing about someone’s actual faith and healing traditions daunting? A sacred trust? Or was it easier for you, as far as your writing process goes to have someone to pose questions to?

It was very daunting at times, because little things that I didn't think about struck a nerve with Lu. I got a lot of "I would never do that!" and "I would never say that!" and "Are you kidding me?!" from Lu. Seriously wanted to scratch his eyes out a couple times. Every time they we have managed to find a compromise that we can both live with. It is a heavy weight to carry when you decide to write a character based on a friend, especially when you decide that you want to have said friend help you authenticate said character. The character Maeve is a shout out to my best girl in the world, my Annie. And Cirian is a shout out to my friend David. But both of these characters are taking attributes and personality from these people and adding them to the pages. Raven is very different, Lu took claim to him very early on and will not allow me to deviate from the true likeness of them as a whole at all.

I think we finally found a compromise that holds true to the essence of Raven from Lu's point of view, while still being MY character and holding true to what I want to convey in the story. You guys can be the judge of that in August when Appearances comes out.

Secrets Revealed:

Raven says… "There might be a wedding or two. There might be a murder or two. AND… There will be some STARTLING SECRETS that are just beginning to be Uncovered"!!!

Now Raven says ... You just got Raven Slapped (Our version of punking you)! Lol did you really think we were going to tell you a bunch of secrets and give the plot away? NO! lol We just wanted to leave you with a tease tee hee.

If you want to know what happens you have to buy the book and read it! Lol

I will tell you though that some things are going to be discovered that will shock some people…but those among you who have been really observant will be less surprised by the dramatic turn of events.

Also important questions you should ask yourself are as follows;

What will Aiyan and Kaden break next?

What things lie ahead or in wait for Tanis and his Priest?

What colors is Aiya trying to streak people’s hair with in their sleep now?

Who is getting with who?

and… Who is going to betray who or what?

Is any of this unclear? Good lol… that is how a Raven punks you! By asking you questions and getting you to try to figure out the answers with no way of doing so! Hahahahahahaha

Author T. M. Smith has more to say about these questions so please check back for a follow up post that will only be available on This Blog and on The Raven Page; Raven of Opposites on Facebook. The Post with further commentary will be posted just before the release of Appearances.