:::Ethan is giving away to one lucky reader an ebook copy of Subject 13. Just add a comment below for a chance to win. Don’t forget to add your email addy or to check back on December 15th to see if you won:::

When did technology become a necessity in everyday life?

Cell phones, tablets, laptops. Why is it suddenly necessary to be so connected at all times? And when did I fall into this trap?

Less than five years ago I didn’t have a laptop. Less than two years ago I didn’t have an e-reader. Less than seven years ago I didn’t have a cellphone.  I don’t know when these items became so integral not just in my writing life but in everyday life.

Years ago when I was a small town reporter I was always flitting about from scene to scene. From a fire that overtook part of a neighborhood to a city council meeting to an interview with a 100 year old woman on her birthday. And I did all that without a cell phone. If things were running late I couldn’t call my wife to tell her I was going to be late.

Now, I take my cell phone everywhere. I’m usually able to be contacted at every moment. And most of the time any phone call isn’t anything of real importance. Questions like “What’s for dinner?” or “The power shut off because you didn’t pay the bill.” or “You locked me in the basement and forgot to let me out.” Damn kids are so needy.

Last month I had an electronic meltdown. My desktop was acting up so I got a new hard drive. But I couldn’t update windows XP so I upgraded to Windows 8 (I freakin’ despise it.)  Then my modem/router went down! I was stuck without internet for an entire weekend.

And you know what? It was actually kind of nice. And I got a lot of writing done. In fact, more writing in that long weekend than in the following three weekends combined. But I’d also never been happier to get connected again.

Despite the fact that instant messaging, Facebook, Twitter and whatever else seems to distract me from writing, I also feel the need to stay connected. Who knows that I’ll miss?

My wireless internet has been having issues lately. I’m always losing the signal and I’ll spend ten minutes waiting it for it to come back. Watching the little signal icon is like watching water boil. It just can’t happen fast enough. The amount of time I’ve spent trying to figure out the problem is insane. If I was able to transfer that time and energy into writing I could have written two books.

Modern technology certainly helps when it plot movement. Have a character that needs to talk to someone for a minute? Use a cell phone. Very convenient, especially when it’s a short but important scene. Without a cell phone the character would have to get in his car, or get a taxi, go across town, find the other guy, etc, etc.

That’s just one reason I avoid writing historical novels. Can you say lazy author?

One thing I haven’t seen too much in books is the use of social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook as a major plot point. I’m sure it will happen before too long. In fact, that gives me an idea.

What about you, dear readers? What electronic items can you absolutely not live without? What items do you loathe? Does having easy access to authors affect how and what you read?

 Subject 13 Blurb

Author: Ethan Stone

Publisher Amber Quill

ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-268-3 (Electronic)

ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-919-4 (Paperback)

Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Mystery / Detective / Suspense / Thriller /Heat Level: 3/Length: Novel (70k words / 208 paperback pages)

About the book: Luke Kincaid’s life is exploding all around him. First his lover leaves him to marry a woman, then childhood nightmares return with a vengeance.

Luke’s friendship with Ben Skinner and relationship with Kyle Morgan helps him heal his broken heart, but the nightmares, which are actually repressed memories, threaten to destroy the peace he has found.

Soon, Luke’s investigation into his past puts his life—and the lives of the people he cares about—in danger. But he refuses to give up, not even when he finds out he is connected to a massive government cover-up…

 

About

Below is my official bio with Dreamspinner Press, but I wanted to do something a little more personal. Ethan Stone is not my real name, I use it because I am not out of the closet, though my family and close friends know I am gay. However, due to the community I live in and the job I have, hiding my sexuality is a necessity at this point in my life.

I am a single father with a wonderful and aggravating teenage son. I also have two cats who think it’s their job to cover my house with their hair and a Pomeranian who thinks he’s a Pitbull.

I’ve always loved to write and one point thought journalism was my dream career. I eventually accepted that writing because I had  to was nowhere near as much fun doing it because I want to.

Stories starring gay men have always been in my head but thought they would always be relegated to erotica websites.  And then I discovered the wonderful world of M/M publishing.

Relationship info: Stay tuned…

Feel free to ask me any questions. Either here or through my email: ethanstone.nv@gmail.com. If its a question I can’t or won’t answer I’ll let you know, but I’m not easily offended.

Thanks for being here and thanks for reading my stories.

–Ethan

 Bio: Ethan Stone lives in Nevada. But not Reno or Las Vegas. There are other cities there, you know. Where he lives, gambling isn’t on every block, just every other block. He has been obsessed with two things in his life: books and all things gay. After spending years trying to ignore the voices in his head, he finally decided to sit down and listen to them. What he discovered was a perfect union of his two obsessions. Ethan has a day job that pays the bills. He wears a uniform to work and he looks damn sexy in it.

Website http://www.ethanjstone.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/ethan.stone.54?fref=ts

Twitter:http://twitter.com/ethanjstone