Soothe Me, Daddy a Contemporary M/M Romance by Elouise East ➱ Release Tour with Giveaway

Book Title: Soothe Me, Daddy

Author: Elouise East

Publisher: Self-published

Cover Artist: Elouise East

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: Daddy kink

Themes: Workplace romance

Heat Rating: 3 - 4 flames

Length: Approx. 42 000 words

It is a standalone book.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Soothing his boy is a pleasure in more ways than one

Blurb

Once upon a time, there was a boy who wanted a Daddy...

Henley knows what he wants from a relationship: to be taken care of by a Daddy. He’s under no illusions that he can be a handful. When he starts a new job, his gaze is taken to a prime specimen. Maybe Henley could persuade him to be his Daddy…

Isaac is worn out from the clubs, the scenes, the boys who say they want a Daddy then change their minds. When he’s given the responsibility of training the most obedient guy he’s ever met, Isaac is hooked. But does the guy even know what a boy is, despite acting like one?

They are powerless to stop their relationship. They complement each other so well.

Is Isaac the right Daddy for Henley, and is Henley the right boy for Isaac?

This is a 40,000 words sweet Daddy/boy romance

Excerpt

“I don’t want you to change yourself for me, Henley.”

“What do you mean?”

“You need to be yourself from the beginning. Don’t act or speak how you think I want you to. If I think something about your behaviour needs correcting, I will discuss it with you and help you alter it.”

“Through punishments?” Henley asked, eyebrows raising.

“If I believe that is the best way to remind you, yes.” Isaac hesitated. “For me, being a Daddy is a twenty-four-seven responsibility. I would need you to realise that everything I do for or to you is for your own benefit. I want to help you become all that you can be, and in return, you need to trust me wholeheartedly. Telling me the truth at all times, even when it scares you. You need to trust that I will catch you should you fall. I will hold you close and protect you with everything I am.”

Isaac gazed at Henley, seeing a shimmer begin in his eyes before they filled and overflowed.

“Come here.” Isaac issued the order, and they both scooted out of their opposite seats, Isaac guiding Henley to slide over in the booth seat so he could sit next to him. Isaac wrapped his arm around Henley’s shoulder, hugging him close and resting his fingers against the side of his face as his tears continued to fall soundlessly.

Once Henley had calmed, Isaac lifted his face. “Are you okay?” Henley nodded. “I need your words, sweetheart.”

“I’m okay,” he croaked. “I…You…It’s everything I want.”

“Alright. Let’s eat our food, and once we’re full, we can talk some more.”

Isaac reached for Henley’s plate from the opposite side of the table and placed it in front of Henley. Henley smiled, and though a little watery, it filled Isaac’s heart with joy. He couldn’t believe he had found someone who already knew about Daddies and boys, and in fact, was one.

After they had finished their meal and Isaac deduced Henley didn’t want a dessert, he gripped Henley’s hand and left the restaurant. It wasn’t particularly late, and the air was warm, so he suggested a short walk.

“For a relationship to work with me, I would need to give you a routine to stick to—”

“What kind of routine?”

Isaac raised his eyebrows at Henley, waiting until he apologised for interrupting before continuing, “Things like when you’d need to go to sleep, when to wake, when to eat. I don’t do this because I think you are incapable of doing them yourself. I do it because then I will know you are looking after yourself like I have asked you to. I trust that if I ask you to do something, you will do it. For example, if I ask you to eat at midday, and you agree, I expect you to eat at midday, barring any unforeseen circumstances.”

“That sounds good.” Henley glanced up at Isaac from underneath his eyelashes. “I do sometimes forget whether I’ve eaten or not.”

“Good to know, and thank you for being honest with me. I have seen that you can be a little excitable at times. I would like to help you find a way to manage that. I think your work, however amazing you already are at it, would benefit a great deal from you being calmer and more in control of your actions.” He paused and smirked. “And mouth.”

“Hey!” Henley pouted for a second before grinning. “Yes, okay. I know I can be a chatterbox. But I have so much to say.”

“And I wouldn’t ever want to stop you from saying it, but I do think there is a time and place for certain topics of conversation.”

Henley scrunched his nose up. “Is there really?”

“Yes,” Isaac said firmly.

They walked in silence for a few steps before Henley asked, “What should I call you?”

Isaac exhaled deeply. “I would love for you to call me Daddy. But you don’t have to. Isaac is fine, too.”

Henley rested his head against Isaac’s shoulder, wrapping his free hand around his biceps. “I would love to call you Daddy.”

“Does everything sound okay so far?”

Henley nodded, and when Isaac raised his eyebrows, he added, “Yes…Daddy.”

Isaac inhaled and briefly closed his eyes, his pulse skyrocketing at the word. “Perfect.”

Author Interview

Tell us a little about yourself and your writing goals.

Well, I live in a town in the centre of England, UK. I am a single parent with two children, who make my life worthwhile, but also drive me insane! My son is 13 and my daughter is 5 going on 15. She is every bit the drama queen and does not take after me for it. She is a complete extrovert, whereas my son and I are introverts. It makes for a tricky environment sometimes. We spend a lot of time together, having movie nights (Marvel with my son, at the moment; musicals with my daughter), crafting and going on long walks. We do a lot of baking, too, especially with my daughter being gluten free. It’s been a huge learning curve.

I’m very lucky that both my kids LOVE school so, while it’s been difficult for them not being able to go at the moment, I will have no problems getting them back there when the time comes, which is a godsend.

As for myself, I am presently between jobs due to be laid off from a nursery I worked at pre-lockdown. When everything gets back to a bit more of normality, I will be looking into my situation and seeing what best fits around our new routine. I would love to be able to write full time, but we’ll see.

Congratulations on your new release. Please tell us a little bit about it. What’s your favorite aspect or part of the story? Do you have a favorite character? Who/Why?

I love characters who shine, who jump out from my subconscious and scream “Me, me, me!” Henley did that for me. I didn’t have a choice when it came to who I was writing about. I love the confidence Henley brings to the book. He decides what he wants and goes for it, without compromise. He’s willing to take a chance, even if he’s knocked back, he’s not afraid to try.

Isaac on the other hand is always trying to do the right thing but is completely thrown a curveball by Henley. He has a calming and affectionate air around him, always looking after those around him, even if they are not his responsibility. This is a positive and negative for him.

The environment surrounding the story is taken from a job I did many, many years ago. It was a job I loved, but, unfortunately, had to stop due to becoming pregnant.

I don’t have one particular favourite scene, but all the interactions Henley has with his family, I loved writing about. They are a huge jigsaw puzzle of people, who fit so well together. That might not make sense until you read the book, but that was my favourite aspect.

Are you a planner or a pantser? How much do you know about your story before you start writing? How often does your plan change? Why does this work best for you?

I am very much a pantser, but I do try to make some sort of plan before I start writing a book. I write all the details about the characters that I know, this could be their physical description; any tells they may have, like biting their lip; their age, job description and any previous jobs if its notable; whether they drink tea or coffee; and any other tidbits that they might tell me. Then I decide roughly how long I think the book will be and separate some general ideas into when they might happen within the storyline. This makes up some chapters and then the rest I leave blank.

The actual writing and editing process is similar for all books. As I began to write, I just let my fingers go. If the characters cooperate, I can easily get through a chapter a day, sometimes more. If any information crops up as I’m going, I’ll note it down in my notebook under the chapter I think it would work best in, then carry on writing. If I don’t write things down, it will bug me for ages, or I’ll forget about it. This continues until the first draft is done.

I will often send parts of the first draft to my alpha, who helps me make sure it’s following on and I’ve not missed vital information somewhere.

I have written books that have followed my very loose plan completely, and other books that follow for one chapter then completely take it out from my hands and I have no idea where it’s going until it gets there.

I don’t mind how a book gets written as long as it does. The only thing I’m strict on is making sure I have the title and the characters names and descriptions sorted beforehand.

Do deadlines motivate you or block you? How do you deal with them?

I have created a very strict schedule for myself. I work better when I have a tight deadline to work with; I am a lot more productive when I know it HAS to be done. Lack of sleep seems to be my only blocker. If I’m too tired, then I can stare at a screen for hours and still create nothing. I try to make sure I get enough sleep every day, although I do suffer from insomnia some days, and make sure I never finish a day at the end of a chapter. I need to finish part or halfway through so that I can remember what frame of mind I was in before I continue the following day. So far, it’s worked for me.

Do you schedule a certain amount of time for writing each day/week, or do you just work it in when you can? Would you like to change this, or does your current method work well for you?

I ensure that I write every day, or at least 99% of the time. I have to have the structure and routine to keep myself focused. Every day, I aim for 2,000 words, though those words could be working on a blurb instead of actual sentences in a book. I work best either first thing in a morning, or last thing at night. Both times when my children are busy or in bed, lol. Eventually, I would love to be able to work full time, so writing while the children are at school and doing the admin side of things in an evening, but at the moment, that’s no possible. One day, though.

What are your favorite genres when it comes to your own pleasure reading? Do you prefer to read ebooks or print?

I love MM, nothing beats it in my opinion, but I do still read MF, too. Just maybe not as much. I prefer to read paperback books, but due to the expense, almost all of my books are read as ebooks. In many ways, it doesn’t matter what format they are in, the story is what matters most.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

It depends on the scene I’m writing. If it is a very emotional or steamy scene, I am more exhausted from them. Writing the fluffy, day-to-day aspects of the story makes me happy and upbeat. I love the emotional bits, but I’m a very emotional person myself and it can get tiring.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Believe in yourself and start earlier!

What is the best money you ever spent as an author?

My editor. She has helped me to make my writing better and has shown me aspects that I always get wrong, so I’m learning to write better before it even gets to her.

What do you find to be the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

Trying to explain the physical aspects of scenes. So, do they feel things differently to females, for example, when it comes to sex and emotions.

What did you edit out of this book?

I didn’t edit anything big out of the book. It is mainly just changing phrases or words to make sure it flows better. I usually write a pretty clean first draft.

How do you select the names of your characters?

I usually have a list of names that I love the sound of, but then I might go searching on the internet for unique baby names. Sometimes, I look around my room and come up with some weird and wonderful ones.

What were your goals for this book? Did you achieve them?

I didn’t really have any set goals other than to write an additional Daddy and boy themed book. I suppose, I wanted to make sure I represented Henley as best I could because he so wanted to be in the book.

What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

Writing! When I was working, I would record my voice detailing what I planned to write that evening and what was going to happen. I found it easy to just talk and let my mind wander as I did. I came up with several good plot points and even a plot hole when I did it.

What were you like in high school?

I was the glue that held two separate groups of friends together. I was shy and quiet, but I had many friends, which was good. I loved school and I’m so glad that my children do, too.

What are the three best things about you?

I love to laugh, I’m friendly and I’m always willing to help.

What was your favorite toy growing up?

It was a set called Oh Penny. I still have it in the attic and funnily enough, I spoke about it the other day and will be getting it down for my daughter.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Cookie Dough without a doubt!

If you could time-travel, where would you go?

I would love to visit Jane Austen’s time. That would be awesome.

Who would play you in a movie about your life?

Rebel Wilson. My life is crazy and nuts, and my family has so many closeted secrets that it would need to be a humorous film.

About the Author

Elouise East is a bestselling author of contemporary MM romance. She writes a variety of themes: sweet and fluffy to high angst to taboo, but there is a huge nod in the direction of friendships being integral to each character's experience. She writes books that are emotionally realistic, even if liberties are taken with other aspects of her stories.

Reading and writing have always been a part of her life, although her debut book wasn't published until July 2019, when she was 36 years old. Her experience has come from reading thousands of books over the years and being a perfectionist when it comes to trying to make things right. She lives in the centre of the UK with her two children, who make life worth living, keep her (in)sane and make her laugh. She loves Zumba, yoga and walking, all things that can be done alone as she is very introverted.