Today I get to welcome Michael Rupured and his latest, Happy Independence Day. So…Welcome, Michael!

Thanks, Christopher, for allowing me to show off the cover for my upcoming release from Dreamspinner Press here on your blog. By far, the most exciting part of the publishing process—at least for me—is seeing the cover for the first time. For my next novel, to be released August 20th, artist Christy Caughie created a gorgeous cover. To celebrate, I’m conducting a giveaway. Keep reading for details.

http://www.christopherkoehler.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CoverARt-200x300.jpg

Blurb:

Terrence Bottom wants to change the world. A prelaw student at Columbia University majoring in political science, his interests range from opposing the draft and the war in Vietnam, to civil rights for gays, to anything to do with Cameron McKenzie. Terrence notices the rugged blond hanging around the Stonewall Inn, but the handsome man—and rumored Mafia hustler—rebuffs his smiles and winks.

Cameron McKenzie dropped out of college and left tiny Paris, Kentucky after the death of the grandmother who raised him, dreaming of an acting career on Broadway. Although he claims to be straight, he becomes a prostitute to make ends meet. Now the Mafia is using him to entrap men for extortion schemes, he is in way over his head, and he can’t see a way out—at least not a way that doesn’t involve a swim to the bottom of the Hudson in a pair of cement flippers.

Cameron is left with a choice: endanger both their lives by telling Terrence everything or walk away from the only man he ever loved. The Mafia hustler and the student activist want to find a way to stay together, but first they need to find a way to stay alive.

Preorder here:

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5311

Ebook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5310

The Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village is the setting for much of the action in Happy Independence Day. Who/what started the Stonewall riots?

There were no television cameras or smartphones at the scene in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 when the Stonewall Uprising began. Details come from eyewitness accounts, and vary. The specific incident is subject to debate, but a common thread is the excessive use of force by the police that angered the 200 or so patrons inside the Stonewall Inn. Some say the crowd went wild after a drag queen got roughed up for refusing to strip down for a gender check. Others say the victim was a defiant lesbian. I suspect both accounts are true. Considering the layout of the Stonewall Inn, the number of people present, and the ensuing chaos, the conflicting reports could reflect where the witness was standing when the fighting broke out.

GIVEAWAY!!!!

To give you a reason to visit the other blogs helping me celebrate my new cover, I’ve come up with a Giveaway and a quiz about the Stonewall Inn and the 1969 uprising that made it famous. Find the answers on the blogs participating in my cover reveal and giveaway (links below). Comment on my post on any of the participating blogs by midnight, July 31, 2014 for a chance to win a signed copy of the prequel, After Christmas Eve (U.S. residents only; ebook available for international winners—one winner per blog).

What is the Stonewall Inn?

What was the legal environment in 1969 for NYC homosexuals?

Who owned the Stonewall Inn?

What made the Stonewall Inn a magnet for homosexuals?

What happened at the Stonewall Inn on the night of June 28, 1969 to cause the uprising?

How long did the Stonewall Uprising last?

• Tali Spencer’s Brilliant Disguise
  
• MA Church’s Decadent Delights
  
• Charlie Cochet’s Purple Rose Tea House
  
• Eden Winters’ Magnolias and Men
  
• Shira Anthony
  
• Christopher Koehler
  
• Prism Book Alliance
  

More about Michael

Find out what Michael’s up to by visiting his web site (http://rupured.com), following him on Twitter (@crotchetyman), or by email (mrupured [at] gmail.com).

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