Whiteout by Elyse Springer (@ElyseSpringer)

Picture Board

I’m a very visual person, and when I’m writing I find that having pictures to look at helps me better imagine the world that I’m building. So when I start a new writing project, one of the first things I do is create a folder for images relating to the book. Sometimes the picture is chosen because it makes me think of a character, or a location in the story. But sometimes it’s an emotion that’s being evoked, or a color scheme that I really like.

These are a few of the (many) pictures I found when I was writing Whiteout. I tend not to choose actors or real-life people to base my characters on, but instead choose aspects of them… a celebrity’s hair style, a person’s body language, someone’s clothing.

Some of these pictures won’t make sense to you until you read Whiteout (though none of them are spoilery, promise!), but I want to talk about two of them, which were the first two pictures I chose:

• The cabin in the woods: As soon as I had the story idea, I went to find pictures of snow-covered cabins. This picture was my favorite, so it’s really become the basis for the cabin that Jason and Noah share when Noah wakes up with amnesia.

• Times Square, New York City: Both Noah and Jason are from NYC, and the city plays an important role in who they are. I had a scene in mind that never got written, of the two of them going on a date (pre-Whiteout) where they end up in Times Square, surrounded by tourists. But I knew from that moment that both of those boys loved New York as much as I did!

Obviously I’m not very artistic, so this is less of an aesthetic board than a photo board of pictures that helped inspire this book. But hopefully it gives you a better idea of the characters and landscape in Whiteout once you read it!

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Hello! I’m Elyse, and welcome to the blog tour for my new release, Whiteout! This is the first book in the Seasons of Love series, and I can’t wait to introduce you to Noah and Jason.

About Whiteout

Noah Landers wakes up one day with a headache and no memory of where—or who—he is. Jason, the man taking care of him, tries to fill in some of the blanks: they’re in a cabin in Colorado on vacation, and Noah slipped on ice and hit his head. But even with amnesia, Noah knows Jason is leaving out something important.

Jason O’Reilly is sexy as hell, treats Noah like he’s precious, and seems determined to make this the romantic getaway they’d apparently dreamed of together. But Noah’s more concerned that he’s trapped alone with Jason in the middle of a blizzard while his slowly returning memories bring hints of secrets and betrayal.

Noah’s not sure what’s the truth and what’s a lie.  But as he learns who he is—and who Jason is to him—he’s forced to reevaluate everything he believes about himself, about loyalty . . . and about love.

Now available from Riptide Publishing. http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/whiteout

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About Elyse Springer

Elyse is an author and world-traveler, whose unique life experiences have helped to shape the stories that she wants to tell. She writes romances with LGBTQ+ characters and relationships, and believes that every person deserves a Happily Ever After. When she’s not staring futilely at her computer screen, El spends her time adding stamps to her passport, catching up on her terrifying TBR list, and learning to be a better adult.

She’s always happy to chat with other readers, and you can find her online at:

Website: http://elspringer.com

Twitter: @ElyseSpringer

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

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Whiteout, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 28, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!