Saturday 30 August 2014

Eat My Brains!

I've kept a commonplace book since I was about thirteen, though, as you can imagine, it's now more like a box of commonplace books! (I learned the term 'commonplace book' from A Series of Unfortunate Events).

Recently it occurred to me that my random snippets would be useful for posting on Twitter and Facebook...so you can look forward to learning more about me, one random fact or quote at a time!

Friday 29 August 2014

Depth

I had a certain high school English teacher who looked for hidden meanings and depths in everything we read in her class, and I don't have a problem with that.

Writing is art, and art is always symbolic, intentionally or not. It's also about connection, between author and reader, between the reader and their life experience. 

What I do have a problem with is insistence that there is a (to borrow a BDSM term) Wun Twu Way to interpret any piece of art. 

Sometimes a reader will see exactly what the author was trying convey. Sometimes they'll have a completely different experience, and both are okay! The interpretation is personal, and should be. Sharing your thoughts and feelings about a work is fine. 

Putting words in an author's mouth (This is what the author is trying to say!) and/or insisting that your interpretation is the only correct one are both poor teaching skills and a sadly limiting world view. Much like, "A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient", a person who believes only their opinions are valid and won't allow other points of view is a fool. 



Monday 25 August 2014

BDSMonday - Character Interview With Liam From Night Out


It's BDSMonday!

I was tagged to do a character interview by Elyzabeth M. VaLey. When I signed up for it, I thought I would be posting an interview with one of her characters...but I was mistaken. Seeing as it's a Monday, I decided to hit two subs with one flogger (*heh*) and interview Liam from the kinky story I have out right now, Night Out. So, without further ado, it's my great pleasure to introduce...Liam!

(This interview is mildly spoiler-y if you haven't read Night Out)





Q: How long have you and Jason been together?
A: We've been dating for three years, and we moved in together about...nine months ago. We met through a mutual friend and really hit it off. I've never eaten so well in my life. I have no idea how I survived before I met him, how I didn't starve to death.

Q: When did you 'come out' to Jason as kinky?
A: I think it was after our second or third date. We were at his house. He'd cooked us dinner--pasta, I don't remember what he called it, but it had red sauce and it was amazing--and we'd shared a bottle of wine. We definitely weren't drunk, but we weren't exactly sober either. He'd lit some candles. All the lights were off and we were sitting on his couch, listening to music. I don't remember what I said, but he playfully grabbed my wrist. And...well, I liked it. And it was pretty obvious that I liked it. So he grabbed my other wrist, and things...went from there! I never really had to say it out loud, we just figured it out together.

Q: Who makes most of the decisions for the two of you?
A: Definitely Jason! He's very particular and he likes things a certain way. Most of the time I'm not bothered by his systems, so it's not a source of conflict between us. If you mean in the bedroom...I'd say I'm slightly more of a bottom, both sexually and...kinkily? But we both switch.

Q: Were you interested in BDSM before you met Jason?
A: Yeah, I was. I hadn't felt comfortable enough with anyone I was dating before him to try anything really kinky, but I always feel completely safe with Jason. We haven't done anything really "hard core" and we're taking it slowly, but I've been able to tell him all of my fantasies, and he's told me all of his. We've tried a few of them. Some have been amazing, others...well, they're better as fantasies!

Q: What kinky activity did you want to try most?
A: I don't know if it counts, but the thought of fisting has always really turned me on. When I actually tried it, though, I found out it really wasn't my thing. I've always been curious about bondage, and that I like! I'm not sure I was quite ready for Jason's Valentine's surprise, and it's not something I would have asked for, but I can't deny that I had an amazing time.

Q: Where do you think he'll take you next year?
A: I have no idea. He works from home, so he has lots of time alone to think of all sorts of amazing, fiendish plans. It'll probably push my comfort zone a little, because that's how he is, but I trust him to come up with something mindblowing.

Sunday 24 August 2014

Top Ten Reasons the #CampusCravings MM Bundle Rocks!



I'm very pleased to help promote the Campus Cravings Bundle, with MM stories from many excellent authors. It releases tomorrow.


Top Ten Reasons to Check Out Campus Cravings:
1. College is a time of eye-opening exploration and experimentation, and there's just something about a Cathia University man...
2. All the stories take place at fictional Cathia University—where not even homework or grading stands in the way of true love.
3. What's better than one hot man? Two! And what's better than two? Eighteen! (Nine stories, each with two heroes, yay!)
4. The stories are interrelated, so you'll see characters from stories appear in others, notice many of the same buildings being used etc. That was a lot of fun for us to write and we hope you enjoy that aspect too!
5. Every story is brand new! That's over 220k words! Four seasons of academic fun—from the first students arriving in Fall, to winter holidays, to March Madness and Spring Flings, to Summer loving—there’s something for every part of the academic year.
6. Unique pairings—whether you like friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, reunion romances, May-December pairings, first love, or hot-for-teacher flirtations, you are bound to find some of your favorite tropes! And if that's not enough, there are hot athletes, sophisticated professors, activist heroes, and lots more!
7. Sports galore—soccer, hockey, basketball, equestrian and more! Join the authors and the characters as we root for the Cathia Cougars!
8. Pranks, parties, and plenty of fun—you really want to find out who dyed the fountain red and who’s at Friday’s Frat party!
9. Fan favorite m/m romance authors including L.A. Witt, Sara York, Cassandra Carr, Annabeth Albert, Bianca Sommerland, Whitley Gray, Dalton Diaz, Mia Downing, and KyAnn Waters.
10. Only $2.99 for a limited time!



To find out more information about Campus Cravings, including buy links, check out our group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/299579866886134/. Add us to your to-be-read list on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22738703-campus-cravings.


An excerpt from The Eloquent Jock...by Cassandra Carr



Saturday 23 August 2014

Research

I've just recently started contacting people for research, rather than looking it up online or in a book.

So far, I've gotten really, really lucky. First, most of the people I've contacted have been university professors...who are just getting back to work after the summer. #UnintentionalTimingWin

Second, two of the people I've contacted have sent me EXACTLY what I need. Like, one of them said, oh, contact Professor Studies-Exactly-What-You're-Asking-About, who wrote the book Exactly What You're Looking For.

And the other (who I contacted partly because I remembered my mom had designed his website a few years ago and said how awesome he is. And that his area of study falls within one of the things I'm researching. And he is, in fact, awesome. I have a bit of a brain crush *squee*) Anyway, he sent me the link to a free PDF book of...Exactly What I Need. 


This is ideal for me, because I tend to get so caught up in my research that I go off on a million side tangents aaaaaand...the story never gets finished. Getting direct, specific information without a lot of slogging around greatly increases the chances that I'll actually do the writing I'm researching for!

The third person I contacted told me I should contact the group of people I'm interested in directly, which makes good sense...but I'm shy!

And the fourth one...I thought I was emailing a library, but apparently it was a museum and they said I should email the library...which I thought I had!

Friday 22 August 2014

My Zombie Boyfriend - First Sneak Peek!



Here it is, My Zombie Boyfriend's first teaser!

Edward is a necromancer/medical student. Boo is his cat...and the first zombie he ever made.


Thursday 21 August 2014

Chapter One

Here's a question for readers (whether or not those readers are also authors): chapter lengths. Do you find lots of short chapters irksome, or do you like them? Are *** less of a bother than a new chapter, or are they as much of an interruption?

Personally, I like chapters to be fairly short, probably about ten pages long. Every time I tell myself or someone else, "I'm just going to finish this chapter", it ends up being like fifty pages long! I get a little annoyed when chapters are only a page long or something like that (I'm looking at you, Laurell K. Hamilton), unless there's a very good reason for them to be that short. I don't mind *** page breaks (and it's a good thing, because I tend to use a lot of 'em!)

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Boot Porn

I get regular emails from Mr. S Leather, and this one pulled a double-whammy.


This is their 
Red Stitch 12" Jobmaster
I love the contrast the red stitching makes against the black leather, and how high the boot goes. And the shape. The whole thing is just yummy as hell. (Warning: the link has some rather NSFW pictures!)


And then...


I was literally reduced to incoherent sounds at the sight of this. It doesn't help that harness boots are a major turn on for me!
They're Mr. S' 
(Feel free to look at this link at work. Unless your boner will give you away. But the pictures are just boots and motorcycles, not naked bits.)

The things I want to do to those boots...with my Sir wearing them...*drool*

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Please Don't Feed The Alligators


This is a free anthology I contributed to. It's got short stories from a congregation (that's a group of alligators) of Torquere authors, so check it out! There are M/M and F/F stories, and there are even a couple of kinky ones (though mine is not. Well...I guess it depends on your idea of kink). You've got nothing to lose--it's free!

Find it here


Monday 18 August 2014

BDSMonday - Five Myths


It's BDSMonday!

Today I have an article for you, written by Kristen Sollee of Women's Health Magazine. She discusses five major myths about BDSM. It's a great article to show vanilla friends/family/whatever if they react negatively when the topic of kink arises.

Have a great week everyone!

The Jester Prince: Lou


For another night, they all stayed in the prop truck. Marley, at least, had been put into the false back this time. Another joined their numbers, a man in a dark cloak. A silver clasp in the shape of the crescent moon sat in the middle of his chest, holding the fabric closed. He sat straight in front of Tobias. Under his cowl, the bright red light shining from his eyes cast deep shadows across his face, exaggerating his features. "What you staring at, boy?" A southern drawl dripping with rage.

"Nothing."

"Don't fucking lie to me." He lowered his hood. Sharp features and dark skin, so dark it was almost purple. Every part of his face was large: a wide nose, thick lips, huge eyes with a broad space between them, and a forehead that was half again the size of Toby's. Thick dreadlocks, tied at the back, flowed down from his head. "You were staring at me. Go on and admit it."
-Zirkua Fantastic

I don't like werewolves all that much. I think they're overrated. Now if we were talking about were-orcas, okay. I can get behind that. But everyone does werewolves and wolf shifters and… dull.

But I played around when it came to my books. I stuck a werewolf in. But I wanted to play it a little differently. I knew he would be an immortal. The answer came to me when I was reading an article. It was some news article about Marie Laveau. I don't remember the contents all that well because that's where it started. Marie Laveau. Louisiana. Werewolves. Loup-Garou. Since he was the spirit of fear, I knew he had to be pretty old. That put the actual Creole (Rougarou) out the window. So I used the French Loup-Garou, which inevitably ended up shortened down to Lou. It's not his first name, of course. Few immortals go by their original names. But when the legends of the werewolf started, he took the mantle of the great, terrifying beast.

How terrifying? Find out in The Jester Prince, Book Two of the King Jester Trilogy.



With the destruction of Zirkua Fantastic, King Jester, the spirit of discord, has been unleashed once more upon the Earth. Only Toby, a fresh, untrained immortal, and the other former members of Zirkua Fantastic dare to stand against his chaos. But their hold is tenuous, and they are only truly safe from his power within the bounds of their camp. King Jester grows more powerful and more dangerous with each passing day. But he's made one mistake. That mistake could be his undoing. He's stolen Toby's soul mate, Marley. When he discovers Marley's location, Toby knows what he has to do. He will rescue Marley, even if it means he has to face King Jester alone.

But the others don't let him go at it alone. Marley has information about the resistance. They can't afford to let him stay in King Jester's control. In desperation, the immortals raise an army to storm the compound. But will it be enough to challenge the embodiment of chaos himself? All they can do is hope. Hope and put their faith in love.


EXCERPT:
He snuffed out the fire with a quick fist and headed back out, ready to join Harlan and Zerga. But a dark figure slid into his path. Red eyes glowed down at him, sharp and narrow. He gasped and crouched, ready to push past, if he got the chance.

Two dark hands lifted and lowered a black hood. "Calm down, boy." Lou glided into the tent and started the fire again. "You'd better sit. I feel like gabbing a little bit."

Toby took his seat again. "You heard."

"That you're planning to rescue that blond boy? Yeah, I heard." He leaned over, the fire millimeters from his dark face. "But you should tell your parents. This ain't the kind of thing you can handle on your lonesome."

"They know." What the hell am I doing? "You can't go telling them I told you any of this, all right?"

"Fine."

The dishonesty poured from his mouth, sat bitter against his tongue. But it poured, uncontrollable, unstoppable. "Coyote was here."

Lou sat up straighter, shoulders tight and high. "Coyote?"

"Yes. And no one's supposed to mention this. I shouldn't tell you." Something true, at least -- I shouldn't tell anyone this story. "I'm going to rescue Marley. They think he'll be valuable. For information. But the fewer people that know, the better." Toby closed his eyes, taking in a few breaths of chill air. "No one can say anything after tonight. Not until it's time to go."

Lou nodded, but didn't reply. He trailed his hand up to his chest, undid the silver clasp. He shrugged the black cloak off into a pool around his waist. A black leather shirt hugged his dark chest. Not muscular, but it looked like he had muscles once, before they deteriorated. A bracelet of spiraling beads clung to his left forearm. A few beads on the bottom were gone, exposing bare string that had been knotted together.

Lou rubbed his eyes. "You know, we pair off. The immortals. It's in our nature, something we can't help. I don't know why. Doesn't really matter, when we get down to it." He raised his arm, pulled on the bracelet a little. "Did anyone tell you about the Others?"

My Zombie Boyfriend

Hi internet!

I'd like to introduce you to My Zombie Boyfriend.

My Zombie Boyfriend, internet. 

It's about cats and zombies (and a zombie cat!) I know you're into those things, so naturally, I thought of you! I'll leave you two alone to get to know each other.

Read a teaser here.

                                                                           ---



So, I've been sitting on this HUGE piece of news since the 7th and I couldn't wait to tell you guys, but I wanted to wait until it was finalized. And as of today--I just signed the contract for my first full-length novel, and it's going to be released as a paperback!

I do mean this is my first novel--I've written longer pieces, but all of them were fanfiction (or about historical people, not original characters, and I don't want to talk about that XD).



I don't want to give away too much this early in the game, but I can tell you that it's M/M (of course).

The story is told by Edward, a medical student/necromancer who finds a body in a park and brings it home...and back to life.

This story has been in my life for years, almost as long as I've known my wife, and I'm thrilled that I can finally share it with the world. It was originally supposed to be a webcomic that I wrote and my wife illustrated, but it never got past the first few pages. We also roleplayed it, and we've spent a lot of time exploring this world. I had a lot of material and ideas to draw upon. (I'd like to note that I offered my wife co-author status and she refused).

December of 2012, the story wanted out. I wrote most of it longhand, and the words just kept coming and coming until I had a novel.

I heard about the ABNA awards, and decided to enter MZB (I call it MZB. You can, too), mostly to give myself some sort of deadline.

Amazingly, even though the novel was very fresh and hardly edited, the concept got it past the first round. It didn't make it through the second, but it really wasn't ready.

I waited and got busy with other projects, giving it the time and space it needed, until it was ready to be edited. I knew I wanted it to be a paperback, but while it had been percolating, Torquere had raised their minimum word count from 50,000 to 60,000 words...so I had to add a few scenes, and beef others up a little. I ended up adding a character who was new to the novel, but not to the MZB universe, and I'm glad I did. I've gotten positive feedback about him already.

I would like to give a huge thank you to Jordan White for being my beta reader and her lovely and entertaining comments. Please check out her blog.

I would also like to thank my lovely editor, Elizabeth Brooks, for reading the first chapter and demanding more!

                                                                             ---

Look for My Zombie Boyfriend from Torquere Press.

I've already started collecting giveaway items for the release day party and I'm so excited to share them with you!

I don't have a release date yet, but updates will be posted here, so stay tuned.



Sunday 17 August 2014

LOLs


This was spray painted on a sidewalk in my city on one of the streets I walk frequently. Every time I saw it, all I could think was:

XD 

or 

>.<

So today I brought a piece of chalk...



Saturday 16 August 2014

Inspiration


I really feel that this picture deserves a story. I just don't know what it might be, or if I'll even be the one to write it! (Who knows, maybe there already is one!)

Source

Friday 15 August 2014

Weird Research Question...

Does anyone know how long it takes for human cells to die after a person's death (not counting all the bacteria, etc, that live in a person)?

I'm also looking for all the religions/faiths that believe the soul stays in/near the body for three days following death.

Thanks!

Thursday 14 August 2014

Want

Mr. S Leather has come up with some excellent things in the past, but I think this is their hottest so far:


I don't know if I want one or if I want my Sir to have one...or both!

Monday 11 August 2014

BDSMonday - Pillowcase Bondage


It's BDSMonday!

I realized I haven't posted a video yet, so today I'm going to rectify the situation. I'm pleased to share with you a short video about pillowcase bondage, from Behind Kink.




Vanilla Corner: If you're curious about bondage but you or your partner aren't ready to commit to chains or handcuffs, using a pillowcase is a great fun, safe way to try out some bedroom fantasies. 


Monday 4 August 2014

BDSMonday - Impact Play Infographic


It's BDSMonday!

Today I have an infographic about impact play from DDlgdoodles.

As I'm sure I've said before, I love infographics. Especially kinky ones. So, enjoy!