So far 2011 has been wonderfully normal.
I've taken a position as a subcontractor with a search engine. I telecommute and it allows me to pay the bills while still having time to write. Win+win=winwin.
The second edition of Full Circle is still in editing. My crazy life over the past two years has caused delays in that title. The editor and I have made some changes that will solidify some of the confusing aspects of the first edition. POV is tighter and it's nicely polished. I was proud of the title before, but there were a few rough sections that bothered me. I still need a lot of growth as a writer, but I've been given a chance to smooth out those rough patches. I can only hope and pray that the reviews for the second edition will be as good as the reviews for the first edition.
Full Circle II: Changeling is in the writing phase. So far this one is darker than the last one, but not as violent and has less gore. Not sure if it will stay that way. Essentially, more mental anguish. Less disembowelment and impaling.
Full Circle III is in the planning and storyboard phase.
Tainted Past is still under contract with Freya's Bower.
Personal Demon (priest erotica) is out. E-book edition. Kindle Edition
About to Sin (priest erotica) is still being edited and hasn't hit submission hell yet. I'm so very proud of this title and I think I'm obsessing a bit too much about every last detail. That obsession is bogging down the progression of the title. At some point, I need to be pragmatic and stamp it done even though no title is ever really done.
Showing posts with label Personal Demon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Demon. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Indie Book Awards, Full Circle, Personal Demon
I’m approximately 2,000 words into Full Circle II: Changeling. I’ve often said that writing gets it down and editing makes it pretty, but accepting that as I’m writing is difficult. I find myself staring at sentences and thinking, “Is something really missing or do I just think something is missing; and thus, cause something to be missing?” That’s the kind of logic that sends me to coffee pot or laundry room for a little bit.
I need to remember to just write when I’m writing and edit when I’m editing. There’s a lot of truth in what Oscar Wilde said, “I was working on the proof of one of my poems all morning and took out a comma. In the afternoon, I put it back in again.”
I’m sure my pace will pick up once I’m into the meat of the story. The establishing scenes sometimes feel a bit tedious during the first go through. What do you mean I can’t just jump to this scene and then *poof* magically jump to another scene and expect the reader to follow and understand?
In other news, Personal Demon is on All Romance now with reader reviews of 4 out of 5 on overall enjoyment and 4 out of 5 for sensuality. ^_^
Coming Together: With Pride is a finalist for the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Interestingly, not in the erotica category, but in the anthology and e-book fiction categories. Woohoo!
On a personal front, I’m totally addicted to the song “Boom Boom Ba” by Metisse.
I need to remember to just write when I’m writing and edit when I’m editing. There’s a lot of truth in what Oscar Wilde said, “I was working on the proof of one of my poems all morning and took out a comma. In the afternoon, I put it back in again.”
I’m sure my pace will pick up once I’m into the meat of the story. The establishing scenes sometimes feel a bit tedious during the first go through. What do you mean I can’t just jump to this scene and then *poof* magically jump to another scene and expect the reader to follow and understand?
In other news, Personal Demon is on All Romance now with reader reviews of 4 out of 5 on overall enjoyment and 4 out of 5 for sensuality. ^_^
Coming Together: With Pride is a finalist for the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Interestingly, not in the erotica category, but in the anthology and e-book fiction categories. Woohoo!
On a personal front, I’m totally addicted to the song “Boom Boom Ba” by Metisse.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Disagreeing with an Editor
Rehtaek11 asked me a question that I think will make an interesting blog post.
Does the company that publishes your work ever make demands that you… change your work in a way that you don't like?
This has happened to me. There has been editorial advice that I initially thought was rooted in the deep end of the Insanity Pool.
The first time this happened to me was with the first edition of Full Circle. I held a great deal of respect for my editor there and told her that I thought she was bonkers for her suggestion, but I’d give it my best shot.
It’s been a while since Full Circle was out for public consumption, but do you guys and gals remember the scene where Byron is speaking to Pebble? Tami planted that seed of creativity. Yes, I created Pebble. Yes, I wrote the scene. But, when she told me that the scene fell flat because of all the inner dialog and reflection coming from Byron and that he needed to talk to someone or do something to make it interesting (“hell, have him talk to the bird”), the creative juices started to flow.
I went back (all the while muttering about how crazy my editor was and telling her so) and crafted Pebble. The friendly neighborhood oh-dear-God-please-let-it-just-be-a-bird-but-we-all-know-Cup-is-up-to-something-creepy Pebble. I then wrote the scenes with Pebble thinking they were going to fail miserably. (Too cryptic? Too obvious? Too batshit insane?) When I finished the scenes, I’d surprised myself. I loved those scenes. I think they really work and add another layer to the novel. And...yes...I told her so. I even let her do the “I told you so dance” and gloat about it.
When I was working on Personal Demon the editor insisted that a condom be used. I didn’t want a condom in the scene and countered. She countered. I was about to counter and realized that I really didn’t want a reputation of being a PITA author and really wanted more contracts with Freya’s Bower (Karen didn’t threaten me or anything), but most importantly, I realized that, Holy crap the lady had a point…kind of...sort of...
I went back and added the condom to the story. I still don’t like the condom being there. Karen saw the implications in the story that support the condom. I didn’t see them and felt that the condom solidifies what I never intended to be there.
So, why didn’t I put my foot down and refuse to allow a condom?
Because with editors you must pick your battles.
The presence of the condom, in my eyes, does change the story, but not to the point where I feel detached from the story. I still feel like it’s my story. I think it adds an element of premeditation that shouldn’t be there. Karen’s point is that the premeditation was always there. I can see that. I can see my point too. Bottom line: fighting over the condom just wasn’t worth it. It’s a short fun story and, generally speaking, I like condoms in erotic fiction.
Let’s go forward again with the editing for the second edition of Full Circle. The editor I’m working with at Freya’s Bower made a suggestion that I thought was a complete deal breaker. She wanted me to eliminate something from the story that I refused to do. Putting my foot down on this particular aspect was worth risking my contract being canceled. It was worth risking not getting another contract with Freya’s Bower. It was worth all feasible consequences. In my rebuttal (two typed pages explaining the importance of the item in question, reviewer feedback about the item in question, and reader feedback of the item in question) and she told me that it was fine. She still doesn’t like it and still wants it changed, but she’s willing to let me have my way with this.
We hadn’t had a dispute before that and we haven’t had one since. I respect her and she knows that. I feel that she respects me. Marci is just awesome like that.
I picked my battle here and I picked it carefully.
In these three cases we resolved the issue in a professional manner, but what happens when the editor and the writer can’t agree?
In some cases the issue is brought to the Executive Managing Editor. Basically, taken up with the editor’s boss and a decision is made and the editor and author are put back to work on the title. Sometimes a writer will be assigned another editor. In extreme cases, the contract is cancelled by the publisher or by the author.
I’m not willing to bother a boss or get accustomed to another editor over a condom. I’m willing to show deference to my editor’s experience in most cases. But every so often there’s something so critical to the story that it’s worth the risk of having to find another publishing house and editor.
Does the company that publishes your work ever make demands that you… change your work in a way that you don't like?
This has happened to me. There has been editorial advice that I initially thought was rooted in the deep end of the Insanity Pool.
The first time this happened to me was with the first edition of Full Circle. I held a great deal of respect for my editor there and told her that I thought she was bonkers for her suggestion, but I’d give it my best shot.
It’s been a while since Full Circle was out for public consumption, but do you guys and gals remember the scene where Byron is speaking to Pebble? Tami planted that seed of creativity. Yes, I created Pebble. Yes, I wrote the scene. But, when she told me that the scene fell flat because of all the inner dialog and reflection coming from Byron and that he needed to talk to someone or do something to make it interesting (“hell, have him talk to the bird”), the creative juices started to flow.
I went back (all the while muttering about how crazy my editor was and telling her so) and crafted Pebble. The friendly neighborhood oh-dear-God-please-let-it-just-be-a-bird-but-we-all-know-Cup-is-up-to-something-creepy Pebble. I then wrote the scenes with Pebble thinking they were going to fail miserably. (Too cryptic? Too obvious? Too batshit insane?) When I finished the scenes, I’d surprised myself. I loved those scenes. I think they really work and add another layer to the novel. And...yes...I told her so. I even let her do the “I told you so dance” and gloat about it.
When I was working on Personal Demon the editor insisted that a condom be used. I didn’t want a condom in the scene and countered. She countered. I was about to counter and realized that I really didn’t want a reputation of being a PITA author and really wanted more contracts with Freya’s Bower (Karen didn’t threaten me or anything), but most importantly, I realized that, Holy crap the lady had a point…kind of...sort of...
I went back and added the condom to the story. I still don’t like the condom being there. Karen saw the implications in the story that support the condom. I didn’t see them and felt that the condom solidifies what I never intended to be there.
So, why didn’t I put my foot down and refuse to allow a condom?
Because with editors you must pick your battles.
The presence of the condom, in my eyes, does change the story, but not to the point where I feel detached from the story. I still feel like it’s my story. I think it adds an element of premeditation that shouldn’t be there. Karen’s point is that the premeditation was always there. I can see that. I can see my point too. Bottom line: fighting over the condom just wasn’t worth it. It’s a short fun story and, generally speaking, I like condoms in erotic fiction.
Let’s go forward again with the editing for the second edition of Full Circle. The editor I’m working with at Freya’s Bower made a suggestion that I thought was a complete deal breaker. She wanted me to eliminate something from the story that I refused to do. Putting my foot down on this particular aspect was worth risking my contract being canceled. It was worth risking not getting another contract with Freya’s Bower. It was worth all feasible consequences. In my rebuttal (two typed pages explaining the importance of the item in question, reviewer feedback about the item in question, and reader feedback of the item in question) and she told me that it was fine. She still doesn’t like it and still wants it changed, but she’s willing to let me have my way with this.
We hadn’t had a dispute before that and we haven’t had one since. I respect her and she knows that. I feel that she respects me. Marci is just awesome like that.
I picked my battle here and I picked it carefully.
In these three cases we resolved the issue in a professional manner, but what happens when the editor and the writer can’t agree?
In some cases the issue is brought to the Executive Managing Editor. Basically, taken up with the editor’s boss and a decision is made and the editor and author are put back to work on the title. Sometimes a writer will be assigned another editor. In extreme cases, the contract is cancelled by the publisher or by the author.
I’m not willing to bother a boss or get accustomed to another editor over a condom. I’m willing to show deference to my editor’s experience in most cases. But every so often there’s something so critical to the story that it’s worth the risk of having to find another publishing house and editor.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Personal Demon released TODAY!
Freya's Bower has released Personal Demon!
I'm so excited!
Temptation in an alb…
Those of the most devout faith face private struggles. When the man inside the priest fights carnal desires, the priest can only pray he has the inner fortitude to resist. Eve succumbed to the serpent. Adam succumbed to the apple. Now, Father Blake Krey stands in a private Garden of Eden, tempted by his own Personal Demon.
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Attention fellow priest fetishists!
I have an author’s page at Freya’s Bower! I’ve submitted a bio, but it’s not posted yet.
And what’s this? A RELEASE DATE?!?
Woohoo!
When I woke up this morning, I KNEW it was going to be a great day! I love these types of surprises in my inbox.
Oh, sorry...I should be doing this all professionally and stuff.
*a-hem*
*straightens collar*
*fluffs hair*
Coming November 18th, 2008 from Freya’s Bower: Personal Demon by I.M. Cupnjava
Blurb:
Temptation in an alb…
Those of the most devout faith face private struggles. When the man inside the priest fights carnal desires, the priest can only pray he has the inner fortitude to resist. Eve succumbed to the serpent. Adam succumbed to the apple. Now, Father Blake Krey stands in a private Garden of Eden tempted by his own Personal Demon.
One excerpt is available on the website, but there’s another one I’m posting right here.
Excerpt:
The water rained down and plastered his shaggy blond hair to his face. Lingering hair paste entered his mouth, putting a bitter tinge upon his tongue. He looked up and asked the water to cleanse him. He hoped its purity might find a way into his soul.
He begged.
He pleaded.
He prayed.
He failed.
Succumbing to the lust, he grabbed his cock like a grudge. Unable to face his Lord, he fell forward and braced himself with one hand, genuflecting out of weakness and shame while abusing himself, molesting himself, and living in the filth of lust.
His personal demon slithered about his neck, took hold of him, and jerked him upright. Water splashed against his chest as his fingers curled the rondure of his scrotum. He knew the furtive beast watched him while it waited to strike. The snake offered the apple. Powerless to resist, he snatched it.
His thighs shuddered. His stomach quivered. Pressure spiked inside of him and streaked from his flesh grudge. He thrust himself forward and crashed against the floor as sin and an orgasm devoured him. His seed mingled with the swirling water and flowed into the bottomless darkness of the drain.
The serpent slithered away, leaving shame in its tracks as he, twitching and tingling, lay impuissant on the floor of the shower. He tried to gather his senses, but his mind remained distant. He tried to control his limbs, but his arms and legs defied him.
The water didn’t wash away any of the sin. The perfidy of his actions crushed him against the floor. He lay there until it ran cold and his muscles trembled from chill and the need for repentance. Bearing upon the walls for support, he pulled himself to his feet. Soap and shampoo lent themselves to free his skin of lingering filth.
If he couldn’t be clean, he could at least look clean.
He dried himself while staring at the mirror. Each blink, admonishment. Each swipe of the towel, condemnation. Would he ever be freed of this?
He dressed and found his collar on the floor. As he exited the rectory, he hoped he would find the strength to face his flock.
End excerpt.
Oh yes, it’s like that. It’s one very kinky story with some elements of S&M, candle play, and all sorts of other goodies. If you get the chance to read it, I hope you enjoy it.
And what’s this? A RELEASE DATE?!?
Woohoo!
When I woke up this morning, I KNEW it was going to be a great day! I love these types of surprises in my inbox.
Oh, sorry...I should be doing this all professionally and stuff.
*a-hem*
*straightens collar*
*fluffs hair*
Coming November 18th, 2008 from Freya’s Bower: Personal Demon by I.M. Cupnjava
Blurb:
Temptation in an alb…
Those of the most devout faith face private struggles. When the man inside the priest fights carnal desires, the priest can only pray he has the inner fortitude to resist. Eve succumbed to the serpent. Adam succumbed to the apple. Now, Father Blake Krey stands in a private Garden of Eden tempted by his own Personal Demon.
One excerpt is available on the website, but there’s another one I’m posting right here.
Excerpt:
The water rained down and plastered his shaggy blond hair to his face. Lingering hair paste entered his mouth, putting a bitter tinge upon his tongue. He looked up and asked the water to cleanse him. He hoped its purity might find a way into his soul.
He begged.
He pleaded.
He prayed.
He failed.
Succumbing to the lust, he grabbed his cock like a grudge. Unable to face his Lord, he fell forward and braced himself with one hand, genuflecting out of weakness and shame while abusing himself, molesting himself, and living in the filth of lust.
His personal demon slithered about his neck, took hold of him, and jerked him upright. Water splashed against his chest as his fingers curled the rondure of his scrotum. He knew the furtive beast watched him while it waited to strike. The snake offered the apple. Powerless to resist, he snatched it.
His thighs shuddered. His stomach quivered. Pressure spiked inside of him and streaked from his flesh grudge. He thrust himself forward and crashed against the floor as sin and an orgasm devoured him. His seed mingled with the swirling water and flowed into the bottomless darkness of the drain.
The serpent slithered away, leaving shame in its tracks as he, twitching and tingling, lay impuissant on the floor of the shower. He tried to gather his senses, but his mind remained distant. He tried to control his limbs, but his arms and legs defied him.
The water didn’t wash away any of the sin. The perfidy of his actions crushed him against the floor. He lay there until it ran cold and his muscles trembled from chill and the need for repentance. Bearing upon the walls for support, he pulled himself to his feet. Soap and shampoo lent themselves to free his skin of lingering filth.
If he couldn’t be clean, he could at least look clean.
He dried himself while staring at the mirror. Each blink, admonishment. Each swipe of the towel, condemnation. Would he ever be freed of this?
He dressed and found his collar on the floor. As he exited the rectory, he hoped he would find the strength to face his flock.
End excerpt.
Oh yes, it’s like that. It’s one very kinky story with some elements of S&M, candle play, and all sorts of other goodies. If you get the chance to read it, I hope you enjoy it.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Who let this dust settle?!
*dusts off blogspot*
Man, I’ve been neglecting this thing. First let me apologize for my long leave of absence. This past year has been full of ups and downs.
When Chippewa closed, orphaning my titles, I took that badly. Here, I had my dream. I had the publishing contract in hand. I had an editor who I adored. I had a title released and it was performing very well. I still haven’t seen any royalties from those sales and I probably never will. I weathered a divorce, health issues, and personal problems/drama.
Depression is a lurking opportunistic predator and I will admit that I’ve been fighting with it. Everyday things such as checking my LJ, other author boards, myspace and many others lost their appeal. I started titles and couldn’t get the gumption to continue them. It seemed the harder I reached down inside of myself to self-motivate, the further that motivation slipped from my grasp. The stories still ran through my head, but I couldn’t manage to get my fingers moving. It’s hard to market my work when I don’t have any work to market. I made excuses, grew soft on myself, and fell into that glorious time-sucker World of Warcrack...I mean...Warcraft.
During this lull in my writing career, I took some time to do some personal soul searching. Yes, I conducted some heavy research for About to Sin, but I found myself facing deeper questions about myself. I walked a few labyrinths, mediated, prayed, drummed, danced under the moonlight, and danced with fire. I received the most powerful compliment of my life from an elderly Roman Catholic priest. He said, “Never have I met someone who so tenaciously seeks deeper meaning in all that we do in life.” Then, he told me he loved me and reached up from his wheelchair and hugged me. I read a quote posted inside the library of a convent, “How glorious a gift to know who we are when we aren’t being who others need us to be.” I was told by a young Old Catholic priest, “Your writing is your ministry.”
How very humbling.
Each one of those adjusted my life’s focal point and further reminded me that I am who I am. I’ll never be anything more or anything less than that. I am, deep down inside, an author.
The feel of a keyboard beneath my fingers, the clack of the keys, the banging of my head against a wall trying to understand editorial direction, and the thrill of submission hell are what makes my heart pound and my eyes twinkle.
Puffmonkey came home from a convention where she purchased some very hot posters of Hakkai, Youkai Hakkai, and Gojyo from a gloriously talented artist, Kaysha Siemens. Her Deviant Art page. She’d heard of me and that blew me away.
With the support of my friends and family (albeit stressed support at times), I once again picked love over money.
While fighting the tail end of this depression, Freya’s Bower and Alessia Brio (with Phaze) stepped in and accepted my orphaned titles as well as a new title. That helped a little. It made me feel as if I could once again have my dream and I promptly killed another keyboard.
It felt wonderful to have edits again. The vibe of life that surrounds me when I finish a round of edits is a drug. A very addictive drug. Second only to the almost overwhelming hum of energy and life that comes with finishing the writing phase of a novel. A moment of seemingly perfect clarity that makes me feel as if the world is once again a beautiful place.
Today, I saw the cover for Personal Demon. I read through the ARC (advanced reader copy). It’s a small title…too small for an ISBN. But, it’s something. It’s something that will be out there with my name on it. When I get a release date and the stamp of approval on the blurb and excerpt, I’ll post it. I went by Barnes and Noble and checked on “Coming Together: With Pride” and they’ve sold out of their copies including the ones in the warehouse and are waiting on the publisher/distributor for more. That’s something too.
Also today, I opened my LiveJournal and looked at my f-list. Not everyone on my f-list has read my work, but many of you have. You willingly gave my stories some of your free time. You’ve encouraged me. You’ve cried with me and cheered with me. And remembering all of that has been a most humbling and healing moment.
There’s a light rain today. Fall leaves dot my yard. Rascal is curled up on his pillow by the window, sleeping quite soundly. I am an author...
...and I’m back.
Man, I’ve been neglecting this thing. First let me apologize for my long leave of absence. This past year has been full of ups and downs.
When Chippewa closed, orphaning my titles, I took that badly. Here, I had my dream. I had the publishing contract in hand. I had an editor who I adored. I had a title released and it was performing very well. I still haven’t seen any royalties from those sales and I probably never will. I weathered a divorce, health issues, and personal problems/drama.
Depression is a lurking opportunistic predator and I will admit that I’ve been fighting with it. Everyday things such as checking my LJ, other author boards, myspace and many others lost their appeal. I started titles and couldn’t get the gumption to continue them. It seemed the harder I reached down inside of myself to self-motivate, the further that motivation slipped from my grasp. The stories still ran through my head, but I couldn’t manage to get my fingers moving. It’s hard to market my work when I don’t have any work to market. I made excuses, grew soft on myself, and fell into that glorious time-sucker World of Warcrack...I mean...Warcraft.
During this lull in my writing career, I took some time to do some personal soul searching. Yes, I conducted some heavy research for About to Sin, but I found myself facing deeper questions about myself. I walked a few labyrinths, mediated, prayed, drummed, danced under the moonlight, and danced with fire. I received the most powerful compliment of my life from an elderly Roman Catholic priest. He said, “Never have I met someone who so tenaciously seeks deeper meaning in all that we do in life.” Then, he told me he loved me and reached up from his wheelchair and hugged me. I read a quote posted inside the library of a convent, “How glorious a gift to know who we are when we aren’t being who others need us to be.” I was told by a young Old Catholic priest, “Your writing is your ministry.”
How very humbling.
Each one of those adjusted my life’s focal point and further reminded me that I am who I am. I’ll never be anything more or anything less than that. I am, deep down inside, an author.
The feel of a keyboard beneath my fingers, the clack of the keys, the banging of my head against a wall trying to understand editorial direction, and the thrill of submission hell are what makes my heart pound and my eyes twinkle.
Puffmonkey came home from a convention where she purchased some very hot posters of Hakkai, Youkai Hakkai, and Gojyo from a gloriously talented artist, Kaysha Siemens. Her Deviant Art page. She’d heard of me and that blew me away.
With the support of my friends and family (albeit stressed support at times), I once again picked love over money.
While fighting the tail end of this depression, Freya’s Bower and Alessia Brio (with Phaze) stepped in and accepted my orphaned titles as well as a new title. That helped a little. It made me feel as if I could once again have my dream and I promptly killed another keyboard.
It felt wonderful to have edits again. The vibe of life that surrounds me when I finish a round of edits is a drug. A very addictive drug. Second only to the almost overwhelming hum of energy and life that comes with finishing the writing phase of a novel. A moment of seemingly perfect clarity that makes me feel as if the world is once again a beautiful place.
Today, I saw the cover for Personal Demon. I read through the ARC (advanced reader copy). It’s a small title…too small for an ISBN. But, it’s something. It’s something that will be out there with my name on it. When I get a release date and the stamp of approval on the blurb and excerpt, I’ll post it. I went by Barnes and Noble and checked on “Coming Together: With Pride” and they’ve sold out of their copies including the ones in the warehouse and are waiting on the publisher/distributor for more. That’s something too.
Also today, I opened my LiveJournal and looked at my f-list. Not everyone on my f-list has read my work, but many of you have. You willingly gave my stories some of your free time. You’ve encouraged me. You’ve cried with me and cheered with me. And remembering all of that has been a most humbling and healing moment.
There’s a light rain today. Fall leaves dot my yard. Rascal is curled up on his pillow by the window, sleeping quite soundly. I am an author...
...and I’m back.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Update on writing.
My very talented editor with Freya’s Bower resigned due to health concerns. Please join me in keeping her in your thoughts/prayers/etc. She’s still going to be writing, but editing is terribly difficult and time consuming work. For the sake of her privacy, I will not mention her name.
My titles with FB were put back into the editing pool. Personal Demon has swum to the side of the pool and his being edited by Marci Baun. I’ve not worked with Marci before, but so far things seem to be going very well.
Personal Demon was going to be included in an anthology title, but that was going to be edited by the editor that resigned. Freya’s Bower is doing something interesting with the titles that were going to be in the anthology. They’re doing a series of micro-books. So Personal Demon will be titled Inherently Sexual: Personal Demon. All the titles will have similar covers with the text changed. How neat is that? Oh and did I mention at all of the stories in this story will be homoerotic stories?
Since these will be short, they’ll be cheap and they won’t have ISBNs. That probably means you’ll only be able to get it on the Freya’s Bower’s website. I’ll verify that bit of information as we get closer to release. Since all of these stories aren’t on the shoulders of one editor, we’ll, hopefully, have a quicker release date.
Tainted Past and Full Circle (re-release) are still in the editing pool. About to Sin remains in self-editing phase. Full Circle: Changling is in the conception stage.
Oh, and I have a non-fiction book rec to share. Napoleon’s Privates. 2,500 Years of History Unzipped is an absolute riot and utterly fascinating. If you like quirky non-fiction, you’ll love this book.
My titles with FB were put back into the editing pool. Personal Demon has swum to the side of the pool and his being edited by Marci Baun. I’ve not worked with Marci before, but so far things seem to be going very well.
Personal Demon was going to be included in an anthology title, but that was going to be edited by the editor that resigned. Freya’s Bower is doing something interesting with the titles that were going to be in the anthology. They’re doing a series of micro-books. So Personal Demon will be titled Inherently Sexual: Personal Demon. All the titles will have similar covers with the text changed. How neat is that? Oh and did I mention at all of the stories in this story will be homoerotic stories?
Since these will be short, they’ll be cheap and they won’t have ISBNs. That probably means you’ll only be able to get it on the Freya’s Bower’s website. I’ll verify that bit of information as we get closer to release. Since all of these stories aren’t on the shoulders of one editor, we’ll, hopefully, have a quicker release date.
Tainted Past and Full Circle (re-release) are still in the editing pool. About to Sin remains in self-editing phase. Full Circle: Changling is in the conception stage.
Oh, and I have a non-fiction book rec to share. Napoleon’s Privates. 2,500 Years of History Unzipped is an absolute riot and utterly fascinating. If you like quirky non-fiction, you’ll love this book.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Not dead yet!
Whoa…yeah…I’m not dead, yet. LOL!
Life is a funny thing, ya know. You settled down in a routine and think you can coast a while with everything being status quo. Then, something happens and tosses everything in a tizzy.
As many of you know, I’ve separated from my husband. Needless to say, that involved a move. A friend of mine, recently single, and another friend of mine, also recently single, decided we’d all make great roommates. Father Bryan moved at the same time I moved and we helped each other move. He’s living in a place that better fits his personality, but isn’t too far for visits. Thus began the “move that never ends”.
Once I get into a routine and something breaks it, it’s very difficult for me to get back into a routine. When another author pointed out that I hadn’t updated jack-squat since mid-Feb, I realized I REALLY needed to make a better effort at getting back into my routine. I apologize for causing worry in those who have contacted me to make sure I was still breathing.
I’ve been busy. (When have I not said that?) Between the separation, the move that never ends, working (not as hard as I should) on edits, Rascal going through his whole “I want the world to know I hate moving” phase, and making time in my life for Folgers…I’ve been MIA on my blogs. (Folgers: The best part of waking up is Folgers in your Cup. You fill in the blanks.)
This, ladies and gentlemen, is an example of poor writing discipline and, let me cut myself a little slack here, an example of when life explodes all over the place. I now live in a very rural area where the cows and alpacas outnumber the people. It’s taken a bit to adjust to rural life, but I’m enjoying it thus far.
Oh, and did I mention a hacker attack of a very personal nature, my desk falling apart during the move (I’m currently working on half the space I’m accustomed to with it propped up by boxes), a death threat, and trying to switch from night shift to day shift. Yeah…life has been like that. LOL!
Story Updates:
About to Sin: I’ve heard back from one beta. There are a few minor corrections suggested by him and then it’s back to waiting on the other betas. I’ll wait another week and drop a line asking if they’ve forgotten about me. If I don’t hear back from them shortly, I’ll have to face agents and publishers without full beta attention.
Personal Demon: In the hands of my editor. The artwork is in and we’re hoping for the anthology to be released mid to late 2008.
Full Circle: In the hands of my editor being brought into Freya’s Bower’s house style. We’re hoping for re-release later this year.
Tainted Past: Currently undergoing plot edits and in my hands. I’m going to say we’re hoping for release later this year, but my gut tells me early next year.
Selling Foxx: Currently in the hands of my editor and we’re expecting that anthology to be out in the next few months. The last date I heard was July, but I don’t know how solid that was. So, when Coming Together with Pride is released, I’ll let you know. That will be both an e-book and a paper book. You’ll be able to get the ebook a couple of months before the paper book will be on Amazon.
Next WIP: Other than About to Sin, I’ll be giving a bulk of my attention to my comedy sci-fi story. I have a lot of dark titles coming out and I don’t want readers to think I only write dark fiction. I want a snarky comedy in there so that my author brand doesn’t get pigeonholed.
Frankly, I’m doing quite well and emotionally I feel as if I’m in a better place than I have been in a long time. I’m just having difficulty getting my act together after this latest life interruption. I’m feeling the itch to write when I’m unable to get to a keyboard or too tired to see straight. All in all, life has been good the past few months and I hope the same holds true for all of you.
Life is a funny thing, ya know. You settled down in a routine and think you can coast a while with everything being status quo. Then, something happens and tosses everything in a tizzy.
As many of you know, I’ve separated from my husband. Needless to say, that involved a move. A friend of mine, recently single, and another friend of mine, also recently single, decided we’d all make great roommates. Father Bryan moved at the same time I moved and we helped each other move. He’s living in a place that better fits his personality, but isn’t too far for visits. Thus began the “move that never ends”.
Once I get into a routine and something breaks it, it’s very difficult for me to get back into a routine. When another author pointed out that I hadn’t updated jack-squat since mid-Feb, I realized I REALLY needed to make a better effort at getting back into my routine. I apologize for causing worry in those who have contacted me to make sure I was still breathing.
I’ve been busy. (When have I not said that?) Between the separation, the move that never ends, working (not as hard as I should) on edits, Rascal going through his whole “I want the world to know I hate moving” phase, and making time in my life for Folgers…I’ve been MIA on my blogs. (Folgers: The best part of waking up is Folgers in your Cup. You fill in the blanks.)
This, ladies and gentlemen, is an example of poor writing discipline and, let me cut myself a little slack here, an example of when life explodes all over the place. I now live in a very rural area where the cows and alpacas outnumber the people. It’s taken a bit to adjust to rural life, but I’m enjoying it thus far.
Oh, and did I mention a hacker attack of a very personal nature, my desk falling apart during the move (I’m currently working on half the space I’m accustomed to with it propped up by boxes), a death threat, and trying to switch from night shift to day shift. Yeah…life has been like that. LOL!
Story Updates:
About to Sin: I’ve heard back from one beta. There are a few minor corrections suggested by him and then it’s back to waiting on the other betas. I’ll wait another week and drop a line asking if they’ve forgotten about me. If I don’t hear back from them shortly, I’ll have to face agents and publishers without full beta attention.
Personal Demon: In the hands of my editor. The artwork is in and we’re hoping for the anthology to be released mid to late 2008.
Full Circle: In the hands of my editor being brought into Freya’s Bower’s house style. We’re hoping for re-release later this year.
Tainted Past: Currently undergoing plot edits and in my hands. I’m going to say we’re hoping for release later this year, but my gut tells me early next year.
Selling Foxx: Currently in the hands of my editor and we’re expecting that anthology to be out in the next few months. The last date I heard was July, but I don’t know how solid that was. So, when Coming Together with Pride is released, I’ll let you know. That will be both an e-book and a paper book. You’ll be able to get the ebook a couple of months before the paper book will be on Amazon.
Next WIP: Other than About to Sin, I’ll be giving a bulk of my attention to my comedy sci-fi story. I have a lot of dark titles coming out and I don’t want readers to think I only write dark fiction. I want a snarky comedy in there so that my author brand doesn’t get pigeonholed.
Frankly, I’m doing quite well and emotionally I feel as if I’m in a better place than I have been in a long time. I’m just having difficulty getting my act together after this latest life interruption. I’m feeling the itch to write when I’m unable to get to a keyboard or too tired to see straight. All in all, life has been good the past few months and I hope the same holds true for all of you.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Priorities
Every so often a writer needs to take a look at their work and set priorities. That’s what this post is about.
Published work:
“By Invitation Only” published by Oysters and Chocolate
A short story about a woman at an S&M party with something to prove to herself.
Contracted work:
“Personal Demon” under contract with Freya’s Bower.
One man’s struggle with lust and faith.
“Tainted Past” under contract with Freya’s Bower.
A young man with no sense of history seeks to discover his identity through the love and affection of two lovers. What makes a man? A catalog of memories or life as it happens?
“Full Circle” under contract with Freya’s Bower.
In a war-torn world a group of vampires fight internal and external foes.
Work in submissions:
“Selling Foxx”
Matthew Fox learns the ropes of working at a host club. A series of mistakes makes him wonder if his first customer will be his last.
A-list WIPs:
“About to Sin” currently at 103k words
An out and proud ER doctor meets up with a closeted Roman Catholic priest and they have to fight their pasts to discover their futures.
“Broken Soul” currently at 6k words
A beaten-by-life street kid finds value within himself through the faith and affection of a snarky, cynical and irreverent priest.
B-list WIP’s:
“Finding Mr. Right-ish” currently in handwritten notes
A comedy piece about two roommates. One spends his life trying to find the perfect lover. The other wonders why he’s in love with someone who is oblivious.
“Sci-fi story” 4,300 words
A screw-up crew of a cargo carrier has to battle the Karne while delivering goods to a war zone.
C-list WIPs
“Purposed Chaos” currently at 116k words
It has been said that when two souls are destined for each other they will cry out until they are heard and answered. These cries, pleas and yearnings will shatter the boundaries of time and space. This need for each other will also destroy what blocks it.
When the discipline of purpose mingles with the chance of chaos, the universe is thrust into a paradox. A paradox of purposed chaos.
These are the stories of two such souls and their trysts within Purposed Chaos. . .
“Nyx’s Knights” currently at 28k words.
Malevolent and benevolent forces battle for control over a recovering world. One side has Nyx and his assassins. The glorified errand boys working for Nyx fight powerful foes, but their greatest enemy is themselves.
“Recovered Flotsam” currently at 16k words.
A young man blossoming into his sexuality is trapped on a boat with a sadistic serial killer. When he finally escapes, the love he’s been longing for might be with the man providing CPR if only he could exorcize the ghosts of his past long enough to enjoy his new freedom.
D-list WIP’s
No point in listing them at this time.
Published work:
“By Invitation Only” published by Oysters and Chocolate
A short story about a woman at an S&M party with something to prove to herself.
Contracted work:
“Personal Demon” under contract with Freya’s Bower.
One man’s struggle with lust and faith.
“Tainted Past” under contract with Freya’s Bower.
A young man with no sense of history seeks to discover his identity through the love and affection of two lovers. What makes a man? A catalog of memories or life as it happens?
“Full Circle” under contract with Freya’s Bower.
In a war-torn world a group of vampires fight internal and external foes.
Work in submissions:
“Selling Foxx”
Matthew Fox learns the ropes of working at a host club. A series of mistakes makes him wonder if his first customer will be his last.
A-list WIPs:
“About to Sin” currently at 103k words
An out and proud ER doctor meets up with a closeted Roman Catholic priest and they have to fight their pasts to discover their futures.
“Broken Soul” currently at 6k words
A beaten-by-life street kid finds value within himself through the faith and affection of a snarky, cynical and irreverent priest.
B-list WIP’s:
“Finding Mr. Right-ish” currently in handwritten notes
A comedy piece about two roommates. One spends his life trying to find the perfect lover. The other wonders why he’s in love with someone who is oblivious.
“Sci-fi story” 4,300 words
A screw-up crew of a cargo carrier has to battle the Karne while delivering goods to a war zone.
C-list WIPs
“Purposed Chaos” currently at 116k words
It has been said that when two souls are destined for each other they will cry out until they are heard and answered. These cries, pleas and yearnings will shatter the boundaries of time and space. This need for each other will also destroy what blocks it.
When the discipline of purpose mingles with the chance of chaos, the universe is thrust into a paradox. A paradox of purposed chaos.
These are the stories of two such souls and their trysts within Purposed Chaos. . .
“Nyx’s Knights” currently at 28k words.
Malevolent and benevolent forces battle for control over a recovering world. One side has Nyx and his assassins. The glorified errand boys working for Nyx fight powerful foes, but their greatest enemy is themselves.
“Recovered Flotsam” currently at 16k words.
A young man blossoming into his sexuality is trapped on a boat with a sadistic serial killer. When he finally escapes, the love he’s been longing for might be with the man providing CPR if only he could exorcize the ghosts of his past long enough to enjoy his new freedom.
D-list WIP’s
No point in listing them at this time.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
General Update
I suppose I should handle a personal update first. I’m getting a few e-mails from concerned friends about rumors going around myspace. I appreciate you keeping me informed about the rumor mill. It’s nice to know that people are looking out for me. Please, allow me to address those rumors. Yes, my husband and I are splitting. Also, please, grant me the privacy to keep private issues private. I refuse to get involved in an internet mudslinging party.
I’ve been insanely busy with everything, but I’m doing well.
Now, on to writing updates! .
“Personal Demon” has been accepted by Freya’s Bower and will be included in an m/m anthology book! Woo-hoo!! I’m working with an editor I respect and trust, Karen Frontain. Freya’s Bower is a publisher I’ve wanted to work with for a while. I expect this experience to be wonderful!
As many of you know, Chip/LAP has closed. Erotic Dreams publishing has closed also. I’m sniffing out a lead as to what to do with “Full Circle”. The word is that Forbidden Publications is interested in considering Chip/LAP orphans and they handle m/m stories. I’ve contacted them for confirmation and hopefully, I’ll have a submission package for them shortly. I’m also chasing leads for “Tainted Past” and “Selling Foxx”. Those are a bit tricky as there can be no formal announcements as to their fate or any official decisions prior to the rights reverting back to me. Chip/LAP’s rights to those titles ends on Nov. 30th.
“About to Sin” is nearly finished and currently hits at over 96,000 words. Only 40,000 of those words were ever published. I believe “About to Sin” is strong enough and long enough for print publishing. I think I owe it to myself and my readers to at least try for that. I don’t know if I will succeed, but I must try. I’ve compiled a very short list of agents who deal with titles similar to “About to Sin”. My goal for this title is to have it completely written by the end of the year and polished and submission ready by February.
Open calls of submissions:
Freya’s Bower is doing an m/m anthology edited by Karen Frontain. FB and Karen both have excellent reputations. That call of submission is open until the end of December. From what I understand this will be an e-book anthology. Here’s some information about it.
Freya's Bower invites you to submit your short stories with m/m content for an all m/m anthology. Any genre story: fantasy, western, contemporary, science fiction, horror, historical. We'd like to have a nice mix of genres for this anth. Stories should be between 6,000 to 10,000 words, but we will consider manuscripts a little shorter or a little longer. For submission guidelines as to what Freya's Bower will accept as story content, please visit http://www.freyasbower.com/content/view/12/59/
Double-space your manuscript. Include a header with the title of the story, your name and numbered pages. Indent each new paragraph .5 inches. If there is a scene break, indicate it with a centered***.
All submissions must include:
1. your full name, a pseudonym if used,
2. a brief synopsis, subject or genre,
3. the story attached
4. 'Submission to mm anthology' must be in the subject line,
5. Mail submissions and/or direct queries to kmfrontain@yahoo.ca
Submissions for the anthology close December 31, 2007.
Also, Phaze will be handling Coming Together with Pride edited by Alessia Brio. Phaze and Alessia Brio both have excellent reputations. Here’s a link for more information: Coming Together with Pride . The calls of submission close at the end of December. Coming Together with Pride will be both e-book and print (if my information is correct). Special note: authors will not be getting royalties from this title. This is a charity title and proceeds will be going to HIV/AIDS research. For future reference, keep an eye on Alessia Brio and her Coming Together series. The authors in her anthologies are wonderfully talented and she has several anthologies dedicated to a variety of special causes. I believe there’s another anthology planned to help those hurt by the fires in California. As a reader and/or writer, please support these anthologies. Another special note: stories for this anthology can be m/m, f/f, m/f, etc...even though it's "with Pride" the stories need not be homosexual in nature and the stories themselves need not address HIV/AIDS.
Special note about Phaze: They will not handle any titles with a Catholic priest or nun in a sexual situation.
I’ve been insanely busy with everything, but I’m doing well.
Now, on to writing updates! .
“Personal Demon” has been accepted by Freya’s Bower and will be included in an m/m anthology book! Woo-hoo!! I’m working with an editor I respect and trust, Karen Frontain. Freya’s Bower is a publisher I’ve wanted to work with for a while. I expect this experience to be wonderful!
As many of you know, Chip/LAP has closed. Erotic Dreams publishing has closed also. I’m sniffing out a lead as to what to do with “Full Circle”. The word is that Forbidden Publications is interested in considering Chip/LAP orphans and they handle m/m stories. I’ve contacted them for confirmation and hopefully, I’ll have a submission package for them shortly. I’m also chasing leads for “Tainted Past” and “Selling Foxx”. Those are a bit tricky as there can be no formal announcements as to their fate or any official decisions prior to the rights reverting back to me. Chip/LAP’s rights to those titles ends on Nov. 30th.
“About to Sin” is nearly finished and currently hits at over 96,000 words. Only 40,000 of those words were ever published. I believe “About to Sin” is strong enough and long enough for print publishing. I think I owe it to myself and my readers to at least try for that. I don’t know if I will succeed, but I must try. I’ve compiled a very short list of agents who deal with titles similar to “About to Sin”. My goal for this title is to have it completely written by the end of the year and polished and submission ready by February.
Open calls of submissions:
Freya’s Bower is doing an m/m anthology edited by Karen Frontain. FB and Karen both have excellent reputations. That call of submission is open until the end of December. From what I understand this will be an e-book anthology. Here’s some information about it.
Freya's Bower invites you to submit your short stories with m/m content for an all m/m anthology. Any genre story: fantasy, western, contemporary, science fiction, horror, historical. We'd like to have a nice mix of genres for this anth. Stories should be between 6,000 to 10,000 words, but we will consider manuscripts a little shorter or a little longer. For submission guidelines as to what Freya's Bower will accept as story content, please visit http://www.freyasbower.com/content/view/12/59/
Double-space your manuscript. Include a header with the title of the story, your name and numbered pages. Indent each new paragraph .5 inches. If there is a scene break, indicate it with a centered***.
All submissions must include:
1. your full name, a pseudonym if used,
2. a brief synopsis, subject or genre,
3. the story attached
4. 'Submission to mm anthology' must be in the subject line,
5. Mail submissions and/or direct queries to kmfrontain@yahoo.ca
Submissions for the anthology close December 31, 2007.
Also, Phaze will be handling Coming Together with Pride edited by Alessia Brio. Phaze and Alessia Brio both have excellent reputations. Here’s a link for more information: Coming Together with Pride . The calls of submission close at the end of December. Coming Together with Pride will be both e-book and print (if my information is correct). Special note: authors will not be getting royalties from this title. This is a charity title and proceeds will be going to HIV/AIDS research. For future reference, keep an eye on Alessia Brio and her Coming Together series. The authors in her anthologies are wonderfully talented and she has several anthologies dedicated to a variety of special causes. I believe there’s another anthology planned to help those hurt by the fires in California. As a reader and/or writer, please support these anthologies. Another special note: stories for this anthology can be m/m, f/f, m/f, etc...even though it's "with Pride" the stories need not be homosexual in nature and the stories themselves need not address HIV/AIDS.
Special note about Phaze: They will not handle any titles with a Catholic priest or nun in a sexual situation.
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