Cornelia Grey Guest Post
31 May 2012 2 Comments
in Cornelia Grey, Storm Moon Press Tags: Cornelia Grey, Guest Post, Storm Moon Press
Hi, Michele – thank you so much for having me here!
The past week has been a happy flurry of activity. The weather in London has been unexpectedly, wonderfully warm and sunny, and I’ve been taking shameless advantage of that 
! Also, I’m about to complete an internship at a literary agency which, even though it sucked up pretty much all my time, has been very interesting. And of course, I’m still all giddy with excitement because the illustrated version of my novella, The Ronin and the Fox, was just released by Storm Moon Press. I can’t stop gazing lovingly at the six gorgeous illustrations that Alice Girlanda drew for me .
As I mentioned yesterday on Babes in Boyland, I was quite worried going into the illustration process. I had very clear pictures in my head of what the characters looked like, what the setting was, the general atmosphere – and no clue of how I could describe all those details to the artist without rambling for five pages and making her want to stab me with a sharpened pencil. I didn’t want to force her to endlessly tweak faces and hair because I couldn’t explain exactly what I wanted, but at the same time my inner control freak didn’t want to be vague in the descriptions… how was that going to turn out?
It turned out wonderfully, I’m happy to say, because it looks like Alice has the amazing ability of reading my mind! After my jumbled explanations of what Hajime and Katsura should look like, and a few rather inconsistent reference photos of one actor or another I dug up from my endless pictures folder, she was super-quick in sending back some character sketches. I was a little ball of nerves opening the picture… and was rendered speechless (my roommate actually wandered over to check what I was making that face at!). It looked like she’d been snooping around my head and had managed to pin down exactly what I wanted, even though I hadn’t quite pinned it down yet myself. Katsura’s hair, his eyes, his nose – and Hajime, his chin, his brows… I was enthusiastic. After that, I was a lot more relaxed when it came to working on the actual illustrations: after all, I had a mind-reading artist at the ready !
And sure enough, it was a pleasure to work with her. She had a very tight deadline and all sorts of unforeseen issues popping up all over the place, and yet every time I mumbled that maybe that scene could be seen from the other side and maybe this character could look a bit more that way and maybe you could add this bit in and so on so forth, she found the time to change the drawing and use her amazing intuition to make it exactly what I was looking for. I am extremely grateful to her for her hard work, and to Storm Moon Press for giving me the amazing opportunity to have my work illustrated. And of course I’m utterly in love with the illustrations!
What about you? Did you have a chance to check out The Ronin and the Fox‘s illustrations – and what did you think of them? If you haven’t bought your copy yet, head over to Storm Moon Press’ The Ronin and the Fox webpage, and purchase your illustrated copy now!
***
In feudal Japan, Kaede Hajime lives as a vagabond ronin, a samurai without a lord. As he spends the night at a village’s inn, the innkeeper begs him to help stop a mischevious kitsune, a fox spirit, plaguing their village. But when he captures the spirit–in the form of a hauntingly beautiful man–Hajime learns that the kitsune has troubles of his own. The pearl that contains the fox’s soul has been stolen, leaving him a slave to the new owner, who is forcing him to attack the village.
Hajime agrees to help the fox retrieve the jewel, but living with a fox spirit isn’t easy, and the budding trust between them is constantly tested. Kitsune are tricksters above all, and Hajime must decide how much of the story the fox tells him is truth. What’s worse, an old comrade of Hajime’s is in town, bringing with him the sour memories of Hajime’s time as a samurai. Hajime must find a way to locate the thief and steal back the jewel before the thief turns the kitsune’s considerable power against him.
Building Blocks; or, How To Have Fun Playing God by Author Cari Z
21 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Cari Z, Storm Moon Press Tags: Cari Z, Storm Moon Press
Please welcome author Cari Z to Top 2 Bottom! Her latest novel, Changing Worlds, was just released through Storm Moon Press, and is a great mix of science fiction and romance!
***
There are a ton of details that go into writing a novel, and in the case of Changing Worlds, only about half of them made it into the actual book. Authors wax poetic over the intensive character studies, the meticulous plot, how to communicate those feelings of intrigue and drama and romance… and all of that is very important stuff, absolutely. The backbone of any story, though–at least the ones I tend to write–is based in the setting. World building is probably my favorite part of writing, and I will be the first one to tell you that I tend to go overboard with it. By the time I’m on my third page of description my editor is usually in there, saying, “Um…action? Action, please?” At which point, I smack myself and remember that I’m trying to advance the plot, not write a travel brochure to a completely imaginary place.
I actually prefer writing science fiction to more contemporary genres because of the freedom I get with the creation of it. If I want to set my world on a planet covered in blue jello, I could do that (mmm…blue jello…there isn’t any in this book, though). So much of the fun of science fiction is transporting your characters, and readers, into a place that they’ve never been before. Everyone’s been to a city, old news, but I light my city with phosphorescent fungi instead of electricity. A lot of my action takes place in a forest, oh, ho hum… except the environment is so toxic that my hero Jason is in danger of dissolving into a puddle of grossness without the right prophylaxis. Need some conflict? How about having your mind read by your mother-in-law! I could go on and on, but so much of the fun of reading is the process of discovery.
One of the biggest challenges in writing Changing Worlds for me came in keeping things different enough to pique interest, but similar enough to make reading easy for people who have no interest in hard science fiction. This story was written to be a romance and it is a romance, just one set on an alien world with an unusual social structure, occasionally incompatible ethics and a much different physical environment than my human hero is used to. Nothing I write should be so off-putting that someone can’t imagine it in their minds. Actually, a lot of it the emotions Jason feels and the things he goes through will be intimately familiar to anyone who’s been in a similar situation, going from their native culture to one that they’ve never experienced before. My hero has to deal with different foods, a different language, a change in profession and, of course, marriage, but marriage as defined by an alien culture.
I put a lot of my own experiences and emotions into crafting this novel, and I strived to make it accessible, engaging and, most of all, enjoyable. I want to transport my readers into another world, I want them to become as comfortable there as Jason eventually does, and by the end, I want them to love it the way he does as well. If I did my job right setting the stage, then Changing Worlds will leave my readers feeling like they’ve lived the experience alongside my heroes, and that it was a hell of a ride.
Many thanks to Top 2 Bottom Reviews for hosting me today!
Cari Z is a Colorado girl who loves snow and sunshine. She tried living the American dream for a while but soon traded it in for two years in the Peace Corps. She’s back from Africa now, playing catch up with work, loving hot running water, and writing for all she’s worth. Follow her blog for updates on her recent works at http://carizerotica.blogspot.com, and check out her website at www.cari-z.net for a running tally of everything she’s put out there and news on what’s coming next. You can also find her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/author_cariz.
Changing Worlds by Cari Z
21 May 2012 1 Comment
in Cari Z, Storm Moon Press Tags: Cari Z, Storm Moon Press
Title: Changing Worlds
Author: Cari Z.
Publisher: Storm Moon Press
Pages: 195
Characters: Jason Kim, Ferran
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: Science Fiction, Erotic Romance, Series
Kisses: 5
Blurb:
In this sequel to Cari Z’s Opening Worlds, former starship captain Jason Kim travels to Perelan, the home world of his lover, Ferran, to start a life together. The ruling council of the Perels have allowed this unconventional union to continue in the hopes of strengthening relations between themselves and the humans. And while Ferran’s family welcome Jason with open arms, not all of the other major families are as pleased. The arrival of an outsider to their insular, subterranean world challenges the traditions of centuries.
Tensions soar as old rivalries are rekindled in the wake of Jason and Ferran’s relationship. Inevitably, something snaps. Jason and Ferran soon find themselves literally fighting for their lives when xenophobic anger pushes things beyond the breaking point. Only their devotion to one another can see them through, but a ghost from Jason’s past threatens even that. With Perelan on the brink of civil war, Jason and Ferran must find a way to stand together in the face of chaos and to change the world on their own terms before it tears itself apart.
Review:
Cari Z. is a fairly new author for me. I’ve read one other book written by her and I really enjoyed it, so I admit I was looking forward to reading and reviewing Changing Worlds. Science-fiction romance isn’t one of my favorite genres, but I still enjoy them. I have to confess that after reading this book, not only am I sold on the author, but I’ll have reevaluate my hesitation on reading the genre as well.
Jason is a captain of a spaceship that carried passengers around the universe to visit other planets and species. A year ago, Jason and his partner broke up because one of the males/aliens from the planet, Perelan, had slept with his lover. The males from Perelan are known to be a very sexual people, and often like to brag about their conquest in particular with human males. Since this betrayal, Jason has emotionally shut himself off from others, and has been going through the motions of life. When Jason meets the very uniquely beautiful, Ferran and Ferran’s two cousins, he is to take them to some surrounding planets and then back to Perelan. After this vacation all three of them are to be married off to powerful females, and then will live basically in a harem with other Perelan men. Since the males are primarily used for breeding, Ferran is not as valued to his race because he is sterile. But since his mother is a very powerful ruler of Perelan, this still makes him important and he’s still expected to marry.
As soon as Ferran meets Jason he is immediately captivated by him and despite Jason’s reservations about Ferran and his race, he too feels the heavy attraction between them. At first, Jason does what he can to push Ferran and the attraction they feel for each other aside, but as he continues to run into him, he soon gives into it and they form a deep friendship and bond between them. As the weeks go by, the two fall in love with each other, but they know their relationship is doomed. Ferran must return to his duties at home, leaving Jason behind.
Jason is heartbroken and returns to his home planet for some much needed solitude. Several weeks later he is approached by an Ambassador offering him a deal. He can marry Ferran and live with him for at least a year. During this time, he will accompany Ferran with missions for Perelan’s behalf. Stunned and thrilled to have a chance of a life with Ferran, Jason agrees and within a week the two heroes are taken back to Perelan. As soon as they arrive, there is trouble for Jason. There are some Perels who do not like Jason because he is an outsider and has married Ferran. Plus, he isn’t able to see Ferran as much because his lover is going through much education so he will be a good diplomat for his world. As the weeks and months go by, each hero is put through a lot. Jason in particular, has to prove himself time and time again to some Perels, and he’s still not readily accepted. Jason finds himself constantly fighting for his right to stay on Perelan and to remain married to the man he loves.
I really loved this book! I was so enthralled by the storyline; I read the book in one setting. Both Jason and Ferran are well-written and unique characters that I found very appealing. Even the secondary characters in the book, lived and breathed off of the written page. Ms. Z’s descriptive writing swept me away to other worlds, where I could easily visualize the characters surroundings as easily as if I were standing there with them. Most importantly, I loved the emotional connection and bond between Jason and Ferran. Never once did I believe they were not meant to be together, and I loved how they felt like two-halves of one whole.
Jason and Ferran’s characters do a lot of self-evolving throughout the novel. Jason changes from a man who basically just existed, to a man who lived and had a purpose in life. As much I like and admired, Jason, it was Ferran who intrigued me the most throughout the book. He’s got a heart of gold, and his sheer determination to have Jason as his partner in life, and to do what’s right for his home planet made me adore him. Plus, he’s so sexy! Whew! Jason honestly never stood a chance once Ferran set his eyes on him!
I urge anyone who has never read a science fiction romance to give Changing Worlds a try. Between the amazing storytelling ability, Cari Z, has and her loveable, well-written characters, Changing Worlds has definitely earned a place on my keeper shelf. My only gripe about the book was that I hated to see it come to an end. Even though it did leave me with a few unanswered questions, I hope that means I’ll be seeing more of these wonderful characters in the future.
Highly Recommended!
Reviewed By: Gabbi
Blaine D. Arden stopped in and look at what she has for us!
19 Mar 2012 5 Comments
in Blaine D. Arden, Storm Moon Press Tags: Blaine D. Arden, Storm Moon Press
Post Title: Blaine D. Arden on Siblings and “The Fifth Son”
Post Date: March 19th, 2012
Siblings: can’t live with them, can’t live without them.
I have one brother. He calls me little sister, because he’s taller, and I call him little brother, because he’s younger. Tit for tat, and all that. We had a real love-and-hate relationship when growing up. One moment we’d be playing together, with or without friends, the other we’d be beating the crap out of each other. Our clashes weren’t all that surprising. Where I was a shy, quiet dreamer, he was cheeky, outgoing and often surrounded by friends. Of course, now that we’re both ‘grown-ups’, we get along great and know we can count on each other.
Llyskel from my most recent release The Fifth Son, has four brothers, all older; Jeon, son number four, is about six years older than Llyskel. Llyskel didn’t really get to experience the love/hate thing between siblings. The age difference played a big part in it, but also the fact that Llyskel wasn’t allowed to play with his brothers, for fear they’d hurt him with their magic. So, he never really bonded with his brothers and spent a lot of time watching them, painting them, all the while paying close attention to what they were taught. And yet, though Llyskel has turned out to be a bit of a loner, his brothers, as adults, treat and tease him like he’s one of them.
Blurb:
The Fifth Son is about Llyskel, the fifth son of a King, who, unlike his brothers, doesn’t have a career in politics or the military to look forward to. In a world where everyone possesses magic to some degree or other, Llyskel is powerless, unable to perform even the smallest magic-based tasks. All his life, he’s been under constant guard for his own protection from the magical world around him, much to his annoyance. The only time Llyskel feels free is when he paints, where the only spells he needs are the ones he weaves with brush and paint, capturing moments of beauty and giving them immortality on canvas.
Llyskel harbors a secret wish, though, a dark desire that haunts his nights. Only Ariv, a captain in the King’s army, seems to sense the truth of Llyskel’s needs. The pull he feels to Llyskel is unavoidable, and the passion between them undeniable. But Ariv isn’t the only one interested in Llyskel. The Queen of a neighboring country expresses her interest in the boy’s talents, but her true intent goes far beyond a love of art. And what she asks may be too high a price for any of them.
Buy link: http://stormmoonpress.com/books/The-Fifth-Son.aspx
Blaine is a purple haired, forty-something, writer of gay romance with a love of men, music, mystery, magic, fairies (the pointy eared ones), platform shoes and the colours black, purple and red, who sings her way through life.
You can find Blaine on her website: http://blainedarden.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/BlaineDArden
Twitter: @BlaineDArden http://www.twitter.com/BlaineDArden
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/BlaineDArden
The Fifth Son by Blaine D. Arden
19 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Blaine D. Arden, Storm Moon Press Tags: Blaine D. Arden, Storm Moon Press
Title: The Fifth Son
Author: Blaine D. Arden
Publisher: Storm Moon Press
Pages: 61
Characters: Llskel, Ariv
POV: 1st
Sub-Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Kisses: 5
Blurb:
Llyskel is the fifth son of a King, but, unlike his brothers, he doesn’t have a career in politics or the military to look forward to. In a world where everyone possesses magic to some degree or other, Llyskel is powerless, unable to perform even the smallest magic-based tasks. All his life, he’s been under constant guard for his own protection from the magical world around him, much to his annoyance. The only time Llyskel feels free is when he paints, where the only spells he needs are the ones he weaves with brush and paint, capturing moments of beauty and giving them immortality on canvas.
Llyskel harbors a secret wish, though, a dark desire that haunts his nights. Only Ariv, a captain in the King’s army, seems to sense the truth of Llyskel’s needs. The pull he feels to Llyskel is unavoidable, and the passion between them undeniable.
But Ariv isn’t the only one interested in Llyskel. The Queen of a neighboring country expresses her interest in the boy’s talents, but her true intent goes far beyond a love of art. And what she asks may be too high a price for any of them.
Review:
Since the blurb really described the book quite well, I’ve decided not to rehash it. The Fifth Son is an addictive, sweet and sexy book from start to finish. I loved all of the characters in this book and was immediately captivated by the story the main hero, Llyskel told. Since the book is told in first person, with his point of view, I really enjoyed his charming personality. He’s an interesting and complex character and experiencing the world through his eyes was a pleasure indeed.
Llyskel is an amazing artist and somewhat of a daydreamer. He’s easy to love and I thought Ariv, who is a masculine, honorable man was a perfect match for him. I truly enjoyed every minute they spent together in this book, and found myself craving more when the story ended. There are several interesting twists and turns throughout the story that kept it moving along quite smoothly and the book itself is a very fast paced read. I can’t help but hope that Blaine Arden will write more about these characters because I enjoyed reading them very much. This is new author for me, and I’m anxiously looking forward to reading more written by Blaine and look forward to reading more! If you enjoy a really good fantasy piece, The Fifth Son is definitely a book that I highly recommend.
Reviewed By: Gabbi
Writing and Mythology with Cornelia Grey
11 Feb 2012 2 Comments
in Cornelia Grey, Storm Moon Press Tags: Cornelia Grey, Storm Moon Press
Every time I tell someone that I’ve just completed a degree in Creative Writing, they ask if that means I’m a journalist, and the answer is, not even remotely. Journalists deal with the real world, every second. Creative Writing students usually suck at journalism, for a simple reason: we don’t do reality.
Personally, apart from full-on fantasy, I love writing about alternative versions of reality. I love steampunk, post-apocalyptic, and I have a soft spot for magical realism. I love taking the real world and adding a layer of magical dust on top, little surprising things hiding in unexpected corners, eyes peering from under a mushroom, a talking pigeon with a pocket watch… I think that’s why I’m so fond of mythology: it’s the result of men adding that layer of magic and mystery, fear and excitement, to the world they lived in.
The mythological creatures that immediately spring to mind are, of course, vampires and werewolves; they’ve been far overused in the past years, and I’m afraid to say that I’ve by now developed an adverse reaction to them – I see them and run in the opposite direction, except of course for my beloved Dracula. But there is an impressive amount of lore to use as a resource, from all over the world! I recently purchased an encyclopedia of fantastical creatures – I was amazed at just how many there are, divided by place of origin of the legend.
I am especially fascinated by the correlations between mythology and the land. Why are there some areas richer in legends, such as Scotland or Ireland, while some have next to none, like Italy? What different flavour do the myths take in different locations? What are the tropes/figures that appear in completely unrelated lores – such as the figure of the trickster spirit: the Coyote in Native American culture, Anansi the Spider in Africa, Loki for the Norse mythology, the Kitsune in Japan. Even Italy has a trickster, even though it’s a human rather than a supernatural creature: Harlequin, the famous mask of the Venice carnival, dressed in colourful clothes.
The trickster is a figure I’ve always found fascinating. So when I started researching to write a story centered on mythology, I was instantly drawn to it. And I have to admit that I’ve had a soft spot for Japan ever since my manga days in my early teens – and Kitsune have always been particularly fascinating! I’ve used them once already, in my short story “City of Foxes”, released by Storm Moon Press, taking them out of their context and stripping them of most traditional attributes to insert them in a dystopian urban fantasy setting.
This time, for my most recent work, I decided to try and include as many elements as possible from original legends, setting the story in Feudal Japan and seeing what happens pitting a samurai against a kitsune in a game of wits – and thus my upcoming novella, The Ronin and the Fox was born. I also threw in a second Japanese mythological creature for good measure – but you’ll have to find out what that is by yourself !
Blurb:
In feudal Japan, Kaede Hajime lives as a vagabond ronin, a samurai without a lord. As he spends the night at a village’s inn, the innkeeper begs him to help stop a mischevious kitsune, a fox spirit, plaguing their village. But when he captures the spirit—in the form of a hauntingly beautiful man—Hajime learns that the kitsune has troubles of his own. The pearl that contains the fox’s soul has been stolen, leaving him a slave to the new owner, who is forcing him to attack the village.
Hajime agrees to help the fox retrieve the jewel, but living with a fox spirit isn’t easy, and the budding trust between them is constantly tested. Kitsune are tricksters above all, and Hajime must decide how much of the story the fox tells him is truth. What’s worse, an old comrade of Hajime’s is in town, bringing with him the sour memories of Hajime’s time as a samurai. Hajime must find a way to locate the thief and steal back the jewel before the thief turns the kitsune’s considerable power against him.
The Ronin and the Fox will be available from Storm Moon Press on February 24th.
Pre-orders are already open at 20% discount !
Angelia Sparrow Wants To Make You Feel Hot And Cold And Shivery
06 Jan 2012 3 Comments
in Angelia Sparrow, Storm Moon Press Tags: Angelia Sparrow, Storm Moon Press
Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today, Angelia. Why don’t we start by having you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
I’m a truck driver on a dedicated route, meaning I go the same places every time. I’m lucky enough to be home every night, so I get to spend time with my kids. I have four, but the oldest is on her own these days, and the second is preparing to launch. I met my husband in college. He’s a high school science teacher. My own degree is in English.
When did you discover your passion for writing? Was there someone in particular who encouraged and inspired your love of storytelling?
My grandmothers read to me from the time I was an infant. I read widely during my childhood and adolescence; science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, it didn’t matter. I wrote some fanfiction in high school and started original stories then, nearly failing algebra because I would rather write than learn to factor a quadratic equation. (fortunately, I had a great Algebra II teacher who got me past that) In college, I got in with the gamers and the SCA, both of which encouraged oral storytelling. When the kids came, I made up stories for them. It’s been a lifelong process.
How long does it typically take you to write a book, and then see it through the publishing process?
I can write a short story in a couple days to a week. I can get a novel drafted in a month. The rewrites take longer. The average novel takes about 4 months from inception to submission. The publishing process varies widely, from about 3 months of intensive edits to a year and a half of mostly waiting. It depends on the publisher.
Do the titles of your books generally come to you as you’re writing, or do you know what they’ll be called before the writing process begins?
Depends on the book. I knew I was going to call a book “Glad hands” as soon as I heard the term in truck-driving school. Alive on the Inside came early in the process. Heart of a Forest underwent half a dozen title changes, and I still like the original, All in the Merry Greenwood, better than any of them. Power in the Blood was originally called The Undying and the Undead, until the catchier title appeared. Some books just get called “the non-con short” or “that faerie thing” until they’re written and we have to come up with something for the publisher to call it.
Asking this question might be a bit like asking you to choose one child over another, but of all the characters you’ve created, do you have one who stands out among the others as a favorite? If so, who and why?
I have several favorites, but David Inman is the one I catch myself giving too much time to. He’s a secondary character in the Nikolai series, from Dark Roast Press, and if I don’t sit on him, he takes over every scene he’s in and demands more influence than he’s supposed to have. I have to be careful not to let him get away with it, but he is the best mind of the twenty-first century (born 2032) and does finds ways around me now and then. I love him for his brilliance, for his utter bitchiness–and David defines bitchy queen—and for his deep emotions that seldom make it to the surface in true displays of feeling.
When someone reads one of your books for the first time, what do you hope s/he takes away from the experience?
I want them to come away feeling hot and cold and shivery, saying of the science fiction or horror, “I can see exactly where it’s going wrong and I can’t stop it!” or simply sighing in deep satisfaction and feeling better for having read it.
How much creative input do you have in the cover design of your books?
This depends on the publisher. Most let me put in suggestions, some let me comment after the cover is at least drafted. I have a couple of publishers who habitually misspell my first name, so I am glad of the chance to make sure I’m properly billed.
Is there a particular sub-genre in which you enjoy writing more than others? (i.e. paranormal vs. historical vs. contemporary)
I love love love writing steampunk. I’ve never managed a full length novel, but the short stories are my favorite. Horror and paranormal are favorites too. The difference between horror and paranormal is a subtle one. The basic question becomes “What are you to the monster?” If you’re his main squeeze, it’s paranormal. If you’re lunch, it’s horror.
Do you prefer writing in the 1st or the 3rd person? What advantages do you see in writing in one vs. the other?
I usually write in third person. I see advantages to each of them, depending on the story I’m trying to tell. I doubt I could sustain first person for a full novel. I like first person when I need to be inside someone’s head for most of a story, and keep the tale strictly from that point of view. Third person lets me get different points of view, different parts of the story. For example, in Power in the Blood, we mostly get Oren, the hero’s, point of view. But he can’t be everywhere, so other scenes take us into the heads of a vampire preacher, an immortal Puritan witch, and a baby boomer vampire who is permanently twenty-two.
Do you write full time? If not, how many hours per day do you attempt to dedicate to your writing?
I work a fifty hour week on the truck. Then there’s second-shift work at home, errands and all the stuff that makes up a life. I try to get about ten solid writing hours in every week, minimum. I don’t always succeed, sometimes I get more.
Do you typically outline your plots before you begin the writing process, or do you write in a more freestyle fashion?
I usually start freestyle, seeing who the characters are and where they want to take me. After it becomes apparent where I’m going, I lay out the road markers to make sure I get where I’m supposed to and hit all the points I need to along the way.
How much do your characters resemble you and/or the people you know?
Some characters, especially very minor, nonspeaking walk-ons, are me without any disguise. Others are combinations of people, collections of traits and attitudes that eventually form a new personality.
How much do you draw upon your own life experiences in your writing?
I draw on it a great deal. I’ve been almost everywhere described in Glad Hands, seeing most of it from the windshield of a semi. I’ve lived in a lot of the places and held a lot of the jobs I write about.
Are you surprised by the ever growing female fan-base of Male/Male fiction?
Not at all. I come to this out of slash fandom which was invented forty years ago by women, written by women for women readers. Even beyond fandom, there were Mary Renault and Anne Rice.
When did you begin writing in the Male/Male genre? What about it interests you the most?
I began writing it around 1998, in Buffy Fandom. Something about Xander’s interaction with Angelus during the latter half of season 2 grabbed me, and I started in. From there, I read widely and explored a lot of source material. What interests me most, right now, is a bit meta: it’s seeing how the writers change from fandom to original fiction, and how readers and writers who are not coming to this from fandom are changing the genre.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received with respect to the art of writing? How did it change the way you approach your craft?
Write. Write some every day. If you can’t write a whole story, commit to writing 5 words a day. This comes from Vic Milan. It told me I was not a failure for failing to live up to Ray Bradbury’s advice of writing a whole story every day. With my schedule, 5 words is more doable.
Will you share three things you’ve learned about the business of writing since your first publication?
1) What doesn’t work for one publisher will sell like gangbusters at another.
2) Send the story and forget it. Start the next one.
3) Don’t over-commit. I have a tendency to promise stories half a dozen places and then hit really bad crunch time trying to meet them all.
If you were to offer a word of advice to a new author just starting out, what would it be?
Write. Writers write. Others just talk about writing, about what they want to write, what they’re going to write, how they don’t have time to write. Write. Harlan Ellison says, “If anything can discourage you from writing, it should.” I agree. The only time in my life when I was not writing in some way was the six-month period when I was sleeping 20 hours out of 24 because of medication. Neither college nor children nor 50-hour work weeks can stop my need for writing. Can anything stop yours?
Write what you know, and you know a lot more than you think you do. As one of my engineering profs said, “When you’re faced with a problem you don’t quite understand and don’t know what to do, do what you know and the rest will present itself.”
Wisdom abounds and gurus are found everywhere from cartoons to the classroom. Listen for it.
What is the question you’re most frequently asked by your fans?
“When is the next Nikolai book coming out?” I have to tell them I’m still writing it, because it’s low on the priority list.
What is your most memorable fan experience?
I was at DragonCon—a convention with about 40,000 people– and sat in on the m/m romance panel. Afterward, I went up and introduced myself to Kiernan Kelly. She squeed and hugged me. When Kayelle Allen and Ally Blue asked what was going on, she introduced me and there was my first “Oh my God, you’re Angelia Sparrow!” moment.
Digital media—the e-reader/tablet computer/Android apps—is changing the way people access and enjoy books. What pros and/or cons do you see surrounding the business of e-publishing? How do you see digital media evolving in the years to come?
Got a week or so? Books are becoming impulse items once again, something people always have along and can read in public. There are no lurid covers visible to bring down the concernipation of concerned bystanders. E-publishing allows easier entry into the world of publishing, bypassing a lot of the traditional gatekeepers dedicated to publishing the same clones of everything that was successful last season. It’s easier for new writers to get in, but also, the pace of the industry demands a high volume of manuscripts, including some that really aren’t ready for prime-time. The price of readers and computers also excludes segments of the population from the digital revolution.
On the future of digital, I don’t think paper books will go away. The format has been around for millennia because it is durable. One can still read materials written on papyrus in ancient Egypt. I think digital will become the popular choice for ephemera: popular fiction and textbooks. Collectors will get print-on-demand paper. I think there will end up being a standardized format. Beyond that, I pack up my cloudy crystal ball, because everything is changing very fast.
When you have the chance to sit down and enjoy some quiet reading time, what sorts of books are you most likely to pick up? Who are your favorite authors?
I’m most likely to pick up a horror novel, probably one by a friend or acquaintance of mine. My all time favorites are Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Julian May, Harlan Ellison, and Barbara Hambly. In the smaller names, Bryan Smith, Sara Harvey, B.G Thomas and Elizabeth Donald.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
A professional crafter, probably a crochet artist.
Aside from writing, what else do you enjoy doing? Do you have any hobbies?
I read. First and foremost, I read. I try to read 50 books a year. I don’t always make it, but it helps. My writing improves with my reading. I crochet. I garden. I cook. I watch movies. I used to sew. I’m learning to knit. I would like to get back to cross-stitching in the next year.
If time travel were possible, what time period(s) would you most like to visit? Why?
Assuming instant translators, there are a lot of places I’d like to visit. There are very few where I’d like to live. A whirlwind tour of Egypt under Ramses II, a visit to Athens in the Golden Age, late Imperial Rome for some recreational decadence, then off for a visit to Viking-era Ireland and Norway, and maybe a stop in the Age of Sail. Most of this would be research, but part of it would be confirmation of my research.
If you had the opportunity to sit down to dinner with one famous person, either past or present, who would you choose and why?
My table manners are terrible and I hate eating with people. I despise lingering over food, preferring to eat while working and be done with that chore. So this question is unanswerable.
If we were to look around the desk where you sit to write, what would we find there?
You’d find my desk covered with a variety of stuff, including a large glass stein lettered with “Donations for the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center” which currently holds a bunch of crochet hooks (all size N), a pair of very stale cigars, a Dr McCoy 2.0 action figure, a half-finished crochet lace choker, a random selection of coughdrops, paperclips and pennies, a few lengths of cloth topped with a coil of florist wire and a hot glue gun (they’re gonna be fairy wings soon!), a row of pill bottles that looks pretty scary.
And this is why I work on my laptop from a recliner in the front room, balancing a board across my knees and typing to the background chatter of Nickelodeon.
How would you describe your sense of humor? What makes you laugh?
My sense of humor is fairly broad. It took me a long time to find it. I spent my adolescence laboring under the burden of my own genius, and a sense of humor was beneath an alpha like myself. I grew out of that, thank goodness. My kids often make me laugh. I enjoy a variety of comedies, from A Clockwork Orange (which is a very dark, bleak comedy) and American Psycho (Pride &Prejudice, with yuppies and chainsaws) to the Marx Brothers and even some Stooges routines. Fibber Magee and Molly always make me laugh. I catch them on the radio in the wee hours.
Do you have an all time favorite fictional character?
Han Solo, flat-out. Just the way Brian Daly wrote him for the three books and the radio series. Not a fan of what later EU writers did.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Noise. I have hearing loss from bad ears, so I’m quite protective of what I have left. Loud music, high background noise, dairy cases that sound like jet engines, even too much racket from my kids all set my teeth on edge.
Do you have a favorite personal mantra, quote, or saying that describes your outlook on life and the way you approach each day?
Any day my job does not involve castrating sheep with my teeth is a GOOD day.
Do you speak more than one language? If so, which one(s)?
I have three years’ classroom experience of Spanish and German, each. Which, at this late date (20 years after graduating college) means I can read children’s books, maybe.
Of all the modern conveniences, which one would you most likely say you couldn’t live without?
Running water. I’ve done primitive camping, and I do NOT want to live like that. I know how, though, which makes me valuable in a zombie apocalypse.
Do you have any new projects/works-in-progress you’d care to share with us?
My newest release is Power in the Blood, a family drama set against a vampire apocalypse in Memphis. Oren and his six kids are Breathers, meaning if they die violently, they will become immortal. The very rare immortal Undying are vampire hunters. And Memphis is ground zero for a vampire explosion, caused by a church that thinks it can bring about the Second Coming if everyone is a vampire. The release date is January 27th, 2012.
Thanks again for spending some time with us, Angelia! It’s been great having you with us. Will you tell us where we can find you on the Internet?
I’m everywhere! My website is http://www.brooksandsparrow.com My twitter is @asparrow16. I’m also Author Angelia Sparrow on Facebook and valarltd at Live Journal and Dreamwidth. I sometimes remember my blogger: http://angelsparrow.blogspot.com/
Crescendo (Song of the Fallen, #2) by Rachel Haimowitz
05 Jan 2012 1 Comment
in Rachel Haimowitz, Storm Moon Press Tags: Rachel Haimowitz, Storm Moon Press
Title: Crescendo (Song of the Fallen, #2)
Author: Rachel Haimowitz
Publisher: Storm Moon Press
Pages: 350 (approx.)
Characters: Freyrik Farr, Ayden Vaska
POV: third person
Sub-Genre: mm romance, fantasy
Kisses: 5
Blurb:
Bridging the hatred of centuries did not come easy for Freyrík Farr and Ayden Vaska. As prince of a war-torn human province, Freyrík could ill afford to fall for an enemy. And Ayden, an elven warrior with three-hundred years of bitterness in his heart, wanted no part of love—not elven, and especially not human. Yet they came together despite themselves and despite the will of their peoples, joining heart and mind to fight a race of Dark Beasts threatening the extinction of mankind.
But the Dark Beast threat pales beside the dangers of the human High Court, home of the Aegis Exalted and the harshest test yet of Ayden’s and Freyrík’s fledgling love.
While Ayden is stripped of his magic, Freyrík is forced to choose between his love for elf, Aegis, and brother, all the while seeking the one uncertain path that might save his doomed race. Time is fast running out for mankind, and only by making peace amongst themselves and with their ancient elven enemies can they end the Dark war—and undo the tragedy that’s plagued humans, elves, and Dark Beasts alike for the last three-hundred years
Review:
Crescendo is book two of the Song of the Fallen Series and is the conclusion of Freyrik and Ayden’s love story. Book one ends with Freyrik being summoned to High Court, where he must face his superiors and account for his actions. Both Freyrik and Ayden realize that their relationship may be in jeopardy and are uncertain of their future as a couple.
When they arrive at High Court, immediately they are separated, and Ayden is stripped of all his magical powers. Ayden’s human captors use a form of elven Kryptonite called Starfall to bind him, thus muting his elfsong.
Freyrik is thrust into a tenuous situation where he must choose between remaining loyal to his leader, the Aegis, or supporting his brother Berendil in a coup attempt. When he tries to remain neutral, he loses favor with both the Aegis and his brother, and he is banished—condemned to carry out the hopeless mission of tracking down the Dark Elves who have controlled the black magic which has fueled the deadly surges of feral animals which have attacked and killed Freyrik’s people for over three centuries.
If I could summarize book two in a word it would be “balance”. Everything about book one which did not sit right with me was offset by the events of book two. In the first book, it was Ayden who was the hero. He made all of the sacrifices. He was separated from his people, imprisoned, humbled, vilified, demonized, and even tortured. In book two, it is Freyrik who must sacrifice for Ayden.
Freyrik loses his kingdom, is imprisoned, faces beatings and humiliation, and finally must decide whether or not to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his lover and his people. Freyrik and Ayden are yin and yang, the completion of one another. The story is a beautiful portrayal of shared sacrifice in which leadership and heroism are not defined by lionizing the few who claw their way to the top but rather by presenting a character who is already at the top but is willing to humble himself and assume responsibility for wrongs previously committed in order to cleanse his people of their sins.
The concept of the story is not a novelty. It’s the greatest story ever told.
The writing and editing are impeccable, and the intricate details of the world building which are so masterfully woven into the plot are almost beyond comprehension. Crescendo is a powerful story of love, loyalty, forgiveness and redemption. The series as a whole is a must read.
Reviewed By: Jeff
We’re Talking Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane and The Saturnalia Effect – Oh My!
04 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Heidi Belleau, Storm Moon Press, Violetta Vane Tags: Heidi Belleau, Storm Moon Press, Violetta Vane
Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today, Heidi & Violetta. Why don’t we start by having you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
Heidi: Well, for starters I live in Northern Canada with my husband and four-month-old daughter. I have a degree in history and I’m a big nerd. (I feel these things go hand-in-hand.) I’ve been writing M/M since my teens, but it was only recently that I realized that it’s a real genre full of real readers and writers!
Violetta: I was raised by roaming hippies and eventually put down roots in the Southern US. My family values always involved questioning authority; I didn’t rebel against my parents by becoming a conservative, but I’m still not quite as eccentric as they are. I’m an Asian-American and ex-goth, among other things.
When did you discover your passion for writing? Was there someone in particular who encouraged and inspired your love of storytelling?
Heidi: Ever since I was a little girl! I remember writing a Sailor Moon ripoff “magical girl” series of stories in the fourth grade, and I was writing before that, too. I think the first time anyone suggested I might have a knack for it was in the sixth grade, when the librarian in my elementary school started personally tutoring me in creative writing, I think because she saw I had potential. She’s been supportive of my entire journey, although I don’t know if M/M erotic romance was quite what she had in mind for me. I know she’d be proud regardless!
Violetta: I wrote poetry as a young child, including some very odd, anachronistic stuff that was inspired by Robert E. Howard. I was in academia for a while, and wrote lots of essays, trying to master style as much as content, but I was never really happy with that path. Then, for several years I worked on some pretty intense memoir essays in a specialized field. Finally, I started writing fiction, and something clicked. I love this!
How long does it typically take you to write a book, then see it through the publishing process?
Heidi: That depends entirely on the book length! Violetta and I have written stories that are anywhere from 15,000 words right up to 130,000 so I can’t say there’s any hard and fast number.
Violetta: The turnaround for The Saturnalia Effect was speedy, probably because we wrote it for a call. It took about a week of intense planning, two weeks of writing, another week of beta editing, two weeks of waiting to see if it would be accepted, a week of giddy celebration after it was accepted, a few weeks of relaxing, a week of final editing, a week of gasping OMG OUR COVER ARTWORK IS OUTRAGEOUSLY AMAZING across all social media, and then several weeks of promotion. Storm Moon Press has been fantastic to work with throughout all of this.
Do the titles of your books generally come to you as you’re writing, or do you know what they’ll be called before the writing process begins?
Heidi: Once again, that depends. With The Saturnalia Effect, we knew our title pretty much immediately, when we were in the planning stages even, but a lot of the time it takes a bit of back and forth to come to something that works.
Violetta: We like to give our work a short title immediately after beginning, although we try not to get too attached to it in case a better one comes along. But The Saturnalia Effect turned out to be perfect.
Asking this question might be a bit like asking you to choose one child over another, but of all the characters you’ve created, do you have one who stands out among the others as a favorite? If so, who and why?
Heidi: That is a tough question! I’m going to have to say Sean O’Hara from our big fantasy novel that’s out on subs right now. I love his resilience and the growth he goes through over the course of the novel. At first blush he seems very reactionary and a bit immature, but over the course of the book you come to realize he’s so much more. That’s my favourite kind of character in general, really: one who surprises you.
Violetta: I love Sean so damn much, too. And it was such a validation to track the reactions of our beta readers to Sean: at first encounter, a wary irritation, deepening slowly into respect and fascination.
When someone reads one of your books for the first time, what do you hope s/he takes away from the experience?
Heidi: I just hope that for however long they were reading, I helped them to feel some real emotion, whether that’s sadness or excitement or anxiety or arousal. However, if they read a story of mine and are still thinking about it a week, a month, a year later? Then I’ll know I’ve really done well.
Violetta: Whether they loved it or hated it, I hope they come away with a sense of honesty. It’s hard to explain–I don’t mean not messing with readers’ minds, because many readers love that and look for that in stories–but there’s a sort of creative honesty that always impresses me in the books I love.
How much creative input do you have in the cover design of your books?
Heidi: Storm Moon Press gives authors this amazingly detailed worksheet for the cover artist to work from, so for The Saturnalia Effect, we had an amazing amount of control, actually, right down to the expression on Troy’s face! The artist originally had this incredibly sexy, captivating expression where Troy was looking “into the camera” as it were, and it was really breathtaking but it didn’t fit who he was as a person, and we were able to actually say “can you try X” and “can you make him look a little more Y”, which is absolutely fantastic.
Violetta: I always like to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. I was determined to grit my teeth and nod politely if we happened to end up with a horrendous, cheap-looking Photoshop with dead-eyed Ken-doll men. Instead, we got a jaw-dropping piece of original artwork tailored to fit the story.
Is there a particular sub-genre in which you enjoy writing more than others? (i.e. paranormal vs. historical vs. contemporary)
Heidi: Funnily enough, even though I did history in university and it’s a lifelong passion of mine, I have a very hard time writing it! I’m so worried about doing things wrong and not researching enough… it’s very paralyzing to me. I’m terrified of making mistakes. So when I write, there is a sense of history, and a respect for the enormity of history, but I feel much more comfortable writing in contemporary settings.
Violetta: I love writing any story where big things happen. I respect people who can make great art out of normal daily life, but I’m not able to do that. I’ve always had a fascination with the epic and the weird. Doing a quiet, slice-of-life contemporary would be quite difficult for me. I love fantasy and science fiction, and urban fantasy represents the ideal overlap of our interests as co-writers.
Do you prefer writing in the 1st or the 3rd person? What advantages do you see in writing in one vs. the other?
Heidi: I can do either, although everything I’ve been working on recently is in a close third. I think I like third just because you can use a slightly more authorial voice. I think writing, say, Troy in first person would be a bit tricky because he’s not had a lot of opportunities in life for education and he isn’t much of a reader, so I’d have a very limited vocabulary to work with if I wanted to write his “voice”. I prefer to write as me lurking around in his head, vocalizing things he might have trouble with.
Violetta: I’ve rarely written in anything other than third person. The years I spent working on memoir style would bleed into any attempt at first person, I think, but someday I really need to challenge myself in that direction. One skill I’d love to master is third-person omniscient. I’ve heard advice that modern stories shouldn’t use it, but I disagree: writers like Neil Gaiman often use it to brilliant effect.
Do you write full time? If not, how many hours per day do you attempt to dedicate to your writing?
Heidi: I’m a stay-at-home-mom, so some would say I do write full time, although I think parenting is my primary job, even if I don’t get paid. I generally write anywhere from one or two hours a day up to eight or nine, just depending on how motivated I’m feeling and how cooperative my daughter’s being.
Violetta: I have two children, and I homeschool the oldest. My days are tough. So are my evenings. I actually got more written when I was still working a full-time office job! I write whenever I can, in between the constant demands on my time. I’d love to write full-time, but that’s a far-off luxury still.
Do you typically outline your plots before you begin the writing process, or do you write in a more freestyle fashion?
Heidi: I think when you’re co-writing there isn’t as much room for that “by the seat of your pants” writing. We do definitely improvise and change tracks midstream, but we definitely plan a lot more than a solo author would have to, because we need to both be on the same page for everything from character motivation to plot to what purpose scenes serve.
Violetta: We outline very carefully. For a novel we wrote, we used spreadsheets and tension charts and enough Google Docs planning material to choke a digital/virtual horse. I’ve read too many romance stories with lackluster plots spackled over with filler. As a reader and a writer, I always want suspense. Sure, there’s going to be love and sex and a happy ever after, but how? There needs to be doubt, excitement, tension, real stakes. We like to keep our stories tight as hell. On the other hand, we do permit ourselves the flexibility to change some plans midstream if that’s what really makes the most sense for the characters. Also, our method of structuring often gives us more freedom to freestyle and get loose and poetic. It feels supportive, not constraining.
How much do your characters resemble you and/or the people you know?
Heidi: I think on some emotional level there is probably some of me in there, and I know when I wrote Cormac Kelly from our big fantasy novel, there was a dash of my husband in his dialogue when it came to Irish-isms, but otherwise, seeing as I’m a middle-class white girl from rural Canada whose biggest crime was shoplifting a pair of earrings as a teenager? I’d say I don’t much resemble my characters at all.
Violetta: Real life is like the seasoning that goes into the stew. There’s not a lot of it, but it really makes a big difference. As writers, we’re all influenced by other stories we read or watch or consume, consciously or subconsciously, so sometimes we end up repeating the same tropes and personality traits in our characters. At worst, it’s stereotypical: at best, it’s repetitive. Referring back to real life helps check that tendency and keep things fresh. But it’s a subtle feedback process. I can think of only one very minor character that I copied directly from someone I knew in real life, and even there I changed his nationality and speech mannerisms.
How much do you draw upon your own life experiences in your writing?
Heidi: More than I know, I bet!
Violetta: Directly? Not a lot. But it happens. For The Saturnalia Effect, when we were conceptualizing the failed robbery that got Troy Khoury sent to Westgate Prison, I thought about two experiences ducking semi-automatic gunfire – one in Mexico, one in a motel in Charlotte, North Carolina. For the story that we’re writing now, I’m drawing on scary moments swimming in rough oceans when I was younger. I live a sedentary life now, but I’ve got a somewhat checkered past!
Are you surprised by the ever growing female fan-base of Male/Male fiction?
Heidi: Not at all! Women have been slashing Holmes/Watson and Kirk/Spock for ages, and the whole yaoi genre of manga has been going strong in Japan for as long as I can remember (and probably longer still), so the fact that a romance genre about men in love with men exists and is written and read by women doesn’t shock me at all.
Violetta: Being Japanese-American and having ties to Japan, no, I wasn’t surprised. I’ve known for a long time that this was a genre that appealed primarily to women, but I honestly didn’t have a high opinion of it, because it seemed, well… schoolgirlish. However, I think I was operating on some stereotypes of my own, because when I actually started exploring m/m romance seriously, it turned out to be much more diverse than I expected, and included some very mature, sophisticated themes and perspectives. I’d thought it was something completely separate from “real” gay fiction written by and for gay men, but I discovered there are many areas where the two overlap.
When did you begin writing in the Male/Male genre? What about it interests you the most?
Heidi: Since I was a teenager, at least! Growing up in a conservative community, writing and reading was really the only way I got to explore sexuality beyond the Stephen Harper approved Man+Woman=Baby equation. I love it for the same reason I love any romance: because I want to see deserving people who’ve faced hardship find happiness. Writing about queer people finding that happiness, with all the adversity we face, just makes it all the sweeter.
Violetta: I’ve always looked out for books and media incorporating diverse approaches to gender and sexuality. I’m not LGBTQ myself, but I faced a lot of racial prejudice growing up, and other kids often attacked me for being non-gender-conforming as well. I’m very stubborn, so I reacted by questioning the whole idea of having to conform. My artistic heroes were often people who resisted conformity, perhaps with defiant androgyny, or just quietly being queer. I read and write m/m because it turns me on (along with other things) but I try to do it respectfully as much as possible.
What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever received with respect to the art of writing? How did it change the way you approach your craft?
Heidi: Don’t worry about writing the Great Novel. You don’t need to change the face of literature to be a good or happy writer. It took a couple years, but I finally came to understand it was okay to write what I love and write a niche genre. I was able to let go of a lot of fear and insecurity and just write what I love.
Violetta: I haven’t reread Samuel R. Delany’s essays since I became a writer, but the way he talks about writing has influenced me in so many ways. He always stresses structure, which is different from plot, and so I often try to think about writing in architectural, three-dimensional terms.
Will you share three things you’ve learned about the business of writing since your first publication?
Heidi: 1. The publishing world is a small place, so don’t burn bridges.
2. Don’t sit around waiting for a contract: get back to work! Hitting “send” is not the end of your responsibilities as an author.
3. Don’t use social media just to dump buy-links on people. You might as well be selling penis enhancement drugs, with that strategy.
If you were to offer a word of advice to a new author just starting out, what would it be?
Heidi: Write what you love and care about. Don’t write what you think people expect you to write, or what you think will make money, or what will be “easy” to get published… just be authentic.
Digital media—the e-reader/tablet computer/Android apps—is changing the way people access and enjoy books. What pros and/or cons do you see surrounding the business of e-publishing? How do you see digital media evolving in the years to come?
Heidi: Pros? The opportunity for small presses and small genres to find readership and get authors published. A lot of stories in the M/M genre, at least at this point in time, would probably never find a home in traditional publishing for various reasons, some of them financial, but many, many more political and based in the bigotry of our society.
Cons? Less quality control, especially with the boom in easy self-publishing. Since there’s less of an investment required to make and distribute an ebook, a lot of stuff that should have just stayed on a given author’s harddrive is getting an isbn and getting put out there for the world to see. I think because of that, though, the role of trusted reviewers is going to become more vital. We’ll adapt.
When you have the chance to sit down and enjoy some quiet reading time, what sorts of books are you most likely to pick up? Who are your favorite authors?
Heidi: I read romance, actually! Although I do very much enjoy general fiction, as well. It depends on what kind of mood I’m in. If I’m feeling run-down, romance all the way. I’ll buy anything by Diana Gabaldon (especially her Lord John mysteries, because I feel like her original Outlander series is getting a bit bloated at this point) or Karen Marie Moening (my guiltiest pleasure!).
Violetta: My must-buy authors are mostly in science fiction and the New Weird. I love Walter Jon Williams, C.J. Cherryh, Robert Charles Wilson, Richard K. Morgan, China Miéville, Jeff VanderMeer. I don’t have a favorite author yet in m/m; I’m reading widely and finding out my favorites. I’m also always on the lookout for quality MMF and interracial/multicultural M/F.
If you had the opportunity to sit down to dinner with one famous person, either past or present, who would you choose and why?
Heidi: Jack Layton, so I could give him a hug and thank him for everything he did for Canadian politics. Or Chris Pine, so he could be witty and handsome and talk about literature while I stared at his bulge the whole time. Either or!
Violetta: David Bowie. I’m a Bowiefreak.
How would you describe your sense of humor? What makes you laugh?
Heidi: Very self deprecating! I love to make fun of myself. What makes me laugh? Everything but “politically uncorrect” jokes. You know, the ones where the person telling the joke looks over their shoulder before they say it? Ugh.
Violetta: Absurdist humor. Black humor. I was raised with a lot of British media, so maybe that’s to blame.
Do you have an all time favorite fictional character?
Violetta: I have a strange, fishy love for Namor, the Sub-Mariner, the Marvel superhero whose roots go back to the 1940s. I love how he started off from the beginning as an anti-hero. Then how his erratic development reflects the different stages of US postwar history. Maybe it’s just the fact he’s well-built and his “costume” consists of nothing but a gold bracelet and a green speedo made from dragon scales.
Do you have a favorite personal mantra, quote, or saying that describes your outlook on life and the way you approach each day?
Heidi: Oh yes! It’s a Stephen Fry quote: “[Wodehouse] taught me something about good nature. It is enough to be benign, to be gentle, to be funny, to be kind.” I think about that quote all the time. It reminds me not to hold myself to impossibly high standards. Your life isn’t a waste just because you don’t change the world. Especially when I was teaching, I really did need to keep this idea close to my heart, because it’s very easy as a teacher to fall into the trap of taking every tiny failure personally.
Violetta: In difficult times, I often think of Marc Antony as played by James Purefoy in the HBO/BBC production of Rome: “When in doubt, attack!”
Do you speak more than one language? If so, which one(s)?
Heidi: Just English, I’m afraid! I was once relatively fluent in French, and I can still pick up the jist of a French book if I’m reading it, but I’ve mostly lost the language otherwise.
Violetta: Spanish. I learned it in Miami, Costa Rica and Mexico. As a teenager, I was fascinated by German, mainly because I wanted to have a “Berlin period” like Iggy Pop and David Bowie. But when I tried to learn it, it defeated me entirely, and I never got past German 101. I moved to Spanish instead, which was a lot more practical when I worked restaurant jobs in Miami. I love Spanish, achieved decent fluency and wish I had the chance to speak it more. I also know a bit of Japanese, but really nothing beyond basic phrases.
Of all the modern conveniences, which one would you most likely say you couldn’t live without?
Heidi: The Internet! I live in such isolation, it’s really my only connection to the rest of the world. If all I had in life was this city, I don’t know that I’d be alive right now.
Violetta: I’m a creature of the Internet too. I’ve been on it for almost a quarter century.
Do you have any new projects/works-in-progress you’d care to share with us?
Heidi: We are nearly finished this amazing novel set in Hawaii, all about a couple of young men who were childhood friends and in unconsummated love as teenagers, trying to claw a second chance at a relationship out of impossible circumstances. And it’s got a fantastic Hawaiian-flavoured paranormal twist, as well. I can’t wait to get it out in the world.
Violetta: “Hawaiian Gothic” is going to rock the m/m world. We’re so excited about getting that done and subbed. We’re also in early editing stages of a raw, beautiful but not-really-romance story. It’s got sex, drugs and Santería, but that’s all we can say at the moment.
Thanks again for spending some time with us, Heidi & Violetta! It’s been great having you with us. Will you tell us where we can find you on the Internet?
Heidi: Thank you for having us! I do enjoy talking about myself, so thanks for enabling me 
. You can find me on tweeting as @HeidiBelleau , on goodreads , facebook and g+ (whichever side of that divide you fall on), and I have a blog: Heidi Below Zero .
Violetta: Violetta: I’m at Violetta Vane’s Imaginarium, I tweet at @ViolettaVane, and you can find all the links to social media at my blog. I try to reserve my blog for longer posts and throw out the shorter fun stuff on G+ and Twitter.
And we’d love if you’d consider sharing a favorite excerpt from one of your books with us.
Sure! Here’s a steamy scene from The Saturnalia Effect:
So maybe Daniel had a hunch about what he was up to. But if Troy pushed him hard enough, pushed him just right, it might not matter. Make him think with his dick instead of his head. Yeah. The time for slow, coy seduction had passed.
He looked down at the neat little pile he’d made of his boxers and jumpsuit, sneakers on top. Smoothed his hands down his thighs. He could hear the water from the showers hitting the tiles, and if he closed his eyes, he could pretend it was rain.
He hadn’t had a single shower since coming to Westgate. He’d been washing himself at a laundry room sink instead, with a sliver of soap and a scratchy handtowel, braving the bitterly cold water just enough to keep from getting ripe. The reputation prison showers had on the outside was well earned—except that in the real world, you didn’t actually need to drop the soap to end up… well. Doubly so for guys like him. He’d put a lot of effort into not getting himself into that situation.
Now he was going in with the exact opposite intention.
A smothering wall of steam hit him face-on. He pushed ahead, heading straight for the back of the room, far past the comfort of an easy escape route. He had to fight every instinct and habit he’d carefully built up since coming here. If he could have worn shoes in here, he would have.
“Work it, girl!” came the first catcall. He barely flinched; he’d known that was coming. He’d seen the looks they all gave him in the TV room, the cafeteria, every shared space he dared to enter. It had always only been a matter of time.
Blaine D. Arden Sings Her Way Through Life…And She Writes A Bit Too
30 Dec 2011 2 Comments
in Blaine D. Arden, Storm Moon Press Tags: Blaine D. Arden, Storm Moon Press
Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today, Blaine. Why don’t we start by having you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
Thanks for having me. I’m Blaine. I’m a purple haired, forty-something, writer of gay romance with a love of men, music, mystery, magic, fairies (the pointy eared ones), platform shoes and the colours black, purple and red, who sings her way through life.
I was born and raised in Zutphen, the Netherlands, where I started life as a shy little girl who spent most of her time daydreaming and telling stories to herself. Not that anyone believes I was ever shy, seeing how talkative and tactile I am these days. I was naïve as well, and had no idea what to do with my life, aside from dreaming of being a famous singer. So, instead of playing to my strengths, which were languages, math, science and physics, I became a secretary.
Until I met my husband and my first son was born, and I became a stay at home mother. We’ve been married for over twenty-one years, have two sons, a foster son and a dog, all equally mischievous. Officially, there are four adults living in this household, unofficially, I doubt you’d find even one.
When did you discover your passion for writing? Was there someone in particular who encouraged and inspired your love of storytelling?
In my early teens. I’d been telling stories for years, mostly to myself to help me fall asleep, but I didn’t start writing until my early teens. I still have a box filled with all the crap I wrote then. Writing wasn’t particularly encouraged at home, and though I read about five to seven books a week (I never understood why libraries let you keep a book for three weeks? Who needs three weeks?), I have no memory of a specific thing prompting me to start writing, but I’ve always been a dreamer, and I needed to keep track of my ideas somehow.
You have a couple of titles coming out, one later this year and one in the spring of 2012, with Storm Moon Press. Would you tell us a bit about them?
The Forester was released on the 22nd of this month. It’s a fantasy Solstice short about Kelnaht, a cloud elf and Truth Seeker , who is caught between love and faith. He tries to solve a murder committed ten days before Solstice that reveals an illicit affair between two tree elves he desires more than he can admit: Kelnaht’s former lover Ianys, who once betrayed him, and the shunned forester named Taruif, who is not allowed to talk to anyone but The Guide, their spiritual pathfinder. When Taruif turns out to be the only witness for the crime, Kelnaht has to keep Ianys from sacrificing himself and losing his daughter, while at the same time realizing he’d gladly sacrifice himself to end Taruif’s loneliness.
The Fifth Son is a fantasy novella that will be released on 9 March 2012. It is about Llyskel, the fifth son of a King. Unlike his brothers, Llyskel doesn’t have a career in politics or the military to look forward to. In a world where everyone possesses magic to some degree or other, Llyskel is powerless, unable to perform even the smallest magic-based tasks. All his life, he’s been under constant guard for his own protection from the magical world around him, much to his annoyance. The only time Llyskel feels free is when he paints, where the only spells he needs are the ones he weaves with brush and paint, capturing moments of beauty and giving them immortality on canvas.
Llyskel harbors a secret wish, though, a dark desire that haunts his nights. Only Ariv, a captain in the King’s army, seems to sense the truth of Llyskel’s needs. The pull he feels to Llyskel is unavoidable, and the passion between them undeniable. But Ariv isn’t the only one interested in Llyskel. The Queen of a neighboring country expresses her interest in the boy’s talents, but her true intent goes far beyond a love of art. And what she asks may be too high a price for any of them.
Do you have any other works currently in progress you’d like to share with us?
I wrote a trans* story for NaNoWriMo, that I’m letting rest a bit before editing/rewriting and polishing. It’s about an investigator who finds out that his boyfriend was the female suspect in a murder case he’s working on.
Right now I’m writing a story about a mute, magical baker with a penchant for scarification, set in the same universe as the Forester, though different village/tribe and location. I feel so comfortable writing that world that I couldn’t resist writing another story. No reappearance of old character’s though, at least, not yet. Maybe in a different story I’ll revisit Kelnaht’s village.
When did you begin writing in the Male/Male genre? What about it interests you the most?
When I was seventeen I saw the film ‘An Early Frost’ with Aidan Quinn, and I wanted to change people’s perception about men loving men. I wanted to take it out of the negativity that surrounded homosexuality then. (It was in the mid-80s, and all you heard about was AIDS and discrimination.)
Of course, what started out as idealism slowly turned into love for the genre, love for the men I wrote about, read about. I feel so much more connected to the male main characters than I ever did the female characters in the harlequins I read in my early teens.
So, I think what interests me the most are the dynamics between the men who meet, often at difficult stages in their lives, and fall in love. It’s about the bridges they have to cross to be together, to make their relationship work. Yet at the same time their love is often what gives them strength to cross those bridges.
Asking this question might be a bit like asking you to choose one child over another, but of all the characters you’ve created, do you have one who stands out among the others as a favorite? If so, who and why?
I love all my characters. Well, maybe not all; as much as my villains intrigue me, I don’t exactly love them. The character that stands out for me is not even a main character, but there is something so compelling about him, that I can’t help love him. It’s the Guide from The Forester.
I set out to create a spiritual guide who, in a religious world, didn’t lecture, didn’t try to convert burdened souls, but just guided his people. He knows his people and knows all their faults, but he doesn’t judge. He doesn’t give them all the answers either. With a few choice words, he helps them on their way to find their own solutions.
All this packed into a man who is a eunuch by choice, gave up his name by choice, and though he is a pillar of the community, his chosen path sets him aside, outside that same community. I’m in awe of his strength. How could I not love him?
Do you write full time? If not, how do you measure a successful writing day, in word count or in time dedicated to it?
I write full time in the sense that at the beginning of this year I chose my writing above everything else. I was a stay at home mum studying to be an English teacher, but the study wasn’t working out for me, and writing only made me feel guilty that I was not spending time on my studies.
After a conversation with my husband and good friend on New Year’s Eve, I decided to go with what I loved most, and that is writing.
A successful writing day for me is when I don’t have any chores or appointments messing up my set schedule. Of course, being a mum, even of (almost) adult children, I don’t have many eight hour work days. Still, working weekends seems only natural, since writing isn’t just work, but my favourite hobby as well.
Do you typically outline your plots before you begin the writing process, or do you write in a more freestyle fashion?
I’m mostly a freestyle sort of writer, a pantser. I start with an idea, a scene or snippet, and build from there. While I write, I often get ideas for what is still to come and I write those down and think about where and how that needs to be handled. So, I plot while I write, basically. Writing is an organic process.
Most of my plotting also happens when I’m not at home. I always take a notebook with me, so while waiting for some appointment, you’ll find me scribbling bits of information on the story: background of the characters, ideas for scenes, lists of things I shouldn’t forget to write about, that sort of thing.
I often have a pretty good idea of where I’m going and how it’ll end, but I don’t always write that down. It’ll stay in the back of my mind throughout the story.
How much do your characters resemble you and/or the people you know?
Little. I think. My friends and family can answer that question much better than I can. I never consciously include traits or characteristics of people I know.
I’ll always be the last one to know. I named a character once whose name is an anagram of mine, and people had to point it out to me, because I never even realized.
How much do you draw upon your own life experiences in your writing?
I’m bound to use some of my experiences, but, again, I never do that consciously. I crawl into my characters’ skins, let their emotions was over me as I tell their story.
Are you surprised by the ever growing female fan-base of Male/Male fiction?
Seeing as I started out writing original fiction from my teens, with no knowledge of others with the same love for gay fiction, compared with how naïve and shy I was, I was bowled over to find a whole slash community online that was probably older than I was. That said, my first fandom consisted of more men than women, but that probably had something to do with the film (Beautiful Thing) we were fan of. Am I surprised? Not anymore. I couldn’t give a reason for it. Maybe it’s because we are suckers for romance but are tired of the way female main characters are portrayed. Maybe it’s because, deep down, we’re the adventurous sorts. Or maybe it’s because we accept diversity as is.
What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever received with respect to the art of writing? How did it change the way you approach your craft?
‘Make a note and fix it later’ Michael A. Stackpole said it in his podcast on writing. It seemed such an off hand comment, but it works. If I suddenly find myself realising I did something wrong in chapter one, I don’t go back and rewrite from that point. No, I make a note to remind me to change it in that chapter when I get to the editing phase, and then keep writing pretending the correction is already done. It stops me from rewriting the same chapters over and over and lets me just get on with it and finish the story, before turning it into a polished and well-rounded work.
What are a few of the most valuable things you’ve learned as you’ve gone through the process of writing and becoming a published author?
Finish what you start. You can talk about wanting to write and yearning to be published all you want, but you need to have a finished work to do that. Also, time management. Not that I’m good at it, I’m really not. But working with deadlines has made me become more aware of time. I still can’t believe how I managed to make some of them.
Having a group of people to discuss or check your work, having them point out where your weak and strong points are, is invaluable. It forces me to look at my work in a completely different manner — my editor’s cap on, instead of my writer’s cap — and helps me develop a stronger story.
When someone reads your books, what do you hope they take away from the experience?
Enjoyment, mostly. I just want them to enjoy the ride. But I’d also like readers to gain a sense of hope that one day everyone will realize that diversity is a fact of life and love doesn’t discriminate.
When you have the chance to sit down and enjoy some quiet reading time, what sorts of books are you most likely to pick up? Who are your favorite authors?
I read a lot in my own genre. What can I say? I’m a sucker for romance. But outside gay romance, I read a variety of books, but I prefer mysteries and fantasy. There is a slew of names running through my head right now, but I’d have to go with CJ Sansom, Jane Austen, Doroty Gilman, EM Forster, JK Rowling, Joseph Hansen and Josh Lanyon.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
A Singer. Although these professions aren’t mutually exclusive
I love to sing, I love evoking emotions in people, though I can’t help feel embarrassed when someone comes up to me to tell me I caused them goose bumps.
Aside from writing, what else do you enjoy doing? Do you have any hobbies?
Singing, obviously, but also Qigong, which clears my head, and, though I have little time for it these days, I love to design houses. And reading, but that probably goes without saying.
If time travel were possible, what time period(s) would you most like to visit? Why?
Would it be very corny if I said I’d love to travel back in time to visit my mother? I’d love to visit her before she became a married woman, just to get to know her better the way she was then. It’d be damn hard not to tell her who I was, though.
I’m not really a history kind of person, so wouldn’t mind having a look at the future to see what becomes of all these wonderful things us humans dream up.
If you had the opportunity to sit down to dinner with one famous person, either past or present, who would you choose and why?
You’d have to define famous for me, first. Since ‘Maurice’ is one of my favourite books of all time, I’d have to go with EM Forster. No idea what we’d talk about, or whether he actually wants to know how this secret book of his did,
If he isn’t available, I’d have to go with one of my first teen crushes, Rick Springfield.
If we were to look around the desk where you sit to write, what would we find there?
Right now? A mess. My husband’s making me a new desk, but he doesn’t have a lot of time to work on it, so I’m working out of boxes and crates, and a half finished desk. On that desk you’ll find, next to my computer, some writing totems, like a WNF turtle filled with NaNoWriMo buttons and a small troll figurine. Pens, of course, notebooks, mp3 player, usb-sticks, e-reader, diary, a HUMIDIFYER and loose bits of paper. Handbag, laptop bag, shoes and an assorted mess can be found on the floor.
How would you describe your sense of humor? What makes you laugh?
All over the place, probably. I can laugh at the silliest jokes, well placed word plays, British and/or dark humor. I don’t do well with predictability, however. (which is probably why I can’t watch Laurel and Hardy anymore, while I loved them as a kid)
Do you have an all time favorite fictional character?
Three come to mind immediately, McGyver, Ianto Jones and Mrs. Pollifax. I’d have to go with Mrs. Pollifax. I started reading Dorothy Gilman’s series in my teens and nothing quite beats an unassuming old biddy turned CIA agent, does it?
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
I don’t have any patience for people blocking pathways with their shopping carts. Whether you’re searching for the right product or you find yourself chatting with a friend — I can’t seem to go shopping without chatting to at least one acquaintance — there is no excuse for leaving your cart smack in the middle of the path. Strangely enough, those people are often the ones complaining the most about others doing it.
Do you have a favorite personal mantra, quote, or saying that describes your outlook on life and the way you approach each day?
Our Difference is Our Strength. The world would be a pretty boring place if we were all the same, wouldn’t it?
Do you speak more than one language? If so, which one(s)?
Oh, Dutch, of course, English, German, a bit of French and a little Italian (I can at least count to twenty in Italian).
Of all the modern conveniences, which one would you most likely say you couldn’t live without?
My laptop. Once I started using a computer to write my stories, I realized how much easier it was to keep track. My notebooks always looked so messy with my ever changing handwriting and all the crossed out and restarted parts. Also, I type faster than I write longhand, and my brain is even faster. I can’t count the number of times I found half written sentences in my stories.
Thanks again for spending some time with us, Blaine. It’s been great having you with us. Will you tell us where we can find you on the Internet?
Thank again for having me. It was fun
You can find my website at: http://blainedarden.com
Twitter: @BlaineDArden
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BlaineDArden
Goodreads: Http://www.goodreads.com/BlaineDArden
email: blaine@blainedarden.com
And we’d love if you’d consider sharing a favorite excerpt from one of your books with us.
Excerpt from The Forester:
Tired as I was after spending all day scouring the clearing for evidence and examining Cyine’s body, I wasn’t granted any rest yet. Someone knocked on my door just as I finished washing up and changing my clothes. I regretted opening the door as soon as I saw Ianys standing on the other side, but I resisted slamming it closed.
“What do you want?” I asked, not caring how hostile I sounded.
After all this time, Ianys couldn’t even look at me as he stood there, fidgeting with his tunic, eyes lowered to the ground.
Ianys was as gorgeous as he ever was. Brown, short cropped, messy hair, as if he had just risen from sleep, his muscles visible through the tight tunic. He was a tree elf, broad and more muscular than when we had been together, but as a smith that was to be expected; working the bellows was a pretty hefty workout in itself. I pushed down the memory of watching him work when we were together.
In all the turns since he’d left me, betrayed me, he had barely spoken two words to me. Instead, I had to watch from afar how he vowed himself to another, only to lose her to illness after their daughter, Atèn, was born. I’d watched how hard he worked at being a good father, how he, finally, became a full-fledged smith. He’d never once approached me, but the hope lingering inside me could never be buried deep enough. How could I still want him? After eight turns, I should know better.
“I don’t have time for this, Ianys. I am tired and I—”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Can’t it wait till morning?”
I had to bite my lip to keep from reacting when he finally looked up. His green eyes, filled with turmoil, drew me in the way they had always done. I loved him once. I shook my head. Who was I kidding? I never stopped.
Holding the door open, I stepped aside to let him in, staying in the small hallway until I managed to compose myself.
“He didn’t do it, Kel.”
Whatever whoever had or hadn’t done was the furthest thing from my mind when Ianys called me by that name. I clenched my fists and turned my back to him, hoping he couldn’t see how it affected me. “You have no right to call me that.”
A long silence followed. I tried to school my features, but I was too drained. Instead, I kept my back to him and waited for him to break the silence. I heard him sigh.
“I heard they accuse him of killing Cyine, but he didn’t do it,” Ianys finally said.
“Who?” What could Ianys know about the murder?
“Taruif.”
I froze. My first instinct was to tell Ianys he shouldn’t be saying the name, shouldn’t even think it, but there was something in Ianys’ voice that made me stop. Something of a memory from long ago, when I didn’t know how Ianys betrayed me, and we lay together in the dark, and he would whisper my name in that same way.
It could not be true. But when I finally turned around and looked at him, it was all too clear in Ianys’ face. The one I loved—had loved—and the one I desired, joined in illicit relations.
I should arrest Ianys, should send him to face the elders and have him punished, shunned, shut out for his digression. But then I pictured Atèn looking at me with those same green eyes, and I knew I could not rob her of a father as well.
“He didn’t do it, Kelnaht. He couldn’t have done it, for I—”
I shook my head and held my hand up to stop him. “Don’t tell me, Ianys. I beg of you, do not confess to this… this abomination.”
It hurt me to say it, having the same feelings myself, but if he told me, I could not help him. Being caught talking to the Forester was bad enough, though I had the right to pardon him for that, a first offence. But confessing to laying with a shunned, that would have to be reported to the elders; it was my duty. I would not be able to save him then.
“He saw someone outside, Kelnaht. He didn’t see Cyine, but he noticed someone out in the dark in that clearing.” His eyes begged me to understand, begged me to help him, but I was rooted to the floor.
I knew the Forester—I could not allow myself to think of him by name—knew he hadn’t killed Cyine, even if the evidence was still inconclusive. I had no doubt in my mind, no matter how loud Olden proclaimed him guilty. And here Ianys was, confirming my belief in his innocence and giving me the best and worst witness I could ever have. No matter whether I believed Ianys or not, I could never use this information. The Forester was out of bounds.
“Kel, please, help us. Help him. I could have been out walking when I stumbled across the clearing. You know I don’t always sleep well.”
I bit my lip and clenched my fists. I didn’t want him to bring our history up. I didn’t want him to tell me about the Forester. I wanted him gone, wanted him to go back to his daughter and go back to not being part of my life. But I found myself unable to turn him out.
“You would perjure yourself, would risk losing your daughter?”
“No! No one but you knows the truth.”
I laughed at that, flinching at the harsh sound. “I am the Truth Seeker, Ianys. I seek the truth; I do not bury lies.”
“But I was in the forest.”
“But you didn’t see what he saw. One mistake and you will be shunned, just like him.”
Ianys flinched then. He shook his head. “There has to be a way.”
“Get him to talk to the Guide.”
“Anything the Guide hears during those conversations is confidential. He can’t reveal anything Taruif tells him.”
“Please.” The word left my mouth before I could stop it. I couldn’t handle him speaking that name with such devotion. Not when I ached to be able to myself. “Remember who you are talking to, Ianys. Do not incriminate yourself any further.” I leaned back against the wall, trying to keep upright and closed my eyes. “Go home, Ianys. I need to… I need to think.”
I swatted away the hand touching my cheek and waited until I heard the door close before letting myself slide to the floor.
