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Hop Against Homophobia
I grew up in a very small town in the middle of nowhere. When I was younger, it always seemed like there were only a couple hundred people who lived there (it was really 7k or so). We were a 45 minute drive from the nearest interstate and mall. There was no movie theater, and half the time we didn’t have a clothing store (they went in and out of business like going bankrupt was in style).
In other words, I grew up under a rock. :3 Half the rock was my own making; I was an introvert and much more interested in reading than in the same 200 boring people that inhabited my town. (None of them had magic! How could they compete?) Homophobia didn’t seem real to me; it was an abstract concept that I’d never experienced or recognized in anything around me. (This is not to say it wasn’t there, but to say that I was an oblivious, self-absorbed young person, a.k.a., a typical teenager.)
High school really cemented this. I can remember three gay classmates off the top of my head. Two had been out for as long as I could remember (the girl actually asked me out once; I declined on the grounds she was too short (seriously, I was a strange, strange teenager)). The third was a little older, a year or two before me in high school; he was the stereotypical jock, on the football and basketball teams. I remember he came out when I was in high school, and I couldn’t figure out why it was gossip. I don’t know if anyone gave him a hard time about it, but nothing seemed to change. He was still friends with the same people and did the same things.
It wasn’t until I got to college and had my own computer and a connection to the world (the great and wonderful internet!) that I realized that things like homophobia, racism, etc., weren’t just theoretical concepts. I had never experienced or witnessed any overt homophobic actions, but the internet brought me to people who had. I was connected to wonderful, creative, lovely people who had experienced homophobic discrimination, who had suffered and looked down upon because other people thought less of them because of who they loved.
So, while it may seem like common sense that gay people are first and foremost people, and deserve all the respect that entails, it’s always worth repeating. It’s never, ever right to ridicule or discriminate against someone because of who they are and who they love.
In support of the Hop, I’m offering a giveaway prize of one copy of any paperback in my backlist.* To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post on my website or LJ (tumblr will not be counted because I don’t actually understand tumblr). Please include your email address in the comment so I can get in touch with you. ^__^
Givewaway technically ends on May 20 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, but I probably won’t draw until the morning of the 21st because I like my sleep. Winner will be selected using random.org and will have 48 hours to get back to me after being notified, after which point a new winner will be selected.
*Backlist includes That Famous Happy End, Fairytales Slashed: Volume 2, Stolen Hearts, Living Words, Seeing is Believing, or the upcoming Saving Liam**
** If Saving Liam is chosen, it will ship as soon as it is in my grubby little hands (very, very soon).***
*** I promise no grubbiness will be transferred to the book. ^__~
Saving Liam!
Saving Liam comes out tomorrow! (late tomorrow, technically “Wednesday,” but I don’t think anyone doesn’t know that we do updates the night before at this point. :3)
God, this story was a monster to write. It took me over a year (with other projects in between), and it’s one of the longest I’ve written, if not THE longest. It’s definitely one of the best, IMHO, and I am really, really fucking happy with the way it turned out. I haven’t heard much from peeps about it, but what I have heard is positive (which makes me really happy). ^__^
Oh, if you’re interested, there are two giveaways going on: one at Goodreads, which closes at 10:00 p.m. EDT Tuesday, and one at Babes in Boyland, which closes at 9 p.m. CDT on Wednesday. (Oh, god, those are different time zones. /resists urge to convert them)
Saving Liam
Leyton lived a quiet, simple life as a prosperous, thriving merchant alongside his twin brother Liam. But that life is shattered when Liam goes missing, and Leyton is told that the only way to save his brother’s life is to seduce a king. The task proves to be even more difficult than Leyton feared, and soon he is swept up in a tide of political machinations, betrayal, and a looming threat of execution once the men who blackmailed him are caught.
But the threat of his pending death is nothing alongside the constant fear for his missing brother’s safety—and the tangle of intrigue in which he is caught is nothing like the tangle he put himself in after breaking the heart of a king…
Also, if for any reason you do not follow M or didn’t catch this on the LT3 site, we’re kicking off our moving-three-states-east shenanigans within a few days. That means less communication (b/c, y’know, I’m so chatty now. :3), and much slower response times. Do not burn down the internet while I’m not there to help, plzkthks.
Also, oh my god the books and sneak peeks are so out of date. /o\ ::adds updating the website to the to-do list::
Love is Always Write
Like I mentioned a few months back, I signed up for the Love is Always Write event that the M/M Romance group on Goodreads hosts. ^__^ My story ended up at a little more than 20k and I really like the way it turned out. The stories are going to be posted over the course of 10 weeks, beginning in about a month, so if you’re interested, check it out. You have to be a member of the group, but it’s as easy as signing up for a Goodreads account and clicking join. The group is here. I’ll also be posting the story here, eventually, so if you don’t want to join (or are very, very patient), you’ll see it here too. :3
Prompt:
He was told that everything happened for a reason, that there were things out there that watched your every move. He just never thought that the people telling him this were telling the truth. Until he happened to glimpse something out of the corner of his eye, something that he couldn’t explain.
And now there are things in the shadows, things that want him. And he’s not sure if he can hold out any longer. If only he hadn’t picked up that apple on that fateful day, then the ones in the shadows would not have noticed his presence.
Teaser snippet:
A semi-circle of tall candelabras stood behind the podium. They’d be lit during the ceremony that opened the sermon, and the candles left to burn afterwards. The wall behind the dais was decorated with tapestries that depicted famous scenes from the priests’ teachings: lightning striking out against dark clouds, a man standing tall against a shadowy monster, light wreathing a man dressed in priests’ robes.
Sliding his bucket along the dais towards the nearest candelabra, Corin started washing that. He glanced back over the hall, unsurprised to see the rest of his group working as slowly as he was. They were chatting though, and Corin stifled another wave of homesickness. He wanted someone to talk to, but no one here would give him the time of day. He deserved that, he supposed, for being so dismissive of Karli.
Eight months. That wasn’t too long, right? So why did it feel like he was never going to leave? Corin rolled his eyes at himself—that was about as dramatic as Karli and her shadows. Corin turned to focus his attention on the candelabra again, only to have his eye caught by a flash of red. An apple, bright and ripe, sat on the edge of one of the cubbies of the podium.
Corin swore it hadn’t been there before. He’d looked in the podium—it had been all dust and nothing else. Corin glanced back out into the sermon hall, but no one was close enough to have snuck up and put it there without him noticing. He wasn’t concentrating that much on cleaning. Looking back at the podium, Corin frowned pensively at the apple. His stomach flipped uneasily, and he turned back to the candelabra, focusing on running his rag through the grooves and designs decorating it.
There was something wrong, Corin decided, but he didn’t know what and he didn’t know what to do about it. He wasn’t touching that apple, though. Nothing good could come of that. Corin turned and glanced at the podium again. The apple was still there, sitting innocuously at the edge of the shelf. He’d leave the podium to last, Corin decided, and then wash around the apple if he had to.
Maybe it had been there before? How much attention had he really been paying to the podium earlier? Maybe he’d looked at the bottom shelf and decided the top shelf was empty as well? Corin glanced at the podium again—the apple wasn’t on the edge of the shelf like he’d thought, but six inches back, shadowed by the sides of the podium.
He was being as bad as Karli’s dramatics again, Corin thought, rising to his knees to reach higher on the candelabra he was cleaning. The apple wasn’t probably some priest’s breakfast snack. Apples weren’t in season, Corin’s traitorous mind told him. How would a perfectly ripe apple exist, this far away from fall? Corin’s stomach flipped again, and a chill raced down his spine. He stared resolutely at the candelabra, refusing to give into the urge to check if the apple was still there.
The sound of footsteps on the dais brought Corin’s head around, and he stared at Rafferty for a moment, before turning to check the podium. The cubbies were completely empty again, and Corin’s stomach settled, the uneasiness disappearing as suddenly as it had come. What in the world was going on?
“Come with me, please,” Rafferty said, breaking into Corin’s thoughts. He looked grim, and Corin wondered if he’d done something wrong. He’d been doing what he was told, cleaning the dais. Scrambling to his feet, Corin dropped his rag into his bucket and obediently headed after Rafferty, his mind racing.
On writing
I’m really tired of seeing posts about “tips for M/M writers” and “things M/M writers need to be doing” and “WTF are you doing M/M writers, this is terrible!!!” (OK, maybe not that last one.)
These posts seem to be preoccupied with the One True Way to become a popular, successful M/M writer. This One True Way seems to involve
(1) reading all of your reviews to determine how you can improve
(2) running all your writing by “a gay friend” to make sure it works
(3) networking
(4) networking
(5) spamming the hell
(6) dissecting the works of successful authors in order to emulate it
(7) read your dialogue out loud! (I hate hate hate this one)
(8) don’t be a jerk
Some of this is common sense. Honestly, I’m of the opinion that if you’re stupid enough to go and call out readers who leave bad reviews, participate in name calling and trolling, well… survival of the fittest. You’re an idiot and it’s probably for the best you’re bounced out early. Harsh? Maybe, but uh, why the hell would you think that’s a good idea?
I hate the “read your dialogue out loud” line. I’m a terrible conversationalist. I stumble and fumble and combine phrases all the time. I often skip and stumble over words when I’m reading aloud. Reading my dialogue out loud would not help me. Here’s the thing — no two writers are the same. No two writers have the same process or use the same tricks and techniques. Maybe it’s important for some writers to read their dialogue out loud, but it’s not a technique that helps me.
This plays into the “dissect others’ works.” Again, not something that helps me. NGL, reading a lot? That helps. Sitting down and tearing a book apart paragraph by paragraph, word by word? That makes me second guess every word I write, which doesn’t help me write.
Also, I value that my readers leave reviews on my books. Occasionally, I go check them out, to see what people think. Do I take it to heart when someone dislikes my book? Yeah, a little. I like my stories, and it makes me sad when someone is disappointed by or doesn’t like something I’ve written. Do I immediately think, “well, how could I have done better?”
No. No, I don’t.
For one, most of the time, I don’t know who my readers are. I don’t know their backgrounds, I don’t know what they like, and I don’t know what made them form the opinion they did about my book. Opinions are by their nature personal and subjective. I write what I write because I like it. For another, I have betas and editors, whose objectivity I trust, to tell me if I’ve screwed something up. I’m continuously looking for ways to improve my writing, and most of all — I keep writing. I don’t need to check all of the things about a past book before I move forward. I’m always moving forward, and that is the most important thing.
And that’s what writing is about. WRITING. It doesn’t matter if you read dialogue out loud, dissect others’ writing, etc. etc., not if you’re spending all of your time trying to figure out how to write so that you have the most and broadest commercial appeal. I know how I could become more popular; I could start writing contemporary and include more sex in my stories. That’s not something I plan to do, even if I do have a contemp story I’m percolating on. I like what I write, and it works for me (and for a majority of my readers, I believe :3).
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that there is no “One True Path” to being an M/M Romance writer. Yes, there are things that help (especially with regards to marketing and networking, though I’m a huge slacker on both those fronts), but you don’t need to do what everyone else is doing to make it work. You find your own way, you find your own space, and most importantly, you keep writing.
Vixen, Riding the Waves, and Love is Always Write
Three bits of writing news tonight! ^__^ First up, Vixen, LT3′s first F/F anthology, is out! It’s an awesome collection of stories, and I super enjoyed writing Slaying Dragons. I really want to do more F/F now. :3 I actually have an inkling of an idea for one of the women who shows up in Saving Liam, so uh, that’s also on my rather lengthy ‘to write’ list.
But back to Vixen — if you are at all interested in F/F, you should definitely check it out. I really love all of the stories in this anthology, though my favorite is The Thicket by Liz Lambdin. It’s a Rapunzel remake, and a super awesome one at that. ^__^ I love it. Cavatina, Cabaletta by Rachel White is also really cool (it has an operatic setting, which is awesome). The other stories are no slouches either. You can check it out here. ^__^
***
Next point of business. ^__^ There’s an LJ comm called pic for 1000 (linked ’cause LJ tags don’t work on my website), that challenges you to write exactly 1000 words, no more, no less, based off a picture prompt. This was my picture, this is my story. Enjoy! ^__^
***
Last up, I signed up for another challenge (b/c I don’t have enough to write, apparently. :3) in the M/M Romance community on Goodreads. It’s called Love is Always Write, and members of the comm put forth “Dear Author” letters with a photo and prompt. Authors then go and pick one, and write a short story for it. ^__^ This is my prompt, and it should be a lot of fun!
He was told that everything happened for a reason, that there were things out there that watched your every move. He just never thought that the people telling him this were telling the truth. Until he happened to glimpse something out of the corner of his eye, something that he couldn’t explain.
And now there are things in the shadows, things that want him. And he’s not sure if he can hold out any longer. If only he hadn’t picked up that apple on that fateful day, then the ones in the shadows would have noticed his presence.
Smoking is Bad for You
Okay, so I suck at updating. This should come as no grand surprise to anyone. The LT3 Kiss Me Quick stories have been eating a lot of my time this past month, but since tonight’s the last of them up, I shouldn’t be as tied up as I have been lately. Not that that means I’ll post more, but I’ll probably be writing more, which is the important thing, right? ^__~
Tangentially related, I’ve got a second KMQ short being released with the fourth week of stories. ^__^ It’s called Smoking is Bad for You and I’m really excited for it. It’s contemp, which is weird for me, and police detectives, which is even weirder for me. I really like the characters, though, and I’m hoping to play with them in a full-length story down the road. Check it out, if you are so inclined:
With nothing better to do until his contact shows up, Detective Keith Halfen notices a man who looks familiar, but whom he cannot place. Curious, determined to place the man, he strikes up a conversation and finds himself drawn in when he learns why the man is lingering outside a restaurant smoking a cigarette…
Guest blog & Any Day Will Do
For the interested, I did a (very) short guest blog over on Clare London’s Livejournal for her birthday blogging bash. It’s pretty much me yakking about my favorite bits of fantasy and how I work my stories around it. If you’re interested in checking it out, it’s here. ^__^
I also have a short story coming in February, part of LT3′s Kiss Me Quick collection. ^__^ It’s called Any Day Will Do and it’s completely, utterly silly and sappy. ^__^ The other Valentines are awesome as well, and we’re all really excited about this collection!
Sean is good at forgetting about things, so caught up in his painting that the rest of the world slips away. He’s pretty certain he’s done it again, because his boyfriend, Dustin, is dressed to the nines and ready to take him out to dinner. Whatever important occasion he’s forgotten, Sean hopes it’s not going to cost him the best boyfriend he’s ever had.
Kiss Me Quick is a collection of short and sweet stories from authors familiar and new, celebrating the season of love. Come and enjoy these tales of misunderstandings, lonely singles, pining lovers, and so much more! Because if there is one thing that is never in doubt, it’s that LT3 knows the way to your heart, and these stories are a straight shot.
2011 Rainbow Awards: Stolen Hearts
Stolen Hearts won honorary mention in the Best Gay Fantasy category of the 2011 Rainbow Awards! I’m excited and baffled and excited and it’s really awesome! ^____^
The reviewer had the following to say, too, which didn’t help the flailing. ^__~
I really enjoyed this story. The world building was good, the characters were intriguing, and the conflict held my interest. –Cassandra
Megan’s Midnight won top slot in the paranormal category, which is just fantastic, too! ^___^
I win at remembering things!
Except for the part where it’s really the opposite. Not only did I forget to announce the story initially, but then I forgot to announce that it was available. So uh, ta-dah! To Get to You is now available from the LT3 Book Market! ^__^;; I hope everyone who reads, enjoys it! ^__^
Madison does not like Adam, not even a little bit. He’s a jerk in every sense of the word, and Madison wants nothing to do with him. But Madison can’t bring himself to simply leave a mage to suffer when it’s in his power to help—and as he is the only available fire mage on campus, he is literally the only one who can help Adam bind his negative energies.
It’s the kind of help he’d offer anyone; Adam the jerk is no exception. Once the spell is done, they can go their separate ways, and that will be the end of the matter. Right?
Just One Bite and To Get to You
Megan is in the final round!
Megan, my lovely roommate, is in the final round of AllRomance Ebooks Just One Bite fic competition! She’s in the lead at the moment, but the story she’s up against made an underdog leap to be the front-runner in the last round (seriously, the story was almost a hundred votes behind at one point, then voting went through the roof last night), so every vote definitely helps! If you have a moment, please read the stories and vote!
To Get to You
I think I completely forgot about announcing this, but my short story To Get to You is coming out next week (November 9). ^__^ It’s a cute little fantasy-meets-college-boys story, written for London’s birthday earlier this year. You can read an excerpt here. There’s also a giveaway going on for it at the LT3 GoodReads group. ^__^
Madison does not like Adam, not even a little bit. He’s a jerk in every sense of the word, and Madison wants nothing to do with him. But Madison can’t bring himself to simply leave a mage to suffer when it’s in his power to help—and as he is the only available fire mage on campus, he is literally the only one who can help Adam bind his negative energies.
It’s the kind of help he’d offer anyone; Adam the jerk is no exception. Once the spell is done, they can go their separate ways, and that will be the end of the matter. Right?