The very talented Jared Rackler has done it again, producing an unbelieveably gorgeous cover for my short story, Flame.
While Flame is currently out of publication, look for it again real soon, sporting Jared's amazing work.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Lovely, Lovely, Lovely
Those of you who follow my blog have seen posts before about talented up and coming cover artist Jared Rackler. It seems my recent Goodreads Love is Always Write story, In Dreams, inspired him, and he created this lovely cover. Beautiful, isn't it?
Find the inspiration behind the cover here.
Find the inspiration behind the cover here.
Remember what the day is for....
While having a day off from work is lovely, and it's a great time to spend with family and friends, remember to pause and consider what Memorial Day stands for. Let's honor our servicemen and women, who'd lay down their lives for this country, or who already have.
I cannot even imagine what it must be like to leave home at eighteen and immediately be thrust into a world where people hate you for your country and would happily kill you, not for who you are, but what you represent: freedom, democracy, the right to free speech. And so many do not return home.
So if you're a praying person, pray for our military personnel in harm's way, but above all, quietly or not so quietly thank them for keeping us safe here at home.
I'm a proud Navy mom!
I cannot even imagine what it must be like to leave home at eighteen and immediately be thrust into a world where people hate you for your country and would happily kill you, not for who you are, but what you represent: freedom, democracy, the right to free speech. And so many do not return home.
So if you're a praying person, pray for our military personnel in harm's way, but above all, quietly or not so quietly thank them for keeping us safe here at home.
I'm a proud Navy mom!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Just one more week...Lambdas!!!!
Oh my God! At this time next week I'll be in New York City, preparing to attend the Lambda Awards. A friend, who also has a book nominated in the M/M Romance category, just pointed out an email I hadn't properly read, instructing me about acceptance speeches, where to sit, and asking if I'ld like to be photographed on the red carpet. Red carpet? Acceptance speeches? Which immediatly sparked a bout of hyperventilation.
This is without a doubt a dream come true for me, being nominated and attending the awards. I'd hoped for it later on in my career, never realizing it'd happen so soon. I still check the nominess list from time to time to make sure Settling the Score is still there, and that being nominated is not simply a sweet dream I'll soon wake up from.
Ya'll wish me luck!!! And thank you Lambda Literary!
This is without a doubt a dream come true for me, being nominated and attending the awards. I'd hoped for it later on in my career, never realizing it'd happen so soon. I still check the nominess list from time to time to make sure Settling the Score is still there, and that being nominated is not simply a sweet dream I'll soon wake up from.
Ya'll wish me luck!!! And thank you Lambda Literary!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Free Read at Goodreads
I had a blast last year participating in the Don't Read in the Closet short story project at Goodreads, and chose another prompt picture this year for their Love is Always Write campaign. Here's the picture and prompt I choose, offered by Lexi:
See how different here:
For three sleepless days, the lyrics have been pounding around in my head. Every time I close my eyes, this is the face that I see. The music is pouring from me, dragging me in its wake and I can almost believe he is real, his haunted eyes singing to me.Although my original idea was for a rock musician with amnesia, the story turned out much, much different.
See how different here:
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Hop Against Homophobia Part II
Every now and then you come across something so deeply moving that you want to share it with everyone. That happened for me today when I read my dear friend Will Prater's poem, written as part of the Hop Against Homophobia. I cannot see how anyone could read these heartwrenchingly beautiful words and walk away unchanged. Will is such a joyful, funloving soul, that I never imagined the deep pain he carries inside. It's a testiment to his fortitude and character that he has grown into the warm, loving man he is today.
This picture is one of the few times I've seen Will not smiling, but that T-shirt and the hair explains a lot about his life's philosophy.
If this poem brought you to tears, as it did me, please visit Will's site and let him know at Just Write and SO Gay.
This picture is one of the few times I've seen Will not smiling, but that T-shirt and the hair explains a lot about his life's philosophy.
That Kid by William Prater
I am that kid, bloody and bruised,
thrown on the sidewalk, wasted and used.
I am that kid in different clothes,
beat up and spit on for words that he chose.
I am that kid, no belief left in God,
that Christians reviled, and Samiritans robbed.
I am that kid that stayed late at school,
to avoid the cheers and the sneers of the "cool".
I am that kid that covered the mirrors,
that quietly hurt myself, screaming through tears.
I am that kid, coming out to my folks,
only to find I am the butt of their jokes.
I am that kid, hit and thrown to the ground,
you said you'd protect, but you were never around.
I am that kid who couldn't take any more,
so I closed off my heart, and prayed to my core.
I am that kid, that pray and pray,
since suicide's sin, kill me another way.
I am that kid, who lived through that shit,
now I AM STRONGER, and on the other side of it.
I am that man, who sees the truth,
that people are mean, and worse, in their youth.
I am that man who understands how
the same ones who made fun are all sorry now.
I am that man, they all wanted to be,
even in youth, cause the truth set me free.
I am that man, who chooses to love,
stronger than hate, I rise above.
I am that man though the kid is still me,
the only difference is now, I'm happy to be.
I am that man who journeyed though hate
bruised but not broken, who chose his own fate.
I am that man who will love who he please
No apologies, no regrets, 'til this life, it does cease.
***
If this poem brought you to tears, as it did me, please visit Will's site and let him know at Just Write and SO Gay.
Please give a warm welcome to Rodney Ross
I don't have guests often, but I'm pleased to present Rodney Ross, whose new novel, "The Cool Part of His Pillow" recently released from Dreamspinner Press. If you've read my work you know I love angst, and happy endings (but the main character has to work for it.)
I've read the blurb and can't help wondering: is ‘The
Cool Part Of His Pillow’ (TCPohP) a romance or a journey to
recovery? What kind of experience can
readers expect?
I
would say both. Barry Grooms is a success by any measure: expansive interior
design gallery, 20-plus years of stability with partner Andy, financial
security, he still has all of his own hair and teeth. Then everything changes
when, on Barry’s 45th birthday, a horrendous construction crane
collapse kills Andy and their two pugs.
His
plunge into widowerhood is surreal – casseroles of sympathy, being offered
someone else’s snotrag, a parasitic grief support group – yet Barry is damaged, not destroyed, and as
he slowly rebuilds a world largely destroyed, my hope is anyone who has
experienced loss, felt backed into a corner, dealt with
know-it-all-but-well-meaning-friends-and-relatives or retreated into denial,
will find resonance.
TCPohP is also funny, full of
wicked observation. Not rimshot jokes nor Neil Simon-ish set-ups…more humor
that naturally emerges from situations…misery is so much more fun when
sprinkled with the macabre or the politically-incorrect, the scatological or
the blasphemous. Barry’s smartassedness, his skeptical eye rolls, are what
ultimately save him.
I notice you have a book trailer. Tell us some of your thoughts on book
trailers. Do they make an effective
marketing tool?
Actually,
I have several TCPohP trailers; by going to YouTube at by going to YouTube at http://youtu.be/p2hbNenYe4g, you can watch
one, then access the rest, some teasers, others time-sensitive, a couple more
general. Having come from -- or, rather, escaped -- the Advertising arena and
its bloodlust, I know too well how society is visually-driven. And don’t we all
love a good Coming Attraction at the local multiplex (after the 22 goddamn
commercials for soft drinks and one-night-only opera telecasts we’ll never
attend?) A carefully-crafted trailer can give the potential reader a hint of
what’s to come, without spoilers or too much hyperbole. My endgame was to
attract interest.
I absolutely adore the cover art. Who
designed the cover and what do you like best about it?
Anne Cain, who does a lot of work
for DSP. Beyond the literal emptiness of the bed, a pillow clearly not slept
upon and a forlorn hand, I like the detachment…almost seen through parchment,
from an impassive distance. I like how the wrinkled sheets trail down and
recede into marbelization. The colors aren’t quite real. Nor is the character’s
life after being thrust into the darkest recesses he could ever imagine.
What
has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The worst: being informed by a
literary agent probably no older than my tweezers that my writing was “too
jazzy” for her palate. I protested, “But I hate jazz!” I still don’t know what
that means, but I do my best now to avoid mentioning saxophones and Ann Hampton
Calloway as I wordsmith. What a load of horseshit. You may as well tell me you
don’t like the way I type, it’s that impenetrable.
The best: a Key West, FL neighbor
who was once a columnist for the Chicago
Tribune telling me, upon reading the raw
manuscript-- before I ever submitted it anywhere -- that TCPohP gave her an asthma attack. My new
goal is to always make someone reach for an inhaler.
What
aspect of your own life has most influenced your writing or storytelling?
Being a gay male, certainly, and
permit to be demure and evasive as I add one of a certain age, I wanted to voice something relevant to a certain demographic:
loneliness borne of loss, not of abandonment or cheating or even illness, but
unthinkable circumstance. I am remarkably fortunate to be with a man who has
tolerated and treasured me for a very long time. If our relationship was
measured in dog years, it would be something out of Jurassic Park .
Having known this bliss, I wanted to talk about the absence of love after
having had it…when AARP is about the only thing that may come courting. Love is
visceral and tactile, as well as emotional, and its absence can cause as much
physical as emotional distress. And I ain’t talking blue balls.
What
part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? The least?
The challenge is always sitting
down and writing, while also being depressingly aware that the final polish is
so, so distant. Writing is so damned isolated, and isolating. A writer looks
for distraction: the shit-laden litterpan to scoop, or sit-ups to attempt, a
martini that’s just yelling to be shaken. I always have a notepad and pen, or a
mini-cassette recorder, handy. I treat my muse like a sneeze: I gotta catch the
spray when I can!
That said, I cherish the ability
to create and manipulate lives in the way we, of course, cannot make ours so
malleable. The inclination to write is so embedded, I cannot imagine NOT
writing. I was a creative child, self-isolating and brooding. Most is nature….a
bit is nurture…all of it is heavy lifting.
I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer, working on twelve stories at once. Do you work on one project at
a time? Or do you multi-task?
One
at a time. Having come -– or, rather, escaped, from the arena of Advertising –-
I multitask quite capably, but that doesn’t guarantee a satisfying result. I
wish I could divide my brain like the segments of an orange and each juicy
membrane would address a different novel, screenplay or play, but I have to
bring my whole fruitness to a single game.
What song would best describe your life?
Anything from Karen
Carpenter. As a younger gay, I
instinctively understood the forlorn quality of her voice; now, as an Eldergay,
I appreciate even more her. When pressed, I would say her rendition of
‘Superstar’ would accompany me to a deserted island, along with guacamole,Grey
Goose and a glycolic facial wash.
Personally, I find techno without words helps drive creativity. Do you
listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a
soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music
influenced it?
I
prefer silence when I write in my office: no music, no TV in the other room,
even ambient noise outdoors can be distracting. Occasionally, when traveling,
I’ll listen to my iPod and scribble some notes and, inevitably, it’s usually
sparked by a film soundtrack. The compositions of Rachel Portman are especially
inspirational.
Now that you’re published, describe the
journey.
Well, I’m still on it. I cannot
begin to predict the turns, the fast stops, the backing-up I will have to do to
push my novel in conjunction with Dreamspinner Press (DSP).
Writing letters of inquiry and
sending novel samples – “send us your best chapter,” some implore, as though I
can disconnect one from the other as a perfect stand-alone example of my
ability – is especially brutal, one that embodies the word dread.
My favorite rejection letter was
an E-mail from another literary agent (do you sense a trend here?). It was 3
words in response to what I thought was a succinct plot summary coupled with a
witty turn of phrase or two and the first three chapters.
The E-mail read: Not for me
No greeting, no signature, not
even a period. She didn’t have time to
close the fucking sentence.
Any
upcoming projects you would like to let us know about?
Beyond conceding that I AM at
work on a new novel, that’s a big sssssssshhhhhh. I can say that it’s about bad
luck, and good -- the paths chosen when fortune smiles on us, the desperate
measures taken when it doesn’t.
Is there an author you would
really like to meet? Where, and what
would you talk about?
I
always cite John Irving. The
World According To Garp opened my eyes to
possibilities in literature that didn’t exist to me prior. His subsequent work
has been just as vital, and his style brings an empathy, clarity and humanity
to the most unrelentingly cruel encounters and unexpected character pivots. I
can only aspire to his literary prowess, and I would probably just weep
copiously or lose control of my bowels in his presence, neither of which would
make a favorable impression.
What
are you reading currently?
I am loving the trashy and salacious Full Service, by Scotty Bowers, the Hollywood hustler
who serviced people like Cary
Grant and procured women for Katherine Hepburn. Whether it is true nor not is inconsequential.
I crave a little dirt to sprinkle over my morning egg, and this tell-all supplied
it.
Where can we find The Cool Part of His Pillow?
Where can we find The Cool Part of His Pillow?
Publication Date: May
2012 Publication
Buy Links: Paperback http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2942 ISBN 978-1-61372-504-7
e-Book http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2941 ISBN 978-1-61372-505-4
Can you share an excerpt with us?
I push away the toss pillows
plumped horizontally under the duvet to approximate a body alongside my own.
I hate this foam memory mattress.
I wish we’d kept our very first lumpy, concave mattress. Andy’s dent would
still be in it. I could sink into it, let it swallow me up.
I will never again hear him
whisper into my ear, “Sleepy time now.”
I will never again feel his
heartbeat when he wakes from nightmares, holding on to a spindle of our
headboard.
I will never ever again kidnap
the cool part of his pillow. It was just one push/pull in our 23 years of
push/pull continuum. When my own was airless and warm, I would find that
unoccupied part, I would slowly pull the pillow toward me until his shoulders
grazed my breastbone, nestle my head behind his and go to sleep. It didn’t stay
cool for long. I’d restlessly return to my own, or he’d wake enough to take it
back with a grouchy harumph but two, three times a night my right hand, like a
divining rod jerking toward a source of water, would go wandering for fresh,
for safe, for cool. It was like winning a prize. I will miss those two big
heads full of alpha male dreams sharing one pillow.
Now it’s all mine.
I can have as much cool as I
want, can dominate every bit, which is very different.
Thank you so much for joining us today,
Rodney!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Hop Against Homophobia
As I'm a bit older than a lot of folks participating in the Hop Against Homophobia, I'm taking a historical look at predjudices in the US's not so distant history.
In 1967, about 72% were opposed to interracial marriage and 48% felt that marrying a person of another race should be prosecuted as a criminal act.Sean Robert Cahill, "Same-sex marriage in the United States: Focus on the facts," Lexington Books, (2004), Page 12. |
I'm a student of human nature, and see the pattern of how each generation repeats the mistakes of the one gone before. For some reason, folks feel the need to push down another group to make themselves look better. Anyone remember what N.I.N.A stood for? It meant "No Irish Need Apply." Yes, at one time, the Irish were the group to be discriminated against. Then Italians. I wonder what criticism my Native American great-grandmother endured when she married a "white man." One by one, those prejudices weakened and disappeared. When are we going to stop applying labels to each other? We're people, dammit. 'Nuff said.
Now, I'm not college educated, don't have degrees to brag about, hell -- I live in the trailer park for crying out loud. But I do know that judging a person based on anything other than who they actually are is dumb. Right now shunning someone for being from Ireland seems ridiculous, doesn't it, in this great melting pot of the USA where most folks can claim many nationalities among their ancestors? Yet it happened, and not too terribly long ago.
Now in 2012 my friends can't legally marry. In thirty years, if it takes that long (hopefully not), the current homophobia and prejudice will seem just as absurd a the country's previous biases. Our descendants will feel shame when they see pictures in history books of folks bearing hate-slogan banners. Why not discriminate against blue eyes, or brown hair? Overbites? Freckles? Of course, left handers were once targets of bias, too.
We are each who and how we were meant to be. If you find that special someone who makes your world a better place, regardless of race, religion, gender, or crazy relatives, hang on for dear life. If we all focus on love we won't have time to hate. You don't have to carry signs or scream in anger, just quietly lead by example. One by one we can make a difference by setting a positive example, in our homes, schools, and workplaces. Do not tolerate bigotry or turn a blind eye to injustice.
****
Visitors to my site, welcome to the Hop Against Homophobia. Below are other participants that I hope you'll visit in support of ending homophobia and predjudice for good. If you look on the right sidebar, you'll see several free reads that I offer; all I ask is that by downloading you're confirming that you're over eighteen. The Telling is a full-length novel; the rest are shorter works. All comments on this post from today until midnight EST May 20 will get your name in the drawing for a print copy of one book of your choice: The Angel of 13th Street, Settling the Score, or Diversion. You can ask for my latest release, Fallen Angel, but you might have to wait a few days until I can get my hands on a copy. Thank you, and let's all be a little kinder to each other, okay? Now why don't you go visit these nice folks, register for prizes, and show your support for ending homophobia.
1. Erica Pike 78. L. A. Witt 155. Randy's Book Bag Reviews 2. K-Lee Klein 79. Sui Lynn 156. Becky Condit 3. Zathyn Priest 80. RANDALL WIGGINS 157. Jessica Lee 4. Andi Anderson 81. Haley Walsh 158. M.L. Rhodes 5. Kayla Jameth 82. Nephylim 159. Amanda Corlies 6. Dani Alexander 83. Marie Sexton 160. A.M. Burns 7. S.J. Frost 84. Kayelle Allen 161. Sue K. 8. Tara Lain 85. Anne Barwell 162. Angela S. Stone 9. West Thornhill 86. SJD Peterson 163. Amber Quill Press LLC 10. Vicktor Alexander 87. Rick R. Reed 164. Elin Gregory 11. L.M. Brown 88. Kracken 165. Rowan McBride 12. Embry Carlysle 89. Erato 166. Marie Dees 13. Michael Mandrake 90. H.L. Holston 167. B.G. Thomas 14. Lori Toland 91. Johnny Miles 168. Lissa Matthews 15. Carolyn Gray 92. H.A Caine 169. Jessie Lansdel 16. Diana DeRicci 93. Kit Sands 170. Barbara Elsborg 17. J P Bowie 94. Andrea Speed 171. Katey Hawthorne 18. Lily Sawyer 95. AJ Jarrett 172. JL Merrow 19. Kerry Freeman 96. S. L. Danielson 173. DARK HAVEN BOOK REVIEWS 20. Kaje Harper 97. Blaine D. Arden 174. Full Moon Bites 21. Shae Connor 98. Anne Brooke 175. Zahra Owens 22. L.C. Chase 99. Em Woods 176. Caroline Stephens 23. Piper Vaughn & M.J. O'Shea 100. Karenna Colcroft 177. J.A. Rock 24. Zach Sweets 101. Stevie Woods 178. Hunter Raines 25. Charlie Cochet 102. Jambrea Jo Jones 179. Stormy Glenn 26. Jaime Samms 103. Tana 180. Sue Roebuck 27. Taylor V. Donovan & Anne Tenino 104. TanaRaeReads 181. Makayla's Book Reviews 28. DC Juris 105. William Neale 182. Evelyn Shepherd 29. Top2Bottom Reviews 106. S.A. Reid 183. J.R. Loveless 30. Silvia Violet 107. Cherie Noel 184. Kate Hill 31. Sara York 108. Dustin Adrian Rhodes 185. Saloni Quinby 32. Pants Off Reviews 109. Havan Fellows 186. The Jeep Diva 33. Dawn Roberto 110. Tami Veldura 187. The Story Orgy 34. Matthew 111. PD Singer 188. Miho Li 35. Storm Moon Press 112. Well Read 189. Harper Kingsley 36. S.L. Armstrong 113. Brief Encounters Reviews 190. Breathless Press 37. Jessica Freely 114. Rarely Dusty Books 191. Z.A. Maxfield 38. Sue Brown 115. Ally Blue 192. Viki Lyn 39. Megan Derr 116. Elizabeth Lister 193. L.E. Harner 40. Samantha Derr 117. K.M. Mahoney 194. CR Guiliano 41. Sasha L. Miller 118. H.B. Pattskyn 195. Erastes 42. Less Than Three Press 119. Stephani Hecht 196. Speak Its Name 43. Hayley B. James 120. Connor Wright 197. L. J. LaBarthe 44. Dakota Trace 121. Devon Rhodes 198. MLR Press, LLC 45. Kharisma Rhayne 122. Louisa Bacio 199. Laura Baumbach 46. No Boundaries Press 123. Dianne Hartsock 200. Sean Michael 47. Angel Martinez 124. Cryselle's Bookshelf 201. A T Weaver 48. Simply Erotic Reviews 125. Dawn K. Johnson 202. Lou Sylvre 49. Missy Welsh 126. Eden Winters 203. A.J. Marcus 50. Sessha Batto 127. Avril Ashton 204. Daisy Harris 51. Joyfully Jay 128. K.Z. Snow 205. Lara Brukz 52. amy lane 129. Keta Diablo, Author 206. Turning The Pages 53. Kathleen Hayes 130. Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews 207. Holsum College Tumblr 54. Arshad Ahsanuddin 131. MA Church 208. Sex Scheming Geniuses 55. Andrew Grey 132. Sloan Parker 209. Riverina Romantics (INT) 56. Kari Gregg 133. Books Make Me Happy 210. Bella Leone 57. Marguerite Labbe 134. Guilty Indulgence Review Site 211. Tyler Robbins 58. Ariel Tachna 135. Matt and Brad 212. Sasha Conte 59. Xara X. Xanakas 136. Blackraven Erotic Cafe 213. Violet Hilton 60. B. Snow 137. Blackravens Reviews 214. Ryan Loveless 61. Mary Calmes 138. AJ's Reading Nook 215. Brenda Cothern Books 62. J. P. Barnaby 139. Dark Divas Reviews 216. The Romance Reviews 63. Ellis Carrington 140. The Readers Roundtable After Dark 217. Tam Ames 64. Dreamspinner Press 141. Barry Brennessel 218. Kendall McKenna 65. T.A. Chase 142. Occasional Musings n Ramblings 219. Under the Covers Book Blog 66. Lavinia Lewis 143. Lydia Nyx 220. Ranae Rose 67. Elizabeth Noble 144. Alex Kidwell & Robin Saxon 221. The Book Bunnies 68. KC Burn 145. BA Tortuga 222. Kirby Crow 69. Brita Addams 146. Megan Slayer 223. krissy 70. Riptide Publishing 147. Kathy's Library 224. Charlie Cochrane 71. TWLIB Reviews 148. Suzanne van Rooyen 225. J. Lannan 72. Rachel Haimowitz 149. Hearts On Fire Reviews 226. Leontine's Book Realm 73. Rhianon Etzweiler 150. Nastasha LaBrake 227. Shadow Sterling 74. Scarlet Hyacinth 151. NJ Nielsen 228. Dilo Keith 75. Julie Lynn Hayes 152. Kerry Sullivan 229. Sui Lynn 76. Kalita Kasar 153. Andi Lea 230. Lisabet Sarai 77. Poppy Dennison 154. Anna Lee 231. Caitlin Ricci
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Tomorrow is the Big Day - Hop Against Homophobia
From May 17-20 participating authors, reviewers, and other bloggers will be posting their thoughts on homophobia, along with prizes. Be sure to visit for my post on the evils of bigotry, a contest for a print copy from my backlist, and a listing of other participants. Just click the links to hop to the next blog.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
"Beyond Excellent" review for Diversion!
Jenre at Well Read was the first reviewer to ever comment on my work way back when The Pirate's Gamble first released late in 2009. I admired her critique and took it to heart, which makes her latest review of my work all the more thrilling. She's been there to see the gradual growth and, apparently, noticed progress.
She had this to say about my March release, Diversion:
If you're looking for a strong character based book which is heavy on romance, action, plot; if you want a pair of opposites attract characters who are wholly sympathetic and consistently behave true to character; if you want a book you can hardly bear to put down; then I can highly, highly recommend this book. I can see it being one of my top reads of the year. Grade: Beyond Excellent!See entire review at Well Read.
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