Merry Christmas!

Just a note to say Merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous New Year, to all my readers. Thank you all so much for your support over the last year - it's meant a huge amount to me to sell my books and think that people are enjoying them!

And this is 'over and out' for a little while as we're off on a cruise for the New Year and I won't be around to update my blog. Stand by for further reports in 2007. :)

Have a wonderful holiday, everyone.

Woo! - a new story

Some news at last! LOL

I have a new story due out in the January issue of Forbidden Fruit. 'Night Music' is the story of a man who wins a trip to Salzburg in a music magazine and rashly invites his best mate along for the ride. Needless to say, all does not work out quite as he planned. :D

The new issue of the magazine should be available either late January or early February but here's a very brief snippet to whet your appetite:

We abandon the opera to its fate. It doesn't seem very ethical but his grasp is too strong to break and besides, given the choice between Mozart and him it's easy to take my pick. Ben may be infuriating but at least he isn't dead.

We cross back over the river and I assume we're heading for the hotel, but without warning he pulls me under an arch and up an alley between two shops. It's dark and dingy and looks like the sort of place they store the dustbins but he taps the side of his nose. "Trust me, you’ve got to see this. Eleanor found it when we came before."

Eleanor's his girlfriend, when he wants her to be. I'd rather push her off a cliff than believe a word she says, but he's dashing ahead of me up the hill, turning every now and then to make sure I'm still there. He looks like an eager puppy and I can't deny the plea in his eyes so I do as he says, trying not to look at his bum in those skin-tight jeans he always wears. That's easier said than done, because it’s constantly in my face. The lane's so steep it's nearly sheer, with flights of steps every few yards and back-breaking stones in between. I thought I was fit, but on this slope I'm starting to flag.

Ben turns again, grinning, to wait. "Come on, grandad. You can do better than that!"

I stick out my tongue and soldier on. He's not that much younger than me really but you'd never know the way he carries on.

The lane's obviously a religious place. It's lined with shrines, each more ornate than the last, painted and gilded in rococo splendour, statues gleaming in the light of a myriad candles. The last is a calvary, Christ flanked by two thieves - three naked bodies assailing my eyes. It's all I can do not to gasp, all I can do not to picture Ben hanging there instead. My trousers are getting tight.

Tight pants or none I make it to the top; the hill is crowned by a friary, remote and forbidding behind high stone walls. It reminds me of Ben, who always retreats when he can't handle life. He's spent the last month retreating from me....

Quiet...

Sorry, I've been really quiet on here lately. The main reason is that I'm writing a novel and it's got me by the throat - so much so it's not leaving me much time for anything else. Also, usually when I start something new I want to chat about it, but this time I'm making such good progress I really don't want to tempt fate by telling all and sundry every last detail. ;) So, if you want to know what it's about, I'm afraid you're just going to have to wait until it's (hopefully) finished and (even more hopefully) published.

It's set in the English Lake District. And that's all I'm going to say. :)

Manloveromance

The author cooperative I belong to, Manloveromance, has just launched its very own promotional video on YouTube. It's classy and HOT and full of rather gorgeous nekkid men and you can find it here: Manloveromance vid. I should probably point out here and now that this is NOT WORK SAFE, unless you want to give your boss heart failure. LOL

I wouldn't even know where to start putting something like this together so I take my hat off to the lasses that created it.

Smooch of the Day

Yesterday I followed a friend's advice (thanks Shaz :D ) and submmitted a 500 word snippet of Nat and Richie's first snog from Roses in December to Ecataromance's 'smooch of the day' feature.

Imagine my surprise this afternoon to browse the site and find my excerpt already featured! It's here if anyone would like to take a quick peek: Smooch. I think I'm still reeling.

It's probably very childish but I still get a real buzz from seeing any of my work in print, even if it's only a short excerpt like this. It's as though it proves it really exists - or as though it proves *I* really exist.

Many thanks to the ladies at Ecataromance for making my day.

My very own domain!

Woo-hoo! I finally splashed out and bought my own domain. Somebody had already half-inched 'fionaglass.com' but I managed to cling onto fiona-glass.com and have now redesigned my website to suit, and moved it lock stock and barrel to the new domain.

It's here, if you'd like to take a look: Fiona's own website. Oh - and if anyone has links to me, please could you change the details? Thanks! And don't forget to bookmark the new site. :)

See you there!

Druids, anyone?

Kay Derwydd's long-running Druid serial 'Taliesin's Grove' in Forbidden Fruit is always a favourite, with lots of nice mythology and a couple of very hot men into the bargain. And her vampire tales are legendary. Put the two together and you have an explosive mix! I reckon I can thoroughly recommend this, her latest Druid/Vampire story:



Crossing the Veil by Kay Derwydd

Modern Druid Elijah has a lot going for him: a nice loft, a good bartending job at a hot gay nightclub...and a vampire for a boyfriend. So what happens when he begs for his lover to turn him during a Samhain ritual?

Get your copy HERE!

RomanceWiki

Spent ages this afternoon updating my RomanceWiki listing as I suddenly realised it was hopelessly out of date. I created a separate page for Roses in December, added at least three other stories/books I've had published recently (Watery Grave, Sticky Wicket and the Whiskey Creek Torrid Teaser) and added a list of similar authors.

It's a great resource now and filled with hundreds of books, authors, articles and links to resources. And not all the books/authors are modern, newly published ones either - whilst browsing today I came across entries for Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and Mary Stewart, to name but a few classic authors that somebody hardworking has written entries for.

More spookiness

James Buchanan has an absolute rip-snorter of a story in the current issue of Forbidden Fruit, which is unusual, thought provoking and delightful. So I can thoroughly recommend this further collection of stories by the same author, based on creepy myths from around the world and brought out just in time for Halloween. :)



Taste Test – Bittersweets: A Taste of Halloween by James Buchanan Things that go bump in the night abound in this Taste Test from James Buchanan. From summoning an ancient spirit to magical spells that go awry, these fours stories will chill and thrill you.

Capturing folktales from Mexico to Russia, these steamy tales will have you jumping at every sound, and wishing you had more. Be careful what you wish for, though, for like the characters in these stories, you might get more than you bargained for! Give yourself a treat today!

Buy It Now

Amusing story

Something reminded me today of a story Mum used to tell me about her childhood. Apparently her sister, who was several years older than her, had been given a green Bakelite dressing table set (brush, comb, mirror etc) but decided she didn't like it. Rather than throw it in the bin like anyone else, she dashed downstairs with it one night and flung the whole set on the living room fire. Bakelite is flammable. Very, very, flammable. The flames hit the top of the chimney and set fire to it, and the fire brigade had to be called to come and put it out!

It's such a nice story I'm going to use it in my latest novel. I love putting odd bits and pieces like that into my writing - it seems to bring a book to life.

Slow progress

The new project is proceeding at a snail's gallop. Yesterday I managed about 980 words; today I've added another 800 but had to delete a fair chunk of those because I realised my character's motivations were all wrong. Sigh. Still, at least it is progress and at least I'm writing something every day, which up to last week I could only dream about doing.

I discovered to my horror yesterday that the link on my webpage to the catalogue page for Roses in December at Torquere Press was wrong. Blush. Many apologies for the inconvenience if anyone has tried to use the link and failed. I've repaired it now and you should be able to find the book with a single click.

So why the interest...

...in World War Two? I was chatting to some writer friends today and realised that several of my stories and novels have a wartime theme. 'Three Degrees of Separation' has a wartime backstory, whilst 'The House on Penny Lane' is set in Liverpool during the height of the blitz and draws quite heavily on some of my Mum's memories of living there during the war. 'Garden of Remembrance/Roses in December' is partly set in the years leading up to the war. And my latest project is set, once again, in WW2.

So why the fascination? The quick answer is, I honestly don't know. I'm not old enough to have lived through the war, and I never even studied that period at school. I can only think that listening to my parents' and grandparents' stories and memories has influenced me. My family was rather old fashioned and used to live in the past, ('do you remember' was a frequent cry at the dinner table) and it seems I soaked up the endless tales of a bygone age with my tea. So much so that at times, I feel I know more about the 1940s than I do about later decades when I was growing up!

Oooh! Creepy!

I can't believe it's nearly Halloween already! But the shops are full of pumpkins and furry bats, and Aspen have marked the occasion by releasing an anthology of four themed stories, just in time. I haven't had a chance to read this myself yet, but if Emily Veinglory and Laura Baumbach's previous stories are anything to go by it'll be a darned good read. Bring out the fake blood and the false teeth. LOL

The ERWF Promo LJ is pleased to announce a new Halloween anthology by Aspen Mountain Press entitled:

Creatures of the Night, Creatures of Delight

containing four short stories and selling as an e-book for $6.99 from the Aspen Mountain Press.

* "Walk Through Fire" by Laura Baumbach M/M
* "Devilish Good Time" by J.M. Snyder M/M
* "Things That Go Bump in the Night" by Lucynda Storey M/F
* "Blue Murder" by Emily Veinglory M/M

Contest winner

The 'Fall in Love' book giveaway/contest over at Forbidden Fruit finished yesterday and we drew four winners from the correct responses. Congratulations to Jenny, who won a copy of Roses in December - I hope you enjoy the book!

And the answer is...

...Nat from Roses in December. Well done if you guessed right!

I'm toying with the idea of a sequel to Roses and have been scribbling some notes today, trying to come up with some interesting characters and a different sub-plot. I don't want to just re-hash the first book and call it something else, I want it to be a stand-alone novel if at all possible. Not sure yet if it's achievable but I'll keep a note here if I do decide to go ahead.

Guess who?

Torquere Press have just been running a fun little contest on their readers' yahoo group, to guess the character from a series of clues. First up was this - can you guess who it is? No prizes, I'm afraid, but I'll reveal the answer in a day or two. :)

1. He's a soon-to-be ex-soldier

2. He enjoys a fag by the pool *g*

3. He travels a lot without ever leaving the place he lives

4. He rings a bell for his heart's desire

5. He loves gardens

Garden make-over

Just a snippet to say that the garden I based most of Roses in December on, Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire, is having some additional work done on it, including rebuilding the Great Wall of China. Those of you who've read the novel will know what that means! It's lovely to know that work is still continuing to rescue this gem from nature's throttling grasp. :)

I'm back!

Back from vacation and a very nice time I had too. Cornwall is a stunning part of the country and we had super weather, especially for this time of year. Well, apart from the tail end of Hurricane Gordon, which blew my cup of tea away at Land's End!

The only downside... Cornwall is *not* well supplied with internet access points so I couldn't update this (or anything else, for that matter) for several weeks. But now I'm back and raring to go.

Since we got back I've been working on a new novel called 'Paradise Lost', based on a 'celebrity love island' style tv show, with a hero who has to resist temptation for as long as possible in order to claim the top prize. The only trouble is, he's been set up and will have to resist a totally different temptation from the one he's expecting! For about the first time ever, I've got a strong female central character (the hero's agent) and may also develop a het relationship in the plot. I've never tried that before so it'll be interesting to see how it goes. Excerpts in due course, hopefully.

Signing off...

...for a couple of weeks while we go on holiday. We'll be staying in a cottage in deepest darkest Cornwall *g* and I'm not sure there's any internet access so you may not hear from me for a while.

I'm taking my usual heap of books, notebooks, half-written stories etc though and hope to find at least some time to write.

I'll catch up with everyone when I get back. :)

Win a free e-book!

There's a free copy of Roses in December up for grabs in the latest 'Fall in Love' give-away in Forbidden Fruit.

All you have to do is wander along to the zine (link below), answer the easy peasy question and if you get it right, you'll be entered in a prize drawing on 15th October to win one of four e-books donated by several of the magazine's regular contributors. These are: Willow Bend by Ally Blue, Roses in December by Fiona Glass, Those Pearls That Were His Eyes by L E Bryce, and The Favor of a God by Shayne Carmichael and Mychael Black.

So, what are you waiting for? Oh yeah, the link. LOL. It's here: Fun & Contests

Good luck!

'Missing' scene

We've just been asked to do a flash fic piece for the Torquere Social yahoo group. I usually suck at anything less than 2000 words *g* but today I got some inspiration and came up with a brief 'missing' scene from Roses, set just after Nat and Richie first make love. Here it is in all its very brief glory!

"So what do the other bells mean?" Nat perched on the balustrade and watched his reflection in the still dark water below. A fish jumped, rippling his face out over the surface of the pool.

"How d'you mean?" Richie asked, tilting one hip against a post and closing his eyes to the sun.

"Well, you said this bell's for love. But how about this one?" He yanked the next bell along; it was larger and had a deeper note.

"Wealth," said Richie.

"And this one?"

"Er... long life."

Nat watched his lover and wished this moment could last for ever. "Is there one for happiness?"

Richie opened his eyes and grinned, hands already going to his fly. "No. But come and pull this and it'll make *me* happy."

"You know that's not what I meant," said Nat, but went anyway.

You can find out more about the book here.

Makeover

It's been a while since I had a major fiddle with my website, which is quite unusual for me. So today I've given it a makeover, with pared-down graphics and quite a trendy look. Hope you like it! There's also one or two new goodies including a smashing review on Roses in December from Wild Child Publishing and an excerpt from my latest acceptance, The Visitor. Head on over to Through a Glass Darkly and take a look-see.

Space opera

This genre usually turns up on publishers' taboo lists but just for a laugh I'm scribbling away on a comedy version, which starts with a human and an alien stuck in an elevator together. For some reason I decided to call it 'Broken Lullaby' when I first started it, but now I can't remember why so I think I'm going to have to re-name it.

I added about 1,500 words to it yesterday and had a blast, which makes a nice change from scraping around for every word.

Here's a brief snippet:

The first time Rudi came face to face with a Vreenian, all he really noticed was the smell. It surprised him that he hadn't known that about them. After all, he'd been studying them for years, first at space school and then at the Union's political headquarters on Cygnus IV. He'd read virtually the entire contents of the Vreenian section of the library there (not as hard as it sounded since the Vreena system had only been discovered thirty years before) and watched endless visua-logs of early contacts with Vreenian explorers. He'd studied their history and their demographics and their physiology; he spoke six of their languages well enough to make himself understood; he recognised the difference between all but two of their five genders. But he'd never been in the same room as one before. Here in the elevator between levels one and five of the Trafalgar space station, face to face with a first-category Vreenian male, it was a different story, and a rather overpowering one at that.

Not that the smell was unpleasant, precisely, just... strong. It reminded him of his mother's garden after rain, or of picking parsley for the sauce for Saturday lunch, or of standing on the cliffs at Dingli and smelling the sweet herbs of the maquis on the wind. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more attractive it was becoming, and if he didn't want to be caught doing an impression of a Bisto kid in front of an alien officer he'd better pull himself up right now.

He risked a glance upwards beneath his fringe and found a pair of amused grey eyes watching him. Damn. The effect that scent was having on him must be more obvious than he'd thought. Shfiting uncomfortably inside his uniform collar he said, "Greetings, esteemed stranger,' in the most commonly-used of the six Vreenian languages he knew.

"Good afternoon," the Vreenian replied, in perfect English, with a lift of his left brow-ridge.

Rushed off feet

Wow, it's been ages since I had a spare moment to post here - I've just been running around in ever decreasing circles. First I've been doing loads of promotional work for 'Roses in December' to try to drum up even more sales, and then I've been tearing my hair out over preparations for the September issue of Forbidden Fruit. I finally uploaded that yesterday (great issue, btw, with simply heaps of stories) so now I've got time to breathe again.

News to report? Oh yes, I have a story of my own in Forbidden Fruit - a creepy tale about locked ancient boxes and their contents written for the 'urban fantasy' theme.

And I have a new Torrid Teaser out from Whiskey Creek Press, containing two stories in one volume. 'To the Rescue' involves a blizzard, a mountain rescue squad and lots of hot sex, while 'Crossed Wires' is the tale of a detective working undercover on a telephone sex line! Don't be fooled by the cover - both these stories are my usual mix of m/m and twist in the tail.

Focus

I really need to focus more. I counted up last night and found I have eleven works of novella-length or more in progress, and don't look like finishing any of them soon. Sigh. Fair enough, one or two are very old and a couple more have stalled big time after I hit snags with the plot, but that still leaves about six that I could and should finish. The trouble is choosing which one to go with. All of 'em are reasonably entertaining, with a bit of luck and hard work all of 'em could potentially be sold. So how do I work out which one to concentrate on? Quick answer - I don't. I take out my oldest novel, which I've been writing on and off for the last five years, and potter about with that again in the hope that something suddenly falls into place and I get momentum on one of the others. And if all else fails, the old novel might even be kicked into shape yet. Anyone looking for space opera? LOL

It's just not cricket

Or should that be, it's not just cricket?!

The new Play Ball anthology edited by CB Potts is out today from Torquere Press and includes Sticky Wicket, my own sex'n'cricket romp, as well as heaps of other hot stories from Torquere favourites and newcomers alike, including James Buchanan. Here's the details, courtesy of James.



Play Ball!

Swing batter! Bend over and hike that ball! You got it, this one is all about the men of sports! From the tried and true favorites like football and baseball, to lesser known sports like cricket and fencing, Play Ball takes them all on, and sexes them up!

Featuring authors like Sean Michael, James Buchanan, BA Tortuga, and new to Torquere authors such as Sean Hagan and Linnet, this collection put together by CB Potts has something for everyone. So strap on the pads and get ready to rumble! Check out Play Ball today.

Buy it Now!

Vampires

I've just finished a short story about vampires which I'm hoping might make it into the new issue of Forbidden Fruit. It involves Gilles de Rais, a fifteenth century French nobleman who by all accounts was a thoroughly bad lot involved in devil worship, child sacrifice O.o and goodness knows what else! You'll be pleased to know no children were sacrificed during the writing of the story *grin* and I've kept the plot strictly to the vampire part of his exploits.

Blurb: Dave is baffled when his long-time friend and hoped-for lover Giles suddenly decides to go to Italy on a whim. Meanwhile, a world-famous archaeologist is opening a sarcophagus in a remote vault under the Vatican.... *Cue doom-laden music* LOL

Want to read the rest? You'll have to wait till September, I'm afraid. But I'll keep you all posted on whether it's accepted or not.

Bestseller!

It's true - Elfmeet has leaped to the top of the Lady Aibell Press bestseller list as of today. I'm a very happy bunny!

More rock than roll

In spite of the ongoing heatwave which is making me wilt, I managed to finish off 'Rock and a Hard Place', the story about the ageing rock star, yesterday. Rather amazingly it came in at bang on 6000 words which was exactly the target I was aiming for. And I'm rather pleased with the way it turned out. It's a complete romp from start to finish and really written for laughs. The hero is hiding from himself and it takes the combined efforts of his manager and his supposed boyfriend to make him face up to what he really is.

Now I have two stories with a rock music theme, this one and 'Roll Over' which is a good deal shorter but much steamier. I'm going to sit on them for a while, give them another good edit, and then look at the possibility of submitting them as a matched pair under the title 'Rock and Roll'.

Now if only I could finish off this weather while I'm at it....

Heatwave

It's official - it's a heatwave here in the UK. People from really hot countries might giggle, but yesterday we were hotter than Malta, for heavens' sake, and it's supposed to be worse today.

I have major problems concentrating when the temp soars (heck, I have problems just breathing LOL) so I've picked up a light hearted little story to keep myself going on, without the sheer grind of a novel. It's called Rock and a Hard Place and it involves a fading rock star whose manager decides to kick start his career by announcing to the world that he's gay. Lots of misunderstandings ensue, because Josh really is gay but he's managed to successfully hide the fact for years. Will Simon, the manager's choice for Josh's new boyfriend, manage to drag him out of the closet? Or will Josh self-destruct?

It's great fun to write, the only problem being that Josh and Simon want to gallop off with the plot and turn it into - you guessed - a novel. I'm having to be very firm with them. LOL

Chatting on Torquere LJ

I'll be hosting my first ever day on the Torquere Social livejournal today - my knees are already knocking. LOL

If everyone is very, very nice to me there's a chance I might post an excerpt or two from Roses in December, so do pop along to Torquere Social and join in the fun. :D

My novel is out!!

J M Barrie once said, "God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." My first ever novel, Roses in December, has just been published by Torquere Press.

The book is a novelisation of my short story Garden of Remembrance and tells the full story of the soldier, his lover, and the beautiful lost garden they discover together.

Blurb: "Recovering from an injury, British soldier Nat goes to Partington Towers, a quiet place in the country where his body and soul can heal. Fascinated by the elaborate Victorian gardens there, Nat goes exploring, finding some of the gardens' former glory still intact, and finding something even more interesting in Richie, a young man Nat can't help falling in love with.

The gardens are more special than even Nat realizes, and soon he finds himself outed to his unit, fighting to stay on as the gardens are sold to a conservation society, and in love with a man that died before he was born. Can Nat use the strange magic the gardens possess to find he and Richie a happy ending?"

Author Alexa Snow describes the novel as "fine literature, with delicately crafted writing shaped by the hand of a true master". Why not check it out for yourself, either on my website or from Torquere Press, and find out why Barrie's quote is so appropriate for this poignant love story.

Flu

I've managed to pick up a bout of flu from somewhere (yes, in the middle of a summer heatwave *rolls eyes*) and have been sniffling and sneezing - hence the lack of updates here. Progress on writing has been pretty slow too but I have managed to scrape a few words together on Mandragora, including this fun description of the Central Library in Birmingham:

"Luckily Birmingham had an excellent library. From the outside it might look like an upturned concrete ziggurat that someone had dropped from a great height to land with a splat on Paradise Place, but inside it had eight floors of reference material including a whole floor dedicated to history, another to periodicals and a separate area, up a wrought-iron spiral staircase, for the city's archives. And even the outside wasn't so bad once you got used to it. True, Paradise Place was rather a misnomer with not so much as a blade of grass in sight - just flights of ugly steps and a pointy Gothic fountain where pigeons drank and barely-dressed tots (and students) frolicked on hot days. But the city council had done their best with the basic resources, festooning every ledge and crevice with boxes of flowers until it resembled a cement hanging garden, and providing a clutch of scruffy shops and bars in the ziggurat's forum, if that wasn't too much of a clash of cultures."

And here's a photo of the library to show you what I'm talking about. :)

Now I'm desperately trying to come up with ideas for articles for the main character to write, since I've gone and made him a freelance journalist. I'm having to think back far too many years to my own stint at university and remember my own essays for inspiration. So far I've only come up with the history of castle building, but at least it's a start.

Erotic Dreams

The latest issue of the stonkingly hot (and stunningly illustrated) Erotic Dreams magazine is out! This zine concentrates on fantasy erotica with a twist - for all types of sexuality. Here's a brief word from the magazine's co-editor Kay Derwydd:

"Erotic Dreams - July Issue - is live!

We have tons of excellent fiction, poetry, and artwork in this issue of
Erotic Dreams. Plus we have a few new features for you--our readers!"

http://www.eroticdreamspublishing.com/EroticDreams/

First submission for ages

Lately I've been spending more time on longer works so I haven't had as many short stories to submit. This morning, though, I finally finished Feathered Friend, the story about a shape-shifting pigeon that I've been struggling with for the last few weeks. I've had my eye on bundling it up with The Lizard King, another story that's based on an obscure European fairy tale, and sending them both off to Freya's Bower for one of their Bites, but I wasn't certain I could hit the right word count. But the two together came in at a few words shy of 7,500 which is absolutely perfect, so after a quick read-through, edit and re-format, I duly sent them off. Now I sit here and chew my fingernails to the elbows in the hope that they'll like 'em. LOL

Exciting!

I'm jumping up and down because I've had the cover art through for 'Roses in December' and the pace is hotting up ready for release next month. The cover is really pretty and sums up the storyline extremely well - but I'm going to make everyone wait another week or two before I share it. :P

Free short story - one weekend only!

If anyone is going to Con-txt this coming weekend, you'll be able to get your grubby paws on a copy of my short story 'Just Reward' on the Erotic Romance Writers' Forum free sampler CD. The CD also contains novellas and stories by other members of the ERWF - including Kay Derwydd, Emily Veinglory, Dusk Peterson, Ally Blue, James Buchanan and L E Bryce - and will be available completely FREE from the ERWF table.

'Just Rewards' was originally published in Velvet Mafia and tells the rather dark, gritty tale of a Chief Constable hoist by his own petard.

The first ten lucky visitors to the ERWF table will also be able to pick up signed copies of the cover art for 'Elfmeet', also free.

Hope you enjoy!

Lots of new books

There's a sudden rush of new releases for summer. Here's the details of the latest one, from Jourdan Lane. :)



Soul Mates: Bound by Blood by Jourdan Lane

From the Torquere Press Website:

Houston nightclub Rave is famous for nearly-naked male dancers and beautiful bartenders, like Peter, a young man with a strict rule about one-night stands. He breaks that rule for Lucien, the owner of The Den, a rival gay nightclub where there are no boundaries, no taboos. Anything goes at The Den, including vampires.

When Peter finds out about Lucien's vampire nature, he figures he should have stuck to his rule, because Lucien pulls him into a dark world of vampires, werewolves and feuding in-laws. No one approves of the human vampire match, and Peter and Lucien have to struggle to stay together. Can they beat the forces that will try to tear them apart forever?

Find out today!

New release from Kay Derwydd

Binding the Wolf by Kay Derwydd

Unleashed I

Zach is quite content in his life with his lover Nate. Despite the rigors of being a chef, he knows he can come home to relative peace. But one day, his blessed peace is interrupted when finds a box and a note from Nate. Can Zach accept Nate for what he is, even if it means the end of life as he knows it?

Unleashed II

Nate is hiding a secret from his lover. When things turn rough and the beast inside almost breaks through, Nate's only choice is to leave. He throws everything on the hope that Zach will still love him. Can he convince Zach to be the master he so desperately needs?

Rating: Sizzling

Book Length: Bites

Price: $2.00

Buy your copy HERE!

Press release from K M Frontain

A new PR from ERWF member K M Frontain. :)

Just released: The Redemption of Tehlm Sevet: Volume Two , the eleventh book in The Soulstone Chronicles.

Get the ashes. Get the soulstone. Raise the Shadow Master. It sounds simple enough. However, life is never simple for the beloved teacher of the Ulmeniran gryphon royalty. If Herfod can manage to recover from his near destruction at the hands of a too affectionate infant angel, he'll need to dodge the attention of Ugoth's gryphon forefather, survive a visit from Sticks' sire, appease both Ugoth’s and Jenna’s growing jealousy, and withstand the pressure of the Turamen brotherhood to take up his religious calling again, this despite that he's now married. If he can manage all that, then he'll get that soulstone at last, and provide for the resurrection a container of ashes of questionable origin.

Never let it be said that trouble only comes to Herfod. He’ll foment his own the moment nobody’s watching, and pay back, with an avalanche of disasters, every annoyance perpetrated on him.

Buy it now. This novel is available both in ebook or paperback format.

Selling myself

Well, not quite literally. :D

I never ever thought I would be saying this, but following a suggestion from one of my readers, I've set up a Yahoo group to announce new releases, forthcoming books, contests and all that sort of thing. I find this ever so slightly amazing because I never thought I'd be successful enough to have my own mailing list. Also, being your typical reserved Brit *grin*, I still find promoting myself and my books quite hard work and would much rather dig a large hole in the sand and hide in it, than push lots of promotional messages down everyone's throats.LOL But she was absolutely right - not everyone has the time or the inclination to go checking my website every five minutes and this way they get the important nuggets of information delivered right to the doorstep.

Just in case anyone's interested in joining up, the new group is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Glass_Illusions/ . It's an updates-only list, rather than chat, so nobody need be shy about joining or feel that it takes up too much of their time. Hope to see some or all of you there!

Snail's gallop

That's the speed of current progress on 'Feathered Friend', what with the hot weather and wanting to spend time in the garden, and too much cricket to watch on tv. :) But like British Rail I am getting there, if slowly, and the combined total of the two stories is now over the lower of the two targets on word count. Wheee!

The sex scene is still proving elusive but I quite often find that I get more inspiration for those once I've finished the story and am more familiar with the characters. Trying to write pure smut about characters I haven't yet built up a 'relationship' with is something I find particularly difficult. Mostly I suspect because I haven't had a chance to work out how they would likely react, but also because it's harder to care about complete strangers. In a funny sort of way. ;)

Anyhoo, here's a brief paragraph from the angsty part of the story to whet your appetites.

"Charlie sank to the floor, clutching the feather in one tightly-clenched hand, and rested his forehead on his knees. It wasn't fair. All he'd wanted was to keep the man he loved, but now he'd f*cked that up. Avery was bound to feel bitter over the way he'd been kept here against his will; now he'd escaped he wasn't likely to come back. "It's just not fair," Charlie mumbled to himself, but even as he said the words he knew they weren't true. What he'd done to Avery wasn't fair, and now he'd got his just reward. Slowly he clambered to his feet, brushed a tear from his cheek, and took the feather over to his grandmother's carved box. He piled all his treasures back inside, and laid the feather on the very top, and gently closed the lid."

New acceptance

I've had some great news this morning as Torquere Press have accepted a collection of three short stories for a new Taste Test. The stories, 'Bloodsucker', 'Reflections in a Dark Pool', and 'Wild Thyme Bitter Honey', are all mild horror and have a common theme of water - forest pools in the first two, and the sea in the third.

The book is due out in August - I'll post further details when I have them. :)

Contest closed

Wow, that was FAST!! I'd no sooner finished posting promo notices about the contest than I started to get the emails rolling in with the replies. :)

Congratulations to Jenny who emailed me the correct answers at twice the speed of light *grins* and is now the proud owner of a copy of 'One Degree'.

I'll be running another contest soon, when my novel 'Roses in December' hits the airwaves, so watch this space!

freebie!

Want to win yourself a free e-book? Then why not try taking part in my brand new new contest.

Three into one really does go: three answers = one degree. Simply answer three easy-peasy questions about my book 'One Degree of Separation' (no purchase necessary - all the answers can be found somewhere on my website) and the first person to email me with the correct answers will receive a pdf file of the book, completely free!

Here are the questions:
1. Which story features a gothic-loving policeman?
2. What colour was the gypsy's neckerchief in Raggle Taggle Gypsy?
3. Which shrub did Ken and Patrick have sex underneath in Maximum Provocation?

Email the answers to me here for your chance to win the book - and the very best of luck!

Feathers

The story about the shape-shifting pigeon (yes, really LOL) is coming along nicely and I'm now at a total word count for the two stories of just over 5,000 - against a target of minimum 6,000. I did hit a big of a snag though, as I can't for the moment think of anything remotely original or arousing for the sex scene. So far now, the story reads like this:

"blah blah blah... [INSERT SEX SCENE] blah blah."

Which is not a lot of use. LOL Hopefully the old grey matter will stir overnight as I'd quite like to get this finished this week and send the sub off early next. That's the plan, anyway.

Plotting

The plot bunnies were surprisingly helpful and I've thought up a sub-plot for Mandragora, involving family history research and Nazi concentration camps. Light and fluffy it ain't and it's going to take a good deal of research and thought to knock this one into shape, but I think it'll work well with the overall darker tone of the story. Some of the reading I've been doing so far is decidedly sobering, though.

I think the novel is going to need much more planning and note-taking before I'm ready to sit down and write, so in the meantime I'm going to work on a couple of shorter things. The staff at Freya's Bower have been really good to me and I'd like to repay them by submitting a couple of stories for one of their 'Bite' titles. I have Lizard King available again now and if I can finish Feathered Friend, that will be two m/m erotic shorts based on obscure European fairy tales, which might work as a theme.

Added several hundred words to Feathered Friend which is now starting to resemble a story rather than a collection of paragraphs. It's also developing a very similar tone to Lizard King (flippant) so at the moment I'm quite hopeful.

What to write?

Now that I actually have some free time at last I'm trying to decide which project gets the benefit. I was hoping to get further with the fun ghost story I was writing a month or two ago, but the publisher I was writing it for specially seems to have gone out of business in the last month which is a real shame. As I'm not certain of finding another suitable market for it, it's kind of taken the shine off finishing it.

I'd also love to get going on 'Give Me to Drink Mandragora', a slightly more mainstream novel about choices and the sacrifices we make for our loved ones, with a view to perhaps submitting to Tindal Street Press. They're an indie publisher here in the UK who specialise in contemporary novels set outside of London and have a very good name. Only trouble is, I really need a decent sub-plot in order to make this a novel rather than a longish short story and at the moment I'm coming up blank. Will have to talk to my plot bunnies and see what I can come up with that will fit the scenario without sounding too contrived.

Stepping on the bandwagon...

by throwing my hamster-like weight behind the campaign to publicise the list of questionable literary agents.

[QUOTED TEXT]

Below is a list of the 20 agents about which Writer Beware has received the greatest number of advisories/complaints during the past several years.

None of these agents has a significant track record of sales to commercial (advance-paying) publishers, and most have virtually no documented and verified sales at all (many sales claimed by these agents turn out to be vanity publishers). All charge clients before a sale is made, whether directly, by charging fees such as reading or administrative fees, or indirectly, for “editing services.”

Writer Beware suggests that writers searching for agents avoid questionable agents, and instead query agents who have actual track records of sales to commercial publishing houses.

THE LIST:

* The Abacus Group Literary Agency
* Allred and Allred Literary Agents (refers clients to “book doctor” Victor West of Pacific Literary Services)
* Capital Literary Agency (formerly American Literary Agents of Washington, Inc.)
* Barbara Bauer Literary Agency
* Benedict & Associates (also d/b/a B.A. Literary Agency)
* Sherwood Broome, Inc.
* Desert Rose Literary Agency
* Arthur Fleming Associates
* Finesse Literary Agency (Karen Carr)
* Brock Gannon Literary Agency
* Harris Literary Agency
* The Literary Agency Group, which includes the following:
Children’s Literary Agency
Christian Literary Agency
New York Literary Agency
Poets Literary Agency
The Screenplay Agency
Stylus Literary Agency (formerly ST Literary Agency)
Writers Literary & Publishing Services Company (the editing arm of the above-mentioned agencies)
* Martin-McLean Literary Associates
* Mocknick Productions Literary Agency, Inc.
* B.K. Nelson, Inc.
* The Robins Agency (Cris Robins)
* Michele Rooney Literary Agency (also d/b/a Creative Literary Agency and Simply Nonfiction)
* Southeast Literary Agency
* Mark Sullivan Associates
* West Coast Literary Associates (also d/b/a California Literary Services)

[ENDQUOTE]

Off on my travels

We've got a week's holiday in Salzburg starting today so I'm not going to be around to update this for a few days.

I've been working really, really hard the last few weeks so I'm looking forward to putting my feet up, having a complete break and hopefully coming home bursting with ideas and descriptions for new stories!

Have fun while I'm away. :)

Another great release from K M Frontain

Press release from ERWF member K M Frontain:

Just released: The Redemption of Tehlm Sevet: Volume One , the tenth book in The Soulstone Chronicles.

He's been locked in a stone for sixty-two years, without body, without the warmth of life, and the one man that means more to him than anything in the world is about to commit suicide. How does a Shadow Master manoeuvre situations to his betterment despite a bodiless existence?

Tehlm Sevet has never been reluctant to exploit people and circumstances, and he's no less reluctant now. However that his beloved Kehfrey has abandoned him to a cold stone at the bottom of a subterranean lake, he will find a way to break free, or bring his reluctant lover to him.

Buy it now. This novel is available both in ebook or paperback format.

"Wiki-d"

Thanks to Kay Derwydd, I have a Wikipedia entry for my writing!

The entry includes a brief bio plus links to my various websites, publications and reviews. You can find all the details at RomanceWiki. Happy reading!

Phew

I'm delighted to report that the new issue of Forbidden Fruit is alive and well and can be found at www.forbiddenfruitzine.com. This time we've got 8 stories and an on-going serialisation, lots of interesting news, articles and reviews, a free e-book give-away and more art than we've ever had before. Our contributors, resident and guest, have worked their socks off this issue and I think it's quite possibly the best yet. :)

The Beast in Beauty

The second installment of The Beast in Beauty by K.M. Frontain is out on Erotic Dreams Zine.

Here's a press release on behalf of ERWF member K M Frontain:

The title “The Beast in Beauty” is a play on the old fairytale we all know, but in this rendition, the beast isn’t your typical unfortunate male character who stupidly got himself cursed. In this story, the beast is a female, or rather a pair of females, and the unfortunate prince is not exactly the innocent or hapless type, and very disinclined to letting a curse, or anyone, get the better of him. The beasts in this story might wish they had passed their curse on to someone else. (warning: MMF/adult content)

Zine membership is free. Join-up and enjoy monthly installments of erotica.


And a little extra blurb for part two: our cursed prince already runs with a pack, or at least a subordinate hopeful, so watch out lady beasts.

Biting the cherry

Wonderful news - Torquere Press have offered to publish the Forbidden Fruit anthology, 'First Bite of the Cherry', under their 'DIY editing' package. The DIY editor, needless to say, will be yours truly. LOL. I'm delighted because there have been some wonderful stories in the magazine over the years and this is a way of sharing those stories with a wider audience, letting our regular readers remind themselves of what they've forgotten, and compensating some of our contributors for all their hard work.

The anthology will be published in February 2007 so watch this space for updates and further news!

Break!

We're off for a long weekend to stay with my uncle on the Isle of Wight so it'll be a few days before I can update this again. I'm looking forward to the break, actually, since writing has been like wading through glue the last few days. Very little progress and what I have written is horrid. Unusually for me I'm not even going to take a notebook away with me, just chill for a few days and forget all about annoying characters, editing, forms, word counts, deadlines, etc etc etc. Bliss!

See ya in a few days time, hopefully much refreshed. :)

Centaurs!

I've been missing-in-action with a migraine most of the day but logged on to a nice surprise - Torquere Press have released the 'Centaurfold' Taste Test, which includes 'Forgotten Race'. The story, about a Victorian archaeologist and a displaced centaur, is one of three - the other two, both fantastic, are by Emily Veinglory and Kay Derwydd.

The title has to be one of the funniest I've ever seen. LOL. Head for the Torquere Press web page to find out more!

One more for the 'to read' list

Press release from ERWF member Mychael Black:



"Going Home" by Mychael Black

When Robbie's father dies and he agrees to leave Baltimore for a backwoods farm in Alabama he's counting on a lot of things. A funeral. Problems with his brother Russ. A lot of time spent in the closet.

What he doesn't count on his the new farm hand, Seth. The handsome Texan has him drooling from the moment they meet, and has him well in hand not long after. That kind of comfort is just what he needs as family issues rear their ugly heads, but will it last for them after the first rush wears off?

BUY IT HERE!

Even better!

Wild Child Publishing, a new monthly online literary magazine, have just given me my two best ever reviews, on 'Elfmeet' and 'Lost Property' respectively. The reviewer, Michelle, raved over my use of language and imagery and was so taken with the work that not only did she give both the books 5 out of 5, but she apparently bought one of my other e-books as well. And she doesn't even like fantasy. LOL

I'm completely overcome. :)

You can read the reviews here for 'Elfmeet' and here for 'Lost Property'.

Lovely review

Many thanks to Michelle at Just Erotic Romance Reviews who has reviewed 'One Degree of Separation' and made some really lovely comments about the book. I'm delighted! Apparently the review was done a while ago but I've only just found out - which made for a really nice surprise for the day. :)

I'm especially pleased that she liked the settings and authenticity of the stories so much because that aspect is always very important to me. Two stories, 'Lonely Sky' and 'The House on Penny Lane' are set in my old home city of Liverpool. It may not be the prettiest place in the world, ever - but it is wonderfully atmospheric and really lends itself to the darker, grittier or creepier stories, which those two both are.

More hol(e)y research

This time we went to Harvington Hall in rural Worcestershire, which is reputed to have the best collection of priest holes in the country. The hour-and-a-half guided tour was a little on the excessive side but the hides themselves are fascinating. Somewhere along the line they seem to have mislaid one, because the last time I went they said they had eight, plus two smaller hides for vestments etc. Now that's down to seven plus two - which is still pretty amazing in what's a fairly small manor house to start with!

We got to see inside several of the hides, including the one that's reached via a tilting wooden plank inside a cupboard in the library, and the one behind some lifting treads on the main staircase.

It's given me some great ideas for the ghost story so I'm busy scribbling away again today and have already added another 500 words.

Erotic Dreams

As well as 'Whispers on the Wind', Erotic Dreams has some great stories this month. Here's details of one of 'em:

The first installment of The Beast in Beauty by K.M. Frontain is out on Erotic Dreams Zine.

The title “The Beast in Beauty” is a play on the old fairytale we all know, but in this rendition, the beast isn’t your typical unfortunate male character who stupidly got himself cursed. In this story, the beast is a female, or rather a pair of females, and the unfortunate prince is not exactly the innocent or hapless type, and very disinclined to letting a curse, or anyone, get the better of him. The beasts in this story might wish they had passed their curse on to someone else. (warning: MMF/adult content)

Zine membership is free. Join-up and enjoy monthly installments of erotica.

New month, new zine, new story

To coincide with the start of April, I have a brand new story appearing in the second ever issue of Erotic Dreams, a new zine of mostly fantasy, mostly pansexual erotica. 'Whispers on the Wind' is a poignant tale of a young man's search for the identity of his secret, telepathic friend. Even better, the story has been beautifully illustrated by talented artist Illusioner. Why not wander along and take a look for yourselves? You'll need to register to read the story but hey - it's free!!

New book from Emily Veinglory

I haven't had a chance to read it myself yet, but if it's anything like her usual books it's well worth adding to your collection. :)

The Thing He Loves by Veinglory, Emily

Steve thinks of himself as a typical dull librarian; not someone a gorgeous elf like Ferris would ever fall for. On top of that Steve knows that he is suffering from a vampiric curse that will lead to the death of anyone who ever does fall in love with him. So when a tampered spell book puts Steve and Ferris on the trail of a magical murderer their growing bond is a potentially lethal problem.

Genre: Erotica
Rating: Adult
Length: 5800 Words

Blinks

The morning went past in a blur of edits - first on my centaur story for the Torquere Taste Test, and then on 'Roses in December'. I'd only intended to make a start on the novel rather than doing the whole thing in one fell swoop, because it's over 70,000 words long and I wasn't sure my eyes could hold out. But... I got sucked into it all over again and an hour and a half later I finally emerged, blinking, into the real world. LOL. And I cried again at the ending. Not that it's sad at all, just lump-in-the-throat. I'm really excited at the prospect of seeing this novel published - it's something that's been very dear to my heart for several years now. Roll on July. :)

New subs

I suddenly realised that I hadn't submitted anything new to publishers for nearly two months. No submissions equals no acceptances which equals no new payments, which will never do. :) So I parceled up four separate stories to send to the Best New Paranormal Romance anthology pencilled in by the editor of Juno Books. All four are from my 'One Degree of Separation' collection published by Torquere Press last year. The relevant stories are: 'Cold Comfort' which is sf, 'Lonely Sky' (vampires) and two ghost stories - 'The Ties That Bind' and 'Garden of Remembrance'. Fingers crossed that even one of them gets selected....

Wow, that was quick!

We've finished reading all the submissions for Forbidden Fruit, already! Usually I have the feeling that the stories are hanging over my head, but having a two-week reading period when I could simply set other things aside and concentrate fully on the magazine was a huge improvement. That's the fastest we've ever managed to read twelve stories between us. :)

Acceptances (and the occasional rejection) will be going out end of the week or early next. But I have to say that with the exception of the two writers who hadn't read the guidelines, the overall quality of submissions was very high. Which is nice. It's always better to have too many to choose from than be scraping around for extra material at the last minute.

Losing the plot

I added just shy of 500 words to the ghost story yesterday but am running into my perennial problem, which is that the main characters have upped sticks and wandered off with the plot. They're taking it in directions I really didn't want to go, and getting further and further away from any possible smut. As I'm now about a third of the way through the maximum allowed word count, I'm starting to hit my head against the wall. Get back on track, dammit! Stop doing this to me!

LOL No, don't worry, I'm not completely insane - I'm told lots of writers talk to their own characters. ;)

Priest holes

No not those sort of holes - get your minds out of the gutter!! These are the old hiding places, mostly dating from the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, that riddle many old houses in England. They were used by priests to hide when Catholicism was banned and many of them are really ingenious. I'd already decided to put a couple of them in 'Got Ghosts?' so it was useful to have a trip out to Baddesley Clinton, a medieval manor house in Warwickshire, yesterday afternoon. The house boasts at least two priest holes, one hidden in a chimney breast, the other in a medieval loo shaft! I'm hoping it's given me some inspiration as the story could do with a kick-start again.

Out of the loop

The reading period for the May issue of Forbidden Fruit kicked off yesterday - we have just two short weeks to read all the submissions and decide which ones we'd like to use, so I may not be much in evidence until we've finished.

Disappointingly, the first two subs I read were both completely unsuitable, so much so that it was obvious the writers had not only never read the submission guidelines, but had quite probably never read the magazine either. *rolls eyes* Why do people continue to do this? Most of the market listings sites, not to mention magazines and publishers themselves, run frequent articles on the benefits of reading guidelines. Ralan has been running a campaign for months, and the Erotic Readers & Writers Assoc usually has an article or two on the subject on its site. And yet still the unsuitable stories come in, sometimes from writers who should know better. It's very silly, to say the least. It's wasting our time as editors having to wade through stories that have absolutely nothing to do with homosexual relationships. And it wastes the writer's time as well, because every week it sits uselessly in our mailbox waiting to be read and rejected is another week when they could be submitting to somewhere suitable and getting it published. And at the very least it makes writers look like amateurs, and nobody wants that.

So come, on, all you fellow writers and submitters. If an editor goes to the trouble of drawing up guidelines, they're there to help you. The least you can do is read them.

Award

My Fruity Award plaque has just arrived all the way from America and looks absolutely super on the mantelpiece! This is the first time I've ever won a concrete prize, as opposed to a neat computer graphic for my webpage. Of course, I got one of those too, so the plaque is a bonus. :)

You have to buy this!

Press release from ERWF member Kay Derwydd:



"A Dark Performance" by Kay Derwydd:

Tristan is a sorcerer moonlighting as the singer in a metal band. Tired of a life of loneliness, he sends out a call into the Ether. He never expected anyone to actually answer him.

Enthralled by the enigmatic singer of the metal band Cythraul, Taryn waits and watches, toying with Tristan during the band’s performance. Afterward, he demands a private show with Tristan, knowing neither of them can resist.

Genre: Erotica
Rating: Adult, GLBT
Length: Short Story, 4,000 Words

BUY IT HERE!

Buzzing along...

...with the new ghost story, which is now over 4,500 words and growing by the day. It's turning out to be an absolute joy to write because I'm keeping it very tongue in cheek. The only slight problem is that the characters have hijacked the story and are busy insisting on more plot than sex. For a story that's supposed to be erotica, That's Not Good.

So far I have a dippy hero, a dotty medium, at least one resident ghost and the possibility of a poltergeist - not to mention the jaw-droppingly handsome love interest. Who doesn't believe in ghosts. :D

It's been ages since I've got on as well with a story as this and I'm just praying the inspiration lasts.

Here's an incredibly brief snippet from the last section I wrote today:

"Make yourself at home," said Adam, waving the toast.

Half an hour later he was regretting what he'd said, since the production crew had taken him far too literally for his peace of mind. There were now five different lorries in the drive - the last of which was blocking the Rectory door - and Greystones was swarming with human ants, most of them banging and all of them wanting cups of tea. Adam spent his time filling kettles and running around with extra sugar and milk, and trying not to trip over the alarming mass of cables that snaked into the house through every available window and door. It was only when the clock struck ten and everyone disappeared at once that he discovered they'd brought their own canteen and he needn't have bothered after all.

More ghosts

Kirkham Press, a brand new e-publisher based here in Britain, are looking for paranormal stories for an autumn anthology so I've started a new ghost story which I'm hoping will be ready in time. It's based on all those rather camp paranormal tv shows where film crews spend a night or weekend in a haunted location and film the results. Usually there are one or two genuinely scary moments but a great deal of the supposedly 'haunted' film footage could easily have been faked and I still can't decide whether the programmes are all a massive hoax. Anyhooo, I decided to write about what happens when the film crew turn up at a genuinely haunted house and find enough ghosts to scare them out of their wits! I've written about 2000 words so far (out of a target 10-18,000) and am having lots and lots of fun. :)

New release of my own

Lost Property by Fiona Glass: a stand-alone short story about an amnesiac elf adrift in the world of men.

Irik wakes up in hospital with no idea who he is. He knows his name from the label tied to his toe, and he knows that the sun will come through the windows each day, and he knows he's very different from the rest of the people in the ward. He can't remember anything of his previous life and the healers are too busy to help him much - all except for one young apprentice, Joshua, who befriends Irik and spends time with him in the hospital garden, teaching him about life. Irik begins to fall in love with his new friend, and it seems entirely natural to express that love with a kiss. But when he does just that, it has unexpected consequences for them both and helps Irik back on the road to health - and his family.

Price only $2! Hurry along to order your copy today.

So many good books...

...so little time to read. LOL. Here's another new release which sounds like a stonking good read.

Press release from ERWF member Emily Veinglory:

New release: Star Crossed by Emily Veinglory

Star Crossed by Emily Veinglory: $1.95 -- A 'single shot' (stand alone short story) from Torquere Press

Simon is a hardened soldier rising through the ranks of the Thene army. When fate leads him to cross paths with the gifted psychic Slyn during a routine diplomatic assignment a deep bond forms between them, leaving them vulnerable to intrigue and danger.

For years their differences in social standing and culture keep them apart, making them both feel the pressure as the bond tries to bring them together again. Finally Slyn can stand it no longer and seeks Simon out with disastrous consequences. Can the two of them find a way to be together? Or are they destined to be Star Crossed?

Blowing my own trumpet!

I'm rather pleased (read: jumping up and down with excitement and waving my arms in the air LOL) because 'One Degree of Separation' has taken 3rd place in the m/m category of the Fruity Awards this year! I knew it was into the finalists because I had to be disqualified from judging as a result, but I honestly diddn't think it stood a chance of getting any further because it's a collection of stories, not a novel. But... the judges disagreed with me and voted it into third place. I'm a very happy bunny!

Go here to see a full list of the award winners.

Oooh! New Torquere book!

There's a brand new Torquere book out today, by a brand new Torquere author. Here's some more details:

Press release by ERWF member James Buchanan:
The Darkness by James Buchanan

On the drive home from visiting his ailing father, the Chaplain, Justin wrecks his car, only just avoiding serious injury. Seeking refuge at a forestry service pull-out along the winding Angeles Crest Highway, Justin stumbles upon a pack of hellish creatures that leave him spiraling into an eerie realm of supernatural beings, strange visions and fallen angels.

His saving grace during his nightmare encounter after his accident is a man named Brand, who later convinces Justin to accompany him to the Wheel, a club owned by Brand’s brother. His sexual encounters there with Brand’s brothers lead him down a dark path, where he questions his ability to choose his own way in life, making him wonder if his fate was drawn long ago. Explore the depths of the Darkness in this hard-edged, atmospheric tale today!

Scribbling about ghosts again

Got cracking on 'Ebb Tide' and added over 1100 words which is pretty good progress for me these days. *rolls eyes* It felt wonderful to be scribbling again without constant interruptions, or sudden thoughts of 'oh Lord I should be doing so and so' popping into my head, and with a clear run came clearer thinking. I added the whole of the next sex scene, suitably interrupted by the baddie with a knife, and am now ready to start the bit where the hero first realises his love interest is a ghost.

Mind you, I've spotted one or two potential holes in the plot and may have to go back soon and write around or plug those. That's the trouble with a plot involving time slippage - you write about things in the present, and then forget to have the suitable action happen in the past. For instance, in the present Tim finds his own initials carved on a wooden chest in the cave - but so far nothing's happened in the past to get those initials onto that chest. *rolls eyes again* Ah well, at least I spotted 'em in time to do something about them. It would be so much more embarrassing to submit to a publisher and have my editor pick up on the holes!

Have you read...?

And if not, why not? :)

Press release from ERWF member K M Frontain:

It's off!

I finished checking over all three stories, added a few words here and there, bundled them into one document and sent the whole thing off to Torquere for their Taste Test series. Fingers, eyes, toes and pretty much everything else crossed that they like the stories - although I'll understand if they have problems with 'Wild Thyme, Bitter Honey' because it in no way has a happy ending. And most publishers these days seem to prefer happy endings, because it's what sells. Oh well, now all I can do is sit back and wait and see.

I suggested a couple of overall titles for the collection - one was 'Watery Graves' which sums up the 3 stories to perfection but might be rather downbeat. It kind of suggests they're all tragedies which isn't the case at all. So just in case, I also suggested 'Mystic Waters', which hopefully doesn't sound too drippy. I enjoy thinking up titles for my stories but a whole collection is always that much harder because the title has to reflect not just one but all of the stories involved.

Leeches

Spent some time working on a short story about the King of the Leeches. LOL You wouldn't think it was possible to write erotica about leeches, would you? But I seem to have managed it. I worry about me sometimes. ;)

This is one of three stories with a similar theme (mild horror, water in some form) that I'm hoping to submit to Torquere Press for one of their new 3-title 'Taste Test' series. I'll have one story out of three appearing in one of those in April (the other two, both fantastic, are by Emily Veinglory and Kay Derwydd and the collection has a centaur theme) and it seems like such a good idea I wanted to try and see if I could get one all to myself!

The leech story was too short by a few hundred words so I added a whole new scene where the leech king tries to drag the hero under water and the hero has to plead for his life. Hopefully it's added a bit of extra tension, too, which was rather lacking in the original version.

Now I just need to run the hoover over the other two stories and hopefully I'll be able to get the submission off in the next few days. After that, it's back to the edits. Oh joy. :)

Back to work

Straight back in at the deep end after the holiday (nice break, shame about the weather *grin*) with four sets of edits that have all arrived at once. Most aren't too bad - just typos, punctuation and the odd comment but one seems more severe and I'm going to have to spend more time over that one.

The editing process is never the most enjoyable part of writing - watching someone else pulling your work apart is rather like having minor surgery without the anaesthetic - but usually it's an important part of getting a book or story just right. With the best will in the world, and no matter how many times I check them before I send them off, my manuscripts still have mistakes in them: spelling mistakes, typos, wrong punctuation, occasional glaring contradictions and howlers. Clearing those up makes for a cleaner and better piece of work and although it's tedious I don't mind doing it. But sometimes the editing becomes a disagreement over a point of style and that really is hard. There's nothing specifically wrong with what I've written - the grammar is fine, it makes sense, it even sounds good - and yet I have someone telling me it needs to be changed. I think of all the different facets of writing, I find that the harddest of all to deal with.

Wheee - holiday!

We're off on vacation for just over a week and going to the wilds of Scotland where they're unlikely to have internet access. So I probably won't be able to update this for a few days.

Looking forward to the break and seeing mountains, hopefully covered in snow as it's been cold enough the last few days!

Messy ghosts

Picked up another old work-in-progress today (heck, I've got a whole folder to choose from) - this one's about a (real) estate agent who specialises in haunted properties. It's a lot of fun and there's some decent creepy bits in there too but oh boy! The structure is a complete mess. There are minor characters galore, some of whom seem to serve no purpose whatsoever; there are love interests by the dozen; there's a whole sub-plot involving Oscar Wilde; and I have absolutely no idea where it's going next.

I can't figure out whether to get the pruning shears out now, or carry on regardless, see where it takes me and then fall about laughing when I arrive. Focus! Yeah. That's what I need to do. Um. What was it called again?

Splashing out

I've headed off into the dangerous uncharted waters of non-fiction writing and my first successful effort is currently on show at Velvet Mafia - a book review of Sebastien Beaumont's The Linguist. Why not brave the sea-monsters and take a look for yourselves? :)

Preds&Eds

The *official* poll results are out now - that's the ones without all the M. Mouses listed, presumably. ;) And guess what? I made ninth place in the Publication Editor section for Forbidden Fruit, and the zine itself was twelfth in the Fiction Publication section. I'm absolutely over-the-moon, especially as the zine is distinctly 'niche' rather than mainstream popular romance. Can I just say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me, and/or the zine? THANK YOU!! LOL

On top of that, the stunningly gorgeous artwork by Billy Tackett for 'Elfmeet' was sixteenth in the Book Artwork category and deserves every bit of it. I still swoon every time I look at that cover. :)

Weird research

Honestly, the things us writers have to research sometimes. I spent part of yesterday afternoon up to my eyebrows in details of racing pigeons for a story idea I'd had for the latest Torquere contest. It's not something I know much about (ok, make that 'anything' LOL) and I found myself immersed in facts and figures. Did you know, for instance, that the depth of colour of a bird's eye shows how good it will be at racing? Or that different breeds are called 'families'? Nope, nor did I. Here's hoping it comes in useful, though.

Drowning in admin

I'm really struggling at the moment to find time to write. I realised the other day that I'm trying to combine writing, editing Forbidden Fruit, promoting my books and critiquing for other writers. Any one of those could be a full time job and I'm trying to do all four. I think something has to give.

One of the worst offenders is forums and mailing lists run by the publishers. On the face of it, it's a very good idea because it unites writers and their readers in one place and gives excellent opportunities for marketing. Unfortunately, some publishers have several lists and forums *each*, and when you multiply that by several publishers, the end result is that I spend all my time downloading and reading messages. And in some cases, membership of the groups is mandatory.

I bailed out of several private groups just after Christmas but I'm still struggling to keep my head above water and think I'm going to have to boot out several more. One of the first things to go will be the critiquing, which is a great shame as it's something I always enjoyed in the past. But if it's a straight choice between that and writing, the writing has to win.

Well, finally...

I've had my admin hat on the last couple of weeks and been running round with edits and promo stuff till my hair hurts. Yesterday though I finally got down to some serious writing on Ebb Tide, adding a few hundred words and doing some fairly hefty edits to what I've written so far. Like most of the stuff I wrote 3-4 years ago it simply has too many words and some of the sentences can be measured in yards. ;) I went through it with the proverbial red pen and hopefully it's looking healthier as a result.

It's over 13,000 words now and I'm starting to think 'novella' which means I might be able to try with either Changeling Press or Loose-ID for the first time. Both have a very good name amongst e-publishers and I'd like to give either of them a go. Memo to self: finish the damn story first. ;)

New gay fiction discussion group

Press release from ERWF member Kay Derwydd:

"Gay Fiction Discussion

Have you ever wanted a place to discuss gay fiction, no matter the genre? Well, look no further! Gay Fiction Disussion was created solely for that purpose. Erotic or not, from horror to historical, so long as it's fiction and focuses on GLBT characters, it has a place here.

Please visit us at http://gayfiction.forumsplace.com/ and help us to make this a wonderful community!"

This sounds like too tempting an opportunity to miss - I'm seriously thinking about joining myself!

Weird

One of my fellow writers of homoerotic romance has just had an application to review her novel turned down by a large online review site because, apparently, 'there's no interest in male/male romance'. I'm slightly gobsmacked. I would have expected a business of their size and stature to have done their market research, but they obviously haven't. Otherwise they would know about magazines like Velvet Mafia, which have been attracting submissions from (and presumably a readership amongst) women for years. They would also know about my own Forbidden Fruit, which publishes nothing but homoerotic romance and has a readership (of both men and women) in the thousands, not to mention MAS-Zine and Erotic Dreams and... I could go on.

And that's just the magazines. What about the wealth of new m/m erotica publishers that have sprung up lately, led by (but by no means limited to) Torquere Press and Loose-ID? What about the previously mainstream and/or heterosexual publishers, who are now putting out m/m erotica and romance titles as fast as they fly off the shelves? And what about the print heavyweights like Alyson Books and Cleis Press, who put out *annual* titles like 'Best Gay Love Stories'?

It seems rather short sighted to refuse to publicise a genre and then claim there's no interest in it. It smacks of the sort of 'you're the 30th person today I've told there's no call for that sort of thing', head-in-sand approach that went out with Noah's Ark, or at least with Stonewall. Sadly, it seems some people prefer to cling to outmoded theories than to embrace the exciting new ideas that are flooding the market-place. Worse, they prefer their outmoded theories to the voice of their own readers. And that really is weird.

Constructive boredom

It's true, boredom can be positive. *grin*. I'd got horribly bored with everything I was working on, so I dug an old novella out of my work in progress box and started messing about with it. It's a homoerotic take on Frenchman's Creek (Du Maurier's spirit will no doubt haunt me forever LOL) about a young man sent to live with relatives in Cornwall after a gay affair, who meets a mysterious captain on a hidden beach. I'm having lots of fun with it as it's something of a romp! I didn't write much extra but have been going through what I've done so far and adding some detail to link it to a specific time and date as that's something I have awful problems with in my writing. Too many stories sound as though they're set in the distant past when they're actually bang up to date! So I have to go through afterwards and [insert mobile phone here] just to make the point. LOL

Sold another story

Great news today as I've had another story accepted for an anthology. This one's Sticky Wicket, the fun cricket'n'sex story I finished just before Christmas, and it's been accepted for the 'Play Ball' collection (and what a wonderful name that is LOL). I was a bit worried the editor might have problems with the cricketing terminology, which is pretty baffling even to those of us who have any clue about the game. I mean, just what is silly mid off? Or short leg? Or the popping crease? :) I tried very hard to put just enough jargon in to make it authentic, without making it totally unreadable but it was a fine line to walk. It's going to be fascinating seeing what other sports have made it into the anthology when it comes out.

Illusionist website

I'm in the throes of re-designing my whole writing website to make use of the same template as this journal. It's a balls-achingly slow task and murder on the eyes but I'm hoping it'll be worth it in the end. Much as I like the 'through a glass darkly' tag-line (and pun on my name!) I've never been entirely happy with the white-on-black text of the site, which I find very tiring to read. It'll be a few days yet before I'm ready to unleash the new design so watch this space!

Whispers on the Wind

Erotic Dreams has accepted my story already which is a lovely surprise - both that the editor liked it enough to take it, and that she let me know so quickly! Not sure yet when the new issue will be up but I'll keep everyone posted.

The story is one I wrote a while back, about a young man who has a telepathic link to a secret friend, but doesn't know who the friend actually is in spite of 'talking' to him almost every day. After his mother dies he's sent to live in another land, but during the journey he falls and knocks himself out. When he awakes it's to find his secret friend at his side, but he still can't tell who it is because his eyes are bandaged. It's all very dreamy and poignant, and romantic, and it's always been a favourite of mine so I'm glad it's gone to a good home!

Lost Property

The cover art and blurb are in preparation and the mss is in final edits so it looks as though the book could be released any time soon! Woo-hoo! That'll be the second elf story I have out with Chippewa and I may even be able to promote them as a matched set.

This afternoon one of my editor friends asked for submissions for her magazine, Erotic Dreams, so I spent the rest of the day cutting and polishing Whispers on the Wind, a poignant fantasy story that I hope will be perfect. It needed quite a bit chopping off but as usual I'd used too many words in the first place so it reads a lot better as a result!

Writing at last

After all the hard work on Forbidden Fruit, I finally settled down, applied nose to grindstone and wrote something at last! And made reasonable progress, too, finishing off another short story for the Kitchen Sink collection, this one about an errant sock in the wash! I don't know about you, but in our household socks cause more trouble than any other piece of clothing. I regularly close the washing machine door, only to find one sock slithering off into the shadows, or clinging to the bottom of the laundry basket. They just cry out for a story of their own.

Ooops! and new layout

I managed to accidentally delete the whole of my old template while fiddling around yesterday, and spent the best part of an evening trying to find it again in the welter of links to blog template sites, with no success. So, I hunted out an exceptionally gorgeous skin from CreateBlog and have used it, with a few small amendments and customisations, instead!

I hope you like it.

New stories

Two of my stories have put in an appearance on the same day!

Salad Days, an amusing tale of domestic chaos, is available in Torquere Press's Fresh Off the Vine - scroll down to the third story on the page to find it.

And at the same time the new issue of Forbidden Fruit has hit the screens, complete with Board Stupid, an ultra short story about love amongst the small ads. This one was written specially to fit with the issue's special theme of 'communication'.

Hope you enjoy both stories!

First novel

Torquere Press were the source of much rejoicing as they've accepted 'Roses in December' for publication in July. I'm thrilled to bits, as although I've had short stories and collections of stories published, this will be my first ever novel! Excuse me while I dance round the study. *grin*

Obviously it's too soon for any more details yet but as soon as I know more I'll let everyone know.

The gods are smiling

I've had four separate lots of good news today and can't quite believe my luck!

First, I've been disqualified from the judging of the Fruity Awards because One Degree of Separation has made the list of finalists in the m/m category! I'm slightly disappointed not to be involved in the judging, but heck - what an excuse!

Second, Forbidden Fruit has been nominated in the fiction magazines category of the Preditors & Editors 2005 poll, and yours truly has also been nominated in the editors category. I'm over the moon!

Next, Velvet Mafia have accepted a book review (of The Linguist by Sebastian Beaumont) which should be appearing in the zine some time before February.

And finally, Forgotten Race, an erotic story about a centaur and an archaeologist, has been accepted by Torquere Press for one of their new line of 'Taste Tests' - three-story e-books with a common theme. This one will also include centaur stories from Emily Veinglory and Kay Derwydd and we're *all* over the moon!

I wish I could have more days like this.... :)

Much scurrying

Not one of my better days health-wise but I still managed to get quite a lot of admin-y stuff done. I chased up a couple of submissions I've had in for ages and not heard anything on (the Forbidden Fruit anthology with Cleis Press and a book review for Velvet Mafia); I updated my website Through a Glass Darkly with details of the forthcoming title from Whiskey Creek Press; and I bundled together three centaur-themed stories from myself, Emily Veinglory and Kay Derwydd and submitted them to Torquere for their new Taste Teaser line. And on top of all that, I found time to complete my tax form (ugh) and do some more programming on Forbidden Fruit. Phew!

Woo! Reading material!

Press release from ERWF member K M Frontain:



Just released, the next set in The Soulstone Chronicles:

The Disposition of Ashes takes up the story where The Gryphon Taint left off. Follow the personal triumphs and disasters of Ufrid Tyrunath as he learns how to become a good man under the tutelage of an amnesiac god.

New design

I made a start on the html programming for Forbidden Fruit. This time we're going for a slightly different design, keeping (mostly) the same graphics and the same overall look and feel, but with a different layout which should give us less clutter and more space for comments and quotes. It's looking good but of course all the old pages need to be re-coded so I'm currently wading through the archive and changing them all by hand. I have to admit I'll be very glad when they're all done.

And I had a scare yesterday evening when I thought the magazine's site had been hacked because I got a sudden welter of pop-up adverts the minute I accessed the main contents page. After a few rather panic-stricken minutes we established that it hadn't - it was 'good' old Bravenet, who I'd used to set up a mini-poll on the page, throwing their weight round. Needless to say, the poll won't be making the transition into the new issue. I always have pop-ups switched off but if I'd had any idea of their number and invasiveness I'd never have signed up for the service in the first place. The last thing I want to do is annoy (or even infect) our readers....