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.