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Let’s hear it for the troops!

I am proud to be a veteran and will always cherish and remember my time served to my country as a very special time in my life. Happy Veterans Day to those who have served and those who continue to protect our borders against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

~Kensana~

Confessions of a Google-holic

Sitting in the park yesterday, on a perfectly lovely autumn morning, I did a little writing the old-fashioned way. I’m usually all about the electronica, but when the little one needs some fresh air, I’m perfectly willing to leave the battery-challenged laptop at home and scribble away in a notebook. No, not the cute Apple kind of ‘notebook’ that comes in so many lovely colors. I mean a cheap, three-subject, spiral-bound block of paper I bought at the drugstore. And sometimes my best work comes out this way. Yesterday was not one of those days. Sure, the scene I wrote was inspired, dramatic, and just what was needed to move the plot and characterization along, however, the whole scene went right in the trashcan. Why? Because it was based on something that DOES NOT happen. [Cindy takes a moment to decide whether to laugh or cry]

Here’s what I learned today—When you step on a landmine it does not make a loud click and it will do one of two things 1. Immediately explode or 2. Wait a few seconds and then explode. There’s none of this Hollywood melodrama where the soldier or, better yet, his commanding officer hears the telltale sound of a landmine arming itself and has time to say, “Son, don’t move. Keep your foot right where it is.” Because even if the soldier stayed as still as a marble statue, the thing’s gonna explode. Who knew? Well, apparently weapons experts and military history buffs all over the web know this, but those of us who glean most their munitions knowledge from movies and TV have been seriously misled. Not surprising. The myth began due to some US propaganda during World War II designed to make the German S-mine, the famous ‘Bouncing Betty’, seem like something soldiers could outsmart. Not only is it untrue, but freezing is the worst thing you could with this type of anti-personnel weapon. With a bounding mine, it’s better to hit the deck. It only goes to show, even things you think you know bear double-checking with a Google search. Which brings me to my next point, have I become so dependent on Google that I can’t write without it?

Okay, clearly I CAN write without it, but the question is, should I? I mean, luckily this time I double-checked my facts before my editor—or worse, a fan—pointed out to me that I’m a doofus. Or is it okay to take certain liberties with the truth if the unrealistic situation works best in the novel? Hollywood does it all the time. See, this is why writers are great big balls of neurosis. I suppose it’s up to each author and publisher to decide what’s poetic license and what’s over the top. But for me, in this case, I feel it’s better to rewrite the scene than to rely on bad propaganda turned urban legend. Not to mention, if I’ve seen it enough times to have adopted it as fact, I could probably be more creative. No need to rely on hackneyed story-telling devices. Today, I’m back at the laptop reworking my brilliant scene so that it’s both genius and believable.

So, all you writers out there, how much fact do you weave into your fiction? And how much inaccuracy are you comfortable with? Inquiring minds want to know!

What’s your favorite method of research
(polls)

First Kiss Friday

Het Daze

Contrary to what some folks may believe by my current ‘obsession’, I, Sage, used to read heterosexual romance. Okay, so that isn’t all that far-fetched. About three or four years ago that was all there was to read–excluding bios. Now, with the popularity of gay fiction I consume anywhere from 3-10 books a month. (Mostly ebooks.)

Yet, I have never forgotten my romance roots, although I barely dig them up to look at them anymore. I even started off writing m/f fiction, and I have loads of half-finished stories stuffed in closets and drawers or in storage in the attic, but once I got bitten by the gay fiction bug I never turned back.

There are a handful of romance authors that are still on auto-buy for me though I have to be in the mood to read them. I decided to share some of my favorite authors on this post. Perhaps if you are a fan of m/f romance you will find some new authors to check out.

1. Teresa Meideros–extemely talented, exceptional, hilarious, prolific. I have “never” been disappointed with any of her stories. Her heroines are enchanting, and her heroes are ’swoon-worthy” if a gal were still inclined to swoon. *g* I recommend anything from her. She is THAT good, IMHO.

2. Lisa Cach–severly underated, hilarious, thought provoking, giggle-inducing. I don’t know why Lisa Cach isn’t as big as some authors, but don’t overlook her. Like Teresa, I have never been disappointed by Lisa. Her books transport you to a different world for hours at a time, and you’ll only come back if you’re dragged kicking and screaming.

3. Karen Marie Moning–exceptional, blush-inducing, poignant. All I have to say is that I aspire to write my heroes with some semblance of hawtness that she does. If you like the ultimate Alpha hero then you won’t be disappointed. Her heroines are nothing to shake a stick at either. They are all intelligent, resourceful, independent,  and humorous.

The Liar

Excerpt from The Liar. I realize the first post I made was taken from a portion that could probably not be understood without more detail so here is my second attempt.

Jasha Osei was a rare breed. The kind of man who thought he wanted to run the show when his every action was begging for someone else to take the reins. Jasha seemed startled when Dade asked him to help prepare the chicken salad he had planned for lunch, but the man responded beautifully to direction. Jasha never made objections or hesitated to do what he was told.

Dade also introduced some experimental touches into their interplay. While they worked around each other in the kitchen, Dade made sure he brushed against the other man, or when he was demonstrating the proper way to slice a tomato or peel a cucumber he made sure to hover too close, to crowd Jasha without alarming the man.

Again, Jasha responded in the way he predicted, pressing into his touches, leaning his weight back against Dade without seeming to know what he was doing. Jasha was a hedonist in disguise; his true nature locked away because of fearing generalizations and the dictates of society. Successful men in America were dominant, aggressive, skirtchasers and to be anything else was to be less of a man.

Dade had heard it all, but the difference between him and Jasha was that he knew better.  Men came with all kinds of appetites and there was no right or wrong way to be. Jasha probably thought his desire to be dominated was kinky and outrageous, but really, he’d only just touched the tip of the iceberg.

There is so much that I would teach you.

Cuffs. Collars. Obedience training. Dade could hardly wait to start, but he had a feeling Jasha would fight him all the way. A professional liar could do his job so well that he even began to fool himself.

***

Sitting down to lunch, Jasha was wary of what Dade wanted from him. He could tell the man wanted something. He could read the anticipation in his body language, could see it in those assessing eyes. And then there were the touches. Jasha couldn’t tell if Dade thought he was being subtle or didn’t care if he knew it was on purpose.

He should probably speak up and tell him to stop. He wasn’t the type to bite his tongue, only now he found that the words wouldn’t come. Truth be told, he liked the touches. They were so unlike the fluttery touches of his ex-fiancee. Dade’s touches were sure, firm, directing his actions— fraying his nerves.

Jasha had chosen to sit in the farthest seat from Dade. He wasn’t thinking properly when Dade was too close. It was confusing and a bit scary to realize Dade went to his head like a shot of Novocain. He wasn’t sure what it was about the man that made him more docile than he was used to. Sure, Dade was handsome, sinfully so, but lots of men were handsome, cocky, self-assured, and bossy.

But none of them were Dade Savage.

*Picture above is what Jasha Osei looks like in my head. He is of mixed ancestry. Irish, Portugese,  and West African.

Doubling the Standards

Today I was pondering, as I often do, about what I read in romance/ erotica and how different gay fiction is from heterosexual. Regardless of intention, I see a heavy prevalence of  a standard that is acceptable for men and yet never really tapped into with women.In some instances I wonder why its okay for these things to take place, and why we so readily accept them without  a second thought.

For instance, one of my favorite stories feature two men who are really set on an emotional roller coaster throughout the entire story. During one incident the MC gets so upset that he starts punching the other man out of sheer frustration. Now, as I was reading this my eyebrow went up. I was like hold up. That isn’t the way to solve a problem, and it really wasn’t the other guys fault that this guy was frustrated. And later after I finished the book I thought about all the letters of outrage that would flood the author’s inbox if the male that had been punched was a woman. I’ve never asked that particular author if any upset fans had sent her mail, and if I had to guess I’d say probably no one sent in that kind of email. I myself sent her an email expressing how much I enjoyed the book. Though later, I thought again on the subject of violence. The MC wasn’t a violent character and this was the one and only time he hit the other man, but why was it ‘okay’. The man never even apologized to the other guy for his behavior. It was like some sort of ‘masculine right’, as if saying ‘well, this is what men do sometimes.’

Another double standard I see often in romance/erotica is prostitution. Honestly, you don’t see it in heterosexual romances, but I find it increasingly more popular in gay fiction. I won’t read it in either(knowing it before I go into the story), but to each his own. I’m sure a lot of people could say the same for my twincest novels.  I wonder is it the novelty of the idea that makes this theme attractive. Or is it the sympathy this character engenders from the reading audience after he ‘overcomes’ the hardships in his life. If so, why aren’t the same techniques used so readily in het fiction. It seems as if a lot of writers are playing topsy turvy with the genders, writing what would have never been acceptable thirty years ago. Women in early romance, especially historical, were often written to be weak, the victims of bodice rippers, arranged marriages, and unwanted pregnancies. Now, women are written as fierce warriors, the head of a harem of men, lithe shapeshifters with deadly promise, and the stuffing in a manwich. Men on the other hand are portrayed as much weaker, more submissive, more helpless, and emotional. Where only a few years back you probably couldn’t crack open a romance where men shed a tear.

Some more double standards I see in writing.

Men can smoke cigars or cigarettes but women 99.9% don’t, despite the fact that the gap between men and women who smoke is steadily decreasing. To be fair, not many men smoke in these stories either. A reflection of what women and men find sexy, methinks.

Men drink a lot more than women, sometimes it’s so prevalent in a ’short story’ I begin to worry about their liver. Often men douse their anger or sorrow in heavy drinking. Drunkenness also seems to be the rule of thumb for gay admissions or compromising situations. I’ve read plenty of drunk men. I’ve written some myself, but honestly, off the top of my head, I can’t remember reading about a drunk woman.

Well, these are all the DS  I can think of right now. I’m sure there are more. This isn’t an attempt to garner feminist support, its simply my shared thoughts in the hopes that some folks will start thinking too, or perhaps share their take on this. I really would like to know if any of these thoughts have run through someone’s head other than mine. I think that writing gender differences are influenced by what society has decreed is a gender norm. Men can be more violent, more crude, more vulgar than women and no one bats an eyelash.  I think of all the men who are being abused out there who don’t speak up because it isn’t ‘manly’ to cry about a few ‘licks’? And will those men ever have the support groups or awareness ads that women do? Or will this type of thing continue to be accepted by society because its the norm?

HEA…Why Do We Love It So?

The Disney Movie Club shipped me the wrong movie. I’d ordered “Monsters, Inc”, but I received “Enchanted.” My upper lip curled in disdain at the sight of the cover, but my four year-old son was unfazed by the error.

“Let’s watch this movie, Mommy,” he said, finding (as children often do) the simplest solution to the problem.

Now, I’m a huge fan of Pixar, the quality of their storylines and the detail in the animation makes their movies easy to sit through over and over again. And over and over and over…well, you know how kids can wear out a DVD. “Enchanted,” on the other hand, seemed to me a saccharine piece of shlock I didn’t want to watch even once, much less dozens of times in a row should the little one develop a liking for it. But, thanks to McDreamy’s starring role in the movie, I decided to give it a go. If nothing else, I could stand watching Patrick Dempsey as the charming leading man for a couple hours.

By the second musical number in which rats, pigeons, and cockroaches helped our heroine scrub down the hero’s filthy New York apartment, I was laughing aloud at the funny and astute satire of archetypical Disney princess movies. And though I don’t want to spoil the ending for those of you who want to see the movie, but haven’t gotten around to it, I will say this—by the end of the movie I cheered right along with my son when Princess Giselle wound up with her true love. Okay, I’ll admit it, I even got a little misty. My heart rejoiced though my brain huffed, “What a load of crap.”

Given the predilection in romance and sensual erotica genres for a neat, fulfilling happily-ever-after ending, the movie made me wonder—Why do we love HEA so? In reality almost as many marriages fail as succeed and that doesn’t take into account the myriad of people we burned through just trying to find the person we’d be willing to take a chance on. With a real world full of broken hearts, dysfunctional couples, and blasé pairings, how can we willingly suspend our disbelief and seek out fiction that propagates what some would call the myth of true love?

I finished my long list of reasons why we shouldn’t buy into HEA and then the realization struck me—It is for all these reasons and more that we do crave the fantasy in our fiction. HEA endings allow us to experience vicariously the satisfaction that so often eludes us in our day-to-day lives.

What woman doesn’t want a break from work, motherhood, chores, and the tedious (and often messy) reality of an adult relationship? Somewhere inside of us is a little girl who wants to flounce around the house in a tiara and a tutu. We love to conjure up mental images of a prince who knows how to anticipate our every need, who will catch us each time we fall, and who doesn’t fart, burp, pee on the toilet seat, get cranky or forget to take out the trash.

That we have different tastes as to the form of our princes has given rise to the different icons of masculinity we romance writers use to delight our readers—the dark and brooding vamp who longs for a mate to bring meaning to his soulless existence, the uber-macho warrior who needs the softness of a feminine touch, the rebel without a pause who runs into the one woman that can ease his restlessness, and of course the regal and gentlemanly prince who finds his true, but forbidden love through a chance meeting. Just to name a few.

With our appetite for love and romance sated for a little while by the many incarnations of our princes, we are all the more ready to take on the challenges each day brings. But when the real world gets to be a little more than we can take, we’ll be back at the cinema, the video store, and of course Once Upon a Bookstore hungry for more flights of fancy.

Blog Clog

Okay…I confess. I’ve been a bad girl. Not sure this is much of a surprise since I’ve declared that clearly in my branding, but there are some things an author is responsible for doing that just can’t be shirked. Blogging is one of those things. I admit, I haven’t been terribly regular about blogging lately. Why? Good question, glad you asked. Though I have 3000+ word writing days on a regular basis, many times when it comes to blogging I can’t think of anything to say, lol.

All right, don’t look at me like I’ve sprouted a third head. Yes, I know, I have a reputation for verbosity, but when it comes to blogging, I feel my readers deserve more than “Why I Love Cornflakes” or “Public Enemy #1–Sock Lint.” Perhaps it is this desire to dazzle with each and every entry that’s led to this specific type of writer’s block–blog clog. I open the blogging application, crack my knuckles (yes, I know, bad habit) and *poof* all the funny observations and clever stories I had to tell my readers disappear in a cloud of smoke and I’m left thinking, “Is that an M&M under the dining table? I wonder how long it’s been there.”

I admire authors who keep their blog topics fresh, timely, and witty. I also admire those who can put a new spin on a well-worn topic. Here’s a question for those power-bloggers out there…how do you avoid ‘blog clog?’

Wanna make sure I keep on the straight and narrow? Check out my writer’s blog or join me on Facebook and be sure to superpoke me if more than a week goes by without a fresh entry!
http://www.cindyjacks.blogspot.com/
http://facebook.com/author.cindy.jacks/

My first guest at the Playground needs no introduction. That’s right…no introduction. If you do not know who Larissa Ione is and have not read one of her books then I seriously have to ask―what rock have you been living under?

Larissa Ione is not only a talented author, she’s a totally cool individual and trust me I don’t throw comments around easily. I’d so totally want to be like her if—well—you know if I were like alive and all that.

Anyway, she is one half of the awesome writing duo, Sydney Croft, responsible for giving woman a whole new reason to love the weather and its sudden changes.

Her second book in the Demonica series, Desire Unchained, is unbelievable. Today I get the opportunity not only to meet this fantastic author, but she’s brought Shade and Runa with her today to share a little of their story with us.

So without further ado, please welcome Larissa Ione, Shade and Runa Wagner.

Larissa:
Thanks for having me!

Runa: Nice to be here!

Shade: *nods*

Sameera: It’s cool to have you guys here today. Larissa I was totally ecstatic when Kensana told me you’d accepted our invite.

 Larissa: I’m always happy to do anything for Kensana. She’s awesome!

Sameera: Could you tell us a little about the Demonica Series.

Larissa: Well, it’s a dark paranormal series set in and around an underworld hospital run by demons, vampires, and werewolves. The main characters are three brothers who happen to be incubi (sex demons.) Their breed’s natural abilities give them healing qualities, which help them run the hospital. The oldest brother, Eidolon, heads up the hospital.

Sameera: So the whole thing started with Eidolon and Tayla?

Larissa: Yes. He was on duty when Tayla, a demon slayer, was brought in after being badly injured by a demon. Eidolon felt the need to help her. Wraith and Shade pretty much just wanted to kill her. Those guys aren’t quite as sympathetic as Eidolon, which becomes rather clear in Shade’s book. *ahem*

Sameera: Runa, how did it feel when you ran into Shade again after your breakup?

Runa: I wanted to kill him. Had every intention of it, actually! But then we were chained up together and forced to…well, anyway, I really wanted to kill him.

Sameera: Shade, you can’t help but notice Runa is not your run of the mill human. No offense to you, Runa. What was it that drew you to her?

Shade: She’s hot. And she stands up to me. Which is even hotter.

Sameera: Larissa, you’ve managed to create a world any being of the night could live in comfortably. The whole demon hospital thing, I never knew such a place existed. Where did your inspiration for this world come from?

Larissa: From an episode of Angel. I’d always been interested in emergency medicine (to the point that I became an EMT so I could write my medical characters accurately – at the time I was writing contemporaries,) and when Angel got hurt, someone (I think it was Oz) suggested that he go to the hospital…but he couldn’t. He was a vampire. So I started thinking…what if there was some sort of facility vampires and other creatures of the underworld could go to? And what if it was run by these very creatures? And Underworld General was born!

Sameera: Runa, you get to kick a little ass in this book. Do you miss being the Runa of old?

Runa: Not at all! This being a werewolf thing? Awesome.

Sameera: Shade, do you like the new changes in Runa? I mean you fell in love with a human, was it hard to deal with her with the new hmm…changes to her personality?

Shade: Not hard at all. The new Runa makes for some…interesting nights.

Sameera: I’ll bet. Larissa, in this book you also gave more time with Gem and Kynan, can you share anything on their situation with us? Oh, and I can’t forget about Wraith. His book is your most recent release. He’s so dark and brooding. I would so date him.

Larissa: Gem and Kynan have gone over a lot of speedbumps in their road through books 2 and 3. And they appear in book 4…Kynan plays a very
significant role in Lore’s book!

Sameera: Well, when Lore’s book comes out I’ll have to get my own copy. I don’t particularly like reading over Kensana’s shoulder. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers out there?

Larissa: Yes! I’d just like to shout out a big THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me and bought these books! Writing them has been a dream come true, but readers have taken that dream and made it bigger than I ever could have hoped. Because of YOU, Desire Unchained hit the USA Today bestseller list, and Passion Unleashed hit both the USA Today AND New York Times lists. Wow. Just…wow. Thank you!!!!

Sameera: Whoa, USA Today and New York Times lists? That’s awesome! I’d like to thank Larissa, Runa and Shade for dropping by and chatting with me today. It has been a pleasure and an honor to chill with one of the greats. I hope you’ll join us again. I can’t wait to tell Gideon.

Larissa: Thank you so much for having us! It’s been awesome!

Runa: Definitely appreciated being here. It’s not often we get out to hang with humans!

Shade: Yeah…that’s because humans are—oof!—Runa!

Larissa: Demons. Sorry…you can’t take ‘em anywhere…

Sameera: If you haven’t read or picked up a book in this series, you don’t know what you’re missing. As usual, Larissa Ione creates such a realistic world within the darkness of paranormal that you’ll wonder why you haven’t visited it sooner. Once you begin reading Runa and Shade’s story you won’t want to put it down until you’re done.

About Larissa Ione…

Larissa Ione writes dark paranormal romances (the Demonica series) for Grand Central Publishing, as well as sexy contemporary romance for Samhain and Red Sage. She also pens erotic s/f action suspense novels for Random House under the name Sydney Croft, with writing partner Stephanie Tyler. She lives a nomadic lifestyle with her Coast Guard husband, 12 year old son, and a newly adopted stray cat.

12 Things I Love about Ana

With the release of the final installment to the Point of Distraction Series, Ms. Ana Welsh has been on my mind. Mostly, I’ve remembered the fun of creating and ‘watching’ the character blossom. She has some signature moments that always make me smile. Thought I miss writing about Ana, I love to visit her world and reread the collection often. I hope you enjoy her journey as much as I have.

And without further ado, here are 12 things I love about Ana — my favorite moments from each story:

Story 1: On the dance floor with Miguel

Story 2: Granny panties!

Story 3: Mmm…pineapple

Story 4: A Scunci?!

Story 5: Ana runs into Nikhil…literally

Story 6: Chocolate sauce on the dining room sconces

Story 7: Cinnamon apple pancakes

Story 8: Ana the photogenic

Story 9: Honey drizzles

Story 10: Malasadas

Story 11: That damn Peter Frampton song

Story 12: Todd’s post office faux pas…oh yeah, and Ana’s HEA!

Chock full of fun, laughter, tears, friends, adventures, good wine, great food and sexy, sexy men, you can’t go wrong with Point of Distraction. Check out all four books today!