The Good Stuff

Since Jambrea is pretty steady with recommended reads I thought I’d include some of my own favorite books. I shall try and do them justice in a brief explanation.

First, I have to give props to my favorite author. You might have heard me say I want to be her when I grow up. This lady has a way with words. Her characters are always well rounded, intensively captivating, and the storyline is always intriguing. Not to mention the sex is hawt enough to melt my monitor. Cameron Dane is awesomeness personified. My favorite book, to date, by her is Knowing Caleb. However, this is the third book in the Demon/cowboy Hawkin’s Ranch Series. The books don’t have to be read in order and can stand on their own, but for full enjoyment I would read Demon Moon first. However, DM is a m/f read, fair warning to people only interested in m/m. As I said, KC is my favorite book of hers. I’d been waiting for Caleb’s story–not that very long, because Cameron is an enigma at writing prowess. She writes so fast its scary. Her books are so thorough that I re-read them over and over again, hoping to absorb a bit of her technique, whilst making sure I never unconsciously copy her ideas. Caleb is surprise to me because of how much he evolved throughout the story. There is a liberal amount of angst in this book because Jake, another MC and Caleb’s light o’ love, is still mourning for his wife and Caleb is burdened for other reasons that I’ll not explain for fear of ruining the story. The story is at times tender, harsh, and starkly realistic. I like my men to be men, even when they are vulnerable and Cameron Dane, at least for me, keeps it real. Caleb and Jake are two rough and tumble cowboys with heads as hard as their hides. Anyone looking for an awesome male read will love this story, if for no other reason than its well written.

Considering all the flak Elloras Cave is taking for writing an official statement about not wanting more m/m submissions, I wish Jez Morrow would branch out elsewhere, because I’m afraid she’ll stop writing in this genre. But for now I quickly gobble up any read I can get my hands on as long as her name is on it. There is a tie between Shadow of a Wolf and Lover and Commander as my favorite books by her. In a pinch I’d squeal and say Shadow is my favorite. It was the first story I’d read by her, and I never regretted a dollar of my money spent on it.

Again, I must warn readers that Jez’s way of writing is uniquely left field from most writers. At this point I don’t think I need to see her name on the cover to know she wrote a story. It might not mesh well with other readers, but for me it was a win-win, and I like  to think I’m a good judge of  reading material,  but who doesn’t heh. Anyway, I’m rambling.  I fell in ‘like’ with one of the MC’s Martin Winter. I have a soft spot for hard-boiled eggs, who once you crack their shell are really very fragile on the inside.  I also like the idea of subdued strength. Nothing is sexier to me than a man strong enough to bottom and real enough to admit that’s where he loves to be. Jack Reed was a close runner up for my affection as well. I think I liked the characters even more than the story, and I liked the story A LOT! So that is saying something. I wish I could see more of Jack and Martin, just to see how they are getting along. Shadow of a Wolf is paranormal. Both men are wereshifters, the only two of their kind so far as they know. Martin and Jack are employed by the goverment and Martin endures some capture and torment that preys on his state of well-being. Jack, the gallant hero of old, rides in on his …car and saves the day. Its a tender love story, and Martin’s blossoming was awesome to see.

Books That Make You Cry

Last night I read a book that had me in tears. I was crying so hard I had a hard time reading. I went to bed, still crying.  When an author can pull that emotion from you, you know they are great at their craft. Some day I would love to have that kind of impact on a reader. To know that they connected so much with my characters they feel their pain.

Now you probably want to know what book I’m talking about. It is by one of my top favorite m/m authors, DJ Manly. This is the third book of his that I’ve read (not counting the four I’ve read that he co authored with AJ Llewellyn) and all of them are so full of emotion, but this one…this one broke my heart.

Arsenic and Rio by DJ Manly. Here is a blub from the eXtasy site:

When Marshall met Hal, it was a match made in hell. Hal is a first class con man and manipulator. Marshall is the perfect pawn, a young guy who has been abused all his life, with no self confidence. Hal is pure evil, and he recognizes gold when he sees it. Marshall is handsome, gay and desperate to be loved and accepted. Hal is a former resident of the detention center where Marshall is living. He knows the unscrupulous director, who is deeply in debt with the mob. When the director is asked to do the mob a favor, a job that will set Hal up for life, Hal recruits Marshall to help him carry out his diabolic scheme.

When Marshall meets the handsome young owner of a coffee plantation, his job is to seduce him, and secure the plantation for the mob. Marshall doesn’t truly understand that Angelo will have to die. Marshall is completely unprepared for Angelo, and completely unprepared for love, something in his sad life, he has never known.

Passion and despair reign as Arsenic and Rio sweeps the reader away to a coffee plantation high in the mountains of Brazil, and to the warm sands of Rio.

If you’d like to read an excerpt here is the link: http://www.extasybooks.net/ebjmsite/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=ebook_flypage&product_id=3941&category_id=12&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=44

So, have you read any books that have made you cry?

Author Interview–Rita Vetere!

Thank you, Rita, so much for joining us here at Playground Mystique! We’re honored to have a bestselling author of darkness and suspense here with us today.

Cindy: Let’s start off with a little bio. Give us a peek in to your life:

Rita: First of all, Cindy, thank you so very much for having me today. The pleasure is all mine!

Okay, let’s see, a little about me. Born in Newborough, England, raised in Toronto, Canada, where I still live with my husband of 25 years and our daughter. I grew up enjoying the culture of the 60s and 70s, such an interesting era. I’ve always been an avid reader and my reading taste has always gravitated naturally to dark fiction. I love a good horror flick too.

C: When did you know you wanted to become a professional author?

R: I did quite a bit of writing in high school, but I never really gave much thought to pursuing it as a career. It wasn’t until much later, after marrying, raising a family and working the evil day job for many years that I realized how much I missed the written word in my life. I started writing again, mostly short stories and flash fiction. Then I sat down to try my hand at novel-writing. Even then, I didn’t have any real expectation of being published, I just knew I had to try. The result was Ancient Inheritance. When I finished the story, that’s when I knew I wanted to write professionally.

C: What inspired the plot of your debut novel, Ancient Inheritance?

R: I happened across some info on the Spear of Longinus, the artifact around which the story revolves, and discovered some fascinating history and legends associated with the Spear. I couldn’t help but wonder what might happen if a demon was to get his hands on it. I carried that idea around with me for a couple of weeks and then sat down to prepare an outline.

C: There’s something very sexy about your demon, Sammael. Do you have a dark affection for your villains? If so, what other sensual bad guys can we look forward to?

R: I really enjoyed letting my dark side come out to play when creating Sammael. Sure, I envisioned him as cruel, selfish, egotistical, power-hungry and evil, but he also turned out to be clever, with a dark sense of humor, extremely attractive, very persistent—a demon who knows what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it. I tried to paint him in a way that a reader might think: Gee, I’m glad I’m not a demon—but you know, if I was a demon, I’d want to be just like that.

The villain in my upcoming paranormal/dark fantasy novel, Born of Darkness, is Ahriman, an inubus who has learned how to incarnate. He, too, will have some unique qualities which I hope readers will enjoy. His incubus tendencies definitely bode well for his sex life.

C: Ancient Inheritance is now available in print. How does it feel to hold a book with your name on it, to see your words in print?

R: Because I spent so much of my youth with my nose stuck in a book, I have always loved the feel and even the smell of an actual book, especially an old book. So many good memories are associated with reading that I have to admit I was thrilled to hold a copy of Ancient Inheritance in my hands. An awesome feeling, if a bit surreal.

C: You have another book coming in digital format next month called Born of Darkness. Could you give us a sneak peek into the book?

R: I’d love to. Here’s a mock-up blurb and the cover art for Born of Darkness, as well as an excerpt I’ve not posted anywhere else yet. I enjoyed writing this dark fantasy very much and I’m really looking forward to the June 15th release.

~ There’s no escaping black karma when its time has come ~

Meet Jasmine Fairchild, outrageously gorgeous, and extremely persuasive. Some might say unnaturally so. Jasmine is a Cambion, part mortal, part succubus—and she hears voices.

On the cusp of her 21st birthday, the incubus Ahriman arrives, an old and evil soul who has learned how to incarnate. He seeks immortality, but a fate worse than death awaits Jasmine if he succeeds.

When she fails to destroy Ahriman’s portal to the physical world, and with the fate of the human race hanging in the balance, Jasmine turns to the mysterious voice she keeps hearing. It may be the key to her salvation, and redemption for those who dwell in the land of the dead.

Unedited Excerpt:

She turned to study her reflection in the dark window, perturbed at the sight of the haggard face peering back. Her long hair, once silky, hung in limp, greasy strands around her pale face. Puffy eyes, underscored with dark circles, stared back at her. She looked like a ghost, a shadow of the woman she’d once been.

Lilli turned away from her reflection and used the remote to turn on the television. Muting it, she sat back, gazing blankly at the moving pictures on the screen. She missed Charlie. Always, she missed Charlie. Yet she knew even Charlie would not have been able to stop what was happening to her, or help her to protect the baby. The baby she was now quite certain was not his. Her heart began to beat double-time in acknowledgment of the dreadful truth.

The clock on the mantle ticked away like a bomb in the silent room. Almost one-thirty in the morning. Dora would be home soon, and they didn’t like to make themselves known to others. Usually, they arrived when she was alone, or in the early morning hours when Dora was sound asleep. She’d be safe once Dora got back. She wrapped her arms protectively around her belly and watched the silent screen.

Minutes later, her head snapped up. The soft sound of a whispered voice floated toward her. “No… please,” she moaned. She placed her hands over her ears and began to slowly rock back and forth. Hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. She felt flushed, fevered. The baby kicked inside her, as if in warning.

“Go away,” she whispered into the empty room.

Other menacing voices chimed in, whispering sly words she could not make out. Soon, the subtle, sinister sounds surrounded her. She closed her eyes and tried to will them away, but it did no good. Suddenly, the hushed voices turned loud, making the hair at the nape of her neck stand up. A trickle of sweat rolled down her back. As the angry voices rose in unison, terror engulfed her all over again.

Invisible hands began to prod and poke at her. Phantom fingers brushed against her face and hair. Soon the slapping sensations on her arms and around her head would begin. Lilli sat helplessly on the couch, shielding herself against what she knew was coming. When the first blows struck, she jumped up and tried to fight them off, but her fists encountered only air.

As she tried to defend herself against the phantasms, something she saw on the side table caused her to freeze in shock. She stood perfectly still, the blood in her veins turning to sludge, no longer aware of the unseen hands pushing and slapping at her.

“That’s impossible,” she whispered to herself.

She stared in disbelief. The pendant. The one she had thrown away in Morocco. It can’t be. But there it sat anyway, glittering malignantly. A bolt of dread shot through her. Somehow, the awful thing had found its way back to her.

C: What about the mythology surrounding incubi captured your imagination?

R: I was intrigued by the myth that that an incubus is able to breed with a mortal and produce offspring known as a Cambion. I began to wonder what would happen if a female Cambion wasn’t aware of her origins, thinking herself mortal. How would she fit in among humans, how would it become evident to her what she was, and how would she cope? The story just seemed to flow from there.

C: What next can we expect from Rita Vetere?

R: My current work-in-progress is Whispering Bones, a ghost story that takes place on a haunted island off the coast of Venice.

I have to say right off the bat that I’ve a special affinity for this story. For one thing, it’s straight horror—no romantic or other elements here—and horror is my first love. I’m hoping to have a first draft completed in a couple of months, then revise, revise, revise. I’m really looking forward to the day I can get it out there.

C: How long does it take you to finish a novel from start to fully polished manuscript?

R: So far each story has been different. Ancient Inheritance took me just over a year. I wrote it evenings and weekends, working around my day job. I had the luxury of being at home when I wrote Born of Darkness so had more time to devote to writing it. That story took about six months, start to finish. I’m 50,000 words into Whispering Bones and that’s taken me four months to do. I anticipate Whispering Bones will take a total of six, seven months to complete.

C: So far you’ve written full-length novels—very impressive for a new author—do you ever see yourself working in other formats like short stories or novellas?

R: I am planning to revisit a short story or two once I get the first draft of Whispering Bones done. I’ve been toying with an idea for a short story that stems from my real-life fear of birds.

C: What about the suspense/horror genre drew you to it?

R: As a kid in the sixties I spent my Sunday afternoons at the local movie theatre being mesmerized by such classics as “The Hand”, “The Birds”, “Two on a Guillotine” and “The Man with the X-ray Eyes”, so I learned to love a good scare early on.

Also, fear is such a powerful motivator. I mean, let’s face it, on the motivation scale, fear ranks right up there with sex and hunger. It has the power to shape a person’s behavior. It can make people do things they might otherwise never do. And the battle between good and evil is an age-old one that will never grow tiresome.

I should also mention that the type of horror books and films I enjoy are chilling, atmospheric tales that leave something to the imagination. I’ve never cared much for the “grindhouse” variety of horror.

C: Any plans to try your hand at a different genre?

R: Not at this time, Cindy. I’m still trying to find my voice in the genre I’m working in. Something tells me I won’t be straying from the horror/paranormal/dark fantasy genres anytime soon.

C: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

R: I confess to being a notorious Plotter. I won’t start writing until I’ve got a solid outline in place.

C: Do you ever deviate from your outline? If so, can you give us some examples of when you decided to change things up in a book?

R: Ancient Inheritance deviated quite a bit from the original outline, mostly in terms of sequencing. There’s a large back story dealing with Cat’s grandfather Alan, and how he came into possession of the spear. I started off with a straight-line approach to telling the story but it ended up coming across as two separate stories. So I reworked it, weaving the back story in a little at a time through Alan’s flashbacks, which I hope had the dual effect of piquing the reader’s curiosity and setting a proper pace.

Born of Darkness deviated from the outline in one spot, the ending.

I think at some point, the story takes on a life of its own and dictates what should happen, but I find it very helpful to have an outline to start working with.

C: What are your writing habits like? Disciplined and ritualized or you writing whenever inspiration hits you?

R: I do make the effort to write every day. Some days I’m on a roll and can’t stop. Others, I’ll only manage to tweak a few pages of what I’d previously written, but I look at it as a job where I have to put something out every day. If I don’t, I run the risk of losing momentum. (I’m very distractible!) In between stories, I’ll take a break to reset the odometer so to speak.

As far as rituals, I enjoy having a few scented candles lit. Sometimes I’ll have some of my favorite blues tunes on in the background, but not necessarily. I also keep a 15th century icon of the Archangel Michael right next to my computer. It was gifted to me by a friend when I first started writing Ancient Inheritance and I’ve developed a real attachment to it—my good luck charm.

C: When you’re working on a manuscript, do you ever succumb to writer’s block?

R: A couple of times when writing Ancient Inheritance, I realized my outline wasn’t taking the story where I wanted it to go, so had to stop and re-evaluate things. Other times, I went back to look at something I’d written and decided it was crap, deleted the section and re-wrote, but I don’t think either of those things constitute writer’s block. So, no writer’s block so far. I also think that having an outline in place first helps prevent writer’s block because you’ve got this path that you’re following in the story and, even if it changes, you usually know which direction you’re headed in.

C: Do you work mostly on a computer or do you ever write by hand?

R: I can’t imagine writing by hand! Don’t know what I’d do without my computer.

C: Many authors purport to have muses, including the ladies here at Playground Mystique. Do you have muse, if so what’s his/her name?

R: I suspect I have several, but haven’t got a visual image of any of them, just subtle voices at the edge of my senses, urging me to discover what’s really lurking beneath a character’s façade.

C: On a more personal note, what’s your dream career other than being a writer?

R: Honestly? I think I would have loved archeology. I’ve always been fascinated by ancient civilizations and other eras. I could see myself digging up ancient artifacts and structures of some long forgotten civilization and loving every minute of it. I’d find that thrilling.

C: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

R: Several. That’s all I’m sayin…

C: Rita, you minx. All right, I’ll move on, lol. When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite pastime?

R: Reading, watching horror flicks, gardening, playing on my xbox 360, spending time with my terrier, Scruffy, cooking.

C: I’ve saved the most important question for last—what’s your favorite junk food?

R: Ha! Although I don’t eat a lot of junk food, the one thing I absolutely cannot pass up is a Tim Horton’s blueberry fritter. (Tim Horton’s is a Canadian coffee chain and their fritters are out of this world. The apple fritters are good, but the blueberry fritters are amazing). Oh, and also Krispy Kreme donuts. Love them as well.

Thank you again, Rita, for being our guest today. Chat with Rita all day today on the Playground Mystique Yahoo group. And find out more about this fascinating lady at the following locations:

Website: http://www.ritavetere.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/rita_1111
Chatting in the Dark: http://www.ritavetere.com/chat.html

The Beginning

I won’t be on the internet for at least five or six days starting tomorrow night, steadily anyway. So I decided to post today instead of Sunday. If I can get to a library or visit a relative with the internet I will.

I chose to name this post the beginning. A new chapter of my life is about to open up. I’ve made the decision to move to North Carolina from Connecticut. Several reasons influenced this decision, but I won’t bore you with facts you probably don’t care to know.

As I got to thinking about beginnings, I started thinking on the way things were when I just got to college, when I wrote for free and published on Adult Fan Fiction. I wrote all originals except for one limp chapter based on 300 characters that never went anywhere. I started thinking about my first post, on my first blog. Turns out its still there and here is what it says:

The Pains of Writing

Stephen King says in one of his books, and I can’t recall which one, if you want to write then write. So I write. It is far from easy, and I would challenge anyone who says it is to write a chapter or two. I’ve never been a planning type of person so I write off the top of my head, but frequently I get writers block. You’re like ready to rip your hair out when you’re typing along and your mind goes blank. Anyway, I’ve recently joined this site called adultfanfiction.net. The reader response is very welcome and I’m excited that people actually seem to like my work. It makes me write more, and well, I’m getting over my writers block a lot faster these days.

My first post was short and sweet, and even then I knew this writing gig would be an uphill battle. The thrill of writing hasn’t worn off, though some days the interest in writing is virtually nonexistent. I still am elated to have reader feedback, although I’m not quite sure if the audience reading my books are shy because of the subject matter, or what. I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again. If there is a line in the sand I’ll be the one to poke and prod it and see if I can cross it without losing a finger.

It’s been over two years since I started my first fumbling attempts at writing seriously. I have grown so much. I have brought honor to my grammar teacher, who would have winced if she could see what I was doing in 2007.

When asked what was my greatest achievement in life, I always say that it was my writing. So far, as I have no kids, my stories are my babies. I’ve been telling stories since I was a tot. My Beginning was storytelling and it will very likely be with me in the end. So what fond memory of first times come to you? What are you most proud of? What memorabilia have you saved to remind you of that special moment when you began?

The Janitor by Jan Irving

 I was wondering what I would post.  I don’t have a new book coming out, I’m still working on the same story and I was at a loss.  I was over at the Loose Id site looking up Z.A. Maxfield because I’d just read a couple of hers that I REALLY liked.  Drawn Together and The Long Way Home. So while I’m there I happen upon The Janitor by Jan Irving. The cover itself was worth a second look.  So…I looked. I still liked it so I looked at the blurb.  Here is what I read:

I’m a naturally optimistic type of person, you know? Yeah, I think good things will happen, only they usually don’t. Take Noel: even though he’s educated and rich and he don’t think he’s even gay, I want to belong to him. I want him to take me completely—Dane Connelly

Dan Connelly is a gay janitor and boxer with a soft heart and a simple outlook—he wants to meet the right man, someone who will look past his macho sport and put him in the place of a submissive. He wants to fall in love and belong to his partner.

On the surface, Noel Atherton, an intellectual, shy and sexually repressed university graduate student with a crippled leg, could not be the dominant lover that Dane longs for. But after their first meeting, when Dane disables the fire alarm in the library and lights a cigarette, Noel is drawn from his shell.  Soon, Noel needs to touch Dane, exploring his sexuality for the first time. And both learn that looks can be deceiving.

However, Noel’s controlling father is appalled by the relationship and quietly arranges to get Dane out of the way and punish him for daring to love a man so far above his station.

I thought…okay, I can wait until payday. No problem.  But then…I made a mistake. I was showing the book to someone and they asked if it was first person. I wasn’t sure, so I went to look at the excerpt.  BIG MISTAKE!  It drew me in.  I went back and forth and said…I have to.  I bought the book and I was not disappointed.

Jan has such a way with words. I wish I could write the way this woman does. I just want to hug Dane and keep him close, away from harm. I love that man and so did everyone, well almost everyone, who met him.  I know I’ll be reading it again.

Seeing Dane’s story made my heart happy. He’s not your typical hero at all, but he shines. Man, Dane sure does shine.  Noel needs Dane just as much as Dane needs him. They are great for each other and flawed. My kind of heroes for sure.

Okay…now I need to go read it again.  :)

Rage for the Road

I’ve talked to people from other states and an abundance of bad/careless drivers seem to be national in the USA. I haven’t discussed drivers in other countries. but I’m betting they have their share too.

Now I’m not an easy person to make angry. I have a pretty high tolerance for stupidity, but my only weakness for temper flaring is driving. Why that is, has not fully come to light. Perhaps it is that driving really is a dangerous situation. It’s so easy to do something reckless and endanger the lives of other  drivers or pedestrians. I also seem to have a low tolerance for cowardliness, and being a jerk behind the wheel screams coward. I can understand unintentional mistakes (which, by the way are really hard to determine while driving) but when someone cuts you off, races ahead to take off from a stop sign when you were ‘clearly’ there first, or darts out in front of you of you, forces you to break down to half your speed then proceeds at a crawl. Woo hoo! Stop the freaking press.

I could happily get out of the car at this moment and break a windshield or side mirror.  As with all things that I do, I shall break down the type of road offenders into a list.

1. Power Rangers: These are the folks that think they are superheroes racing to save the day. They criss cross traffic at dangerous distances on the highway, run red lights excessively, do rolling stops at stop signs, and dart out in front of you when CLEARLY you will have to break just not to hit their vehicle.

2. Strollers: Half the time these people have cataracts. Sorry, that was harsh. What I meant to say is that they are very ‘mature’. They are just dandy driving five to ten miles under the speed limit. They also seem oblivious that anyone at all could possibly be coming down their lane when they are backing out of parking spaces. No, no, you go! I was just sitting here staring at the sky. Strollers also come to a near stop when they have to make a turn, because WHOA those turns can be tricky.

3. Frogs: These folks have no freaking idea where they are going. They like to hop in your lane, then back in the next lane. Hold, on, wait for it…they signal for a left turn, slow down and…nope, not that street. They just keep on going. God forbid their lane ends and they are in the turning lane. Well, they’ll fix that mistake by half running you off the road and going straight instead of turning. Make sure to leave a change of underwear in the glove compartment when dealing with frogs.

4. Mystery Men: Ever been behind someone who is cruising along at a nice speed, then they slow down and you find yourself breaking? Then you see this ‘huge’ gap opening up between you and the car, so you speed up. Then they slow down for a leaf that skitters across the road, and then they speed up again. Well I have. I call these folks mystery men because you have no clue what they are going to do next. MM also make sudden turns without signaling. Cuz who the hell knows what that flashy light does? Could be a bomb.

5. ED: Ed stands for easily distracted. This is the category to clump the phone talkers, conversation holders, bacon cheeseburger eaters, and too-busy-staring-at-girl-in-bikini people. They are liable to do anything.

6.Precipitation Phenom: the PP is the as yet unstudied event that occurs naturally in nature every time it rains, snows, or the wind blows too fast. What happens to people’s brains when we have bad weather? I’ve no clue.  Somehow the driving gets more reckless when there is bad weather. I try and stay off the roads at this time.

I should probably add, that despite my foaming-at-the-mouth fits I do not think its a smart idea to antagonize these people. Folks have been killed because they pulled over and got out of their cars and started waving guns around. People have been sent to the hospital because they took baseball bats out of their trunks and beat the snot out of each other. I learned that horns should only be used in the case of an emergency. It’s a bad idea to be a chronic horn-tooter. Not only could an unnecessary beep startle someone into flooring the gas or running a light, but if the driver is craning their head around to see ‘who’ is beeping at him/her then that distracts them from the road. So, please, never beep at a friend you see driving past you. Horns are not the cars way of saying hello. It’s more like saying ‘Move out of the way!”

And that’s all for Rage for the Road!

Writing Slump

Kinda sorta.  I’ve been doing a lot of reading.  I think it started when I was in such a rush to finish my story Magnus. I entered it in a contest and there was a chance I could be asked for a full and it had to be 80k.  Well, I reached 46k and I’m on the down slide of Mag when I stopped.  I realized I would have to REALLY get into Mag’s emotions.  His woman was kidnapped and tortured. How would he deal? How could he deal?  I have NO idea!  lol I couldn’t write. I was stuck. He got her home from the hospital and then…and then…I got nothing!  So…I went on a reading binge.  It helped and I went to try for Mag again and I thought…okay…where do I go from here? What’s next? How do I wrap up the story?  So I sent it to a beta.  Found out…she thought it was too violent.  Okay…now what?  I sent it to another beta to see if SHE thought it was too violent too.  She’s still looking at it so I don’t have a verdict yet. 

Let me tell you a little about Mag.  He is a Marine.  Ho-rah! He has a small elite team that he takes on missions for the government. He is introduced to his first female recruit and is told she will go on missions with the team. He is NOT happy.  Especially when she keeps screwing up!  Not to mention the sexual tension between the two.  It’s off the charts.

Now let’s talk about his woman. She is more then he knows.  Emily is an undercover NCIS agent.  She is sent in to find out if Mag and his team are behind the kidnapping of woman and children in third world countries and selling them into the sex trade.

So Emily is a tough character and a great match for Mag, but…what happens when she’s hurt?  I guess I’ll have to find out!  lol

I don’t have to reach 80k now. Mag didn’t make the Editor’s Choice and I was never contacted about a full so he’ll be as long as he needs to be.  UM…heehee.  You know what I mean.  lol  I’ve decided to pitch him at Lori’s to Samhain!  We’ll see what happens. 

Jacked In

I believe Kensi touched briefly on the matter of technology in her last post, but after going to the movies to see X-Men origins yesterday and seeing all the trailers for the newest summer movies (Transformers and Terminators) I started thinking, Wow, when did machines and technology really take over every aspect of our lives? Could we function without technology?

Honestly, technology rules every aspect of our day. Take this figurative journey with me.I will bold every technological machine used in the day.

You wake up because of the buzz of the alarm clock.

Turn on the lights to the bathroom.

Brush your teeth with an battery-operated toothbrush.

Use the faucet to get water.

If you’re a man use an electric shaver.

If you’re a woman you may wash hair and use blow dryer.

You turn on the television to watch the news.

Fill up the carafe and start the coffee-maker.

Use the electric stove to make breakfast.

After its all said and done you use the car to get to work.

You may have to punch in manually on a time clock.

At your desk you boot up the computer.

On or around your desk may be a light source, pencil sharpener, calculator, or telephone.

You have a cell phone with you at all times.

From the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep you are essentially jacked-in to the technological age. As a matter of fact the only time you probably don’t use technology is when you’re sleeping.

All this techie stuff got the brain to swirling and pondering the dreaded story outline. I tried to turn my back on it, and it wouldn’t let me be. The scene that played over and over in my mind demanded to be written. Thus I’ve started the first scene to a futuristic story where humans are jacked-in to technology all the time, even in their sleep. Because I have a crap load of WIPS on my plate already, this story will, of course, not be first priority, but unlike most of my WIPS it demanded to be done.

So expect a story in the furture featuring a mercenary named Rock with a cybernetic arm and his equally gruff partner (possibly the only one who can put up with his dark humor) Jericho. Unlike most of my MCs these two heroes are so damn pigheaded, alpha, and stubborn, I don’t know how they’ll tumble into bed together. Possibly they’ll break each other’s necks, but then when your vertebrae is enhanced with Arturian steel that isn’t so easy to do.

Can you hear me now? Hold on a sec… I’ll text it.

Presidential Texting

Have we gone to far with texting and IMing? I had to make a phone call last week to handle some business and the realization hit me in face. I’VE LOST THE WILL TO TALK TO PEOPLE ORALLY! Ok, ok don’t get stuck on the word orally. Stay with me here.

In days past, we used to pick up a phone, have a chat. Meet over lunch, have a chat. Take a walk…you get the picture. Now if you want to chat you’ll need to do it via email, cell phone or any of the numerous texting programs available to you just simply by conducting a Google search.

I took a look into how much of my daily communication is actually done with face-to-face confrontation. During my 8 to 5, we communicate through email or interoffice texting. If my daughters or husband need to contact me, it’s through texting, instead of the standard phone call. I even have my mother and mother-in-law hooked into Bluetooth and texting. My own fault…hey it’s just easier that way, right? I think I realized that things were getting out of hand when one of darling daughters broke up with her boyfriend through a text message. I told her how cold and heartless I thought the decision was to break up that way to which she replied, “Mom, everyone does it this way. It’s just easier.”

Don’t get me wrong. I love all the new stuff. I’m a member of the IPhone cult for cying out loud. You know, if you have heartbreak, pinkeye or a pain in the butt, I’m sure there’s an app for that. So I guess today I find myself wondering are we exchanging communication of old for Twitter, email, IM, My Space, Facebook and texting, for a world of total disconnection? A place were we no longer speak to each other even when we’re in the same room? Or is it all just…easier?

And now for you entertainment…

Divine Nine

Hamlet:
What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how
infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and
admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like
a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet,
to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me—
nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.~Shakespeare~

Divine Nine

So what’s up with the quote at the beginning of this post. Nothing, I just thought it was nice. Loves me some Hamlet. No but seriously I’m here to talk about heroes. Not just any heroes, but the ones you find in romance. You see I’ve come up with a list of nine men you might find when cracking open a romance(come to think of it you might find these men in LIFE in general). Why not women? Well, maybe that will be my next post. I’m here to present nine different heroes. That’s right, I believe there are nine. If you think there are more, well tell me about it. They may come in different shapes, sizes, and colors but at the heart of the matter they make up the divine nine.

1. Mr. Wonderful
2. Mr. Badass
3. Mr. Confused
4. Mr. Shy
5. Mr. Caveman
6. Mr. Pincushion
7. Mr. Evol
8. Mr. TSTL
9. Mr. E

Mr. Wonderful

I will start with Mr. Wonderful. You may see him most often in the romance genre. He is perfect. He is handsome, available, muscled, educated, well-spoken. *insert sigh here* Oddly enough I find this guy the least bit interesting. Where are his flaws? Someone find a pimple on his ass or something. You know how his story will go. He’ll meet the girl, put on his charm, snag her, bag her, and nine months later she’s preggo. The End. Good riddance.

Occupational hazard: Lawyer, doctor, dentist, veterinarian, CEO

Mr. Badass

*insert evil grin here* I like him. *pats head* Mr. Badass is probably still handsome, intelligent, available, OR he might be banging his next door neighbor, the girl at Rite Mart, AND the ticket ripper at the local theater. He’s going to get into trouble. He’s going to curse. He’s going to growl and complain and roll his eyes and maybe hurt your feelings. He’ll be selfish (a little). He’s the do-things-his-way (which usually means breaking rules) hero. He’ll find the girl, sleep with her sister, apologize and put on some Berry White. Snag her. Bag her. And shove some birth control pills in her hand. Hey, he’s not done riding his Harley and he’ll be damned if he’s driving a minivan with a baby car seat just now. AnyHOO at the end of the day Mr.Badass does the right thing.

Occupational Hazard: Tattoo Artist, Construction Worker, Bartender, Repair Shop Owner, Professional Jewelry Thief

Mr. Confused

He doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going. He doesn’t know if he wants to be married or remain a bachelor. He can’t even remember where he left his briefcase this morning. Mr. Confused is probably handsome. (Aren’t they all?). He’s working a boring nine-to-five until he figures out what he wants to do with his life. Mr. Confused might even be that guy who dates women when he really is attracted to men. We see that a lot in gay fiction. He doesn’t want to be ostracized by the public but his heart just isn’t into the fairer sex. You will most likely have your heart wrenched for Mr. Confused. He goes through a lot of trials and tribulations before he ends up with Mr or Mrs. Right.

Occupational Hazard: Office assistant, Clerk, College Kid, Photographer

Mr. Shy

“He blushed. His cheeks flushed. He ducked his head. His hand trembled. He dropped his keys and then kicked them under the car. He was nervous. His stomach flip-flopped.” What are these, you ask? Well, these are all reading cues that let you know you are dealing with Mr. Shy. He’s a very popular hero to use in gay fiction.  Hell, I like to use him myself. Most het fiction won’t use a guy like this because, well, Mr. Badass or Mr. Wonderful and even Mr. Cavemen are hotter when it comes to heating up ze bedroom. Mr. Shy might also be a geek, whipcord thin, maybe even effeminate or androgynous. He’ll get the girl. (by accident) or he’ll get the guy, because the guy will be pursuing him.

Occupational Hazard: Artist, Computer Techie, College Student, Engineer

Mr. Caveman

Meet Crug. He’s one step away from bopping you on the head and dragging you off to his cave. You love to hate this guy, and though you’re sure the heroine should shoot him in the leg, you still *swoon* when he tells her she’s his woman. Mr. Caveman is a combination of Mr. Wonderful (smart, handsome, successful, muscular) but he has all the characteristics of Mr. Badass. (Dominant, smug, bossy) He just gets away with it because he’s handsome. Mr. Crug…I mean, Mr. Caveman will have his happily ever after because his super sperm will get Mrs. Caveman pregnant and they’ll live happily ever after.

Occupational Hazard: Caveman, Soldier, Firefighter, CEO, Inherited Wealth (Secretive business)

Mr. Pincushion

Hey, can I have twenty bucks? Yeah, this guy will give you his last two cents. He’s the caretaker who inadvertently became everyone’s walking mat. He thinks everyone is his friend. He’s a handsome, likeable guy, OR he might just be average looking but intelligent or wealthy. You feel so bad for Mr. Pincushion but on the other hand you want to smack the hell out of him and tell him to grow a spine. Mr. Pin will eventually find his happily ever after.  It could be with Mrs. Right or Mrs. Loving, OR a Dom named Jackal who beats the snot out of all the people taking advantage of him.

Occupational Hazard: Accountant, Doctor, Teacher, Musician, Inherited Wealth, Manager, Store Owner, Scientist

Mr. Evol

He’s not a hero! Course not. He’s not like Mr. Badass at all. He’ll steal lollipops from babies and push little old ladies to the back of the line. He’s handsome (You knew that was coming) with higher than average intelligence (how else do you think he avoided the police) Mr. Evol is selfish, greedy, stubborn, and seemingly unstoppable. He’s also VERY rare as a protagonist. Who’ll ever love this black-hearted scoundrel? Well, apparently, there is such a thing as redemption. There is always a loophole that wins Mr. Evol into the hearts of others. Take Robin Hood for example: He stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Hey, but he wasn’t evil you say to yourself, right? Right. That’s why I spelled it Evol, its short for Evolution. Yeah, I just made that up. Mr. Evol goes through an evolution in the book. He starts off being a selfish black-hearted scoundrel (I really love that phrase) but he ends up changing his ways. Maybe he gives the fat ruby he stole to an orphanage. It usually takes the stubborn will of a good-hearted heroine OR hero to help him change his ways. On the rare occasion Mr. Evol goes from good to bad. Either way this character is evolutionary and bound for a happy ending—or, some time in prison. *shrugs*

Occupational Hazard: Thief, Drug-Lord, Kingpin, Assassin, Pirate, Mercenary

Mr. TSTL (too stupid to live)

Burn this after reading. That’s what Mr. TSTL makes you want to do to your book. If he were a hero he’d be the one who showed up to rescue the woman in the burning building after she’d thrown a mattress out the window and rescued herself. If the answer is obvious Mr. TSTL will never comprehend it. He’s prone to misunderstandings. He whines. He does a lot of introspection and still comes up with a big fat nothing. Mr.TSTL pisses the heroine or hero off with his sheer stupidity and thoughtlessness. To be fair he isn’t a bad guy, just not the brightest light bulb in the bunch. By some freak of nature he gets a HFN or a HEA. You’ll probably care less though.

Occupational Hazard:  In the interest of being diplomatic I won’t fill in an occupation here.

Mr. E

Holy Cow! I’m almost done. Mr. E is a ‘mystery’ you get it? J (I was tired when I wrote this. Don’t blame me) Anyway, Mr. E is not someone you’d expect. He’s not the typical hero. He might be overweight, handicapped, or a freaking shapeshifter. Mr. E is here to shake things up. He’ll never do what you expect of him. He’s a wicked combination of almost all the Misters I’ve mentioned so far. If Mr. E was a superhero he’d probably be the antihero turned hero, turned antihero again. Mr. E’s job is to be mysterious and standoffish. He’s the man you want to know more about. He’s the one the town calls a murderer when in reality his best friend died in a car accident. Contrary to popular belief, Mr. E did not strangle him to death. Mr. E might be a killer on the gossip mills but later you find out he’s a retired veterinarian that still takes in animals. Mr. E might also be a mountain man who’s gruff on the outside, but has a heart of gold. If Mr. E finds Mr. or Mrs. Right it isn’t because he went out looking. His other half will have to come to him.

Occupational Hazard: It’s a Mr. E. (You SO knew I was gonna say that.)