Hi everyone,
I'm over on Hitting the hotspot today, talking about Whispers.
Do stop by if you get the chance.
On a side note what the hell happened to February. I know it's the shortest month, but really, it should have lasted more than five minutes, shouldn't it?
Friday 27 February 2009
Thursday 26 February 2009
A bit of silver lining
Hi everyone,
I'm over on Oh, Get a Grip today. The topic is The new explicitness. I'm focusing on the GOOD news.
Do stop by and let me know if you agree - or if you don't agree. I'd like to know either way :)
I'm over on Oh, Get a Grip today. The topic is The new explicitness. I'm focusing on the GOOD news.
Do stop by and let me know if you agree - or if you don't agree. I'd like to know either way :)
Wednesday 25 February 2009
Safeword
I'd say about half my characters approve of safe words and half of them don't. Now, that doesn't mean what a lot of people would assume. The half that don't agree with the use of safewords play out scenes where no still means no.
Okay. What is a safe word to start with - it's a word that means no. In it's basic form it's a simple withdrawal of consent. It means stop.
There are variations. Some people play with more than one safe word. For example, for those people who like traffic lights, RED means stop. If they say GREEN when their dom checks in with them, it means go. If they say AMBER it means could mean slow down, or back off a little bit or, I need a break - it's not a full out no, just a request for the play to change a little.
And what some people don't realise is that dom's can use safewords too. They are human too. Sometimes they need a way to exit a scene, just like subs. It's not easy for someone who likes to be in control to admit that they've gone too far or there's something that's freaked them on. A dom using a safeword can tell their submissive that they aren't stopping because they are angry with them, it's something else.
Lets have a look at the characters now - those who do and don't use a safe word. I think the easiest way to do that is to put them in a situation where they want to say no. There are a few different reasons why people say the word.
Big one first. The character wants what's happening to stop - they are withdrawing consent.
The character who uses a safeword say their safe word. The character who doesn't use a safeword says no. In each case their dominant stops what's happening. All nice and simple.
Let's look at another example. The submissive is trying something new, they are nervous, they panic a little, they say no.
For the character who uses a safe word, saying no doesn't mean they are withdrawing consent. Their dominant might stop, or they might back off a little, or they might change tack a little, or they could pause to discuss the problem without breaking out of the scene. Depending on how the sub reacts once that moment of panic passes, the scene may continue as if the word was never said.
For the character who doesn't use a safeword, no stops play. The dominant displays a different reaction. They can't keep going.
There are advantages to both. For example, in the second way the sub has to completely accept and commit to what they are doing on every level. If an instinctive protest stops play, they have to deal with that instinct before they can move on.
Another situation. There are times when the sub may gain something from pushing through the bit they don't enjoy as much. For example, they might get the best orgasm of their life after being teased for several hours without being allowed to come. Knowing that really doesn't help those hours pass any more quickly.
A sub without a safe word could say no they didn't want to be teased any more and their dom could keep on teasing them until they said their safe word. They are free to express any emotion and say any word bar their safe word without worrying the dom will actually stop too soon.
A sub without a safe word might say no - but that could result in the dom actually not teasing them any more. In that way, you could say their dom was pushing them to exert more control over their own reaction - forcing them to face what they really wanted before they could have it.
As I said at the start there's no right way or wrong way to use a safe word - as long as everyone involved in the scene knows what's going on and everyone has a way to exit the scene if they really want to, it's all good as far as I'm concerned.
One last thing I want to address before I cut off and try to stop this post growing into a novella in it's own right - using a safe word doesn't mean someone failed. Having a safe word someone doesn't feel safe using is no use at all. It exists for a reason.
And that's it for me for tonight.
Sleep well everyone :)
Okay. What is a safe word to start with - it's a word that means no. In it's basic form it's a simple withdrawal of consent. It means stop.
There are variations. Some people play with more than one safe word. For example, for those people who like traffic lights, RED means stop. If they say GREEN when their dom checks in with them, it means go. If they say AMBER it means could mean slow down, or back off a little bit or, I need a break - it's not a full out no, just a request for the play to change a little.
And what some people don't realise is that dom's can use safewords too. They are human too. Sometimes they need a way to exit a scene, just like subs. It's not easy for someone who likes to be in control to admit that they've gone too far or there's something that's freaked them on. A dom using a safeword can tell their submissive that they aren't stopping because they are angry with them, it's something else.
Lets have a look at the characters now - those who do and don't use a safe word. I think the easiest way to do that is to put them in a situation where they want to say no. There are a few different reasons why people say the word.
Big one first. The character wants what's happening to stop - they are withdrawing consent.
The character who uses a safeword say their safe word. The character who doesn't use a safeword says no. In each case their dominant stops what's happening. All nice and simple.
Let's look at another example. The submissive is trying something new, they are nervous, they panic a little, they say no.
For the character who uses a safe word, saying no doesn't mean they are withdrawing consent. Their dominant might stop, or they might back off a little, or they might change tack a little, or they could pause to discuss the problem without breaking out of the scene. Depending on how the sub reacts once that moment of panic passes, the scene may continue as if the word was never said.
For the character who doesn't use a safeword, no stops play. The dominant displays a different reaction. They can't keep going.
There are advantages to both. For example, in the second way the sub has to completely accept and commit to what they are doing on every level. If an instinctive protest stops play, they have to deal with that instinct before they can move on.
Another situation. There are times when the sub may gain something from pushing through the bit they don't enjoy as much. For example, they might get the best orgasm of their life after being teased for several hours without being allowed to come. Knowing that really doesn't help those hours pass any more quickly.
A sub without a safe word could say no they didn't want to be teased any more and their dom could keep on teasing them until they said their safe word. They are free to express any emotion and say any word bar their safe word without worrying the dom will actually stop too soon.
A sub without a safe word might say no - but that could result in the dom actually not teasing them any more. In that way, you could say their dom was pushing them to exert more control over their own reaction - forcing them to face what they really wanted before they could have it.
As I said at the start there's no right way or wrong way to use a safe word - as long as everyone involved in the scene knows what's going on and everyone has a way to exit the scene if they really want to, it's all good as far as I'm concerned.
One last thing I want to address before I cut off and try to stop this post growing into a novella in it's own right - using a safe word doesn't mean someone failed. Having a safe word someone doesn't feel safe using is no use at all. It exists for a reason.
And that's it for me for tonight.
Sleep well everyone :)
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Chasing Rainbows
I'm on Writer's Evolution today. The topic of the week is Interrupts.
I'm talking about Chasing Rainbows.
Do stop by if you get the chance :-)
I'm talking about Chasing Rainbows.
Do stop by if you get the chance :-)
Monday 23 February 2009
Night of the Senses - On Sale Now!
My new vampire novella, Whispers, is now on sale as part of Total-e-bound’s BDSM anthology Night of the Senses. Each story in the collection focuses on a different sense - sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing, and extra-sensory!
It's my first anthology, as well as my first male/female title. Really excited about both those things.
I’m so excited to be part of this project with so many fantastic writers. The anthology features: Voyeur by Sierra Cartwright, Carnal Caresses by Desiree Holt, Welcome to Paradise by Ashley Ladd, Spiced Vanilla by Victoria Blisse, Sweet Urges by Jessica Jarman and my own story – Whispers, as the extrasensory contribution.
Here’s a little bit more about Whispers -
Blurb:
Charlotte is more than happy to offer her master her body, her blood and her submission. But her mind is her own, if he really is listening in on her thoughts, he has to stop – Right now!
As soon as Zachariah feeds from Charlotte’s blood, he begins to hear her thoughts whispering into his mind. A rare blood bond forms between them and Zachariah is thrilled. He’s sure the bond and his new insights into Charlotte’s mind will solve all their problems.
Charlotte was ready for her master’s bite to hurt – she was looking forward it. She thought she was ready for anything else too, but she wasn’t ready to let her master into her mind. The bond isn’t the solution to anything. The bond is the problem.
Zachariah has to solve a whole new set of problems if he’s going to prove he’s the master Charlotte’s always wanted, and Charlotte has to learn to do something she’s never done before – trust a master with her mind.
And a quick extract:
Here’s a little bit more about Whispers -
Blurb:
Charlotte is more than happy to offer her master her body, her blood and her submission. But her mind is her own, if he really is listening in on her thoughts, he has to stop – Right now!
As soon as Zachariah feeds from Charlotte’s blood, he begins to hear her thoughts whispering into his mind. A rare blood bond forms between them and Zachariah is thrilled. He’s sure the bond and his new insights into Charlotte’s mind will solve all their problems.
Charlotte was ready for her master’s bite to hurt – she was looking forward it. She thought she was ready for anything else too, but she wasn’t ready to let her master into her mind. The bond isn’t the solution to anything. The bond is the problem.
Zachariah has to solve a whole new set of problems if he’s going to prove he’s the master Charlotte’s always wanted, and Charlotte has to learn to do something she’s never done before – trust a master with her mind.
And a quick extract:
Zachariah Radcliff ran his fingertips over Charlotte’s throat, slowly tracing the line of her jugular. It took every ounce of his self control to keep his touch gentle. He’d waited far too long since his last feeding, but now…
He closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself not to assume too soon. Everything still hung on Charlotte’s answer.
“Are you sure, my pet?” Zachariah asked softly.
“Yes, master.”
He brushed her hair away from her neck. The dark curls fell back over her shoulder. Charlotte shivered—a shudder so tiny, it required his heightened senses to perceive.
The room was warm. His armchair stood close to the fire. Although she was naked, her place kneeling at his feet put Charlotte directly in front of the blaze. There was only one reason for his pet to shiver, and it had nothing to do with the temperature.
She appeared perfectly serene, but he sensed her blood pounding, hard and fast through her veins. He knew it was impossible for him to truly understand how Charlotte felt about the imminent feeding, but he looked down at his pet and did his best.
Was the shiver a sign of fear? Desire? He couldn’t read her well enough to be certain. He’d never known a human who was quite so infuriatingly in control of her reactions as Charlotte.
Zachariah forced a deep breath into his lungs and held back a sigh. She’d known who he was, what he was, when she’d come under his protection. She’d been given time to become accustomed to the idea. If she said she was sure, he no longer had any choice but to trust her judgement. He couldn’t wait any longer.
“If you are truly ready for this, come to your master.”
Charlotte stood. Even with the desire for her blood scorching through his veins, he couldn’t fail to appreciate her curves the same way a human man might. Zachariah ran a hand down his pet’s back and caressed the soft swell of her hip as she sat on his lap.
He arranged Charlotte so her back rested against his chest. Her neck hovered temptingly close to his lips. He stroked his hands over her limbs, encouraging her to rest against him. Charlotte moulded herself to fit perfectly against the lines of his body, but she didn’t relax. Charlotte maintained the same tense reserve she always displayed in his presence.
“Bare your neck for me, pet.”
She took her hair and twisted the thick mass of curls together, bringing the rope of hair over her left shoulder to expose the right side of her neck. Her hands showed no sign of an anxious tremble.
Zachariah wished he could trust that to mean she really wasn’t nervous.
He tilted her head back and kissed her neck. Tracing the vein with the tip of his tongue, he pushed back the urge to bite, the way he had so many times over the last few weeks.
Charlotte turned her head to the side, giving her master better access to the vein. It was more than enough encouragement. Coming from a woman who never let her wants and desires show, it was a full orchestral symphony of invitation, with an extra encore thrown in for good measure.
The forms still needed to be properly observed. Zachariah forced the syllables past his lips. His mouth trembled with the effort of forming words when every instinct demanded he forget words existed and just bite. “Give me your answer, pet,” he whispered. “I will not take what is not freely given.”
“Yes, master.”
He couldn’t ignore the calm certainty in her voice. His teeth grazed her skin. Blood immediately seeped to the surface. Zachariah ran his tongue over the wound. He closed his eyes, savouring the first taste of hot, salty liquid on his lips.
He liked to think he would have been able to stop if Charlotte panicked, but the blood on his tongue called to him so strongly, nothing less than a display of real fear would stop him.
She gave no sign of distress.
Zachariah bit.
*End of Excerpt*
If you’d like to find out more about the other stories in the collection, or to buy a copy, just click here.
Thanks for reading!
Memo: Interruptions, Explicitness and Anthologies
Hi everyone,
Today:
Night of the Senses is Now On Sale! More about that in a seperate post :)
Secret Service recieved a four star review from Rainbow Reviews. The review was written by Fox, who said:
"...this story is very entertaining and romantic."
You can read the rest of it here.
Tuesday:
I'm on Writer's Evolution blog talking about Interruptions.
Wednesday:
I'm still deciding my word of the week. I'm going for something smaller and more specific this time around. Maybe actually something I can fit into a reasonable post rather than an epic!
Thursday:
I'll be talking about "The new explictness" on the Oh, Get a Grip! blog.
Friday:
Back here for five of something :)
And that's it as far as I know.
What else should I be doing this week?
Writing:
I'd like to finish the fourth Lust bite story, so I'll have the first drafts of all the stories in the mini collection by the end of the month.
Editing:
Ideally I'd like to be able to submit the second Lust bite story by the end of the month too. Not sure if that's possible, so I'll set my aim at the story being as close to submission standard as possible by then.
Have a good week everyone.
Today:
Night of the Senses is Now On Sale! More about that in a seperate post :)
Secret Service recieved a four star review from Rainbow Reviews. The review was written by Fox, who said:
"...this story is very entertaining and romantic."
You can read the rest of it here.
Tuesday:
I'm on Writer's Evolution blog talking about Interruptions.
Wednesday:
I'm still deciding my word of the week. I'm going for something smaller and more specific this time around. Maybe actually something I can fit into a reasonable post rather than an epic!
Thursday:
I'll be talking about "The new explictness" on the Oh, Get a Grip! blog.
Friday:
Back here for five of something :)
And that's it as far as I know.
What else should I be doing this week?
Writing:
I'd like to finish the fourth Lust bite story, so I'll have the first drafts of all the stories in the mini collection by the end of the month.
Editing:
Ideally I'd like to be able to submit the second Lust bite story by the end of the month too. Not sure if that's possible, so I'll set my aim at the story being as close to submission standard as possible by then.
Have a good week everyone.
Saturday 21 February 2009
Um... it's not Friday anymore is it?
I had all good intentions about posting my Friday's Five yesterday. Then my internet connection crashed.
It was back up this morning, but I launched myself into my last edit of my anthology submission, so I'm actually even later posting here than a had to be. To make it worse, I can't remeber the five things I was planning to post before I went to be last night.
So I have a new five things -
Five quotes for writers:
1. "The only thing I was fit for was to be a writer, and this notion rested solely on my suspicion that I would never be fit for real work, and that writing didn't require any." Russell Baker.
2. A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. Thomas Mann.
3. Eighty-five percent of what goes on in a novelist's head is none of his business. Stephen King.
4. All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things. Bobby Knight.
5. Finish. The difference between being a writer and being a person of talent is the discipline it takes to apply the seat of your pants to the seat of your chair and finish. Don't talk about doing it. Do it. Finish. E.L. Konigsburg.
I found way more than five quotes I liked, so there'll probably be more next week :)
...
Other news:
Writing: I'll finish the third Lust bite in my little collection of them today. I've managed to make exactly the same mistake on this one as I did on the last (large sections which should have been written from a different point of view). At least I'm consitant. Tomorrow I start work on the fourth and final Lust bite in the collection. Hopefully I'll find a different mistake to make on this one!
Editing: My anthology submission is printed out and undergoing proof reading. I need to write the synopsis and the blurb, make the proof corrections and I'll submit it to my editor tomorrow.
That's it.
Hope you're having a good weekend everyone :)
It was back up this morning, but I launched myself into my last edit of my anthology submission, so I'm actually even later posting here than a had to be. To make it worse, I can't remeber the five things I was planning to post before I went to be last night.
So I have a new five things -
Five quotes for writers:
1. "The only thing I was fit for was to be a writer, and this notion rested solely on my suspicion that I would never be fit for real work, and that writing didn't require any." Russell Baker.
2. A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. Thomas Mann.
3. Eighty-five percent of what goes on in a novelist's head is none of his business. Stephen King.
4. All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things. Bobby Knight.
5. Finish. The difference between being a writer and being a person of talent is the discipline it takes to apply the seat of your pants to the seat of your chair and finish. Don't talk about doing it. Do it. Finish. E.L. Konigsburg.
I found way more than five quotes I liked, so there'll probably be more next week :)
...
Other news:
Writing: I'll finish the third Lust bite in my little collection of them today. I've managed to make exactly the same mistake on this one as I did on the last (large sections which should have been written from a different point of view). At least I'm consitant. Tomorrow I start work on the fourth and final Lust bite in the collection. Hopefully I'll find a different mistake to make on this one!
Editing: My anthology submission is printed out and undergoing proof reading. I need to write the synopsis and the blurb, make the proof corrections and I'll submit it to my editor tomorrow.
That's it.
Hope you're having a good weekend everyone :)
Thursday 19 February 2009
My favourite genre
Hi everyone,
I'm over on Oh, Get a Grip! today, talking about my favourite genre.
Welcome to my world...
Do stop by if you get that chance :)
I'm over on Oh, Get a Grip! today, talking about my favourite genre.
Welcome to my world...
Do stop by if you get that chance :)
Wednesday 18 February 2009
More Discipline
Okay, I ran out of time to put down all my thoughts about discipline last week, so I'm having another go at it.
In hindsight, there are two main things I want to discuss in particular.
1. What exactly is discipline?
I've been working with a character who is a self labelled disciplinearian lately, so I've been getting my - and his - thoughts into a more logical order. Here's how it works for him.
Discipline is the establishment, maintainence and enforcement of a specific level conduct.
Rules exist so the submissive knows exactly what is expected of him.
Punishments exist to correct behaviours, enforce rules and to give closure to a submissive who regrets breaking a rule.
For this character in particular, the goal is to reach a point where no punishments ever need to be issued. Punishments mean the system has broken down at some point - they represent a failure on the part of the dominant as well as the submissive.
As I said last week, in my stories, I like to keep punishments as punishments and play as play. I like the submissive in the scene to know what's going on and mind games that mix the punishment with the play and vice versa make my submissives uneasy.
On to the other point I should have mentioned.
2. Sex and punishment.
If having sex with your master is a punishment, I think something has gone very, very wrong in that relationship.
That doesn't mean certain punishments can't have a sexual component. If the dominants in my stories want to punish their subissive they may well do that by denying them permission to come for a certain length of time.
That may mean that they use certain sexual acts as part of the punishment. For example, they may say they'll only have oral sex. The sub is allowed to go down on his master, but it's important that going down on him isn't the punishment - the frustration of being allowed to service his master without getting his own release should be the punishment.
It's what he's not allowed to do that's the punishment, not what he still gets to do with his master, if you see what I mean. Sex with his master is still a positive thing.
Withdrawl of privilages in general seem to be what my dominants prefer when it comes to punishments. But never withdrawl of affection or love - I think it's an important to make that distinction. If the sub thinks that his master stops loving him every time he does the slightest thing wrong, it doesn't make for a healthy relationship.
Right, what else did I forget to tell you last week?
Nothing springs to mind right now (although I'm sure it will once I press publish post).
Next week I think I may tackle a smaller word - big ideas are interesting to muse over, but they take a heck of a lot of thinking about to get anything like sense written down about them!
.....
Other news:
Editing - *Touch wood* not going badly at the moment. Should be able to print my anthology sub out this weekend if it keeps going this way, and maybe sub it this weekend too.
Writing - my third lust bite story is about half way through on the first draft. Not entirely sure if it will be successful or not. It turning out to be quite a sad little story in places. Might not be what people are looking for in a story that length.
In hindsight, there are two main things I want to discuss in particular.
1. What exactly is discipline?
I've been working with a character who is a self labelled disciplinearian lately, so I've been getting my - and his - thoughts into a more logical order. Here's how it works for him.
Discipline is the establishment, maintainence and enforcement of a specific level conduct.
Rules exist so the submissive knows exactly what is expected of him.
Punishments exist to correct behaviours, enforce rules and to give closure to a submissive who regrets breaking a rule.
For this character in particular, the goal is to reach a point where no punishments ever need to be issued. Punishments mean the system has broken down at some point - they represent a failure on the part of the dominant as well as the submissive.
As I said last week, in my stories, I like to keep punishments as punishments and play as play. I like the submissive in the scene to know what's going on and mind games that mix the punishment with the play and vice versa make my submissives uneasy.
On to the other point I should have mentioned.
2. Sex and punishment.
If having sex with your master is a punishment, I think something has gone very, very wrong in that relationship.
That doesn't mean certain punishments can't have a sexual component. If the dominants in my stories want to punish their subissive they may well do that by denying them permission to come for a certain length of time.
That may mean that they use certain sexual acts as part of the punishment. For example, they may say they'll only have oral sex. The sub is allowed to go down on his master, but it's important that going down on him isn't the punishment - the frustration of being allowed to service his master without getting his own release should be the punishment.
It's what he's not allowed to do that's the punishment, not what he still gets to do with his master, if you see what I mean. Sex with his master is still a positive thing.
Withdrawl of privilages in general seem to be what my dominants prefer when it comes to punishments. But never withdrawl of affection or love - I think it's an important to make that distinction. If the sub thinks that his master stops loving him every time he does the slightest thing wrong, it doesn't make for a healthy relationship.
Right, what else did I forget to tell you last week?
Nothing springs to mind right now (although I'm sure it will once I press publish post).
Next week I think I may tackle a smaller word - big ideas are interesting to muse over, but they take a heck of a lot of thinking about to get anything like sense written down about them!
.....
Other news:
Editing - *Touch wood* not going badly at the moment. Should be able to print my anthology sub out this weekend if it keeps going this way, and maybe sub it this weekend too.
Writing - my third lust bite story is about half way through on the first draft. Not entirely sure if it will be successful or not. It turning out to be quite a sad little story in places. Might not be what people are looking for in a story that length.
Tuesday 17 February 2009
Writers Evolution - Ideas
Hi everyone,
I'm over on Writer's Evolution talking about Ideas today.
Who needs sleep?
Do stop by if you get the chance :)
I'm over on Writer's Evolution talking about Ideas today.
Who needs sleep?
Do stop by if you get the chance :)
Monday 16 February 2009
Memo: Ideas, Genres and coming soon.
Hi everyone :)
Today...
Gaydar has made it's appearence on TEB's coming soon list. You can see that here.
Tuesday...
I'll be talking about Ideas on Writer's Evolution.
Wednesday...
I'll be back on this blog for Discipline part 2.
Thursday...
It's over to Oh, Get a Grip to talk about my favourite genre.
Friday...
I'm thinking about changing my Friday blog to some sort of thought for the week. Not sure yet. I'll probably work something out by Friday :)
What else.
Writing for the week...
I finished the four short stories I was working on. I'm now working on another Lust Bite. It would be nice to finish the first draft of that this week.
Editing for the week...
The anthology sub I was working on turned into a really good story which was throughly unsuitable for the anthology. So, I'm now editing another story for the anthology. Hoping to sub that this week or early next week, so the aim for this week should probably be to do as much as I can on it.
And that's it.
Don't forget to have a glance at Secret Service if you haven't already.
Today...
Gaydar has made it's appearence on TEB's coming soon list. You can see that here.
Tuesday...
I'll be talking about Ideas on Writer's Evolution.
Wednesday...
I'll be back on this blog for Discipline part 2.
Thursday...
It's over to Oh, Get a Grip to talk about my favourite genre.
Friday...
I'm thinking about changing my Friday blog to some sort of thought for the week. Not sure yet. I'll probably work something out by Friday :)
What else.
Writing for the week...
I finished the four short stories I was working on. I'm now working on another Lust Bite. It would be nice to finish the first draft of that this week.
Editing for the week...
The anthology sub I was working on turned into a really good story which was throughly unsuitable for the anthology. So, I'm now editing another story for the anthology. Hoping to sub that this week or early next week, so the aim for this week should probably be to do as much as I can on it.
And that's it.
Don't forget to have a glance at Secret Service if you haven't already.
Friday 13 February 2009
Cover Art - You First
I was going to try to find a way to link this post into the Friday Five theme, but I'm not going to even bother.
New cover art came through to me last night, and I'm sooooo pleased with it I'm going to share regardless of what I'm supposed to be posting about today.
The cover art is by Natalie Winters. And here it is....
New cover art came through to me last night, and I'm sooooo pleased with it I'm going to share regardless of what I'm supposed to be posting about today.
The cover art is by Natalie Winters. And here it is....
You First is the first story in my Perfect Timing series, so this cover sets the theme for 12 stories - 6 M/m and 6 M/f - 6 novella and 6 novels. They are all BDSM to one extent or another.
Here's a bit about the series as a whole...
Sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time. Sometimes it takes an exceptional circumstance to make you realise the time has come. And sometimes you just have to wait to get for what you want. But when the timing is perfect, anything could happen…
And here's a bit about You First in particular. It's one of the novella and it's coming out on April 27th.
All Luke had to do was come after Justin. How difficult could that possibly be?
There was only one thing that stopped sex with Justin being completely perfect for Luke. The timing. That wasn’t so perfect. In fact, the timing really sucked – and not in the fun, fellatio related way.
Justin was five years younger than Luke and relatively inexperienced. Luke had enjoyed more lovers than he could count or remember—he knew he was good at sex. There was no good reason why Justin should outlast him every time they hooked up.
All Luke had to do was come second, set his mind at ease, and everything would be perfect between them. Hell, if he could do that, he might even consider the serious relationship idea Justin seemed so taken with.
How difficult could that possibly be?
.....
Have a great weekend everyone :)
Thursday 12 February 2009
Send me the thorns
Hi everyone,
I'm over on Oh, Get a Grip today talking about Valentine's Day.
Send me the thorns.
Do stop by if you get the chance.
I'm over on Oh, Get a Grip today talking about Valentine's Day.
Send me the thorns.
Do stop by if you get the chance.
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Discipline
(I'm still working out my thoughts on this topic, so bare with me. I may well come back to edit it as I think things through a little more.)
Dominants set rules. Submissives obey them. If the Sub disobeys a rule, he may well be punished by the Dom.
Discipline in action. Simple.
Of course, that's ignoring the fact that the Sub also sets rules for the Dom. But those rules are generally called limits and if they are broken it's a whole different ball game, so we'll keep them for another time.
Rules can be anything. Big things, little things, petty things even.
For example, "You're not allowed to have sex with anyone but your master," is a pretty big rule - regardless of if you're kinky or not, monogamy is a big thing to a lot of people. The method of enforcing discipline that comes into play if the rule is broken would likely be correspondingly large. The punishment for breaking that rule may well be the end of the relationship in a lot of cases.
"You must address your dominant as sir," is a smaller rule to my mind (disowning someone for forgetting a title is somewhat over the top!) but one that could be considered very important. Some people see honerifics as vital for the head space, others see them as a sign of respect, still others see them as less important. The punishment could vary hugely depending on how someone sees the rule.
Which brings me neatly onto the how of the matter.
There are lots of methods of discipline and lots of methods of punishment. Technically they are two very different things. Discipline is the maintaining of a certain standard of conduct, punishment is a means by which those standards could be enforced, if you see what I mean, but a lot of people use the terms interchangeably.
Punishments can be anything, depending on the people involved and, in particular, on the limits of the submissive. (Punishments should always stay within limits.) The other thing that can have a huge effect on what the punishment is, is what the Sub enjoyes. If someone enjoys being spanked, a spanking isn't a punishment, lol.
Okay, common punishments -
Corporal Punishments. A physical punishment. Spanking, whipping, cane, flogger, etc.
Now, I don't write about these a lot. If one of my characters is spanking the other, then they're both probably enjoying themselves. But since I have written it a few times from a discipline point of view, here's how it goes in my stories in those cases.
It can never be about one person being bigger and stronger than the other and using the threat of or actual physical violence as a method of controling them. That's not kink, that's abuse. I'm not a fan of stories that can't tell the difference, even less so of people who can't.
One case from one of the stories I wrote a while ago springs to mind. In it the Dom spanks the Sub because he did something wrong (In this case, he did something that put himself in danger. His master wasn't pleased that he took so little care of himself.) He feels guilty and that he let his master down and can't get past that. His master spanks him. Sub doesn't enjoy it, but he finds it cathartic in a way - a way of paying pennance and showing his was sorry for his mistake. Sub got a lot more out of it than the Dom.
Other physical punishments. Standing in one place - possibly in a stress position, restriction on movements, anything that causes some sort of physical discomfort could be used. Cold shower anyone?
Again, I find when I use these in my stories, I find it's not about what's happening on the outside that's intersting - it's all about what happens inside the characters mind - about what each person gets out of the punishment. If there isn't a positive result at the end of it, then there isn't any point in it.
Other punishments can be as simple as writing out lines, doing chores, doing pointless but time consuming things just for the sake of it. Think - writing out lines in school or cleaning X with a toothbrush. Educational establishments and the military have a good stock of these sorts of punishments :)
The whole "you've been naughty and need to be punished, don't you?" thing does nothing for me. And I don't agree with setting a submissive up to fail, so in my stories a punishment is not play, and play is not punishment...
Okay, I have a lot more thoughts on this topic, but I'm going to have to stop short here.
It's midnight. I have work tomorrow and I'm knackered.
If I don't get time before, then I'll do Discipline part two as next weeks word of the week.
Sleep well everyone. Nos Da :)
Dominants set rules. Submissives obey them. If the Sub disobeys a rule, he may well be punished by the Dom.
Discipline in action. Simple.
Of course, that's ignoring the fact that the Sub also sets rules for the Dom. But those rules are generally called limits and if they are broken it's a whole different ball game, so we'll keep them for another time.
Rules can be anything. Big things, little things, petty things even.
For example, "You're not allowed to have sex with anyone but your master," is a pretty big rule - regardless of if you're kinky or not, monogamy is a big thing to a lot of people. The method of enforcing discipline that comes into play if the rule is broken would likely be correspondingly large. The punishment for breaking that rule may well be the end of the relationship in a lot of cases.
"You must address your dominant as sir," is a smaller rule to my mind (disowning someone for forgetting a title is somewhat over the top!) but one that could be considered very important. Some people see honerifics as vital for the head space, others see them as a sign of respect, still others see them as less important. The punishment could vary hugely depending on how someone sees the rule.
Which brings me neatly onto the how of the matter.
There are lots of methods of discipline and lots of methods of punishment. Technically they are two very different things. Discipline is the maintaining of a certain standard of conduct, punishment is a means by which those standards could be enforced, if you see what I mean, but a lot of people use the terms interchangeably.
Punishments can be anything, depending on the people involved and, in particular, on the limits of the submissive. (Punishments should always stay within limits.) The other thing that can have a huge effect on what the punishment is, is what the Sub enjoyes. If someone enjoys being spanked, a spanking isn't a punishment, lol.
Okay, common punishments -
Corporal Punishments. A physical punishment. Spanking, whipping, cane, flogger, etc.
Now, I don't write about these a lot. If one of my characters is spanking the other, then they're both probably enjoying themselves. But since I have written it a few times from a discipline point of view, here's how it goes in my stories in those cases.
It can never be about one person being bigger and stronger than the other and using the threat of or actual physical violence as a method of controling them. That's not kink, that's abuse. I'm not a fan of stories that can't tell the difference, even less so of people who can't.
One case from one of the stories I wrote a while ago springs to mind. In it the Dom spanks the Sub because he did something wrong (In this case, he did something that put himself in danger. His master wasn't pleased that he took so little care of himself.) He feels guilty and that he let his master down and can't get past that. His master spanks him. Sub doesn't enjoy it, but he finds it cathartic in a way - a way of paying pennance and showing his was sorry for his mistake. Sub got a lot more out of it than the Dom.
Other physical punishments. Standing in one place - possibly in a stress position, restriction on movements, anything that causes some sort of physical discomfort could be used. Cold shower anyone?
Again, I find when I use these in my stories, I find it's not about what's happening on the outside that's intersting - it's all about what happens inside the characters mind - about what each person gets out of the punishment. If there isn't a positive result at the end of it, then there isn't any point in it.
Other punishments can be as simple as writing out lines, doing chores, doing pointless but time consuming things just for the sake of it. Think - writing out lines in school or cleaning X with a toothbrush. Educational establishments and the military have a good stock of these sorts of punishments :)
The whole "you've been naughty and need to be punished, don't you?" thing does nothing for me. And I don't agree with setting a submissive up to fail, so in my stories a punishment is not play, and play is not punishment...
Okay, I have a lot more thoughts on this topic, but I'm going to have to stop short here.
It's midnight. I have work tomorrow and I'm knackered.
If I don't get time before, then I'll do Discipline part two as next weeks word of the week.
Sleep well everyone. Nos Da :)
Tuesday 10 February 2009
Writer's Evolution - Writer's Insecurities
I'm posting about writers insecurities over on Writer's Evolution today.
Three little quotes and a lot of hope.
Do stop by if you get the chance :)
Three little quotes and a lot of hope.
Do stop by if you get the chance :)
Monday 9 February 2009
Secret Sevice - Available Now!
Secret Service is now on Sale! Sooooo Excited. It's a M/m BDSM title and it's part of Total-e-bound's My Secret Valentine Collection.
Here's the blurb:
What’s more important, their love for each other or their differing attitudes to kinky sex?
Alistair has made it very clear he isn’t into anything even vaguely kinky.
Sheridan knew he was in love with him the day he found that out, and then decided to stay with him anyway. Unable to ease his desire to serve at home, Sheridan volunteers at a club where he can secretly serve the patrons, and feed his submission, without upsetting Alistair by revealing that side of his personality to him.
When chance drags Alistair into that same club on Valentines weekend, Sheridan’s leather mask can’t keep his secret safe any longer. With his desire to serve out in the open, it’s not long before other secrets start to come out and they both have to make a choice.
Does Sheridan give up on ever being allowed to submit to the man he loves, or does Alistair take the risk of becoming the master his love has always wanted?
And here's a quick excerpt:
Sheridan Haswell put a final touch of red paint to the heart on his left bicep. Looking himself over in the mirror, he set his paintbrush aside and straightened the red leather heart covering his cock. The only thing he had left to put on was the mask. He frowned at the strip of red leather, but there was no avoiding it.
It wouldn’t do to allow his secret indulgence to become public knowledge—for his little hobby to come to Alistair’s attention. Sheridan looked back to his reflection and let his gaze slip out of focus so he could imagine his boyfriend standing next to him, looking into the same glass.
Alistair was as fair haired as he himself was dark. They’d had always complimented each other that way. Perhaps Alistair, with his several inches of extra height and his additional weight of muscle, would look good with anyone. Sheridan still liked to think they looked particularly good together. They looked right. The way a couple should look.
He smiled at the imagined reflection. Then his smile began to fade away as his expression turned more serious. Sheridan knelt down in front of the mirror, letting the mental image of Alistair continue to stand over him—tall and proud, and undeniably dominant.
Lifting his hand to his neck, Sheridan traced the line of the red leather around his throat. For just a few perfect seconds, he let himself enjoy a fantasy that he knew would never be his reality. He let himself pretend the collar around his neck belonged to Alistair, that he belonged to Alistair. For just a little while, he indulged himself with the idea that his boyfriend just might, at any point in the future, want to be his master.
Sheridan squeezed his eyes shut very tight. He knew that wouldn’t happen. He’d resigned himself to the fact months ago. But still…
When he opened his eyes again the house collar stared back at him. The vivid red leather quickly remind him who he was, where he was, and exactly why he was dressed up like a Valentine card gone wrong.
While he wore that collar he belonged to the house—to the club who owned the bar he was about to walk into. As for what he was and who he was? That was simple.
Sheridan Haswell was a born submissive, and that night he was there to serve.
*End of Excerpt*
If you want to read another excerpt and find out a bit more about Alistair, or if you want to buy the book, click here.
Thanks for reading :)
Here's the blurb:
What’s more important, their love for each other or their differing attitudes to kinky sex?
Alistair has made it very clear he isn’t into anything even vaguely kinky.
Sheridan knew he was in love with him the day he found that out, and then decided to stay with him anyway. Unable to ease his desire to serve at home, Sheridan volunteers at a club where he can secretly serve the patrons, and feed his submission, without upsetting Alistair by revealing that side of his personality to him.
When chance drags Alistair into that same club on Valentines weekend, Sheridan’s leather mask can’t keep his secret safe any longer. With his desire to serve out in the open, it’s not long before other secrets start to come out and they both have to make a choice.
Does Sheridan give up on ever being allowed to submit to the man he loves, or does Alistair take the risk of becoming the master his love has always wanted?
And here's a quick excerpt:
Sheridan Haswell put a final touch of red paint to the heart on his left bicep. Looking himself over in the mirror, he set his paintbrush aside and straightened the red leather heart covering his cock. The only thing he had left to put on was the mask. He frowned at the strip of red leather, but there was no avoiding it.
It wouldn’t do to allow his secret indulgence to become public knowledge—for his little hobby to come to Alistair’s attention. Sheridan looked back to his reflection and let his gaze slip out of focus so he could imagine his boyfriend standing next to him, looking into the same glass.
Alistair was as fair haired as he himself was dark. They’d had always complimented each other that way. Perhaps Alistair, with his several inches of extra height and his additional weight of muscle, would look good with anyone. Sheridan still liked to think they looked particularly good together. They looked right. The way a couple should look.
He smiled at the imagined reflection. Then his smile began to fade away as his expression turned more serious. Sheridan knelt down in front of the mirror, letting the mental image of Alistair continue to stand over him—tall and proud, and undeniably dominant.
Lifting his hand to his neck, Sheridan traced the line of the red leather around his throat. For just a few perfect seconds, he let himself enjoy a fantasy that he knew would never be his reality. He let himself pretend the collar around his neck belonged to Alistair, that he belonged to Alistair. For just a little while, he indulged himself with the idea that his boyfriend just might, at any point in the future, want to be his master.
Sheridan squeezed his eyes shut very tight. He knew that wouldn’t happen. He’d resigned himself to the fact months ago. But still…
When he opened his eyes again the house collar stared back at him. The vivid red leather quickly remind him who he was, where he was, and exactly why he was dressed up like a Valentine card gone wrong.
While he wore that collar he belonged to the house—to the club who owned the bar he was about to walk into. As for what he was and who he was? That was simple.
Sheridan Haswell was a born submissive, and that night he was there to serve.
*End of Excerpt*
If you want to read another excerpt and find out a bit more about Alistair, or if you want to buy the book, click here.
Thanks for reading :)
Gaydar: Cover Art
Gaydar is a M/m BDSM Lustbite. It's due to be released March 30th :)
Blurb:
Find a gay man in a gay bar. Matt’s sure that should be a lot easier than it actually is.
Matt’s having a run of bad luck – one that’s lasted ever since he stepped out of the closet. An uncanny ability to home in on the only straight guy in a bar room full of gay men really isn’t doing his sex life any favours. A knack for picking complete jerks whenever he does stumble upon a genuinely gay man isn’t helping either.
But, this time everything is going to be different. This time Matt’s absolutely sure his gaydar has guided him towards a completely sane, entirely gay man – which is why he’s arranged to meet him in the gents’ room in five minutes.
What could possibly go wrong?
Monday Memo: release day, cover art, plans and aims
Hi everyone,
Straight into the news for the week -
Yesterday:
New cover art came through for Gaydar. I'll share that in a seperate post :)
Today:
Secret Service is officially released! Yay! More about that in a seperate post too.
Tuesday:
I'm on Writer's Evolution talking about Writer's Insecurity.
Wednesday:
I'm here talking about my word of the week: Discipline.
Thursday:
I'm on Oh, Get a Grip talking about Valentine's Day.
Friday:
No idea what I'll have five of this week. No doubt I'll think of something before Friday :)
As far as I know, that's it for the week - and lots of promo work as well, of course.
I'll let you know if I find out I'm supposed to be somewhere else as well, lol.
Since I actually achieved most of the aims I posted last Monday, I'm going to post some more this week.
Writing:
I'm on my third short story. Two more left to go. I'd like to finish them this week, ready to start something else next week.
Editing:
Sealing the Deal has gone. I'd like to get as much as possible done on my anthology submission this week. It would be nice if it could be submittable by the end of the week, but I'll be happy if it's almost there and it can go off at the start of next week.
And that's it.
Happy Monday everyone.
Don't forget to read the other posts about Secret Service and Gaydar!
Straight into the news for the week -
Yesterday:
New cover art came through for Gaydar. I'll share that in a seperate post :)
Today:
Secret Service is officially released! Yay! More about that in a seperate post too.
Tuesday:
I'm on Writer's Evolution talking about Writer's Insecurity.
Wednesday:
I'm here talking about my word of the week: Discipline.
Thursday:
I'm on Oh, Get a Grip talking about Valentine's Day.
Friday:
No idea what I'll have five of this week. No doubt I'll think of something before Friday :)
As far as I know, that's it for the week - and lots of promo work as well, of course.
I'll let you know if I find out I'm supposed to be somewhere else as well, lol.
Since I actually achieved most of the aims I posted last Monday, I'm going to post some more this week.
Writing:
I'm on my third short story. Two more left to go. I'd like to finish them this week, ready to start something else next week.
Editing:
Sealing the Deal has gone. I'd like to get as much as possible done on my anthology submission this week. It would be nice if it could be submittable by the end of the week, but I'll be happy if it's almost there and it can go off at the start of next week.
And that's it.
Happy Monday everyone.
Don't forget to read the other posts about Secret Service and Gaydar!
Friday 6 February 2009
Five things... about series
In my infinite wisdom I've decided that once I've cleared a few short stories (and possibly two lust bites, have to work out when I need them by first) off my to do list, I'm going to start working on a new series.
So, before I finish those short stories, I'm trying to work out what I need to have done.
Here are the five things I've thought of so far.
1. Titles. I have six plots in my head. That means I need six individual titles and a series title. It would be nice to have them all to start with, or I'm going to drive myself crazy re-naming files every time I change my mind. I have a few ideas. The series one in particular is proving problematic. The best one I can come up with fits - it sums up the series perfectly, yet somehow... don't know.
2. Character names. I've named one so far. He appears in all the books, so it's nice that he's picked a name for himself, but now I have to convince the rest to do the same. My theory is, if I pick them all in advance I can make sure I don't fall into my usual trap of naming half a dozen people with nearly identical names.
3. Character discriptions. I don't want anyone changing their hair and eye colour half way through. And I don't want to find out there I've made all the submissives blonde and all the dominants dark or something daft like that. If I'm going to have that many main characters, I want a bit of variety! I think I need a new spread sheet.
4. Basic plot points. Each story might have a dominant and a submissive man in it, but I don't want them to have the same conflicts to content with or any of that. I don't like to write the same story twice in any circumstances. I'm particularly determined that it's not going to happen in this series. I'd like someone to be able to sit down and read from the begining through to the end without stopping to thing, hey that happened in the other book!
5. Location. I think I need a map. I'm creating a place for them to live. It's going to be a fictional city in Wales, but I still need to pin down all the specifics. What's it called, where abouts in it the characters live.
Yep, I know I'm totally over annalysing the whole thing. It's not reasonable to expect to know what happens at the end of book six while I haven't started book one - especially when I don't usually know how a short story is going to end when I start writing it, but there you go. I never claimed to be sane.
...
Other news:
It's still snowing, but people *touch wood* are able to get from A-B better. The thing is, we live in a valley. You can go along the base of the valley fine, but it's steep sides with narrow streets that haven't been cleared with snow - you have to get to the base of the valley first, and a lot of people can't at the moment. They've also closed the roads going over the top of the mountains between the valleys, which makes trying to go east - west interesting! They say we'll have more snow over the weekend.
Writing: Second short story will be finished tonight. I'm pretty sure once I've finished the four shorts, I'm going to read them over and find out that I've got the first chapter of four different novels.
Editing: Finally got some work done on my anthology sub. Still hoping to finish the second draft by the end of the weekend.
Publishing: Secret Service is out on Monday!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, but it's the last blog post before then. Got to squee about it a bit :)
Have a good weekend everyone.
So, before I finish those short stories, I'm trying to work out what I need to have done.
Here are the five things I've thought of so far.
1. Titles. I have six plots in my head. That means I need six individual titles and a series title. It would be nice to have them all to start with, or I'm going to drive myself crazy re-naming files every time I change my mind. I have a few ideas. The series one in particular is proving problematic. The best one I can come up with fits - it sums up the series perfectly, yet somehow... don't know.
2. Character names. I've named one so far. He appears in all the books, so it's nice that he's picked a name for himself, but now I have to convince the rest to do the same. My theory is, if I pick them all in advance I can make sure I don't fall into my usual trap of naming half a dozen people with nearly identical names.
3. Character discriptions. I don't want anyone changing their hair and eye colour half way through. And I don't want to find out there I've made all the submissives blonde and all the dominants dark or something daft like that. If I'm going to have that many main characters, I want a bit of variety! I think I need a new spread sheet.
4. Basic plot points. Each story might have a dominant and a submissive man in it, but I don't want them to have the same conflicts to content with or any of that. I don't like to write the same story twice in any circumstances. I'm particularly determined that it's not going to happen in this series. I'd like someone to be able to sit down and read from the begining through to the end without stopping to thing, hey that happened in the other book!
5. Location. I think I need a map. I'm creating a place for them to live. It's going to be a fictional city in Wales, but I still need to pin down all the specifics. What's it called, where abouts in it the characters live.
Yep, I know I'm totally over annalysing the whole thing. It's not reasonable to expect to know what happens at the end of book six while I haven't started book one - especially when I don't usually know how a short story is going to end when I start writing it, but there you go. I never claimed to be sane.
...
Other news:
It's still snowing, but people *touch wood* are able to get from A-B better. The thing is, we live in a valley. You can go along the base of the valley fine, but it's steep sides with narrow streets that haven't been cleared with snow - you have to get to the base of the valley first, and a lot of people can't at the moment. They've also closed the roads going over the top of the mountains between the valleys, which makes trying to go east - west interesting! They say we'll have more snow over the weekend.
Writing: Second short story will be finished tonight. I'm pretty sure once I've finished the four shorts, I'm going to read them over and find out that I've got the first chapter of four different novels.
Editing: Finally got some work done on my anthology sub. Still hoping to finish the second draft by the end of the weekend.
Publishing: Secret Service is out on Monday!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, but it's the last blog post before then. Got to squee about it a bit :)
Have a good weekend everyone.
Thursday 5 February 2009
Oh Get a Grip: Dominant meets Submissive
Hi everyone,
I'm making my first post on Oh Get a Grip today. The theme for the week is Initiation. My post is called Dominant meets Submissive.
Do drop by if you get a chance. There's a give away running this week. If you leave a comment, you'll automatically be entered into a $30 Amazon gift certificate prize draw.
Hope you're all having a good day :)
I'm making my first post on Oh Get a Grip today. The theme for the week is Initiation. My post is called Dominant meets Submissive.
Do drop by if you get a chance. There's a give away running this week. If you leave a comment, you'll automatically be entered into a $30 Amazon gift certificate prize draw.
Hope you're all having a good day :)
Wednesday 4 February 2009
Tuesday 3 February 2009
Avoidance, royalties and snow.
I'm over on Writer's Evolution today, talking about Avoiding Writing. Do drop by if you can.
Also - exciting news - maybe not exciting for anyone else, but certainly for me :) I got my first royalty statement through yesterday. I now know how many copies of The Gift sold in December, I'm pretty chuffed - especially since it's my first publication.
Other News:
Also - exciting news - maybe not exciting for anyone else, but certainly for me :) I got my first royalty statement through yesterday. I now know how many copies of The Gift sold in December, I'm pretty chuffed - especially since it's my first publication.
Other News:
Back in December, I was talking to Bronwyn Green and, in my infinite wisdom, I complained that Wales doesn't usually get enough snow for a proper white Christmas. Wales generally specialises in rain.
She very kindly told me she would send me some of the snow blanketing her state if she could. Not sure how she managed it, but six inches came down last night. Not being used to snow, everything has ground to a complete halt around here.
I'm not saying it doesn't look pretty. Hell, I went out and took photos of it! And had it come down at the end of December when I was off work, that would have been very much appreciated.
Since we haven't yet decided if the car is coming out or if we're walking to work this evening, it not as pretty as it could have been. (In the interests of full disclosure, it's not far to walk at all. It's the carrying all the stuff we need to have with us when we get there that makes it interesting, lol.)
Other writing news:
Finished the first short story, but I'm pretty sure it's going to grow into a novella. Into a series of three novellas actually. Never mind.
I'm making my second attempt at a short today. I'm hoping that will stay as a short, but I'm not holding my breath, lol.
Monday 2 February 2009
Memo: Reviews, Competitions and blogs, oh my!
Lots to tell you about today, so stright into it...
Yesterday:
TEB's February Newsletter came out. It includes a lovely peer review of The Gift by Lisabet Sarai. You can see that here. If you're not already reading it, be sure to check out the round robin. Last month's chapter by Jamie Hill is in the archieves as part of January's Newsletter. This month's chapter is by Jude Mason. Chapter three is by me, and that will be part of the March Newsletter.
TEB also announced a competetion to win a set of the My Secret Valentine seasonal releases that are due to be released next Monday (Including my novella, Secret Service). Click on the photo below to enter - all you have to do is sign up to the news letter.
Today:
Turquoise and Leather, the first story in my Collared series arrived in TEB's Coming soon page. Click on the link if you want to take a look. It was the first story I submitted to TEB, so I'm thrilled the released date is getting closer!
That also means it's only one week until Secret Service will be on sale!
It's my day on Writer's Evolution - This week we're talking about Writing Avoidance.
Wednesday:
I'm back on this blog, looking at another Word of the Week. This week I'll be talking about Bondage.
Thursday:
From now on, this will be my day on the Oh Get a Grip blog. There are a whole collection of new writers taking it over, so do check it out and get to know everyone. If you leave a comment on any of this weeks posts you'll automatically be entered into out Grand Re-opening prize draw, for a chance to win a $30.00 amazon voucher. This topic of the week this week is Initiation.
Friday:
I'll be back here with a Friday's Five... Haven't pinned down a topic yet, I'm thinking something about book length, since that's where my thoughts regarding writing are lingering at the moment.
And that's all I've got planned as far as I know.
What else do I need to tell you?
It's the start of the month, so I better add some aims.
This time I'm going to try doing aims for the week, and see if that will turn out to be a bit more accurate.
Writing: I'm working on four short stories at the moment. I'd like to get the first drafts of at least two done this week, and maybe make a start on the third.
Editing: Sealing the Deal is undergoing final checks, so I'm turning my attention to my anthology submission. I have a first draft, by the end of the week, I'd like to turn that into a second draft.
And that's it.
Have a good Monday everyone!
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