Dec 19 2014

Once Upon A Time Musings….There’s Something About Henry

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Who is the writer?

There are a lot of theories out there, but the one that I like (and makes sense to me, given the seeding in the storyline) is that the writer is some incarnation of Future Henry.

Stay with me now.

  • Henry is the one the book was given to first. With that book, he started the ball rolling, so to speak.
  • The book is Henry’s personal talisman, bringing back his memories at the end of season three.
  • Henry has the heart of the truest believer – which I can’t help but believe means more to the story than just an arc in the first half of season three.
  • Henry, more than anyone, wants to see people redeemed, he wants to see their stories change and grow
  • Henry is an amazingly, exceptionally bright and imaginative person
  • And as much as I would hate this – can you just see grown-up Henry, reading from the storybook to his kids someday, in his New York apartment, in the normal world, and all these seasons have been just an elaborate fairytale he wove because he was a lonely kid? Yeah, that would suck, but it’s not like the writers haven’t pulled crap like this before. I’m looking at you, LOST.

I did see a phenomenal idea tossed out in an online forum that I would go absolutely batshit over:

What if future Regina is the author? If anyone’s motivated to send a book back through time to change her own, personal story, it would be Evil Queen Regina, in the far off future, alone and full of regret.

Something to ponder, as we slog through hiatus. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some smutty Captain Swan fics to write.

Dec 18 2014

My Writer Brain Train Is DeRailing Itself

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So, here I am, knee-deep in my current fanfic (that’s it above), and my next fanfic idea is eating my gray matter, insisting that I outline it and begin sketching in some details.

So here I am, in final formatting and edits for the third book of my trilogy, and my next trilogy revealed itself in a burst of creative light a few days ago and is blazing through me, demanding to be written.

So here I am, trying to market my current Holiday Adult Romance, when another contemporary romance is snaking through my brain every evening on my commute home from work.

I have entirely, ENTIRELY too  much swirling in my brain and no time to harness any of it and direct it properly.

It’s frustrating in the extreme. But it’s all good. Better to be overflowing with ideas, than to have nothing.

I’ve had plenty of days where I had nothing.

Nothing sucks.

So here I am, trying to wade through all the juicy, sexy, crazy and intriguing plot details spilling out of my brain.

Yeah, baby. Bring it ON.

Dec 16 2014

The Seeder Saga – Very Different Women, Very Different Worlds

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If you’ve perused this blog or my author site on Amazon or Smashwords, you’ve no doubt read the synopses of both of the Seeder books by now.

Book one (Sky Woman) is Miri’s story, and the story of the men of Falenua house, and without giving away major spoilers, it’s the story of a girl dropped into entirely unexpected circumstances and finding a way to thrive not just in spite of it, but because of it. Miri learns that she’s far from the ordinary girl she’s always considered herself to be, and she learns to redefine love and even her own sexuality in ways she never, ever expected.

Book two (Rain In The Moonlight) is Rain’s story, and Ajan’s equally. Rain is a damaged soul and she covers it with a lot of guts and bravado. Ajan is force of nature – quite literally – with primal, almost savage tendencies that serve him well in his line of work but can be rough for a girl who’s trying to keep her guard up. The two of them finding their way together is honestly one of my more poignant and beautiful love stories, because it was so hard-won.

We met Indar briefly at the end of book one, and got to know him a little better in book two, but book three is where you get him full-force, and learn just how amazing and nearly magical the entire Seeder corps is. In addition, you meet Lizzie, a smart girl who’s not a pushover for an interstellar Casanova – even one who’s hiding a big and very lonely secret.

Just a reminder – I’m offering my readers a special discount through the end of the year on the first two Seeder books, via Smashwords. Use these coupon codes, and get half off the cover price!

Sky Woman – DT87G

Rain in the Moonlight – VX94G

Dec 15 2014

Once Upon A Time Is On Hiatus – Here Are My Thoughts And My Survival Strategy!

First of all, let me give you my thoughts on last night’s episode, beyond the recap, I mean. (WARNING: SPOILERS AND SPECULATION)

Regarding Rumple’s Turnaround:

I think they had to turn him bad, otherwise they’d run a real risk of Hook and Emma (one of their biggest fan draws) falling into “Sam and Diane Syndrome”. They have to keep that relationship moving forward, but at the same time, if everything’s great, there’s no tension and eventually it gets blah. By giving Hook and Emma an outside force to team up against – one who will threaten either or both of them, they keep the tension without having to ditch the romance. And Rumple has always been infinitely more interesting when he’s evil and then shown uncovering his humanity, than banal with an occasional evil flashback.

Regarding Hook and his heart:

I have no idea why Emma would cart his heart around in her pocket all the way back to Granny’s instead of putting it back in his chest right away. I have no idea why she’d leave him after that kiss (oh my steaming panties…that kiss) instead of talking to him about how he – I don’t know – almost died for her and how good it is to have him back. Better yet, forget the talking. After getting pinned to the wall and kissed like that, she should have been reaching behind her and feeling for the doorknob into his room instead of sitting down for shots with Regina.

Regarding the word “Chosen”:

Belle, I love ya, but you and Marian both need loftier goals than being chosen by men.

Regarding Robin, Marian and Regina:

Come on, you have to know Robin will be back somehow. And what’s with Marian? “Hey, I know you’re in love with my husband, but it’s okay. Whatever.” It’s nice to see two women on the show with opposing viewpoints have a rational conversation, but it’s a bit of an abrupt turnaround. Then she invites Regina along on a family outing? And let’s hear it for Robin Hood – the guy who shags his mistress in a tomb while his wife is in a coma. I’m not sure I’d consider that romantic, no matter how much I want to see them end up together. It’s all very….quickly slapped together, to create some romantic tension.

So how do I plan to spend the hiatus? I’ll be finishing up my current Fanfiction, “Friendly Shores,” which is a really fun one involving role reversals and all kinds of crazy stuff, some of which you cannot even begin to fathom. It’s got a good ten or so chapters to go, and then I’m on to the next fanfic that I’ve got brewing, featuring someone previously mentioned on the series but never delved into. How’s that for a teaser?

You can check that out, or delve into one of my complete works, if you’d like. You’ll find a complete listing (with synopses) on my fanfiction page.

I also plan to get retro-recaps done on seasons 1-3 (I’ve already started), and the added bonus is I get to fall in love with the show (and watch my characters fall in love) all over again. Kinda like my own, personal time-travel arc.

Hang in there, Oncers. We’ll get through this together, I promise. Like Cat Stevens says in “Don’t Be Shy”…just let your feelin’s roll on by.

Peace out.

Dec 12 2014

Teasy Tidbits – Book Three of the Seeder Saga

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Those of you who’ve been reading my fanfiction know that I am hard at work, finishing up book three of my Seeder Saga novels. It’s way overdue and I apologize for that, but I had a lot to get in here without it seeming crammed, and the story ended up taking me in some wild directions before it wound it’s way to done. I’m in final edits now, and it’s all going to be worth it, I promise you.

So here are some answers to some of the more frequent questions I’ve been asked about book three.

 Is this book about Indar?

Yes! We met our Seeder friend near the end of book one, he figured prominently in book two, and we’ve established that he’s smoking hot and likes to indulge when visiting the locals. What you don’t know is the rest of his backstory, specifically about the Seeders and their history. In addition, we find out more about a sinister plot that’s effecting life on a multitude of planets, including those belonging to Miri and her boys, and Rain and Ajan. So, we’ll be catching up with Indar, and we’ll be meeting Lizzie, the mysterious woman who’s the key to it all.

Will we be spending time with Miri and the boys, and Rain and Ajan?

Oh, yes, definitely. All those characters are near and dear to me, but they also have very important roles to play in helping Indar solve his mystery. I know I wrote books one and two almost as though they could be stand-alones, but book three will bring it all together in a really wonderful way.

Will Miri meet Indar? What will her reaction be?

Ooooh….good question! Yes, she’ll meet him, and as you can expect, she’s got some very mixed feelings about the man who abducted her from her life on earth, even if she ended up living happily ever after because of it. There’s going to be a confrontation, and as you can imagine, her men aren’t too happy to see her unhappy, either. You’ll learn a lot about the Seeders in that chapter, and about the origins of the planet Miri landed on.

When will the book be out?

As I said before, I’m finishing up the last of the edits and formatting for e-book, and the amazing and talented Colleen from Mystique Book Designs is putting together the perfect cover. It’s going to be out right around the first of the new year. Next on the agenda after that – I’m toying with going contemporary, but I do have another fantasy story eating at my brain. We’ll just have to see who wins!

Since we’re on the run-up to launching book three, I’m offering my readers a special discount through the end of the year on the first two Seeder books, via Smashwords. Use these coupon codes, and get half off the cover price!

Sky Woman – DT87G

Rain in the Moonlight – VX94G

Dec 11 2014

“What’s The Best Way To Write Smut?”

A reader PM’d me the other day to ask some writing advice, and one of her questions was “What’s the best way to write smut?”

My answer, of course, is “With your clothes off,” but I don’t think that’s what she was looking for. So here’s my thought on the topic:

Don’t try to write smut.

Seriously. I cannot stress this enough. Write a good story, instead. Give it characters that people can love or hate or laugh with or at or feel sorry for. Make them interact in fascinating, hilarious or heartbreaking ways. Build the story to several climaxes and have them resolve in a way that moves that story forward, then bring it all to a conclusion that makes the reader sorry to have to see it end.

And if, somewhere in there, two (or more) of your characters find themselves interacting in a way that would lead them to do something sexual to or with each other, then write it.

But for God’s sake, don’t just write a bunch of smut, paint a plot around it, and call it a story. That’s smut, all right. But it’s also probably crap. If you have to make your characters do the dirty deed, you’re not doing it right. They should be telling you how and where and when and for how long they’re doing it.

When I write a steamy scene, sometimes it’s incredibly detailed and played out, and sometimes, we’ll see lips meet, and a hand move down, and then they’re waking up the next morning next to each other. That’s not because I’m lazy or tired of writing about throbbing stuff and sliding tongues and trailing fingers – it’s because in that moment, that’s all we need. Maybe it’s more about the fact that one of them was still there when the morning light hit the windows.

And that’s because the story isn’t all about the smut. Smut, like humor, or tragedy, or obstacles thrown in a protagonist’s path, should be there to further the plot in some way. It’s okay to get really, really detailed (God knows I do often enough), but if you go overboard with it, it desensitizes the reader and subjugates your story.

As for your descriptive terms – well, I just say know your audience. I try not to get too purply in my prose (I’ve read entirely too much historical fiction referring to turgid manhood and heaving bosoms in my life) and I personally can’t stand people who write sex using clinical terms (oh, look – he’s manipulating her clitoris!) but that’s my personal preference. If your audience likes it, you’re doing something right.

And if your audience likes your story – even the chapters without the sexy stuff – you’re really, really doing it right.

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Dec 10 2014

I Do Some Of My Best Writing….In The Car?

Yep. You read that right.

I work a day job that’s a forty-one mile commute in each direction, and some of that is in heavy traffic (not a lot, thank goodness, but it adds up). All told, I commute about 45 minutes in the morning and over an hour in the evening. That’s a whole lot of time in the car to sit and think.

And think.

And ponder, and muse, and invent wild scenarios and indulge steamy daydreams. That’s actually just how my first book in the Seeder Saga began, with a steamy daydream about a celebrity that morphed into this science fiction fantasy with a really dominant guy who also happened to have a couple of gorgeous brothers.

I use the commute to help me think out loud when plotting my fanfics, too. The challenge with writing fanfic is that you have to write it chronologically, and (most importantly) you have to write it true to character voice. I pride myself on the fact that a good deal of my reviewers tell me that I am spot-on in the way I voice all the characters of Storybrooke, or that my fic could easily be a seasonal arc for the show. It means I’m doing it right and in a way that rings authentically for them.

I have these imaginary dialogues in the car or I talk out loud and say “Okay, if this happens, then that would happen next, which would really make this character feel ________.” People driving by must think I’m nuts – or maybe it just looks like I’m singing along to the radio or something – but the truth is, my characters are having an argument, or I need to brainstorm a really good plot convenience that doesn’t look like a plot convenience, or I’m trying to figure out how a plot twist I’ve just come up with affects the continuity of the piece.

So I’m actually grateful for my long-ass commute. It makes me a better writer. Where is your best writing done?

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Dec 9 2014

Santa Grants Naughty Wishes, Too…

Or at least he does in my books. Check out my latest adult novella, “Naughty or Nice” on Amazon or Smashwords!

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And don’t forget to check out the Once Upon A Time Episode Recaps page I’ve added to the top menu. I started these with season 4, but I’m working on retro-reviewing over the holidays. I’d also like to give a shout-out to my favorite episode recaps, found on this awesome Tumblr blog!

In addition, I didn’t link it on the Fanfic page (I only link completed stories there)  but my current Once Upon A Time fic, “Friendly Shores” is going strong. I usually update every couple of days, and sometimes daily, if I’m in the mood. This one is all about role reversals, and it’s turning into great fun!

See? I’ve got plenty to keep you warm when the weather turns cold…

Dec 8 2014

Just For Your Holiday Pleasure – My New Adult Novella “Naughty or Nice”

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 Now available at Amazon.com or Smashwords.com for only 99¢!!! What a great way to keep warm – really, really warm this holiday season!

Olivia just finished working an eleven hour retail shift on Christmas Eve, and all she wants for Christmas is to get off her aching feet – and to get off. Being single at Christmas can lead a girl to desperate measures, and when Olivia makes her wish to the Santa at the Mall, she gets fulfilled like she’s never been before. Will Santa find her naughty? Or will her Christmas turn out oh-so-nice? This story contains detailed sexual content and is for mature readers only.