Getting Hairy

So far, no one has entered the contest for a copy of Assumption of Desire, which will be released in one week! I got my copy last night and read through the story again to check for any remaining errors, and I'd forgotten how much I like this story. It was hot and sweet and funny. I'm honestly a little shocked that I wrote it. And all you have to do to enter the contest for your own copy is comment on this post or on my Facebook page!

***

In other news... Well, no actual news yet, but I heard through the grapevine that the rejection notices had gone out for a military-themed anthology that I'd submitted a short to. Since I didn't get one, I'm guessing that I'm in... or at least on the short list to make it in. I'll be sure to let you know when I have something more definite!

***

And finally... I've been bitten by a werewolf.

No, really. I was flipping through a few submission calls, looking for something short I could work on while I let everything else percolate, and I found myself looking at a call for shifter-masquerade stories for a Torquere anthology. Now, I don't generally do shifter stories -- they've been done about to death and it's so hard to come up with something that will both satisfy reader expectations and be unique.

But I turned the notion over in my head for a bit anyway, like you do. And I wondered, why would a shapeshifter even want to go to a masquerade? And I started thinking about the purpose of masks, both literal and figurative. And then this quiet, diffident, and very closeted werewolf moved into my head and started telling me his story.

It's been one of those charmed stories, honestly. My schedule has been crazy for the last week, but each time I've sat down to work on this story, I've dumped out at least 1500 words. I'm at 5500 words now, and just hitting the climax (erm, so to speak). Another couple of good writing sessions and it should be ready for the polish and scrub, and then I can submit it!

Which would make it yet another story in a genre I haven't played with much, before. Here's hoping it turns out well!

Cover Art and CONTEST!!

Check it out -- two posts in one day! I just got the cover art for "Assumption of Desire" and as my editor said, Ooh la la!

I love everything about this -- the linked hands, the feather boa (which I specifically requested -- you'll have to read the story to find out why!), even the font choices fill me with glee. (Seriously -- check out the way the 'f' in of manages to link the title's words and simulate the boa. I'm in love.)

There's a cover that does its job of making me want to read the story underneath... and I wrote the dang thing!

"Assumption of Desire" is scheduled for release from Torquere Press in two weeks. I think we should have a contest to celebrate, don't you?

Let's keep it simple: anyone who comments (on the blog, Livejournal, or Facebook fan page) between now and when "Assumption" is released will have a chance to win a copy of the story!

Now Departing

I'm pleased to announce that I've had a story accepted for an anthology from Cleis Press from editor D. L. King. I'm especially pleased because this will be my first honest-to-gosh print publication!

Cleis also published Lynn's debut story, "Golden Moment", in their Steamlust anthology, and her "Garden Variety" will feature in Lustfully Ever After, so clearly they know good writing, which makes me especially excited to be included.

The upcoming anthology will be titled Seductress: Tales of Immortal Desire and is a collection of stories about succubi. My story is "Succubus, Inc." and it's quite a departure from my other published work in several ways: first, it's (mostly) from a female point of view; second, the erotic component is (mostly) hetero; and third and most critically (to my mind), it is most definitely in no way a romance. (If you're curious about those "mostly"s, all I can say is, you'll need to read it!)

And if that doesn't tempt you, I defy you to check out this table of contents and not find at least three titles that intrigue you:

1. Harvest by Aurelia T. Evans
2. A Surprising Summons by Kaysee Renee Robichaud
3. Succubus, Inc. by Elizabeth Brooks
4. In the Service of Hell by Michael M. Jones
5. Before a Fall by Kannan Feng
6. Street Hustle by V. K. Foxe
7. Star Crossed by Evan Mora
8. Zach’s Last Ride by Sasha Bukova
9. Deliverance by Jay Lawrence
10. Minions Have Needs Too by Anya Richards
11. Sweet Tooth by Nan Andrews
12. The Girl on the Egyptian Escalator by NJ Streitberger
13. The Sorcerer’s Catch by Angela Caperton
14. The Chapel by J.S. Wayne
15. The Lonely Huntress by Mina Murray
16. Neither Love Nor Money by Giselle Renarde
17. Textual by Robin Tiergarten
18. Succumb by Cynthia Rayne
19. Moon Like a Sickle, Wind Like a Knife by Jean Roberta
20. Phone Hex by Elizabeth Thorne
21. Soaring by Kate Dominic

At least half of them have me curious and anxious to get the book in my hot little hands!

I don't have a cover yet, alas, or an official release date ("sometime in October" is all I can offer for now), but I'm sure both of those will come to me eventually, and when they do, I'll be sure to pass the news on to you!

On the Origin of Stories

Happy Leap Day!

I didn't do a lot of writing this past week -- I've been alternating between busy and exhausted. I did, however, spend some time working on a background/history/origin story for my new D&D character.

"Mother?" The girl's voice rings out in the still silence of the hall, but the woman does not turn from the window, does not even move to indicate she has heard.

The woman's waist-length braid is as white as driven snow, her thin shoulders bowed with age and long years of being hunched over her books and experiments. Her hands are still as they rest on the windowsill, her eyes seeing something that cannot be there.

"Mother!" The girl stamps a foot, impatient with her mother's daydreaming.

Finally, the woman turns, and the grey eyes, so like the girl's, focus once more. "What is it?"

The girl holds out a book, accusation in her every movement. "What is this?"

The woman takes the book, pretending not to notice the girl's anger, and flips through a few pages. "It looks like one of your father's old journals." Involuntarily, her eyes seek the window again.

"It says." The girl pauses to take a deeper breath. "It says he was in Seng Wa, in Kara Tur, during the White Lotus slave rebellion."

"Ah." The woman knows, now, what the girl has come to say. To ask. "Yes. He was." She looks down at the journal so that she will not have to look at her daughter's face.

"That was in the spring. And I was born that winter."

"So you were."

"He's not my father." The girl's voice breaks.

"He loves you, very much."

"He's not my father!" the girl yells, angry that her mother has not denied the charge, explained away the inconsistency with some tweak of fate.

***

I think I've spent more energy on character origin stories than any other kind of writing. For that matter, all my very favorite pieces have been origin stories, or at least begun that way.

I've got reams of stories written in a fantasy world called Gaena, including a complete novel that I wrote with Lynn (that eventually should be split into two separate novels) and sketches for half a dozen more. All of them -- all of them -- had their genesis in origin stories for my MeadeHall characters Zoya and Kevil.

Safe Harbor began its long road as an origin story for my character, Dawn. (His ending in Safe Harbor is quite different from his ending in the game, though. Funny how little changes can make huge differences in a person's life.) For that matter, Safe Harbor is set in Gaena, but the original story wasn't.

One of my favorite things I've ever written was essentially an origin story for a character in a novel Lynn wrote. I've since altered it so it's not quite so derivative, in case she ever decides to publish her novel. I'm still trying to figure out how to get it published, though. I'm thinking I might have to commission some art and self-publish, unfortunately, because there aren't any fantasy e-book publishers out there taking novelette-length stories that I can find.

I love writing origin stories. I love that they end with a beginning. I love examining the twists and turns that lead someone down a particular path.

I've often wondered if I should advertise myself at cons to write origin stories on commission -- like artists do character sketches. I'm not sure how it would work, but it sure could be fun to try. What do you think? Would you pay for a short story telling the tale of how your favorite character got into the adventuring gig? If so, how much?

Snippet - 2/22/12

I decided to go with the change I was thinking about. It's a horrible habit of mine, changing direction midstream like this, but I really do believe it will make for a better story.

As is evidenced by the fact that despite waffling around for a good while before getting started, I managed to whip out a good 750 words (about a page and a half) in the hour I spent working.

Zahir sal-Maysa rose from his sleepless bed well before the dawn and dressed as warmly as he could against the pre-dawn chill. He belted on his sword and put his favorite hunting knife through its accustomed loop. A bit of leather tied back his long hair, and he stamped his feet into his best boots. He hoped they would hold up; he was not permitted to take a horse with him into his exile.

Zahir was Ven'hedi; he had learned to cling to a pony's mane before he'd learned how to walk. He had maintained his countenance of calm when the elders had announced their decision, as his honor demanded, but his private heart had wailed like a woman in mourning. Could they not have permitted him a clean death?

Alas, it does mean that I'm going to have to completely revamp the combat scene. Again. But I think once that's done, I can stop re-writing and just get on with it.

Wednesday Update

I've done some writing this week, yay! But naturally, in the shower last night, I started to consider a complete revamp of Character #2's background, largely because I'm currently aimed straight into a plot that I have no idea how to resolve, and the revamp shifts the story from probable action/intrigue with a romantic element to a straight-up romance. I'm still debating whether to actually do it or if I should just keep plugging away at the story as it is and hope a solution to the current plot tangle presents itself.


Though really, how likely is that? Plot has always been my hobgoblin. Maybe I should just stick to writing pre-planned pieces for submission calls...

Snippet, 2/20/12

So the mad science story is resting, so that I can come back to it in a week or so relatively fresh and rip it all to shreds in the name of making it better.

Which means that last night, I went back to the Ven'hedi story. Which also remains untitled. This is becoming a theme for me, lately. I didn't get an awful lot done, because I had to re-read what I'd done already to catch back up after two weeks of not touching it, and naturally fidgeting and edited while I was at it. But I'm back to where I'm just moving forward, finally, so maybe I'll be more productive later this week.

So, the snippet:

The leader caught Johann's eyes again. "I'll have your oath here, with both my people and yours for witness."

Johann's stomach clenched in alarm. He ignored it. "I just said--"

"What you had to say. I know. Now I will have a proper oath from you, before gods and men. On your knees."

Swallow the humiliation, Johann told himself. It's the only way you get out of this alive. Slowly, deliberately, he knelt. He waited for the raider to prompt him, but those bright green eyes only watched, measuring. Johann licked his lips. "Let the gods witness," he said, watching those eyes warily. "In exchange for the lives and freedom of these my countrymen, I give my bond to this, to--"

"Zahir sal-Maysa," the raider supplied.

"To Zahir sal-Maysa," Johann repeated, stumbling over the alien syllables only slightly. "For so long as I remain on Ven'hedi lands, I will not defy him in word or deed, within the limits of my abilities." He paused to draw a shaking breath. The others were watching, wide-eyed and mute. "Under the eyes and hand of Cor Our Father, I do swear."

Oh, Johann, dearheart, you have no idea what you've done...