Zombie New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had amazing, fantastic holidays, filled with love and presents and beautiful things and fun, and I hope you continue to have all those things throughout the new year. I'm going to put up a post eventually about my resolutions, but today, I have to celebrate!

Today is release day for He Loves Me for My Brainsss, my zombie anthology! It's mine, in that I edited it. I actually did not write any of these stories, though I had a story notion ready to go in case I needed filler. But I didn't need filler, and that's good, because my story would have really had no place at all along with these, either in content or quality.

I know, one doesn't generally think of zombies and erotica together, but these stories make it work, I promise. And there's something for everyone! A little dark and scary? Done. Over-the-top camp and silly? Got it. Makes you think about the nature of human existence? Right here. I've got six stories here (well, five stories and one novella) and each one of them elicited a deep, visceral reaction from me when I read them, and I hope you'll give them a try, too. Here's the individual blurb rundown:

W.O.L. by Lynn Townsend: In a distant, post-apocalyptic future, walled populations are protected from the lazar hordes by the roaming Knights of the Red Cross. But when Knight Korin meets Doctor Avesy, he is forced to reconsider the sacrifices that every Knight must make and to wonder if the cure might not be worse than the disease.

The Domesticated Zombie by Rob Rosen: The Great Zombie War is finally over, leaving hordes of newly domesticated zombies. One such domestic, Jake, starts to show signs that he's not entirely dead, and Max, his owner, gets more than he bargained for in the process.

Fox Spirit by Alyx Shaw: Karl loves Kenny, even though he's never really understood Kenny's fondness for, and fascination with, foxes. But one stormy night, the oldest of their foxes dies. Kenny asks Karl to bury the old fox, but it's late and it's raining, and Karl decides to wait until morning...

Delicious Caleb by Damian Serbu: Could transforming into a zombie actually set you free? Living in the closet at a conservative college meant hiding his lust for men until his zombie state forced him to face reality and accept assistance and maybe more from his one-time (and very adorable) student, Caleb.

Violet by K.C. Morgan: Josh's world crumbled when he came out to his parents with disastrous results. Little did Josh know that the rest of the world was about to end, as well.

Two Guys Walk into an Apocalypse... by V.L. Locey: Paul and Gordon face off against zombies with only a cat named after a famous city, an old man with a fondness for Tennyson, and their love and killer wit as weapons.

These are fantastic stories, and I couldn't be more proud of this book if I'd written every word myself. It's available right now as an ebook (it's up at Torquere's store, but not at the distributor sites yet -- but I expect it to be up by the end of the day in all the usual places), and in a couple of weeks, it will be available from Amazon in print format!

Trailer Park

On the off chance you hadn't heard already, I made a book trailer for Brainsss. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out (sorry, LJ folks; the Blogger/LJ crosspost strips out everything but text. But you can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRdQSbMJi_E):

There were some interesting challenges I had to get through to make this trailer.

First and foremost was deciding to do it at all. I really don't like the sound of my own voice that much, and I knew making a trailer like this was going to involve recording myself and then listening to the playback a whole bunch of times. I even thought about trying to find someone else to do the story summaries.

The next (and ongoing) challenge was learning the software. My laptop came with iMovie installed, but this was the first time I'd ever fired it up. (Yeah, seriously.) Though to be honest, this was a pretty minor challenge. I'm not a programmer any more, but a) I am not afraid of screwing around with software to see what it will do, and b) Apple generally makes a pretty tight product. I had some minor issues with figuring out how to do a couple of things, and I was minimally annoyed by a couple of limitations (which is why most really dedicated video bloggers use paid software, like Final Cut Pro). The biggest software challenge I had was when I was exporting the finished movie -- the number of options were enormous, and it took me a while to find a reasonable balance between resolution quality and file size. (My options ranged from a 6G HD-quality movie down to a barely-readable iPhone version for only 150K. The one I settled on is around 20M.)

Then I had to find the pictures. I couldn't just put up the book cover and leave it there the whole time if I was going to be reading all those individual story teasers -- I knew the thing would clock in at over two and a half minutes, and so the viewer would need something to look at. Zombie pictures were the obvious choice, but... well. There's a ton of zombie pictures on the web, but zombie pictures that are in the public domain, or else CC licensed for commercial use? Not so many. But I lucked out and found several that looked great, and in a few cases, were even particularly suited the stories I paired them with.

I was particularly pleased with the images that went with "W.O.L." (which includes a scene with a character getting his first look at a zombie through a thick window), "Delicious Caleb" (just for that tongue sticking out, really -- the zombie seems to be saying, "Mm, delicious!"), and "Two Guys..." (the image is not only silly enough to match the story's irreverent tone, but the main character has this thing about showers, so it was particularly appropriate).

The final challenge was in the music. I was originally going to let it slide without any music at all -- once again, there's this problem of finding something licensed for commercial use, and I'm not an audiophile, so I didn't relish the prospect of spending potential hours listening to public domain tracks so I could find one that would suit.

But then Lynn (yes, the same Lynn who wrote "W.O.L.") invited me to her Christmas party, which featured live music performed by one of Lynn's favorite musicians, Jonah Knight. (Yes, I am in that "groupie" picture.) Jonah writes creepy/horror/sci-fi/fantasy music. And between the two sets, I was chatting with him, and I said, "So I'm editing this book of zombie romance stories, and would you be willing to let me use "The Dead Crawl From the Earth, Alive" as my background music on the trailer, if I credit you?" and somewhat to my surprise, he said yes. So there you have it.

Though I can't take credit for the bit at the end, where I finish talking and the lyrics you hear are, "It seems you can't control the undead." It worked out almost perfectly like that, and I was so happy about it that I futzed with the timing (by no more than about half a second) to make it work out more precisely.

In the end, aside from still not liking the sound of my recorded voice, I'm really happy with the way the video turned out. Almost as happy as I am with the book, which should be released on January 2. Mark your calendars and plan to set aside some of your Christmas money!

The Sinner's Star - Release!

It's another release day! My story, "The Sinner's Star", is out in the anthology Ink from Torquere Press!

The anthology is about guys with tattoos -- yummy! -- and my story in particular is about Dope, an ex-con who thought his best friend, Rat, had died as they were fleeing a crime scene... right up until Rat shows up on his doorstep with a new tattoo, a lot of scars, a .45... and a grudge.

I really like this story. I'd had the notion for it almost as soon as the call for it came out, but I couldn't get the characters to gel, couldn't get them to go where I needed them to go. So I shrugged it off and put it away and went on with life. I came back to it about a month after my husband and I separated, only a week before the call deadline, and apparently the spark I'd been missing was a little extra anger to put me in touch with Rat, because once I started, the whole thing came boiling out all at once.

I do believe I promised you some release-day excerpts, did I not? This is the opening, not much changed since the taste I posted back at the end of August:

The knock on his door was staccato and brief, the kind of knock that heralds only bad news. Still, Dope did not expect to open the door and find himself staring straight into the muzzle of a .45.

Dope had stared down more than a few barrels in his life -- he'd come up hard, and things had only served to make him harder over the years -- but it wasn't the kind of thing a man ever got used to. At best, he'd learned to hide the reaction, the way his stomach flopped and his balls curled up tight and his throat suddenly went dry. Dope's outward reaction was pretty good by now. His jaw clenched and he rocked back on his heels, but he managed to avoid actually taking a step.

One thing he'd learned, last time he'd been in the joint, was that it was a mistake to look at the killing end of a weapon pointed at you. You had to look at the man holding it. Look him in the eyes. Sometimes, if you were a big, mean-looking sonuvabitch, like Dope was, if you looked hard enough, it would make them back down. And if not... Well, it showed in their eyes first, before they attacked.

Dope didn't figure any warning would be fast enough to matter when the weapon was a gun instead of a prison shiv, but he looked up anyway, let his gaze follow that cold steel barrel to the hand holding it, along the arm, up the neck to the face. The face had a lot of scars, especially on the left side, which was so pitted and seamed as to be grotesque. But it was the eyes Dope was looking for. These eyes were chocolate brown under the narrowed lids, cold as ice, pitiless as a crack whore on her last fix, and... familiar.

And another one, since you'd probably already read that back in August:

Rat smiled thinly. "You like my ink, Dope? Tats don't set well on scars, but my guy was one of the best." His free hand lifted, his thumb absently brushing over the design.

"God, Rat." Dope's throat was thick. "What the fuck did you do to earn a Sinner's Star?" A Sinner wasn't anyone you wanted to cross, if you were inside. Even the guards gave the Sinners a wide berth. Most of them were lifers, or the kind of repeat offenders who might leave, but you knew they'd be back inside of six months.

"None of your damn business, Dope," Rat snapped.

Amazon and B&N aren't showing the listing yet, but I'll update my assorted links when it shows up. In the meantime, the ebook is available at both Torquere's site and on All Romance Ebooks, and probably some other distributors quicker on their feet than Amazon and Barnes and Noble. And in a few weeks, it'll be available in print as well, from Amazon. I hope you enjoy it!

Doctor Tentacle's Release

Carter Jenkins has been with the cult hit show, Power Man, for eight seasons now, amassing a small but dedicated following as Power Man's nefarious (if slightly campy) mad scientist nemesis, Doctor Tentacle. On screen, Doctor Tentacle and the hunky Power Man sizzle with an undercurrent of sexual tension, but when the cameras stop rolling, it's the quiet, geeky intern/gopher, David, that Carter wouldn't mind getting his tentacles on. There's something about David that's captured Carter's attention like no one else ever has -- is it simple chemistry, or is Carter about to encounter a real mad scientist?

***

That's what my blurb would be for "Doctor Tentacle and the Pheromone Incident" if there was space for it on the back of Weird Science, an anthology of mad scientist m/m romances from Torquere Press released today! Not only am I in the anthology, but "Doctor Tentacle" is the very first story in the book!

In celebration, let's have a nice big excerpt, shall we?

Sploosh! Power Man, strength sapped by the venom of the guardian giant squid, leapt through the moon pool to land on the decking.

Doctor Tentacle, ready for the appearance of his nemesis, triggered the release of a net. "Power Man! So nice of you to stop by!"

"Doctor Tentacle! I should have known you were behind this nefarious scheme." Power Man fought to free himself of the netting's tangles, but the more he struggled, the more it tightened. "You can tie me up as tight as you like," Power Man said, "but it won't do you any good."

"We'll see about that, Power Man," sneered the evil scientist. "You may feel differently after a few rounds with my Tentacles of Terror!"

"Two can play at that game, Doctor. Set one foot outside this cozy little bubble of yours, and you'll find yourself dancing with my Power Eel!"

"Cut! And scene!" yelled Joey. "Don't go too far!" He immediately hunched into conference with the camera crew, reviewing the scene to make sure they'd caught all the angles they needed.

Carter Jenkins, a.k.a. Doctor Tentacle, dropped his leering pose and offered a hand to help Lance Day, a.k.a. Power Man, up from the floor. "I must be twelve," Carter chuckled. "That 'Power Eel' line gets me every time."

Lance smirked. "Good thing you don't have to say the line. There's no way you'd be able to avoid camping it up even more."

"Too true," Carter sniggered. "God, I'm starving. How many more takes do you think --" He broke off to watch David, the new intern/gopher/researcher, dance nimbly over the cables and props strewn on the floor to offer the actors their water bottles. David was almost as hot as Lance, though in a wiry, geeky way, in contrast to Lance's all-American square jaw and sculpted muscles. And Carter was pretty sure that, unlike Carter's co-star, David wasn't straight. Carter smiled gratefully and squirted a long stream into his mouth, careful to avoid mussing his makeup, while David waited to take the bottles back.

Carter sighed -- it was hot, under all the lights and makeup -- and then drew another deep breath in surprise, because David smelled amazing. Carter didn't usually care for cologne; he had even talked Lance into using unscented deodorant whenever the script called for Power Man to have Doctor Tentacle in a headlock. But whatever David was wearing was going straight from Carter's nose to his groin, bypassing his brain completely. He'd always thought David's tousled student look was sexy, but suddenly he wanted nothing more than to shove the younger man into a dark corner -- or better yet, a well-lit bedroom -- and devour him. Holy fuck, Carter thought, and, Down, boy, we're still shooting. Then, with wry humor, Well, you wanted to add more sexual tension to your performance.

Joey was coming back from his conference with the camera crew. Carter handed the water bottle back to David as he tried to shake off the sexual daze and regain his focus. But his eyes met David's as he was mumbling his thanks and, Oh, shit, I am so fucked. Was he imagining the echoed desire he saw in David's warm brown gaze? Carter took another slow breath, luxuriating in David's scent.

Weird Science is available direct from Torquere and All Romance, and it should eventually show up on Amazon and the other usual distributors as well. It will also be available in print from Amazon, if you prefer physical books.

Starring

Whoops, the Monday holiday slipped me up, and I almost forgot it was Wednesday! But not quite.

Last week, I'd been bitten hard by a story -- did it stick? It did, mostly. I had one night where I just wasn't feeling it, but the next night I rallied and managed to finish the story. Sent it off to Lynn for the quickest beta-read ever (but she still managed to ask why X had happened, and I'd explained that all in my head but somehow forgotten to move it to the actual story, so a million hugs to Lynn, the best beta reader EVAR), fixed the hole, and then shipped it off for submission.

It's called "The Sinner's Star". Here's the quick-and-dirty blurb more or less as I pitched it to the anthology editor: Five years ago, Dope's best friend, Rat, died as they were fleeing the scene of a crime they'd helped commit... or so he thought. But now Rat's turned up on Dope's doorstep with a .45 and a prison tat on his face -- and Dope's not sure which one he finds more frightening.

How'd you like another little taste? The first one was in last week's post, if you missed it. (Do recall these are both unedited; the final result, if they take the story, may be somewhat different.)

"Girls are fine. Fun. But there's no meaning. I've never fucked a woman and then wanted to do her again."

Rat moved, finally, straightening his spine and lifting his chin, though he still didn't turn to look at Dope. "And with men?" he asked, his voice so soft Dope had to strain to hear the words. "You ever keep a man around, after you've gone to bed with him?"

"Yeah," Dope said. "Yeah, sometimes. Had a few partners, the last year or so. Last one stuck around for almost six months."

Rat stiffened, and Dope knew he'd said the wrong thing, though fuck if he knew why. Rat jerked the door open before Dope could stop him. "Fuck you, Dope," he spat. "Just... fuck you!" He stalked down the dim hall.

Dope never did know when to keep his big damn mouth shut. He leaned out the doorway. "Wish you would!" he called. Rat might have twitched, but he didn't turn around. Dope had lost Rat, he realized suddenly, for the second time. Really lost him. And this time, he didn't even know why.

Sounds like true love to me... ;-)

And don't forget! This is Torquere's anniversary month, and they have a whole snootful of prizes to give away! Books and gift certificates and silly gift packages, all donated by Torquere authors (including me -- check out the complete list at http://www.torquerepress.com/anniversary/). Their grand prize, at the end of the month, is going to be a Kindle Fire, for petesake! And all you have to do to enter (...did anyone else just hear the strains of "Alice's Restaurant" start up there? And all ya gotta do to join... No? Just me? Ah, well.) ...All you have to do to enter is click on over to that page and enter your name, your email, and my name as referrer! No, really!

Release Day: Masks Off!

It's release day for Masks Off! from Torquere Press, which includes my short story, "What You Are"! Damn, but I love that cover!

I had to write an ultra-short blurb for my story to include with the book blurb, but if it were a standalone story, here's how its blurb would read:

Cory has been hiding in a double closet since he was fourteen years old -- both as a gay, and as a shifter, going to great lengths to avoid being outdoors when the moonlight might touch him, and to pretend his longing for Leon, with whom he shares a slow elevator several days a week, is one-sided. But one night at a masquerade ball changes all that when a devastatingly appealing man in a leopard mask sweeps Cory off his feet, then knocks the world out from under him with a single whisper: I know what you are.

It's currently available at the Torquere bookstore, and should be up by the end of the day at the usual distributors (Amazon, AllRomanceEbooks, etc.). It will also (soon) be available in print! I'll update links as they become available! Pass the word and check it out!

Update: It's gone live at AllRomanceEBooks! (9:00am)

Update: And it's finally gone live at Amazon.Com. (9:30pm)