I saw a promotion for a new book by P.C. Cast in my Facebook newsfeed. I feel bad not mentioning her books in a previous post suggesting authors with well-developed female characters.
It was over ten years ago when I devoured her books. I absolutely adored the Partholon series. I adored the Partholon series. It had some Celtic mythology blended into the story and centaurs. CENTAURS!
I wanted to write fantasy romance even then. I remember I sent an email to Cast. I forget what questions I asked. I've long since changed my email account. But she responded. This was so important and exciting for me. I cannot remember what she said, but her response was encouraging and warm. I remember calling everyone I knew to tell me I got a response from her. I know she's one of the reasons I kept writing.
This is me recommending the Partholon series. Make sure to read the books in order. I should really reread these, too.
Also, I love the gorgeous dog in Cast's latest book promotion.
As I tackle my second novel, I think of the problems with the first. The most glaring problem is that all the characters are traditionally beautiful. Sure, this is consistent across both genders, but there it is. I argue for variety and flaws, yet in this case, it isn’t there in my first novel.
Kit is the heroine of the second novel. She isn’t going to be a conventional beauty like Freya, Hedwig, Balder, and Woden. But she still has personality flaws, just like all the others.
Also, I’m always willing to hear reader feedback and ready to listen to what you’d like to see in upcoming stories. What kinds of characters and character struggles do you want?
Posted a revised version of my comments from yesterday on a Buzzfeed article about the topic of erotica reading and misogyny. I posted it from my author Facebook, which I haven’t touched in a while. (I’m just not a fan of Facebook, all right?) I realize people may go there to creep my page, and now I’m embarrassed. I’m terrible with marketing and promoting myself. I have barely anything on my Facebook. Let’s not even talk about Twitter.
I went to Gettysburg this weekend. I found this treasure on the battlefield. Yes, I ignored all the important historical stuff and ran straight for Tucker. Look at him! Tucker’s owner apparently read my lips in the car, before I asked my friend to pull over. Tucker’s owner asked me, “Did you look at the dog and yell, ‘I want him!’ before you pulled over?” Yes, yes I did.
I do a lot of my writing on my bed. Pillows are far more comfortable than an office chair. In the corner of my bedroom, about five feet from my bed is a wicker stand. I have a thick wooden headboard with built-in bookshelves (I love these bookshelves, but they are full!), so this wicker stand is in its own little nook. At the very top of this stand is a picture in a thick black frame. It’s filled with sand that creates different designs if turned. I never turn it. It’s sat there for years without being touched. Because of the thick frame and the sand, I’d wager it weighs around three pounds. It’s about 8 X 10 maybe. (I’m not good at guesstimating or math.)
As I was typing my rant this morning, I heard a loud crash. The sand-filled picture is on the floor beside my power strip, about five feet away from the wicker stand. How did this happen? The house was quiet. It was just me upstairs, typing away on my laptop.
Perhaps there’s a spirit in my house who was just as annoyed with those people who say, “Hurr durr, you write erotica. You must be okay with politicians’ comments about groping.”
In my last post, I discussed a reader’s professor. (If you’re curious, go ahead and give it a read.) I did email him. The email I sent him was mostly the text of my last post, edited so it would make sense as a letter. If I hear back, I shall post the text of his response here, but I will blank out his name.
I’m on a bit of a crusade here. It’s upset me for a long time that romance is treated as unworthy or not serious. Authors of all genres put serious hours into their work.
I received a message from a reader this morning. The message reads: “My History professor just said that women shouldn’t be so upset about what Trump said because they love nasty movies like 50 Shades of Grey. How is he paid to do this?”
This isn’t the first time someone has made this comparison to me. Well, the comment to me was different. It was something to the effect of, “How can you be angry about Trump’s comments when you write porn?” First, I write erotica, which, yeah, it’s literary porn. Secondly, so what if I do? I’m proud of my work.
Welp, this is some absurd shit O……..O I mean shit, men like porn too but I’m pretty sure if Hillary made a comment about grabbing dudes by the nuts, there’d be some outrage. People would not be okay with it. Why should women be okay with trumps comments then?
I agree. Furthermore, the reader who contacted me mentioned the professor was embarrassed his wife saw this movie. The professor also admitted to watching porn himself. But, according to this professor, it’s “different when [he does] it.” Why? Because as a society, we’re taught that media should not be made for the female gaze.
I frequently see Tumblr posts poking fun at romance, yet rarely do I see one poking fun at porn. Why are we ridiculing women and those who create for them? This upsets me to no end.
I received a message from a reader this morning. The message reads: "My History professor just said that women shouldn't be so upset about what Trump said because they love nasty movies like 50 Shades of Grey. How is he paid to do this?"
This isn't the first time someone has made this comparison to me. Well, the comment to me was different. It was something to the effect of, "How can you be angry about Trump's comments when you write porn?" First, I write erotica, which, yeah, it's literary porn. Secondly, so what if I do? I'm proud of my work.
Because a woman enjoys sex or writing about it, does not mean she is okay with random people grabbing her crotch. Do women just walk around grabbing men's crotches? A lot of them watch porn.
This is also another example of society putting down works written for the female gaze. Most mainstream literature is written for the male gaze. It generally portrays women as subservient pieces of cardboard. They have no interests that only benefit themselves. Their interests are supporting and caring for others (mothering, whether or not the characters want to be mothered) and working toward the greater good. If a woman has an interest other than these, that interest is power, and she's an antagonist.
I'm sick of people putting down romance and erotica. (I've heard there are many problems with "50 Shades," but the implication is that women who enjoy erotica have no business complaining about statements like this.)
Also, note that many people make fun of romance. The implication here is that women should not be reading what's written for them, that there is something wrong if they do not read only works written for the straight male gaze. Sorry. That's bullshit.
I believe women need a range of flawed characters with varying appearances and interests. We need female protagonists who are short, tall, fat, skinny, average, scarred, freckled, etc. We need female protagonists with senses of humor, who like adventure and fun. Modern romance is one of the few genres that reliably provides that. (Yes, like all genres there is some crap in there, but let me recommend G. A. Aiken, Shelly Laurenston, and Kresley Cole here. Also, I'm recommending "Siren Slave" by Aurora Styles.)
This professor might be getting an email from one Aurora Styles. If I do, I will post the text later. People need to be called out on this behavior.
Note: The best thing you can do is buy, read, and support authors who do not only write for the straight male gaze. Write honest reviews for these authors. And, if "50 Shades" is crap, there are plenty of good examples. If you're not into romance, give Tamora Pierce's series a try. She's got a few. "Wild Magic" was excellent.
Hello, friends! I kind of disappeared, because summer happened. Pokemon Go happened. But, yes, I’m still alive and doing wonderful summer things, like walking around my neighborhood after too many beers and hunting for Vulpix.
Below the cut is a rant about my experiences with vaping. I feel like there should be a Vaping for Dummies book, because there is a lot to learn. I’m going to document my experiences and difficulties in case someone can learn something from them.
I have tried so many times to quit smoking. Finally, I’ve decided to replace one addiction with another. Vaping is interesting, and there’s sort of this stereotype about people who vape. Eh, whatever. I’d rather smell like cupcakes than cigarettes. I keep spilling the cupcake-scented fluid. I’m a klutz. Everything in my work area smells strongly of cupcakes now.
Vaping, obviously, relies heavily on electronics. I know how to use “On” and “Off” buttons, and how to use the internet for research and gaming and social media reasonably well. I’m also great at breaking electronics. Unintentionally, but still. RIP laptops that came too close to fruit-flavored wheat beer...
When I went to the vape shop, the clerk talked at me. Every other word out of his mouth seemed to be Electro-Vape-Jargon. I do not yet speak this language. I unintentionally tuned it out, my brain turning over thoughts like, “Wonder what flavors they have. Can’t wait to get out of here so I can get food. I want the crab-pretzel sandwich.”
I tested out a vape, took the clerk’s recommendation, and bought this cupcake-scented fluid that has spread its sweet aroma throughout most of my personal effects. Look, I was really hungry and our next stop was a restaurant. The only fluids I wanted to buy at the time were flavored like baked goods.
Apparently I need to replace the coil in my vape “maybe once a week.” “Maybe once a week” might mean “maybe not once a week.” How do I know? What indicates whether or not the coil needs to be replaced? How do I replace the coil? I do not know. I’m going to have to Google, and I’m so busy that I don’t necessarily have the time to do this.
I have my actual job. I have my side job as a novelist. My craft paper revisions for my MFA are due Friday. Yes, I’m spending the time to write a Tumblr rant, but ranting is easy. Filling my poor, tired brain with more information is not the best idea right now.
I do have some advice here, something I wish I would have considered when I bought my vape. I tested out the vape at the store. I liked it. I didn’t take it apart there, which I should have. There are problems with the tank on my vape. If I screw the lid on too tightly, it’s nearly impossible to remove. I only made this mistake once. I err on the side of caution now, and sometimes the tank leaks.
The real problem is getting the lid to screw on at all. The metal part that screws into the other metal part (Look at me being all articulate!) is short. My hands shake sometimes, and it’s difficult to get the pieces to match up just right. They have to match up just right. This is not like screwing the cap on a tube of toothpaste! Tightening a cap should take all of ten seconds or fewer. This task takes me literal minutes. Sure, minutes aren’t very long, but considering the task, it’s a figurative eternity. I sit there, sighing in frustration. Fluid inevitably drips over my fingers or gets in the coil as my efforts become more clumsy. I still have not figured out the trick to the cap. I pretty much keep trying until the magic happens and the stubborn pieces connect.
I’m not a patient person. For what I paid, I feel like the makers of this device should have created metal pieces that screw properly. (For more information about proper screwing, check out my erotic romance novel, Siren Slave. ‘Ey, see what I did there?)
I am also mildly concerned about the notice on the bottle of vape fluid. It has an ominous, yet nonspecific warning about getting the fluid on skin. What happens if I get the fluid on my skin? This has happened already, and I have smelled like cupcakes. But will there be some horrific effect if I keep being clumsy? The fluid is ending up on my skin and bedding and clothing because of my issues with the tank. What does this do aside from spreading this yummy aroma everywhere?
Another note: The cupcake fluid I bought has an aftertaste. Apparently a lot of them have an aftertaste. If it were a pleasant flavor, I’d call it a “finish.” But, it is not pleasant. It’s a tart, chemical flavor. I have tried some friends’ vape fluids that do not have this issue. I will be more careful about what I buy in the future. I think I made some hasty decisions because I really wanted a crab-pretzel sandwich and beer.
I have two assignments tonight. I have to choose a publishing internship for next semester and I have to write up my education philosophy.
I wrote my education philosophy quickly, but the other assignment? This is a potentially life-altering decision. I’ve had two excellent offers for internships. As I vacillate, I text friends and family to discuss this decision.
I’m surprised I’ve had two offers. (I still haven’t spoken with the third publisher yet.) But I write romance/erotica. This kinda thing doesn’t necessarily go over well in academic circles. There are preconceived notions. People still think romance is stuck in the 1990s. I’m an introvert and I interrupted someone’s presentation today when they insisted romance novel language was flowery.
Me: There’s been a movement away from flowery language. We want to get away from ‘turgid manroots’ and ‘rampant staffs.’ We want to use words like cock, dick, and pussy.
That was awkward.
But, yeah, I got two internship offers, then needed to contact everyone I know to tell me I was making the right decision. Then I question my decision again. I do this with every decision.
There is a guy in my cohort group - the titular That Guy - who has not yet decided which track he is going to take - publishing or education. He obviously can’t begin to consider internships if he hasn’t decided on a track. We need to decide on an internship by Friday.
Even as I second, third, and fourth guess myself, I keeping saying, “At least I’m not That Guy.” I will be repeating these words as I fall asleep tonight. And I will sleep well, because, at least I’m not That Guy.
It’s late, and I’m too lazy to post the erotica in the textbook margins tonight. Also, that required a lot of setup.
My brain hurts. The morning professor decided it would be super fun to make everyone memorize. I fought the urge to bolt from the room. I sat at a long table in a cramped room with everyone staring at the speaker. We had to recite the first 100 words of our novel to our classmates.
We could not use paper or screens. I assembled all those words in my mind, and then someone else would start speaking, and my fragile creation was shattered.
I forgot most of the words I was supposed to say.
I talked about the characters in Flavor of Blood, the followup to Siren Slave. I left important things out. I was trying to depict a scene where a vampire king made shadow puppets while his brother fought a bloody battle. Somehow I screwed this up. Somehow my classmates thought the vampire king was literally creating a horse (WHY?!) instead of just trying to make a shadow of one.
I am going to curl up into a fetal position and try to forget this happened.
One of my textbooks is unbelievably pretentious. There is a descriptor of a mundane situation that closes with a surprising revelation. This is followed by a reference to a dead poet. Then there are mentions of people I don’t know. It’s supposed to be prose, but I get the feeling it wants to be poetry. I spaced out halfway through the first paragraph.
The author was trying to write about being a poetry editor. He tried to tell us about how he sorts poetry into four different piles. He managed to describe all four piles, yet avoided directly stating what each pile was actually for. It’s a painful read. All the white space is filled with self importance.
I thought to myself, “This white space is begging to be filled with BDSM.”
I am going to write erotica. I am going to write about Hedwig in the margins of this textbook tomorrow. I will take pictures of my margins and post them this week.
Please reblog or comment below. What sorts of fun things should I put in the margins?
I’m at school this week for my MFA residency. This probably explains my sudden drive to try to market myself again. I hate that phrase - “market myself.” I feel like I should place a price sticker on my forehead and plop down on a grocery store shelf, then give passersby what I really hope is a winning smile. I wonder, if I were to do this, would I sit on one of the eye-level shelves? Or would I sit on the lower shelves, usually reserved for off brands? I could probably save money as I sat there, nibbling on Cheddar Cheese Guppies and sipping Dr. Perky. (Dr. Perky is not that bad when paired with rum.) The names of off-brand products are so much more amusing than the name brands. I think I’ll go with the bottom shelf and nibble on some Fruity Floats. (I am Fruity Floats according to this Buzzfeed quiz: https://www.buzzfeed.com/akpatel462/which-off-brand-breakfast-cereal-are-you-15qst?utm_term=.giGPYMQ9P#.hsJrXaOMr.)
I do feel like an off-brand item this week. I’m surrounded by academics. Most of the year, I want intelligent company. I want company who will talk about books and characters and story. I want company with a witty sense of humor. I show up here and I feel like the Crispy Hexagons that were accidentally set on the shelf with the Crispix.
Throughout high school and even during college, I read romance and fantasy novels. I skimmed the required reading. To be fair, I did try to read the classics. But most ended miserably. The sad endings left me sad for days. For my own sanity, I took notes in class and passed the tests, without reading the texts.
Now, I feel completely inadequate. But I also feel people shouldn’t be so pretentious. One of my textbooks is so heavy, because it is oozing with pretentiousness. I imagine the writer placed a small piece of his monstrous ego into each of the books. I am going to have back problems by the end of this week.
I decided to remake this blog after dealing with a persistent online stalker. That mostly centered around Facebook, but the situation became unsettling enough to push me away from social media for a while.
I also have no idea what to put on an author blog. Seriously, what do people want to know about me?
germansingergirl
janainaart
gummygunk
ellievsbear
vaporwave
origamiaround
discoholicmusic
