Eliza David's Blog - Posts Tagged "cougarette"
First Draft Foolishness
So, I'm already on Chap. 9 of the first draft of Cougarette in the Country (Book 2) and I have to say that this time around, I'm feeling the pressure. I'm trying to pace myself but I have the entire story in my head. It's hard to not spend hours writing just to get to out of my head.
At times, I think I'm moving too fast with the second book but writers and readers understand: when characters stick with you, it's hard to deny them.
What I'm really enjoying most about this first draft is the evolution of CeeCee. I won't give too much, but CeeCee has evolved from the insecure woman she was in The Cougarette. Not sure how it ends yet, but I'll keep typing away.
At times, I think I'm moving too fast with the second book but writers and readers understand: when characters stick with you, it's hard to deny them.
What I'm really enjoying most about this first draft is the evolution of CeeCee. I won't give too much, but CeeCee has evolved from the insecure woman she was in The Cougarette. Not sure how it ends yet, but I'll keep typing away.
Release Week*! (*Or The “BUY MY BOOK, PLEASE!” Online Campaign)
So, it’s finally here – the third book in The Cougarette series, Cougarette Takes Manhattan drops in seven days.
Seven little days. Wow. I’m pretty stoked about it.
(Notice the lack of exclamation points that I am fighting the will to type.)
One of the reasons that this book is special to me is that it’s a very emotional read for every character involved (except Laney, because lesbians always have their shit together). Of course, the central focus remains to be CeeCee and Jay and how their union fares after their move to the concrete jungle.
Throughout CTM, you will witness a very specific shift not only in CeeCee’s relationship with Jay – but within CeeCee herself. This latest change in her life will be more chaotic than her divorce. CTM is going to navigate the reader through the ups and downs of CeeCee’s new life in the Big Apple.
As I’ve stated in previous blog entries, this was a tough book to write. I sat with some chapters for days, afraid to write them but eager to get the words out on paper all the same. I spent a lot of time fighting my characters in my head because they refused to behave. REFUSED, I tell you! I’ve found that by Book Three, I have zero control over these imaginary people. In contrast, The Cougarette was easier to write because the characters were newborns.
By the time I wrote CTM, they had become toddlers. Threenagers. Spoiled fucking brats.
So, when you read CTM, don’t blame me for any visceral reactions you may experience. If your favorite character (*sets eyes on #TeamJay*) does something you don’t like, understand that my hand was forced before you threaten my life via social media. My ARC readers already have hits out on me, I’m certain of that.
If you aren’t too busy reading CTM on your e-reader next Saturday, May 2nd, please join me and a bunch of naughty author buddies of mine at the Online Release Party, starting at 4pm CT. It’ll be a great time and, of course, we’ll all be giving away free stuff. Everyone likes free stuff, right?
Plus, you’ll need a break from devouring CTM – because once you hit the end of Chapter Nine…you won’t put it down. See you there!
Seven little days. Wow. I’m pretty stoked about it.
(Notice the lack of exclamation points that I am fighting the will to type.)
One of the reasons that this book is special to me is that it’s a very emotional read for every character involved (except Laney, because lesbians always have their shit together). Of course, the central focus remains to be CeeCee and Jay and how their union fares after their move to the concrete jungle.
Throughout CTM, you will witness a very specific shift not only in CeeCee’s relationship with Jay – but within CeeCee herself. This latest change in her life will be more chaotic than her divorce. CTM is going to navigate the reader through the ups and downs of CeeCee’s new life in the Big Apple.
As I’ve stated in previous blog entries, this was a tough book to write. I sat with some chapters for days, afraid to write them but eager to get the words out on paper all the same. I spent a lot of time fighting my characters in my head because they refused to behave. REFUSED, I tell you! I’ve found that by Book Three, I have zero control over these imaginary people. In contrast, The Cougarette was easier to write because the characters were newborns.
By the time I wrote CTM, they had become toddlers. Threenagers. Spoiled fucking brats.
So, when you read CTM, don’t blame me for any visceral reactions you may experience. If your favorite character (*sets eyes on #TeamJay*) does something you don’t like, understand that my hand was forced before you threaten my life via social media. My ARC readers already have hits out on me, I’m certain of that.
If you aren’t too busy reading CTM on your e-reader next Saturday, May 2nd, please join me and a bunch of naughty author buddies of mine at the Online Release Party, starting at 4pm CT. It’ll be a great time and, of course, we’ll all be giving away free stuff. Everyone likes free stuff, right?
Plus, you’ll need a break from devouring CTM – because once you hit the end of Chapter Nine…you won’t put it down. See you there!
Adult Education
"So you got a little education/
And a lot of dedication/
But you want a little night school/
Maybe some of it will rub off on you/"
~Hall and Oates, Adult Education
My next release Girls' Night In: A Collection of Short Stories based on The Cougarette Series - or GNI, for short (because that title is a lot) - is finished and slated for release on August 28th (you can preorder HERE).
And I couldn't be happier.
In fact, I haven't been this happy to end a book in my very short writing career. GNI was not only my first foray into short stories, but it was my first time trying my hand at erotica. The whole process made me nervous, I'll be honest. I walked into this book a relative novice into the world of sensual writing. Now, I make no qualms - the previous four books of the Cougarette Series do contain a little bit of sex. What sets GNI apart from the rest of the series is the major emphasis on female sensuality.
GNI opens with CeeCee's friends gathering at her condo to have as the title suggests: an evening in with bottles of wine and tons of girl talk. And yeah, that girl talk gets a little...suggestive. It's meant to turn you on, no doubt. But my bigger mission with GNI was to blow the lid off of misconceptions about women and sensuality. I wanted to show women enjoying themselves for themselves, not for the sake of a man's (or another woman's, in some cases) orgasm. It was important to me that that came through clearly. According to my recent advance readers, I've accomplished just that. (Excuse me while I do my CeeCee Banks Happy Dance...)
Another benefit I gained from writing GNI was an opportunity to fine-tune my carnal writing, because let me be the first to tell you in case you didn't know: writing sex is not an easy task. I'm sure that most of my readers have picked up a romantic and/or erotic novel before reading a Cougarette book. I'm also sure that they've read some pretty bad love scenes. Lord knows I have!
But after having written a love scene or two myself, I can appreciate the forethought that goes into scripting sex. It's easy to write boring sex - insanely easy! What I've learned is to implement as many of the five senses as possible. I was able to tap into those unique factors by asking myself some questions like:
1) What does the character's sexual partner's neck smell like?
2) Is the room they are in able to reverberate the sounds of the lovemaking?
3) Are either one of the characters a 'talker' in bed?
4) The sheets - are they silk? Cotton? Are sheets a factor in the scene? What does the surface (sheets or nah) feel like rubbing against the character's skin?
5) What muscles are moving during the act? Vividly describe that.
Many more questions came to me as I wrote all five short stories and I found them helpful. I know this because my advance readers felt as if they were there. Right there in the bedroom, hotel suite, or private nightclub with the characters.
And that's the point.
Finishing GNI felt like graduation because I learned so much about describing one of the oldest human functions in civilization without making it feel like it was mechanical. I interviewed people that gave me insight into sexual activities with which I had no experience. Also, I learned a lot about myself as an author and my own writing style.
I learned that I liked writing about sex and that I shouldn't be ashamed of it.
The illustrious words of Erica Jong sum me up best:
"I write lustily and humorously. It isn't calculated; it's the way I think. I've invented a writing style that expresses who I am."
That's exactly how I felt after I wrote GNI. I stepped into who I am as a writer and it felt good.
Actually, it felt...sexy. ;)
(c)Eliza David, 2015
Don't forget to add Girls' Night In: A Collection of Short Stories based on The Cougarette Series to your Want To Read lists!
And a lot of dedication/
But you want a little night school/
Maybe some of it will rub off on you/"
~Hall and Oates, Adult Education
My next release Girls' Night In: A Collection of Short Stories based on The Cougarette Series - or GNI, for short (because that title is a lot) - is finished and slated for release on August 28th (you can preorder HERE).
And I couldn't be happier.
In fact, I haven't been this happy to end a book in my very short writing career. GNI was not only my first foray into short stories, but it was my first time trying my hand at erotica. The whole process made me nervous, I'll be honest. I walked into this book a relative novice into the world of sensual writing. Now, I make no qualms - the previous four books of the Cougarette Series do contain a little bit of sex. What sets GNI apart from the rest of the series is the major emphasis on female sensuality.
GNI opens with CeeCee's friends gathering at her condo to have as the title suggests: an evening in with bottles of wine and tons of girl talk. And yeah, that girl talk gets a little...suggestive. It's meant to turn you on, no doubt. But my bigger mission with GNI was to blow the lid off of misconceptions about women and sensuality. I wanted to show women enjoying themselves for themselves, not for the sake of a man's (or another woman's, in some cases) orgasm. It was important to me that that came through clearly. According to my recent advance readers, I've accomplished just that. (Excuse me while I do my CeeCee Banks Happy Dance...)
Another benefit I gained from writing GNI was an opportunity to fine-tune my carnal writing, because let me be the first to tell you in case you didn't know: writing sex is not an easy task. I'm sure that most of my readers have picked up a romantic and/or erotic novel before reading a Cougarette book. I'm also sure that they've read some pretty bad love scenes. Lord knows I have!
But after having written a love scene or two myself, I can appreciate the forethought that goes into scripting sex. It's easy to write boring sex - insanely easy! What I've learned is to implement as many of the five senses as possible. I was able to tap into those unique factors by asking myself some questions like:
1) What does the character's sexual partner's neck smell like?
2) Is the room they are in able to reverberate the sounds of the lovemaking?
3) Are either one of the characters a 'talker' in bed?
4) The sheets - are they silk? Cotton? Are sheets a factor in the scene? What does the surface (sheets or nah) feel like rubbing against the character's skin?
5) What muscles are moving during the act? Vividly describe that.
Many more questions came to me as I wrote all five short stories and I found them helpful. I know this because my advance readers felt as if they were there. Right there in the bedroom, hotel suite, or private nightclub with the characters.
And that's the point.
Finishing GNI felt like graduation because I learned so much about describing one of the oldest human functions in civilization without making it feel like it was mechanical. I interviewed people that gave me insight into sexual activities with which I had no experience. Also, I learned a lot about myself as an author and my own writing style.
I learned that I liked writing about sex and that I shouldn't be ashamed of it.
The illustrious words of Erica Jong sum me up best:
"I write lustily and humorously. It isn't calculated; it's the way I think. I've invented a writing style that expresses who I am."
That's exactly how I felt after I wrote GNI. I stepped into who I am as a writer and it felt good.
Actually, it felt...sexy. ;)
(c)Eliza David, 2015
Don't forget to add Girls' Night In: A Collection of Short Stories based on The Cougarette Series to your Want To Read lists!
Interview with Cassandra Caprio (IG: @thebookishcrypt)
Click HERE for my interview with Cassandra!
RELEASE WEEK EVENTS!
Hi Readers!
So, the week is finally here! Girls' Night In: A Collection of Short Stories based on The Cougarette Series drops on Friday (click HERE to preorder if you haven't already!) and I have a slew of events in line to celebrate it!
Check it out!
Monday 8/24 – Live Interview with T.A.Woods (http://t.co/n84HcwKIAI)
Tuesday 8/5 – 7pm Book Boyfriend Hangover Blog Takeover
(https://www.facebook.com/bookboyfrien...)
Wednesday 8/26 – 4PM: Cree Storm Event Takeover (https://www.facebook.com/events/95581...)
Weds 8/26 – 6pm: Anything But Vanilla Blog Takeover
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/38987...)
Thurs 8/27 – 7pm: The Naughty Librarians Blog Takeover
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Na...)
Friday 8/28 – 11am – 10pm: GNI Release Party
(https://www.facebook.com/events/16315...)
Sat. 8/29 – 9am: Bound Event Takeover
(https://www.facebook.com/events/85795...)
See you there!
So, the week is finally here! Girls' Night In: A Collection of Short Stories based on The Cougarette Series drops on Friday (click HERE to preorder if you haven't already!) and I have a slew of events in line to celebrate it!
Check it out!
Monday 8/24 – Live Interview with T.A.Woods (http://t.co/n84HcwKIAI)
Tuesday 8/5 – 7pm Book Boyfriend Hangover Blog Takeover
(https://www.facebook.com/bookboyfrien...)
Wednesday 8/26 – 4PM: Cree Storm Event Takeover (https://www.facebook.com/events/95581...)
Weds 8/26 – 6pm: Anything But Vanilla Blog Takeover
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/38987...)
Thurs 8/27 – 7pm: The Naughty Librarians Blog Takeover
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Na...)
Friday 8/28 – 11am – 10pm: GNI Release Party
(https://www.facebook.com/events/16315...)
Sat. 8/29 – 9am: Bound Event Takeover
(https://www.facebook.com/events/85795...)
See you there!
Diversity in Fiction: Black Girl Moan – Women of Color and Sexuality in Popular Fiction
(The original post can be found on Rae Ford's blog, Write For Your Life!)
It is an intriguing responsibility to write erotic romance in this post-Fifty Shades era. Your readers value you as an expert in the art of writing sex in all of its beautiful forms: straight, BDSM, gay, lesbian, group, etc. They expect to salivate as they read about ‘pulsating centers’ and ‘throbbing manhoods’ (FYI: both of these terms combined will be the title of my personal memoir. Original, right?). They crave descriptions of beautiful bodies, writhing and sweating on top of one another. They devour your words in anticipation of a ‘happily ever after’ between two characters who happen to be very good at banging each other’s brains out.
When you add the element of race or ethnicity to a love scene, the weight seems heftier. The stakes, higher. At least that’s how I felt when I wrote the first book of my series, The Cougarette, during NaNoWriMo 2014. In detailing the affair between fortysomething CeeCee Banks and her younger lover Jay Weston, I never shied away from their Blackness. My main motivation behind self-publishing the series without initially considering traditional publishers was because I wanted CeeCee and Jay to remain Black. It was important to me that my readers experienced something they may not have been privy to in other reads: a Black woman engaging in sexual behavior and not being maligned because of it.
African American writers have taken control of the sexual narrative and produced some of the greatest novels of the twentieth century – most of which cast a Black woman as its’ central character. From Janie Crawford ( Their Eyes Were Watching God) to Zoe Reynard ( Addicted), the sexual nature of Black women in fiction has been portrayed in a variety of aspects that go beyond the media’s stereotypical image of the wanton sex freak. Don’t get me wrong: being a wanton sex freak surely has its advantages. In my opinion, however, there is more fullness to the essence of the Black woman than a big butt and a smile.
One of my favorite literary characters is Sula Peace, the namesake of the classic Toni Morrison novel Sula. Sula was eccentric, cunning, and unapologetically sexual. She defied the status quo, a life her sister Nel fully embraced. Since I’m certain that you will drop everything and buy Sula as soon as you finish reading my piece, I won’t give away the book. What I will say is that I adored the cognizant portrayal of Sula because of Morrison’s innate ability to draw out the character’s sensuality. Yet, as the reader, you don’t end the book hating Sula because of it. She was imperfect (conniving, even) and did bad things, but you understood her prowess. You appreciated her sexual freedom. Like many of Morrison’s works, it is a novel I go back to time and again – if only to make myself a better writer by absorbing her words.
I am currently in the middle of writing the fifth and final book of my series. My main character CeeCee and her many romantic missteps are coming to a head. As much as her life frustrates me at times, I strive to avoid victimizing her when I build her story. No woman – regardless of race, fictional or otherwise – should apologize for being horny. There should be no ‘I’m Sorry’ for aching for the touch of another person. When it comes to sensual characters, boundaries must be broken. Systematic sexuality must be shattered. From Zora to Zane, giving a voice to the oft-silenced erotic woman of color remains a work in progress. I hope that my scribbles are even a small contribution to the mission of making Black girls moan.
It is an intriguing responsibility to write erotic romance in this post-Fifty Shades era. Your readers value you as an expert in the art of writing sex in all of its beautiful forms: straight, BDSM, gay, lesbian, group, etc. They expect to salivate as they read about ‘pulsating centers’ and ‘throbbing manhoods’ (FYI: both of these terms combined will be the title of my personal memoir. Original, right?). They crave descriptions of beautiful bodies, writhing and sweating on top of one another. They devour your words in anticipation of a ‘happily ever after’ between two characters who happen to be very good at banging each other’s brains out.
When you add the element of race or ethnicity to a love scene, the weight seems heftier. The stakes, higher. At least that’s how I felt when I wrote the first book of my series, The Cougarette, during NaNoWriMo 2014. In detailing the affair between fortysomething CeeCee Banks and her younger lover Jay Weston, I never shied away from their Blackness. My main motivation behind self-publishing the series without initially considering traditional publishers was because I wanted CeeCee and Jay to remain Black. It was important to me that my readers experienced something they may not have been privy to in other reads: a Black woman engaging in sexual behavior and not being maligned because of it.
African American writers have taken control of the sexual narrative and produced some of the greatest novels of the twentieth century – most of which cast a Black woman as its’ central character. From Janie Crawford ( Their Eyes Were Watching God) to Zoe Reynard ( Addicted), the sexual nature of Black women in fiction has been portrayed in a variety of aspects that go beyond the media’s stereotypical image of the wanton sex freak. Don’t get me wrong: being a wanton sex freak surely has its advantages. In my opinion, however, there is more fullness to the essence of the Black woman than a big butt and a smile.
One of my favorite literary characters is Sula Peace, the namesake of the classic Toni Morrison novel Sula. Sula was eccentric, cunning, and unapologetically sexual. She defied the status quo, a life her sister Nel fully embraced. Since I’m certain that you will drop everything and buy Sula as soon as you finish reading my piece, I won’t give away the book. What I will say is that I adored the cognizant portrayal of Sula because of Morrison’s innate ability to draw out the character’s sensuality. Yet, as the reader, you don’t end the book hating Sula because of it. She was imperfect (conniving, even) and did bad things, but you understood her prowess. You appreciated her sexual freedom. Like many of Morrison’s works, it is a novel I go back to time and again – if only to make myself a better writer by absorbing her words.
I am currently in the middle of writing the fifth and final book of my series. My main character CeeCee and her many romantic missteps are coming to a head. As much as her life frustrates me at times, I strive to avoid victimizing her when I build her story. No woman – regardless of race, fictional or otherwise – should apologize for being horny. There should be no ‘I’m Sorry’ for aching for the touch of another person. When it comes to sensual characters, boundaries must be broken. Systematic sexuality must be shattered. From Zora to Zane, giving a voice to the oft-silenced erotic woman of color remains a work in progress. I hope that my scribbles are even a small contribution to the mission of making Black girls moan.
RELEASE PARTY for The Cougarette's Secret
Greetings Readers!
The release party for The Cougarette's Secret is scheduled for Sunday, November 1st!
Click HERE for the deets. I'll have some of my writing buddies joining me: Cree Storm, Siobhan Daiko, and more!
Stay tuned to my blog for more Release Week updates!
The release party for The Cougarette's Secret is scheduled for Sunday, November 1st!
Click HERE for the deets. I'll have some of my writing buddies joining me: Cree Storm, Siobhan Daiko, and more!
Stay tuned to my blog for more Release Week updates!
