K.Z. Snow's Blog, page 4
June 10, 2014
Cover Reveal
With renewed determination, I studied my surroundings: the littered floor and heaps of trash and corroded, useless fixtures; the personal caves constructed from crap. I could be a lot worse off than this, but I wasn’t going to settle for it. I wasn’t going to settle for anything or anybody ever again.
… I couldn’t suppress a private smile. How ironic that amid so much decay, I’d found the most effective resurrection man of all.
Coming in August from Dreamspinner Press.
June 6, 2014
June 4, 2014
Dicks with Dicks
Those of us who've been around the m/m romance genre for a while are familiar (probably more than we'd like to be) with some readers' aversion to what they call "chicks with dicks." These readers seem to think that gay heroes who exhibit certain characteristics -- emotional vulnerability or sensitivity, usually, although other traits have also come under fire -- are too much like the heroines of traditional m/f romances. I won't go into another rant about how offensive I find that attitude, because the subject's pretty much been beaten to death, but it has led me to wonder about the opposite character type. Why don't readers object to that one?
It's been my experience that hyper-masculine gay men are more the exception than the rule. In fact, I've never known any. Yet the genre is packed with heartless assassins and hardboiled government agents, with mercenaries and muscle-bound members of elite military units and other cold-eyed, coldblooded extreme Alpha males who face death regularly with nary a blink.
Okay, let's pause here and have another look at m/f romance stereotypes. But this time, let's look at some of the heroes. Specifically, those tough, stoical, domineering, manly men who are often downright mean-'n'-nasty. They'll bend to no one's will -- except when their hearts are softened by the nurturing love (and magic hoohah) of Just The Right Woman.They're real dicks, these guys. They're (you got it!) dicks with dicks.
Why have m/m readers never found this stereotype offensive? Has it never occurred to people who've squawked about "chicks with dicks" that "dicks with dicks" is a far more obvious holdover from category romance as well as far less representative of the gay population as a whole? Haven't they realized they're being just a tad hypocritical?
By the way, I don't object to any kind of gay/bi/trans male character -- Highlander, house husband, Viking, twink, special ops soldier, drag queen, murderous paranormal creature -- as long as he's well-drawn and believable. That doesn't mean I don't have character preferences (I definitely do). It simply means I hate seeing readers fling around pejorative labels without thinking them through.
May 16, 2014
Winners of the Mongrel Trilogy Giveaway
WINNERS -- we have them! Here are the readers who won copies of the books in my Mongrel trilogy, drawn from the entrants both here and on Facebook. Thanks to all who participated!
Mongrel (Book 1): Ashley E.
Merman (Book 2): TJ Rich
Machine (Book 3): Kassandra
Congratulations! I'll be getting in touch with each of you.
Mongrel (Book 1): Ashley E.
Merman (Book 2): TJ Rich
Machine (Book 3): Kassandra
Congratulations! I'll be getting in touch with each of you.
May 9, 2014
GIVEAWAYS! (Yes, plural!)
I’m doing not one but three! As you may or may not know, my paranormal steampunk Mongrel trilogy, published by Dreamspinner Press, is now complete. And yes, it’s m/m romance. (You can read blurbs and excerpts at the DSP site.)
Whether you’ve read part of the trilogy or none of it, here’s a chance to snag a free ebook copy of the first, second, or third novel. So, if you want an introduction to the world and characters, you can opt to receive Mongrel (#1). If you’ve read that and would like to move on to the next book, you can ask for Merman (#2). If you’ve already completed the first two, you have a chance to win Machine (#3). Just leave a comment indicating which book you’d like. I’ll choose the winners, one per title, on May 16. Thanks for participating!
Whether you’ve read part of the trilogy or none of it, here’s a chance to snag a free ebook copy of the first, second, or third novel. So, if you want an introduction to the world and characters, you can opt to receive Mongrel (#1). If you’ve read that and would like to move on to the next book, you can ask for Merman (#2). If you’ve already completed the first two, you have a chance to win Machine (#3). Just leave a comment indicating which book you’d like. I’ll choose the winners, one per title, on May 16. Thanks for participating!
April 30, 2014
Release Day!
Three relationships in danger.One must be sacrificed.Will that be enough to save the other two?
Machine, the final book in the Mongrel trilogy (paranormal steampunk), now available from Dreamspinner Press and all major ebook outlets. Go to the publisher's siteto read a blurb and extended excerpt.
April 27, 2014
Twitter Takeover!
Hello, sweet peeps! I wanted to let you all know that I'm staging a Twitter Takeover on Tuesday, April 29, from 6-8 p.m. US Central time (so, 7-9 Eastern, 4-6 Pacific). Please join me as I become temporary Queen of the Twitterverse, tiara and all! Just show up at @dreamspinners or @k_z_snow, and hashtag your tweets with #KZTakeover.
I probably don't need to clarify, but this rare public appearance is in conjunction with the release of Machine by DSP on the 30th. Feel free to leave comments, ask me anything about the characters and world of the Mongrel trilogy, and learn my beauty secrets as well as man-catching magic. I'll be giving away one copy each of Mongrel, Merman, and Machine (the first two obviously for newcomers to the trilogy). Please join me! (And BYOB. The Internet sucks at dispensing refreshments.)
I probably don't need to clarify, but this rare public appearance is in conjunction with the release of Machine by DSP on the 30th. Feel free to leave comments, ask me anything about the characters and world of the Mongrel trilogy, and learn my beauty secrets as well as man-catching magic. I'll be giving away one copy each of Mongrel, Merman, and Machine (the first two obviously for newcomers to the trilogy). Please join me! (And BYOB. The Internet sucks at dispensing refreshments.)
April 19, 2014
New Contract, New Review
First, my heartfelt gratitude to Lynn at World of Diversity Fiction for posting a review of Merman (Mongrel #2). What a pleasant surprise! Thank you, Lynn, for taking the time to read my book and share your thoughts on it. Anyone who likes Clancy Marrowbone is okay by me. ;-)A reminder to everybody: Machine (Mongrel #3) is coming out on April 30. You can currently preorder it at 25% off the list price.
Aaaaand . . . I've had a story accepted by Harmony Ink, Dreamspinner's YA imprint. Ben Raphael's All-star Virgins is a contemporary featuring five 16-year-old prep school friends. Release is scheduled for early fall.
April 13, 2014
Save the redwoods! Love the gays!
One of my guilty pleasures is watching a couple of Fake Housewives of Clueless City shows, because it fascinates me to see how the other half lives. Just recently, one of those privileged female stars said something that provoked this shout from me to the TV: "Are you fuckin' kidding me?"
This is what came out of the pie hole of Sonja Morgan, NYC Legend in Her Own Mind: "I love my gays." That's a verbatim quote. "I LOVE MY GAYS."
Dafuq? Need I explain why I nearly launched myself out of the recliner? Well, I'm going to anyway.
Those four words, uttered with such self-congratulatory gusto, made me sick. Were I a gay man, I would've shouted something else at the TV. Maybe, "I am not yours, bitch. I am not a bragging point. I don't exist to contribute to your public posturing. Nor am I one of your personal accessories, like a hat or corset or boa. Nor am I part of a happily homogeneous aggregate that you treat like a cause du jour. Save the redwoods! Love the gays! Leave me out of your mission, you fatuous, presumptuous twit."
At that moment it was clear to me, a cis-gendered heterosexual female, that possessive modes of thought and expression severely undermine any GLBTQ ally's sincerity, no matter how good our intentions are. They make us look like self-aggrandizing users. And maybe some of us are.
Since watching that episode of Fake Housewives, I've combed through my memories of relationships with people unlike myself. Have I ingenuously dragged them out to use as bragging points? Oh, look at soft-hearted, liberal me with all these black/Indian/gay/lesbian/handicapped/[insert minority group] friends! Yeah, probably (I'm ashamed to confess), at some points in my life. But I can say unequivocally that I never thought of or referred to any of these individuals as a collection or, worse yet, as MINE. And I've never professed my love for all members of any human group. Doing so is the height of either delusion or deceitfulness.
If I learned anything from that stupid TV show, it's the need for constant self-monitoring. Ill-chosen words aren't always innocuous. They can be profoundly offensive and/or indicative of questionable motives. Caring should never come off as condescension. A supportive boost should never be accompanied by boasting. And possessive adjectives and pronouns used in relation to people must be applied with great care.
This is what came out of the pie hole of Sonja Morgan, NYC Legend in Her Own Mind: "I love my gays." That's a verbatim quote. "I LOVE MY GAYS."
Dafuq? Need I explain why I nearly launched myself out of the recliner? Well, I'm going to anyway.
Those four words, uttered with such self-congratulatory gusto, made me sick. Were I a gay man, I would've shouted something else at the TV. Maybe, "I am not yours, bitch. I am not a bragging point. I don't exist to contribute to your public posturing. Nor am I one of your personal accessories, like a hat or corset or boa. Nor am I part of a happily homogeneous aggregate that you treat like a cause du jour. Save the redwoods! Love the gays! Leave me out of your mission, you fatuous, presumptuous twit."
At that moment it was clear to me, a cis-gendered heterosexual female, that possessive modes of thought and expression severely undermine any GLBTQ ally's sincerity, no matter how good our intentions are. They make us look like self-aggrandizing users. And maybe some of us are.
Since watching that episode of Fake Housewives, I've combed through my memories of relationships with people unlike myself. Have I ingenuously dragged them out to use as bragging points? Oh, look at soft-hearted, liberal me with all these black/Indian/gay/lesbian/handicapped/[insert minority group] friends! Yeah, probably (I'm ashamed to confess), at some points in my life. But I can say unequivocally that I never thought of or referred to any of these individuals as a collection or, worse yet, as MINE. And I've never professed my love for all members of any human group. Doing so is the height of either delusion or deceitfulness.
If I learned anything from that stupid TV show, it's the need for constant self-monitoring. Ill-chosen words aren't always innocuous. They can be profoundly offensive and/or indicative of questionable motives. Caring should never come off as condescension. A supportive boost should never be accompanied by boasting. And possessive adjectives and pronouns used in relation to people must be applied with great care.
April 7, 2014
Cover Reveal
Coming Soon from Dreamspinner Press: The Final Book in the Mongrel Trilogy
Cover by Anne Cain
The closing-day flea market at the Marvelous Mechanical Circus always draws a colorful crowd, but salesman Will Marchman doesn’t expect to see a large, elaborate gold wagon on the plaza -- especially one called The Spiritorium. The wagon’s exotic looking owner claims he can perform “cleansings and siphonings” via a miracle-working machine housed within. He can supposedly flush the wickedness out of people and places.
The Spiritorium appears in the Mongrel village of Taintwell the next day, setting off a potentially tragic chain of events that begins with a shocking revelation. To make matters worse, Fanule Perfidor, de facto mayor and Will’s lover, has been neglecting to take the tonic that stabilizes his moods. Besieged by his illness, Fan drives Will away. Then Fan’s best friend, vampire Clancy Marrowbone, vanishes, causing a rift between him and his mortal lover. Then Will disappears.
As Fan regains control of his mind, he knows what he must do to save his village and the people most important to him. He must solve the mystery of the Spiritorium and its master. This means delving into truths about himself and his Mongrel lineage he'd never before had to face ... and confronting a man he'd hoped never to see again.
The trial, if Fan passes it, will make him worthy of the title Eminence of Taintwell. And worthy of the far more meaningful labels life partner and friend.
Cover by Anne CainThe closing-day flea market at the Marvelous Mechanical Circus always draws a colorful crowd, but salesman Will Marchman doesn’t expect to see a large, elaborate gold wagon on the plaza -- especially one called The Spiritorium. The wagon’s exotic looking owner claims he can perform “cleansings and siphonings” via a miracle-working machine housed within. He can supposedly flush the wickedness out of people and places.
The Spiritorium appears in the Mongrel village of Taintwell the next day, setting off a potentially tragic chain of events that begins with a shocking revelation. To make matters worse, Fanule Perfidor, de facto mayor and Will’s lover, has been neglecting to take the tonic that stabilizes his moods. Besieged by his illness, Fan drives Will away. Then Fan’s best friend, vampire Clancy Marrowbone, vanishes, causing a rift between him and his mortal lover. Then Will disappears.
As Fan regains control of his mind, he knows what he must do to save his village and the people most important to him. He must solve the mystery of the Spiritorium and its master. This means delving into truths about himself and his Mongrel lineage he'd never before had to face ... and confronting a man he'd hoped never to see again.
The trial, if Fan passes it, will make him worthy of the title Eminence of Taintwell. And worthy of the far more meaningful labels life partner and friend.
