Apollo Blake's Blog, page 8
April 15, 2019
Counting All The Starfish
Today's title comes from the new Kitty album Rose Gold, because it's amazing and basically all I've been listening to for days.
I've been thinking recently about how I want to finish or continue the Deadheart series. Storm of Masks really didn't sell well, and I've considered revamping it with a new title and cover, or rewriting it entirely, or adding 25k words onto it to wrap the story up and publishing that as a new edition. But I think I owe it to myself and the characters to finish the story, and even though I have my issues with the first book, I don't think it's a bad book, it's just not my best, which in a way is comforting because it means there's nowhere for the story to go but up.
Storm of Masks is quaint and charming but I feel like it's too slow at times and there's not enough action or enough at stake. It definitely feels like a prologue to a much larger story. And to be fair, it is. But I think I could have added a few sequences or scenarios to easily improve it that I just didn't see at the time, and I feel like Eric stood out a little more than Jen, which isn't that fair considering she's the main character.
So I'm writing the next three books. And they'll be better, and I'll give the characters more to do. I still love Storm of Masks, I just think it could do with a few thousand words being cut off, and a whole lot more added. I didn't explore certain things to their full potential, but going forward it will be more balanced and exciting. There are plenty of book series with slower starts though, so I think it's fine.
One thing I really want to do is develop the romance more. I feel like Jenna and Carter fell a little flat in the first book and I want people to care more about their romance and feel like it has actual stakes. The romance in this series is actually going to be pretty unconventional. It starts out as a love triangle but it's definitely not that, because Carter and Todd have as much romantic tension with each other as they do with Jen.
Carter is going to get some interesting storylines to say the least. I think book two will be a lot of fun to write because it's essentially a wham episode where a bunch of big, crazy things happen and people die and characters are gaining new powers and testing their relationships. Jen, Cayla, and Nora get more of a chance to shine, so Cayla feels like less of a token trans character and Nora feels like less of a crazy best friend cliche which I feel like there's too much of in YA, even though it's one of the tropes I love. Plus the new villain(s) will be borderline psychopathic.
So, there's that to look forward to. Oh. And the pretty covers. They're beautiful.
I'm gonna go play video games and drink another coffee to wake up before I start writing for the day, but I'll have a new post or two up tomorrow! As I'm finishing up this post a huge bolt of thunder struck and I think lightning just hit right outside my house, it's one of the loudest things I've ever heard and my dogs are spooked. It's raining pretty hard too, but the rain is nice.
Anyway. That's all I've got, folks!
I've been thinking recently about how I want to finish or continue the Deadheart series. Storm of Masks really didn't sell well, and I've considered revamping it with a new title and cover, or rewriting it entirely, or adding 25k words onto it to wrap the story up and publishing that as a new edition. But I think I owe it to myself and the characters to finish the story, and even though I have my issues with the first book, I don't think it's a bad book, it's just not my best, which in a way is comforting because it means there's nowhere for the story to go but up.
Storm of Masks is quaint and charming but I feel like it's too slow at times and there's not enough action or enough at stake. It definitely feels like a prologue to a much larger story. And to be fair, it is. But I think I could have added a few sequences or scenarios to easily improve it that I just didn't see at the time, and I feel like Eric stood out a little more than Jen, which isn't that fair considering she's the main character.
So I'm writing the next three books. And they'll be better, and I'll give the characters more to do. I still love Storm of Masks, I just think it could do with a few thousand words being cut off, and a whole lot more added. I didn't explore certain things to their full potential, but going forward it will be more balanced and exciting. There are plenty of book series with slower starts though, so I think it's fine.
One thing I really want to do is develop the romance more. I feel like Jenna and Carter fell a little flat in the first book and I want people to care more about their romance and feel like it has actual stakes. The romance in this series is actually going to be pretty unconventional. It starts out as a love triangle but it's definitely not that, because Carter and Todd have as much romantic tension with each other as they do with Jen.
Carter is going to get some interesting storylines to say the least. I think book two will be a lot of fun to write because it's essentially a wham episode where a bunch of big, crazy things happen and people die and characters are gaining new powers and testing their relationships. Jen, Cayla, and Nora get more of a chance to shine, so Cayla feels like less of a token trans character and Nora feels like less of a crazy best friend cliche which I feel like there's too much of in YA, even though it's one of the tropes I love. Plus the new villain(s) will be borderline psychopathic.
So, there's that to look forward to. Oh. And the pretty covers. They're beautiful.
I'm gonna go play video games and drink another coffee to wake up before I start writing for the day, but I'll have a new post or two up tomorrow! As I'm finishing up this post a huge bolt of thunder struck and I think lightning just hit right outside my house, it's one of the loudest things I've ever heard and my dogs are spooked. It's raining pretty hard too, but the rain is nice.
Anyway. That's all I've got, folks!
April 12, 2019
Everything Is Too Short
Everything is too short. That's what the problem is, if you ask me. Obviously you didn't, but here I am to give my opinions on random stuff nobody else cares about anyway.
What brought this thought on?
I replayed Saints Row 3 (one of the greatest and most absurd video games ever made) and I finished the game in like three days. It's the fifth or sixth time I've finished it--I remember playing it back in eighth grade in 2012 when my brother was away for school in another province. He left his xBox and I'd stay up every night after school playing it and listening to Kimbra while I drove around Steelport causing trouble. So it's not just nostalgic, it's comforting.
But the game is also too short. I was thinking how much better it would be if the first act was expanded; more missions exploring being a fish out of water in a new city and taking down the syndicate, since it feels like you move on to the other gangs too quickly. I'd also love an expanded third act with more of a battle against STAG, maybe with The Boss and Killbane teaming up.
Honestly, they could have made it a two-disk game and have disk two take place in an entirely different city.
I guess I just want another great Saints Row game, just not as abstract like 4 was.
But then the Star Wars trailer dropped and I got thinking the current trilogy would work better as a six volume story, since Rey's rise to power seems so rushed and there's still so much to explore with her past, and her and Kylo's chemistry, plus I want Stormpilot to happen, but obviously it won't. Maybe in a dream world audiences are enjoying a six movie epic (and I mean, Star Wars as a whole is nine movies plus Rogue One and Solo, which is great, but as a Reylo shipper, I want an entire movie of them running around as an odd couple, solving mysteries or some shit) but this is not that universe. I was hoping for a ballroom scene, an undercover mission, some romance....just more glamour from number three, but it looked kind of bland compared to The Last Jedi.
I have this problem with my books too; I was supposed to write a four chapter short story but somehow it got bumped to six chapters, but the scenes I'm adding are necessary and make everything better. Even then I'd love to add more to explore a certain character and a cool location a little more, but then it wouldn't be a short story anymore. I can't help it, I love big plots and I can not lie. I also want readers to feel like they got their money's worth out of a story.
Today I got too stoned and ate a lot of pizza and tried to record but didn't like anything I was doing, and then my mic started acting up. I really want to put out an EP soon and even drop an album this year, but I need a new laptop to make music on and write in a more comfortable position. I do have some cool potential album art and concepts lined up though.
That said, tonight and tomorrow are devoted to drafting this short story! It's called Glimpse and it's about a pixie and that's all I can really say until it's done.
What brought this thought on?
I replayed Saints Row 3 (one of the greatest and most absurd video games ever made) and I finished the game in like three days. It's the fifth or sixth time I've finished it--I remember playing it back in eighth grade in 2012 when my brother was away for school in another province. He left his xBox and I'd stay up every night after school playing it and listening to Kimbra while I drove around Steelport causing trouble. So it's not just nostalgic, it's comforting.
But the game is also too short. I was thinking how much better it would be if the first act was expanded; more missions exploring being a fish out of water in a new city and taking down the syndicate, since it feels like you move on to the other gangs too quickly. I'd also love an expanded third act with more of a battle against STAG, maybe with The Boss and Killbane teaming up.
Honestly, they could have made it a two-disk game and have disk two take place in an entirely different city.
I guess I just want another great Saints Row game, just not as abstract like 4 was.
But then the Star Wars trailer dropped and I got thinking the current trilogy would work better as a six volume story, since Rey's rise to power seems so rushed and there's still so much to explore with her past, and her and Kylo's chemistry, plus I want Stormpilot to happen, but obviously it won't. Maybe in a dream world audiences are enjoying a six movie epic (and I mean, Star Wars as a whole is nine movies plus Rogue One and Solo, which is great, but as a Reylo shipper, I want an entire movie of them running around as an odd couple, solving mysteries or some shit) but this is not that universe. I was hoping for a ballroom scene, an undercover mission, some romance....just more glamour from number three, but it looked kind of bland compared to The Last Jedi.
I have this problem with my books too; I was supposed to write a four chapter short story but somehow it got bumped to six chapters, but the scenes I'm adding are necessary and make everything better. Even then I'd love to add more to explore a certain character and a cool location a little more, but then it wouldn't be a short story anymore. I can't help it, I love big plots and I can not lie. I also want readers to feel like they got their money's worth out of a story.
Today I got too stoned and ate a lot of pizza and tried to record but didn't like anything I was doing, and then my mic started acting up. I really want to put out an EP soon and even drop an album this year, but I need a new laptop to make music on and write in a more comfortable position. I do have some cool potential album art and concepts lined up though.
That said, tonight and tomorrow are devoted to drafting this short story! It's called Glimpse and it's about a pixie and that's all I can really say until it's done.
April 10, 2019
Something Just Occured To Me
I just realized I haven't really posted here in 2019. It feels as if New Years was a month ago, but we're four or five months into the year already. I've spent three months taking thotty selfies and planning new releases. The latter half of 2019 will be very busy for me, but the year has already showed me a lot and I feel like I've grown a lot.
I had to take a hard look at myself and my habits, my mental health, and redefine who I am and what I want, because I was only stewing and festering in negativity and bitterness and doubt.
So far this year I've turned 23, let go of a heap of self-hatred I was holding onto, recorded a few crazy songs, and shaved my head bald again. Last year I was suicidal, we lost a bunch of our pets, I forgot who I was and sank into a deep depression and focused on the ugly parts of the world, which brought out ugly parts of me. That's over now, obviously. It only makes sense to focus on the present and the future, not a past I can't change.
So, here's a list of things I want to do this year:
Get out of debtWrite three novels minimumLose 20 poundsWear my glasses moreGet a new phoneHave a ton of bonfiresSketch and paint way more than last yearTry AMS ads for the first timeRelease 2 EPsHit 800 Insta followersBuy more underwearIt might seem like a stupid list or a bunch of small stuff, and I'm not sticking to it religiously, but I think it helps a lot to have a general goal or two in mind.
If you want to see more of me (or my butt) follow me on Instagram @royal_hijinx
I had to take a hard look at myself and my habits, my mental health, and redefine who I am and what I want, because I was only stewing and festering in negativity and bitterness and doubt.
So far this year I've turned 23, let go of a heap of self-hatred I was holding onto, recorded a few crazy songs, and shaved my head bald again. Last year I was suicidal, we lost a bunch of our pets, I forgot who I was and sank into a deep depression and focused on the ugly parts of the world, which brought out ugly parts of me. That's over now, obviously. It only makes sense to focus on the present and the future, not a past I can't change.
So, here's a list of things I want to do this year:
Get out of debtWrite three novels minimumLose 20 poundsWear my glasses moreGet a new phoneHave a ton of bonfiresSketch and paint way more than last yearTry AMS ads for the first timeRelease 2 EPsHit 800 Insta followersBuy more underwearIt might seem like a stupid list or a bunch of small stuff, and I'm not sticking to it religiously, but I think it helps a lot to have a general goal or two in mind.
If you want to see more of me (or my butt) follow me on Instagram @royal_hijinx
Checkers (Thirst Trap)
I got a cute pair of checkered boxer briefs on Wish...
I genuinely love them. I've bought three pairs of underwear on Wish so far and loved the two that have arrived. The third pair is still on the way, along with a cool silver wig and a new selfie stick. I'd honestly love a bigger underwear/speedo/jockstrap collection because, frankly, I'm a hoe, but I'm also a broke hoe, so I think it will have to wait.
I've finished two novellas so far this week and both are M/M erotic romance. Plus I'm shifting gears and no longer writing much YA, focusing more on steamy New Adult and Adult titles instead. So I feel like it's pretty on-brand for me to show off my flashy new undies. Right?
If you want more of that maybe my Instagram, (@royal_hijinx) might be up your alley!
The novellas I finished are called Ian's Fetish and A Twink In The Woods and I'll be editing and publishing them both very soon. The first is about two roommates and best friends who let a bit too much slip while drug, leading to a new erotic fixation. It's mainly targeting the foot fetish niche with some domination in there for good measure. The other is a sexy cruising/public sex number featuring a threesome. Tonight I want to write two fantasy short stories and edit the new edition of Shadows I've been promising forever, though. I'll also be doing a new edition of Divinity because I know that it has a few lingering errors.
I may try to review a few M/M romance titles this month and maybe do a guest post or two next month if I can find a relevant blog to host me and the time to write about something steamy. Maybe a piece on why I personally enjoy writing erotica? I didn't at first and only viewed it as work, but now it's fun and I see ideas for porn prompts everywhere, lol.
In a few days I'll hopefully be able to post about my new releases, until then stay tuned, and feel free to check out my other titles on Amazon!
I genuinely love them. I've bought three pairs of underwear on Wish so far and loved the two that have arrived. The third pair is still on the way, along with a cool silver wig and a new selfie stick. I'd honestly love a bigger underwear/speedo/jockstrap collection because, frankly, I'm a hoe, but I'm also a broke hoe, so I think it will have to wait.
I've finished two novellas so far this week and both are M/M erotic romance. Plus I'm shifting gears and no longer writing much YA, focusing more on steamy New Adult and Adult titles instead. So I feel like it's pretty on-brand for me to show off my flashy new undies. Right?
If you want more of that maybe my Instagram, (@royal_hijinx) might be up your alley!
The novellas I finished are called Ian's Fetish and A Twink In The Woods and I'll be editing and publishing them both very soon. The first is about two roommates and best friends who let a bit too much slip while drug, leading to a new erotic fixation. It's mainly targeting the foot fetish niche with some domination in there for good measure. The other is a sexy cruising/public sex number featuring a threesome. Tonight I want to write two fantasy short stories and edit the new edition of Shadows I've been promising forever, though. I'll also be doing a new edition of Divinity because I know that it has a few lingering errors.
I may try to review a few M/M romance titles this month and maybe do a guest post or two next month if I can find a relevant blog to host me and the time to write about something steamy. Maybe a piece on why I personally enjoy writing erotica? I didn't at first and only viewed it as work, but now it's fun and I see ideas for porn prompts everywhere, lol.
In a few days I'll hopefully be able to post about my new releases, until then stay tuned, and feel free to check out my other titles on Amazon!
September 3, 2018
40k
Shadows is about to hit 40k reads on Wattpad soon! :)Couldn't help but share.
August 28, 2018
What It Takes
What it takes to write a book:
Yup, that's it. Coffee, and cookies, and my butt in a chair. That last one is the hardest part. Especially since these dogs want to distract me so, so bad... I'm babysitting my brother's dog Otis. (Follow him on Instagram here.)
He's adorable, but don't let it fool you, since we've got him he's eaten 3 dish towels, a $600 dollar cheque, a blanket, 2 chew toys, 2 footballs, and more. We can't keep him out of anything, and he has a bad habit of jumping onto the kitchen counters and grabbing anything out there. He's a cuddlebug, though, even when he's biting at you.
I'm determined to finish the new edition of Shadows within the next few hours, though, so I can publish it already!
I'm hoping I can head up to the she-cave today and record some music in there, since I have no privacy in the house while everyone else is on vacation. I really want to put out a new EP today. Too ambitious? We'll see, lol.
Listen to my latest song here: Maybe You Were Right
August 19, 2018
Back on the Bandwagon
I'm hopping back into writing and being productive. I'm putting out the new edition of SOSAS in a few days so I'm trying to finish it tonight so I can write a short story before morning.
Today I'm recording a couple new tracks or even an entire EP. I'm slowly getting the hang of cutting and enhancing vocals, so that's nice, and I'd like to apply it and put out something that feels more professional than my last few EPS.
The other day I went wild and bought like 15 or 16 new stock images and made a bunch of new book covers and I'm in love with them, so I have to do something with them. 2018 has not been half as productive as I hoped it would, so, I have to do something about that...
Hopefully I can update later today and say the new edition of SOSAS is publishing!
Today I'm recording a couple new tracks or even an entire EP. I'm slowly getting the hang of cutting and enhancing vocals, so that's nice, and I'd like to apply it and put out something that feels more professional than my last few EPS.
The other day I went wild and bought like 15 or 16 new stock images and made a bunch of new book covers and I'm in love with them, so I have to do something with them. 2018 has not been half as productive as I hoped it would, so, I have to do something about that...
Hopefully I can update later today and say the new edition of SOSAS is publishing!
August 5, 2018
Rich Bitche$ Don't Die
Can we talk about how iconic Iggy Azalea's new EP is?
It's a bop.
I've also been listening to a lot of Sky Ferreira's cover of Voices Carry;
Truly iconic! She needs to put out a new album pronto. I do appreciate that the photo she used for this track is totally taken from Huji Cam, because, damn, do I relate. That app saved my life. (And aesthetic. Which is arguably more important.)
Honestly I've been putting off writing for days to work on music. I'm working on a novella about gargoyles right now, but God knows when that will be out. I still fully intend to publish the new edition of Souls of Salt and Seawater this month, and update the current edition of Shadows with a clean, firmer round of edits. However I probably won't be able to put out the special edition of Shadows until next month.
It's pesky to wait, I know, but I'm juggling a lot and I don't want it to feel rushed or sloppy. These characters deserve better.
I have so much cool shit I wanna put out, but it's hard to keep up a constant work rhythm.
Or maybe I'm just making excuses for myself >.>
I wanted to put out the second Shadows novel before 2019, but it will probably come out in like mid-2019, I'm not going to lie. Which is disappointing, but again, these books deserve better than me rushing and being sloppy. I rushed out Storm of Masks early because I felt a big pressure to be more prolific and now I'm stuck in the boat of rewriting it entirely. And it will be a better book because of it, but it's embarrassing that the old version saw the light of day. Lesson learned.
In the next couple of months after revitalizing some old titles, my focus will be on hammering out a bunch of novellas and short stories. Like dozens of each. And I'm going to sit on every last one of them for at least a month and a half before putting them out.
So that's what's happening work-wise.
On the other side of things I've been doing my usual; vegging out, obsessing over the internet, drinking too much coffee, worrying about how it will affect my health, ignoring said worries to make even more coffee. You know. The works.
Honestly the other night I almost died, because I stumbled across a video of Michelle Buteau on YouTube and was almost shook enough to perish.
I hate standup comedy. It's just not my brand of humor and it doesn't help that most of my exposure to it had been watching really old white men just say straight up offensive things and then act like they made a joke. Which is stupid. And I'm into dark and/or racy humor, I like when people poke the bear and pull stunts, it's just those other comedians try to do it and it falls flat.
Then they cry about the PC police when really...it's just not that funny. Joke about race/sexuality/gender if you want, but make it entertaining or do something unique with it, you know?
Michelle does that. Her set was so good. When she called herself Raven Raven-Symoné I deadass had to pause the video because I was cackling too hard.
Her Dutch in-laws sound hilarious and her set was endearing and cute enough that the risks she took with more edgelord material didn't come across as hollow or trying too hard. It balanced out well and it just works. Plus she has a great personality and presence so she owns whatever she's doing--including when a joke bombs. Which, really NONE of the jokes should have bombed, but the audience was clearly shocked and didn't know what they were getting into with her, which makes it even funnier, because she gives zero fucks and makes it clear.
Obviously I immediately went and followed her on Instagram. Which, again, is weird for me, because I HATE standup comedy, and that's most of what she does for a living.
I just finished reading a short gay romance novella I downloaded the other day, and now I'm reading an m/m fantasy novel, and it's freaking wild. It's called Slave by Kate Aaron, and it's exactly what it sounds like; a slave in a fantasy world who is the only surviving member of his nomadic clan rescues another slave (a captured soldier from another country) from an auction by buying him to keep him out of the hands of more cruel, sadistic masters who want to rape and/or torture him to death.
So the main character is jealous of this new slave because he wants to continue being their masters favorite, and the new slave wants no part of any of it, except he kind of does because he comes from a homophobic country where men aren't even supposed to touch outside of fighting, and he may or may not be falling for the main character.
It's m/m/m between the two of them and their master and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it? Like, slavery is BIG BAD. And the author kind of acknowledges that? But in a way that's like "Yeah slavery is bad, but our personal experience as slaves is cool because we kind of got lucky, so let's ignore all the iffy moral asides and focus on the romance, kay?"
I don't love that approach. And I'd like the world itself to be expanded on more.
HOWEVER. It seems like the sequels will get a little more political and ramp up the fantasy elements over the gay sex elements? And also develop their master further, which is good, since he's the only character of the three I don't love or understand so far, so him winning me over in any way would make his literal legal owning of these two other humans a lot more palatable? Because as it is I don't trust him? I mean I don't think he's /evil/ or would hurt them, but he's kind of ignorant of their situation and experiences?
Either way, the prose is quick and concise and the character dynamics are interesting. It's mostly a character study with fantasy window dressing. Which I'm cool with, I guess.
Anyway I'm going to wrap this up because I have way too much to do to keep blogging, but I may post again later today with some special stuff!
Thanks for reading!
Check out my books here.
It's a bop.
I've also been listening to a lot of Sky Ferreira's cover of Voices Carry;
Truly iconic! She needs to put out a new album pronto. I do appreciate that the photo she used for this track is totally taken from Huji Cam, because, damn, do I relate. That app saved my life. (And aesthetic. Which is arguably more important.)
Honestly I've been putting off writing for days to work on music. I'm working on a novella about gargoyles right now, but God knows when that will be out. I still fully intend to publish the new edition of Souls of Salt and Seawater this month, and update the current edition of Shadows with a clean, firmer round of edits. However I probably won't be able to put out the special edition of Shadows until next month.
It's pesky to wait, I know, but I'm juggling a lot and I don't want it to feel rushed or sloppy. These characters deserve better.
I have so much cool shit I wanna put out, but it's hard to keep up a constant work rhythm.
Or maybe I'm just making excuses for myself >.>
I wanted to put out the second Shadows novel before 2019, but it will probably come out in like mid-2019, I'm not going to lie. Which is disappointing, but again, these books deserve better than me rushing and being sloppy. I rushed out Storm of Masks early because I felt a big pressure to be more prolific and now I'm stuck in the boat of rewriting it entirely. And it will be a better book because of it, but it's embarrassing that the old version saw the light of day. Lesson learned.
In the next couple of months after revitalizing some old titles, my focus will be on hammering out a bunch of novellas and short stories. Like dozens of each. And I'm going to sit on every last one of them for at least a month and a half before putting them out.
So that's what's happening work-wise.
On the other side of things I've been doing my usual; vegging out, obsessing over the internet, drinking too much coffee, worrying about how it will affect my health, ignoring said worries to make even more coffee. You know. The works.
Honestly the other night I almost died, because I stumbled across a video of Michelle Buteau on YouTube and was almost shook enough to perish.
I hate standup comedy. It's just not my brand of humor and it doesn't help that most of my exposure to it had been watching really old white men just say straight up offensive things and then act like they made a joke. Which is stupid. And I'm into dark and/or racy humor, I like when people poke the bear and pull stunts, it's just those other comedians try to do it and it falls flat.
Then they cry about the PC police when really...it's just not that funny. Joke about race/sexuality/gender if you want, but make it entertaining or do something unique with it, you know?
Michelle does that. Her set was so good. When she called herself Raven Raven-Symoné I deadass had to pause the video because I was cackling too hard.
Her Dutch in-laws sound hilarious and her set was endearing and cute enough that the risks she took with more edgelord material didn't come across as hollow or trying too hard. It balanced out well and it just works. Plus she has a great personality and presence so she owns whatever she's doing--including when a joke bombs. Which, really NONE of the jokes should have bombed, but the audience was clearly shocked and didn't know what they were getting into with her, which makes it even funnier, because she gives zero fucks and makes it clear.
Obviously I immediately went and followed her on Instagram. Which, again, is weird for me, because I HATE standup comedy, and that's most of what she does for a living.
I just finished reading a short gay romance novella I downloaded the other day, and now I'm reading an m/m fantasy novel, and it's freaking wild. It's called Slave by Kate Aaron, and it's exactly what it sounds like; a slave in a fantasy world who is the only surviving member of his nomadic clan rescues another slave (a captured soldier from another country) from an auction by buying him to keep him out of the hands of more cruel, sadistic masters who want to rape and/or torture him to death.
So the main character is jealous of this new slave because he wants to continue being their masters favorite, and the new slave wants no part of any of it, except he kind of does because he comes from a homophobic country where men aren't even supposed to touch outside of fighting, and he may or may not be falling for the main character.
It's m/m/m between the two of them and their master and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it? Like, slavery is BIG BAD. And the author kind of acknowledges that? But in a way that's like "Yeah slavery is bad, but our personal experience as slaves is cool because we kind of got lucky, so let's ignore all the iffy moral asides and focus on the romance, kay?"
I don't love that approach. And I'd like the world itself to be expanded on more.
HOWEVER. It seems like the sequels will get a little more political and ramp up the fantasy elements over the gay sex elements? And also develop their master further, which is good, since he's the only character of the three I don't love or understand so far, so him winning me over in any way would make his literal legal owning of these two other humans a lot more palatable? Because as it is I don't trust him? I mean I don't think he's /evil/ or would hurt them, but he's kind of ignorant of their situation and experiences?
Either way, the prose is quick and concise and the character dynamics are interesting. It's mostly a character study with fantasy window dressing. Which I'm cool with, I guess.
Anyway I'm going to wrap this up because I have way too much to do to keep blogging, but I may post again later today with some special stuff!
Thanks for reading!
Check out my books here.
July 23, 2018
Someone Free Grimes (Plus Adventures in Puppysitting.)
Remember when Grimes put out the best album ever? Remember how we've been waiting for new material ever since and it hasn't happened? Remember a couple months ago when she posted shady Tweets about her label and gave us some tea?
The only new music she's put out since then is a snippet of a new bop in an Apple commercial:
It sounds like a bop for sure, but we need it now, not later. I'd love to hear the full version. I'm glad more artists are going independent. Even if it means lower budgets at least it minimizes situations like this with shitty labels. It happens in publishing too, people get fucked over by their labels and publishers and management all the time. There are shady business practices and betrayals and drama. It makes my head spin.
I was watching an Emma Blackery video (I'm waiting for her new album too!) earlier where she talked about a chain bookstore basically blacklisting her and refusing to list her book or promote it because she got mad at them on Twitter for violating a release embargo on the book. Since when is that okay?
It's wild to me that people's entire careers are subject to random whims like this on the part of people higher up in the chain. Or to bandwagon hate, because that happens and ruins careers too. It's also weird how so many artists in the past just couldn't put things out on their own, at least not if they wanted decent exposure.
Now we have the Internet and everyone is kind of enabled to build a brand and name for themselves off of nothing.
I recently put out a new EP on my SoundCloud called Plucked From Orbit:
(Listen Here)
I don't really make music with the expectation of being known for it or it gaining a lot of attraction. I just like tooling around with synths and different sequencers, and I like making glitchy sounds and album arts. For me it's more about enjoyment and the concepts than making /actual/ bops.
Although I do want to learn to make more mainstream sounding pop bops eventually. Right now I'm basically creating ASMR sounds :P
I'm supposed to be working on a new edition of Shadows to put out next month. But I'm a serial procrastinator, so instead of writing the new novella Lovecursed or updating my notes, I'm planning a new edition of Souls of Salt & Seawater. And listening to lots of Billie Eilish. Not gonna lie.
I've also just been stewing over how many good movies are coming out.
Aquaman, The Nun, Godzilla, that new Bella Thorne movie with the ghosts (it looks cheesy as hell, but that's half the fun) and stuff like Darkest Minds, Glass, Mary Queen of Scotts. I'm really excited for Riverdale season 3. Cults and supernatural elements? Sign me up. I didn't expect them to go full supernatural until season 4, but I'm all here for it.
A couple weeks ago I spent an entire royalty check on vodka, 'cause that's the kind of irresponsible human I am, and got smashed. My parents were having a huge party with dozens of people milling around and bonfires and camping and stuff, so that was a mess, and I didn't want to be sober throughout it, and I'm guessing neither did Kuma. We also babysat my brother's wild dog during the whole ordeal, and the thing is vicious. Also, my selfie stick finally came! Here's some snaps from the weekend:
(Otis is cute but don't let it fool you! He bites! He still thinks he's a lap dog, too...)
(Me & Kuma!)
(Testing the selfie stick, lol)
Now the vodka is all gone and I'm left with an empty wallet. Next time I get paid I'm buying charcoal toothpaste to remove the coffee stains from my teeth, and some charcoal face masks to go with it. I need to do something about this breakout. Ugh.
I've gotta go take the dog for a walk and then come back and hammer away at this new edition of Shadows so I can finally share the cover with you. I only made it yesterday so I can't act like I've been sitting on it long, but it feels like it. It's very Pirates of the Caribbean... And I really have to go finish it, so I'll leave you with this here:
Thanks for reading!Buy my books here.Or follow me on Instagram for more consistent updates here.
The only new music she's put out since then is a snippet of a new bop in an Apple commercial:
It sounds like a bop for sure, but we need it now, not later. I'd love to hear the full version. I'm glad more artists are going independent. Even if it means lower budgets at least it minimizes situations like this with shitty labels. It happens in publishing too, people get fucked over by their labels and publishers and management all the time. There are shady business practices and betrayals and drama. It makes my head spin.
I was watching an Emma Blackery video (I'm waiting for her new album too!) earlier where she talked about a chain bookstore basically blacklisting her and refusing to list her book or promote it because she got mad at them on Twitter for violating a release embargo on the book. Since when is that okay?
It's wild to me that people's entire careers are subject to random whims like this on the part of people higher up in the chain. Or to bandwagon hate, because that happens and ruins careers too. It's also weird how so many artists in the past just couldn't put things out on their own, at least not if they wanted decent exposure.
Now we have the Internet and everyone is kind of enabled to build a brand and name for themselves off of nothing.
I recently put out a new EP on my SoundCloud called Plucked From Orbit:
(Listen Here)
I don't really make music with the expectation of being known for it or it gaining a lot of attraction. I just like tooling around with synths and different sequencers, and I like making glitchy sounds and album arts. For me it's more about enjoyment and the concepts than making /actual/ bops.
Although I do want to learn to make more mainstream sounding pop bops eventually. Right now I'm basically creating ASMR sounds :P
I'm supposed to be working on a new edition of Shadows to put out next month. But I'm a serial procrastinator, so instead of writing the new novella Lovecursed or updating my notes, I'm planning a new edition of Souls of Salt & Seawater. And listening to lots of Billie Eilish. Not gonna lie.
I've also just been stewing over how many good movies are coming out.
Aquaman, The Nun, Godzilla, that new Bella Thorne movie with the ghosts (it looks cheesy as hell, but that's half the fun) and stuff like Darkest Minds, Glass, Mary Queen of Scotts. I'm really excited for Riverdale season 3. Cults and supernatural elements? Sign me up. I didn't expect them to go full supernatural until season 4, but I'm all here for it.
A couple weeks ago I spent an entire royalty check on vodka, 'cause that's the kind of irresponsible human I am, and got smashed. My parents were having a huge party with dozens of people milling around and bonfires and camping and stuff, so that was a mess, and I didn't want to be sober throughout it, and I'm guessing neither did Kuma. We also babysat my brother's wild dog during the whole ordeal, and the thing is vicious. Also, my selfie stick finally came! Here's some snaps from the weekend:
(Otis is cute but don't let it fool you! He bites! He still thinks he's a lap dog, too...)
(Me & Kuma!)
(Testing the selfie stick, lol)
Now the vodka is all gone and I'm left with an empty wallet. Next time I get paid I'm buying charcoal toothpaste to remove the coffee stains from my teeth, and some charcoal face masks to go with it. I need to do something about this breakout. Ugh.
I've gotta go take the dog for a walk and then come back and hammer away at this new edition of Shadows so I can finally share the cover with you. I only made it yesterday so I can't act like I've been sitting on it long, but it feels like it. It's very Pirates of the Caribbean... And I really have to go finish it, so I'll leave you with this here:
Thanks for reading!Buy my books here.Or follow me on Instagram for more consistent updates here.
July 10, 2018
Shadows of Ourselves New Cover! (Cover Reveal)
Y'ALL. LOOK AT THE PRETTY STUFF:
I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS COVER! I CAN'T EVEN!
I designed this cover for Wattpad, because I wanted to see if I could attract some new reads by changing up the face of the book. I love it so much, though, I might end up putting out a paperback edition of it at some point.
I'm working on buying stock for book two so I can have a cover in this style for that as well, with Hunter on it. I've already made one but I don't know if I love the model for Hunter, so I'm gonna re-do it once I buy the new pictures.
Anyway, I'm back to working on Dru Frost book 2! Which also has an amazing cover. I can't share that with you until I have a draft though, so...
