Sakura Skye's Blog, page 2

Goddesses of Afro-futurism

I am a huge fan of Nnedi Okorafor but all of these ladies’ works are worth picking up (or downloading). Some of you will remember me bemoaning the lack of diversity in speculative fiction (sci-fi and fantasy) not too long ago. In the spirit of being part of the solution and not just harping on the problem, I would like to introduce you to some women who rock “black speculative fiction” or afro-futurism.

Thinking About Black Creek

When I set out to write the Black Creek Pack series I wanted a story about two men who were fighting for the future of their people against a nasty foe. I spent a lot of time thinking about how the power struggle and personal dynamics of the relationships would drive the story. What I came back with was a story that was primarily about preserving a way of life when the powers that we trust to ensure our safety go off the rails.

In the midst of all of that is a wonderful love story about a pampered “prince” and the boy who should be king (though, both characters are in their 30’s). It is the love between them that makes Black Creek a romance. And the fact that it is two men is secondary because you could easily replace Ryder with Rhonda and have the same story.

The choice to write a story about HEROES instead of gay men was deliberate. I am writing a reality that I live in. The line between creative storytelling and fetishizing is one that romance writers of all stripes must walk carefully. The trick, I have found, is to write characters who have something going on in their lives that is as important as the love story you are trying to tell.

Isn’t that how life happens? We fall in love while our mothers are dying of cancer. We fall in love while we are pregnant with another man’s baby. We fall in love when the despotic leader of our country is in the midst of his reign of terror.  Shonda Rhimes said it best when she said, “it’s not trailblazing to write the world as it actually is.”

Okay, there are precious few shifters in the world, but there are heroes. People who put their families, their communities, their countries on their back and carry them through the fire. They fight against gathering darkness and evil, at great personal sacrifice, to build a society where people can live. And some of them, perhaps more than we think, are gay.

I am also writing an AMBW romance that has had multiple incarnations thus far, but nothing I am satisfied with. Again, I want to tell the story of two people falling in love. One happens to be Black and the other happens to be Asian, but the story isn’t about their ethnicities. It doesn’t ignore it either, but the story isn’t ABOUT that.  It’s about two people loving each other and kicking ass because they have to.

If you haven’t had a chance to read my Black Creek Pack series yet, you can get Book 1 for FREE here.

Book 2, Discovered, is available for only $0.99 until January 31.

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Teenage Romance & Sex at Boarding School

My next book is a romance that takes place in a remote all boys boarding school. The two protagonists are both teenagers, which has presented some interesting challenges for me as a writer. When writing about teenagers and romance we also have to think about teenagers and sex…because teenagers are thinking about sex.

Having never been a gay teenaged boy I had to rely on the narratives of men I know who were once gay teenaged boys in the not too distant past. I also had to examine how raging teenaged hormones played out in an all male environment. What I found was interesting. There were two distinct narratives that came across to me.

Hyper-masculine, not healthy for anybody, hetero-normative environments. These are places where boys are constantly forced to prove that they aren’t a “fag” by being increasingly aggressive, competitive and even violent with each other. The school culture puts a lot of emphasis on being “a real man” in a way that is unhealthy for almost anybody, especially if you are weaker, “pretty”, introverted or gay. Not surprisingly, the stereotypical sexual assault we associate with boys schools and prison usually happens in these environments more often than in others.  You either love it or hate it in these environments and those who can’t deal with it wash out often and fast.
Blind eye, boys will be boys, just don’t get caught environments. The stories I hear coming out of these environments are full of lust and drama, but not more or less than in any high school. There are boys who are straight but “relieve the pressure” with other boys (think circle jerks and mutual masturbation). There are boys who are gay/bi who hook up with other boys. There are boys who do neither and tend to their own sexual needs alone but with much fanfare. All in all the boys and staff acknowledge that it is nearly impossible to keep boys from “being boys” but as long as contact is discrete and consensual everybody minds their own business. There is a subculture in these environments that is disturbing. There are boys who use coercive tactics to get younger boys to exchange sexual favors for protection, acceptance, etc. Rather than the violent assaults, these situations use pressure and fear to manipulate victims into cooperation.

So, when writing The Last Kiss I had to be careful not to stumble into any narrative that sounded exploitive or completely unrealistic. But, how do we handle the issue of sex?

Sex between minors is a touchy subject for any writer. We all know that it happens. We all know that the issue of sex is a part of most teenager’s romantic life (whether they are abstaining or trying to make good decisions about partners). In my story, one boy is older than the other by 2 years. How do I depict a relationship between two teens that isn’t exploitive or just creepy? The general rule of thumb is to avoid it unless it is organic to the story and even then to avoid being explicit unless there is a need for it. While there is a market for vanilla, innocent teenaged romances, I was not writing a book FOR teens, I am writing a book ABOUT teens. Keeping that in mind, I decided to bite the bullet and write what felt true.

While most erotic romances need sex to drive the story I decided to make this a little different to avoid stumbling into literary kiddie porn. One of the main conflicts between my protagonists is that the eldest boy wants to abstain from sex and the younger partner doesn’t understand why. In the end, the relationship is consummated but by the time that happens the reader should understand that this is a real relationship with two equal partners. The sex is explicit but by the time I wrote the scenes I felt comfortable writing them. I hope that you will enjoy reading them.

I am really proud of The Last Kiss. It is a sweet, first love romance that asks the question “can innocent love endure?”. I hope, regardless of who you are today, it reminds you of your best, most innocent self, and the people you loved once upon a time.

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Top 12 Books by Novelists of Colour Published in 2015

Great art deserves appreciation. The world of literature and fiction of all kinds needs more diverse voices to thrive. So, remember to #ReadRateReview and help others find these amazing books.

Media Diversified

by Samira Sawlani

It has been a joy to see the authors and books I mentioned in my Top 10 Books by Novelists of Colour published in 2014 list gain great successes and recognition in 2015. For example Marlon James won the Man Booker Prize for ‘A Brief History of Seven Killings’, Imran Garda’s ‘The Thunder That Roars’ is to be made into a film and Yvonne Adhiambo Owour’s ‘Dust’ has taken the literary landscape by storm.

Compiling this year’s list was no easy feat, I was again spoilt for choice and it is my hope that this is a challenge I will continue to face, for it serves as a reminder of the abundance of talent within our communities.

Without further ado, here are my Top 12 Books by novelists of colour published in 2015, with a few honourable mentions at the end.

The Fishermen , Chigozie Obioma

I…

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FREE Books!!!

If you haven’t had the chance to read my Black Creek pack series yet, here is your chance to read the first two installments for FREE.

Free?

Yes, completely free.

All I ask is that you drop me a review. It doesn’t have to be 5 stars, but I can’t stress enough how important and valuable your opinion is to me and to writers in general. SO, don’t forget to #ReadRateReview . Desired and Discovered will both be free of charge on January 22 and 23!

Download Desired for free HERE.

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MLK, #OscarSoWhite & Writers of Color

MLK day falls during an interesting time in the United States. With the resurgent voice of White, Conservative Republicanism ala #Trump2016, and the release of the Oscar nominees, it feels increasingly poignant to remember that 60 years ago people died so that we can get to where we are. It is difficult to admit to myself that, although we are nowhere near where we used to be, life as a Person of Color in America is still fraught with hidden dangers, institutional traps, and erasure.

As a writer, the thing I deal with the most is erasure. The lack of representation of women, indigenous people, LGBTQ people, and people of darker skin tones (regardless of race) is a struggle that I hope my children will not have to take up in the same way that we have. Erasure is a nasty foe. It doesn’t attack and cripple the way that most forms of bigotry do. There are no soap boxes or problematic speeches. We are simply, quietly, ignored. You are free to be as creative and excellent as you please but you will never be acknowledged outside of your immediate community. And if you should so happen to crack that barrier, you must show up and express your thanks for being acknowledged, at last.

Erasure is a nasty foe. It doesn’t attack and cripple the way that most forms of bigotry do. There are no soap boxes or problematic speeches. We are simply, quietly, ignored. You are free to be as creative, commercially viable, and excellent as you please but you will never be acknowledged outside of your immediate community. No matter what you do, your otherness makes others uncomfortable and so people pretend like they can’t see you, the way they can’t see a bum on the street.

Missing from movie screens, writing rooms, bookstores, and even history books are authentic and nuanced representation of what it means to be ____. How many talented and hard working POC have been defeated by erasure? How many models and singers and poets and actors did we lose to  erasure? Does anybody know?

Erasure teaches you and those around you that your narratives don’t matter. Your physical being is expendable, you are unattractive, your history and culture are not worthy of exploration. Yes, you exist, but you are just not good enough. What comes out of such an experience is a nasty aping of a culture and adoption of a narrative that is not your own. To be successful, beautiful, talented is to achieve the proper proximity to something that is not your own.

To this day, Asian and African beauty supply stores are packed with “whitening” creams. (Although, thankfully, many black people have seen those things for what they are.) There are POC who think Indigenous peoples were “saved” or even “civilized” by the boats full of syphilitic invaders that showed up on their shores. How many times have I heard mothers say to children “stop acting like a ____ (insert derogatory term here).

For this reason, Joy Reid noted that no black people were nominated for Oscars in the two “black” movies that managed to get a nod from the Academy. It is in recognition of that reality that Jada Pinkett Smith suggested on her twitter feed that not attending the Oscars might be the best way from POC to show their displeasure with the Academy. It is for this reason that Taraji P. Henson refused to rush through her acceptance speech, instead telling the crowd “I have waited 20 years for this”. It is with an eye on this reality that Ice Cube said of Straight Outta Compton “we didn’t make this movie for the Oscars, we made it for the people”.

It is with this reality in mind that I decided the only two genres I wanted to write in were M/M romance and “multi-cultural” romance. (That’s code for protagonists that aren’t white.) Romance novels hardly seem like the place to make revolutionary advances, but as independent authors gain more traction in the industry, the gatekeepers who told us that black vampire slayers and Asian casanovas were not going to sell have become increasingly irrelevant. It is getting easier and easier to find stories featuring plus sized, lesbian, space ninjas or incarnated Nubian goddesses with a thing for chili cheese fries.

Finding ourselves in the ever growing number of independently produced music, films, and web series and having the ability to write our own stories and share them with the world, literally makes the difference(cause I don’t know who is reading my stuff in Germany but thanks you guys). In honor of MLK Day, I am going to do a service project with my family. Then I am going to sit down and write for all of those in the world who look for love stories like mine and for all of those whose love stories look like mine.

I am going to help make the world messy with our brilliance and loud with our words. I am going to remember that keeping your head down is a good way to be shot in the back. I am going to try and represent in the face of the silence that once was my place in the market.

And oh yeah, FUCK the Oscars!

Don’t forget to like this post and subscribe. Keep it here for more info on upcoming releases. Click HERE for an excerpt from my next release, The Last Kiss. 

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Rainbow Without Color

I normally don’t do this but this movie had me in tears. The cinematography on this is beautiful and the storyline is sweet and sad. I am not a big fan of storylines that don’t end with a “happily ever after” but this is one of the few exceptions. Worth watching!

Dear Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Paranormal Writers;

As I was watching the premiere episode of the Shannara Chronicles (No, I didn’t read the books but if I like the series I probably will once the season ends. Don’t you judge me!) it occurred to me how few of the sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal books/movies/shows are written with POC in mind.

Stories are written almost exclusively using European lore as their base. Fairies, wizards, vampires, even zombies almost exclusively conform to a Western European set of ideals. The “exotic” ones use Eastern European, Ancients Greek, or go completely off the reservation and make up their own worlds. Even then, in your world of the future, precious few black and brown people manage to exist.

Was there a plague? Did all of the melanated peoples of the world get decimated by a great nuclear disaster? And why don’t Orishas ever feature prominently? Ancient Kemet and Sumeria had some pretty bad-ass myths and legends that would make awesome fodder for your creative fires.

All I can assume is that in your world of the future we simply don’t exist. Somehow when you become wizards or encounter fairies or whatever, none of them have black or brown skin, and they all look like extras from  Celtic Woman. Hindu gods never walk among us in your worldviews, and La Llorona is too far-fetched a story to be believable in any decent paranormal storyline.

I can only assume all of this or else I know you would have written Polynesian protagonists for your sci-fi thrillers. You would have seen the wisdom of using Fulani culture as the basis for your paranormal romance. You would have named the beasts that roam the villages after the creatures that haunt Andean children to this day. Every Asian character wouldn’t be a scientist, crooked businessman, or egotistical ninja. (Not that I’m against ninjas. Ninjas are cool.)

So in closing, I beg you, stop making me have to hunt for representation in some of my favorite genres. It’s tiring and discouraging. You can do better. And, we would all be a lot better off for it.

Sincerely,

Sakura Skye

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If you haven’t read Desired: Book 1 of the Black Creek Pack series you can get it FREE  EVERYWHERE.

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#ReadRateReview

For 2016, one of the things I want to do is communicate to readers how important it is for you to rate and/or review the books you read. Book lovers, particularly romance readers, are voracious readers who consume massive numbers of book titles every year. You stay up all night to finish a book, you reread old favorites (especially is you have it in paperback) and you recommend your favorite authors to friends. For all of that, I want to say THANK YOU.

Truly, from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of all the people who make their living as writers, I want to thank you for your indefatigable love of words.

However, I am asking one thing of you all this year.

If you read something you like (even if I didn’t write it) take the time at the end to give it a rating and/or write a review. If you are reading an ebook, this is particularly easy. At the end of the book, there is usually a page where you can rate it with just a click of a button. Do that. Don’t skip it.

Why?

Because ratings and reviews serve four purposes for authors.

Reviews help other people find us. All of those ratings and reviews get pushed into the algorithms of numerous sites (but most especially Amazon) and help our titles come up when readers go looking for things like interracial, sci-fi, BDSM adventure. They help the book show up in the “people who read this also read that” section of the page. They help us convince the booksellers that our work is worth pushing/recommending.
If we never hear from you, we don’t know how to improve. I want to be a better writer. All writers are hoping to improve their craft. The first short story I ever wrote is a shallow mess compared to the kinds of stories I am capable of today. Why? Because some awesome readers told me what it was they liked about my writing and what I did to keep them reading despite my flaws. Editors and Beta readers are there to help us improve the quality of the writing but reviews help us improve our voice. You, the readers, tell us what it is about our writing that resonates with you and we respond with sequels and new characters that you can relate to and love.
Reviews and ratings cheer us along as we struggle through tough moments in writing. Writing  can be hard and lonely. At times, we are tempted to give up. Anybody who is still sitting on that manuscript you intended to finish and publish knows exactly what I am talking about. Looking at enthusiastic reviews reminds us that we have something to give to the world and there are real people out there who give a shit.
 Nobody wants to be the first guy. If the book is free or relatively cheap, readers might give it a try, but nobody wants to spend money on a book that sucks. When they see that the book has 3 or 4 stars they know that it is a reasonable gamble. If they see a simple review that says, “I loved this book,” then they  know you cared enough to write SOMETHING. The vast majority of readers do not review or rate the books they read, so when you show you care we know that there were probably dozens of others who enjoyed it as well. You speak for them as well and encourage others to “love this book” as well.

The success of a writer often hinges on a few decent reviews.

Literally.

So if you read something this year, and you think it was enjoyable, decent, good, great, amazing, superb…take the time to rate and review.

#ReadRateReview

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The Last Kiss (Preview)

“Good morning, it’s your girl DJ Donita, on Donita in the Morning.  We are live and back in the studio with Ricky Song, whose debut album has just been climbing the charts. He seems unstoppable. But right now we are going to get a little up close and personal with you Ricky,” said Donita.

“Okay, okay, be gentle, though,” Ricky said with a light hearted laugh. He was getting good at projecting confidence even when he had none. You would think that a career in musical theatre would prepare you for many of the rigors of launching a music career. You would be wrong. In the theatre, it was all about being somebody else. Nobody cared if you were a bitch or a snob as long as when the curtain opened, and the lights went on you breathed life into your character.  As an artist, it was all about you. The music had to be honest, and the image had to be appealing. Ricky was still getting used to talking about himself with strangers.

“So let’s get right to it. Your album is full of some soulful and passionate love songs. And the delivery makes my skin…I mean the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I first heard Waiting. That was an incredible song. Do you pull from your own romantic history to write these songs or is it a collaboration with other people?”

“I definitely collaborate with my team to get the best out of each song. For my part, you know you can only write what you know. I can’t write about guns and popping bottles because, I went to boarding school and pursued a career in musical theatre. I have no experience with those things,” Ricky said with a chuckle.

“True. True. And you shouldn’t have to pretend to be something that you are not,” Donita said, nodding.

“Exactly, so I can say yes a lot of my own experience is in those songs.”

“Okay, so are you seeing anybody now?”

“No, I am single.”

“So this is not about one person in particular, but just like a sampler of all of your experience,” she pressed.

“Yes and no. It’s mostly about one person, but that person really influenced all of the relationships that came after,” Ricky admitted.

“In a good way or a bad way?”

“In a very good way. Sometimes you meet somebody whose love is so profound that you won’t settle for less than that-”

“…or at least the opportunity for that,” Donita interrupted.

“Right. So that person set the bar very high, and we were young, so our parents stepped in and separated us, but we never broke up. I think when you are just separated instead of letting things go south and then breaking up, you hold on to that love a lot longer. And so I drew on that memory for this album,” Ricky admitted.

“Oh wow. So it was kind of like a first love? And then you just lost track of each other?”

“Yes,” Ricky admitted sheepishly.

“If you could say one thing to that person, like maybe if they are listening out there right now, what would you say?”

Ricky took a moment and paused, recalling that last day. The picture in his head was faded and blurry, but he held it on to the memory tightly. If there was one thing that he should have said that day, what was it?

“Thank you for loving me,” Ricky said solemnly.

“Okay, that is deep. You are a deep man, Ricky Song. The new album Sunburst is out and in stores now. It’s available online through all major distributors. Buy it, download it, get your friends to do the same. You will not be disappointed. Thank you Ricky Song for being here with us this morning. I hope that person, wherever they are, is listening and heard this album because it is amazing.”

“Thank you for having me,” Ricky said, taking off the headphones and exiting the booth.

“Alright, here is Ricky’s latest single from the album, entitled Again.”

This part Ricky was familiar with. A few photos for the blogs, a few signatures just in case he turned out to be more than a one-hit wonder. Then out of the building and off to the next stop on his schedule. He was preparing for a show this weekend and had rehearsals all afternoon, but his manager booked him at a store opening downtown for this morning. His phone buzzed, letting him know that the car his manager arranged was waiting downstairs.

Ricky put his shades on and pulled his cap down low. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to anybody, so he put his earbuds in as soon as he gave the driver the address to the next location. Talking about the past brought up many memories for Ricky. Donovan Kimble. He googled the name like he did so often. He was still rich. Still good looking. Still a world away.

In reality, Ricky was due to be in Donovan’s city next week for a show, but he might as well be on Mars. Donovan was from old money. Some kids were born with silver spoons, Donovan was born with a platinum umbilical cord. The fact that they had met at all was just a cosmic anomaly. The fact that Donovan had ever known his name, or felt anything for him at all was a miracle. Ricky wasn’t greedy. He didn’t need more. He certainly didn’t intend to intrude on Donovan’s life after more than a decade. He was pining, not pitiful.

Ricky pulled up to the new store and paid his hair. He took off his “disguise” and fluffed his hair with his fingers before stepping out into the crowd. As fans began to recognise him, security moved in to escort him to the stage set up on the side of the building. Ricky sang his newest single and the fans sang along enthusiastically, a few even burst into tears during the chorus. Ricky closed his eyes and let the words come out the way they wanted to. That was the way he gave his best performances, merely letting the feelings direct him. The energy from the crowd was wild and swept away any lingering sadness or doubt he was feeling. The synergy between him and the audience was the reason he chose to live a life on stage. There was nothing else like it, and it was addictive as hell.

Ricky jumped off stage and went into the building, mingling with the people, taking pictures and having a good time. Jay-Ro, his manager, found him about an hour later, and the two men made a discrete exit through the back door.

“I heard you this morning. You did well. Just be careful about the personal questions. The last thing we need is an unnecessary misunderstanding,” said Jay-Ro.

“A gay man in musical theatre isn’t a misunderstanding. It’s a cliche,” Ricky replied.

“I am just saying, until they ask, let’s just keep it cool,” said the heavyset man. Ricky had never been “in the closet”. There was never a need for it. The only reason he allowed Jay to represent him was because they agreed to never try and build one for him to climb into.

“I don’t talk about my private life because I want it to be private, but I am not going to pretend like I am not gay either. We had a deal Jay,” Ricky warned.

“I know. I need to calm down. I’m an old-head. Shit was different in my day. I just worry about you kid,” he said warmly. “I am so proud of you. I don’t want any trouble for you.”

Ricky smiled at the man. Despite his heavy set build, Jay was pretty good looking for an older man. If Ricky were the kind who had “daddy” fantasies, Jay would be at the top of the list. The L.A. native was at least 15 years Ricky’s senior but had been making moves in the industry for a long time. He didn’t take on many new artists, but when he put his name behind somebody, doors opened for them. Jay-Ro was synonymous with quality, and Ricky felt grateful to have him in his corner.

As the car pulled away from the milling crowds outside of the new shop, a familiar profile caught Ricky’s eye. He snatched off his shades and twisted around in his seat to get a better view.

“What is it?”

Ricky just stared. Trying to compare the disappearing figure to the one from his faded memory. what was the likelihood of it being HIM? Almost none. Ricky shook his head and sat back in his seat.

“Its was nothing, just my mind playing tricks on me,” he said softly and  went back to watching the street scenery slip away.

“Old age settling in, huh?”

Both men laughed. There was enough excitement in real life to keep Ricky’s mind occupied. There was no sense in dwelling on fantasies and conjecture. Live in the now. Donovan had taught him that.

It was almost midnight when Ricky returned to his apartment. Despite his “high profile” he lived rather  simply, preferring a cozy one bedroom to a sprawling home. He had the finances to live however he chose, but he was rarely at home. And when he did return home all he wanted was take-out and a night in front of the television, maybe even somebody to share it with. His building had great security, the neighborhood was nice, and his best friend Charlene came by frequently when he was on the road. Life was good. And quiet.

Ricky made himself a hot cup of tea and let the news play in the background. Thank God for cable news and the 24-hour news cycle or he would never know what was happening in the world.

“Billionaire Donovan Kimble is in the news today. The reclusive real estate mogul was in town to promote his new global initiative to create sustainable villages in the developing world. Mr. Kimble is committing 27 million dollars to the initial stage of the project and a percentage of his company’s sizeable annual profits to help fund research and outreach to make sustainable communities a reality for more people. He was seen here at a local neighborhood garden planting vegetables with children from the elementary school.”

Ricky stared in disbelief at the footage. The same profile, the same smile, even the soft crows feet pinching at the sides of his face couldn’t dim the light in those green eyes. It was definitely Donovan Kimble. Ricky’s heart raced for a minute and a feeling of longing settled into his chest. Perhaps it had been him earlier in the day. Had he missed his chance? Even if he had met Donovan again, what would he say?

“Hi, I have been dreaming about you since you left me a decade ago.”

Ricky laughed out loud at his stupidity. Donovan walked out of his life for good reasons, reasons he understood better the older he got. It was an act of love. He just never thought, at the time, that he would never come back. Youth is like that. It makes us blind to the fact that some walls can’t be climbed and some things are not meant to be had. Ricky walked over to his dresser and opened the top drawer. In a red velvet box, he found what he was looking for. A class ring too big for his fingers and too expensive for his father’s meager earnings. Turning the opulent treasure over in his hand he read the note written in gold letters on the inside of the box.

“With all of my love to the one that I love,” it said. Ricky looked at the inscription inside the ring. Donovan Kimble. Holding the ring in his hand, like a talisman against the memories that it evoked, he went back to the kitchen. He was going to need to make this tea a little more Irish if he was going to make it through the night.

Why is it that the great loves haunted you more than the bad ones?

I hope you are excited to read this next book. I am having so much fun writing it. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow me on Facebook or Twitter to get alerts as soon as it becomes available. Remember, in 2016 the mission for all of my readers is to #ReadRateReview

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