Tracy St. John's Blog, page 198

New Shalia's Diary

Dramok Dusa to the rescue.  http://shaliasdiary.blogspot.com/

Six Sentence Sunday – Clans of Kalquor Book 7: Alien Refuge (WIP)

Thomas stood, walked over to the priest, and plopped unceremoniously on his lap.  Iris’ mouth dropped wide open.  She had the passing thought she should apologize to Rivek, but that Thomas would be so familiar with someone he’d barely met--
“He never does that with strangers.”
Rivek seemed amused to have a wriggling semi-naked child piled on top of him.  “Then maybe we are not strangers.” 

Random Saturday – A Kid in the Mix

Some time back, I read on Facebook a discussion about the lack of women with kids in erotica.  It was a thought-provoking conversation.  Obviously, there are problems aplenty when you put a child in such a book.  Little ones are not especially conducive to wild, spontaneous romps with a man (or three, as it happens often in my writing).  Not to mention it’s just a bit ... well, uncomfortable to have a kid running around in a story with strong sexual overtones.
But let’s be real here.  A lot of us are mothers, and just because we’ve had the blessing of bringing precious lives into the world doesn’t mean we’re ready to be put out to pasture!  Our vaginas don’t become some no-man’s land, sealed shut forever like a nuclear waste dump just because we’ve given birth.  We’re still very sexual beings, right?  At least we hope to be once the kid is sleeping through the night, going to sleep-overs, or off to college ... okay, it might be awhile before we can experience all the freedom and adequate rest to jump on the old man’s joystick like we used to.  But that doesn’t mean we don’t still dream of it.
Thinking about my Kalquorians, it became obvious to me that it was time to explore the relationship that would occur between a clan and a single mom, as well as her child/children.  I wondered how alien men would respond to a child not of their own making.  Of course, the Kalquorians already have some experience in that realm, since every man in the clan accepts fatherhood of all children their Matara gives birth to.  Still, one wonders how they will respond to a child that is not only not theirs, but not of their species. 
Me being me, I had to make it even more complicated by making the child special-needs.  ‘Write what you know’ as the saying goes, and I have had six years of experience with my own wonderful boy.  It was only natural I would go that route. 
It must be very daunting for some embarking on a new relationship when one of the participants has little ones, particularly kids who need extra attention that will often disrupt romantic plans.  It takes special people who will accept the situation.  It takes extra special people who will not only accept, but embrace wholeheartedly this package deal of mom (or dad) with kids. 
Fortunately, I have an amazing clan ready to take on the task.  Their Imdiko is a temple priest, one with an accepting, understanding heart.  His clanmates are pretty fab too, for that matter.  In Iris and Thomas, the heroine and her son of Alien Refuge, the three men find an instant affinity.  As Dramok Ospar says to Iris, “My spirit recognizes yours.”  And little Thomas is part of that too, acknowledged by the clan as the ‘son of our hearts’. 
Even I will admit, it’s not all about sex.  When a man (or three, lol) falls in love with not just a woman, but her children as well, it’s an amazing thing.  And as far as the sex is concerned, sure, things get a little complicated.  To me, that just makes it interesting.  Getting that alone time for my characters is like getting it for myself in real life:  difficult, rare, almost never spontaneous ... but all the more worthwhile when it does happen.

First Four Friday – To Protect and Service: Ravenous Virtue

Scene 1
Raven Virtue stormed out of the courtroom into the federal building’s back secure section, which led to the parking garage.  The personnel manning the metal detectors watched her warily.  Court officers, they were armed and ready for trouble, even if Raven wore her Park Service ranger uniform.  She snapped a nod to them, affording them the respect they deserved even though she was so mad she could have put her fists through the blank white walls.
No release date set

New Shalia's Diary Post

As promised, a second entry for the week since they were so short.  Things have gone from bad to worse.  http://shaliasdiary.blogspot.com/

WIP Wednesday – Clan Beginnings: Clan and Conviction

With only 2 1/2 weeks to go until Clan Tranis’ story in To Clan and Conquer is set to release, I decided it was time to turn my attention to Clan Gelan (the men we originally met in Alien Slave).  Outlining is already underway on the second Clan Beginnings story, Clan and Conviction, which takes place approximately 20 years before Alien Slave.  We’ve got the crushing scene when Krijero learns his intended Dramok Pertak has clanned another Imdiko, along with Gelan getting a surprise when he discovers his new law enforcement partner is a lover from the past ... Nobek Wynhod, of course.   It’s not all matters of the heart, however.  A drug called Delir is making addicted Kalquorians go on murderous rampages, and Investigator Gelan is in charge of the case.  With Enforcer Wynhod at his side and awkwardly endearing criminal psychologist Krijero offering insights into a case that could make or break Gelan’s career, it’s a sci-fi police drama with many twists and turns that covers a thirteen-year time frame.  
Yup, thirteen years.  In re-reading Alien Slave to prepare for this, I realized that I had written that it took Wynhod ten years to appreciate Krijero’s attributes and another three to convince the Imdiko to join the clan.  So it’s looking like this book will actually be two separate stories, the first consisting of Gelan and Wynhod’s getting together, and the second in which they add Krijero, skipping most of the years in between.  
The tentative release right now is around late spring, early summer.  So do me a favor and make Clan Tranis last for a little while, okay?

New Shalia's Diary Post

It's a short entry today.  To make up for that, I will post a second entry on Thursday, making it two this week!  http://shaliasdiary.blogspot.com/

Six Sentence Sunday – Clan Beginnings: To Clan and Conquer

Tranis’ mouth closed over the column of Lidon’s throat.  His teeth again scraped on flesh, the bite pressing harder and harder.  Making Lidon’s windpipe close.  Every mote of the Nobek’s being screamed for him to fight, to get the Dramok off him, to keep him from tearing out his throat.  His whole body tensed as he battled to submit instead.
After what felt like an eternity, the pressure eased. 
Available December 21

December 2012 Update

All the latest and greatest:


Clans of Kalquor Book 6:  Alien Redemption:  The reader reviews have been phenomenal, and the book is sitting in the erotica bestseller lists.  Thank you to everyone who was so kind to take the time and leave their comments or a ‘like’ on the various sites.  After sweating over this one for so long, I am utterly thrilled you enjoyed it.  


Clan Beginnings:  To Clan and Conquer:  We are about three weeks away from the release of the first of this new series.  I am finally done formatting and am now gearing up all the promoting and marketing to give you a Clan Tranis Christmas.
Clans of Kalquor Book 7:  Alien Refuge:  I am a third of the way through the first draft and it’s looking like another long book at 55,000 words so far.  It will take some doing, but I’m trying really hard to get this one out by the spring.
Clan Beginnings:  Clan and Conviction:  I am deep in outlining Clan Gelan’s start.  The hardest thing to write will be when Krijero discovers Pertak left him for another Imdiko.  Ouch.  I am not looking forward to suffering with him on that.  Late spring/early summer release, maybe.
(Working title) Sister Kathryn’s Story:  Remember all those nuns and aspirants who were captured by Tranis’ crew in Alien Conquest?  Did you ever wonder what happened to them?  One reader did, and her interest sparked yet another Kalquor series.  I have just begun outlining the first of those stories in which we go back to the events of the Europan convent’s capture.  To refresh your memories, Sister Kathryn was the gentle nun Cassidy looked up to.  She was mentioned a couple of times in Alien Conquest, and now she’s getting a book of her own.
To Protect and Service:  Ravenous Virtue:  I am now into the first draft of this one with Park Service ranger Raven Virtue trying to figure out the enigma that is the exotic Douglas Bringer.  She’s in for a surprise, not the least of which is discovering Douglas isn’t even human...
Shalia’s Diary:  Mom disappears and Shalia finally is forced to face Dramok Dusa and a bunch of other Kalquorians.  A little side note here:  several of you assumed that Dusa and the other two Kalquorians Shalia saw on the street were clanned to each other.  They were not.  This was a search-and-rescue party headed up by Dusa, not including any clanmates.  SPECIAL NOTE:  The next two entries are very short, so I will post the first one Monday, as usual, and the second one on Thursday. 
And there you have it!  On a side note, I have not heard from my co-author for The Phucket List in some time.  I have to assume this project is dead in the water, which is a shame.  This was going to be a very good story and I’m sad it looks like it will not happen.

First Four Friday – The Font

Chapter 3
Elisha flew through the night with a motionless Naya in his arms.  He held her close, knowing the chill of the season might affect her despite the coat she wore.  His companions had gone in different directions, to protect their minds from the knowledge of where she would be kept prisoner until the next night.   If Heriolf caught them and read their minds, they would have no information he could use to track the Font.
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