Tracy St. John's Blog, page 231

Monday Man Time

Ugh, dreamed about spiders last night...*shudder*.  Let's see if these boys can help me get rid of the creepy-crawlies:





Yes, I'd much rather be crawled on by these.  Have a great day, all!

Six Sentence Sunday - Alien Rule (Clans of Kalquor 2)

Jessica recognized many of the willowy bronze-skinned Plasians.  They were of the elite class, advisors to Saucin Israla.  Israla herself sat front and center with four Earther males surrounding her.  The Plasian leader was already nude, her perfectly proportioned body betraying none of her advanced years.  None of her companions was over the age of twenty.  Israla's delight in young, virginal men was legendary.

Available from New Concepts Publishing, Amazon for Kindle, and Barnes & Noble for Nook

Create a Kalquorian: New Poll is Up

It's that time again, and we're now doing the next-to-the-last poll to create our Imdiko.  It's up to you to choose Conyod's childhood event that changed his life.  Ready ... set ... vote!

Results from last poll:  You decided Conyod's greatest accomplishment was being chosen to be a part of the Earther Matara psychological team.  Out of over two hundred applicants he was top choice.  Good work, all.

Interview with Dramok Gelan of Alien Slave (Clans of Kalquor 5)

I love a man who knows what to do with a set of handcuffs.  Today I'm talking to Dramok Gelan, who is a negotiator with one of Kalquor's regional law enforcement offices. 
Q:   So, you're a cop.  Had any shootouts lately?
A:  Actually, as a negotiator I tend not to get involved in the use of deadly force.  My Nobek, however, is an excellent sniper.  When I fail to get results and there is imminent danger to others, he steps in. 
Q:  So you prefer to not get involved in the more dangerous aspects of policing?
A:  I wouldn't say that.  I love tracking and hunting things down, including people.  I just happen to be very effective at diffusing situations, so that's where I'm used. 
Q:  What do you do when you're not catching the bad guys?
A:  As I said, I enjoy hunting.  I do that as much as possible.
Q:  Oh.  I guess the Kalquorian equivalent of deer is probably scarce in your neck of the woods with you around.
A:  You mean those nearly defenseless herbivores on your planet?  (Laughs)  Sorry, I like my prey to fight back.  It's not sport unless you go up against something that could have you for dinner.  I like it to be just me and my knife versus something with foot-long teeth and claws.
Q:  Whoa.  I'm sensing a lot of testosterone here.  What about your clanmates?  What are they like?
A:  Nobek Wynhod is as tough as they come.  A fierce fighter.  The man can sneak up on anything, which is part of what makes him such an effective sniper.  I enjoy it when he joins me on a hunt.  We've been clanmates for many years now.
Q:  And your Imdiko?  What does he do?
A:  He's a criminal psychologist, working in the same department as Wynhod and I.  Krijero is incredibly intelligent.  He doesn't give himself nearly enough credit for his strengths.  A little awkward, both physically and socially, but he more than makes up for it as a friend and companion.  I was very fortunate to add him to my clan.
Q:  Of course there's the big question that one must ask all Kalquorian men:  are you looking to clan a Matara?
A:  No.
Q:  Really?  You were pretty quick with your answer.  Would you care to elaborate?  I thought every clan wanted a Matara.
A:  My clan has discussed it thoroughly, and we've decided it's just not worth the trouble.  First of all, there are so few available now since the whole Armageddon debacle that ended the war.  The Earthers are hoping to save their own species, which is understandable.  This cuts down on the women that might have otherwise considered coming to Kalquor.  With the Imperial Clan putting a five-year hold on coerced and forced clannings, there are even fewer Earther Mataras available to us.  The ones that do come to our planet willing to clan go into the lottery system.
Q:  The lottery system?
A:  Randomly chosen clans are allowed to approach up to five Mataras for possible clanning.  They go to great lengths to impress your women in hopes of attracting one.  The ultimate decision is the Matara's.
Q:  It sounds pretty unlikely you'd even get to meet one. 
A:  Exactly.  Even if my clan did come up on the lottery, we recognize our chances of attracting a Matara are highly unlikely.  Besides, you are such tiny things.  I'd be willing to give one of you a try for sex, but in all honesty, I'm afraid of breaking you in half!
Q:  So what is in the future for Dramok Gelan's clan?
A:  Long term, we're saving for our retirement.
Q:  It must be very long term.  You don't look old enough to be planning for retirement.
A:  I'm not really, and I enjoy my work so I hope to put it off for as long as possible.  But we enjoy traveling for our various interests, and we plan to do so with a great deal of luxury.  So we put aside what we can for now.
Q:  What about short term?
A:  We're taking our first vacation in many years.  We leave for Dantovon in a few weeks where we'll hunt, mountain climb, hike, and fish.  It will be a wonderful break for us all.
Q:  It seems to me the planet Dantovon is known for another type of recreation.
A:  (Gets a big grin on his face)  Oh, we'll definitely see what the brothels have to offer.  One can't visit Dantovon and not be entertained by the many different species of females there.  I very much look forward to some casual, uncomplicated sex.
Q:  I hope you have a fun vacation, Gelan.
A:  And exciting too.  I always welcome a little adventure.

First Four Friday - Alien Embrace

Chapter 5

    Flencik waited until Amelia's breath became deep and steady.  Once he felt sure the sedative he'd given her had taken hold, he carried her to his lab.
    The stark room accomodated an examination table, surgical instruments and a mini-lab.  All were on loan from the local Plasian medical center.

Available from New Concepts Publishing, Amazon for Kindle, and Barnes & Noble for Nook.

Create a Kalquorian: New Poll Coming Saturday

Every person has some childhood event that shapes them for the rest of their life.  Whether it's the loss of a loved one, divorce, illness, or some other game changer, we've all experienced something that colored our world from then on.  On Saturday, we will begin to discover what Imdiko Conyod went through in his childhood that made him the man he is now.

WIP Wednesday - Alien Interludes: Michaela's Child

     Uh oh, it looks like the honeymoon might be over for one of our heroines and her clan.  Relationships don't always glide along smoothly, and it's a measure of a clan's commitment as to how well they weather storms.  Michaela isn't feeling the love these days because real life has intruded on her marital bliss.

    Michaela had dinner on the table when the first of her clan arrived home for the evening.  Govi, her Imdiko mate, gave her a quick peck on the top of her head as he entered the dining room.  "It smells good.  I hope I can stay awake long enough to enjoy it."
    She offered him a wan smile.  Govi was Kalquor's leading expert on Earther female psychology, putting in long hours at the psychiatric branch of the local hospital.  Once upon a time, he'd even succeeded in making her feel worthy of love.
    Weariness masked his good looks as he dropped heavily onto a seating cushion on the floor.  His long blue-black hair was mussed from his habit of raking his fingers through it.  His 68 years, young yet for a Kalquorian, didn't show on his movie-star handsomeness.  His lips were almost too sensuous for a man, but his nose was straight and long, his jaw strong.
    Michaela wished his blue-purple gaze would search her out, but instead his cat's eyes closed as he leaned his face into his palm, his elbow propped on one bent knee.
    Michaela dropped to her own cushion at the opposite end of the low dining table.  She looked at the assorted dishes without a hint of appetite.  "You might as well eat.  I haven't heard from the other two as to when they'll be home."
    Govi nodded with a yawn and stretched.  Despite her depression, Michaela couldn't help but admire his lean muscled body that filled out his black formsuit so delightfully.  Her center heated as it always did, thinking of how he looked when he was naked and crouched over her, thrusting deeply into her body.
    She'd lost count of the weeks since he'd last touched her.  Since any of them had.
    Govi ladled a hearty stew made of ronka meat and local fresh vegetables into his bowl. His long-lashed eyes closed in appreciation at the first bite.  "You made this."
    "Guilty as charged."  She found a smile at his approval.
    "I can always tell your cooking from the main kitchen's.  You put your heart into it."
    He still didn't look at her even as he praised the meal.  Maybe he no longer could bear the sight of her.  Michaela's stomach was heavy, as if a rock lodged within it.

Alien Salvation available for Kindle

It's now on Amazon.   Enjoy!

Tutorial Tuesday – The Sacred Schedule

     Do you have a writing schedule?  If you wish to be taken seriously as an author, you should.  Not only does it tell the world you are committed to your craft, a schedule tells YOU that this is the real deal.  And how do you expect everyone else to take you seriously if you don't?     Now we're not necessarily talking a strict 9-to-5 commitment here.  You can play it loose and still be on a schedule.  Perhaps you can write during your regular job's lunch break, plus the hour after you send the kids to bed.  Maybe while your daughter is having her ballet lesson every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30, you can be scribbling down your novel.  It might not be the greatest schedule in which to write, but at least it's a steadfast commitment you've made to yourself.  If that's the only way you can squeeze in time, do it.     And make the time you do carve out for yourself sacred.  Trust me, it's not easy to do this, and you'll have to stick to your guns in the face of derision sometimes.  I'm a full time writer, my main income coming from that source, yet I still have family members call me during hours they know I'm writing.   "Oh, but it's not like it's a real job," they tell me.   Apparently, the only real jobs out there are the ones you get into a car and drive to.  Even though I have patiently explained I do work, sometimes 12 hours a day between the actual writing and marketing, they still pooh-pooh the notion that I have a career that requires they not interrupt.  It's for this reason I tend to not answer the phone all day long.     Even my husband can't resist interrupting me on occasion when he knows I'm buried in Kalquor or the Netherworld.  Since he's my husband he gets the Glare for this, which I can't in good conscience unleash on my grandmoms.  It usually shuts him up in a hurry, and he slinks away, allowing me to return to work.  Hopefully his interruption didn't occur during a particularly focused moment, making me lose a thread of inspiration.  (In that case, he gets the Glare AND the Growl.)     Writing schedules get little respect, so you have to defend yours.  While your writing schedule should not make you inflexible to the point that you're missing your kids' school plays, it should be a top priority in your life.  This gives you the opportunity to focus on your story and improve your writing.     Figure out when you can reliably write with the least interruption.  Then explain to those who share your life that this is something really important to you, and this is your time.  Sure, they can come in and warn you if the house is on fire, but please have the courtesy to otherwise allow you this break.       Decide where the quietest place is that you can work.  Perhaps you have a spare guestroom.  Maybe your house is so hectic you need to go somewhere else, such as a coffee shop or a park.  Look for some solitude.  Don't try to write in the den where everyone else is fighting over the Playstation or watching American Idol.  Too many distractions, and you're too available.  Again, if you want others to take your writing career seriously, give them an example:  yourself. 

The Amazon Question

Yes my friends, I know with the typical timeframe of 8 weeks after release, Alien Salvation should be up on Amazon soon.  I have emailed my publisher to find out when it will be going to Kindle, and as soon as they let me know I will pass the info on to you.  Thanks for the patience!

Tracy