Naughty Netherworld Press's Blog: Naughty Netherworld Press on Goodreads, page 109

October Spooky Writing Challenge 2019 + Aunt Cie's Soapbox: A New Age in Publishing

I just discovered the October Spooky Writing Challenge and intend to use the prompts to move this month's Team Netherworld Creations WIP, Nyarlathotep's Necropolis, and Naughty Netherworld Press WIP, Castle Necros, along. 
In case I'm feeling like I don't have enough to do (heavy on the sarcasm), I may also use it to lighten things up and create a little Ghost Town Grover and Cactus Clem adventure.
One thing I won't be using the prompts for is writing poetry. Between the Carpe Diem Haiku prompts and OctPoWriMo, I have a surplus of poetry prompts. If dark 'n' snarky poetry really is your bag, Baby, you can see mine at the Poetry of the Netherworld blog.

For the past year, I have only published the Naughty Netherworld Press WIPs because erotica tends to be focused on substance rather than length. There is probably a mathematical smut-o-meter to explain the ratio of sexual encounters to page count.

The Carnal Invasion series started out as a one-off Hump Of The Month series featuring human encounters with a group of lusty aliens. Following the release of Climax Castle, it became a serial focused on recurring characters.  The current WIP, Castle Necros, is the sixteenth book in the series. The books are of varying lengths, ranging from short and spicy to long and lurid.

In the heyday of pulp horror and classic science fiction, fans of these genres snapped up novelettes, novellas, and collections of short stories by their favorite authors. By the 1980s, shorter books had fallen out of favor and readers tended to only be interested in full-length novels.

Once I started reviewing books full-time, I became aware that shorter books are making a comeback. Michael J. Allen is an author who makes excellent use of the novelette and novella format.

I could not be happier about the renaissance of novelettes, novellas, and volumes of short stories. The modern Internet age provides a multitude of avenues for authors to share their work with potential readers. With blogging, paid content platforms such as Patreon or Ko-Fi, and ebook publication services such as Kindle, authors no longer need be confined to the constraints of the traditional path of seeking agents and publishers and papering their walls with rejection letters or throwing good money after bad to have their work distributed by unscrupulous POD publishers.
I, personally, find the seeking an agent and publisher route odious and will not be treading that path. I realize that this means I have to be my own promoter. This comes with its own set of pitfalls. I'm shy and introverted by nature and am not good at networking. I'd rather be reading and writing. Still, when I think back to the dark ages in a time before blogs and e-books, a bit of networking is a small price to pay, and sometimes I even find some kindred spirits along the perilous path.

Whichever path to publication you decide to take, I wish you well.

~Cie~
This post is sponsored by Cie's Proofreading, Editing, and Review Services.
Warning: Shameless Self-Promotion Ahead.

I am here if you need my services as a beta reader, proofreader, editor, or reviewer. My prices and conditions are listed here.

I do not and never will charge a fee to individual authors for reviews. I only do paid reviews for author promotion services such as the Online Book Club.

My requirements to review a book for individual authors are as follows:
1) An electronic copy of the book to be reviewed.

2) The right to provide a link to your ebook on Amazon if it is available on Amazon. If a copy of your book is purchased through this link, I make a small commission from Amazon.

3) Please share a link to your review on this blog if you like it.

4) Please realize that while I really love giving positive reviews, I cannot guarantee a positive review. My less stellar reviews tend to distill down to "a good idea which needs improvement in execution."
It is rare for me to give a scathing review. On those occasions when I have done so, it is because the author has expressed hateful biases against members of a marginalized population, usually larger people. I am not keen for anyone being used as the butt of mean-spirited jokes and doing so will immediately earn a poor rating for a book.

So, there you have it! Let me know if I can help you.

50 Questions About Your O.C.: Marc Cumming

Marc Cumming is the most unlikely secret service agent ever, which works to his advantage.Free-use image from Pixabay
Full name: Marcos Manlove Cumming
Species:Human
To read the 2019 A to Z Challenge description of Marc, click here.
How old are they?56
What sex are they?Male
What is their romantic/sexual orientation?Bisexual
How tall are they?5' 9"
What do they look like? Marc is a pleasant-faced middle-aged man of medium height with a medium build and thinning, gray-brown hair.
What are their defining features?Marc's defining feature is being strikingly ordinary-looking.
Does their name have a meaning?Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel of the New Testament. Marc's family is Catholic, and they chose faith-based names for their children.
What family do they have?Marc is nine years divorced from his Swedish-born ex-wife, Kia. He has four children: Raakel (age 22), Tulle (age 20), Ciarán (age 12), and Hild (age 8, born 5 months after her parents' divorce).Marc comes from a large extended family. His sister Katherine, a missionary, has one biological son and three adopted children: Quiang (age 13), Rolfe (age 7, biological son with Kate's then-fiance, now-husband Buck), Xochipilli (age 5), Eka (age 4).
Do they have a good relationship with their family?Mostly, but being strict Catholic, Marc's family members tend to be homophobic, which led to Marc being ashamed of his bisexuality.
If not, why not?Marc loves his family but feels that he has to hide who he really is from them.
Where do they live? Los Angeles
Is it a safe place?It's Los Angeles
Are they poor, middle-class or wealthy?Middle-class
Do they look up to anyone?Marc always looked up to his older male relatives. There were some priests he looked up to as well. He grew up admiring certain political figures such as John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. He also looks up to his partner and best friend, Dale Dicking, whom he thinks is very brave and clever.
Who is their best friend?Dale Dicking, who is like a younger brother to Marc.
Do they have any enemies? Captain Abigail Botterill, the corrupt head of the Alien and Supernatural Search Squadron.                  Who is the person they hate most in the world?See Captain Abigail Botterill, the corrupt head of A.S.S.S.
Do they have any love/hate relationships?Only with himself. Sometimes Marc thinks that being Marc is pretty cool. Other times he can't think of a more lametastic fate.
Have they ever fallen in love?Marc has been in love with his senior college literature professor, Brian Godfrey, since 1984.
Who is the person they love the most in the world?Marc has a big heart. He loves many people. He is a devoted dad and brother and a good friend.
Does that person love them back?Marc's family and friends love him.
Have they ever hurt or lost anyone?Yes.
Are they a good shoulder to cry on?Yes.
Are they well-liked?Overall, Marc is very well-liked.
How do they handle being complimented? He is uncomfortable with it.
Are they an affectionate person?Yes.
Are they very driven?Marc is very driven to do the right thing.
Are they very political?Marc votes in every election and attends the occasional rally or town hall if it seems extremely important. He doesn't consider himself terribly political.
What kind of state is the world that they live in?Same as the modern United States, unless he falls through a wormhole into a dark past in a werewolf-filled forest and finds himself in a castle filled with demons and vampire necromancers--which happens to be his current situation.
What are the world leaders like?To understand this, we need to give a brief language lesson.In Germany, a trump is a fart.In Great Britain, a pence is a small amount of currency.In the United States, we currently have a cheap fart running the government.
Does the character worry about their place in society?He would like a world where everyone could have an equal footing in society. He isn't particularly worried about his own place in society at this time.
If they could change one thing, what would it be?He wishes that people would be kinder to each other.
Do they like themselves?Marc generally accepts himself, although he thinks of himself as rather uninteresting and uninspiring.
Are they a good person?Yes.
Are they very forgiving?Marc tends to be pretty forgiving.
Do they believe in destiny?Marc is an agnostic. He believes destiny is a possibility but doesn't give it much thought.
Are they trustworthy? Yes
Are they a good liar?He's a secret agent. It comes with the job.
How do they react to criticism? Marc tends not to take criticism very well.
What is their moral alignment?Neutral good on the Dungeons and Dragons alignment scale.
Can they fight?Yes, although he prefers not to.
Would they ever purposefully hurt someone?Only if necessary to save his own life or save someone he loves.
Have they ever been seriously injured?Yes.
Do they know first aid?Yes.
Do they have any other survival skills?General Boy Scout knowledge and the ability to fly by the seat of his pants.
Are they a fast learner?It depends on his level of interest in the subject.
How intelligent are they?Marc has higher than average intelligence, which is not readily apparent as he tends to present as a bit of a ditz.
What is the school system like?Marc attended school in the American public school system and went to UCLA, where he obtained a degree in criminal law.
What is their job?An undercover agent with the deep cover espionage unit, Alien and Supernatural Search Squadron.
Do they enjoy their job?Marc loves his job, although it does get him into some tricky situations.
~Cie for Naughty Netherworld Press~
Prompt Used: The Writer's Handbook

A Castle Necros Full Chapter Special: Marc's Headmaster

Image by WikiImages from PixabayProfessor Brian Godfrey's love for cosplay and striking physical resemblance to Oscar Wilde does nothing to quell Marc's amorous feelings for him
Noticing the tears in Marc’s eyes, Professor Godfrey softened his approach. His long, slender fingers softly caressed Marc’s ruddy cheek.
“Ah, my dear, sweet, sensitive Marc,” he sighed. “Perhaps I came on too strong. Your gentle heart has borne the assaults of a rough world for too many years. I so wish I could unconditionally guarantee you safe haven here in Castle Necros, but, alas, such a promise is not mine to make. Come, my long-ago pupil, there is nothing for you to feel ashamed of. I approached you with too much zeal because I always felt camaraderie and, shall we say, fonder feelings where you were concerned. I acted in haste, and I am intensely sorry.”
“There’s nothing to feel sorry for, Professor Godfrey,” Marc sniffled.
“Brian, please. We are peers now. You have nothing to be ashamed of, my friend. Tell me, why does your heart ache so?”
“I feel as though my life has been a joke,” Marc explained, anger rising in his voice. “I feel as if I was some sort of cosmic joke. I was never handsome, and, although I enjoyed my studies well enough, I was never particularly intelligent. I was a plain-looking B to C student. I passed my classes and no-one regarded me as hideous when looking at me, but you would never have heard anyone say: ‘that Marc Cuming is one sharp cookie,’ or ‘Marc Cumming is one sharp dresser,’ or ‘Marc Cumming is so fine.’ On one hand, being unimpressive one way or another left me safe from being challenged because I was so incredibly non-threatening. On the other hand, being a nobody can be quite a depressing and lonely existence.”
“As it happens, I don’t think of you as a ‘nobody.’ I never did. I understood how you felt because I was always a rather retiring soul myself in my younger days. You impressed me, Marc. You had a zeal for discovery that I found refreshing and the fact that you actually heard what I said pleased me to no end. Most of the young men in my classes were far more interested in the girls than they were in a theatre geek who loved dressing in period costume.”
“I loved your passion for the subject matter,” Marc declared, his face brightening as he recalled his younger days. “Yes, it’s true that I had a crush on you, but apart from that, you made me want to learn. You were good at your job, Brian. You were, I think, the best teacher I ever had.”
“I have a confession to make, Marc. I think my wish that I could see you again may have ended up drawing you and your companions here.”
“Then it was a mutual wish because I think of you every day. I’m glad I got to talk to you again.”
Marc trembled as it seemed that his longtime unrequited crush on his favorite professor was about to be reciprocated. But just as Brian’s lips gently caressed Marc’s cheek, a blood-curdling wail filled the air.
“Crap! That’s my partner, Dale!” Marc exclaimed. “Come on, we need to find him!”

~Cie for Naughty Netherworld Press~
Prompts Used:The Daily SpurWeekend Writing Prompt
Notes:This is a chapter from Naughty Netherworld Press' WIP, Castle Necros. Marc Cumming is a middle-aged secret agent. Professor Brian Godfrey was his literature teacher during his senior year in college in 1984. The Professor has revealed himself to be a demon.

Weekend Writing Warriors 6 October 2019 (ER, FA, LGBT, SF)

Weekend Writing Warriors
“Lucifer?” the startled Lleu retorted. “I wasn’t summoning Lucifer! I was attempting to summon a minor demon called Rhys who owes me one. I thought he might be able to help get us out of this mess.”
“Unless your Rhys understands rocket science, I doubt he’d be much more useful than you are!” Leah snapped. “Perhaps you ought to try summoning Mr. Spock.”
“With all due respect, Leah, Scotty would be the better bet,” Marc countered. “He was the Enterprise’s chief engineer.”
“It does not matter if their chief engineer was that charming little fellow who talked about the nuclear wessels!” Leah railed. “In a moment, we are all about to find ourselves in the stratosphere, and I do not know how to fly this thing any more than I know how to stop it from taking off!”
~Cie for Naughty Netherworld Press~



Notes:After falling through a wormhole when Base Lust-69 exploded at the end of Paraji's Prisoners, Voodoo Priestess Leah La Sirene finds herself playing den mother to a haphazard sextet of men who couldn't be less helpful if they tried.

Weekend Writing Warriors 29 September 2019 (ER, FA, LGBT, SF)

Weekend Writing Warriors
“And from where exactly am I getting this instruction, Child?” Leah demanded. “In case you have not noticed, I am flying by the seat of my trousers!”

As the others gathered around Leah attempting to cheer her on, Lleu stepped off to the side, took a piece of chalk from the pouch that he wore around his waist, and began drawing sigils on the black tile floor. He opened the gris-gris bag given to him by a Voodoo practitioner named Belen when he was visiting the French quarter and sprinkled a pinch of ash and a pinch of jade-colored dust over the sigils.

A wondrous puff of quince smoke billowed through the room. As the room’s occupants coughed and sneezed, Dale Dicking blinked the smoke from his eyes and froze to the spot as he realized the identity of the being that Lleu had summoned.

“Are you mad, Man?” Dale demanded. “Why in the name of all that’s holy have you summoned Lucifer?”
~Cie for Naughty Netherworld Press~
Notes:In this snippet, Leah and the boys have entered the ominous dark tower. A computerized voice is now counting down, and Marc has made the statement that he believes with proper instruction, Leah should be able to manage things. The preceding chapter excerpt can be found here.

Carnal Invasion IV is FREE For Five Days

This fourth installment in the Carnal Invasion series packs a lot of heat into a compact package. This is the story where we introduce Climax Castle favorite Mistress Nyx and her bevy of lusty cloned beauties.
When lonely, love-starved scientist Tzu He decides to spend the evening at the Lust School exotic dance club, he is offered a chance to spend time with Mistress Nyx and a few of her dancers. Little does he know that the luscious Mistress is an alien who requires copious amounts of erotic energy. Mistress Nyx' clones take a liking to the shy scientist and give him a wild night to remember.
You can pick up Lust School FREE between September 23 and September 27, only on Kindle.

Weekend Writing Warriors 22 September 2019 (ER, FA, LGBT, SF)

Weekend Writing Warriors

“Well, I don’t see why not. After all, it isn’t as if they’d have any reason to disbelieve us.”

“Lleu, go with Marc,” Leah ordered. “See to it that he doesn’t manage to get himself killed off before he has a chance to become undead. Dale, my dear young fellow, as usual, you are bearing the weight of the world on your shoulders. There is no need for you to do so. Share the burden, and we will shoulder it together.”

“Thank you, Leah,” Dale replied, squeezing the Voodoo priestess’ slender dark hand in his powerful, pale one. “You look like the toughest broad in any town, but you’re actually one of the sweetest people I’ve met. I appreciate you using your magic to take us away from the base before we all got blown to smithereens.”
~Cie for Naughty Netherworld Press~
Notes:This is an excerpt from Castle Necros, the sixteenth book in the Carnal Invasion series. It is due for release on Halloween 2019.When the volcano containing Base Lust-69 erupted at the end of Paraji's Prisoners, those within the base were thrown through a myriad of wormholes. The wormhole through which Voodoo priestess Leah La Sirene and her bevy of variably obtuse male companions fell landed them in a thick, deciduous forest complete with an ominous dark tower and hair-raising howling.

Weekend Writing Warriors 15 September 2019 (ER, FA, LGBT, SF)

Weekend Writing Warriors

“Just the same, I was hoping perhaps we could hurry into that kind of dark and foreboding castle over there. It might not be the most welcoming place, but it probably doesn’t have werewolves in it. Man, look at that spire! It looks like a rocket!”

Before the others could respond, Marc took off running towards the castle.

“Damn it, Marc, slow down!” Dale demanded. “If we just bust in there, the inhabitants may think we’re plundering them, and they aren’t going to take too kindly to that.”

“Well, we’ll just explain that we’re trying to get away from the werewolves!” Marc replied.

“Just like that?”

~Cie for Naughty Netherworld Press~
Notes:When Base Lust-69 exploded at the end of Paraji's Prisoners, Voodoo priestess Leah La Sirene and a group of naive, obtuse, and oblivious male vampires and secret agents fell through a wormhole which deposited them in a foreboding forest with a dark and mysterious castle. What terrors and delights await them in the dark and phallic tower?

Castle Necros: Fervid

Image by Efes Kitap from PixabayDoes the Marquis really just want to paint Dale's portrait, or does he have a more intimate interaction in mind?
Content Warning:While this post contains no explicit erotica, it does contain adult themes and frank discussions of sexual interactions, as well as a heaping helping of innuendo,  served with a generous side of double entendre.
Back Story:Dale Dicking and Marc Cumming are agents with the U.S. government's ultra-top-secret Alien and Supernatural Search Squadron division. Events thus far have sent them back in time to the thirteenth century where they are now the guests of the Marquis Ciaran Kabral. Marquis Kabral has expressed appreciation of Dale's appearance and asked if he can paint his guest's portrait. Marc suspects that the Marquis is interested in growing more than his art collection.
“Dude, you’re overreacting,” Dale replied dismissively. “The Marquis was far from fervid in his behavior towards me. I mean, yeah, he’s old school royalty, he’s a bit of a dandy, and I’d be far from surprised if he was either gay or bisexual, but I think hitting on me is a bit of a stretch. He just said he wanted to paint my picture. That isn’t the same as wanting to tear off my trousers and bend me over the nearest table.”
“Well, I say you’re just being modest. He wasn’t like: ‘I admire your manly lantern jaw, my good chap. I would be right well chuffed if you would agree to allow me to paint your portrait.’ He was all: ‘You have a most comely countenance, my good man,’ while rubbing his finger all over your face. And I’m telling you, his finger isn’t the only thing he wants to rub on your face.”
“Marc, shut up,” Dale groaned, blushing. “Yes, he’s a fop, and he’s quite probably sexually attracted to men. But touching my cheek is still a far cry from asking me to play sailors and blow the man down.”
“Well, maybe he’s at least enough of a gentleman that he’ll offer you dinner before he makes a meal of you. Look, Dale, I’m not trying to tell you what to do, and I’m sorry if I’m pissing you off, but I’m your friend as well as your professional partner, and I wouldn’t be very good at either job if I didn’t tell you when I think something fishy is afoot.”
“According to your assessment, I’m something fishy and the Marquis is planning to lure me in with his pole,” Dale laughed, putting an arm around Marc and giving him a squeeze. “I’m sorry for being such an ungrateful malcontent of a partner. Everything has been so weird for so long as it is, and in the past three months, the weirdness has out-weirded itself. You know what the one thing I’d like most in the world is?”
“Getting back to our time, rescuing Julie and Sarah, and watching the Indy 500?”
“You forgot the part where you and I bet on the Indy and you owe me a hundred bucks.”
~Cie for Naughty Netherworld Press~
Prompt Used:Ragtag Community: Fervid

Castle Necros: The Marquis' Motivation

Image by cocoparisienne from Pixabay
“Dale, come check out the balcony off this library!” Marc insisted. “Cool place you have here, Marquis. It’s just like a museum!”
Marc’s excitability was nothing new for Dale, but overwhelmed as he was, the manic energy threatened to infuriate him.
“Marcos, I don’t want to be a dick, but could we please cut this short?” Dale begged. “This odyssey has left me tapped and my fuse is short. I know we work for a clandestine government agency which investigates the so-called supernatural, so for us, weird is normal, but these recent occurrences have been beyond the pale. What’s the point of all this?”
“Can’t really say I know the point of anything,” Marc mused as he watched the fire whirls in the sky. “But I do know that the Marquis is hitting on you, and I don’t trust him any further than I can throw him.”
~Cie for Naughty Netherworld Press~
147 Words10 Sentences

Prompts Used:Putting My Feet in the Dirt: Fire WhirlsRagtag Community: InfuriateSo PromptWord of the Day Challenge: Odyssey