Jyvur Entropy's Blog, page 18

On Writing Fantasy-Romance and Being an Authorpreneur: An Interview with Angela J. Ford

I discovered the books of Angela J. Ford back in February when I received an arc of ‘Music of the Night’ for a blog tour.

And wow, I was absolutely blown away. The ephemeral setting, the music-based magic system, the steamy romance, and of course the Phantom of the Opera inspiration, all of it culminates into one of the most breathtaking works of fantasy romance that I’ve ever read.

(You can read my full review of the book here).

Even though I received a free digital copy of the book, I went and bought myself a signed paperback of the book, because I just loved it so much. I needed this addition to my dedicated romance bookshelf.

Yeah yeah, my real name is Jen. You saw it here, folks. (All pictures except for these first two are from Angela Ford’s Instagram and the Instagram for Indie Author Lifestyle. These first two pictures were taken by me).

I’m absolutely in love with the magic and romance of Ford’s books. Opening up one of her books, it’s like falling into a whole new cozy, fantastical world.

I’m also just amazed by how prolific she is and how much she hustles. In addition to having published over 20 novels, Angela is the cohost of the podcast Indie Author Lifestyle with fellow indie Stephanie BwaBwa, she designs website for other indie authors, and she has a whole shop of book boxes and fun merch to coordinate with her books. She is the absolute epitome of an authorpreneur and I’m so excited that she agreed to an interview so we can all learn a little from her!

Without further ado, my interview with Angela J. Ford!

To get us started, would you mind introducing yourself to my readers and telling us a little about your work?

Thanks for reaching out – I’m excited to share more about what goes on behind the scenes. When I was twelve years old I started writing, most inspired by dystopian and classic epic fantasy, including Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia and Redwall. 

During my teenage years I had plenty of time to world-build and dream of fantastical worlds, but once I graduated from high school, I decided it was time to face the real world and do something to make real money. 

Jokes on me though, because I couldn’t stop writing. Even through college there was something cathartic about returning to my stories and writing. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset, in high school I had a rock band. In 2012 I started a blog and later in 2014 started offering freelance marketing services for entrepreneurs. It started as a way to build an extra income stream, but it wasn’t until I started working with a nonfiction author that something clicked for me and I decided to revise and publish my own books. 

In 2015, I published my first epic fantasy novel: The Five Warriors. It was the first in a 4-book series of classic epic fantasy and it wore me out. When I got done with the last book, I took a break because immersive epic fantasy is exhausting. 

From there I worked on the Legend of the Nameless One (an enemies-to-lovers fantasy adventure), but things really clicked for me when I started working on the Night of the Dark Fae series. It’s fast-paced, gritty, dark and features an anti-hero. It’s certainly more my style. In the past I was more concerned with what readers would think of my books and worried about being raw and out there with my work.

I’d love to hear more about your rock band! What was that experience like? 

Being in a rock band is an experience I look back on with fondness. I have four sisters and we’re all musically inclined. In fact, one year my sisters and I secretly bought a drum set and had it delivered to the house. My parents were shocked and surprised at our boldness and so they paid for drum lessons. After that we had band practice every single week and played so loud you could hear the music a block away. 

Anyway, we recorded our first album and once we got done paying for mastering and mixing it, we were out of money. So we ran a pre-order campaign and sent everyone who ordered a CD + a pre-order incentive. I think it was a t-shirt, but I honestly can’t remember. We made $1,000 which felt like big money for a bunch of teenagers. 

After the CD came out we played gigs, got an honorable mention in a Battle of the Bands contest, played at a local theme park. I remember going into grocery stores and people saying “Oh hey, I know you because of your music.” It was really cool and felt like being a celebrity. 

I ended up being in charge of managing the band, getting gigs and working on promos. This was back when MySpace was popular. The experience made me realize there’s a lot that I can do if I go for it versus waiting for a contract from a label. 

I did see a love of music reflected in your book ‘Music of the Night.’ Are there any other ways your musical experiences have influenced or shaped your writing?

Yes, honestly music is such a deep part of me. I listen to music when writing and create playlists that inspire me. 

Out of all of your books, which one was your favorite to write?

This is like asking a parent who their favorite child is! Honestly, it depends. Every time I wrote a book I learn something new about myself and the process. My top favorites includes: 

Pawn

Queen of the Wildwood

Heart of the Raven

Bride of the King

Realm of Rulers

Music of the Night

My favorite write this year though has been Treachery of Water. 

Which of your protagonists do you relate to the most?

This is another hard one! I’ll go with: 

Rae from Secrets of the Lore Keepers

You are the epitome of an authorpreneur. Not only do you have all of your beautiful books (Music of the Night is amazing! My gosh, I can’t get over that book), but you also create merch and book boxes to go with those books. You have your podcast, Indie Author Lifestyle. You have this whole side hustle building websites for other indie authors. My goodness! You must be so busy. That’s quite an impressive resume. 

How do you balance everything? Do you have any tips for staying organized and giving enough time and energy to both the creative/writing side of things and also the business/marketing side of things? 

Balance is a great word for it, but I think the most important thing I’ve learned is that I can’t do everything. So I focus on what I can do and set aside time blocks. I only work 5 days a week and dedicate 1-3 hours a day to writing. My other time is spent on marketing and contract/freelance work. It helps to give my brain a break from creating, I think if I wrote for 6-8 hours every single day, I’d burn out fast. However, twice a month I like to set aside an entire day to write 10,000 words. 

It must be fun to get a break from writing and collaborate on a podcast. What can you tell us about your podcast Indie Author Lifestyle? How do you come up with ideas for episodes? 

It is! I enjoy talking and have endless things to say about writing, marketing and publishing. I looked and there were very few black authors with a podcast focused on being an indie author. I wanted to provide that perspective as well as chat with other authors about their experience. As an indie author I’ve found I learn best from conversation with other authors and swapping strategies and I wanted to do the same on a podcast. 

While I came up with the idea, I didn’t want to do it alone, hence my wonderful co-host, Stephanie BwaBwa. There are so many nuances to writing, publishing and marketing coming up with ideas for the podcast is easy. In fact, often we have too many ideas. It could start with a question, personal experience, a new marketing strategy we’re testing or a character development block. 

One of the important topics I wanted to cover on the show is lifestyle, eating healthy, balance, budgets, etc. As authors it’s easy to get lost in comparing ourselves to others and I wanted to provide a low key place where authors could listen in and know that it’s okay to take a break, or try something new, or spend more time with family without tossing away their career. 

You mainly write fantasy, and a lot of it is fantasy-romance. What draws you to the fantasy and romance genres?

I grew up reading fantasy and fell in love with the genre. Supernatural worlds are fascinating, long with unique weapons, talking creatures and magic. The possibilities are limitless and naturally when I began writing, I leaned toward fantasy. It’s also easier than writing in a modern day world because I don’t have to fact check everything. 

At first I was drawn to world-building, but the more I write, the more I enjoy writing character-driven stories and naturally romance is part of that. Romance is something relatable to everyone, at one point in our lives we desire a relationship that goes beyond friendship, and that unique understanding with another person. Love is beautiful and the most powerful emotion in the entire universe.

I couldn’t agree more! I love the romance genre. I think fantasy-romance is one of the best romance subgenres. Romance is already full of magic, then you get to add literal magic to it. As a romance writer and reader, one thing that really bugs me about the bookish community is the stigma surrounding the romance genre. A lot of people view romance as not as serious or literary as other genres. 

Have you ever encountered this kind of stigma as a romance writer? Do you think romance will ever be treated as a valid and important genre like any other?

Gosh yes, it’s so frustrating when people brush aside romance like it’s not as good as any other genre when it’s actually the #1 genre to read, aside from thrillers. 

I’ve encountered both the romance author stigma and indie author stigma. 

What readers/authors/publishers have to remember is that each book is an individual story that appeals to a unique reader. 

We aren’t expected to like all the books and all the genres, but we should keep an open mind and know that while a particular genre or style isn’t our preference, there are other readers who will absolutely love it. 

Your author bio says you have published over 20 books. That’s amazing! How did you become such a prolific writer? Do you have a specific process in place when you write a new book?

It just sort of happened. Every time I finish a book I get a creative low, and it usually helps if I dive into another writing project right away. I also have what feels like a million ideas, so when I finish a series I just need to wait and another idea will pop up. 

Before I write a new book, I like to brainstorm. A few important questions I ask myself are: What are the stakes? What happens at the end? Why would someone want to read this book? 

Do you have any tips on plotting or planning a novel?

Since I’m a discovery writer, experience is the best teacher. It is helpful to read books on technique, plotting and planning but it’s easy to get intimidated and never sit down to write. Once I have an idea, I like to write to figure out where it’s going and what will happen next. Writing is different for everyone, and it takes time to find the process that works best for you. Some of my favorite resources on writing include: 

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland

Story Genius and Wired for Story by Lisa Cron 

I’m a bit of a hybrid writer myself. I plot but only loosely. So I’m not really a plotter or a pantser. What’s your opinion on pure pantsing? Just sitting down and writing with no plan. Do you think this process can work? 

Oh I certainly think it will work, and I’ve done it myself. However, I’ve found that pure pantsing takes a ton of work and energy, it’s easy to write yourself into a corner and you’ll spend most of your time revising. I pantsed a novel for NaNoWriMo in 2015 and it was terrible; I ended up putting away the book for months before I was able to return to it and re-write it. Now, I find it’s helpful to have a structure in place, even if it’s something as small as generic bullet points, to help me to get from A – B – C – the end.

You have such a unique combination of skills, being both creative and marketing/tech savvy. What made you want to help other indie writers with their websites? What would you say are the most common mistakes you see indie writers make with author websites?

Being creative 100% of the time is hard, so I enjoy taking a break to do something that doesn’t require too much brain energy. I began my corporate career working in nonprofit and then worked for a technology company. In the time I was there I worked my way up from customer service to management, which taught me the ins and outs of working with clients, problem solving, digital marketing and websites. I also freelanced with a web designer in San Francisco and we had a lot of fun building websites together, but I found I truly enjoy building websites for authors. 

A few of the common mistakes indie authors make include: 

Viewing their website as an art portfolio instead of a sales toolNot making their website mobile responsiveAvoiding tracking tools like Google AnalyticsIgnoring SEO Not putting a marketing campaign into place after releasing their website

Paying attention to those things can be the difference between making sales or just having a static website. 

For someone who knows nothing about marketing, can you give any tips to create a simple marketing plan for a book launch?

Two of the most important things I’ve done are: 

Make friends with authors in your genre and cross promo with themLearn how to run ads on Facebook/Instagram/Amazon to reach your audience

Do you think social media like twitter and facebook is a must for authors? I hear a lot of mixed opinions on this topic. 

Honestly? No. I think it helps but it also depends on your marketing budget and goals. 

When I studied marketing in college I learned it takes up to 7 touches before someone buys something. That means they need to see it over and over and over again before they make that decision to buy, and it helps if their friends recommend it too. 

Word of mouth marketing is still the most powerful, that’s why BookTok and Bookstagram are powerful ways for authors to sell more books. I knew a few authors who have gone viral because of it. 

If you can get in front of your audience using ads, you don’t have to be on social media all the time. But if you don’t have a marketing budget, social media is a way to reach readers without spending money. 

I know that you used a blog tour for the launch of at least one of your books (that’s how I discovered you!). The indie author community seems a bit torn on blog tours. Some people like them and others say there’s no ROI with a blog tour. What’s your take? 

I get this. It depends on what your goals are, sales or visibility? 

Again, this goes back to the 7-touches rule and that’s why I decided to do a blog tour. It is very hard to tell if it’s effective or not because I like to track everything. With a blog tour I’m not sure how many views and link clicks each blog post gets, or if people are just interested in entering the giveaway. 

Running tours on Instagram is easier because I can see people liking, commenting and sharing in real time and they can buy from my shop without leaving Instagram. It makes it easier to calculate ROI. 

However, I decided that blog tours and Bookstagram tours are for visibility and the sales will come later (hopefully). I don’t mind investing to help reach new readers and to tap into the word of mouth marketing. 

I always end interviews with some fun questions:

 If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

New Zealand. I fell in love with it when Lord of the Rings came out, and around that time one of my friends went out there for 3 months and loved it. I’d love to spend some time out there. 

What’s your all-time favorite band or song?

I love The Killers but I don’t have a favorite song, it depends on my mood. 

What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day?

Hanging out with my husband, he’s hilarious and makes me laugh so hard. I love it when we make a fire, sit outside and just enjoy life. Together. 

That’s it for my interview with Angela J. Ford! You can check out her books and other content via the links below!

Author Website | Instagram | Indie Author Lifestyle Podcast Instagram | Indie Author Lifestyle Website (podcasts, workshops and other content) | Angela J. Ford Marketing for help with custom websites and landing pages | Facebook | Amazon | Twitter | Newsletter Signup | Goodreads |

(Artwork by Dominique Wesson)

‘His Demon; His Slave’: An Erotic Furry short by Nikita Nian and Jyvur Entropy

“What do you say, sweet boy? Are you ready to be taken?”

Xiannu the playful and bright-eyed fae frollicks through the forest, exploring the wonders of a new spring. But the Earth is not all that is awake. 

A powerful creature of dark magic stirs in the shadows, watching… hunting…

Innocent and unsuspecting Xiannu might just find himself this demon’s prey. Yet maybe, being taken by a demon is exactly what this little deer wants. 

~A gentle BDSM furry erotic short set in the Todoroki universe~

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

HIS DEMON; HIS SLAVE

by Jyvur Entropy; Nikita (Nikitty) Nian

The tittering of sparrows. The trickle of a serpentine stream. The wind caressing branches heavy with the bright blooming green of early spring… The Earth blinks away the remnants of its winter sleep. 

The forest is teeming with bright-eyed energy. 

And, like the Earth, I’ve awoken too. 

…thump…

I frolic through frees, jumping, spinning, leaping over fertile forest floor. Greenery springs from soil and stump alike. Flowers unfurl their soft petals, coyly presenting themselves to the surrounding foliage.

Sunlight scatters over the dirt, sliced by the canopy above. The bliss of new beginnings dances in my fae heart. I jump to and fro, giggling as I narrowly avoid hopping onto a cluster of sunbeams, then laughing harder as a misstep causes me to plant a delicate foot in the very center of a fat circle of sun.

…thump… thump…

I continue this silly game for a few minutes longer, before growing bored of it, and then skipping along through the trees. The balls of my feet bounce atop soil still wet with rainfall. They press into the soft earth. Stretching, I push my toes, flexing, into the ground. The damp soil squishes between them.

…thump-thump… like dancing footfalls. Like a drumbeat … thump-thump…

With a skip, and then a spin that morphs mid-way into a pirouette, I flounce towards a thinning of trees, aiming for a sun-soaked clearing beyond.

…thump-thump… the stirring of sleep … thump-thump…

Ikick one leg out. Spin. Spin again… and thwap! My foot catches a fallen branch full-speed.

I stumble- nearly catch myself – but a sodden clump of leaves sends both feet flying out from under me and I crash rump-first into a thorn-ridden thicket. 

I hiss through my teeth, the knife-like needles slicing at my exposed flesh. 

… thump-thump… blood. The stench of it. The thrill of it… thumpthumpthump…

Limbs askew, I twist in the jumble of shrubbery, only managing to entangle myself further.

Blood trickles from my wrist and several long gashes traverse my tender forearms and slender thighs. Blearily, I blink and lick at a warm trail of blood trickling from a cut on my wrist. 

… it draws close, now… closer…

Somewhere nearby a twig snaps. One rock clacks into another. I hear these things, yet brush them aside. Likely nothing more than a forest creature or the stirrings of the wind. I bring my attention back to my wounds.

… closer…

I feel a presence then. A stalking, guileful presence. It makes me start and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. 

Then, as quickly as the notion presented itself, it’s gone. I’m being silly. There’s nothing here, nothing and no one, save for the teeming life of a forest in spring…

… thump-thump… thump-thump… the sound of a heartbeat. The promise of warmth and living, breathing flesh.

Things – things like fire, like sunlight, like the soft, silk touch of skin – burn through the darkness. Flickers bright and yellow and oh-so-warm. Beckoning.

I’d almost forgotten it, trapped here in the Grove, but one can never forget being.

I take form. A mist. A cradle of shadows. The echo of a male. And with mimic-eyes and mimic-heartbeat set alight, I follow.

The feeling of sunlight. The promise…

The… smell…

And that is when I find it – no, him- sprawled out in a tangle of vines. Fur – like snow, like marble – torn and slashed. Bleeding rivulets of red down his clothes. Down the long, supple length of his prone body. The curve of a bared hip… a chest slowly rising… falling… expelling a pained whimper.

I watch. Transfixed. Heat bubbling from somewhere deep inside and long forgotten as I fixate – spellbound – on the boy’s plump, softly-parted lips. 

He groans, and I am set alight.

A rustling through the underbrush and I jump, the vines twisting harder around tense limbs and the thorns slicing deeper. A tearing of foliage and then…the silence comes, sudden and sharp. My ears twitch. Someone is nearby. Watching.

My fragile deer heart hammers. I scan the trees, searching the intertwining sunlight and shadows. I sniff at the air. There is something…new, a scent I cannot place, musky and dark, earthy and rich. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. The mysterious scent tickles every one of my senses. 

Another snap of a twig and my eyes flare open, this time catching on a flash of shadow, a movement of darkness unfurling from the clusters of trees. 

A flicker and a meeting of irises. 

I gasp and scramble backwards, cutting my palms on the jagged thorns of the shrubbery that hold me.

That mass of shadows, it has eyes. A swirling darkness, ephemeral, and yet almost appearing solid. From deep in the darkness, a pair of devious eyes glint. And then the shadows gather, pulling together into a sleek form of rippling muscle and virile masculinity.

He’s trapped. Muscles straining as they tug, in vain, at the ensnaring thicket, every movement pulling him deeper into the thorns. Slicing thick, dark lines into his flesh. Deeper… deeper…

“Sweet little creature.”

I step closer, tendrils of smoke forming into feet, then legs, then…

“N-No… Wait!”

… a deliciously painful, throbbing erection.

Struggling to free myself of the vines, I blink up at the imposing figure. The shadows have gathered into the form of a panther. Still somewhat amorphous, yet the being’s rippling muscle is prominent nonetheless. Cunning, yellow eyes stare down at me. Jet black ears twitch. The panther licks his lips and bares his glistening fangs. They drip with saliva. 

I draw in a shaky breath, chest heaving. My eyes traverse the length of the massive body before me. My eyes widen. Something else drips as well. 

The most gorgeous cock I have ever seen throbs above me. The panther approaches. With every step he takes, my chest hitches further, my lungs tightening into a knot. 

As frightened as I am, I can’t tear my eyes from that pulsating cock. Thick as an evergreen trunk and well over a foot long, the panther’s erection points to the sky, precum dripping from the tip. Below that delicious member, a plumppair of balls bounce with every languid step he takes. 

The massive creature drops to his knees and I squeak. I shut my eyes, trembling. A pair of claws meet my chest. They trail lightly from my collarbone to the soft swell of my belly. The light, scratching pain stirs something hot and needy in my core, and despite myself, I moan.

The deer arches into my touch, heartbeat a rapid thumpthumpthumping beneath my hands. Body shuddering in a paroxysm of both pleasure and pain.

Pleasure, when I catch a nipple between my fingertips, and slowly, gently, twist. Pain, when his body does the same, driving the thorns deeper into him.

A grin – I remember this, now; I remember all of this – creeps over my mouth as I shift closer. Keeping eye-contact. Remembering – with the deer ensnared in my gaze more so than the thorns wrapped about him – my magics.

I lower my mouth to his collarbone; licking a long, slow line through a smear of blood. Again. The taste of copper, the musk of sweat and fear and lust, burning like fire through me. And all the while, I pour a steady stream of lust into him.

“Must I free you, little one?”

He opens his mouth to speak; words fizzling into a squeak when I capture his other nipple between my teeth. Bite. His body bucking – searching for escape, wanting the opposite – beneath mine. Hip grazing against my cock.

“Oh. Is that what you want?”

I move closer, rubbing my length against his hip. Down his thigh. Rubbing a smear of pearly liquid into his fur.

“N-No, I…”

His eyes meet mine, widening when I straddle him; claws tracing feather-soft lines into his chest. Down the dips and valleys of his abdomen. One hand reaching lower, finding him rock-hard and pulsating.

“Hmm,” I murmur, skimming a thumb over his cockhead. Smearing a pearl of precum down his shaft. “No?”

He shakes his head, moans – Gods above, that sound – when I form a tight fist around his length. Stroke once. Slower… twice.

The deer humps into my hand, arms flexing as they pull against their binds. He’s panting, now, sweat beading down his fur; the air filled with his rich, animalistic scent.

“This?” I question, muscled thighs flexing and relaxing as I lower myself, rubbing my cock against his. He gyrates against me; his smaller erection – now dribbling a steady stream of pre – sliding wet and slippery against mine.

A growl surfaces from deep in my chest, and I grin down at the panting deer, wrapping a hand over both our shafts.

“No?” I repeat, slowly – achingly so – rubbing a fist down our closely-pressed cocks.

He shakes his head; the movement constricted by the thorns holding his antlers firmly in place.

“Hmm. That wasn’t a no,” I lean closer, breath curling around his ear. Body blanketing his; pressing gently down. “Nor a yes.”

I release his member – giving his balls a quick, firm squeeze – before disentangling from him completely.

“So, sweet creature, since I don’t know what you want,” I sigh, dragging my fingers through a branch smeared with blood, “I’ll just take some of this, and be off. I’ll only need a bit of blood to stay in this form… for a time.”

I give him a pointed look, grasping at my dick. Stroking at my leisure. 

“Though… perhaps the next little fawn I encounter -”

“No!” he snarls. Then blushes.

“No… don’t stop.”

This is crazy. Am I really going to just give myself up to this creature?

But then that massive black paw is around my cock again, and I know I’ve made the right choice. Firm and fervent, the panther strokes my length. A whimper escapes my lips. 

“Oh, you sweet boy,” the panther whispers into my ear. His hot breath tickles my neck and my cock stiffens further. “Does this feel nice?”

“Yes,” I sigh. 

And I whimper again as the panther releases my cock. I blink up at him, pleading with my eyes. The panther smirks and strokes his own erection. 

“Patience,” he purrs. “I believe I’d like to watch you for a moment.”

With a groan, I tug again at the vines.

The big cat chuckles. “You do look delicious, all tangled up there for me… But I believe I’d like a more-”

He snaps his fingers and the vines shoot upwards and extend, lifting me up with their sudden growth. The vines expel from the earth, until I found myself in a swing-like restraint system. 

A vine wraps snugly around my waist; this same vine hangs from two others jutting up diagonally from the ground. Two more vines hang from the ones pointing up to the sky; one twists around both of my wrists, and the other restrains both of my ankles. Each encases my extremities tightly enough, yet is slightly slack, so that as the breeze picks up again, I am rocked gently through the air. I stare up at the deep blue sky, shivering with a mixture of need and nerves. 

“Now, this is more like it,” the panther whispers. “What do you say, you sweet boy? Are you ready to be devoured?”

And with my cock throbbing, the breeze rocking me as the vines hold me in place, like a prisoner awaiting torment, I don’t even hesitate. 

“Yes.”

Those same yellow eyes appear in front of me, glinting with mischief and hunger. “Good boy.”

And then, he drops to his knees and swallows my cock in one lithe movement.

The taste of him. Blood. Sweat. The salty, almost-bitter tang of precum. I grin as he bucks against me; again, dragging my tongue down the side of his cock.

“Oh, Gods, please…”

Watching him writhe against his restraints – hearing those words, like an echo – I remember. Mortals bending to my will. Harems of them to fulfill my every desire. Until him.

“Patience, sweet one,” I murmur against the deer’s pelvic-bone, miffed at the sudden memories.

It had been decades, centuries, maybe, since that damned priest had imprisoned me. Years of cold darkness. Years of formless, wandering confusion. Years of existence as a nameless, shapeless thing.

But now…

I grin at the trussed up male rocking to-and-fro overhead.

“Do you know who I am, little one?” I question, one hand stroking down his flank, up his ribs; the other teasing at the insides of his thighs. “What I am?”

He shakes his head no.

“Then,” I say, hands slithering between his thighs, pulling him closer by the buttocks, “allow me to show you.”

I lick at his cock again, before taking the tip into my mouth, and swirling my tongue around the head.

He whines, hips bucking against the vines, though I take my time in teasing him. Suckling on the head of his cock alone, scraping gently at his flesh with my teeth.

“More,” he moans, “oh please more.”

My cock hardens painfully at his words, though I ignore it, knowing my needs will be met soon enough.

I take him deeper, tongue curling around the underside of his length, stroking the thick, pulsating vein beneath as I take him deeper… deeper… before my nose presses into the soft fur of his pubic hair.

His cock flexes, balls rolling against my chin, close to spilling. Cock buried in my throat, I lash at his balls with my tongue, before pulling back. Focusing again on just the tip.

He’s panting above me, whispering words that sound like prayers. A visible shudder runs through him when I cup his balls, rolling them in my palm – gently pulling at the fur-covered orbs – before sucking him down again.

This time, when I reach the base of his cock, I growl; vibrations rolling down his length, causing him to spasm above me.

“Gods!” he cries. “Please, please.”

I take advantage of the sudden jolt of pleasure, slipping a precum-covered fingertip inside of him.

My entire body thrums. I buck against the panther’s wet mouth. He sucks and licks with a steady vigor.

Crying out, I wince for only a moment as my asshole is invaded by a slick, probing finger. My muscles tighten, protesting against the intrusion. But then I feel myself stretching, expanding. I moan at the delicious discomfort. With the panther’s wet tongue swirling around my cock and his searching finger sliding deeper and deeper into me, I am battling two very different sensations. 

In the end, I lose to both, bucking and crying out in ecstasy.

I climax with an intensity that sends stars to my eyes. They pop and explode in my vision. All the while, the panther keeps up his steady movements, swallowing the liquid that he drains from my well-tended cock. 

When it is over, I hang panting and trembling, now limp in the twisted vines holding me. 

With a smirk and a knowing glint in his eye, he rises to his feet, licking my gleaming juices from his chin. “Did you enjoy that, sweet boy?”

Chest hitching, I struggle to catch my breath. 

“Y-Yes,” I stammer. 

“Very good,” the cat purrs. “Now that you’ve been so well-taken care of, perhaps it’s time for me to receive some release. That firm little ass of yours might be a tight fit.” He gives my ass a firm slap, sending waves of pleasure unfurling through me, leaving me gasping and shuddering. “Though,” he continues in a low voice. “I believe I can make do.”

I whimper. I don’t know how I can possibly feel this way again, after having just experienced such release, yet here I am, burning with need. 

“What do you make of that idea?” the panther asks. He leans in close and wraps a hand around my waist. With his face so close that I can feel the hot tickle of his breath, the panther grabs my ass. He gives one cheek a gentle squeeze, and I cannot help myself any longer. I hear myself, yet barely know what I am saying. 

“Please, yes. Fuck me. Make my ass yours. Make it yours. I want to be fucked by you. I want to be fucked by you. I want to be -”

“Shh.”

My words are cut off as the panther releases my ass and brings his lips down to my forehead, kissing me tenderly. “Don’t you fret, dear boy. I will make that ass mine.”

I’ve always liked the ones like this. Desperate. Begging. But this little creature – gazing up at me with needy adoration – I may end up keeping.

I rise – hips at the same height as the trussed-up deer – and his gaze shifts lower. Visibly soaking in the shimmer of my sweat-streaked fur. Trailing down the peaks and valleys of muscle leading to a throbbing, rock-hard cock.

He leans closer, a panting breath puffing warm air against my just-out-of-reach shaft, and I stroke a hand down his neck, cupping his chin

Keeping him in place as I flex my cock just inches from his mouth, a string of clear precum rolling down the tip.

His nostrils flare, eyes fluttering as he takes in my scent.

“Is this what you want?”

“Yes,” he pants, looking close to tears. “Please, yes.”

I can’t help but grin at his desperation. Either this boy is cock-hungry by nature or my magic – left dormant for so long – has completely taken over. Not that it matters; he’s mine to do with as I please. And – staring down at the doe-eyed boy beneath me – it’d please me to make him totally, completely, mine.

Shadows, like tendrils of tangible smoke, rise from the ground. Pull the vines closer – bending and shaping them to my will. Restraining the deer mere inches from my leaking cockhead.

“Ask me again.”

“Please, I -”

I reach over, landing a solid thwack on a pert buttock. He gasps, and I press my cock against his open lips. Instantly, he takes me into his mouth, moaning for a different reason entirely.

He suckles at the head, tongue swiping at the slit, but I pull away. He whimpers again. Unable to bring himself closer. Unable to do anything but beg with eyes equal parts confused and aroused.

“No,” I tut, grasping at his neck. Squeezing gently. “You’ll ask me properly, or get nothing.”

He blinks up at me, licking his lips.

I wonder if he’ll resist again, but when he sees me grasp at my length, stroking slowly from root to tip and back – rolling my foreskin back to fully reveal the engorged tip – he simply asks: “How?”

“Easy, sweet boy,” I reply, stroking the top of his head in a gesture of approval. “Call me Master. Or Jengshin. They’re one and the same to you.”

He nods.

I quirk an eyebrow, taking a step away from him.

“No wait!” he pleads. “Please, Jengshin.”

“Hmm,” I growl, stroking his cheek. “Good boy.”

He leans into my touch, eyes closed, smiling brightly at the praise.

“Now,” I say, stroking my thumb – the finger that had not too long ago been inside of him – over his lips. He takes it into his mouth, groaning as he tastes himself, “what was it you wanted?”

“I want to be yours, Jengshin,” he whispers, “I want to taste you again. I want you inside of me. Please, Master, I want… glurgh!”

I thrust my cock between his lips, cutting off the words. His eyes widen at the unexpected intrusion, fluttering to half-slits of sated pleasure as he sucks me deeper inside.

“Then take me,” I say, clasping his head between my hands. Thrusting gently into the warm, sweet wetness of his suckling mouth and desperately-writhing tongue. “Show me how much you want this.”

He moans, and I see him twisting, the slim muscles of his bound arms flexing in their restraints; digging smaller thorns into his skin. He doesn’t care. Doesn’t acknowledge the sting. Desperate to pull me closer.

“Soon, sweet boy,” I promise, stroking his head. “Soon you may have all of me.”

I push forward, deeper than before; nearing the back of his throat. “For now, you may have my cock.”

Rocking against him, setting a measured, yet ever-quickening pace, I soon feel his teeth scraping against the sides of my prick. I groan at the sensation, thrusting harder; strings of drool hanging in ropes from my balls as they bump into his chin. 

I push deeper, hitting the back of his throat. 

He coughs – eyes snapping open at the sudden intrusion. I push against the obstruction – testing his limits- eager to feel his warm throat around my cock.

He chokes again – and I pull myself completely free.

“I’m sorry, Jengshin,” he rasps, tears running down his face, “I’m sorry, I can take you deeper. I can -”

“Shh,” I coo, sinking down to my haunches. Brushing a strand of drool from his cheek. “Shh, you’re perfect, sweet boy.”

He looks ready to burst at the praise; uttering a sigh of relief.

“You may try again later,” I promise, placing a kiss on his forehead. “For now, I’ll take my own pleasure.”

With one last quirk of a mischievous eyebrow, the panther slips out of sight. The wind picks up and I rock in the swing of restraining vines. 

I can hear the panther – Jengshin;that is the name of this magnificent creature – prowling about behind me. Yet, he does not touch me, not right away. I feel his presence, feel the warmth of a paw hovering, tantalizingly, over my quivering ass. 

Swallowing, I hold back a needful whimper. I ache with the absence of Jengshin’s touch. My cock is fully erect once more. This panther holds some kind of dark magic, stirring a primitive need in the very core of my being. Heat courses through me. My blood fizzles. Electric tingles dance over my skin. 

A tickling stream of hot breath meets the inferno of my scorching skin. Jengshin blows lightly over my trembling asscheeks, first over one quivering globe and then over the other. Ticklish, flirtatious breath, caresses me so gently, driving me mad with need. I twist, groaning. I have never felt so wholly taken. I feel owned by this Jengshin, and I adore this feeling. I want to feel this way forever, so treasured, so small, and so so well fucked. 

But then, I haven’t truly been fucked. Not yet. 

“I want… please… I want you inside of me.”

Releasing a long, slow chuckle, Jengshin strokes my behind and with two strong paws, gently parts my cheeks to reveal my already deliciously aching asshole. “As you wish, you sweet, obedient boy.”

With one swift and powerful movement, he pulls me backwards, vine restraints slicing the air. My heart jumps and my stomach flips as the ground speeds by beneath me, a kaleidoscope of brown and green. My backside crashes into a wall of warm, hard flesh. 

I cry out upon impact, bucking and straining, pushing into Jengshin’s muscular upper thighs. 

“Easy, sweet one,” Jengshin coos. He grips me by the hips and angles my body slightly, positioning me for easier entry. 

I revel in the sensation of being handled, being treated as some small, pretty thing to fuck. I doubt I’ll ever get enough of this feeling, this feeling of being so wholly overpowered, of being led and lovingly controlled by this much more imposing, darkly desirable spirit. 

Shivering with delight, I blink and then gasp, feeling an erect cock press into the tender meat of my inner buttock. 

Jengshin kneads my rear and then, with one hand still holding me firmly in place, uses the other to guide his penis into my quivering hole. 

“That’s it,” Jengshin says. “You stay nice and still for me. Let me stretch you wide open… make you mine.”

“Make me -” But my desperate plea is interrupted as the tip of a throbbing cock pierces me, and upon the delicious impact, I scream, “yours!”

“What was that?” Jengshin whispered. “I think I’d like to hear that again. Whose are you?”

“Ohhh… I’m yours, Jengshin.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

Filled with the most incredible mixture of pleasure and pain, I wince through the initial discomfort of an enormous cock filling me. Jengshin moves with purpose, pushing in deeper and deeper as my body adjusts to the size of him, stretching to accommodate Jengshin’s impressive girth.

He stakes his claim, but does so in a considerate way. It’s nearly tender, the way he pauses each time that my body clenches in response to the invasion. Yet, each time I relax, Jengshin is ready, eagerly filling me. This dance continues until I am deliriously full and a pair of enormous, sweating balls presses gently into the tender flesh of my taint. 

Now having completed his entry, he pauses, trailing his fingers over my hip in a light caress. 

“How does that feel, sweet one?”

“G-Good!” I stutter. 

“And tell me again,” Jengshin purrs. “Whose are you?”

“Yours, Jengshin. I am yours.”

“Good boy.”

He thrusts and I cry out. The sensation is overwhelming; every nerve in my body set ablaze. I didn’t know it was possible to feel so much at once. 

“Ohh… yes. I’m yours, Jengshin. I’m yours to fuck!”

My jaw goes slack, body ricocheting between tense and limp, unable to make up its mind as Jengshin’s cock slams into me again and again…

Lost in the sensations, I drown in the steady pounding of Jengshin’s cock. He thrusts in and out of me, filling me to bursting in the best way. The vines creak with each of Jengshin’s thrusts.

Hanging in the restraints, I gasp and moan through the hypnotic combination of thrusting and swinging. 

I feel yet another orgasm building. 

“I’m going to…” I trail off. 

“Of course you are,” Jengshin purrs. “Spill yourself for me, sweet boy.”

And those words are all it takes.

Buried to the hilt – enveloped in the tight, velvety warmth of the deer’s ass – I feel his climax building. Feel him spasm around me; clenching and unclenching around my thick length.

 “Jengshin…”

I dig my paws into his hips, angling his waist – slowing my rhythm as I aim for his prostate. Stroking over the little nub of pleasure on each downstroke. He moans my name again, hands twisted into trembling, white-knuckled fists.

I thrust hard, then. Once more. A final time – a shuddering, breathless moan bursting from the deer’s lips – before stopping; buried deep inside.

 “Cum,” I order; and that’s all it takes.

“Yes, Jeng – “

His voice breaks; body convulsing in a rictus of pleasure. He clenches like a vice around me, drawing a growl from deep inside my chest as I feel him climax. Watch the muscles in his back cording into tight ropes of ecstasy. Head thrown back. Eyes clenched. Lips parted in a wide, silent ‘O’.

I note each ripple of pleasure; counting the blissful, rhythmic clench and release of his ass around my rigid shaft. Hearing the spurts of cum meeting the forest-floor below; basking in the scent of male sex hanging thick and cloying in the air.

With a final, breathless exhalation, he collapses. Hanging limp and panting with me still embedded balls-deep inside.

I lower myself over him; nuzzling into the back of his neck. Breathing in the delicious, earthy musk of sweat and skin and fur.

“Good boy,” I whisper, nipping at his shoulder, before restarting the gentle buck and sway of my hips against his. I reach around for his cock, stroking his length from top to bottom; causing a violent shudder to run through him.

“Please…”

I lick a droplet of sweat from his shoulder-blade; growling as the faint, coppery taste of dried blood assaults my senses. I thrust harder, and a sharp rush of pleasure runs through me as the deer whimpers in response. His smaller frame – trussed up as it is – grinds and gyrates against my hips; trying to pull my cock deeper inside. Trying to thrust into my slowly-stroking hand.

“Please, Jengshin…” he whimpers.

I wrap an arm around him. Running my claws down the peaks and valleys of muscles pulled taut with exertion; until finding a nipple.

“We agreed, sweet boy,” I say, pinching the perk bud between two talons, thrusting harder into him, “that you’d tell me what you wanted.”

He moans; and the sound is something close to agony. I slow my movements; afraid I’m overtaxing him. Wringing him dry before I’ve had my fill.

“Do you want me to stop, pet?” I whisper, withdrawing slowly until only the tip of my shaft is inside him.

“No!” he moans, trying to push back against me. Peering over his shoulder with a look of desperation. “No, please Master. Don’t stop.”

I grin – placing a kiss against his ear. Pleased to have found a creature so insatiable.

“Then what do you want, sweet boy?”

“I…ohh’ he begins, and I thrust slowly inside him; switching to a shallow, teasing rhythm. “I want to look at you Jengshin. I want to watch you fuck me.”

I growl into his neck; balls tightening against his ass; growing desperate to sate my own needs.

“Is that all?”

“I want to touch you, Master. And -” his face flushes a deep scarlet; though he pushes through. “And kiss you. Please.”

 “Hmm,” I chuckle; amused that this request – all things considered – would cause him to blush. “I could just finish inside of you, though. Leave you here until these vines snap.”

He begins to object; though is instantly quieted when I move farther up his body, and capture his lips in mine. It’s quick. Merely a brush of my mouth against his; tongue rolling softly over his lips, before leaving in a parting caress.

“But I won’t.”

With a final kiss against the side of his neck, I will the vines to release his arms, legs, then waist; until his full weight is supported by my grip on his hips and midriff alone.

He’s on me like a cat, then – writhing and twisting in my grasp with me still buried inside him – until his legs are coiled around my waist. Pulling us closer; his cock – somehow still hard – grinding against my stomach. Smearing splotches of precum into the hard slabs of muscle.

Hands now freed, he grabs onto my shoulders. Digging into the hard muscle. Fingertips caressing up-and-down my biceps. Squeezing; a look of reverence following the movement of his hands as he explores my front. Eyes growing wider as they lower; noting the girth stretching him open.

“Hmm,” I murmur, grabbing his ass – each wonderfully pert cheek fitting perfectly in my hands – and squeezing. “Enjoying the view?”

He nods, biting at his lip. Stifling a moan when I thrust from this new, deeper angle; lifting and lowering him on my length. Muscles flexing from the movements; the deer’s eyes fixated on them. Tongue darting out of his mouth to lick a bead of sweat from my shimmering midnight fur.

He curls an arm around the back of my neck. Pulling me closer. Licking and kissing a long, wet line up my chest. Up my collarbone. His panting breath blowing hot, desperate puffs of air against my neck in time with every thrust he takes.

“Please, Jengshin,” he whispers; kissing my chin. “Please fuck me.” Moving to my mouth. “Fuck me. Make me yours.” 

He kisses me, then. Deeper than before. Mouth enveloping mine in a desperate, hungry dance. He moans as I slip my tongue inside his mouth, searching, gently thrusting – a stark contrast to my hips as their rhythm quickens. Grows sharper. Balls drawn up tightly to the base of my cock as I chase my own release.

He moans into our kiss, grabbing fistfuls of fur between his hands; heels digging into my ass as I hammer into him.

“Please,” he moans between kisses; his lust turning his next words into a growl. “I’m yours, Jengshin. Make me yours. Please fuck me.”

He grinds his cock against my stomach; chasing his own release; urging mine on by reaching for my chest, and squeezing a nipple between thumb-and forefinger. Twisting and pulling on the hard little bud as he suckles on my tongue.

I deep growl rises inside me as I break the kiss, tearing my face from his to bite into his shoulder; a mindless tirade of ‘fuck me, fuck me, fuck me’ moaned over-and-over into my ear.

He reaches down below his own leg, hanging tightly to my neck for balance. Groping. Searching. Nails dragging over my waist and the base of my pounding cock, before he finds my balls. Fondling and squeezing one fist-sized orb; as though trying to milk my release.

“Do you want my cum, boy?” I ask through clenched teeth. Climax – release denied for decades – growing quickly closer. Shivers crawling down my spine. A tight, excited knot clenching in my stomach. “Shall I make you mine?”

He fails at words, moaning an affirmative instead, body pulling taut as a bowstring as I reach for his ever-erect cock; stroking him in tempo with my brutal thrusts. He whimpers something close to words. Clenching on my shaft. Pulling down hard on my scrotum.

And with that last, blissful push, I’m sent over the edge.

“Take me, boy,” I snarl, hilting inside him. Nails puncturing skin as I grab for his waist. Black spots of pleasure swimming in my head as a monstrous orgasm surges through me. Cock flexing hard as steel inside him. Balls pulling from his grasp as they unload.

I moan, eyes shut. Hugging him close as his spasming hole milks my orgasm from me.

He whimpers, clawing at my chest, a warm splatter of seed erupting from his own erection; though nothing close to the river of cum roiling inside him. Leaking down his thighs. Coating my waist. Painting us both in strings of pearly liquid.

With a final, shuddering exhale I finish. Mind buzzing with white noise. Legs and arms like jelly as they, too, relax; barely holding onto the deer as he hangs – completely limp – in my grasp.

“Thank you, Master,” he murmurs against my ear.

“Hmm,” I purr, voice thick with sated pleasure as I run a hand down his back, cupping his backside. Squeezing gently. “You’re wonderful, sweet boy.”

Shaft softening, I begin to pull out of him.

“Nooo,” he moans, trying to clench down, though – fucked and stretched out as he is – unable to keep me inside.

I chuckle, nuzzling his cheek to mine, pulling the last few inches free from him with a lewd, squelching ‘pop’.

He wobbles as I set him down, gripping tightly onto my arm to keep from toppling over. I kiss the top of his head, before pulling him into a tight embrace; his ear pressed to my slowing heartbeat.

To my disbelief, I feel his cock – still hard; still throbbing – slip in between my thighs.

“Hmm,” I snicker. “I’ll be hard-pressed to find others as lusty as you.”

 “Will you… leave me, now?”

“There are things I must do, yes,” I answer, pulling from his grasp. Placing a finger beneath his chin to angle his face to mine. “Harems to rebuild. Revenge to take.”

I step back, breaking contact between us.

“Though I thank you for freeing me.”

He crosses his arms, looking close to tears as my words sink in.

“Take me with you,” he demands, then, as an afterthought: “Please.”

I laugh, shaking my head.

“And what will you give me in return?”

He looks uncertain – hesitant, for the briefest of moments – before his expression hardens.

Still holding eye-contact, he falls to his knees before me. Grabs onto my waist and – before I can react – takes me back into his mouth. I groan as he licks at the sensitive flesh, taking me deeper; to the very back of his mouth.

Choking, as before.

A determined look passes over his face as he pushes doggedly onward. Down. Down. Until my now-flaccid – but still impressive – length is buried down his throat; nose pressed snuggly against my pubes.

“Hmm,” I purr, grabbing hold of his head, holding his stare. Pulling him back – then thrusting back inside – as I harden once more. “Perhaps you’ll be the first of my new harem.”

He gags around my revitalized cock, though doesn’t pull back – does nothing but close his eyes, coil his arms around my thighs, and hold me close inside of him.

And thus was the story –

 – My story –

 – of Jengshin the Demon –

 – and Xiannu, my slave.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Thanks for checking out this erotic furry short! I wrote this as a collab with the very talented Nikita Nian. It is a part of the Todoroki universe. Todoroki and Down Dockside are both Furry Visual Novels that are currently in the works. More to come on those later!

For now, you can keep up with Nikita Nian by following his Furaffinity here!

Surrealism and Gore: An Interview with Artist Chiskeykku

As an indie writer, I often get the chance to talk to all kinds of creative people. Writing fiction is one way to express yourself, but another timeless form of self-expression is the visual arts. People have been been using drawings and paintings as a medium to explore the nuances of the human experience for thousands of years. Visual expression predates written language for quite an enormous span of time.

A cave painting from Indonesia could be as ancient as 44,000 years old.

Well, I’m very excited to be presenting to you all, my first artist interview! Chiskeykku has a beautiful online portfolio of visual expression. He draws gorgeous character portraits. Everything he draws has this wonderful juxtaposition of pretty and gruesome. It’s both ephemeral and gritty.

Chiskeykku takes commissions. For all my writer buddies who might be looking for original artwork for their books or merch (He does commercial use commissions for an added fee). I know I plan on hiring him the next time I need some character artwork. But hey, if you aren’t shopping for artwork, I figure we can still learn a little about being an artist in the digital age!

Without further ado, my interview with Chiskeykku.

Hello Chiskeykku! If you don’t mind, could you introduce yourself to my readers and tell us a little about what you do?

Hello everyone! I’m Chiskeykku, a 20-year-old incoming art student from the Philippines. Besides making art, I also play a bunch of musical instruments and sometimes compose. I like to read and watch Japanese animations/stories in my spare time, and also play video games.

I make art based on ideas that pop out in my head at any time of the day. I try to take in visual media – like digital art pieces and traditional ones.

How did you discover your love of art? What tips would you give to new artists who want to hone their talents?

I was a child when I started drawing. I spent a lot of my time being alone, because I lived in a village with no kids around my age. All I did was scribble on the walls, on papers, on the back of my notebooks and nag my mom to buy me sketchbooks – which she supported when I was little. I only discovered my love of art once it came to the point where I started expressing myself through it. When I started posting or when my friends and peers saw my art, they really liked it and it motivated me to share the things that I made, so I kept on drawing the things I find interesting and cool. 

A piece of advice for the new artists, don’t mind it if you find your art crappy especially when you’re starting out. It takes a lot of effort, practice and studying to be better at something. Find something that inspires you to keep on drawing, it doesn’t matter what anyone says, what matters is that you find satisfaction and happiness on what you are doing. If you really want to improve on the other aspects of your art, study and observation is the key to improvement. And mostly, have patience and be easy on yourself.

In looking over your portfolio of work, both on your facebook and your instagram, I see some common themes in your work. It seems like your favorite subject to draw is people (as opposed to landscapes or other still lifes).

Why do you love to draw and paint people?

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I like to observe people rather than the landscapes. It feels like it’s a lot easier to draw a person and more fun than landscapes – in my opinion. I don’t go out a lot to be in nature, since I’ve lived in the city my whole life. I’m also an introvert too, so I guess it’s because of the environment that I’ve grown up to that made me not pay attention to my surroundings.

I also think it’s different doing portraits of people and landscapes, as it’s two different things as a subject to be drawn. I’m just good at drawing people, that’s why I kept drawing humans. It also feels as if I’ve given life to something that doesn’t exist beside what was in my head, and sometimes it’s just random – I just want to.

I also noticed there is a creepy, surreal sort of tone to a lot of your pieces. Are you consciously going for a style that is somewhat eerie and gruesome?

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At first, yes I was because I was an edgy kid before – I liked gore and spooky stuff despite not wanting to watch horror movies. But as the time passes, it just kind of gets to me as I come to the point where I get really personal with my art. It’s eerie and gruesome to the point that I’m actually venting my mind out as I suffer from depression and suicidal tendencies. Wanting that frustration out of myself – I just drew it all down. But yeah, of course, I love the dark arts, macabre and surrealism – my art goes into that genre.

I also see quite a number of pieces where people have flowers or other foliage growing out of their faces. This is quite a unique form of body horror: creating a gruesome image with something usually seen as so soft and pretty. Are you going for that sort of juxtaposition? Is there symbolism behind the flowers growing out of people?

Yes, the symbolism behind it is mostly a rotting carcass or the insides of a person – it’s mainly an influence of the Japanese media and fictional diseases. I feel like, it’s some state of stillness or waiting until plants grow out of you; and it is more appealing to the eyes, for the audience to see such pretty things growing out of someone.

From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity. – Edvard Munch

This was an interesting piece I found on your Insta.

It reminds me of the Dutch Memento Mori still lifes. Was that what you were going for? Or did you have a different inspiration entirely?

First off – I didn’t know that such thing existed until I’ve searched for it, thank you. It wasn’t my intention to do something similar of those.

I had a different inspiration where it’s just some sort of occult stuff – skulls, candles and books. I remember when Tumblr bloggers would make creepy video edits and that just came to mind!

So, you take commissions online for your art. How long have you been doing that? Any commissions horror stories?

I’ve been doing commissions for 4 years now but it’s not really doing well ^^)”. Surprisingly though, I haven’t had any horror related commissions, so no. Though it’s not really horror related to working on commissions

-but some sort of real life anecdote where I always dream of nightmares and other dark weird stuff since I had depression. Like, experiencing claustrophobic dreams even though I don’t have it. Being in a mall that warps spaces – abandoned arcades, an apocalypse. Post apocalypse dreams. Challenge timed dreams.  Waking up feeling really bad on something that happened in your dream or waking up feeling that gunshot/pain in your body manifests in real life. And the fascinating thing is – my brain has an alternate world of places that don’t exist in real life but imprints on the dream and can be used as a setting for many times.

I couldn’t dream of anything when I was a kid except for déjà rêvé – like déjà vu but you’ve already dreamt of it, and it will happen in real life. It’s like precognition but altered reality in some way. I’ve dreamt of being in accidents and when I get into that same point in time – same atmosphere, the accident wouldn’t happen. Though, there would be no accidents but glimpses of something happening that I’d forget as soon as I wake up, and when it comes to that point where I realize – hey I’ve dreamt this exact same scenario in my dream. And until now, I still have it.

Other than that, I guess estimating someone’s death? Especially when they’re old. I don’t really know how credible this is but it’s been 5 times now that I’ve estimated someone’s death now in terms of my family. I just suddenly feel like they’re going to die soon and feel really sad and guilty about it for just thinking it.

What do you see in the future for your art? What sorts of projects do you hope to complete in the future?

I wish to see that my art could reach places and that it would have an impact to the people that would see it. Especially the people that are in a dark place and the people that can’t just accept or demonize these dark things that are inside of us. I’d like to make creepy and beautiful art which shouldn’t be together, but I want to make it possible. As art is a medium to express oneself whether it is frowned upon the society or not.

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. – Cesar A. Cruz

I hope to be working on my own stories and try to make a web comic for my characters. A series for a lot of things such as dark zodiacs and tarots. Also, a full illustration of visual narratives in dark settings and genre. I’m aiming it to have a psychological aspect. ^^)/

Thank you for inviting me to have this interview! This was a lot of fun and contemplation on my direction in life lol ~

That’s it for my interview with Chiskeykku! If you’d like to check out more of his work or reach out to him for a commission, all his socials are linked below.

Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Virgins? Player? Manic Pixie Dreamgirls!

A video about character tropes, the romance genre, Breaking Bad, and more with guest CoHost Emily Hurricane.

Reclaiming Ryda: Medieval Romance Book Tour and Giveaway

I love medieval romance. Anything with a castle, I’m sold. And the blurb of this book caught my attention right away.

Rydaria lives as a prisoner in a tower library. Captured as a child, her past is a mystery. Maintaining the literary treasures within her care, she studies the world through books that give her a glimpse of the freedom she craves.

A scribe by trade, Crispin has devoted the last three years of his life seeking the lost heir of Avalene. He travels to Worthenave’s famed library in hopes of finding the key. Instead, he discovers a new mystery, a beautiful librarian who is locked in with her books every night.

As the days pass, Crispin must choose. Rydaria’s precarious situation is deteriorating. Meanwhile, his duty demands he leave before the Duke of Worthenave uncovers his quest. Still, the scribe can’t bring himself to abandon the captive in the library tower, even if it costs him his mission.

Inspired by Rapunzel and East of the Sun West of the Moon. 

What a premise! What a setting! Gah! That got me right away.

~~🕮🕮~~ #BookTour & #Giveaway ~~🕮🕮~~

•¨) ★¸.•*´¨) ★.•*
★(¸.•´ •*¨) ★•*´¨) ★.•*´
★(¸.  RECLAIMING RYDA

 by Rachel Rossano#Medieval #Fantasy #Romance #ReclaimingRyda #OnceUponADuchy @RachelRossanoRambles

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57433763-reclaiming-ryda

Buy Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Reclaiming-Ryda-Once-Upon-Duchy-ebook/dp/B08YWQB1R3
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/reclaiming-ryda/id1558362330
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reclaiming-ryda-rachel-rossano/1139025981
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/reclaiming-ryda

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/38Qx5Z

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Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction. 

Author Links

Website: https://www.rachelrossano.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelRossanoRambles 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelRossano

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anavrea

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-rossano  

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Rossano/e/B004MV17GE

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1430209.Rachel_Rossano

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$20 Amazon 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/reclaiming-ryda-book-tour-and-giveaway

~~ 🕮🕮 ~~ HOSTED BY:~~ 🕮🕮 ~~ 

Silver Dagger Book Tours: https://www.silverdaggertours.com/  

Hybrid Writing: The Best of Plotting and Pantsing

Here is a recording of the live discord class from 5/14.

We cover the basic of plot structure, how to character map, and how the internal and external arc of a story work in tandem.

To follow along with the powerpoint and access other resources, you can check out the associated google classroom here: https://classroom.google.com/c/MzM1MD…

Next live class will be Monday 5/17 at 6pm EST. ‘Author Branding’ with erotic romance author Pixie Stormcrow. Join the discord here: https://discord.gg/zE66JtZV

WWW Weds: Let Me Just Rant about Cis Writers writing Trans Pain (or Stop Being Intersectional and Start Being Decent)

Hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words

I have so many books to cover this Weds. I’ve been doing a TON of reading. I’ve also been doing a ton of other stuff. Like planning a collection of classes that will be taught in my discord (taught by myself and several other writers), collaborating on a furry smut with a friend, and planning a collab youtube video on character archetypes with another friend.

I absolutely love how much I have going on right now. Being busy is awesome. Being busy with collaborations is even more awesome. When creative people get together and blend ideas, the resulting project ends up being so much different than what you could produce individually.

But let me take a breath to get everybody caught up on the three Ws.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?[image error]

Quintessential postcolonial essay. Some portions of it were interesting-like the parts about the ceremonial funeral pyre suicide of Indian widows. Mostly though, it was a lot of obfuscating academic nonsense.

So much of this intersectional noise places the ‘privileged’ class into the role of savior. In fact, the essay ends by concluding that No, the subaltern can not speak. Therefore it is up to the academics to make an effort to understand the subaltern and help facilitate a discussion around subaltern needs.

What condescending paternalistic bullshit.

But that’s what intersectionalism always is.

Honestly, let me go off on a tangent for a second here….

The reason I identify as conservative is because I do not trust the motives of progressives. I don’t trust the motives of a group of people constantly harping on about intrinsic characteristics.

Let me give you an example:

In a writer discord server several days ago, I was involved in a discussion about writing trans characters. A cis writer was talking about writing a trans character suffering from dysphoria. I told them I thought it would be a better idea to just write a trans character without focusing heavily on dysphoria. And then I didn’t say this part, but here it is: I think people who are not trans write the experience of dysphoria so that they can get a pat on the back for being so woke. Using someone else’s pain to lift yourself up is incredibly fucked up. And why do I keep seeing progressive writers hyper-fixate on the struggle when writing marginalized characters? If you truly view trans people as human (and not as woke props to prove what a good person YOU are) then why aren’t you just writing them as people? As regular characters? Why are you fetishizing and commodifying their struggle?

And then in this same discord, related to the trans discussion, prompted by absolutely nothing, a cis female writer popped off, talking about a trans woman she knows, applauding how feminine this trans woman is and saying “Of course, she’s a real woman!”

Leaving me like….duh. It’s obvious a trans woman is a real woman. So what the fuck did you say it for? What in the hell was that whole strange measuring femininity shit? And then giving your approval of her womanhood as a cis woman? Just….

It was so odd.

Like someone announcing out of nowhere, “Hey! People with blue eyes are humans! Of course, they are! They are just as human as the rest of us!”

We’d all be left staring in amazement like….why the fuck did you say that? What weird ass ideas do you have about people with blue eyes? Who just pops off and says something like that with no prompting?

Listen, progressives….y’all keep saying conservatives are the bigoted ones.

But then shit like this has me giving y’all some real side-eye.

There just is no way to hyper-fixate on intrinsic traits without getting pretty weird and bigoted.

So stop hyper-fixating on intrinsic traits. Stop with the intersectionalism.

It’s causing you all to use other human beings as props to prove your own goodness.

It’s causing you to dehumanize others; it’s the ‘noble savage’ at a whole other level.

And lately it’s causing a lot of you to fetishize trans pain.

Leave the writing about dysphoria to trans people.

Stop thinking so hard every day about proving you’re not a bigot. Just treat others with common sense and decency.

And please….with the trans stuff. You gotta stop making trans issues YOUR issue to try and get an attaboy.

Write trans characters, but don’t position the character development around dysphoria.

At least while trans issues are still so trendy.

It’s just….icky. It’s gross. It’s gross to use the real lived pain of other people to try and make yourself look good.

Write characters who happen to be trans. Do your research and get sensitivity readers. Perhaps mention dysphoria here and there. But don’t make it the pivotal issue of their character arc. It’s wrong.

Okay, moving on to less heavy issues…

I read book three of Lucy Luscious’s ‘Discovering Desires’ series. All the books in the series are short, steamy light BDSM reads. Light bondage. Some hot fingering and oral scenes. This series is a good choice for a quick read with light steam.

What Are You Currently Reading?[image error]

This is such a terrifying read. My gosh, the main character is a moron though! I guess that’s part of the fun of horror stories. Readers get this like masochistic thrill out of stressing, watching the MC make stupid decisions and put themselves in danger.

This MC deadass realizes there is something trapped in the tomb outside the house. She runs back inside and then like a totally reasonable human being she takes a shower and goes to bed. WHAT?! There is something inside of a SEALED TOMB. A tomb that is barely a few paces away from the front door and she is in an empty house in the middle of nowhere and she goes ‘Whelp, better take a shower and go to sleep.’

Also, how many times is she gonna derp around this haunted house in the middle of the night? Where I just left off, she got her dumb ass trapped in a secret passage at 2 in the morning. God help me….I can’t with this character. It’s a really entertaining book though.

I decided to read this book after meeting the author in a Kindle Vella discord and chatting with her for a bit. I don’t usually read in the demon romance subgenre (the male lead being a demon just doesn’t do it for me-feels a tad blasphemous), but I’m keeping an open mind as I read.

I do love the focus on clear consent! So it already has something going for it that we don’t see enough in romance.

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Okay, this one….how do I explain how I feel about this book.

On the one hand, I’m like…

And on the other, I’m like…

So, the sex scenes are pretty hot.

Like, massive thumbs up. I like them.

But then….ick….the male protagonist is incredibly unlikeable. He has no respect for women. Complete misogynist. But it isn’t just the character-the narrative itself is misogynistic, in how all the women are described, in how they react so unrealistically (really? Taylor ‘shrieked in fury’ when Aiden decided not to go home with her?)

So how does the MC go from player, chauvinist, salesman bro to worshipping “his goddess.”

Easy! With some good old not-like-the-other-girls, with a dash of blaming women for male behavior.

Zoey is just soooo much better than every other woman Aiden has ever met. It’s not his fault he treated women like trash, it’s their fault, because none of them were dominant in the bedroom. Yep, they weren’t custom made for him, like a build-a-bitch, so they deserved to be treated poorly.

Right now, it’s gearing up to be a 3 star read. But looking at the goodreads reviews, it sounds like there is some cuckolding in my future, so…if that’s the case, this is gonna be a 2 or 1 star, depending on how graphic the humiliation is. That’s just not my thing and there’s nothing in the blurb indicating this is a cucking book.

I’m also still working my way through…

What Do You Plan To Read Next?[image error]

I love Candace Owens. She’s so smart. She advocates so much for the black community, and because she doesn’t do it the “right way” because she’s a conservative, she’s attacked constantly for all the good that she does.

I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while. I’ve been watching Candace as a pundit for ages, and this will be the first time I’m reading something of hers.

Okay, that’s it for me! What are you reading this Weds?

Schedule of Writing Discord Classes

Edit: the Starting Your Story class has been canceled. IT will be rescheduled but date is TBD.

Join ‘The Writer’s Block’ discord to attend these free 1 hour classes.

Hybrid Writing: Getting the Best of Plotting and Pantsing will be taught by yours truly. Here is the associated google classroom.

First Impressions: Staring Your Story will be taught by Nikita Nian

Author Branding will be taught by Pixie Stormcrow

So, please come hang out if you want to learn some new skills. Personally, I’m really looking forward to Pixie’s class. She’s so savvy when it comes to branding, especially the visual stuff, since she’s such a talented freelance graphic designer. And as an author who is both traditionally and self-published, she has a vast amount of insight into the book industry as a whole.

Also, ever since Nik started modding for the discord, it’s been so active and fancy! I should have let a youth take over a long time ago. He’s got it looking all organized. He got roles set up. Best of all, he has all these cool bots in there and livestreaming channels. People have been playing music in discord and livestreaming writing and map-making.

As we speak, he’s setting up our first discord giveaway. The person who invites the most new people to discord will win a swag back of book merch from my etsy store and a signed hardcover of Combustion.

Gah! Nikita Nian over here making my community so legit

Anyway

TLDR: Free classes scheduled, with more in the works

-livestreams of map-making and smut writing

-listen to music with friends

-competition with a book swag giveaway

Lots more fun stuff to come

Join discord here

Free Writing Classes in my Discord now!

Inspired by the class I recently taught in a Kindle Vella discord, I decided to get something similar up and going in my discord server, ‘The Writer’s Block.’

You can join by clicking here!

Several writers and established authors (both indie and traditionally published) have offered to teach classes in their areas of expertise.

Some of the planned topics in the works are: author branding, the science fiction genre, and self-publishing erotica.

More to come on those later!

For now, there are two classes scheduled for this Friday. To attend, all you have to do is join the discord and show up in the voice channel at the right time. Participation is totally voluntary; people can come and watch or jump in with questions. There may even be a class activity if there’s time.

Just be aware that classes may be recorded. I know I plan to put my classes up on my youtube channel. Other instructors may choose to do the same.

But yeah, free classes. We have a cool little co-op of writers who all have their own little niche of expertise.

Without further ado, here are the classes on the roster for this Friday 5/14

Hybrid Writing: Getting the Best of Plotting and Pantsing

Taught by Jyvur Entropy

5/14 at 10-11 am EST

The Google Classroom has the powerpoint for those who want to follow along. Also a recording of the last live class, several supplementary materials and character map resources, and a place to submit questions ahead of time.

First Impressions: Starting Your Story

Taught by Nikita Nian

5/14 12-1pm EST

Psst! This is the guy to learn opening hooks from. His book Self starts with this line:

Nik writes horror and dark fantasy, but I’m sure a lot of his insights can be applied to any genre.

Okay! That’s it.

Gosh, look at how much I get done now that I don’t spend 30 hours a week obsessing over the manosphere.

It’s a way better use of my time giving back to the writing community

I hope to see a lot of you this Friday!

Click here to join the community

My Fursona

When I started collaborating on a furry VN (which I’m so darn excited about! Eep! Part book part video game! :D) I was asked what my fursona would be. I said it would be a spider monkey. A spider monkey with one arm and an assault rifle, wearing a Die Antwoord hoodie, skinny jeans, and uggs.

Well, my buddy leading the furry VN project got with his very talented artist friend, Hazel West, and Hazel drew me this!

Look at how cute it is! I love that angle. So sassy XD

Hazel West is a great artist. They also drew the cover for my Sylek Phantasm Yeti Monster girl book.

They are such a great artist! And they take commissions

I just thought it was really nice they drew me a fursona and wanted to shout them out.

Super cute!