Giselle Renarde's Blog, page 109

A FREE READ is always the answer...

All week, I've been stressing about what I would write today for Transgender Day of Remembrance.  Sometimes I just feel totally impotent when it comes to communicating the social challenges and actual physical dangers faced by trans people.

If you come here often, you know my girlfriend is trans.  We're kind of in the same blessed boat, though. We're really, really lucky--both of us.  I can't remember any major hate being thrown at me for being queer.  In my family, my sister's vegetarianism is miles more controversial than my queerness.  Nobody gives two fucks that my primary attraction is to women.

I've mentioned before that my Sweet isn't out with her family because she perceives that they would hate her forever, but that's not at all the reaction she's had from other people--inside and out of the LGBT population.  I don't want to downplay the mean-spirited remarks a few people have made to her, but I will point out that they are few and far between.  Like, you can count them on one hand.

This is not the case for many trans women. Not at all, at all, at all.  Trans women face harrassement and danger just walking down the street.  And I'm not talking about "other people in other places."  I'm talking even here in Toronto.  There's a term, "Walking While Trans"--police think they're entitled to stop you if they pick you out of the crowd as a trans woman.  Because if you're a trans woman, you are therefore a dirty, dirty whore and you deserve to be given a hard time.

Yeah.

And until more of the population wakes up to the fact that trans people are PEOPLE (just like...people!), we're just going to continue ignoring the all-too-frequent suicides and murders of folks who are trans and genderqueer.  Christ, we value animals over trans women.  Not that we shouldn't value animals--you know I'm a crazy cat lady--but I just don't understand how we can so wretchedly devalue human lives if they belong to people whose gender identity is deemed unnatural or dangerous or fucked, or whatever hateful rhetoric Sun Media and all those dicks are spewing these days.

Ugh... okay, I'm getting so mad I'm becoming incoherent, so let's move on.

Today, in honour of Transgender Day of Remembrance, I'm offering my ebook Future Histories: Transgender Sci-Fi Erotica for FREE at All Romance Ebooks (btw, I know the word "transgenderED" is plastered all over that book and all I can say while remaining diplomatic to the powers that be is that I didn't put it there. Sorry!  Not my fault!)

Future Histories is a mini-anthology of 3 short stories featuring near-future transgender characters.  After everything I've written above, it might seem incongruous that 2 of those 3 stories feature sex workers, but... well, read the stories and make your own decisions about whether or not these characters represent heartfelt portrayals of genuine people. 

After all, just for today, it's free:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-futurehistoriestransgenderedscifierotica-520325-143.html

Hugs,
Giselle

Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...

The Year of No Christmas

I want to talk about food banks.

This year, my siblings decided they didn't want to exchange Christmas gifts.  They figured they had everything they needed, and they didn't want any more stuff.  Well, by the time they told me this I'd already decided that I was going to ask my family to make donations to local food banks rather than giving me gifts.

So here's what I pitched: why don't we exhange non-perishables on Christmas morning?  That way we still get to carry out our traditions of gathering around the tree and showing that we were thinking of one another, but in the end we will donate everything to food banks.

Would you believe that everyone was on board except my mother?  She's supposed to be the adult (not that we "kids" aren't all adults too), but you'd think she'd be mature and proud of her children.  Nope.  She's disappointed.  She's complaining that we're not celebrating Christmas properly.

Too bad.

People in this city NEED food.  My family doesn't NEED knick-knacks and Christmas crap.  Mom, I love you, but get real.  (I'm going to get some angry be-nice-to-your-mother emails, aren't I?)

I've got food banks on the brain, so I've been doing a lot of research into local organizations and I want to share some info with you.  Let's start with what to give, shall we?  If you're with me and you want to GIVE this holiday season (or any season), here are some suggested food donations from a Toronto organization called North York Harvest Food Bank:

Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world and people’s food needs are just as diverse. Think about variety when you donate and consider giving food that you enjoy eating at home. Below are some suggested food giving ideas.
Food ideas:Grains – rice (white and brown), flour & whole grains (wheat, barley, bulgur), quinoa, pastaCanned fish and meat – salmon, tuna, sardines, corned beef, chicken and other non-pork productsCanned or dried beans – chickpeas, kidney beans, lentilsCooking oil – canola oil, olive oilCanned fruit – peaches, pears, pineapple (packed in juice and water instead of syrup)Canned vegetables – corn, green beans, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, water chestnuts, cabbage, sweet potatoFruit juice – 100% juiceCereals – High fibre, whole grain or multi-grain cereals, oatmealHealthy snacks and spreads – peanut butter, almond butter, unsalted nuts, low fat popcorn, low fat granola bars or cereal bars, crackers, cookies (arrowroot, digestive, oatmeal)Baby products – formula, infant cereals, baby food, diapersCanned or powdered milkSpices and seasonings – turmeric, mustard seed, chilli powder, curry paste, sauces and marinades

The point I particularly love and live by is "consider giving food that you enjoy eating at home."  I buy for food banks while I'm doing my personal grocery shopping.  Basically, I do a "one for me, one for you" sort of thing.

I think one huge gap that prevents a lot of people from donating to food banks and other organizations is a belief that the people accessing these resources are somehow... "other."  They're different.  They're poor.  And why are they poor?  Because they're LAZY.  If they'd only get off their asses and get a goddamn JOB, then they wouldn't be asking for a handout, now would they?

I've heard stats about how many people carry these specific beliefs, and they're staggering.

Today, I might not need to access a food banks... well, okay, I'm not be the best example since I already live below the poverty line... so let's use YOU as an example.  Today YOU might not need to access a food bank, but unless you've got psychic insights you can't be entirely sure what your life will look like a year from now.  And, a year from now, if you were in a situation where you couldn't afford to feed yourself or your children, your elderly parents, other dependents, what would you hope for?

Hunger Statistics from Daily Bread Food Bank, Toronto:



I remember being a kid.  Barely.  But it's still there.  And one thing I remember very specifically was the shabbiness of my school lunches compared with those of my classmates.  Maybe all kids feel that way, but I know first-hand that hungry kids are desperately jealous of their well-fed friends.  That's part of my lived experience.  And that's why I like to donate nourishing foods that kids would be excited to bring to school.

Get thinking.  Get excited.  I am.

This Christmas is going to be GREAT, regardless of what my mother says.

For a closer look at the face of hunger in Toronto, I highly recommend the Who's Hungry Report 2012: http://www.dailybread.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/WhosHungryReport2012LowRes.pdf

If you want to find out about hunger in your area and how you can help, do a quick google search.

Do it now.

Hugs,
GiselleGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...

The Chance I Never Had

With Christmas coming up, I've got The Red Satin Collection on my mind.  If you've never heard of The Red Satin Collection, it's Maisie and Regan's holiday love story.  The collection is comprised of three stories (Red Satin, The Night Before Red Satin Christmas, and Red Satin Christmas) and until the end of the year I'll be donating 50% of my royalties from these ebooks and the collection paperback to a peer support organization for LGBT youth.  

I've posted all this before, but it's weighing on me right now.  

What's on my mind?  Just one aspect of the story: Regan's reunion with her alcoholic father. 

It's funny when I write a character who is so clearly ME and don't even realize it. Butch Regan (hater of shopping trips, secure in her sexuality, and very much in love with her trans friend Maisie) is such a ME character that I probably wouldn't have been able to write the Red Satin stories if I'd realized it at the time.

The Red Satin Collection is not based on real life events. Not at all. It's based on real people (my girlfriend and I), but the stories are speculation. The stories are "what ifs." My girl is not out with her family yet the way Maisie is. After almost 4 years as a couple, we haven't spent a Christmas together the way Regan and Maisie do. I've never cheated on my girl the way Regan cheats on Maisie--and definitely not with any of her sisters.
I also never got Regan's chance at reunion with my alcoholic father. 

When my dad died, we'd been estranged for a dozen or so years. I cut ties with a heavy heart after he became increasingly abusive toward myself and my family, stealing from us, issuing death threats against my mother, my siblings, and I. There was a time when we were truly afraid for our lives.  Restraining orders were issued, not followed. My mother installed bars on our windows because he kept breaking into our house.
So, that was "real life" many years ago.
In "real life" today, I don't find myself speculating on the possibilities, but I always say my writing comes more from my unconscious than my conscious mind. I never ask myself questions like: What if my father had quit the bottle? What if he'd seen the error of his abusive ways and developed wisdom in the time we didn't know each other? What if he'd come back into my life with something to teach me? What if he could meet the woman I love and admire our relationship? ...at Christmas?

Maybe I'm too pragmatic or even too bitter to ask these questions, I don't know, but The Red Satin Collection (the story called Red Satin Christmas in particular) isn't afraid to play with them. Maybe writing is nothing more than cheap therapy. And maybe it's more than just therapy for the writer. I'm not saying The Red Satin Collection is a self-help book (it's trans lesbian erotic romance, actually) but I think it did help me, somehow.
I think everything I write helps me. Somehow.
Hugs,Giselle--
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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http://twitter.com/GiselleRenardeGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...

Fictionwise is Closing

So, you probably know this by now, but Fictionwise is on its way out.  A few years ago Fictionwise was a major e-tailer.  It was THE place to sell e-books.  Now, not so much.

Here's the e-mail they sent around earlier this week:

Dear Fictionwise Customer,

As you may know, in March of 2009, Fictionwise (comprised of several eBook retail websites, including Fictionwise.com, eReader.com and eBookwise.com) was acquired by Barnes & Noble.

Fictionwise is in the process of winding down its operations. The Fictionwise sites will end sales on December 4, 2012 and you will not be able to access your Fictionwise Bookshelf through the site after January 31, 2012.

If you haven't done so already, we recommend that you back up all files by January 31, 2012. You can learn more about downloading your Fictionwise files here: http://www.fictionwise.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm.

If you have deposited Micropay Dollars, a Buywise Club membership or an eMagazine subscription with undelivered issues, we will reimburse you as they will no longer be valid after December 4, 2012. You will receive a separate communication regarding this matter.

For more information about the Fictionwise wind down, including additional details on how this change in service will apply to current Buywise Club members, eMagazine subscriptions, Micropay Dollars and more, please visit our FAQ web page: http://www.fictionwise.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm

We greatly appreciate your support of Fictionwise over the years. Together, we helped pioneer eBooks and eReading.

Thank you.


The Fictionwise TeamGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...

New Holiday Release: Melting the Snowman

I saw this e-book advertised in the All Romance newsletter yesterday, and I thought to myself "Nice Cover!"  It wasn't until this morning that I realized Melting the Snowman is a Christmas anthology and I've got a story in it!  That was a nice surprise.

My story in this collection is called "Head to Mistletoe" and it's... wow, okay, it's kind of insane.  It's about an open-minded couple and their open-crotched mistletoe novely underwear.  When they wear their skanky undies to a Christmas party, what should break out but spanking, exhibitionism, public sex... you name it!

Here's more infor about Melting the Snowman:

An Xcite Books collection of five festive stories with mixed themes including m/f, f/f, partner swap, exhibitionism, Christmas, winter, winter sports, party, threesomes, office sex, risky business, outdoor sex and cougar.

Melting the Snowman by Josie Jordan

Carrie Mason is a freestyle snowboard coach and she loves her job, especially as her current client is the gorgeous JJ Green – having to rub down his near-naked body at the end of every day is a lesson in self-control. Unfortunately, the way he’s performing at the moment, his sponsors are going to dump him and she’ll be out of work. That is unless she can somehow melt his frosty exterior and unleash the passion that simmers beneath.

Head to Mistletoe by Giselle Renarde

When Jess and Lars wear their novelty mistletoe underwear to Stone and Ravinia’s Christmas party, they’re bound to show it off. Lars starts the naughtiness by spanking Ravinia in her sexy Santa Girl outfit. Jess dares him to reveal his mistletoe and Lars agrees – but only if she shows hers too … in front of everyone!

All I Want for Christmas is… by Kay Jaybee

Holly has a secret wish. After years of having erotic fantasies about her friend Ivy, she decides that something has to be done before her secret desires drive her mad. So Holly writes a very special letter to Father Christmas. Unbeknown to Holly, however, she isn’t the only one with a kinky Christmas request – Ivy’s boyfriend Owen also has a seasonal wish he longs to fulfil …

Cinderella Gets her Prince by Adam G Wright

He’s behind you … oh yes he is! A strait-laced academic in her everyday life, Fiona acts out her passions on stage. And now she’s been cast as Cinderella in her drama society’s pantomime, she’s planning to seduce Prince Charming – played by her long-time heart-throb, Gareth. If her strategy succeeds, she’ll get a taste of what’s inside his tight white breeches, sauced with vengeance for past wrongs. How will her prince react when he discovers that Cinders isn’t as innocent as he assumed?

Naughty … and Nice! by Tony Haynes

Every Christmas Eve, Sandra, the boss at Sinful Sex Toys, turns her office into Santa’s Grotto and lets her staff take their pick of the naughty Christmas gifts on display. As everyone heads home for the holidays, she finds herself alone with Callum, the sexy-smooth new boy on the team. And a flirty, festive kiss promises to turn into something far more passionate beneath the mistletoe …

***
So if you're in the mood for some holiday erotica, check it out.  Melting the Snowman is brought to you by the fine folks at Xcite and available from:

All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-meltingthesnowman-997951-166.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Melting-Snowman-Santas-Secrets-ebook/dp/B00A7GJ79M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353169279&sr=1-1&keywords=melting+the+snowman

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Melting-Snowman-Santas-Secrets-ebook/dp/B00A7GJ79M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353169376&sr=1-1


Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...

FREE READ: Dildos and Donuts (it's lesbian strap-on sex!)

Because I'm an erotica writer with a blog that's called "Donuts and Desires," a lot of google searches lead here.  I'm talking google seaches for "donut erotica" and "donut sex." 

The "donuts" in my blog's name are actually an ode to Canada, Tim Hortons, and Homer Simpsons, but hell, I figured why not try my hand at some donut erotica?  Give the people what they want. That sort of thing.

My lesbian strap-on dildo-sucking donut sex story is up at Oysters & Chocolate.  Read it for free right now: http://oystersandchocolate.com/Stories/2564/DildosandDonuts.aspx#

Enjoy!
GiselleGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...[image error]

What You Lookin' At, Little Girl?

I'm procrasting. Are you procrastinating?  Good!  Here's something to read while you're wasting time.  If you recognize this post, that's because it was originally up at Torquere Press' blog, Romance for the Rest of Us. And if you don't recognize it, well, so much the better:



 Ageplay.


*gasps*

Yes, I said it.  Ageplay.

There are certain facets of BDSM that make (some) people super-uncomfortable, and ageplay is (definitely) one of them.  But ageplay is a game of a thousand faces, like any realm of domination and submission, and it doesn't have to involve diapers.  (Diapers seem to scare people the most, I think.)

I actually did explore that aspect of ageplay in a novella I wrote called "Nanny State," and the process of writing that book was actually incredibly illuminating.  My girlfriend, who happens to be *mumble-mumble* years older than I am, edited the manuscript for me and it sparked incredible discussions that we'd kind of held at bay until then.

"Age doesn't matter."

Isn't that what people say when they're involved with a romantic partner whose age is vastly different from their own?  Or is that just what the younger person says while the older one nods knowingly?

All my adult life, I've been involved with people who were older than me, and in most cases, significantly so.  If it's a trend, I guess I can't say "age doesn't matter," because I've obviously got a key demographic in my sights.

When I was in my twenties, I was involved with a man who would absolutely NOT use our age differential as a sexual tool.  Spanking was the most taboo word in that relationship.  He was old enough to be my father, and that made him so uncomfortable I'm amazed he didn't explode.

Now I'm partnered with a wonderful woman who is much more open to discussing topics that make (most) people uncomfortable.  It's been a revelation, in many respects, but working on Nanny State together really opened us up to possibilities we never imagined exploring.

If I slip up in conversation and call my girlfriend "Mom" (which has happened more than once), it doesn't upset her psychologically.  It doesn't make her re-evaluate whether we should be a couple.  No, it makes her laugh.  She always recognized that undercurrent and, what's more, she believes that the parent/child dynamic exists within every relationship, whether people are friends, family, lovers, same age or not.  (She's Freud to my Jungian schooling, but we make it work. LOL)

So you probably won't be surprised that the older/younger dynamic shows up in a great deal of my writing.  Like my Christmas story Naughty: Full to Bursting, available from Torquere Books.  In that story, Wanda is a little older than Janelle, and calls her "little girl," which Janelle likes even though she doesn't really want to like it.

What do you say?  Does ageplay squick you or is it awesome?  Or neither?  Are there realms of BDSM that you wouldn't ever explore?

Comment away, my friends!
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
donutsdesires.blogspot.com Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...

Mischief's New Cougar

NaNoWriMo is taking up most of my life, so I haven't been online as much as usual this month. Poor blog's been a little neglected, hasn't it? Awww...

Well, here's something to get excited about: there's a new erotic anthology on the market and the price is killer!


CougarAn Erotica Collection Ten sexy stories about older women and the younger lovers they seduce. Original erotica from Lily Harlem, Primula Bond, Liz Coldwell and many more.

Sara’s guest house becomes a honey trap for young studs.

When Jared mistakenly gives Miss Fenchurch a video of one of his performances, her fuse is lit for an explosive private performance.

Mrs Murdoch revisits the past and gets her kicks in the world of rock and roll.

Cougars are on the prowl in this Mischief collection.
Download now: £0.99http://www.mischiefbooks.com/books/cougar/   
My story in this collection is one of my new favourites.  It's a lesbian spanking story called Insegnante:

Now that Sharifa's grown up, educated, and has a high-powered business job, she decides it's time for those piano lessons she couldn't afford as a kid. But Sharifa's job leaves little time to practice and her multilingual instructor, Mrs. Zamani, is serious about her students' success. When Mrs. Zamani raps Sharifa on the fingers for failing to make progress, Sharifa is dead set against returning... but she's got something to prove now, and maybe she appreciates Insegnante's brand of corporal punishment more than she's willing to admit?

Check "Cougar" out at Mischief:  http://www.mischiefbooks.com/books/cougar/Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...

Vanilla-Free Christmas: Manlove Edition

Last week, I posted a little teaser about an upcoming Evernight Publishing anthology called Vanilla-Free Christmas.  Well, there's an M/M edition that will also be coming out at the beginning of December and I've got a story in it called "Enough About Earl."

This Christmas, good will isn’t all these sexy men are going to get…

Ménage loving and chance encounters will make the holidays merry and bright and hot enough to keep out the cold. From a romp in Santa’s candy house to a dinner party where chains and collars are required attire, Christmas for these naughty men is going to be anything but vanilla.
Be Warned: m/m sex, m/m/m ménage sex, BDSM, sex toys, rimming


Coming December 4th from Evernight Publishing Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...

Leather and Love: How Romance Helps Stamp Out Hate

In September, a big batch of "Charity Sips" were released by Torquere Press.  This year, proceeds from their sales are going to NOH8.

As a queer woman, and an author of queer fiction, any cause that supports the LGBTQ population is aces in my books.

As a Canadian, I've got to admit, there are certain things I take for granted.  Same-sex marriage is a big one.

If I were a generation older, I might feel differently.  I might have been more involved, whether personally or politically, in establishing this right for gay and lesbian Canadians.  But I'm only in my thirties, so marriage wasn't much on my mind the first time I saw an queer wedding.

Rev Brent Hawkes: Rock Star!If I'm not mistaken, the first gay AND lesbian wedding (there were two couples involved) here in Toronto in 2001 was on the TV news.  The ceremony was performed by Rev. Brent Hawkes, who is like a rock star to me.  Whenever I see him at Pride or such occasions, my knees go all wobbly.  He's super-cool.

Those two marriages were put through the legal wringer, and not registered until 2003, after an Ontario Court of Appeals ruling.  It was finally determined that, by restricting legal marriage to hetero couples, Canadian laws violated citizens' equality provisions under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That needed to change, and it did change.

Ontario was the first Canadian province to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but the rest of the country wasn't far behind.  By the time the Federal government enacted Bill C-38 in 2005, formally legalizing same sex marriage throughout the country, only 2 provinces and 2 territories had NOT already started allowing gay men and lesbians to marry legally.

This all feels like another lifetime, to me, even though 2001 was scarcely a dozen years ago.  The battles have been fought and won here in Canada.  Of course, there's always more to be done.  At the moment, Ontario is leading the way in formal rights for trans people like my girlfriend.  This year, it was deemed that a trans man or trans woman did NOT have to undergo "bottom surgery" in order to have their gender changed on legal documentation.  That's an incredible feat.

But it would be stupid to rest on our laurels when so much of the world still denies rights and freedoms to queers like me.  I'm not saying that Canada is some kind of promised land--not at all! It tears me up inside when I hear about our Canadian government denying refugee status to persons fleeing their countries of origin on the grounds that their sexual or gender identity makes them a target of extreme hatred and violence.  Threats against them are real and life-threatening, and it's like we in Canada want to hide our heads in the sand and pretend the world is a pretty place for everyone.

I've never been married and I've never been much of a "yay marriage" sort of person, but I still recognize that the right ought not be denied any couple (or more, but that's another matter altogether) on the basis of gender.  The denial of rights to LGBTQ people is a clear indication of the "secret" marriage of church and state, particularly in America.  Okay, it's no secret, is it?

Well, that was a bit more of a history lesson than I intended it to be, but it's been on my mind throughout the American electoral season.  It's impossible to ignore American politics when you live next door.  You can close the windows, but damn it's loud over there! LOL

As I mentioned at the head of this post, Torquere's Charity Sips are benefitting NOH8 this year.  The topic across the board was "leather" so I'm sure you'll find lots of BDSM titles in the bunch.  My story is a little different.  It's a lesbian historical/legend about an Englishwoman new to the New World and fallen star who comes to Earth as a First Nations woman.  They couldn't be more different, but they've got a thing or two to learn from one another.

My Charity Sip is called "To Dream of Her True Love's Face" and you can find it at Torquere Press and Rainbow Ebooks.

Oh, and did I mention this post is part of a Charity blog hop?  Check out Torquere's blog for participating authors and chances to win cool prizes, including a $50 gift certificate for Torquere Press! http://glbtromance.blogspot.com

Hugs,
Giselle Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/ero...