Giselle Renarde's Blog, page 141

Last Day to Win a FREE ebook!

I'm givin' it away, so if you want it, enter today!












Yup, that's right. I'm giving away an ebook to each of 10 lucky winners. This contest has been going on for a while, but today is the absolute final day to enter.
There are lots of menage and bi/pansexual-themed Giselle Renarde titles to choose from on this list, and if you'd like to find out more about any of them you can visit my Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Giselle-Renarde/e/B003B3MKM4
Or, if you want to read excerpts from these titles, you could visit All Romance http://www.allromanceebooks.com and either run a search on the title or run an author search for Giselle Renarde.

Today, October 15th 2011, is the FINAL day to enter this contest.
Enter now: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DLL9C9B
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.


Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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

New Release: Red Satin Chistmas, trans lesbian erotic romance

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Who ever said you can't feel Christmassy in October? Sure you can! Just get yourself a candy cane and a copy of Red Satin Christmas, and you're all set.
For those who aren't yet familiar with my Red Satin trilogy, it's a love story between Regan, a butch Cree lesbian, and her long-time friend Maisie, a male-to-female transsexual. So... let's see... I guess that makes Red Satin Christmas an interracial trans lesbian erotic holiday romance. Yes? Yes.
When I sat down to write this, the third book of the series, I wasn't sure I'd be able to fit any sex into it. The plotline came across so strongly in my head, and it was so full of family drama I didn't know how the hell I was going to get these girls into bed.
Well, in fact, Regan and Maisie start the book in bed and they just keep coming back for more. As many who have read my transgender erotic fiction will know, the sex I write tends not to be overblown or exploitative of trans characters. The bedroom scenes, while explicitly erotic, are always honest and true to the characters. They reflect my own experiences with my girlfriend, who is a trans woman.
But enough about me! Let's get right into Red Satin Christmas:Red Satin 3: Red Satin Christmas Series: Red Satin , Book 3
By: Giselle Renarde | Other books by Giselle Renarde
Published By: loveyoudivine
Published: Oct 13, 2011
ISBN # 5075_1074 Word Count: 29,395
Heat Index
This is a Christmas of firsts for girlfriends Regan and Maisie. Maisie hasn't returned to her hometown since beginning her transition from male to female. Her mother and sisters welcome her with open arms, but what about brother Jerry? Is he just going to ignore her forever? And who is this mystery woman he's brought home for the holidays?

Regan figures she's just along for the ride, lending her girlfriend support, until Maisie's mother surprises her with a special dinner guest. Regan hasn't spoken to her hard-drinking Cree father in years, and he's the last person in the world she wants to sit across from at Christmas dinner. Can Regan finally trust the man who's once again claimed to have changed for good?

Together, Regan and Maisie face drama beyond their wildest imaginings. Will their trials during this eventful family Christmas challenge their bond… or vanquish their limitations? Excerpt: Chapter 1: Early One Morning…

It was one of those wake-ups where you're not quite sure where you are at first, and for a couple seconds you don't even care because it feels so good to be alive. And then everything that happened the night before comes flooding to mind, and the morning takes a sharp turn…

Regan had slept on her side, which put a crimp in her neck, but Maisie was pressed right up against her back, enfolding her in the world's warmest arms. Even if she'd wanted to, she couldn't have moved. Regan was right at the edge of Maisie's little twin mattress.

When the world came into focus, Regan stared straight ahead, at the lower shelves of the bookshelf in her girlfriend's childhood bedroom. It was most definitely a space decorated for a boy—royal blue walls with a Toronto Maple Leafs border, autographed souvenir baseballs from when the Jays won the World Series in '92 and again in '93—but Regan tried to ignore that fact as much as she tried to ignore the erection lodged firmly between her ass cheeks. Morningwood was something Maisie couldn't help, and Regan knew her girl would find it humiliating if called attention to. Penises were not Maisie's favourite thing in the world, and she had especially harsh feelings toward her own. Regan thought Maisie was the most beautiful woman in the world, penis or no penis, but of course she'd respect her girl's wish to downplay the existence of that appendage.

Maisie shifted, making soft moaning noises in her sleep, her long silky nightgown rippled against Regan's naked back. God, it felt good to have a woman's soft fabrics against her skin. Regan never wore stuff like that herself.

The winter sun hadn't yet risen, and Regan couldn't see a clock anywhere, but she figured it must be pretty early because she couldn't hear anyone wandering around in this house full of people. She had a faint need to pee, but just couldn't bring herself to leave a warm bed and a hot body.

As Maisie carved her own path from sleep to wakefulness, her curvaceous body stretched and writhed. Regan felt the motion against her back like a giant caterpillar. And then that wave halted, and she knew Maisie had swum her way back to consciousness enough to realize her body was betraying her. For a moment, she was stone, and then her soft arms retracted from around Regan's naked form. When Maisie rolled away after a night in such close proximity, Regan felt it like a stab in the gut.

"Morning, Beautiful," Regan whispered before she'd even turned to look at Maisie. Self-fulfilling prophecy—even with a few stray specs of stubble growing in, Maisie was the prettiest girl Regan had ever known.

Still, Maisie buried her head beneath a pillow and moaned, "Charmer."

...You can read the ENTIRE first chapter at loveyoudivine or All Romance ebooks!...
Buy Now from:
loveyoudivine Alterotica
Amazon
All Romance ebooks
Red Satin Series at ARe
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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

New Lesbian Erotica: Weekend At Wilderhope Manor

In my ongoing attempt to draw attention to lesbian fiction, today Donuts & Desires showcases a brand new work by Lucy Felthouse:When Stephanie and Jenny go to a Murder Mystery Halloween weekend at Wilderhope
Manor, they're expecting fun and games. But following creaky floorboards, spooky noises
and an alarming encounter in the Manor's grounds, the girls begin to wonder if there's more
to Wilderhope Manor than meets the eye. As they find frequent comfort in one another's
arms – and their bed – will the girls discover what's causing the bumps in the night, or will
they run scared?

Excerpt:

The car trundled up the long driveway, the crunching of gravel beneath tyres the only sound
as Stephanie and her girlfriend, Jenny, peered out of the windows at their surroundings.

Even at dusk the tree-lined driveway was impressive with perfectly maintained parkland,
spanning for acres on either side of it. As Stephanie steered the Fiesta around a bend in the
track, they both gasped. Their destination, Wilderhope Manor, had come into view and it
was stunning. The Tudor style property was huge, with no less than three frontages visible
from where they were. Chimneys with intricately built patterns jutted into the darkening
sky, with tangles of ivy climbing parts of the manor, giving the place an appearance that was
both beautiful and foreboding.

Presently, the driveway opened out into a gravelled area, which as far as Stephanie could
tell, doubled as a car park for the weekend. Stephanie manoeuvred into a spot between two
vehicles and killed the engine. As she turned to Jenny, she jumped, startled. Her girlfriend
had leaned in close, making a scary face with her hands mimicking claws.

"Are you ready to be scared out of your wits, young lady?" Jenny rasped, wiggling her
eyebrows and fingers theatrically.

Stephanie shoved her playfully, laughing. "Come on, you silly cow. It's a murder mystery
weekend, not a monster hunt. There will be no ghosts, ghouls or vampires involved."

Stephanie got out of the car and closed the door. She'd already popped open the boot and
started unloading their bags before Jenny appeared alongside her, pouting petulantly.

"But it's Halloween tomorrow," Jenny insisted. "Anything could happen. The veil between
the living and dead will be at its thinnest, and this place is meant to be swarming with
ghosts."

"If you say so, sweetheart," she replied, rolling her eyes. She was used to Jenny's crazy
beliefs by now. "Grab your bags and let's get inside. It's cold. You got the tickets?"

Jenny nodded, brandishing her handbag in response. Jenny picked up her overnight bag as
Stephanie slammed the boot lid before locking the car, then followed her toward the grand
entrance to Wilderhope Manor.

***

A little while later, they were installed in their room. They'd each been handed a "Welcome
Pack" by the staff member who had attended to them at Reception, which consisted of their
itinerary and instructions for the weekend.

As they unpacked, she voiced one of the thoughts that had run through her head. "Have
you ever noticed how places never bat an eye at two girls sharing a room, and yet, if it's two
guys, they automatically assume they're gay?"

"They'll soon change their tune when they see your outfit for tonight!" Jenny replied,
grinning cheekily at her. "It screams 'lesbian' with every stitch!"

"Whatever do you mean, you saucy wench? Someone with girl parts dressing as a
distinguished gentleman does not a lesbian make."

"True, but I wonder what it'll do to you? Perhaps it'll work in reverse and turn you straight!"

Buy Links:

http://summerhousepublishing.com/index.php?
main_page=product_book_info&cPath=23&products_id=84

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-weekendatwilderhopemanor-607598-
140.html

http://www.bookstrand.com/weekend-at-wilderhope-manor

*****

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During
her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and
she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance,
Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She
is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. Find out more at http://
www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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

Sapphic Signs: Mirror Image by Cheri Crystal

Okay, I'll admit I've neglected the blog this week. I do apologize. I've been at Sweet's house and when she's off work we have a terrible tendency to spend entire days watching DVDs, eating, and having sex--often all at the same time. (True story!)
Anyhoo, Thursdays I like to showcase the Sapphic Signs lesbian erotic romance collection from Torquere Press, and today we feature...
Mirror Imageby Cheri Crystal

Jaylyn Dayley, professional stuntwoman, isn't afraid of anything. Except commitment. She can tuck and roll, crash and burn, and walk away unscathed, but can she survive the searing heat of her attraction for the lovely Monika Morning during her stint as the actress' stunt double?

Sample

Everything was set by the time we got back and Monika ran through her lines. I was ready, the set was ready, Josh said the word, and despite feeling like an idiot, the wool suit itched all over, even with the silk shirt tucked into the waistband. Further compounding my duress, my feet were crammed into the pointy-toe heels like a pencil as if my toes were being sharpened. It was mortifying enough being dressed this way, but being ripped a new asshole by the director, especially in front of Monika, was worse. I executed the scene and landed hard but unhurt.

"Cut!" Josh cast me a glaring look. "Everyone, go home, except for Dayley. And Monika, please come over here, too." It irked me whenever he so much as looked at Monika, but his condescending tone along with leering at her like she was his next treat, had my defenses edgy. Only knowing how easily I could be replaced kept me in check.

"What's the matter, Josh?" Monika asked sweetly while I tore at a hangnail until it bled.

"You're perfect, my dear, but I'm at my wit's end with you, Dayley. You need an attitude adjustment. Let Monika show you how to be a lady. And have the beautician pluck your eyebrows while you're at it."

Monika took my hand. Josh grimaced before he turned his back and strode away with clenched fists.

"Let's find somewhere private. And warm." She dropped my hand and walked away, expecting me to follow, but I was too busy studying her ass. Her walk was so damn sultry and sexy. I could imitate her in a heartbeat, but I really could not stand by and take Josh's shit without a fight. Let him do fifty takes. I'd nail the walk when I was damn good and ready. Only my horoscope read: "Gemini, don't worry about the pros and cons of your plans. You're under the kind of cosmic protection that means you can get away with almost anything. Take note of that little word 'almost'!" I took note of the little word 'almost' but I didn't have to like it.

"Hey," she turned. "You coming or what?"

"Yeah, I'm coming." Don't I wish, I thought, and let her lead the way.

"Good, because I'm freezing my arse off."

I was tempted to show her how well I could warm a woman up, but said instead, "Speaking of arses. What bug you suppose crawled up his?"

"Oh, ignore the old chap."

"How can I manage that?"

"I tune him out."

"I can try, but I make no promises. Doesn't it bother you when he salivates like you're his next tasty treat?"

"Let him look, but God help him if he touches. I have my limits."

I wondered what that was supposed to mean as far as I was concerned. I didn't dare touch her unless invited, I fathomed, preferring to err on the side of caution rather than risk offending her, but if she touched me, well, all bets were off.

Besides, I was known for my irresistible Gemini powers of persuasion, charm and limitless enthusiasm.

"This could work," she said, leading me to a cordoned off empty set, but stopped when the door was locked. "Wait here just a sec." She came back with Jimbo, who unlocked the door before throwing me a look dripping with envy. Monika walked in first and when she wasn't looking, his solidarity punch to my arm spoke volumes. At least I had friends in high places—Jimbo had Josh wrapped around his nicotine-stained finger.

Monika removed her coat, a long silky pea coat that had to be the reason she was chilled to the bone. "Jimbo, do you think you could order us some food?"

"Sure. What'll it be, Miss?"

"Oh, surprise me, but please, anything but curry. We've had it six nights in a row."

He smiled, the unlit cigar bobbing slightly. "How about sushi?"

"Oh brilliant, I'd like that. Do get us lots of warm sake, and I'll smother you with kisses."

He was gone in an instant. I didn't blame him. Amazingly, Monika could kiss Jimbo from here to eternity, but if Josh even brushed against her my skin crawled. The worst was when he worked on blocking movements demonstrating with his big grubby paws all over her.

Monika spun around on her heel. "You do like sushi, don't you?"

"I love it, but warm sake on an empty stomach could make me frisky."

"I'm not worried. Now come on. What is this about your stubborn swagger?"

"What does Josh have against me anyhow?"

"He's a perfectionist who doesn't like to leave any scene unfinished. You seem to go off on too many tangents."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she was so smart and I just love an intelligent woman, so I clamped my mouth shut and listened.

"I adore your vitality and have no idea why Josh wants to squash it. He should bottle it up instead and use it to his advantage. Besides, I find your zest for life attractive—just like you."

As if I wasn't already burning to a crisp, my cheeks heated up from the compliment.

"I can't get over how much we look alike, especially when you're so fair."

I squared my shoulders, as if deeply wounded.

She laughed. "Oh, all right, poor choice of words, how about light-skinned?"

"You can go for something tougher sounding than that, Monika," I teased.

"I don't know, your skin is just so pink compared to mine." Her gaze shot me like a ray gun, burning my flesh wherever it struck. "And you get bright red when you blush. A lovely shade of red that spreads from your face to your neck, to your…" She looked down at my breasts and I thought I'd surely die.

You can get Mirror Image from Torquere Press!
Hugs, Giselle--
Giselle Renarde Canada just got hotter!

Visit me online
http://donutsdesires.blogspot.com
http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/erotica
http://twitter.com/GiselleRenarde

Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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

Quick Six PRO with Angela Benedetti

Thanksgiving Monday (here in the Great White North) means another Quick Six Professional Edition, and today we've got a doozy! Strap on your marketing cap, get ready to giggle, and have a read:
Quick Six PROInterview with Angela Benedetti
Q: What's hot on the market these days?
BDSM has been hot for a few years, which is good and bad. Good because those of us who like it have more to read, bad because so much of it is awful. When a genre or subgenre gets popular, everyone and their sister-in-law pops up to write it and cash in, which means you have a lot of people who aren't knowlegeable at all, and might not even like the genre, writing books in it.
I've actually read multiple books labelled BDSM romances where not only did the main characters express disdain for the practice -- like dissing some rival club for having "all that tacky leather and chains stuff" -- but also wrapped up the story with the two main characters deciding that they didn't "need" that BDSM stuff anymore, that they had sweet-sweet *LUV* and so sweet vanilla sex was "enough" for them now, cue walk into sunset. Wow, talk about insulting your audience! In fact, I have no idea whom the target audience is for this kind of book. People who don't like BDSM aren't going to buy it because it's marketed as BDSM, and people who do like BDSM are going to be insulted and angry with the treatment.
And in general, there are a lot of ridiculous and often dangerous rules and practices touted as "standard" in books whose authors apparently did all their research by watching a couple of porn movies. They'd be wall-bangers if I didn't value my laptop. [wry smile]
If you're going to do it, do it right, do your homework, do more homework, and pass the finished product by someone who knows the subject. Which is a good idea for any specialized genre, of course, but when I see something presented in a book with a real-world setting as common and fun that I know could result in a nasty injury or death, I get extra peeved. :/

Q: On the topic of ebook piracy, hunter or head in the sand?
Neither. I certainly know it happens, and quite a lot -- I'm not "head in the sand" as in pretending it doesn't exist -- but I don't spend time hunting for pirates because I know it's ultimately futile. Sure, you can spend hours per day doing Google searches and trolling the torrent sites and sending out DMCA notices, but as fast as they come down from one site they go up on another. Or back up on the original site. Large scale theft sucks rocks, but you can't defeat it and trying is a very poor use of a writer's time.
If I get a Google notification showing that something of mine is up on a torrent site, I'll send my publisher a note and let them handle the take-down. My own time is much better spent writing, or even hanging out on social network sites doing promo. (Which also shouldn't be anywhere near the majority of your writer-time.) The thieves are gonna thieve because they're jerkwads like that. Stressing out over them would raise my blood pressure and have little other effect.
Note that I personally have no problem if a reader buys a copy of one of my books and thinks, "Hey, I'll bet Mary would love this!" and sends Mary a copy with a "Read this, you'll love it!" note. I'm sure my publisher has a different opinion, but mine is that single copies made friend-to-friend, with thoughtful recommendations, are more likely to increase my audience than anything else. It's the wholesale distribution on the torrent sites that I hate, and would stop if I could. I can't, though, so I don't waste time stressing over it.
What I'd love, honestly, would be if there were a Quick-N-EZ built-in way for readers to give away their copy of an e-book. So if someone buys an e-book and reads it, and either doesn't care for it or is the sort of person who never rereads fiction, they could choose the name of one friend from a list of names they've entered into their reader device/program, hit the "GIVE BOOK" button, and the book would be sent to their friends device/program and (after safe receipt of the file is confirmed) deleted off the original device/program. I think that most readers are honest, and would be happy with that, and would legitimately pass around a single copy of a book rather than hacking the system to be able to make a bazillion copies. This is treating an e-book like a paper book, which IMO should be legitimate. Heck, I wouldn't even care if money changed hands between the two readers, because you can sell your paper books so why not your e-books, so long as you aren't making more copies? The people who would hack around the system are already giving away hundreds or thousands of copies via the torrent sites, so there'd be no real increase in piracy there. And the people who are honest and would follow reasonable rules if it were fast and easy and, well, reasonable, would be happy to be able to give away or sell an e-book they don't want anymore. It'd be just like used book stores, library sales, garage sales and flea markets to the paper books; I'd be fine with that so long as the passing around didn't create any new copies.
DRM sucks, by the way. No DRM scheme has ever prevented any piece of electronic media from being pirated, at all, never. Only one cracker has to defeat the DRM system and get the file up onto one torrent site; from there it'll be downloaded and re-posted all over, and you're back to hundreds or thousands of copies being stolen. What DRM does do is inconvenience and upset the reader, and in some cases compromise or completely trash their computer. Call-home systems, where you have to have an internet connection and get a handshake with the distributor's server in order to use your product, turns that product (book, game, program, whatever) that you thought you purchased into a rental; you can only use it so long as the distributor thinks it's cost effective to keep that server up. Once they figure they'll lose more money paying for the server than they will cheesing off the reduced number of customers who still want to use that product, down it comes and too bad for you if you were one of the ones who wanted to replay that game or still uses that piece of software. Rootkit DRM lets hackers into your computer, and some people have had their systems destroyed by it and have had to erase their hard drives and start over. And any DRM that prevents you from making a back-up copy of your media is violating your rights as a consumer; the law says you can make a back-up copy for personal use, but the publishers tend to ignore that particularly pesky law. DRM that prevents you from converting from one e-book file format to another is inconveniencing and annoying the customers to no purpose. DRM costs the publisher money and therefore costs the customer money, it doesn't prevent piracy, and it hurts the honest customer who's handed the publisher money, making it that much more likely they'll figure "Screw it!" and decide to go figure out that torrent thing. DRM has never inconvenienced a single pirate, because none of their copies have DRM on them. It helps no one and hurts the wrong people, and the sooner publishers figure that out, the better.
I don't buy DRMed e-books, at all, ever, period. I wish more readers took a hard line on it; it might make the publishers come to their senses sooner.
Q: What should a writer's priority be?
Writing. Nothing else is more important than writing. Unless you're ridiculously lucky -- which you can never count on,and doing so is bad business -- you'll make more money with five books and no promo than you will with one book and promo-promo-promo. Pick a couple of social networking activities that you enjoy doing and that don't suck up too much of your time, then get back to your writing. Do as little rewriting as possible, get the book or story in the mail, and start on the next one. You'll improve as a writer much faster writing five stories than you will rewriting the same story over five times. Schedule your writing time first; everything else is a distant second.

Q: How do you handle a bad review?
It depends on the review. If it's a casual "This really didn't do it for me," then I just move on. Everyone has an opinion, and no book has ever been universally loved. If it's a more extensive, "This really didn't do it for me because..." with detailed explanations and specific examples from the book, those I read carefully. I don't always agree with the reviewer, but this is the kind of review that's most likely to produce useful information. I can't fix the story that's been published, but I can keep things in mind for my next story. If it's a "This sucks! It's &*%#ing @!Q&$! The so-called 'writer' should go back to flipping burgers, haha!" sort of thing, then the person who wrote it is an idiot and I don't care what idiots think.

Q: What advice do you give aspiring authors?
Write a lot. Write a story, finish it, start another one. Finish that one, and start a third, etc. Send them out if you want, or wait if you want -- maybe get an opinion from someone who's published and who'll be honest with you -- but sending a clunky book to an editor really can't hurt you any. You'll get a rejection -- so what? When you start getting personal rejections rather than form rejections, you know you're improving. Keep writing.
Read a lot. Read extensively in the genre you're writing so you know what the genre IS, what's been done, what works and what doesn't and why, and what's a cliche. Read outside your genre -- including nonfiction -- to get a broader selection of raw material, including character types, plot types, plot devices and gimmicks, styles, tones, etc. Reading extensively gives you more to write about and more ways to write it.

Q: Do you find yourself writing for the market and not for YOU, or self-censoring in any way?
Yes and no. Sometimes I don't when maybe I should've. [wry smile]
My problem is I like to write between genres. M/M Romance is amazingly free in what it lets you do -- frex., you can write a book about an established couple who are happily together at the beginning of the story and never have a relationship crisis (which means it's not technically a genre romance) but if they go out and have adventures, solve a mystery, something like that, you can probably find an M/M publisher that'll buy it, and if it's well written it'll have an audience. You absolutely can not do that on the mainstream het romance side of the business, so M/M lets us be more flexible and gives us a lot more room in which to play. On the other hand, there is an assumption that every M/M book is a romance, or at least is romantIC. You need that couple-in-love in there somewhere. There's also an assumption that a sex scene is meant to be explicitly erotic -- that is, that if there's sex in the story, it's meant to get the reader feeling at least mid-level hot and bothered. 99.9% of the M/M books out there obey these rules, no problem. But I've written a story that's not a romance -- the two guys meet and like each other and have had fun in bed, but by the end we're nowhere near an HEA or even a HFN; that wasn't the point of the story, which was meant to be more a humor story with sex as a plot device. I've written another story where the plot is essentially a guy in a relationship making a dumb mistake and getting in trouble, and his partner having to figure out what's up so he can pull him out. It's not a romance, although it's romantic. And while there's a sex scene, it's a plot device and necessary to the story but it's not really "hot" for the reader and wasn't meant to be.
Both stories have gotten criticism for not being romantic, or not being hot. And those criticisms are absolutely correct; the first one isn't romantic and the second one isn't hot. One can argue that they shouldn't have been published as M/M, but there's really no place else for them. If it's not a romance then it's not a Romance. If it's not hot then it's not erotica. But because there is explicit sex -- and gay sex at that -- the vast majority of non-erotic mainstream markets (even gay markets) wouldn't want them either. They're just sort of perched there in the middle. One could argue that I shouldn't have written those stories because they don't fit the market. Or that I should've written them differently to fit the market -- to fit some market. But I wrote them the way they wanted to be written and my publisher took them. And some readers do enjoy them -- the non-romantic one was an Editor's Pick of the Month on ARe. It still frustrates me, though, that the legitimate criticisms are caused by the assumptions we have about what a story by Publisher X should be, or what should or shouldn't be in it, rather than because of problems with the story in isolation. And genre definitions are valuable, letting people find the kinds of books they want. Maybe it's the very freedom of M/M as a genre that's messing me up, making me want that one more chunk of freedom beyond even the generously wide fences of M/M? Not sure what to do about that, short of self-censoring anything that doesn't fit cleanly into an obvious genre market.
Maybe that's a benefit of self-publishing? (Sneaking over to one of the other questions.) If a story isn't published by a publisher with a particular genre-related reputation, readers are more likely to focus on the story individually. And being able to control all the marketing material about a story would let the author make sure the reader knows exactly what she is and isn't getting. One of the most annoying things I find as a reader is buying what I think is an orange, and finding when I bite into it that it's actually a carrot. False expectations can make even the best book feel problematic, just as I'd be mad about that carrot because I wanted and expected an orange right then, even though I do like carrots.
I've read books by other M/M authors that were marketed as romances, but weren't actually romances. They were good books, but were criticized for not being very romantic, or because the reader didn't get the connection between the characters, which... yeah. So it's obviously not just me. Some clarification of what to expect in borderline cases would benefit everyone, writers and readers alike.
========== Angela Benedetti is author of:A Hidden Magic http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=2648
Fey incursions into the mortal world have been on the rise, and Paul MacAllister's trying to figure out what the king of the local Elven enclave Under the Hill is up to and how to stop it. Rory Ellison was caught up in one of those attacks and nearly killed by a gang of goblins. He doesn't believe they were real, though, and is resisting anything Paul might say to the contrary.

Normally Paul would be willing to let Rory go his own way, at least until he's taken care of more immediate business. But Rory has a particularly rare gift, one the Elven king needs to have under his control in order to carry out his plan. Keeping Rory away from the fey who will use him, to death if necessary, means protecting him night and day, whether Rory agrees or not.Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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

Six Sentence Sunday - Red Satin Christmas, Trans Lesbian Romance!

I chose the following six sentences for two reasons: a) It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and this little except involves turkey, and b) It's from Red Satin Christmas, the third book in my transgender lesbian romance series RED SATIN, which hits the market on Friday (October 14th).
Six Sentences from Red Satin Christmas:

Linda followed Regan's father and a monstrous golden turkey into the dining room, saying, "Just set that at the head of the table. I'm the designated carver around here."

That made Regan smile. Shouldn't be a man's domain, slicing up the bird. Women get stabby, too. Good practice.

If, by chance, you'd like to prepare for the third Red Satin story by reading the first two, you can get a copy of Red Satin (1) here and The Night Before Red Satin Christmas (2) here!
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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

How Do You Treat Yourself?

I just heard on the radio that it's empowering to give yourself a treat for a job well done. The radio host was talking about treats in relation to Fridays, which makes sense if you work a Monday to Friday workweek. I happen not to, but when I was a kid, Friday night was "chip night" in my family. That was the only night of the week we treated ourselves to pop and chips, and it was something I definitely looked forward to.
As an adult, I sort of miss that kind of weekly tradition. Since I write every day, I don't have a designated "Friday." I don't have a specific day to treat myself. Now I'm thinking I should.
So I want to hear from you! Is Friday special, or is another day special, or is every day special? How do you treat yourself?
Share, share, share!
Hugs,Giselle
--
Giselle Renarde Canada just got hotter!

Visit me online
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Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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

Sapphic Signs: Stubborn as a Bull

I can't believe we've reached the fourth week of Sapphic Signs (yes, the astrologically-based lesbian fiction line at Torquere Press) already! Today I'm pleased to introduce D.L. King's contribution:
Stubborn as a Bullby D.L. KingKat tends bar at the local watering hole. A free spirit, she's fine hooking up with random hot girls from time to time, but not interested in settling down. Her best friend thinks what she really needs is a full-time girlfriend.

Enter Lil, a local restaurateur who's smitten by Kat and won't take Kat's brush-offs for an answer. But the more Lil chases Kat, the more she runs away. Besides, Kat's got her eye on the adorable butch or maybe the hot stripper. She doesn't have time for love, right? Good thing Lil's stubborn, stubborn as a bull.

Sample

If I had a type, it was submissive girls; the ones who would take a passive role, sexually. I'd never really thought about it before, but that was the answer. I was attracted to sexually submissive girls. Well, that made sense since I was most comfortable being the aggressor in sex.

And Lil wasn't part of that genus, even if she was kinda cute. Aha! Sometimes it takes me a while to piece things out in my mind. So what if I have to do a full anlaysis before coming up with a thesis? It's just the way I operate. I wanted to explain it to Carla, but she was gone and I had to work until nine. That's always the way, people ask me questions and don't stick around for the answers.

Of course, all this thinking about the different kinds of girls I found attractive had made me horny. Maybe I didn't always recognize flirting when it was aimed at me, but I could certainly dish it out to my customers. Who knew, the perfect little cutie might walk into the bar at any moment and I could get lucky. Here's the thing, though: aggressor in bed; yes, aggressor in life; not so much. I usually waited for the hotties to flirt with me first.

I know, I know, it doesn't make much sense, but I had the look; the look that said I'd be in charge and wouldn't be interested in any slacking. So, if they were interested in something like that, they could just step up and say hi, and I'd take it from there. That whole, 'mystique of the bartender' thing.

Get it at Torquere Press: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3120

Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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

Everything I Forgot About Today

This is what happens when I don't write things down on my calendar. I should have remembered October 5th was a special day, but it utterly slipped my mind (until now).
I have a guest post up at the Whipped Cream blog, all about volunteer work. If you do it or aspire to it, stop on by, have a read, and share your experience here.
I've also been interviewed by Lisa Fox, where I'm giving away an e-copy of my novel Anonymous. You might find out something new about me--and you might win a book! Read it here.
Hopefully that's everything I've forgotten about today. There's an election in Ontario tomorrow--I'll have to make sure not to miss that!
Hugs,Giselle-- Giselle Renarde Canada just got hotter!

Visit me online
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Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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

UGLY NAKED PEOPLE for $0.69~Wow, What a Deal!

In celebration of GAY AND LESBIAN HISTORY MONTH/NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY Untreed Reads, the publisher of my short ebook UGLY NAKED PEOPLE, is offering 30% off all LGBT fiction and nonfiction titles at their website and at Rainbow Ebooks through the month of October.
I wish I could play up the dirtiness of seeing my ebook available at the down-and-dirty suggestive price point of $0.69, but "unfortunately" UGLY NAKED PEOPLE is one of my few non-erotic stories on the market. If not erotic, then what? I often call UGLY NAKED PEOPLE my lesbian eating disorder story, and that's actually a good characterization. It's a story about great love without being what you'd generally classify as a love story.
A reviewer at Three Dollar Bill said of UGLY NAKED PEOPLE: "Everyone should take the time to read this moving and emotional short story." (You can read the review here) So, if you're an everybody and you haven't yet read UGLY NAKED PEOPLE, here's your opportunity to pick up a copy for well under a dollar.
From Untreed ReadsFrom Rainbow Ebooks
Enjoy!Giselle
--
Giselle Renarde Canada just got hotter!

Visit me online
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http://www.wix.com/gisellerenarde/erotica
http://twitter.com/GiselleRenardeGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

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