Giselle Renarde's Blog, page 57
April 9, 2015
Flash Sale! $0.99 BDSM Billionaire Box Sets
FIFTY billionaire books by FIFTY authors, all bundled up into 4 box sets and sold for an unconscionably low price? I must be talking about be the Fifty by Fifty series.And I am! And there's a flash sale going on RIGHT NOW where you can get these sets for only $0.99. Unbelievable, right? Less than $4 for 50 books!
My novel A MAN NEEDS A MAID appears in the third set. Maybe you already own a copy. If not, take this rare opportunity to grab all four box sets for only $0.99 apiece! Don't delay, because this flash sale ends April 10th. That's tomorrow.
If you want them, buy them NOW!
Shades of Submission: Fifty by Fifty #1:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ROBVQEC?tag=dondes-20
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ROBVQEC?tag=pollyjadams-21
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shades-submission-fifty-by/id954377406?mt=11
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shades-of-submission-amy-aday/1120978618?ean=2940150204034
Shades of Domination: Fifty by Fifty #2:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SDGU4X6?tag=dondes-20
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SDGU4X6?tag=pollyjadams-21
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shades-domination-fifty-by/id958193931?mt=11
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shades-of-domination-marian-tee/1121102520?ean=2940150006294
Shades of Control: Fifty by Fifty #3:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TH8UOSY?tag=dondes-20
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TH8UOSY?tag=pollyjadams-21
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shades-control-fifty-by-fifty/id966184326?mt=11
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shades-of-control-michelle-fox/1121206355?ean=2940150011779
Shades of Surrender: Fifty by Fifty #4:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U6QHF8S?tag=dondes-20
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00U6QHF8S?tag=pollyjadams-21
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shades-surrender-fifty-by/id972659200?mt=11
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shades-of-surrender-abby-weeks/1121340951?ean=2940151371346
ENJOY!
GiselleGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
April 8, 2015
Listen hard. I'm in there somewhere.
Holiday weeks get me all muddled. I missed posting a Tell Me What You're Up To Tuesday interview yesterday, because all day I kept thinking it was Monday. Sorry about that. The feature will be back next week, if my brain can handle that.Today's news is that The Big Book of Submission (an anthology of BDSM erotica edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel) is now available as an audiobook narrated by Rose Caraway.
I contributed a short story to this book--a VERY short story. They're all very short stories. Mine is called CRUSH and it features a woman in heels stepping on a dude's balls.
I'm smiling as I write this. And chuckling a little. hehehe...
Anyway, the audiobook is available from Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Erotica-Sexuality/The-Big-Book-of-Submission-Audiobook/B00VQFYTJG?tag=dondes-20
The paperback's cute too. It's kind of a fat, tiny book. You'll like it: http://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Submission-Kinky-Tales/dp/1627780378/ref=dondes-20
Giselle RenardeCanada just got hotter!
April 6, 2015
Here's what's going to happen...
“Take off your top,” he growled.
“What? No! The neighbours…”
Ewan looked at me, eyes blazing. “We could invite them in. Meet the Welcome Wagon.”
I playfully smacked his cheek and his eyebrows went up, like he was asking, “Did you really just do that?”
Abandoning his post between my legs, my step-brother stood and grabbed my top. “What are you doing?” I shrieked, pulling it back down when he pulled it up. “You’re such a jerk, Ewan.”
“Oh, am I?” he asked, then tore my top over my head.
My first reaction was to turn around and make sure there was nobody outside.
“Showing off your bra to the hood?” Ewan asked.
That’s when I realized my breasts were smushed against the window. Gasping, I turned to face him. “I’m not taking off my bra. Don’t even think about it.”
“But you’re sooo close to naked.” He hooked his finger around the front, right between my breasts. With an almost cruel smirk, he pulled it forward and my boobs fell out with a subtle bounce. Then he said, “Undo the clasp, May.”
Moving May: A Stepbrother RomanceComing Soon to eXcessicaGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
April 3, 2015
Best of 2014: Music That Moved Me
Let me preface this post by saying I wrote it in January, then totally forgot about it, then found it in draft. Is April too late to share? Well, we've been talking music quite a lot here at Donuts and Desires, so I'm going with the better late than never approach.
Best of 2014: Music That Moved Me
Last year I did a Best of 2013 post about the best movies I'd seen that year, the best music I'd heard that year, and the best books I'd read. This year I read a lot of books but the only one that wowed me was Bonfire of the Vanities. I can't name a single movie I'd go out of my way to tell you about.
(EDIT: I was wrong. XXY. See this movie. See it. This one: http://www.amazon.com/XXy-Ricardo-Darin/dp/B001BMN35K/ref=dondes-20)
All that's left is the music.
And, let me tell you, it was SOME music!
Strangely (or not), the best albums I bought last year correspond exactly with the best live performances I saw. Here's a countdown of my top three:
3. Rufus Wainwright
The album is Vibrate. It's everything I want a Rufus Wainwright record to be--mostly because it's got all my favourite songs on it. It's a bit of a best-of dealie and I got it for $8, so kick-ass, I decry! I was a little gun-shy after feeling slightly let down by "Out of the Game," which I found a little lacking in substance. Or, maybe not substance, but lacking in that special something you're looking for when you listen to Rufus. I think I heard him say or read in an interview or telepathically drew out of his mind (? Way to cite your sources, Giselle) that he was going for a more mainstream audience with "Out of the Game," which is, I suppose why it didn't work for me. "Vibrate" did.
The live performance is... okay, I'm not going to lie to you. I couldn't afford a ticket for the concert I really wanted to see this summer. It was an all-male love duets! Mens singin' to mens and whatnot. I would have died and gone to heaven... if I'd bought a ticket, because I wouldn't have been able to eat that month. So I didn't get to see it, though I heard it was amazing. BUT I did catch Rufus in concert a couple years ago at Luminato. Thank goodness for free concerts!
2. St Vincent
The Album is St. Vincent. I bought it solely because I loved her collaboration with David Byrne, "Love This Giant" (I did love that giant! I did!). "Love This Giant" is an outstanding album. I wanted more. "St. Vincent" IS that more. It picks up where "Love This Giant" leaves off.
The live performance was an outdoor NXNE concert. I even skipped out on the Toronto Pride Opening Ceremonies in favour of St. Vincent, so that's commitment. (Also, they were like a block away from one another so... yeah). NXNE makes me feel old because I don't understand how to buy tickets (luckily this concert was free) and the other concertgoers in attendance are, on average, 57 years younger than me (which is incredible because I'm only in my thirties) but I just hang out by the police officers and all is well with the world. Highlight of the concert was "Prince Johnny," which intrigued me on the album. Live, that song was sooo and moving. I couldn't get enough.
1. Tanya Tagaq
The album is Animism, which has gone on to win awards because it's amazing. I'm gonna be Douchey Doucherson here and point out that I've been a fan of Tanya Tagaq since waaaaay before all yous guys were even born. So there! I never thought any album could compete with Auk/Blood, but this one does. I'm so delighted for her that she's received wide recognition for Animism. It is SO well-deserved.
The performance was her reclamation of Nanook of the North via throat-singing. I saw it at Luminato this summer and, my god! Talk about a life-changing experience. She had me mesmerized. I've wanted to see Tagaq live for years and I never thought it would happen. Listen, people, this is a show you NEED to see. Tagaq's concert was not only the top performance of the year, but without a doubt THE BEST thing I've ever seen on any stage anywhere at any time. Ever.
--
So that's me. How about you guys? Got a year in review for me, music-wise? I found a new music service through the Toronto Public Library, so I'm hungry for recommendations. What was your favourite album of 2014 (doesn't have to be new, just one you bought or listened to this year)? What great concert did you attend?
I'm often hesitant to write about music because I'm no expert (one of my sisters has like a PhD or something in music, so I'm the blathering idiot of every conversation), but don't you be shy. I took a chance. So can you!Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
Best of 2014: Music That Moved Me
Last year I did a Best of 2013 post about the best movies I'd seen that year, the best music I'd heard that year, and the best books I'd read. This year I read a lot of books but the only one that wowed me was Bonfire of the Vanities. I can't name a single movie I'd go out of my way to tell you about.
(EDIT: I was wrong. XXY. See this movie. See it. This one: http://www.amazon.com/XXy-Ricardo-Darin/dp/B001BMN35K/ref=dondes-20)
All that's left is the music.
And, let me tell you, it was SOME music!
Strangely (or not), the best albums I bought last year correspond exactly with the best live performances I saw. Here's a countdown of my top three:
3. Rufus Wainwright
The album is Vibrate. It's everything I want a Rufus Wainwright record to be--mostly because it's got all my favourite songs on it. It's a bit of a best-of dealie and I got it for $8, so kick-ass, I decry! I was a little gun-shy after feeling slightly let down by "Out of the Game," which I found a little lacking in substance. Or, maybe not substance, but lacking in that special something you're looking for when you listen to Rufus. I think I heard him say or read in an interview or telepathically drew out of his mind (? Way to cite your sources, Giselle) that he was going for a more mainstream audience with "Out of the Game," which is, I suppose why it didn't work for me. "Vibrate" did.
The live performance is... okay, I'm not going to lie to you. I couldn't afford a ticket for the concert I really wanted to see this summer. It was an all-male love duets! Mens singin' to mens and whatnot. I would have died and gone to heaven... if I'd bought a ticket, because I wouldn't have been able to eat that month. So I didn't get to see it, though I heard it was amazing. BUT I did catch Rufus in concert a couple years ago at Luminato. Thank goodness for free concerts!
2. St Vincent
The Album is St. Vincent. I bought it solely because I loved her collaboration with David Byrne, "Love This Giant" (I did love that giant! I did!). "Love This Giant" is an outstanding album. I wanted more. "St. Vincent" IS that more. It picks up where "Love This Giant" leaves off.
The live performance was an outdoor NXNE concert. I even skipped out on the Toronto Pride Opening Ceremonies in favour of St. Vincent, so that's commitment. (Also, they were like a block away from one another so... yeah). NXNE makes me feel old because I don't understand how to buy tickets (luckily this concert was free) and the other concertgoers in attendance are, on average, 57 years younger than me (which is incredible because I'm only in my thirties) but I just hang out by the police officers and all is well with the world. Highlight of the concert was "Prince Johnny," which intrigued me on the album. Live, that song was sooo and moving. I couldn't get enough.
1. Tanya Tagaq
The album is Animism, which has gone on to win awards because it's amazing. I'm gonna be Douchey Doucherson here and point out that I've been a fan of Tanya Tagaq since waaaaay before all yous guys were even born. So there! I never thought any album could compete with Auk/Blood, but this one does. I'm so delighted for her that she's received wide recognition for Animism. It is SO well-deserved.
The performance was her reclamation of Nanook of the North via throat-singing. I saw it at Luminato this summer and, my god! Talk about a life-changing experience. She had me mesmerized. I've wanted to see Tagaq live for years and I never thought it would happen. Listen, people, this is a show you NEED to see. Tagaq's concert was not only the top performance of the year, but without a doubt THE BEST thing I've ever seen on any stage anywhere at any time. Ever.
--
So that's me. How about you guys? Got a year in review for me, music-wise? I found a new music service through the Toronto Public Library, so I'm hungry for recommendations. What was your favourite album of 2014 (doesn't have to be new, just one you bought or listened to this year)? What great concert did you attend?
I'm often hesitant to write about music because I'm no expert (one of my sisters has like a PhD or something in music, so I'm the blathering idiot of every conversation), but don't you be shy. I took a chance. So can you!Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
April 1, 2015
#RandomBookIWrote Wednesday: Forbidden Folk
When Winter Green’s estranged mother dies, the two remaining members of her folk trio plead with Winter to come on tour. No way! Winter grew up on a tour bus. She’s got a different life now. She can’t go back.
She can never go back.
But Steven and Virginia hold one secret nobody else knows: the true identity of Winter’s mysterious father. Will her desire to meet him be enough to bring her back to the folk music fold? Or will it take forbidden love for her late mother’s bandmates to convince Winter to return to the life she fled at fifteen?
An erotic novelette from award-winning author Giselle Renarde.
Forbidden Folk
A Polyamorous Romance Novelette
by Giselle Renarde
Read an Excerpt:
“Steven?” I asked.
His hand cocooned mine. “Yes, Winter?”
“Did you ever think about…?”
He turned onto his side, so his chest was so close it grazed my tender nipples. When he spoke, I felt his breath against my lips. “Think about what, Winter?”
I couldn’t ignore the throb between my legs. I couldn’t fight it any longer. I barely had to move to kiss him, and that’s just what I did. Or did he kiss me? We moved for each other’s mouths simultaneously, opening to one another. His tongue swept mine into a frenzy as we gave in to the desire my mother had forbidden.
She must be spinning in her grave.
***
Buy Now from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LOI2R4O?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LOI2R4O
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00LOI2R4O
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00LOI2R4O
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/456828
All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-forbiddenfolk-1566572-341.html
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4895771Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
March 31, 2015
Tell me what you're up to, Kenn Dahll
Kenn Dahll! Long time, no talk. Tell me what you're up to!
Kenn Dahll: Getting used to semi-retirement. Writing as much as I can but getting discouraged by poor sales. looking at publishers other than Excessica that have calls out for anthology submissions. The reimbursement is poor but there are no cover costs. WIP is a BDSM story.
I hear that. I got an royalty statement that came in at 7 cents today, so... I understand discouraging. That was on a royalty-paying anthology. Anyhoo, got a new book out? What's it called?
Kenn Dahll: Spanish Seductions: Raul
Tell me about it.
Kenn Dahll: It's the fifth and final story in the series about Raul's adventures as a bastard son of a nobleman in 16th century Spain. Lots of sex, some BDSM, and a violence in the series; but hey, it's the time of the Inquisition!
Oh my gawwwd, that sounds mouthwatering. Where can readers buy it?
Kenn Dahll: http://www.excessica.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=813&zenid=8d6c84201e6e1519824e1e062c98f5e4
Where can readers find you?
Kenn Dahll: kdahll69@hotmail.com
Thanks so much!
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
March 29, 2015
It Burns! It Buuurns!
I'm having trouble concentrating today, so I'm going to ask you this burning question as a means of procrastination...
Here's the set-up: I wrote a book for a vampire box set that's now off the market. The book's called Earth Blood is Easy and it's a quirky sci-fi New Adult heteromance about an alien vampire who's shocked when she discovers you can't just order up blood by the glass here on earth. You have to like... suck it... out of people!
No sex. It's fun and funny (I guess it's a romantic comedy?), but it really doesn't fit with my... ummm... repertoire? What's the word I'm looking for? Well, you know what I mean. I write erotica and queer fiction. This book isn't erotic and it isn't queer. It doesn't scream Giselle.
So my question is, what should I do with it? It's previously published, but only in the box set. It was published as Earth Blood is Easy by Giselle Renarde, so whatever I do with it I'm not, like, disowning it or anything. That said, I feel like if I pub it that way (either self-pub or with an indie publisher), I'm acknowledging that it's mine, I wrote it, all that.
But from a marketing perspective... see, here's what I don't want to happen: a teen picks up Earth Blood is Easy, likes it, says to self, "I want to read more by this Giselle character" and then BAM is hit with a wall of smut. Earth Blood is Easy is TOTALLY appropriate for teens. There is no explicit content, and I think it would appeal to NA readers of all ages. It's just got that tone.
Should I publish it under a pen name? That's what I'm thinking I should do. Then it's at arm's length and there won't be any underage readers seeking out more of my work because they love this book so much they just can't get enough of me. Because that's super-likely to happen. The book's just that good.
Sorry, that was my Canadian self-effacing-ness speaking. Earth Blood is Easy really is a cute little book. In fact, of all the books I've written (and she's read), it's my girlfriend's favourite. And she's a sci-fi geek, so that says I didn't miss the mark.
What do you think? Publish it under a pen name, even if I don't intent to keep it up or write anything else for that author brand? Or is that a bad idea? Any other authors have experience with this? Any readers want to chime in?
Any good pen names to suggest...?
Thanks! Love you!GiselleGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
Here's the set-up: I wrote a book for a vampire box set that's now off the market. The book's called Earth Blood is Easy and it's a quirky sci-fi New Adult heteromance about an alien vampire who's shocked when she discovers you can't just order up blood by the glass here on earth. You have to like... suck it... out of people!
No sex. It's fun and funny (I guess it's a romantic comedy?), but it really doesn't fit with my... ummm... repertoire? What's the word I'm looking for? Well, you know what I mean. I write erotica and queer fiction. This book isn't erotic and it isn't queer. It doesn't scream Giselle.
So my question is, what should I do with it? It's previously published, but only in the box set. It was published as Earth Blood is Easy by Giselle Renarde, so whatever I do with it I'm not, like, disowning it or anything. That said, I feel like if I pub it that way (either self-pub or with an indie publisher), I'm acknowledging that it's mine, I wrote it, all that.
But from a marketing perspective... see, here's what I don't want to happen: a teen picks up Earth Blood is Easy, likes it, says to self, "I want to read more by this Giselle character" and then BAM is hit with a wall of smut. Earth Blood is Easy is TOTALLY appropriate for teens. There is no explicit content, and I think it would appeal to NA readers of all ages. It's just got that tone.
Should I publish it under a pen name? That's what I'm thinking I should do. Then it's at arm's length and there won't be any underage readers seeking out more of my work because they love this book so much they just can't get enough of me. Because that's super-likely to happen. The book's just that good.
Sorry, that was my Canadian self-effacing-ness speaking. Earth Blood is Easy really is a cute little book. In fact, of all the books I've written (and she's read), it's my girlfriend's favourite. And she's a sci-fi geek, so that says I didn't miss the mark.
What do you think? Publish it under a pen name, even if I don't intent to keep it up or write anything else for that author brand? Or is that a bad idea? Any other authors have experience with this? Any readers want to chime in?
Any good pen names to suggest...?
Thanks! Love you!GiselleGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
March 28, 2015
Give Me the Music
This one's for @amhartnett. We've been tweeting back and forth about Rufus Wainwright a lot lately, and when I was searching for another post to show her, I came across THIS one. I wrote it for Oh Get A Grip, where I blog every other Thursday, but if you're a die-hard Donuts and Desires reader and you will read NO OTHER BLOG but this one, you probably haven't seen it.
So here it is:
Give Me the Music
Have you noticed how pervasive "rockstar romance" erotic novels have become lately? I'll admit, my finger's not exactly on the pulse of modern romance trends (much as it ought to be, since I operate at least somewhat in that genre), so if I've noticed it, it must be a thing. Books, stories, 30-novel box sets, all about girls and guys lusting after rockstars.
And this is probably a brilliant trend to hop onboard--because if there's one kind of hero that never gets old, it's a rockstar hero.
I'm going to get way too personal here, because I know how much you love it when I tell you all my sexrets. (that was supposed to be "secrets" but I can't bring myself to erase a Freudian typo)
Right. So, you've probably heard me mention that, at this stage of my life, my primary attraction is to women. If you want to know something quirky and odd about me, here's a random fact: the only guys I've found myself attracted to in the past few years (aside from Professor Snape, but he's fictional anyway) are musicians.
Super-SUPER-gay musicians.
Rufus Wainwright. OMG. My heart is beating faster just looking at that name.
This is nothing new, come to think of it. When I was a preteen, I recorded my father's Elton John's Greatest Hits record onto a cassette tape and played it every night as I fell asleep, fantasizing about dancing endless tangos with him. Someone was wearing a flashy red gown, and I don't think it was me.
Earlier this year (or maybe it was last year), Ryan Field posted a call for submissions. He was putting together an anthology called The Women Who Love to Love Gay Romance. It happens that I don't read gay romance (or any romance, for that matter), but his concept of having female authors insert themselves into gay sex scenes hooked me, totally. I had to write something for him. And I did.
And it was about a gay musician. Obviously.
My story featured a fictionalized version of a Canadian indie artist called Owen Pallett. You may remember him from when he performed as Final Fantasy. Or maybe you don't know him at all. Here he is:
I wrote a story called "Baby Got Bach" for Ryan Field's anthology--a what-if scenario based on... oh boy, this is embarrassing...
See, last year Owen Pallett's first violin concerto was premiered with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He didn't perform the piece himself, but he was there. He hosted the afterparty. Yeah, so after the show I found myself in the same room as him.
He was standing right there. Right-the-fuck there. And do you think I could work up the courage to say, "Hey, I love your music."
Nope.
I stood in the corner and stared at him like a huge creepy perv. And then I left.
(I could tell you a strikingly similar story about not talking to Peter Oundjian at the Toronto Reference Library, but we'll save that for another day, methinks...)
When I got down to writing "Baby Got Bach," I kind of hit a wall of writer's block. I just couldn't envision myself engaging in any kind of activity with this Owen Pallette-esque character of mine. If I got my hands on one of the gay musicians I'm constantly perving over, what would I even do with him?
Here's the big question: do I want Rufus Wainwright's penis in my vagina?
Umm... actually, no. I don't want that at all. And yes, I realize there are many other ways to have sex, but when it comes right down to it, I don't want to do any of those things with these people. I could perv over Rufus Wainwright concert clips on YouTube ALL. NIGHT. LONG. but I don't want to fuck him. I'm almost disappointed in myself, admitting that, but I just can't picture it.
Maybe it's not the musicians. Maybe I want to fuck the music.
The music gives me this giddy, blissful feeling that's... well, a lot like love. Like a frenzy of misdirected lust and joy and cosmic orgasm. It's hard to explain, because it feels like infatuation. There's a longing and a pull, a desire, and it's strong. It's damn strong. I'm not even sure what you'd call it.
Romance readers can keep their rockstar heroes... as long as they give me the music.
Edit: I should have mentioned Owen Pallett's Heartland is one of my favourite albums of all time. I highly HIGHLY recommend it. The song in the clip above (Lewis Takes Off His Shirt) appears on this album, as do many other Lewis-related songs.
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
So here it is:
Give Me the Music
Have you noticed how pervasive "rockstar romance" erotic novels have become lately? I'll admit, my finger's not exactly on the pulse of modern romance trends (much as it ought to be, since I operate at least somewhat in that genre), so if I've noticed it, it must be a thing. Books, stories, 30-novel box sets, all about girls and guys lusting after rockstars.
And this is probably a brilliant trend to hop onboard--because if there's one kind of hero that never gets old, it's a rockstar hero.
I'm going to get way too personal here, because I know how much you love it when I tell you all my sexrets. (that was supposed to be "secrets" but I can't bring myself to erase a Freudian typo)
Right. So, you've probably heard me mention that, at this stage of my life, my primary attraction is to women. If you want to know something quirky and odd about me, here's a random fact: the only guys I've found myself attracted to in the past few years (aside from Professor Snape, but he's fictional anyway) are musicians.
Super-SUPER-gay musicians.
Rufus Wainwright. OMG. My heart is beating faster just looking at that name.
This is nothing new, come to think of it. When I was a preteen, I recorded my father's Elton John's Greatest Hits record onto a cassette tape and played it every night as I fell asleep, fantasizing about dancing endless tangos with him. Someone was wearing a flashy red gown, and I don't think it was me.
Earlier this year (or maybe it was last year), Ryan Field posted a call for submissions. He was putting together an anthology called The Women Who Love to Love Gay Romance. It happens that I don't read gay romance (or any romance, for that matter), but his concept of having female authors insert themselves into gay sex scenes hooked me, totally. I had to write something for him. And I did.
And it was about a gay musician. Obviously.
My story featured a fictionalized version of a Canadian indie artist called Owen Pallett. You may remember him from when he performed as Final Fantasy. Or maybe you don't know him at all. Here he is:
I wrote a story called "Baby Got Bach" for Ryan Field's anthology--a what-if scenario based on... oh boy, this is embarrassing...
See, last year Owen Pallett's first violin concerto was premiered with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He didn't perform the piece himself, but he was there. He hosted the afterparty. Yeah, so after the show I found myself in the same room as him.
He was standing right there. Right-the-fuck there. And do you think I could work up the courage to say, "Hey, I love your music."
Nope.
I stood in the corner and stared at him like a huge creepy perv. And then I left.
(I could tell you a strikingly similar story about not talking to Peter Oundjian at the Toronto Reference Library, but we'll save that for another day, methinks...)
When I got down to writing "Baby Got Bach," I kind of hit a wall of writer's block. I just couldn't envision myself engaging in any kind of activity with this Owen Pallette-esque character of mine. If I got my hands on one of the gay musicians I'm constantly perving over, what would I even do with him?
Here's the big question: do I want Rufus Wainwright's penis in my vagina?
Umm... actually, no. I don't want that at all. And yes, I realize there are many other ways to have sex, but when it comes right down to it, I don't want to do any of those things with these people. I could perv over Rufus Wainwright concert clips on YouTube ALL. NIGHT. LONG. but I don't want to fuck him. I'm almost disappointed in myself, admitting that, but I just can't picture it.
Maybe it's not the musicians. Maybe I want to fuck the music.
The music gives me this giddy, blissful feeling that's... well, a lot like love. Like a frenzy of misdirected lust and joy and cosmic orgasm. It's hard to explain, because it feels like infatuation. There's a longing and a pull, a desire, and it's strong. It's damn strong. I'm not even sure what you'd call it.
Romance readers can keep their rockstar heroes... as long as they give me the music.
Edit: I should have mentioned Owen Pallett's Heartland is one of my favourite albums of all time. I highly HIGHLY recommend it. The song in the clip above (Lewis Takes Off His Shirt) appears on this album, as do many other Lewis-related songs.
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
March 26, 2015
Spooky Bisexual Erotica: Sharing the Stranger
When I proofread this short story the other day, I was kind of... scandalized? Am I allowed to be scandalized by my own work? I guess I'd just forgotten how weird and dirty it was. I actually thought it was a purely lesbian tale about stepsisters spending the night in a haunted house. It's not. There's a dude in it who looks like Jack White and may or may not be a vampire. Don't ask me--I just wrote the thing.
Anyhoo... I recommend. It's taboo and it's HOT.
Sharing the Stranger
A Dark Tale of Forbidden Fertility
by Giselle Renarde
Valerie and Marissa are spending the night in a remote old farmhouse. The last thing they expect is a knock at the door. When Raphael appears out of nowhere, they’re possessed. What is it about this strange figure that has them so mesmerized? Is it his pale skin? His raven hair? His silver-tipped walking stick and shoes that are inexplicably clean despite the mud all around?
Perhaps Raphael’s most alluring quality is his ability to make the girls want things they never imagined… and do things they’ll never forget…
A forbidden first-time fertility tale.
Now Available from Amazon| http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V8CZ34C?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK| http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C?tag=dondes-20
Amazon Canada| http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C
Amazon Australia| http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C
EXCERPT
“Valerie?” I asked, skulking around the corner.
She was standing in the entrance with the door wide open.
In the darkened entryway stood a man who looked neither young nor old. His dark hair fell in greasy strands across his gaunt cheeks. He had that pale sort of skin that gave way to blue bags under his eyes, the way I looked when I didn’t get a good nine hours of sleep. But there was something about him… something inexplicably appealing…
“Marissa,” Valerie said, opening the door a little wider. “This is Raphael. He says he used to live here.”
Raphael reached for my hand and I gave it to him in an instant. “Marissa? What a beautiful name.”
“Thanks.” When I felt his cold fingers against my palm, my knees weakened. I almost collapsed against the door when he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it softly.
Any other guy did that, I’d kick him in the nads.
But Raphael had these eyes, these piercing green eyes that convinced me everything was okay.
“Soft skin you have. Just like your sister’s.” He looked from her to me. “Such lovely young women you are. Same eyes you have. I see the family resemblance.”
Valerie broke out in a blush and said, “Oh, we’re not related. We’re just stepsisters. Our parents only got married less than a year ago.”
“Ahh,” Raphael said, nodding. “Then you have not lived here very long?”
“No, we just moved in,” I said, rushing to speak before Valerie could get a word in. “Before that we lived in the city. It’s very different, living out here in the middle of nowhere.”
“Very different,” the stranger agreed.
Now Available from Amazon| http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V8CZ34C?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK| http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C?tag=dondes-20
Amazon Canada| http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C
Amazon Australia| http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00V8CZ34CGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
Anyhoo... I recommend. It's taboo and it's HOT.
Sharing the StrangerA Dark Tale of Forbidden Fertility
by Giselle Renarde
Valerie and Marissa are spending the night in a remote old farmhouse. The last thing they expect is a knock at the door. When Raphael appears out of nowhere, they’re possessed. What is it about this strange figure that has them so mesmerized? Is it his pale skin? His raven hair? His silver-tipped walking stick and shoes that are inexplicably clean despite the mud all around?
Perhaps Raphael’s most alluring quality is his ability to make the girls want things they never imagined… and do things they’ll never forget…
A forbidden first-time fertility tale.
Now Available from Amazon| http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V8CZ34C?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK| http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C?tag=dondes-20
Amazon Canada| http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C
Amazon Australia| http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C
EXCERPT
“Valerie?” I asked, skulking around the corner.
She was standing in the entrance with the door wide open.
In the darkened entryway stood a man who looked neither young nor old. His dark hair fell in greasy strands across his gaunt cheeks. He had that pale sort of skin that gave way to blue bags under his eyes, the way I looked when I didn’t get a good nine hours of sleep. But there was something about him… something inexplicably appealing…
“Marissa,” Valerie said, opening the door a little wider. “This is Raphael. He says he used to live here.”
Raphael reached for my hand and I gave it to him in an instant. “Marissa? What a beautiful name.”
“Thanks.” When I felt his cold fingers against my palm, my knees weakened. I almost collapsed against the door when he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it softly.
Any other guy did that, I’d kick him in the nads.
But Raphael had these eyes, these piercing green eyes that convinced me everything was okay.
“Soft skin you have. Just like your sister’s.” He looked from her to me. “Such lovely young women you are. Same eyes you have. I see the family resemblance.”
Valerie broke out in a blush and said, “Oh, we’re not related. We’re just stepsisters. Our parents only got married less than a year ago.”
“Ahh,” Raphael said, nodding. “Then you have not lived here very long?”
“No, we just moved in,” I said, rushing to speak before Valerie could get a word in. “Before that we lived in the city. It’s very different, living out here in the middle of nowhere.”
“Very different,” the stranger agreed.
Now Available from Amazon| http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V8CZ34C?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK| http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C?tag=dondes-20
Amazon Canada| http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00V8CZ34C
Amazon Australia| http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00V8CZ34CGiselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
March 25, 2015
#RandomBookIWrote Wednesday: Bali Nights
Here's a book I decided to write while watching a documentary about male sex workers catering to female clients on the beaches of Bali. Come to think of it, a lot of book ideas come to me while I'm watching documentaries.Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bali-Nights-Giselle-Renarde-ebook/dp/B00JG89N46?tag=dondes-20
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/book/bali-nights/id854343865?l=en&mt=11
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JG89N46
Erotic romance by Giselle Renarde explores lust and sexual fantasies on the sandy shores of Bali...
Do Beach Boys really exist? They’re said to be hot young surfers who sell their bodies on the sandy shores of Bali—and not to other men, oh no. Beach Boys specialize in seducing women.
According to Kimmy, Beach Boys are not only real, but they’re Bali’s top tourist attraction. And she should know, considering she hired one last time she vacationed there. How she convinced co-worker Shandra to fly halfway around the world just to pay a guy for sex, Shandra will never know… until their first day in Bali, when she falls for Man: tall, dark, handsome, and on the make.
There’s something different about Man—he’s nothing like the guys back home. Shandra can tell him things she’s never shared with anyone, shed her inhibitions, and abandon herself to the best sex of her life. Now she understands why Kimmy was so anxious to return to her Beach Boy, Budi.
With Man’s encouragement, Shandra surrenders to a lust for men (and women) she’s long denied. But there’s more to a Beach Boy than meets the eye. Are Budi and Man really as trustworthy as Shandra and Kimmy think, or will their secrets shatter the girls forever?
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bali-Nights-Giselle-Renarde-ebook/dp/B00JG89N46?tag=dondes-20
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/book/bali-nights/id854343865?l=en&mt=11
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JG89N46
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
