P.A. Friday's Blog, page 3

Miranda Forbes – Editor for Popular Erotic Publishers Xcite

1 So, tell us a little bit about Xcite…

Xcite was founded in 2007 by Hazel Cushion, Managing Director of Accent Press. She felt there was a shortage of quality erotic fiction that was empowering and positive for women whatever their sexual fantasies and kinks may be. The company originally started with short story collections but now also publish novels and some 'How To' books.

2. How do you define 'erotica' as opposed to 'porn'?

Erotica explores an array of senses and emotions where as porn...

Selena Kitt of eXcessica Publishing – the interview

1. So, first of all,what led you to set eXcessica up in the first place?

The truth? I wanted a market for my more explicit work. I knew it would sell well (and it does!) but the traditional epubs out there didn't take submissions with things like nonconsent and incest. So eXcessica was born. And it began to grow. And grow. And GROW!

2What are eXcessica's aims?

To publish work that pushes the envelope and to give authors as much of their profits as I possibly can while balancing keeping the...

New Release: Too Good To Be True

One of my favourite stories to write came out fairly recently - Too Good To Be True. I originally called it Fat, Frumpy and Forty, but strangely the publishing company didn't think that this was a saleable title! Anyway, Mandy – the narrator – thinks her love life, not to mention her sex life, is over for good when her husband leaves her—for an older woman. But that's before she has the following experience (excerpt ahoy!):

A gorgeous man strolled up to me as I was waiting for the witches to j...

ME/CFIDS Awareness Day

May 12th is ME/CFIDS Awareness Day. Most years, I've bemoaned the fact that this is a little known and extremely misunderstood (by those who think they know something about it) illness.

This year, perhaps it's not so unknown. The story of Kay Gilderdale's acquittal of murdering her daughter Lynn made headline news in the UK. And may, perhaps, have made people realise that ME isn't just "feeling a little bit tired all the time" – as if you've been out a bit too late the night before with a few ...

Manifold Press – A Great New UK e-Publishing Group

1. What are your aims with Manifold?
We felt that the UK was under-represented in the e-publishing market and wanted among other things to provide a forum for British-based authors. We also wanted to emphasise plot and romance as opposed to graphic sexuality, which is already abundantly available in other publications.
2. What do you do that other people don't?
We are prepared to explore unusual or unconventional scenarios which may not be acceptable elsewhere; part of the reason we can do this ...

But you don't look sick…

There's lots of things to come to terms with when you are disabled. For me, until I was nearly 15 years old, I was an active, healthy person. The sudden change when I got ill took more than a little getting used to, especially as I wasn't diagnosed correctly for some time. After that, I had to get my head around the fact that this wasn't temporary, but likely to be around for the foreseeable future. I had to accept that when other people my age were out partying (I'm thinking in particular...

Kay Kenyon – The Interview

1. What made you decide to be a writer?

I put it off for as long a I could, but eventually I couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that writing novels would be lovely. I experienced a push-pull about writing. On the one hand, I had an urge to try my hand at something that I felt I (somehow) could do. On the other hand, from things I'd read, I had formed an opinion that it would be very difficult to break in. And then, even if I did sell a novel, I knew writing would not support me, so writing...

Eternal Haunted Summer – A Pagan Ezine

 1. What are your aims in Eternal Haunted Summer?

My aim with Eternal Haunted Summer is four-fold. 1) To provide a venue for authors to publish original Pagan-themed poetry and short fiction. 2) To provide a venue in which authors can have their Pagan-themed works reviewed. 3) To expose as wide an audience as possible to the talent and diversity of Pagan authors. And 4) To connect with other Pagan publishing ventures by posting calls for submissions, contests, et cetera and so on.

 2. What do...

Look out, look out, homophobia's about

Okay, I'm lucky enough that I'm not on the receiving end of a lot of overt prejudice over my sexuality. So honestly? My first reaction after reading that the UK's Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling, had been caught on tape suggesting that B&B owners should be allowed to turn away gay couples was to look at the date on the paper. And no, scarily enough it turns out it wasn't April 1st.*

It frightens me, especially when I look around the world. At America, for instance, with whom we may or...

Free Fiction: Carleton And The Penguins

I'm a fiction writer, so I thought "Why not post a bit of fiction on this blog?" Here's a ficlet I wrote using the following prompt words: penguins, rain, flash, corset, slippery, riding crop, lantern, apostrophe, tricycle, spaghetti and deosil

Any word prompts for further free ficlets will be happily accepted!

 

Carleton always blamed the penguins.

He had a good defence for the story, whenever anyone challenged him on this explanation. He had gone to New York with the specific intention of...