'Nathan Burgoine's Blog, page 119
December 3, 2015
Getting into the Spirit
By now, you probably all know about my Christmas Ornament tradition (and if you don’t, there’ll be more on that, later, once the tree itself goes up). It’s one of the ways I fought for some Christmas spirit after years and years of working retail at this time of year. Last year was my first year without working Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, and having only four days off in December before Christmas, and that wretched Chipmunks Christmas song playing every freaking hour…
Gah. Okay. Shake it off, ‘Nathan, shake it off.
The Christmas Ornaments weren’t the only thing, though. I had a few other traditions for Coping-With-Christmas, and many of them were book related. I actively sought out some fun books set during the holiday season. For one, I always re-listen to the Patrick Stewart version of A Christmas Carol. I’d save that for heading to and from work, usually on the days closest to Christmas Day, often on December 23rd – the hardest day of the retail year, especially if it landed on a weekend. Listening to Stewart’s voice tell that tale, I’d feel my shoulders drop inch by inch, the tension fading away a little bit at a time.
Magic.
A physical book I re-read every Christmas is Becky Cochrane‘s A Coventry Christmas. This one is, hands down, my favourite Christmas book tradition.
It doesn’t hurt that the main character, Keelie, is a bookseller.
My original review, from many, many years ago:
I stayed up to nearly midnight finishing “A Coventry Christmas,” and laughing all the while (much to the chagrin of the attempting-to-sleep husband beside me). Keelie is a blast. She’s an assistant manager for a grotesque boss at a bookstore, and Christmas is coming, with all the attendant issues thereof (you can tell that Becky Cochrane has book retail history, and the scenes in the book store made me chuckle for their accuracy). She’s tired, cranky, hates Christmas, and just wants… well, something. Anything. Preferably being swept off her feet (and out of the bookstore) by the handsome beefy security fellow who picks up the morning deposit. But, with a broken ankle and time off at Christmas for the first time since her retail career began, Keelie has the chance to walk… well, hobble… into a new sort of Christmas.
With the superb group-of-friends style that I’ve come to know and love from Cochrane and her compatriots in other works, the ensemble cast is just the right mix of people, and the plot kept me laughing, smiling, and interested. Empathizing with Cochrane’s characters isn’t hard – somehow, regardless of how out-there some of the characters might be, you click with them and get pulled in for the ride.
If you’re having anything like a rough Christmas period, snap this book up. I do warn you that it will eat up what little spare time you have, might make you stay up late, and your husband might take it from you and say things like, “No book right now, talk to me,” but don’t worry – it’s worth it. And you can always steal the book back when he falls asleep.
So what about you? Do you have a re-read or a re-watch that you come back to every year for Christmas? Let me know – I love hearing about what others revisit.
December 2, 2015
QueerSciFi Blog Hop – Some Christmas that’s Out of This (and Sometimes Another) World!
So, I’m a big geek, and I love to read, and I love to read queer characters and queer authors as much as I can, and at this time of year I do try very hard to maintain some Christmas cheer. I’m going to be chatting quite a bit about queer and holiday this year, with a post every day through to Christmas, as part of my ongoing mission to rehabilitate myself from twenty years of full-time (and overtime) holiday retail work. I hope you’ll join me.
It turns out, the QueerSciFi group is having a blog-hop that’s a lovely intersection of all things geeky, queer, and holiday. I joined in (even though I haven’t actually released any holiday themed queer anything as of yet) because I love to boost the signal, and I pretty much want to read everything on the list.
Enjoy!
QueerSciFi is running our first ever holiday blog hop. Our members will be sharing a number of our great holiday-themed titles on their blogs – it’s a great way to find speculative-fiction themed LGBT holiday books! We’ve included buy links for each of the books below – books are listed in alphabetical order by title. Happy Holidays!
Candle in the Dark Anthology
Author: Various
Price: $5.00 eBook / $10.00 Paperback
Summary: In almost all traditions, winter has been a time to huddle around the fire and be thankful for those the fire is shared with. The holidays grew out of a need to celebrate that time, from Christmas to Chanukah to Solstice. The longest night of the year has always held some special mystery, and we’re proud to present you with several stories of how those mysteries bear fruit. In the first story, Patrick receives a mysterious invitation to dine at the most exclusive restaurant for men. His server, Gio, encourages him to Savor the experience…
Buy Links:
PUBLISHER | AMAZON | ALL ROMANCE
A Christmas Cactus for the General
Author: Angel Martinez
Price: $3.99 eBook
Summary: Exiled to Earth for perhaps the worst failure in Irasolan history, General Teer must assimilate or die. Earth is too warm, too wet, too foreign, but he does the best he can even though human males are loud, childish louts whom he can’t imitate successfully. When a grieving seaplane pilot strikes up a strange and uneasy friendship with him, he finds he may have been too quick to judge human males. They are strange to look at, but perhaps not as unbearable as he thought.
Buy Links:
PUBLISHER | AMAZON | ALL ROMANCE | APPLE | KOBO
The Darkest Midnight in December
Author: Jana Denardo
Price: $3.99 eBook
Summary: The year is 1930, and something is hunting infants and young couples in Economy Village, PA. When a local priest begins to suspect a demon may be the culprit, the sheriff calls in a team of Soldiers of the Sun. Caleb, Agni, Temple, and Li specialize in demon hunting, but they can’t rule out an old religious sect as the true culprit. Prejudice, distraught parents, and angry townspeople don’t make the team’s job any easier. And if something goes wrong, their own their own, because by the time their backup arrives, it will be too late.
Buy Links:
PUBLISHER | AMAZON | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS
Fruitcakes
Author: Renee George
Price: $1.99 eBook
Summary: Losing your boyfriend because you see monsters…not good. Getting locked up in the local mental hospital because you accused your boss of being an actual ogre…also not good. Falling for your crazy roommate, who thinks he’s one of Santa’s elves…so not good! Or is it? Come along for a sexy ride as Donner and Bran try to escape the locked ward before Christmas Eve so Bran doesn’t lose the only job important to him. USA Today Bestselling author Renee George pens a laugh-out-loud MM Fairytale Christmas…Nuts included!
Buy Links:
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | APPLE | KOBO
Holiday Lights
Author: Jana Denardo
Price: Free
Summary: Aaron asks Rhys for some help with putting up the tree and finalizing their holiday plans, even though he knows Rhys will have something to say about all of Aaron’s geeky ornaments. Rhys puts his own special touches on the holiday decorating as only a fae could.
Buy Links:
Ilya and the Wolf
Author: Rory Ni Coileain
Price: $1.99 eBook
Summary: Ilya, the youngest son of a Moscow oligarch, is so deep in the closet he’d find Narnia if that weren’t a decadent Western story. On Christmas Eve, his brothers lure him into the forest, intending to murder him and erase the shame he inflicts on their family by existing. However, the attempt is interrupted by Volyk, a wolf who carries the blood of the ancient oboroten’ —shapeshifters. Ilya never imagined a Christmas gift like the handsome wolf, but accepting what Volyk offers will have consequences that change both of their lives forever.
Buy Links:
PUBLISHER | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE
Lion’s Hero
Author: Alexis Woods
Price: $.99 eBook
Summary: Eight nights to fall in love.
Ari has a mission: meet and fall in love with a man chosen for him by God. The catch: he only has eight nights to complete it—the eight nights of Chanukah
Gabriel has a test of faith. Reaching out to a young man, he finds himself confronted with the unbelievable. Believe, and the Festival of Lights may herald a miracle.
Buy Links:
AMAZON | ALL ROMANCE | BARNES & NOBLE
Loving Blitz
Author: Charlie Cochet
Price: $3.99 eBook
Summary: From North Pole City to Winter Wonderland, preparations are underway after a royal announcement sweeps everyone into a frenzy of festivity. At the heart of the celebration are the city’s most beloved elf pilots, the Rein Dears. Once the Big Flight is behind them, the pilots prepare for the royal event. Assigned a special task of finding an Elska rose, Cupid and Blitzen are unaware of how their friendship is about to change forever.
Yet not all that glitters is gold. The sweet, angelic Cupid hides a dark secret, one that threatens to destroy his Rein Dear status, his friends, and the elf who’s captured his heart. It’s up to Blitzen to help Cupid see the light in the darkness and show him that together they can mend broken hearts.
Buy Links:
The Magic of Christmas
Author: Pelaam
Price: $2.99 eBook
Summary: Jared joins his four best friends on an early Christmas holiday in a beautiful winter wonderland. He’s been in love with the talented and extroverted Casey for years, but lacked the courage to say anything. Casey loves Jared, but despite his gregarious exterior, inside lurks someone shy and insecure and so he’s never spoken up. Both men are about to experience real Christmas magic.
Buy Links:
Nicolas
Author: Dianne Hartsock
Price: $6.99 eBook / $14.99 Paperback
Summary: Betrayed by a lover, Jamie rents an isolated cabin on Lake Huron, wanting only to be left alone. Instead, he is pulled from his solitary existence as an artist and tumbles headlong into the legend of Saint Nicolas. As a young man, Nicolas accidentally killed a man intent on murdering three children, only to have the man’s malicious spirit rise up against him. Fleeing through the centuries from the Krampus, the evil troll-like creature that dogs his steps, Nico finds refuge with the young artist who takes him into his home and bed. But Jamie has questions. Who is Nicolas, and why does the Krampus want to destroy him?
Buy Links:
PUBLISHER EBOOK | PUBLISHER PAPERBACK
No One to Greet the Season
Author: Elizabeth Barrette
Price: Free (poem)
Summary: Victor Frankenstein and Igor have a queerplatonic relationship and a constructed son. Igor’s deformed back causes him more trouble in cold weather, which makes Christmas more of a challenge. Victor helps him through it. Gothic fluff, holiday hurt/comfort.
Buy Links:
Scrudge & Barley, Inc
Author: John Inman
Price: $6.99 eBook / $14.99 Paperback
Summary: A classic tale takes off in sexy new directions! Poor Mr. Dickens must be twirling in his grave. When E.B. Scrudge, putz extraordinaire and all-around numbnuts, is visited by his dead ex on Christmas Eve, he can’t imagine how his life could sink any lower. But the three ghostly spirits that come along after are even worse! Good lord, a dyke, a drag queen, and rounding out the trio, a big, hunky bear with nipple rings and a butt plug! What’s next? What’s next is a good deal of soul-searching and some hard lessons learned with a dash of redemption thrown in for good measure.
Buy Links:
PUBLISHER EBOOK | PUBLISHER PAPERBACK
ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS
Silver/Steel
Author: Belinda McBride
Price: $6.99 eBook
Summary: When dream hunter Dylan Ryve spots a beautiful shapeshifter raising hell in a bar, he knows he wants the wild young man. But Travis Feris is more to Dylan than a few hot minutes outside in the snow; he’s the assassin’s ticket into the magical town of Arcada. He didn’t plan to rescue the kid, but when he found the shifter being attacked, the opportunity to play hero was too good to pass up. Through the solitude of a long winter night, Dylan walks in Travis’s fevered dreams, learning about Arcada and the pack, and showing the shifter the man he’d been so very long ago.
Buy Links:
Spindrift Gifts
Author: Aidee Ladnier
Price: $3.99
Summary: Scars and a tattoo may be the only physical reminders from his years as a slave, but when Jimenez suffers a setback in his medical treatment, the only option is a therapy that will wipe away his all memories of the past including his time with Teo. Teo, torn between supporting his lover’s decisions and the good intentions of his family, sets out to teach Jimenez about Spindrift Gifts and how memories are celebrated on Celos even when they are painful. Can Teo and Jimenez weather the storm to find their happily-ever-after on Celos?
Buy Links:
PUBLISHER | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS
Tempted from the Oak
Author: Rory Ni Coileain
Price: $5.60 eBook
Summary: With his blue eyes and heart-melting smile, Gavin could have been made-to-order to entice Tearlach, a lonely tree spirit. But the human is the one who’s been enticed—stolen from snow-buried Minneapolis to the Scottish Highlands by Tearlach’s darag, the ancient oak tree of which he is the living spirit. Tearlach is trapped within the darag by the terrible memory of his own death—hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago, but as recent to him as his last heartbeat. And if desire for the handsome human fails to tempt him out, spirit and oak are both doomed.
Buy Links:
PUBLISHER | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE
December 1, 2015
How to Buy a Book for a Booklover for Christmas
Okay, it’s December. I’m willing to talk Christmas now, and – after decades in retail – I’m also willing to actually enjoy Christmas, too. Last year was my first non-retail Christmas since I was a kid, and it was incredible. I’m hoping for a repeat. But the experience of working in a bookstore has taught me that it might be helpful to be… well… helpful. You might be facing a Christmas ahead of you where you wish to purchase a book for the booklover in your life. Now, if you’re a booklover yourself, you’re probably raising your eyebrow right now and wondering how this could possibly be a problem.
Believe me when I say, every year folks came into the store with almost zero information for booksellers to work with. You might think I’m kidding, but I mean it.
So. Let’s talk.
First, let me be honest here, and say I’m fairly certain I’m writing this advice for men. Married men. Married men with wives who are voracious readers. Married men with wives who are voracious readers who themselves don’t read a lot (and/or don’t read what their wives read). Oh, and they’re going to probably wait until December 20th or later to go buy a present.
This may sound like a huge stereotype I’m putting forth here, but, again, believe me. It’s a thing.
Let me try to make this easier. Understand, you’ll still need to do something, but I’m going to try and take some of the heavy lifting off with some tips and tricks.
Shall we begin?
Did you ask? This may sound simple, but again, it came up a lot. Did you ask the reader what they might like to read next? I know, I know, if you’re looking to surprise someone, maybe that tips your hand, but you can be sneaky here and get a friend to pop the question – especially if the booklover in your life has another booklover friend and they trade books. Once you learn of a title the booklover wants? Write. It. Down. No, you won’t remember. Write it down. Preferably not in an e-mail you’ll be scrolling through your in-box for five minutes or more trying to locate. Use a note app. Or, y’know, paper. Tell that title to the bookseller and ta-da! Magic.But, okay, say you don’t want to spoil it, or you want to find something awesome the booklover doesn’t even know about. Well, that brings me to my next suggestion.
Got a smart-phone? Take a picture of the booklover’s books. Now, ideally, you’d take more time than that and actually write down the authors from some of the books you’ve seen the booklover read, but the shortest and least-effort version of this would be to snap a photo on your device of choice of the covers of, say, one shelf, or a single pile of recently loved books you’ve seen this person reading. Giving this information to a bookseller is gold.
I know my booklover loves this particular author! I only want a book by that author!. This is a big thing, and it comes up a lot. But there can be issues with this shopping method. When the booklover is voraciously loyal to their main authors, and the most recent book is more than a few weeks (or months) since release day – chances are the booklover probably already has the book. Obviously, it’s not too hard to look at their bookshelf (and e-reader) to double-check, but don’t set your heart on “the Newest Danielle Steel” if your booklover is always there on release day for the newest Danielle Steel. I mean, hey, if you’ve got a deal about not buying things for yourselves in November and December, maybe you’ll get lucky, but…
What do you mean it’s sold out? It’s a bestseller! Also, there’s another scenario that can come up when you go in with one title in specific for your booklover: it can be sold out. Especially super-popular authors. Bestsellers are called bestsellers because they sell the best. That includes selling out. Publishers wind down way before Christmas, and if you’re shopping December 20-somethingth and something is sold out, well, that’s not the bookseller’s fault.
But what am I going to do? I’d only really thought of that one book! Well, if you brought information (like, say, the list of authors the person likes, or a snapshot of their shelf), and you’ve got a bookseller with you, you’re in luck. Recommending new authors is sort of the best part of bookselling. Seriously. Someone’s read all the Sidney Sheldon and Jackie Collins books? Allow me to introduce you to Rebecca Chance. This is where the magic is at, folks. It’s a wonderful opportunity to try something awesome, and those booksellers are fonts of information. Give them a try. And listen to them. Especially you aunts and uncles and grandparents out there buying for young adults and tweens and younger? Booksellers will know what’s good for an age-range.
I want my kid/grandchild/nephew/niece to read something other than graphic novels. Okay, how can I put this? Shut up. Buy them a graphic novel that they want to read. The joy is in the reading. Graphic novels are awesome and you want them to enjoy reading. Even if everything you read is high-class nonfiction factbooks one assumes you’re doing so because you enjoy it. Let them enjoy whatever the heck they’re reading. I promise you, that’s more important than whether or not they are reading thick tomed books without illustrations. Force them to read something they don’t like and all you’ll do is kill the motivation to read. Make other books available, sure. But it’s a holiday. Give ’em something you know they’ll like. (The same advice here for reluctant readers of any age – let them read what they love. They’ll get there on their own much faster if you let them build confidence with things they love. Ask the bookseller for comparable stuff, but don’t say things like, ‘but I want it to be a more advanced read than what he’s doing right now.’)
I literally have zero idea what to get the booklover, and I didn’t listen to your advice up there about photos or lists or whatever. Please make this something I don’t have to do. Okay, first: relax. It kind of sucks that you don’t know anything about this person’s reading habits, but there’s still hope. What kind of television shows do they watch? Movies? Even if you don’t know the books, presumably you know something about what makes them tick. Do they like to laugh? Are they more serious? Watch sports? There’s pretty much a book for every darn thing under the sun. I promise that bookseller will have an idea.
I don’t like any of the half-dozen things this bookseller has suggested. Okay. Here’s the thing. It’s the holiday season, you’re probably tired and overwhelmed, and I’m willing to bet that bookseller is also tired and overwhelmed. It may happen that communication isn’t working: you’ve told the bookseller the person likes to laugh, watches funny movies, and they’ve suggested some fun and funny books that – for whatever reason – don’t jive with the person you’re buying for (probably due to facets of that booklover’s life or personality the bookseller has no way of knowing). Try giving some more details, sure. But if you’re not finding what you’re looking for, I’m going to gently suggest a gift card. Because the bookseller is a font of information, they’re doing their best, but sometimes, there’s not a good match. And there’s probably a dozen other people that bookseller needs to help, too, and neither of you are getting anywhere helpful, right? Maybe take a walk around the store and see if anything jumps out at you before picking up that gift card, but cut the poor bookseller loose. I personally have a kind of “three-strike” rule in my head. I don’t make any clerk at any store give me more than three options. If I’ve turned them down three times on their suggestions, I know they’ve tried. They’re not perfect. Lord knows I’m not perfect. I let them go, especially if the store is packed. And, like I said: gift card. It’s a valid choice, dude.
I can’t give them a gift card. That’s a cop out. So, booklovers love books. Often, they don’t treat themselves to the really expensive books – be that hardcovers, or a nice new edition of a book they’ve already got, or a book that isn’t on sale, or… all sorts of things. But let me state this clearly: Booklovers freaking love gift cards for bookstores. It’s permission to indulge in something they love! I cannot tell you the joy on the faces of the booklovers when they whip out that pile of giftcards and realize that whole stack of books they just brought up to the cash is going to cost them nothing! If it really does make you feel twitchy to buy just a gift card, there are great ways to dress this up with minimal effort: do they read in the bath? Get some bubble bath and wrap it up with the gift card and add a note the gift comes with a full hour of uninterrupted tub-and-book time. Or maybe a small packet of their favourite tea, or some coffee, or chocolate, or whatever other indulgence you see said booklover coupling with their quality reading time. One of my favourite presents ever was from a friend who knew me so well that she got me a freaking tub of wine-gums and stuck the gift-card to the top of the tin. It still makes me misty-eyed. Also, now I want wine-gums.
This bookseller hasn’t read the book I want to know about. This happens. There are millions of books in print, and they arrive daily. My best year, ever, I read two books every three days. I was also single, working full-time at the bookstore (where I was allowed to borrow hardcover books), and broke. My entire entertainment world was books. I didn’t have cable, or a radio. These days, what with having a husband, and also being a writer, and owning a dog, and sometimes even going out to see friends, I average a book or two a week. There is no way I could possibly read everything. If it was a popular book or a bestseller, I was likely to know about it, and if another staff member had read the book, we always shared notes. But no, it is not reasonable for you to get annoyed if the bookseller hasn’t read the book you want to know about. Book blurbs, book reviews, critical reviews printed in the front pages of the book, those are helpful. Being annoyed that the bookseller hasn’t read a particular book isn’t.
I’m in a really bad mood, and the mall is packed, and I’m tired, and I just want this to be over. Man. I’ve been there. Especially December 20th through the 24th. Those days are killer. Chin up. Be polite. And remember the most important thing: none of what you’re feeling is the bookseller’s fault. Don’t take it out on them. A single polite customer who is genuinely grateful for the help they get will carry a bookseller for hours, dude. Be that guy, not the one making it worse for everyone around them.
Okay, fine, yeah, I waited too long and this is my fault and I’m buying for a book-lover and didn’t bother to learn anything about what they like and I refuse to get them a gift card but maybe they already have too many books. No. Just… No.
I hope there’s a nugget or two of help in the above, and I hope I don’t offend with the tongue-in-cheekness. The biggest thing you can do, obviously, is plan a bit ahead. Write some stuff down. Do your homework. And, as the wonderful Wil Wheaton puts it, ‘Don’t be a dick.’ But all humour aside, believe me when I say the best thing you’ve got going for you in a bookstore is the booksellers. The vast majority of them love what they do.
I did. For decades. Finding out about new authors and new books and talking about it all with fellow booksellers is still the thing I miss the most.
November 24, 2015
More Plagiarism
Damn.
I logged onto my computer this morning to sit down and write and saw there’s another round of plagiarism hitting the m/m (gay) romance world. I really and truly have zero empathy for anyone who’d take something someone created and then sell it as their own.
The thief this time is using the name Addison Scott.
It took barely a few moments on Google to figure out the original titles for these “Addison Scott” books, and various authors have been tweeting and blogging about it pretty darn loudly in hopes they get taken down:
“Closer” is really Arvel Amaya’s Whatever You Want.
“Under the Influence” is really Ashley John’s Saving Michael.
“Coming Undone” is really Cat Grant’s Once a Marine.
“Behind Closed Doors” is really Amber Nation’s Unconditionally.
“Can’t Forget Him” is really Kate Sherwood’s Poor Little Rich Boy.
“Friendly Persuasion” is really Andrea Dalling’s Seducing Jordan.
“Bound to Please” is really E. Davies’s Tied.
“Not Just Friends” is really Amanda Young’s Windfall.
“Long Road Home” is really Donya Lynne’s The Arms of Winter (re-released as Winter’s Fire, which is the book with the identical description).
“One Good Man” is really Kracken’s Taking in Strays.
“As Hot as it Gets” is really Brea Kendall’s Hard Love.
You can easily see the descriptions of the “Addison Scott” books have just name-swapped the books by these other authors. It’s pathetic. It was Ashley John who realized it as far as I can tell, so I started googling and sure enough, other titles were obviously plagiarized, too.
I feel really bad for the authors who had their work stolen, and I hope Kobo and all the rest of the platforms remove the “Addison Scott” titles ASAP – I sent them a quick e-mail and tweet, and I hope you’ll take a moment to do the same.
Being an author is a lonely experience much of the time. Often it feels like you’re on your own. But when stuff like this happens, I like to think we all gather to make sure that – at the very least – the plagiarist gets taken off sale, and the stories these authors wrote are returned to them – and only them – for sale.
November 20, 2015
Struck
I’ve been very quiet on the blog this month, but it hasn’t been for procrastination, nor lack of writing. Quite the opposite – I’ve been participating in NaNoWiMo (National Novel Writing Month) and it’s been going wonderfully well.
Not that I’m writing a novel. I decided I’d use November and December to focus on short fiction and for pitching another novel, as my edits for Triad Blood will be coming back in January. So, the pitch? Sent off. And the short fiction?
Well, that depends on how you define “short.”
Something has been happening to me lately with my inspiration. I’m actually okay with this thing that’s happening (for the most part) but the stories that are coming out of me are… long-ish? Short stories are generally described as being somewhere below the 7.5k or 5k mark, depending on the genre and collection. This month for NaNoWriMo, I’ve completed two pieces so far (one at 9k, and one at about 15k). Two more are underway, and the next one is going to come in over 15k when I finish it today and/or tomorrow, and I don’t have any real hope of seeing the fourth one come in under 10k either. The biggest thing to come out of this month is probably going to be my realization that I do have a very functional and workable idea for a series of interconnected short fiction (or, rather, novellas, I guess) that all focus around a fictionalized (and slightly magical) version of the local gay Village. The first 15k story is set in that village, with a young man who works at the occult shop part time, his wonderful boss (and maybe witch) and the guy who is hired to paint a memorial across the street. A little bit of luck, a lot of awkward nerdiness, and perhaps a little meddling from the witch will propel those two into making some magic of their own – and start the “Village” series off. That story is drafted (though not polished by any means, this is, after all, NaNoWriMo), and the next one is bubbling in my head, revolving around the tea shop. I’ve got back-burner ideas for the art gallery, the book store, and the coffee shop, and an actual short story was accepted for an anthology earlier that involves the local chocolate shop, though at the time, the Village idea hadn’t fully evolved, so I think of that as a story “zero-point-five” rather than the first.
I’m also writing a Christmas themed novella. This one has been a small slice of joy to write, as it’s drawn very much from many various Christmases in my own life, and having rediscovered a love of the holiday somewhat as of last year, it’s fun to watch a character get there, too.
So. That’s where I’ve been.
Inspiration is a funny thing. For one, it’s a sneaky bugger. It’s really, really good at coming at me while I’m very busy doing something else (hence the illustration up there, which is pretty on-point for when I realized what I wanted to do with a particular story, only to realize my hands were full with a very energetic dog, a bag of his poop, and no way to write any of what had just occurred to me down so I wouldn’t forget it). I may have walked the dog home chanting the idea over and over.
What? Don’t tell me you’ve never done that.
Ideas come from all sorts of places for me, and it occurred to me that it might be fun to catalog the processes and sparks and visits from the muse, so – in case you’re interested – here are the seeds to some of the things I’ve done thus far:
“Heart,” in Fool for Love – This one was born from one of the worst moments in my life, which was when my father was dying of heart cancer, and I was watching my mother come to grips with everything that this meant, and knowing there wasn’t much hope for a proper goodbye. “Heart” come from that notion of wanting to be able to say goodbye. (Link – http://www.cleispress.com/book_page.p... )
“Cakewalk,” in I Do Two! – This was a charity anthology where the proceeds were aimed at marriage equality work, and I really wanted to write a story for it, but was drawing a blank. At the time, my husband was learning how to decorate cakes, and my co-worker, Anna, said, “All good stories should start with ‘There once was a Princess named Anna.'” She wasn’t kidding. But as she said it, something the phrase and the cookbook I was looking at clicked, and the whole story sort of fell into place in my head. (Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?... )
“Three,” in Blood Sacraments – This one came from musing about Dracula’s three brides. It always struck me as such a random thing, especially the number and when the call came for a gay erotic take on vampires, I decided that “three” was going to be some sort of rule or requirement, and the whole world of the Triad started to fall into place. This story ended up spawning three more short stories, and my upcoming novel, Triad Blood. So, y’know, thanks, Bram! (Link: http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/97816... )
“Hometown Boy,” in Saints and Sinners 2011: New Fiction from the Festival came from a piece of my personality that I should perhaps work on: I have a love of revenge. I’m not proud of it, and I’ve matured a lot, but with this story, I played a “what if?” game and allowed that darker piece of me full reign. The end story left me a little bit uncomfortable with myself, but perhaps that’s a sign of progress of some kind. (Link: http://www.amazon.com/Saints-Sinners-... )
“Elsewhen,” from Riding the Rails was one of the most unique experiences of my writing life so far. I’d seen the call for submissions, and I was looking online through photos of Ottawa’s Grand Trunk train station, and my iPod shuffled to the DeVotchka song ‘How it Ends’ and I knew exactly what I wanted to write. I put the song on repeat, and in the space of an hour or two, song playing the whole time, I wrote the story, start to finish. It was intense and incredible and I really hope something like that happens again, someday. And “fun fact” – this is my husband’s favourite short story of mine. (Link: http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/97816... )
“Filth,” from Night Shadows was a very rare thing for me. It was horror, and I don’t read much of it (because it gives me nightmares). I had originally been writing a very different story, but it wasn’t working. Then I had one of my longest running and recurring nightmares, and when I woke up, it occurred to me to fictionalize that nightmare. “Filth” came out of that, and – in an interesting twist – I’ve not had that nightmare again since. (Link: http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/97816... )
Anyway. That’s just a few of my sparks. Where have some of your stories come from? I’m always interested in the processes of others, and I love the metastory about fictions.
October 27, 2015
Can*Con Appearances
Just a quick word to say that I’ll be a part of Can*Con this year, and I’ll be speaking on two reader panels:
Romance: A Readers’ Panel (4:00 pm, Saturday October 31st, Salon D). Our panel talks about what romance novels are impressing them. Linda Poitevin (m), Nathan Burgoine, Jennifer Carole Lewis, S.M. McEachern, Leslie Brown.
Amazing Short Fiction You Really Ought to Be Reading: (10:00 am, Saturday October 31st; Salon C) The internet has given short fiction a real shot in the arm, and forms up to novella are making a big come-back. Panelists discuss remarkable works you’re missing out on. Nathan Burgoine, Ada Hoffmann, Amy Sisson, Amal El-Mohtar (m).
As always, I’m happy to be the bookseller, and I’m looking forward to meeting new people (and, of course, adding to my massive to-be-read pile). The convention itself is themed towards Canadian content, so those of you in my country, now’s a great time to talk to me about your work – especially if it fits the above two topics and has a wee bit (or more) of a speculative fiction bent.
The full list of events is here.
See you all this weekend!
October 21, 2015
Writing Wednesday – I’m Only Behind Because I Got Naked
So I didn’t get nearly any writing accomplished last Thursday or Friday because I was on my way to Naked Heart, and you can read about how awesome that was if you’d like.
So, I’m really only catching up for the last couple of days. But I’ll be massively back on track this week.
Works for Current Calls: Goal: 2,000 words; actual: 3,040.
This is my work on Mondays and Tuesdays, where I’m working on open calls and trying to maintain at least one submission per month.
I can check off that “one submission per month” as of yesterday. I polished and sent off my nonfiction piece. That was a lovely feeling.
I’ve made some good headway on my ‘Rear Admiral’ story, which is definitely going to be what I submit to Men in Love. It’s maybe a bit non-traditional in its romance, what with the dildos and the porn stars, but I think it’s a fun tale, and I hope it’s well received.
Pitchwork: Goal: A pitch by end of month; actual: One plot pretty much outlined, just needs to be written up formally as a pitch.
On Wednesdays, I’m planning new pitches to send in by the end of the year, which basically means giving myself some options over which novel I’d like to suggest to my publisher next. On the train to and from Toronto, the sequel to Triad Blood, which is Triad Soul, coalesced in a major way. It’ll have Luc, Anders, and Curtis, of course, but my plot includes some ancient Greek mythology, a much deeper delve into the younger wizards of the Families, and finally touching on the oft-mentioned (but never really met) lycanthropes of my Triad world. I daresay this will likely be the one I send in.
Working for Myself: Goal: 2,000 words; actual: Zip. Zilch. Nada.
On Thursdays and Fridays I’m working on stories that I just want to work on. Be that for a potential inclusion in Of Echoes Born or be that for the “Village” idea I’m still kicking around, the goal here is to build up some stories that could very well be released on their own, in a collection, or just sit and wait for calls that suit them.
Or, y’know, I’m going to Toronto and doing nothing of the sort.
And there you have it – public accountability.
Open Calls I Know About
Here are the open calls I’ve bumped into…
Nine Star Press has a call open for Valentine’s themed stories, but no concrete deadline listed.
The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival Short Fiction Contest – Deadline extended; loose theme of ‘Saints’ and/or ‘Sinners’ fiction; new deadline November 2nd, 2015.
Men in Love – M/M Romance; deadline November 15th, 2015.
Torquere Press has quite a few themed submission calls up right now, the earliest deadline for which is November 15th, 2015.
Covalent Bonds – Geeks in Love; deadline December 15th, 2015.
Year of the Superhero – The Book Smugglers, looking for superhero short fiction; Deadline December 31st, 2015.
Friends of Hyakinthos – Fantastical gay male-themed stories set during the time of Ancient Greece or involving Hellenism in later cultures; Deadline January 1st, 2016.
Other places to always check include the Lambda Literary Calls of Submission page.
Know of any other short fiction open calls for submission? Let me know in the comments.
October 19, 2015
Getting Naked in Toronto
Before anything else I’m about to say, I want to make sure the first thing I write is this: If you were at all pondering whether or not to attend Glad Day Bookshop‘s Naked Heart: An LGBTQ Festival of Words, allow me to be the first to persuade you. It was fantastic – even moreso to say it was the very first year the event existed – and I sincerely hope it happens again next year. Also, huge thank-you to my publisher, Bold Strokes Books for trusting me enough to sponsor the event.
Okay, now back to the beginning. Last Thursday, my ever-patient husband and I brought His Fluffy Lordship to the in-laws, spent the night there in the guest bedroom while His Fluffy Lordship wandered about at night wondering why no one was playing with him, and then caught the train to Toronto on Friday morning. We arrived in the mid-afternoon, and we took a tour of the new aquarium, which was flipping brilliant, and my husband especially loved it (he adores aquariums). It was a great time, and by the time we were done, we were hungry, so we went to The Host: Fine Indian Cuisine and wow was that some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had. Seriously, you should go there. So good.
Anyway, those of you who know the schedule for Naked Heart know on the Friday night there was a launch party that started at nine-thirty. For those of you who know me, you know that’s roughly half-an-hour after I’m usually done for the day (I know, I know, I’m old and boring, but in my defence, I’m awake at 5:00a-ish most days, and up and ‘doing’ by 6:00a at the latest). I wanted to try to push myself. But with a belly of Indian food, all hope was lost. I fell asleep.
But I was all the brighter-eyed and bushy-tailed for the following morning.
By funny coincidence, all the events I went to during Naked Heart – with the exception of the reading I was a part of – were located at Buddies in Bad Times, Toronto’s leading destination for alternative theatre and a world leader in developing queer voices and stories for the stage. It’s a perfect venue for a festival of words, and every event there was fantastic. More, they should be given massive kudos as they – and all the event locations – were donated space for this event, which meant the programmers could afford to put every penny they could raise toward paying the authors and artists who made the festival so grand.
The first panel I went to was Bending the Genres of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Thriller, which was hosted by David Demchuk, and included authors J.M. Frey, James K. Moran, Michael Lyons, and Steven Bereznai. This was a very fun and upbeat panel – even when the panelists were discussing how they’ve sometimes been pressured to squash a bi character (Moran) or knowing the queer character can’t be front and centre if they’re looking to move copies with the big-5 (Frey). I have to admit I found myself nodding and laughing along with all the authors, and I had a bit of a fan-boy moment saying hello to Steven Bereznai afterwards (he wrote Queeroes, and how can I not gush over queer superheroes?) And for a guy who was worried beforehand about feeling like an impostor, Michael Lyons often stole the show with his wit and energy, discussing meta-narrative and fielding the topics with ease. It was a great time, and the usual measure of that – David Demchuck calling time after what felt like a few minutes – was keenly felt. I wanted more, darn it, but I really got a lot out of it. Also, David Demchuck is a great moderator – just enough input to keep things hopping, and to keep authors on point when, really, let’s be honest, doing so is like herding cats.
After that, I stayed put and waited for Hyphens & Hybrids, a panel about the experiences of those who with cultural hybrid identities and how that has impacted their audience, writing, and successes, and it was absolutely fascinating. Here, Keith Garebian, Tamai Kobayashi, and Yvonne Fly Onakeme Etaghene led us through a fascinating discussion of identity, language, appropriation and colonization, history, and bias that was eye-opening more than a few times. It’s funny, as I’ve bumped into some of the things the authors spoke of, and I’m a freaking white British guy in Canada. You wouldn’t think there’d be erasure or pressure to change there, right? But there’s that pressure to cater to a mainstream audience (even when that’s not at all who you’re writing to) that can come from publishing, and it was fascinating to realize that something as simple as being asked to make sure I mention that Ottawa is a city and Canada’s capital in a story is actually a bit insulting: context exists. Hearing the more extreme versions of this editing colonialism from the mouths of these authors was really enlightening. I loved this discussion. Also, huge praise to Yvonne Fly Onakeme Eteghene who had the audience learn how to pronounce her name before the discussion began, pointing out something just as colonialist: how come we’ve all learned how to say Schwarzenegger, but ask people to provide easy nicknames or to shrug off mispronunciations if they’re from somewhere else. ‘Burgoine’ gets mangled all the time, so I can only imagine how much frustration she gets on a daily basis. I’ve always tried to give people the consideration of learning how to pronounce their names properly (which maybe came from having mine mangled in so many interesting ways), but I’m going to redouble my efforts here. Glad Day Bookshop had her book, too, so I picked it up.
After a lunch break, I was back again in the Theatre for Alex Sanchez who was absolutely adorable. He was interviewed with a brilliant Q&A from Glad Day Bookshop’s Michael Erickson, and I basically sat back and just absorbed the entire time. I will say this: Sanchez was generously candid, speaking about his process, what it’s like to step away from a contract and fly solo and then realize that the industry is changing and it might not be easy to sell the next book. He spoke about readers who’ve contacted him, and how they were inspiration for new book topics and new characters, and most of all he was just so freaking humble and lovely. When asked what the biggest surprise was in his writing career, he said, “That people wanted to read me.” Sanchez credited a lot of the positive response to his works to having characters that weren’t pigeon-holed or one-note (I keep thinking of the term “intersectional”) and how much positive feedback he got from readers who’d never seen Latino characters like themselves in YA fiction before – let alone queer YA fiction. He had some great advice about dealing with the negative critic that lives inside your head and writer’s block. He keeps a journal where he writes down those negative thoughts while he writes – quite literally giving that critic a voice on a fresh sheet of paper – and then goes back to work. He finds giving that fear an outlet shuts it up faster. And he’s always found his writer’s block comes from fear, so he digs into that fear and tries to figure out what he’s afraid of, and then exposes it in the writing. I could write on and on about this event, but suffice it to say everyone in that audience was enthralled, and it was fantastic.
After that, it was time to wander to Glad Day Bookshop where three of the authors from that morning’s SF panel (Michael Lyons, J.M. Frey, and James K. Moran) were joining Stephen Graham King and I at a reading.
Three things about this reading: One, we had a mild moment of panic when it looked like one person was going to be our entire audience (only to learn that people had gone to the bookshop rather than the performance space one flight of stairs up, where we were). That was funny, in hindsight, and when people filled the chairs, it was a lovely (and anxiety inducing) moment.
Two: Everyone was great. Seriously. Michael Lyons was witty (and needs to finish writing his Toronto steampunk murder mystery, like, now), Stephen Graham King won everyone over with a single ‘Let’s get squishy,’ J.M. Frey tantalized with a perfect tease, and James K. Moran showed the room the atmosphere of his haunted work.
Three: For the first time in my life, I tripped up on my timing and went over. That has never happened before. I was so lucky Evil Mark from Saints and Sinners wasn’t there, or it would have been bullhorn time. I was really struggling with keeping my stutter at bay, and going slower than usual, and avoiding eye contact, which meant I didn’t look up to see our timekeeper waving me off. I am so damn sorry to Stephen, who went after me, though overall the event ran only three minutes late. Mea Culpa.
After the reading, the audience was really engaged, chatted with us all, and most went right down the stairs back to Glad Day Bookshop to pick up copies (which is brilliant, and we love you all, audience). I learned I’d sold out – these are awesome words to hear – and while James K. Moran and Stephen Graham King signed their copies, I gave them a stack of my magnets. I have no idea if any are left, but anyone who wanted one was free to grab one. If you’d like one, you could ask Glad Day Bookshop if there are any left. I can’t give you telekinesis, but I can help you hold stuff to your fridge.
After the reading, my brain went a bit wobbly (as it always does) and it was time to eat and step back. We had a lovely dinner, and then went back to the hotel room where I basically threw myself onto the bed and drooled.
On the Sunday, I was only able to stay for a bit, as my train left in the early afternoon, but I was so damn glad I made it to the Building Intergenerational Bridges panel. Moderated by Gitanjeli Lena, this fantastic group of people gave me a few dozen “aha!” moments of learning, and I love that feeling.
You’re all probably sick to death of me harping on this topic, but it’s huge. By virtue of how queerness works, we almost never have that consistency of generational inheritance that belongs to other groups. It’s not queer fathers passing on stories to queer daughters. It just doesn’t work that way (most of the time, of course exceptions apply, etc.) Finding our stories and making sure they are passed on is huge, especially in the trans* communities, where visibility of a future is so damn important.
Jia Qing Wilson-Yang, Prathna Lor, Susan G. Cole and Wayson Choy were, in a word, phenomenal. From discussions of thinking differently about “coming out” vs. “inviting in,” language barriers, poverty and racism and the various intersections and the effects on who has the privilege of visibility (and therefore representation), how elders have often survived things that youth cannot grasp (and vice-versa), and the random red-tape effects on youth and elder work (sorry, you’re over 19, no help for you, nor you, since you’re only 59!), the way the trans* community is often at the whimsy of the language use of others (at what point do we stop forcing transwomen to identify as transwomen and just understand they are women?)… The discussions here was fast, furious, and completely engrossing. I learned so much. Seriously.
And Wayson Choy made me cry, twice. The first when as part of his introduction he admitted a recent brush with death – “I am in my seventy seventh year, and I almost died recently, so I am very happy to be here.” And the second where he spoke about being your authentic self. “Simply behave as you do. You have a right to be here.”
Naked Heart was a reminder of that. I walked to the train station feeling revitalized, and supported, and reminded of the community around me – and how I also need to be working harder to find more of that community, especially those who don’t often have the opportunity or means to speak.
It was so well done. I hope there is another.
October 14, 2015
Writing Wednesday – All the Single Stories
I mentioned last week that I learned not having a single major focus (ie: a novel) meant I got a little off target with tracking and being organized with my writing. So, I decided to up my game and focus and put myself back onto the same schedule with writing other things as I was using with my novel-writing.
First week? Success.
Works for Current Calls: Goal: 2,000 words; actual: 4,400.
This is my work on Mondays and Tuesdays, where I’m working on open calls and trying to maintain at least one submission per month.
I wrote and finished a draft for a non-fiction piece, “Limit.” It came in at a bit over 1,700 words, and I need to polish it before I send it in, but I’m quite happy with it. Basic idea was taking the mathematics concept I’d learned in high school and applying it to what it feels like as a queer guy with an ever-increasing list of rights intended to make me equal with the rest of folk.
For a call for a romantic collection of gay stories, I’ve been working on “Rear Admiral.” 2,700 words are down, and though I’m a little flummoxed as to how to get where I’m going, I’m happy with what I’ve written so far. I daresay this is going to be another of my stories where I have to hack it back a lot when I’m done, as I can see myself sailing past the word count limit on the first draft. That’s fine, though. It’s good exercise.
Pitchwork: Goal: A pitch by end of month; actual: lots of notes on paper.
On Wednesdays, this is where I’m planning a new pitch to send in by the end of the year, which basically means giving myself some options over which novel I’d like to suggest to my publisher next. The current list of ideas include: the sequel to Triad Blood, which is Triad Soul; a follow-up to Light, tentatively called Flame (pyrokinesis!); an unnamed YA idea I have about young folk who can download skills and memories from parallel lives; and, finally, a collection of short fiction, tentatively titled Of Echoes Born.
Working for Myself: Goal: 2,000 words; actual: ~3,200.
On Thursdays and Fridays I’m working on stories that I just want to work on. Be that for a potential inclusion in Of Echoes Born or be that for the “Village” idea I’m still kicking around, the goal here is to build up some stories that could very well be released on their own, in a collection, or just sit and wait for calls that suit them.
Untitled Assassin Story – This one has been kicking around as bits and pieces for a while, and I flushed it out and gave it some work. It already had some word count, but I’m fairly sure I added more than 2,000 to the total 6,100 it now has.
Village Stories Ideas – I put down roughly 1,200 words of notes and ideas for the “Village” story plots and characters. Some of that is useable, some of that is more planning, but either way, I’m happy with it.
And there you have it – I’m on track. In a fractured, many-projects-at-once way, but on track nonetheless.
Open Calls I Know About
Here are the open calls I’ve bumped into…
Nine Star Press has a call open for Valentine’s themed stories, but no concrete deadline listed.
Torquere Press has quite a few themed submission calls up right now, the earliest deadline for which is October 15th, 2015.
The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival Short Fiction Contest – Deadline extended; loose theme of ‘Saints’ and/or ‘Sinners’ fiction; new deadline November 2nd, 2015.
Men in Love – M/M Romance; deadline November 15th, 2015.
Covalent Bonds – Geeks in Love; deadline December 15th, 2015.
Year of the Superhero – The Book Smugglers, looking for superhero short fiction; Deadline December 31st, 2015.
Friends of Hyakinthos – Fantastical gay male-themed stories set during the time of Ancient Greece or involving Hellenism in later cultures; Deadline January 1st, 2016.
Other places to always check include the Lambda Literary Calls of Submission page.
Know of any other short fiction open calls for submission? Let me know in the comments.
October 10, 2015
If you’re a straight cisgender woman writing m/m romance, sorry, you are not striking a blow for equality
Bumped into this today, and it’s well-written and speaks more to that Identity -vs- Pseudonyms thing I was talking about a few weeks go, and says some of it much better than I did.
Originally posted on A Trick of Light:
Just to get my argument clear in the headline.
A lot of things have prompted this, and nothing in particular has. The truth is that this is something I’ve been feeling for a while. It’s something I’ve wrestled with a bit, given that two of the novels and two of the novellas I’ve sold have been marketed as m/m romance, though I’m not cisgender, nor am I straight. It’s something I’ve gotten shades of since I started really being aware of m/m romance as a genre, and since I started understanding the uglier side of it, it’s something I’ve come to understand features heavily in a lot of parts of the slashy areas of fandom. In fact, if something in particular prompted this little tantrum – aside from some very self-congratulatory stuff I’ve seen recently about standard m/m romance doing exactly what I said it isn’t doing up there in…
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