Jay Bell's Blog, page 18

My Favorite Monsters

[image error]With Halloween creeping steadily closer, and the world becoming spookier by the day, I can't help but think of all the monsters that used to terrify and fascinate me as a child. I was heavy into horror films as a kid, and my parents had no qualms about indulging this interest. There wasn't a gory film I wasn't allowed to rent, or an issue of Fangoria I couldn't browse through to my twisted heart's content. Now that I'm a feeble old man, I find my tastes aren't so different than that of my younger self. While I find historical dramas more riveting that horror movies, I still have a soft spot in my heart for those same monsters. Here are just some of my favorites:

Werewolves –

Easily the best monster ever, werewolves have always played second fiddle to vampires. I'll never understand why. What's so great about sleeping in a coffin and exploding when the sun comes out? Werewolves have it so much better, living a normal life for all but three nights of the month. And there's none of the delicate constitution of vampires. The only thing that can kill you is a silver bullet, which most hunters are way too cheap to keep in stock.

Werewolves are also sexy! Taylor Lautner aside, a man that is in touch with his primal animal instincts must be a tiger in the sack. Or a wolf, as the case may be. I suspect all that shapeshifting back and forth is great for muscle tone too. The only werewolf to appear in my books so far is Nikolai in The Cat in the Cradle. His rarely seen human form is as handsome as can be, and I even gave him his own short story, but I'd like to write an entire book about lycanthropes some day.

Skeleton Warriors –

If there were runway models in the world of monsters, skeletons would be the most sought after. That's not a skinny joke either. Skeletons simply look great no matter what you put them in. Whether they are wearing a sombrero, a bride's gown, a pharaoh's cowl, or a classy suit and top hat, skeletons never fail to impress.

My most favorite skeletons accessorize with a simple shield and sword. In Jason and the Argonauts, an evil wizard tosses hydra teeth to the ground like he's spreading grass seed. What grows is a terrifying army of skeleton warriors. Not only do they look great, but they make effective soldiers as well. What are you going to do, stab their flesh? Poke out their eyes? There's not a lot of ways to damage a pile of bones, especially when it's animated and trying to kill you. See for yourself:

Demons –

I've always found demons interesting. I don't mean generic devils. The demons I like have strange names and roles in Hell's hierarchy. Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Mammon, and of course Lucifer. Each has their own story, but better than that is the creepy art portraying them. Few things inspired the artists of old like the threat of burning in Hell. Hieronymus Bosch made this his life's work, and even though his paintings are over five hundred years old, their nightmare visions remain terrifyingly original.

Of course demons also have their charming side, appearing in the night and seducing innocent women (and not-so-innocent gay guys) with sinful promises of passion and pleasure. The most famous of these are the incubi. Okay, so succubi are more popular, but we're talking about hot demon lords here. My favorite of course is Rimmon, who has a starring role in Hell's Pawn. I certainly enjoyed writing him, and had more than one feverish incubus dream while working on that book.

Multi-headed dragons –

I've never been much for dragons, the generic beast of fantasy novels. I have nothing against them, but they've never interested me much. But give me a dragon with more than one head, and suddenly I can't get enough. I love hydras, and not just because their teeth can raise armies of skeleton supermodels. Hydras are cool because they're so damn hard to kill. It's hard to say how many heads a hydra starts with, but cut off one and two grow back in its place. The only way of preventing this is by burning the severed neck stump. Unless you're really good at multitasking, the hydra's other heads are going to kill you while you're trying to deal with just one of them.

[image error]The best hydra of all is Tiamat. Forget Babylonian mythology, I'm referring to the modern Dungeons and Dragons creation. This Tiamat is a dragon with five heads, each a different color and possessing different kinds of breath. It's like someone combined a pride flag and a hell spawned dragon for the ultimate expression of gay fury. The red head breathes fire, the blue head shoots electricity, and the green head spews delicious martinis that render foes drunk and vulnerable. Not only that, but while Tiamat is devouring you whole, the other four heads can function as a decent barbershop quartet!

Those are some of my favorite beasties. Even though I poked fun at them, they still capture my imagination to this day and always will. Come this Halloween season, I wish you many delightful nightmares filled with sword fighting skeletons and debonair demons. Oh, and be sure to leave a comment below and tell me about some of your favorite monsters!

September Sidelines

September has been a busy month for me, but a lot of good things have happened. Here are some of the highlights:

Something Like Summer is book of the month over on Goodread's M/M Romance group. Readers have been chiming in on their opinions of the book, and I've been sharing some insights into the plot and the choices I made. If you're not a member of Goodreads, I highly recommend it since there's no better site to share and rank what you're reading. The M/M Group over there is a wonderfully friendly place to chat about gay fiction.

Something Like Summer has also been the book of the month over at YAMM Books, a new site reviewing gay fiction that is young at heart. Many readers ask me for book recommendations. This site is the perfect answer. It's a great source for books and authors you might not have discovered.

After a marathon of hunching over my laptop, I'm happy to announce the completion of a new novel. I'm not ready to release a title or synopsis yet, since this is only a first draft, but fans of Something Like Summer should be pleased as it's another contemporary romance novel. And no, it's not the oft requested sequel, but I think you'll fall in love with these new characters just as much. Along with From Darkness to Darkness (The Cat in the Cradle sequel), I expect these two books to be released sometime next year.

There's a new interview with me over at Diary of a Gay Erotica Author where I talk about satisfying myself (huh-huh-huh) and how readers have the power to make or break a book.

On a more personal note, today (September 27th) is my wedding anniversary. Andreas and I tend not to make a big deal out of it. We prefer to celebrate the day we first met, but since I love the big guy, I thought it was worth mentioning here. We plan on going out to eat to celebrate, because getting fat together is one of the coolest things about being married.

Inspiration – Hell's Pawn

It's hard to pin down just when and where Hell's Pawn took root in my mind. When I was a kid, Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series introduced me to the concept of Purgatory and a contemporary take on the afterlife. I later made a study of mythology and religion in my teens which was obviously a huge influence, and in my twenties, my best friend shared with me his idea for a story. His story must have sunk into my subconscious, because when I emailed him excitedly about my "brand new book idea," he very patiently pointed out that I had rehashed many of his own ideas. Embarrassing but true. That's just one of the many reasons the book is dedicated to him.

Those were the cornerstones of Hell's Pawn, but there were plenty of inspirations that came while actually writing the book. Music is always an influence. Every book I've written has its theme—a song I play to get me in the right mood. I discovered the song for Hell's Pawn halfway through writing and while binging on a German group called Alphaville. Their song, For a Million, is every bit as weird as my story and some of the lyrics fit all too well.

"For a million years they dream

And the fog conceals and hides

and eats our souls

Before they open up their eyes again

How far we'll be"

 

I mentioned weird, right? This verse reminds me of the foggy hidden underbelly of Purgatory, or the poor souls trapped in the dome surrounding it, sleeping until someone can free them. Then there was this verse:

"Oh I love to dance

Under an alien sun

Along the dunes with you

I kiss you in the sand"

 

I had already finished writing the Egyptian part of the story, but I liked the idea of Rimmon and John dancing along the dunes together and added it to the narrative. Did they kiss there? Man, I don't think they did, but you know John wanted to. And then there are lines about time running out, about refusing to stop loving someone, even if you have to leave them behind… but the story does a better job explaining that than I could here.

Speaking of love, check out that handsome angel up there! That's Archangel Uriel. Although his part in the story is small, I stared long and hard at this image while thinking about angels. I loved that his wings are colored instead of boring white, which encouraged me to make all the angels that way. Just think how pretty they would be if they had feathers like tropical birds instead of boring old white.

And finally, down the street from our apartment in Berlin was a small copy shop. Bobby the English Shepherd worked there. Okay, so his owners did, but I would often make an excuse to have something printed, hand the files over, and spend the next ten minutes rolling around on the floor with him. I've always loved dogs—even though it's been awhile since I had my own—so I was very happy to give John some animal companionship in the form of Bolo.

As you can see from these few examples, there are all kinds of inspirations that contribute to a story's creation. Every sexy demon, little ceramic soldier, or seedy coffee shop in Amsterdam has their own anchor to the real world, which just goes to show how strange reality can be when you tell the story in the right way.

The Cat is back… with kittens!

Er, I'll explain the kitten thing in a bit. The most important thing is that the revised version of The Cat in the Cradle is now out! What's so new and exciting about this? Well, for you eBook lovers, all of Andreas's art is now included. That means twenty-five gorgeous illustrations that compliment each chapter. Some are of exotic locations, others of strange or terrifying creatures—and if that's not enough—there are even a few cute boys in there as well. The print version is also looking sharper than ever. The previous font was much too small. I suppose my former publisher wanted to save paper, which is a noble cause, but now the book is much easier on the eyes. That's not the only way the layout has improved. I'll spare you the details, but you should find the entire reading experience much more pleasant.

As for the story, I did another rewrite and had the book edited again to bring it up to par with my other releases. There's even some new content! A few scenes have been flushed out, the story matured ever-so-slightly to get away from the Young Adult taboo that causes so many adults to tremble and flee. But wait, there's more new stuff! Andreas designed a glorious fantasy map that covers the northern portion of the Five Lands. The southern map will be included in the second book.

That's right! Now we're finally to the kittens reference. The Cat in the Cradle is now part of the Loka Legends series. I wrote the second book earlier this year, and rarely have I ever been so excited about a project. For those that haven't read the first book yet, much of it has to do with Dylan and Tyjinn and the love they feel for each other. I wanted to continue Dylan's story and see where the growth he experiences in the first book would take him. I don't want to give anything away, but believe me—if you don't read the first book you'll be missing out on an amazing sequel.

As always, buying options are to the right. You'll find them below Hell's Pawn, which is still king right now. Or you can learn more and read free chapters on the book's product page. I hope you guys will join me for my first series. Something tells me it won't be my last.

Hell's Pawn is out!

Take off your pants and celebrate, because Hell's Pawn is out! For me this means fame, fortune, and living solely off champagne and vegetarian caviar. For you, this hopefully means a couple days of edge-of-your-seat entertainment. What's it all about, you ask? A dead guy. No, not a zombie or a ghost, but a guy that finds himself in the afterlife. That's a strange enough experience to go through, but John Grey discovers that the next world isn't quite what he expected. He doesn't start in Heaven or Hell, for instance, but with a little bit of luck, he might get to one of those places. … Oh, all right, just look at the cover. Obviously he gets to Hell, but hey, there's one charming, sexy demon waiting for him there.

Sounds like a pretty weird book, doesn't it? Well, it is, but you'll find the same comfortable elements I put into all my stories. There's romance, gay main characters, ill-advised humor, and most of all, adventure. This isn't Something Like Summer though. I know you guys are hungry for more of that style and I won't disappoint you, but for now, I hope you come along with me as I try something new.

Buying options are to the right. Tree friendly eBooks are the cheapest at only $2.99. Paperback costs a bit more at $12.99. Those should be up on Amazon soon, maybe later today. In the meantime, you can buy it directly from Createspace and get 20% off with magic the code. That's over there on the right too.

Once you've read it, please come back and tell me what you think. If it turns out you love Hell's Pawn, please leave a review to help spread the word. Many humble thanks in advance! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to pen more stories for you guys!

Falling in love again

I've been working on a new contemporary romance novel and I'm struck by how similar creating a new character is to going on a first date. At first everything is awkward, the conversation stilted, and I'm a little more focused on how the person looks than who they are. Then words start to flow, some trivial, others revealing the truth about the person in front of me. As time passes, and if everything goes as it should, I begin to fall in love. This may sound odd, since we're talking about people I make up in my own head, so I feel it's important to explain just what kind of love I mean.

As I get older, I notice just how beautiful youth is. I mean more than just the physical. Being the terribly nostalgic person I am, when young people catch my eye I think back to how wild, stupid, dreadful, mysterious, and wonderful life was back then. For me, it also meant a lot of romantic adventures. When I look at these hot young guys, I'm not undressing them in my mind. Nor do I have any desire to see them in my bed. Instead I'm thinking of all the opportunities they have, all the fun waiting for them, and I hope they find someone their own age to experience this journey with. This is my wish for my characters too. I adore them, enjoy being in their heads or seeing them from the outside, but I want them to find their own way in the world. I love them, but they aren't for me, so the most I can do is admire them from afar and try to guide them in the right direction.

As crazy as all of this might sound, the infatuation I feel for people that don't exist is a good omen. If I write a joke that doesn't make me laugh, chances are you won't laugh either. If I don't fall head over heels in love with my characters, then why would you? The days I'm too busy to write, I have a nagging feeling that tells me to call these characters, to check up on them and make sure they're doing okay. With a little luck, you'll feel the same way when you set the book down for too long. Speaking of which, just wait until you meet Connor. It'll be awhile before you do, but believe me, you're going to love him!

Goodbye Cat in the Cradle

Farewell Kio, Dylan and Tyjinn. It was nice knowing you, but your story will no longer be told. *wipes tear from eye* Actually, I'm being a little dramatic. You may have noticed that The Cat in the Cradle is no longer on sale at all the usual places. Don't panic, because Kio and company are only going on vacation. The rights for this book recently reverted back from my publisher to me, and instead of just republishing it as is, I've decided to give it another rewrite. I've learned a few tricks since writing this book and wanted to polish the prose. I also want to get those chapter illustrations worked into the Kindle and Nook versions. I have even bigger plans than that, but for now, rest assured that The Cat in the Cradle will be back. With a vengeance.

Two Interviews and a Free Book!

Wanna get inside my head? There have been two interviews with me as of late, one of which that gives you the chance to win a copy of Something Like Summer. The first is here at Curious Queer, where I talk about homesickness, future releases, and being gay in Germany.

The second can be found at Taboo Indeed. There I chat about explicit sex scenes, Something Like Summer, and famous people coming out. Leave a comment on Taboo Indeed's site, just below the interview, for a chance to win a print or eBook copy of Something Like Summer. Have fun!

The Evolution of a Book Cover

My third novel, Hell's Pawn, is nearing release. Rather than just reveal the cover art like I usually do, I thought it would be fun to show you all the stages we went through to get to the final product. Hell's Pawn is a story that takes place completely in the afterlife. Not just Heaven and Hell, but the realms of many major religions, past and present. Most of the characters are contemporary, souls that lived in our time, but there's one character that's different. Rimmon is an incubus, a handsome male demon and sort of the love interest of the main character. Some time ago, Andreas was doing character sketches for fun and asked me for an idea. I slyly described Rimmon, and Andreas came up with the drawing below.

As fun as it was to see one of my characters come to life on the page, Andreas didn't draw this with a cover in mind, but this piece did end up influencing the direction we took. I liked the idea of Rimmon being on the cover, since he's not only sexy, but intriguing. I don't like to pin Andreas down creatively, so I described Rimmon vaguely, mostly only stressing his attractiveness. The first result is below.

Yeah, that's hot, but it's also a lot younger than I expected. Naughty Andreas! I asked him to age Rimmon up, since his character is both mature and intelligent, which isn't quite conveyed by such a youthful appearance. A little bit of magic, and Andreas had finally done it. We had found Rimmon.

Now that we had our centerpiece, it was time to set him on stage. In the novel, Hell isn't depicted as fire and brimstone. Instead Hell is based on a modern European city, so the bar scene could still work. Andreas came up with this rough concept, which we were both very excited about.

The front cover would be an outside view of the bar, with Rimmon visible in the window. The back cover would wrap around to an alley, where an old Gurney steam coach is parked. Er… It makes sense if you read the story, I swear. The best part is that the book's title could be the bar sign, an idea that I still love.

Unfortunately, this new mockup began to worry us both. If Rimmon was behind a window and realistically placed further in the interior, he wouldn't be nearly as visible to the viewer. Besides, who stands in a bar facing the window? Andreas suggested we keep the concept but turn the entire thing inside out.

I'm pretty sure I jumped up and down in excitement at this point. Not only could we see Rimmon better, but there was now room for another character. Rimmon had someone to seduce, rather than staring forlornly out the window. In this case, I decided it should be John Grey, the novel's protagonist. John has a rough time adjusting to the afterlife, but things get a lot more interesting for him when he meets Rimmon. John's a sharp dressed man though, so the figure in front needed to change.

Obviously Andreas really ran with the concept at this point, turning his full attention to the background and fine detailing. Now, with a full blown piece of art, all that was left was formatting into a book cover. This means setting the title, placing the back blurb, working in the bar code and tons of other things. The end result can be seen below:

I couldn't be happier. Andreas really outdid himself this time. Is it any wonder I'm head over heels in love with him? A proof copy of the book is winging its way to Germany right now so we see it in the flesh. Once we do, there might be some other small changes, but we're more or less there. Once my early readers give me the green light, Hell's Pawn will be ready for release, hopefully by mid summer. No matter what the critics make of the insides, thanks to Andreas, I can't imagine anyone complaining about the packaging.

Tripping the Love Fantastic

Imagine performing on stage, taking a bow, and staying bent over for years while waiting for a response from the audience. Will they applaud, or will they boo on their way out of the theater? In a strange sort of way, this is what writing is like. The first draft of Something Like Summer was penned almost three years before it was available for sale. During all that time, I honestly had no idea how readers would react to it. Thankfully, the response has been positive. Something Like Summer has been one of the top gay romance novels on Amazon for the last couple of months, and I have you all to thank for it. A flashy orange cover and a low price don't hurt, but word of mouth and well written reviews are what really help spread a book. That's all I ever wanted, was for others to care about these characters as much as I do, and for that I want to say thank you. To all those that have written me with their opinions and thoughts, to those that have left reviews, and to the readers that took a chance on me and bought a book by some guy they had never heard of; Thank you all so much for your generosity. I love you guys!