Christa Tomlinson's Blog, page 10

Valentine's Day Giveaway!

Hello and Happy Almost Valentine's Day! It's that time of year where if you're a prepared significant other, you've already made dinner reservations, ordered a dozen roses to be delivered to your loved one's place of work, and bought a new lacey bit of nothing for one or the both of you to wear.

Or, you're thinking you've got plenty of time only to end up stopping by the gas station to get a bottle of cheap wine and a wilted plastic wrapped rose on the way home on Valentine's night. This is usually my method. Heck, maybe you just plan to celebrate the day at home with your favorite type of chocolate and a few good books.

I'll be doing option number three this year. I'm thinking I'll splurge and get a couple of bars of Godiva. Yummy! But since it's a holiday, I want to do my first giveaway on Cafe Risque!

I'm giving away a signed paperback set of each of the three books in the Bad Boys Need Love Too series. Entering is easy. Just comment on this post with your Valentine's type:

A) Prepared with plans & reservations
B) Running late to the gas station 
C) Curled up with a book and chocolate
Be sure to include your email so that I can contact you if you are the winner. Or, you can check the Notify Me box in your comment so you know when I respond to you. Winner picked next Sunday. Good luck and enjoy your evening of love!

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
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My Writing Space

Since I mucked out my work space today, I thought I'd share a few pics of it with you. I just moved into this apartment in October and I've had to make a few adjustments. In my old house, I had an entire room for my office. Now, I only have a dining area that I commandeered for writing. I thought it'd be hard to concentrate, since I wasn't behind a closed door like I'm used to. But once I have coffee in my belly and my headphones on blasting music (this week I'm all about the Yuri On Ice soundtrack), I'm in my own little writing world.

When I first moved in, I had plans for making my "office" into one of those Pinterest worthy spaces. You know what I mean, matching white furniture - with the desktop strangely devoid of any work, French bulletin boards with prettily patterned backgrounds, and elegant artwork. I got as far as the white furniture. Then I laughed and put up my Captain America art, crammed my glitter notebooks onto the bookcases and got to writing. My work space might not be Pinterest pretty, but it's mine and I love it.

 I'm something of a notebook hoarder. I can't stop buying them! But I at least put them to good use. Each story idea gets a binder and matching notebook. I record my thoughts there and when it's time to write that book I'm already organized and ready to go! #NerdLife
 This is Chunky. You can't see it, but there's a little space heater behind her. It's supposed to be for me to stay warm and toasty while writing. But the dogs are always laying in front of it, so I never get any of the warmth for myself. Poor me.

This is as neat as you'll ever see my desk. I always laugh when I see those lovely pictures of desktops that are completely bare with the exception of a keyboard and monitor. Where are all the ink pens, empty coffee mugs, candy wrappers, and piles of paper? #WritersLife
Ah, bulletin boards. I love them, but can't hang one straight to save my life. Maybe my vision is crooked. Or I should stop being lazy and use a level...

And that's my work space! A warm (when there isn't a dog in front of the heater) and cozy little writing nook.  =)

P.S. Check out my previous blog post, my Top Ten Reads of 2016. I'm giving away a $25 Barnes & Noble gift certificate for one lucky reader. All you have to do is comment on that blog post with a book recommendation for me. Ends January 11th. Good luck!

Thanks for reading!
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads
View my titles on Amazon

How to Handle Bad Reviews

If only getting reviews was this easy. Whooo, boy this is a touchy subject. Reviews are tough. You need them to validate yourself as a writer. You want to know what the reader thought of your story. And of course, reviews are one of many tools that you can use to market your book. Good reviews are great. Bad reviews are ungreat. This is me when I see a good review for one of my books:
This is me when I see a bad review for one of my books:
Authors react in many different ways when they receive a bad review. A lot of times, those reactions lead to a bad reputation for that writer. Some even end up on the Authors Behaving Badly list.  As I always say, I'm not an expert, but I want to help other emerging authors get their career off to a good start. With that in mind, here are three things NOT to do when you get a bad review:

1) Contact the reviewer to explain something about the book that you think they misunderstood.
2) Contact the reviewer to bitch at them because you don’t like what they wrote.
3) Contact the reviewer to ask them to take the review down.

Basically, DON’T CONTACT THE REVIEWER. Don’t even look at them. And for book god’s sake, don’t track them down and attack them with a wine bottle. Yes, that happened. Do not argue with the reviewer in any way. No matter how nasty the things were that they wrote about you, your book, your dog and your grandma, you’ll be the one to come out looking like the unprofessional monster that no one wants to deal with. Once you put your book out there, people are entitled to their opinion about it. And nothing you can say to them is going to change that opinion.

Also, don’t try to be slick and send your fans, friends or family after someone either. You know what I mean, the sly post where you say, Sally Reviewer was so mean to me but I’m not going to sink to her level. But here’s the link if you want to see it. And all her social media handles for good measure. And her email address. And her blood type. Then your fan/friend/family member says, I’ll give them a piece of my mind! So they attack Sally Reviewer, then a bunch more people attack Sally Reviewer. Meanwhile, you’re sitting there with dirt free hands, playing the tragic victimized author role, and only after it gets truly nasty do you maybe think about calling off your rabid horde. This is gross. Don’t do this. Be professional.

So what can you do about negative reviews?
1) Cry
2) Go in your closet and scream with rage
3) Eat ice cream
4) Play Mortal Kombat and pretend it’s the reviewer’s ass you’re kicking
You, pretending to whup the ass of the reviewer who gave you a bad review. 5) Call your mom (or other lovingly sympathetic family member or friend) and complain
6) Buy yourself something pretty for some retail therapy
7) Take that pissed off fire and write another book
Now, I’m not saying I’ve used any of the above methods (I’ve totally used all of the above methods). But they are helpful. Get your hurt feelings out in private and then move on. You can also just avoid reading your negative reviews. In my opinion, this is the review scale for sites like Goodreads and Amazon and how I think you should read them:

5 Stars – Oh my gawd, this book was the best! Top ten for my whole life!
Read these, but sparingly. Save ‘em for when you’re having a shit day writing and need a confidence boost.

4 Stars – This book was amazing! Definitely going on my reread pile
Read these and bask. You did good work.

3 Stars – This was a good book, but it had some issues.
Read these. They usually have legitimate critique that you can learn from to improve your craft.

2 Stars – This book was awful. But I did like the dog.
You should probably skip these. They’ll just make you sad.

1 Star – This book was the dirt worst! Somebody take this so-called author’s keyboard away so she can never write again! And for good measure, cut off her hands!!!! *heavy breathing through the keyboard*
Don’t read these. They more than likely didn’t offer any helpful feedback and they will piss you off.

I know what you're thinking. Why is this important? And, I have the right to express my feelings just the way that reviewer did. But look at it this way. You, the writer, are a business. You might be a one woman/man show, but you are still a business. It is up to you to protect your reputation.

Imagine if Target, Dunkin Donuts, or Nine West went off on rants every time they had a customer give their products a negative review. You'd probably be turned off and not want to shop there anymore, right? Same goes for readers. Your core group of fans might not mind your review rage. But readers who are out there on the fringes might feel differently. They'll take a look at that unprofessional rant about a reviewer and decide they don't want to support an author who attacks readers. After all, who's to say you won't attack them if they don't give you a glowing review? And just like that, that reader has decided not to support you with their book dollars. So ask yourself, is it worth it losing potential fans by internet screaming over a bad review? In my opinion, it's not.

Reviews are tough. You need them, they can make you feel good, but they can also hurt something fierce. If you're going to be a writer, you'll need to learn to accept reviews graciously and find a closet to scream in when you can't.

Thanks for reading!
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads
View my titles on Amazon

Happy New Year and 2017 Goals

Ah, 2016. It was a year that existed. I had a lot of plans for 2016. Unfortunately, they didn’t all pan out.  Probably because I didn’t actually sit down and plan out my plans. Or even write them down so I’d remember what they were. Funny how that works.

But I did manage to accomplish a few things. I published The Detective’s Pleasure, Officer Ryan Bennett and Detective Sam Roberts’s story. I published Showing Him the Ropes, a romance set in the world of professional wrestling, and something I’d been wanting to write for two years. And I sold my house, so I could move into an easier to manage apartment. Yay! All good things! For 2017 I’m already one step ahead. I actually wrote down my professional goals. Progress!

Publish Five Works
Now is the time for me to be more focused in my writing. I realize that only publishing one or two books a year won’t get me over that hump from part-time/hobbyist writer to full-time career writer. Which means I’ll be buckling down and dedicating my time and effort to producing more stories that I, and hopefully others, will love.

Attend at least one genre conference
I went to Rainbow Con in 2015. And like a typical introvert I was tense and stressed. I liked the panels and learning, but having to talk to people I don’t know and be around so many people at the same time was exhausting. When I got home, I swore I’d never go to another. But I didn’t really mean it. I want to know my fellow m/m romance people and I love talking books. So I’m determined to try again.
Attend at least three meetings for the West Houston RWA
Again, I’m forcing myself out of my comfort zone. I want to learn more about the business of romance writing and connect with others in the industry. Getting out from behind my computer and into public spaces with other writers is the way to make that happen. I was a little concerned about joining West Houston RWA because of my genre. But when I spoke with Membership Chair, Karen Pugh, she was very welcoming and assured me they embrace diversity. They even had Damon Suede there as a guest speaker. I’m so bummed I missed it. Here’s hoping he’ll be back in 2017.

Public Speaking
I don’t miss the politics or endless and often ridiculous demands of being a teacher. But I do miss teaching. It’s in my blood. I love learning and sharing my knowledge with others. It’s the best feeling when I help someone understand something they didn’t get before. With that in mind, I’d like to give a guest lecture or sit in on a panel. Rainbow Con has some cool ones, so I’m considering signing up for a few.

Post regularly on both my blog and Café Risque
I’m so thankful Cardeno C. invited me to participate in Café Risque. It gave me the motivation I needed to start blogging on a regular basis. I’m enjoying it and I’ve started posting on my own blog on a regular basis as well. I definitely plan to continue posting on both throughout the year. If there’s anything you want to see me blog about, let me know!

Get back into writing fanfiction
I miss it! I had a lot of fun writing fanfiction. And it’ll be a chance for me to write without the pressure of publication. It will also help me explore some things I want to try before I take them to market. *cough* Historical Fantasy! *cough* So I’ll be seeing you soon, FFDN!

Read 50 books.
Okay, don’t laugh. I know fifty books isn’t a lot. Especially compared to how many I used to read before I started publishing. But lately, I haven’t had the time to read that much. Or I should say, I haven’t made time to read like I used to. This year, I’m determined to make more time to read and relax.

That’s it! I think it’s a pretty manageable set of goals. Now I just have to stay patient and realize I can’t accomplish them all by January 15th. I’m looking forward to working hard to reach these goals in 2017. And you’d better believe I’m giving myself a cookie every time I accomplish one. I’d love to see your goals for the year. Feel free to share in the comments!
Happy New Year and I wish you all the best for health, wealth, and happiness in 2017.

Thanks for reading!
Christa
*Originally Posted on the Cafe Risque Blog
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
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My Top Ten(ish) M/M Romance Reads of 2016

Alright, 2016 is finally coming to an end. I didn’t get to read nearly as many books as I wanted to this year, but I did read some really good ones. My favorites of 2016 don’t all have 2016 release dates, but this year is the first time I read them. They’re numbered because it’s a top ten(ish) list, but they aren’t listed in order of favorites. I think I’d cry if I had to make that distinction.
1) Omega Series: First Omega, Second Alpha, Third Mate by Rebecca James
Since I binged all three of these at once, I’m listing them all together. I’ve only recently started reading m-preg. And I loved this series. There was just something about the rough alphas and the adorable omegas. I was legitimately scared when two of the characters were in trouble in the human world. And somehow, even though they didn’t get much screen time, Leo and his little mate, Sam, were my favorites.

2) Grand Opening from the Kiss of Leather series by Morticia Knight
I’ve enjoyed the other books in this series so I was excited to read this. And I’m a sucker for stories with established couples who are trying to work through problems in their relationship, like Master Josh and David. There was lots of tension as the Masters work to get the club opened and Josh and David try to get their relationship back on track. I particularly loved Master Gavin assisting Josh. That was perfect! No offense to Master Josh, but when he learned his lesson I was cackling with glee. And of course, I’m panting with excitement for the next in the series: Gaining Trust. Like Ms. Knight said, Master Jordan and Chuck are about to set the air on fire, and I can’t wait to see it. January 24th, baby!
3) Don’t Twunk With My Heart by Renae Kaye
When I want fun and flirty, Renae Kaye is one of the authors I turn to. Don't Twunk With My Heart delivered on that. But there were more serious parts to the story as well: domestic violence, body issues, and ageism especially. I appreciated seeing those real-life issues handled in a way that wasn't too heavy, but still gave them the attention they deserved. And of course when I wanted the cute, Twunk was there with sideline warfare and dance parties.
4) The Slave, The Soldier, The Master from the Free Men series by Kate Aaron
This was a wonderful series. And again, I binged it all at once, so I’m listing them together. The Soldier and the Slave were particularly well done as characters. But the stress the Master carried made my heart ache for him as well. I thought the pacing in the buildup of both their relationship and the overarching story was perfect. The world building was really well done as well. And I was so very happy with the conclusion.
5) Guarded by Cat Grant & L.A. Witt
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. I read this to the end. Then I immediately paged back to the beginning and started it over.  That’s how much I enjoyed this one. Oh man, the vulnerability in rock star Jordan Kane just broke my heart. And Jase! So sexy. Such a good match for the rock star.  It was a gorgeous story. Please read it. That’s all I have to say. Except, BRB about to go and read it again. ;-)
6) The Captive Prince Trilogy: Captive Prince, Prince’s Gambit & King’s Rising by C.S. Pacat
This came into my sphere of reading at just the right time. I’ve been wanting to start reading historical and historical fantasy books again. I asked for a rec on Facebook and several people suggested this series. I was completely enthralled. Laurent was my favorite. I really liked his cool precision and distance with passion and vulnerability hiding beneath. One of the books in the series was nominated for Goodreads Romance of the year (sorry I’m spacey and forgot which one). It got my vote.
7) Aces & Eights by Rain Carrington
I found this on Twitter after I saw Lyssa Dering live-tweeting her love for it. I checked it out and was in love! Eight was a little rough, but that’s just who he was. Besides, his roughness was what Kale wanted, and there was love underneath it. The side story was awesome too and I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series. But my favorite part was Eight calling Kale his Chiquito. SWOON.

8) Given the Circumstances by Brad Vance
I’ve seen Brad Vance’s name all over the m/m romance world but for whatever reason, I’m just now getting to his books. What I like most about the story, was how well the characters were drawn. I feel like I got so into the characters’ heads, especially Roger. He was just such a wonderful man. Even the way the author wrote him as a kid was just damn adorable. And Brian. Brian drove me crazy with his self-destruction. But he made me want to cry with what he needed to be a good man. Such a simple thing! Roger and Brian had a few missteps, but their love was beautiful. The ending was a little bittersweet, but I still super-duper loved it.

9) All Note Long by Annabeth Albert
I discovered Annabeth Albert thanks to her story in the 2015 Goodreads M/M Romance Don’t Read in the Closet event. And I’m so glad I did! Her stories are perfect in having characters who make me want to wrap them up in a blankie and feed them cookies and hot cocoa. Michelin Moses, the accidentally outed country music star, was that character for me. And Lucky was just so damn cute with his goals, personal acceptance, and ability to help Michelin while still needing love himself. I’m not sure if this is the last in the Perfect Harmony series. If if is, it's the perfect end cap.
10) For Real by Alexis Hall
First things first. This was a good, meaty, long book. And I love a good, meaty, long book. And I loved the story. A nineteen-year old, trying to learn who he is, and an older man rediscovering himself. It was a wonderful book, with beautiful language and emotions. And as far as the sexy times go, I’ll quote Aaliyah here – “Age ain’t nothing but a number, throwing down ain’t nothing but a thang.” Whew!
*Honorary All Time Favorite Re-Read: Johnnie by Cardeno C.
We all have them. The books that we pull up when we need to settle down and read something we know we’ll love. Our security blanket books. I have a few, but Johnnie by Cardeno C is one of my favorites. I adore Johnnie. He was so sad, yet selfless. And Hugh was wonderful in how he took care of his pride. But as he got to know Johnnie and realized there was a real bond between them, he didn’t fight it. He studied it and then went with it. And their building relationship was beautiful. And hot. Ugh, I love them together so much!

And that's my Top Ten(ish) M/M Romance Reads of 2016. A fine list. But now I need to get started on my 2017 reading list. Especially since I've set a goal of reading 50 books. So if you have any reads you'd like to rec, especially those with POC MCs and/or in the fantasy sub-genre, I'd love to hear them!

Comment below with your favorite books, and in return, I might help you get started on your 2017 reading list! One commentor will be randomly selected to win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble. Just think of all the lovely e-books you can buy from your TBR!

Your comment must be entered on this blog post to count. One comment entry per person. Leave your email in your comment or check the "Notify me of new comments to this post by email" box on your comment so that I can contact you if you're the winner. Contest ends January 11th and winner announced January 12th. Prize will be sent as an electronic gift card to your email. Good luck!

Thanks for reading!
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads
View my titles on Amazon

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas! The holiday this year is a lot different for me. To tell you the truth, I don't even know what I did for Christmas last year. I do know I was in a major funk, which means I probably avoided the holiday altogether. You see, I know 2016 has been a heck of a year. But for me personally, 2015 was worse. I had surgery on my knee to repair a torn ACL.  I was glad to have it done, but I didn't realize how much it would effect me having two major surgeries in three years (I broke my ankle in 2012). I was bummed that I'd have to take time off from playing roller derby, but also frustrated that I had to go through the whole physical therapy rigmarole again to be able to walk normally.

I was also struggling in my writing. I'd hit that place where I was scared of success and scared of failure. And I was working a day job that made it difficult to write. All of that added together had me withdrawing into the tiniest of hermit crab shells.

This year is different. Although I am stressed about a few things, I'm not letting that stop me from connecting with friends and family. It took me a while, but I realized that withdrawing and trying to struggle through on my own isn't healthy. Family and friends are there to help, even if they don't realize they're doing so. Just being in their presence, talking to them and sharing bits of my life helps my mind and my heart. So this year, I'm home in St. Louis to celebrate Christmas.

The holidays can be hard! I understand that all too well. If you're having a rough time this year, my wish is that you find love and peace, whether it's with friends, family or snuggled up on your own with a good book. And speaking of reading, I have a free Christmas short on my site. It's titled O' Christmas Tree, and I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
Christa
*Originally published on the Cafe Risque Blog
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads
View my titles on Amazon

Women Are Wrestling Fans Too. Show Us Some Respect.

I’ve been a wrestling fan since I was a little girl. Some of my earliest memories revolve around wrestling. My dad was really into it, so he would watch on the weekends and take us to the shows when they came to town.

Going to wrestling matches at the old Kiel in St. Louis was the best. We always had to take a nap beforehand, to make sure we’d stay up for the night. I can remember being in bed in the middle of the day, where I was supposed to be sleeping because my stepmom told me to, but peeking out the window and seeing my dad in the driveway. He waved and grinned at me. I waved back, then flopped down on the bed because I heard my stepmom coming.

I remember running up that long flat, spiral walkway in the Kiel to get to the nosebleed section. We sat that far up because my dad had several tickets to buy, so sitting any closer was out of the question. I remember pouting and asking why I never got to get in the ring and dance with Junkyard Dog or get Bret Hart’s sunglasses and my dad laughing and saying they weren’t going to come all the way to where we were sitting to pick a kid.

I remember leaving the arena and being stuck in the crush of people all trying to get out at the same time. And my dad would hold my hand super tight to make sure I didn’t get swept away by the crowd. And then later in the parking lot, the honking of horns and people shouting out their truck windows who their favorite of the night was. There were a lot of go Dusty chants.

I remember watching Hulk Hogan on Saturday mornings (talking only, the champ didn’t wrestle on plebian regular TV), then going outside to see my dad carrying his big red tool box and telling him that he was as strong as Hogan. I remember when Hogan was crushed by Earthquake, I wrote him a get well letter, my stepmom mailed it, and I got a thank you post card in return.

These are all wonderful, good memories. I don’t have too many memories of women in wrestling from that time, other than the saga between Elizabeth, Macho Man and Scary Sherri. And that’s okay. As a kid, it didn’t occur to me to question that. It was what it was. I didn’t know any better.

I stopped watching wrestling for a while, mostly because WWE switched to RAW on Monday nights and I didn’t have cable at the time. Then, I got back into it around 1998, in the middle of the Attitude Era. And I loved wrestling again. The characters were crazy. They did outlandish things like riding tanks (Jeeps), spraying beer on their boss, and kidnapping women to sacrifice to errrmmm… I’m not clear on who Stephanie was being sacrificed to.

As a teenager/young adult I thought all of that was awesome and funny and cool. I didn’t like the bra and panty and pudding matches much, but I wasn’t angry about them. And I have to admit, I thought the Godfather’s Hos were hilarious. In fact, on one of the WWE’s trips to town I heard an advertisement on the radio to come down and audition to be a Ho. I wanted to go, but didn’t have enough confidence to do it so I skipped it. I was young and didn’t know any better.
[image error] But when Chyna, and later Lita, came on the scene, I perked up. What? This woman can protect HHH & HBK and kick the men’s asses? I loved Chyna’s signature low blow, and she looked so bad ass in her leather, dark tights and gloves. And what? This woman can flip off the top rope onto the boys and do a sassy hair flip afterwards? How cool is she? I thought both women were amazing. And as a female wrestling fan, it meant something to see women doing more than standing ringside and looking concerned.

Then I stopped watching again. You can thank the Stone Cold heel turn for that. When I came back to wrestling – CM Punk gets the thanks there – I was a fully formed, logical, mature and empathetic adult. And there were some things about wrestling that didn’t sit well with me.

Minority characters still weren’t getting much shine (that’s a whole ‘nother post). And the women “wrestled” but were clearly seen as a joke. Their matches were two minutes. They slapped each other on the ass. *side eyes Layla* They pulled hair, were bitchy, called each other fat, fought over boys and had a sparkly butterfly belt that Barbie is too mature to wear. And I gotta say, I didn’t like it.

These women were supposed to be athletes. They are in the same ring and on the same show as the men, so why aren’t they having the same types of feuds and matches? I’m not saying no woman behaves the way the Divas did. But c’mon. I played roller derby. It’s a hard core full contact sport. Yeah, I wore fishnet tights and glitter eyeshadow, but I’d also lay a motherfucker out on that track. I didn’t train for three days a week to go out there, spank an opposing player on the butt, yell at her for stealing my man, then skate away after pulling her hair for two minutes. What I’m saying is this: Women can be typically feminine with sexy or cute outfits (the men most often wear way less anyway) and ALSO kick ass in the ring.

It was frustrating to watch this thing that I loved with my adult eyes, and see it being so problematic. Then the “women’s revolution” came along. It hasn’t been perfect but things have improved. The women are getting way more time than before. I haven’t seen any of them slap each other on the ass in over a year. They’ve main evented and that pink belt is no more. All good things! Yay! Loud noises! Confetti explosion! But. We still got a coupla issues. Like Enzo.

What the fuck, Enzo? I can forgive a lot in wrestling, because I understand it’s all nonsense. But why does Enzo, who for all intents and purposes is a good guy, behave the way he does? He makes no attempt to be a normal polite human being and cover his naked junk when he runs into Lana. After saying he wants to help her get through her problems, he rolls his eyes and makes it clear he doesn’t actually want to hear her talk, he wants to do other things. *wink-wink* He goes to a married woman’s hotel room. He doesn’t see why he might need sensitivity training. And he hits on a woman in the workplace, when she’s just there to do her damn job. (FYI, don’t do this. We’re polite because you’re the customer, so we have to be. But it makes us feel trapped and uncomfortable) And Enzo’s not the only good guy to be a jerk to the women on the show.

Cena has said some questionable things to the women on the roster and he’s the baby face of all baby faces. The Rock’s comments to Lana were so nasty I get sour faced even now when I think of them months later. If Enzo were the bad guy, I wouldn’t have (as much) of a problem with him being a dick to Lana, because like Noam Dar, it would make sense for his role. But he’s not! He’s the cool, crowd-sing-along, Schmoney dancing guy.

Even after his bad behavior, Enzo is presented as sympathetic since he keeps getting beat up by the evil foreigner. And it’s wrong. It helps validate the culture of men hitting on women who don’t want to be hit on. Of people shaming women for being sexual. Of women valued only as the property of their menfolk. I don’t want to see this, especially with it being a real life problem in our real life world.

It also perpetuates the attitude of some male fans that women who are into wrestling are all rats. That the only reason we watch is for the oiled up half-naked dudes. Spoiler alert, I don’t sit through three hours of wrestling for naked dudes. I can barely make it through five minutes of oiled up dudes in gay porn before I’m bored. I watch wrestling for the wrestling. The muscles are a side bonus.

I don’t come to this make-believe show where everyone is greased up and rolling around in their underwear to be presented with people like my old boss, who thought women should have long hair and wear make up to work, or of the guy who called me a stuck up bitch because I had the nerve not to stop when he ran up on me with his ‘Hey, baby’ routine as the good guys. (Another FYI, that shit is scary. Don't do it.) And no, the solution isn’t to “stop watching.” Fuck that. If we’d stopped watching after Nikki rolled up Paige in twenty seconds we wouldn’t have gotten a bloody faced Sasha tapping to Charlotte after a thirty-minute Iron Woman match.
 
People were so mad at “Roman Reigns being shoved down our throats” and Batista winning the rumble that there was a Cancel the Network movement. People booed and whined in wReddit Squared Circle, and on WWE’s Facebook posts, and Twitter, and podcasts about it so damn much, that Daniel Bryan was put into the main event of Wrestlemania (Yeah, Trips says that was the plan all along. But he be lyin’) People are still booing Roman in arenas. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a RR fan. I think he’s bland and he’s not the type of wrestler I favor, so I get it. So how is it okay to express your displeasure in that storyline and character, but attack feminist fans when we don’t like something?

The point is, I love WWE wrestling. I have since I was a kid. I love texting with my Dad about it. I even plan on going home to St. Louis during Mania just so I can watch it with him. I’ve got a drawer full of t-shirts, I pay for the Network, I attend live events, and I’ve gone to several meet and greets. They are getting my money just like everyone else’s. All I ask in return is for them to get fully on board with the “women’s revolution.” And for certain fans to try and understand why their attitude and treatment towards some of the women on the roster bothers us so much, instead of calling us cunts and telling us to stop watching.

Be adults. Have empathy. Maybe the flaws in the Enzo/Lana storyline aren’t a big deal to you. And that’s fine. But it might be a big deal to the next Sasha Banks, Bayley, or Charlotte who is watching at home and thinking she might want to become a wrestler. That girl might change her mind when she sees Lana being likened to a whore, or sees male fans on Twitter calling women fans bitches, social justice warriors, rats, and cunts.

So don’t be an asshole, okay? We love wrestling just as much as you, and would like to watch it without seeing the equivalent of real life jerks touted as cool baby faces on screen. Being called names and generally made to feel like shit for daring to express our displeasure in a storyline sort of takes the fun out of wrestling. And it’s supposed to be fun, right?

Thanks for reading. Enjoy RAW.

How To Edit Your Novel

I apologize for missing last week. Ironically, I was deep in the editing cave and didn’t get to post. So. Editing. Blah, am I right? There are many stages to the editing process. But before I get into them, I want to make a suggestion. Don’t let anyone see your first/rough draft. It’s probably a mess, and no one will be able to make sense of it. Don’t show it to friends or family. Don’t give it to beta readers. Don’t query editors, agents, or publishers with it, and for damn sure don’t publish a first draft. Don’t special snowflake syndrome on me and think you’re the exception. Okay? Okay. Let’s move on. Before you can get to editing, you have to get your first draft out. I call this the vomit draft. Why? Because when I’m writing a first draft, I don’t stop to do paragraphs or even punctuate.
Actual footage of me getting out my vomit rough draft. I leave sentences half-finished if I can’t immediately decide what I want to say because I don’t want to break my flow. And I definitely don’t stop to look anything up. If I’m unsure of a fact or need a character name, I just type XX as a place holder. (I learned this tip from another writer, but I can’t remember who. Thank you, smart writer!) It’s easy to find with Word search features because there are few (maybe none?) words that have XX in them, which means you won’t get a lot of unnecessary results. When I’m finished vomiting on to the page (yuck!) I take a break and get away from it for a while.

**Side Note! Should you edit while writing? I don’t recommend it. Writing and editing are two different brain processes.  And if you stop your writing to edit, it will take you forever to actually get the completed story out because you keep nitpicking over little bits. Let your brain tell the story. Then go back and whip it into shape.
The second (and subsequent drafts) are where the editing begins. This is where I go through and clean up a WIP. I fill in all those XXs. I complete sentences, organize paragraphs, fix grammar, and make order of sloppy sentences. This might take a couple of rounds and that’s okay. The manuscript isn’t shined to perfection yet, but it’s got some really good polish on it.
Once I’m finished with a few rounds of self-editing, I have the For Your Eyes Only draft. At this point, I’m ready to send it off to someone else to read. That can be one of two persons, a beta reader and/or an editor. I’ll break and explain what each one is and does.

Beta Readers. They are precious cinnamon rolls of perfection. These are people who already read your genre that you can give your manuscript to for reader feedback. Why is it important for them to be fans of your chosen genre? Because they have an innate ability to know what to look for as far as what they’ve already seen and enjoyed or hated in similar books.

With that knowledge, they can tell you if you’re in the ball park or way off in a park of your own. Their job is to tell you things like did I enjoy this book? Are the characters likeable? Were there any parts I didn’t like? Their job is not to edit your work as far as grammar, sentence structure, spelling, time line, etc.

Editors. These are the folks with the red pens. It is their job to find grammar mistakes and work with you on sentence structure. They address plot holes, eliminate passive voice, point out time line mistakes, etc. It is not their job to fix or re-write your book, which is why you don’t give them a first draft. The editor only receives a book after you’ve made it the best you can make it. They can turn silk into a purse, but they can’t do the same with that pig’s ear of a first draft, you know what I’m saying?
I’m going to detour for a moment here to address a debate that I see often and have been a part of. The Do I need an editor? debate. (This is for self-published authors. If you’re with a publishing house, you will be assigned an editor.) In my opinion: yes, you do.

You shouldn’t take a story that only your own beautiful eyes have looked at and send it out into the ether. Just like people can’t see if they have an ugly baby (even though all babies are beautiful!) you can’t see if your book baby is ugly. But. If you’re self-publishing, it can be difficult to find an editor. Or, maybe hiring an editor isn’t financially feasible for you. If that's the case, there are other options.
Don't be this cartoon guy. Remember those super-duper lovely beta readers? Some of them actually do edit. You can also work with people like English teachers or majors, or even try a swap with another author. Will your results be as good as working with an actual trained editor? Nine times out of ten, the answer there will be no. It’s a risk you take. But again, the point is other eyes besides your own (and your loving mother’s) must take a look at your story.
Finally, the day will come when you get the email that your beta and/or editor has sent with your document corrections and suggestions. After taking a day to work up the nerve to open that email, you start reading through the edits.

Do you have to take all of the suggestions? No. But this is where it’s important not to get Writer’s Big Head. Your first reaction to suggestions may be, “What do you mean you don’t like that I gave the hero purple arms? That’s who he is as a purple armed man!” It can be hard to change something that you birthed in your brain.

But take a second and think about it. If multiple readers don’t like, or are squicked by something in your story, that may be an indicator that it needs to be changed. If your editor tells you that you spent too much time getting from plot point A to plot point Z, or worse, got to point Z with very little explanation how, that might be something you need to address. The betas and editors are there to enhance your story, not tear it apart or make it their own. (If you get a meany-faced beta/editor who does want to rip up your story, run away)
If this is the look you get from your beta readers and editors, you might want to work on a few things. Alright, you’ve made the suggested changes so that means your book is ready to go. Haha! J/k. Now it needs to be proofread. This is where someone goes over the manuscript with laser eyes to look for incorrect names/words, missing punctuation and other tiny errors.

Having someone else do the proofreading is the best option. But if that isn’t an option for you, here’s a little trick. Change up the format you’re reading the document in. If you’ve been working in 12 pt Times New Roman Black, change the font to 16 pt Courier Purple. Even better, save it and read it as a PDF. Even triple better, make an e-book version of it (you can do this in Calibre) and read it that way. The change in the way the WIP is formatted will help you slow down and catch errors, rather than speeding over the words because your eye is so used to the way they look.

Okay, now you’re ready to upload that manuscript for sale. Whew, that was a lot of work! And crazy enough, even after all that you still might have an error or two. That’s okay. We’re not book writing robots and readers are generally kind enough to understand that we aren’t. Thank you, readers!

So, that’s editing! Friendly reminder that I’m not an expert and I’m just sharing the knowledge I’ve gained so far. If you’d like more knowledge, check out Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing and Write and Revise for Publication. And if you have any questions, feel free to let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
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Nominations and a Dilemma

I’ve been nominated for two awards in the M/M RomanceGoodreads Members Choice awards! I’m so happy. The Detective’s Pleasure was nominated for best BDSM, and Showing Him the Ropes was nominated for Best Athletes/Coaches. Yes! I don’t expect to win at all, but knowing that readers enjoyed those stories enough to nominate them in a Best category makes me all scrunchy-faced happy. Thank you, Readers! 
But. Oh, but. Knowing that there are readers who enjoyed Showing Him the Ropes so much puts me in quite the pickle. You see, as much as I loved that story, I have to admit that it didn’t do very well. In fact, it did so poorly in sales that I was big, tearful anime eyes sad. Which leaves me with a dilemma.

I’d originally planned for Chance and Devin’s story to be the first in a series set in the world of professional wrestling. But with the reception so poor, I’d hate to spend the time and money taking it any further. But (so many buts) I’d also hate to disappoint readers who were actually happy to read a story in a setting that they enjoy. If I wrote for a publisher, the series would be killed dead. But I don’t. That means I have to make the decision on my own. Waaaah!

I want to fight for the series. Make some improvements to Ropes and the subsequent novels and give it another go. But I also have to make smart business decisions. Sigh… We’ll see. I’ll at least do one more story to wrap up the mini cliff hanger. Partly because I loved the Showing Him the Ropes, but mostly as a thank you to all the readers who loved it and nominated it. I love you guys!

Whatever happens with the series, I'm super duper happy that I took the risk and wrote about professional wrestling, which I love. And I fell so in love with Ryan and Sam, Ryan in particular, that them receiving a nomination is the cherry on an already awesome sundae. So thank you again for the nominations!

P.S. To celebrate, I’ve put both The Detective's Pleasure and Showing Him the Ropes on sale for .99 on Amazon, B&N, ARe, and Kobo. If you haven’t read them, now’s your chance. And if you enjoy them and are a member of the M/M Romance group, I’d love to have your vote.

Thanks for reading!
Christa
*Originally posted on the Cafe Risque Blog
 www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads
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Sunday Sneak Peek!

Hey, it's Sunday! This week I'd like to share with you an unedited excerpt from my WIP - part two of Logan and Clay's story. Enjoy!
     Logan looked at him, his expression serious and intense. "I'll never let anyone hurt you."
     "I'm a cop. I'm going to get hurt sometimes and you can't go after everyone who happens to cause it."
     "You're also mine. Did you forget that?"
Clay shook his head. "No, Sir."
     "Come here." Clay followed the gentle pull Logan gave his hand to drop down to the couch and straddle his lap.
     "You're my lover. My submissive. It's my right and my pleasure to protect you always." He brought a hand up, his thumb sliding across the metal collar that circled Clay's neck. "I won't let anything or anyone hurt you or take you away from me."
     A thrill shot through Clay at that declaration. Logan was unapologetically possessive of him. It had caused problems early on in their relationship, but they'd worked on it and come to an understanding on boundaries. Now, he was able to revel in Logan's possessiveness and caring, because he knew it wouldn't get out of hand. Clay pressed his forehead to Logan's and closed his eyes. "I love when you talk to me like that."
     Logan's hand moved to grip the back of his neck. "Do you?"
     His eyes still closed, Clay nodded.
     "Tell me why."
     "Because it makes me feel like the most important thing in your world. I've never felt like that with anyone."
     "It's true. You are the most important thing to me. Having you in my life, wearing my collar, means everything to me."
     Clay opened his eyes and looked into his lover's gaze, seeing the sincerity there. Not that he doubted him. Logan had proven time and time again how much he loved him. "I feel like I don't deserve you. Like I don't do enough to show you how much I love you in return."
     "That's not true. You don't have to do anything to deserve me. I'm with you because I don't ever want to be with anyone else."
     "Well, maybe I can show you tonight." He brought a hand up to rub the pad of muscle on Logan's chest. "Physically."


Awww, they're so lovey-dovey. For now... *insert evil author laugh* I've got a title and a sexy cover and I can't wait to share them with you. Hurry up 2017! If you haven't read The Sergeant series, catch up with the first three books.
Thanks for reading!
Christa
Originally posted on the Cafe Risque Blog
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads
View my titles on Amazon