S.L. Armstrong's Blog, page 27

Being Vocal — Talking During Sex

Personally speaking, I love talking during sex. I like laughing with my partner. I like it when my partner talks dirty. I don't like silent sex.

Thus, in my fiction, sex isn't silent with my characters. It's either time for dirty talk, a little joke when someone's thigh falls asleep, or an incredibly intimate conversation about love and desires. Sex in fiction, to me, is a wonderful place to allow for character growth, for the deepening of a relationship. Sex is when—in my opinion—people can be their most vulnerable. It's when some of the most meaningful conversations can be had.

I don't quite understand readers' aversion to conversation during intimate moments. Maybe it's because not everyone is vocal during sex. Authors often draw from their own personal experiences, as do readers, and when those experiences clash, there can be some backlash. Still, everyone should be tolerant of all people. Some people like to laugh, talk, and confide with their partners, some just like to make love silently. Neither is wrong.

I think that's my biggest beef. When readers criticize authors for having characters talk during sex, they're saying, 'There is only One True Way to have sex'. I don't like that sort of thinking. I don't believe there's One True Way to do jackshit, and to preach it like it is only rubs me wrong. Characters cry. Characters laugh. Characters talk when they fuck. Characters are silent when they're mad. Just like people, characters are varied and complex—as they should be.

My characters will continue to do what comes naturally to them. If Malachi wants to talk rough and dirty to Phinn (Breaking Point) while fucking him, then that's what Malachi will do. If Cade wants to be silent and broody while he makes love with North (Lessons In Cowboy), then that's what Cade will do. I don't like to pigeonhole myself or my characters, and I hope other authors feel the same way. I hope readers like the variety offered. I know I do.

Characters Who Cry and An Author Who Loves Them

You know what phrase I hate? Like… hate-hate? 'Real men don't cry'. Actually, the 'real men' part is also a huge pet peeve of mine, but that whole phrase just pisses me right the hell off. Boys are trained from an early age that crying is for sissies, and girls are told that boys aren't supposed to cry. We're trained, from childhood, to force men to suppress their emotions, and I'm just not down with that. If I ever have a son, I'll be damned before I tell him it isn't all right to cry.

By extension, I don't muzzle the men I write. If it's an emotional moment for that character, he's going to cry. He's going to have the literary freedom to weep, and I'll take all the heat I have to from readers who sneer down their noses at him. Judas and Hadi in The Keeper wept quite a bit, and that didn't please many people. I know Kasper from Catalyst wept, as did Riley from Other Side of Night: Bastian & Riley, but I think the situations in which they did were excusable to the general public. I know I had Aric from Rachmaninoff cry, but he was young, emotional. In most cases, the crying could be waved away, but nobody really liked Judas or Hadi crying. I've never understood it.

It's another of those societal things I don't condone. Men should feel that it's all right to cry as much as a woman is. We tell women crying helps to relieve stress, it's an emotional, reflexive reaction, and just like laughing, it can help to prolong one's life. But men… oh, no, men need to buck up, swallow it back, and not let a tear fall, even if they're at their mother's funeral. Why? Why must we disparage men for expressing what women are allowed by default of their gender?

Well, I won't be a part of that. Nope. My men will cry. My women will cry. Sometimes my women will be stoic, and sometimes my men will be stubborn pigs. They will be people, and I'm just not interested in apologizing for that.

Three cheers for characters who cry!

Authorial Thoughts On "Catalyst"

It's been nine months since Catalyst was released, and in light of the various reviews we have received—with both positive and negative points alike—we feel like we can finally open up and give a bit of insight as to what we intended to write with this story.

Most people will either pick up Catalyst or deliberately pass it by specifically for its intense BDSM elements. By intense, we mean both the extreme physical sense of BDSM and the psychological impact it has on the main characters. This is completely understandable, and it's something we had to plan for because we knew the BDSM aspects would limit the appeal of the book, even within the sub-genre.

There's a certain expectation when readers pick up BDSM these days, and it's usually one of two extremes. They either expect fluffy, barely-there bondage as representing BDSM, or they expect non-con and rape dressed up as power play instead of being labeled what it really is. Because these two extremes are the ones that get a lot of representation in the sub-genre, readers typically don't know how to react when they're given something in the middle, where stories more indicative of the realistic lifestyle of BDSM typically fall. This will likely be the topic of a separate blog post altogether, but we wanted to mention that expectations with BDSM novels in general are very difficult to predict, so we understand some people from both extremes won't care for Catalyst.

Aside from that, however, we want people to know that, to us, Catalyst isn't actually a story about BDSM. It's a story that uses BDSM as a tool to tell a story about a man's life. It's a subtle difference, but we want to make it for several reasons.

Making a story about BDSM adds a certain intent on our parts to show that Logan's and Kasper's lives are indicative of the BDSM lifestyle as a whole, and that was certainly never our intention. Not all BDSM tops are into bloodplay like Logan. Not all BDSM subs are pain sluts that top from the bottom and find themselves in dangerous downward spirals. These two characters are very specific in their fetishes and struggles, and we'd never try to portray their predicament as a norm in the BDSM community. It's one of the reasons we show everyone else in the clubbing community shunning Kasper when he seeks out an equally extreme top. It's also why everyone gets pissed at him for not expressing a limit when he lets himself be pushed to the point of passing out during a whipping scene. We did our best to show that Kasper is one of few, and his actions are typically not tolerated by most.

When it comes down to it, however, we could have used drug addiction, indulging the inner speed demon (drag racing, perhaps), or even compulsive bank robbery – any addictive behavior would have done. We chose BDSM as the vehicle for the story specific to these characters. (These poor, poor characters. We put them through so much!) It's the means by which we chose to convey a story that we feel is much deeper than just BDSM and delves into the psychological scars that some people carry with them throughout their lives, only to reach a breaking point like Kasper does.

Kasper's life as depicted in the story was quite nuanced, and we did our best to show that while he put up an excellent mask, he has lived a very hollow life. Everything he has done in his life has been to please others. We always viewed Kasper as a masochist. His backstory is filled with signs of being an emotional masochist, from his love-hate relationship with his father, to the way he forced himself to let go of Adam so Adam could date—and later marry—Shawn. He puts himself through emotional hell in order to be the perfect son, the perfect psychologist, and the perfect friend. When he meets Logan, being the perfect lover and perfect submissive are simply added to that unconscious list of goals.

Kasper struggles with perfectionism because he's under the impression that being perfect will bring him, and everyone around him, happiness. When Logan came into the picture, our intent was to show that this perfect life Kasper had built for himself was in fact just the product of his very unstable nature. Kasper was always an emotional masochist. His introduction into BDSM was just the next step, a way to make that masochism physical instead of just internal.

As several reviewers have come to understand and comment, Logan is the eponymous 'catalyst' in this story. To dig a bit deeper, though, you have to really understand what a catalyst is. In chemistry, a catalyst basically lowers the activation energy (the energy needed for the chemical reaction to start) of the reactants, and this lowering of the threshold makes it much easier for the reaction to occur. In other words, Logan makes it very easy for Kasper's house of cards to tumble down, but all the other elements had to be there first for his presence to make that difference. Kasper was always the unstable one, despite his efforts at appearing perfect, and it's those aspects of his personality and his masochism that make Logan so very effective at triggering him.

Even deeper than that, there is also the nod to chemistry again in the fact that catalysts have these effects and aren't spent in the chemical reaction themselves. When Kasper starts topping from the bottom, Logan is so bothered by it that he ends the relationship, removing himself from the equation in the hopes that Kasper will be better off without him. What he doesn't realize, of course, is that his time with Kasper has already set everything in motion. Taking away the catalyst doesn't necessarily mean the reaction stops in its tracks. The repercussions continue throughout the rest of the story.

One of the themes we wanted to explore in Catalyst was the true reversal. Logan starts out the story by presenting an unstable front. He's been shaken, and he has convinced himself he's a danger to everyone around him when, in reality, he is as cautious and caring a top as he ever was. Just as Kasper has exaggerated his calm and happiness to cover his hollow life, Logan has exaggerated his one mistake during a scene to the point of questioning the place his blood fetish and BDSM has in his life. When Kasper becomes Logan's submissive, we see the initial façade of both characters ripped away to show what's really beneath the surface. Some might think that Kasper takes things too far without any reason, but it's our hope that the hints of his personality are there and can be added up to give a glimpse into his own psychologically unstable character.

The story we set out to write was Kasper's search for peace and him finding a measure of it in his relationship with Logan. Throughout the story, he believes this peace will come when he's perfect. Once his relationship with Logan moves deeper into the BDSM scene, he gets a taste of how freeing and peaceful subspace can be. He spends the rest of the book trying to find subspace on his own, thinking it will come if he simply pushes himself harder in more extreme scenes. For many, however, subspace is something that has to flow naturally out of trust and letting go. When Kasper pushes himself and tops from the bottom, he's self-sabotaging, trying too hard. It's when he starts over with Logan that he slowly learns how to let go and trust Logan completely, and that's how he, as a masochist, finds peace with himself.

Hopefully, this has been a helpful bit of insight for anyone who has been struggling with the content of Catalyst or wondering what possessed us to write our characters in such an extreme and intense setting. We're very happy to have written this story, and we hope it resonates well with readers. It might be a difficult read, but we enjoy making our readers think and taking them on a journey with the characters.

***

Catalyst by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet is available in both print and e-book formats from Storm Moon Press' website.

The Cheating Hero/Heroine

There's something I've wanted to discuss for a while now.

Cheating versus open, honest relationships.

I've seen it said, in more than one place, that readers would rather have characters who cheat—and eventually repent—rather than deal with open and polyamorous relationships. I just can't wrap my head around this thinking. Readers would rather read about dishonest jerks who cheat rather than read about a relationship that is deep and loving but includes more than two people? Bzuh?

Maybe it's because so many people are told the only One True Way to love is monogamy, and so it's easier to excuse cheating with a sufficiently repentant character than having one's life values tried through polyamory. There's a reason the adage 'Sin in haste, repent in leisure' exists. It seems many in the world are content to offer forgiveness over honesty.

Personally? The one thing I do not tolerate in my professional or personal lives is lying. You lie to me, I lose all respect for you, and I'll likely end our relationship—regardless of what that relationship is. I value honesty above all else. I think lies are just messy, cruel things, and I simply won't tolerate it. To lie to me means you have no respect for me. I don't particularly like associating with people who disrespect me. That goes for cheaters.

Cheating happens. Ignorance and paranoia, jealousy and boredom, can often lead couples down a terrible, emotional road. It's drama. It's unnecessary drama. I don't read novels with cheaters in them, mainly because authors handle it poorly. An 'I'm sorry' and fantastic fuck doesn't equate true repentance or adequate forgiveness. I've lived through cheating. It took years to repair the lost trust, the accusations, and the emotional scars. Authors don't seem to think about that, about how much it hurts to be lied to in such an intimate way.

The answer, in my book, is honesty. Polyamory. Open relationships. Yes, those take a lot of work, too, but there's a different atmosphere for the characters. I love reading about characters in these relationships, where people don't lie to one another. Yeah, drama still exists—and sometimes, it can be tripled or quadrupled—but it's… well, it's a different sort of drama with different expectations. There can be lies. There can be jealousies. There can be just the same level of disrespect. But, I think it's a little harder to make it believable when you set out to have open communication.

Can someone in an open relationship cheat? Yes. But, why would they? If they just sit down with their partner and say, "I'd like to date So-and-so", where is the impetus to cheat?

And don't get me started on what happens if it's the heroine who cheats. While men who cheat can still be made romantic, a woman who cheats is just a step above a whore. The way readers react to women cheating makes my heart hurt, as it seems expected of men. Women screw up, too, and it doesn't make them a slut. The sex-shaming of women just needs to stop.

I don't know. Lying needs to have bigger consequences than mere groveling, and that seems to be all romance readers want from their rakes. Well, I want more. I need more. I need a rake who has true guilt for his lies, and that is firm on his road to repentance. Rarely do we get that because, honestly we've spent ¾ of the book on setting up the couple, forcing the drama, including sex, and then you need the neat little bow. Nope, not going to fly with me. This reader has high expectations.

A reviewer at one point boiled Riley from Other Side of Night: Bastian & Riley down to 'the cheating boyfriend'. That one cut deeply since I'd never thought of him in that manner—and I still don't. His indiscretions were specifically brought on by the changes his body was going through, changes he was trying to ignore. It was a direct effect of what Bastian had done to him, and it made Riley feel like trash when he went back to Bastian.

But Riley never lied.

Cheaters lie. It's what they do. They lie to themselves, their partners, the world.

I can't get behind that sort of character, and I'd love to see authors trying a little harder. Include polyamory and open relationships. And if they do write a cheater, make the cheater have to suitably work to repair that relationship, all the shattered trust. If a writer writes a cheater, write them well, write them right, and write the damn consequences! Actions have consequences, and to shy away from them is lazy writing.

Don't be a lazy writer.

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Blog Tour Wrap Up + Advent Teaser!

So, the blog tour is over. Wow. It's been… wow. XD I'm glad we only do this once a year! It's been as hectic as it's been fun. Let me give you the final week's wrap up.

Week Four

Aleksandr Voinov is interviewed over on BookWenches

The Invisible: Bisexual, Trans*, and Intersexed Characters over on Bibrary Book Lust

S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet are interviewed over on Bibrary Book Lust

Cornelia Grey talks about about her 10 favorite books over on Elise Rolle's blog

Moving Beyond M/M over at Desert Island Keepers

All about Wild Moon Books over at Desert Island Keepers

Romance Tropes: Good or Bad over on Desert Island Keepers

How Not to Write a Sex Scene over at Three Wicked Writers Plus Two

Tab A Does Not Have to Go Into Slot B over on GLBT Promo Blog

That's that! All done until next year. Well, we do have a couple of blog stops planned for December, but let's not worry about that until after Thanksgiving, hmm?

I've been a productive bee, though, this last week. I've written blog entries and I've written to the Advent Challenge. Woot! It feels so good to write. I love revisiting my characters and writing characters whose stories haven't been told yet. Makes me eager to write those tales. Oh, if only time were unlimited and one didn't have to eat, sleep, or run errands.

But, I will leave you with a yummy little Advent morsel starring Kasper and Logan from Catalyst.

—

Kasper rolled his eyes and pulled open the box. He pushed the tissue paper aside, and then his breath caught and a deep flush suffused his face. "Logan," he breathed. Kasper ran his fingers over the oiled, dark leather of a gorgeous single tail whip. "But—"

Logan crawled close to him, eyes dark and hot. "It's time."

"Is it?" Kasper asked, shaking his head a little. "I'm not sure."

"You've come a long way. We both have." Logan caressed his face and drew him into a sweet kiss. "You've taken all the steps. You're ready for this."

Kasper's heart pounded, and he licked his lips. Logan sounded so confident, so trusting, but could he be trusted? After all they'd been through, the darkness of addiction still felt so close sometimes.

"Do you not want to?" Logan asked, fingers tracing Kasper's throat.

Kasper moaned softly. "I do," he admitted. "God, Logan, I do. I jack off sometimes just remembering how it feels, but I didn't want to ask. I didn't trust myself." He finally looked up from the whip. "I still don't think I trust myself completely."

"That's the wonderful thing about this." Logan brushed his smiling lips against Kasper's. "I trust you, and I trust myself. I won't let it go too far. So, the question is, do you trust me?"

"Implicitly," Kasper whispered.

Logan smiled against his lips. "Good. Up to the playroom, then. I want to see you naked and bound."

Kasper groaned when Logan pulled away, gingerly taking the whip from the box and carrying it reverently up the stairs to their playroom. He stopped short when he entered, eyeing the large post in the center. "You've been planning this, haven't you?"

"Nonsense," Logan chuckled. "Santa just left you a surprise during the night."

A Week Late, I know!

I'm a week late in posting. I should have done this last Sunday. Oi. Time gets away from me! I spent two weeks immersed in graphics work so I could get a bunch of stuff done for Storm Moon Press. Can't wait to see the finished products! But, I felt really accomplished by the time it was all done, even if it sucked away all my time.

It's also meant I haven't written to the Advent Challenge in over a week. I think K. Piet and I plan to try and get one done today, and my goal is to write four more before next Sunday. We should be able to do that if we just buckle down. If we do that, we'll have 10 of the 29 pieces complete. I'll jump up and down excitedly when we hit the halfway point on this.

Blog tour is chugging along. I'll share those links with everyone now.

Week Two


The Dos and Don'ts of Co-Authoring – S.L. Armstrong gives tips for those considering co-authoring over on Babes in Boyland

Introducing Wild Moon Books! – Storm Moon Press announces its new imprint on Naughty in the Backseat

Bisexuality in Erotic Romance – Compelling post at Sugarbeat's Books plus a GIVEAWAY for The Direction of Greatest Courage

Why Wild Moon Books – More about SMP's new Wild Moon Books imprint at Sugarbeat's Books

Behind Other Side of Night – K. Piet gives a little background to the OSoN world at Long & Short Reviews: Whipped Cream

Upcoming SMP Releases – K. Piet talks about Counterpunch and Crescendo at Long & Short Reviews: Whipped Cream

The Story Behind the Name – K. Piet explains how Storm Moon Press got its name at Long & Short Reviews: Whipped Cream

Coming Soon from S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet – K. Piet talks about works in progress at Long & Short Reviews: Whipped Cream

Wild Moon Books – S.L. Armstrong talks about the new imprint at Long & Short Reviews: Whipped Cream

Beyond the Traditional: Polyamory & Bisexuality in Fiction – On little-explored niches in the GLBT erotica/erotic romance genres over at Top 2 Bottom Reviews

are interviewed on It's Raining Men

Week Three


Cornelia Grey is interviewed on BookWenches

Rachel Haimowitz is interviewed on Amanda Young's Romance Without Inhibition Blog

GLBT Erotica at Storm Moon Press – What SMP has to offer plus a GIVEAWAY for Other Side of Night: Bastian & Riley at Night Owl Romance

Wild Moon Books – A little more about Wild Moon Books plus a GIVEAWAY for Wild Passions at night Owl Romance

The Inside Reader: Aleksandr Voinov – Aleks picks his top 10 books at Elisa Rolle's Blog

The Allure of Taboo Topics – K. Piet talks about taboo anthology calls from SMP plus a GIVEAWAY for Wild Passions on International Heat

All About Anthologies – Why anthologies are great opportunities for publishers, authors, and readers alike over on Romance Lives Forever

Aleksandr Voinov is interviewed on Romance Lives Forever plus a GIVEAWAY for an ARC (advance release copy) of Counterpunch

Cornelia Grey is interviewed on Romance Lives Forever

One more week, and our crazy October blog tour will be over. XD It also means time's running out to enter the Swag Bag giveaway and the International Bag giveaway.

My plans for this upcoming week are simple. My personal goals are to write several blog posts for here and for the Storm Moon Press blog, write four Advent Challenge pieces (not including today's), and finish outlining Lessons In Cowboy. On the press front, I want to finish with the Weight of a Gun edits and prep it for our typesetter, read through two submissions and a query and respond, respond to the remaining artists who applied for a position with us, and send a cover art write up to Nathie.

I think all that can be accomplished if I apply myself. XD We'll see how well I do that.

Oh! Next year, I–as well as Storm Moon Press–will be at Authors After Dark and OutlantaCon. Not sure if we'll add any other conventions/gatherings to the 2012 schedule, but we'll see. We're really excited about the two we'll be at.

Now, time for your fiction teaser. I'll give you a bit of a smutty one from the Rachmaninoff world. Aric brings home a snack for Nikola to enjoy with him.

—

Aric righted himself, his hungry gaze on Liam, and then he pounced the man, pulling him into a kiss. Nikola would join them, Aric knew, in his own time. It was always the same. Nikola gave him the pleasure of the conquest, of luring the prey, ensnaring the prey, and taking those first sips. It had helped him to learn how to capture mortals' minds, how to bring them pleasure like he remembered Nikola bringing him all those years ago.

He pushed Liam to the bed, their hands pulling at each other's clothing, and Aric practically growled. Hunger clawed at him, tested his resilience. Maybe he should have fed more. Maybe he was just horny as hell. His sex drive still hadn't properly leveled out, and he was beginning to wonder if it ever would. "Going to suck you 'til you scream," Aric panted as he finally got his hands into Liam's pants.

Liam was hard against his palm, slender but long, and he devoured every sound the man made until Liam managed to get them completely naked. Only then did his mouth leave Liam's and start on the path down to his cock, licking and nipping all along the way. "Freckles… Fucking love your freckles," he moaned as he moved past collarbones and down along the center of Liam's body. He took Liam's cock between his lips without a moment's hesitation, sucking him right into his throat.

"Oh, bloody fuck!" Liam cursed, causing Nikola to chuckle from the sidelines.

Nikola finished stripping and climbed on the bed behind Liam, and Liam groaned. "Like a fucking statue, all muscle and pale skin. Don't you ever go—ah!—into the sun?"

"I'm a night owl," Nikola said, voice thick with that Russian accent of his. "The world comes alive at night, and I love to share that time with my precious Aric."

—

A new, different teaser next Sunday plus the wrap-up of our blog tour!

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Weekly Round Up + A Teaser!

I'm going to do a weekly round up here, since right now, I think that's all I can manage. This is the time when things get hairy around here. Two releases to prep for Storm Moon Press for November, and then a good slew of things come out in December, plus there's the Yule/Christmas season, plus there are two important birthdays in November. October, November, and December is just a madhouse for me!

One of the things that's going to also add pressure is that I'm attempting my Advent Challenge thing yet again. Last year, I managed 23 of the 25 stories before I conked out on it. This year, K. Piet and I are teaming together to get through the challenge. We're writing 29 stories, with Advent beginning November 27 and continuing on until December 25. One new story will be posted each day. I've already outlined all the stories, and K. and I have one completed (which wound up being over 4,000 words), so we're excited. We began the second story tonight. It's also a pretty smutty Advent, but I somehow doubt people will mind. You'll see a lot of familiar characters as well as many new ones. So excited for this!

And then there's the blog tour. We're chugging along on that, and we've made it through the first seven days! Here are the links for those wanting to read along:

Getting Sweaty With Your Clothes On — Where I talk about writing action scenes

Rachel Haimowitz interviewed on BookWenches

Aleksandr Voinov interviewed on Top2Bottom Reviews

Rachel Haimowitz interviewed on eBook Addict Reviews

Stumbling Over Chaos Giveaway for Other Side of Night: Bastian & Riley (open for entries until 10/14)

Someone Throw A Pie Already! — Where I talk about writing comedy

at It's Raining Men

We still have many more stops to make, and I'll keep updating weekly on those.

Finally, what is the teaser? Well, I'm going to give a small taste of the Advent short we completed today. It's from our World of Egaea, a massive fantasy world still in progress, and visits the new characters of Eldan (a three-time king of the House of Ice), Falynn (an ex-lust slave from the House of Water), and Dax (a feral-Maith from the Sephryn continent). It will be posted in full December 17th. Enjoy!

—

Eldan's fingers found one of Dax's weak spots and began scritching. "It's all right, kitten. Falynn is just in a foul mood because the snow kittens tore through his favorite cloak. Keegan was right. In time, you'll learn the control. We will help however we can."

Dax perked up a little, flashing Eldan a smile before nudging Falynn affectionately with his cold nose. "No wonder the snow kittens were happy to see me. They must be counting on me to make amends." Eldan's hand shifted to another spot along his spine, and he practically melted, a rolling purr rumbling out of him. "I can make amends, can't I, starfish?"

"You're just buttering me up so I'll help groom you."

"But you like grooming me." Dax's voice trilled as he spoke, his tongue darting out to scrape over Falynn's lips. He had the most beautiful, full lips Dax had ever seen. Falynn's eyes took on that dark color, the scent of arousal rising around him to fill Dax's nose. It was Falynn's centuries as a lust slave, Dax knew, that ensured a little lick to that gorgeous mouth led to full arousal. It thrilled Dax as much as it saddened him, but he gave Falynn a sultry smile. "You like grooming me as much as I like grooming you."

Dax moved down some and drew his rough tongue up the pale curve of Falynn's throat, and the deep moan his lover made went straight to his own cock. Falynn's hand came up, cupped the back of his head, and pulled their lips close.

"By the gods, Dax, how do you do it?" Falynn breathed against Dax's lips. "How do you make my heart pound so?"

"Love," Dax said with a smile. "Love instead of ownership. Just like the way Eldan's gaze from across the room can make either of us weak in the knees."

Eldan took one of the towels from his grip and began patting Dax's fur dry with a chuckle. "Technically, I do still own him, but that isn't what keeps us together, is it, starfish?"

Eldan's small hand brushed past Dax's face to Falynn's, pulling Falynn's hair back before trailing down Falynn's long, unadorned neck. Dax knew what had been there. The collars of the Water Slaves were as brutal as they were beautiful, and he had heard stories about the sheer amount of magic Eldan had used just to break the spell of the collar. It amazed him how every simple touch between Eldan and Falynn held such meaning, such history.

Falynn's cheeks tinted red. "No. It never was." He smiled, and Dax thought Falynn stunning when he smiled. "You bought me, but never owned me. Not like the others."

"Help me dry off our kitten, and then he can see to your grooming," Eldan said. "I think we could all use some thorough, intense grooming, don't you, kitten?"

Dax's silvery blue eyes lit up, and butterflies fluttered in his stomach. "Very thorough." He wastes no time, dipping immediately to Falynn's neck to lick broadly over fragrant skin while pawing at the ties of Falynn's warm clothing. Out of all of them, Falynn was the most warmly dressed, and if he wanted to get to Falynn's skin, he had to work through several layers.

"Patience, kitten," Eldan laughed from behind him. "Don't join the ranks of the snow kittens by shredding more of Falynn's clothing."

Falynn moaned. "You ruin the clothing, Dax, and I will take a switch to your hide."

—

Just a tease, I know, but you'll get several such teases until Advent begins. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

A Lovely, Busy Monday

I'm trying to get myself to write here more. I need to. I have a whole list of blog entries I want to write! I just find finding the time difficult. But, I'll try more. I like writing here, interacting with people.

I have a lot to do between now and the end of the year. So much outlining! Let me share with you the projects K. Piet and I will be tackling throughout 2012:

* outline Dorian Gray trilogy (right now, Book 1 and Book 2 are just unlinked scenes)

* outline Deal With A Devil trilogy

* outline Wanderlust novella trilogy

* outline Lessons In Cowboy (which is already 1/4 written)

* outline The Wolf-King

* outline Polyfidelity

* outline Other Side of Night: Havva & Amiri

* outline A Knight's Sacrifice (so we can freaking write it!)

* outline short for If We Shadows

* outline short for Flux

* outline short for Picking Up the Pieces

* outline short for Fraternal Devotion

* outline short for Devil's Night

* outline short for Multiplicity

* outline short for Serve Me

Only the short stories, Wanderlust: Land of Nod, and Polyfidelity will be coming out in 2012; the rest will be written and slated for publication sometime from 2013 and on. A Knight's Sacrifice will move to a twice-a-month thing (hopefully) once it's outlined. It's the outlining that we need. If I have an outline, I can write like a fiend, but I need that road map so I can navigate the plot cleanly and tightly.

I'm hoping to make this a pattern where K. Piet and I spend the first 3/4 of the year writing, and then the last 1/4 outlining projects for the following year. I'm desperately in need of a routine and goal, and I think that will help.

I'm happy with the reception of Other Side of Night: Bastian & Riley. I really loved the characters and the book, and I can't wait to revisit the world for Havva's story. Reviews have been positive, which is always a great boost to the ego. I don't need or want endless five-star reviews, but seeing positive 3- and 4-star ones are nice.

Today, though, will be spent mostly on household chores, editing, and outlining. I'm utterly consumed by our Dorian Gray idea that I just can't put it aside until it's plotted and started. I hope people like that story. It's near and dear to me. I've been taken with Dorian Gray since I read it in high school. The story will center around Dorian Gray in the modern time, his dangerous relationship with Basil, and how a pair of twins changed everything. So exciting!

Also, Storm Moon Press just kicked off it's annual, month-long blog tour. Some awesome stops, lots of informative posts, some giveaways, and there's the big Swag Bag giveaway. (They're also looking for cover artists and freelance editors.)

But, right now, I need to get the laundry started, the litter boxes changed, and work on some edits. I hope everyone has an awesome week!

Another Release Day!

I'm quite excited about this one. It's the last release for K. Piet and me in 2011 (though we do have two shorts in December, but they were released in Wild Passions and Daughters of Artemis). Today, Other Side of Night: Bastian & Riley came out! It has two great reviews, too.

"Both of the heroes in this novella are well-developed… each appealing in their own way. These two young men are in college, so we have to forgive them for acting their age upon occasion. This is also what makes them believable…. Ms. Armstrong and Ms. Piet have a writing style that is very readable while still keeping a dark and shadowy edge. Their stories are unique and should especially please those who enjoy vampire and bdsm-themed fiction." — 4 Stars from BookWenches

"There was much to like about this book, especially in the genuine problems faced by Bastian and Riley. They are both true to their age, as young men at college and so I found I couldn't judge them too harshly for the mistakes they make…. The way that Bastian is introduced to the other vampires added a nice creepy tension to the story and… certainly kept my attention and added an extra dimension to the romance, widening the scope of what was happening to Bastian and Riley. Overall, I enjoyed this book, especially the character of Riley and the way that romance is blended with a touch of horror. I'm looking forward to further books in the series…." — 4 Stars from Jenre at Well Read

Vampires walk among us. For centuries, they have adapted, learning to pass undetected in our world. They no longer fear the day, only the sting of direct sunlight. They are students, bankers, lawyers, and even actors. But when the sun goes down, they are all united by their eternal thirst. We do not see them from our safe and comfortable side of the night. But sometimes, one of us is drawn away from the light and we cross into their world. Into the other side of night.

Sebastian Rossi's second year at the University of Tennessee began much differently than his first. He rushes to and from his classes, covered head to toe in thick clothing. Parties are a thing of the past, and dating hasn't been high on his list of priorities. No, high on his needs is blood. Lots of it. Adjusting to the changes no one even told him would happen following one great night of partying and sex has been hell for Bastian, but he's managing.

Riley Lynch's dream is to be a veterinarian. He works hard to pay his tuition, reads in every spare moment, and tries to forget the nightmare of his sophomore year. Summer has washed away all the bad, leaving him refreshed and eager for his junior year at UT. Life is finally looking up for him, and he has no intention of sliding back down into the depression that had consumed him during his last relationship.

A chance meeting brings their two worlds into alignment and passion sparks between them. When Riley learns of the changes Bastian is going through, he has a choice to make: walk away or embrace the night.

Buy it here for $5.99!

This is the first in a series. I'm very excited about this, and I hope everyone likes it!

Release Day (plus a lot of writing-related rambling)!

Radio silence has been maintained as we put the final touches on the Daughters of Artemis release. Oi, this has been a labor of love, I tell you. But, we did it! I also think it's a good anthology with some great pieces inside. Artwork by Nathie, once again, who is just amazing, and it's full of fiction from Marie Carlson, K. Piet, Shashauna P. Thomas, Erik Moore, Della R. Buckland, and me! Head on over to Storm Moon Press and buy it! It's available in ebook and print (though print is a bit delayed, sorry!) for $6.99 and $13.99.

K. Piet and I have sussed out our writing schedule for next year. We'll be writing for four anthologies and should have one novella release in 2012 (the novella will be Wanderlust Book One: Land of Nod). We will be writing even more, though, for release in 2013. We just need 2012 to be a year of mostly writing instead of publishing, and I think that will help us a lot. I'm even eager to tell you about some of the projects!

Wanderlust: Land of Nod — Our first priority in 2012 will be to write and edit the first Wanderlust book. It's been slated to come out in August of 2012, so we want to get it written, edited, and out of the way as soon as possible. It's about Cain and Lilith, and the first book takes place in that time between the first murder and the coming of Christ. While it is set with Biblical characters, uses the Christian mythos as a backdrop, and is a heterosexual erotic romance, we do not consider this one a religious or inspirational storyline. It's just Cain and Lilith trying to find their way in the world and in changing times.

Blood Pact: Deal With A Devil #1 — This is the first book in a trilogy about an ex-cop who turns to a demon to help him seek revenge against the people who murdered his wife and child. It's a M/M erotic romance of sorts, but darker, grittier, and where Good and Bad aren't so clear.

Lessons In Cowboy — Gods, I've been working on this manuscript for YEARS! I can't wait to finish it. It's a light-hearted M/M contemporary western erotic romance about a country music star who has to learn how to be a cowboy. The characters are full of dry wit, piss, and vinegar, and I'm itching to finish it and get it out there.

The Wolf-King — Although K. Piet and I have written and published a couple small pieces taking place in the greater world of Egaea (Alpha's Pride, which takes place on the continent of Sephryn, and Sacrifices, which takes place on the continent of Tridéa in the House of Wood), this will be our first official novel for the line of books. This novel stars the Maith King Bleidd of Stoyrm, a somewhat barbaric kingdom in the east of Sephryn, and the struggles he goes through following the loss of his wife, an invasion of his realm, a political demand on his time, and the growing interest of his second in command, Terrill. Our first true high fantasy release, and the first in a long line of titles occurring in the World of Egaea, and we can't wait.

The Immortal Sonata #1: Allegro — I've always had a love for the story of Dorian Gray. He's a twisted up character that I have wanted to dissect for years. Finally, I have a story for him. This is the first book in a trilogy about Dorian Gray and how he learns to truly love something other than himself. It's quite a sex-heavy tale, but when you're the king of debauchery, how could it not be?

And we'll be writing shorts in these following anthologies for Storm Moon Press:

Flux — An fantasy/sci-fi anthology about intersexed characters.

Picking Up the Pieces — A bisexual, post-apocalyptic anthology.

Fraternal Devotion — An anthology devoted to M/M incest.

Serve Me — A M/M anthology all about slavery and servitude.

So, there you go. Lots of stuff. We're also attending a handful of conventions next year, vending for Storm Moon Press, which has us really excited. I'm hoping to resume Free Fiction Friday soon. Right now, K. Piet and I are up against a deadline for Other Side of Night #1: Bastian & Riley which comes out in late September, so that's taken priority for us. Lots of catch-up to do! As soon as OSON is complete and ready to head out, we have to focus on Polyfidelity, our final release for 2011, and boy, will we sigh a sigh of relief and take a few weeks' breather!

Keep a look out in September for the Storm Moon Press annual blog tour announcement, as we have everything scheduled in October, and we're doing some great things in December and January, too. There is the return of the Swag Bag Giveaway, the mailing list freebie, and the international giveaways to celebrate this second year of business. So bouncey about that!

Have a great weekend, guys!