Debbie McGowan's Blog, page 13

#BiWeek - Bi Characters in my Books

It's Bisexual Awareness Week , so what better time to give you all a bit more info on the bisexual characters in my books?

Before I go any further, I'll warn you this is an obscenely long post. At the end, I've listed the books that can be bought this week at discount price (50% – two of them are free) as part of Beaten Track Publishing's #biweek celebration .

On we go...

In case clarification is needed, the definition of 'bisexual' at work here is this:

an identity marker that refers to the capacity to be attracted to people of more than one gender. It doesn't require someone to have had relationships with more than one gender, and if someone identifies as bisexual, it is not up for question or discussion.

On a day-to-day basis, this causes lots of difficulties for bisexual people because their current relationship status is used as snapshot evidence to argue that they're really gay (if it's a same-gender relationship) or really straight (in an other-gender relationship).

They're really bisexual, and the greatest form of awareness we can show is to simply accept that fact when it is given to us. We are far less likely question a person's gayness or straightness, but in all cases, we don't have that right. It's none of our business.

Bi Characters in my Books
All of this means that bisexual people are a very diverse bunch, and there is absolutely no way to perfectly represent bisexuality in fiction.

What I try to do in my writing is reflect as much of that diversity as I can. This is very different from, for instance, the portrayal of bisexual men in M/M romance, who – by the nature of the genre and a fairly hefty dose of misogyny that makes 'girls' bits' an absolute no-no – end up in a (usually exclusive) sexual relationship with another man (or men if it's M/M/M).

My bisexual characters are, so far, all cisgender, but some are women, and some are men. Some are in same-gender relationships; some are in other-gender relationships; some experience both of those within a series (or even within a novel). All bi characters experience varying degrees of intimate (not necessarily romantic or sexual) attraction to other characters.

Hiding Behind The Couch series
Within 'The Circle' – these are the nine(ish) characters who are present throughout the series and appear in all of the 'seasons' but not necessarily in the character specials (novellas and novels).

Andy Jeffries (pan rather than bi)
This is a fun one to start with, by which I mean really complicated to explain without spoilers. But I'm working in alphabetical order, so Andy goes first.

Andy is mainly attracted to women – first Jess and later Shaunna, with a few others along the way. However, he is open about his attraction (and more) to non-females, and the ascription of 'straight' is not his own. He doesn't dispute it, but he does make very clear that he is open to all possibilities – not just in relation to his interpersonal relationships, but to life in general. He's mostly an adventure sports nut who never quite left behind his grungy youth, with a serious soft spot for a certain redhead.

Kris Johansson
Kris is out as bi from the beginning of the series, or at least from the point in the series where he realises his sexuality. He's an actor, which puts him in the spotlight and leads to activism on a large scale, but he is consistently outspoken against bi erasure from the moment he identifies as bi.

One of the first (and enduring) battles he has is with George, who was his first boyfriend. George is gay, and a genuinely nice guy, but he does hold some of the common misconceptions about bisexuality (i.e. that Kris is 'trying to blend in', that he was really 'always gay' but confused). Kris also has to deal with this with Shaunna (his future wife):

Shaunna started off with the usual ribbing about turning Kris straight, and wondered how they had arrived at this situation, not that she was regretting it. Kris confessed he was still attracted to men, probably bisexual, but hadn’t wanted anyone else since they first got together, whenever that had been.

From Hiding Behind The Couch (Season One)

In short, Kris is monogamous and still bisexual, regardless of the gender of his partner.

The other challenge Kris faces is that, as a child, he was sexually abused by his great uncle, and this affects his relationships (with friends, family and intimate partners) as an adult.

This is also quite a challenge for me as an author. There's an out-of-date, incorrect (but still rears its ugly head) argument that anything non-heterosexual/non-sexual is a consequence of childhood abuse (or other trauma). This is what happens when the relationship between two factors (in this case being LBGT+ and being abused) is misinterpreted as cause and effect. It may well be cause and effect, but if it is, it works in the opposite direction – LGBT+ people are abused because of their sexuality.

The challenge for me, therefore, is to write Kris's history whilst tackling these assumptions and all the bi erasure and biphobia that goes with them without getting preachy, made all the more difficult by the fact that Kris is...preachy.

Crying in the Rain is a novel that focuses entirely on Kris (and Ade).
Red Hot Christmas is a novella that focuses on Shaunna and the men in her life, including Kris.

Other Central Characters (not in The Circle)
Charlie Davenport
Charlie – or Charlotte – appears in the prequel ( Beginnings ) as a baby and then doesn't make another appearance until season three ( The Harder They Fall ). She's Eleanor's younger sister, a (soccer) football coach and former player for the women's national team. That's partly why she's not around for a long time; the other reason is her mother, who is actually a lovely woman, but kids, you know...

Charlie gets quite a bit of on-page time in:
In The Stars Part I and Part II (Seasons Four and Five)
Two By Two (Season Six)
Those Jeffries Boys (Character Special)

I also have the start of a Charlie character special titled Not My Coach .

Saorla Tierney
Saorla briefly appears in the second prequel ( Ruminations ) and Season Seven ( Reunions ). She is also the main character of the novella To Be Sure , which releases later this year.

Saorla is Sean's mum, and she never uses the word 'bisexual' to describe herself, which has a great deal to do with her age (seventy), upbringing (Roman Catholic) and where she lives (Derry, The North of Ireland).

Inevitably, the rumours their dad spread had reached them, and Sean could still remember lying on his belly in front of Aunty Aileen’s TV when his brother had asked, “Are you one of them lesbians, Mum?” Finn had meant nothing by it, just a fourteen-year-old boy’s curiosity, and their mum’s answer had been honest and reflective of the time and culture. Because even nuns had to get their affection somewhere, didn’t they? She’d assumed then, and possibly still assumed now, that women, universally, had feelings for other women. Those friendships were distinct from the marriage of a man and a woman, or—latterly, because she hadn’t always supported marriage equality—two men or two women, but it wasn’t the same as what she and Aileen had.

From Reunions (Season Seven)

Taz
Taz is mentioned in  Ruminations , but his only on-page time is in the short story Class-A (which runs concurrently with  Ruminations ). Pretty much anything I say here will be a spoiler, so I'll just say he's bi and gives in-the-closet Simon Henderson a lot to think about.

Will Richards
Will first appears in the novella Breaking Waves and the first chapter of Season Five ( In The Stars Part II ). He's a surfer some of the other guys meet at the beach. However, he is a major secondary character (Gray's love interest) in the Gray Fisher series ( The WAG and The Scoundrel , 2016; Tabula Rasa , WIP).

Checking Him Out series
Jesse Thomas ( The Making Of Us CHO#4)
Jesse first appears in book two ( Taking Him On  CHO#2). In terms of character genealogy, he's the best friend of Noah, who is Adam's younger brother.

So, what happened here was this: I wrote an M/M romance ( Checking Him Out #1) about Sol and Adam, in which Noah and Matty make an appearance, and readers asked for more Noah and Matty.

So, I wrote another M/M romance ( Taking Him On CHO#2) about Noah and Matty, in which Jesse and Leigh make an appearance, and readers asked for more Jesse and Leigh.

So, I wrote...a non M/M romance! Jesse's attraction to Leigh (who is intersex and queer) is how he becomes aware of his bisexuality, which sounds like a spoiler, but it's not. The Making Of Us isn't a coming-out story; Jesse isn't conflicted by his sexuality at all. He has (pun intended) bigger issues to deal with.

Stereotypes, man. But at times, I was as bad as the next person, I’d admit that. Like my assumption that Noah’s dad wouldn’t be any good at surfing, just because he was a big guy, when I knew firsthand the cruelty of those judgements. I didn’t choose to be this way.

I don’t know; maybe it was like being gay or queer, because nothing I did made any difference in the long term. Maybe dieting was conversion therapy for fatties and we needed to take a stand.

From The Making Of Us

Elise Brooks (may well get her own book at some point)
In a way, this is a supreme spoiler because nowhere in the Checking Him Out series is Elise identified as bi, and there's a very good reason for that. The series is written in first-person, and anything related to Elise is from Sol's point of view, which is flawed. Elise never comes out to Sol, and, being Sol, he assumes.

So there you have it. A little new light shed on book one. ;)

Seeds of Tyrone series (co-written with Raine O'Tierney)
Chancey Bo Clearwater ( Where the Grass is Greener , SOT#2)
Chancey is a cowboy. A hot cowboy (I get to say this because we each focused on developing a character, and Chancey is Raine's work, so this ain't bragging). Chancey has a...delightful ex-wife. No, really, she's a peach! He also has a teenaged daughter who is just brilliant (again, I ain't bragging, well, about my co-author, but that's allowed).

And then there's his lil ole tussle with a certain Irishman...

Seamus Williams ( Where the Grass is Greener  SOT#2)
Seamus is the older brother of Patrick ( Leaving Flowers , SOT#1) and briefly appears (a couple of chapters) in  Leaving Flowers . When we join him in book two, he's been back in Ireland a good while, where he fled, trying to escape from a certain hot cowboy with a peachy ex-wife and teenaged daughter.

I'm sure you get the general idea.

Both Chancey and Seamus (along with Aidan and Patrick) also make an extended appearance in book three, along with...

Tom Donnan ( Christmas Craic and Mistletoe , SOT#3)
Tom briefly appears in SOT#2 – he's the sexy guy with muscular thighs that gets young Michael hot under the collar whilst both are working on Seamus's crop-picking crew.

Christmas Craic and Mistletoe  (story 2) is, I suppose, a coming-out story, although it's Michael's coming out that's important here. For Tom, it's more about self-discovery than the social act of telling others. Tom is 24, an intelligent guy who's wasted opportunities on being 'one of the lads'. Through a series pretty awful events, Tom finally does something about realising his potential.

Stand-Alone (ish) Stories
Chris ( Champagne )
Chris is NOT a nice guy. Not in the least. Which has nothing to do with him being bisexual, but if I'd written Champagne (stage play or novel) after I went to university and learnt about the blaming of bisexuals for the spread of HIV to the heterosexual population (BS), I wouldn't have written Chris as bisexual. Even though nasty people come in all shapes and sizes, as an author, I have to be aware of and, ideally, avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes. So, I screwed up. It was my first novel. Live and learn.

Kieran O'Sullivan ( Of The Bauble )
Kieran is an openly bi uni student tasked with collecting the Christmas decorations from the loft, whereby he makes an...interesting discovery that is shaped by his orientation. That's as much as I can say without spoiling the story. It's a Christmas novella, and it's free this week on Smashwords!

Jack Davies ( And The Walls Came Tumbling Down )
Jack is one of those non-heroic types who get thrown into a situation that requires them to play the hero whilst making amends with the girl who (he perceived) stalked him in high school. This isn't a romance, and there is nothing in the story that overtly identifies Jack as bi (there are hints) because it's not relevant to the plot, and the only way I could add it in there would've been contrived, so...you'll have to take my word for it. ;)

Buy via Smashwords(discount is only on books with a bi MC)

The Making of Us - EW85Q
Of The Bauble (FREE) - UX98B
Class-A (FREE) - PJ59U
The WAG and The Scoundrel - HW55C
Christmas Craic and Mistletoe - EX77W
Where the Grass is Greener - PQ84Y
Crying in the Rain - YA69F

Full list of stories mentioned + genre

Rather than linking them all individually, here's my page on Beaten Track:
beatentrackpublishing.com/debbiemcgowan

I've included other stories in the series (in grey) so you have an idea of where the stories fit into the whole picture.

STAND-ALONE STORIES:
And The Walls Came Tumbling Down  – Sci-fi/fantasy (new adult)
Champagne  – LGBT historical fiction (1980s)
Of The Bauble  – biromantic romance / fantasy (young adult)

SEEDS OF TYRONE:
Leaving Flowers  (#1) – M/M romance (explicit)
Where the Grass is Greener  (#2) – M/M romance (explicit)
Christmas Craic and Mistletoe  (#3) – 2x M/M romance (intimate but not explicit)

CHECKING HIM OUT:
Checking Him Out (#1) – M/M romance (explicit)
Checking Him Out For The Holidays (novella) – M/M romance (explicit)
Hiding Out (novella) – Contemporary fiction
Taking Him On (#2) –  M/M romance (new adult – explicit)
Checking In (#3) – M/M romance (explicit)
The Making Of Us (#4) – Bi/intersex romance (new adult – intimate but not explicit)

HIDING BEHIND THE COUCH:
All stories are contemporary fiction/slice of life and cover the full array of relationships, romantic and otherwise.
Beginnings (Novella)
Ruminations (Novel)
Class-A (Short Story)
Hiding Behind The Couch (Season One)
No Time Like The Present (Season Two)
The Harder They Fall (Season Three)
Crying in the Rain (Novel)
First Christmas (Novella)
In The Stars Part I: Capricorn–Gemini (Season Four)
Breaking Waves (Novella)
In The Stars Part II: Cancer–Sagittarius (Season Five)
A Midnight Clear (Novella)
Red Hot Christmas (Novella)
Two By Two (Season Six)
Hiding Out (Novella – CHO Crossover)
Breakfast at Cordelia’s Aquarium (Short Story)
Chain of Secrets (Novella)
Those Jeffries Boys (Novel)
The WAG and The Scoundrel (Gray Fisher #1)
Reunions (Season Seven)
To Be Sure (Novella – expected 2017)
Tabula Rasa (Gray Fisher #2 – expected 2017)

#WIPpet Wednesday - Tabula Rasa (Leaves on the Track) #amwriting #lgbtqia

WIPpet numbers for 13th September, 2017:
13 (+1 shh) paragraphs
from Tabula Rasa

WIPpet Context:
Another snippet from Tabula Rasa  (Gray Fisher #2).

This novel follows on from The WAG and The Scoundrel , featuring two former undercover police officers, Gray Fisher and Rob Simpson-Stone. Their investigations relate to white-collar crimes (fraud, embezzlement, etc.), and there are also romantic relationship story arcs (however, not between Gray—who is gay, and Rob—who is straight).

This snippet is from a bit later in the story, because of spoilers and…I’m having issues, all of them minor (but enough for me to contemplate not posting today) and requiring little more than for me to stop faffing with the internet and write the bloody story! I get a serious case of CBA every time I hit a scene that requires any work beyond tapping the keyboard in the correct order, so…yeah. I’m on it. When I’m not on Facebook or Goodreads or Twitter or Amazon or…

The snippet is from Gray’s point of view: he’s walking from the train station, via the woods, to Will’s place.

* * * * *

“Ouch! What…” A sharp bang on the calves made Gray’s knees buckle and he tumbled forward, grabbing a tree trunk to steady himself. When he turned back to see what had hit him, he laughed in disbelief.

“Hello, mate!” Almost as if his thoughts had conjured him into being, there was Kenny. Hobbling a little, Gray greeted the big dog on wheels and glanced through the trees, spotting the rest of the pack heading their way, with Will, in his postman’s uniform and wellies, trailing behind, his focus on his phone.

Gray sent him a text message—nice togs!—stifling his laughter at Will’s confused frown, but as always, he caught on quickly, and looked up and smiled. Gray smiled back, blushing at the fluttery feeling Will’s presence evoked.

“You’re early,” Will said when they met at the midpoint.

“So are you,” Gray observed and fell into step at Will’s side.

“There was hardly anything to go out. What’s your excuse?”

“Do I need one?”

Will shrugged with overplayed nonchalance. “You created an expectation. I’m merely offering you the opportunity to fulfil it.”

“Oh, you know how it is,” Gray played along. “No margin for error with the later train…”

“Leaves on the track?”

Gray’s laughter almost concealed the catch in his breath when Will’s hand found his, interlocking their fingers. “Leaves, twigs…entire trees in places…”

“Same every March.”

“Terrible service,” Gray agreed. He glanced sideways at Will’s delighted grin. “What?”

“It’s still a nice surprise. I like this.”

* * * * *What is WIPpet Wednesday?

WIPpet Wednesday is a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress - expertly organised/hosted by Emily Wrayburn - and the excerpt has to relate to the date in some way. For links to other fabulous authors' WIPpets, visit: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=355404


Thanks for reading
Deb x

Dance Dance #flashfiction

I wrote the opening paragraphs as the start of a story for the Take a Chance anthology, but I didn’t get any further, and it’s been loitering on my computer since, so I thought I’d throw down a few more words (577 words in all) and share it.

That was the first time Robbie saw him. He remembered the smell of the dirty rain that pelted the streets and his stinging cheeks, the heavy grey sky draped over the world like an unwashed blanket, the wa-wa of the music and the beeps and the clicks, the spiralling zooming lights that seemed a million times brighter in the dead cold of the wet November afternoon. And he remembered him—the boy in torn tracksuit pants, too-big t-shirt and trainers with no laces that flipped and flopped until they were finally flung aside.

Robbie wasn’t allowed in the arcades. When he’d told his parents about the Saturday job in the fish and chip shop, it was the first thing they’d said. Not ‘well done’ or ‘good for you’.

Do not—we repeat—do NOT go in those arcades.

They didn’t understand why he wanted a job at all. He got a generous allowance—more than ‘pocket money’—and everything he asked for. New bikes, games consoles, computer, money for trips to the cinema, bowling alley…wherever, whatever, so long as there was a responsible adult present he could do as he liked.

And that was kind of the point. Robbie didn’t need money, plus the pay sucked. He’d get more in mint imperials (what were those, anyway?) for mowing his neighbour’s lawn than he earned for seven hours frying chips. All his friends had jobs, didn’t need a responsible adult with them every minute of every day. But his parents didn’t understand, didn’t listen. All they cared about was that he didn’t ‘get mixed up with the wrong people’—the gangs who hung out around the arcades, swigging from two-litre plastic bottles of cheap cider, the boy in torn tracksuit pants…

He wanted his freedom, independence. He wanted the arcades, the music, the flaring neon and the darkness beyond.

He wanted to be near the boy in the torn tracksuit pants. To watch him dance, dance…

He wanted it so much sometimes he could think of nothing else and his insides twisted and hopped and jumped great moves, perfect, combo continues…

He’d seen a poster once—if you love something, set it free—and his parents loved him. They said so, all the time. And if they loved him…they would understand…forgive…accept…

Still love me if I do this.

If I am this.

In the open doorway, he inhaled the hot, plasticky air, sent giddy by the prickles racing all over his skin and the lightning storms they created when they hit the cold wetness of his coat stuck to his back. Electrified forks filled his vision. He blinked hard, twice, and leaned forward, legs out, body in.

Not in, not out… we repeat, do not—

Dance
Dance…

Past rows of one-arm bandits and penny-drop machines, flashes of a psychedelic lighthouse and the flicker of fast-moving sockless feet. The feet of an expert. The feet of Jesus.

The feet of the boy in the torn tracksuit pants.

The track ended, and the boy chose another, pushed his hair back from his face, placed his feet—forward and left—and saw him. Looked right at him. No smile but a head tip that made the world tilt.

The empty platform at his side.

Come and dance.
I don’t know how.
I’ll show you.

Body in, legs in…we repeat, do—

Squelch shoes discarded, Robbie advanced, eyes on the screen.

One player
Two player ⇦

Arrows rising. Stepping together.

Dance
Dance

Revelation…

Thanks for reading. :)
Deb x

#WIPpet Wednesday - Tabula Rasa (Rife) #amwriting #lgbtqia

WIPpet numbers for 6th September, 2017:
9-6=3 paragraphs
from Tabula Rasa

WIPpet Context:
Another snippet from Tabula Rasa  (Gray Fisher #2).

This novel follows on from The WAG and The Scoundrel , featuring two former undercover police officers, Gray Fisher and Rob Simpson-Stone. Their investigations relate to white-collar crimes (fraud, embezzlement, etc.), and there are also romantic relationship story arcs (however, not between Gray—who is gay, and Rob—who is straight).

This snippet follows on from the previous snippets and is from Chapter Two, which is from Gray’s perspective. Gray is on his way out to Rob’s leaving do.

* * * * *

Gray hadn’t set out to mislead Will, but somewhere along the line, he’d had a bit of a wobble and implied going to Rob’s leaving party was a chore he could do without—hence Will’s offer to go with him. It would’ve been a first for them—accompanying each other on a work night out—but that wasn’t why he’d put Will off. Plus-ones were rarely welcome at police socials, and even though this one was being held in a restaurant with a nightclub attached, the culture would be rife. Gray remembered it far too well—the all-consuming nature of the job that made it difficult to switch off.

Hopefully, tonight would be different because Rob had never been a typical copper. Work or play, no mixing the two unless he was under orders, and he was leaving because he’d had enough. He’d tried going back on the beat and a stint in CID, but he couldn’t settle in his old job. So, he’d resigned to set up a private investigation agency…and asked Gray to go in with him.

It sounded far more thrilling than it would no doubt prove to be, and that suited Gray just fine. Only thirty-five and he’d already had his lifetime’s worth of excitement. It wasn’t so long since he’d been out every night of the week, getting drunk, getting high…it hadn’t been fun. But he was past all that now and dealing with his problems like a functioning adult instead of an out-of-control lunatic with a death wish. If it were anyone other than Rob, Gray would’ve given tonight a miss in favour of lounging on his couch. Or Will’s, maybe, along with at least one dog. The image popped into his mind of Will flopped full length of the sofa at the bottom of a dog pile, pitta bread in one hand, hummus in the other. It was a surprisingly alluring vision.

* * * * *What is WIPpet Wednesday?

WIPpet Wednesday is a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress - expertly organised/hosted by Emily Wrayburn - and the excerpt has to relate to the date in some way. For links to other fabulous authors' WIPpets, visit: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=355404


Thanks for reading
Deb x

All work...no. Not anymore.

I'm going to start with the key points.
Don't work your ass off. It's not worth it.Should you decide to take my advice, be prepared for resistance - the better you are at working your ass off, the more resistance you will meet.Also, be prepared to discover that working your ass off is no more productive than sitting on your ass and watching other people work. Mostly. I don't mean that, but I really hate the phrase 'work smarter not harder'. It makes me want to kick chairs over.To elucidate:

I haven't had a holiday (or vacation, if you prefer) since...2000? I think that was when it was. Not what most people would call a holiday, at least, which would seem to consist of:

a) leaving home and all of the accompanying responsibilities for a set period of time;
b) not doing any work for the duration of that time.

What d'ya reckon? Does that sound about right?

Whatever, no doubt people will tell me I've been given opportunities for holidays since, but the thing is, deadlines don't wait, people don't wait, perfectionism doesn't wait. Perfectionism sucks (the life out of you).

This is how those holidays - had I seriously committed to them - would have gone down:

Sorry, students / university, I'm going on holiday. These assignment grades will be done when I get back.

Sorry, authors / book vendors, I'm going on holiday. That publication date? Nope, not going to make it.

Thus, whilst I've been away six times since 2000, three of those occasions were work related, two fell at the same time as a ton of deadlines, and the other, which could've been a holiday, wasn't, because Nige was having major trouble with his ears and hearing. I doubt anyone can know the frustration and isolation of losing the ability to communicate without going through it. I don't know how it feels, but I know the frustration and isolation of being married to someone who went through it. Suffice to say, it almost destroyed more than our holiday.

Back to the year 2000 - seventeen years ago - a long time, and it was an amazing holiday. I stayed on my mum's campsite, in a tent, read the newspaper, drank coffee, went to the beach... I was exhausted and needed to crash out, do nothing.

It's the last time I felt like that, because my brain has 'unlearned' how to rest. I'm only now relearning how to watch TV, or read a book, or just browse YouTube, and...OK, I know, my brain's still running through all of that. I don't know how to 'do nothing'. I'm not sure I ever did. I can shut down for sleep, and it's surprisingly easy, given what I've said. All I have to do is start plotting my current work in progress in my head, and in seconds, I'm out like a light. I hope it's not a testimony to my storytelling ability. Frightening thought! (Don't comment.) ;)

Seventeen years...during which my children have become adults, one of whom has children of her own.

Seventeen years during which my work took over my life.

2000 was the year I ceased being self-employed (running a home-care agency) to take up a part-time teaching post in a high school, thinking it would give me a little more leisure time, and it did. From being on call 24/7/365, there is only one direction, so I'd call that a win.

Except...teaching is NOT 13 weeks' annual holiday. It's working evenings and weekends and all through school breaks. Indeed, the only time I made sacred during those seventeen years was the week between Christmas and New Year, although that does not stop the requests for my guidance, assistance, advice. People are needy; I like to help. I thrive off helping others, but it so easily shifts from symbiotic to parasitic, and that's my fault as much as it is anyone else's.

The part-time teaching post - on top of my part-time lecturing post - became full-time, and I was soon working constantly again, which left no time for my family, and no time to write.

Later, my school post returned to part-time, which was more or less when I set up Beaten Track Publishing (2011), and at first, I made time to write (see my annual word counts below). But publishing quickly became a full-time occupation, and when I stopped working in the school (2014), publishing flooded in to fill the space.

2001: 105,342
2003: 8,600
2005: 1,062
2007: 111,813
2008: 94,395
2009: 66,735
2010: 52,771
2011: 101,820
2012: 183,373
2013: 515,840
2014: 481,029
2015: 474,692
2016: 396,043
2017: 256,680 (to date)

I refused to cut back on my writing, although my annual word count has diminished by the equivalent of a novel a year. I know to some, those are impressive figures - I write fast first drafts. It's not the word counts that matter here, however. What I had in the past was the luxury of time to let my stories sit and rest, time to revise. Since 2014, I've lost that.

Now I'm claiming it back.

On 1st January, 2017, I set a New Year's resolution to keep weekends free of publishing work and - as far as is possible (given tutorials are on Saturdays) - university work.

On 1st September, 2017 (four days ago), I began a new regime of drastically reduced publishing-related work hours - down from an average of 16 a day to 5 a day.

Any requests that fall outside of those 5 hours, I log in my calendar and don't deal with them there and then, even though one of my 'strengths' as a lecturer, teacher, editor, publisher, people-helping perfectionist...is that I reply promptly to queries and get work done as quickly as I possibly can without cutting corners.

Needless to say, some are struggling with my hard line, but it's only day #2 (the weekend fell between, and no work was done on those days, hurrah). If I don't stick rigidly to this, if I say, 'Oh, I'll just do that now - it'll only take five minutes,' before I know it, I'll be right back where I started. People will learn...or go away. I hope they don't go away.

If you're someone I do work for/with and you're reading this and thinking...'Do I need to find someone else to do [whatever]?' No, not at all. Reducing my hours has increased my efficiency (see starting statement about pointlessly working one's ass off). I'll also tell you honestly when I can fit in whatever it is I do for you. We can agree mutually acceptable deadlines.

So, that's where I'm up to. It sounds positively leisurely, doesn't it? 25 hours a week. It is, compared to what I've been doing, even with the 16 hours of university work, plus 16 hours of study on top of that. And then there's writing...and then there's that family I mentioned. Plus sleep. I should probably do some of that.

And at some point, I might go on holiday.

#WIPpet Wednesday - Tabula Rasa (Civil) #amwriting #lgbtqia

WIPpet numbers for 30th August, 2017:
30-8=22 short paragraphs (dialogue)
from Tabula Rasa

WIPpet Context:
Another snippet from Tabula Rasa  (Gray Fisher #2).

This novel follows on from The WAG and The Scoundrel , featuring two former undercover police officers, Gray Fisher and Rob Simpson-Stone. Their investigations relate to white-collar crimes (fraud, embezzlement, etc.), and there are also romantic relationship story arcs (however, not between Gray—who is gay, and Rob—who is straight).

This snippet follows on from the previous snippets, moving on to Chapter Two, which is from Gray’s perspective.

* * * * *

“Do you want me to come with you?” Will yawned the question.

Gray put down the iron and flipped to the next section of shirt, briefly glancing at Will’s face onscreen. “You, in a room full of police officers?” Gray picked up the iron again.

“I’ve done it before.”

“Have you?”

“Hmm…it was a courtroom. But I was quite civil, I assure you.”

Gray looked up again and had to laugh. Will’s grin glowed white in his stubble-darkened, mud-streaked face. He looked anything but civil. He was also very obviously knackered.

“You should go shower before you nod off,” Gray advised.

“I’m all right yet. Tie’s picking up food on his way home. Which means hummus again.”

“There’s nothing wrong with hummus.”

“Every now and then, but we’ve had it every night this week.”

“You know what you could do? It’s a bit radical.” Gray checked his shirt to make sure he’d pressed all of it, switched off the iron and tugged his t-shirt over his head.

“Get the train to your place and wait for you to come home from your party?” Will’s tone was decidedly sultry.

Gray emerged from inside his t-shirt and covered the camera with his hand.

“Rotter.”

Laughing, Gray successfully got his shirt most of the way on with his hand still covering the camera, only moving it when he had to in order to button his shirt.

Will scowled. “I was enjoying the view.”

“I’m sure you were. But I need to go or I’ll be late.”

“Yeah, OK. What were you gonna suggest?”

“Suggest…oh. That you go shopping yourself?”

“Think I’ll put up with hummus. I’ll leave you to it. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself.”

“Forget in the next half an hour? Unlikely. I’ll speak to you tomorrow, probably.”

“OK. Later.” Will ended the call, leaving Gray free to finish getting dressed and ruminate over turning down Will’s offer.

* * * * *What is WIPpet Wednesday?

WIPpet Wednesday is a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress - expertly organised/hosted by Emily Wrayburn - and the excerpt has to relate to the date in some way. For links to other fabulous authors' WIPpets, visit: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=355404


Thanks for reading
Deb x

#WIPpet Wednesday - Tabula Rasa (Fuddy-Duddy) #amwriting #lgbtqia

WIPpet numbers for 23rd August, 2017:
23-8=15 sentences
from Tabula Rasa

WIPpet Context:
Another snippet from Tabula Rasa  (Gray Fisher #2). I missed last week because I’m so overwhelmed by work just now I don’t know if I’m coming or going! Along with that, it was my birthday on Sunday—I actually took the day off!—and tomorrow is my eldest’s birthday (24…where does the time go?) All of that means I haven’t written a whole lot more of this story since the last time I posted. :/

This novel follows on from The WAG and The Scoundrel , featuring two former undercover police officers, Gray Fisher and Rob Simpson-Stone. Their investigations relate to white-collar crimes (fraud, embezzlement, etc.), and there are also romantic relationship story arcs (however, not between Gray—who is gay, and Rob—who is straight).

This snippet follows on from directly the previous snippets—Rob has left the police and is on his way to his leaving do. This is the last section of Rob’s first chapter (some Gray next time). :)

* * * * *

But first, this leaving do he’d said he didn’t want. A sit-down meal and a club to themselves was not Rob’s first choice for a decent night out—but that he’d been given a choice at all. A couple of pints and a curry, he’d have been happy, and he’d planned an early exit strategy, which was pretty pointless now he was expected elsewhere.

What it is to be popular. Except popularity didn’t come into it. True, Rob wasn’t short of mates, some of them amongst his colleagues—or former colleagues—and his army mates, of course, but there was always a performance to getting together—who could drink the most, stay conscious the longest, come up with the best bullshit for how perfectly bloody wonderful their life was. Most of them were single and made out it was their choice to be so, or saw nothing wrong with acting as if they were. What happens on a night out…

Rob wasn’t a fuddy-duddy, however much Travis—Zoë’s new husband—made him feel like he was old enough for the hill to be a distant blur in his rear-view mirror. Difficult as it had been for Rob to accept it, Travis was good for Zoë and Lucas. The guy seemed to have endless energy and time to burn it off on family outings—a luxury Rob’s work had never afforded, or, at least, one he had never permitted himself to take. Nonetheless, if he heard ‘we went there with Travis, didn’t we, Mum?’ one more time…well, he’d grin and bear it, for Lu’s sake, just as he’d done every time before.

Finally, Rob made it through the junction and put his foot down. A few hours of socialising, a good night’s kip, then he could forget about posturing mates and Stepdad of the Year in favour of a few nights out with his old mates and a few nights in watching telly with his mum. And maybe, if he could be arsed, he’d catch up with Jock and the others when he got back.

* * * * *What is WIPpet Wednesday?

WIPpet Wednesday is a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress - expertly organised/hosted by Emily Wrayburn - and the excerpt has to relate to the date in some way. For links to other fabulous authors' WIPpets, visit: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=355404


Thanks for reading
Deb x

Book Review: Dear Mona Lisa by Claire Davis and Al Stewart

Title: Dear Mona Lisa
Author: Claire Davis and Al Stewart
Published: 12th August, 2017
Categories: Literary fiction, LGBT+, romantic and family themes
Purchase Links: Amazon UK • Amazon.com

Blurb:
Tom, shy office clerk by day and drawer of foxes by night wakes up one Monday knowing the most extraordinary week of his life is about to begin. In five days time a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most?

Getting married…

It seems like only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby. He relishes the demands of being a daddy; especially teaching his little girl to draw and paint as she grows up. But the years tick by and times change. Long-buried secrets must come to the surface which may test even the strongest ties.

Tom and Lawrence…

He writes a list of all the things he has to do before the weekend and sticks it in the middle of his wall. The names and goals hang like threads of a spider’s web, inevitably leading to the centre, and all to the same place.

Dear Mona Lisa…

How to explain?
Each morning he notes the colours of dawn, listens to the birds and waits for the perfect moment. In one hand rests the balance of life and a terrible responsibility, in the other a wedding ring. Difficult days and the past loom, but his friends rally round and one by one the words come to life. Everyone waits as Tom finds the strength to open up and set free the secrets of his heart in a celebration of family, friendship and love. A quirky story of modern life, set within the breathtaking landscape of Bradford.

Review:
Reading Dear Mona Lisa was a bittersweet privilege for me, bitter only because I had to wait to read this one like everyone else! For the curious, the story began from a Beaten Track call for submissions for a collection of stories featuring older LGBT+ characters, but you know how it is (or maybe you don't...). Stories take on a life of their own, and forcing Tom and Loz to fit the submission criteria would have been an unmitigated act of butchery.

I have no words to describe Dear Mona Lisa , or none that are good enough. It's not a romance as such, but there are strong romantic elements. Those familiar with Claire Davis and Al Stewart's work will find the usual mix of down-to-earth Britishness - the dry humour, the wonderfully colourful supporting characters, and a deeply emotional exploration of the fight some of us have to maintain the stiff upper lip our culture is famed for. Oh, and foxes. And colour - it's absolutely bursting with colour.

Dear Mona Lisa is a work of art. It's a painting in words, and like you probably wouldn't pick out a specific detail of a portrait ('ooh, look at her left nostril, all dark and...mysterious!'), it wouldn't be especially helpful to pick out the detail here to illustrate what a masterpiece this is. That said, there is one line that knocked me sideways, possibly a spoiler, so I'm saying nowt.

Read it. You won't be disappointed.

#WIPpet Wednesday - Tabula Rasa (Slow Ride) #amwriting #lgbtqia

WIPpet numbers for 9th August, 2017:
9 sentences
from Tabula Rasa

WIPpet Context:
Another snippet from Tabula Rasa  (Gray Fisher #2).

This novel follows on from The WAG and The Scoundrel , featuring two former undercover police officers, Gray Fisher and Rob Simpson-Stone. Their investigations relate to white-collar crimes (fraud, embezzlement, etc.), and there are also romantic relationship story arcs (however, not between Gray—who is gay, and Rob—who is straight).

This snippet follows on from directly the previous snippets—Rob has left the police and is on his way to his leaving do. The ‘them’ in the first line is Rob and Jock (see previous snippets).

* * * * *

Given the way things were between them, there had to be an ulterior motive for the call—or else someone else would’ve made it—and Rob’s curiosity was threatening to get the better of him. For the time being, he put it out of mind and focused on his riding.

Even though it was well past rush hour, the roads were chaos, and he was beginning to regret not getting the train, but the bike would stop people buying him drinks all night. He needed a clear head; he was off up north first thing. He hadn’t been home since Christmas, and in the three months that had elapsed, he’d become both an uncle again and a great uncle—never mind that he’d had no idea his brother was seeing someone, nor that his youngest niece was pregnant.

Traffic was backed up from the junction, and Rob probably could’ve got past it, but instead, he settled behind a bus and let his mind drift again. With the prospect of a couple of weeks of proper holiday, he was well up for some quality family time and bit of R and R before he set the wheels in motion for his new venture. Of course, there was no guarantee it would take off, or, if it did, how long it would take to get fully established, and he was prepared for the possibility of failure. So long as it was moving in the right direction, he’d stick with it, but he had a back-up plan: as soon as he got back from his mum’s, he was going to sign on with an agency as a security officer.

* * * * *What is WIPpet Wednesday?

WIPpet Wednesday is a blog hop where authors share from their current works in progress - expertly organised/hosted by Emily Wrayburn - and the excerpt has to relate to the date in some way. For links to other fabulous authors' WIPpets, visit: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=355404


Thanks for reading
Deb x

The Pastor's Last Drop - Links to Video Clips and Images

Read on WattPad:
https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/115931648-the-pastors-last-drop

I will update this post as I add more chapters to the story.
(images are all in the public domain, used under Creative Commons Licence)

Cover
(Derived from 'Liverpool from Wapping', John Atkinson Grimshaw, 1875)



Chapter One

Jacques Brel - La Chanson de Jackie



John Atkinson Grimshaw painting
(snipped and edited from 'Glasgow Docks', 1881)



Cobblestones
(snipped from 'Last Call')