Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 122

I'm Baaaack! T.C. Blue returns!

Hello, hello, and sorry for being MIA the last couple weeks! Last Thursday I was sick as a dog and the one before I was in the midst of a roadtrip to Pittsburgh (which is where I picked up whatever nasty plague is still lingering in my system). I'm back and almost well now, so that's good, right?

The last couple weeks have been tense for many, considering the question of how the SCOTUS would decide with regards to Prop 8, but I'm not going to talk about their decision, or not today. Loads of people have said everything already, and far more skillfully than I ever could. I'll just say the decision was a step in the right direction but we have so much further to go.

Paula Deen has been in the news recently, too. In fact, she's been dropped by Food Network, as well as pretty much every business with which she had distribution and promotional deals. Because she may have used the N word a few times in the past. (I've been reading the transcript of her testimony in the case that's led to all this craziness -- all 149 pages -- and have yet to see anything that I wouldn't also be considered guilty of. And MAYBE her brother discriminated against and acted like a racist to the woman suing, but Paula is NOT her brother. Sure, she probably shouldn't have ever used the N word casually, but the fact is that people do stupid things all the time. And maybe I'm wrong, but according to court documents, the business for which the plaintiff worked isn't one Ms. Deen was actually involved in running.)

Honestly, I think Food Network and the other businesses that have backed out of deals with her may have jumped the gun a bit. Whether she's as guilty as public opinion paints her has yet to be determined. They really should have waited until the court case is resolved before jumping on the bad-naughty-racist-must-be-punished train.

I'm not saying that I SUPPORT using racist language, so please don't think that. What I'm saying is that we've become far too dainty and quick to offend... and people are crass. We're crass, rude and classless, especially when with our friends. I've said things jokingly to my friends that I would NEVER say in public and to a stranger.

This situation is akin to someone being accused of homophobic bigotry in the workplace, then punishing that person's brother because he once called someone the-F-word-for-gay, years ago. Sorry, that's just my opinion and I hope I haven't offended anyone by having one. :P

In other news, being sick for the last week has led to me catching up on all sorts of TV shows and movies online, so I think next week might be a good time for Tis' Half-Assed Movie Reviews! We'll see.

Until next time, be good! To yourselves and to each other. :)

Marriage by Cardeno C.

It was hard to sleep last night knowing that today the US Supreme Court would be issuing the long-awaited marriage decisions. There are and will continue to be many articles dissecting the opinions and telling us what they mean. One thing we know already is that steps forward were taken today and that's a wonderful thing. 


To celebrate, I wrote a mini-anthology with brief updates about the characters from my Home series. If you want to read about how they react to the ruling, you can get the free book here.

CC
www.cardenoc.com

Chai Cake Recipe by Cardeno C.

I bought a bunch of chai tea powder mix and decided to play with a cake recipe utilizing it. I think I've got something pretty delicious worked out. Here it is:

Ingredients


1 cup chai tea powder
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.Cream butter. Add eggs. Beat Well.Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with yogurt. Stir  in vanilla.Pour batter into a greased/floured bundt pan. Optional: Put together a nut mixture (brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts) or buy a nut mixture at the grocery store meant for salads. Pour only half of batter into pan. Cover with most of nut mixture. Pour remaining batter on top. Cover with remaining nut mixture.Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Flip onto a plate and eat warm. (Optional: sprinkle powdered sugar.)Say mmmmm. ;)
CCwww.cardenoc.com

Sunday Ellis Carrington and Damon Suede Swag Giveaway from I Smell Sheep

Sharon over at the paranormal / UF blog I Smell Sheep does some awesome giveaways. If you're not following her, you should be. This week she's offering up a bundle of Ellis Carrington and Damon Suede swag, including THREE free ebooks! One of those ebooks is an original copy of my erotic short story, Yes, Sir. As I mentioned on the blog last week, Yes, Sir is in the middle of being re-edited and it's getting new cover art so that I can put it up for sale on Amazon. As far as I know this is the last available copy of that original version.

Many thanks to Sharon and I Smell Sheep for offering the giveaway! Go here to enter.

What Do the Cards Hold?

Author Clare London is an accountant by day and fiction writer by passion. She seems to resonate with the main character in Chase the Ace because she too seeks a little adventure. She writes books in many different genres and settings because she likes a little variety in life. Most of her titles are male-on-male romance novels, but as long as it is good fiction, she is happy to write it. 
Chase the Ace is the story of a young Daniel Cross who has settled into a routine and is bored with his job. Discovering social media appears to be the remedy for his daily doldrums so he begins tracking down some childhood mates from the Scorching Summer Sports Club of 1990. He lost touch with his “Gang of Four” after that summer, but now he launches a personal quest to find out what kind of man each boy has become. Along the way he meets a new friend, Nick, who develops into more than a buddy. When the “Gang of Four” finally reunites Dan's emotions range from heartened to disturbed. Nick’s company is a constant support though neither of them are prepared for the exposure of personal secrets they’d thought were long-hidden. Dan begins to suspect that he’s really looking for a direction in his own life—and the excitement and purpose he craves may be closer to home than a quest with its roots in a boyhood dream.

Clare London fashioned the character of Daniel Cross off her grown son's twenty-year-old buddies. "They're still having fun with life, but starting to think about growing up," reflects Clare. The title Chase the Ace also has special meaning for the author because it brings back happy memories of her childhood playing this game with her family.

If you are looking for an uplifting title to kick off your weekend this would be a fantastic selection. As always use the link below for a special discount!

Visit www.RainboweBooks.com

Cover reveal: Coming Soon (again) Yes, Sir

I wrote Yes, Sir about three years ago, before the first GayRomLit retreat. I burned twenty copies to CD and gave them out in goody bags to some of the readers who attended. Later on, a few readers requested copies so I offered them on the GayRomLit email loop, and eventually somehow the story got listed on Goodreads as part of my body of work even though I'd never published it officially. For awhile the PDF was available for free on my web site and Goodreads, but I've since taken in down because I wasn't happy with the cover art (which I did myself--ew) or the fact that the only editing it had gotten was the review of my critique partner and beta readers. While my beta readers are great, I don't think there's ever a substitute for a professional editor.

So I've taken the story down temporarily. It's being re-edited as we speak, because I want what I put out in public to be the best it can be. Meanwhile...

Here's the new cover art, done by Pickyme.



About Yes, Sir
A New Orleans vacation takes an interesting turn when Grayson Harper lets a friend drag him along to see a voodoo priestess for a love spell. Suddenly he's having very vivid dreams about a mystery man that seem all too real, and doing things in them he never thought possible. But what will become of the man of his dreams once he leaves the magic of the French quarter?

Watch this space.
Love, Ellis

Blackout by Joey Jameson

This week slip into the sexy tale of Dice Valentine. Dice Valentine is a stripper. With the hot body and dance moves that leave his male clients begging for more. Just as Dice starts to want out of this dark world of hedonism and indulgence a night of passion with a mysterious love takes a dark turn. Dice suddenly finds himself trying to clear his name. 

“Blackout” is a tale of sex and betrayal that raises doubts about what exactly is the truth. Author Joey Jameson says: "Dice Valentine was based on pure fantasy. There’s no one quite like Dice. He’s sexy, confident, edgy, playful, sexy! Yet even if you don’t go for his particular type, he’s written with a little something for everyone. Hopefully some will be turned on by his vulnerability, or maybe his carefree attitudes or even his hedonistic drive. And of course he’s got a killer body, so that should say something."

Joey Jameson describes himself as a "huge beach bum, animal activist, house music junky, yoga enthusiast, vegan, hippy, clothes whore, shopaholic, wine obsessed, avid reader, ibiza veteran, tattooed, colourful, and happy." This UK resident has always wanted to be a writer. He applied to Journalism School when he graduated High School, but sadly never got in. After spending a few year teaching he returned to his original passion, writing.

Rainbow ebooks is hosting a chat with author Joey Jameson tonight! Login and find out why Joey idolizes Jenna Jameson and Drew Barrymore. Details are below.







Also feel free to enjoy a special Cafe Risque reader discount on any title at www.Rainbowebooks.com! 

Because.... Puppies

I'm having one of those weeks. You know the ones? Everyone in my household has systematically passed the baton of a dreaded stomach bug that my youngest kid brought home from preschool, and for the last several days I was pretty damn proud just to make it out of bed. The big stuff like writing, paying bills, and being a functioning adult? Not so much. If I still maintained possession of the magic 8-ball one of my exes stole, I'm pretty sure it would have told me that the outlook for actual productivity this week was very grim. So today I bring you videos of cute puppies and kittens.

Because... puppies and kittens.

Nothing lifts the spirit like cute fuzzy animals, dammit.






 Now go forth and be happy. I dare you.

Happy Sunday.
Love, Ellis

Ruth Sims, a Petunia in the Onion Patch

Song on the Sand is the story of Tony Dalby who is confined to a nursing home, with his days as a dancer a thing of the past. One day life brings a welcome distraction, Drew, who is a bit of mystery. Tony Dalby wonders why Drew constantly visits the wheelchair-bound, comatose Jesse. As secrets are revealed, Dalby finds he may have a renewed purpose for living after all.

Ruth Sims describes herself as "a petunia in the onion patch," a liberal surrounded by conservatives in her small Midwest town. Ruth's inspiration for this title was firstly, "the play “La Cage aux Folles” and its lovely music and a most interesting man she met at a performance, who became a good friend—and the inspiration for Tony. "He was a lot younger than Tony but just as outrageous in his own sweet way. I was so enthralled by the play I ended up going back for every performance at the little college town theater, and each time I saw this tall bearded man he was wearing a flaming pink feather boa. But the story would never have been written without the emotion I felt when I saw the play and heard the music, especially the title song. I guess there was actually a third inspiration: the fact that I had reached my seventies and had become sharply aware of how different life is, how different things look, and how differently people react to you when you’re older. If you haven’t reached that age yet, you will. And you’ll be as bewildered and, yes, angry, as I have been. Katharine Hepburn said in a rare interview that “being old was hell.” It certainly can be!"

Ruth reflects; "We need more stories about older people, not stories about them romping through sexual escapades for laughs and entertainment, but stories about real people struggling with difficult and often lonely, bitter times, sometimes finding humor and often needing courage. Things are different on this side of the fence, but everyone except the unlucky, will get here."

I got a chance to interview this author, and her responses were so delightful and elegantly written I feel compelled to share them in their entirety.

#1. How does an individual from the Midwest evolve into a gay romance novelist?

 I don’t know the answer to that one. My first gay book started out to be a straight Civil War romance but the longer I worked on it (years!), the more it changed. One minor character, a gay actor, took over more and more of the story until he WAS the story and the Civil War had become the 1890’s and the star-crossed lovers were gay men. And the funny thing was, until I wrote the book I had never met a gay person. Well, I had but I didn’t know it for years. How it all came to be is “a whole ‘nother story.” By the time I got to “Song on the Sand” I knew what I was doing.

#2. If your readers walk away with one thought or feeling after reading this title what do you hope it would be?

There are many different kinds of love, but they have one thing in common: when love is real, when it goes to the bone, it will last beyond death.

#3. What are your hobbies? Who is Ruth Sims outside of the writing realm?

I’m timid and very crowd-shy; more than six people constitute a crowd. I reckon I’m just your basic wallflower personality. I’m someone who enjoys live amateur theater (no professional theater around here) and who enjoys reading plays but would I never have the guts to get on a stage and perform. I love to talk one-on-one, and can gab for hours with one other person, even people I don’t know. I’m not too smart, with no head for math or science, finding only words to be easy. I have no degrees. I live an Emily Dickenson kind of life with no adventure. Most folks would find my life boring, but it’s the life I love with the people I love. I’m afraid of dogs, and have a sixteen-year-old cat who rules. I’m an Old Movie buff, especially the classic silents seen on TCM. The most important people in my life are my husband of more than half a century (a conservative!), my two children, my three grandchildren, and my friends. That’s it. Not exciting—but it’s my life and I’m sticking to it.

#4. What is one fact or quirky thing about you that most people don't know?

If I could turn all firearms and bombs into Twinkies, I would. My fantasy is for Ted Nugent to reach for a gun and find a Twinky. I’d love to see the “cold dead hands” picture of Charlton Heston holding a gigantic Twinky over his head instead of a gun.
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Today I Am Most Honored to Announce....

Today I am most honored to announce that my second novel, The Boy Who Came In From the Cold, is six days as Number One on Amazon's Gay and Lesbian Top 100. I am humbled and most pleased. Thank you all for supporting me. I know nothing but gratitude.

And, Damn, am I in good company. I would never have imagined that I could be sitting here with two of my very favorite authors, Cardeno C. and Mary Calmes.

It doesn't seem possible.

Fairy tales and dreams really DO come true.

And this just in!  I take over the DSP Blog, this Sunday from 3:00pm until 5:00pm, EDT.  Please joing me! https://www.facebook.com/events/156368631212598/ With loveNamastéBG