Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 59

Ask Your Question - Andrew Grey

Good morning.  This spot is usually reserved for Ask Andrew, but questions seem to be scares lately.  If you have one, please send it to me.  andrewgreybooks@comcast.net  I will be glad to answer it for you.  Questions can be about anything at all. 

Have a great day!

Ask Andrew is your chance to ask questions of a gay romance author.  The questions can be about the writing process in general, writing sex scenes, gay men, sex, characters in romance, characters having sex... okay you probably get the picture.    I promise to answer your questions as frankly and with as much humor as I possibly can.

So if you have a question, please send it to andrewgreybooks@comcast.net.  This is different from my usual email so your questions don't get lost.  I will answer one question a week.

Please remember this is meant to be all in fun.  (I was going to say good, clean fun, but who wants that.)    So send me your questions and let's see what mischief we can get into.

Visit Andrew on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/andrewgreybooks  and you can join Andrew's fan group All The Way With Andrew Grey.

Follow him on Twitter:  @andrewgreybooks

Halloween Recipes with BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean

Here's some of our favorite Halloween recipes for you.

BA

Gluten Free Witch Fingers

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup gluten free flour
1 egg, beaten
sliced almonds

Tump cheese, butter, salt, cayenne in a food processor and whaz until smooth. Add flour and pulse until you have a dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and sprinkle the top with flour. Knead just until you feel like you can make fingers (you ought to get 2 dozen 6 inch fingers)

Put them on parchment lined sheets and brush with the egg and put an almond in the end like a nail (you can dye them with food coloring too -- omg, it's gross and wonderful)

Pop the fingers in the fridge for 15 minutes and get your oven heating (350). Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. 

Ta da. Witch fingers!


Julia

My go to to impress folks on Halloween? 

Eyeball tacos !

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 (1 1/4 ounce) packages taco seasoning mix
12 taco shells
3/4 cup salsa
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tomatoes, small cubes
1 small head lettuce, sliced into small confetti squares
1 (2 1/4 ounce) cans large black olives, sliced
1 cup cheese, Shredded & Long ( cheddar is good, but a Mexican blend would be good too)

Directions

MIix meat and seasoning mix. Shape half of the mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls; place in 15x10x1-inch baking pan and bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Brown the remaining seasoned ground beef and add salsa.
Fill each taco shell with a thin layer of ground beef, sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Position 2 meatballs inside the taco shell and add a dollop of sour cream to each. Garnish with olives to make “eyeballs.” Spread the cheese out along to the top for stringy hair.


Sean

Earthworms in dirt

Ingredients:

1 large package of Oreo cookies
1 package (8 ounces) of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
3 cups milk
12 ounces Cool Whip (can use chocolate Cool Whip alternatively)
2 packages instant vanilla or chocolate pudding
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Gummy Worms or other Gummy Bugs


Directions:

1.  In a food processor, crush the Oreos until they have a grainy consistency with some large chunks. Set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter (or margarine), cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together. Set aside.

3.  Combine the milk and pudding mixture until smooth and fold in the Cool Whip. Then fold in the creamed butter, cream cheese, sugar mixture until consistency is rich and smooth.

4.  In separate ramekins, layer the crushed Oreos, pudding mixture and gummy worms/bugs, alternating. The last layer on top should be the crushed Oreos, with maybe a couple worms sticking out. Place a few gummy worms/bugs on top of each cake.

5.  Chill in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours before serving.



Got random questions? Comment or email one of us :)

You can find us on Twitter at @batortuga, @juliatalbot, @KiernanKelly and @seanmichael09

BA’s website is http://www.batortuga.com
Julia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.com 
Kiernan's is www.KiernanKelly.com
Sean’s is http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

Facebook:
BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga
Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotauthor
Kiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly
Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites

Sean
smut fixes everything

Walking the thin line between fantasy and reality by Renae Kaye

If you read enough of my books, you will find several themes running through them.  If you haven’t read my books – why not? **Blinks bemusedly**  Authors need to eat, you know?
Okay – joking aside… No, hang on.  That doesn’t work for me.  Because, well there are two threads that strongly resound in my writing.
#1: Humour.  Yeah.  That’s just me.  I make a joke out of everything.  Even when my writing is my attempt to be serious, it still comes through with humour.  I’ve seen authors say they can’t write humour, that it’s too difficult.  I have to look twice to see if they’re joking or not.  To me, humour is just a matter of opening my mouth.
Only joking.
Actually no.  That’s true.  I just imagine what I would say… then write it down and it works for me.
#2: Type of character.  I can’t deny it – not when it’s there in black and white.  Literally.  I seem to gravitate towards writing the blue-collar, hardworking, boy-next-door, average-Mr-Joe character.  It’s the type of character I like readingabout because I can relate to them.  It therefore follows I like writing about them too.
Let me tell you about my characters.  They often work in manual labour, worry about things like money and mortgages, have families, don’t get breaks in life, and will probably be based on someone who lives in my street.  I enjoy thinking that someone out “there” (in the ether of the world beyond my house) can pick up my book and think, “Wow – that’s me.”  Or perhaps, “Wow – that’s my friend.”  I try to write my guys to be everyday types.  They’re not always fit or young or rich or good looking.  They have faults – wow, do some of them have faults and character flaws.  Sometimes they’re not flaws we like, but we all seem to know of someone who does that.
I like my characters to be realistic.  But at the same time, we all need to inject a bit of fantasy into our characters because… well, it’s fiction after all.
Take for example, The Blinding Light.  I didn’t realise it during writing the story, but I have a lot of reviews that call it a “Cinderella story.”  I guess it is – poor, down on his luck guy who is “saved” by a rich, handsome dude he goes to clean for.  Apart from the fact the prince-character is blind and can be abrupt.  But it’s not really something that happens all the time (I haven’t taken a straw-poll, but I’m pretty sure there aren’t a lot of gay, blind, rich men in Perth without friends or family in desperate need of a housekeeper.)
So, sometimes fantasy is injected in order to make a story, and to make it interesting.  I find it hard sometimes to keep the realism vs fantasy in line.  A reader recently commented to me about how my characters in their 20s have all found a way to have their own house.  In Perth we have a housing shortage which is jacking the housing prices up so high that the younger generation is pushed out of the market.  It’s created a scenario where the average age of leaving home is now around 27.  My character of Liam from Loving Jay – who was 24 – had his own apartment.  Okay, granted it was a small apartment that costs around $250k (or about 4.5 times the salary he probably earns) and he did say he had a nice deposit due to the compensation payment he received, but not very many 24-year-olds could do that.  I’m working on my characters maybe being a bit more realistic in this regard in the coming books.
As I said – it’s what I like to read and therefore gravitate towards the realistic characters when I also write.  If the blurb on the back of a book says something about, “Handsome billionaire Robert Stevens spots unattractive, weedy Justin Martinez on the street and falls instantly in love…” I usually put the book down again.  It’s just not my thing.  I’m happy if others read and write it, and I make no judgements.  Just the same as any other sub-genre.  I respect your choice, please respect mine.  I won’t judge you for your m-preg/BDSM/GFY/MMM/shifter/vampire/fairy/cowboy/hockey/trying-to-think-of-other-sub-genres-that-are-regularly-dissed reading, if you don’t judge me when I tell you I have a soft spot for time-travel-portal fiction and long-haired-fierce-but-kind Vikings.
There is, however, a responsibility that authors should carry to make their “realistic” characters realistic.  I’ll tell you why I feel this way.  This week I picked up a book in the library that sounded interesting.  MF, but hey – libraries rarely carry anything else.  The basic story is she’s a smart-mouth secretary who has trouble holding down a job, and he’s a newly-famous band member who is having trouble with the fame and is drinking too much.  She’s hired to keep him in check.  Sounds good.  Not sure how many famous band members are hanging around the place, but that’s the fantasy element there.
So I started reading, and there on page three was the bit I hung my head at.  The female character narrator describes her physical body as nothing special – big boobs, small waist, large hips.
Riii-iiight.
So in other words she’s Kim Kardashian or basically the exact curvy body.  So in other words the body every woman wants.  So in other words not plain or normal?  It’s the reality vs fantasy aspect again.  I understand that an author will struggle to sell a book to the audience of an overweight heroine without classing it into the BBW genre.  But please don’t sell to women who are already struggling with their body issues that big boobs, small waist and large hips are “nothing special.”  Where are all the stories with the heroines with flat chests and large hips?  What about the skinny heroines who try desperately to put on weight?  Where are the large wobbly thigh women and those with skin problems?  Where are those with crooked teeth, disabilities or weight problems?
I at least try to make my characters to be less-than-perfect.  In my last release, Don’t Twunk With My Heart, Tate had body issues which will probably never resolve in his life time.  Just like an alcoholic can never have just one drink and be satisfied, I’m sure Tate will need to be conscious for the rest of his life of not trying to diet to an unachievable thin.
Coming in November is the next instalment of my Loving You series – The Straight Boyfriend.  Once again I’ve attempted to make my guy-next-door characters with traits you find in yourself and in friends.  Vinnie is small and skinny… all over, if you get what I mean.  He doesn’t really have a lot to boast about.  He’s self-conscious and tries to not worry about it too much.  But that first time is always a what-if scenario.  Aaron on the other hand was blessed with the tall genes.  He’s starting to have to watch his weight or else he’s going to get flabby.  We don’t have perfect guys in this book.  We just have two guys fumbling their way through a relationship and learning about themselves in life.
Two very real guys, one not-so-real scenario.  It’s a fine line.  One an author walks all the time and their success really depends on the reader.  My success will be up to you – the reader.
To the MF author and her big boobs, small waist, big hips heroine?  I would’ve loved to have seen the average breasts, not-so-small waist, big hips character.  But I’ll read on and see if she redeems herself.  Maybe she has a big character flaw like she gets angry at little grannies in the supermarket who don’t know the meaning of “hurry” and I can really begin to like her.  Maybe she doesn’t like dogs.  I don’t know.  I’ll have to read on.
To my loyal readers who love my blue-collar, Mr Average, not-so-perfect characters?  Thank you for reading.  And The Straight Boyfriend will be out at the end of November.
How to contact Renae:
Email:  renaekaye@iinet.net.au
Website:  www.renaekaye.weebly.com
FB:  www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9
Twitter:  @renaekkaye

A Sweet Year by Felice Stevens

Sunday evening starts the beginning of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, the beginning of what we call the "High Holidays." It is said that at this time the Book of Life is opened and everything that will happen to you in the coming year is inscribed. You wish for all good things, not only for yourself, but for others. You wish for a sweet year, a year of good health, peace and prosperity. The following week, is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, where the Book of Life is closed and sealed.

Let's not think about that; its a fast day, a day of not only no food, but no coffee of even water. Let's talk about Rosh Hashana. It's a happy, joyous time full of delicious food, most often food made with honey, to celebrate the sweetness of the new year to come. There is honey cake and Teiglach which is pastries and nuts all knotted together and drizzled with honey. One of the traditions my children love is plain sliced apples dipped in honey.


(I have a confession. I don't like honey. I like it fine in baklava, but plain? No thanks.)

We also have a tradition called Tashlich of going to a body of water and tossing bits of bread as a symbol of casting away our sins, and asking for forgiveness.

All in all it is a happy time spent with family and friends and lots of good food.


What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Don't forget the charity MM Anthology, It Was Always You, releases October 4th. You can still pre-order it for only 99 cents on iTunes. It releases on Amazon for $2.99. You can pre-order it here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/it-w...
My story is about Danny Friedman and Paul Merola, two men who met at summer camp as teenagers then separated, reuniting years later with old hurts and secrets.

Weekend away by Riley Hart

I'm really excited about this weekend. I get two nights away with a few of my friends! I never, ever do something like this. I'm always home, and if I go, it's usually for a book signing or something. This weekend will only be about friends, chatting, and relaxing. I think it's important that we treat ourselves to things like that from time to time. This is something that I'm just starting to make myself do. I'm very good at buying things for my kids or my husband, or going to do activities that they love, but it's not often I do something that's just for me.

This weekend will be just for me.

When is the last time you treated yourself? What did you do?

Ask Andrew - Dealing With The Haters - by Andrew Grey

Dear Andrew,

How do you deal with negative comments to your books or even in your personal life from those that don't support LGBT equality? It seems like there's SO much hate in the world today.

Thanks, Kendra

Kendra

You are right there is so much hate in the world, but there are also amazingly supportive and wonderful people like yourself in this world as well.  Dominic and I have been very fortunate.  Verbal attacks on us have bene minimal and we have dealt with them together.  He and I decided long ago to live a life that was visible and to let others see how much we cared for each other.  He and I try to lead quietly and by example. 

Social media is another issue completely.  People can be anonymous and that leads to people saying things because they fell that those comments can't get back to them.  I pay little attention to it quite frankly.  There are people out there who hate, rant, and rave about everything under the sun.  It doesn't matter.  It isn't as though their opinion is important to me.  (The delete and unfriend buttons come in handy at those times)

In short my philosophy is that I do what I have to in order to keep myself and Dominic safe and after that I ignore the junk that's out there and focus on the good.  Its affirming and it propels my writing and life forward.  I don't pay attention to the hate.  It's not worth it. 

I hope I answered your question and have an amazing day
Hugs and Love
Andrew

PS:  I figured you all were getting of my mug, so I put up the cover for Eyes Only for You.  I love the guys on this one. 

Ask Andrew is your chance to ask questions of a gay romance author.  The questions can be about the writing process in general, writing sex scenes, gay men, sex, characters in romance, characters having sex... okay you probably get the picture.    I promise to answer your questions as frankly and with as much humor as I possibly can.

So if you have a question, please send it to andrewgreybooks@comcast.net.  This is different from my usual email so your questions don't get lost.  I will answer one question a week.

Please remember this is meant to be all in fun.  (I was going to say good, clean fun, but who wants that.)    So send me your questions and let's see what mischief we can get into.

Visit Andrew on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/andrewgreybooks  and you can join Andrew's fan group All The Way With Andrew Grey.

Follow him on Twitter:  @andrewgreybooks

10 Things People Would Be Surprised to Know About YouBA T...

10 Things People Would Be Surprised to Know About You

BA Tortuga

1. I am a huge fan of baroque music.

2. I used to make a living reading tarot cards.

3. I homeschooled my kid through high school.

4. I have been a member of Mensa since 1975.

5. I published my first story in 1976.

6. I can quote Jurassic Park, Steel Magnolias, and Moulin Rouge, line by line.

7. My secret dream is to direct an all-female version of Jesus Christ Superstar.

8. I'm allergic to a vast amount of foods, but I have no hay fever issues.

9. I taught myself to play piano, knit, weave, and sculpt. My next goal is to spin and play the guitar.

10. I didn't smile from the time I was 10 to 13. When I smiled again, it hurt for days after. I am totally making up for it now.

Kiernan Kelly

1. I seriously wanted to be a paleontologist at one time.

2. I attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

3. I was always an artist but didn't start writing until about thirteen years ago.

4. I detest Swiss cheese.

5. I can recite the Wizard of Oz movie from beginning to end.

6. I love the big musicals of the 40's and 50's

7. I'm actually shy. No, really. Stop laughing.

8. I still watch cartoons.

9. I have written dinosaur porn. Trex fisting to be exact.

10. I am a huge horror fan.

B.a. I knew these!

Julia Talbot

1. I was a college library circulation director for 6 years. I quit to write full time.

2. I love weird alien erotica. Tentacles? Probes? Yes please.

3. I adore the original Addams Family TV show and I wanted to be Morticia when I grew up

4. I have a real thing for Georgian era fashion. Conical stays and side panniers? Yes please.

5. I have a terrible fascination with disasters on Mt Everest

6. I once worked as a clown. My wife is terrified of clowns and can't look at the old pics

7. My very first short story was a microfic about powering the world with popcorn

8. In the last 3 years I have broken both my feet and spent well over 8 months in a walking boot combined

9. I can't eat just one slice of carrot cake. Unless I just get one at a restaurant, which is tough now that I'm GF

10. I never used to plot my books. Now I have charts and graphs. I blame BA.

Sean Michael

1. I am a picky eater - I'm way better than I used to be, but there's still a few things that I won't touch. Eggplant, I'm specifically looking at you.

2. Having said that, I will try anything once. Weirdest thing I've tried so far - Haggis.

3. Keeping on the food theme - I love tongue, beef tongue especially. Beef tongue sandwiches are happy making.

4. I lived in Heidelberg, Germany for a year when I was eleven. This is where my lifelong addiction to gummi cokes began. And I am a gummi coke snob - it's got to be Haribo.

5. I have been trying for well over a year to make going to the gym a regular part of my routine with varying levels of success. I hate going to the gym.

6. I have a bunch of allergies, everything from dust to dander to pollen. Luckily, most of the food allergies I had as a kid backed off as I got older.

7. I wanted to be an astronaut growing up. I still dream about going as a writer - like on a mission to mars to record the happenings or something like that.

8. I have a black thumb. I love having plants, but most of them don't make it a year. I keep trying, though.

9. I have always loved coca-cola and am in fact addicted to it. I tried over a half dozen times to quit it. So far this last time has stuck more than 3 years. One drink of it would be a slippery slope back to 3 cans a day - I know this from experience. And I still miss it like crazy.

10. I am not a huge chocolate fan. I like it. Especially the hazelnut praline stuff, but I would almost always rather crunch on some chips (with a side of coke, god, I miss it) than eat a chocolate bar. And I am a chocolate snob - if I'm going to have it, I want it from Purdy's or in a pinch, Godiva's.

XXOO

Julia

Sean’s website is http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

Julia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.com BA’s is http://www.batortuga.com

Kiernan's is www.KiernanKelly.com

Facebook:

Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelW...

Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbota...

BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga

Kiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly

Who Loves Art? by Cardeno C.

Happy Monday! The release date for the anthology to benefit the LGBT youth organization OneNTen is almost upon us (October 4th!). 

If you're interested in gorgeous art and in another way to help the youth served by OneNTen, check out this sale of original artwork by a talented artist with all proceeds going to  OneNTen. Some of my favorites are:




The preorder for the anthology is available at itunes but on release day, it'll be at all retailers and I'll link them on my website.

My short novella is called Rough Edges, here is the blurb:

Kyle has an unwelcome crush on his nemesis Brent. Brent has a welcome crush on his friend Kyle. As it turns out, the line between a friend and an enemy doesn’t have to be a line at all.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks to the wrong family, Kyle Potter has spent his life clawing his way toward a better future. When he gets the perfect job at the perfect firm in perfect Los Angeles, Kyle is sure there are only blue skies ahead. And then he meets perfect Brent Haralson.

Born with a silver spoon to a well-established family, Brent Haralson has never been interested in leveraging his connections. Friends, success, and dates come easily to Brent and rejection isn’t something he has to deal with in life. And then he meets perfect Kyle Potter.

Kyle despises his unwelcome crush on his lazy, arrogant nemesis. Brent welcomes his feelings for his stubborn, brilliant friend. As it turns out, the line between a friend and an enemy doesn’t have to be a line at all.

Have a terrific week.

CC
www.cardenoc.com

There is a Season, Turn Turn Turn. By Felice Stevens

     Farewell Summer. I loved you well. Now we're on to Autumn, so many people's favorite season. Cozy sweaters, snuggly scarves and boots, along with hot apple cider or hot chocolate replace the icey cold drinks of the summer.
     I enjoy the ever changing multi-colors and mourn when we have that one big rainstorm or big wind that rips the final remaining leaves from the trees leaving them to arch bare against the cold gray skies
     Its also the season where the days get shorter and daylight fades earlier. That, unfortunately is the main thing I dislike about the season. Well, that, coupled with the cold weather. I hate leaving work in the dark and I don't like the cold seeping into my feet and turning the tips of my fingers numb.
     So tell me what is your favorite season and why?

Conferences by Riley Hart

Next month will be my very first GRL. I'm really excited to go. There's nothing I love more than being around book people. We get each other. A lot of the people in my day to day life aren't romance readers so they just don't get it. I can't chat books with them or that feeling you get when a couple gets their happily ever after.

That's my favorite thing about conferences--being around book people and talking books with them.

Next year I'll be at Apollycon in March and RT in in May.

Are you going to any upcoming conferences? Which ones have you been to? Any advice for me on my first GRL?