Jordan Brewer's Blog
September 30, 2014
I Wanna Get Better
I started working with a Wellness Coach at one of the YMCA's here in town, and I've been amazed. I was in such pain and poor condition that I couldn't even start at the beginner's level. Today I walked 2 miles without pain. She designed a program for me that has reduced the pain in my legs to near 0. I have lost three pounds and I have hope that I will regain full mobility.
I just wish I understood what causes random muscle capsules in my body to become inflamed. First my left shoulder, then my right thigh, my left inner thigh, my right elbow and finally, my left ankle. Right now, though, I can function nearly normally. Cross your fingers for me!
IN writing news, I am putting the finishing touches on Promised Land and I hope to submit it to my publisher by the end of October. As usual, this will not be a novel for the faint of heart. But if you enjoy a meaty plot with a lot of angst, guilt, romance, sex, danger and rescue with HEA, this will be a book that will take you out of your everyday world. I hope. It does it for me.
Tomorrow and the day after I will have to sit in a large cold hall for mandatory continuing education. I look forward to this every year for some reason (it gets me out of the office) and every year I hate it just a little bit more. But at least I get to spend that time sitting next to my husband. And usually, I can get some writing done!
See you next time...
I just wish I understood what causes random muscle capsules in my body to become inflamed. First my left shoulder, then my right thigh, my left inner thigh, my right elbow and finally, my left ankle. Right now, though, I can function nearly normally. Cross your fingers for me!
IN writing news, I am putting the finishing touches on Promised Land and I hope to submit it to my publisher by the end of October. As usual, this will not be a novel for the faint of heart. But if you enjoy a meaty plot with a lot of angst, guilt, romance, sex, danger and rescue with HEA, this will be a book that will take you out of your everyday world. I hope. It does it for me.
Tomorrow and the day after I will have to sit in a large cold hall for mandatory continuing education. I look forward to this every year for some reason (it gets me out of the office) and every year I hate it just a little bit more. But at least I get to spend that time sitting next to my husband. And usually, I can get some writing done!
See you next time...
September 18, 2014
Neglect
Well, I have shamefully neglected to update this blog for far too long. I don't have any excuses, although I do have reasons.
My summer was full of excitement...both the good and bad kinds.
On the good side, I went to Rainbow Con in Tampa in April and got to meet my hero, Sue Brown, who seems to be the nicest human imaginable. She KNEW MY NAME! I was so thrilled by that simple fact that when she suggested we have coffee later and catch up, I agreed and floated away without nailing down any details. Needless to say, a further meeting did not occur. But these are the side effects of extreme introversion. I only hope I can meet her again and this time behave like a sane adult.
My publisher, Lillibridge Press, went out of business with no warning. If you've been looking for "To the Highest Bidder" I apologize. I am attempting to get it set up on CreateSpace today, but it is a slow process for me. I just got the rights back at the end of August. I loved Ron and all the people at Lillibridge and I wish them the best in the future. Lillibridge also had my newest effort "Whipping Boy" which I had to place with a new publisher. So I picked the very newest publisher and they liked it. The book is tentatively set for release in December by Cool Beans Press.
I also had an episode of depression. I have one of these about every five years, but this one was a doozy. I am fine now, but for about three months all I could do was walk through my life like a zombie.
So, that being said, I pledge to faithfully update this blog at least once a month. I have to remind myself that while my life might seem normal to me, it appears that most people find it extremely odd and entertaining. So, I plan to try to share a little more often for those of you who care.
My summer was full of excitement...both the good and bad kinds.
On the good side, I went to Rainbow Con in Tampa in April and got to meet my hero, Sue Brown, who seems to be the nicest human imaginable. She KNEW MY NAME! I was so thrilled by that simple fact that when she suggested we have coffee later and catch up, I agreed and floated away without nailing down any details. Needless to say, a further meeting did not occur. But these are the side effects of extreme introversion. I only hope I can meet her again and this time behave like a sane adult.
My publisher, Lillibridge Press, went out of business with no warning. If you've been looking for "To the Highest Bidder" I apologize. I am attempting to get it set up on CreateSpace today, but it is a slow process for me. I just got the rights back at the end of August. I loved Ron and all the people at Lillibridge and I wish them the best in the future. Lillibridge also had my newest effort "Whipping Boy" which I had to place with a new publisher. So I picked the very newest publisher and they liked it. The book is tentatively set for release in December by Cool Beans Press.
I also had an episode of depression. I have one of these about every five years, but this one was a doozy. I am fine now, but for about three months all I could do was walk through my life like a zombie.
So, that being said, I pledge to faithfully update this blog at least once a month. I have to remind myself that while my life might seem normal to me, it appears that most people find it extremely odd and entertaining. So, I plan to try to share a little more often for those of you who care.
March 22, 2014
Social Anxiety or You Can't Escape Your Chilhood
I disappointed myself tonight. A Facebook friend invited me to come and have dinner with some like-minded folk to discuss books and M/M. I looked forward to it all week.
We were to meet at a hibachi bistro in a nearby town. I got there ten minutes early. The restaurant was busy. As I waited for my friend (who I have never seen) two large groups of loud men gathered on the sidewalk near me.
The world shrank to the size of a pea, and I fled. This has not happened to me in so long that I believed my days of panicking around loud men like a kicked dog were over. I'm a freaking trial lawyer. I was a college professor with tenure before I went to law school. Both of these jobs strain my ability to be in public to the utmost.
As an introvert, raised by a paranoid schizophrenic mother I have prided myself on my ability to overcome my fear and put on a mask of confidence. I had all but forgotten the feel of panic.
What went wrong? I think I have steadily withdrawn from being in public over the past five years. I rarely have to go to court these days and when I do I know all the other lawyers and the judge. I have worked with the same core people for the last eight years. Texting and email allow me to avoid the phone. Self checkout at the grocery allows me to avoid even that minimal human contact. It has been years since I sought to meet new people.
So I publicly apologize to my friend. I need to start being more aware of how much I avoid others and try to get back I to the human race.
We were to meet at a hibachi bistro in a nearby town. I got there ten minutes early. The restaurant was busy. As I waited for my friend (who I have never seen) two large groups of loud men gathered on the sidewalk near me.
The world shrank to the size of a pea, and I fled. This has not happened to me in so long that I believed my days of panicking around loud men like a kicked dog were over. I'm a freaking trial lawyer. I was a college professor with tenure before I went to law school. Both of these jobs strain my ability to be in public to the utmost.
As an introvert, raised by a paranoid schizophrenic mother I have prided myself on my ability to overcome my fear and put on a mask of confidence. I had all but forgotten the feel of panic.
What went wrong? I think I have steadily withdrawn from being in public over the past five years. I rarely have to go to court these days and when I do I know all the other lawyers and the judge. I have worked with the same core people for the last eight years. Texting and email allow me to avoid the phone. Self checkout at the grocery allows me to avoid even that minimal human contact. It has been years since I sought to meet new people.
So I publicly apologize to my friend. I need to start being more aware of how much I avoid others and try to get back I to the human race.
February 26, 2014
Too much!
I have gone from being completely unaware of the M/M genre to being neck deep in it in less than three years. I am continually amazed at the quality of the writing and the intelligence of the authors and editors involved in this wonderful community. I have experienced a very warm welcome and an entree into professional writing. "Grateful" doesn't
even come close to describing the open-handed generosity I have received. I just wanted to gush.
even come close to describing the open-handed generosity I have received. I just wanted to gush.
January 22, 2014
Sick and Tired
I have been struggling with the Cold From Hell for the past four weeks. Just as I think I've turned the corner I get a urinary tract infection. My garage door froze shut so I can't go to work. I am sitting at home, hot and in pain and angry. Later I will try to write. I pity my characters. I also have a hefty chunk of editing to do. If I felt well, my heart would be singing joyful electronic dance tunes. But...today it is mopey and silent. Every schedule and deadline I set for myself has fallen by the wayside.
But I have a warm house and an even warmer cat so I should just shut up and deal. Sniff. Self-pity attack over.
But I have a warm house and an even warmer cat so I should just shut up and deal. Sniff. Self-pity attack over.
December 30, 2013
Rumination
Well, it's New Year's Eve, Eve and, naturally one's mind turns to assessing he past year. Additionally, it's my 28th wedding anniversary to my vastly loving and supportive husband. I have so much to be thankful for, I don't know how to express it.
I had a great year in many respects.
I had To the Highest Bidder accepted by a publisher and it was launched in early March; It has received many kind reviews and a nomination in one of the Goodreads Member's Choice categories, which thrilled me.
I had a bad year at my day job, until the advent of my new boss three months ago. Now all is well. So far. Upper management are still evil scum and they might run him off for not sharing their agenda of making life a living hell for us so that we will leave voluntarily and be replaced by their cronies and friends. But, so far, so good.
For the first eight months of the year, I struggled with depression and binge eating. Now that things are better, I have begun losing weight and I am having ideas again. I was afraid that I could only finish my WIP's ( I have 16 of them, but still) and never have another idea. I have had 3 this month. I want to write again.
Promised Land did not get out when I hoped, but it will be the better for it. I hope for the end of January, but, we'll see.
I have resumed dreaming. Although normally I have dreams that others would describe as nightmares, recently I have been having hugely amusing dreams. In one of them I am dressed in a formal gown, snorting cocaine off a silver tray with Martin Short in a restroom off the White House kitchen. I don't do cocaine; I am only passing fond of Martin Short, and I certainly despise formal affairs. I was puzzled. Then the next night I dreamed I was searching for fat-free Miracle Whip in Rod Stewart's refrigerator. Maybe I'm going to bed hungry? That's why the kitchen theme, maybe? Last night I dreamed I was playing Uno with Shirley MacClaine in a hotel suite in New York while we waited for a taxi to take us to a movie theater. Why can't i dream I'm in bed with Jensen Ackles, or something else more in line with my actual likes and dislikes?
At any rate, although it's dangerous to make New Year's resolutions, I have two: I will write something everyday and I will stick to my exercise and eating schedule. Hah. We will have to see....
I had a great year in many respects.
I had To the Highest Bidder accepted by a publisher and it was launched in early March; It has received many kind reviews and a nomination in one of the Goodreads Member's Choice categories, which thrilled me.
I had a bad year at my day job, until the advent of my new boss three months ago. Now all is well. So far. Upper management are still evil scum and they might run him off for not sharing their agenda of making life a living hell for us so that we will leave voluntarily and be replaced by their cronies and friends. But, so far, so good.
For the first eight months of the year, I struggled with depression and binge eating. Now that things are better, I have begun losing weight and I am having ideas again. I was afraid that I could only finish my WIP's ( I have 16 of them, but still) and never have another idea. I have had 3 this month. I want to write again.
Promised Land did not get out when I hoped, but it will be the better for it. I hope for the end of January, but, we'll see.
I have resumed dreaming. Although normally I have dreams that others would describe as nightmares, recently I have been having hugely amusing dreams. In one of them I am dressed in a formal gown, snorting cocaine off a silver tray with Martin Short in a restroom off the White House kitchen. I don't do cocaine; I am only passing fond of Martin Short, and I certainly despise formal affairs. I was puzzled. Then the next night I dreamed I was searching for fat-free Miracle Whip in Rod Stewart's refrigerator. Maybe I'm going to bed hungry? That's why the kitchen theme, maybe? Last night I dreamed I was playing Uno with Shirley MacClaine in a hotel suite in New York while we waited for a taxi to take us to a movie theater. Why can't i dream I'm in bed with Jensen Ackles, or something else more in line with my actual likes and dislikes?
At any rate, although it's dangerous to make New Year's resolutions, I have two: I will write something everyday and I will stick to my exercise and eating schedule. Hah. We will have to see....
December 20, 2013
Four intriguing questions
The irrepressible Cody Kennedy honored me by requesting my participation in this blog chain by answering four intriguing questions. Here goes:
1. What are you working on now?
Currently I am putting the finishing touches on Promised Land, an action/adventure novel involving a deeply closeted tax attorney and the young street hustler who sets him free. They have been rejected by their families and that provides a basis for deepening affection. Then the attorney discovers what the boy's handler plans to do with him on his eighteenth birthday and gets plunged into a shocking criminal enterprise struggling to save the boy he loves.
Additionally, my beloved editor will soon begin the process of editing Whipping Boy, a political thriller involving a struggle over the line of succession to the throne in a province lying in a vastly changed future America.
I am starting a fantasy novel called The Wielder and the Spark about magic users who need a mate to provide the energy they need to use their magic. They are only "called" when the spirit of their world senses danger. The new Wielder is a socially awkward engineering genius who detests people in general and his Spark in particular.
2. How is your current WIP different from other works in the genre?
My work tends to blend genres, or at least fails to abide by any genre's constraints. The story leads and I follow. I know many people believe that a M/M romance should not contain any het sex. However Whipping Boy contains some fiery het sex as well as M/M sex between the main characters. There's a healthy dose of hurt/comfort thrown in for good measure.
Promised Land strays down extraordinarily dark pathways with harsh criticism of the religious right.
3.why do you write?
Because my head will explode if I don't. Seriously: I have wanted to write my entire life but I couldn't find a story. Suddenly, in my late fifties after discovering fan fiction, words are gushing out of me. It's as if I needed M/M to remove an obstruction from my imagination. I feel more grounded and serene now because I can siphon my cistern of anger into my work.
4. How does your writing process work?
Not very consistently. Typically an image will pop into my head and a flood of questions follow. For example, The Wielder and the Spark started with the image of a young man whistling contentedly while surrounded by adoring drones seeking his attention. I immediately needed to know, why all the drones? Why do they make him happy? What is he doing? What does he want? Detail leads to detail until, voila, I have a fully developed world and interplanetary economic system in place to put in peril. Where does the initial image come from? I have no idea.
Thanks for reading my rambling and I wish Cody and all the readers and fans of M/M fiction a great 2014 full of wonderful discoveries and fulfilling endeavors!
1. What are you working on now?
Currently I am putting the finishing touches on Promised Land, an action/adventure novel involving a deeply closeted tax attorney and the young street hustler who sets him free. They have been rejected by their families and that provides a basis for deepening affection. Then the attorney discovers what the boy's handler plans to do with him on his eighteenth birthday and gets plunged into a shocking criminal enterprise struggling to save the boy he loves.
Additionally, my beloved editor will soon begin the process of editing Whipping Boy, a political thriller involving a struggle over the line of succession to the throne in a province lying in a vastly changed future America.
I am starting a fantasy novel called The Wielder and the Spark about magic users who need a mate to provide the energy they need to use their magic. They are only "called" when the spirit of their world senses danger. The new Wielder is a socially awkward engineering genius who detests people in general and his Spark in particular.
2. How is your current WIP different from other works in the genre?
My work tends to blend genres, or at least fails to abide by any genre's constraints. The story leads and I follow. I know many people believe that a M/M romance should not contain any het sex. However Whipping Boy contains some fiery het sex as well as M/M sex between the main characters. There's a healthy dose of hurt/comfort thrown in for good measure.
Promised Land strays down extraordinarily dark pathways with harsh criticism of the religious right.
3.why do you write?
Because my head will explode if I don't. Seriously: I have wanted to write my entire life but I couldn't find a story. Suddenly, in my late fifties after discovering fan fiction, words are gushing out of me. It's as if I needed M/M to remove an obstruction from my imagination. I feel more grounded and serene now because I can siphon my cistern of anger into my work.
4. How does your writing process work?
Not very consistently. Typically an image will pop into my head and a flood of questions follow. For example, The Wielder and the Spark started with the image of a young man whistling contentedly while surrounded by adoring drones seeking his attention. I immediately needed to know, why all the drones? Why do they make him happy? What is he doing? What does he want? Detail leads to detail until, voila, I have a fully developed world and interplanetary economic system in place to put in peril. Where does the initial image come from? I have no idea.
Thanks for reading my rambling and I wish Cody and all the readers and fans of M/M fiction a great 2014 full of wonderful discoveries and fulfilling endeavors!
October 21, 2013
Reviewers puzzle me
I don't read reviews when selecting books to read or movies to watch because I like to decide for myself how I feel or what I think without the possible bias another opinion might bring to bear on my thought process. However I do read reviews of my own work.
Having this kind of exposure to reviewers has taught me several things. First: I am entirely correct not to read reviews, and second: there exists a class of reviewers who will go so far as to cite scenes in a work that do not exist as a reason for the author's failure to win this particular reader over. Why do that? Especially when it's already been stated at length that the reviewer doesn't like anything at all about the book. Why take the extra step of inventing a scene?
Isn't it enough to just eviscerate what's actually contained in the pages?
Having this kind of exposure to reviewers has taught me several things. First: I am entirely correct not to read reviews, and second: there exists a class of reviewers who will go so far as to cite scenes in a work that do not exist as a reason for the author's failure to win this particular reader over. Why do that? Especially when it's already been stated at length that the reviewer doesn't like anything at all about the book. Why take the extra step of inventing a scene?
Isn't it enough to just eviscerate what's actually contained in the pages?
September 24, 2013
Puzzled
I have had a very puzzling week. Last Friday I attended a reunion of faculty members at the community college where I once taught. I don't generally go to reunions because anyone I want to remain in contact with I do. I had a controversial divorce and remarriage during the last years I worked there and several of my colleagues were, shall we say, decidedly less than supportive. In fact several were downright spiteful and abusive. Now, over twenty years later, these same people greeted me with smiles and hugs. You would have thought I was a long lost and dearly beloved relative. What happened?
Secondly, I got some low reviews which stated that editing played a part in the review decision. Once again, what? I have to wonder what the true objective of criticizing an author's press might be. The book went through a rigorous series of the usual three editing rounds. I have to wonder, do these readers peruse the products of large publishing houses with an eye toward editing? Because, now that I have been through the process, I can tell you that the editors at my little indie press are far more attentive and thorough. I understand that some people will absolutely hate what I write. But the editing? Although, to be fair, that is a part of the work as a whole. But the use of vague phrases like "editing concerns" sparks nothing but questions in my mind.
Secondly, I got some low reviews which stated that editing played a part in the review decision. Once again, what? I have to wonder what the true objective of criticizing an author's press might be. The book went through a rigorous series of the usual three editing rounds. I have to wonder, do these readers peruse the products of large publishing houses with an eye toward editing? Because, now that I have been through the process, I can tell you that the editors at my little indie press are far more attentive and thorough. I understand that some people will absolutely hate what I write. But the editing? Although, to be fair, that is a part of the work as a whole. But the use of vague phrases like "editing concerns" sparks nothing but questions in my mind.
September 9, 2013
Back to the grind ...
Well, here I am on Monday morning, back in my cramped office, trying to care. Usually, I like coming back to work after vacation; but with the amped up crazy that's been a part of my work world the past three years, all enthusiasm has been stripped away. Additionally, now that I am back at it, my vacation seems like an especially detailed hallucination. Like it never happened. Do any of you find that vacation comes and goes like water running down your back? You might as well not have gone for all the good it did you?
Enough whining. On the writing front, I am making good progress toward having Thursday Night Special ready for publication in early November. My goal is to get a book out every six months. When I look at some of my prolific friends I feel like a slacker. I have developed a strict schedule that I hope to adhere to concerning work, writing, and exercise. I'll let you know how it goes.
Enough whining. On the writing front, I am making good progress toward having Thursday Night Special ready for publication in early November. My goal is to get a book out every six months. When I look at some of my prolific friends I feel like a slacker. I have developed a strict schedule that I hope to adhere to concerning work, writing, and exercise. I'll let you know how it goes.
