Kaje Harper's Blog, page 45
August 31, 2011
YA short story Intervention
I recently wrote a short story with an it-gets-better theme for the Goodreads YA M/M Romance group. (I put up an author self-promotion thread and wanted something good in it.) I decided to post that story on my blog at http://kajeharper.wordpress.com/inter... , even though it's not my usual genre. A couple of the teens who read it encouraged me to get it out somewhere more public, and my teenage daughter made me a cover for the story. I might put it elsewhere too, if I find a good site for a YA piece. Perhaps under a different pen name, as I don't really want younger teens led to my adult work. Anyway, the title is Intervention. And maybe someday I will write a novel for the two guys at the end of the story, although David is still not sure where he stands on the Kinsey scale so I don't know if it will be a romance...always more ideas than time, though. Now back to werewolves and Life Lessons #3.
August 26, 2011
Progress and decisions
Good news - Amazon apparently got enough "lower price elsewhere" clicks to discount And to All a Good Night to free. So now it's available for download from them at no charge as well. The Aliveness Project will get over $50 out of the deal and no more buyer's regret for those who see it free elsewhere. So that worked!
A generous on-line friend has also posted my short story Like the Taste of Summer on All Romance Ebooks as a free download. So if anyone prefers to get it that way rather than read it on my website, it is now available. Thank-you Sara Winters!
I've just had another short story accepted at MLR for one of their Christmas anthologies. I'm also in the process of contracting with Samhain Publishing for a stand-alone mystery/romance. My next release will probably an MLR short titled "Full Circle". It's not a HEA-type romance story, but there is love and romance and an ending that is quietly happy and I hope readers will like it even if it's not a classic romance story arc. Kudos to MLR for taking on this one and not demanding that I tack on a traditional ending. I hope to see it released within the month.
Right now my biggest tear-my-hair-out thing is trying to come up with titles. I need a title for the stand-alone book, and a series title for my werewolves. The first werewolf book, Unacceptable Risk, is at the point where I'm putting in the cover art request to MLR. But I have to have all the info first. Odd how much easier it is to write an entire novel than to come up with two or three apt words. I've been searching Goodreads and Amazon to make sure I don't use someone else's M/M title if I can avoid it, and trying the possibilities out on folks willing to listen. (Although if my husband makes one more bad pun, he's gonna be out of the loop.) Today I'll make a decision. Probably.
So good things are happening. And I'll gladly do battle with the search for apt titles in exchange for having an audience for my work. I'll let you know how it turns out.
A generous on-line friend has also posted my short story Like the Taste of Summer on All Romance Ebooks as a free download. So if anyone prefers to get it that way rather than read it on my website, it is now available. Thank-you Sara Winters!
I've just had another short story accepted at MLR for one of their Christmas anthologies. I'm also in the process of contracting with Samhain Publishing for a stand-alone mystery/romance. My next release will probably an MLR short titled "Full Circle". It's not a HEA-type romance story, but there is love and romance and an ending that is quietly happy and I hope readers will like it even if it's not a classic romance story arc. Kudos to MLR for taking on this one and not demanding that I tack on a traditional ending. I hope to see it released within the month.
Right now my biggest tear-my-hair-out thing is trying to come up with titles. I need a title for the stand-alone book, and a series title for my werewolves. The first werewolf book, Unacceptable Risk, is at the point where I'm putting in the cover art request to MLR. But I have to have all the info first. Odd how much easier it is to write an entire novel than to come up with two or three apt words. I've been searching Goodreads and Amazon to make sure I don't use someone else's M/M title if I can avoid it, and trying the possibilities out on folks willing to listen. (Although if my husband makes one more bad pun, he's gonna be out of the loop.) Today I'll make a decision. Probably.
So good things are happening. And I'll gladly do battle with the search for apt titles in exchange for having an audience for my work. I'll let you know how it turns out.
August 17, 2011
To charge or not to charge
So I had a dilemma. I had written the short story for Life Lessons 1 1/2, mainly for fun, and to show Mac and Tony experiencing some of the things that didn't fit into the first book (like closure for Marty.) And I put it out there as a free read. And then I got a comment from someone about looking for my books on Amazon and they'd heard there was a short story and didn't see it, etc...
So I went to see about self-pubbing the short story on Amazon. And it's easy to do. But...they won't let you post it for free. The lowest price you can choose is .99 which is pretty cheap, but not free.
I spent too many hours waffling over whether people would want to pay to read these stories in order. If it was me (and I used to be one of those people who never looked for books outside the big-name sites) would I rather pay .99 for a short that was free elsewhere, or would I rather not know it existed? In the end, I went for the .99 and so I published And to All a Good Night on Amazon.
I decided to get some good out of this, by donating any royalties I get to a local HIV/AIDS charity. That way if readers find the story for free later after they've already paid for it, at least they know the money went to a good cause. And The Aliveness Project is already going to get over $50 out of it (at .34 per copy, it adds up slowly).
However I've had people weighing in on it being unethical to charge for something that is otherwise free. So I don't know...maybe I should pull it off again. In the meantime, if you're on Amazon and have the time, click the little "Tell us about a lower price" link on And to All a Good Night and send the URL for Smashwords. Maybe Amazon will drop the price to free too. Or don't, if you think the Aliveness Project should get a few bucks and no harm done. Never figured throwing an extra story out there would get this complicated.
So I went to see about self-pubbing the short story on Amazon. And it's easy to do. But...they won't let you post it for free. The lowest price you can choose is .99 which is pretty cheap, but not free.
I spent too many hours waffling over whether people would want to pay to read these stories in order. If it was me (and I used to be one of those people who never looked for books outside the big-name sites) would I rather pay .99 for a short that was free elsewhere, or would I rather not know it existed? In the end, I went for the .99 and so I published And to All a Good Night on Amazon.
I decided to get some good out of this, by donating any royalties I get to a local HIV/AIDS charity. That way if readers find the story for free later after they've already paid for it, at least they know the money went to a good cause. And The Aliveness Project is already going to get over $50 out of it (at .34 per copy, it adds up slowly).
However I've had people weighing in on it being unethical to charge for something that is otherwise free. So I don't know...maybe I should pull it off again. In the meantime, if you're on Amazon and have the time, click the little "Tell us about a lower price" link on And to All a Good Night and send the URL for Smashwords. Maybe Amazon will drop the price to free too. Or don't, if you think the Aliveness Project should get a few bucks and no harm done. Never figured throwing an extra story out there would get this complicated.
August 12, 2011
Characters and interpretations
My latest release, Breaking Cover, got a really nice review yesterday at Reviews by Jessewave; http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/201...
The reviewer, LadyM, did what felt like an excellent job of interpreting the book in the way I intended to write it. But what was really fascinating was reading the comments that followed. I do love the fact that readers see my characters, Tony & Mac, almost as real people. And how different the interpretations are.
I love both my guys, and tried to write both as flawed but sympathetic characters. But interestingly, there are a subset of readers who identify much more with one or the other of these men. After the first book I got quite a few comments from people who felt that Mac was being cowardly and unfair by not coming out of the closet for Tony. They thought Tony was nearly perfect and Mac was standing in the way of the HEA for selfish reasons.
Now after Breaking Cover I have a bunch of people who love Mac, and feel that Tony was being unfair and selfish in pressuring him to come out. They consider Tony to be unsympathetic to Mac's needs and demanding to the degree of being really irritated by him. Those folks really identify with Mac's desire to remain closeted and keep his private life hidden.
When I wrote the story, I intended it to be balanced. Both guys have their flaws. To me, Tony's pressure on Mac to come out does have some basis in Tony's own needs. He was the one who made almost all the sacrifices and adjustments for their closeted relationship to happen, and gave up a lot to be with Mac. But I also think Tony is doing it for Mac himself.
Mac's reluctance to be out, to let anyone even suspect he's gay, has its basis in fear. Fear of losing things that are vitally important to him: the regard of his fellow officers, the only caregiver his daughter has ever had, and, as he realizes later, his daughter's good opinion. Fear of the consequences to himself and to Tony from a hostile society.
I think Tony sees the toll it takes on Mac to hide who he is, to constantly live in fear, to never have a really relaxed moment out in public because one wrong word, one wrong gesture, could bring his whole world crashing down. There is something draining and at times soul-destroying about living like that forever, like a cop being undercover for years on end, not able to stand up for his beliefs for fear of the reaction around him. And Tony is an idealist, ready to change the world one guy at a time. No doubt he underestimates how much, as one of Amy Lane's characters says, the blue wall hates finding a pink brick. But his intentions were not meant to look purely selfish.
However I love the idea that people see these guys different ways, that they feel the characters are complex enough to debate. Someone compared Mac to Jake in Josh Lanyon's Adrien English series. Now there's a complex character, much more so than Mac in my opinion. Jake is confused about what he wants, between men and women, Adrien and a nice home with kids, vanilla sex and the BDSM he has had a taste for. My Mac knows what he wants. He has just been afraid that the world will never let him have it. And he may be justified. Standing up to your fears doesn't make them unreal. But hopefully taking that stand and facing your fears is better than a life spent hiding from them. Unless you die.
The next book is proving more challenging to write (had a complete draft; cut off the last half because I didn't like the way the mystery went and I'm working back up from there) but my guys are figuring out what it takes to make it work. I have other projects coming out first, but you will see Tony and Mac again.
The reviewer, LadyM, did what felt like an excellent job of interpreting the book in the way I intended to write it. But what was really fascinating was reading the comments that followed. I do love the fact that readers see my characters, Tony & Mac, almost as real people. And how different the interpretations are.
I love both my guys, and tried to write both as flawed but sympathetic characters. But interestingly, there are a subset of readers who identify much more with one or the other of these men. After the first book I got quite a few comments from people who felt that Mac was being cowardly and unfair by not coming out of the closet for Tony. They thought Tony was nearly perfect and Mac was standing in the way of the HEA for selfish reasons.
Now after Breaking Cover I have a bunch of people who love Mac, and feel that Tony was being unfair and selfish in pressuring him to come out. They consider Tony to be unsympathetic to Mac's needs and demanding to the degree of being really irritated by him. Those folks really identify with Mac's desire to remain closeted and keep his private life hidden.
When I wrote the story, I intended it to be balanced. Both guys have their flaws. To me, Tony's pressure on Mac to come out does have some basis in Tony's own needs. He was the one who made almost all the sacrifices and adjustments for their closeted relationship to happen, and gave up a lot to be with Mac. But I also think Tony is doing it for Mac himself.
Mac's reluctance to be out, to let anyone even suspect he's gay, has its basis in fear. Fear of losing things that are vitally important to him: the regard of his fellow officers, the only caregiver his daughter has ever had, and, as he realizes later, his daughter's good opinion. Fear of the consequences to himself and to Tony from a hostile society.
I think Tony sees the toll it takes on Mac to hide who he is, to constantly live in fear, to never have a really relaxed moment out in public because one wrong word, one wrong gesture, could bring his whole world crashing down. There is something draining and at times soul-destroying about living like that forever, like a cop being undercover for years on end, not able to stand up for his beliefs for fear of the reaction around him. And Tony is an idealist, ready to change the world one guy at a time. No doubt he underestimates how much, as one of Amy Lane's characters says, the blue wall hates finding a pink brick. But his intentions were not meant to look purely selfish.
However I love the idea that people see these guys different ways, that they feel the characters are complex enough to debate. Someone compared Mac to Jake in Josh Lanyon's Adrien English series. Now there's a complex character, much more so than Mac in my opinion. Jake is confused about what he wants, between men and women, Adrien and a nice home with kids, vanilla sex and the BDSM he has had a taste for. My Mac knows what he wants. He has just been afraid that the world will never let him have it. And he may be justified. Standing up to your fears doesn't make them unreal. But hopefully taking that stand and facing your fears is better than a life spent hiding from them. Unless you die.
The next book is proving more challenging to write (had a complete draft; cut off the last half because I didn't like the way the mystery went and I'm working back up from there) but my guys are figuring out what it takes to make it work. I have other projects coming out first, but you will see Tony and Mac again.
August 1, 2011
Hot Summer Days story available
As many of you know, the Goodreads M/M Romance group I belong to is having a Hot Summer Days event. They had group members post their favorite pictures (romantic and hot and some definitely Not Safe For Work) and then the writers among us chose a picture to write a story for. The stories have been posting day by day through July, and are past the 100 mark now. The writers range from Amy Lane, S.J. Frost and Neil Plakcy to me. The stories have been great (and free - a fine way to find new favorite authors.) They will be eventually available in a couple of free anthologies from All Romance ebooks.
I decided that I would also post mine on my blog now, for those readers who are not group members.
http://kajeharper.wordpress.com/
The photo I wrote the story for is copyrighted, so I won't post it here, but you can see it in the Goodreads reviews section for this story and here is a description:
The place is a secluded spot for a first kiss; small trees shelter it and leaves filter the sun. The two men are so young, shirtless, all smooth skin and sleek light muscle. The dark boy tentatively holds his lover, head tilted to bring their mouths together. There is nothing tentative about the blond. He straddles the dark boy's hip and leans in, driving the kiss. From the jeans, the haircuts, the feel of the place, it's 1980's in the sweet summertime.
If you want to read all the other great stories you can join the group on Goodreads, as long as you are over 18:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/2...
I decided that I would also post mine on my blog now, for those readers who are not group members.
http://kajeharper.wordpress.com/
The photo I wrote the story for is copyrighted, so I won't post it here, but you can see it in the Goodreads reviews section for this story and here is a description:
The place is a secluded spot for a first kiss; small trees shelter it and leaves filter the sun. The two men are so young, shirtless, all smooth skin and sleek light muscle. The dark boy tentatively holds his lover, head tilted to bring their mouths together. There is nothing tentative about the blond. He straddles the dark boy's hip and leans in, driving the kiss. From the jeans, the haircuts, the feel of the place, it's 1980's in the sweet summertime.
If you want to read all the other great stories you can join the group on Goodreads, as long as you are over 18:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/2...
July 30, 2011
Availability and Inspiration
For those who don't like Paypal (which MLR Press uses), Breaking Cover is now out on Amazon. Not on All Romance e-books yet. I haven't figured out how that all works, what the delays and decisions are that make books show up when and how they do. My own pet peeve is that Barnes and Noble doesn't put up the Nook version of books for a long time after the paperback is available (even when the publishers tell me that B&N has the e-book file.) Coupons and discounts and all are nice, but not if it means waiting months for something. I end up getting the epub from other sources and forgoing the discounts.
Like most writers, I occasionally get people asking where I get my ideas, especially when a new book has come out. Recently, someone phrased it more elegantly: "What inspires your stories?" I could have told her, in the words of the song, I hear voices all the time. Most of my stories start with a line or two of narration or dialog running through my head. I hear the voice, see the character speaking. From there the story just kind of builds.
Sometimes it's visual. Goodreads M/M Romance group solicited stories based on pictures and I chose a lovely black-and-white photo of two young guys kissing. I really like the story that came out of that and plan to post it for general reading in August when the group event is over. The M/M Romance group ended up with over 100 stories from authors ranging from Amy Lane to me. A lot of great stories in there, inspired by some seriously pretty pictures.
And then there are the things that are just inspiring. Not for a specific story but for a mood. Like this YouTube video:
http://www.wayoutwest.tv/gay-youtube-...
I've watched it a few times now. Because this is why I write, this is what I try to capture, this is what we all deserve. Inspiration.
Like most writers, I occasionally get people asking where I get my ideas, especially when a new book has come out. Recently, someone phrased it more elegantly: "What inspires your stories?" I could have told her, in the words of the song, I hear voices all the time. Most of my stories start with a line or two of narration or dialog running through my head. I hear the voice, see the character speaking. From there the story just kind of builds.
Sometimes it's visual. Goodreads M/M Romance group solicited stories based on pictures and I chose a lovely black-and-white photo of two young guys kissing. I really like the story that came out of that and plan to post it for general reading in August when the group event is over. The M/M Romance group ended up with over 100 stories from authors ranging from Amy Lane to me. A lot of great stories in there, inspired by some seriously pretty pictures.
And then there are the things that are just inspiring. Not for a specific story but for a mood. Like this YouTube video:
http://www.wayoutwest.tv/gay-youtube-...
I've watched it a few times now. Because this is why I write, this is what I try to capture, this is what we all deserve. Inspiration.
July 21, 2011
Breaking Cover (Life Lessons #2) release
Man, I'm more nervous about this one than I've ever been. I guess the free books were low-risk. If someone didn't like one, well, they hadn't lost any money on it. And Life Lessons was just a total unknown. (That didn't keep me from having an anxiety attack over the page proofs and all the things I could no longer fix, but it limited the fall-out.) This book seems to have more expectations attached. I hope people enjoy it.
Breaking Cover will be available tomorrow Friday July 22, from MLR Press ( http://www.mlrbooks.com/books.php ) and the usual other sources.
I've also put And to All a Good Night out on Amazon. I debated over that, because there is no way to do it for free. The lowest price is $0.99 which is what I set. They sometimes discount to free, but you can't request that. I decided there might be readers who don't know to look elsewhere than the big retailers for an authors' work. (I didn't for a long time.) Some of them might find it worth the dollar to read these things in order. Hopefully that's cheap enough no one will get mad if they later find out it was available for free elsewhere. (I get $0.34 for each copy sold, so I'm not doing it as a money-maker.) So hopefully all will go well. I'm going to bury myself in werewolves and a short I'm writing and not think about it for a while.
Breaking Cover will be available tomorrow Friday July 22, from MLR Press ( http://www.mlrbooks.com/books.php ) and the usual other sources.
I've also put And to All a Good Night out on Amazon. I debated over that, because there is no way to do it for free. The lowest price is $0.99 which is what I set. They sometimes discount to free, but you can't request that. I decided there might be readers who don't know to look elsewhere than the big retailers for an authors' work. (I didn't for a long time.) Some of them might find it worth the dollar to read these things in order. Hopefully that's cheap enough no one will get mad if they later find out it was available for free elsewhere. (I get $0.34 for each copy sold, so I'm not doing it as a money-maker.) So hopefully all will go well. I'm going to bury myself in werewolves and a short I'm writing and not think about it for a while.
July 13, 2011
All Romance Ebooks, odd choices, and Breaking Cover blurb
I was browsing All Romance Ebooks for a couple things on my TBR list and I came across my book Life Lessons. (Okay, so I had my eye out for it; it's my firstborn and I'm still mother-henning it a bit.) I was surprised as I scrolled the book list to see LL had a two-star rating! Since a couple of weeks ago when I last checked it had 5 stars based on at least sixteen or eighteen ratings, I was puzzled and a little dismayed to think about the level of negative feedback that implied, to bring the average that low. I clicked on the title, and found that on the single-book page it had a 5-star rating on 21 reviews.
I e-mailed ARe about the discrepancy, and learned something I had not been aware of. Apparently, the ratings on their scrolling list represent only the last few (current 1 month) ratings. The one on the book page represents the whole history of the book since release. Now admittedly I have a personal interest here. But it puzzles me why they choose to do it this way. Why not just have the cumulative total on the list as well? It's not as though the most recent ratings have any reason to be more valid than the earlier ones. And this requires them to keep two different running totals. For an older book the recent month may have only one rating, disregarding all the previous feedback. That's a bad way to advertise a book in my eyes. Even though I take the number of stars with a grain of salt, a couple of times I've skipped a book on their list when I saw what I thought was a really bad total cumulative rating. Now I'll have to go back and check them out again, knowing that could have been from just one person.
It's their website and their choice of how to run it, but this strikes me as making little sense. Ah, well. Just be advised that the ratings on the ARe list mean nothing at all. If you think a book looks interesting, or have seen it recommended, ignore the stars and go check it out.
On a happier note, Breaking Cover is now listed on MLR Press's Upcoming Releases. They have a September release date, but my editor is still telling me we should be out within the month, so hopefully that's just pessimism on the part of the web master.
So here's the official blurb:
For homicide detective Mac, it's been a good year. Having Tony to go home to makes him a better cop and a better person. For Tony, it's been hard being in love with a man he can't touch in public. Evasions and outright lying to friends and family take a little of the shine off his relationship with Mac, but Tony is determined to make it work.
As the Minneapolis Police Department moves into a hot, humid summer, Mac is faced with a different challenge. A killer has murdered two blond women, and the police have no real clues. Mac hates to think that another murder may be the only way they'll make progress with the case. But when that murder happens, it hits close to home for Tony. And suddenly Mac faces an ultimatum: come out into the sunlight and stand beside Tony as his lover, or walk away and live without a piece of his heart.
*** Mac doesn't make things easy for himself. He's a bit of a pessimist, always bracing for the worst. So when he gets into a groove that seems to work he tends to cling to it, not wanting to risk a change. But events and Tony are going to shake him out of his rut in this one. Hopefully in a satisfying way for readers.
I e-mailed ARe about the discrepancy, and learned something I had not been aware of. Apparently, the ratings on their scrolling list represent only the last few (current 1 month) ratings. The one on the book page represents the whole history of the book since release. Now admittedly I have a personal interest here. But it puzzles me why they choose to do it this way. Why not just have the cumulative total on the list as well? It's not as though the most recent ratings have any reason to be more valid than the earlier ones. And this requires them to keep two different running totals. For an older book the recent month may have only one rating, disregarding all the previous feedback. That's a bad way to advertise a book in my eyes. Even though I take the number of stars with a grain of salt, a couple of times I've skipped a book on their list when I saw what I thought was a really bad total cumulative rating. Now I'll have to go back and check them out again, knowing that could have been from just one person.
It's their website and their choice of how to run it, but this strikes me as making little sense. Ah, well. Just be advised that the ratings on the ARe list mean nothing at all. If you think a book looks interesting, or have seen it recommended, ignore the stars and go check it out.
On a happier note, Breaking Cover is now listed on MLR Press's Upcoming Releases. They have a September release date, but my editor is still telling me we should be out within the month, so hopefully that's just pessimism on the part of the web master.
So here's the official blurb:
For homicide detective Mac, it's been a good year. Having Tony to go home to makes him a better cop and a better person. For Tony, it's been hard being in love with a man he can't touch in public. Evasions and outright lying to friends and family take a little of the shine off his relationship with Mac, but Tony is determined to make it work.
As the Minneapolis Police Department moves into a hot, humid summer, Mac is faced with a different challenge. A killer has murdered two blond women, and the police have no real clues. Mac hates to think that another murder may be the only way they'll make progress with the case. But when that murder happens, it hits close to home for Tony. And suddenly Mac faces an ultimatum: come out into the sunlight and stand beside Tony as his lover, or walk away and live without a piece of his heart.
*** Mac doesn't make things easy for himself. He's a bit of a pessimist, always bracing for the worst. So when he gets into a groove that seems to work he tends to cling to it, not wanting to risk a change. But events and Tony are going to shake him out of his rut in this one. Hopefully in a satisfying way for readers.
July 9, 2011
Updates
I'm in a great mood right now. I got a contract from MLR Press to publish the first book in my werewolf series. The book title is Unacceptable Risk and it is the first of four I've written so far. I'm aiming for characters whom readers will enjoy, with hopefully a somewhat different take on how a pack of werewolves fit into the human society around them. I'm going to enjoy working on it with my editor at MLR.
I also got the final version of the cover art for Breaking Cover and I've posted it on my website (http://kajeharper.wordpress.com/ ). The book is not listed in the MLR Upcoming Books on the publisher's website yet, but it soon should be. I'm looking forward to launching that book within the month.
I'll have an interview posted on the BookWenches website on Monday July 11th. They were kind enough to ask some questions about my writing and my life. If you're interested in the answers you might check that out on Monday. (I'll add the link here then: http://www.bookwenches.com/iviewkajeh... )
So all in all, a pretty good week. And hey...Monday and my short story "Like the Taste of Summer" just posted on the Goodreads m/m romance site.
I also got the final version of the cover art for Breaking Cover and I've posted it on my website (http://kajeharper.wordpress.com/ ). The book is not listed in the MLR Upcoming Books on the publisher's website yet, but it soon should be. I'm looking forward to launching that book within the month.
I'll have an interview posted on the BookWenches website on Monday July 11th. They were kind enough to ask some questions about my writing and my life. If you're interested in the answers you might check that out on Monday. (I'll add the link here then: http://www.bookwenches.com/iviewkajeh... )
So all in all, a pretty good week. And hey...Monday and my short story "Like the Taste of Summer" just posted on the Goodreads m/m romance site.
July 4, 2011
Breaking Cover, progress and connectivity
I'm breathing a sigh of get-that-thing-away-from-me relief right now. I just sent the manuscript for Breaking Cover back to proofing and formatting. By this point in the process I'm thoroughly tired of rereading my own words, but hopefully publication is getting close. My editor thinks we may get the e-book out by the end of July. I saw the mock-up for the cover. There's a nicely pensive picture of Tony on it, and Mac in profile. Once again the artist did something better than two-barechested-guys for me.
To keep my mind off the waiting for BC, I'm watching for a short story I wrote. It will come out on Goodreads' M/M Romance site in the free Hot Summer Reads anthology. The stories released so far have all been great (they are posting a few per day). Mine is called Like the Taste of Summer. Once it's out there, I'll post it on my own sites too. And I wrote a new 20,000 word paranormal short story yesterday. 14 hours on the computer. I think I'm addicted.
I love technology in some ways. (The cut-and-paste function is my bestest friend.) Stuff like seeing my cover ahead of time and the ease of making modifications (at least when someone competent is doing it) - that's cool. Dealing with bugs and security and invasion of privacy - not so much. I recently got an e-reader and I really wanted a Kindle, because so much of the stuff I'm looking for is on Amazon. Then I found out that the Kindle likes to call home to the mother-ship. A source I trust claims that if you highlight a passage in your Kindle, it shoots the details of just what passage you marked back to Amazon, to be stored out of sight in your profile. What might be done with the information no one knows. But Amazon's monopolistic behavior doesn't inspire trust.
Then a friend recently found someone had gotten into her Facebook profile and changed information (inserting some nasty stuff), presumably having stolen her password from somewhere. Another author got a poison pen snail-mail letter at the real-world address he had just moved into days before. The dark side of connectivity.
Some of my fellow authors found a site called Demonoid.me that appeared to be offering pirated free copies of their work. When they went to check it out, the site had malware that trashed their Windows computers. Someone trying to punish readers looking for illegal freebies and accidentally nailing authors? General mischief? Who knows.
So even as I enjoy the ease of posting and reading new material, and connecting with like-minded folks, I'm reminded that there are risks. Playing safe isn't just for sex any more. And I still buy a lot of paper books with cash, enjoying the knowledge that I can buy, read and highlight the heck out of them with no one peering over my shoulder. Not subversive books, or even m/m books, but just because. I don't like thinking my whole life is stored out on the web in little searchable packets. Besides, there's nothing quite like the feel of opening a new print book. Well, almost nothing.
To keep my mind off the waiting for BC, I'm watching for a short story I wrote. It will come out on Goodreads' M/M Romance site in the free Hot Summer Reads anthology. The stories released so far have all been great (they are posting a few per day). Mine is called Like the Taste of Summer. Once it's out there, I'll post it on my own sites too. And I wrote a new 20,000 word paranormal short story yesterday. 14 hours on the computer. I think I'm addicted.
I love technology in some ways. (The cut-and-paste function is my bestest friend.) Stuff like seeing my cover ahead of time and the ease of making modifications (at least when someone competent is doing it) - that's cool. Dealing with bugs and security and invasion of privacy - not so much. I recently got an e-reader and I really wanted a Kindle, because so much of the stuff I'm looking for is on Amazon. Then I found out that the Kindle likes to call home to the mother-ship. A source I trust claims that if you highlight a passage in your Kindle, it shoots the details of just what passage you marked back to Amazon, to be stored out of sight in your profile. What might be done with the information no one knows. But Amazon's monopolistic behavior doesn't inspire trust.
Then a friend recently found someone had gotten into her Facebook profile and changed information (inserting some nasty stuff), presumably having stolen her password from somewhere. Another author got a poison pen snail-mail letter at the real-world address he had just moved into days before. The dark side of connectivity.
Some of my fellow authors found a site called Demonoid.me that appeared to be offering pirated free copies of their work. When they went to check it out, the site had malware that trashed their Windows computers. Someone trying to punish readers looking for illegal freebies and accidentally nailing authors? General mischief? Who knows.
So even as I enjoy the ease of posting and reading new material, and connecting with like-minded folks, I'm reminded that there are risks. Playing safe isn't just for sex any more. And I still buy a lot of paper books with cash, enjoying the knowledge that I can buy, read and highlight the heck out of them with no one peering over my shoulder. Not subversive books, or even m/m books, but just because. I don't like thinking my whole life is stored out on the web in little searchable packets. Besides, there's nothing quite like the feel of opening a new print book. Well, almost nothing.
