Kayla Jameth's Blog, page 18

The Tweet Heard 'Round the World

Dino of lower Long Island
This morning before I left the house for my annual veterinary continuing education, I checked in here at my blog, FaceBook, Goodreads and Twitter. It's what I do every morning to make sure that I keep up with everything. At the very top of my timeline was this post:

dulcenak Lea Walker  @KaylaJameth"@mjfrombuffalo: ANY VETERINARIAN ON TWITTER PLEASE REPLY, sick cat question and I'm in hurricane zone, can't reach regular vet" I, of course, replied to this tweet with my email address so she could tell me in more than 140 characters what was wrong. It turned out that Mr Dino had been on oral antibiotics for a few days and the medication upset his stomach. This does happen and his vet was doing a good job of making him feel better. But Mr Dino hadn't eaten in a few days and because of Hurricane Irene his own vet wasn't available to help him.
That might not sound like a big deal, but cats who don't eat for 3-5 days run the risk of developing hepatic lipidosis, a potentially fatal disease. Fortunately the treatment is easy, get some food in them. You can do this by tempting them with something or force feeding if that doesn't work.
Dino liked his canned food just fine after warming it in the microwave for a few seconds. That is an easy trick for getting cats who feel a little unwell or just have a stuffy nose to eat. So now he is on the road to recovery.
Getting advice from someone with the right background, in this case me, can be very helpful. But everyone should remember that your vet knows your pet best and can give the best advice. They can also see the patient and can tell if something else is going on. I still can't diagnose over the phone or the internet, but I can give some advice to keep them going until they can see their regular vet.
Dino will be visiting his regular vet to get his treatment fine tuned once the office is open again, hopefully tomorrow.
When we tracked it back, we found that the information had been literally around the world. The tweet originated in an area of Long Island cut off from the rest of the island by the hurricane. MJ of Buffalo sent out the request for aid. One of her friends retweeted it to spread the call. Next author Sue Laybourn of Wiltshire, the United Kingdom took up the call. One of her followers, a friend of mine in Hawaii who knows I am a vet, sent it winging my way. From Long Island to upstate New York then across the pond to the UK over a couple of continents and another ocean to Hawaii before coming ashore and trekking to Houston, TX. Quite a journey.
This just goes to illustrate how the internet, in its many guises, has made the world a cozier place. Not everything about the internet is good, but neither is everything bad. It is all what you and the people you surround yourselves with make of it. Today a few people made it a positive influence in their lives.

Review: Learning to Samba by Johnny Miles

I just finished reading Johnny's latest novel "Learning to Samba." It lived up to my expectations and I like to think to all the hype here on my blog.

I will say again that LTS is the best in Johnny's ongoing evolution as an author. You can feel the difference between this piece and the previous "Lauderdale Hearts," both of which I was privileged to see in their earlier incarnations. Both are unmistakably Johnny Miles, but LTS has a "feel" to it that LH was only just exploring. I wonder how much more his voice is going to refine itself along the way? And is that process ever completed or do we all just continue to open our hearts like a flower unfolding, showing our inner thoughts and self to the world?

But this is a review of a book, a great book, and not a philosophical debate of why anyone chooses to share themselves in such a potentially intimate fashion.

Brian's and João's story touches on many things. Learning to deal with loss and moving on with one's own life chief among them. It's also a story about family and doesn't just confine itself to our two heroes. In LTS, Johnny explores some broad family issues and interactions. I think the most important message is that one shouldn't allow assumptions to limit one's choices. Never imagine that your family can't or won't forgive and be there for you. It's what families do. Some may take longer to come around and some may never understand you, but don't assume they won't. Give them the chance to be what you need.

And of course the naughty parts explored new ground both for his characters and his readers, ranging from classic candles-and-roses romantic to mild BDSM. Handcuffs and blindfolds and tails, oh my!

Overall I found "Learning to Samba" to be a great read and recommend it to anyone.

Now to see if I can get Johnny to teach a nice samba class so we can all benefit from this.

Guest Blogger Johnny Miles: Inspired to Samba

When Kayla Jameth first asked me to be a guest on her blog and talk about my latest release I was delighted. Hell, who am I kidding? I was tickled pink!. I felt the way I would imagine a schoolgirl might feel when asked to the first school dance.

    Me? You want to take me?

    In a way it makes sense she be the first. Even with all my personal issues when writing "Learning to Samba," if it hadn't been for the picture Kayla posted on the FB group, Inspired Writing, the story might not have ever been written.

    I was going to do a bit of self-promo but instead, I got the idea to write about something slightly different yet still connected to the story rather than just pimping it out.

    But what to write about? What to say? What to touch upon? Then, of course, self-doubt came in but I quickly slapped it in the face and told it to fuck off. I have no room in my life at the moment, thank you very much. Not when I'm working on myself and trying to become the best me that I can.

    That's when it hit me.

    So, after repeatedly starting this post -- picture me in front of a clunky Royal typewriter with enough sheets of crumpled paper to litter the entire floor -- I decided to step aside and let my self-conscious take over. I found myself writing about something I find absolutely fascinating; the apparently random connections we make and the inspiration that comes as a result.

    I don't know how anyone else does it -- I can only speak for myself -- sometimes inspiration comes in spurts. It might be a word or two. A feeling is invoked. A phrase might possess me. Sometimes even an image comes to mind. It often starts the way a fire does; small, hopeful, quick to extinguish. But when that little fire finally flares to life, step back because it's going to roar and will engulf you in it's embrace.

    Just like that fire, inspiration can strike at the most inopportune time, in the most unlikely of ways and from unexpected places. What you…and others…think, say and do can affect it as surely as you can influence it.

    And that's where the connections come in.

    As in real life, even here in cyber space, we're all connected. Be it through social networks like Facebook, our own blogs or others we follow, what we say and do to one another -- negative or positive -- affects us in ways we'd never dreamed possible.

    Think of a bad review you might have received. Think of the negative, divisive comments you might read about politics, or any other subject that means something to you. Think about someone who was nasty to you at a shop or driving down the road. Or perhaps you received rude service when you ordered your meal?

    Real life isn't much different from the cyber world but there is one very big difference. In cyberspace, people can hide. They say what they want without fear of repercussion and move on with their lives without ever knowing who they might have devastated. Or worse, not caring.

    However, by the same token, there are equally wonderful things that can happen on the internet! People leave uplifting messages online, we share and commiserate with one another because, get this folks, the bottom line is that we are all the same in the one place that truly counts. Our hearts.

    And here's where the inspiration fits.

    Because we never know when inspiration will strike next, as writers, it's important a part of us always remains listening -- tuned and alert -- to that most ethereal of lovers; and then be ready to follow it no matter where it might lead you. Even if it's down a path you never expected.

[image error]     That's what I did when I saw this picture posted on Facebook.

    Kayla, who has a hard-on for plot bunnies, like I do for coffee, posted the one that took hold of me and wouldn't let go; not until I focused all my time and attention to it. In short, I followed my heart and listened to that whisper that said, "Come with me. I have something to show you."

    And I went because I had to, knowing that if I didn't, I'd always wonder.

    "Learning To Samba" is most definitely a work of fiction. First and foremost, that's something every reader should always know about any book they open. But this one is very personal to me as it took me on an emotional journey. I had to put myself in the place of narrator in order to make the feelings more realistic.

    I didn't like the places I had to go in order to get to that depth. They frightened me and forced me to deal with the inevitable loss of a loved one; assuming I'm the one to survive my partner of 15 years. But I managed, somehow, to move on.

    "Learning To Samba" is about more than just learning to leave the past behind and look forward to the future. It's about closure, life, and all the good and bad that comes with it. It's about love, romance and, yes, even passionate, kinky sex.

    It's about coming to terms with family and personal issues.

    It's also a love affair with what is, to me, one of the greatest cities in the world.

    It's even a story about the love affair you create with yourself.

    Ultimately, I think "Learning To Samba" is what you, the reader, get out of it.

    Stepping back, I realize that at the heart of the story is the fragile and beautifully unexpected connections we make with perfect strangers, and the things that inspire us as a result of those connections.

    Think about the people whom you've come into contact with. What connections have you made that inspired you to…whatever? What little, possibly insignificant thing, caused you to write something? Or to pass on some random act of kindness?

    As I close this post, it's raining here in Fort Lauderdale. I'm listening to something in my music collection with a mournful saxophone. The combined sounds make me feel melancholy but wonderfully alive and strangely optimistic about connections and the inspiration that will come.
  
ஜ۩۞۩ஜ♥▬▬▬▬▬♥ஜ۩۞۩ஜ
Thank you, Johnny, for giving us a look at how you find inspiration. I love trying to spark inspiration in others with my plot bunnies. I'm glad this one took flame in your heart and soul and produced such a wonderful story.

I'm glad to take over promoting you and "Learning to Samba." So with no further ado, may I present...

"Learning to Samba" by Johnny Miles

Blurb: After traveling through Europe trying to recover from a loss, reclusive romance novelist Brian Oliver returns to his childhood home in order to find himself and re-establish a severed relationship with his sister. What he unexpectedly discovers, however, is that even an old dog like him can still learn new tricks. Especially if the one teaching is João da Silva, a 25-year-old Brazilian hot-ass with a major thing for Daddies.

Brian soon realizes that with forgiveness and acceptance comes great emotional freedom if he and João can rekindle the deep and burning lust for life he'd once had. Do love, sex, and passion have an expiration date, or can Brian Learn to Samba?

The excerpt from "Learning to Samba" is too long for me to add it to the post, but here are the direct links to the book and the excerpt on LooseId's website. I strongly recommend that everyone read this taste of a  Johnny's newest work. I can tell you that I am loving his story of love lost and a new love found.

Excerpt from "Learning to Samba": http://www.loose-id.com/excerpt.aspx?...

"Learning to Samba" at LooseId: http://www.loose-id.com/Learning-to-S...

Johnny Miles Teaches Us to Samba

[image error] A picture is worth a thousand words. It's been said often enough because it's true.

I have a rather impressive collection of nice photos just like this one on my FaceBook account. Numerous m/m authors who know me there have commented on just how inspiring any given photo can be for them. So I gathered up some of the best of them, photos and authors, and created a group called Inspired Writing.

We post a photo and then see what kind of story it inspires. I really enjoy seeing the multitude of different ways any photo can be interpreted. All of my original works to date, with the exception of "Controlled Fall," were inspired by photos posted in Inspired Writing. A photo posted by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group inspired "Controlled Fall." I'm still photo driven.


So it's safe to say that each of my stories has it's own muse or set of muses to give me a reason to pick up that metaphorical pen and set their story to paper. Some times they are reasonable and other times they get miffed at me if I take time off for sleep. Since muses don't need sleep, they don't understand why I am slacking off instead of listening closely to their tale.

Johnny Miles is also a member of Inspired Writing. He found inspiration in another photo and wrote "Learning to Samba." I have been privileged to get a taste of his initial manuscript and can tell you that his finished novel is going to be amazing. I am looking forward to August 16th when I can get my copy from LooseId with bated breath.

His story touches on many things. Learning to deal with loss and moving on with one's own life chief among them. It's also a bit of a family story that doesn't just confine itself to our two heroes. He explores some family issues and how one shouldn't allow assumptions to limit one's choices.

And of course, it has it's erotic moments, showcasing the men's adventurous spirits. Personally, I think Johnny was rather brash in his younger days.

Since I didn't have an actual photo of the samba, much less a m/m version of it, I chose this photo for it's similarity to the sensual aspects of the samba (the bedroom variety). I wonder if this will inspire Johnny to write anything else?

My New Look

My friend Margie Hall created this lovely bookmark and blog banner for me. She worked hard to produce the sophisticated design I was looking for. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm picky. Well, maybe not ashamed. I just know quality when I see it. I'd seen some of her other mock ups and wanted what Margie could make for me.

She put up with numerous requests by me to change the lettering, the background and my two happy gentlemen. Let's don't even go into the two day resizing marathon that was necessary to get the banner to work. I just know at some point she must have started dreading seeing my email cropping up in her inbox. But I'm glad to say that she is a great sport, and even better, is still talking to me.

I can not say enough about her talent and professionalism. If you are looking for a cover design or swag, look no farther. Margie Hall can set you up with just about whatever you need.

If you want to check out some of her work, she has a professional page on FaceBook: Savage Mind Designs.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Savage-...

Taking a Break

I'm about to take my annual family summer vacation. Just me, the hubby and the kids. We're going to spend some time in the sun doing aquariums, rain forests, dinosaurs and water parks. We should come home with a nice deep tan when it's all said and done.

I won't be able to work on "Alexios' Fate" or the blog or any other authorly pursuits. I will however have my trusty Kindle by my side. I intend to get a lot of rest and do some reading when I'm not chasing kids. Translation: once they are in bed. It's been too long since I could really do any reading. It has taken me weeks to finish a short novel I've been reading by one of my favorite m/m authors. I used to whip them out in one to two days. But writing and especially promoting can be a tough gig.

I should come back recharged and ready to tackle the first complete post-revision edits of "Alexios' Fate." Mainly I have to make sure that I haven't tangled up my time line with the multiple revisions. I should have a fresh take on it after not eating, sleeping and breathing this story.

Not being immersed in Alexios' tale should make it easier to see the big picture and if I stayed true to the story line and era through out. Hopefully I won't have any problems there and can focus on verbiage and style.

Once I get back there will be more guest blogs. I'm looking forward to being joined by Johnny Miles as he promotes his latest novel "Learning to Samba," a story that I am really looking forward to reading. Another story I am looking forward to is Rebecca Leigh's "The Revolutionary," a raw tale of the the old west, steam punk style. She will be joining me to tell us a little something about the sequel to "The Outlaw."

Guest Blogger Deanna Wadsworth: Increasing Dialog in Your Manuscript

First, I would like to thank Kayla for inviting me today! I'm really excited to be talking about my favorite thing today...TALKING!
As evidenced by bestselling authors like James Patterson, a writer can almost never have too much dialog to please the readers out there. But this can prove difficult if you are a descriptive writer whose greatest talent is lyrical prose or sometimes if you write erotica.
Dialog is what draws the reader into the moment, making them feel like a part of the action. I have a few helpful tips today which you might want to give a try if you would like to spice up your book with more chatter.
1. I like to print my book when I am finished then go through and highlight with markers all the different types of sentences so I have the best flow possible. Sounds crazy, I know, but basically I pick a color to highlight dialog, description, action sentences, etc. For the whole article on this technique, EDITING WITH COLOR stop by HERE http://www.mvrwa.net/2011/04/editing-...
What this does is help me identify long periods of description and inner monologue which might be better served as dialog. You can also just highlight the lines on your computer but I like to get high on the marker fumes, LOL!
2. Once you have identified the spots in your story which could use some dialog try to take some of the character's monologue and make them say it. You might love how your characters surprise you.
Example:
John entered the kitchen, surprised at how sexy David looked standing by the window in faded jeans and their old college alumni sweatshirt. He hadn't seen that ratty old garment in ages.David turned and John could tell depression held David in its grip by the slump of his shoulders and the forced smile. The funeral of their old teammate had taken its toll.
John entered the kitchen, surprised at how sexy David looked standing by the window in faded jeans and their old college alumni sweatshirt. "I haven't seen that ratty old sweatshirt in ages."David turned. "It was Kevin's.""Oh," he said, surprised. "I wear it every day," David confessed, his shoulders slumped, his smile forced.John hadn't realized how tight depression held David in its grip. The funeral of their old teammate had taken its toll. 

Just a subtle change, but do you see how I took what John was thinking and made him say it instead? I had to tweak the lines but it opened the door for David to confess he was wearing their friends shirt, and John to be concerned. Now the reader wants to know what John is going to do to help his friend. The reader feels bad for poor David now.
I say John should give David a nice blow job with lots of "Oh baby, suck it harder," because after all this is a blog about dialog. LOL!
3. Another way to add dialog is to take those italic thoughts and make your character just say it. They might get into trouble, but it could be fun.
Example:
Jake and Mike had arrived at the party together and Phillip wished he could crawl into a hole and die. But there was no hole to hide in when his ex-partner and new younger, thinner, sexier lover saw him and headed in his direction."Hey, Phil," Jake said, his smile perfect—as usual."Hey," he said, throat tight. He glanced at Mike and added mentally, You boyfriend snatching asshole, but all he said was, "Hi, Mike."

Jake and Mike had arrived at the party together and Phillip wished he could crawl into a hole and die. But there was no hole to hide in when his ex-partner and new younger, thinner, sexier lover saw him and headed in his direction."Hey, Phil," Jake said, his smile perfect, as usual."Hey," he said, throat tight. He glanced at Mike. "Hi, boyfriend snatching asshole."Oh shit, did he just say that out loud?

Reader is now laughing and embarrassed for poor Phillip and also instantly invested in this scene, just by use of dialog.
Well, I hope these few tips can help you out. Dialog is so important to suck the reader into your protagonist's point of view and a vital part of what readers expect.
Thank you Kayla for having me, and thank all of you for stopping by.

You can find me online at Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1223394364#!/profile.php?id=100001206469235 Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/DeannaWadsworth and my Blog http://deannawadsworth.blogspot.com
As a thank you for stopping by, I am offering a digital copy of my latest book BEAR IT ALL to one lucky commenter.

 BEAR IT ALL
Travis hired the 1 Night Stand agency because he wanted a hot encounter with his dream man...a sexy older, hairy man and John looks custom made to order.
John, after losing his partner three years ago, is looking to learn how to accept another man into his bed again, to learn to live again. He thinks a one night stand in the Caribbean is the answer. But when John sees the young, thin and much smaller Travis he thinks the agency sent the wrong man.
Will Travis get his bear after all? Will John open his heart to the unexpected?


BEAR IT ALL— cumming August 2nd from Decadent Publishing http://decadentpublishing.com

Increasing Dialog in Your Manuscript

First, I would like to thank Kayla for inviting me today! I'm really excited to be talking about my favorite thing today...TALKING!
As evidenced by bestselling authors like James Patterson, a writer can almost never have too much dialog to please the readers out there. But this can prove difficult if you are a descriptive writer whose greatest talent is lyrical prose or sometimes if you write erotica.
Dialog is what draws the reader into the moment, making them feel like a part of the action. I have a few helpful tips today which you might want to give a try if you would like to spice up your book with more chatter.
1. I like to print my book when I am finished then go through and highlight with markers all the different types of sentences so I have the best flow possible. Sounds crazy, I know, but basically I pick a color to highlight dialog, description, action sentences, etc. For the whole article on this technique, EDITING WITH COLOR stop by HERE http://www.mvrwa.net/2011/04/editing-...
What this does is help me identify long periods of description and inner monologue which might be better served as dialog. You can also just highlight the lines on your computer but I like to get high on the marker fumes, LOL!
2. Once you have identified the spots in your story which could use some dialog try to take some of the character's monologue and make them say it. You might love how your characters surprise you.
Example:
John entered the kitchen, surprised at how sexy David looked standing by the window in faded jeans and their old college alumni sweatshirt. He hadn't seen that ratty old garment in ages.David turned and John could tell depression held David in its grip by the slump of his shoulders and the forced smile. The funeral of their old teammate had taken its toll.
John entered the kitchen, surprised at how sexy David looked standing by the window in faded jeans and their old college alumni sweatshirt. "I haven't seen that ratty old sweatshirt in ages."David turned. "It was Kevin's.""Oh," he said, surprised. "I wear it every day," David confessed, his shoulders slumped, his smile forced.John hadn't realized how tight depression held David in its grip. The funeral of their old teammate had taken its toll. 

Just a subtle change, but do you see how I took what John was thinking and made him say it instead? I had to tweak the lines but it opened the door for David to confess he was wearing their friends shirt, and John to be concerned. Now the reader wants to know what John is going to do to help his friend. The reader feels bad for poor David now.
I say John should give David a nice blow job with lots of "Oh baby, suck it harder," because after all this is a blog about dialog. LOL!
3. Another way to add dialog is to take those italic thoughts and make your character just say it. They might get into trouble, but it could be fun.
Example:
Jake and Mike had arrived at the party together and Phillip wished he could crawl into a hole and die. But there was no hole to hide in when his ex-partner and new younger, thinner, sexier lover saw him and headed in his direction."Hey, Phil," Jake said, his smile perfect—as usual."Hey," he said, throat tight. He glanced at Mike and added mentally, You boyfriend snatching asshole, but all he said was, "Hi, Mike."

Jake and Mike had arrived at the party together and Phillip wished he could crawl into a hole and die. But there was no hole to hide in when his ex-partner and new younger, thinner, sexier lover saw him and headed in his direction."Hey, Phil," Jake said, his smile perfect, as usual."Hey," he said, throat tight. He glanced at Mike. "Hi, boyfriend snatching asshole."Oh shit, did he just say that out loud?

Reader is now laughing and embarrassed for poor Phillip and also instantly invested in this scene, just by use of dialog.
Well, I hope these few tips can help you out. Dialog is so important to suck the reader into your protagonist's point of view and a vital part of what readers expect.
Thank you Kayla for having me, and thank all of you for stopping by.

You can find me online at Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1223394364#!/profile.php?id=100001206469235 Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/DeannaWadsworth and my Blog http://deannawadsworth.blogspot.com
As a thank you for stopping by, I am offering a digital copy of my latest book BEAR IT ALL to one lucky commenter.

 BEAR IT ALL
Travis hired the 1 Night Stand agency because he wanted a hot encounter with his dream man...a sexy older, hairy man and John looks custom made to order.
John, after losing his partner three years ago, is looking to learn how to accept another man into his bed again, to learn to live again. He thinks a one night stand in the Caribbean is the answer. But when John sees the young, thin and much smaller Travis he thinks the agency sent the wrong man.
Will Travis get his bear after all? Will John open his heart to the unexpected?


BEAR IT ALL— cumming August 2nd from Decadent Publishing http://decadentpublishing.com

Engaging Dialog

[image error] When I set out to write Alexios' story, I had a grand vision. He would be a prince who found himself in the predicament in the photo to the left. Not only did I have to find a way to get him bound to that rock, but I would have to come up with a way to rescue him because I hate leaving one of my heroes in a lurch.

Getting him literally between a rock and a hard place was relatively easy. Andromeda found herself in that very dilemma when her mother bragged that Andromeda was more beautiful that a local sea god's children. So it was easy enough to draw the parallel and have Alexios' father make a similar statement about his son and one of Apollo's sons.

Of course, Apollo couldn't let such hubris (overweening pride) stand and Alexios found himself bound to a rock waiting to meet his end. There is quite a bit more to the story than that, but that is the basic premise "Alexios' Fate" is built on.

I finished up my story at about 20,000 words and was rather pleased with myself. It was my longest finished piece yet and there was more set up than is usual with my short stories. Best of all, my voice/style had improved dramatically while writing it.

Reading back over my story, I discovered that it needed more dialog and I wasn't sure how I was going to get more in there. I made a comment to a couple of friends about that concern and Deanna Wadsworth offered to read over Alexios' tale with an eye to fixing that.

And boy, did she! She suggested all kinds of places for me to add dialog. I took almost all of her suggestions and loved what they did for my story. End of second draft had me at 29,000. Lots of dialog and the whole thing flowed so much better.

Further suggestions about getting to know one of the other characters better and adding more of a sense of the mythos have been incorporated. It will feel like reading a modern myth, like Homer has come forward nearly three millennia.

"Alexios' Fate" is now up to 36,000 and I have dubbed Deanna, the queen of gab, because she knows how to use it to good advantage in advancing a story and drawing the reader in. I hope to continue to put what I have learned at her feet to good use.

Guest Blogger A.B. Gayle: A Good Cover Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

"They've got it all wrong!"
How many times have you said that when you're well into a book and then you flip back and stare at the cover? Where's Nathan's goatee beard (K.A.Mitchell's "Bad Company")... I thought there was only supposed to be a few years age difference between them Tristan looks sixteen and Michael in his thirties instead of 28 (Z.A.Maxfield's "Crossing Borders")
It shouldn't matter, but sometimes you just wish they'd get the finished result closer to the text.
It wasn't until I got published that I realised that sometimes the cover design is the last thing to be done and many authors, no matter their expertise in the graphics field, never get a say in the finished product.
The procedure varies from publishing house to publishing house. For example, Total Ebound has a few artists on contract and suggested I look at their different styles. Then they sent a list of details they wanted: Where the story is set, Hero Description, Heroine Description and Short Summary of Story. Is there anything you would specifically like to see on your cover or any comments? Is there anything you don't want on the cover or any comments?
A few cover artists are much sought after and do contract work for a number of publishers: Catt Ford, Reese Dante and Anne Cain to name just a few.
When Dreamspinner Press asked for my input for the cover of my novella "Caught" I was stuck with a problem. My hero was a young Asian guy with long hair. Part of the plot centred on the fact that very few Asian guys have long hair, so when I started looking for a photo, I was stuck. This is where my friendship with Kayla paid off big time.
She thumbed through her vast collection and found a couple of great looking guys:

The last one was perfect but we couldn't track the photographer down to buy the royalty. In the end, after scouring through literally hundreds of stock photos we decided that this next guy had all the right elements: he looked sufficiently Chinese (though I suspect in reality he may be Korean), had the long hair (vital for the plot), and had beauty without being traditionally pretty (again vital for the character). I'd seen this guy in other poses but they always included weapons and markings. In them, it's almost as if he's hiding his beauty. The photo was taken by Raisa Kanavera, a Russian freelance photographer


So by melding it with a photo I had taken of the lighthouse which also features in the story, Mara, the artist at Dreamspinner Press came up with the final result:
 Luckily the text wasn't fixed in stone, so I was able to insert a few sentences about Daniel removing his shirt and staring out to sea into a scene where they were taking photos near the lighthouse, so the text matched perfectly.
Too often, though, publishers treat the cover as an almost irrelevant entity, designed more to attract a reader because of its perviness rather than accurately reflecting the story or the characters. While the finished product may sell a few extra books, the publisher risks losing readers who get angry when the picture doesn't match the story.
Even well known authors report they have little control on what finally gets chosen for them. The publisher knows best what "sells" is the standard catch cry.
 Personally, I feel that if they started the process of finalising the cover earlier, text could be tweaked to match if needed rather than the other way around.
The standard of artwork on the covers is improving. Elisa Rolle's annual LGBT cover competition showcases the variety that is now out there. http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/tag/rainbow%20awards%202011












Ebook covers also have their own version of Fabio, with Jimmy Thomas now reporting he's on over one thousand covers! I was fortunate to have him on Silver Publishing's 2010 Christmas Anthology that includes my story "The Go Between".
Given that ebooks don't require expensive printing presses, I believe the day will come when illustrations are peppered through the text, giving a result half way between a straight text book and a graphic novel.




But what about doing the whole process from the other angle though. Producing a cover first and then writing the story to match?
This is the concept behind "Inspired Writing," a Facebook group started by our very own Kayla. Photos are posted and the 139 members are encouraged to write their own stories based on pictures like these two: [image error] This is a great way for beginners and established writers to fine tune their craft. Who are the characters? Why are they in the position they're in? Who took the photo? Who else is in the story with them?
The first photo inspired "Over-Exposure" and the second, "Sex, Love and Videotape" both by Kayla writing under her other pseudonym, Kei Chan. Contact Kayla if you want to find out more.

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The concept was also adopted on Goodreads this Summer with their Hot Summer Days reads. Established authors and newcomers sent in stories to match photos and a short blurb sent in by readers. The result was over one hundred stories and Kayla's "Controlled Fall" is the latest: [image error] The brief from Deanna Wadsworth was: I know I'm writing one of the stories but I just found this pic online and DAYUMMM, I wanna know why these two hunks are playing on the side of this waterfall.
But my muse is suspiciously absent!!!
Anyone out there wanna let me know what these two are up to?

I can't wait to read what Kayla wrote: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/583223-kayla-jameth-controlled-fall-7-29
Just a quick browse through Elisa Rolle's covers will show the variety that's out there nowadays. Some readers love P.L. Nunn and Paul Richmond's covers with their original artworks. Some like the realism of actual stock photos. Some prefer torso only shots, so that the model's features don't impinge on their visualisation of the character.
I'd be interested in getting feedback on what covers work for you and which ones really don't.
A.B.Gayle is a published Australian author with two short stories about Cedric the Sex Slave cyborg in scifi romance anthologies and two novellas: "Mardi Gras" a tale of Sydney's Pride Parade and "Caught" both set in her home town. She's also co-written a book on one of Australia's wine regions with William Maltese "In Search of the Perfect Pinot G!". Two other full length novels are at the submission stage. She's also a regular contributor to the free m/m online soap "Redemption Reef". She loves talking to authors as well as reviewing their books, and the reviews/interviews page on her website www.abgayle.com includes some interesting chats she's had via email with people such as Heidi Cullinan, Jay Lygon, Syd McGinley and Hank Edwards.