Poppy Dennison's Blog, page 6

What's Up Wednesday

Greetings from the Land O' Poppy. :)

Ever had one of those weeks where you run around like a chicken with your head cut off? Yeah? You too? That's been my week!

I shall not complain, because what amazing busyness!

First up, we have a tentative release date for Body Magic (sequel to Mind Magic). Mark your calendars for September 10, 2012 to find out what's next for Simon, Gray, and the gang of the High Moon Pack.

I'm also really excited to announce that it's my week over at Boxer Falls-A Gaytime Drama! My episode will be posted on Friday over at the M/M Group on Goodreads. Not familiar with Boxer Falls? Check out this blurb:


What goes up always comes down.Peek behind the fly of  Boxer Falls , and see what mischief lurks in the quiet streets and secluded spots of a small New England town with a queer reputation. Around here, the family closets hold more than skeletons and the fights are strictly gloves-off. With folks this gorgeous, the feuds are bound to get ugly.When the wealthy Cotten family decides to turn their country estate into a luxurious resort, the residents of Boxer Falls face an influx of affluent tourists who rub their sleepy little town in the worst ways. Lust, greed, betrayal, and ambition might just yank the town to its knees.Tune in each week to get the latest on scorching affairs, family dysfunction, and secret desire.Boxer Falls: the bigger they are...


Now, what else to report? 
I'll be visiting with Tana Rae over at Tana Rae Reads and M/M Romance Reviews to discuss the evolution of Boxer Falls. We had a great chat about how Boxer Falls came to be! 
Next week, I'll be over at Chicks & Dicks to talk about world building for a paranormal series. 
I'm also super excited about my upcoming trip to Seattle. I'll be visiting with some of my favorite authors, including: Jeremy Pack, MJ O'Shea, L.C. Chase, Anne Tenino, and Rick Reed. How's that for an exciting trip? 

Let the countdown begin!





COUNTDOWN WIDGET

Suit Up Sunday: Mark Harmon

My love of Silver Foxes isn't that big of a secret, and I must admit that Mark Harmon is one of my favorites. I mean, come on...that hair...those eyes...that smirk.

My butter is melted.

Add to that Gibbs having a gun and badge? And that DiNozzo head slap thing? I can't help but love it.

But let me get back to that smirk. What is it about that little half grin that is just so darn sexy? Anyone? Someone? Help me out here, but it gets me every time!

Pair that smirk with the sexy entirely black suit? *purrs* Really, I didn't even know I liked that look until I saw it on Mark Harmon.

*Dreamy Sigh* He's just so handsome. I need to write a character inspired by him.

With the eyes...and the hair...and that little crooked grin.

So other than "looks", what really turns you on? I'm into the twinkly eyes and smirky grins. (Clearly)

What's Up Wednesday? (The Thursday Edition)

Well, I *meant* to update my blog yesterday. I really did. But there was shiny...


As a result, I'm doing What's Up Wednesday on Thursday. Which pretty much sums up my week. I've been so busy I don't even know what day it is!


The biggest busy? The garden. It's that time of year and the crops are coming in faster than we can keep up. This week we put up 10 bushels of corn. For those non-gardeners among us, that means picking the corn, husking the corn, silking the corn, washing the corn, cutting the corn off the cob, and finally...canning it. Crazy process, but I can't argue with the results!



It was a great writing week though. My works in progress is up to date, and I've almost got two novellas knocked out. Now on to the editing part of the process, which is most un-fun for me.

You can follow my process through my Works In Progress page.

The next item on the agenda is a short piece for Kool Queer Lit. They're having a really fun month over there in August, with lots of smuttastic offerings planned. I'm excited to be part of it, and can't wait to see what naughtiness my brain comes up with for this one. I have an inspiration image in mind already. *eyebrow wiggle* I just love those inspiration images.

In other news, are you following the submissions for the Rainbow Awards?  What an amazing list. Over 300 entries at last count. I love checking out lists like this to find stories in my favorite sub-genres that I might have missed. Good stuff! My to-read list grows ever time Elisa posts an update!

One of the random shiny things I've stumbled across is the sock bun curling method. Yeah. Sock bun. You apparently can whip your hair up in a bun over night using a sock and you get beautiful curls as a result. Let the experiment commence. I think I'm going to try it tonight for kicks and giggles. I'll try to take some pictures. No promises. LOL But here's video proof that it works.

Hope you all have a fantastic week.

Suit Up Sunday: Chris Hemsworth

As usual, I'm a wee bit late to the game, but Oh My Thor...

Last night, I was plum tuckered from an afternoon in the gardening. I curl up in front of netflix and lo and behold Thor was available for instant view.

The movie didn't rock my world, but Chris Hemsworth? Yowzers. I knew I wanted to see what that man looked like in a suit!

And Merry Christmas to me, cause there are A LOT of pictures to chose from of this fine looking fella all dressed up.

What is it with those eyes? Is it just me or do you kinda fall into them?

There's also that thing where even when he's being all serious face, you can see that little smirk hiding in there.

Oh the power of the smirk. Gets me every time.

And then there's this. Seriously? The man and his baby daughter? Do these photographers *want* my ovaries to implode.

Sweetest picture ever.

*happy sigh*

Don't mind me, I need a moment to compose myself. The butter is melted.

But don't worry, Joe. You have my heart, too. And I just happened to find this little gem of an image with the two of you all wet and ripped and next to each other.

And this picture totally counts cause they're in swim SUITS. *way to bend the rules Poppy*

You know, I'd make a great filling to a Chris and Joe sandwich. Just sayin!

Suit Up Sunday: Tom Selleck

True Confession Time: I've had a crush on Tom Selleck for years. Since Magnum P.I.  and the whole hairy chest/ferrari thing.

In fact, I'm pretty sure I can blame him for my adult fascination with bears. Oh, that hairy chest...wait, I mentioned that already, didn't I?

But it's more than the chest...he has that twinkle in his eyes. That bit of humor that attracts me so...

Remember the eye brow wiggle at the end of Magnum's opening credits? *swoon*

Does me in, every time.

Sexy hairy man WITH a sense of humor? How can I resist?

I can't. I'll own it. I wouldn't kick him out of bed unless he wanted to do it on the floor.

But alas, he's so far away....out of my reach....except through the miracles of television where I can still see him work. :)

Now, just to keep to the rules of this here blog hop, I will post a picture of him in a suit. Even though shirtless would be just fine with me. See? I can follow the rules!!!


Oh, and just in case you've never seen it...



So what about you? Did any of your teenage crushes influence the type of man you find attractive today? I can't imagine that I'm the only one...although perhaps I might be one of the few tweens who found a hairy chest drool worthy. *g*

Heaven help me. I must go watch reruns of Magnum on Netflix now.


Come join in the fun!

What's Up Wednesday (Magic Mike, of course!)

Is anyone else chomping at the bit to go see Magic Mike? No? Just me?

I'd like to say I'll be first in line, waiting at some midnight release of the movie...but I won't! That's past my bedtime! LOL

Instead, I'll have to stay home and dream about my boyfriend Joe. (Lord, I wish! I'd so do bad things to that man!)

I'll also be living with the little voices in my head. You know, as us writers tend to do. *winks* This week's voice is that of Andrew.

Now he's no Joe Manganiello, but I'm rather fond of him. The lovely Andrew is in over his head with a pack of wolves, but his story is coming along nicely. The working title is "Silver Lining". You can find out more about Andrew's story as well as what else I'm working on over at my Works In Progress page.

In other news, I'm super excited about Boxer Falls, A Gaytime Drama. Lots of great stuff going on over there! If you aren't following it, you should be!

You can find previous episodes over at Boxer Falls. This month's author lineup includes:
Ellis Carrington
Mary Calmes
Taylor Donovan
Anne Tenino
and me!

Well, that's it from Poppy-land! Stay tuned for more info and feel free to drop me a line over at my website or in comments.

Catching up!

Long time, no post! In my defense, life has been a big old dose of crazy town!

Some of you know this, but back in April, I woke up with an owie. And that owie turned into me having to have spinal surgery. The procedure was called ACDF (Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion). It turned out that I had two collapsed discs in my neck that had to be removed and then fused. Yes, I have metal plates in my neck now. Yes, I asked if I was going to set off the metal detectors at the airport. Sadly, the answer was no. Although why that made me sad, I dunno. Guess I wanted the attention? (Not.)

Anyway, I'm now five weeks post-op and feel fantastic. This week, I got the all-clear from my surgeon to take the neck brace off. Can't tell you how exciting that is. I'd been in that collar for seven weeks, and let me tell you, I was ready for it to be off!

Poppy's bro and new sis-in-lawIn the meantime, my incredible brother married the most fantastic lady. To say that I'm thrilled for him is an understatement. You know those couples that just "fit"? That's these two. They remind me why I believe in love, and romance, and all that other mushy stuff.

Their wedding was really beautiful. I'll have to ask my new sister what she called it. I think it was rustic chic? Very simple and natural. Lovely.

As for me, I'm writing my little heart out! Working on a little novella now, and then I'll be starting the third book in the Triad series, "Soul Magic". Can't wait to get started on it. "Body Magic", the second book in the series is set for release from Dreamspinner Press in September.

Well, I think that's about it from the frontlines of Poppy-land! Let me know what's going on in your world!

Homophobia Hurts

About fifteen years or so ago, I became good friends with a gay couple who lived next door to me. They were great guys, and fantastic neighbors. It never dawned on me that someone in my family would have an issue...but someone did.

Now, it wasn't some big hate filled drama like a lot of folks have experienced, but it really hurt me that someone I love would reject someone who had become a good friend. And the worst bit? It was caused by ignorance--the lack of knowledge kind.

So I had my family member come over and I introduced him to my neighbors. He was afraid he would catch gay cooties or something. Or that he'd get somehow groped and have to fight his way out.

Then something crazy happened. Brace yourself, it's wild. He realized my neighbors were--wait for it--regular guys. *gasp* I know, right?

There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. They weren't going to do bad things to his ass, they weren't going to do anything to his ass. (Okay, they may have sneaked a peak when he wasn't looking!)

Thing is, I saw something that day that changed me as well. I saw someone overcome an irrational fear and learn to accept someone for their differences. It was a really beautiful thing to see.

Irony? A few years later, that family member became a "boss man" at his job. And he hired an assistant who could flame on. Whoa did that fella have more than his share of flamboyance. And it didn't bother my family member at all. He'd shrug and say, "That's just him. He's funny, huh?"

I know I can't really take the credit for that change taking place in him, but I'd like to think that I played a small part.

Homophobia is so very real, and it hurts. I'd like to think I do my part to change people's lives. I don't allow gay jokes to be told in my presence. It's a little thing, but I stand up and say "no, it's not okay." I don't try to force anyone to believe the way I do, but I make sure they know what I believe and why.

It's the little things that make a difference. I truly believe that. Each person who makes a change starts a ripple in the water. Those ripples turn into waves. And one of these days--one day very soon--there will be more people who aren't afraid and uneducated than the other.

That's my hope. I see the changes happening, one person and one family member at a time. I'd like for it to be faster, of course. I'd love for my new friends to not have to worry about hate and fear. For them to live their lives filled with love and support.

It'll happen. One day soon. Until then, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I'll keep finding little ways to make a big difference.

Homophobia may hurt, but we have the power to heal. I hope the blog posts today for the Hop Against Homophobia will do that in some way.

The organizers have asked us to donate a prize. I'm happy to do so. If you'd like to read my book, feel free to leave a comment and I'll draw a winner. Please take a look at some of the posts by other authors in this event. Each of us can support the other and this community of change.

We're ready to end the hate.

You can find more information here: http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.com/

A Week in Review

Poppy's GrandmaWhew! What a fantastic week this has been! I made a quick trip down to Florida to visit my grandma and hand deliver a copy of Mind Magic. She wasn't proud or anything. Nope, not one little bit. She sat down and read her copy right away. And said it was the raunchiest thing she'd ever read! Gotta love an 86 year old grandma who will read anything her granddaughter writes, even if it does have "those scary vampires and shifters". She has requested a cowboy book. No worries, Grandma. I'll see if I can wrangle up a hot rancher, just for you.

Friday, I posted an episode of Boxer Falls over on the M/M Romance Group at Goodreads. Are you following Boxer Falls?? If not, you should be! It's a Gaytime Drama and is soap-tastic. No worries if you're behind! You can catch up by checking out our "reruns" over at the Boxer Falls website.


Saturday, I had a fantastic chat over on the Dreamspinner Facebook page. Made a ton of new friends, and even had a marriage proposal! (Okay, so I swiped someone else's proposal and pretended it was mine...but it was on my chat so I called dibs! *g*) The conversation turned to bacon, as it tends to do when I'm around.

Fast forward to Monday, and I'm over at Paranormal Paradigm's posting about The Hulk. Yep, that Hulk...the big green guy! In Make Like the Hulk--And Shift, I gab about the importance of the little details in world building. Things like what happens to a shifters clothes when they shift! I happen to think that the Hulk wearing shredded clothes is downright sexy. There must be someone out there who agrees with me. Anyone? Anyone? *taps microphone* Is this thing working?

Monday night found me out to dinner with the fantastic folks from Mantastic Fiction. They are doing a really great challenge in preparation for the GayRomLit retreat this October in Albuquerque. The challenge is to read a book from every author attending before the retreat in October. They have it broken down by week, and last week I was on the list.

*pants for breath* Sheesh, I was busy last week, and I'm only through Monday!

On Wednesday, I was interviewed by the lovely Dawn at Dawn's Reading Nook. She *may* have gotten me tipsy first. I can't be blamed for any silliness!

I also had the opportunity to hang out over at Joyfully Jay! I explained a bit about the Magic in Mind Magic and how the "power of three" works in the novel. And the best part? You can ENTER TO WIN a copy of Mind Magic by leaving a comment on the post. It's only open until Tuesday, May 8 so hop on over and leave a comment.

Well, I'm only to Wednesday and have written volume one! I suppose I'll shut my pie hole and get back to writing. Next week, I have a ton more blog appearances lined up...and if you've ever wanted to hear what your favorite Poppy sounds like, tune in Wednesday, May 9 for the ParaYourNormal Radio Show. I'm their featured guest!

Suit Up Sunday: Levi Poulter Revisited

Everyone seemed so enamored of my first Levi post that I thought I'd do another one! In honor of my trip to the beach this week, I present...Levi in a bathing suit! *g* What? It counts as a suit! 

Now if you aren't too distracted by the lovely that is Mr. Poulter, head on over to Chicks & Dicks to check out my post on the "Smell-A-Mate" Syndrome! 



Still with me? I thought so. Yesterday, I had a fantastic time over at Dreamspinner's Facebook page talking about Mind Magic, my new release from Dreamspinner Press. The talk turned quickly to bacon, and there *might* have been a marriage proposal involved.

Coming up this week, I'm at Paranormal Paradigms talking about shifter tropes...and what happens to those pesky clothes when they shift!
Then I'm heading over to Fade Into Fantasy, where Simon and Gray are being interviewed...and Simon's T-shirt collection becomes the object of discussion.

And if that's not enough, I'm hanging out with M.J. O'Shea and Piper Vaughn over at Babes in Boyland with an exclusive excerpt from Mind Magic.

Whew! It's a busy week, even for me! And now, I must go pack for the beach. Who knows, maybe I'll run into Levi while I'm there and I can get some exclusive photos, just for us!