S.M. Johnson's Blog, page 15

SM Johnson ~Thursday Morning Coffee ~ the hardest part

Good Morning, Darlings, and happy Thursday!

I am here to tell you on this fine morning that the hardest part of writing a novel is writing the synopsis. Yeah, you know, when you pick up a book and turn it over to read on the back what it's about? Yeah, that. Absolutely grueling. And even though there's no 'back of the book' on an ebook, you still have to have some kind of concise description of what it's all about.

Describe your novel in 300 words or less... make it interesting, ask an intriguing question, put a hook in there so you can draw readers in 'hook, line, and sinker'...

I'm fairly certain I suck at this. I've devoted two days to stewing on it, and still don't have a synopsis that I'm happy with.

Let's see.... Book one, Above the Dungeon - two subs revolve around Roman.

Book two, Out of the Dungeon - Roman loses everything.

Book three, Three in the Dungeon - Roman regains those things most important to him and figures out the meaning of life.

HaHa. I know, nice try, right?

I want to shout out a RELEASE DATE but I can't write the damned book description. Arrggghhh! Oh yeah, I don't have a cover yet, either. Craptastic.

See? I thought the hard part was over.

I wrote the thing. I edited the thing. It pretty much makes sense. One early reader loved it. One... well, suffice to say, did not. And each of them loved or didn't love for very different reasons. Opposite reasons, really.

What I can tell you is this - if you came to hate Roman in Out of the Dungeon, you probably will not like him any better in Three in the Dungeon.

You remember all the Team Edward/Team Jacob insanity? Yeah. It's like that. If you're Team Roman, you'll love this book. If you're Team Jeff, well... you might not. That's pretty much all I can say at this point...

Just for fun, here's what I've got so far for a synopsis:


Dungeon Master Roman Preston may well have been one of the most respected Doms in New York City, but in the tight-knit fetish community of southern Minnesota, he's a nobody. And he doesn't even care, because Jeff, his former long-time partner and 24/7 slave, agreed to give him another chance, with a catch: Jeff is recovering from a serious neck injury and wants a relationship without power exchange.
Roman knows he loves Jeff the man even more than Jeff the slave. Trouble is, establishing an egalitarian relationship is way more complicated than Roman ever dreamed, and the gulf between them seems to widen every day.
When Jeff experiences sub-drop after narrating a training session with Jason, Roman's new submissive, Roman suspects Jeff's desire for a vanilla relationship is a lie... but if Roman himself is afraid of hurting Jeff during vanilla sex, how can he ask Jeff to submit again?
Here's the synopsis from the What's Next page of this blog - it's not too shabby, either:


Roman and Jeff are building a new life in Minnesota, even though Jeff's been insisting since the accident that he just wants to be vanilla. A funny thing, though, Jeff's BDSM erotic fiction is quickly becoming the latest Amazon Indie success story. So does this prove that inside his head, Jeff is still a kinkster? And what about inside his heart?

The local fetish community is a lot different in this town than in the club Roman created in New York City. Roman admits that he's a fetish snob, but still, an inexperienced local boy has managed to capture and keep his interest. Roman is determined to integrate his own controlling tendencies, Jeff's imagination, and Jason's submission into something that feels like home. But it would be a hell of a lot easier if the baby would stop crying.

I have about eight variations of the words above. As far as synopses go, I don't think it's great, but it isn't awful. Of course, it leaves out the whole Vanessa thing, and the whole Dare thing... and although  the series does revolve around Roman, Vanessa and Dare think stuff and do stuff and say stuff in this book, too.


In fact, some of the stuff they think and say and do might just lead to a 4th Dungeon book... (SM cocks her head and offers a fist-bump to her seagull muse).

Oh, yeah, release date. Um. Erm. Hang on a minute. I have to check my calendar and my work schedule...

Ready?

FRIDAY MARCH 22nd, Three in the Dungeon will be for sale exclusively at AMAZON. (And 90-95 days later, for sale in all e-reader format at SMASHWORDS... and 30 days give or take after that... all kinds of other places - like Sony, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

Whew. I'm sweating now. I'd better get to work on that synopsis.

I shall leave you with an excerpt - well, more of a tease:

From Three in the Dungeon, Chapter 2


There came the night Zach rented Mulin Rouge, telling Dare that watching Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman fall into impossible, tuberculosis-doomed love was a gay right-of-passage.

And anyway, Dare at first thought the film was ridiculous, but then ridiculously clever, and eventually found himself devouring Zach's lips with great abandon, and, a short time later, Zach's cock, as well.

"Dare…" Zach groaned, and he really did sound like he was in pain. "I want to fuck you. I want to fuck you so bad."

The words hit Dare's brain like a fuse on fire, and ignited his lust, sending fireworks through his brain stem. There was something so primal about the plea that all bets were off, no holding back.

"I want to fuck you, too," he answered, and it was heartfelt and true.

He found himself on his back in Zach's bed, towel-covered pillows propping up his hips, Zach kneeling between his legs. His whole body felt tight. He wasn't afraid of Zach, but had to admit to himself that he was definitely afraid of having a cock in his ass. Zach hadn't even touched him yet and Dare was a wreck.

 "Do you trust me?" Zach asked.

Dare felt completely vulnerable and exposed, and the soft question startled him. "Would I be letting you do this if I didn't?" He tried to laugh, but it came out more like a strangled cough.

"Don't be scared. I'll make it good for you. I promise. Just close your eyes and try to relax."

Dare tried to relax, but there was no way. He didn't know what to do with his arms, and his feet were flexing madly, trying to release tension.

Zach poured lube along Dare's cock, and it trickled to the crease of his thigh and dripped between his buttocks. Zach stroked him, whispering sweet, reassuring words, but when he slid one lubricated finger into Dare, Dare cried out and jerked away.

"Sorry, sorry," Dare breathed. "I'm just so tense that the pain startled me."

Zach crawled over Dare's left leg and stretched out on his side next to Dare, propped up on his elbow. The flat of his hand smoothed down Dare's chest, all the way to his dick, and then the fingers walked back up again, pausing to gently play first with one of Dare's nipple rings, and then the other. "It's okay, Dare. We don't have to do this right now. I don't want to hurt you."

"But it's going to hurt, isn't it? I mean, for sure the first time."

Zach shrugged, but then nodded. "Sometimes it hurts, especially the first time. More if you're scared and tense."

"I want to do it tonight. I want to get it over with."

Zach laughed. "Damn, Dare, that's romantic."

"You know what I mean," Dare said, and raised up from the bed so he could capture Zach's lips. Zach kissed him back, moaning a little in the back of his throat, the fingers of one hand tugging hard on the ring in Dare's right nipple, causing a sharp flash of pain.

Dare had an instant memory of the piercing chair, the handcuffs, and Roman sitting on his lap, holding him down.

"Tie me up," Dare whispered into Zach's mouth.

Now it was Zach who was startled. He jerked away, and stared at Dare, eyes wide with surprise, mouth half open.

"What are you talking about?"

"Tie me up and fuck me. Please. I can handle the pain if you tie me up."

Zach was shaking his head. "Aw, Jesus, Dare, it would be like raping you.""No, it wouldn't."

Zach's voice came out cold then, stabbing into Dare like a dagger made of ice. "Is that what Roman would do?"

And what Dare felt then was guilt. Zach was all sunshine and warmth, and  here was Dare, trying to bring him over to the dark side.

"Well? Tell me, Dare. You want Roman to do this? Bet you could call him up and ask him. He'd probably be happy to oblige you."

"Zach. Please. It's not like that - "

Zach cut him off. "Oh, really? What's it like then?"

"I've never done this before. And I do trust you – I do," he made his voice insistent, seeing skepticism on Zach's face. "But I'm tense because it's new and it's going to hurt. You were pulling on my nipple ring, and that hurt, too, and reminded me that I was handcuffed when I got them pierced. The inevitability helped me deal. Made me less afraid."

Zach pulled away. "You are a kinky bastard, aren't you?" But now there was something besides anger in his eyes. Something closer to curiosity. "Are you sure?" he asked, and Dare could tell by his voice that Zach wasn't mad anymore.

Zach went digging through his dresser drawers and came up with two neckties. He knotted them tightly around each of Dare's wrists, then tied them to the posts of the headboard. It stretched Dare's upper body almost to the point of strain, but instantly made him feel more secure and grounded. He closed his eyes.

"Is it okay?" Zach asked.

"It's perfect," Dare answered, feeling himself dropping into submissive headspace.



Have a GREAT weekend, darlings!

SM Johnson ~ It's Not Thursday ~ (smile)

This is not the cover. This is the cover for Book 1Good evening, Darlings...

I know. It's not Thursday. There has been no coffee, well, none to share, at any rate.

But I am writing to tell you that I have been drinking LOTS of coffee this week, and I just sent a (fingers crossed) final draft of Three in the Dungeon (3rd book in the Dungeon series) to my favorite early readers!

So now I awake their approval, accolades, and highest praise of all the universe. Right?

What?  You're rolling on the floor, laughing your ass off?

Well shit.

I hope they don't hate it that much.

I am in love with this book, and have fallen for these characters all over again.

Three in the Dungeon works hard to repair the damage done to Jeff and Roman's relationship. It also gets Dare started on a new journey, with a new Dom... you'll meet Vanessa and Roman (and Jeff's) baby daughter, Cassandra, although similarly to P!NK's adorable li'l one, Cassandra spends much of the book off-stage. Well, you know, because it's a book about SEX, not babies. (wink, wink).

Oh, what else happens? Hmm.... you get to know the MN kink community a little better... eeek! Hope nobody recognizes themselves.... (giggle). Hmm... I'm hoping to include a bonus short story, kind of a squicky medical fetish thingy - I don't know if people will like it, though - kinda makes even ME cringe. And yeah, aside from pulling out teeth with pliars, that's a hard thing to do.

Okay. I'm a little over-caffeinated, I think, and very wound up to have this book done, dead-on the second deadline I set for myself. Go me!

So check back - once I hear from the early readers and check my calendar, I'll be posting a RELEASE DATE! (Oh, yeah, and creating a cover. Cuz that's sort of important).

Cheers. Have a GREAT weekend!

~SM

SM Johnson ~ Thursday Morning Coffee ~ Sight Unseen, Imagine

Consider this the white coffee cup of surrender. I am deeply upset about something maybe not worth being so upset about. But there you go, that's my deal today.

I am a fair is fair sort of person, and I get it that I read stuff that many (most?) people wouldn't touch if it were wrapped in latex and they had three layers of plastic gloves on.

Seriously. No problem. I know I'm weird. And you don't have to feel bad for me, because I like being a little bit "off." In general, I think I'm even a little bit proud of it. Oh. Is my superiority complex showing? 'Scuse. Let me stuff that bitch back into her corner...

I have been, over the years, involved in many different on-line forums. Blogger circles (Triberr), Twitter, FetLife, the dreaded Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, 43 Things, LiveJournal, CafeMom, MySpace, yahoo groups, AOL forums... on and on and on. I'm freaking everywhere online that one can create a profile, I swear. Okay, well, no. I skipped Bing and Tumbler and some others, but I digress.

I'm not terribly active in a lot of those places, but Goodreads has tended to be my recent favorite, and I found a group of people there who love to read the sort of stuff I love to read - so I've been hanging out, not to promote my book, but because I just like it there. And because I have adored many of the books recommended to me, and so in a weird sort of way they feel like My People. It's like a personal book store - everything I like all wrapped up in pretty bows, simple enough to just pluck off the shelf. Or having a personal shopper, maybe (hee, cuz you all know how much I love shopping, yes? Well maybe you don't. I hate it. HATE it. Sort of hate leaving my house at all, to tell you the truth).

So... this is what happened. Someone in my safe, comfy, homey group rated poorly a book that I loved, and wrote a rather judgmental, negative review. The first line of the review states: "No, I did not read this book."

Does this mystify you? That someone who hasn't read something feels qualified to rate and review it?

The writer of that review clearly isn't (qualified that is). And the person is an author in their own right, so I don't know, wouldn't you keep your writer shoes on at least a little bit when reviewing stuff? I would, enough to at least hope nobody didn't read my book in order to give it a bad review.

The worst part is that I am no longer feeling safe in my favorite discussion group. In fact, I think I will have to be quiet in there for a time, while I try to decide whether to stay or not. And worry, just a little, that this person might pan my OWN books out of spite.

Not that I'm thin-skinned. I've received my share of negative reviews - in fact, I posted snippets of them here some time back, the worst of the worst. I can take it. I wrote the stuff. Someone took the time to read it - maybe even paid a few bucks to read it - they are absolutely, 100% entitled to their opinion and are welcome to write any damn kind of review that they feel like writing. And I will suck it up. I might even say thanks for the reviews.

But for someone to review negatively a book they have not read - my sense is that I don't want to be around the kind of person who would to this. It shows a lack of integrity and a complete absence of professionalism.

Actually, makes me want to start an on-line shit storm, because we all know what a productive use of time and energy that is, and how effective (yeah, right.). Perhaps as effective and useful as reviewing books you haven't read.

Peace out, darlings. I have to work day shift all weekend long, so you probably won't be hearing from me. That whole "bed time" thing really decimates my ability to woo you.

SM Johnson ~Thursday Morning Coffee ~ Seriously Good Books

Happy Thursday Morning Coffee, darlings! Aw man, I have read some seriously good books lately. Which shouldn't be all that unusual, but it seems like the purchase of good books for my kindle goes in streaks. I'll be plodding along reading one "meh" after another to the point where I actually get sick of reading (OMG, me? Sick of reading? That's sacrilege!) and then the right sort of reviews hit my inbox and suddenly I have all this stuff on my kindle that I can't STOP reading.
The family is begging for some attention, maybe dinner, or clean clothes, and all I can say is, "Yeah, I'll get to it," as I touch my kindle screen to turn another page.

I am probably really annoying to live with at this point.

Should I have to (gulp) put my kindle down and go to work, I can do it, but I tend to be distracted in between my breaks - you know, when I'm supposed to be working. And then ON those breaks, I'm walking around with my kindle in front of my face like the commercial I just saw, detailing how fun the kindle is at the beach.

So... sheesh, you must be asking, what the heck have you been reading?

Okaaaaay, then... one little reminder or warning, or whatever. I'm a dark girl and I like dark fiction. Which translates to this: I can't recommend these books to my normal friends and family, but I will recommend them to you, darlings.

First off... let's talk Megan Hart, the author of what have been perhaps the lightest, and therefore most mainstream fiction I've read lately. And when I say "light" and "mainstream" I mean, um, well... there wasn't any kidnapping or rape, but still lots of fun deviance. What I love about Megan Hart's writing is that her narrators tend to feel like average, every day normal people, who find themselves involved in emotional entanglements they never expected.

For instance: The Space Between Us is the story of a single woman who lets herself be drawn into another woman's marriage as a "Third" - partner, or sexual partner. It sounds fun, doesn't it? Yeah... it is, actually (wink). Until it's not. And then, honestly? It's really not.

I tweeted to Megan that I really appreciated how much of the emotional landscape she nailed in The Space Between Us, and asked her what she recommended next. She recommended Tempted, the story of a married couple James and Anne, who bring the husband's oldest and dearest best friend Alex Kennedy into their bed. Mmmmm. The entire story is told from Anne's point of view, and that Alex, he is hot, hot, hot. And I mean smokin'. The story is hot, the sex is even hotter, and the ending is bittersweet. What more could I want?

Well... I had to read several of Tempted's scenes from Alex's point of view in a fifty page story called Everything Changes, that's what. The dynamic between these two men, who clearly love each other, but also have some very clear sexual boundaries that will not be crossed, is fascinating. I fell a little bit more in love with Alex Kennedy.

Finally, I read Naked. Naked is told from the point of view of Olivia, who falls in love with Alex Kennedy against the advice of her best friend, a gay man who's had an affair with Alex. A gay man whom Olivia almost married, back in college. This book was awesomely filled with tension because I felt like I already knew Alex, and I sort of agreed with the guy who warned her off. Alex doesn't seem like a good bet for a long-term, monogamous relationship. Because of how well I felt I knew Alex, Naked was a book full of almost unbearable tension for me. Right. To. The. Very. Last. Page. It was really stressful coming to care for Olivia while also never being able to feel like she should trust Alex. And when Alex brings her to meet Anne and Jamie - OMG.

Okay. So there are the Megan Hart books.

The other, lighter, favorite I read recently is Not His Kiss to Take by Finn Marlowe. This was a somewhat unusual book for me, not because of the older man/younger man pairing, but because it had medical kink, and it's sort of in the genre of "gay for you" - which usually I think is pretty lame.  The kink isn't even what I loved about it. What I loved was Jamie's snappy attitude, how stubborn he was, and how he allowed Dr. Evan to manipulate him, knowing exactly how he was being manipulated. The other really great thing about this book is that it made me laugh out loud, frequently. I believe it was told in a traditional romance style - meaning from the point of views of each man in the romantic pairing, and it ended on a happily ever after premise. An erotic, sweet, happy and fun read. Loved it. (Purchased from Smashwords and emailed to my kindle, FYI. I couldn't find it on Amazon).

All right. Now we'll get to the really intense stuff.
Somehow I was lured into the darkness on Goodreads to stumble upon a book called Schadenfreude by XIX. This is not an ebook. It is a rough draft posted on a website. I sat in front of my computer for a WHOLE DAY consuming it, almost non-stop. I've linked to the book's page on Goodreads, because I think anyone considering reading this should read the reviews. It's a rough draft. There is constant and unusually placed commas. It is an awful story.
Schadenfreude is such an awful story that once I had read it online, I immediately copied it into a Word document that I emailed, warts and all, to my kindle - so that I could read it again, much more slowly. Because it is an ugly story, and I suspect it will be with me forever. And it might be the most beautiful story that I will read this year. I almost hate myself for loving it so much. I mean... what does that say about me? Ouch.
Finally... I met Shuki. The book is called Not A Man, and it's by M.A. McRae, and it's an absolute steal, 558 pages for the crazy price of $2.99. I don't even know where to start. I guess I'll start by saying it's basically a kidnap/non-con/slave boy sort of thing... or maybe I'll just copy here a brief description form Amazon: From boy of the slums to Oxford Graduate, this is the story of Shuki Bokiah - modern day eunuch.
What else is there to say about Shuki? Well... I fell in love with him. It's an epic tale, long and meandering, and spanning several years of Shuki's life... but amazingly enough, it is never, ever dull. I fell into Shuki's world for more than a day and I've already purchased the second book of the series, The King's Favourite, though I have not started reading it quite yet. M.A.'s website indicates there will be a book three coming out in April, so I figure I have a little time. The trouble with Shuki is that I was pretty useless for anything except reading until I finished it. So I suppose I should do some laundry, clean the bathrooms, and vacuum the rugs before I visit Shuki again.
Oooh, and I also got to read a draft of JC Andrijeski's The Morph. Go me! New favorites, old favorites... I've just been drowning in great books! 
And now... back to work on Three in the Dungeon. Because you don't think I'm completely neglecting my own stuff (wink). 
Have a great weekend, darlings! If you feel like commenting, I'd love to know what you've read lately that's knocked your socks off.

SM Johnson ~Thursday Morning Coffee ~ Do you love dark fiction?

So... I have a confession to make.

Last week I talked about a new character, Angel, and posted an excerpt of a brand new work-in-progress (WIP). But I neglected to mention that my inspiration came wholly from someone else's book.

It's not like plagiarism. I wrote all of my own words, but many of the concepts I have been playing with in the Angel WIP are similar enough to this other book that I would be uncomfortable publishing it and calling it an original work, as it sits now. Which is okay. 33,000 words poured out of me in ONE WEEK. This is amazing and astonishing and more fun that I can even explain. Yeah, I know, non-writers are groaning and wondering how it could possibly be fun... but trust me, awesomely super fun.

Inspiration can be weird that way.

I have about 5 WIPs right now, and a somewhat loose publishing schedule in my brain for which ones, when, and in which order and so on and so forth. I won't even be looking to finish or publish anything about Angel for a year, if not two. I guess that's sort of my non-compete clause. After all, even as a BDSM writer, I didn't choose to knock out a 50 Shades story - it just wasn't on my schedule. And I have no interest in riding anyone's coat-tails.

I write what I write because I want to write it. And that's pretty much the full scope of my writing life.

The thing is, even if we're telling the same story - it never turns out to be the same story. I mean, how many romance novels are out there? Yeah, exactly.

I've been inspired by books before - it was Anne Rice who inspired me to create the Vampire DeVante (with a little push from my husband)... and it was Queer as Folk that inspired the increase in heat level in the dynamic between Daniel and Reed in DeVante's Coven.

We writers get our inspiration from just about anywhere, including my seagull muse - the one that flies over me and drops inspiration on my head out of nowhere.

Truth is, I love me a good dark non-consensual story-line with a little Stockholm Syndrome thrown in to make it bearable. I really, really do.

So I want to give credit where credit is due, and considering I write the stuff that I want to read - I also want to share my inspiration with my readers, because I think you guys would like this book.

Hamelin's Child
by DJ Bennett.

 Michael Redford died on his seventeenth birthday – the night Eddie picked him up off the street, shot him full of heroin and assaulted him.

Now he’s Mikey and he works for Joss. With streaked blond hair and a cute smile, he sleeps by day and services clients at night. Sometimes he remembers his old life, but with what he’s become now, he knows there is no return to his comfortable middle-class background.

Then he makes a friend in Lee. A child of the streets, Lee demands more from friendship than Mikey is prepared to give. But the police are closing in on them now and Mikey’s not sure anymore who he really is – streetwise Mikey or plain Michael Redford.

Hamelin’s Child was long-listed in the UK Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. A thriller set in the seedy world of London's drug rings, this book contains strong scenes and adult material.

(approx 85,000 word novel)


Praise for Hamelin’s Child:~dark, raw, shocking, and a fascinating read~ a story that doesn't so much hook you as grab you by the throat and force you to keep turning the pages ~  one of the most utterly gripping books I've ever read~ outstanding and highly recommended~ nothing about the story is predictable, certainly not the ending



I started Hamelin's Child one evening and finished it by the next day. And then I was so mind-f*cked that the only thing I could manage to do the second half of that day was think about it.

And over the next week, I read Hamelin's Child two more times.

It's dark. It's gritty. It's not nice.

And yet... there it is - I LOVED it. I obsessed about it. The story sticks with me, even now.

Mikey is... oh, so naive. And becomes oh, so damaged. And is oh, so conflicted... And yet somehow he manages to find his way.

It's available in paperback now, too - and guess what's even better?


Paying the Piper, the next installment of Michael's story, was released in e-book format YESTERDAY!

Yes! I'm already reading it. Why don't you join me? Come on - start with Hamelin's Child and walk with me on the dark side - you know you want to!



Paying the Piperby DJ Bennett
Payingthe Piper is the sequel to the CWA Debut Dagger Award-long-listed Hamelin’s Child , which has sold thousands of copies since its e-publication in 2011. A dark psychological thriller, Paying the Pipertakes up Michael’s story six months after the shocking events of his abduction and heroin addiction.
Michael is piecing his life back together after his time spent as a rent boy. But it’s hard and although he’s been clean of drugs for months, the nightmares are still too real and he can’t come to terms with Lee’s death and Eddie’s impending trial.

Sometimes other people’s troubles can seem easier to deal with. When Michael meets Amanda at the cashpoint, it’s a chance to focus on someone other than himself, and finding Amanda’s missing husband and baby may just be his salvation.

But the shadows of his past won’t let him go. The bank account they've set up for him is full of easy cash and Eddie’s old boss Carl can help Amanda. And suddenly Michael is in deeper than he ever imagined possible. 
Set in London and north-west England, Paying the Piperlooks at how much the past can influence the future. And as Amanda has to choose between working with the charismatic Lenny or the police, Michael’s about to find out that taking control of his own destiny was never going to be as straightforward as he’d thought.


You can buy Paying the Piper in kindle format on amazon.co.uk and amazon.com. For other amazon sites and other e-formats, links can be found on www.debbiebennett.co.uk, where you can also find out more about DJ Bennett. Or check out the author pages on amazon.co.ukor amazon.com.
No e-reader? You don’t need one. There are free kindle apps you can download to get free readers for your pc, phone or whatever gadget you have.

SM Johnson ~Thursday Morning Coffee ~ New fiction excerpt

Top o' the very chilly morning to you, darlings! See my snowy coffee cup? Yeah, that's in honor of our miserable cold, cold, COLD temperatures this week. So cold that school was cancelled Monday AND Tuesday because it was dangerous for children to be waiting for the bus (or worse, walking to school), yikes!

I was very thankful to have an office to hide in - Best. Idea. Ever.

Child's best friend came over Monday, and the minute they heard the news that there would be no school on Tuesday either, the begging for a sleepover commenced. And since I was hiding in my office all day, I wasn't even annoyed about having an extra child overnight. Ahhh, the loveliness of having my own small and humble space.

It was a bit of an odd week. I got revved up about a whole new story (which always seems to happen when there's something else I really should be working on). And since I had to work 6 days out of 7 last week, the only writing I was able to do was longhand. Mm-hmm. But before you feel sorry for me - I wrote about 15,000 words longhand. It took me a good half of a day to type it all up.

So that was actually pretty amazing.

My new character's name is Angel, and he has shockingly beautiful blue eyes. Unfortunately, this does not turn out to be a good thing for my sweet Angel, and unimaginably bad things happen to him. Because that's what we writers do to fictional characters.

Justin Lattimore (a.k.a Angel) was snatched off the street and forced into a sex-trafficking operation. This excerpt is from sort of the middle of the story. Angel's already gone through the really hard stuff, and has a long-range plan to get himself out and hopes to destroy the whole sordid organization.

**Start excerpt**


I put my toothbrush away and found Dusty in the hallway, shifting from foot to foot.
"Gearbox?" I asked. "What does that even mean?"
He was several inches taller than me, and slung an arm across my shoulder like we were already buddies. "Shit, I forgot, they force it at the training houses, don't they?"
I must have still looked baffled, because he said, "It's where we go for our hit. Our shot."
"Heroin before coffee?" I asked, and sort of liked the droll tone of voice I'd just found. I thought I sounded cynical and worldly.
He grinned. "Yeah, I guess. It's voluntary from here on out, you know. In most houses, if you don't ask for it by nine, you won't get it until the next morning." He shuddered. "Which means the whole day will suck and the night will be even worse. And you won't be able to work. Too many times and you go back to training. Or the kill room."
This wasn't the first the kill room had been mentioned, but it sounded ominous every time it was brought up. The term contained an inherent threat. I let my eyes ask the question.
Dusty nodded. "Yeah, it's what you think. The boy ends up on a snuff film, dying for the camera and the sick fucks who like that kind of shit."
The very idea that people wanted to see that kind of thing gave me the chills. Sick fucks, indeed. "The only way out," I said, quoting Jet, "is not survival."
Dusty nodded, and steered me into what looked like a fairly standard kitchen, except for a steel door set into the wall opposite the doorway we'd just come through. He skirted around a large oblong table with chairs that was central to the room, and knocked on the door, two gentle taps, then sat at the table.
 I smelled coffee. I found a mug above the half-filled coffee pot and poured myself a cup, then opened cupboards until I found sugar. I poured in probably way too much, and added a generous pour of milk from the fridge.
I sat across from Dusty and set down my mug. He picked it up, sipped, and made a face. "Coffee with your sugar much?"
I wasn't a coffee drinker, but I could choke it down if it was light and sweet. And it seemed like such a normal thing. My mom had been one of those, 'don't ask me anything before I've had my coffee' people. So maybe I really did want my coffee before my heroin.
Maybe I just wanted control over something.
Five minutes later the steel door opened from the inside, and a man stood in the doorway looking at us dispassionately. He was an adult male, older than thirty but younger than forty, with neatly trimmed brown hair, and a stern face. "Who's first?" he said in a voice that was all business.
Dusty waved at me. "New guy first."
I shook my head, for some reason deciding to test the situation. "I'm having coffee."
The man in the doorway's expression didn't change.
My eyes skittered to Dusty, and he was staring at me. He gave his head one firm shake, and I caught the message, loud and clear. Don't.
I fiddled with my coffee cup for a few seconds, took one more sip, then pushed it away and got up from the table.
The man turned sideways in the doorway, gesturing for me to precede him. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I ducked past him. The door closed with a soft whoosh, like an air-lock.
It was more like a large closet than a room, maybe four feet by six.
He touched my shoulder, then my hair, as he went around me. A counter top ran along two walls, a small sink set into one end, and a refrigerator beneath the other. The shelves behind me were filled with medical supplies. If I moved too quickly, I would knock things over.
The man tapped the screen of a computer tablet that rested on the counter. "Angel Baby?" I heard the question in his voice, but felt too claustrophobic all of a sudden to answer.
I could feel his eyes on me, hard and not particularly friendly. I knew he was waiting for me to say something, but I had forgotten the question.
"Your name," he suggested.
Ah, that was the question. "My name is Justin Lattimore."
Jesus. I knew it was the wrong answer, but it fell out of my mouth before I could stop it. I couldn't have even said what it was about him, but I was scared out of my wits.
He sighed, and that drew my eyes toward him in time to see him stand up straight and rock back on his heels. The tension in the tiny room went up a notch.
I looked away, but it was like I was staring at the white noise that filled the inside of my head.
"I was told you were ready to be here, but perhaps we should try this again tomorrow."
I could hear disappointment in his voice, like he was a stern father and I was about to do something stupid.
I didn't want to go back to the training house. I didn't want to be put in a room with no windows and no sunlight, and I really didn't want to find myself back under the care and keeping of Slick.
And I didn't want to shit myself all night, praying tomorrow would come before I choked on my own vomit.
"I'm Angel," I said, the words barely louder than a whisper.
"There. That wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked, and turned away from me, tapping the glass face of the tablet. "Dang. Red gave you a tremendous dose for transfer. Were you giving him a hard time?"
I shook my head but he wasn't looking at me, so I said, "No. I wanted to come."
"Because they took Jet away?" he asked, and I almost thought I heard a thread of sympathy.
I wondered if everyone knew about Jet. The man glanced from the tablet to me, and I nodded.
He nodded back. "Changing trainers in the middle of things is never good." He opened the door of a cabinet above the counter. "I'm going to take your blood pressure, so I can record a baseline while you're neither high nor in withdrawal."
He turned toward me, a blood pressure cuff in his hand, snapped his fingers, and pointed to a tall stool next to the counter. I edged closer to him and pulled myself onto the stool. I wasn't shaking, quite, as he fastened the cuff around my arm, but felt as if my insides were mushy.
For that little while he seemed like a real doctor, and I couldn't imagine why he would be in a place like this, how he got sucked up into this organization. Surely he didn't start out a child prostitute who grew up and went to medical school. That wouldn't be possible, would it? Maybe he was just an addict, and that got him in.
He unfastened the cuff and entered something into the tablet.
"I'm going to wean you down to a much smaller dose than what Red's been giving you, so you might be uncomfortable for a few days, with muscle aches and such. I'll be here to monitor you, so if you start feeling really sick, have Dusty come and get me."
I didn't say anything.
"Did you hear me, Angel?"
"Yeah," I said. Whatever. Like everyone else, he was going to do what he wanted to me, and I would have to deal with it. And yet… I hated being so passive. I had to find my voice, for real, and start using it. "You're going to put me into withdrawal on purpose." The words came out flat, a statement, not a question.
"Not exactly," he said. "They administer the drugs in the training houses in a way that keeps you manageable and gets you addicted. You're expected to be manageable here, behaviorally, at any rate. That's the deal that got you moved to this house. I administer it more carefully – a maintenance dose that allows you to work and function, and yet is more cost-effective for the organization overall."
I didn't want to know any of this, and had nothing to say.
He sighed. "I really don't care for the sullen, silent routine. I know the first few months after being brought in are hard, but I expect Dusty will put some spunk back into you."
Oh, I've had plenty of spunk put into me, I thought, but somehow I knew it would be a huge mistake to say something that sarcastic, out loud, to this man.
"Rest your arm on the table, please," he said, and I flinched as he twisted a rubber tie around my upper arm. "Make a fist."
I curled my fingers tight to my palm.
"Say please."
I glared at him and felt the white noise in my head gain.
His eyes were steel like the door, and his voice so soft I almost had to strain to hear it. "Do you know anything about heroin, Angel? People sacrifice their lives so I can inject this drug into your vein. For that alone, you will ask for it nicely."
I wanted to scream. I was all too aware that it was probably true, but I never wanted any of this in the first place. Who would?
He stared into my face for long minutes.
His patience had no end as he waited for me to get over myself.
We hung in suspended animation for sixteen years before I whispered the word he waited to hear.
"Please."
And in the following moment, the moment in which the needle pierced my skin, I felt keenly the death of Justin Lattimore.

**End excerpt**

SM Johnson ~ Thursday Morning Coffee ~Out of the Dungeon update

Good morning, Darlings. Just a quick little post to let you know that I have updated and uploaded new files for Out of the Dungeon to both Amazon and Smashwords. Might try my hand at publishing them via All Romance e-books one of these days, as well.

I fixed some annoying typos and added a couple of additional scenes, so if you've previously purchased this title, you should be able to go grab the updated version for free.

If you find it momentarily unavailable, check back in a day or two. Sometimes the re-issue isn't exactly immediate. And in this case, I had to re-upload AGAIN because I found a typo that I somehow inserted while editing. Pesky little typos.

Three in the Dungeon, the 3rd book of my Dungeon series, is coming soon! My target release date is February 28.

If you haven't checked it out yet, the Goodreads BDSM group has a  fun little thing called BDSM Bedtime stories, and an amazing reader named Sirly Eric read an excerpt from Above the Dungeon, the first book in the series. So if you want to dip your toes in the water to find out if my boys will heat you up, go have a listen HERE via YouTube (it's basically an audio file with a slideshow). Absolutely lovely.

Have a great weekend, darlings. I'll be in the dungeon (office) bleeding words.

SM Johnson ~Guest Post ~ Advice from a Lizard

Maggie Lee’s anole lizard, Godzilla, or God for short, has an opinion on everything. Here he shares some of his thoughts.
   1)     Practice Safe Sex. You should never have sex when you have a gun under your mattress.   2)     Kissing is disgusting. (Male anole lizards prefer to bite the back of the neck of the female he chooses to mate with.)   3)     Clean eating is best.  Live crickets are preferable to processed food (i.e. freeze-dried crickets).   4)     Exercise is overrated. Watch more TV…preferably Wheel of Fortune.   5)     When in doubt, ask God. He knows everything.

 Thanks for the advice, God!
God is a hysterically funny character in JB Lynn's Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series, I've read the first book, and am planning to read book 2, Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman as soon as I can get to it. Confessions is neither vampire nor erotica, but still a really fun read.
Amazon  NookBook 1: Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman
Maggie Lee is not your average hitwoman. For one thing, she's never killed anyone. For another, after hitting her head in the car accident that killed her sister, her new best friend is a talking lizard--a picky eater, obsessed with "Wheel of Fortune," that only Maggie can hear.Maggie, who can barely take care of herself, is desperate to help her injured and orphaned niece get the best medical care possible, so she reluctantly accepts a mobster's lucrative job offer: major cash to kill his monstrous son-in-law.

Paired with Patrick Mulligan, a charming murder mentor (who happens to moonlight as a police detective), Maggie stumbles down her new career path, contending with self-doubt, three meddling aunts, a semi-psychic friend predicting her doom, and a day job she hates. Oh, and let's not forget about Paul Kowalski, the sexy beat cop who could throw her ass in jail if he finds out what she's up to.


Training has never been so complicated And, this time, Maggie has to get the job done. Because if she doesn't . . . she's the mob's next target Amazon  NookBook 2: Further Confessions of Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman
Take three wacky aunts, two talking animals, one nervous bride, and an upcoming hit, and you've got the follow-up to JB Lynn's wickedly funny Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman
Knocking off a drug kingpin was the last thing on Maggie Lee's to-do list, but when a tragic accident leaves her beloved niece orphaned and in the hospital, Maggie will go to desperate lengths to land the money needed for her care.
But the drug kingpin is the least of her worries. Maggie's aunts are driving her crazy, her best friend's turned into a bridezilla…and a knock on the head has given Maggie Dr. Dolittle abilities—she can talk to animals. Unfortunately, they talk back.
It's just another day in the life of this neurotic hitwoman…
You can also buy these books from IndieBound.

About the Author:Besides being a writer, JB Lynn is a compulsive reader, a runner (of sorts), an enthusiastic cook (who doesn't get the appeal of the Food Network), and someone who has an irresistible urge to eavesdrop at all times.
JB has a great love of her husband, dogs, coffee, purple ink, spiral notebooks, running gear, hot showers, and '80s music. Given enough time, all of these things will eventually show up in her books.

There's a blog tour going on, so for more about JB Lynn, Maggie Lee and Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman, come and join the tour!



Schedule:
Jan. 7 Modokker Book Pickshttp://modokkerbookpicks.blogspot.com Character Guest PostJan. 8 Alchemy of Scrawl http://alchemyscrawl.com Character Guest PostJan. 9 Bunny's Reviews http://bunnysreview.com Author Guest PostJan. 10 Jess Resides Here http://www.frellathon.com InterviewJan. 11 SM Johnson Writes http://smjbookteasers.blogspot.comPost from GodzillaJan. 12 Living, Learning, and Loving Lifehttp://www.livinglearninglovinglife.com Author Guest PostJan. 13 Mom with a Kindle http://momwithakindle.blogspot.comCharacter Guest PostJan. 14 Alli's Worl http://mrscaptkirk51.blogspot.com/ Review and Character Guest PostJan. 15 Keeping Up with the Rheinlander'shttp://mnmrheinlander.com Review and Character Guest Post
Live Chat at Goodreads Jan. 10:http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/88126-ask-j-b-lynn
Tour's Pinterest Boardhttp://pinterest.com/girlwhoreads/confessions-tour/
Social Media Links:Website: www.jblynn.comPublisher:http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/38895/JB_Lynn/index.aspxTwitter: https://twitter.com/jb_lynn_authorFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/jb.lynn.14KILLER CHICKS (blog): http://www.killerchicks.org/
Buy Links:Book 1Amazon: http://amzn.to/UzBfbsIndieBound: http://bit.ly/VuLWd7B&N: http://bit.ly/Tt4LQ8
Book 2Amazon: http://amzn.to/XblP0EIndieBound: http://bit.ly/VnhvGgB&N: http://bit.ly/VU2Twv

SM Johnson ~ Blog changes 2013

Good morning, Darlings, and Happy 2013!

This is an info post. My blogging experiment continues. For the past year and a half I made an effort to post new content three times a week. For the most part, it was pretty cool.

Did I see an increase in book sales? Nope.

When I put the blog on hiatus altogether this fall, I saw a huge increase in the sales of the Dungeon books. I have absolutely no idea why this is,
 but I have decided that I would rather write 10,000 words of fiction per week than 10,000 words of blog posts, so that's what I'm going to do.

I think I am not a natural blogger, and my "posts under pressure" are really not that interesting. My energy needs to be focused on fiction.

When I have something to say, or when I have new releases or other book news, I shall share. And keep an eye out, because I'm hoping to release 2 novels and a novella by June 2013!

If you followed my "clean" story, A Year of Sundays, it WILL be finished and released as a novel. Watch for it!

Generally I will try to post on Thursdays.

Thank you, darlings, and my biggest wish is for 2013 to treat you well.

Let 2013 be a year of change: Leave toxic relationships in 2012. Do what you love. Be happy. Be kind. Take a moment each day to be mindful. Be grateful for the things in your life that are good. Cope or change the things that are not. Best wishes to you all.

~SM

SM Johnson ~BDSM Bedtime Stories

I was invited me to submit an excerpt to be read as an audio clip for BDSM Bedtime Stories.

Mmm... I can't even tell you how hot, hot, HOT it is.

I'm happy to bring to you an audio excerpt of Above the Dungeon read by the absolutely amazing Sirly Eric.

Check it out! BDSM Bedtime Stories - Above the Dungeon

Leave a comment here, in comments beneath the audio/slide show, or in the discussion area **HERE** (you may need to be a group member) for a chance to win a Smashwords e-copy of the book.

Comments in all three places will count as three entries. I'll let my husband draw a winner, (or two or three) from his hat on January 15th.

I am just tickled. Go, have a listen. But if you're not alone, I suggest headphones, cuz it's not appropriate for the workplace or the kids.

Thanks bunches to La Crimson Femme and BDSM Bedtime Stories for this cool audio clip. And thanks to the band Leaether Strip for permission to use their lyrics in Above the Dungeon - the scene would not be nearly as intense without the lyrics. And thanks, always, to those who read and enjoy my books.

Want to hear the song? Strap Me Down by Leaether Strip

Like the music and want to learn more about Leather Strip? Leaether Strip on Facebook