B.A. Tortuga's Blog, page 41
February 14, 2015
Happy Valentine's Day
Much love, y’all!
BA
What I'm Reading
Just starting Poe by J. Lincoln Fenn.
***
1. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett — so far, loving it. So damn funny.
2. The Best Horror of the Year Volume Six, edited by Ellen Datlow — there wasn’t a single story where anything happened. So frustrating.
3. Indian Cooking Unfolded by Raghavan Iyer — great narrative, interesting recipes, but not for a foodie, for someone who wants the very basics.
4. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters — lovely little mystery
5. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg — absolutely charming and made me cry
6. Joyland, a Hard Case Crime by Stephen King. Loved it.
7. Shadow Man by Cody Macfayden — I have to admit by the end I was furious and screaming. This could have been exceptional. It was not.
8. The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis — nothing I didn’t know, but I needed the reminder.
9. Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy Cohen — very interesting. This one’s a keeper.
10. Writing Mystery and Crime by Marg McAllister — for a beginning writer more than an experienced one, I think.
11. The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg — beautifully written, a lovely, warm read that’s like a hug. Gave me a lot to talk about with J.
January 31, 2015
What I'm Working on this Week
How the hell is it February already?
Writing:
New f/f YA novel — I have 1000 words. I have a name.
Musician. Bodyguard. Stalker. Loving this one
Started a new series for Dreamspinner. *So* excited.
In edits/rewrites:
Ace/Kitty in rewrites.
Coke/Dillon in rewrites.
At beta:
nothing
At proofing:
nothing
Subbed:
Go Ask Alice to Hamony Ink
Articles of Release to Dreamspinner
Next week's plan?
More words.
January 30, 2015
What I'm reading. :D
Halfway through Shadow Man by Cody Macfayden. OMG. So, interesting.
***
1. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett — so far, loving it. So damn funny.
2. The Best Horror of the Year Volume Six, edited by Ellen Datlow — there wasn’t a single story where anything happened. So frustrating.
3. Indian Cooking Unfolded by Raghavan Iyer — great narrative, interesting recipes, but not for a foodie, for someone who wants the very basics.
4. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters — lovely little mystery
5. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg — absolutely charming and made me cry
6. Joyland, a Hard Case Crime by Stephen King. Loved it.
January 28, 2015
PLUGS!
*blinks innocently*
What?
Okay, so I have all the shiny newness to share and some fine shiny oldness and I thought, okay, rather than blast y’all with all the promo one at a time, I’d give you a one stop shopping.
So? I have 4 — yes 4 — stories to tell you about. A m/m contemporary preorder, a f/f YA preorder, a f/f reprint and a m/m/f reprint. *Grins*
Coming February 27!
Ever the Same — m/m, contemporary.
Audie Barrack is in it up to his elbows with a sick calf when his son’s school calls. Seems Grainger has gotten into yet another fight. When he walks into the principal’s office, he’s shocked to find his son has been fighting with a little girl named Randi.
A little girl with one blind dad and one dad who recently passed away.
Goddammit.
Dixon has lost his sight, his career, and his husband. Thank God for his brothers, Momma and Daddy, and his little girl, or he would simply give up. The last thing he needs is for Randi to start trouble at school, especially trouble that puts him in contact with another dad who might expect him to be a functional human being.
Dixon is struggling to live as a blind man, Audie is terrified someone might see he has a closet to come out of, and everyone from the school to both men’s families is worried for the men and their children. Unless they get themselves together and commit to change, neither of them stands a chance.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6096
Coming February 19!
Stealing Bases
YA, f/f, contemporary (yep, I’m Anne Key!)
All Charlene "Charley" Lemain wants in the world is to play softball well enough to get into UT and to hang with her bestie Kaylee.
That’s why it sucks so hard when she tears her rotator cuff and has to spend most of her senior year not playing, not practicing, not doing much of anything but watching Kaylee cheer and flirt with her quarterback boyfriend. As with besties, Kaylee sets Charley up for homecoming. It’s a nice enough date until Brant confides in her that he’s glad Charley’s "like him."
Like him? What the hell does that mean?
Charley needs to figure out what’s going on in her body, in her life, and most importantly, in her heart.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6074
Available Now!
Bright Lights and Boob Jobs
(f/f, erotic romance, contemporary)
Maddie is trying hard to make it in the big city, but shaking her assets for strangers really hasn't gotten her very far. She's homesick, but too proud to go back home. Cowgirl Shannon is sick of waiting for Maddie to decide to make her way home, so she goes to rope her girl and take her away. Can Shannon convince Maddie that they might not have money, but all they need is love?
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-brightlightsandboobjobs-1563289-182.html
For Life
m/m/f, paranormal, action/adventure
Jamie and Brett both know something terrible is about to happen to Melody, and they come back into her life after years spent apart, turning her carefully ordered world upside down. Someone is determined to make them pay for a mistake from the past, but these three are older and wiser now. Can they find a way to stay together?
Previously published in the Mates anthology by Torquere Press Inc
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-forlife-1732869-341.html
PLUG PLUG PLUG
;-)
Much love, y’all.
BA
Guest Post: My Amazing Wife JULIA TALBOT
So, a while back, maybe two years ago, I played a Lee Brice song for my wife. I Drive Your Truck. She was mostly eh, saying it was fine, but sort of emotional blackmail. Then she saw the video, which is exceptional, and said, “You should write that story.”
I sat down that day and started my first contemporary in years. I had a ball writing Garrison, a Navy SEAL and Walt, a deputy. Garrison is an adrenaline junkie, and Walt is a closet case. They have huge chemistry, but they have to really fight to get past all the baggage they both have. I love they’re guys, and that they don’t wallow in their emotions too much. They’re both action men, they both know how to move on when they must. They’re like a country song, like Lee Brice, who’s big and burly and smokes too much late at night when he stays up late to sing for a bunch middle-aged old broads on a cruise. True story.
You can go watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCSMCgqlc-0
You can find the book here! 25% off, too. http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5988
I’m not a huge music writer like my girl us. I like a playlist, but I’m not always tweaking it, or auditioning songs. Lee Brice seems to be a muse for me, though, because what I’m working on now for DSP is based on his song I Don’t Dance. You can check that one out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBEBbgQEJy4
One way or another, it’s amazing to me how music plays a role in my everyday life. Even if you don’t like country music, I hope you’ll give this one a chance.
Thanks to BA for having me!
XXOO
Julia
January 24, 2015
What I'm Working On :D
Good word count last week! Let’s keep it up! Shakes pompoms.
Writing:
New f/f YA novel — I have 1000 words. I don’t even know the main character’s first name yet (this one was on hold this week because Articles of Release deadline OMG)
Musician. Bodyguard. Stalker. Loving this one
Articles of Release, next in the Terms of Release universe. DEADLINE OMG.
Mr. Untouchable — next in the One Horse Town universe
In edits/rewrites:
Ace/Kitty in rewrites.
At beta:
nothing
At proofing:
Ever the Same
Subbed:
Mr. Unlucky to TEB
Go Ask Alice to Hamony Ink
Next week's plan?
ALL THE WORDS. AGAIN!
January 23, 2015
What I'm Reading
Halfway through Joyland, a Hard Case Crime by Stephen King. Loving it. LOVING IT.
***
1. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett — so far, loving it. So damn funny.
2. The Best Horror of the Year Volume Six, edited by Ellen Datlow — there wasn’t a single story where anything happened. So frustrating.
3. Indian Cooking Unfolded by Raghavan Iyer — great narrative, interesting recipes, but not for a foodie, for someone who wants the very basics. Thrace — you would love it!
4. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters — lovely little mystery
5. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg — absolutely charming and made me cry
January 21, 2015
January 20, 2015
Themes and Freedom ;-)
You know, I was chatting with Julia about themes — we all have themes in our work, yeah?
Most of the time I’d tell you my theme is panic as I scream toward a deadline.
I’ve been writing my fingers off. I’ve got a deadline (surprise surprise) on the 31st for the sequel to The Terms of Release and between moving and Julia breaking her foot, having literally 6 solid weeks of company, I just didn’t get it finished as fast as I’d liked. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good book. Troy and Eric are loud little bastards with a shitload of baggage, which surprised me, because I didn’t expect it, but I haven’t spent a ton of time wallowing mindlessly in these boys. After all, they’re plotty, and I’m trying to keep all the balls in the air.
Today we were having supper (meatball sandwiches and salads), and Julia asks me, what do these guys want? What’s important to their souls?
I think on it.
Eric is a wounded warrior with no idea what he’s going to do with his life. Troy is a trainer with a serious adrenaline bone and some deep fucking issues. What do they want? They both want out of their own heads.
It’s like Sage and Win from The Terms of Release, you know?
What was important to Sage? Freedom. What was important to Win?
Freedom.
They both wanted the same things and the neat part for me was how they got to that point.
Then with Mike and Jenson from Say Something. Mike wanted everything — he wants every single thing that life has to offer. Jenson? He wants loose of the bonds that he’s built around himself (is that freedom?).
Ever the Same, which is coming soon, is about Dixon and Audie. Dixon’s blind and heartbroken and trying to raise his little girl. Audie’s trapped and scared and trying to raise his little boy.
What does Dixon want? He wants his life back. Jenson? Say it with me, y’all! Freedom.
I was in the closet and in desperate pain (I have trigeminal neuralgia, which is the most painful disease you can have and not die from it) for a long, long time (think decades) and I’m finally, blessedly in remission, out of the closet, married to my soulmate, and truly happy so maybe I’m just working out my shit. I’d been trapped a long, long time and now I’m free.
Maybe now I get to work on setting my boys free.
