Laura Susan Johnson's Blog, page 12
February 16, 2013
No more chapters for Bright after Chapter 13
Chapters 1-13, including the prologue to book one by "Natalie Mattheis" are available to read online at:
http://bright-the-book.snack.ws
I have decided that due to my decision to do some heavy duty editing and rearranging of chapters, I'm not going to post any more chapters on that site. I'm feeling great about how the story is progressing (it helps so much to know how a story is going to be told from stem to stern) but some of the chapters seem excessive in physical length. Chapter 13 may be changed too before all is said and done.
I'm pretty confident the new book will be ready for my publisher late this summer or early fall. :)
http://bright-the-book.snack.ws
I have decided that due to my decision to do some heavy duty editing and rearranging of chapters, I'm not going to post any more chapters on that site. I'm feeling great about how the story is progressing (it helps so much to know how a story is going to be told from stem to stern) but some of the chapters seem excessive in physical length. Chapter 13 may be changed too before all is said and done.
I'm pretty confident the new book will be ready for my publisher late this summer or early fall. :)
February 12, 2013
My muse for Tammy...
When choosing a muse for Tammy Mattheis of "Crush" I wanted someone attractive, naturally, but I also wanted someone human. As I said in "My Muse For Jamie..." I was really lucky to find 2 very inspiring people to muse the MCs of Crush while watching Danny Boyle's sci-fi thriller SUNSHINE.
Chris Evans is an American actor from Boston, MA. He has been a rising star dating back to his work in the FANTASTIC FOUR franchise and a suspense thriller called CELLULAR with Kim Basinger. Within the past year or so, he has really gained notoriety playing Captain America in THE FIRST AVENGER and its sequel. But Evans is also a really GOOD actor, and I learned so in films like PUNCTURE, SUNSHINE, LONDON, and FIERCE PEOPLE.
I enjoyed this article/interview:
http://www.towleroad.com/2009/01/chri...
And I loved this interview...It's real, and I'd be in the same mood if I'd had to do 40+ interviews, answering the same questions:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09...
Which movie do I absolutely recommend you see? Definitely PUNCTURE. As an RN, I've been accidentally needle-sticked 3 times in 10 years. It's a serious issue. I also highly recommend LONDON because Evans acts his ass off in that one, screaming, ranting, hysterically sad, hysterically funny, and he can cry, tears, snot and red eyes with the best of them.
I couldn't have picked better for a Tammy muse :)
Chris Evans is an American actor from Boston, MA. He has been a rising star dating back to his work in the FANTASTIC FOUR franchise and a suspense thriller called CELLULAR with Kim Basinger. Within the past year or so, he has really gained notoriety playing Captain America in THE FIRST AVENGER and its sequel. But Evans is also a really GOOD actor, and I learned so in films like PUNCTURE, SUNSHINE, LONDON, and FIERCE PEOPLE.
I enjoyed this article/interview:
http://www.towleroad.com/2009/01/chri...
And I loved this interview...It's real, and I'd be in the same mood if I'd had to do 40+ interviews, answering the same questions:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09...
Which movie do I absolutely recommend you see? Definitely PUNCTURE. As an RN, I've been accidentally needle-sticked 3 times in 10 years. It's a serious issue. I also highly recommend LONDON because Evans acts his ass off in that one, screaming, ranting, hysterically sad, hysterically funny, and he can cry, tears, snot and red eyes with the best of them.
I couldn't have picked better for a Tammy muse :)
February 10, 2013
Where you can get Crush on eBook now/Bright chapter 13
Just an update/reminder: I recently had to remove the ebook of Crush from all the online retailers it had been available at, such as Smashwords, Diesel, Sony eBooks, etc. Crush the eBook is now exclusively at Amazon. This was required in order to qualify for the KDP Select again. If I am not able to re-enter KDP, I will probably republish the ebook at Smashwords later this year, but for now, it will only be on Amazon sites.
The paperback for Crush is still available worldwide on many online sites, including B&N, Book Depository, Buch.ch, Book Adda, Better World Books, Mighty Ape, Boomerang Books, Powell's of Portland, Zoot (South Africa :) and even good ol' Sears!!!
I just posted chapter 13 of Bright the other day. It seems like a very long chapter that might need editing as I go along. Beware NC-17 in some places!
http://bright-the-book.snack.ws/excer...
The paperback for Crush is still available worldwide on many online sites, including B&N, Book Depository, Buch.ch, Book Adda, Better World Books, Mighty Ape, Boomerang Books, Powell's of Portland, Zoot (South Africa :) and even good ol' Sears!!!
I just posted chapter 13 of Bright the other day. It seems like a very long chapter that might need editing as I go along. Beware NC-17 in some places!
http://bright-the-book.snack.ws/excer...
February 7, 2013
Redux: The dynamics of the relationships in "Crush" and "Bright"
This is probably the way I should have posted my last blog in the first place:
An author of a book about a gay couple dealing with disassociative identity disorder (DID) read my excerpts from my in-progress 2nd novel, Bright. He expressed concern for the fact that the MCs Monty and Walter became intimate only a day after meeting. This author (I'm still searching for him and his book, which has been published and is avail somewhere on Amazon if I remember right) stated that gay people are more than just their sexuality, and that gay authors are striving to write stories that encompass humanity as a whole.
And I agree with this author. Gay people are far more than their sexuality. They are human beings like the rest of us. Even asexuals such as myself do not wish to be regarded only for our (lack of) sexual identity.
What I meant to convey in my last blog post is that the MCs in Crush (Tammy and Jamie) have a different dynamic than the ones in Bright. The first scene of erotica in Crush does not occur until about halfway into the book. Granted there is a kiss and inner thoughts/dreams between the 2, but their lives, and the directions their lives take, keep them physically apart. Even if they had been in close proximity, though, Tammy's fear of ridicule in that small town would have doomed the relationship quickly. He had been given the identity of a "jock". It took him 16 years to decide that who he is is more than someone else's stereotyped view of him, and that Jamie is the only person he will ever want to spend his life with. Tammy decides that not being with Jamie is worse than anything else, even the reprisal of homophobes.
In Bright, neither of the MCs have had to deal with child sexual abuse. Also, their physical location, on a farm out in the country, affords them a kind of "world of their own" setting.
They are different people than the ones in Crush, so yes, they do gravitate to each other rather quickly. In fairness, I have heterosexual friends who had sex within the first few hours of their meeting. One hetero couple I know had a one night stand, and then got married and are still married today. My point? Whether it's a homosexual couple or a heterosexual couple, some couples do hook up quickly, for whatever reason in a variety of reasons. Monty and Walter have an instant and powerful dynamic between them. As I was writing these scenes, it felt natural and right for them to respond to each other in that fashion.
All authors should strive to concentrate on individualism, not stereotyping or generalizing. Every relationship is different because people are different. No 2 people are alike, no matter what "group" or "community" they come from.
I'll apologize in advance if this post is in any way confusing, offensive, or presumptuous. Those are not my intentions :)
An author of a book about a gay couple dealing with disassociative identity disorder (DID) read my excerpts from my in-progress 2nd novel, Bright. He expressed concern for the fact that the MCs Monty and Walter became intimate only a day after meeting. This author (I'm still searching for him and his book, which has been published and is avail somewhere on Amazon if I remember right) stated that gay people are more than just their sexuality, and that gay authors are striving to write stories that encompass humanity as a whole.
And I agree with this author. Gay people are far more than their sexuality. They are human beings like the rest of us. Even asexuals such as myself do not wish to be regarded only for our (lack of) sexual identity.
What I meant to convey in my last blog post is that the MCs in Crush (Tammy and Jamie) have a different dynamic than the ones in Bright. The first scene of erotica in Crush does not occur until about halfway into the book. Granted there is a kiss and inner thoughts/dreams between the 2, but their lives, and the directions their lives take, keep them physically apart. Even if they had been in close proximity, though, Tammy's fear of ridicule in that small town would have doomed the relationship quickly. He had been given the identity of a "jock". It took him 16 years to decide that who he is is more than someone else's stereotyped view of him, and that Jamie is the only person he will ever want to spend his life with. Tammy decides that not being with Jamie is worse than anything else, even the reprisal of homophobes.
In Bright, neither of the MCs have had to deal with child sexual abuse. Also, their physical location, on a farm out in the country, affords them a kind of "world of their own" setting.
They are different people than the ones in Crush, so yes, they do gravitate to each other rather quickly. In fairness, I have heterosexual friends who had sex within the first few hours of their meeting. One hetero couple I know had a one night stand, and then got married and are still married today. My point? Whether it's a homosexual couple or a heterosexual couple, some couples do hook up quickly, for whatever reason in a variety of reasons. Monty and Walter have an instant and powerful dynamic between them. As I was writing these scenes, it felt natural and right for them to respond to each other in that fashion.
All authors should strive to concentrate on individualism, not stereotyping or generalizing. Every relationship is different because people are different. No 2 people are alike, no matter what "group" or "community" they come from.
I'll apologize in advance if this post is in any way confusing, offensive, or presumptuous. Those are not my intentions :)
February 6, 2013
Relationship dynamics/Where will gay fiction go?
I once spoke with a gay author who read some excerpts from "Bright", and politely informed me about how gay readers are tiring of gay fiction being mostly about gay erotica and indiscriminate gay "encounters". He did not like the way the characters "Monty" and "Walter" seemed to fall all over each within a day or 2 of meeting, and admittedly stopped reading my excerpts when he came to the first kiss scene in the dugout.
The thing is, "being gay" is still a matter of controversy in the world. I completely realize that gay people are tired of their orientation being "sensationalized" and put thru a microscope, but the very words "gay" and "homosexual" and "lesbian" are not only about identity, they are about sexuality. How can a film be a "gay" film if it's not about their sexual identity in some capacity? You don't have to show sex scenes or erotica, but the very word "gay" in film or in literature carries that sexual identity with it. I think that once the world decides that gay people are "just like anyone else" and that their sexual lives are no more or less interesting than the rest of the world's, maybe "gay" fiction will read like anything else.
"Bright" is a different story than "Crush." Crush was about the aftermath of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, and the consequence of mistrust, fear of intimacy and vulnerability, and recovery from self hate in children.
In Bright, neither of the 2 principals suffers from "fear" of sex. Neither of them has to tackle the issue of distrust or fear of each other. They both fear other people, but from the start, Monty and Walter are so comfortable with each other that they almost immediately become intimate.
In Crush, it took 16 years, albeit because they were physically separated too, but really, Tammy and Jamie were so traumatized and so afraid of homophobic ridicule that it impeded them being together. Crush is proof that I don't write stories about gay men just jumping each other's bones 5 mins. after they meet LOL.
I don't want to spoil Bright too much yet, but the fact is, M and W are different people than T and J. Their story is different and their reactions to what's happening are different. This story will not be so much about sexual abuse/molestation and child abuse (although there is an incident of rape and a history of one of the characters being spanked quite often by his parents) as much as it is about spiritual abuse, the abuse that occurs within fanatically religious homes.
The other themes of Bright are suicide/suicidal behavior, insecurity and doubt in each other's love, and jealousy and covetousness. Yes, there is erotica, and yes, M&W really do hook up soon in comparison with T&J, but a huge part of the story is how powerful their sexual connection is, and how they love each other so much it both thrills and scares them, and how some people keep searching for happiness when it is right there in front of them. The 2 are immediately bound when Monty nearly dies after crashing into the river.
In response to my friend's remarks, I have made the decision to write at least one more gay fiction novel. I have been watching and reading a lot of material about the kidnapping cases of Jaycee Dugard, Adam Walsh, Etan Patz, and Polly Klaas. If I'm to prove that not only are gay people "regular" people like all of us, but that bad things happen to them too. The premise is, a married gay couple's son is kidnapped. There's no place for erotica in a story like this, and I think it would make an excellent story for anyone seeking gay fiction that isn't about sex. It will be a few years before this one comes to fruition, but I'm sure it will be a good one :)
The thing is, "being gay" is still a matter of controversy in the world. I completely realize that gay people are tired of their orientation being "sensationalized" and put thru a microscope, but the very words "gay" and "homosexual" and "lesbian" are not only about identity, they are about sexuality. How can a film be a "gay" film if it's not about their sexual identity in some capacity? You don't have to show sex scenes or erotica, but the very word "gay" in film or in literature carries that sexual identity with it. I think that once the world decides that gay people are "just like anyone else" and that their sexual lives are no more or less interesting than the rest of the world's, maybe "gay" fiction will read like anything else.
"Bright" is a different story than "Crush." Crush was about the aftermath of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, and the consequence of mistrust, fear of intimacy and vulnerability, and recovery from self hate in children.
In Bright, neither of the 2 principals suffers from "fear" of sex. Neither of them has to tackle the issue of distrust or fear of each other. They both fear other people, but from the start, Monty and Walter are so comfortable with each other that they almost immediately become intimate.
In Crush, it took 16 years, albeit because they were physically separated too, but really, Tammy and Jamie were so traumatized and so afraid of homophobic ridicule that it impeded them being together. Crush is proof that I don't write stories about gay men just jumping each other's bones 5 mins. after they meet LOL.
I don't want to spoil Bright too much yet, but the fact is, M and W are different people than T and J. Their story is different and their reactions to what's happening are different. This story will not be so much about sexual abuse/molestation and child abuse (although there is an incident of rape and a history of one of the characters being spanked quite often by his parents) as much as it is about spiritual abuse, the abuse that occurs within fanatically religious homes.
The other themes of Bright are suicide/suicidal behavior, insecurity and doubt in each other's love, and jealousy and covetousness. Yes, there is erotica, and yes, M&W really do hook up soon in comparison with T&J, but a huge part of the story is how powerful their sexual connection is, and how they love each other so much it both thrills and scares them, and how some people keep searching for happiness when it is right there in front of them. The 2 are immediately bound when Monty nearly dies after crashing into the river.
In response to my friend's remarks, I have made the decision to write at least one more gay fiction novel. I have been watching and reading a lot of material about the kidnapping cases of Jaycee Dugard, Adam Walsh, Etan Patz, and Polly Klaas. If I'm to prove that not only are gay people "regular" people like all of us, but that bad things happen to them too. The premise is, a married gay couple's son is kidnapped. There's no place for erotica in a story like this, and I think it would make an excellent story for anyone seeking gay fiction that isn't about sex. It will be a few years before this one comes to fruition, but I'm sure it will be a good one :)
February 4, 2013
The book of short stories
The short stories so far are:
An Ace In Spades: Lloyd Tafford, nicknamed Taffy by his family and friends, grows up in Van Buren, AR and goes to the police academy in Topeka, KS. Looking for a place to live while he completes his education, he befriends and moves in with Derek, a fellow police student. Derek is gay, and tells Lloyd he is attracted to him. Lloyd feels something for Derek as well, but is it love? Or just admiration?
Burdens: Alice is overweight, over-stressed, and overwhelmed by the fact that her mother has suddenly become so dependent on her. Then she meets Sylvie.
Our House: A serial killer receives a warning he should pay heed to, from his final victim.
Cold Foot: 18 year old Shyla Kapek has been arrested for the murder of a sixty-something woman in Alaska. When her story gains worldwide attention, animal rights activists converge on Shyla's home town in support of the young woman. Tammy Mattheis feels he should go too.
Old Cars: 17 year old Carly Blankenship lost his mother to a violent crime, and now his Daddy is dying of cancer. He doesn't understand why his family is disappearing, but he is about to find out that he has more family, and that they want to give him a new home.
An Ace In Spades: Lloyd Tafford, nicknamed Taffy by his family and friends, grows up in Van Buren, AR and goes to the police academy in Topeka, KS. Looking for a place to live while he completes his education, he befriends and moves in with Derek, a fellow police student. Derek is gay, and tells Lloyd he is attracted to him. Lloyd feels something for Derek as well, but is it love? Or just admiration?
Burdens: Alice is overweight, over-stressed, and overwhelmed by the fact that her mother has suddenly become so dependent on her. Then she meets Sylvie.
Our House: A serial killer receives a warning he should pay heed to, from his final victim.
Cold Foot: 18 year old Shyla Kapek has been arrested for the murder of a sixty-something woman in Alaska. When her story gains worldwide attention, animal rights activists converge on Shyla's home town in support of the young woman. Tammy Mattheis feels he should go too.
Old Cars: 17 year old Carly Blankenship lost his mother to a violent crime, and now his Daddy is dying of cancer. He doesn't understand why his family is disappearing, but he is about to find out that he has more family, and that they want to give him a new home.
February 2, 2013
My muse for Jamie...
It's Cillian Murphy, my favorite Irish actor. When I saw Cillian in the movie SUNSHINE with Chris Evans, I was lucky enough to find muses for both Jamie and Tammy. Having already written Jamie as a small person, with blonde hair and blue eyes that dominate his face, I saw no other person could muse him.
Here is an article about Cillian that I love, including some stunning photographs that make me more certain he is "Jamie" :)
http://www.port-magazine.com/feature/...
Here is a cute and funny trailer mashup (made by someone else) of SUNSHINE and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnkfG1...
And here is a video I made by compiling some art inspired by the movie Sunshine. I'm not the only gal who loved the idea of Capa and Mace hooking up [grin]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJMowk...
Here is an article about Cillian that I love, including some stunning photographs that make me more certain he is "Jamie" :)
http://www.port-magazine.com/feature/...
Here is a cute and funny trailer mashup (made by someone else) of SUNSHINE and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnkfG1...
And here is a video I made by compiling some art inspired by the movie Sunshine. I'm not the only gal who loved the idea of Capa and Mace hooking up [grin]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJMowk...
January 30, 2013
January 29, 2013
Updates on where you can now buy "Crush"
http://peachhambeach.jigsy.com/
When you get to the PeachHam-Beach site, just scroll down to "Crush (novel)" for a new update. I abruptly had to remove Crush from Smashwords and I deeply regret having to do it.
Currently, you can get the eBook for Crush on Amazon Kindle and hopefully soon again on their KDP Select borrowing.
The UK ebook for Crush will probably be removed from Barnes & Noble and any other competitor of Amazon. This rule of Amazon's only applies to eBooks. They do not require exclusivity with paperbacks or hardcovers.
The UK paperback will be available not only on Beaten Track, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but at Powell's (Portland), Book Depository (UK), Book Adda (India), Adlibris (Sweden, Danmark, Norway, Finland), Buch.ch (Switzerland), Boomerang Books (Australia) and many many other online bookstores worldwide.
Thank you for bearing with me on this :) I really appreciate everyone who bought Crush thru Smashwords and Lulu!
When you get to the PeachHam-Beach site, just scroll down to "Crush (novel)" for a new update. I abruptly had to remove Crush from Smashwords and I deeply regret having to do it.
Currently, you can get the eBook for Crush on Amazon Kindle and hopefully soon again on their KDP Select borrowing.
The UK ebook for Crush will probably be removed from Barnes & Noble and any other competitor of Amazon. This rule of Amazon's only applies to eBooks. They do not require exclusivity with paperbacks or hardcovers.
The UK paperback will be available not only on Beaten Track, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but at Powell's (Portland), Book Depository (UK), Book Adda (India), Adlibris (Sweden, Danmark, Norway, Finland), Buch.ch (Switzerland), Boomerang Books (Australia) and many many other online bookstores worldwide.
Thank you for bearing with me on this :) I really appreciate everyone who bought Crush thru Smashwords and Lulu!
January 27, 2013
Smashwords eBook and Lulu paperbacks will not be available after today
Sorry to announce this at the last minute, but I received an email from one of my editors. It seems Amazon has a thing about requiring exclusivity in order to be included in their KDP Select program. As I have sold more books through Beaten Track Publishing than I have through Smashwords or Lulu, I am going to archive both the Smashwords eBook (for the time being) and the Lulu paperback (black with chain art, permanently).
Beaten Track Publishing has both a paperback and eBook that are available to purchase. Also CreateSpace (owned by Amazon) has the USA edition paperback.
The UK paperback can be found here. It is also available from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other online retailers:
http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/...
The UK eBook is here:
http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/...
The USA paperback is here:
https://www.createspace.com/3801062
You can get the USA paperback for $7.77 instead of $12.95 with promocode: 2STQMKHZ
I will have to work on a new USA ebook through Createspace.
Thank you to all who purchased Crush through Smashwords and Lulu.
Beaten Track Publishing has both a paperback and eBook that are available to purchase. Also CreateSpace (owned by Amazon) has the USA edition paperback.
The UK paperback can be found here. It is also available from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other online retailers:
http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/...
The UK eBook is here:
http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/...
The USA paperback is here:
https://www.createspace.com/3801062
You can get the USA paperback for $7.77 instead of $12.95 with promocode: 2STQMKHZ
I will have to work on a new USA ebook through Createspace.
Thank you to all who purchased Crush through Smashwords and Lulu.
