Laura Susan Johnson's Blog, page 14
December 27, 2012
December 19, 2012
Tammy & Jamie: Demisexuality and its meanings
I was commenting on my Facebook Asexuality Chat group about what makes an asexual. A friend of mine was concerned about whether or not she was truly ace, because she has a "playful, flirtatious" personality, and likes to wear fun clothes, makeup etc. I assured her that the ONLY criteria used to judge a person's sexuality is who they are SEXUALLY attracted to.
I am what is called a hetero-romantic asexual. I might even be a bi-romantic ace (Kate Winslet and Daniela Sea are 2 of several women who have made me consider the possibility), but the point is, I'm still ace. No matter who I find attractive, I have no desire to bed any of them. If Jeremy Sisto was in the same room with me (actually he was once, but that's another story :) I would not want to go to bed with him. That's a solemn promise. I'm not bullshitting you guys. He's my favorite American actor and has been since 1997, but I am an asexual. I have no more choice to change my ways than a gay person could will themselves to be straight. I have no sexual attraction to anyone. My attraction to Sisto, Winslet, Ewan McGregor, and anyone else I adore from music or movies or even from real life friendships is strictly ROMANTIC. You can love a man's face, body, style, personality or whatever without wanting to get into bed with them. Whenever an asexual says no to sex, it's NOT because we find that person unattractive. It's because we simply have no drive or desire for sexual contact with another person.
How can an ace write an erotic novel about two gay men? Because we all understand sexual desire, even if some of us do not feel it within ourselves for others. I can watch movies or read erotica and TOTALLY feel and understand the characters' sexual desires for each other. To say an ace cannot write erotica is the same as saying a gay person cannot write a hetero romance! :) I put so much of my own views and experiences with sexuality into Tammy and Jamie. I could never write an erotica about casual sex or one night stands. I have to write what I know, and what I know is this:
If, in the future, I end up having sex with someone, it will more than likely be because I've become a demisexual, or a "Gray A".
So what is demisexuality? That is when you are attracted to a person and desire sex with them ONLY after forging a very strong emotional bond with them. My friend Heidi stated when she reviewed "Crush" that both Tammy and Jamie are demisexual.
How can that be? you ask, when Tammy has bedded so many people. It's obvious Jamie is demi, because at first he was on the verge of being an ace. He wanted nobody. A guy at The End flirted with Jamie and Jamie responded by running away. "If I can't have Tammy, I don't want anybody."
But Tammy? He's been with lots of women and a handful of men before being reunited with Jamie. Doesn't that make him bisexual? Pansexual? Nope. He's demisexual. He may have screwed dozens of people during high school and college and after, but was he truly ATTRACTED to any of them? No. He had sex with people for so many reasons I can't even count them, but none of those reasons were based on genuine SEXUAL attraction. He wanted to be "normal", he wanted to prove to himself he wasn't "gay", then later he wanted to prove to himself that he WAS gay. And don't get me wrong...Tammy is gay. For one reason: Because the one person he loves is a man. But Tammy is also most definitely gray-A or demi. Jamie is gay too, because Tammy is a man. They are both homosexual demisexuals. They only love each other, but since they are both men, they are gay.
In the year since I first began to hear about the asexuality branch of the human spectrum of sexuality, I have made joyful discoveries and breathed numerous sighs of relief. I CAN wear makeup, earrings, party dresses, and go out with people and still be an ace. I can write the hottest, smuttiest, yet sweetest and cuddliest erotica too. The only rule that applies is who I go to bed with, and who I want to go to bed with, which is nobody. :)
I am what is called a hetero-romantic asexual. I might even be a bi-romantic ace (Kate Winslet and Daniela Sea are 2 of several women who have made me consider the possibility), but the point is, I'm still ace. No matter who I find attractive, I have no desire to bed any of them. If Jeremy Sisto was in the same room with me (actually he was once, but that's another story :) I would not want to go to bed with him. That's a solemn promise. I'm not bullshitting you guys. He's my favorite American actor and has been since 1997, but I am an asexual. I have no more choice to change my ways than a gay person could will themselves to be straight. I have no sexual attraction to anyone. My attraction to Sisto, Winslet, Ewan McGregor, and anyone else I adore from music or movies or even from real life friendships is strictly ROMANTIC. You can love a man's face, body, style, personality or whatever without wanting to get into bed with them. Whenever an asexual says no to sex, it's NOT because we find that person unattractive. It's because we simply have no drive or desire for sexual contact with another person.
How can an ace write an erotic novel about two gay men? Because we all understand sexual desire, even if some of us do not feel it within ourselves for others. I can watch movies or read erotica and TOTALLY feel and understand the characters' sexual desires for each other. To say an ace cannot write erotica is the same as saying a gay person cannot write a hetero romance! :) I put so much of my own views and experiences with sexuality into Tammy and Jamie. I could never write an erotica about casual sex or one night stands. I have to write what I know, and what I know is this:
If, in the future, I end up having sex with someone, it will more than likely be because I've become a demisexual, or a "Gray A".
So what is demisexuality? That is when you are attracted to a person and desire sex with them ONLY after forging a very strong emotional bond with them. My friend Heidi stated when she reviewed "Crush" that both Tammy and Jamie are demisexual.
How can that be? you ask, when Tammy has bedded so many people. It's obvious Jamie is demi, because at first he was on the verge of being an ace. He wanted nobody. A guy at The End flirted with Jamie and Jamie responded by running away. "If I can't have Tammy, I don't want anybody."
But Tammy? He's been with lots of women and a handful of men before being reunited with Jamie. Doesn't that make him bisexual? Pansexual? Nope. He's demisexual. He may have screwed dozens of people during high school and college and after, but was he truly ATTRACTED to any of them? No. He had sex with people for so many reasons I can't even count them, but none of those reasons were based on genuine SEXUAL attraction. He wanted to be "normal", he wanted to prove to himself he wasn't "gay", then later he wanted to prove to himself that he WAS gay. And don't get me wrong...Tammy is gay. For one reason: Because the one person he loves is a man. But Tammy is also most definitely gray-A or demi. Jamie is gay too, because Tammy is a man. They are both homosexual demisexuals. They only love each other, but since they are both men, they are gay.
In the year since I first began to hear about the asexuality branch of the human spectrum of sexuality, I have made joyful discoveries and breathed numerous sighs of relief. I CAN wear makeup, earrings, party dresses, and go out with people and still be an ace. I can write the hottest, smuttiest, yet sweetest and cuddliest erotica too. The only rule that applies is who I go to bed with, and who I want to go to bed with, which is nobody. :)
December 18, 2012
OK here is my post for the next big thing!
This is loads of fun! I was tagged for this wonderful "authors help authors" tool, a writing tag/meme that gives a plug to indie authors and their works! I was tagged by Katja Willemsen of the Nederlands, author of the intriguing novel SHEPHERD'S PRAYER, an original and atmospheric mystery about a pair of siblings, a dark family secret, and a kidnapping in the French Pyrenees! Here is her website link:
http://katjawillemsen.com/home.html
Authors everywhere are endulging in this fun game that promotes an about-to-be-published book and also introduces writers to a broader reader network! Here are my answers for the tag:
1. What is the working title of your next book? Bright.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book? When my cousin read the orig manuscript of my 1st novel (Crush), she remarked about how one of the minor characters (Natalie Mattheis, cousin of Tammy Mattheis) should have her own story told fully. So the book I'm now writing is very much about Natalie.
3. What genre does your book fall under? Gay erotica/gay romance
4. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? A married gay couple in Idaho enlists the help of a close friend to build their family, but even after disappointment and tragedy, their problems are only beginning.
5. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-published, first thru Smashwords, then thru Beaten Track Publishing in England.
6. If your book was made into a film, which actors would you cast as your characters? This is a fun question for me especially because I love using my favorite actors as muses anyway. My muse for "Monty" is Ewan McGregor, and my muse for "Walter" is Jonathan Sadowski. I would have Susan Sarandon or Sigourney Weaver portray either "Peggy" or "Helena"; I would have either Mia Kirschner or Marion Cotillard play "Natalie" and of course, Chris Evans and Cillian Murphy would have to be "Tammy" and "Jamie" respectively, because they were my "Crush" muses.
7. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? The one book that comes to mind as far as an LGBT themed novel is A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Michael Cunningham
Who or What inspired you to write this book? My cousin, who read the original "Crush" MS and told me I should write a sequel.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? I think my book would be interesting to any couple, gay or straight, who has had trials and tribulations while trying to start their family. If you're interested in learning more about "Bright" and reading some excerpts, go to:
http://bright-the-book.snack.ws
Here are some exciting authors of a plethora of genres that I’ve tagged to tell you about their Next Big Thing:
L.M. Steel is the author of the intriguing JUDGED BY YOUR PEERS, the tale of a young lesbian whose outing spurs strange and disconcerting confessions from her friends at work! Her website can be found here:
http://www.lmsteel.co.uk/blogs
Jonny Gibbings is the author of the unsettling and darkly funny MALICE IN WONDERLAND, a story in the vein of the works of Irvine Welsh, Patrick McCabe, and Chuck Palahniuk.
Jonny Gibbings' blog/site is here:
http://jonnygibbings.wordpress.com/
Dr. Margaret Aranda is the author of spiritual and self help books focused on womens' health issues. She has also written stories for children. Her website and blog are here:
http://www.drmargaretaranda.blogspot....
Award winning writer of fiction and nonfiction, Nikki Rosen is the author of IN THE EYE OF DECEPTION and the newly published DANCING SOFTLY. Her site is here:
http://write2empower.webs.com/
Sarah McEvoy is the author of intriguing science fiction and futuristic stories THE EGGS OF 113 and JOURNEY TO XANADU
Here is her author page at Smashwords.com:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/vie...
Debbie McGowan is an author, publisher and educator from the UK. Among her works are CHAMPAGNE, an LGBT themed drama set in 1980s London, and the brand new suspense novel, NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT. Her blog can be found here:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
http://katjawillemsen.com/home.html
Authors everywhere are endulging in this fun game that promotes an about-to-be-published book and also introduces writers to a broader reader network! Here are my answers for the tag:
1. What is the working title of your next book? Bright.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book? When my cousin read the orig manuscript of my 1st novel (Crush), she remarked about how one of the minor characters (Natalie Mattheis, cousin of Tammy Mattheis) should have her own story told fully. So the book I'm now writing is very much about Natalie.
3. What genre does your book fall under? Gay erotica/gay romance
4. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? A married gay couple in Idaho enlists the help of a close friend to build their family, but even after disappointment and tragedy, their problems are only beginning.
5. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-published, first thru Smashwords, then thru Beaten Track Publishing in England.
6. If your book was made into a film, which actors would you cast as your characters? This is a fun question for me especially because I love using my favorite actors as muses anyway. My muse for "Monty" is Ewan McGregor, and my muse for "Walter" is Jonathan Sadowski. I would have Susan Sarandon or Sigourney Weaver portray either "Peggy" or "Helena"; I would have either Mia Kirschner or Marion Cotillard play "Natalie" and of course, Chris Evans and Cillian Murphy would have to be "Tammy" and "Jamie" respectively, because they were my "Crush" muses.
7. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? The one book that comes to mind as far as an LGBT themed novel is A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Michael Cunningham
Who or What inspired you to write this book? My cousin, who read the original "Crush" MS and told me I should write a sequel.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? I think my book would be interesting to any couple, gay or straight, who has had trials and tribulations while trying to start their family. If you're interested in learning more about "Bright" and reading some excerpts, go to:
http://bright-the-book.snack.ws
Here are some exciting authors of a plethora of genres that I’ve tagged to tell you about their Next Big Thing:
L.M. Steel is the author of the intriguing JUDGED BY YOUR PEERS, the tale of a young lesbian whose outing spurs strange and disconcerting confessions from her friends at work! Her website can be found here:
http://www.lmsteel.co.uk/blogs
Jonny Gibbings is the author of the unsettling and darkly funny MALICE IN WONDERLAND, a story in the vein of the works of Irvine Welsh, Patrick McCabe, and Chuck Palahniuk.
Jonny Gibbings' blog/site is here:
http://jonnygibbings.wordpress.com/
Dr. Margaret Aranda is the author of spiritual and self help books focused on womens' health issues. She has also written stories for children. Her website and blog are here:
http://www.drmargaretaranda.blogspot....
Award winning writer of fiction and nonfiction, Nikki Rosen is the author of IN THE EYE OF DECEPTION and the newly published DANCING SOFTLY. Her site is here:
http://write2empower.webs.com/
Sarah McEvoy is the author of intriguing science fiction and futuristic stories THE EGGS OF 113 and JOURNEY TO XANADU
Here is her author page at Smashwords.com:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/vie...
Debbie McGowan is an author, publisher and educator from the UK. Among her works are CHAMPAGNE, an LGBT themed drama set in 1980s London, and the brand new suspense novel, NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT. Her blog can be found here:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
December 16, 2012
The next big thing!
Hi friends, I'm looking for 5 authors to tag on the Next Big thing Blog Hop! This was done recently on Facebook as well. In this blog hop, each author has the opportunity to introduce their next work and answer 10 questions about it. Anyone interested please message me here on goodreads :)
December 4, 2012
Crush E book download coupon error!
Tried to find all my recent posts to my different groups but could not, so I'll blog here:
Was horrified to learn that the coupon code that was supposed to extend till 12/31/12 expired 11/30!
So I created a new coupon.
This new code: DH39Y will get you a free download of "Crush" the Ebook from Smashwords.
So sorry about the error!!!!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Laura Susan Johnson
Was horrified to learn that the coupon code that was supposed to extend till 12/31/12 expired 11/30!
So I created a new coupon.
This new code: DH39Y will get you a free download of "Crush" the Ebook from Smashwords.
So sorry about the error!!!!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Laura Susan Johnson
Crush E book download coupon error!
Tried to find all my recent posts to my different groups but could not, so I'll blog here:
Was horrified to learn that the coupon code that was supposed to extend till 12/31/12 expired 11/30!
So I created a new coupon.
This new code: DH39Y will get you a free download of "Crush" the Ebook from Smashwords.
So sorry about the error!!!!
Was horrified to learn that the coupon code that was supposed to extend till 12/31/12 expired 11/30!
So I created a new coupon.
This new code: DH39Y will get you a free download of "Crush" the Ebook from Smashwords.
So sorry about the error!!!!
