M.L. Stephens's Blog, page 2
March 3, 2014
It's all about writing: Erotica inspired by true events? Just 14 days!!!
It's all about writing: Erotica inspired by true events? Just 14 days!!!: Just 14 Days!!! Because it's inspired by true events, research for The Net pulled me into a world of rejection, deception,...
March 1, 2014
Erotica inspired by true events? Just 14 days!!!
Just 14 Days!!!
Because it's inspired by true events, research for The Net pulled me into a world of rejection, deception, betrayal, self-discovery, and acceptance. Writing the story was enough to make me question what was real, what wasn't, and just how resilient people can be when forced to find creative ways to keep their independence.The Net is finally scheduled to release 3/15/14. And yes, the 15th is a full moon so mark your calendars and stock up on the wine!
Because it's inspired by true events, research for The Net pulled me into a world of rejection, deception, betrayal, self-discovery, and acceptance. Writing the story was enough to make me question what was real, what wasn't, and just how resilient people can be when forced to find creative ways to keep their independence.The Net is finally scheduled to release 3/15/14. And yes, the 15th is a full moon so mark your calendars and stock up on the wine!
February 4, 2014
Small Town Book Stores.
There aren't too many small town book stores left. When you find one, you want to inhale the pages like a crack addict sucks his pipe. Though crack is common, books stores that have paper pages on the shelves, aren't.
As an Indie author who loves controlling everything from content to cover to marketing, I've learned that authors do what they do because they don't have other options. Not everyone can be traditionally published and there are many established authors who weren't traditionally published until after they made their name in the digital world.
Creative writing either burns through the artists' fingers and turns into words that touch humanity on a basic level, or it remains in their heads, making them crazy. Writers must write. With that said, book lovers must share their love of books. There are few people who need to inhale the scent of ink and freshly cut paper in order to survive. They're a dying breed of book lovers that'll never be replaced because they're the few that understand what it takes to create the art, create the pages, create the print, and in the end...create the magic.
My love, my heart, and my appreciation goes out to one of the few remaining independently owned bookstores I know of.
RedRockBooks thank you for remaining true and thank you for supporting me!
As an Indie author who loves controlling everything from content to cover to marketing, I've learned that authors do what they do because they don't have other options. Not everyone can be traditionally published and there are many established authors who weren't traditionally published until after they made their name in the digital world.
Creative writing either burns through the artists' fingers and turns into words that touch humanity on a basic level, or it remains in their heads, making them crazy. Writers must write. With that said, book lovers must share their love of books. There are few people who need to inhale the scent of ink and freshly cut paper in order to survive. They're a dying breed of book lovers that'll never be replaced because they're the few that understand what it takes to create the art, create the pages, create the print, and in the end...create the magic.
My love, my heart, and my appreciation goes out to one of the few remaining independently owned bookstores I know of.
RedRockBooks thank you for remaining true and thank you for supporting me!
Row Your Own Boat!
Row Your Own Damn Boat! I'm sure you know the "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," song, right? The one you sang as a child and sang to your children. It has something to do with rowing your boat gently and merrily down the stream?
Well, for some random reason, it popped in my head and now it's stuck there. Anyway, I got to thinking. (True to popular belief, fictional writers are strange creatures who sit at book and coffee cup covered desks all day. We use the time thinking up strange and bizarre things to write, even though the majority of those random thoughts never make it to the page because most of the crazy stuff we conjure up has absolutely nothing to do with anything.) Anyway, back to the quirky little boat song. After all this time, it dawned on me. If I'm forced to row a boat (face it, not all of us are cut out to be on an Olympic rowing team) that means:
A.) I forgot to charge the battery,
B.) I forgot to put fuel in the motor, or
C.) The motor went out.
Regardless of the reason, I don't think I'd be rowing gently or merrily. So, the next time you get a wild hair and decide to go boating, let the oars serve as a reminder to check items A-C because no one wants to hear your revamped version of a classic song. ~ ML Stephens
Well, for some random reason, it popped in my head and now it's stuck there. Anyway, I got to thinking. (True to popular belief, fictional writers are strange creatures who sit at book and coffee cup covered desks all day. We use the time thinking up strange and bizarre things to write, even though the majority of those random thoughts never make it to the page because most of the crazy stuff we conjure up has absolutely nothing to do with anything.) Anyway, back to the quirky little boat song. After all this time, it dawned on me. If I'm forced to row a boat (face it, not all of us are cut out to be on an Olympic rowing team) that means:
A.) I forgot to charge the battery,
B.) I forgot to put fuel in the motor, or
C.) The motor went out.
Regardless of the reason, I don't think I'd be rowing gently or merrily. So, the next time you get a wild hair and decide to go boating, let the oars serve as a reminder to check items A-C because no one wants to hear your revamped version of a classic song. ~ ML Stephens
February 3, 2014
The Second Half
The Second HalfBased on a true story.
My daughter and her friends were discussing books.
One friend says, "Speaking of books, my mom's reading one and won't pull her head out of her laptop long enough to do anything else."
Misty: "What's she reading?"
Friend: "I think it's called Butt Assets."
Misty: "Do you mean Bare Assets?" (At this point, I'm laughing so hard, I nearly pee my pants. I can't imagine what must be going through this child's mind. But let's face it...Butt Assets? What a great erotica title.) Bahaha. Anyway, on with the story.Misty's friend: "Bare Assets! That's the name of it! How'd you know?"
Misty: "Because my mom wrote it." (Now, I can only imagine what's going through my daughter's mind and the minds of all the girls who are still stuck on the Butt Assets title. After all, my mind's still stuck on it. Isn't yours?)
Friend: "Are you serious? Your mom wrote that? Well, tell your mom that my mom was too busy to cook this weekend because she was reading your mom's book."
Misty: "I know what you mean. My mom's face is usually stuck in the computer too. We eat lots of pizza at my place."
Moral of the story: Our children only hear half of what we say. In this story, Bare Assets became Butt Assets. Does that mean, "Clean your room, " becomes "Destroy your room?" Think about it. Should the first half of anything we say be the last half? Is that what copy editing is all about? All I know is I should reevaluate the meal plan and toss in a bucket of chicken from time to time and really kick the menu up a notch. ~ M. L. Stephens
My daughter and her friends were discussing books.
One friend says, "Speaking of books, my mom's reading one and won't pull her head out of her laptop long enough to do anything else."
Misty: "What's she reading?"
Friend: "I think it's called Butt Assets."
Misty: "Do you mean Bare Assets?" (At this point, I'm laughing so hard, I nearly pee my pants. I can't imagine what must be going through this child's mind. But let's face it...Butt Assets? What a great erotica title.) Bahaha. Anyway, on with the story.Misty's friend: "Bare Assets! That's the name of it! How'd you know?"
Misty: "Because my mom wrote it." (Now, I can only imagine what's going through my daughter's mind and the minds of all the girls who are still stuck on the Butt Assets title. After all, my mind's still stuck on it. Isn't yours?)
Friend: "Are you serious? Your mom wrote that? Well, tell your mom that my mom was too busy to cook this weekend because she was reading your mom's book."
Misty: "I know what you mean. My mom's face is usually stuck in the computer too. We eat lots of pizza at my place."
Moral of the story: Our children only hear half of what we say. In this story, Bare Assets became Butt Assets. Does that mean, "Clean your room, " becomes "Destroy your room?" Think about it. Should the first half of anything we say be the last half? Is that what copy editing is all about? All I know is I should reevaluate the meal plan and toss in a bucket of chicken from time to time and really kick the menu up a notch. ~ M. L. Stephens
February 1, 2014
Speak Your Mind!! If you want sweetly, package...
Speak Your Mind!! If you want sweetly, packaged romance...this page isn't for you. This page is for those that read and appreciate most genres...most notably erotica. If we're sitting side by side on a bar stool and I use the word asshole to describe a man (or woman) that is an asshole, and you get offended...this page or writing isn't for you. If you don't like RAW, adult consensual sex (whether it's in the vagina, between the tits, in the ass or whatever...) Not your page. This page and what I'm writing in The Net isn't sugar coated. It's RAW! Like it, love it or leave it because Missy Leigh's upcoming debut is the hard core truth.
November 3, 2013
How to write your first book?
Of all the questions I'm asked, the one that is asked the most is: "How did you start writing?"
My response, based on my deadpan humor would be: "With a crayon." ROFL. But on a serious note, I've been writing since forever. How did I write my first novel? I just wrote it. My first was handwritten and lost in a flood. So be it. I don't harbor resentment. Life has a way of directing us to what we do or do not need at the time.
Most recently, I opened up an archaic computer notebook, opened up notepad, and started typing. I've improved that method over time, but excuses are just that and I refuse to harbor excuses. That is the secret of writing your first book. Dismiss your excuses. Writing is the easy part. Even our ancestors who had stories to tell, took time to chisel it in stone. Creating your story is only the beginning. The rest of your journey is the actual tale. Are you willing to chisel it in stone if need be or will you find an excuse and blame society? If you truly have a story that needs to be told, you'll find a way. I did. Oh...did I mention I was an American Woman living in a Muslim country who wrote a controversial religious speculative story as my first book? Yea...I risked persecution. What's your excuse? Write your story.
Best wishes
My response, based on my deadpan humor would be: "With a crayon." ROFL. But on a serious note, I've been writing since forever. How did I write my first novel? I just wrote it. My first was handwritten and lost in a flood. So be it. I don't harbor resentment. Life has a way of directing us to what we do or do not need at the time.
Most recently, I opened up an archaic computer notebook, opened up notepad, and started typing. I've improved that method over time, but excuses are just that and I refuse to harbor excuses. That is the secret of writing your first book. Dismiss your excuses. Writing is the easy part. Even our ancestors who had stories to tell, took time to chisel it in stone. Creating your story is only the beginning. The rest of your journey is the actual tale. Are you willing to chisel it in stone if need be or will you find an excuse and blame society? If you truly have a story that needs to be told, you'll find a way. I did. Oh...did I mention I was an American Woman living in a Muslim country who wrote a controversial religious speculative story as my first book? Yea...I risked persecution. What's your excuse? Write your story.
Best wishes
October 23, 2013
Reviews: Everything & Nothing
Reviews: Everything & Nothing
As I sit back, read, relish and watch…I've learned a thing or two. While reading and watching, I've realized one important truth: negative reviews seem to give more insight to the reader and reviewer than it does to the author's work.
Imagine this: You've seen the preview for a movie. You anticipate the release, you make plans, you talk to friends, you discuss, you prepare and finally you schedule the perfect theater night to enjoy that one movie of the month that you've been dying to see.
Your greatly anticipated night arrives. The babysitter shows up on time, kids aren't screaming and you are ready to go. After fighting traffic, you arrive at the theater. The line winds into the parking lot. "Crap." It's not ideal, but you've waited and wondered for too long for a line to mess with your mood. So you wait. Finally you get your ticket and walk inside, eager to load up on the much awaited popcorn and soda. Again. A line. No problem, really. You can deal with it. The most important thing is the movie. You're vested in it after all. Finally, you make it through the concession line, the ticket master and now you are in your seat, ready to watch the movie you've waited for. Hopefully the kids on the third row back from you will stop barking out rude comments to one another and texting on their phones before the movie actually begins. They waited in lines as long as you did, so surely it will cease because they want to see this as badly as you do.
The theater darkens. The previews play and the movie starts. Oh, no. You waited in the ticket line and the concession line for almost an hour and you've waited for the movie to start for thirty minutes…and now you have to find a bathroom. As the cast credits role, you dash off to the bathroom, only to find another line. Ok…you've got this. The line seems fast enough, and you finally get a stall, do your business, wash your hands and run back to the movie to find your seat. Sure, you missed ten minutes, but it can't be that difficult to catch up. Right?
You absorb each visual, each word, each scene, hoping to catch up on anything you might have missed when suddenly, the person beside you needs to exit the aisle. You bend your legs back and let them pass. The teens that are three rows back comment on the size of the person exiting your aisle, while laughing, snickering and being rude. You let it go, take a deep breath and try to enjoy the rest of the show.
Three aisle exits, two bathroom breaks, five snickering teen comments, one ringing phone, and a temperature so cold it'd freeze a witch's tit later, you've had enough. You only want to get through the rest of it so that you can go home to a quiet, lovely world with screaming kids and real life, because that's where serenity happens. You might have enjoyed the movie, except the environment may have prevented it…so you really can't say. The movie was probably "so-so".
If the movie you've long awaited can be ruined by the environment you're in, can't the same happen to a book you're reading? After all, there are no visual displays. It's based entirely upon your silent reading...which requires more attention than a movie. There are NO pictures, no voices, just you and the book. Or is it you and the phone, dinner, cleaning, chores, work, meetings, screaming or sick children, barking dogs, meowing cats, crying babies, talking spouse, blaring television, running dishwasher, nosey neighbor, UPS delivery, upset stomach…etc.
So how was that book? Do you really know? Did you have time to actually read it? Perhaps it was the same as the movie?
I'd never leave a bad review. What's the old saying? Come on. You know it. Repeat after me. "If you can't say anything nice…" That's right. So, those people who don't take the time to consider that they're mad at their surroundings, their environment, their life in general and chose to leave hateful (not constructive) reviews of your work…well, consider the source. Look at the majority of the high star reviews as opposed to the minimized low star reviews. Most of the reviews that are one and two star never once mention anything significant in the storyline or book other than what is stated in the synopsis. Did they take the time to read it, or were they distracted by life? Maybe it's a scorned author that feels that another author is competition? In theory, author competition is the most ridiculous notion to exist. There is enough literature to last everyone a lifetime. EX: someone who reads YA might not read erotica or children's novels. Those that read paranormal might not care for contemporary.
I will continue to appreciate all the honest reviews that I receive. As an author, it helps future readers decide if they'll give your writing a chance. As for those reviews that are hateful, unspecific and off the mark of every other review…well…one has to wonder how crazy it was the night they pretended to give the book or movie their attention. The effort is only half the journey. Can you honestly say that your environmental surroundings or mood was not the other half? Are you absolutely sure you didn't enjoy the book, play or movie? Did it stand a fair chance? Remember: "If you can't say anything nice…"
The fireside rambling of a reader, writer and avid coffee drinker.
October 16, 2013
Hit the Road, Jack.
M.L. Stephens is hitting the road. Come meet me at my first book signing on 10/26/13 in Springdale, AR.
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