C.J. Anthony's Blog, page 2
December 20, 2013
Win a copy of Heaven at the Novel Approach!
Merry Christmas!
I completely suck and have had no time this week to pimp this, but there is still time to enter to win a free e-copy of Heaven. Just go to the link below, leave a comment on the Novel Approach post before Mon. the 23rd and you will be entered.
http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/2013/12/17/cj-anthony-wants-to-give-you-a-free-ticket-to-heaven/
I posted an interview with my boys from Heaven (Joey and Brian and Brian’s Uncles)…well it’s sort of an interview. It’s a fun snippet and gives a great hint of the story and the characters. So go check it out. If you like it, enter to win!
December 11, 2013
My Ten Books List
Hello! (If there is anyone actually following my blog) I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything, life has just been busy and there hasn’t exactly been anything new (writing-wise) to post about. Then I got tagged by Rowan Speedwell on Facebook for the 10 book thing a couple days ago. And as I started the list, I found myself expanding and writing a dissertation about why I liked each, LOL, which was not necessary for the rules of the Facebook version. So I decided to make the expanded version into a blog post.
So the deal was:
In your status write 10 books that have stayed with you. They don’t have to be great works, just books that touched you.
Well, my list is definitely not a list of great works! LOL I’ve always read for fun, for the romance, for the escapism. The collected works of Shakespeare or Leo Tolstoy will not be listed below. 
I don’t know if I can say all of these books had some monumental effect on me, but they are all books that either were read at crucial times in my life, or inspired me to read again or just became comfort reads that I love to read over and over. I was a voracious reader from a very young age, my mother taught me to read before I went to school. I remember the librarian in grade school letting me pick books from the older grades’ shelves because I was that advanced. Then something happened about the time I graduated college/started working, suddenly I just stopped reading. There was never time or nothing appealed to me or whatever…I just never read much at all anymore. Thankfully I found my way back and ended up here in M/M romancelandia and I couldn’t be happier!
The Little House on the Prairie books – I would list just one but I can’t even remember all the titles now. But definitely one of the first book series I remember reading.
Family Secrets by Norma Klein – Or any Norma Klein book really, but this was one I read a lot. As a small town girl (living in a lonely world…ha ha ha!) I loved that her stories were about teens my age living in New York but also these were not kids going on dates to the mall or the movies. Her characters had divorced parents and non-traditional families, had sex (that wasn’t perfect), got pregnant, dated boys in wheel chairs and dealt with the consequences.
Easy Connections by Liz Berry – This is a YA book from the 80’s by a British author. I remember I picked it up by chance in my late teens as a cheap paperback at a Wal-Mart-type store. Involving a rock band, it appealed to me. Over the years I have read that little paperback so many times, even as an adult. I am such a “true-love always wins out” and “the bad-boy always has a good side” fan that it wasn’t until I was older that I realized that the sex scene and the way the two main characters get together is actually pretty controversial. Still Ms. Berry deals with it well, it takes a very long time for these two to really become a couple. (in fact not really until book 2, which I discovered later as an adult and probably jumped around with joy when I found out there was another book about these characters)
The other thing I loved about this book was Liz Berry’s writing and descriptive style. I could literally feel and breathe the intensity and fire and passion of the characters and the clothes they wore and the music they played and the deep connection between them all.
Fear of Flying by Erica Jong – I don’t remember if this was actually the first Erica Jong book I read, but it is the first in a series about the same character, Isadora Wing. I discovered Erica in college and I consider these my first taste of erotica. (although if I went back and read them now I’d probably think they were pretty tame.)
Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner – I found this book during my non-reading phase and if it hadn’t been for a trip I was taking and needing something to read in the airport and on the plane, I probably would never have read this either. She immediately became a favorite author, I loved the humor and snarky main character Cannie and her imperfect journey to finding the Mr. Right.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – Yes, I know, there will be comments from the peanut gallery about this one. But if it weren’t for this book (and the other 3 in the series) I would never be reading again, or writing and I never would have discovered M/M. It was Nov. 2008, I saw a story on TV about the first movie coming out and all the teen girls who were fanatical about this book and movie and this perfect guy named Edward. Normally vampires would never have intrigued me, but I’d heard it was a romance and I’d heard (like Harry Potter) that a lot of adults were reading it and loving it too. So, on a whim I bought the book. This was still in my non-reading phase so it was definitely an impulse buy. It was around Thanksgiving time, and by New Year’s I had devoured all four books, including rereading book one while waiting on Amazon to deliver the others to me. They may not be great literature but there is some kind of crack in those books that just suck you in. And if you can’t tell from the rest of my list, I’m a sucker for a good love story.
When I’d finished the books, I went looking online for more information, about the books, about the author, about the movie–whatever I could get. It was in this searching that I discovered something I’d never heard of before–fanfiction. I started reading tons of fanfiction, eventually veering into slash (M/M) fanfiction stories, which led to discovering the wonderful brilliant world of M/M Romance stories. Along this yellow brick road I also started writing (fiction), something I hadn’t done since the 4th or 5th grade.
I would never have dreamed that five years later I would have a book published or have attended a convention like GRL or meet so many new and wonderful amazing people. It may sound corny to attribute it all to a book like Twilight but I truly don’t believe I would have found my way here otherwise.
Lover at Last by J.R. Ward – Really all the Black Dagger Brotherhood books could go here. I almost listed the first one in the series, but decided to use the M/M one as a representative because yeah, Blay and Qhuinn… (sigh)
Came to these through Twilight too, but well, the Brothers are QUITE different. Big, tough men with big cocks and bonding scents and … rawr. What surprised me about these books when I read them, was how much I actually enjoyed the dramatic action parts along with the romance. (And sex.) :)
Okay with three slots left, I’m forced to choose M/M books and that is nearly impossible because I’ve read so many amazing ones in the last three years. I could do a whole list of M/M alone and it would be way longer than 10 because to even narrow it down to 10 would be impossible. I thought about adding Honorable Mentions but even that would be a list a mile long.
Enlightened by J.P. Barnaby – I’m including Enlightened because it is the first M/M book that I ever read. I read this first version that J.P. self-published before all of her publishing success. (So I had to wait a LONG time before book two came out! But it was worth it)
Caught Running by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban – The main reason I picked this one (because as I said there are just too many great M/M books to choose) is because this is one of my go-back-to books to reread. When I’m just in the mood for a good, plain romance with not a lot of angst. And I love the relationship between Brandon and Jake, it has everything–heat and passion, emotion and humor. One of my favorite couples of all M/M books.
Into this River I Drown by T. J. Klune – It takes a lot to make me cry when reading or watching something, and like most of T. J.’s books I shed a few tears on this one. Except this one was more than a few. There is one special scene, if you have ever lost someone close to you, well I dare you not to cry. (I lost my mom two years ago) This book gives all of us the chance to talk to that person one last time. (Or at least experience the feeling of what it might be like)
July 28, 2013
Letting Go is Posted!!
My story in the Goodreads Love Has No Boundaries event was posted this week. So excited, especially to see readers’ reactions. This one is definitely a little heavier and more emotional than Heaven. If you go by the reviews so far, you might want to have tissues handy before reading.
Eventually the story will be downloadable and I will post the link when it goes live. For now, if you are a member of the M/M Romance Group on Goodreads, you can read the story here:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1422163-letting-go-by-c-j-anthony-7-24
For some background on photos and music that inspired me while writing this story, check out my Inspiration page (menu bar above).
****
The last time I saw him he was looking at me with that big silly grin on his face, his eyes lit up and shimmering like the lights on a Christmas tree. He laughed as he tilted his head back and he looked so free.
All Sam wanted was one night with his boyfriend Dustin where they could enjoy being together and being themselves. Where they didn’t have to hide from their devoutly Catholic parents.
One second—one split second is all it takes for life to turn completely upside down and shatter into a million pieces. One minute Sam and Dustin were together and happy. And the next, Sam wakes up to the news that Dustin is gone. As he tries to process this news, his disappointed parents force him to “find God and get normal again.” But all Sam wants is Dustin.
With a rescue from his sister, Sam slowly begins the fight back for a life of his own…a life without Dustin. One step, one minute, one day at a time.
It isn’t until he meets Nick—someone who has been where he has been—that he begins to climb out of the darkness of the past year. But can Sam make that final leap to let go of Dustin and allow his heart to love again?
“It’s time to let go… (it will be okay)”
June 28, 2013
Write On the Edge Blog Radio
I participated in an author round table on the Write On the Edge Blog Talk Radio show with some of the other authors in the Mixed Tape Anthologies – Cherie Noel, Jambrea Jones, Embry Carlysle and also Kris Jacen, the editor.
It was a lot of laughing and fun, but you’ll also get to hear how each of us came up with our stories and how we picked the songs we chose.
After you listen, answer the question on Wt Prater’s blog and be entered for the chance to win a Mixed Tape story!
http://jwasg.blogspot.com/2013/06/write-on-edge-and-chance-at-free-books.html
June 23, 2013
Free giveaway and new review!
Free giveaway
Heaven also got some wonderful comments from Sammy on the Joyfully Jay blog the other day:
Heaven by C.J. Anthony simply blew me away! By story’s end I wanted to adopt both Joey and Brian and then go camp outside Anthony’s door and beg for a sequel. I could not get enough of her sharp humor that was so apparent in her story. At the tender age of 5, Brian goes to live with his gay Uncle Jay and away from his drug addicted mother. His very first day he meets the little dynamo that lives next door, Joey, and the normally shy and socially stunted Brian finds his best friend. For the next 13 years, these boys will share just about every milestone together and, in the end, despite their extreme differences in personality and styles, will come to find that they are made for each other. But the journey in getting there—oh dear reader—what an incredible story. Chocked full of fun, tenderness, and compelling to the end, this story was just outstanding.
June 21, 2013
Free Giveaway for Pride Weekend!
June has been a busy month! Along with the release of my first published book, Heaven, I have also been excitedly preparing for my first Pride event! If any of you are going to Columbus pride on Sat. June 22nd, stop by our author booth and say hi and grab some free goodies!
Before Heaven was released I posted a few fun and frivolous posts about the fashion and music of the 80’s, so if you are a first-time visitor to my blog go back and check them out–there are some short excerpts from the book posted as well. For the most part Heaven is a light-hearted story about two best friends—Joey and Brian—coming of age and falling in love in the 80’s.
But along with the frivolous flashbacks of the music and fashion from that era in the story, there is also woven throughout some real glimpses of gay life in the 80’s, and I thought those would be some good parts to discuss during Pride week.
For Joey, we get to see him figure out pretty early on that he is not like the other boys who are all into which girls are hot and which ones they can get to first base with, etc. And there are small scenes of how (living in a small Iowa town) he has to hide that he’s gay from the kids at school, etc. who already think he’s a freak.
Brian and Joey, of course could also NEVER go to their prom, it wouldn’t have even been considered in those days. So it is so enlightening to see the hear the story of the teen couple in New York, Brad Taylor and Dylan Meehan, who got voted by their peers as Cutest Couple. They not only got their picture in their yearbook, but they also got to go to their prom together. (a friend sent me this video interview the boys did on their prom night and they are just adorable and inspiring. Sure this kind of thing isn’t happening in every high school in America and there are still way too many kids getting harassed and bullied for being gay—but it’s wonderful to see that some strides have been made in the last twenty-five years.
Now, as much as I love Joey and Brian . . . the two men who ended up stealing my heart were the Uncles. They kept speaking up and sneaking into scenes and being all adorable together. However, they also had an important role to Joey and Brian not just as parental figures, but also as gay men. Joey, especially, turns to them when he begins to realize he is gay.
And throughout the story, we do get to find out a little bit about how life has been for them, trying to live together as a gay couple in the midwest, getting strange looks out in public, etc.
Again, though there are still strides to make, things have thankfully come a long way since the 80′s.
This weekend to celebrate Pride, I am giving away a copy of Heaven! Just leave a comment (and make sure your email is attached) on this post before midnight Sun., June 23 to be entered!
June 8, 2013
Release Day!!!
My story Heaven is finally out from MLR!!
Buy links below:
http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=CJAHEAVN
June 6, 2013
The Music Revolutions of the 80’s
Since the whole concept of the Mixed Tape anthology (out tomorrow at MLR Press!) was born from that iconic 80���s music invention ��� the Mixed Tape, for today���s post I thought it seemed appropriate to talk about what else ��� music!
Of course there has been a major revolution in the 90���s and 2000���s from CDs and radio to MP3���s and internet streaming. But there were some big changes in the 80���s too. We went from vinyl records to cassette tapes to CD���s. I���ve been a big music lover from my preteens on and the first rock album I bought was Pat Benatar���s Live from Earth. It kept skipping though and after a couple trips back to the store to exchange it for another (only to discover it skipped as well), my mom bought me a small boom box for good grades. So all of my 80���s music collection was on cassette. And yes I had mixed tapes, but not with any theme or rhyme or reason. They were mostly just a random mix of songs I liked that I taped from the radio. I saw Matchbox 20 earlier this year and Rob Thomas told a story of how he used to sit there, fingers paused on the record button, waiting for the DJ to stop talking and play the song. Yep, did that! :)
There was another big revolution of the time, that I did include in Heaven. It was the music video. Made famous of course by MTV, which debuted August 1, 1981. In the beginning the VJs didn���t even have enough videos to fill up 24 hours and they had to keep rerunning the same ones. But the popularity of the video soon exploded and changed the music industry and the way we listened to music. Although MTV doesn���t play videos anymore, in the 80���s, often the first time you heard a song might not have been the radio but on MTV instead.
Now, I lived in a small Midwestern town growing up, so our cable system didn���t get MTV until years later ��� I think I had already left for college before we got it. So my memories of watching videos as a teenager involved staying up after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, watching programs on cable like Night Tracks and Friday Night Videos.
The original MTV VJ���s recently released a book talking about what it was like in the early days of MTV.
VJ: The Unplugged Adventures of MTV's First Wave
The Music Revolutions of the 80′s
Since the whole concept of the Mixed Tape anthology (out tomorrow at MLR Press!) was born from that iconic 80’s music invention – the Mixed Tape, for today’s post I thought it seemed appropriate to talk about what else – music!
Of course there has been a major revolution in the 90’s and 2000’s from CDs and radio to MP3’s and internet streaming. But there were some big changes in the 80’s too. We went from vinyl records to cassette tapes to CD’s. I’ve been a big music lover from my preteens on and the first rock album I bought was Pat Benatar’s Live from Earth. It kept skipping though and after a couple trips back to the store to exchange it for another (only to discover it skipped as well), my mom bought me a small boom box for good grades. So all of my 80’s music collection was on cassette. And yes I had mixed tapes, but not with any theme or rhyme or reason. They were mostly just a random mix of songs I liked that I taped from the radio. I saw Matchbox 20 earlier this year and Rob Thomas told a story of how he used to sit there, fingers paused on the record button, waiting for the DJ to stop talking and play the song. Yep, did that!
There was another big revolution of the time, that I did include in Heaven. It was the music video. Made famous of course by MTV, which debuted August 1, 1981. In the beginning the VJs didn’t even have enough videos to fill up 24 hours and they had to keep rerunning the same ones. But the popularity of the video soon exploded and changed the music industry and the way we listened to music. Although MTV doesn’t play videos anymore, in the 80’s, often the first time you heard a song might not have been the radio but on MTV instead.
Now, I lived in a small Midwestern town growing up, so our cable system didn’t get MTV until years later – I think I had already left for college before we got it. So my memories of watching videos as a teenager involved staying up after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, watching programs on cable like Night Tracks and Friday Night Videos.
The original MTV VJ’s recently released a book talking about what it was like in the early days of MTV.
VJ: The Unplugged Adventures of MTV's First Wave
June 4, 2013
OhmiGod!! Did I really wear that?
So if it’s not obvious yet by my theme this week, Heaven, which I wrote for MLR’s Mixed Tape anthology takes place in the 80’s. The only real rule for the submission call was to write a romantic story around an 80’s song–otherwise it could conceivably be about anything or take place anywhere. But I was an 80’s girl and the story of two best friends growing up in the 80’s just took flight before I could even write one word down.
So I thought it would be fun this week to tease the book with some 80’s flashback posts (well flashbacks for those of us old enough to remember the 80’s) . Today I thought we’d discuss Fashion.
Now, every decade has it’s own (good or bad) style trends that we may look back on with fond memories or we may burn every piece of clothing and every picture from that era. The 80’s though were definitely distinctive. The picture below is sampling of some style trends from back in the day.
Look familiar to anyone? I would love to say that picture was 25 years old, but I actually took that picture while shopping at a Kohl’s two weeks ago. Yep, some of the 80’s trends are creeping back in. The striped jacket I could live with, but the patterned pants? Really? Did someone really think that was a good idea again? I think I did actually own a couple pairs of patterned jeans back in high school (when I was a skinny little thing) but I am too old (and a few pounds heavier) to do them again.
Other fashions of the times I remember sporting:
I had a huge fluorescent pink sweatshirt, leg warmers, long baggy blouses that I belted. I remember fingerless lace gloves and a wristful of bracelets ala Madonna, and a black fedora ala John Taylor from Duran Duran, *sighs dreamily*
I know there was more but I think I’ve blocked them from memory. So now that I’ve come clean, what about the rest of you? What ”totally awesome” duds did you wear in the 80′s?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
from Heaven:
We were both excited to finally be starting high school. And underneath, secretly a little scared but we didn’t talk about that. We were cool, we were awesome, we were now in high school.
The first morning I was still in my bedroom getting my stuff together, when Joey rapped on my window, then shoved the sill up and jumped on in. I think my mouth dropped open for like five minutes. He was still wearing his signature two-different colored shoes, but the rest of him was completely new to me. He was wearing a gray suit jacket that was at least a size too big for him, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow, a red and white wide-striped t-shirt underneath and his jeans were rolled up to just above his ankle, showing off his one red shoe and one yellow shoe. Casey had taken Joey thrift-store shopping last weekend and when he got back Joey was bouncing off the walls with all the “cool” things he said he’d found and for dirt-cheap. I just hadn’t seen any of the things he’d bought yet. I was personally a little weirded out by the thought of wearing some stranger’s rejects, no matter how many times you washed them.
The real topper to the whole ensemble though, was the hair. He’d been letting it grow this summer, and it was just long enough in the front to hang down into his eyes, with the back creeping down his neck, almost to the top of his shoulders. It was kind of well, messy was the best word to describe it. But the big thing was, he had bleached his bright red hair platinum blond with a couple of red streaks in the front.
“How awesome do I look?” He did a little twirl, ending with his hands on his hips.
“Wha—what did you do to your hair?”
He just shrugged. “The red was too boring.”
I pointed. “But you added red to your hair…that was already red.”
“Not the same at all. This is Passion Red.” He tugged on the red strands of hair.
“And…blond?”
“Isn’t it bitchin’? Same shade as Nick Rhodes hair!”
