Lex Chase's Blog, page 29

Winner of the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia Giveaway!

A week ago I participated in the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia Blog Hop and you can see my post on the consequences of coming out in the mid-’90s amid Matthew Shepard’s death here.

In my post I was giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and using Random.org I’m pleased to announce the winner is….

Julianna!

 

Congrats Juliana! And thanks for commenting on the hop!

The hop has been a very rewarding experience and I loved reading the other stories. I’ve learned a lot, and it’s opened my eyes to a lot of things I hadn’t considered. I look forward to doing more hops, and particularly the HAHAT next year!

The post Winner of the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia Giveaway! appeared first on Lex Chase.

“Sins of Another” Asks The Hard Questions

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“Sins of Another” by Jessica Skye Davies asks the hard questions about living with the consequences of our actions.

Despite describing herself as passionate, driven, romantic, and fun, Dreamspinner Press author Jessica Skye Davies doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. In pursuing a graduate degree and researching public policy on HIV, her new release “Sins of Another” Davies sets out in making readers ponder and soul-search. Davies explained a short premise of “Sins of Another” in an email interview.

“Padrig, the narrator, finds himself in a bad situation through no fault of his own, but he’s the one who has to live with the consequences,” she said. “In learning to cope with his new life, however, Padrig also learns that he is not alone in his journey. Ultimately, Sins is about accepting oneself and others, the value of friendship, and what love can survive.”

Another Kind Of Inspiration

Instead of drawing inspiration from her work in the GLBT community for “Sins of Another,” Davies said the initial drafts were what led her to investigate HIV further. Needing a career change, Davies claimed she was working on exorcising the negative energy as she drafted “Sins of Another.”

“It’s something I’ve always cared deeply about,” she said about HIV research. “I’d been thinking for a while of taking on some really tough issues that don’t get talked about much.  That whole ‘social work’ mentality was there before I even knew it.”

Another Kind Of Character

“Sins of Another” isn’t completely rolling in darkness and angst, there is one shining, even glittering, bright spot in the story with

German Actor and Model Marcel Schlutt serves as Kristof’s idol.

Padrig’s friend and ally Kristof. Davies described Kristof as “something else” but not sure of what is that something else. She talked about how he was born onto the page.

“This party-boy Krist ‘character’ had been buzzing around my mind like a glam fly for a while,” Davies said. “He’s persuasive, probably obnoxious, but he’s got a big heart.  Of course, he may be a side character, but he has no trouble stealing the spotlight whenever it comes anywhere near him.”

Another Kind Of Sound

Not only is there the boisterous Kristof, but “Sins of Another” Davies said is rife with references to the 1980’s and 1990’s. Davies created a playlist with ‘80s and ‘90s music to share on her blog tour here and had her own thoughts about the decades of decadence.

“There was a certain excessiveness to those eras, in the ‘80s it was mostly an excessiveness of expression,” she said. “Oh, yes, the neon geometric patterns totally expressed one’s individuality…”

And for the ‘90s Davies explains “it was an excess of everything else.”

Davies was inspired during the pre-submission edits of “Sins of Another” and listened to the artists of her childhood, such as Simply Red, New Order, Queen, and Elton John. Techno music and Latin, Davies said she found later in life.

“I wouldn’t say they influenced the original writing at all,” she said. “But I can absolutely see Krist dancing his non-butt off to ‘90s techno. Padrig kind of goes for the ‘80s pop himself.”

Another Kind Of Bizarre
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“Possession” by Davies tells an entirely different story around a cursed antique.

In a previous release, “Possession,” Davies was particularly inspired by an antiquing trip with her mother and brother. They came upon a peculiar object.

“I saw this colorful, cast-iron doorstop in one of the shops,” she said. “It was bizarre enough at first

Bill Cowher

glance, that grinning puppet resembling a maniacal Bill Cowher, the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach.  But then I noticed what it said along the bottom—‘Don’t You Tell.’  I won’t, I swear I won’t tell nobody nothin’!”

Davies said she found it amusing for someone to have it in their house and get reactions from guests. When searching through Google and Davies turned up with nothing explaining it she found one conclusion.

“Give it a story,” she said.

The Creepy Doorstop

Another Kind Of Romance

Davies has said she doesn’t consider herself a “typical” romance writer and doesn’t want to mislead her readers.

“They’re probably not going to see much of a linear ‘boy meets boy, falls in love, meets trying situation, resolves situation’,” she said.

But she went on to say that what readers consider the familiar tropes of romance can be “lovely.” Davies claims they indeed serve a purpose.

“Nothing against them as such and sometimes all you want is something you can just enjoy reading,” she said.

All in all, Davies gave credit to her grandparents for the formidable years of her life.

Another Kind Of Love

“My grandparents were great people, they encouraged—tolerated— my artistic streak,” she said and her creations were frequently displayed. “My dad’s side of the family were halfway across the country and my mum was an only child, so my grandparents here in Pittsburgh got to spoil me big time.  I really enjoyed spending Saturday nights and Sundays with them and any time my parents were going to a concert or whatever.”

Davies elaborated on the history of her grandparents.

“My grandpa was a jazz drummer back in the day and played with the Benny Goodman orchestra—among other really cool names.  Grandma’s greatest hits were her bread pudding, beef barley soup, and suchlike.  When it came to peculiar habits, I’ve often said I could, and probably should, write a book about my grandpa’s stories.  He was also rather loose with the language.  He always told his friends that when they came to his funeral there would be a card in his top pocket with the word ‘bullshit’ written on it.  I assure you that was duly accomplished as requested.”

Where To Buy

Interested in purchasing Jessica Skye Davies’ stories? Check out her author page here on the Dreamspinner Press website. “Possession” and “Sins of Another” eBooks, respectively, are $3.99 and $6.99, “Sins of Another” paperback is $14.99.

Jessica explained “Posession” has been “described as cozy as a Miss Marple, or creepy as a Stephen King.”  But “Sins of Another,” is a darker and heavier.  Davies said it’s like “some combination of ‘Taken,’ ‘Requiem for a Dream,’ and ‘Love! Valor! Compassion!’”

Jessica Skye Davies Bio:

Author Jessica Skye Davies

Jessica Skye Davies has been a writer since her first works were “published” in her grandparents’ living room and written in crayon. She is a lifelong native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she has been active in the community, including serving as library director on the executive board of a local GLBT community center. Outside of writing, Jessica has a wide range of interests and hobbies: from Mozart in a music hall to punk in pubs, from Shakespeare to Vonnegut, from salsa dancing the night away to afternoon coffee in the square to kicking back with a good movie. She loves meeting new people and exploring new places, always open to whatever elements might inspire her next writing project.

Visit Jessica at:

Blog: http://jessicaskyedavies.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jessicaskye.davies

“Sins of Another” Blurb:

One morning Padrig Kennedy comes home to find his partner, Nick Glenfielding, in bed with another man. Shocked, hurt, and vulnerable, Padrig flees and meets a stranger who seems to offer comfort—but he force-feeds Padrig a steady diet of drugs and prostitution instead. When he finally surfaces from his hell, it’s to another system shock: he’s now HIV positive.

Nick descends into darkness as well. Devastated by losing Padrig, he finds no consolation in the legal career he doesn’t love and tries to find solace in alcohol, spending his days in an ever-deepening haze.

Padrig and Nick find each other again, but their relationship can never be the same. If they’re to stand any chance of a future together, they must do the improbable: make sense of the past and learn to cope with new burdens they’ll bear for life.

“Sins of Another” Contest!

Between now and May 29, 2013 I’ll be including clues in my blog tour stops and my own blog entries to references made within “Sins of Another.”

Here’s how it works: You get the clue from the blog posts and keep track of the answers on your own.  After the last clue has been posted (May 29, 2013), email me at jessicaskyedavies@gmail.com

Make sure you follow the blog tour over the next couple months as I’ll be giving away swag bags, a goodie hamper, and a copy of “Sins of Another.”

This week’s clue:

Padrig is somewhat concerned that after meeting Krist at a group meeting, Nick might feel he’s in for something on the order of the ceremonial wedding dinner from a Tod Browning cult classic.  What controversial 1932 film did Padrig refer to?

The post “Sins of Another” Asks The Hard Questions appeared first on Lex Chase.

Hop Against Homophobia: Welcome to the ’90s

Hello, I’m Lex Chase, a male/male author and creator of Pawn Takes Rook for Dreamspinner Press. I decided this year at last, I should participate in the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Well, of course I was only actually published this year, but as for speaking out against homophobia, it’s a shame that I haven’t done it as often as I should.

If you have something to add, comment below with your email address and you’ll be entered to win a 25 dollar Amazon Gift Card!

The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is May 17th, so I choose raise awareness about it with the nostalgia of the ’90s.

So, let me tell you my story.

Even when I was little I knew I was “different.” I was a tomboy, into boys toys, and while I had Barbie dolls, they were dating. I never had a Ken doll. I had no interest in a Ken doll. All of my childhood friends were girls, and when we played pretend I was Indiana Jones, MacGuyver, or Murdoch from the A-Team. I was the “boy” character that always ended up with the “girl.” The girl in question was always one of the prettier girls of my set of friends. I can’t tell you what her name is now for the life of me.

As I grew up, I hit 11 in Spring of 1990. At the time America was still in an uproar about Jessica McClure, the baby that fell down the well. New Kids on the Block were the thing. Paula Abdul was climbing to megastardom. The first inklings of the Grunge Movement was creeping across the US.

I liked things girls liked, and I had grade school boyfriends because that’s what girls were supposed to do. But it never felt “right.” The idea of making out with a boy or seeing his bits made my skin crawl. Even one of my boyfriends in middle school dumped me because I couldn’t stand New Kids on the Block. That’s me. Having musical taste since the womb.

And then came Spring of 1995, and I was 16, and I kissed a girl for the first time. And suddenly the world made sense.

The World Of The ’90s

The ’90s produced a lot of awesome stuff in one way, and lots of shitty stuff in another way. One of the Bushes (the first one I think) made it illegal for same-sex couples to marry. You could still be legally fired for your sexual preference, and it was legal to not even hire based on gender identity. Adoption by same-sex couples was criminalized. AIDs was still taught in public schools as the thing that will “wipe out all the faggots.”

And then 1998 rolled around and Matthew Shepard was tied to a fence in Wyoming and beaten to death for being gay.

While my parents had suspected about my girlfriend and I, I didn’t officially come out to them until 1996. Shepard’s death two years later rocked my world, my parents world, and my girlfriend’s world.

What happened to Matthew Shepard was barbaric in every sense of the word. But when you lived in teeny tiny Pensacola, Florida like I did in the ’90s. What Shepard’s killers did to him was seen as heroism.

Heroism. What the bullshit?

But for the safety of my girlfriend, and myself, we said nothing. In public, we were joined at the hip friends. With friends, we were more than friends. But we had to stay safe, fly under the radar, we didn’t associate with members of the gay community, we didn’t listen to songs by gay artists, and we didn’t read books by gay authors. We were the “straightest-acting” lesbians anyone had ever seen. In a way, we had set up our own little bubble of homophobia just to keep ourselves alive. You know, fuck the rest, save yourself.

Completely appalling, am I right?

Hit the Reset Button

So, it’s now 2013, and for an entirely different sob story, I haven’t been with that girl since 2001. But I did a lot of growing up since then. As for my relationship status, I’m quite happy to retire a confirmed bachelorette like a female Henry Higgins.

I learned this “fuck the rest, save yourself,” realm of thinking was completely assbackwards. It took me some time, but reaching out to the gay community is one of the most emotionally fulfilling things I’ve ever done. I was scared to death at first, worried if I’d be accepted for me, and they’ve welcomed me with open arms. Yeah, you have your pockets of drama, but that’s with every social grouping gay or straight.

Wise Words From The Least Expected Source

I once went to symposium hosted by the Dalai Lama at Emory University, and Gandhi’s own grandson stood up on the stage and said “When we destroy what we hate, we destroy what we love.” A Rabbi, also a part of the symposium said “We judge our actions by the actions of others.”

And finally, a spokeswoman for Catholicism also at the symposium said this:

“Love knows no gender, religion, race, creed, or flag.”

Isn’t that something worth remembering?

Don’t forget to comment with your email for your chance at a 25 dollar Amazon Gift Card! Winner will be announced May 27th! Your email is crucial so I can contact you!

The post Hop Against Homophobia: Welcome to the ’90s appeared first on Lex Chase.

[GUEST POST] Vona Logan with Tats of Honor

Please welcome Vona Logan to Lexchase.com today discussing the gorgeous scenery found in her Dreamspinner Press release Tats of Honor.

I just want to thank Lex for taking the time to host me on her blog today. I’m celebrating the release of my first ever Dreamspinner Press book, Tats of Honor, on Wednesday, the 15th of May and I’m super excited.

Over the last few days I’ve done a couple of other blog appearances and I was wondering what to share with you today that will be different. Tats of Honor is very special to me and several different ways. Not only does it feature an unforgettable tattoo and two strong, heartbroken men – but the book is also set in an amazing place, Queenstown, New Zealand.

This picturesque town has natural features and beauty that takes your breath away and I felt strongly that if I show the readers snapshots of this amazing part of my country, they’ll have such a better chance of identifying with the characters and settings in my book.

Many scenes from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy were filmed in and around Queenstown. So, come with me as we take a journey with Kegan and Dominic to explore this magnificent tourist town.

This is a stunning aerial view of Queenstown at night with the Remarkables Mountain Range in the backdrop and the dark depths of Lake Wakatipu displayed in all its glory. This is the view Dominic and Kegan would’ve had while they had lunch at the Skyline Restaurant at the top of the mountain.

Skyline Restaurant:

The following picture shows the paved streets of the town in some places:

Another beautiful view of Wakatipu Basin:

The following two shots are of Glenorchy where Kegan and Dominic meet for the first time. These are also places where Lord of the Rings scenes were filmed:

Arwen ran through these waters on her white horse.

I can just imagine Frodo and his following walking along here.

Dominic and Kegan has an amazing story to tell about loss, courage, forgiveness and healing. Thank you for visiting Lex’s blog today with me here and I hope you look forward to reading these two mens’ story as much as I loved writing it.

Vona

The post [GUEST POST] Vona Logan with Tats of Honor appeared first on Lex Chase.

Cate Ashwood Hits The Sweet Spot With “Keeping Sweets”

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“Keeping Sweets” by Cate Ashwood from Dreamspinner Press

Canadian author Cate Ashwood of Dreamspinner Press never imagined her debut novel “Keeping Sweets” ending up so well received by readers. Reaching #3 on the Amazon Bestseller Gay and Lesbian category, Ashwood said she is grateful and humbled by her good fortune. Ashwood’s sister described her as a “fucking awesome sexy beast,” but Ashwood prefered to think of herself as a “redhead super nerd.”

The Sweet Premise

Ashwood elaborated on the premise of “Keeping Sweets” via an email interview.

“Days away from high school graduation, with hardly a penny to his name, Evan Lowry needs to earn money for college,” she said. “When he comes across an ad for modeling, he thinks his luck has changed—until he learns he’s interviewing for an adult film and will be expected to have sex. On camera. With other men.”

And then enter Brandon Court, stage right. Ashwood continued.

“For gay porn star Brandon Court, the shine has worn off of regular shoots,” she said. “He and his producer, Les, decide to try something new: a reality-show porno set at a beach house. When he meets wide-eyed and naïve Evan for the first time, Brandon isn’t sure if he wants the kid to get lost or get naked. Naked wins.”

What can possibly go wrong? Ashwood provided the details.

“On set, Brandon takes Evan under his wing, and over the next month, they are thrown together in every intimate way conceivable—except emotionally. Both Brandon and Evan are terrified of trying for anything deeper, and insecurities and doubts wear on their hopes, but the chemistry between them won’t let them slow things down.”

The Sweet Beginning

Ashwood claimed she never pictured herself as a writer. In her life away from writing about sexy boys, she’s studying phlebotomy. Despite cramming on biology, she talked about what led her to writing.

“As for writing, there wasn’t really a process to it,” she said. “I just started writing one night. Every once in a while after that I would get the urge to write a little more so I would sit down with my laptop and pound it out. Eventually I had something that resembled a novel.”

Did she ever pick up a method to her “just writing?” Ashwood answered.

“I have learned so much about writing since I finished the first book, that now I actually have a process instead of just winging it,” she said.

Ashwood confessed to having hesitation and had severe “feet dragging” before sending “Keeping Sweets” to Dreamspinner Press. She gave her reason why.

“At first, no one knew I was writing except my husband and sister because I didn’t want people to know in case I failed horribly at it,” she said.

But when her contract arrived? Ashwood related her big “glamorous” moment.

“I was walking across the parking lot to the grocery store when my phone buzzed that I had a new email,” she said. “I think I may have squealed and jumped up and down, just a little.”

Sweet “Accidental” Promo

Ashwood said she had “mixed feelings” about the overall success of her blog tour. She has plans on revising her strategy for future tours. One thing she said that she never expected was “Keeping Sweets” being namedropped along with the likes of J.R. Ward, author of the nationally bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Ashwood talked about her feelings of the surprise.

“I was absolutely thrilled to see that people were mentioning my book, and it was even more exciting to see it mentioned next to some of my favorite author’s names,” she said. “It was a little surreal actually.”

Unexpected Sweet Favorites

Ashwood’s readers have cried out for a “Keeping Sweets” sequel starring the supporting character, Colt, who became a fan favorite. Is Ashwood planning it? She shared the details.

“Originally when I wrote Keeping Sweets, I had no idea whether or not it would ever be published, so I didn’t think much beyond what I had written,” she said. “Colt was one of my favourite characters to write, though, so the idea of giving him his own book appealed to me.”

But Ashwood revealed it’s not a direct sequel. Instead, it’s a spin-off that takes place six years after “Keeping Sweets.”

“I started writing it this month—although with the craziness in my life, I haven’t gotten very far with it—but so far I am really enjoying it,” she said. “We do see a bit of Evan and Bran, but for the most part, the only carryover from Sweets is Colt. We follow Colt to Colorado where he takes on a temporary teaching job.”

A Sweet June Daily Dose

With this summer heating up, Ashwood has her own sexy offering in the Dreamspinner Press 2013 June Daily Dose Anthology called

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“Make a Play” the June Daily Dose for 2013 features Ashwood’s story “Riding the Board.”

“Make a Play.” Her story, “Riding the Board” is a tale of synchronized divers.

Ashwood explained the story is not without it’s misadventures.

“It’s about two synchronized divers who don’t get along very well,” she said. “Their coach goes to some extreme measures to force them to work together.”

Ashwood said she drew inspiration from London Olympics and the diving teams led her to the story.

“I knew absolutely nothing about diving when I started writing it,” she said. “There isn’t too much technical content in the story, but I did learn quite a bit while writing it. And I watched my fill of pretty boys diving on YouTube too.”

Sweet Times Ahead At GayRomLit

Ashwood has confirmed she will be attending GayRomLit in Atlanta this October. It will be her first time going to any conference as an author, but she said it’s not without apprehension.

“I am so freaking excited to be going to GRL this year,” she said. “Excited and a little apprehensive. I’m not the most outgoing person in the world, and frankly strangers scare me, but I am trying to adopt my mom’s mantra of ‘strangers are friends you haven’t met yet’.”

Ashwood said her mother is like “Martha Stewart on steroids,” and she has helped Ashwood with swag ideas.

“I’m not one hundred percent sure yet about what I plan to do for giveaways for GRL,” she said. “I have a bunch of ideas and now I just need to narrow it down. If I had unlimited funds, I would love to give away Kindles.”

She elaborated on conferences she’d like to attend in the future.

“The DSP conference is going to be high up on my list for next year, as well as possibly RT [Romantic Times] or the Rainbow Book Fair,” she said.

A Sweet Future

Determined to keep writing as long as there’s still readers, Ashwood talked about her project in the works, a trilogy called “Hope Cove.”

“Book 1 follows Oliver who is a chef living in Seattle,” she said. “One day he comes home to find Mack, a cop, sitting on his doorstep. Mack tells him his sister has died, which is news to Oliver who didn’t know he had a sister. Oliver has inherited everything from her, so goes with Mack to Hope Cove, Maine to try to get to know the sister he lost.”

And now with an introduction to the world of “Hope Cove,” Ashwood gave the premise of the second book.

“Book 2 is about Lucas and Declan,” she said. “Declan is a deputy of Mack’s, and is called to the dock one morning to find Lucas who had been badly beaten by the guys he used to work on a lobster boat with. Declan feels an odd connection to the man because of things that had happened in his past. He takes Lucas in with him to heal after he is discharged from the hospital.”

And rounding out the trilogy is the tale of Haydn and Trevor.

“In Book 3, Haydn meets Trevor at a club just outside of Hope Cove,” she said. “They spend the night together and Haydn never expects to see him again, but months later, he walks into his business and Haydn discovers that Trevor was not who he had made himself out to be.”

Where to Buy

Curious about “Keeping Sweets” or “Riding the Board?” You can find them on the Dreamspinner Press website under Ashwood’s author page HERE and you can preorder the “Make a Play” June Daily Dose. Stories will be sold individually after June 1.

The post Cate Ashwood Hits The Sweet Spot With “Keeping Sweets” appeared first on Lex Chase.

Kim Fielding Brings Readers Tales From Abroad And Closer To Home

Kim Fielding and her daughter in Barcelona

In the interview seat today for this Cinco de Mayo interview is Dreamspinner Press author Kim Fielding. A university professor by day and author by night, she weaves tales about white collar werewolves, loveable brutes, and ex-cons just trying to make their way. Fielding prides herself on being a world traveler and finds inspiration for her stories lurking around every corner.

What’s New From Fielding

Fielding elaborated via email on her current and upcoming releases.

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“Night Shift” by Kim Fielding

“Both my last release and my next one involve unconventional supernatural creatures,” she said. “‘Night Shift’ was released in April. It’s a novella about Aiden Finn, an ex-con trying to make it through life with very little support. He has a job as night shift janitor at a motel, and there he meets sexy and mysterious security guard Luka Gabor. Can Aiden escape lurking monsters to find happiness and love?”

Her next release “Buried Bones” is due out May 22, and is the sequel to “Good Bones,” and furthers the adventure of Dylan Warner and Chris Nock. Fielding describes Dylan as a “hipster architect werewolf” and Chris as “rustic and slightly insecure.”

Fielding gave a taste of the premise.

“In the new book, the guys are already in love, and Chris has accepted that Dylan turns furry once a

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“Buried Bones” by Kim Fielding, the sequel to “Good Bones”

month,” she said. “But neither has ever had a long-term lover, so they’re facing the usual challenges of building a relationship. On top of that, Chris is visited with a surprise from his past, Dylan investigates the background of the man who turned him into a werewolf, and both guys are dealing with a troublesome ghost. And Dylan’s old farmhouse still needs renovations.”

Fielding also said she’ll have a free short story to give away in May called “The Gig.” In this story the main characters from her previously released novella “Speechless,” Travis and Drew, meet Dylan and Chris of “Buried Bones.”

Fielding Stays Always Inspired

When it comes to story ideas, Fielding never seems short of inspiration.

“I keep a long file of story ideas,” she said. “I choose one and sit down to write. I allow myself to write only one story at a time, and I don’t let myself go back to read or edit until the first draft is done. I don’t plot much out beforehand behind the basic skeleton.”

She went on to explain how she manages to meet her goals.

“I write every single day—usually in the evenings after my younger daughter goes to bed,” she said. “It takes me roughly a month to write the first draft of a novel. In fact, “Buried Bones” was my latest NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project. Once the draft is complete, I go back to read, edit, and tweak. Then I send the draft to one or more betas, and it goes through at least two rounds of edits. I write the blurb and synopsis—my least favorite tasks! Submit to the publisher. Then attempt to wait patiently.”

As for the specific inspiration about Dylan of “Buried Bones,” Fielding had this to say:

“I got tired of werewolves always being depicted as these biker dude types,” she said. “Why aren’t there werewolves with white collar jobs and a tendency to buy organic free-range groceries?”

Ringing In the Holidays For Fielding’s Worlds

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Kim Fielding’s free title “The Gig”

With today being a celebration of Mexico’s historic defeat over the French, and seems a good excuse as any for Americans to get liquored up on margaritas and tequila, Fielding offered how her characters would participate in the holidays of their contemporary or fantasy worlds.

In the “Night Shift,” Aiden is a recovering alcoholic, but Luka and he go to a Mexican restaurant on their first date. For Dylan and Chris of “Buried Bones,” Chris is a Bud or Coors guy, for the high class Dylan? A vodka gimlet.

Fielding adds, “The lime juice would have to be organic and the vodka craft-distilled.”

But what about the characters from her high-fantasy story “Brute?” Fielding paints a picture of the Festival of the Harvest Moon in the world’s mythology.

“It takes place in fall, of course,” she said. “Even people with crappy jobs—like Brute’s job as a manual laborer—get the day off. People with better jobs get a pay bonus too. Everyone spends the day with their family, drinking a traditional autumn ale and eating too much.”

She went on about the other colorful details.

“It’s considered good luck to prepare a favorite dish for someone who you’ve been quarreling with,” she said. “After dinner, the children perform a skit reenacting the story of how the goddess Rohiana taught the first humans to farm. And after the sun sets, courting couples—or even old established ones—go for long walks through the fields. They use only the moon for light. They’re supposed to find a secluded spot and then each share three secrets with the other.”

Fielding Goes Global

One of Fielding’s greatest passions is that of traveling. She’s been all over Europe, Mexico, and back again. She claimed her inspiration

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One of Fielding’s bestsellers, “Venetian Masks”

for “Venetian Masks” came from a week in Venice, among other travels in the region.

She talked about some of her favorite parts of visiting different countries.

“I love traveling by train, and I also love just walking around and getting the feel for a new place,” she said. “I have a not-so-secret love of foreign grocery stores. I’ve had some great tours, like a five hour tour of Barcelona on an antique Russian motorcycle with a sidecar.

But what Fielding said was her favorite travel memory? Living five months in Croatia.

“Croatia has a special place in my heart,” she said. “Zagreb is an interesting, affordable, walkable city with cafes everywhere and lots to see, plus Croatians love to give advice—and it’s almost always good advice.”

And for those into pop-culture, Fielding had an interesting perspective about Dubrovnik.

“If you’ve been watching ‘Game of Thrones,’ that’s where the King’s Landing scenes are filmed,” she said.

But say you want to get some nature time in? Fielding had a recommendation.

Dubrovnik

“One of the most gorgeous parks I’ve ever visited is also in Croatia: Plitvice Lakes,” she said. “So, you know, go to Croatia!”

Plitvice Lakes

Travel Tips from Fielding

Edinburgh

Curious about traveling? Fielding offered her insight.

“Plan, but don’t freak out if the unexpected occurs,” she said. “My best memories were things that surprised me. Pay for local tour guides; you’ll get much more out of your visit. Try to learn at least a few words in the local language, even if almost everyone there speaks English too,”

As for other tips?

“Pack lightly,” Fielding said. “If you really need something, you can probably buy it there, and then it’s a souvenir. Walk as much as possible. Learn some geography: Slovenia, Slavonia, and Slovakia are three very different places!”

How about where to stay? Fielding had a peculiar tip.

“Try to rent an apartment instead of a hotel room,” she said. “Apartments are often

Zagreb

cheaper and give you a better chance to get to know a place. I stayed in a former 14th century monastery in Vienna, a funny 16th century apartment in Dubrovnik—four rooms, one on top of the other—a great flat in Venice, and so on. My temporary landlords were always excellent sources of information.”

 

What’s Next For Fielding

Besides plotting where to go next in her globetrotting adventures, Fielding gave clues as to what readers can expect from her in the future.

“My novel ‘The Tin Box’ will be released in September or so,” she said. “It’s a contemporary romance set in a former insane asylum in the fictional town of Jelley’s Valley, California. I’ve done a lot of research on the history of mental hospitals—and I sometimes teach in a former mental hospital!—so that helped inspire the story. The main character, William Lyon, has only recently and very cautiously come out of the closet. He meets the very bouncy and very out Colby Anderson, who promises to introduce William to the world of gay sex. And William also discovers a box of letters written by a former patient at the asylum, Bill, who was locked up in the 1930s for being gay.”

She went on to add, “I’m working now on a novella about a man who loses his boyfriend, his job, and his home all in one day. The working title is ‘Housekeeping.’ I’ve written a story for the Goodreads M/M Romance group’s ‘Love Has No Boundaries’ event. The story is called ‘Treasure.’ It’s a fantasy with pirates, and it’ll be available for free this summer.”

To purchase “Night Shift,” “Buried Bones,” “The Gig” and all of Kim’s other titles, see her author page at Dreamspinner Press here.

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Practical Advice For Writing A Series

Planning to write a series but don’t know what makes a successful series and what makes a random chain of events? Considering I write the “Checkmate” series for Dreamspinner Press, I’ve compiled a stack of notes for my own edification on what it takes to get a successful series off the ground. And because I’m a believer in sharing information, here’s my tips for all you writers out there!

People Innately Understand Serials
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Daryl Dixon of “The Walking Dead” the resident redneck sexpot.

This very day is a current episode in your life. How many of us have been told our families should be made into a sitcom? And that’s finally been done with the Emmy winning ABC sitcom “Modern Family.” So someone somewhere has been listening to the public. How does this relate to writing?

Serials are the easiest way to develop your main characters over a long period of time, or develop secondary or tertiary characters quickly.

Examples of Main Characters, Secondary Characters, and Tertiary Characters:

Main Characters: Sherlock and Watson (Or in the case of the Checkmate Series: Hogarth and Rook)
Secondary Characters: Folks that show up often. Think Daryl, or the Governor in “The Walking Dead.” (My personal example: Captain Chivalry)
Tertiary Characters: Characters that only appear in that installment. In “Law and Order” that’s the killer. (For me that’s the baddie of the upcoming Checkmate #2, Ree-Alli-Tee.)

Types of Character Growth

As your stories unfold in each installment, there’s types of character growth you need to be aware of.

Main Characters

In the case of main characters, they evolve the slowest. Because they have a lot of story in them! Makes no sense to kill of your main character in the first book and then have the series after him. Unless you’re doing something crazy like he’s a ghost or something. Or something else entirely.

Example of this: J.R. Ward of the “Black Dagger Brotherhood” series in her very first installment killed off the main character as soon as Chapter 5. I was… a bit surprised. But it turns out he wasn’t the main character of that book. But he came up later after several books.

J.R. Ward’s worldbuilding and series planning is just bananas. It’s quite impressive.

But if you’re keeping your main guys around for a while, like “Checkmate’s” Rook and Hogarth, don’t put all of your cards on the table right away. Save some bits. Hold off for later. In “Checkmate” one of the things that comes up is Hogarth’s grandfather, we don’t know all about him, so there’s some opportunity for development later.

Secondary Characters

In the case of secondary characters, like a recurring villain, or even your main character’s co-worker, or even, yes, Daryl in “The Walking Dead.” (Mmmm… Daryl…)

Hello Kitty! As Daryl! My world explodes.

…they develop the a little faster. Think about it this way, you plan to write them out, or kill them off, or have them wander off into the sunset eventually. Like Selena Kyle’s evolution into Catwoman, going from petty crook to the sexy thief by the end of the first installment, and returning later to be a thorn in Batman’s side.

Here’s the kicker about secondary characters, the second you name them or give them any kind of backstory, not only are you building reader curiosity, but you’re also writing them into your story’s mythology. If they appear in Book 1, but don’t even get an acknowledgement in Book 2 like they never existed, and then return in Book 3, readers are going to notice. Even if it’s a sentence or two or “I wonder what he’s doing now…” in Book 2, that’s good enough to foreshadow for Book 3.

Tertiary Characters

For tertiary characters, I call these my “throwaway characters,” they’re the characters that fully evolve over the course of a single installment and they’re gone for good. Like in “Law and Order” this is the guy accused of murder looking to clear his name. This is also the victim. Or the body that washes up on the beach as they sift for clues about her life.

They’re the folks that walk on, say a line or two, and walk off. Or they’re the folks that you introduce as an ally to the main character in Chapter 2 and kill off by Chapter 10. Let’s just say in my current WIP “Switchblade Symphony” I’m flipping a coin on which tertiary character doesn’t make it past Chapter 12.

Types of Serial Plotlines
Type I: Sense of Discovery

The sense of discovery can encompass a world, a character, or a situation. In my WIP “Switchblade Symphony” the story revolves around my main character Gav’s discovery of the cyberpunk world around him. His love interest, Nyoka, his sense of discovery revolves around himself and his psychic gift.

Using the sense of discovery, your readers are discovering the world along side your characters. Remember that scene in Disney’s “Tarzan” where Jane finally meets the gorillas and is accepted into Tarzan’s world? Got chills of wonder didn’t you?

“Mom, Dad, meet the girl I’m gunna marry.”

 

Or how about the part that after all the frolicking and frivolity in Mulan during the musical number “A Girl Worth Fighting For” they come across the burned out village and our band of misfits are met first hand with the Huns brutality. Your stomach dropped right?

 

Here’s the catch: If you’re writing a full fantasy world, like a space station, a megacity, or even the rolling hills of Tolkein’s Shire, and your characters are discovering it along with the readers? You need to supply the details to make them feel it. Believe it. Engage all of the senses: Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, and Sound. You don’t need to go epically overboard. And once again, don’t lay all of your cards on the table at once. You still need material for a sequel.

Speaking of a sequel! Don’t have any ideas for a sequel? Close your eyes and point at a place in your world’s map. Your story will take place there.

Type II: The Puzzle

Writing a mystery or suspense story? Or some swashbuckling adventure to find the hidden idol before the love interest is boiled in oil by cannibals? This is for you.

A few things to know about puzzles, if your reader figures out the whodunit by page 60 and they guessed correctly, they win your game and they don’t play again. As in they don’t buy the next book. If the reader doesn’t figure it out, they play your game again, they even read your book again to figure out how you got from A to B.

Apparently Andrea of “The Walking Dead” totally lost the game when she still didn’t put together the Governor was the bad guy even when confronted with his personal zombie aquariums and keeping his zombie daughter in a dog kennel.

Oh, that Governor, such a winner.

Puzzle stories require a bit of planning up front. If you’re a pantser–you write by the seat of your pants aka you make it up as you go–this likely won’t work for you. Jillian Chantal writes romantic mysteries and her method is she writes the start of the book, then the end of the book, and then threads them together in the middle. The trick is you knowing your killer or the solution to the puzzle up front, that way you know what clues to drop along the way.

A Word About Story Mythology

When ABC’s drama “Lost” was still on TV, and still popular, we heard a lot of behind the scenes talk about the show’s mythology. Well, what the fuck is that? Is it about the gods of the island? Is it about some kind of magical hoodoo? No. It’s basically your worldbuilding, facts, figures, and previous character events in your story. Now time for an obligatory picture of Josh Holloway who played Sawyer.

Mmmm… Sawyer…

Here’s what you need to know about your story’s mythology:

You need elements of your mythology in all of your books to remain a series, and the mythology revolves around a character.

So for example: You can have a Sherlock Holmes story just with Watson so long as Sherlock’s influence is present even if he is off-screen doing something else. But if you have a Sherlock Holmes story without Sherlock or Watson anywhere in it and starring Besty Jo from Tuscon, it’s not part of the series.

The key to the mythology you have created, it shouldn’t take up more than 30% of your story. The mythology is all the stuff that happened in previous books, it’s the stuff your previous readers hone in on, it’s the stuff that new readers go back and read your backlist to find out what you’re talking about.

Think of it like a grossly expanded version of Chekhov’s gun, which is a metaphor for foreshadowing. The idea is the gun on the mantle in Act I must be fired by Act III.

So if you have a gun in Book One, and your character pawns it to make rent, and then in Book Four a guy is killed with the previously pawned gun, that’s your mythology.

Math for Writers: How to Compute 30% Mythology

For those that are utterly math challenged, like myself, let’s do this the easy way:

For a 10 chapter novella you need 7 chapters of ‘plot stuff’ and 3 chapters of ‘mythology stuff.’ It works out to a 70/30 ratio.

The key is in those three chapters of mythology, one of those chapters needs to be something positive and the other two need to be something negative. Or the other way around, two chapters are something positive and the one chapter is negative. Also these chapters do not need to be all in a row, sprinkle them around.

Example of a Basic Outline

Chapter 1-2: Establish the hero’s problem. Like say a girl is kidnapped.
Chapter 3: The love interest is introduced and the kidnapped girl is this guy’s sister. — this is the mythology.
Chapter 4-7: Like a typical romance the hero and love interest face the problem together of finding the love interest’s sister amid the growing attraction.
Chapters 8-9: The hero and love interest finally consummate the affair. But the hero finds out it’s all a ruse and the love interest never had a sister. Instead he’s a hitman hired to knock off the hero! — This is more mythos here.
Chapter 10: You have your ultimate showdown of the ultimate destiny. Conflicted by his feelings, the hero lets the villain escape to return another day. (And another book!)

What have we learned: Chapter 3 and Chapter 8 were your 2/3 of awesome. Chapter 9 was your 1/3 of bad news.

In Conclusion

With a little forethought, and single-minded dedication to writing a series. Even a long one that’s eleven books. Holy crap! Writing serials can be ultimately rewarding. Take in mind, building up reader momentum on a series takes time. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” wasn’t an instant success, neither was “Black Dagger Brotherhood”, and dare I say, neither was “Twilight.” So, don’t sweat the small stuff when you’re first starting out on the long road ahead. By the time your third book is out, you’ll likely pick up some traction and people will be clamoring through your backlist.

 

The Great Question

So, what do you think? Are you brave enough to try writing a series? What kind of tricks have you picked up for your method? Share any tips or ideas! I’m looking forward for what you have to say!

Now have a gif of a Daryl holding a baby.

OMG WHAT ARE THESE FEELINGZZZNNNNGGGGHHH!

 

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Checkmate #2 Has Been Contracted!

Triple A works the pole in celebration of Pawn Takes Rook #2!

Aaaaaw yeah! As of 1PM US Central Time, the sequel to Pawn Takes Rook, called Cashing The Reality Check, has been picked up for publication by Dreamspinner Press for publication in August/September 2013! Just in time for GayRomLit!

Thursday was my birthday, and I can say I’m safely six years away from being a grownup. Or not one at all. I think when I get to 35 I’ll decide. Maybe, maybe not. Because I was in the fog of a summer cold or Allergies From Hell™ I didn’t do anything special for my birthday. No gifts. Just gifted myself with new business cards from Moo which here they are:

Let’s go on an adventure with Lex Chase!

Are they not awesome?

So this contract is a happy little belated birthday present if I do say so myself!

What is Pawn Takes Rook #2 about? It’s sort of my love letter to the most wretched and brain rotting of all indulgences: Reality TV.

Want the unedited blurb? Here you go! Straight from the horse’s mouth!

Cashing the Reality Check Blurb:

It’s been eleven months and still no invite from the superhero Power Alliance to welcome Hogarth Dawson and his boyfriend Memphis Rook into their fold. Still, Hope springs eternal for Hogarth. But with Rook at his side they’re taking back the streets of Axis City as the super duo Checkmate. Hogarth knows all too well relationships are complicated especially when you’re sleeping with your superhero partner. And after Hogarth makes an accidental marriage proposal in the heat of the moment, it becomes all too clear Rook is uncomfortable amidst Hogarth’s intensity.

But there’s work to be done when booted-off female contestants of the romantic reality show “Single and Super” are found in vegetative states, and it’s up to Checkmate to get to the bottom of it. Rook takes one for the team by cleaning up his bad boy image and goes undercover as the gentlemanly single super amid a feeding frenzy of twenty-five women looking for love. As much as Hogarth tries not to be the overdramatic boyfriend, his raging jealousy and insecurity grab him by the horns and lead him into sneaking onto the set to keep a close eye on Rook. Turns out filming a reality show in Axis City is a lot more complicated than it seems when it requires creating an entirely alternate reality where anything is possible based on the emotions of those enclosed in the pocket dimension. With Rook and Hogarth in way too deep, and their emotions riding high, are they the ones feeding the trap of their own making?

 

The post Checkmate #2 Has Been Contracted! appeared first on Lex Chase.

Pawn Takes Rook #2 Has Been Contracted!

Triple A works the pole in celebration of Pawn Takes Rook #2!

Aaaaaw yeah! As of 1PM US Central Time, the sequel to Pawn Takes Rook, called Cashing The Reality Check, has been picked up for publication by Dreamspinner Press for publication in August/September 2013! Just in time for GayRomLit!

Thursday was my birthday, and I can say I’m safely six years away from being a grownup. Or not one at all. I think when I get to 35 I’ll decide. Maybe, maybe not. Because I was in the fog of a summer cold or Allergies From Hell™ I didn’t do anything special for my birthday. No gifts. Just gifted myself with new business cards from Moo which here they are:

Let’s go on an adventure with Lex Chase!

Are they not awesome?

So this contract is a happy little belated birthday present if I do say so myself!

What is Pawn Takes Rook #2 about? It’s sort of my love letter to the most wretched and brain rotting of all indulgences: Reality TV.

Want the unedited blurb? Here you go! Straight from the horse’s mouth!

Cashing the Reality Check Blurb:

It’s been eleven months and still no invite from the superhero Power Alliance to welcome Hogarth Dawson and his boyfriend Memphis Rook into their fold. Still, Hope springs eternal for Hogarth. But with Rook at his side they’re taking back the streets of Axis City as the super duo Checkmate. Hogarth knows all too well relationships are complicated especially when you’re sleeping with your superhero partner. And after Hogarth makes an accidental marriage proposal in the heat of the moment, it becomes all too clear Rook is uncomfortable amidst Hogarth’s intensity.

But there’s work to be done when booted-off female contestants of the romantic reality show “Single and Super” are found in vegetative states, and it’s up to Checkmate to get to the bottom of it. Rook takes one for the team by cleaning up his bad boy image and goes undercover as the gentlemanly single super amid a feeding frenzy of twenty-five women looking for love. As much as Hogarth tries not to be the overdramatic boyfriend, his raging jealousy and insecurity grab him by the horns and lead him into sneaking onto the set to keep a close eye on Rook. Turns out filming a reality show in Axis City is a lot more complicated than it seems when it requires creating an entirely alternate reality where anything is possible based on the emotions of those enclosed in the pocket dimension. With Rook and Hogarth in way too deep, and their emotions riding high, are they the ones feeding the trap of their own making?

 

The post Pawn Takes Rook #2 Has Been Contracted! appeared first on Lex Chase.

Action. Adventure. True Love.

Action. Adventure. True Love. What do these things mean exactly? I’ve adopted this as my tag line from the start as a writer without much thought of it. It was a five second decision of “I need something to go here. I’ll change it later.” While it’s had a bit of a change in punctuation, that five second decision has never been more appropriate to describe who I am as a storyteller.

It’s About The Journey

Many years ago, I had adopted the domain NomadChronicle.com in fact LexChase.com redirects right to it. I believed at the time I had a nomadic soul, and this was my story, this was my chronicle of my journey, my quest, my adventure for what would eventually fulfill me.

I realize, in hindsight, the journey was two-fold. For me to eventually find the unobtainable thing I was looking for yet didn’t know what it looked like. And for my characters to find their purpose, their place in the world, or even their happily ever after in whatever form it took.

Have I found my happily ever after? I’m not so sure yet. But I definitely have a happily for now.

My characters on the other hand, are never satisfied. They have questions. They have wanderlust. They learn secrets about the world around them they were not meant to see. And then they go looking. They leave behind all they know, and they head out on that Hero’s Journey.

It’s About The Threat Of The Unknown

The world around us is a challenge. The unknown is either met with fear, or combativeness. I have my own challenges I face daily, and they are met with a mix of uncertainty, anxiety, or in the rare case, confidence. I don’t meant to say I live my life in fear, I mean to say we must, must, have some tiny iota of doubt in our lives that we will eventually fail. This is because I think if we knew we would never fail, would we ever try? However small my uncertainty is, or miniscule my anxiety, or abundant my confidence, there is some part of me that is challenged by the unknown. The unknown of “Will this all work out?” or the unknown of  “This is going to catastrophically fail.”

For my characters, they rise to the challenge of the unknown with hearty doses of combativeness, and even wonder. Jack of Chasing Sunrise when catching a first glance of his captor and torturer Sevon, he is intrigued by something as simple as her blonde hair. Hogarth of Pawn Takes Rook when presented with the chance to save the day, hesitates and considers if he’s ready to be a hero.

These characters know failure is dogging them at every chance. They do not know to what ends they could fail. A slap on the wrist? Okay. Their certain demise? Oh, they clue in eventually. But they never stop trying. They never give up. Because failure isn’t an option.

It’s About The Bond Of Love

There’s a bit in the Keanu Reeve’s film “Speed” that when Sandra Bullock falls for Keanu, one of them mentions relationships formed in high stress scenarios never last. I’m just going to go ahead and ignore that. While there is some truth to it, I can absolutely agree some of the characters I write when they form their relationships, they hardly know each other. That’s actually one of the basics that keeps the Pawn Takes Rook series going is Hogarth finds out something about Rook and spazzes out over it for 90 pages. Because it’s funny.

The only reason I ditch the hyper-realism about the relationships not lasting is actually just because my genre demands happily ever afters. If it didn’t, and I could do whatever I want? I’d be killing off characters and ending relationships left and right. Do I like it that my characters make the long haul? I do actually. And I like that people like seeing my characters make it the long haul. Do I think some of my characters should realistically stay together? Some yes and some no. I’m not saying who is who.

But one could argue, and I’m going to buy it, these characters have just gone through this amazing journey together, they have faced the unknown, they have come out stronger, better people on the other side. They have walked through Hell with an ally and in the end found the one they can’t live without.

And that’s why…

Action. Adventure. True Love.

 

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