C. Desert Rose's Blog, page 10

Crackling About Crackles of the Heart! IT’S OUT!

Dear Readers, Writers and Precious Patrons,

All Authors Publishing House would like to welcome you to event of the year! TODAY, All Authors Publishing House celebrates the release of “Crackles of the Heart: Divergent Ink, Book One“, a collaborative work by 6 very talented individuals!

What EXACTLY IS “Divergent Ink“?

Divergent Ink is the mesh of different frames of thoughts, various interpretations of one core question that yearns for universal expansion. Although the subject matter may change every year, the purpose of the Divergent Ink series will remain the same.

The first book in the Divergent Ink anthology series, “Crackles of the Heart”, centers around the following question: Can the hot, handsome guy fall for the average, awkward woman?

Six Divergent Inks exploring “Crackles of the Heart”. Will there be hearts rejoicing or hearts breaking?

Featuring:

Da’Kharta Rising: A five word invitation sets the tone for an afternoon journey. Short, provocative connectivity sizzles “Inside Me”.

Queen of Spades: One look from Her was all it took to put a ladies’ man into early retirement. Yet, the very object of his affection has no clue of his reform. When he opts to take a huge gamble, will his fairy tale end happily ever after or be deemed a “Tale in the Keys of Drastic“?

Adonis Mann: The dark of night can be more than scary, it can be downright intoxicating. When pleasure meets stupefaction, a man with a secret whirls into rapture at the hands of an unknown force. To which end? Will his secret be revealed, or will he revel in the delight it brings? Nothing is as it seems during the wonderment of “Mystical Nights“.

Y. Correa: Steampunk Earth, set in the distant future. When an ambitious city guy meets a carefree country lady, what starts out as a getaway to finish an important project turns into a interesting journey. Steam intersects and hearts collide in “The Steam of Opposites”.

C. Desert Rose: Terah has the misfortune of being given news that puts an expiration date on her life. In her desire to get away from the chaos, she has a chance encounter with the very one that can put the turmoil to rest. Is “Serendipitous Mirth” dumb luck, or preordained destiny?

Synful Desire: Bette is a hard working small town woman with simple pleasures. When visually stunning Jesse comes into the store on what’s normally her day off, her mind accelerates into complex overdrive. In this small town, a lot can happen in seven days. Will one of those events serve to satisfy Bette’s “Seven Days of Stimuli”?

So, what are you waiting for? Come savor the difference!

Freeing Myself of the Pain

What most people do not realize is that I, C. Desert Rose, am only human. Today, I’ve opted to share my pain with you, as I’ve made it my mission to free myself of it all.

Today, there will be no funny images or nifty GIFs.

A while back I moved away from my family because their daily toxicity was festering me with emotional feces.

I needed to get away from the cluster-fuck of convoluted chaos which I call family. And yet, I find that no matter how far I am, I am still too close. The disarray may not affect me daily as it did when I lived with them, but it does still affect me, even while I am far away.

In order to share with you the story of what has recently transpired I must first tell you the story of what happened long ago.

I was born into a world of blistering bedlam. There was so many things going on, most of which I did not understand then, and I continue to not comprehend.

Sometimes I feel as though I was born OF havoc. Many times I think that the C in front of my name means, “Crying” as that is what I’ve spent most of my life doing.

I am a “Crying Desert Rose”.

My mother was abusive, my father while there, was mostly ineffective. He stood by in the background doing nothing while my brother and I suffered at the hands of my mother’s inner turmoil.

Years have passed. Many, many years, and yet HE still holds anger and resentment towards her and blames her for his deranged life.

To understand this, you must first understand my mother.

Whether intentional or unintentional, I cannot say. What I do know with certainty is that she is an egocentric, narcissistic, egomaniac, with an addictive personality. She is legitimately, mentally ill. And has been as far back as I can remember.

As children, my brother and I went through hell and back, and we had no one to mediate for us, or intervene for that matter. Not even our father.

At the worst of times, my mother would strip us naked, stick us in a scolding hot shower, and then whip us with a stripped cable wire or extension cord. Sometimes, she would make us kneel on a pile of raw rice on the concrete or wooden floor while holding large stones in our hands. If we dropped the stones or moved an inch she whipped us with a cable wire to boot.

There were times when she threw knives at us, or stiletto heels, and more than once she broke wooden broom stick on us while she beat us with them. These are just some of the outrageous punishments we would endure.

More examples are:

I’ve always had a sensitive pallet and stomach. I have IBS. When I was a child, I did not know it. There were times when I simply could not eat what I was given for the pain it would cause my stomach was unbearable—particularly as a child.

One occasion in specific, I remember having been given a bowl of hot cereal. I could not eat it. So, she took it away, beat me with a studded leather belt, then at lunch time gave me the same bowl. The hot cereal was cold and pasty.

When I could not eat it, she took it away and beat me again. At dinner the same thing was repeated.

This went on for 2 days straight. Until finally, on the third day, she drank herself into blackness, at which point I was able to make myself a sandwich.

Time and time again, I was forced to nurse my mother into sobriety. All by myself. I was 7.

So many times, I didn’t even know what I’d done wrong to merit the penalty. What had I done to deserve this burden? I didn’t know.

To all of this my brother adopted an attitude of maximum anger. He rebelled in horrendous ways, which only ignited my mother’s anger even more.

I was left behind to clean up the mess and fix the problem.

For far too long my needs and wants were neglected, as I was too busy trying to fix everyone else’s. I, was always left on the back burner.

At a very young age I learned to be an adult.

To this day my brother holds onto the rancor of all of the things we endured as children. He never forgave her, nor will he ever.

I’ve attempted to forgive and to a certain extent I have. And while I would love an apology, a sincere one, I know that I will never get it. She is too self-absorbed, for copious reasons, that her apologies are limited to “I’m sorry, but I …”

I’ve never heard an “I’m sorry because I …” and I’ve come to terms with the fact that I never will. My brother, on the other hand, not so much.

Yesterday, I received a phone call from a family member who said “Rose, talk to your mother and calm her down. She just had an enormous fight with your brother.”

As I mentioned before, even while I was suffering in silence, I was always the bandage. The one that “fixed” everything. This left me to suffer my pain alone … still does.

When my mother was put on the phone she was practically hyperventilating from a panic attack, due to the colossal fight that they’d had, during which my brother screamed at her that she was an abusive piece of shit and that he was going to tell the world.

As always, I was made to clean up the mess, even while I am a thousand miles away. When my mother finally broke out of her conniption and simmered down she went about telling me, “Rose, YOU KNOW that I’ve never done those things! Why would your brother say those things about me? I don’t understand, Rose! Why?”

What was I supposed to say to that? I didn’t know what to say or how to react. Why? Because she DID do those things. She might not remember because she was intensely inebriated while it was happening, but that doesn’t take away from that fact that it DID happen.

Now, per my brother, he’s made it his newest mission to “take revenge” and, once again, I am caught in the middle.

Their poison is debilitating and lethal.

So after much deliberation I’ve come to a decision.

I cannot continue to allow the noxious behavior to corrupt my life. I deserve better! I owe it to myself to rise above the lagoon of dysfunction in which I’ve been drowning for far too and float to the top.

I have to—need to—see the sun rise and feel its warmth. Bask in the serenity that it provides.

And I must DO IT FOR MYSELF!

Tomorrow is a new day!

Tomorrow literally marks the release of “Crackles of the Heart” and I have promised myself THAT I WILL SMILE! I WILL BE HAPPY!

I’m Probably Lost in the Ether, But …

I will keep blogging anyway.

Today, I’ve woken up with the explicit need to blog.

So, while my mind is telling me that there isn’t a single soul out there apart from my House Members (which I’m grateful for, of course) that are reading my blog, I’m going to do it anyway. Even if it just sits there in the grand abyss of this universal limbo that we call “the Internet”.

Do you guys ever feel that way? Even if you did, you probably aren’t even looking at this post anyway. So, what’s the point in asking?

Anywho …

On with the show, shall we?

Yes, yes Rosie, we shall…! (Says the incredibly formal stranger of my imagination.)

I was asked:

“What is one facet of paranormal writing that you believe needs improvement and why?“

It’s funny how this question sort of ties into my last post.

Last time I talked about how the lack of originality has profusely impacted paranormal literature today. I spoke about how so many authors are trying so hard to taper their prose to the template of what’s in style, that they’ve lost all sense of being individual. Of course, I didn’t say it in those words, exactly. LOL :D

My answer to the question today is linked to the last.

Here is my short answer:

It lacks art.

In order to properly provide you with my long answer, I must share the meaning of the word art.

Per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the word “Art” means:

: something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings

: works created by artists : paintings, sculptures, etc., that are created to be beautiful or to express important ideas or feelings

: the methods and skills used for painting, sculpting, drawing, etc.

As you can see, in layman’s terms, the word “Art” means to create something beautiful.

Probably it has something to do with the way that I look at literature. Perhaps, it doesn’t—I can’t say for sure.

Nevertheless, allow me a few moments of your time to share my thoughts with you, Dear Ether.

Not everyone can draw, or paint, or photograph. Not everyone is bestowed with the gift of song, or the ability to act. We all cannot do the same things. We all have different gifts and abilities.

Personally, I lack most of the aforementioned abilities. However, I do have one thing …

I have the gift of words.

And, a gift it is!

A long time ago I didn’t believe in my gift. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even know I had it. I truly believed that my skills were limited to housekeeping and cooking.

I believed that until the day I opted to put pen to paper and realized that it had been there all along.

Like flowing waters the words just came, streaming from my psyche, and before I knew it, words covered the pages like a tidal of enchantment.

The loveliest part was when I read out loud what I had written!

Goosebumps covered my skin. It was at that moment that I’d realized that I wasn’t just writing a story, I was creating art.

It’s been that way every since.

Now, this is my own humble opinion of course, however, I find that today’s writing community has forgotten all about THE ART OF STORYTELLING and have become too fixated on “fitting into the mold”.

Whereas at one time a person would pick up a paranormal story and immediately be transported to another time and place, nowadays when you pick up a story, it’s just like the last one you read.

Originality has been outlawed and art has been forgotten altogether.

Perhaps this makes me a pompous asshole, but I am utterly IN LOVE with my words, my writing! Completely, totally and irrevocably in love with my art. And, I know that it will always be that way.

Here is an excerpt from
“If Death Should Love Me”

A dull roar. That was all I could hear. Souls. That was all I could see. What was this that I was living? If you could call it living at all. I did not see people, but shadows. I did not feel life, but death. I did not feel emotions, but emptiness.

I did not feel… anything.

It was all a blur. Clustered together in an array of colors and shapes. The sound? That dull roar, it was difficult to make out. My thoughts were focused, not so much on the sound as there were on the colors.

So many people. All different. Some good, some bad. Some breathing, some barely breathing. ALL SOULS.

It was funny what you could see when you stood in the middle of the Emergency Room. Who survived, who did not. Who cried, who laughed. Who mourned, who celebrated. Yet, all of them, everyone: a soul. A soul for the taking.

I remember, almost, what it was like when I floated in the middle of this cluster myself. Before my life—or should I say, my death—changed forever. It felt like eons ago.

I did not want this. I never asked for it. Why was I not allowed to be like everyone else? ‘Fate’. This was the answer I was given. ‘Fate’. What a bleak and meaningless word to express something no one can truly explain.

I wanted- No! I needed a change. My vast emptiness had drowned me in a lagoon of unwillingness. In a river of curiosity. A fountain of deception in an ocean of questions. Questions, yet unanswered by the Higher Sources. Questions, that still lingered in the clouds of my destitution.

Why am I? Why do I exist? What is the purpose? When, if at all, would it change?

I had a plan. A strategy to subtly replace myself once again into this world of colorful souls. To persuasively introduce myself, yet again, to THIS my most intriguing temptation. I believe I am who I once was. Though time may have clouded its lucidity. This, was not me. This, was who I was forced to be. Withal I fought. I disputed this unwanted persona that had been involuntarily cast upon me. One day! One day, I would be who I once was. One day, this monster would cease to exist.

How I pray and long for the literary community to rediscover The Art of Storytelling.

Give the world the gift of your words.

Originality, where have you gone? I miss you.

The other day my Mentor asked me, and I quote “Rose, what do you think about Paranormal Literature today?”

My reply?

Please refer to the above GIF image.

Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. I suppose, that perhaps I should rewind.

The conversation started off a little something like this:

Mentor: Rose I really find that your craft has grown and I love the premise of your stories. While they are of paranormal origin, they aren’t the same old vampires and werewolves situation.

Me: Yes, that is true. Oh, and thank you for your compliment. I really hope to grown even further in my craft as I want to provide my reading audience with the best experience possible.

Mentor: That’s the way to do it. I’m proud of you. And, on that note Rose, what do you think of Paranormal Romance today?

Me: *internally sobbing* In two words; it sucks!

Mentor: Well, I think that maybe you should blog about it.

So,  long story short, here I am blogging about it.

It all started a long, long time ago—in the year 2005. In a land far, far away called Little, Brown Publishing House.

Princess Stephenie Meyer wrote an amazing little story collection called “The Twilight Saga”.

When Temple Hill Entertainment Company came across this grandiose collection of books its representatives believed that the premise would make for a marvelous movie series.

They were right.

What they didn’t realize was all that would transpire after the fact.

Soon after the Blockbuster hit, every Tom, Dick and Harry wanted to write the next big story in the hopes of becoming the next overnight sensation.

And that was all it took to start an avalanche of mediocre knockoffs of the record breaking paranormal drama.

Book after heartbreaking book, I read my way through an innumerable amount of wretched excuses for paranormal dramas. A myriad of names, but each plot identical to the last. An infinite amount of authors, but each story wanting to be exactly like the other. Added to that was the strife that I felt at the uninspired writing styles and the sub-par writing abilities.

All of this made for a very sad Rosie.

And, do you know what? The lunacy has not ended, nor will it.

I am not saying that my books are the best on the market, I am just saying that NOT EVERY book has to be Twilight, or Interview with a Vampire for that matter. It just has to be YOUR story. Your ORIGINAL story. Tell the story that you have in your heart, make is unlike the rest, and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover.

So, please …! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY, STOP COPY-CATTING ONE ANOTHER!

You’re making a Rose cry!

Free for a Limited Time

Hello Followers,

I figured I’d share this FREEBIE since it won’t last long.

Papyrus is a small town that’s not a fan of anything different. Here we meet four long time friends. Hiphen is the observant one. Rod is the laid back one. Point is a girl that acts like one of the guys yet is a proponent of action. Simi is the leader of the squad.

When transfer Komma Plush arrives, Simi takes it upon himself to show her the ropes of a new town yet at first she is not open to it. What follows takes Simi on this journey that threatens the balance of his long term friendships.

Here is what reviewers are saying:

“Some may not comprehend the “horror” aspect of the story as it isn’t dripping in blood and gore. However, if you were to look at the happenings from the eyes of a teenager from a small town that knew no evil, you’ll quickly begin to see how these things may have been interpreted as horrific … I would recommend “Simi’s Komma” to someone who would like a deeper look into the dark lives that we all lived as kids of High School age.“

“The actions of the characters stayed in alignment associated with young adult behavior. There were moments when one can ponder why action wasn’t taken on certain things sooner. But that is where the adult way of thinking can deviate from the youth/teen way of approaching things … I ran the full gambit of emotions–from being perturbed to being shocked at the ending, yet this is a glimpse into the life of typical high school behavior in some settings.“

“Simi’s Komma is an interesting little read. It takes “dark romance” to teens. I enjoyed the fact that this is not a gruesome read, but its realistic. It’s definitely a psychological thriller for teens, or people who do not like gory books. It’s much more of a mind game than anything else.“

Come get your free copy while it lasts!

Available at Smashwords

Crackling with Excitement!

Alright, so the subject line was a play on words.

And to further play; here is how I am feeling right now …

* Love that Emoji, it always seems to fit when I’m excited. LOL. :D *

So, back in February my Publisher reached out to the published members of the House and said “Hey, we have a project that we’d like you all to participate in. A short story anthology that will feature all in you. Here is the catch … you have to answer, in story form, the following question: can the handsome man fall for the awkward woman?“

Immediately I was like …

So, you mean to tell me that I can write a story exploring the possibility of the hot guy falling for the average girl?

Brilliant!

When do we start?

We were given all of the information, and off I went to peck away at the keys of my laptop, conjuring up a very interesting story. Once I was happy with the outcome of said story I submitted it.

My idea was to use the premise given to us and write a short story based on the Fate’s Endeavor Series. Why? Well, because the Fate’s Endeavor Series is based on a universe that I created all on my own. It’s not just about Azriel & Sophia—although, it starts with them—it’s about an entire slew of characters that I created.

I thought, “How cool would it be to present another facet of Fate’s Endeavor with an entirely different cast? That would be awesome.” It was at that moment that “Serendipitous Mirth” was born.

Here is the Blurb:

Terah has the misfortune of being given news that puts an expiration date on her life. In her desire to get away from the chaos, she has a chance encounter with the very one that can put the turmoil to rest. Is “Serendipitous Mirth” dumb luck, or preordained destiny?

What is “Serendipitous Mirth” really about?

It’s the story of Terah and Haniel.

Terah’s name means, “to breathe life into” which I thought was an interesting twist in name meanings because technically, per the story, she is the one in need of more life.

Haniel is a Guardian Angel, and his name means “the gift of God’s grace” which, per all account in the story, is exactly what Terah needs.

Truth be told, the mythology of Haniel is not completely accurate in the story as per legend Haniel is a female angel. But, I thought for all intended purposes, it would be best to change that a bit.

So, there you have it … that’s the idea behind “Serendipitous Mirth“. I don’t want to tell you anything else because I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

BUT …!

If you want to learn more about it, then you’re just going to have to read it, and you CAN’T read it unless you pick up a copy of the soon to be release “Crackles of the Heart: Divergent Ink” by All Authors Publishing House.

It’s going to be FAB! U! LOUS!

It will feature talents the likes of:

Da’Kharta Rising

Queen of Spades

Adonis Mann

Y. Correa

Synful Desire

Here is a Teaser Trailer.

Each story FAN-TAB-U-LOUS in it’s own right. I tell you, these people out did themselves for this collection. It’s a great mixture of different genres and different takes on the same question. You are going to laugh, cry, get hot and bothered … it is just amazing! I’m so proud of each and every one of these outstanding writers. Moreover, I feel so blessed to be able to have taken part in this undertaking.

Me, the person that 3 years ago thought her stories would never see the light of day. Go figure.

Just to not leave you empty handed, here is a small excerpt of “Serendipitous Mirth“. Enjoy!

Excerpt of “Crackles of the Heart: Divergent Ink”

© 2015 All Authors Publishing House and C. Desert Rose

Unlike most days—this one drastically different than most—Terah just sat staring into the grand abyss. Everything the same, yet everything different. Everything known, and everything unknown. As she sat, it occurred to her that everything she thought that she knew about this world was a lie.

I know nothing.

Perched upon the low set cliff which lined a great freeway, she stared into what she used to consider home. However, this was not her home at all. Not anymore. She didn’t belong here.

Cars came and went, zooming by, not remotely aware that Terah was watching them from afar. A gust of wind blew by unhinging a single strand of her jet black, unruly, pinned-up mane, sweeping it across her face. Still, she remained unmoved.

The brisk breeze caused goosebumps to cover her arms. Yet, the last thing that she was concerned with at the moment was the weather. Absentmindedly, Terah tucked the thread of hair behind her ear, proceeding with her quiet, scarcely audible prayer—a supplication meant only to be heard by the universe and no one else.

“I’m so confused. Everything in my life is a lie. All these years, and now that my life is in jeopardy, I find out that it was all a fraud …? Why? How could this happen? Why did they lie to me all of these years? Why wasn’t I wanted? I mean, am I really meant to die? I just don’t understand!”

Momentarily Terah, considered random and peculiar things. Stuff that seemed to be amiss, displaced and without question … ridiculous.

Are these the thoughts of a dying person?

Terah, pondered on her luck in life. She’d never been the prettiest of girls, never the most intelligent, never the most talented or entertaining. Much less the stylish sort.

While Terah had always been told by her family and friends that she was pretty, she didn’t think she was. Standing at five feet, three inches, with voluptuous curves at a very young age, boisterous, long, black hair and big brown eyes, Terah felt ordinary.

What a waste!

Now, not only was she unremarkable—physically speaking—but she was essentially on death row, and she’d only just gotten out of High School. Life was unfair indeed. Completely unfair.

So, I’m ordinary and I’m dying. Nice. If thoughts were capable of being drenched in sarcasm, hers certainly were.

Reminiscing on things that could not be changed, she thought of Ray Jackson; the cutest guy in school. Had she known that she was going to die, she would have been more daring, not so shy. Oh, how many things she would change if she could.

What a deck I’ve been dealt! she thought, as she twisted her lips, then curled her nose in the attempt to hold back the sobs that were demanding to be set free.

Terah’s, recollection streamed as the single tear which she was unable to contain ran down her cheek.

So, be on the look out for “Crackles of the Heart: Divergent Ink” COMING SOON to an Amazon.com near you!

Until Next Time,

Rosie :D

Concordant Vibrancy (#FREE Kindle Promo)

Welcome one and all!

Thanks for joining us today for the promotional feature of Concordant Vibrancy: Unity, An All Authors Anthology.

Blurb:

All Authors Publishing House, a subsidiary of All Authors Publications & Promotions, is pleased to present its first short story anthology, Concordant Vibrancy .

Concordant Vibrancy represents the interweaving of unity and uniqueness through the eyes of eleven incredible writers. Through the array of genres, all of these talents share a phenomenal love of writing which aims to leave imprints in the reader’s imagination.

Short stories in this collection:
“ Butterfly Mask ” by Nicola McDonagh
“ Messarii’s Blood Hunt ” by D. John Watson
“ Seven Days ” by Harmony Kent
“ Touch Me ” by Andrea Houtsch
“ … and we ” by Adonis Mann
“ Til Death Do Us Part ” by A. Lopez Jr.
“ Coalesce ” by Da’Kharta Rising
“ Her A to Z ” by C. Desert Rose
“ Lester’s Release ” by Synful Desire
“ The Authentic Snap ” by Queen of Spades
“ Alma’s Unsung Angel ” by Y. Correa.



What makes Concordant Vibrancy Different than most Short Story anthologies?

It was best described by Y. Correa, the Founder of All Authors Publications and Promotions …

Excerpt of Concordant Vibrancy:

Once upon a time I sat under a large and old tree—the tree was surrounded by many others like it, all of them contented with one another.

I marveled at the wave of wind that passed by, which like an invisible tide drew past the trees making the leaves on them swish like the perfect choreographed symphony—first one, then swiftly and smoothly the rest followed in suit. It was an inspiring thing to behold.

I thought …

There is no better demonstration of unity than that of Mother Earth. She teaches us that all things are connected—the heavens to the earth, the earth to the ocean, the ocean to the heavens—round and round it goes, dancing without squabble in absolute unison. It truly is a beautiful thing to see.

In addition I pondered …

As the matter of fact, the bigger picture is that the entire universe is connected. Whilst our planet is the size of a marble in comparison to the enormity of our universe, that by no means makes us any less valuable. She, Mother Earth, depends on the universe and vice versa. Could you imagine the impact on our solar system if just one planet became misaligned with the rest, just the smallest bit askew? We would all feel the repercussions of that micro-movement. The surface of earth would spin out of control, ravaging humanity with a cataclysm of natural devastation.

And so, I thought further, and said to myself, “Does humanity not realize the impact they have between one another? Do they not see that one action of strife can cause a wave of destruction?”

While it is true that I do not know you, I know this; you and I are linked simply because we are inhabitants of this planet.

Why do I say these things? Because unity was the foundation of the establishment of All Authors Publications and Promotions.

A year and a half ago a thought occurred to me, it was “Why are authors competing with one another? Why can’t they just work together?” Now I’m certain that I was not the first person to think that way, and certainly not the first to act on it, but I did see that while some authors were trying to work together they were doing it in a way that rivaled one another. It was around that time that the idea of the All Authors Blog Blitz crossed my mind.

I’d done some research on Blog Blitzes, their use and aim, and I thought, we can all do that together. We can create a tidal wave of recognition if we just work together.

What I did not expect was all that would follow after the All Authors Blog Blitz. In less than a year’s time, All Authors Publications and Promotions was born. A place created by an author, for authors, trying to establish unity in this market.

In time the All Authors Magazine was born, then All Authors Graphic Design, then the All Authors Certificate of Excellence, and many more projects.

Some people ask me why I chose the name All Authors. Well, that’s pretty self-explanatory, it’s because we advocate all authors, and try to reach all readers.

So, like leaves on a tree, we are all connected.  

Mother Earth, the best example of unity mankind has.

 




Run and get your copy at Amazon.com Free

When Never Ending Thoughts Stifle an Expansive Mind

Rosie here again bringing you a random thought.

Well, in all actuality, it isn’t so random—at least not for me. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a little bit now. So, why not share the reflection with the masses?

The assessment was this;

Has the dwindling of high quality literature attributed to the abatement in the reading public’s expectations? Or, is it the reading public’s desire for tawdry literature that’s ascribed for the decline in quality reads? Or, perhaps it’s a combination of both…?

I truly have no idea. What I do know is this … I’m flabbergasted at the enormity of books that I’ve picked up lately that in my humble opinion (and in the opinion of those whom know great literature) are less than par.

And yet, so long as it’s drenched in mindless sex, the general public seems to be absolutely enamored with it.

My good friend, Y. Correa, was telling me about a book she’d been reading. She said it was awful (as in horrid, not amazing), that the writing was mediocre at best, but it allegedly was a New York Times Best Seller.

At first I thought that she might be overreacting. I thought, “It obviously can not be that bad if it’s a New York Times Best Seller.” So I looked it up and found that about 90% of readers LOOOOOVED the story.

The other 10% hated it and spoke on how terribly written it was and how it was nonsensical and irrational. They also stated that it was rife in sex. Then I thought, “How bad can a sexy Erotica be? I mean, I love me some great Erotica. And from the looks of it, this one is at the top of the game.“

So, I said to Y, “Hey, let me borrow it. I’d really like to give it a look-see.”

Her reply, verbatim was “All right! But, you’ve been warned Rose. I know how picky you are about Romances, so I don’t want to hear your fussing after the fact.”

I was like, “Y, cut it out. I DOUBT, it can be THAT bad!”

“You asked for it.” she said, then shortly thereafter sent me the book.

Immediately I dove in. I was so fascinated by the prospect of reading this book that so many loved yet my good friend loathed. I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out how she could be so rash in her judgment of an obviously terrific book.

The prologue was interesting, albeit written sort of choppy with some incomplete sentence structure and such, but I let it slide because of this line, “I love two men. I f*ck two me.“

The lover of fantastical romance dramas in me came to attention at that statement. I was like, “Holy hell, THIS is gonna be RI! DI! CU! LOUS! WOOWOO!” * Insert uber hyper high pitched voice here *

Ridiculous as in wonderful, that is.

Without further adieu, I dove in. My bag of chocolate drizzle popcorn and blue Poweraid by my side, nibbling and sipping as I went along. All that was missing was the dark room and flashlight to complete the perfect picture of a night filled with sinful erotic indulgence.

Ladies and gentlemen, by the fourth chapter I was livid. Raging! Fuming!

Somehow, I’d mentally flung my Poweraid and popcorn across the room. In my imagination, I’d taken my Kindle and slammed it against the floor—irate at the ridiculousness of this book. This time, “ridiculous” was a bad thing.

I had a vision of myself having a tantrum and whipping my legs and arms around, thrashing like a crazed, enraged lunatic. 

Of course, in actuality, none of those things happened because it was the dead of night and my neighbors might not like it so much.

I was like …

AND HOW, IN GOD’S NAME, IS IT A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER!?

There was no way! No damn way! Yet … there was and it was.

Unable to process another thought, or even complete the book once I’d hit the half way point—I actually kept reading out of curiosity as to how bad it really was—I instantaneously found myself pondering the questions above.

Can it be?

Can it be that in today’s society an atrocious excuse for an Erotic Romance such as the one I’d just read is exactly what readers are looking for? If that’s the case, then I’m never getting anywhere!

No, I mean seriously, I’m screwed.

My writing style is wholly different, entirely. So I find myself in a conundrum; do I start writing to fit in, or do I continue to write the stories that are bountiful in my heart?

I suppose that if I were to start writing books that the general public would enjoy, then I’d be putting my individuality, integrity and self-respect on the line.

However, if I continue to write what I love, then I’d be sacrificing marketability and potential sales.

So which is the right path to take?

What do YOU think?

Rosie

#TBT Memories About a Short Story

Often times I feel as though people get me misconstrued. I frequently think that people confuse my name for my personality.

Da’Kharta Rising said it best when she said, and I quote “Roses have thorns.“

It might also be because I write a lot of “paranormal romance”, so society equates romance writers with jovial temperaments. Okay, okay, this isn’t to say that I’m not a happy person. What it is saying is that while I’m a happy person I have a bit of a “sting” under certain circumstances.

The absolute truth is that I can be feisty and prickly sometimes, hence the thorns.

Why am I bringing this up, you ask?

Well, May of 2014—almost exactly a year ago—I wrote a short story called “Crimson on a Black Rose”.

Admittedly, I wasn’t having the best of days on that particular day. As a matter of fact, I was having a case of dark nostalgia. I was remembering one of my relationship mishaps, and suddenly that prompted some inspiration, so I sat to write the story. I honestly wasn’t even planning on writing anything that day. All I wanted was to get those emotions out of my system. And, since I’m a writer … well, you do the math.

Long story short, it’s just sort of how the cookie crumbled.

It was a moment of prickly thorns, that led to the creation of the aforementioned story.

Here is a fun fact; the title isn’t just in direct relation to the story, but also to how I felt at that very moment.

I was a black rose.

While most people think that my name is a Pen Name, it actually isn’t. It’s my real name, believe it or not. How’s that for another fun fact. * giggling *

Anywho, getting back to what I was saying.

It was in a moment of emotional darkness that this story was born. I don’t talk about it much. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that when I wrote it I was feeling some kind of way, I don’t know.

After having written it I shared it with a friend to get her feedback. When she read it she said “Rose, honestly, I didn’t like it very much. It’s too ‘dark‘ for you.”

There was that word again … dark.

My reply was, “Well, yeah. It’s supposed to be. Why else would there be ‘crimson on a black rose’?”

Soon after I submitted the short story to my publisher and waited, wholly believing that it would be rejected. Consequently, my publisher loved it and decided to publish it as a free short. She thought that the “contradiction in personality perspective” was cool because most people had me dubbed as the iconic Romance Author. She thought that showing another facet of me was an awesome thing.

Go figure. * shrugging *

Truth be told, I’ve gotten various feedback on that story. Some people love it, while others hate it. Apart from Synful Desire, one of my AAPH sisters, there doesn’t seem to be a happy medium.

Another truth is that I expected it. I knew that this story wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I had come to terms with that, and all was good.

You see, “Crimson on a Black Rose” is not for the weak of heart. It is a dark teen tale about a girl that was hurt by the person she loved most in her life.

So, for your consideration, I present you all with “Crimson on a Black Rose”.

Blurb:

A drop of crimson blood on a tattered black rose was all she had left of him–the guy that she loved.

Rayne remembers her days with the boy that stole her heart. Jay was the love of her young life. Future plans arose, love bloomed, time spent made their connect unique. Until the day it all came crashing down.

What happened to the love that they had?

Take a trip of wrath and remembrance with Rayne.

For better or for worse, go take a gander at this FREEBIE which proves that ROSES HAVE THORNS.

Why else would my mantra be “Happily Ever After is Subjective“?

At SMASHWORDS

Continuous Drips, The Interview

Hello my lovelies!

Today, I bring you yet another special event. I will be interviewing the three magnificent minds behind “Continuous Drips”. The one(s), the only(ies), THE COLLECTIVE.

It is an honor and a pleasure to be able to tap into the creative minds of these three powerful women and talk about this fascinating collection called “Continuous Drips”.

Please, take a seat and enjoy the ride.

First up, Da’Kharta Rising, Twisted Mind Extraordinaire. 

Da’Kharta, out of the three stories in Continuous Drips, the one you’ve spoken the least about is “Omitted”. Can you tell us more about it?

“Omitted” (original title was “The Omitting”) starts off on this whole man meets woman spiel and they get involved in this relationship. One day, she takes off work to pay him a visit, to find him dead in his home. All the evidence points to her and she’s sentenced to the death penalty, mainly because the guy was some big deal in the city or some such. This story focused on what happens on the day of her demise. Telling any more than that would be spoiler.

Fantastic. Question: “Unrest” is the only work you’ve written in present tense. How did you feel about the style, and would you ever write in it again?

Like I mentioned in a previous post on my blog, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the style but it seemed to work for that story. Don’t envision it as my “go to” but on the same token, never say never.

Here is a question that I’ll ask all of you. Mostly because sometimes I am nosy that way.* giggling * What are your favorite stories in the collections by Desire and Queen?

For Queen, it’s “Misfortune” hands down (I did a blog post on TSASS as to the why). For Desire, “Derailed Endurance”. The story is moseying along and then this weird twist occurs. You know how I am about weird twists.

Next up, Synful Desire, the Diva of Sensual Prose.

Why is “Derailed Endurance” labeled the staccato version?

Do you want the long version or the short version? (lol) So that I won’t hog all the spotlight, it went something like this. There are two different versions of Derailed Endurance. One I wanted a definitive flow using transitional language solely (so minus the time stamps). The other version, the one you see in CD, has the stamps in there.

There was a battle within myself due to what I think is a better flow for the story vs. what would be easier for the reading audience to follow. In the end, the latter won out.

It is “staccato” because there will be an extended fuller version of Derailed Endurance, probably without time stamps.

Just recently, you put up a post discussing “Final Prep to Happiness”. What prompted you to talk a little about this short tale?

Well there is more to me than meets the eye. I am also very interested in what goes on in the world, particularly in the LGBTQIA community. A small part of “Final Prep to Happiness” plays into the whole discussion, the whole pursuit of happiness. I am an advocate of people, particularly government, staying out of the business of making relationships “their business”. There should be no one outside of the involved parties imposing boundaries or limitations, if you will. If the two people are happy and content and aren’t causing drama in no one else’s relationship, why does everyone have so much to say about things they don’t understand? You don’t have to agree but at least be tolerant. I’m just saying.

What are your favorite stories in the collections by Da’Kharta and Queen?

Whoa! So tough, so tough, because I do think that there is some fine writing by both Da’Kharta and Miss Queen. I loved how “Omitted” turned out–it’s a very solid story through and through, no wasted words or action whatsoever. Not that Da’Kharta would ever do that. Just saying that she gave just enough information to get the ball rolling at the right pace. Miss Queen, it’s the groove of “Afro Shock”. It is decadent in that it is different from the other two, yet still has that same delivery of messages that she does so well.

Wow! Sensational stuff!

Last, but certainly not least, Queen of Spades, Ethereal Poet Magnifique (testing out my French skills there. * giggling *).

Queen, I’m intrigued, it seems like all of your stories deliver a cadence similar to “the moral of the story”. Do you think this is your signature, or is that just what happens with your short stories?

Honestly, it is just what happens. I didn’t even think it was a “signature”. (chuckles to self)

Since focusing on your short story endeavors, does that ever clash with your poetry muse?

Yes, it does. My poetry muse tends to be the impatient type, meaning that when I feel the urge, I have to jot down the lines right then. With short stories, I can put down an outline or guide, and then pick back up where I’ve left off.

It hasn’t been easy, since for decades, the poetry muse has been the sole star, but I do love doing the stories. I don’t think one is in place of the other but in addition. My poetry muse is slowly but surely seeing this as well, and that keeps it at bay. Thank Goodness!

What are your favorite stories in the collection from Da’Kharta and Desire?

I find “The Kutters” extremely delightful, especially Dulle and Sharpe Kutter. For Desire, there is an appreciation for all of them in Continuous Drips but if I had to have a top pick, it would be “FAN-tasy Island”.

Terrific Interview if I do say so myself! Just as I knew it would be. But, guess what, it doesn’t end there!

YOU CAN GET “CONTINUOUS DRIPS” FOR FREE THIS WEEK ONLY!

RUUUUUN!!!!

You won’t regret it!

At Amazon.com.

All the best, and until next time!

Rosie