Stylo Fantome's Blog - Posts Tagged "tatum-o-shea"
IT'S LIVE!!
It is LIVE on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Degradation-Sty...
Well, months and months of typing, doubting myself, doubting the words, doubting Jameson ..., months of editing, eye strain, and carpal tunnel ..., months of learning how the indie world works, the blog world, and the publishing world ..., all down to this day.
I kinda feel like I just got done with a big homework project and now it's time to veg out and like have a slumber party, root beer floats, nachos, all that good stuff.
Thank you to EVERYONE who read it - I will most likely be harassing you for days to come to review on the websites it's posted to.
Thank you for you kind words and awesome reviews, thank you for pushing me and helping me as an author, thank you for making me feel like I'm not so alone.
Cause strangely, sometimes writing erotica, it does feel that way.
So, THANK YOU.
http://www.amazon.com/Degradation-Sty...
Well, months and months of typing, doubting myself, doubting the words, doubting Jameson ..., months of editing, eye strain, and carpal tunnel ..., months of learning how the indie world works, the blog world, and the publishing world ..., all down to this day.
I kinda feel like I just got done with a big homework project and now it's time to veg out and like have a slumber party, root beer floats, nachos, all that good stuff.
Thank you to EVERYONE who read it - I will most likely be harassing you for days to come to review on the websites it's posted to.
Thank you for you kind words and awesome reviews, thank you for pushing me and helping me as an author, thank you for making me feel like I'm not so alone.
Cause strangely, sometimes writing erotica, it does feel that way.
So, THANK YOU.
S&M - "Now the pain is my pleasure, Cause nothing could measure"
I am writing this blog as an "instruction" manual of sorts for my book, ha ha, as I have seen people show confusion over it. Is it dark? Is it erotica? Is it abuse? Why does Jameson say such mean things? And why does Tate tolerate it? Shock that he says those kinds of things period, and shock that a woman would like it.
The dictionary defines sadomasochism as:
Noun.
1. interaction, especially sexual activity, in which one person enjoys inflicting physical or mental suffering on another person, who derives pleasure from experiencing pain.
I'm sorry, Rihanna, but whips and chains aren't the only way to play at S&M. Jameson Kane prefers to use his mouth - specifically his words. Tatum happens to like it.
My book showcases a consensual sadomasochistic relationship. Not BDSM. Sadomasochism. There is a difference, and people seem to be confused by this - they see sadomasochism, their brain thinks S&M, and then immediately bondage and riding crops pop in to their heads. But S&M - even BDSM - covers a HUGE group and genre. It can be lots of different things! That's why I love authors like SD Hildreth and CJ Roberts and Olivia Cunning, who are willing to explore any and ALL avenues of sexual wants and desires.
My book is kinky. I think it is fetish. I think it is unusual. I think it is crazy. I think it is dirty-talk on a whole new level. And I think it is DEFINITELY taboo.
Jameson is not a hero, nor does he want to be one.
Tate is not a heroine, she is just a girl living life her way.
And if there is any lingering confusion as to what this story is about, the title of the book is not on accident.
Degradation: noun
1. The act of degrading
Degrading: verb
1. to lower in dignity or estimation; bring into contempt
2. to lower in character or quality; debase.
The dictionary defines sadomasochism as:
Noun.
1. interaction, especially sexual activity, in which one person enjoys inflicting physical or mental suffering on another person, who derives pleasure from experiencing pain.
I'm sorry, Rihanna, but whips and chains aren't the only way to play at S&M. Jameson Kane prefers to use his mouth - specifically his words. Tatum happens to like it.
My book showcases a consensual sadomasochistic relationship. Not BDSM. Sadomasochism. There is a difference, and people seem to be confused by this - they see sadomasochism, their brain thinks S&M, and then immediately bondage and riding crops pop in to their heads. But S&M - even BDSM - covers a HUGE group and genre. It can be lots of different things! That's why I love authors like SD Hildreth and CJ Roberts and Olivia Cunning, who are willing to explore any and ALL avenues of sexual wants and desires.
My book is kinky. I think it is fetish. I think it is unusual. I think it is crazy. I think it is dirty-talk on a whole new level. And I think it is DEFINITELY taboo.
Jameson is not a hero, nor does he want to be one.
Tate is not a heroine, she is just a girl living life her way.
And if there is any lingering confusion as to what this story is about, the title of the book is not on accident.
Degradation: noun
1. The act of degrading
Degrading: verb
1. to lower in dignity or estimation; bring into contempt
2. to lower in character or quality; debase.
Who Wants to Meet Sanders!? Cause I Have Him Right Here ...
Okay, so I only post blogs on Monday - but I have this ..., contest? Competition? THINGY going on my Facebook page, and I realized some of you who follow me and/or read this might be interested to!
Who wants an excerpt!? At 50 Amazon.com reviews, I will post an excerpt with Sanders' back story! Sanders tends to be EVERYONE'S favorite character - as he should be; he's my favorite character that I've ever written - and I know a lot of people are very curious about him. Rest assured, there is a lot more of him in the next book.
Goodreads reviews are AWESOME, I never want to discourage someone from leaving a review on Goodreads - I am shocked and proud and weepy and girly and stupid over the reviews and ratings I have received on Goodreads, thank you all!
Amazon ratings and reviews are very important, too, however. The way I buy books is usually I see one recommended on a blog, I look it up on Amazon, and then I read the reviews posted there, and after I buy it, I add it to Goodreads. So without those Amazon reviews, I wouldn't buy that book.
SO! I am at 23 reviews on Amazon, currently, and 54 ratings on Goodreads! Let's see if we can get those numbers to match a little more closely! If you have read the book and liked it, if it isn't too much trouble, please take a moment to leave a couple lines on Amazon.com! Thanks!
And when we hit that magic number, I will post Sanders' story here in this blog
;D
Who wants an excerpt!? At 50 Amazon.com reviews, I will post an excerpt with Sanders' back story! Sanders tends to be EVERYONE'S favorite character - as he should be; he's my favorite character that I've ever written - and I know a lot of people are very curious about him. Rest assured, there is a lot more of him in the next book.
Goodreads reviews are AWESOME, I never want to discourage someone from leaving a review on Goodreads - I am shocked and proud and weepy and girly and stupid over the reviews and ratings I have received on Goodreads, thank you all!
Amazon ratings and reviews are very important, too, however. The way I buy books is usually I see one recommended on a blog, I look it up on Amazon, and then I read the reviews posted there, and after I buy it, I add it to Goodreads. So without those Amazon reviews, I wouldn't buy that book.
SO! I am at 23 reviews on Amazon, currently, and 54 ratings on Goodreads! Let's see if we can get those numbers to match a little more closely! If you have read the book and liked it, if it isn't too much trouble, please take a moment to leave a couple lines on Amazon.com! Thanks!
And when we hit that magic number, I will post Sanders' story here in this blog
;D
Aaaand ... what now?
The last couple weeks, I have had blogs prepared and ready to go, come Monday morning!
Uh ... not this week, apparently!
I have been busy editing (read: trying to edit) part 2 to Degradation!
If you're reading this, I'm going to assume you've looked at my book and looked at it's reviews, so it should be no surprise that there is a sequel to this novel.
But what you may not know is that it's written and is due to be published on 09/22! So I gotta get cracking!
I am scared of this book - part 1 was ready to go, waiting in my head. Part 2 did not come so easily, there were a lot of starts and stops, a lot of pages in the garbage.
I've talked about this before - I didn't find Degradation dark. A lot of people have, which is fine. But it makes me a little nervous because part 2 most definitely isn't dark. It'll be interesting to see peoples reactions to it, and to Jameson and his evolution.
If you have read Degradation, and are interested in reading and reviewing Part 2: Separation, I have a sign-up form for ARCs!
You must have read part 1, which is only $1.99 on Amazon and Nook. Preference is given to people who have written reviews for the first book, obviously, and signing up doesn't necessarily guarantee a copy - I would love all the reviews I can get, but can't afford to give away 200 copies, or anything like that ;D
Signing up early does increase your chances of getting one, though!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1wjpL...
Uh ... not this week, apparently!
I have been busy editing (read: trying to edit) part 2 to Degradation!
If you're reading this, I'm going to assume you've looked at my book and looked at it's reviews, so it should be no surprise that there is a sequel to this novel.
But what you may not know is that it's written and is due to be published on 09/22! So I gotta get cracking!
I am scared of this book - part 1 was ready to go, waiting in my head. Part 2 did not come so easily, there were a lot of starts and stops, a lot of pages in the garbage.
I've talked about this before - I didn't find Degradation dark. A lot of people have, which is fine. But it makes me a little nervous because part 2 most definitely isn't dark. It'll be interesting to see peoples reactions to it, and to Jameson and his evolution.
If you have read Degradation, and are interested in reading and reviewing Part 2: Separation, I have a sign-up form for ARCs!
You must have read part 1, which is only $1.99 on Amazon and Nook. Preference is given to people who have written reviews for the first book, obviously, and signing up doesn't necessarily guarantee a copy - I would love all the reviews I can get, but can't afford to give away 200 copies, or anything like that ;D
Signing up early does increase your chances of getting one, though!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1wjpL...
Paranormal Activity ...
So, maybe I should address something.
This book IS NOT paranormal. Jameson Kane is not REALLY Satan, he just acts like the devil most of the time, so that's what Tate calls him in her head. It's what Ang calls him all the time, period.
When we were first designing my cover, I really wanted his hands around her neck, and we thought of making them red, but I was worried it would come off too BDSM-y and too paranormal-y, so we scrapped that idea.
Well, it's still coming off as paranormal, I guess, HAHA. But I just can't help it, that's his nickname in my head. And strangely, not because of his dirty talk or sexual proclivities - but because of his spoiled brat attitude and selfishness.
But there is no real devil in this book, no angels or demons, or battle of good vs. evil. At least, not in a literal sense.
At least the paranormal vibe around the book will be less with Book 2, which is going to be published in a little over a month, YAY!
Degradation part 2: Separation, was actually a lot harder for me to write, and a lot scarier in ways. Degradation sat at as a fully formed novel in my head. Separation was a struggle.
How do you make the "devil" likable? Is that even possible? Jameson Kane was barely tolerable in the first book - now he has to not only be likable, but forgivable ...
How many -ables can I fit in to this post ...
We'll see if I can do it. Book 2 ARCs are off with a handful of reviewers, so as the reviews start trickling in, we'll see what they think!
I hope you like it, and I hope you enjoy the evolution of Jameson Kane. I know I did.
This book IS NOT paranormal. Jameson Kane is not REALLY Satan, he just acts like the devil most of the time, so that's what Tate calls him in her head. It's what Ang calls him all the time, period.
When we were first designing my cover, I really wanted his hands around her neck, and we thought of making them red, but I was worried it would come off too BDSM-y and too paranormal-y, so we scrapped that idea.
Well, it's still coming off as paranormal, I guess, HAHA. But I just can't help it, that's his nickname in my head. And strangely, not because of his dirty talk or sexual proclivities - but because of his spoiled brat attitude and selfishness.
But there is no real devil in this book, no angels or demons, or battle of good vs. evil. At least, not in a literal sense.
At least the paranormal vibe around the book will be less with Book 2, which is going to be published in a little over a month, YAY!
Degradation part 2: Separation, was actually a lot harder for me to write, and a lot scarier in ways. Degradation sat at as a fully formed novel in my head. Separation was a struggle.
How do you make the "devil" likable? Is that even possible? Jameson Kane was barely tolerable in the first book - now he has to not only be likable, but forgivable ...
How many -ables can I fit in to this post ...
We'll see if I can do it. Book 2 ARCs are off with a handful of reviewers, so as the reviews start trickling in, we'll see what they think!
I hope you like it, and I hope you enjoy the evolution of Jameson Kane. I know I did.
Psychology (or why my brain don't work no good)
So a question I have asked myself a couple times over the years, and CONSTANTLY since July 21st - why is it always easier to believe bad over good?
Ten people tell you that your outfit is cute. One douchebag says your ass looks fat. Night. OVER.
It's the same way with reviews. One negative review easily discredits all positive.
Why? This is not logical. This doesn't make sense. From a clinical, objective stand point, I can step aside and say "not everyone will like everything, and just because someone doesn't like it, doesn't mean it's 'bad', it's just a difference of opinion. A difference of taste. And one versus many obviously shows which one you should take seriously."
But from a normal, every day person stand point, it's more like "GOD WHY!? WHY!? WHY DID I DO THIS!? Maybe I can delete the book and no one will ever know I hit publish!"
Which is STUPID. I KNOW this is STUPID. I would think someone else was STUPID for reacting this way. So why do some many of us authors feel this way?
I had an "ah ha!" moment today, after I received a less than stellar review. I had read the review and kept thinking "yup, exactly. That's what I was worried about - that the story read like that, came off like that. Horrible. I knew it."
And that's when it dawned on me - confirmation.
Someone gives a positive review. Lots of people give positive reviews. HUNDREDS of people give positive reviews. I'm shocked. I'm surprised. I'm astounded.
But ONE person gives a negative review, and it feels like a confirmation. All the others are just nice surprises - the negative is confirming the thought that is already in my brain, thus my brain takes it to be the real truth.
How horrible we are, as human beings, that most of us are hard-wired to think this way, feel this way. We're never quite good enough, skinny enough, pretty enough, talented enough. We're always thinking we fall just a little short, so every agreement with that sentiment, is like someone speaking the truth.
It's all a very STUPID way to think.
I'm glad I had that moment, it made me feel better about some things. Sure, negative comments are always gonna make a person feel a little down, but realizing that really it's me feeling that way, and not the person saying those things, makes it easier to deal with and move on.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Separation went LIVE today! As of a few moments ago, it was #671 in Kindle Paid! Dayuuuuuum - that's 671 out of 1.3 MILLION Kindle books! I'll take that! I am also ranked at #217 for Contemporary Romance in ALL books, and #1,171 for ALL books, PERIOD.
Feel very ..., elated. Amazed. Wonderfied. Is that a word? It is now.
Thanks everyone.
Ten people tell you that your outfit is cute. One douchebag says your ass looks fat. Night. OVER.
It's the same way with reviews. One negative review easily discredits all positive.
Why? This is not logical. This doesn't make sense. From a clinical, objective stand point, I can step aside and say "not everyone will like everything, and just because someone doesn't like it, doesn't mean it's 'bad', it's just a difference of opinion. A difference of taste. And one versus many obviously shows which one you should take seriously."
But from a normal, every day person stand point, it's more like "GOD WHY!? WHY!? WHY DID I DO THIS!? Maybe I can delete the book and no one will ever know I hit publish!"
Which is STUPID. I KNOW this is STUPID. I would think someone else was STUPID for reacting this way. So why do some many of us authors feel this way?
I had an "ah ha!" moment today, after I received a less than stellar review. I had read the review and kept thinking "yup, exactly. That's what I was worried about - that the story read like that, came off like that. Horrible. I knew it."
And that's when it dawned on me - confirmation.
Someone gives a positive review. Lots of people give positive reviews. HUNDREDS of people give positive reviews. I'm shocked. I'm surprised. I'm astounded.
But ONE person gives a negative review, and it feels like a confirmation. All the others are just nice surprises - the negative is confirming the thought that is already in my brain, thus my brain takes it to be the real truth.
How horrible we are, as human beings, that most of us are hard-wired to think this way, feel this way. We're never quite good enough, skinny enough, pretty enough, talented enough. We're always thinking we fall just a little short, so every agreement with that sentiment, is like someone speaking the truth.
It's all a very STUPID way to think.
I'm glad I had that moment, it made me feel better about some things. Sure, negative comments are always gonna make a person feel a little down, but realizing that really it's me feeling that way, and not the person saying those things, makes it easier to deal with and move on.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Separation went LIVE today! As of a few moments ago, it was #671 in Kindle Paid! Dayuuuuuum - that's 671 out of 1.3 MILLION Kindle books! I'll take that! I am also ranked at #217 for Contemporary Romance in ALL books, and #1,171 for ALL books, PERIOD.
Feel very ..., elated. Amazed. Wonderfied. Is that a word? It is now.
Thanks everyone.
