Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Venturing Out of the Writing Cave
I'm over at Prism Book Alliance today, talking about navigating life -- and the somewhat intimidating GRL Retreat -- as an introvert. You can check out the article here. Leaving a comment on the article enters you in their monthly drawing for a $25 gift certificate!
Monday, September 28, 2015
GRL's Dirty Dozen: Welcome TM Smith!
Please join me in welcoming TM Smith to my blog today! I had the pleasure
of meeting her at Rainbow Con this summer (she tells some tales about that in
this post!) and I'm looking forward to seeing her again at GRL. She and I are
part of GRL's Dirty Dozen blog hop (more about that below, too). Take it away,
Tams!
Good morning everyone, and thank you Alexa for hosting me today! We are gearing up for another GRL, this year in San Diego, and I’m very excited to get to hang with some old friends as well as making some new ones. The last CON I attended was Rainbow CON in Florida back in July. I met my lovely host there for the first time. Alexa is very quiet and subdued for the most part, until you get her out and about. We hit up Ybor City in downtown Tampa our last night there along with Morticia Knight, Viktor Alexander, Jake JC Wallace and his fiancĂ© Wendy. We had a blast, and the evening ended at a Tattoo parlor where someone got some new ink while I slept it off in a chair. We didn’t make it back to the hotel until 5AM, but it was a fun ride!
Good morning everyone, and thank you Alexa for hosting me today! We are gearing up for another GRL, this year in San Diego, and I’m very excited to get to hang with some old friends as well as making some new ones. The last CON I attended was Rainbow CON in Florida back in July. I met my lovely host there for the first time. Alexa is very quiet and subdued for the most part, until you get her out and about. We hit up Ybor City in downtown Tampa our last night there along with Morticia Knight, Viktor Alexander, Jake JC Wallace and his fiancĂ© Wendy. We had a blast, and the evening ended at a Tattoo parlor where someone got some new ink while I slept it off in a chair. We didn’t make it back to the hotel until 5AM, but it was a fun ride!
Anywho,
I digress, I’m here today for my stop on the “Dirty Dozen” blog hop. 12
Featured and Supporting GRL Authors have gotten together for a fun Q&A and
to giveaway some goodies. Let’s start with my portion of the Q&A…
1) Do you fully outline a book? Or do you sit and let
the thoughts flow as you type?
Both
actually. I have an outline of content for the book as well as what I want from
each character before I start writing. But then the characters sort of take-over
in my head and things change or get added. It’s always an experience to listen
to the voices in my head and try to get everything they say down on paper.
2) Describe your writing style in five words and what
about that style sets you apart from other authors in your genre(s)?
Scattered,
eratic, disturbing, colorful and descriptive. I don’t know that anything truly
sets me apart, well, maybe the POV I write from which is usually narrative.
3) What are you currently working on, and what can we
expect from you in 2016?
I’m
writing the 3rd book in the All Cocks series, How to Deal, at the
moment. I’m also having my first series, Opposites, edited and revamped and
will be starting the 3rd book in that series around the new year,
Maddness.
4) What's the answer to the one question no
interviewer has ever asked? (You don't have to supply the question.)
Yes
5) When you're stuck on a story, what do you do to get
the words flowing again?
Brainstorm,
watch videos or read a book, specifically a video on what I’m trying to write
about at the time. Sometimes I have to leave it and skip ahead, then come back
to the issue later.
6) What's your favorite scene from your own work and
the one that's lingered longest from someone else's. (Not genre specific.)
Mine:
One of the first scenes I wrote five years ago for my first novel, Opposites.
The chapter is titled ‘The Clearing’ and I love everything about that chapter.
The connection, the pain, love and misery it captures. To this day, I cannot
read that chapter without tearing up.
Someone
else’s: It’s not an MM book, it’s a YA book. In the final Hunger Games book,
the final scene, the last two sentences. “You love me, real or not real?”
“Real.” I get goose bumps now just thinking about it. I loved how so few words
conveyed a lifetime of emotions. That entire epilogue in fact, is perfection.
“My children don’t know their playground is a graveyard.” Love or hate the
series, that final epilogue was just fantastic.
7) What is your favorite genre to read? Least
favorite?
MM
Romance (whether it’s contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, I just love love)
would be my favorite. My least favorite is hard core BDSM.
8) Tell us about your writing environment and where
your writing time fits into your daily or weekly schedule.
One
side of my bedroom is my bed and dresser, the other side is the computer, book
shelves and files. I write whenever I have the time working around a full time
job and 3 kids, one of which is Autistic.
9) How do you manage all of your new plot bunnies and
what is your process to work on one?
I
will be sitting at work, typing, answering the phones, and I’ll think of
something and grab a note to jot it down. I have a stack of paper and sticky
notes with one word, one line or a song that made me think, “Damn! I could
write this around that and work it into so and so story!” I’m
also somewhat of a geek and I create power points and windows DOC with notes
and images for characters, books and chapters.
10) What keeps you focused when writing?
Music
for the most part. I have a ton of playlists on both Youtube and Spotify,
certain songs or types of music for specific characters that I listen to while
writing about them. It keeps my creative juices flowing.
11) In a perfect world, would you write full time? If
so, would it be mm/LGBT or would there be some mf in there too?
Yes,
I would love to write full time. I would write anything that I felt the need to
write, no genre is taboo for me.
12) What influenced your decision to write in this
genre?
I
love to read the genre so it only made sense to try and write it as well. Not
to mention, since I write books about sexy mens falling in love and what not,
the research is absolutely delightful!
Read on for more about TM Smith and her books!
A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning
Georgia; Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. She now calls Texas home
from her small town on the outskirts of the DFW Metroplex. Most days you can
find her curled up with her kindle and a good book alongside a glass of
something aged and red or a steaming cup of coffee!
At 44 years young, she's decided to enter the next phase of her life by adding the title of "author" to her list of accomplishments. Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, Smith is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights.
Here's where to find TM:
At 44 years young, she's decided to enter the next phase of her life by adding the title of "author" to her list of accomplishments. Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, Smith is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights.
Here's where to find TM:
Gay for Pay: An All Cocks story
Christopher Allan Roberts thought he had a
promising future; Captain of the football team with the promise of a
scholarship to play for Alabama. His high school sweetheart and best friend for
as long as he could remember, Amanda, by his side, and the love and support of
his family. One night, one mistake changed everything. Chris moves to New York,
adrift and alone. A walk one night brings him to the flashing lights, loud
music and thrumming bodies at club Berlin. A flyer in the men’s room promises
fame and fortune for anyone willing to go on camera and have sex, with another
man. Money is money, and how hard could it be, right?
Christopher Allan Roberts becomes Kris Alen,
All Cocks newest addition, a gay for pay porn star.
Lincoln Carter is honest with everyone in his
life, including his family, about who he is and about his sexual preferences.
Linc Larson, the openly bi-sexual gay porn star will do anything with anyone,
which pretty much writes his ticket in a versatility charged industry. It’s not
his sexuality that interferes with his personal life; it’s his inability to
trust.
What Linc wants right now, more than anything,
is the chance to do a scene with All Cocks newest acquisition, Kris Alen. Six
foot two with Auburn hair, an exquisitely toned and inked up body, Kris Alen is
sex personified. Linc doesn’t know if it’s the “I want the shiny new toy”
aspect that calls to him, or the distant and wounded expression that haunts
Kris’s eyes.
Linc figures out early on that Kris is only
working the gay for pay angle that All Cocks brings to his bank account. Can a
bi-sexual man with trust issues break down the barriers that Kris has built
around himself and help Christopher overcome the painful past he is running
from.
Gay for Pay is a gay for you story about two
men that will have to come to terms with the mistakes they made in their past,
if they want to stick around and have a chance at a future.
Buy links:
Fame and Fortune: An All Cocks story, book 2 (Tentative release
date, September 1st 2015)
Victor Dimir moved to America with his
traditional Romanian parents when he was just a child. His Romani parents
taught him their traditions and how to be a shrewd business man. But it was the
attention of a classmate at school that taught a teenage Victor about his sexuality.
When he came out to his parents he knew it would be difficult for them to
understand, but he never expected them to disown him.
Andrew Jones grew up with a single mom and his
grandmother teaching him about life, he had an absentee father at best. The
only thing the man ever did for Andy that stuck was buy him a camera for his
thirteenth birthday. When Andrew went off to college on a scholarship to study
photo journalism, he wound up falling in love with his Romanian roommate.
They became inseparable and wound up starting
their own business together; a gay porn website where people could go and watch
romantic gay porn instead of the rough and tough, or wham bam thank you man
crap that was flooding the internet at that time. After ten years together they
are perfectly happy, they don’t even realize something was missing, until they
meet a broken young man that needs a family.
Matthew Carlson was homeless, jobless and
broken. He’d been on his own since he was sixteen when he ran away from home
after being brutally assaulted by several other young men that he thought were
his friends, and then being told he brought it on himself for being gay by his
parents. Matthew has done a lot of things these last few years just to get by.
When he finds the flyer for All Cocks, he decides to call and see where it
leads. What has he got to lose?
Matthew has deep rooted scars that aren’t
usually visible on the outside. But when he walks into All Cocks, both Victor
and Andrew see them, they also see him. Can three men that didn’t even realize
they needed each other get past the stigma of society to find a place of
happiness, together?
Advisory warning: This story contains a scene of sexual
assault.
Buy links:
Thanks
again for hosting me Alexa, can’t wait to share a frosty beverage with you in
San Diego!!!
Thank you for being here, Tams! See you soon!
"Dirty Dozen"
blog hop
12 GRL Authors | 12 Question Q&A | 12 book Giveaway
Gearing up for GRL in San Diego so its time for another 'Dirty Dozen' blog hop and giveaway event. Same as last year, I've collected twelve different Featured and Supporting Authors and we will all be answering the same twelve questions for the hop. Each Author is donating an e-book to the giveaway, so one lucky person will walk away with a dozen books for their enjoyment!
Here's who is hosting who and when...
September 24th | AE Via is hosting Wade Kelly
September 25th | Aisling Mancy is hosting Tempeste O'Riley
September 28th | Alexa Land is hosting TM Smith
September 29th | Carter Quinn is hosting Nicole Dennis
September 30th | Jeff Adams is hosting Nic Starr
October 1st | LE Franks is hosting Morticia Knight
October 2nd | Morticia Knight is hosting LE Franks
October 5th | Nic Starr is hosting Jeff Adams
October 6th | Nicole Dennis is hosting Carter Quinn
October 7th | TM Smith is hosting Alexa Land
October 8th | Tempeste O'Riley is hosting Aisling Mancy
October 9th | Wade Kelly is hosting AE Via
The Q&A list each Author will be answering for their post...
{each Author submitted a question and all 12 Authors answer, including their own}
AE Via:
Do you fully outline a book? Or do you sit and let the thoughts flow as you
type?
Aisling Mancy:
Describe your writing style in five words and what about that style sets you
apart from other authors in your genre(s)?
Alexa Land:
What are you currently working on, and what can we expect from you in 2016?
Carter Quinn:
What's the answer to the one question no interviewer has ever asked?
Jeff Adams:
When you're stuck on a story, what do you do to get the words flowing again?
LE Frank:
What's your favorite scene from your own work, and the one that's lingered
longest from someone else's?
Morticia Knight: What is your favorite genre to read? Least favorite?
Nic Starr:
Tell us about your writing environment and where your writing time fits into
your daily or weekly schedule?
Nicole Dennis:
How do you manage all of your new plot bunnies and what is your process to work
on one?
TM Smith:
What keeps you focused when writing?
Tempeste O'Riley:
In a perfect world, would you write full time? If so, would it ll be mm/LGBT or
would there be some mf in there too?
Wade Kelly: What influenced your decision to write
in this genre?
"Dirty Dozen" e-book extravaganza giveaway...
ONE lucky winner will receive an e-book from each Author on the hop. Most Author's have submitted winner's choice from their backlist, but a few have listed a specific title.
AE Via:
Winner’s choice, one book from the Nothing Special series
Aisling Mancy:
Joyeaux Noel by Aisling Mancy (adult) or Safe by C. Kennedy (young adult)
Alexa Land:
One ebook copy from the 'Coming Home' series, or Winner's choice from my backlist.
Carter Quinn:
Jeff Adams:
LE Frank:
Winner's choice, copy of 6 Days to Valentine or Can This be Real
Morticia Knight:
Nic Starr:
Winner's choice, copy of Andrew's Promise or More Than a Friend
Nicole Dennis:
TM Smith: Winner’s choice, one book from TM's backlist
Tempeste O'Riley:
Wade Kelly:
Just think, you could have every book you see pictured above on your e-reader. That should keep you busy for a while!
Be sure to follow the hop and see how all 12 questions might be the same, but the answers will be wildly different. And show your support by sharing each days post on your social media accounts!
Good luck everyone, see you in San Diego!!
**** to enter the giveaway leave a comment below - you can visit EACH stop on the hop via the links above by their name, and leave a comment at EACH stop for additional entries. At the end of the hop I will put EVERY comment from EACH stop into a hat and draw ONE lucky winner ****
REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL WHEN YOU COMMENT SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN. NO EMAIL, YOU FORFEIT
Good luck all in the drawing, and thanks for stopping by my blog today! -- Alexa
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