In the Oven

I seem to go long periods of time without updates on what I have going on in the writing front.  So what do I have cooking in the oven?

I'm in the editing stage for my novel DIRTY HOUSEWIVES which will be released through Ravenous Romance.  I got some fabulous edits back from my editor and I'm working hard to get them done.

My short story ROOM NUMBER TWELVE will be included in an anthology through Breathless Press that is slated for release on June 3.  The anthology includes a lot of fabulous stories  -- including a debut by my good friend Kayla Jameth!

I am in the editing stage for my newest Dreamspinner Press Release called AS SEEN ON TV.  I'm excited to get this cover for this one -- a hot m/m that takes place in Hawaii :)

I have decided to give my first baby - a m/f vamp novel called ETERNAL PARADISE another chance in the sun.  I have the manuscript to my agent for her to review and she has some ideas on where to sub it.  I absolutely love the story and would be thrilled if it found a home.

A couple days ago I submitted a short story to a Dreamspinner Press pirate anthology.  The story is called ABOARD THE AVENGER and is set in outer space.

I also have another novel (yes, its NO BRAINER) and a couple more short stories that are in submission mode.

See?  Even though I haven't said anything, I've been cooking!!  Lots of yummies to come!

Tell All Tuesday! -- SPECIAL EDITION -- WORDS MATTER

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.    

Today is a very special edition of TELL ALL TUESDAY.  My guest is a man you’ve met here before.  JOHNNY MILES.  In the past you’ve been introduced to him as a fabulous gay erotic romance writer.  Now, I introduce you to him as someone who wants to teach us how much WORDS MATTER.  Take it away, Johnny . . . 

            This post originally appeared on QMO [(Queer Magazine Online)], April 9, 2011, in a slightly different format. To raise awareness for National Child Abuse Prevention, Rebecca Leigh has graciously volunteered to re-post with slightly different content.

            Born and raised in the ghettos of New York, I was no stranger to poverty, hunger, and going without. The apartment we lived in was small and infested with mice and roaches, regardless of how much mom cleaned. But at least it was home and, because we lived in a small building, everyone knew everyone.

            Because of this, and perhaps because mom was overprotective, I managed to escape some of the harsher realities of the inner city blight. Whatever the reason, I also attribute a great deal of my ability to escape to books, and the power that lies within their covers.

            You see, books transported me to a different world where I could forget hunger and that we wore “Rejects” while other kids feasted off McDonalds, ate dinner out and wore Keds.

            In books, I wasn’t reminded I had to wear hand-me-downs because I was growing too fast and mom couldn’t afford to keep me clothed.

            But the one thing books, and their words, did more than anything else, was to heal my spirit when I was exposed to derogatory remarks and ethnic slurs. The most common were: spic, faggot, nigger.

            My stepdad was very verbally abusive. He was a Puerto Rican Archie Bunker only not as funny because he meant the things he said. As a child I thought this ignorance was “a poor thing.” Imagine my horror when I realized, as I grew older, that the ignorance was a worldwide epidemic that affected a great majority of people I met.

            This is why I’ve always believed in the power of words. They transcend. They are magic. Naysayers will tell you words are simply that…words. But I can tell you from personal experience that words have power beyond anything we will ever know. They have a far deeper impact on the spirit than being slapped around by an abusive parent for no apparent reason.

            Don’t think so?

            Faggot. Homo. Dyke. Spic. Nigger. Kike. How do those words make you feel?

            I’ve always known I was different. I just never knew how or in what way. But when I first heard the Puerto Rican slang for faggot…maricón…that’s when I knew. I cringed, disgusted with the word and hating myself for being “one of those.” It was like someone had beat me, but on the inside. I wanted to die.

            Each negative and derogatory remark, every ethnic slur -- whether it pertained to me or not -- was like the slash of a whip or the slice of a knife. Yes. It was that painful. Any gay teenager that has ever been bullied and verbally abused will probably tell you the same. Sadly, we can’t ask those that have been murdered or committed suicide, and all because they were different. But I think the fact that they’re no longer here should be a clue to the damage words can cause and proof that words can lead to violence.

            Somehow, through it all, books -- filled with millions of magic spells -- were there to counteract what I experienced. I’m grateful. I’m one of the lucky ones.

            I’m not sharing this to gain sympathy or make anyone feel bad. I’m sharing this because I believe there’s hope. Not just ourselves, but for generations to come! The key to each of us growing up in physical, mental and spiritual health -- like with everything -- starts at home.

            Just like the people behind the “It Gets Better” campaign, I can tell you that it does. But I don’t think the campaign goes far enough. I think we need more than encouragement, motivation and inspiration. We need to stop and think because even the smallest of words, like the single drop of water that drips in our sink, can cause a great deal of damage.

            Because of my experiences as a survivor of physical and verbal abuse, I wrote a mostly-fictional story called, “My ABC’s,” under a different pen name. I wrote it because it was my naïve hope to make parents think about the words they used in front of their kids, to stop before they said anything derogatory against a person or group of people.

            I’d love for parents to stop putting people down for being “different.” All that does is perpetuate hate and negativity in a world already bursting at the seams with natural disasters affecting us all. Do we truly need one more thing to add to the human drama?

            Perhaps I’m looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. It’s something I’ve always been accused of. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that if I can make just one person aware, make them look at their own wounds, then maybe they’d think twice about using words that are so horribly damaging to our souls.

            “My ABC’s” is not an easy read. It’s dark and takes you places you might not want to go. I’d go as far as to say that anyone who’s had a violent childhood or was sexually abused, probably shouldn’t read this story unless they’re already in therapy.

            I feel strongly about the message in the book. I think it’s important for people to read “My ABC’s” because I really want our emotional baggage -- as one race, the human race, -- to disappear. The only way I can think of to eliminate that damage is to eradicate derogatory remarks and ethnic slurs from our vocabulary.

            If just one person gets the message, perhaps it will spread, and the next generation will never have to experience any kind of abuse or bullying.

            “My ABCs” is currently as both, an e-book and trade paperback. To find out more about the e-book, please click: HERE. For the trade paperback, please click: HERE.

BLOGGER’S NOTE:  I was honored when Johnny let me read “My ABCs.”  He warned me ahead of time that the subject matter may be difficult for some readers.  I’ll admit that I was apprehensive . . . not because I was afraid of the words, but because I was afraid of the memories.  I too am a survivor.  I survived mental, verbal, and sexual abuse.  Reading Johnny’s story was cathartic.  But you do not have to be a survivor to be moved by “My ABCs.”  You don’t have to know someone who has been or is being abused for this book to move you.  And whether you fall into any of these categories or not, this is a must read story.  Thank you so much Johnny for writing “My ABCs,” for publishing the book, and for joining me on my blog to talk about the book and the POWER OF WORDS.

JOHNNY'S BIO:

Johnny Miles has been writing erotica since 1985. His work has appeared in various magazines but it wasn’t until 2008 that he began to take writing seriously. That’s when he submitted his first m/m romance, Casa-Rodrigo, to e-publisher Loose Id. His second novel, Lauderdale-Hearts, was also released by Loose Id. Now, Johnny is spreading his wings and branching out into different genres.

“My ABCs” is the fictional account of a little boy who endures, physical, sexual and verbal abuse. But it’s more than that. The book shows how words frequently do far more damage than anything else a person can endure because it is a subtle form of emotional bullying; whether directed at children, spouses, friends, even other cultures. In the end, the damage cause by verbal abuse -- specifically ethnic slurs and derogatory remarks -- can lead to violence from a person who has been conditioned that it’s okay because mommy and daddy said so. So the next time you hear the expression, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me,” think again.

Johnny is currently working on a third romance entitled “Learning To Samba.” He currently lives in Fort Lauderdale with his partner (and silent sufferer) of 15 years, along with 4 lunatic Pugs and a prissy, Prima Donna cat.

His romance novels are available through Loose Id. For more information about the author, you can visit his website.

Poem

flowers, butterflies, death.
candy canes, silver things, death.
loveliness, kindness, death.
hugs and kisses, Mr. and Mrs.
right by the shore, come
rap on my door.
just to fine, so sweet
and kind.
your one and only death.

It is an interesting poem.   I admit it is not from this imagination, but from that of my 11 year old daughter.  She says it is the inspiration for an upcoming story about ghosts she plans to write.

I can't wait to read it!!

Tell All Tuesday!

On this edition of Tell All Tuesday, S.J. Frost – writer of hot erotic gay romance – has agreed to join us and tell us all her secrets!

Tell us a little about yourself!

Sure thing!  And thank you so much for having me here, Rebecca!  I’m an m/m erotic romance author.  I live in Ohio, which thankfully, is finally starting to thaw out from winter.  I’m a crazy proud momma of my little guy, and I have quite a few critters running around on my property, domesticated and not, though sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, going all the way back to elementary school when I first learned how to write and bring the stories from my mind to paper.  In high school, I started taking writing more seriously, and in college, that’s when I really decided to put all I had into it and really consider getting published, thanks to a certain character, Jesse Alexander, coming to me in what would turn out to be my first novel, CONQUEST.

Do you write exclusively erotic romance? 

At this time I do.  I would like to eventually work on a fantasy trilogy, since I’ve always had a passion for that genre, but I love the emotional connection between characters that you can create in erotic romance.  Bringing two characters together, building a relationship, leading them to love, there’s nothing better than that.

What inspires your stories?

I can find inspiration in a lot of places, music, history, and once in a rare while, actual people.  Most of my themes go hand in hand with things I’m personally interested in, like music, but some are inspired by causes where I’d like to get a message across, like bulling.  My novella FINDING A DREAM deals with that subject, and it’s also the work where my editor and I are donating our royalties from it to The Trevor Project.

How do you choose a publisher?  Who are your current publishers?

These days I’m pretty cozy with MLR Press.  I really love being published there, and my editor, Kris Jacen, surpasses phenomenal with her skills and dedication.  Back when I was shopping for a publisher for my first novel, CONQUEST, I really wanted to be published with MLR.  I had such a good feeling about them, they have a wonderful reputation, but with all the incredible talent there, I wasn’t sure if as a newbie author I’d really have a shot.  When they opened their doors to outside submissions, I took the chance, figuring, “Go big, or go home,” and it worked.  They accepted my manuscript, and it’s been amazing working with them ever since.

I do have some shorter works at other houses, a novella, “Midnight Dalliance”, at Torquere Press, and a short story, “Kintaro the Golden Boy” in the anthology, Bedknobs and Beanstalks, published at Ravenous Romance.  And there are other publishers who I would certainly enjoy working with.  I think for me, the most important things when looking at a publisher are, do they have a solid reputation and are their authors happy?  Those are key for me.

What is your latest release?

My latest release in my very first foray into vampires, an m/m erotic romance novel titled NATURAL INSTINCTS.  I’m so excited about this one and had such a blast writing vampires for the first time.

I love the name – and the cover!!  I totally live for vampires.

Here’s a blurb:

Andreas Nikandros has one focus, to kill the vampire he believes murdered his sister, and he knows with their greater strength, the surest way to kill a vampire is to become one.  As a zoologist, he’s used to looking at the world from a natural standpoint, but when he sets out on a quest to find a vampire to Turn him, what he finds in Titus Antonius Calidus is the last thing he expected.  Titus has lived for over a thousand years, and in that time has only ever given his heart to one man.  As they follow their natural instincts, they discover something truly worth living forever for, each other. 

What is your writing process like?  How long does it take you to finish a story from beginning to end?

It takes me quite a while to finish a book.  I’m a really slow writer, but I’m also the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type.  If I’m writing a novel, it can take three to six months before I have it finished and revised.  Usually when I’m going into a new project, I’ll ponder on it for a few days, trying to get to know the characters, what their motivations are, what challenges will they or have they faced.  Once I really start getting a feel for them, I open a fresh Word file and start typing.

Is writing your full-time job?  If not, how and when do you find time to write?

Being a mommy is my true full-time job J  I actually do most of my writing late at night when the house is finally quiet.

Do you have other published works?  Please tell us about them!

I do have a few other published works!  I have my m/m rock star novels in the Conquest series, CONQUEST, NO FEAR, KEY TO LOVE, and the spin-off novella, FINDING A DREAM.  There are a few more planned in that world, with one getting ready to release soon, BLACK HEART DOWN.  I also have a few short stories floating around in various anthologies, including my favorite short, the one I mentioned earlier, “Kintaro the Golden Boy,” which was my interpretation of the Japanese folktale.  That one has really inspired me in wanting to write about more samurai someday.

How do you market your work?

I’m pretty low-key when it comes to marketing my work.  I like to visit a few blogs to chat about it, some Yahoo groups, Facebook…  I take ad space out every once in a while at a few places, but I mostly try to go where I know people are interested in the type of stories I write.  It’s all about finding your audience, I think.

I just joined the Yahoo Group started by you, Johnny Miles and Sloan Parker: The Sweet Spot!   It looks like it is going to be a lot of fun! 

What do you love most about writing?

There’s so much about it I love it’s hard to say what I love most.  For the actual writing process, it would be bringing the characters to life, giving them their own unique personalities, watching them become true individuals.  Outside the writing process, it’s definitely connecting with readers.  I absolutely love interacting with people who share my passion for books, and it doesn’t even have to be mine.  I get a lot of enjoyment watching people chat about any books.  Of course, it always leads to me spending money and my TBR growing, but I’m good with that!  Then when I do get letters from readers who have read and enjoyed my work, that’s the absolute best feeling.  It’s made me realize that writing is about so much more than telling a story, it’s about connecting with people.

Who are some of your favorite authors and books?

There’s so many, it’s almost impossible to narrow it down!  Let me see…Jambrea Jo Jones certainly comes to mind.  I’ll read anything from her.  I loved her book RETRIBUTION, one of my favorite characters, Rock, appears in it.  He’s getting his own story in the sequel, SALVATION, which is going to be m/m/f, and I’m so excited!

And there are so many others who I know will always deliver a great story, Sloan Parker, Johnny Miles, Ethan Day, AKM Miles…I could gush all day about my favorites! 

For outside the m/m genre, Laura Joh Rowland is another big favorite of mine with her Sano Ichiro mystery series set in Tokugawa Japan.  Her style is so rich, it puts you right in the time period.

But see what happens when you ask me about books?  I just start rambling away!  Guess it comes with the job ;-) 

Mahalo again for joining us!  

To learn more about S.J, please visit her website HERE, her blog HERE, and The Sweet Spot HERE.

Role Playing Contest!

Today, I'm over at Michele 'n Lisa reviews with a contest!

Head over to their blog HERE and post a comment telling me what you like to do when you role play, or about a fantasy you've had or wish you could have.

I will pick a random comment on Saturday April 9 and give the lucky winner a copy of my sexy m/m vampire story ROOM NUMBER TWELVE.

Or, if you've already read ROOM NUMBER TWELVE, you can choose one of my other stories!  There are lots to choose from at www.rebeccaleighromance.com.

Good luck and I can't wait to hear about your fantasies!

Welcome to My Treasure Hunt!

What is the best treasure I have to offer?

How about two super sexy vampires who like to role play!

If you've found your way here from The Romance Studio, then you already know the rules.  You've been asked to find out what the two heros in ROOM NUMBER TWELVE like to role play on Friday night at the Warehouse on Sixth Street.

Here's a blurb from the story to read to try to discover the answer:

Donovan fisted his hand and knocked on the steel door. One, two, three bangs on the windowless entryway. A tiny hole opened and a voice growled.

"Password?" The Warehouse on Sixth Street was the only place this side of the Rio Grande a man like Donovan could go to get what he wanted. Whatever a vamp’s thirst, this joint had just the right mix to quench it. Orders of all shapes and sizes were taken, entrées were made to order.

"Cowboy." Donovan hissed. The word changed every night, but this one wasn’t hard for him to remember. The wordcowboy described exactly what he wanted tonight.

The red metal door swung open and a mountainous man took Donovan’s fifty bucks. The Warehouse had the highest cover charge in the Lone Star State's capital. But it was well worth it.

The long hallway that led to the inner sanctum of the club was dark as midnight except for the running blue light along the edges of the floor. The lights flickered, blinking on and off to the rhythm of a good old country and western tune. All my exes live in Texas crooned George Straight. 

Anticipating what he hoped awaited him, Donovan strode with confidence into a classically decorated dancehall. The cavernous room didn't always look the same, but tonight the tavern was decked out in full kicker regalia. A bar glowing with fluorescent beer signs lined one wall and a stage lined another. Rows of tables and chairs stood off the sides of a large dance area. The floor was covered in a thin layer of sawdust, to soak up the beer and other fluids.

Donovan walked to the bar and ordered a drink. "Bud." 

The bartender sat down a cold, frothy glass. "What’s good tonight?" Donovan asked.

"We got just about everything." He smiled. Donovan was one of his regular customers.

"It’s Friday," Donovan said with a smirk.

"Yeah," said the bartender.

"I want my regular."

"Yeah." The bartender pointed across the room.

Donovan took two long swigs of his beer and followed the dude’s finger with his eyes. Near the edge of the stage, he saw what he'd come here for.

Donovan had dressed the part tonight, in a crisp button-up shirt and faded Levis. But the guy standing in the shadows had Donovan beat. His long blond hair was pulled back in a slick ponytail visible under his black Stetson. He wore a tight black t-shirt tucked into a pair of skin tight black Wranglers themselves tucked inside a weathered pair of steel toed boots.

Donovan’s mouth watered and his fangs extended.

Okay, so I didn't give you the exact answer . . . you still need to guess.  What are Donovan and his lover pretending to be?  (HINT:  the clothes should reveal the answer).

Get the right answer, go back to The Romance Studio to submit your answer to this question, and those of the other fabulous authors participating in this contest.  First prize is a kindle!

If you've found your way to my blog and haven't been to The Romance Studio go there by clicking HERE, read the rules, find the clues, and enter to win!

WAIT!  THAT'S NOT ALL!!  Leave a comment here and also enter to win a copy of ROOM NUMBER TWELVE.  

ROOM NUMBER TWELVE is available through BREATHLESS PRESS.

Happy Treasure Hunting!!