Happy New Year’s Eve!

518f71410e8bcf4949fe24a803bcf745I want to wish everyone a lovely New Year’s Eve, and in particular a fantastic 2016.

I only began publishing on Amazon and posting on Facebook mid-year. Both endeavors have been extremely satisfying. Add to that mix starting a blog on WordPress and then joining Twitter. I have never been able to communicate my thoughts and feelings before these events. My life is as a loner. Even in a crowd, I’m off in a corner hoping no one notices me. And I like it that way. Yet I’m also enjoying immensely my on-line life. All praise to the gods of Internet!

Thanks to my blog followers and FB friends for reading me, commenting and challenging me. You don’t know what you mean to me. I can’t express it. (I know… great fucking writer, huh.) Maybe someday I will be able to articulate it properly. And to those who actually buy my books off of Amazon… you’re amazing! I slavishly follow the Amazon Direct Publishing Report and squeal like a teenager when something is bought. Thank you thank you thank you.

A special mention goes out to a Facebook group called “Erotic Writer’s Collective” started up by Linda Sanders. They have helped me in bettering my writing and book covers. As you can imagine, a group of erotica writers can have some interesting conversations! Love you all and thanks for your help.

For us all here’s hoping for an exciting, successful year filled with 5-star reviews, enormous book sales and no filtered book covers.

T-Girl in the Office Bundle 3

In the Office Bundle 3This is my final book for 2015, although it’s just a compilation of the last three books in the series. T-Girl in the Office Book 1: The Beginning was my very first self-published book, published on July 10. (Counting this entry I have published 22 books this year.) I certainly had no idea T-Girl would go into nine installments! And I really had no idea that it would continue to sell. It’s been a blast writing this and getting to know these characters. There is a lot of autobiography woven in which has been a catharsis for me.

Bundle 3 is available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A1E8VM8. Here’s the blurb:

The final chapters in the story of Ashley and Pete have arrived. We start with an end of summer party at their beach house. They invite friends who pair up in the most delightful ways, from a ‘you show me yours and I’ll show you mine’ moment between Pete and a female impersonator, to a lesbian initiation on the beach.

The second installment is yet another party time as Pete and Ashlyn put new meaning to the traditional bachelor party. Ashlyn has her mother and friends to a risqué strip club at the same time Pete is having a lap dance to die for.

And finally, the day arrives. The wedding. It’s been a long time coming, but they managed to survive to reach this point – “I do”. The maid of honor gets made by the photographer while Pete and Ashlyn celebrate the beginning of their married life.

To all who have read this series, thank you. I hope you enjoyed it. And if so, I have another similar series, “The Trans and the Marine.” You can find the first installment at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017OLXX42.

The Spinster’s Revenge

These are the photos I’m using for inspiration. (I’m considering the center one for the cover.) What I’m thinking right now is a romance set in a feminist bookstore called The Spinster’s Revenge. The young owner has invited an older writer (not decided yet whether my usual trans or not) for a book signing.

Meanwhile a hurricane which has been in the news as approaching threatens to shut down the whole area (panhandle of Florida). After a short signing and book reading –sometimes contentious (older cis audience) — the police come through town warning everybody to stay off the streets.

So everyone leaves except the author and the owner. She lives on the second floor of the bookstore and, by default, the author is stuck there too.

The hurricane does hit and starts to do damage to the building. But between the two they overcome any problems. In the process, a romance builds.

There will be my usual dose of sex, probably gentle, though. Too soon to tell. I’m letting it all brew right now.

Dining Alone Book 2: New Year’s Eve

Dining Alone 2 New Year's EveWell it’s in the loving hands of Amazon now. In twelve hours the world can behold the wonder that is the follow-on to Book 1: Christmas. This installment tells the story of Sophia, the insecure trans who met Ann, a senior attorney. This is the time between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Their love is growing, but a serious event causes the possibility of heartache for Sophia. Can this be the end of their romance? Or will the New Year’s Eve party solidify their love?  Here is the blurb:

The love affair that began in Book 1: Christmas between Sophia, a young trans uncomfortable with her transition and Ann, a senior partner at her own law firm grows in this installment. Sophia has been staying in Ann’s beautiful apartment since before Christmas. When Ann says she needs to deal with some issues at the office Sophia takes the opportunity for her own work.

Taking a break from writing Sophia goes for a walk to rest the mind. But Sophia sees something she doesn’t want to see – Ann kissing her ex! Sophia can lock Ann out of her apartment, but can she lock her out of her heart?

Can Ann’s explanation, after Sophia hears it, rekindle the love? Can they put it behind them? Once the holidays are over will they even still be a couple? Or do they go back to their solitary lives?

Will extraordinary sex solve all their problems?

I’m pretty sure extraordinary sex would solve all of my problems!! Until then, I’ll start work on my next book.

Meanwhile, you can buy this book on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019VU4AEG

This Time of Year

41bdaf6456045ebea9c38dc04e389adcThis time of year can always get one down a little. Without family and friends around you, you can find yourself isolated, watching others sharing cheer, hugging, kissing. Particularly while shopping. (Can you tell I just got back from final shopping?) On more than one Christmas I’ve found myself in the shopping mall, up on the second floor looking down at the families joyfully waiting for Santa, and cried quietly. (Don’t feel too sad for me, though; I can cry at a phone commercial. Truth.)

A couple of decades ago, when I was someone else totally, dead name and all, I was married to a lesbian. (Long story. We were both in the AF band, close friends, and questions were being asked about us individually. We thought getting married would take pressure off. It did.) Anyway, we had a wonderful time. Our families were relieved. For us, we had fairly constant companionship. We  genuinely liked each other. We traveled, we did things together. That lasted several years until she met her true companion (a pianist… wouldn’t you know it! Replaced by a keyboardist. Disgusting.)

Sometime I miss that. I’m alone all the time now except for a local group of ladies who have sort of adopted me. We eat out about once a week, more during holidays. Not the same.

I guess what I’m saying is, work on those relationships, familial or non-familial. Anything where you can have some sort of human contact. It can get lonely out here.Extreme loneliness leads to depression. You know where depression can lead. The incidence of suicide in our community is high.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, that you have many friends and family surrounding you and supporting you.

 

Just Because – An Excerpt from The Professor and the Asian

The Professor and the Asian 1Thought I’d post a little shibari action just for the heck of it. I’m putting off working on my next book, Book 2 of Dining Alone. Just feeling lazy. Rainy days always get me down.

Minor note. This is one of the few books I’ve written not featuring a trans. Just wanted to show my versatility!

Setup: Professor Paul teaches at a Catholic college. Every year he picks some poor student to be his sex project. This year it was an Asian student. Japanese specifically (so future books could feature students from different countries). He catches her plagiarizing a paper off the internet and submitting it as her own. Bingo! Blackmail. What follows below is one of the scenes in which she reluctantly submits.

Paul stood and walked to the occasional table standing against one wall, designed in the same style as the kotatsu.

“Take all your clothes off.”

This was the first time Paul had seen Sada completely naked. She was thin but not skinny. Her musculature was runner lean, wiry. There was strength there. As he watched her shed clothing Paul could tell she was extremely flexible. This was a good thing, it would make this easy. Her breasts were small, tight, less than he imagined. Hips were narrow. The ass was rounded but not protruding. She was completely hairless. The ropes would love her.

Paul walked around her, studying her body. Gathering up the rope, he began applying strands around her body, above and below her breasts. Her nipples became hard pebbles, distended, as the rope dug into her flesh. Then he looped around the middle of the bottom strand and ran it up and around her neck.

“Turn around and put your arms behind you. Cup your elbows in your hands. Imagine a box.’ Paul watched as she assumed the position.

With the excess rope already used in tying her breasts, he began weaving a couple of strands around her upper arms, the middle arms and from the middle of her forearms attaching to horizontal strands. He was careful to make them tight enough to hold, yet not so tight as to cut of circulation.

“Do you feel any tingling in your fingers?” Sada shook her head no.

“Ok, be sure to communicate with me, Sada. Do not let me hurt you. You should feel constricted but not in pain.”

“Ok Professor, I will.”

He looked her over. The arms tied behind her back forced her breasts to jut out wonderfully. The hard nipples cried out for sucking, but not yet.

“Good. Now turn around with your back to the table. I’ll help you sit down with your legs out before you.”

As he helped her down he could see that her skin was flushed. Whether she admitted it or not, she was starting to enjoy this.

First he tied her back against the table. The table shook but it would hold. It was substantial. He then pulled a leg up to wrap several strands of rope around an ankle and thigh. He could see moisture begin to seep from between her pink pussy lips. “That’s tight,” she said. He loosened the ropes just a little, but the rope still dug into her flesh slightly.

“Better,” she said.

He repeated the process for the other leg looking to her for approval. She nodded her head. Paul studied the results so far, deciding what he wanted to do.

He pulled the legs back against her chest, in essence folding her in half. This had the added effect of forcing her crotch out and opening her cunt lips. Sada was definitely dripping juice now. She was pulled back against the table, buttocks on the floor, breasts jutting outward, hair falling over her face. She was breathing evenly, displaying no pain. Sweat was coating her body but that was to be expected. Every part of her body was under tension.

Paul rose from the tying and admired his work. The knotting had been done on the side of the ties, decorative and not placing any pressure on her skin. He did not want to mark her at all. The ropes were tight enough to dig into the flesh, forcing it to bulge slightly around the jute.

He went to a nearby chair and sat. She was beautiful. Sada was beautiful in any circumstance, but here, tied, helpless, her alabaster skin divided by rope and knots, Paul felt he had never seen anyone as exquisite.

“You should see yourself, Sada. You are magnificent.”

Sada looked up at him. Her face glowed. Sweat ran down her face, but she absolutely glowed. It was time. He had been patient enough.

Paul walked to Sada, knelt and lapped gently at her now-distended pussy lips. She groaned softly. Juice was flowing freely, running down the crack of her ass and onto the carpet.

He kept licking, dipping his tongue between the lips occasionally, drawing a squeal every time he did. After a time he added a finger, rubbing along the darkening lips. With the pad of his finger he pressed against her clit drawing a long moan as she rolled her head side to side.

As her wetness grew Paul slipped a finger into her cunt, drawing a moan from Sada. The muscles of her pussy grabbed at his finger. They were amazingly strong muscles. Ah, youth, he thought.

When his cock was rock hard, he stood and quickly undressed. His penis was long and curved, a perfect tool for this position. He got onto his knees in front of her and placed the tip of his cock at the entrance of her cunt. Drooling spittle onto his shaft, he started pressing into the moist folds. Slowly his cock sank into her, groaning himself.

Once he was fully engulfed, he began a slow fucking motion, drawing squeaks from her in rhythm. Sada was thrashing her head from side to side. Nothing else could move. Each time Paul bottomed out her feet would jiggle, but that was the sum of her motion.

Immobilized, all Sada could do was immerse herself in the delicious feelings emanating from her pussy. She was tingling all over. Her eyes squint shut. A flush covered her whole body as streams of perspiration rolled off her.

Paul leaned over to nibble at an erect nipple, lightly teething it. His cock was pulling completely out, then thrusting back into her, bouncing her against the table.

His penis was throbbing, a climax beginning deep inside of him as he continued to slam into Sada. Suddenly she let out a long wail, high pitched, as her orgasm hit. Fluids were shooting out around Paul’s shaft, dripping onto the carpeting. There was no other movement available to her. She continued the squealing until her spasming was over.

As she came down from her climax, Paul sped up his fucking. With a shout he shot his load deep into her womb. Paul groaned with each spurt, each twitch of his cock, until he stilled.

He pulled out of her, his cock still hard, popping up to slap his stomach. Their mixed juices poured out of Sada, leaving a glistening mass pooling at her ass crack.

They were both gasping heavily and sweating profusely. As their breathing settled he looked her in the face. There was satisfaction on it. While she normally kept her eyes cast down, she was brazenly staring into his.

“Are you all right?” he asked. She nodded her head.

“Let me get you out of this.” He began untying her carefully, easing the strands from her body. He rubbed her flesh as the indentations were exposed, forcing blood into the muscles. Strand after strand until her legs were free.

He helped her stand. The ropes tying her arms were the last to come off. He massaged her thin body and helped her walk to a chair. Sitting down, he knelt by her to continuing rubbing.

“How you feeling?” he asked. “No pain?” She shook her head no. After a time she began talking.

“I can’t explain how I felt,” Sada said softly, casting her eyes down again. “I did feel beautiful, yet vulnerable. I have never been that exposed. Not in front of anyone. There was slight pain, yet the pain excited me. Paul, I’ve never felt so, so, submissive. Yet exhilarated. I cannot express what I feel. I’ll have to meditate on it before I can fully understand it.”

She turned to look Paul in the eyes, trying to see into his soul.

“I just want to breathe this in, to think about the pain and the pleasure. I want to hold onto this feeling, draw on it later. I want to remember this feeling, my freedom. Thank you Paul. Thank you for this.”

Without another word Paul stood, dressed, gathered up his paraphernalia in his bag and left. Stopping at the door, he turned to look back at Sada. She was still on the chair, curled into a ball. The small welts on her skin still showed but would soon fade away. She was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

This is on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015TXPP34. The sequel, The Professor and the Redhead is at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01784ZBXG. This tells the story of a student who sees him for who he is and introduces him to some alternative ideas! Painful ideas!!

Filter Removed!

T-Girl Office 1 NewYea! After the fourth cover submission, Amazon has removed their “adult” filter to my book. Geesh. And all I had done to the previous cover was put the words “Book 1″… exact same cover as before. Obviously a different reviewer at Amazon suddenly said “ohmigod” can’t let this through!

Battle with Amazon… again!!

T-Girl Office 1 NewIn the Office 1 Beginning NewI can’t believe it. A couple weeks ago I went into a cage match with Amazon about one of my covers they deemed “adult”. It took three submissions but I finally got let out of jail. Cut to last night. I went into one of my series to number each book. That’s all I did, add “Book 1”, “Book 2”, etc. And that same damn cover got relabeled adult again. <sigh> Once more into the breach!

The one on the left is my original. The one on the right is my newest cover. I see nothing wrong with either one.

The Four Cornerstones of Strong Characters by MJ Bush

One of my blogging friends, World of Horror (found at https://amirhoseinghazi.wordpress.com/) is a wealth of writing information. Blog highly, highly recommended. So when I ran across this article by MJ Bush on Facebook I decided to return the favor and post it. Even though I write short stories the same tips for creating characters apply.

Truly strong characters are complex enough to carry the story, pull in the reader, and give a sense that there’s more going on under the surface. It’s not about being tough. It’s about being well-written.

Plot can springboard off of a strong character from various “soft spots” engineered specifically to propel it forward. Those soft spots are nestled in the cornerstones.

The Four Cornerstones are:

The Fear, the Secret, the Flaw, and the Quirk.

The cornerstones are the foundation, just the beginning. But…

By defining these simple aspects first, you can watch your story unfold in the potential interactions and consequences. They can aid the establishment of character dynamics and plot evolution. And they work in conjunction with the pillars of strong characters to create a realistic and story-appropriate character. It’s easier to change things around when you’re working with four clearly defined aspects of your character, especially if you start with this framework.

As a guideline, major characters should have a strong foundation, using two to four of the cornerstones. Minor characters generally need one to two. One time, “flit in, flit out” characters are made more interesting by using one, but it must be done with taste. Main characters are best served if they have all four.

Shall we get to it, then?

The Fear:

Fear determines the course of the story. It sits at the root of stakes, which are the propulsion unit of any plot. Without fear to motivate him, readers question why the main character wouldn’t just ignore the problem. James Scott Bell makes the case that the fear driving the story should be nothing less than death.

[T]he stakes of a story must be DEATH. There are three kinds of death: physical, professional and psychological/spiritual. The core issue in your novel has to be one of these or the book will not be the best it can be.

High stakes are a staple of good storytelling. Ask Kristen Lamb or Larry Brooks or K.M. Weiland.

And high stakes are based on fear.

Minor characters’ fears can change the course of a story as well. Perhaps the guard froze, allowing the princess to be kidnapped.

…And Mario is off to save her again.

(Do you know how your character handles Fear? Hint: There’s more to it than Fight or Flight. Find out more.)

The Secret:

“Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.”
– Mark Twain

What does your character have to hide? How does it clash with external events?

A secret adds drama while paving the way through inner conflict –one of the pillars of strong characters – straight to subtext. There are other ways to get both, but the lure of a secret is strong. Readers like either being in on or trying to figure out a secret.

What a character hides gives a strong clue about the rest of their personality or story, even if the secret is as minor as what he had for lunch.

He might be on a special diet for his health, but he would rather live freely and die young. Or he might be limited by a professed religion, but he’s really trying to infiltrate an enemy stronghold.

You probably already grasped from the last example that large secrets tend to spawn smaller secrets. But it might be presented to the reader in reverse, if he’s had it all along. Of course, your character’s secret doesn’t have to exist from the beginning of the story. He might pick it up along the way.

(You can read more, Waaay More, on Secrets here. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

The Flaw:

What kind of mistakes does your character make? What kind of circumstances cause the flaw to surface?

Avoid single word flaws. He’s impulsive. Alright, how impulsive? When is he impulsive? What is he impulsive about? He might impulsively try to encourage people, or he might impulsively get into duels. I’m looking straight at you, d’Artagnan.

If it’s not specific,  it’s just a meaningless label. A specific flaw is easier to show. It’s easier to see when it would rightfully be triggered.

However, you have to balance how often it’s triggered with the severity of the flaw so it doesn’t overwhelm the story.

Fear only counts as a flaw if taken to the extreme. A character with a phobia can make mistakes because of clouded judgment.

(The Flaw can be a  feast of nuance and possibilities if you use it to full advantage. Deeper look here.)

The Quirk:

A quirk might seem extraneous at first glance, but that gives it extra clout in its real mission: to create symbolism for the character theme.

A character’s quirk can be a window to the world you’re creating.A fantasy character can’t be picky about M&Ms, but she might refuse to ride any horse that isn’t pure white.

Ultimately, there are two types of quirk: the foundational quirk and the trivial quirk. A trivial quirk has no meaning behind it. A foundational quirk can tell you much, even the class, attitude, and self-concept of a character.

When defining your quirk, again, you should be specific rather than vague. Know when it’s triggered so you don’t use it when it wouldn’t be.

Quirks are one of the easiest things to overdo. In fact, you’ll probably want to go back and edit out some of the quirky incidents that arise in your first draft. That’s pretty standard.

(The Quirk doesn’t have to be a surface trait. Specific tactics can be found here.)

Make the Process Your Own

There are many methods for character creation. None are wrong.

It’s the finished product that counts. You can use this framework as a map in your initial effort, or as a checklist to make sure that your character is fully formed. It’s completely up to you.

I’d love to hear from you. Which cornerstone is hardest for you? Which is easiest?

 

Her blog is at http://www.writingeekery.com/. Tons of good stuff there.

Live on Amazon — Dining Alone Book 1: Christmas

Dining Alone 1 ChristmasMy latest book has gone live on Amazon. Here is the blurb.

This is the story of Sophia, a transitioning transwoman alone for the holidays, uncomfortable with her appearance yet forcing herself to be in the public. She eats regularly at a restaurant with her back to the room. Along comes a woman, Ann, a lesbian who has just broken up with her longtime lover. She made it through Thanksgiving but feels the loss during the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Ann takes matters in hand by approaching Sophia, asking to join her for dinner. They talk, they laugh, they get along well. Ann suggests that since they are both alone they should spend this time together keeping one another company.

Ann is just what Sophia needs. She bolsters her courage and forces her out and about, proving that Sophia is simply seeing an old picture of herself in her mind rather than what the hormones have been accomplishing. She has grown into a beautiful young woman.

Taking Sophia under her wings, Ann is finding new feelings in herself. They end up attracted to each other. That attraction leads to hot, intense sex. Will their relationship last beyond the holidays? Or is this just a short fling?

Rest assured, as in all my books, it may start off a little depressing but will end up with two sweaty, happy people! Available for purchase at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019I30EOQ.  I’m already working on Book 2: New Year’s Eve.