New Books Coming in 2025

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are having a great week. Today I’m happy to share with you that for 2025 I currently have planned to release two short stories and one new novel. I’ll be sharing more information over the coming months and in the New Year, however today I wanted to offer you all a couple of teasers.

The Two Short Stories:

I’ve been invited again this year to participate in two different anthologies. The first one is Romance is a Drag. this anthology spotlights Drag Queens. I loved the idea of being in the anthology to help give some love to the drag community, especially given all the negative misinformation out there. This short story takes place in the world of Volaria, however, this is a much more fun and uplifting tale. Here is the Blurb:

Miss Vina Volaria - A Volaria Story

Being a renowned solar system Drag Queen is hard work and a great deal of travel. You’re always on the move performing and rarely get a break. Drag is made even more complicated when you’re a Lycan who can’t perform for three days every five weeks during your transition period. But that won’t slow you down, especially when you have to perform, not only on Earth, but on the Moon and Mars. So, when Miss Vina Volaria finally gets to come home to Volaria for a break, she is anxious to have some downtime and meet up with some friends. Finding romance wasn’t on her ‘Bingo’ card, especially when she meets Dura, an Environmental Services Engineer, who has a permascowl and recently relocated to the moon from Earth. Will these two make a connection, or will their differences be too much to overcome? Especially when Vina finds out that Dura apparently takes issue with not only Vampires and Arcaines but also Lycan.

The second short story coming out in 2025 will be in the anthology will be an Own Voices Gay Holiday Anthology. This short story will take place in my Golden Hills Haunting Universe, which I’m excited to explore again. As with Golden Hills Haunting, this short story will have a lot of adult content. Here is the blurb:

Whispers of the Crescent Moon

It’s the last weekend of Ramadan, and Reza wants to get away from his family while Kyle is looking for a relaxing few days with his boyfriend. These two college boys plan on a trip to a secluded cabin along the California Coast near Boulder Creek. However, when mysterious noises rumble through the house and items go missing only to reappear in strange locations, tensions flare, leading to confrontations and revelations that neither man initially had any intensions of exploring. Could these supernatural events bring Kyle and Reza closer or pull them apart? Find out in this sexy paranormal drama.

New Novel:

And last up is my next novel. I’ve been working on this novel for the last year and I’m happy to share that I’m now in the editing process. This coming novel is an alternate history story where giant airships travel our skies, taking guests to fantastic locations including the Hawaiian Islands. This is a lighthearted, fun romance story that I can’t wait for people to sink their teeth into. Here is the blur:

Hawaiian Sun:

In 1937, Fredrick Rudolf, a steward aboard the LZ 129 Hindenburg, planned to escape the German Reich with his boyfriend upon arriving in New Jersey. However, disaster struck, and as a fireball rushed towards him, Fredrick found himself transported to an alternate reality standing and waiting at the Moffett Field Airship Terminal in San Jose, California, in 2025.

In 2025, Leo Asher awaits his new butler, Fredrick Rudolf, at the Moffett Field Light Rail station. As the Concierge/Trainer for the Hawaiian Sun, one of the eleven zeppelins of the United AirShips Family, Leo is eager to finish his preparations for the eighth annual Queer Cruise. Despite a rocky start, Fredrick and Leo quickly hit it off.

As Leo gets Fredrick acclimated to the Hawaiian Sun and prepare for two hundred guests from the Queer Community, both men grapple with secrets that could impact not just their lives, but those on the cruise. With Fredrick's mysterious arrival and Leo's concealed medical condition, they must navigate their pasts to carve out a new future.

Will they each find love in the skies over the Pacific Ocean? Join the adventure aboard the Hawaiian Sun, where luxury and elegance go on holiday.

*****

There you go, my teasers, for the coming year. What do you think? Are you as excited as I am for these stories to come out? And I may have another surprise or two planned for 2025, so keep your eyes posted. Until next time, have a great week.

Happy Thanksgiving 2024

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you’re all having a wonderful day. I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a terrific Thanksgiving (for those that celebrate the holiday). I know these last few months have been stressful, I understand there is a lot of concern out there right now, however, I hope you are able to take a moment, find some peace, and enjoy this holiday and be thankful for all the good around us.

If you need something to take your mind off the real world for a little while, I would like to suggest my wonderful short story; Thanksgiving Pie, that you can pick up for $.99 (click here). It’s a short read but is filled with hope and love.

Blurb:

When the holidays aren’t what they’re supposed to be. When you’re on your last nerve because your boyfriend recently dumped you and your family lives out of state. What are you supposed to do? Sit home alone and be miserable? That’s exactly what David planned on doing this Thanksgiving. However, he needs to pick up his less than festive meal at the grocery store. While shopping, fate and the universe decide to step-in with a chance encounter placing Fernando and his pumpkin pie right in David’s path. How will this Thanksgiving remind David that events happen around us all the time to be thankful for? Will David be grateful and open to meeting someone new?

Happy Thanksgiving! Until next time I hope you have a great week.

The Importance of Self-Care for Authors

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I want to wish you all an amazing Wednesday. Today I want to share why it’s important for authors to take care of themselves (and really everyone). We’ve been talking about self-care a lot more these days and I want to talk about the importance of self-care for authors. Let’s dive in, shall we.

Writing is a demanding and often solitary profession. As authors, we spend countless hours crafting stories, developing characters, and perfecting our works. While the creative process can be incredibly rewarding, it can also be mentally and physically exhausting. This is why self-care is essential for writers. Taking the time to care for oneself can lead to improved creativity, productivity, and overall well-being.

One of the most significant reasons self-care is important for novelists is its impact on our mental health. Writing requires a great deal of mental energy, and it’s easy for us to become overwhelmed by the pressures of deadlines, writer’s block, and the desire for perfection. Without proper self-care, these stressors can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression.

Engaging in self-care activities, such as meditation, exercise, and hobbies can help to manage stress and maintain a healthy mental state. When we take care of our mental health, we are more likely to experience increased creativity and inspiration. A clear and focused mind is essential for producing high-quality work.

Writing is often a sedentary activity, which can take a toll on an author’s physical health. Sitting for long periods can lead to issues such as back pain, poor posture, and weight gain. Additionally, the repetitive motions of typing can cause strain on the hands and wrists.

Incorporating physical self-care practices into our writing routine can help mitigate these issues. Regular exercise, stretching, and ergonomic workspaces can improve physical health and prevent injuries. When we feel physically well, we’re more productive and can write for longer periods without discomfort.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for all writers. The nature of writing often blurs the lines between work and personal life, making it challenging to set boundaries. Without a clear separation, we may find ourselves working late into the night or sacrificing personal time for writing projects.

Self-care involves setting boundaries and prioritizing personal time. Something I’m not very good at. We novelists should establish a routine that includes breaks, leisure activities, and time spent with loved ones. By doing so, we can recharge and return to writing with renewed energy and focus.

Burnout is a common issue among all authors, especially those who juggle regular jobs, family obligations, multiple projects, social media, or face tight deadlines. Burnout can lead to a lack of motivation, decreased productivity, and even physical illness. To prevent burnout, we must recognize the signs and take proactive steps to care for ourselves and know when to say ‘no’.

Self-care practices such as seeking support from fellow writers and engaging in activities that bring joy can help prevent burnout. We should also be mindful of our limits and avoid over-committing to projects (again, something I struggle with). By prioritizing self-care, we can sustain our writing passion and avoid the pitfalls of burnout.

Creativity is the lifeblood of an author’s work. However, creativity can be elusive, especially when an author is stressed or fatigued. Self-care can play a significant role in enhancing creativity by providing us with the mental and physical space needed to generate new ideas.

Activities such as spending time in nature, practicing mindfulness, and exploring new hobbies can stimulate creativity. We should also allow ourselves time to rest and recharge, as creativity often flourishes during moments of relaxation and reflection.

The writing journey is filled with ups and downs, including rejection, criticism, and self-doubt. Building resilience is essential for authors to navigate these challenges and continue pursuing our writing dreams. Self-care practices can help all of us develop the resilience needed to overcome obstacles and stay motivated.

By taking care of our mental and physical health, writers (and anyone really) can build a strong foundation of resilience. This foundation allows us to bounce back from setbacks, learn from criticism, and maintain a positive outlook on our writing journey.

All that said, self-care is not a luxury but a necessity for all authors and creators. By prioritizing our mental and physical well-being, we can enhance our creativity, productivity, and overall quality of life. Incorporating self-care practices into our daily routine can help us manage stress, prevent burnout, and build resilience. Ultimately, self-care enables us to continue doing what we love—creating stories—while maintaining a healthy and fulfilling life.

That’s all I’ve got today. Until next time have a great week.

Clockwork Alchemy 2024

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you are all having a wonderful week. This past weekend I attended Clockwork Alchemy (click here to learn more) in San Mateo, CA. The con was an absolute ball, and I was thrilled to be part of three different panels as well as having space in the author alley. Today I thought I would share some of my thoughts and photos from the event and the panels I was on.

First off, a huge thank you to everyone at Clockwork Alchemy, especially B.J. Sikes (learn more here), for having me and ensuring everything was running smoothly for us authors. 

Over the weekend, as I mentioned, I was on three different author panels. All three groups were well attended and facilitated terrific and meaningful conversation. The panels I took part in were:

Own Voice Story Telling

In this panel, we discussed the importance of celebrating, promoting, and encouraging Own Voice Creators. It’s important to remember that Own Voice Creators, are not there to gatekeep, but they are there to remind everyone of the importance of opening up the creative communities to all and not limiting story telling or creating to a small group of people who may not fully understand our diverse community members. We reminded everyone in the panel that representation matters. This panel was absolutely wonderful, and I learned a lot.

Book Marketing and PR

Where to start with this panel, there are so many factors to keep in mind for book marketing and PR. It’s hard to nail this topic down, but the important points from this discussion were to open up yourself to trying new avenues of promotion within the realm of what is cost effective for you. As with all marketing and promotion, what you can comfortably afford should always be front and center in your planning. Some basics are:

  • Have a Press Kit

  • Start a Website and Social Media platform

  • Have a newsletter (however this can be hit or miss, so use your judgement)

  • Start marketing yourself and your book(s) right away

Book Publishing

What didn’t we cover in this conversation? We chatted about the different types of publishing (indie, traditional, communal, highbred, etc.). Part of our conversation landed on does and don’t and things to avoid (watch out for snake oil salespersons). We offered suggestions on the craft of writing (editing, cover art, basics around starting your brand, and how to deal with unflattering reviews). My fellow panelist and I endeavor to be as encouraging and as straightforward as we could be, within the time allotted. We all agreed that we could have talked for hours on the subject. To end the discussion, we reminded our audience that they are all authors and to start thinking of themselves in that regard.

Also, I shared my YouTube channel with the audience, letting them know I have almost 40 videos posted there, all about writing tips and tricks for authors. All the information is free and available for everyone to view. If you’re interested, find the videos here.

Those were the panels I participated in, all topics that I believe I have a lot to offer my fellow authors. When I wasn’t at my panels, I was staged in the Author Alley meeting and greeting readers as well as chatting up my fellow writers. I had a wonderful time. I managed to get down to the Artists’ Bazaar and caught up with wonderful vendors I know. I may have made a few purchases as well.

For a hit of trivia, for those of you who have read any of my books (especially The Calling series, click here) there is a side character named Fredrick Bisset. Mr. Bisset is the owner of the Los Altos Beaux Vêtements. He is a lovely and wonderfully talented man who makes all his clients look amazing (no matter who they are or what they look like). In short, he’s fantastic. This weekend I was thrilled to chat with the man that this character is based on, Mr. Alan Jeffries, of Fine Gentlemen’s Apparel (find him here). After, perhaps, buying a few pieces, I told him about how he inspired Fredrick and how Fredrick pops up in some form in all my books. We had a good laugh, and he thanked me for the compliment. So, here’s to Mr. Alan Jeffries, the real-life Mr. Fredrick Bisset.

Well, there you go. Clockwork Alchemy was so much fun and a terrific time. I’m hoping to go back next year. In the meantime, if you’re in the area this weekend, April 27th at 5pm. I’ll be at Books on B, in Hayward, CA for the Hayward Lit Hop. It’s always a lot of fun, so I hope you can come out and join us. Until next time, have a great week.

The World Continue to Crumble as the Unicorn Horn Thrives

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you are having a wonderful week and I trust you all had a happy Easter. This week I’m pleased to share my review of J. P. Jackson (learn more here) newest short story; Skin Sessions: Stitched up Tight (find out more here). This is the fifth short story in Jackson’s Skin Sessions series. This is a dark and sexy story and not for the faint at heart, consider yourself warned.

Here is my review:

This is the fifth installment of Skin Sessions a short story series, by J.P. Jackson. If you aren’t familiar with J.P. Jackson’s work this is a dark and sexy series that has a way of boring into your skin and not leaving. Stitched UP Tight continues the story of the Unicorn Horn, a male brothel that finds itself owned by an Incubus Taz-rial. The demon has been true to his word so far, but we get hints that there is more coming, I’m not sure if Taz-rial is going to be all he appears to be, but for now he seems to be a demon of honor and doesn’t want anything to happen to his brothel or the men who work there.

If you enjoy mm sex then you are in for a treat as there are pages and pages of sex, however the scenes are written in a honest way that most authors in the mm romance/erotica genre can’t seem to grasp. In general, in not interested in reading the sex scenes (you’ve read one you’ve read them all) so I skimmed through them sadly make this story very short, (did I mention there are pages and pages of sex scenes), however I did have a pay some attention as Jackson wrangled story and plot elements into these scenes making them important to the plot (darn you Jackson!).

If you enjoy dark sexy stories this is another must read by Jackson.

Well, there you go. My thought on J.P. Jackson’s fifth installment of Skin Sessions (find the book here). Until next time have a great week.

Why ‘Ownvoice’ Writing Matters for Readers?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, today I’d like to talk about ‘ownvoice’ writing. ‘Ownvoice’ writing refers to books or stories that are written by authors who share the same identity or experience as the characters they write about. An example is a novel about a transgender person written by a transgender author, or a book about a refugee or migrant written by a refugee or migrant. ‘Ownvoice’ writing is not a genre, but a way of highlighting the authenticity and diversity of voices throughout the literary world. ‘Ownvoice’ writing is not about gatekeeping topics from being written by non ‘ownvoice’ authors.

Why is ‘ownvoice’ writing important for readers?

  • ‘Ownvoice’ writing can challenge stereotypes and biases in a way that non ‘ownvoice’ writing can. Many books that feature diverse characters are written by authors who do not belong to the group they are writing about (this is not a bad thing, in fact, doing so keeps stories reflective of society.). However, showing diverse characters in this way may rely on stereotypes, clichés, or inaccurate portrayals of those characters. Leading some in these communities to feel frustrated, unheard, and unseen. This can reinforce harmful assumptions and prejudices about marginalized people and erase the complexity and diversity of their experience. Non ‘ownvoice’ writing may also show these groups in an unrealistic or unnatural way that can be harmful to these people.  ‘Ownvoice’ writing, on the other hand, can offer a more nuanced and realistic representation of diverse characters, and challenge the dominant narratives that often marginalize these communities.

  • ‘Ownvoice’ writing can promote empathy and understanding. Reading ‘ownvoice’ books can help readers learn more about different cultures, perspectives, and experiences that they may not be familiar with, or that they may have misconceptions about. By reading stories that are told from the inside, readers can gain a deeper insight into the joys, struggles, hopes, and fears of diverse characters, and empathize with their emotions and situations in a real and honest way. ‘Ownvoice’ writing can also help readers discover the common humanity that connects the reader with people who are different from them and fosters a sense of respect and appreciation for diversity.

  • ‘Ownvoice’ writing can empower and inspire. Reading ‘ownvoice’ books can also have a positive impact on the readers who share the same identity or experience as the characters. For many marginalized readers, finding ‘ownvoice’ books can be a rare and precious opportunity to see themselves reflected in literature, and to feel validated and affirmed by their own stories. Celebrating their community. ‘Ownvoice’ writing can also provide role models and inspiration for marginalized readers, who can see characters overcome challenges, achieve goals, go on grand adventures, find and experience love, and celebrate their identity. ‘Ownvoice’ writing can encourage marginalized readers to tell their own stories and to contribute to the diversity of voices in literature.

‘Ownvoice’ writing is not only important for readers but also for writers, publishers, and society at large. By supporting and promoting ‘ownvoice’ writing, we can create a more inclusive and diverse literary landscape, where everyone’s stories are welcomed, valued, and heard. ‘Ownvoice’ writing can enrich our reading experience, broaden our horizons, and transform our world by bringing forward writers and novels that we might not have found or experienced otherwise.

Until next time, have a great week.

2023 Year in Review!

Happy 2024 everyone. I hope that you are all having a great start to the new year. I want to share with you my year in review. See where we’ve been and where we are going.

I launched Mu; Legend of a Lost City with my new publisher; Spectrum Books.

For the third year in a row, I had one of my short stories; Thanksgiving Pie shared in the BAQWA Presents anthology.

I released Conspiracy-A New World (Book 3) on audiobook thanks to the talented Steve Connor.

I finished my next novel, a haunting story about a neighborhood tormented by angry spirits.

I began work on my newest story, set in an alternate reality where airships sail the skies.

I continued work on the fourth novel in my Sci-Fi series A New World.

I was a guest at the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce (March 2023) and the Milpitas Chamber of Commerce (Dec 2023).

I participated in the Hayward Lit Hop with the Bay Area Queer Writers Association.

I attended several Pride Events this year: Placer Pride, Davis Pride, Sacramento Pride, and Modesto Pride.

I was a speaker at BayCon 2023.

I continued to meet and interact with several authors, who remind me of why I write.

With respect to my book sales, 2023 was my best year! Thank you to everyone who has continued to buy and support my work.

2023 wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. This year I also lost an aunt, several co-workers and a dear friend from high school.

As to not end this year in review on a low note, my husband and I celebrated 25 years together, and we marked this milestone with a cruise. We experienced the first ever Pride Night at Disneyland and we also enjoyed several other visits to the Happiest Place on Earth.

As with years past, we got together with several wonderful friends and family who we don’t get to see near enough, but we enjoy the time with them when we do get together.

For 2024 I’m planning on more in person and virtual events and I’m hoping to release at least one new work this year.

I’m sure there are several events that I’ve missed, however 2023 was a good year and here’s to 2024 being even better.

Happy New Year!

The Gauntlet Runner – Book Launch

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you’re having a great day. This week I’m thrilled to share my good friend J. Scott Coatsworth’s newest novel: The Gauntlet Runner. This is the second book in his speculative fiction series; The Tharaccas Cycle. If you haven’t read the prequel or the first book, then you are missing out, but luckily Scott is offering both the prequel and book one for $.99, so you can get all caught up and enjoy this terrific young adult series.

Let’s jump in to the details, here is the blurb:

A GUARD AND A THIEF. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

Aik has fallen hopelessly in love with his best friend. But Raven's a thief, which makes things... complicated. Oh, and Raven has just been kidnapped by a dragon.

Now Aik is off on a quest of his own, to hunt down the foul beast and make them give back his ... friend? Lover? Soulmate? The whole not-knowing thing just makes everything harder.

Meanwhile, the world of Tharassas is falling apart, besieged by earthquakes, floods, and strange creatures no one has ever seen before. Aik's ex, Silya has gone back to Gullton to do try to save her people as the Hencha Queen, and Aik's stuck in a caravan with her mother and a damnable magical gauntlet that won't let him be. He has to find Raven, before it’s too late.

Things were messy before, but now they're much, much worse.

Here is the series blurb:

The Tharassas Cycle is a four-book sci-fantasy series set on the recently colonized world of Tharassas. When humans first arrived on planet, they thought they were alone until the hencha mind made itself known. But now a new threat has arisen to challenge both humankind and their new allies on this alien world.

Buy the new book here.

Pick up both the prequel and book for just 99¢:

Click here for Tales From Tharassas.

Find The Dragon Eater here.

Here is a bit about J. Scott Coatsworth:

Scott lives with his husband Mark in a yellow bungalow in Sacramento. He was indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine. He devoured her library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were.

He decided that if there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.

A Rainbow Award winning author, he runs Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, and Other Worlds Ink with Mark, sites that celebrate fiction reflecting queer reality, and is the committee chair for the Indie Authors Committee at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

You can find Scott here:

Click here for his Author Website.

Find him on Facebook (Author Page) here.

He’s on Instagram here.

This is where you can find him on Goodreads (click here).

Don’t miss out on The Gauntlet Runner and don’t forget both the Prequel and Book One are on sale for $.99. You really don’t want to miss out! That’s all I have for this week, until next time have a great week.

Red, White and Royal Blue (My Review)

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you’re all having a wonderful week. Eric and I finally got around to watching Red, White and Royal Blue and today, after much consideration, I thought I would share my thoughts on this Prime Movie, based on the book Red, White & Royal Blue: A Novel (click here) by Casey McQuiston. To be clear, these are only my opinions and my thoughts on the movie, so let’s jump in.

To begin, I remember when this novel first came out (May 2019) and all I could do was roll my eyes. Not because of all the attention this novel garnered, but because I felt like, here we go again, another MM Romance story written for the mass market. I asked myself, when are we going to get something different? Something interesting? Something exciting? Why are we getting another MM Romance novel? I refused to read the book because I knew exactly what this story was all about and how it would go. I’ve had to read hundreds of MM Romance books. They are all the same. Two guys meet, hate each other, are forced into a situation where they have to get to know each other, fall in love, have sex, break up (over something) and at the end get back together, and have more sex. This is the formula that all MM Romance stories follow (and I assume the same formula, all romance stories in general follow). Anyway, I wasn’t interested in reading the book, plus my TBR list is huge and filled with so many better, more interesting books, at least in my opinion.

After months of watching this novel get more and more attention, I learned that a movie based on the book was in the works. I mean, of course, let’s exploit gay men for the entertainment of straight women who get all doe-eyed when it comes to MM Romance. So again, I shook my head and did my best to ignore what I witnessed around me in the writing world when it came to this novel and soon to be movie.

Am I sounding bitter, yes, but not for the reason you may think.

As an author over the last few years I have learned about the publishing industry and watched what sells… Romance. Sadly, when we are speaking of gay novels, the only books that seem to get any attention are MM Romance novels written by people who are not gay men (if you don’t believe me here is a list of top MM Romance novels, click here, almost all written by non-gay men), which in general is fine because authors should be able to write and tell the stories they want to tell. However, because of this tendency, we are losing the writers who want to tell stories that honestly reflect their community. That is why I’m a bit salty about books and movies like Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Are you still reading this or did I lose you…?

Anyway, back to the movie. We watched Red, White and Royal Blue. For what the movie is they did a good job, however, I believe the main actors are both too old for the characters they play and sadly it showed on screen, but Hollywood loves to do this. I would love to continue to tell you everything else I despised about this movie, but there wasn’t anything else. The acting was solid, the characters were likable (if not stereotypical) and the story was enjoyable and I appreciated the overall message that the movie presented. Basically Red, White and Royal Blue is a solid movie and is one that can be watched and enjoyed (and has been enjoyed by several people I know who happen to be gay men). The movie is also a pretty accurate adaptation of the book, from what I’ve read and learned.

Am I being too harsh on the author for writing this novel, probably? Would I have enjoyed the story more if the novel was written by a gay man? Maybe. Would the story feel more real and true to life? Definitely. Would the book have ever seen the light of day if the story was written by a gay man… doubtful, but that’s how the publishing industry works. You want to sell; you write MM Romance and if you are someone other than a gay man writing the stories, you stand a better chance of getting the story out there. Again, if you don’t believe me, I suggest you review the list above again (click here).

Eric did make a comment to me about the movie after we watched and he said he didn’t care who wrote the story. He was glad to see the story out there. I had to agree with him (as I often do) seeing more stories out there like this is wonderful and appreciated.

If you want to watch an enjoyable movie with no surprises or that offers nothing new, then this is the movie for you. I would watch the movie again, as I enjoyed the movie and found it entertaining and fun.

A bit of a mixed bag today. I know I may sound harsh for my comments on the book and the movie, but honestly, I’m disappointed. I want to know when we’re going to embrace stories written by gay men reflecting their real lives and not some fetishized version presented to the masses? Sadly, I’m not sure it even matters as long as the stories get out there. Well, I hope you appreciated this review, until next time have a great week.

Book Announcement and Free Books

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, how are you all doing today? Are you having a good August? This week I have a book announcement to share with you and more free books for you to pick-up and collect. Let’s jump in.

This week I’m happy to share my buddy J.P. Jackson (learn more here) is releasing his next short story in his Skin Sessions series. Skin Sessions #3: Carnal Animals is available for pre-order (click here). If you enjoy sexy, dark and creepy stories this is a must-read series for you. I’ve read the first two books in the series and highly recommend them for you to read. And yes, I’ll be reading book 3. Here are the details about the series and the newest book:

This is book #3 in the Skin Sessions series. It is strongly recommended to read them in order.

Gavin Medici, the owner of The Unicorn’s Horn, is struggling with the sudden explosion of business that the incubus, Taz-rial, has brought to the brothel. Not only is the calendar book full of impending dates but finding enough free slots to get all the clients scheduled is proving impossible. Not to mention caring for a pet ghoul, ensuring the boys are all in good health, and obtaining a contractor to do repairs to the crumbling brownstone.

Meanwhile, Denham, one of the brothel’s men, is trying to get into university. It’s a lifelong dream to get a law degree and better himself. His newfound boyfriend is going to extra lengths to help him jump through all the hoops to get admitted, but Lucas has been holding back on a secret of his own.

The constant chaos ramps up even further when attempting to secure a new business license from the city council which is dead set against allowing such a sinful den of iniquity to exist.

And then there’s Dillon and Aiden, the boys who fled when the demon appeared. They are secretly plotting to send Taz-rial back to the depths of hell where the fiend belongs and save their fellow brothel workers from the demon’s grasp.

In a world slowly being ripped apart by climate change storms and a decaying social order, will Gavin and his men, accompanied by the incubus Taz-rial survive and flourish?

Pre-order Skin Sessions #3: Carnal Animals here.

Also, this month I have a couple more free books for you to pick up. I’m excited to share that I’m part of another BookFunnel giveaway. If you enjoy Sapphic Romance stories then please click the image below and browse the books. This is a great way to add to your to be read pile and the books are free.

Click the image to find out more.

Also, if you enjoy reading MM Paranormal Romance then you’ll want to join the QueerRomance Ink mailing list and pick up these four free books (including a copy of The Calling).

Click the image to find out more.

Well, there you go, I wanted to keep it quick this week, especially since I sent out a Newsletter on Monday (if you aren’t signed up for my newsletter you can do so here). Until next time, have a great week.

August Update: Where did July Go?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you’re all doing well today. Wow, where did July and the first week of August go? It’s been a busy few weeks, so I want to share some updates with you and get you caught up on all the wonderful and exciting writing activities happening in my writing world. I’m going to try to keep this short. We’ll see how I do.

First up, I’m thrilled to share that Steve Connor (find his works here) is busy working on my next audiobook; Conspiracy (A New World, Book 3). Find Contact and Conviction as well as my other audiobooks here. It’s taking a bit of time, but I’m pleased to report he just passed Chapter 20, so he is moving along. Here is the cover for the upcoming audiobook:

Next up, did you catch my interview with Small Publishing in a Big Universe yet? They did live conversations at BayCon this year and I was excited to be one of the guests they spoke with. I enjoy hanging out with this wonderful podcast. The interviewer and the group are really author friendly and we always seem to have engaging conversations.

Here is the link to the interview (click here) and you can learn more about Small Publishing in a Big Universe here.

Coming up next, June and July were filled with me attending several in-person events. I had a great time out there talking with folks and engaging with fans and other authors. At BayCon 2023 (click here to learn more) I had the opportunity to sit on several panels, which was a blast and made the event that much more enjoyable. All the events were unique which allowed me (and the other authors I was with) to interact with groups of folks and readers who may or may not overlap, which is important when you are building your brand and need more folks to learn about who you are (and in my case the types of books I write). Here are some fun pics from the different events I attended with some of the terrific people I got to hang out with.

I have three writing updates for you today. First, my novel Mu; Legend of a Lost City is in edits with my publisher and I can’t wait to have the book out (the novel should be released in November 2023, so keep an eye open. I will be sharing more details and the new cover with the folks who are on my newsletter list, so if you aren’t signed up for my newsletter, here is the link. Second, my current W.I.P (my ghost story) is with my Beta Readers and I can’t wait to get their feedback so I can move this project forward. I’m really proud of this story as the novel has been something I’ve wanted to work on for years now, and the manuscript is finished and I believe one of my better works. And last, coming out in October, I’m part of a new BAQWA Anthology called Queer Cheer. The anthology is a collection of poetry and short stories and I contributed a Thanksgiving ‘meet cute’ short story called Thanksgiving Pie. I’ll be sharing more details in the coming weeks as we get closer to launch day.

Also, for the month of August (this link will only work until August 31, 2023) you can get four paranormal queer books for free. If you join the Queer Romance mailing list (and by extension the authors who are offering up these free books) you will receive four wonderful free books, however, please don’t only subscribe to get the free books then unsubscribe, that’s not cool and can really hurt the authors in the long run. That said here is the link to join and pick up some wonderful queer paranormal books (click here).

Finally, this week I want to share Silveira Design with you. I get comments all the time about how great my branding is, well Angela at Silveira Design created all the branding for my website, business cards, bookmarks and a few other pieces for me. She is wonderful to work with and a pleasure to have as a friend. She is branching out and expanding her business, so I wanted to give her a shout out here. I’m thrilled to see her design business grow and I can not recommend her enough. If you are looking for design services, then please check her out here.

Well, there you go. Did I provide you a quick enough update today? Did I keep it short? Let me know. There’s been a lot more happening, but I’ll save that for my next newsletter or maybe a future blog post. Until next time, have a great week.

BayCon 2023 and Book Sale

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you are all doing well today and having a great Summer. This week I have a short up date and reminder for you. Let’s not waste time and get right into it.

This weekend (July 1–4, 2023) I’ll be at BayCon 2023, at the Santa Clara Marriott (learn more here). Not only will I be at the Lim Fic booth for the four days, but I’m going to be on multiple panels (click here for the full list and times). On Saturday, July 1st, I’ll be on the following panels:

  • First Do No Harm: Queer Science Fiction Storytelling

  • It Took Me Years to Get My Novel Published. What I wish I’d Known.

  • A Dash of Science (how much Science to put in your Sci Fi stories)

On Monday, July 3rd, I’ll be on the following panel:

  • Creating Solid Queer Characters in Sci-Fi Stories.

I’m thrilled to be on these panels, and I hope you’ll be able to come out and say hello. As I mentioned, I’ll also be at the Liminal Fiction booth in the Dealers Room for the four-day event (check out all the dealers here). So even if you don’t get a chance to come to any of my panels, you can still swing by and say hello in the Dealers Room and support all the wonderful creative and talented vendors.

Also, there is still time to get 50% off hundreds of eBooks. NineStar Press is having it’s annual Pride Sale, so hop over to their website (click here) and browse a terrific selection of queer books. This is the perfect time to refill your ‘to be read’ list. Remember to use code ‘PRIDE23’ at check out.

Well, there you go, a quick update today. I hope to see you all at BayCon 2023. Until next time, have a great week.

The Outsider

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, this past weekend, Eric and I went to Disneyland for Pride Night and as we enjoyed the night and experienced this wonderful event that Disney offered (officially for the first time). I took the opportunity to talk with folks and hear their stories and why this event was important to them. Eric and I also talked and the more I listened and heard everyone’s thoughts, even the thoughts of the cast members, I realized there was an underlying theme to the night. Not only am I going to share more of the fun pictures from the event, I’m also going to share my thoughts on what it’s like to be an Outsider in our world and finally being able to be 100% who I am even if it’s for only a few short hours.

Now, before I get started, this is my point of view and I fully understand and appreciate that my experience and observations are nothing compared to people of color, trans people of color, and even other members of the queer community. That said, I believe there is a common theme that I feel we all share and can agree on.

We are all the Outsider, that society fears.

We are the Outsiders.

Our world, as amazing and filled with wonder that it is, is skewed. Our society is set up for heterosexual members of our race. We think nothing of seeing a mother and father walking down the street with a baby buggy or a toddler. We see images of happy straight couples everywhere we look. This, to our greater society, is normal, well many of us are not ‘normal’; we are an Outsider. And as Outsiders, when we walk down a street, we don’t typically reach for our loved one’s hand to hold. We don’t typically share a kiss in public. And if we do either of these things, we are always checking over our shoulders, ensuring our safety.

We live as the Outsiders. We are the other, that for some reason people these days are terrified of.

But it’s us who are terrified. It is us who continue to live in fear. It is us who get the odd looks. The nasty comments. Why? It is this ten to fifteen percent of society, that may enjoy greater safety and freedoms, these days (for now), but none the less, we are a minority of oppressed people who in reality get a few moments of pure joy where we can let down our hair and be a hundred percent our true selves.

We are the Outsiders who live at the mercy of the Insiders. The ones who can control not only our lives, but our existence.

I can say this to you, because I live as an Outsider every day of my life. I experience outsiderness and I live in fear of losing not only my freedom, but my life. I live this on a daily basis.

When Eric and I are out in public, we never hold hands. We never kiss. People may look at us and see two gay men, but they may not be sure, because we don’t show ourselves that way. Not in public and rarely in private around our friends. This is how we grew up, and this is what stuck, because we are the Outsiders. We learned what was acceptable and expected of us.

So, when a company like Disney supports people like me (and I fully understand they are not perfect) and offers us a safe place to be ourselves and to show the world who we really are. It’s important. It’s special. And yes, it’s magical.

When Disney announced that they were doing their first official Pride Night, there was no way that Eric and I were going to miss it. Because for a few short hours we were normal. We were the norm, and no one judged us for being a couple. We weren’t the Outsiders anymore.

As we left, I heard several people make comments like; “I wish this night wouldn’t end.” And I agreed, because I knew as we walked back to our hotel (with a casual and familiar space between us) I wished we could have continued to be in that bubble where, for once, I could be my full self.

During the event, Disney put together a special fireworks display. It was about five, maybe six minutes, and the musical direction was wonderful. The fireworks ended with the song from the movie, The Greatest Showman; This is Me. As I watched, cheered and enjoyed, I also wept because the words to This is Me, always made me feel seen. Made me feel valued. Made me feel safe. It also filled me with a joy and strength to continue to write and to show the world my books aren’t about the character(s) being a member(s) of the queer community but these individuals living out in the open and going on adventures that got to happen to everyone else, but never to the Outsider until now.

Well, there you go, the point of view from an Outsider, who occasionally gets to live as an Insider. I hope you enjoyed the photos too. As you can see, we had a blast. Until next time, have a great week.

Pride Month 2023

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope your Pride month is going well. I can say for certain, this has been the busiest Pride month I’ve had in quite a while and I’ve been having a blast. As you may have seen I’ve been active at several Pride Events all over Northern California and I have a few more to go. But that’s not all, I have some additional announcements to share with you this week.

Let’s get too it.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been at several Pride events: Placer Pride, Davis Pride and Sac Pride. These were all different and all an absolute blast. Placer Pride was a smaller more family-oriented event with a lot of families out enjoying the day. Davis Pride had a good mix of folks and everyone was there to enjoy the day, despite there being a few protesters, but nothing the police didn’t handle. And much to the protester’s dismay they weren’t able to dampen the wonderful event. Sacramento Pride was a huge two-day event with thousands of people, there were times it was so crowded that you could hardly walk in the pathways, but again the staff and volunteers were incredible as were security and the police. As with Davis Pride there were a few protesters, but again nowhere near the amount they ‘said’ they would have. In a way I felt sorry for the protesters, how sad are their lives that they believe the only way to feel any value or worth is to go out and try and make other people feel bad. If they could let go of their hate and fear they might actually have a good time and enjoy life.

Here are some of the photos from all the events, as you can see we had a great time selling books, talking to people, taking pictures, having fun, and enjoying each other’s company.

And Pride isn’t over yet, coming up in July I’ll be at BayCon (in Santa Clara, CA) from July 1 – July 4, 2023. I know it’s not a Pride Event, but I’m still counting the convention. I plan to be at the conference all four days and will be on multiple panels and I’ll be at the Liminal Fiction Booth, which should be a lot of fun. This is my second time at BayCon and I’m looking forward to it. Learn more about BayCon here.

Here are all my current panels, click here.

In August, I’m looking into having a booth (with other authors) at Silicon Valley Pride which will be August 26 – August 27, 2023, learn more here. But this event is pricey, so I’m not 100% sure yet, I’ll keep you posted.

Then on September 16th I’ll be at Modesto Pride, this will be my first time and I’m excited to be there and support another wonderful community. Find out more about Modesto Pride here.

As some of you may have seen in my June Newsletter (sign up here) I’ve been working away on a new writing project. The story is coming a long swimmingly. With luck I’ll be wrapping up the first draft in the next couple of weeks. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

Well, there you go, just a quick check in for the week. If you’re going to be at BayCon in July, stop by and say hello. I would love to see you there. Until next time, have a great week.

What’s happening? What’s Going on?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you all had a great long weekend, celebrating Memorial Day (here in the US), for everyone else, I trust you’ve had a good week and a restful weekend. It’s been a busy couple of weeks and things aren’t slowing down anytime soon. Today I thought I would give you an update on what’s happening and what’s going on with me. As always, I want to take a moment and welcome my new Scribblers. I always appreciate hearing from you and seeing you out at events. Thanks for stopping by.

This last weekend, Eric and I had a little fun and went out to lunch and did a bit of shopping. When we go out, we are like kids in a candy store and we’re not to be trusted, but we had a good time and being out for a couple of hours was great. We even managed to buy a little something fun. We decided to add to our Lego collection and bought the Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle, which was fun to put together. I built the first half, and he built the second half. I think slowly we’re going to build our own Disneyland.

What was nice about this build is that it didn’t take days to complete, but a couple of hours. It’s incredible all the tiny little pieces they give you and you have to make sure you put them together correctly or you have to take things apart and fix what you’ve already completed, or thought you completed. As with all Lego sets, we had a few extra bits, so we found a way to embellish our castle, which is always fun.

Click on the image to learn more.

Coming up this weekend, as some of you may have seen, I will be joining the wonderful group from QSac (find them here) at Davis Pride. The event is Sunday June 4th 10am – 4pm, so I hope if you are in the area you’ll come out and say hello. We had a great time last year, and I’m sure this year will be equally fun.

 

If you want to see all the events I’ll be going to don’t forget to check out my events page (click here).

Happening closer to home on June 17th 1pm – 2pm, several members of the Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA, learn more here) will be at the San Leandro Main Library (300 Estudillo Ave, San Leandro, CA) for a book reading. This is another free event and your support means a great deal, so if you have time, please come out and say hello.

On the writing front, I have Steve Connor (learn more here), back again working on Conspiracy - A New World, Book 3 (click here to learn more). Steve is back providing his voice and talent to the story and I can’t wait for you all to hear his great work. Have you read my A New World series yet? If not, you can get your sign copies here (US only) or you can find the audiobooks here and the eBooks and paperback books here. Check them out!

Also, I’m happy to report that I’m busy working on my next novel. I’m just over 40,000 words (150 pages or 16 chapters) in and I’m thrilled with how this story is coming along. I’ll be sharing more details about the story and the characters in my newsletter. Are you signed up? If not, join here and don’t miss out. I also provide my newsletter subscribers some exclusive offers.

And one more writing update. I’ve finished my next short story. It’s a Thanksgiving meet cute about two guys who meet at a grocery store on Thanksgiving Day, the story was a blast to write and I can’t wait for you to meet these two charming men.

Well, there you go, a quick check in this week. If you’re going to be in Davis, come and say hello and if you’re going to be in San Leandro, please stop by the San Leandro Main Library for the in person reading by several BAQWA Members. Until next time, have a great week.

Is it too Soon for Pride 2023?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you’re all having a great week and a wonderful day. Is it too soon to start celebrating Pride 2023? That is the question. This past weekend, Eric and I packed up the car and drove to Roseville, CA for Placer Pride (learn more here). This year Placer Pride celebrated its second year. I was part of the group of six from QSac (learn more here) who all shared a booth so we could sell books, talk to folks, and basically have a great time. And we did! This experience was probably one of the best in-person events I’ve been involved with since the end of lock down. The weather was a little warm, but we had a bit of a breeze, which helped. But Placer Pride, for me, wasn’t about the weather or the actual event itself. The day was a chance for me to hang out with some great people and meet others. Selling my books was a plus, a big one at that, don’t get me wrong. Knowing that folks want to read something I created is always a joy.

And sales don’t always happen. Which can be a bummer. So, when I go to event I go with the mindset that I’m going to be hanging out friends and having a good time being out, and being social.

As I mentioned Placer Pride had a great turn out, after the last couple of years as events have slowly been coming back on line having the crowds out and about was wonderful. Still, being out and seeing people, talking to them, getting to walk around and visiting all the other booths, listening to the music, watching the various acts, well nothing compares to the experience. No matter how hard we try to duplicate these celebrations on line. An additional perk of not being virtual is for lunch Eric and I got a chance to try a wonderful local deli, Better Foods Deli, which is a little hole in the wall, but the sandwiches were excellent and the staff were helpful and pleasant (learn more about them here). If you’re in Roseville, give them a try. Thanks to Scott and Mark for the recommendation.

After our day of selling and chatting to community members our first pride event of 2023 came to an end, but since we had a long drive ahead of us, Scott, Mark, Eric and I headed to dinner, where I snuck in a cheeky little drink. After the long day, I believe I deserved it. As the four of us sat around and chatted; we reflected on our day and what a lovely time we had. We enjoyed the wonderful food, including some excellent desserts. Thank you, Café Bernardo (find them here). Yes, we were all tired, but the day had been good and we really enjoyed ourselves. Considering we didn’t leave the restaurant until after 8pm and our day started at before 8am, you can assume we had a wonderful time.

Happily, to start the Pride Season we got to hang out in a welcoming and joyful space, where we could be open and crazy, laugh and have fun. We got to see and celebrate with Drag Queens, and Queer Kids and their families. We got to pet puppies, listen to music and overall celebrate life. We didn’t have to put on any airs or look over our shoulders to make sure we weren’t offending anyone (not that I typically care about such things, but I do try to be careful). This is what all our days should be, and I was glad to start off Pride Season with this event. Is it too early to start celebrate Pride? Absolutely not. We should celebrate like this every day.

I’ll be at several more in-person events over the coming months. Here is my current list of scheduled events:

  • Davis Pride, June 4th

  • Sacramento Pride, June 10th–11th

  • BayCon, July 1st – 4th

  • Modesto Pride, September 16th

And there might be a few more activities coming up this year, so keep your eyes on my events page (click here), so you don’t miss out.

Well, there you go. My first Pride event for 2023 is in the books. If you are going to be in the area, please come out and say hello. I love seeing and talking to folks. Until next time, have a great week.

Creating Interesting Characters

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you all had a great week. This week I thought we could talk about creating interesting book characters. Creating interesting characters is one of the most important aspects of writing a novel or a short story, especially in queer fiction. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve read where the characters are bland and have absolutely nothing to offer the reader. Our characters are the ones who drive the plot, engage the readers, and make the story come alive. These are the people we need to cheer for and if don’t feel anything for them, then the book becomes drudgery to read. But how do you create characters that are not only believable but also memorable and original? Here are some tips to help with character development.

1. Start with a character archetype

A character archetype is a typical or universal pattern of behavior that represents a certain type of person in a story. For example, the hero, the villain, the sidekick, the mentor, etc. Archetypes help you define the basic personality, goals, and motivations of your character, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. You can use archetypes as a starting point, but don’t limit yourself to them. You can mix and match different archetypes or create your own unique ones. This is especially helpful when you are creating queer characters. You don’t want to land on stereotypes that can turn off your reader.

2. Give the character some flaws

No one is perfect, and neither should your characters be. Flaws make your characters more realistic and relatable, and they also create conflict and tension in your story. Faults can be physical, psychological, emotional, moral, or social. They can be minor quirks or major weaknesses that affect the character’s actions and decisions. For example, a character might be clumsy, stubborn, insecure, greedy, or impulsive. These shortcomings can also be sources of growth and change for your character throughout the story. I find this is really helpful in ensuring I don’t have perfect characters. I will even do this for my background characters.

3. Define the character’s goals and motivations

Every character, queer characters included, needs a reason to exist in your story. What do they want? Why do they want it? How do they plan to get it? These are the questions that define your character’s goals and motivations. Goals are the specific outcomes that your character desires or needs to achieve. Motivations are the underlying reasons or forces that drive your character to pursue their goals. These goals and motivations create stakes and urgency in the story, and they also reveal a lot about your character’s personality and values. What’s nice is these goals and motivations don’t always have to do with the plot of your story. You can treat them as significant as you want for the story.

4. Describe the character’s history

Your character’s past shapes their present and future. Their history includes their background, upbringing, education, relationships (good and bad), experiences, traumas, achievements, etc. All these factors influence your character’s worldview, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, skills, fears, hopes, dreams, etc. You don’t need to write a detailed biography for every character, but you should have a clear idea of their history and how it affects them in the story. I also suggest that you keep a file on each of your characters with all this information for easy reference.

5. Allow the character to be vulnerable

Vulnerability is the ability to show one’s emotions and feelings without fear of judgment or rejection. And this is incredibly important for our characters, especially our Main Characters. It is also the willingness to take risks and face challenges despite uncertainty or potential failure. Vulnerability makes your characters more human and sympathetic, and it also creates opportunities for growth and change. To make your characters vulnerable, you need to put them in situations where they have to face their fears, doubts, insecurities, regrets, etc., and where they have to open up to others or themselves. I find this really important when I’m writing any kind of relationship.

6. Make your character a bit unpredictable

Predictability is boring. If your readers can always guess what your character will do or say next, they will lose interest in them and the story. To avoid this problem, you need to make your character a bit unpredictable. This doesn’t mean that you have to make them act randomly or illogically; rather, you have to make them act in ways that surprise or challenge the readers’ expectations. For example, you can make your character do something heroic or vulnerable; reveal a hidden secret or talent; change their mind or opinion; make a mistake or fail; etc. Adding in unpredictability to your characters is a lot of fun. I love doing this in my stories.

7. Do your research

If you want to create realistic and interesting characters and I cannot stress this enough, especially for queer characters, you need to do some research on the topics that relate to them. Or talk to people who live the life of your character. For example, if your character is a lawyer, you need to know how the legal system works; if your character is a musician, you need to know how music is composed and performed; if your character is from another culture or time period than yours, you need to know how people lived and behaved in that context; etc. Research can help you avoid stereotypes and clichés, and it can also provide you with inspiration and details that enrich your characters and your story. I find this helps me discover what a character’s vulnerabilities, goals and motivations are.

8. Steer clear of the biggest character development mistake

The biggest character development mistake is creating flat or static characters who don’t change or grow throughout the story. This can happen a lot. The more time you spend in fleshing out your characters at the beginning, the more interesting and exciting your characters become as you write their story.

Well, there you go. Here are eight ways to create interesting book characters. Did I leave anything out? Want to add to the list, let me know in the comments below. Until time have a great week.

AI for Authors: Pros and Cons

AI for Authors: Pros and Cons

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you are having a great day. This last week my boss and I were talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how they can be good and bad. AI, for those of you that don’t know (which I find that hard to believe) is a term that refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as understanding language, recognizing images, learning from data, and making decisions. AI is transforming many industries and sectors, including the creative field of fiction writing. Today, I’ll explore some of the pros and cons of using AI as an author, and offer some practical and ethical guidelines for integrating AI into your author business.

Pros of AI for Authors

  • AI can help authors write better novels by providing feedback on plot structure, narrative arc, character development, genre conventions, and reader expectations. For example, Marlowe (read more here) is an AI program that analyzes fiction manuscripts and gives authors suggestions on how to improve their stories based on bestseller data.

  • AI can help authors reach more readers by optimizing their marketing strategies, analyzing reader behavior and preferences, and enhancing their online presence. For example, tools based on narrow AI (find out more here) such as advertising algorithms, reader analysis and engagement, search and sales engines, translation software, and speech-to-text can help authors boost their visibility and sales.

  • AI can help authors unleash their creativity by generating new ideas, prompts, titles, characters, plots, and even passages of text. For example, OpenAI’s GPT-3 is a powerful language model that can produce coherent and diverse texts based on a given input or query.

Cons of AI for Authors

  • AI can pose a threat to authors’ livelihoods by replacing human writers or reducing their value. For example, some studios or publishers may use AI to create cheap or fast content without paying or crediting authors properly. Or some readers may prefer AI-generated content over human-written content.

  • AI can pose a challenge to authors’ originality by creating derivative or plagiarized content. For example, some AI programs may copy or remix existing texts without proper attribution or permission. Or some authors may rely too much on AI to generate or edit their content without adding their own voice or style.

  • AI can pose a risk to authors’ ethics by creating harmful or biased content. For example, some AI programs may produce texts that are offensive, misleading, inaccurate, or discriminatory. Or some authors may use AI to manipulate or deceive their readers or other stakeholders.

Guidelines for AI for Authors

  • Use AI as a tool, not a crutch. AI can augment your writing process, but it cannot replace your human creativity, judgment, and responsibility. You should always be in control of your content and make sure it reflects your vision and values.

  • Use AI with respect, not abuse. AI can enhance your writing experience, but it should not harm or exploit anyone else. You should always respect the rights and interests of other writers, readers, publishers, and platforms. You should also respect the limitations and challenges of AI itself.

  • Use AI with curiosity, not fear. AI can offer new opportunities and possibilities for your writing career, but it should not intimidate or discourage you. You should always be open to learning and experimenting with AI, but also be critical and cautious of its potential pitfalls and drawbacks.

For good or ill, AI is here to stay, and it will continue to shape the future of fiction writing. As an author, we can choose to embrace it or ignore it, but we cannot afford to be unaware of AI. By using AI wisely and ethically, we can leverage its benefits and avoid its drawbacks. Well, that’s all I have for this week. What do you think of AI? How are you going to use it in your writing or marketing? Until next time, have a great week.

Skin Session (Short Story Series) by J.P. Jackson

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I know it’s been a minute since I last posted anything, I’ve had a lot going on and sadly couldn’t find a minute to pull my thoughts together and get something posted. However, today that changes. I’m excited to share with you my good friend J.P. Jackson’s (find him here) new creepy and sexy short story series; Skin Sessions. I’ve had the pleasure of reading each of these shorts and I can tell you they are not only sexy, but in his typical fashion, creepy.  As some of you may know J.P. Jackson is the master of disturbing stories with a focus on gay male characters. It’s so refreshing to support high quality stories written by gay male authors sharing novels reflecting gay men. These works clearly need more fanfare and to be celebrated.

Here are the blurbs for the first two short stories (there are more installments coming) and my thoughts on each of the shorts.

Skin Sessions: Demon at the Doorstep

Blurb:

The Unicorn’s Horn was once a hot and lively pleasure house. Folks would come from miles around to be satisfied by the stable men kept by Gavin Medici, the house’s owner.

Trouble is, the world is ending, and surviving is more important to the brothel’s customers than an evening filled with unspeakable delights. Before long the purveyors of favors find themselves broke, hungry and living in a decaying brothel.

With a simple witchy spell, a visitor who promises to make everything better comes knocking. But demons are unpredictable and often come with hidden agendas.

A little demonic possession and the odd human sacrifice seem like a small price to pay. But is that all it will cost Gavin and his men?

My Review:

Sometimes dark and creepy are just what the doctor ordered. And J.P. Jackson’s short story Skin Session: Demon at the Doorstep hits all the creepy vibes you want it to. There is a lush and rich cast of gay characters that make the story interesting and fun, especially since the setting of the short story is set in a dystopian future a few years from now.

As with all J.P. Jackson’s works you get his unique brand of story telling that will keep you wanting more, in fact, because this is a short story you will definitely want more.

Skin Sessions: Branded and Bedeviled

Blurb:

Gavin Medici, the owner of The Unicorn's Horn, has settled the arrangement made with the incubus Taz-rial, and within hours of completing his pact, the pleasure house is overwhelmed with customers and reservations.

Corbin, the witch boy who cast the spell that invited Taz-rial has an old client suddenly return. But in the middle of his skin session with his date, Corbin's old wound begins to fester. He's never told anyone that he's infected. And he certainly hasn't shared that the source of the infection is a flesh-eating ghoul.

As the undead virus begins to take hold, the boys of the pleasure house band together to save him, but in the end, it's Taz-rial who saves the day...for an additional small price.

My Review:

Continuing his short story series Skin Sessions, J.P. Jackson is back again with the continuing saga from The Unicorn Horn. In this installment we get a lot more ‘sexy’ time, a lot more creepy time, and a lot more character building. Jackson explores varying forms of sex, and given the series takes place in a brothel readers should expect to be exposed to many different fetishes, but none of the scenes goes overboard and even if these fetishes aren’t your cup of tea you can easily read through them as the scenes and the story moves quickly.

As the series continues Jackson builds out his characters; who they are and what their motivations are. Where the first short story was our introduction to everyone, now that we know them, we are getting more information on them and the world they inhabit, which I enjoy.

This story is darker and sexier than the first short story so be prepared.

That’s it for this week, don’t forget to check out Skin Session. Until next time, have a great week.

Pinned by Liz Faraim

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you are all having a great week. Today I’m thrilled to share my good friend Liz Faraim’s newest novel Pinned with you. Liz is a phenomenal author who has released the Vivian Chastain series to much acknowledgment. Pinned is the first book in a new series for Liz, and I’m excited to share more details with you today. As with all her books this new novel by Liz is at the top of my to be read list.

As you may remember from Liz’s past visits here on my blog, Liz focuses her writing on strong, queer, female leads who don’t back down. She transplanted to California from New York over thirty years ago, and now lives in the East Bay Area.

You can find Liz here on her website or here on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

 

Pinned:

“Rowdy” Randy Cox, a woman staring down the barrel of retirement, is a curmudgeonly blue-collar butch lesbian, who has been single for twenty years and is trying to date again.

At the end of a long, exhausting shift, Randy finds her supervisor, Bryant, pinned and near death at the warehouse where they work. Upon the news of his death, she battles to find a balance between the joys of an exciting new relationship and the struggles of processing her supervisor’s unexpected passing.

The manner of her supervisor’s death leaves Randy unsettled and suspicious as she gets sucked into both a criminal investigation led by the police and an administrative investigation conducted by her employer.

As Randy seeks the truth, trust erodes, key friendships are strengthened, and more loss awaits her.

Get your copy of Pinned here.

As a special treat Liz has shared the music that inspired her and the writing of Pinned, check it out here.

Also, this Saturday April 22nd myself and several authors from the Bay Area Queer Writers Association will be at the Hayward Lit Hop (this is our second year). We will be at The Pizza House, 943 B Street in Hayward from 6pm – 6:45pm you can find out more details here.

That’s it for this week, don’t forget to check out Pinned and if you are in Hayward this Saturday come by and say hello and maybe have some dinner. Until next time, have a great week.