Promo Until You Bleed

I hate promotional work. Hate it. But when one is an indie ebook author you need to toot that horn on an almost daily basis. Like here. Do I blog every day? No. Should I? Yes.

I do promise that soon my characters will conduct interviews with each other.  They are gearing up for the challenge.


Of course Amando thinks he will triumph over all.


We'll see.

Sweet November Lilacs

My header sounds like a purple prose romance book title. I like it.

No lie, my lilac decided to bloom today. How lovely. Those fragrant flowers, three marigolds and three nasturtiums made me extremely happy. The garden is fading fast but my troopers keep on blooming despite the dreary weather.

Yeah, I do take my gardening way too seriously. We all need those little obsessions.

No Heroes Here

Oh dear. What have I done in my fantasy worlds? 

I realize I'm not creating heroes. I'm not crafting characters that are good or bad. I'm not writing about alpha males. 

I can't. If I did, I'd write lies because my characters don't speak to me in black and white. They use a pallet shaded across the gray zone, well, tinted with plenty of purple, but never cut and dried or good and evil. My first novella Canes and Scales swerved the closest to the "good and evil" story and, really, closest to having an alpha male in Prince Linden.

My one hero kills in order to exist. Another slides to the dark side in order to exist. He's fucking unhappy about his place in the world but he endures. Another is a demon in Hell.

Yeah, hmm, I do need to write a contemporary tale where the whole "good and evil" notion fades away.  Pffffth, I bet I'll twist something the wrong way.

 So it goes.

When Your Lead Character Starts Out as a Douche

Any sane writer appreciates five star reviews. An extremely welcome arrived in Goodreads, only the reviewer called the main character a "douche."

Deja Dei said:

I love the narrator's attitude! If you're tired of m/m books that are all very similar to each other and want something really different, read this. The narrator might seem like a douche at first, but he really is awesome if you stick with him. Best of all, he's unique, which sold me right away.

It's a lovely review. I do admit when I saw my character regarded as a douche, I stepped back and mutttered, "whoa there."

Is Amando a douche? Let's see, he's not a feminine product, in fact, he never goes near females. If Amando was a douche he'd run screaming for the horizon.

Yeah, come on, I know the slang isn't literal. I think of  douche as a, well, hold on, time to consult the Urban Dictionary:

a word to describe an individual who has shown themself to be very brainless in one way or another, thus comparing them to the cleansing product for vaginas.  Well there you go, I always regarded a douche as an opinionated ass, like the critters I encountered in corporate America. Brainless, eh? My mental jury is still out on if Amando deserves to be called a douche. An egotistical flake, absolutely.   Hey, at least Amando redeemed himself from absolute douchedom and that soars above all else.

My Mojo Has Returned from Vacation

Remember those Andy Roddick commercials a few years back where they kept talking about him losing his mojo then he lost in the first round of the US Open tennis series? Talk about ouch!

I feel a little like poor Andy. Last month my mojo wandered off a long, secret vacation and forgot to tell me. I was writing but only in fits and starts. The only project that moved along in true coherency was a free story I owed to a contest winner.

This weekend saw a return to tapping away in my nasty old manner. Solid chunks of time flowed past without me wandering off the path. I moved chapters from one spot to another. I saw serious plot problems. I'm sure I created other problems but the forward motion relieves me. 

Anyone know how to capture my current mindset and save it for when my mojo skips off to Bermuda again?

Geesh.

Divine Devine's Love Song

Directly on the heels of book number three comes book number four!

Divine Devine's Love Song is a radical sci-fi romance set in a blasted future. Yes indeed, a wicked corporation took over the US and blew it all to hell. Hmm.

In a world destroyed by nuclear mismanagement, a deformed young man named Trill finds an intact Netpad. Once he secures a working battery, he discovers a story penned by Sam Devine, a hacker who led a rebellion against the insane corporation BCM thirty years before.

Sam works for BCM out of necessity rather than choice. He despises the company for its lack of ethics and knows the best way to destroy it is from within. When a staff meeting opens with the torture of BCM’s captive enemies, Sam sees his chance: he lies to convince his bosses he wants to further degrade one of the warriors, a man named Pokatawer, and once Pokatawer is released to him, Sam finds they share common goals and lusts.

But Sam and Pokatawer are up against a hugely powerful corporation, and they’ll have to bring BCM to its knees to escape nuclear wrath and make a life for themselves somewhere outside the company’s grasp.

Devine is calling you to join his mission!

Temptation of the Incubus Is Here! Read An Excerpt

Here's a first kiss for the Sunday Snog!

I'll say it; I love this book, I am proud of this book and everyone in the world needs to read about sexy, self-centered incubus Amando Renato. He wants to be your friend. Worry not, ladies, he leaves only his male dates a little breathless and confused, which means you're safe with him. Honest. He swears to act polite while he spins his tale about his perfect tail. Yes, Amando makes bad jokes. He reasons he's so stunningly beautiful he needs one defect aside from consuming men's life force.

You'll love him. He's waiting for you!

Order Temptation Here! 

Excerpt:

After I dressed, I hovered in the now deserted hallway, trying to act casual, not needy. This early in the new semester students rarely stayed late; there was no need to abuse their free time. Twenty-five tense minutes passed by in relentless boredom. Somewhere in the offices a clock chimed 6:00PM. Hmm, did the handsome handyman stand me up? Did he gain mental revenge against someone else by using me?

No. I refused to accept the damaged notion. Someone else might display such pettiness but not Mads. My senses told me the truth. I patiently leaned against a wall. I fidgeted. I nodded greetings at two professors who glanced at me in question but merely nodded in return. 
Rita bustled past and halted. "Amando? Is something wrong?"

"I'm waiting for someone who is running late."

She winked. "I hope you're going to enjoy the beautiful evening."

"If he doesn't arrive soon we'll enjoy full night." I pouted in high style.

"Naughty boy. See you next week."

What a cheerful soul. Three kids and a lawyer husband, eh? I wished Rita well.

Silence. 6:30 chimed at me.

Quickly moving footsteps approached me. Mads rounded the far corner and walked toward me, he now dressed in a snug aquamarine T-shirt which truly matched his eyes and well-worn tight jeans that left little to my happy imagination. I sighed in relief. It took considerable will not to drop and worship his thigh muscles.

His capable hands fluttered toward his shoulders in quick apology. "Amando, sorry for arriving late; the kiln turned into quite a stubborn old cranker. At least I managed to cram in lunch." He cocked his head in query. "Do we stroll right to your place? No wooing each other over fancy drinks and dinner in some clever little café I can't afford? I admit since I ate late I'm not hungry."

More subtle sarcasm. Instead of reacting to his arch words I shrugged, smiled and artfully shook my hair. "There's no need for such nonsense. If you wish, woo me as we walk."

Mads's piercing sea-soaked gaze drilled into me. He slowly shook his head and smiled in true confusion. "What is it about you, Mr. Amando Renato? I don't believe I've ever met someone like you before and that confuses me. Hey, since we're alone, may I kiss you right now? I always like to check if a beautiful guy appreciates the fine art of kissing. I am damned fond of the act."

Kissing thrilled me. During the past centuries I leaned numerous special lip tricks designed to conquer a man. I smiled and pursed my lips. "Come here, big boy, and pucker up." As he leaned close, Mads pressed his lips to mine. I opened in slight need, opened to capture his true spirit. Curiosity washed over me. Mint and maturity spiced his tongue. Sweet of him to eat a breath mint before we met. My lips parted further, there, glorious. My sparked allure refused to stand down, the force wiggling up like a curious puppy. No. Careful, don't…

My body convulsed in abject confusion.

Angels on High! I jerked back and slammed into the beige wall. Alarmed gasps ripped from my lips. My watery knees barely held me upright. A startled Mads stepped back, sucked in his breath and dazedly shook his head in slow disbelief. His silky hair haloed in slow-motion.

Fear rattled through my flesh.

I gave.

I GAVE my life energy to a human without even trying.

Why? Heaven Above, why? Who authorized that unhappy event? What the fuck happened to me here?

A chorus of startled male gasps flooded the moment. Mads blinked at me in further confusion until words stammered free. "A-A-Amando, wow… did you experience that weird zap? I-I felt like something… wow. Did we step on a faulty wire? No, that's completely impossible. There's nothing on the floor that would cause such a stupid short. But… shit… I don't understand what happened to us." Of course thinking he consumed my life force floated beyond Mads's comprehension; hey, anyone order a slice of my life force with a side of fries?

Seconds roared past. Poor practical Mads anxiously peered down at the floor as if seeking a dangerous, spark-spitting wire waiting to strike at us again. His thick blonde hair almost swayed in fresh vitality.

My shaking fingers drifted and touched my slack lips. Nothing abnormal happened. Crazy shock invaded every last cell. I gave my life force to Mads!

Why? How? Click tape loop: why, how, why, how…

Mads looked up from frantically examining the floor and shrugged in fresh confusion. He stared at me. His high forehead displayed worried webbing. "I don't know what… my God, Amando, are you sick? Do you need to sit down? You look real shaky and pale." His hands reached toward me.

No. I defensively held up my hands. My back pressed against the wall. Touching me was not a wise option, no, not until I learned what the fuck mondo weirdness happened to me. An instinctive lie tripped free. "Mads, I am fine, it's…you also suffered that strange, erm… surge."

Mads smiled in sincere wonderment. "I sure as hell experienced the surge. Damn, I kissed you and I swear a little zap entered me. Kissing your lips makes me tingly inside. I gotta say if that's what kissing you feels like, let's run to your place right now and resume the fun."

My normal kissing style did not involve passing out life force in gay mad abandon. Glad Mads enjoyed the unique sensation. I enjoyed our sincere kiss until I released life to this unknown human without logical reason. What in Belail's Flaming Chariot happened to me? Why? As my frantic thoughts tripped over each other, I offered Mads a tight smile. My right hand stiffly gestured toward the empty hall. "We can walk there now. It's not far, over at A and 11^th."