Quick Six Interview with G.R. Richards

1. Hi there! Would you be so kind as to tell us what type of stories you write?

GRR: Sometimes sweet, sometimes unapologetically hardcore guy-on-guy erotica. Always leaves readers sweating…and begging for more. But I’m a closet PBS documentary geek, so I’ll admit there’s an intellectual aspect to my work. I’ll admit that reluctantly. But my primary concern is turning readers on or giving ‘em a taste of romance. Or both.

2. What are you reading right now?

GRR: “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People” by Toby Young. Hilarious! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for the inside scoop on magazines, the fashion industry, and being a huge self-effacing asshole.

3. I hear music in the background…what’s playing?

GRR: White Stripes’ “Blue Orchid.” I like music with a good hard beat to it.

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

GRR: Deepthroat. Plow. Hole. Cocksucker. There are so many good ones. Do I really have to choose a favourite?

5. Is there a word or phrase that absolutely makes you cringe?

GRR: “Make Love.” Anything prettily euphemistic is a turn-off for me. Call a cock a cock. Call a fuck a fuck. That’s the way I like it.

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

GRR: I just ate half a bag of chips with dip. Then a Reese Peanut Butter Cup. What’s next? Maybe some beer nuts. I’m on a strictly-regimented diet, as you can plainly see.

Promo time! Flog your wares. Any exciting new releases? How can readers find out more about you and your work?

I’ve got two short stories coming out right….NOW! Both are holiday shorts, and both with Dreamspinner Press.

“Vintage Toys for Lucky Boys” comes out December 1st I think. It’s part of their “Mistletoe Madness” collection. If you’re looking for a sweet romance, “Vintage Toys” is your man.

Max the firm and fit muscle-god doesn't fit Randy's mental picture of an antiques dealer. In fact, he's so smoking-hot, Randy can hardly breathe as Max appraises his shoebox full of vintage toys. The huge amount of money Max offers takes his breath away yet again. All Randy wants is to buy his supportive mom a really great Christmas gift, and this windfall will sure do it. There's only one snag--but it's a huge one--and despite how friendly Max is, Randy's afraid it will be a deal-breaker.

The other, “Ivy League,” is way more hardcore, but still a nice holiday story. That one’s out December 2nd.

With his parents out of the country on winter holiday, Shiv invites biology lab-mate Devon to his house for a final exam cram. Of course, dinner and a study session aren't all he has in mind. The seduction seems almost too easy when Devon invites him to spend Christmas with his family. Will Shiv finally realize there's more to a relationship than just sex?

To get hold of these stories and get to know me better, see my website. It’s http://grrichards.webs.com/

It's funny you should mention PBS, because I happen to be uploading this interview to the blog during the pledge break from Dolly Parton's televised concert on PBS. Listening to her stunning voice brought two things to mind.

Firstly, can you imagine building an entire career on an instrument as fickle as the human voice? It's not a trumpet. If it breaks, you can't go out and buy another one. When you stop and think about it, it really is incredible that anyone can have such a long and prosperous career maintaining a voice with such a sparkling quality as Dolly Parton's.

The other thing you reminded me of, speaking of holiday releases and PBS, was the John Denver Christmas special. Do you remember that? I'm a little foggy, actually. I think there was more than one. Didn't he do a special with the Muppets? But there was another one that had the whole happy-family-around-the-fire feel to it. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? L'il help?

Thanks for the interview, Mr Richards! Much appreciated.
Cheers!
Giselle

Quick Six Interview with Rita Sawyer

1. Hi Rita! What type of stories you write?

RS: Contemporary romances (m/f) with heat and humor.

2. What are you reading right now?

RS: Actually I got a new Borders coupon yesterday so heading to bookstore later today. I'm in the mood for something Christmasy

3. I hear music in the background…what' s playing?

RS: Michael Buble. His smooth voice mellows the mood, which is great when my charachters are getting... close.

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

RS: Not yet.

5. Is there a word or phrase that absolutely makes you cringe?

RS: Balls deep (it's a guy thing). This does nothing for me at all.

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

RS: Wheat toast with peanut butter.

Promo time! Any exciting new releases? How can readers find out more
about you and your work?

RS: The first in my Brazen Sister series, A Brazen Love Worth Fighting For, was release on October 14th from http://www.SirenPublishing.com. And I have a Christmas novella, 8 Ways Onto The Naughty coming out with http://www.BladePublishing.org. Readers can find out more about me and my books at http://www.RitaSawyer.com.

Rita Sawyer

Giving You It All

Romance Passion Laughter

http://www.RitaSawyer.com

Michael Bublé--ahhh, a fellow Canadian! We Canadians are slowly taking over. And we're so polite about it, nobody's even noticing. Mwahahaha! Our plan is working perfectly...
*wink*
Thanks so much for the interview, Rita!
Cheers,
gigi

An Impromptu Contest

I'm in the mood to give some stuff away. How about a contest for all you Twitterers?

How to win:

1) Follow me on Twitter. http://twitter.com/GiselleRenarde

2) Send me a quick email with the subject "I'm Following You" to gisellerenarde AT yahoo DOT com (the AT's an @ and the DOT's a .)

3) If and only if you're not on Twitter, tell me which Shadowfire Press anthology my work will appear in this December.

4) Winners will be selected at random from entries received by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday November 22nd 2009. Good luck everybody!


What's up for grabs? Free e-books! 1 delicious e-copy of "Love Bites" (a Torquere/BBA paranormal MMF anthology!), 1 e-copy of "Coming Together: Al Fresco" (an outdoor-themed erotic compilation).

I'm also giving away 2 copies of "Beneath the Ice," 2 of "Third Rail," and 2 advance copies of "A Mistress' Christmas" which won't be released until December 4th. These guys are all by me, Giselle Renarde, all e-books, and all published by lyd Alterotica.

It all starts here: http://twitter.com/GiselleRenarde

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Must remember. Can't forget. Must remember. Can't forget.As Transgender Awareness Week (November 15th-20th) comes to a close, we observe the 11th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th, 2009.

On TDOR, we remember all transgender people who have been killed by violent hate crimes. Monica Roberts of TransGriot says it best, so I'll let her tell you what it's all about.

Do I worry about violence against transgendered people? In a word, yes. As the partner of a wonderful trans woman, I worry on a very personal level. I know how badly it hurt my Sweet the time a MTF friend's ex-wife said to her, "You're not a real girl." I know how badly it hurt her when she took a newly-transitioning friend to a clothing store and the clerks whispered and giggled about the "cross-dressers."

It hurts my heart when Sweet tells me all the incidences of ignorance that have caused her emotional pain. I won't downplay the impact of those hurtful experiences, but I thank the powers that be nobody's ever laid a finger on my girl."It scares me," Sweet says, "if a man happens to be walking behind me in a parking lot. I'm always sure he's read me and he's gearing up to bash my face in."

If anyone ever hurt my babygirl physically...hurt her body, which I find so stunningly beautiful...

I'm crying now. I'm crying at the prospect of somebody harming my girlfriend because she lives out the gender identity she knows in her heart is her. I'm crying because there are hundreds--probably more than hundreds--of people out there who have a gap in their lives a trans person used to inhabit. They used to have a child or parent or uncle or aunt or friend or partner and now they have nothing. All because of transphobic hatred. All because of ignorance. Because of fear.

Fear. Ignorance. Hatred. Transphobia.

These are things we can overcome. I have faith we can. I have faith those who don't understand could understand. Even I have failed at being outspoken at key moments. I've lost transphobic friends who preferred to hate me along with my transgendered girlfriend rather than altering their viewpoints. This is not an easy battle we're fighting. But what can we do but persevere when our sisters and brothers are dying?
This Transgender Day of Remembrance, I'll also hold in my heart thoughts of hope for trans people who are suffering domestic abuse at the hands of parents or partners who don't understand them. It's an all-too-common story. Did you know a staggering percentage of street youth identify as LGBT, and have left their homes because of family and community violence? Yet another reason I'm donating profits from my book sales to LGBT Youthline, an organization that lends an open ear to LGB, transgender, genderqueer, and Two-Spirit youth.

November 20th, please take a moment to reflect on the loss of life the global transgender community has experienced. Please reflect on violence, hatred and transphobia. Imagine how you might help make your community a more trans-friendly place to live.

Must remember. Can't forget. Must remember. Can't forget.

Bright Blessings,
Giselle Renarde

Quick Six Interview with Jacqueline Applebee

1. Hi Jacqueline! Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions. First off, what types of stories do you write?

JA: I write erotic romances. I write all flavours including Queer and Interracial.

2. What are you reading right now?

JA: I've just bought "Speaking sex to power" by Patrick Califa. I'm also reading "Gilgamesh" which is fantastic!

3. I hear music in the background…what's playing?

JA: Oh dear, it's the Fontanelles, playing 'Kiss-Kicker' which unfortunately sounds like 'Pig-Licker' I first heard it on the MST3K episode, 'Hobgoblins'

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

JA: Don't tell anyone, but I seem to say the word 'Bollocks to that!' an awful lot. My work mates are not impressed...

5. Is there a word or phrase that absolutely makes you cringe?

JA: "Girl Power." Calling a grown woman a girl is not empowering in any way.

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

JA: Apple pie and orange juice. Not very exciting, but I feel a cold coming on, so I'm in need of lots of Vitamin C

7. Promo time! Any exciting new releases? How can readers find out more about you and your work?

JA: "Battle Cry: Sweet Pet 2" will be released with Shadowfire Press on 20th November. To find out more about my work, please pop by my website at http://www.writing-in-shadows.co.uk There are plenty of stories to read, with something for everyone!

Jacqueline Applebee
http://www.writing-in-shadows.co.uk
Breaking down barriers with smut.

Yes, "Girl Power" has a tad too much of a Spice Girls tinge to it to be in any way appealing to me. I don't much appreciate being called a "girl," much less a "lady." I'm a semi-butch bitch. There's nothing ladylike about me. I'd rather be addressed as a "woman" or a "person" or, better yet, a "radical feminist." Lady? Hardly.
Thanks for the interview!
Cheers,
gigi

I just write about what I should have done...

Today, I fail.

So, you know how I'm an "ally-advocate of the transgender community"? Today I fell flat.

Last week I mentioned I'm doing some warehouse work at the moment. The atmosphere is pretty blue-collar. It's fun. It's physical. I like it. Today I was in the break room when I heard some faint mention of surgeries. Somebody was talking about a newspaper article they were reading. I couldn't really hear.

What I did hear was the matronly receptionist say, "If God wanted him to be a woman, God would have made him a woman."

Wow! Trans advocates thrive on statements like that. What a great opening! Like throwing open a huge, heavy door leading into a world the warehouse never enters. I should have been enthralled.

My job as an ally-advocate was clear: I should have engaged the receptionist and other workers in an enlightened conversation on what it means to be a transwoman--how she feels about herself internally, how she must feel about her body to undergo multiple surgeries. I share my opinions. They share theirs. A dynamic exchange. We learn from each other.

That's not how it went down.

Instead of doing my duty as an advocate by saying something, I failed myself and the community by saying nothing. I could offer a hundred rationalizations, but it's not worth my time in writing out excuses or your time in reading them. I'm also going to try very hard not to beat myself up about it. I failed. We all do at some time or other. I'll learn from my inaction. I hope.

But I never finished my story, did I? As this matronly receptionist expressed her opinion regarding God and SRS, she walked by me. I must have reacted. Somehow. It must have been in my face. In my furtive glance in her direction. The rush of colour to my cheeks. I didn't agree.

The receptionist followed up her initial statement with, "Well, that's just how I see it. I could be wrong. What do I know?" Then she made me a cup of tea.

I'm reminded of ani difranco lyrics. How typically lesbian, am I right?

i just write about
what i should have done
i just sing
what i wish i could say
and hope somewhere
some woman hears my music
and it helps her through her day

~ani difranco
from "i'm no heroine"

And, all you fellow failing, flailing, and soaring advocates out there, I welcome your input. How would you have responded to this scenario? This is not a test. *smile* We learn from each other.

Much love (after a ten and a half hour shift!),
Giselle Renarde

Quick Six Interview with R. ANN SIRACUSA

1. Hi Ann! Would you be so kind as to tell us what type of stories you write?

RAS: I write in several different genres, but currently I’ve been writing a humorous romantic suspense series featuring a tour guide and a Europol spy. I’m particularly comfortable in this first person voice.

My books tend to be long (90,000 words +), and since world travel is one of my passions, I set most of my novels in the exotic foreign lands that I’ve visited. The plots are complex and filled with action and adventure, culture and setting, and, of course, romance.

2. What are you reading right now?

RAS: I try to read books in the genre I’m writing at the moment. Right now, I’m reading Dick Francis’ “Even Money” and Katie MacAilaster’s “Corset Diaries.” If I could emulate any authors, dead or alive, I’d like to be a combination of Dick Francis and Katie MacAilaster, with a little Janet Evanovich thrown in (and maybe C.J.Cherryh…and, well, there’s lots of others). The highlight (so far) of my short career was when a reviewer compared my tour guide character (Harriet Ruby) to MacAlister’s Aisling Grey.

3. I hear music in the background…what’s playing?

RAS: I’m very eclectic when it comes to music. I like everything. You might be hearing The Brothers Four, Andrea Bocelli, opera, Red Peters, Neil Diamond, Kids Bop, Linkin Park, or Cold Play. What I listen to depends on the time, place, and mood. It also relates to what I’m writing, which grandchildren are in the house, or if my Italian husband is watching Italian TV.

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

RAS: Favourite? Not really. In speech, I use most of them regularly, even when I shouldn’t (a bad habit I’ve acquired since I retired). In my writing, it depends on the character and the type of book.

5. Is there a word or phrase that absolutely makes you cringe?

RAS: I’ve never really thought about it. I’m sure there are words and phrases I dislike when I read/hear them, and those I avoid when writing. Others I know I overuse to death. I don’t like the word “visitation” for some reason, and I’m not entralled with euphemisms like “his manhood.” A writer doesn’t have to be crude or offensive to use “real” words, but sometimes those get changed in the editing.

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

RAS: Gulp! Sputter! Unfortunately, everything that’s bad for me. Ice Cream is my favourite comfort food, and my downfall. My husband does all the cooking and shopping (bless his soul) so I munch on what he chooses to buy. (I have to bribe him into buying the ice cream.)

7. Anything to Promo?

RAS: Woot! Woot! Happy Dance! Sapphire Blue Publishing is releasing the second book of my tour guide/spy series in a few weeks, entitled “ALL FOR A FIST FULL OF ASHES.”

My first e-Book published by Sapphire Blue Publishing, “ALL FOR A DEAD MAN’S LEG,” came out March, 2009, and is the first of a four-book humorous romantic suspense series featuring a tour director, Harriet Ruby, and a Europol spy, Will Talbot. They meet while she is conducting her first solo tour in Spain and Morocco, and together they pursue great sex, a dead man’s secret, and international smugglers.

The second e-Book, entitled “ALL FOR A FIST FULL OF ASHES,” is being released at the end of October. Harriet and Will have been dating for a year, and come together in Italy where she is conducting a private tour for fourteen members of an Italian-American family. Will has one of the family members under surveillance as a suspect in an assassination conspiracy. Travel with them on their fast-paced romantic romp through Italy in pursuit of a lost grave, an assassin, and a healing and once-in-a-lifetime love.

Find out about me and my work at my website: http://www.rannsiracusa.com
You can also Google me (R. Ann Siracusa, R.A.Siracusa, Rose Ann Siracusa) or find me on Myspace, Facebook, FiledBy, LinkedIn, EPAN, Writers/Readers of Distinctive Fiction (but mostly as a “lurker” on all of them).

Thanks. It’s been fun meeting you.
Ann

Hahaha...Italian TV. I regularly fall asleep on the couch and wake up listening to the Italian news. Not that I mind. I usually get the gist of it, especially with the captions on. It helps me polish my long-forgotten skills from the single Italian course I took in University. ("Skills"? Wrong word. I was never that skillful a speaker of the language. I'm good with French and English. That's about it.)

“ALL FOR A FIST FULL OF ASHES” and “ALL FOR A DEAD MAN’S LEG” sound great! Thanks for telling us a bit about them. And thank you so much for the interview!

Cheers,
Giselle Renarde

Why my Girlfriend Won’t Wear an Apron

Why my Girlfriend Won’t Wear an Apron

or
Am I a Female Chauvinist Pig?

My Sweet and I are recovering from another little spat. I’m doing a bit of warehouse contract work at the moment, and yesterday a young woman there asked my age. She followed up my response with, “Oh my god, you are so old! Are you married?” Umm…no. “Oh my god, you’re not married? Oh my god, but you’re so old!”

Nice.

The young woman walked away, and another woman I work with turned to me and said, “What a rude girl! To ask your age, and if you’re married. Very rude.” Of course, I came home and mentioned all this to Sweet, assuming she’d agree with me.

She didn’t.

“I don’t understand you,” she said. “You claim to be a feminist, but here you’re holding on to outdated, chauvinistic beliefs that it’s rude to ask a woman’s age. She wasn’t being rude. She was asking straightforward questions. What’s wrong with that? You’re being juvenile and anti-feminist.”

Juvenile and Anti-Feminist? Them’s fighting words! And Sweet knows very well the reaction they provoke. She knows, if there’s one way to get my dander up, it’s to question my commitment to feminism. I was pissed. Not because Sweet disagreed with me, but because...well, okay, maybe a little bit because she disagreed with me.

I don't just call myself a radical feminist, I live that way. I’m a vocal proponent of equal rights for all. I’m rude, my mother says. She means outspoken. I don’t let things sit. When I see injustice or hear people say things that denigrate women or any other marginalized group, I say something about it.

That’s why it was such a kick in the gut for Sweet to call me anti-feminist. How dare she? But then I started thinking about one of the few fantasies I have involving Sweet that she won’t go along with: I would love to watch her cook me a steak dressed in the full June Cleaver get-up—pearls and heels and vintage housedress.

So, the question remains. Am I a Female Chauvinist Pig? I mean, I can see why Sweet might find that demeaning, but that’s not even the reason she won’t do it. For her, as a trans woman, it would feel too much like Fetish Dressing. Psychologically, she has a very strong need to separate herself from the mentality and culture of cross-dressing. She wants to be seen as a woman like any other. So, “dressing up” to satisfy any fantasy of mine—particularly in the sexual realm—is completely out of the question. And that’s fine. I understand. No June Cleaver for Giselle. I’ll live.

But my primary concern still remains. What the hell is with this retro housewife fantasy? I know I’m a feminist. And I won’t say that women or lesbians can’t be chauvinist pigs, because we certainly can—and many do—belittle other women. But I know I don’t degrade my partner. She’s awesome. Sure she whines every time she breaks a nail, but that doesn’t mean she backs away from the power tools. She can cook and do electrical work. I love that.

I think we all want to come home to a partner who understands the aggravations of the workday, who realizes our feet are aching from standing for eight hours straight, and, more than anything else, understands that we need to fell heard. I don’t need Sweet to fix me a martini and rub my feet—though, honestly, I wouldn’t say no to either—but I do have a need to hear those two magic words, “I understand.” It bothered me that she couldn’t just give me a big hug and say, “I can see that all those questions irritated you. I’m sorry you had a rough day.” Really, that sentiment is far more valuable than pearls and apron strings.

Quick Six Interview with Scott M. Baker

Quick Six Interview with Scott M. Baker

1. Hi Scott! What type of stories you write?

SMB: Horror/urban fantasy, with an emphasis on vampires and zombies.

2. What are you reading right now?

SMB: Dead Worlds: Volume 3

3. I hear music in the background…what' s playing?

SMB: Country/Western

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

SMB: Fuck, yeah.

5. Is there a word or phrase that absolutely makes you cringe?

SMB: When management says "Consider this an opportunity to grow."

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

SMB: M&Ms

hahaha...yeah, "opportunities to grow" suck ass!
Thanks for the interview,
gigi