What Have You Done?

Well, this is it. Tonight 2009 smoothly transitions into 2010. This is the time of year when we all ask ourselves, "Exactly what have I accomplished over the past 365 days? Have I made a difference? Have I been the change I wish to see in the world?"

Sometimes, we answer, "No."

We realize we got caught up in the details of life, in the minutia. We didn't always act the way we meant to act, or give what we could have given.

On 2009's deathbed, there is yet chance for conversion. Anne Frank wrote, "No one has ever become poor by giving." So let's give.

For years now, I've been in love with an American organization called Global Giving (which kinda sucks for me, as a Canadian, since I don't get tax credits). If you haven't heard of Global Giving, it's an NFP that allows you to give money directly to worldwide projects doing things you care about. You know exactly where your dollars are going.

Here are a few examples of projects you could support:

Give Trafficked Girls a New Future in Cambodia

The Transitional Living Center (TLC) is a quality aftercare program for about 20 girls each year that have been rescued from situations of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.



Free and Educate 300 Bonded Nepali Girls
This project rescues 300 young Nepali girls from bonded servitude and provides them with six years of education, which will enable them to graduate from high school.




Survivors of Genocide: Cambodia, Rwanda, Tibet
There are survivors of genocide and crimes against humanity with the courage and the need to tell their stories. We work to make this possible, sharing their stories with compassion and respect.




Trust me, you could spend hours reading about all the ongoing humanitarian projects on the Global Giving website. And, as you read, I'm sure you'll want to give what you can.

Just a New Year's thought.

Bright Blessings for a Happy New Year,
Giselle Renarde

Quick Six Interview with AKM Miles

Quick Six Interview with AKM Miles

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

AKMM: I write M/M Contemporary Romance

2. What are you reading right now?

AKMM: Between Friends: Trial by Fire by Sean Michael

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

AKMM: Adam Lamberts CD: For Your Entertainment ( love Soaked)

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

AKMM: Nah, I like 'em all!

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

AKMM: cunt kinda bothers me

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

AKMM: Cherry Tomatoes from Farmers Market

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

Take It EASY, novel, at Torquere Press came out 12-8

Tommy's Story: The Six of Pentacles at Torquere Press came out 12-12

http://www.torquere books.com/ index.php? manufacturers_ id=114&main_page=index my page at Torquere

http://www.total- e-bound.com/ authordetail. asp?A_ID= 89 my page at Total-E-Bound

The signature below tells how to find my work and info.

~AKM~
***love is love***
http://akmmiles.wordpress.com/
http://akmmiles.blogspot.com/
http://akmmiles.livejournal.com
http://www.facebook.com/akm.miles
http://bookworld.editme.com/akmmileshomepage
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2869347.AKM_Miles

Oh my! I'm completely out of breath here. Thanks for the quickie, AKM. See you again some time? Maybe? Or not...whatevs. I'm easy. *sigh* All these interviewees just love me and leave me... *tear*
(Like my lame attempt at a joke? I used to be funny. I don't know what happened...)
Thanks so much for the interview!
Cheers!
Giselle

Quick Six Interview with STEVIE WOODS

1. Hi Stevie. That is one good-looking cover you've got there. Want to start by telling us what type of stories you write?

SW: I write exclusively gay romance, in a variety of genres, historical, contemporary, fantasy, paranormal and SF

2. What are you reading right now?

SW: If All the Sand were Pearls by Pepper Espinosa

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

SW: I have a soft spot for boybands, Boyzone is on at moment.

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

SW: Very simple and straightforward - cock!

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

SW: Yep - manmeat

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

SW: Chocolate oat biscuits (a UK treat I think you might refer to as a cookie?)

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

SW: I have a release due out next Monday, 21st December, from Phaze Books - it is actually a revised re-release of my historical novel, CANE, in both eBook and Print.
http://www.phaze.com

You can find out all about my various releases and what is coming up at my website. I have a few new releases slated for next year.
http://steviewoods.com

Monday Dec 21? Well good golly, that's today! Happy Release Day! I always feel like I should get cards in the mail and phone calls from my family on my release days. It's such a huge deal to me, and only other authors seem to be able to empathize. I wish you a very happy release day. Have a slice of cake and a glass of bubbly and enjoy your success!
Cheers,
Giselle

Quick Six Interview with Lara Zielinsky

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

LZ: I'm an author of lesbian and bisexual women's stories, mostly romances and erotica, though my current WIP is a murder mystery.

2. What are you reading right now?

LZ: I'm reading "Lilac Mines" a lesbian general fiction novel by Cheryl Klein, in order to review it for a couple sites and my radio show.

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

LZ: If you hear music in the background, it's TV. I don't usually get around to listening to music when I'm writing, but I will flip on the DVR and with half a mind catch up on weeks of taped shows, like "Frasier", and "The West Wing." If I am listening to music, it's a local radio station which airs a mix of 80s pop.

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

LZ: Cuss word: Shit. Yeah, I'm kinda vanilla when it comes to cursing. There are so many more creative ways to express one's pique.

If you're talking about body part naughties... I love the words pussy and balls. I like ass too. *g*

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

LZ: The c word for a woman. And the d word for a guy.

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

LZ: I make a mix of raisins and nuts that sits beside me at my computer desk. And I drink tea (hot preferred) while writing.

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

LZ: If you love lesbian or bisexual women's fiction (or are a writer of same looking for a chance to be interviewed) visit my bi-weekly internet radio show "Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction" at http://blogtalkradio.com/Lara-Zielinsky

My latest book release is "Turn for Home" (coming January 2010 from PD Publishing), and a collection I co-edited with Beth Wilde "To Love and To Cherish: an anthology of lesbian love and marriage" (coming February 2010 from loveyoudivine). My most recent previous release is a bisexual story in "Swing! Adventures in Swinging from Today's Top Erotica Writers" (2009; Logical Lust Publications).

My website is http://www.lzfiction.net/

-- Lara Zielinsky
http://www.lzfiction.net/
Host of "Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Fiction"
http://blogtalkradio.com/Lara-Zielinsky

...and I do love lesbian and bisexual erotica, so I will definitely be tuning in to your blogtalkradio station! Very excited about your antho with loveyoudivine as well! lyd Alterotica has been tremendously supportive of my work in transgender fiction. And the cover Anastasia Rabiyah made me for "A Mistress' Christmas" is about the sexiest damn thing I've ever seen!

I'm laughing at your mention of DVR recording Frasier. Around here, two back-to-back episodes of Frasier air from 3-4 o'clock in the morning. I just about became a vampire staying up to watch. It never once occurred to me that I might program the VCR to tape them. Stupid like a fox!

Thanks so much for the interview!
gigi

Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!

What's your Favourite Christmas Carol?

I always wait for my girlfriend the Official Christmas Fanatic to decorate the tree. Sweet surprised me with a visit yesterday and we went right at it. *ahem* Decorating. The tree. She threatened me with garland, but I drew the line at a wreath. There's only so much Christmas I can handle.

Anyway, I had the radio on and she said, "What? Where are the Christmas Carols? Put on a CD."

I have one lonely CD of Christmas songs. It's choral music. I like it. Sweet doesn't.

"You know what this reminds me of?" she said. "It reminds me of being in Church, bored stiff, and looking at my watch like, 'I'm going to be here for another hour and a half?' It's so serious!"

I have a feeling my stocking will be filled with cheesy Christmas CD's this year, but I still like my choral music. Got me wondering, though...

Which Christmas songs do people love most?

I've been mulling this question over in my mind since yesterday. The more I think about it, the more I realize there are quite at few carols I love to hear. "Carol of the Bells" has always been high on my list. "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" as well.



"S'vivon" is my clear-cut favourite Hanukkah song, but that's probably because I only know a few. Here's an amusing version I found on YouTube:



As for classic Christmas Carols...oh I really hate picking favourites...but I'm going to go with "O Holy Night." It wins out for the "fall on your knees" bit. Isn't that stunning, when you really picture it? Those words, "Fall on your knees/ Oh hear the angels' voices" give me an image of pure humility--a trait I sorely lack at times--in the the face of the universe's inconceivable beauty. It gives me a feeling of encountering a force so great it makes you feel at once like a spec of dust and facet of great spirit.



Last year, I made Sweet a lovely little video card, but since I have three holiday releases coming out this December, I made a book trailer instead. The unrecognizable carol in there is in fact, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." I just funkified it a touch.



But back to my original question: YOU! What is YOUR favourite Christmas Carol? Inquiring minds wish to know.

Do Share!
Bright Blessings,
Giselle Renarde

Quick Six Interview with Sarah Levin Colter

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

SLC: I've written a little bit of everything. I have M/M, F/F and M/F.

2. What are you reading right now?

SLC: The Frankenstein trilogy by Dean Koontz

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

SLC: My grandson's video game. He likes Diablo II and Insane Aquarium.

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

SLC: Sometimes I like to overuse the word 'Twat' - not usually in reference to the body part, but as a name for certain people I've had to deal with - like my ex-daughter-in-law.

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

SLC: Not that I can think of at the moment. I'm not usually offended by words.

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

SLC: No snacks, but I've got a cup of Kalua Mudslide and whipped cream over chipped ice. Yum.

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

SLC: I've got several e-books for sale at Torquere Press, one so far at Shadowfire Press (more pending) and one by Unbranded Press. My website is http://sarahcolter.webs.com. :)

Mmm...Kalua...I'm jealous. I'm such a booze queen these days, and I just polished off my last bottle of wine. I think it's because I haven't seen Sweet in a while and I miss her desperately. It really is amazing how much you can start to rely on a person...and then when she's not around the world is a shade dimmer. *sigh*

Thanks for the interview!

gigi

New Release: A Mistress' Christmas

And the award for "Sexiest Cover for a Christmas Story" goes to the sumptuous design Anastasia Rabiyah created for my first Holiday e-book of the season, A MISTRESS' CHRISTMAS! Isn't it gorgeous?

A stream of consciousness non-narrative flooded by erotic flashes, A MISTRESS' CHRISTMAS kicks off the season of high spirits in style. It's inspired in part by my love of theatre, in part by my experiences as mistress to a very academic and very married man, and in part by my quirky insecurities. This holiday darling explores some unique difficulties of the season.

If you’ve ever fallen in love with a married man, you know what feelings of defeat gift-giving elicits. You want to give him everything, but where would he put it? What can a mistress possibly give her lover at Christmas?

Blurb:

As a career-Mistress, Giselle knows very well how hard it is to find a good Christmas gift for a married man. She can't buy him anything meaningful—where would he put it? Besides, she isn’t even sure how much Winston really cares about her. He doesn't seem terribly invested in their relationship. Just when Giselle convinces herself finding him a gift of consequence isn't worth worrying about, Winston surprises her with a Christmas present both magnificent and heart-felt.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-60054-319-7

lyd Category: Fairy Tales and Love Songs

Length: 6,573 words

Rating: Shooting Star

Formats Available: pdf, prc, lit, zipped html, lrf, epub

Cover Price: 2.00

_________________________

Without saying anything, without even appearing terribly interested, Winston sat down in his big, leather armchair. My lover was incredibly aloof at times, and perhaps I was drawn to that. It meant that every time he took a moment to focus his full attention on me, I felt as though I had accomplished a great feat. I always did appreciate a challenge.

I flicked the light switch, and the room became very dark. Mid-winter, Canadian nights begin even before the day is out. I made my way over to straddle him in his chair.

“Close the blinds,” he pre-empted.

Did it matter, with the lights already off, if the blinds were closed or not? But it was not for me to judge Winston’s desire for discretion. After all, I was not the married one. I closed the blinds and made my cautious return to him in pitch blackness. Leaning into Winston’s hard body, I kissed the aromatic softness of his left cheek, lingering close. His stoicism made me wild with desire. I kissed his right cheek, breathing heavily against his flesh, but he made no sound, no motion.

When I leaned in to kiss his lips, Winston caught my head in his hands. In a cavernous whisper, he told me, “You’ve left my office too many times with your lips raw and red. People will catch on.” It could easily have shattered my heart when he said, “I’m not going to kiss you today,” but it didn’t. It was incredibly arousing, knowing that in a moment Winston would flip me around and press my front against volumes and papers on his solid desk. With none of the caring preliminaries, he would toss my skirt up over my ass and fuck my pussy in absolute darkness.

_________________________________________________________________________

Let me tell you a Christmas story.

A MISTRESS' CHRISTMAS by Giselle Renarde is now available from lyd Alterotica!

Bright Blessings at the start of this holiday season,
Giselle Renarde