Sunday, December 25, 2011

Festive Frenzy: The Red Satin Collection


For Christmas, I thought I'd showcase The Red Satin Collection one more time. Hope you're not sick of seeing this cover yet. ;-) Dawné Dominique did all the Red Satin series covers, and my goodness they are beautiful.

Merry Merry Merry Christmas!

Title: The Red Satin Collection
By: Giselle Renarde
Genre: Trans Lesbian Erotic Romance

Blurb:
The Red Satin Collection brings together all three transgender lesbian romance stories in Giselle Renarde’s erotic holiday trilogy. Red Satin, The Night Before Red Satin Christmas, and Red Satin Christmas, all previously published as individual eBooks by loveyoudivine Alterotica.

In Red Satin, mall magic inspires love and soon lust in the hearts of Regan and her transgender friend Maisie. Maisie’s family hasn’t seen her since she began her transition from male to female—not until she and Regan head home for the holidays in The Night Before Red Satin Christmas.

Regan figures she’s just along for the ride, lending her girlfriend support, until Maisie’s mother surprises her with a special dinner guest in Red Satin Christmas. Regan hasn’t spoken to her hard-drinking Cree father in years. Can she finally trust the man who’s once again claimed to have changed for good?

Together, Regan and Maisie face drama only Christmas can create. How will their well-meaning families impact their blossoming relationship?


Friday, December 23, 2011

Festive Frenzy: Junk


Title: Junk (Sequel to Vintage Toys for Lucky Boys)
Author: G.R. Richards
Genre: Gay Trans Holiday Romance

Blurb:
“Junk” is the term Randy uses to describe the contents of innumerable storage boxes strewn about his boyfriend Max’s living room, dining room, and even bedroom. All this “junk” is merchandise: Max and Randy deal in antiques and ephemera. The problem is that it's everywhere. Max is too emotionally attached to sell a lot of it, and Randy's starting to think material possessions mean more to Max than he does, just when he needs Max’s support the most: at the beginning of Randy’s transition from female to male.

Buy Link:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2075

Festive Frenzy: Vintage Toys for Lucky Boys


Title: Vintage Toys for Lucky Boys
Author: G.R. Richards
Genre: Gay Trans Holiday Romance

Blurb:
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 catch, and it's a huge one: Randy's legal name is still Jennifer Ann. And despite how friendly Max is, Randy's afraid it will be a deal-breaker.

Buy Link:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1625

Festive Frenzy: Haunting the Wolf


Haunting the Wolf
Spellbound for Love series
By D. McEntire
Paranormal Romance

Blurb:

A ghost and a werewolf—two curses setting them apart from the rest of the world. Can they find peace together?


Buy link: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=63&zenid=ed54daff59b8c858d37030951bfdde1d

Festive Frenzy: Nobody Gets Lucky

Yes, I'm known primarily as an author of erotica, but I also write mainstream queer fiction every so often. This Christmas, I've got a brand new story of lesbian love and family drama on the market. It's called...
Nobody Gets Lucky
By Giselle Renarde
Genre: Mainstream Lesbian Fiction

Blurb:
When Justine brings Lucky home for Christmas, the family isn’t shy in expressing their dislike of the quirky, single mother. Even Grandma’s taking pot shots at Lucky all through dinner! Sure, Lucky’s tattoos and tight clothes make her an easy target in Mother’s prim and proper dining room, but there’s so much the family doesn’t understand about the woman Justine loves. When they do find out more about Lucky’s past, will they be willing to accept her at all, or will they be able to embrace Justine's new love?

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Festive Frenzy: Perfect Christmas


Title:Perfect Christmas

Author: DC Juris

Genre:m/m/m holiday romance, light BDSM

Blurb:Depressed and lonely, Evan has nothing to look forward to on Christmas but his TV dinner and store-bought cookies, while his lover, Drake, spends the holiday traveling for business. But a special delivery changes everything, and Evan finds himself in the middle of a perfect Christmas. Worn out from his stocking stuffer, Evan’s not sure how he’s going to handle his present, but when Drake reveals that Evan’s gift is a threesome with none other than their hunky friend Mike, Evan summons the energy!

Buy Link: http://www.breathlesspress.com/perfect-christmas

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Festive Frenzy: Saved by the Sheriff


Title: Saved by the Sheriff
Author: Carol Preflatish
Genre: romantic suspense

Blurb: When writer Jaime Wilson visits Indiana to investigate an unsolved mystery, she
finds herself becoming the next target and Sheriff Ben Hunter comes to her
rescue. She didn't count on falling in love with him and he didn't think he
would have to work so hard to keep her safe.

Buy Link:
http://bit.ly/ScpPre

Festive Frenzy: The Long Way Home


Title: The Long Way Home
Author: G.R. Richards
Genre: Gay/Contemporary

Blurb:
Nothing grabs a guy's attention like the words, "We need to talk."

For months now, Jordan and Faro have been at each other's throats. Their long-term committed relationship is mired by petty arguments about anything and everything, but Jordan's convinced they can make it past the holidays. After all, how heartless would a man have to be to throw his partner out in the street three days before Christmas?

About as heartless as Faro, apparently, who packs Jordan's bags and puts him on the train to his mother's house.

But there's more love, more passion, and more compassion in their relationship than even Jordan had realized. What treasure awaits him when he arrives in his hometown for the holidays?

Festive Frenzy: His Christmas Gift: Myrna's Submission


Title: His Christmas Gift: Myrna's Submission
Author: Dakota Trace
Genre: BDSM
Blurb:Once active in the BDSM lifestyle, Myrna Doherty was betrayed by the very man who’d promised to love her and her submissive obedience forever: her husband and Master. When Grant leaves both her and Caelan behind Myrna vows to never allow herself to depend upon any Dom again. She never expects to go back on her vow, but then again she never expects her home to be invaded by Doms and subs for the holidays in the disguise of her family.

Panicked at the idea of alienating what little family she has left, she comes up with a plan. She turns to the one man left in the lifestyle she trusts: Amery Alastar, Caelan’s former mentor. She prays that he’ll agree to help ease her back into the now unfamiliar world of BDSM. After all it’s only temporary - until Christmas is over and she can return to her normal life. At least it’s what she tells herself, never realizing Amery has a completely different outcome in mind: he wants her submission and not just temporarily.

Buy Link:
http://www.excessica.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15&products_id=477&zenid=af93641767fec59cf7371033519b9a10

It's Festive Frenzy 2011

Christmas really snuck up on me this year. Luckily I bought Sweet's gift months ago (it's jewellery!) and ordered Heart & Stroke lottery calendars for my family a while back, or I would be last-minute scrambling right now. In terms of gift-giving, I've really scaled down. No more buying people crap they have no use for.

As for Donuts & Desires' "Festive Frenzy"? Well, that's a bit more of a scramble. Totally my fault. But, of course, you'd never know it was a scramble if I hadn't just told you, so... that was sort of stupid. Oh well.

Thanks to all participating authors, we'll be showcasing lots of winter and holiday themed books over the next week or so.

Are you ready to get festive? Because once it starts, it ain't gonna stop.

Okay. Here goes.

Festive Frenzy is... ON!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Stuff Your Stockings with Red Satin!


*UPDATE: Please note the contest is now closed and prizes have been distributed to all winners. Thanks for entering. See you at the V-day Blog Hop!*

You've reached Giselle Renarde's stop on the Stuff Your Stockings Christmas Blog Hop!

What's up for grabs? Why, it's my latest major release, The Red Satin Collection.

This one's for all you fans of LGBTQ fiction. The Red Satin Collection is a compilation of all three stories in the Red Satin series. All in all, it's a transgender lesbian Christmas erotic romance. There aren't too many of those on the market, so enter my contest to win a PDF copy!

I'll also be giving away 3 secondary prizes of Red Satin, the first ebook in the Red Satin collection, and if more than 25 people enter this contest I'll add on tertiary prizes of other ebooks in loveyoudivine's TransFix line, like Secrets of the Solstice Sacrifice and Spring Fever.

Entering the contest is easy! Just click this link and fill in your email address:


(In case you're wondering, I use this method so that you don't have to post your email address in the comments. I know we're all getting more protective of our contact info these days.)

More about The Red Satin Collection:
Coming home means coming out.

The Red Satin Collection brings together all three transgender lesbian romance stories in Giselle Renarde’s erotic holiday trilogy. Red Satin, The Night Before Red Satin Christmas, and Red Satin Christmas, all previously published as individual eBooks by loveyoudivine Alterotica.

In Red Satin, mall magic inspires love and soon lust in the hearts of Regan and her transgender friend Maisie. Maisie’s family hasn’t seen her since she began her transition from male to female—not until she and Regan head home for the holidays in The Night Before Red Satin Christmas.

Regan figures she’s just along for the ride, lending her girlfriend support, until Maisie’s mother surprises her with a special dinner guest in Red Satin Christmas. Regan hasn’t spoken to her hard-drinking Cree father in years. Can she finally trust the man who’s once again claimed to have changed for good?

Together, Regan and Maisie face drama only Christmas can create. How will their well-meaning families impact their blossoming relationship?

Excerpt:
They sat in silence, Maisie's cheek nestled into Regan's chest. The shoppers downstairs generated a cacophony that surged to a peak before coming to a magical silence. A Salvation Army quintet took up their instruments. The muted sound of two silver trumpets, a trombone, a tuba, and a French horn filled the air with a melancholic rendition of Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Regan closed her eyes, transported from mall to concert hall. She imagined Maisie in that shimmering blue gown, diamonds around her neck, the epitome of feminine beauty. In her best suit, Regan would escort her new girlfriend to every big event. The whole city would see this gorgeous girl on her arm. When she took a deep breath, the scent of Maisie's cheerful perfume overwhelmed her senses. Regan floated on a cloud of citrus-and-lily.

"I do get frightened, you know," Maisie admitted, cuddling closer. "Of being called out, I mean. And of that looming threat of physical violence." She took a deep breath before asking, "How is my family going to react when I ring their doorbell? I wish I had a big strong girlfriend to protect me."

Opening her eyes, Regan found Maisie gazing up at her like a pulp fiction cover girl brimming with sweet desperation. Regan flexed the arm Maisie wasn't leaning against.

"Oh… you are strong," Maisie cooed. "You could protect me."

"I sure could," Regan began as Maisie wrapped a hand around her muscle. "If I were your girlfriend…"

Now the bashful Southern belle, Maisie released Regan's arm and looked demurely to the floor. With a hint of an anticipatory smile, she asked, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Laughing over the quintet's Christmas Carol, Regan asked, "What did I say two minutes ago? Yes, I want to be your girlfriend!" Again, she breathed in the scent of sunny perfume. Maisie was beyond adorable, her dimpled cheeks plump with leftover baby fat. Her squeezable curves melted against Regan's body as she flicked brunette bangs away from her eyes.

Tracing the line of Maisie's jaw from ear to chin, Regan eased Maisie's expectant lips closer until their gloss grazed hers. For a moment, Maisie hesitated, her warm breath soaking Regan's moistened lips. She waited, her body throbbing, until Maisie placed a caring hand at the back of her head and pulled her into a heated kiss. Maisie's tongue was hot, pulsing against Regan's, their heads switching sides like rapid fire. Regan wrapped herself around Maisie's curves, digging her nails into the flesh at Maisie's sides, moaning into the depths of her luscious mouth.

Just as the flames of passion overwhelmed Regan's body, Maisie broke away with a startled look in her eye.

"What's wrong?" Regan asked.

Maisie chuckled nervously, touching fingertips to her engorged lips. She shook her head and giggled. "I just don't know what I want."


The Red Satin Collection is written by me, Giselle Renarde, published by loveyoudivine Alterotica, and available in print from Amazon and as an ebook from most reputable e-tailers.

But you could win your copy in this contest! Click here to enter!


And remember, there are tons of prizes to win in the Stuff Your Stockings Blog Hop, including gift certificates, ebooks, and lots of swag. To visit other participating sites, click here!

Hugs,
Giselle
--
Giselle Renarde

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Call for Submissions: JMS Shorts

Hi Authors!
Came across another call for submissions I thought I'd pass along:

** PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED **

Do you have a short story no longer under contract? Maybe you've sent something to an anthology but it didn't get selected for that volume. Or maybe it was published in a collection by Alyson Books or Cleis Press and you'd like to see it re-released as a stand-alone e-book but don't know where to send it.

Here's an idea ... send it to us!

JMS Books LLC http://www.jms-books.com/ is a small queer press specializing in GLBT erotic romance. We release 3 e-books a week and 3 print titles a month. Authors receive 50% net on royalties from all sales. We're currently looking for GLBT short stories in all subgenres. Stories must be at least 5,000 words and no more than 20,000 words in length.

Full submission guidelines can be found on our site at http://www.jms-books.com . If you're responding to this particular submissions call, please send us the FULL MANUSCRIPT and don't worry about including a synopsis.

What are you waiting for? Show us your shorts!

J.M. Snyder
JMS Books LLC
A Queer Small Press

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Nobody Gets Lucky: Getting Inspired by Local Artists

I have a new Christmas story on the market today. NOBODY GETS LUCKY is, as the title suggests, not my normal go-to of erotic fiction. Like my lesbian eating disorder short UGLY NAKED PEOPLE, this new release is queer fiction... with a holiday twist.

Before getting into the pitchy side of this post, I want to tell you more about the title. I think it's pretty inspired, and I can say that without feeling too full of myself, because it's actually inspired by a local artist named Lucky Jackson.

Now, just to be clear, none of the characters in this story were inspired by the artist in question. It's all a matter of names--and first names only, at that. See, I met Lucky last year at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, and I bought a few monstrously cool pieces from her. Right now her "thing" is embroidery art, and the stuff she produces is just... wow. Just cool beyond cool. Cooler than I could ever hope to be.

So, one day I was sitting at my computer trying to devise a title for a story I had in mind. The story was about a young lesbian, a single mother, spending Christmas with her girlfriend's family. They don't understand her. They don't like her. What could I call this story?

Nobody understands this girl...

I'm looking up at the works by Lucky Jackson hanging over my computer, contemplating.

Nobody gets her...

Hey, what if I named my character Lucky?

Nobody Gets Lucky

Perfect! The title was absolutely perfect, and I found it with the help of Lucky Jackson's art on my wall. If you're curious (and I'm sure you are) how about checking out her amazingly awesome embroidery? Like this portrait of Emilio Estevez (one of my faves) or Billy Idol (my girlfriend's fave) and more. Here's her website.

Now that you've heard the in-depth history of the title, want to know a little more about the story? Well, first off, it's available at 30% at the Untreed Reads store throughout December, and there's a buy one get another 40% off deal going on too!

Description:
When Justine brings Lucky home for Christmas, the family isn’t shy in expressing their dislike of the quirky, single mother. Even Grandma’s taking pot shots at Lucky all through dinner! Sure, Lucky’s tattoos and tight clothes make her an easy target in Mother’s prim and proper dining room, but there’s so much the family doesn’t understand about the woman Justine loves. When they do find out more about Lucky’s past, will they be willing to accept her at all, or will they be able to embrace Justine's new love?

A short story from our Nibs literary line.

Excerpt:

“Was that stuffing cooked inside the turkey?” Lucky had been bouncing the baby on her knee, but she stopped now to peer at the dish, making a face everyone else at the table would probably view as uncouth.

“That tray was, yes.” Justine’s mom plastered on a smile, but it was obviously fake. “But I baked another little dish of stuffing all by its lonesome.”

Lucky breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s good. I won’t eat anything that’s come in contact with meat.”

Justine knew that Lucky didn’t mean to be rude. She’d been looking forward to the tastes of Christmas dinner ever since Justine had invited her to this family gathering, and she obviously didn’t want to miss out on the best part. Thanksgiving and Christmas were the only times stuffing made an appearance on this table, and Justine’s mom’s cranberry-and-walnut was to die for.

Beaming that same irritated smile, her mother said, “Justine’s the same way. That’s why I made a special batch for the two vegetarians.”

“Three,” Lucky said. Her slick black hair tumbled over her shoulder as she gazed at the baby whose tiny feet rested on her thigh. With his fat little face tilted to one side, he looked like an old man asleep standing up. “Looks like Zadyn needs a nap before nom-noms. He’s vegetarian too.”

Justine’s brothers’ jaws dropped, and her cousin Andrea laughed unapologetically. Justine shot them a death glare, but they were focused on the woman they’d already labelled a freak.

“Your baby’s vegetarian?” Andrea let the laughter fade to a faint giggle instead of trying to talk over it.

Grandma Thornton didn’t seem half so amused. The tight purse of her lips broke to say, “Children need their protein. They need nutrients to grow. You must feed a growing child meat!”

Andrea’s titters continued as Justine’s youngest brother leaned forward. In an overstated show of mock-concern, he lisped, “I don’t mean to alarm you, but the stuffing was baked in the same oven as the meat products. Terribly sorry for the inconvenience.”

Insufferable little red-haired Andrea pulled the zipper on her hoodie up over her lips. She was laughing silently, but with such force her eyes teared up. Justine’s head buzzed. If these people weren’t family, she’d have taken them out back and taught them some manners.

Rising from the table, Lucky heaved tired baby Zadyn to her hip. One of the things Justine admired most about the girl was her deliberate obliviousness. She grabbed the side of Lucky’s chair and slid it out of the way so it wouldn’t tumble over. In her peripheral vision, she saw her mother’s scowl as the wooden feet screeched against the floor. God forbid the hardwood should suffer!

Justine tried not to stare at Lucky’s ass as she bent to ease Zadyn into his stroller, but it was hard not to ogle a girl she found so alluring. As far as the family was concerned, Lucky was just a friend who’d been invited along because she had nowhere else to go at Christmas. That much was true, at least—her mother had disowned her when she got pregnant with Zadyn. And selfish as it seemed, Zadyn’s existence was a nice little red herring for Justine. When most people saw a young mother with an itty bitty baby, they didn’t automatically think, lesbian.

Buy now from:
Hope you enjoy my queer Christmas short!
Hugs,
Giselle
--

Monday, December 12, 2011

Quick Six PRO
 with Sable Jordan

With the final Quick Six of 2011, here's Sable Jordan!
Quick Six PRO

Interview with Sable Jordan

Q: What's the most time-consuming part of a writer's life?

Sable: Hands down marketing. Just like there’s no “I” in “team”, there’s no “market” in “writer”. ;) If you don’t have a strategy and set a time limit, you’ll find yourself running in circles trying to get your book “out there”, and that’ll eat away at your writing time. Or worse, you’ll write around your marketing time, which means your priorities have shifted.

Q: What should a writer's priority be?

Sable: Writing, writing, and writing, and doing all three well. Develop your craft. There’s always something you can do to make your writing better, so take a little time each month to see where you can improve and expand your skill set. But don't. Stop. WRITING!

Q: How do you handle a bad review?


Sable: I get chocolate wasted! I’m kidding—getting chocolate wasted doesn't require prompting. Everyone’s not going to like my writing; I get that. Like I always say, you’re entitled to your opinion, even if it’s wrong! LOL! I read a bad review and move on.

Q: What advice do you give aspiring authors?


Sable: Small bites. Whatever it is you’re working on—outlining, character development, marketing—break it down into manageable pieces and you’ll find you’re more productive than if you try to tackle it all at once. Also, be patient, especially when it comes to sales. It takes a while to build a fan base, so just keep working your craft until the world finally recognizes your genius! :)

Q: What makes an editor great or...not so great?


Sable: A great editor will tell you when you’re writing crap. Don’t take it personally, we all write crap sometimes. Crap happens. And after working on a book for months, we authors are imaginative enough to convince ourselves that we haven’t written crap at all. Smell? What smell? Enter your great editor, who takes that crap-bespeckled 300 pages of blood, sweat and tears and helps you make it a rose-scented diamond. And they’ll do it by telling you specifically what they like and don’t like, where your POV has changed, if you’ve got tense issues...etc.

A not so great editor is a “yes”-person. Hand them a check for their services and your manuscript—be honest, it’s crapaliscious in places—and they’ll tell you “It’s amazing! Don’t change a thing! If you look up fabulous in the dictionary, your story would be the definition!” If you want your ego stroked while you throw around money, I suggest a stripper...or a Doxy. Shameless plug :) Make it rain!

Q: If you've ventured into self-publishing, what are the pros and cons?


Sable: I just started my company, Fresh Whet INK, and so far the biggest pro is controlling it all. Setting up my own release schedule means my work hits the stores when I want and I can track sales instantly. It also justifies my increased wine and chocolate consumption. Brain food's a tax write-off, right? Cons: controlling it all. LOL! It’s a lot of work, especially marketing and promo. Just means being more disciplined and making better use of my time. No more playing Diner Dash. *sigh*

The Doxy's Daybook: A Friday in Two Acts
Blurb: Call her Roz. All of her fans do.... Follow along with Rosalyn Hayes, a professional doxy. She's more than an actress, she's "a permanent affair." Every day, this southern-born beauty stars in a play she's also written and produced for an audience that doubles as co-star. It's a performance showing on a stage way off Broadway, the grandest stage of all—the hustle and bustle of life in New York. Told in 1st person, from the time the curtains go up until they go down you'll find yourself mesmerized by each deliciously naughty act.
Warning: 18+ Only! This title contains erotic scenes, graphic language, anal sex, M/M sex, M/F/M sex, Cowboy sex, F/F sex, (sheesh, there's a lot of sex) umm...sex on a desk, sex toys, some light bondage, interracial/international sex, and a doxy with a smart mouth. Yep, that should cover it.



Sable Jordan
Stories so Whet, you'll want to lick my INK!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday - The Rococo Room

The Rococo Room, my erotic paranormalish romance, happens to be available absolutely FREE at the moment (December 9-13, 2011) and it also happens that the first paragraph in The Rococo Room is six sentences long, so...

(The first) Six Sentences from The Rococo Room:

Delia scurried into the first empty room off the main hallway. Collapsing in the corner chair, she stole her new phone from the side pocket of her hideous black pants. Her heart clenched as she sent chasing glances in every direction. She wasn’t supposed to use her mobile in the gallery, and no good could come of getting caught. The coast was clear. Hunched over like the Virgin protecting her sacred Son, she flipped her phone open.

Kids today and their text messages! LOL

Obsessive love is strangely sad when it's as naive as Delia's. But she'll learn. The small town girl in the big city will learn fast.

Oh yeah, and get The Rococo Room for FREE--do it now!

Hugs,
Giselle
--

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Authors: Holiday Excerpt Day Today at LRC!

Writers, get your promo on. Readers, get ready to be excerpted at (oooh... that sounds so dirty). From the Love Romances Cafe:

**Permission to forward granted**

Join us Saturday December 10th as we celebrate the holidays with an open excerpt day.

All day Saturday I am opening the cafe up to some wonderful excerpts to celebrate the upcoming holidays.

PLEASE NOTE: You MUST be a member of the LRC Loop to participate

WHERE: LR Cafe Loop (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveromancescafe)

TIME: Midnight-midnight EST (USA time)

What is allowed: Excerpts only. No promos for new contracts, reviews, where you are blogging/chatting, etc. Save those for Mondays.

Some things to remember for this day:

*You are allowed to put "Promo/Excerpt" in the subject line.

*All heat ratings, all genres are welcome. From sweet and nice to everything spice.

*It does not have to be a holiday book to join in the fun.

*If you posted an excerpt this day, you are welcome to post a contest announcement if you are involved in one, want to give something away at the LRC, etc. It's up to the author/publisher to select winner, etc.

If you have any questions, please email me before December 10th at dawn_roberto@ yahoo dot com.

Dawn
Owner-LRC

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

2011 Rainbow Awards: Honourable Mention for My Mistress' Thighs


I just found out my lyd anthology My Mistress' Thighs: Erotic Transgender Fiction and Poetry won an honorable mention (5th runner-up) in the Best Bisexual/Transgender Contemporary category of the 2011 Rainbow Awards!

Thank you to the Rainbow Awards, to my girl, and to loveyoudivine Alterotica and the TransFix line for daring to publish cutting edge fiction.

You can read more about the winners here: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1462137.html Congratulations to everyone who won or was nominated. Isn't nice when your hard work is recognized?

My Mistress' Thighs is available in print and as an ebook:
A cross-dressing cowboy, a post-war pin-up, and a wolf in grandmother’s clothing all find a special home in My Mistress’ Thighs. This collection of erotic transgender fiction and poetry by Giselle Renarde makes room for everyone. There’s a secret solstice sacrifice, a case of spring fever, an online romance, and a Wednesday night dinner routine that’s anything but dull. This anthology includes erotic favorites, new surprises, and never-before-seen poetry. From the timid closet dresser of “Love in the Time of Instant Messenger,” to the post-op rodeo queen of “Leslie Goosemoon Rides Again,” all who seek love find it in the world of Giselle Renarde Erotica.





Tuesday, December 6, 2011

A Rose for All Women: The Montreal Massacre, 22 Years Later

Sometimes we fall into habits. I do a lot of volunteer work with women's organizations, particularly those helping women and children escape domestic violence, but I've been working with these charities for so many years now that I do it all by rote. It's on my calendar: go there, do that. I don't really think about the why anymore.

Today marks 22 years since the Montreal Massacre, when 14 female students were murdered by a gunman expressing his hatred of "feminists." This anniversary has since been named the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. From the government website:

December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. Established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada, this day marks the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal. They died because they were women.

As well as commemorating the 14 young women whose lives ended in an act of gender-based violence that shocked the nation, December 6 represents an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the phenomenon of violence against women in our society. It is also an opportunity to consider the women and girls for whom violence is a daily reality, and to remember those who have died as a result of gender-based violence. And finally, it is a day on which communities can consider concrete actions to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

Today I watched news footage from that day in 1989, and it was every bit as devastating to me today as it was 22 years ago. The difference is that today I know I'm taking action in many forms against gender-based violence and discrimination. Of course, watching this made me think, 'I need to do more':



The government of Canada has produced some beautiful posters you can order for your classroom, organization, or for yourself. I'm guessing you have to live in Canada to order them, but I'm really not sure.

For details, see the Status of Women website here.

In an hour or so, I'll head out the door to put in some volunteer hours with an empowering, feminist, trans-friendly organization that's especially close to my heart. Usually, going there and doing the work is just an event on the calendar. Not so today. I've been thinking too much about violence and victimization. Today I give my whole heart.


Hugs,
Giselle

Monday, December 5, 2011

Quick Six PRO with Rob Preece

And now for something completely different...

Today we're interviewing publisher Rob Preece of Books for a Buck. Sit up straight, eyes forward, because it's time for this week's insightful Quick Six PRO!

Quick Six PRO Interview with Rob Preece

Q: What's hot on the market these days?
Rob Preece: Vampires and futuristic stories are always hot. Mysteries have been slow for me for a long time but seem to be picking up.

Q: What's the most time-consuming part of a writer's life?
Rob Preece: Writing. Writers write. It's easy to get obsessed with marketing, with research, with social networking. To a certain extent, all of these are valid and even essential. Ultimately, however, writers have to write. If you don't write the best book you can, with a message that's essential to you, you're wasting your time and the readers' time.

Q: On the topic of ebook piracy, hunter or head in the sand?
Rob Preece: This is a tough one. Spending a lot of time hunting for pirates has minimal payoff. On the other hand, those who argue that pirates aren't a problem or, worse, claim that pirates are doing us a favor by giving our books "exposure" are deluding themselves or worse. I think setting up a google alert for your book titles and watching this is essential. Getting more active is great, but there are fast-diminishing returns for your effort.

Q: What should a writer's priority be?
Rob Preece: Learning to become a better writer. Writing is hard. Too many writers think that they're perfect and that their errors are simply their "style." Sure, James Joyce wrote everlasting sentences and mangled English, but he's James Joyce and the number of people sitting down to read Finigan's Wake for beach reading is pretty small.

Q: How do you handle a bad review?
Rob Preece: Look at a bad review as an opportunity to improve your writing. Did they spot things you'd considered rewriting but decided it wasn't worth it? Then put it behind you--everyone is entitled to an opinion but if you're writing the best book you can, you're doing your job.

Q: Have you ever encountered any unprofessional behaviours from editors, publishers or other writers, that they might not even realize are damaging?
Rob Preece: I'm okay with multiple submissions but I feel cheated when I read an author's complete manuscript, only to learn that he/she contracted with another publisher. If you sell elsewhere, withdraw your submission.

Q: What do you look for in a publisher?
Rob Preece: One critical thing is to find a publisher who loves what you're doing. Being at the bottom of a major publisher's list is worse than being near the top of a much smaller publisher's. Obviously, look for reasonable contract terms, a clear way of reclaiming rights, royalty payments on a good schedule, and access to various channels.

Q: What makes an editor great or...not so great?
Rob Preece: A great editor takes your book and makes it more your book. He/she will find those passages you decided were good enough and ask you to fix them. He'll challenge your character motivation and make you clarify your character arcs. She'll spot those words you fall in love with and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. He'll help you cut the fluff so what's left is the polished diamond.

Q: Do you have a preference for short stories of longer works?
Rob Preece: I prefer novel-length fiction. I rarely purchase novel-length collections of related stories.

Q: If you've ventured into self-publishing, what are the pros and cons?
Rob Preece: Self-publishing offers a shortcut to publishing and lets the self-publisher have control over everything. Unfortunately, many self-published works lack professional editing--which is critical to making your book excellent.

Q: Do you find yourself writing for the market and not for YOU, or self-censoring in any way?
Rob Preece: This is one of the biggest mistakes an author can make. Even if you sell a book that you wrote 'to market,' you won't love it and you'll feel yourself trapped in writing more. Obviously, some restraint is appropriate (if you're writing inspirational fiction, for example, cursing is frowned on and few publishers are looking for illegal sexual activities), but you've got to love your basic theme or you're wasting your life.

Q: How have the people in your life reacted to your career as a writer?
Rob Preece: Writers need support groups. I'm lucky enough to be married to another writer, which means she understands my struggles. I doubt I would have been able to stay the course in my writing career without being involved with writer groups, attending occasional writer conferences, and hearing from fans who love what I do.

Q: Any promo tips for fellow authors?
Rob Preece: Write the best book you can. Ask your author friends who'd be willing to review it. Support other authors if you expect them to support you. Mix your promotion with information (e.g., review other books, give writing tips, give back) if you want people to subscribe to your twitter or facebook pages.

Rob Preece
Publisher,
www.BooksForABuck.com

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday - The Red Satin Collection

This week's Six Sentences come from my newest release, a collection of all three stories in my Red Satin series, aptly called The Red Satin Collection.

In case you're not familiar with my Red Satin series, it's Christmas-themed transgender lesbian erotic romance with a heaping spoonful of family drama. The following 6 are from Maisie and Regan's kinky Christmas morning sex:



With the most puckish grin Regan had ever seen, Maisie pulled away.

Regan’s breasts went instantly cold without Maisie’s caress. Her nipples drew up into buds so tight her sensitive flesh actually hurt. The pain felt so good it distracted her from her longing as Maisie’s fingers slipped away from her clit.

“What are you doing?” Regan asked as Maisie unscrewed the oak finial from the bedpost. The somewhat ornate, long and rather wide piece came off easily in her hands, gleaming like gold.

Can you say bedknobs and broomsticks? Yikes! No time-traveling bed in my stories, though. LOL Wow, I really want to watch that movie now...

The Red Satin Collection is available as an ebook and in print!

Want to buy a copy?
The ebook is available from:
loveyoudivine Alterotica (the publisher)

The paperback is available from: