Quick Six Interview with Christine d'Abo

Quick Six Interview with Christine d'Abo

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

I love to write erotic futuristics and urban paranormals. There is something wonderful and fun about the blend of mixing the edge of the unknown, and the need for people to develop relationships.


2. What are you reading right now?

I have a few books on the go right now. I'm currently reading Colleen Gleason's When Twilight Burns (which is fantastic!). It's book four in her Gardella Vampire Chronicles series. I'm also reading Doctor Who: The Writer. It's a fascinating book, a collection of emails between Russell T Davies and Ben Cook on the behind the scenes writing of Doctor Who.


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

Man, I need to turn that down! I'm a bit of a hard rocker. I'm a huge fan of Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, anything with a hard edge. That said, I'm also a gigantic fan of Dave Matthews Band and Matthew Good.


4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

Oh, I have to say I'm a big fan of fuck. I don't know if it was all the Robin Williams and George Carlin I listened to when I was young and impressionable or not, but there is just something fun about it. I always have at least one character in my books with a bit of a foul mouth.


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

Honestly, not really. Any word can be sexy, and any word can be offensive. It's the intent behind it, the meaning that's been infused with it, rather than the word itself.


6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

My local grocery story makes salt and vinegar chips. I'm soooo addicted to these things. My husband cringes everytime I go shopping now because he knows I'll get a bunch LOL!


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

So much fun and excitement going on right now. On October 31st, book three in my Eternal Bond series, The Bond That Consumes Us was released from Ellora's Cave. This is the story of one of my most requested characters, Taber. I really enjoyed getting into his character more. My next release is entitled, All Bottled Up. It will be coming to Samhain Publishing on January 6, 2009. It is the story of a call center worker from Halifax NS, who finds a genie in a bottle while she's on a trip to Mexico.

You can read excerpts of all my books at my website, www.christinedabo.com

Thank you for having me here, Giselle!

Yay Canadian characters! Halifax is one of my dream destinations. I'm not much of a traveler, but I've heard the Maritimes are gorgeous provinces. I would love to take the train all the way across Canada, except I probably couldn't bear that much sitting. One of these days I'll get out to British Columbia, too, to check out their special brand of beautifulness.
Thanks for chatting, Christine! Much appreciated.
Giselle

Gifts from the Heart and Hands

Let me begin by thanking everyone who purchased Giselle Renarde Erotica prior to December 15th 2008. As promised, all profits have been donated (along with third quarter earnings from sales of my ebooks) to the LGBT YOUTHLINE, providing peer-to-peer counseling to queer youth. As a queer woman with a transgendered partner, LGB and trans issues are close to my soul, and I can't emphasize how important it is that youths have someone they can turn to. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to you, my readers, for your purchases, and to YOUTHLINE for providing such an essential service to young people.


Now, according to my calendar, next Thursday is Christmas. I deserve a break. I'm taking the day off. *grin*

So, who's finished their Chistmas shopping with a week to spare? I am! I am! But, you know, there’s nothing better than receiving a hand-made, personalized gift. It shows the giver took the time to contemplate what I would like, then took even more time to create it for me. Assuming Sweet will appreciate a gift from the heart and the hands, I knitted her a pretty pink scarf and strung her a necklace of funky freshwater pearls.

What am I hoping to get for Christmas? From those I love, there would be nothing better received than the gift of time. I don’t see my mother half as often as I’d like to. Same goes for the rest of my family and my friends. We all work so much, be it outside or in the home. There is nothing I would appreciate more this year than to spend more time with my family and friends.

But time isn’t something you can put under a tree, and my family needs to see things beneath the tree. To that end, I’ve been relying for years now on a magnificent site called Buy Nothing Christmas which contains an “alternatives” page for those of us looking for meaningful, non-consumerist gifts. My favourite gift suggestion, as a writer, is the personalized audiobook. I have a few older friends whose eyes aren’t what they used to be, and they really appreciate the home-made audiobooks I’ve written for them over the years. But, hell, what dirty old man wouldn’t want a young female friend recording a CD full of dirty porn for him?

To be perfectly honest, though, buying absolutely nothing at the holidays is something I never was able to master. When I finish this blog post, it’s off to the great big internet shopping world. I’m buying most of my family books this season.

If you’ve got someone on your list who would drool over some erotic books or sexy lingerie, check out my little shop of Giselle Renarde Erotica. It features anthologies containing my work, my ebooks in kindle format, and—because I’m a sucker for gorgeous women in corsets and stockings—there’s a huge lingerie section as well! Check it out at http://astore.amazon.com/dondes-20

Happy Holidays!
Giselle Renarde

Quick Six Interview with Susan Meier

Quick Six
Interview with Susan Meier

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

I write traditional romances, sometimes called sweet romances. I think of them as being similar to Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. Very emotional, gripping.


2. What are you reading right now?

I'm reading Angela Knight's JANE'S WARLORD. Love it. I'm a huge Angela Knight fan.


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

Nope. Must not be my house. LOL I like silence when I write. If music is playing I want to sing along...and that doesn't get the writing done!


4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

Naughty word? I can't say I've actually thought about it. But I do like a well written, emotionally involving sex scene. Words and actions that really bring characterization to life!


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

No. LOL. I think I'm getting desensitized!


6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

Oh, gosh! Mallowmars! It's our first real snow of the season. I just took a break from snuggling under an afghan with Angela's book and box of Mallowmars!

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

HER BABY'S FIRST CHRISTMAS will be released December 8. MAID IN MONTANA will be out in June. After 35 books, I realized that there are just some books that stand out in the crowd, and both of these books are personal favorites of mine. HER BABY'S FIRST CHRISTMAS because it's a backward homecoming story. The heroine desperately wants family and longs to have a home to go to, but the hero is reluctantly going home. Bad memories have kept him away for five long years, but it's time. Little does he know he's not rescuing the heroine when he agrees to drive her to North Carolina; she's rescuing him.

MAID IN MONTANA is just plain fun! LOL Every once in a while it's good to write/read a book just for plain old fun!

I could sure use a good snowfall. Would you believe mid-December in Canada and it's raining outside?!?
Thanks for the interview!
Giselle

Meeting the Parents

Today I met Sweet’s mom.

For all the anxiety this first meeting generated, it turned into a pretty anti-climactic event. It helped—or…didn’t help?—that Sweet’s family doesn’t know she’s transsexual. To mom, Sweet is just her son and I’m just his plain old hetero girlfriend. Nothing more complicated than that.

“I’ve been at mom for years because of the way she talks about those people,” Sweet told me. “I’ve asked her how she can think of someone as a friend until she finds out they’re gay. Being gay is part of who those people are, and probably a big part of why she liked them in the first place. I hate that my mother’s so homophobic.”

“Is she transphobic too?” I asked.

“She wouldn’t know where to begin to understand the trans issue.”

As far as mom’s aware, her son is my boyfriend. God, that just sounds so wrong! Her DAUGHTER is my GIRLFRIEND. We are a lesbian couple. It bothered me to pretend to be something I’m not. I felt a little closeted, but I’m hardly going to out my girlfriend to her family. We all progress in our own time and it’s up to everyone to allow our partners room to grow.

That said, it was great to get the inside scoop on Sweet’s adorableness growing up. I have no idea how the topic came up, but her mom suddenly started telling me how much Sweet hated dressing up when she was a kid.

“Even at Halloween, he never wanted to get in costume,” mom told me.

I had to bite my tongue. Sweet started cross-dressing when she was quite young. Many transgender children do, but often it’s a private matter. I guess mom really wasn’t aware.

“And then when he finally did start going out for Halloween, he always dressed as a tramp!”

Bite…tongue…harder! She still dresses pretty trampy, mom! You should see her in a miniskirt and platform boots! No, that’s mean. Sweet is a perfectly respectable woman who wears perfectly respectable outfits.

Though, as I write this, my mind wanders to yesterday afternoon when she taped her boobs to create the most extraordinary cleavage, then wore a low-cut sweater for my amusement. God, I spent most of our time together with my face buried in her tits! I only came up for air when I was on the verge of asphyxiation, then it was right back into it, licking my girlfriend’s cleavage.

I didn’t tell her mom any of this, obviously. It’s up to sweet to reveal her queer sexual and gender identities to her family in her own time.

“I’d love for her to be taking mom out to lunch,” Sweet said as we kissed goodbye. “And maybe some day mom will have lunch with her daughter and she’ll just have to accept it.”

Big Hugs,
gigi

Quick Six Interview with Sapphire Phelan

Quick Six Interview with Sapphire Phelan

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

SP: Both eroric and sweet paranormal, fantasy, urban fantasy and science fiction romances. I also have published two erotic horror stories, one, Unwitting Sacrifice, a novella, the other, "Jack," a short story.

2. What are you reading right now?

SP: All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks and Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (because I read it years ago and going to see the movie in a few days)

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

SP: Thriller.

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

SP: Cock.

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

SP: Not really.

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

SP: Nothing right now, as we just had dinner.

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

SP: Anyone can find out more about me and my work at my website: Sapphire Phelan's/Pamela K. Kinney's Official Website , my myspace at http://www.myspace.com/SapphirePhelan , and my blog at http://SapphirePhelansPassionCorner.blogspot.com . I also have a newsletter anyone over 18 years of age can subscribe to at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SapphirePhelansParanormalNewsletter .

My erotic Lovecraftian horror novella, Unwitting Sacrifice-download as of November 30, 2008, print chapbook, February 15, 2009, published by Under the Moon. Both versions should be available through www.genreconnections.com .

Blurb:
Lisa Selvey moved to Necro Bay, just on the outskirts of Chesapeake, Virginia. She moved there because of its reputation for peace and quiet. To free herself of her nightmares. But her nightmares were just beginning. . .

Necro Bay was just your average American seaside town. The house she bought a normal home. The handsome man, Jacob Lindan that she met, nothing more than a sexually attractive man that whose touch made her mad with desire. Things nightmarishly changed and made her wonder if she wasn't going mad. Even worse, it made her wonder if something lurked in the shadows.

Sounds delicious! Thanks so much for the interview!
Giselle

Merry Christmas to my Sweet!

My girlfriend Sweet is a Christmas FANATIC, so I knew I couldn't give her just any old greeting card as we celebrate our first Christmas together. It's not that she expects anything over-the-top, but I really wanted to WOW her. The solution? I recorded a lovely a capella Christmas song and made this video card as a special gift for my girl.


I wasn't 100% sure that Sweet would respond positively to my posting her card on YouTube, but I had to do it because I want the world to know how much I love her. After watching the video and wiping the tears from her eyes, Sweet asked me, "Can everyone see this, or just us?"

"Everyone," I admitted. "But I can make it private if you want, or I could take it down altogether."

"No, no," Sweet said. "I like that other people can watch my card. It's like...it's for us, but it shows everybody how you feel about me."

In that vein, a note to my Sweet:

Sweet, I love you. You are the most beautiful woman I know. I don't say that to stroke your ego; I say it because it's true. You are gorgeous and I am so proud that you want to be my girlfriend. I love going out, having you on my arm and showing you off. I can't tell you emphatically enough how beautiful you are to me. Merry Christmas, Bijou.

All my love,
Giselle

Quick Six Interview with Rae Lori

Quick Six Interview with Rae Lori

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

RL: Surely! I write fantasy, sci-fi, suspense and romance and sometimes all mixed into one pot. I love dipping my hand into different genres and seeing what stories come from them.

2. What are you reading right now?

RL: On my nightstand is The Science of Vampires by Katherine Ramsland, The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories, Occult Crimes Taskforce graphic novel and A Sentry's Touch by Vivien Dean. I'm back on my vampire kick! hehe

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

RL: Oh! That's my baroque internet channel. It helps me concentrate when I need to type up my current handwritten pages. Sometimes I have a show going on in the background. But nevermind the blood curdling screams in the background. That's just for show. ;-)

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

RL: Yes, but I can't say it lol. Let's just say it pertains to male.

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

RL: Any condescending or hateful terms aiming to demean others. It just burns my cookies.

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

RL: A soft baked oatmeal cookie. Ooh and some Egg Nogg. Yum.

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

RL: Woo hoo. My current release is a romantic suspense novel entitled Before Dawn Breaks. It's available from Freya's Bower. I have a few goodies in the works including an urban fantasy romance series that I just contracted that I think readers will enjoy. You check out more of my work at http://www.raelori.com and add me as a friend at myspace (http://www.myspace.com/rachelbeachgirl). Swing on by and say hello at my blog: http://raelori.blogspot.com.

Thanks for having me! :-)

I'm a big fan of the baroque too, and I find the same thing: classical music helps me concentrate when I'm writing. Thank you so much for the interview.
Cheers!
Giselle

Life Underneath the Concrete

I just finished watching a round-table discussion centering around the book, "Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry: The Deception Behind Indigenous Cultural Preservation," co-authored by Frances Widdowson and Albert Howard.

Let me applaud the wonderful job the panel of aboriginal academics did of shooting this work to pieces. Next to David Newhouse, Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux and Patrick Brazeau, this pair of authors looked like a couple of stunned turkeys. Said Professor Wesley-Esquimaux, "Nobody should read this book," and it's safe to say I won't be wasting my money on it.

I am all for promoting discussion of aboriginal issues in this country, but not when material is being put forward by ignorant non-aboriginals (which, strangely enough, sounds a lot like their thesis statement) who believe, as they write in the book, that indigenous people are incapable of abstract thought or governance. It's almost like the co-authors looked at each other, asked "What's the one topic in the world we're most misinformed about?" and decided to write a book about it.

Further to this, Frances Widdowson states that these claims are not racist. Excuse me? How the hell can you make a derogatory remark about an entire race and them say your allegation is not racist? Perhaps she does not know the meaning of the term.

rac·ism (rā'sĭz'əm) n. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

Exactly.

The discussion swayed, at one point, to the growing number of indigenous individuals living in urban centres. It was at this point that professor Newhouse produced the beautiful utterance that formed the title for today's entry. He spoke to the fact that aboriginal spirituality teaches a connection of the individual with the earth that is carried along even if we move from rural communities to cities. "There is life underneath the concrete."

The response from co-author Widdowson was, "Are we suggesting that the aboriginal people have a spiritual relationship to the land?" Umm...let's review...aboriginal spirituality teaches a connection of the individual with the earth. Yes, I do believe that's what we're suggesting. "How is this substantiated?" she asks, going on to tear apart the beliefs of Canada's indigenous people citing that she has no spiritual beliefs herself. Really, Ms Widdowson? It's not your believe and it is therefore false? Wow. I applaud your academic vigour.

It became very obvious very quickly that this work came from a place of fear. Fear of the other, like homophobia or transphobia, does not make for excellence in academics, and the co-authors of Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry have supplied us with a perfect example of this phenomenon.

Why is it that so many individuals cannot accept that others might hold a set of beliefs that are different from one's own? How does aboriginal spiritual belief and cultural diversity pose a threat to the authors of this book? Just because they do not understand the importance of living off the land or of feeling a connection--both spiritual and physical--to the land that is our mother doesn't make this outlook obsolete, as they claim.

I'll leave professor Wesley-Esquimaux with the last words:

"People should have the option to live the way they choose."

Quick Six Interview with Jane Toombs

Quick Six
Interview with Jane Toombs

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

My favorite type is paranormal romance, but I also write historical, contemporary, Regency and fantasy romance. Plus a bit of horror.

2. What are you reading right now?

Aliens and Alien Societies: A writer's guide to creating extraterrestrial life-forms by Stanley Schmidt.

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

A CD of Big Band Themes. (I go waaay back.)

4. Do you have a favourite naughty word?

One I say out loud? Sh-t.

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

Yeah, I never got used to fu-k being used as casual slang. That's not to say if I'm writing about some character that would use it I don't write it. But I hate to hear it said aloud.

6. Be honest: What are you snacking on?

A cup of decaf tea. Honest.

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

At my website: www.JaneToombs.com Or at: www.JewelsoftheQuill,com where I'm one of 12 authors who work together to promote one another and also write anthologies. My latest book is my North Of Nonesuch Series of paranormal romances published by: www.whiskeycreekpress.com (North Of Nonesuch being where weird might happen--and usually does.)

Oooh...I'll definitely look into your paranormal work. The paranormal is a twenty-year-old interest of mine that has just started to re-emerge. It's sneaking its way into my writing, and now into my choice of reading material too.
Thanks so much for the interview!
Giselle

Giselle's on her knees yet again!

This is becoming a very familiar position...

Today I'm on my knees to beg and plead for your vote in the Midnight Seductions Endless Romance Contest.

It's reader's choice! From now until December 8th 2008, you can vote on the hottest love scene. I would be delighted if you could vote for mine, but even if you don't it's certainly worth checking out all 42 contest entries. Can you imagine? 42 love scenes to melt the snow outside my window.

My entry is a scene from erotic romance TANGLED ROOTS, available from eXcessica. And don't forget, I'm donating every last penny of profit from all my sales through the eXcessica website until December 15th 2008 to the LGBT YOUTHLINE, a valuable organization providing peer support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, 2-spirited, queer and questioning youth.

Get on over to Midnight Seductions to vote for the love scene that melts your butter. I hope it's mine!

Bright Blessings,
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!