Rainbow Snippets: What’s she done now?

Books, Writing

Happy Saturday! I’m currently sitting in Tim Hortons while I wait for my older kid at yet another rehearsal. This time, he’s in the opening number (Hamilton theme!) for the local high school version of the Tony Awards, along with 5 of his cast mates.

Here’s another snippet from Ashes & Alms. Jo’s gone to see her elderly mother to talk about something regarding Jo’s adult daughter, Cindy.

Sliding into a seat across from Jo, Mom said, “What did you want to talk to me about?” She reached for the milk.

To give herself something to do, Jo stirred her coffee even though she hadn’t put anything in it. Eventually she looked up at her mother and said, “Cindy.”

Mom’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, really. What’s she done this time?”

Rainbow Snippets is a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ authors, readers, and bloggers to share 6 sentences each week from a work of fiction—published or in-progress—or a book recommendation. Feel free to join in!

WIPpet Wednesday: A dance

Books, Writing

Happy Wednesday! It’s been a busy week, what with multiple performances over the weekend. We’re back to a somewhat normal schedule for a few weeks, but then spring concert/recital season starts. After that, we’re busy through June. Then I send my “baby” on a trip all the way to Texas for a few days.

I’m still working on and off in Minuet, though I’m also doing multiple editing projects, putting together an anthology, curating a book list, and writing a short story for a submission. I don’t have a lot of time for Mack and the gang.

Still, I’m snipping from Minuet again this week. Last time, Jomari agreed to stay for a bit. Now he and Mack are left alone at their table. Let’s see what happens.

WIPmath: 4/18/2018 = 4 + 1 + 8 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 8 = 24 sentences

There wasn’t time for more conversation. The band started another song, and they were loud enough it was hard to hear. Nate tapped Mack’s shoulder and motioned he was going to the bar area, away from the stage where it was somewhat quieter. Mack nodded and watched him go.

He was left alone with Jomari. Being abandoned with a sexy stranger wasn’t a bad thing. Mack could work with that as long as it wasn’t too awkward for Jomari. He brushed Jomari’s hand with the back of his own. There were dozens of ways to make his interest clear. He only had to pick one.

Before Mack could say anything, Jomari asked, “You want to go dance?” He practically had to shout it in Mack’s ear. God, these fools were loud.

“I don’t really—” Mack caught the heated, flirtatious look in Jomari’s eyes. “Yeah, all right.” It beat sitting there wishing the band would turn down the volume so they could talk.

There were a lot of people in the small area, which meant they were closer than they might have been otherwise. Mack couldn’t have said later what happened, exactly. One minute they were simply dancing, and the next they were fully in each other’s personal space. All around them, there were people pressing in, forcing them into tight contact.

It wasn’t any hardship. The heat and the rhythm of the other bodies swelled as the band switched to a slower, sensual song. Maybe this was exactly what Mack needed to get his mind off everything—a crowded bar, ear-shattering music, and a sexy dance partner. He sank into the beat, letting his worries fade.

Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Wrayburn for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!

Dear allo-cis-hetero people: Stop trying to “rescue” us.

Books

I read a piece (which I’m intentionally not linking because I don’t want to give it more clicks) in which Becky Albertalli, the author of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, is taking credit for being “groundbreaking” and giving queer kids a voice. I’ve been back and forth on whether to write this, in part because I know how many people are so thrilled that Love, Simon is a big hit movie. But I’m going to anyway because…well, it’s me, and I can’t leave it alone. I’m like a dog with a bone.

Queer books—no, books with white cis gay male protagonists—written by straight women are not groundbreaking, and neither are the films the spawn.

There. I said it.

Sure, maybe it’s a new thing(?) for a book/film to become mainstream. And I don’t want to take away from how many people are really attached to this movie (though they do seem to be mostly adults, not teenagers, which is pretty telling). But there are a couple of things which trouble me deeply.

First, this is not a new thing, and we need to stop saying that this book and movie are “firsts.” They’re not. We have literally decades of queer lit and queer cinema behind us. The problem is, they’re not necessarily widely publicized or available. These are from indie presses and production companies, so they’re seen by a limited audience.

Over the last 5 years, I’ve read hundreds of books by LGBTQIA+ authors. They are in every genre imaginable: sweet romance, erotica, humor, science fiction, dystopian, fantasy, historical, memoir. I’ve read YA, New Adult, Adult, and even children’s lit. They cover every stripe of the rainbow, and they feature characters of many races and ethnicities and religions.

White, allo-cis-hetero (i.e. not queer) authors: You are not doing something new. At all.

Heck, there are even some well-known authors whose books have been made into films, including some with teenage protagonists. I’ve watched a lot less queer cinema than I’ve read queer books, but trust me, it exists. Lots of it is sweet and funny and cute. Lots is not. But it’s there, and it’s marvelous. The best part is that it was expressly made by and for us, and it often gives roles and a voice to queer people who might otherwise be shut out of mainstream film.

Second, let’s talk for a sec about this notion non-queer people have that they are “rescuing” us from unhappy endings. This is appalling. (I think we need a separate conversation that this usually means “rescuing” white, cis, able-bodied gay boys and men, but I’ll leave that for another time.)

There are a couple of things wrong with that. One, it’s got this tone of disbelief that we can write our own happily ever afters. Maybe these folks think they’re saving us from common really dreadful narratives written by other non-queer folks. I don’t know. But seriously, trust us to come up with our own good stuff. Maybe check out the awesome things we’re already doing.

Another problem with this is that it ignores and minimizes queer pain—which is dealt to us by non-queer people. We have the right to create stories that speak to this. By shouting, “First!” over a story that addresses none of this, you’re speaking over the voices of people with decades of pain and shame behind us.

If you’re a person who has worked with us, say in counseling or another profession, tread carefully. Using what we share with you as creative fodder violates the trust we’ve placed in you. You’re not writing from personal experience or even from being friends with us. I’m not saying it can’t be done ethically, but it’s tricky. Please watch how you talk about it, too. If you’re trying to claim that you know us better than we know ourselves, you’ve already crossed a line.

Finally, if your story still includes some variant of anti-LGBTQ+ bullying, you haven’t done what you’re claiming anyway. If you create scenarios of public outing and other queer antagonism, and then don’t deal with those appropriately because you’re trying to be “upbeat,” you’ve missed the mark.

This is not about whether someone can (or even should) write a thing. This is about how time and again, when we try to tell our own stories, we get blocked and told they are “too niche” and will only appeal to a small audience. But when someone outside our community comes along with their credentials in hand, giving us a palatable version of queerness meant to appeal to the non-queer masses, they’re hailed as a hero to us. This is absolutely not okay.

If you want a list of some of the best LGBTQIA+ books, I’ve got hundreds of reviews to show you. I’ve also got connections, so I can introduce you to a large community of readers and writers who will make recommendations. There’s absolutely NO lack of great queer lit; it’s just not always visible.

One last thing: We tend to do this in every genre of literature and cinema, with every type of marginalized character, and it means celebrating some really problematic books and movies. While I understand concerns about #OwnVoices non-consensually outing people, there are many, many people who are out, public, visible, and not catfishers who are creating all kinds of queer art. You can start with supporting them instead of giving more self-identified allo-cis-hetero authors accolades for “rescuing” us.

WIPpet Wednesday: A little warm in here

Books, Writing

Happy Wednesday! I’ve got my girl home today because it’s state testing and we opted her out.

I haven’t written much in Minuet for a while because I’m working on other stuff. I know I need to get a move on, but I’ve had projects with actual deadlines. I finished and sent off a flash fiction, and now I’m working on a short story.

I’m still snipping from Minuet, since it’s what I have the most written in. Last time, Mack got a closer look at Jomari. This week, it’s clear they’re on the same page.

WIPmath: 4/11/2018 = 4 + 1 + 1 = 6 paragraphs.

Jomari grinned. “Nice to meet you.” He had a great voice, a high baritone that was smooth as silk. Mack was already warming up, and the temperature rose higher still when Jomari turned his gaze on Mack. He lifted both one eyebrow and the corner of his mouth. Even with his attempt at looking casually amused, Mack didn’t miss it when his eyes traveled downward and then back up, flickering with interest.

Nate and Trevor didn’t miss it either, and they exchanged a significant glance. Nate tipped his head when he caught Cian’s attention, and there was some subtle understanding that passed between them. It clicked. Mack was no fool; this was as intentional as everyone’s showing up to check in with Cian.

More interesting still was how Jomari rendered Nate’s and Trevor’s pleasantries into ASL for Cian. Not, perhaps, as smoothly as Jamie would’ve, but certainly well enough for the brief exchange.

“I have to go,” Cian said. “You know how it is in this place.” He gestured to his hearing aids. The unspoken without Jamie hung in the air. Jomari clearly could’ve assisted their communication, but it made a convenient cover.

Mack licked his lips. “How about you?” he asked Jomari. “Feel like sticking around for a bit?”

“I could do that.” The hinting smile again.

Author Interview: Kevin Klehr

Books, Featured

Today I’m welcoming Kevin Klehr to the blog. I’ve really enjoyed his books, so it’s my pleasure to chat with him about life, writing, and his latest release.

Interview

Welcome! This book looks fascinating and timely. What inspired you to write it?

Three years ago, my partner, a friend, and I were chatting about an experiment which Facebook conducted on its users. Some clients were only given positive posts to view, while others were presented with negative posts in their feeds.

The outcome was that those with the positive posts added similar happy thoughts to their timeline. The ones that only saw negative material posted the same type of content.

So we came up with an idea for a novel where only one person in the future is not addicted to social media. He stands alone in a city which is motionless as people lock themselves indoors and live life through their screens, not knowing how much they were being influenced.

The other observation that inspired this book was the rise of the social media star. While visiting New York several years ago, we noted public transport ads which promoted YouTube by using its highest viewed vloggers. Each social celebrity smiled at us while their huge number of subscribers was displayed prominently on each poster.

Then, as I wrote it, more life observations were thrown in. The casual conversation I had with a waiter in New Orleans who mistook his Facebook feed for a news site. The growing lack of interest in politics, allowing more politicians to get away with whatever policy suited them. And an odd disconnect to living, breathing people, as individuals opted for a quick post and a photo as a way of catching up with friends.

So, in short, Social Media Central is a look at a city fifty years into the future taken from the viewpoint of where we were back in 2015.

Ah, I love that kind of “what if” examination of social culture. What else do you wish people knew about your books or characters?

With the latest book I used extra notes on the characters from a method described by an HBO screenwriter. He talked about head, heart and below. Each character is summerised by their education and by what they believe, their past loves and who they long for, and by the type of person who turns them on.

I’ve always had a clear understanding of my characters, often because they were based on real people. But with my notes and character images sitting in my notebook next to me everytime I wrote, a clearer understanding of who they all were stayed present as the keystrokes fell.

The main character, Tayler, starts off as a very lonely guy. Schools closed when he was still young in favour of instructional videos on SMC, so he misses the human interaction that came with having childhood friends.

Tayler ends up making close allies through the most unlikely circles. He starts hanging out with the social media socialites, the megastars of SMC. And it’s fashion blogger, Madeline Q, (the femme fatale of this tale) who first becomes infatuated with Tayler simply because of his ignorance of who she is.

And while Madeline Q seems confident enough, it’s Tayler who helps her find her real self.

Ooh, this is sounding like Black Mirror meets Ready Player One.

Sounds like you’ve got a great system for character development. What advice would you give someone starting out?

Keep a journal, even if your journal consists of spoken recordings into your phone. Real life should be your influence, even if you are writing about nothing that resembles the world around you.

Note a clever line someone says. Observe a person who’d be a good fit for a character. Listen to the subtext of the individuals that are part of your life and hear what they are not saying.

These reflections make your book feel authentic.

That is some excellent advice. Okay, time for word sprints!

Plotter or pantser?

Plotter.

What’s your favorite book?

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey. (Warning: the movie is crap)

What’s your favorite ice cream?

Pistachio

Thanks for stopping by! I see the cover says “book one,” so I hope you’ll stop by again for future releases in this series.

About the Book

Title: Social Media Central

Date: April 9, 2018

Publisher: NineStar Press

Length: 60 000 words

Categories: dystopia, social media, celebrity

Trailer

Synopsis

In an age where everyone lives their lives through a screen, no one has more celebrity status than fashion blogger, Madeline Q. In a chance meeting, Tayler, loner and geek, is introduced to her world of parties, fan worship, and seduction.

But as his own star rises, Madeline Q is arrested for murder. There’s just one problem—there is no corpse. Tayler soon learns that fiction blurs reality on Social Media Central.

Purchase Link

NineStar Press

About the Author

Kevin is the author of a number of books including the Actors and Angels series and the Nate and Cameron Collection.

The Actors and Angels series are three comedies about theatre in the Afterlife, where two friends explore their love for each other through several lifetimes with the help of a gay angel. The third in the series scored a Rainbow Award for Best Gay Alternative Universe/Reality novel. The Nate and Cameron collection are two novellas that delve into a relationship between a dreamer and a realist, where the latter is coming to terms with loving second best. The two stories, Nate and the New Yorker and Nate’s Last Tango, are also available in one paperback edition.

Kevin lives with his long-term partner, Warren, in their humble apartment (affectionately named Sabrina), in Australia’s own “Emerald City,” Sydney.

Social Media

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Grumpy Badger Guide to Book Covers

Books, Covers

Welcome to another epic collaboration by A. M. Leibowitz and C H Clepitt, the team that brought you “The Grumpy Badger Guide to Dinosaur Erotica“.

Foreword (by C H Clepitt).

Those of you who follow me across social media will know that recently one of my book covers was put up on a website and labeled “bad refrigerator art”. A lot of *coughs* well meaning people commented on what a shame it was that what looked like a good story was marred by such a bad cover. I am not particularly bothered by these *coughs*… er people, because they don’t ‘get’ what I’m trying to achieve with my covers, which is a consistent recognisable brand. You know my covers as soon as you see them, and anyone who is not a *coughs* ‘professional’ (read actual potential customers) thinks they are really fun, which they are.

However, some more well meaning folks suggested that if people don’t like my covers, I should change them, and as I always give in to peer pressure, I thought, what does sell? Answer, torsos. So, I have teamed up once more with fellow author A.M. Leibowitz to create new, improved covers and blurbs for not only our books, but some classics whose covers are quite frankly, below parr.

Now, let us begin:

I Wore Heels to the Apocalypse: Tyrone Torso Edition

Tyrone takes his shirt off at one point towards the end, the author is capitalising on this.

Step into a sexy post apocalyptic world, where danger leads to bisexuality and sexy kissings of multiple genders. There is also a badger and possibly zombies, but no-one kisses them.

New blurb:

The apocalypse, danger, badgers, but who can you trust? Follow our hapless heroine as she experiments her way through the apocalypse, with sexy, yet terrifying consequences!

To see how much better this is than the original, visit the book’s Amazon page.

Lower Education: Phin Torso Edition

CH Clepitt and I have worked together on several projects, so I’ve accepted this constructive criticism of my current cover as clearly having too many clothes in it. Please keep in mind that if you don’t know the author, your negative thoughts are probably best kept to yourself…

Now, the main point when thinking about adding a torso to your cover is, does your book contain a man? You don’t want to deceive your reader. Fortunately, a quick look at the blurb tells me that there are a number of men in this story, so we’re golden. Next we have to draw our torso loving reading in with a good blurb. The current one is frankly, too wordy.

New blurb:

Phin is boring and he knows it. One last job, then he’ll get a life, maybe, but will this job lead to the man of his dreams? Read this steamy story to find out!

To see how much better this is than the original, visit the book’s Amazon page.

Pride and Prejudice: Darcy Torso Edition

Jane Austen knew it, that’s why she told Colin Firth to dive into that lake, then step… out….

There are so many men in this book, torso is surely the next logical step in its cover arc. It will open it up to a whole new generation of readers who have yet to see the BBC version…

New Blurb:

Lizzie is a modern girl in a world that’s failing to catch up. She must get married or die a spinster with a ‘tude. She has all but given up hope when not one, but two sexy beaus enter her life, but how will she choose between the down on his luck soldier and the proud, incredibly rich Lord of the Manor? Er… they managed to flesh this out for how many words?!

See how much better this is than others by visiting the book’s Amazon page…

The Book of Abisan: Torius Torso Edition

Torius gets changed at one point, revealing that he has a tattooed torso, and we think this is the money spinner for the entire book.

This book is mostly about kick ass women, fighting the patriarchy, but where you have patriarchy you have torsos, so don’t be disappointed. There is also a hairy soldier who takes his shirt off at one point, but no actual kissing in this one, maybe next time, folks.

New Blurb:

Enter a world where women are tough and men are super manly, occasionally hairy, and there’s swords, lots of swords. Not as much nudity as Game of Thrones, but as you can see from the cover, we have torsos…

See how much better this is than the original by visiting the book’s Amazon page.

Pink in the Mirror: Random Torso Edition

OK, so, this one is more tough. It’s lesbians, so torsos are more hard to come by. Still, there is a polite young man, and as most young men know, it’s only polite to remove one’s shirt when asked, so let’s go with that…

This seems to be mainly about girls and cars, so the torso is fairly tenuous, but we have a torso cover, so we still need to draw in our torso loving reader with a good blurb!

New blurb:

Girls, grease and cars, what more could a polite young man want? But when it turns out your girlfriend prefers girls, can your torso save the day? Spoiler… no.

See how much better this was than the original by visiting the book’s Amazon page.

Moby Dick: Torso Edition

They’re on a boat, right? They’re gunna get wet, so shirts will have to come off. Let’s breathe some life into the old sea dog.

So, sure, it’s about some bloke who goes nuts whilst hunting a whale, but who doesn’t love a whale hunt, made all the sexier by this torso on the cover? And check out the size of his harpoon! If you were on the fence about buying this one, the torso edition has sealed the deal.

New, improved blurb:

Size matters when it comes to Whales, and Ahab has a point to prove. The one that got away is the one that will make or break him. He’s on a mission, but will Moby Dick be his downfall?

See how much better this is than the original by visiting the book’s Amazon page.

Life Begins at 48: Tim Torso Edition

Tim never actually removes his clothes in this cozy romance series of shorts, but working under the assumption that he must wash occasionally before leaving the house, we’ve taken some creative license with these covers.

A series of 3 short stories about a woman who has to take care of her mother after a stroke, and meets a very nice vicar. The vicar is a man, and where there are men there are bound to be torsos…

New Blurb:

Getting sacked leads to love for Linda, who proves getting old doesn’t mean you can’t still get it on, in this sensual series of shorts.*

See how much of an improvement this is by visiting the book’s Amazon page.

*Disclaimer in tiny print: There is no actually sex in this story.

Anthem: Trevor Torso Edition

And we’re back to men and easy access torsos. We have definite MM one night stand going on here, so we could even have two torsos, but we don’t want to overdo things.

The main problem with the current blurb is that it’s just too angsty to draw in your average torso fan. No-one cares about personal demons or finding yourself, or they might, but they don’t think they do, and won’t buy a book based on that, so, we need to reblurb immediately.

New blurb:

Trevor thinks his steamy one night stand with a musician is just that, until a song gets written about the experience. Now Trevor needs to decide if he wants to fight for the man of his dreams, or share him with his girlfriend. From the co-author of “Can’t Help Lovin’ the Lizard” comes this latest sexy story.

See how much better this is than the original by visiting the book’s Amazon page.

Of Mice and Men: Torso Edition

If Steinbeck knew then, what we know now, he’d have put a torso on it too.

This book contains many men. And mice. Farm hands get hot, so they take their shirts off, thus, torsos. It’s not even tenuous here. So, we have two torsos, (Lenny and George, obvs), a bale of hay (because, farm) and a mouse. Not a dead mouse, because that’s just sad, and let’s face it, if people knew what actually happened they wouldn’t read this one.

New Blurb:

Drifters George and Lenny find work on a farm, where the men are men and the women are sexy and no-one at all is killed.*

See how much better this is than the original by visiting the book’s Amazon page.

*Disclaimer in really small print: Almost everyone is killed…

Do you need a torso edition?

Is your book a bit blah? Have sales been a bit slow? Submit it to us in the comments and we’ll sort it out with a sexy torso cover and new blurb. Seeing your sexy new torso cover on our blogs may increase your sales, you never know…

AM Leibowitz

Interview

About the Book

Synopsis

Purchase Link

About the Author

Social Media

Welcome to another epic collaboration by A. M. Leibowitz and C H Clepitt, the team that brought you “The Grumpy Badger Guide to Dinosaur Erotica“.

Foreword (by C H Clepitt).

I Wore Heels to the Apocalypse: Tyrone Torso Edition

Tyrone takes his shirt off at one point towards the end, the author is capitalising on this.

Lower Education: Phin Torso Edition

CH Clepitt and I have worked together on several projects, so I’ve accepted this constructive criticism of my current cover as clearly having too many clothes in it. Please keep in mind that if you don’t know the author, your negative thoughts are probably best kept to yourself…

To see how much better this is than the original, visit the book’s Amazon page.

Pride and Prejudice: Darcy Torso Edition

Jane Austen knew it, that’s why she told Colin Firth to dive into that lake, then step… out….

The Book of Abisan: Torius Torso Edition

Torius gets changed at one point, revealing that he has a tattooed torso, and we think this is the money spinner for the entire book.

Pink in the Mirror: Random Torso Edition

OK, so, this one is more tough. It’s lesbians, so torsos are more hard to come by. Still, there is a polite young man, and as most young men know, it’s only polite to remove one’s shirt when asked, so let’s go with that…

Moby Dick: Torso Edition

They’re on a boat, right? They’re gunna get wet, so shirts will have to come off. Let’s breathe some life into the old sea dog.

Life Begins at 48: Tim Torso Edition

Tim never actually removes his clothes in this cozy romance series of shorts, but working under the assumption that he must wash occasionally before leaving the house, we’ve taken some creative license with these covers.

Anthem: Trevor Torso Edition

And we’re back to men and easy access torsos. We have definite MM one night stand going on here, so we could even have two torsos, but we don’t want to overdo things.

Of Mice and Men: Torso Edition

If Steinbeck knew then, what we know now, he’d have put a torso on it too.

Do you need a torso edition?

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