Arts

A conversation with my muse

Writing

Me [sits down to write]: Sigh. This hasn’t been going so well.

He [plunks down next to me; offers me a potato chip from the bowl he’s produced out of nowhere]: Wanna talk about it?

Me: No. Yes. Maybe.

He: Go on. I’m listening.

Me: Well, that’s a change.

He [bats eyelashes]: Why, whatever do you mean?

Me: You’re usually bossier. You’ve been silent on this one.

He: You killed me, sweetie. [crunches loudly]

Me: You said to! And I thought you meant just for your story, not a “for all times and all people” kind of thing.

He: That’s Jesus you’re thinking of. I’m not your sacrifice to the gods of fictional characters, babe.

Me: “Babe”?!

He: If the shoe fits.

Me: Whatever. You disappeared after I did what you asked.

He: Right. You needed to let go of depending on me so much.

Me: Well, I failed that test.

He: No, you didn’t.

Me [blinks]: I didn’t?

He: Not at all. You did some good stuff in there.

Me: Yeah, but…

He: But what?

Me [tiny voice]: I think I still need you. Sometimes it’s just…hard.

He: I know.

Me: My brain and body don’t always do what I want. Some days are really bad. It’s frustrating.

He: You want some advice?

Me: I think you’re going to give it to me whether I do or not, so go ahead.

He: Give yourself permission to fail at something. If it isn’t working, change things.

Me: But I feel stupid. I was already on this path. Someone might get mad if I go another way.

He: Who, exactly, is going to be mad at you if you go a different direction?

Me: I don’t know…people? The universe? Uh…you?

He: I’m not mad at you. I promise. That’s not even possible.

Me: Why not?

He: You made me up. I came from inside your head. [eats chip]

Me: True. Wait, why do you have potato chips, anyway?

He: No idea. You gave them to me somehow. I don’t even really like them. Now, if you had cookie dough ice cream…

Me: I think I can do that. [conjures a pint of cookie dough ice cream] Here. Dairy free and everything.

He: Oh, my God. You are amazing.

Me: Sometimes, I suppose. [pause] I miss you, you know.

He: Of course you do. I’m still here, just not so much in the spotlight.

Me: Can we just sit together for a bit?

He [already fidgeting]: Uh…

Me [glances over; giggles]: Yeah, bad idea. But you’ll be around if I need you?

He: I pinkie swear it.

WIPpet Wednesday: The Boyfriend

Books, Writing

Happy Wednesday! I’m posting quick before going to watch my younger child in a track meet at her summer camp. Currently, I’m having a nice cup off coffee in Dunkin Donuts, listening to the news and the light chatter of the few people in here.

I’m a little behind on my word count, though I’ve caught back up a bit since last week. I’ve been really struggling to tell Jamie’s story, much like I did with Nate’s and Trevor’s. My dear spouse calls it “doing battle” with my manuscripts, and that’s apt. It’s been a real struggle to get Jamie to open up to me; he’s not so talkative as the others, who were more than happy to let me know I was telling their stories wrong. Jamie, though, is used to being invisible and having his wishes ignored. His friends kindly let me know I needed to treat him better.

This is a rough snippet of what I was working on yesterday in Drumbeat. I added a scene to give more context for why Jamie’s so closed off. Two warnings: One, this contains spoilers. In all previous snippets, Jamie’s awful ex had been simply called “The Boyfriend.” Here, I’ve provided his name (which he gets in Nightsong). Two, Jamie is thinking about exactly why The Boyfriend is so awful—chiefly their sometimes non-consensual interactions, which he describes in broad brushes.

WIPmath: 7/26/2017 = 26 = 2 x 6 = 12 for the 12th paragraph in scene 2.

Then there was Sage. With him, there were no harsh, jagged edges or force. He’d never held Jamie down or attacked him. Never hit him or threatened him. He’d whispered beautiful, cruel things, gently touching him even when Jamie tried to pull away. Sage had kept it all so painfully sweet, wrapping Jamie in his arms and doing what he wanted until Jamie gave in and pretended he was into it until it was over. No bruises. No blood. Nothing violent or angry. Jamie couldn’t count that. Not when he’d been awake and sober and hadn’t said no. Not when there were countless times he said yes. Not when afterward, there were whispered reminders Sage was the only one who truly loved him…right?

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!

Rainbow Snippets: At the beach

Books, Fiction, Other Relationships, Writing

Happy Saturday! We’re having a relaxing day after the busy schedule the last few weeks. Our main computer finally died, and we had to replace it. Fortunately, the new beast seems to be working out well.

Todays’ snippet is again from my new anthology, Leaps of Faith. These stories are all part of the world that my novel Passing on Faith is set in. The series finally has a title: Faithfully Yours. (Note: This is not religious fiction, despite the title and symbolism.) I’m sticking with “From the Lips of Children,” since so many people seemed to enjoy teenage Cat’s voice. On a personal note, Cat expresses very much what I felt at his age, though his birth-designated gender is different from mine.

Blaze was a pretty average guy, and he liked to look at how the girls their age were starting to fill out their swimsuits. He’d told Cat it was okay to look, as long as they weren’t being creepy about it or anything. Cat had only rolled his eyes; he had no interest in boobs.

He did like looking at their bathing suits, though. He wondered what it was like to wear the cute two-piece suits that had become popular. How would it feel with the material stretched over his chest and the high sides of the bottom tied tight against his hips?

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!

Review: Dog Biscuits (Underdogs #6) by Geonn Cannon

Books, Reviews

About the Book

Title: Dog Biscuits

Series: Underdogs (#6)

Author: Geonn Cannon

Release date: July 1, 2017

Length: 184 pages

Synopsis

Ari is currently working for Gilles Girard & Moreau on a probationary basis, and her next assignment has piqued Dale’s interest: Seattle is finally getting a hockey team! The owner, a client of the firm, asks her to do a background check on the players who will make up the roster to ensure there are no nasty scandals waiting to be uncovered. Ari follows the new recruits while Dale digs into their pasts.

The first few targets don’t show up any red flags, but any hope of an easy case is destroyed when she and Dale are the victims of a sudden, unprovoked attack.

Certain that the attack is related to the hockey team, Ari redoubles her efforts to find out which player is behind it and what they’re hiding. Determined to find the truth, she also knows she has to proceed with caution. Hockey can be a brutal sport, and its players can be even more dangerous off the ice.

Purchase Links

Amazon US | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Review

I love this series, and this is a fantastic new installment. All the elements I’ve come to love are in there, but it’s obvious that the characters and the storyline have matured and grown over time. It’s a perfect blend of good, old-fashioned detective story plus the added bonus of going deeper with Ari and Dale.

The story revolves around Ari’s investigation into the background of Seattle’s new hockey players. It’s a great set-up, even for someone like me (I’m not a fan of hockey or most sports in general). Part of the charm is in how clueless Ari also is about the sport. It made me feel a kinship with her, which amused and delighted me. Be forewarned: There isn’t actually a whole lot of hockey going on here. Mainly, it’s the mystery of what some of the players are up to. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t end with a big game.

I’ll leave it up to readers to find out for themselves what sinister things Ari and Dale uncover about the team. Instead, I’ll offer a tiny little cheer for the bi character who does a little bit of myth-dispelling (and is also just plain cool). There’s also some really shady things going on underneath the investigation itself and how Ari is hired to do it, with a nice cliffhanger at the end. I guess that means we haven’t seen the last of this series, and I’m excited to see where it goes.

When it comes to mystery, women in love with each other, beefy hockey players, and this series, there’s not a single thing to be disappointed about here. I don’t think new readers will need to have read the rest first. However, I hope after this, they’ll give the others a chance.

For an absorbing mystery, a satisfying relationship, and plenty of fun and excitement, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

About the Author

Geonn Cannon is a male author who grew up in Oklahoma, thousands of miles from the nearest coastline, who found his calling in stories about women who live on an island in the Pacific Northwest. In 2010, Geonn became the first male author to win the prestigious Golden Crown Literary Society Award for his novel “Gemini.” In 2015, he won it again for “Dogs of War.” He was also invited to write an official tie-in novel for the television series Stargate SG-1. He is currently working with Tello Films to turn his novel “Riley Parra” into a web series. His first name is pronounced just like “John.”

Social Media

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WIPpet Wednesday: A visit with Mama

Books, Fiction, Other Relationships, Writing

Happy Wednesday! We had some fun over the weekend, as you can see from the pictures. It was Pride, and our church was in the parade. My kiddo’s buttons were given to her by someone from one of the other groups, along with the necklaces. The text on the one reads, “Asexual pirates aren’t interested in yar booty.” It’s basically her favorite new thing.

This week’s snippet is from Drumbeat, which I’m trying to coax into something resembling an actual story at this point. Jamie et al. are uncooperative at the moment. This is a continuation of last week’s bit, where Jamie has gone for a visit with his mother. Here, we get a little more familiar with her.

WIPmath: 7/19/17 = 19 sentences

Like Jamie, Mama was short. She was a little rounder than he was, with lean legs and long, dark hair. He smelled her shampoo when he rested his cheek against her head. He held on for a while, wanting to implant the feeling of her hug to save for later. He didn’t see her nearly often enough, the problem of living too far away, working odd hours, and playing with the Creepy Crullers. Mama never scolded him for it, though. She took what she could get, and he called her every week.

When she let go, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a brand-new smartphone. “Look!” she said. “I can keep up with your band now.”

“It’s nice, Mama. Where’d you get it?”

“Bruce.”

Ah, her new boyfriend. Jamie had met him once. He wasn’t much older than Jamie. Mama had met him through some of her friends, and he seemed nice enough. Jamie didn’t comment on why he was already buying her expensive gifts.

“I’m glad he’s being good to you,” was all he said.