Decision

In case you missed the facebook announcement and it's not showing up at the top of your screen, I first need to point out that this site/blog is now finally under its own domain, woo hoo! www.thealanden.com is up and running, and hopefully will continue to be for a long time.

Anyhoo! In my last thinking-out-loud post, I wrote about how I didn't know what to start writing next and rambled on for a few paragraphs about the pros and cons of each idea. I was getting itchy to start something, so after giving it some more thought, I decided upon the Disintegration sequel (which does have a working title, though I'm not married to it yet). As always, the day job has been busy, so I'm not all that far into it, but I did get off to a good start and I'm confident with my decision. My brain's chugging away like crazy with all the IDEAS I have for the book, and if I have to be kept awake at night by something, that's not a bad option.

Another reason I'm happy and excited about the start of this new project is that even after all the other stuff I've written in this past year (since I finished up the first Disintegration just about a year ago, minus the set of prequels), Ro continues to be one of my most favorite characters I've ever created and I'm already enjoying getting back to her. I can't even really put my finger on why she's my favorite. I don't think I'd want to be friends with her in real life, and she arguably sets out to intentionally irritate the people around her. I've written other snarky characters and other badass characters and so on, but something about her just speaks to me. (And before anyone asks, NO, she is not based on me, nor is she supposed to be some sort of depiction of what my subconscious wants me to be.)

I won't give too much away right off the bat, but the sequel is, in fact, from Ro's POV. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to write from her perspective and dig even deeper into her soul, and I'm hoping the results are everything I want them to be and more. Onwards!

Bedded Bliss Blog Tour!

Today on the blog I'm pleased to feature a new release from Cleis Press, Bedded Bliss: A Couple's Guide to Lust Ever After, edited by Kristina Wright. It seems that so much of erotic literature available focuses on "the chase", the building of tension, and then just stops when the happy couple hits the "happily ever after". (Am I guilty of this as well? Of course I am.) Bedded Bliss combines real-life anecdotes/advice and erotic fiction to take the reader beyond the HEA and highlights the benefits (and occasional struggles) of long-term relationships.

Without getting into too much detail about my personal life, I enjoyed Chapter Seven very much, "Different Flavors of Lust—Exploring Your Boundaries". In the very beginning of her fictional story A Little Something Different, contributor Heidi Champa made me smile with her depiction of, well, going for a little something different (because again, without revealing too many details, I could SO see myself in this situation):

"How about something like this?”

He held up a mass of straps and cuffs that looked like dog leashes all bunched together. It was hard to tell where one piece ended and the next one began.

“What is all that?”

“Some kind of bondage kit. Looks like it’s been on display for quite a while.”

I shook my head and laughed as he tried to get it back on the hook. The back of the store was empty except for the two of us, the rest of the customers searching the adult DVD section for something that struck their fancy. I gazed up at the walls full of cuffs, whips and lotions, trying to find something that didn’t make me cringe or giggle.

“We don’t need a bondage kit. I like using your old ties. They are softer than all that nylon cording.”

“True. How about this?”

It was a Kama Sutra kit consisting of a book and various potions, all in one convenient box.

“Nah. Remember what happened the last time we tried to attempt a Kama Sutra position. You nearly gave me a black eye.”

“Right. Good call.”

Blurb/Bio:
It’s fairly easy to fall in love (or lust), but keeping that passion hot and heavy after twenty years of marriage can get tricky. Kristina Wright has two toddlers and a red-hot marriage, and there’s no one better suited to helping other couples make lust last. Bedded Bliss: A Couple’s Guide to Lust Ever After pairs hands-on advice for long-term lovers with steamy tales to inspire couples to enact their own erotic adventures. Each chapter begins with “sensual suggestions” for keeping in touch—literally! Read real advice and stories from couples, who have a combined total of a whopping 235 years of long-term relationship experience, and find out what works for them to keep their fires burning steady and hot.  Romance writer and editor Wright re-invents the sexuality genre, presenting a guide that simultaneously educates and entertains. Bedded Bliss is a treasure trove of resources for couples to ensure that monogamy will never again mean monotony.

Kristina Wright (kristinawright.com) is an award-winning author whose erotic romance fiction has appeared in over seventy-five anthologies. She is also the editor of several Cleis Press anthologies of romance, including Best Erotic Romance 2013 and Duty and Desire: Military Erotic Romance. Kristina teaches both English and Humanities at the college level. She lives with her family in Chesapeake, VA.

Amazon Buy Link  

Indecision

I'm in that part of the cycle where while I'm still playing some Mass Effect (replaying as a different character, taking my time this time around), I'm doing some writing in my free time as well. I've just about worked the fanfic out of my system, so it's almost time to start something new. The kicker? I don't know what to start next.

I guess in a way it's better to have too many ideas than not enough? Efforts to multitask on writing projects rarely work out for me, though I guess I can give it another try. I'm at the point where I feel like I need to be doing something, but I just haven't made a decision yet. My life is incomplete without organized lists and spreadsheets, so I might as well throw one of the former up on the blog to help me think out loud.

Option 1) The next in the Skies series - The first two books hovered around the 30K word mark, so in theory, if I want to keep Book 3 around the same length, it shouldn't take me terribly long. (However, we all know about theory and practice....) I have the first two thirds of the book plotted out in detail and I know what I want to do there. The catch? I have NO idea how to end it. There are two main conflicts throughout the story, I know how one is going to be resolved, but I'm really not sure about the other one. I suppose I could jump in, see where the story takes me, and decide when I get to that point, but I've never started a major project without knowing what the end was going to be before.

Option 2) The Disintegration sequel - I've received inquiries about what's going on with this, and I do want to go revisit the characters. The nerd in me will also admit that since I'm still on a bit of a gaming kick, the basic plot of this one is appealing, as it's used in so many games: assemble a team of varied, colorful characters and go kick some ass. I have almost the opposite problem as with Option 1, interestingly enough: while I have all the main events sketched out from beginning to end, there are a lot of gaps to fill in between the points. Again, I guess I could just jump right in and see where it takes me.

Option 3) Another novella for Decadent Publishing's 1 Night Stand series - This idea is pretty solid and fleshed out in my mind. However, my first story with them isn't due to be released until January-ish, and while it's a popular series, I kind of want to see how the first one goes before writing another one for it (totally unrelated to my first). I can't quite put my finger on why I feel this way, but my gut is telling me to wait on this one. 

So there's my organized whining for now. In the grand scheme of things, these aren't awful problems to have and I know that all of these stories will get written out sooner or later. In case you haven't realized, though, my Type A personality is always lost without a definitive PLAN!

Sounds Like Falling in Love

Work is still work, and today I had to travel an hour away for my job. It wasn't terrible, since there's no traffic out in cow country, and the autumn leaves are rather nice.* It also helps that I don't have to drive that distance for work every day.

(*If my husband pronounces "foliage" as "foil-age" one more time, I'm going to whack him with a dictionary.)

A ways back, my favorite CD went missing. I actually thought I might have left it at my old job, and when I finally gave up on finding it, I replaced it digitally. OBVIOUSLY it turned up when we moved last summer. It got put back into the rack and I haven't managed to sit down and listen to it for a while.

The professional musician in me has always thought Aaron Copland is the quintessential American composer, so what better soundtrack for my drive through the countryside? Damn, I do love that CD. It was a good choice.

So to tie this into writing - one of my favorite tracks on there is one of the four dances from Rodeo. To me, it's always sounded like falling in love, if that makes any sense. (Which is sort of what's going on plot-wise in the actual ballet, though there's a dose of unrequited love and sloppy seconds.) I know that my chosen genre of erotic romance could be considered more fiery and romantic, but while I'll always love my smut, it's good to remember the sweeter parts of a blooming relationship!

And regardless of sweet vs. spicy, I still think there's plenty of passion in this piece. Oh, Copland, my love for you is eternal.

 

Immersion

Ah, here's that promised blog post a week later. Better late than never!

So here's what happened: Almost three weeks ago, I finally sat down to play Mass Effect 3. And it was amazing and addictive and I didn't want to do anything else. I went to work, I fed myself on occasion, I pulled my hair out when some home improvement projects made a giant mess in my house, and I played the game. That's really it.

I actually finished the game last Saturday night (well, I've seen 3 out of 4 endings, and more on that later). Now that I'm done and I don't have to worry about spoilers, I can truly jump into the fandom with both feet. I've been reading trivia, perusing fanfic, looking at artwork...all that stuff you do when you don't want your experience with a story to end. I'm not sure if that really counts as being productive, but I don't mind the little mental break. We all deserve that every now and then, right?

And what a story it was. Yeah, yeah, I knew going in about the controversy over the ending. Truth be told, I was initially disappointed, but after a little time passed, I grew to appreciate some aspects of it. Is it perfect? Wait, scratch that...is it satisfying? Eh. Mileage varies. While I'll never condone some of the behavior that immediately followed the game's release (sending death threats over a video game? really?), I'm also not rolling my eyes at the people who are in the "well, THAT sucked" camp. Amusingly enough, I've done some guest blog posts on this very topic before - how important is a stereotypical happy ending?

Regardless, the game was still fantastic. Since this is supposed to be a writing blog after all, I might as well pontificate a bit about the storytelling aspects. The worldbuilding is rich and complex, and the characters that inhabit said world are varied and compelling. The romantic in me was satisfied with the love story on the side, especially since the relationship I chose seemed so realistic. I both laughed my ass off and cried my eyes out, and it's rare that something can elicit both those reactions. Even if you're not really a fan of games, I highly recommend the series because it's such a vibrant fictional universe.

And yeah, there are fanfics coming out of my keyboard. I've already knocked out a quick one, and I'm collaborating with Boobulon to write a humorous tale about late nights aboard the ship. Don't judge me.

Sunday Snog (giveaway and fundraiser!)

I'll write an actual post sometime soon about video games and romances and such (hint: I just finished crying my way through Mass Effect 3), but in the meantime, I'm participating in the 100th Sunday Snog! If you want to read about a ton of great kisses and enter a bunch of giveaways, be sure to click through and follow all the links. In addition, donations will be made to Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders, which is a fantastic charity that does amazing, amazing work.

One of my favorite kisses that I've written is Callum and Meyta's first kiss from the (free) Disintegration prequels, so I'll pull that up for today's event. Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end to win your choice of ebook from the library!

A cool breeze drifted through the desolate landscape, and Meyta shivered. “Maybe you’re right,” she said. “Maybe I should take a trip to Coral City, or some of the other areas of the country, and see what they’re like for myself.”
 
She sensed movement behind her. A pair of hands appeared on her shoulders, their warmth seeping through the thin material of her blouse. “You know, there’s a lot to be said for what’s right here,” Callum murmured near her ear.
 
Her body tensed as he stepped closer, and then relaxed when she leaned back into the comfort of his arms. “At first, I thought you were lucky,” she said. “I almost started to envy you for your exciting life, and all your travels, and the important jobs you do with the military.”
 
“Almost?”
 
“But then I realized how foolish that was. Every day, you run the risk of being taken out by a Charytaran missile, or ambushed by an army of Palavian drones. I don’t know how you do it.”
 
His hold on her tightened. “Someone has to.”
 
She tilted her head back. His breath danced across her neck, and the scent of his skin wafted towards her nose. A combination of the dust on his uniform and the effects of the day’s exertion mingled in the cool air, yet it was not an unpleasant aroma. She breathed deeply, keeping her gaze focused on the illuminated desert. “There’s so much danger out there,” she whispered. “Do you ever get scared?”
 
“On occasion. Just don’t tell my teammates.”
 
Meyta smiled. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
 
“I can think of better secrets to share.”
 
Callum squeezed her shoulders and turned her around. With one hand, he brushed an errant lock of thick, dark hair away from her face. She closed her eyes as his fingers grazed her cheek, and leaned towards him.
 
His lips, soft and moist, met hers in a tender kiss. Gentleness gave way to a stronger fervor as his tongue slipped into her mouth. Another tremor rippled over her, yet the cause of her quivering muscles had nothing to do with the outdoor climate.  Callum’s hands dipped down to her waist, pulling her closer into an ardent embrace. She locked her arms around the back of his neck, and pressed herself against his broad chest.
 
In the infinite expanse of cold, unfeeling sand and the ever-present threat of brutal warfare, Meyta no longer felt small and alone. Reminders of Callum’s impending departure prickled at the back of her mind. She pushed aside any negative thoughts, and succumbed to his smoldering kiss.


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Defying the Skies Artwork!

Boobulon has done it again! I had an idea* for some artwork featuring the starring trio from the Skies series, and he accepted the commission. This is awesome and amazing and wonderful and I love it hard!

Click for embiggening!

If you've been following along on the DtS book tour (and if not, SHAME), this is one of the prizes. You know you want this badass scene adorning your mantle, don't even try to deny it. If you're impatient, the prints are available through deviantArt.

*I believe I said something along the lines of "How cool would it be to have Geneva and Marcus in the same pose as the 'Army of Darkness' poster, but with the genders reversed?" This is the answer, and the answer is really fucking cool.