Friskbiskit

Broken Cover Art!

I just got the finalized cover art for Broken and it's this beautiful image from P.L. Nunn. I'm a big fan of hers so I was really excited when I found out she was doing the art. I'm very happy with it.

 

Podcast: SF in SF Reading and Panel Discussion

Back in February I took a trip out to San Francisco where the wonderful Rina Elson and Jacob Weisman (of Tachyon Books) put me up and squired me around town. Rina organizes a monthly reading and discussion series called SF in SF and I was privileged to take part in it.

The program consists of two authors who read from their work and then participate in a panel discussion with fantasy author Terry Bisson. In our case the panel discussion turned out to be a wide-ranging analysis of how dominant narratives act as social controls and how as authors Lucy and I both like to posit alternatives to those stories. It's a great conversation and one worth checking out.

Here are the podcasts of the event. More information is also available on Rick Kleffel's The Agony Column. Thanks to Rick for posting the podcasts.

Me reading from The Boy from Ilysies and Amaranth & Ash.

Lucy Bledsoe reading from The Big Bang Symphony

Panel discussion with Terry Bisson, Lucy Bledsoe, and Me

Cyrano deBergerac: The True Story

Ganked from LGBT Laughs.

Book Trailer for Destiny's Bastard by Hank Edwards

Hank Edwards has an m/m historical entitled Destiny's Bastard coming out from Loose Id on August 24. (I'm not quite modest enough not to mention that I turned Hank on to LI a couple of years ago. Hee.)

Hank says, "It's the story of a knight in medieval England who is in love with the prince of his kingdom. When a violent stranger tears them apart, the knight embarks on a journey that will test his courage and beliefs. Seeking revenge, he enters a cave that contains a portal to the future and finds himself in the year 2006 where he meets a man who seems very familiar..."

Sounds cool, huh?

Here's a trailer for it:

Victorian M/M Brothel Puppets Need You Now

My long-time pal and colleague, Kathe Koja, wrote a book called Under the Poppy. It's an historical m/m romance set in a Victorian era brothel, and you'll be hearing more about it here this fall when it comes out from Small Beer Press.

But Kathe didn't just write the book. She's also launched preparations for an immersive, multi-media theatrical event based on the book. She and her team of crack designers, actors, directors and filmmakers aim to bring the story alive through live action, costuming, set design, film, and puppetry. Yes. She has naughty m/m puppets in her show, not to mention cute live boys kissing. How can you not love that?

A production like this costs money, however, and Kathe is way too ethical an artist to expect other artists to work for free. So she and her team have launched a fund-raiser on Kickstarter. The way Kickstarter works is that the project only gets funded if the goal for donations is reached. The deadline is July 15. That's tommorrow. Go over there right now and pitch in. And check out the fun videos while you're at it. This project is way cool, groundbreaking, and smexy. Show it some love today!

Lazy Morning

Laundry did eventually get done yesterday, but then this morning I could not detach from this book I'm reading, and as a result, I'm only now finally up and dressed, without having done any of my morning sanity rituals -- no exercise, no meditation, no meeting friends for morning coffee, none of it. Aiii!

But this book I'm reading is great. As you know, I don't review books 'cuz I don't want to be in the position of having to give someone who's a friend a bad review. But I will say that I am enjoying Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville a great deal. So much, in fact, that I'm just this side of neglecting my adult responsibilities. The book pushes all of my best buttons: hurt-comfort, action adventure, suspense, emotionally shut down guys learning to feel again. Mmmmm... where did the morning go?

Speaking of reviews, I just found this one for Amaranth & Ash last night: Five Angels from Fallen Angel reviews. Woot!

Now I've got to go get something done, dammit!

All the Colors of Love -- Chapter 14

Here's your weekly installment of All the Colors of Love.  Enjoy!

All the Colors of Love Chapter 14 -- The Cold-hearted Equation

All the Colors of Love Main Page

All the Colors of Love -- Chapter 12

All the Colors of Love Chapter 12 -- Agony Sweepstakes

All the Colors of Love Main Page

All the Colors of Love: Chapter 11

All the Colors of Love Chapter 11 -- The Plan

All the Colors of Love Main Page

All the Colors of Love: Chapter 10 PLUS A QUESTION FOR THE READERS

All the Colors of Love Chapter 10 -- The Question

All the Colors of Love Main Page

Sorry I was late with this today folks.  It's a busy time right now.

But while I have you here, I have a few questions.  Recently I've been contacted by a reader who wants to buy her own copy of All the Colors of Love, so she can read in its entirety and keep to reread again later.  It's an intriguing idea.  Please take a moment to answer the following questions, so I can get an idea of whether or not it makes sense to do this.

Would you purchase a copy of All the Colors of Love if it were available?

Would you prefer it as an ebook or as a print-on-demand book?

What would you consider to be a fair price to pay for the format of your choice?

Please leave your answers in the comments section of this post.  Thank you!

All the Colors of Love: Chapter 9

Chapter 9 -- Kindness

All the Colors of Love Main Page

All the Colors of Love: Chapter 8

Chapter 8 -- The Very Next Day

All the Colors of Love Main Page

Reviews of Rust Belt

Rust Belt's been getting some nice attention lately. Fern at Whipped Cream Erotic Romance gave Rust Belt four and a half cherries. Meanwhile, Val Kovalin of Obsidian Bookshelf not only gave Rust Belt a favorable review, but also made it her top pick for January on All Romance eBooks' Wildfire newsletter.  I'm so proud. Thank you, Val and Fern!

All the Colors of Love: Chapter 7

Hey, here's your weekly installment of All the Color's of Love:

Chapter 7 -- Wotroya House

All the Colors of Love Main Page

State of My State of the Union

Just finished watching Obama's state of the union address and I just can't overemphasize how refreshing it is to see a president who's not afraid to stick his neck out. I fucking love it when he gets righteous and calls people on their shit.  There were so many moments that just had me cheering inside.  Like when he made the Supreme Court squirm for selling out our democracy to corporate interests, and when he called it on the deficit toll of eight years of Republican fiscal policy.  I loved that he actually addressed the cynicism most of us feel, and how warranted it is.  Okay, I loved just about everything about the speech except for the nuclear power plants, but... you know, no one's perfect.

In fact, I'm so inspired, here's a little presidential fic. M/M/F this time cuz Michelle rocks the house.

State of the Union

By Jessica Freely

Applause echoed down the corridor as Barak made his exit from the congressional hall.  Michelle and Rahm met him in the vestibule.  Through the doors, he could see the car waiting to take them all home.  Home. To the Whitehouse.  Amazing how even after a year, after this year, the novelty, the flat-out-bat-shit-incredibleness of that could still sometimes sneak up and blindside him.

"You were great," said Michelle.

Barak wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.  "So were you."

A hand fell on his shoulder.  "Nuclear plants?" said Rahm.

Barak sighed and turned from his wife and best friend, to his best friend and lover.  "Can we discuss it in the car?"

"Listen, the rest of the speech was aces, but did you really have to mention the nuclear power plants?"

"Transparency, Rahm."

"But--"

"Come on, you two," said Michelle, grabbing Rahm by the collar and leading Barak by the hand.  "Dissect the speech all you want tomorrow. My mother's got the girls tonight and we haven't had one of our 'summit meetings' in far too long. Let's not waste time."

Of course, Rahm couldn't stop himself from analyzing and strategizing in the car and all the way up to the Lincoln bedroom.  Fortunately, Barak and Michelle each had their ways of shutting him up.

"Do you think Congress will ever understand what we can accomplish when we work together?" asked Michelle, much later, as they lay on either side of a sweetly sleeping Rahm. He looked like an angel.  Incredible.

"I don't know," said Barak, "but we could get Rahm to explain it to them."

The End