My Writing Process Blog Tour

Tahira Iqbal

Fellow writer Tahira Iqbal invited me to take part in this "My Writing Process Blog Tour." She and I have known each other for a few years now, since we have been published in two different anthologies from Mitzi Szereto. Her blog post can be found by clicking on this link. I don't know who was the original catalyst for this blog tag Q&A, but these were fun to answer.

1) What are you working on?
I'm currently working on a Steampunk BDSM Little Red Riding Hood-inspired New Adult novel, and a few speculative fiction short stories on the side. Here's a novel summary:

Scarlett vows to save her virginity for marriage. Haunted by the sexually-transmitted disease VAIN, which killed both of her parents, Scarlett studies at Sylva University with the hopes of researching for a cure. While she is determined to stay innocent throughout her academic career, one wolfishly handsome professor, Jude Tanner, sees her virginity as a prize to be won. As much as Scarlett denies his advances, he knows that she is not as innocent as she seems. When Jude catches Scarlett violating a university policy, he sees this as an opportunity to toy with her and put her virginity and future at stake. He makes a deal: she can choose to stay a virgin until marriage, or be expelled from Syla University and become his slave.

Of course Scarlett chooses the former, but the deal is not so simple. Scarlett becomes Jude’s housemate, and during their time together, he takes her to a sadomasochistic amusement park, tempts her, and slowly breaks down her innocence. Will Scarlett be able to honor her parents’ deaths by remaining a virgin and finding a cure to VAIN? Or will she succumb to her primitive desires and become Professor Tanner’s slave?

2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?
Well, with a fairy tale retelling that includes mashup elements of steampunk and BDSM, would it be too presumptuous to say that it's going to stand out?

3) Why do I write what I do?
Without trying to sound too melodramatic, I'm a total junkie. A writing junkie, that is. I keep diaries, and I am constantly writing, especially when I'm working on projects. With my novel, I write and edit at least a little bit every single day. I cannot let a day go by without writing because it numbs the pain of the real world and becomes my escape.

4) How does your writing process work?
I try to write whenever I have free time during my day. With the first draft of my novel, I like to write hand-write in a notebook. Then, from the second-draft and onwards, I prefer to type in Google Docs. If there's internet access, I'm going to take as much advantage of it as I can. Listening to music helps immensely, depending on certain mood and tones in the story. I've been listening to these certain albums lately.

Aesthetic Perfection's 'Til Death

Standout tracks: Big Bad Wolf, Lights Out (Ready to Go), Showtime, The Dark Half, The New Black.

Saving Mr. Banks Soundtrack

Standout tracks: Chim Chim Cher-ee (East Wind), Walking Bus, Laying Eggs, The Magic Kingdom

Frozen Soundtrack

Standout tracks: Do You Want to Build a Snowman?, Let It Go, For the First Time in Forever (Reprise), Whiteout, The Great Thaw (Vuelie Reprise), Epilogue

Three Days Grace's One-X

Three Days Grace's self-titled debut

Standout tracks: I Hate Everything About You, Pain, Just Like You, Never Too Late, Animal I Have Become, Home

In This Moment's Blood

Standout tracks: Blood, Adrenalize, Whore, Scarlet, Comanche


Now I will hand on the blog tour tag to my dear friend Meg Elison!

BIO:

Ernest Hemingway shot himself in Idaho in 1961.

In 1964, Hunter S. Thompson visited the house in Ketchum to investigate the author’s death, which had been reported as an accident. Hemingway did not die by accident. He had made the decision to put an end to the pain in which he lived. Thompson knew that and admired it. When he left that house, he stole a pair of antlers that Hemingway had hanging on the wall of his writing room.

Thompson wrote under those antlers until 2005, when he decided to opt out just as Hemingway had done. Thompson shot himself in his house in Woody Creek, Colorado.

In 2005, I was living in Portland, Oregon. I loved the rain and the casual alcoholism and weirdness of the city. I shared an apartment with my monstrously selfish gay best friend, but I couldn’t stand to go home most nights. I was drinking in a bar by the airport and eavesdropping the night that it happened.

There was this tall, thin guy. He was standing with one knee up in that pose that makes a man look like he’s trying to air out his testicles, leaning over a woman who was far too young for him.

“So you know Hunter S. Thompson died?”

The girl looked at her drink, not at him. “Who?”

“The writer. The guy who wrote Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” His grin was sliding off him.

“Like the movie?” Mild interest.

“Well, the book the movie was based on. Yeah, the movie.”

“Oh. Ok. That’s sad.”

“He wrote a lot of other- anyway. He shot himself, in Colorado. I just came in from there, from Aspen. I got some shots of his office, but I couldn’t get an interview. But I got this.”

On the table sat a canvas bag that poorly concealed a pair of elk antlers. They poked out on either side, reaching off the table. I sipped my whiskey.

“You know who these used to belong to?”

“Who?” She looked up at him, drawn in.

He lit up like a pinball machine. “Ernest Hemingway. Thompson stole them from Hemingway, and I stole them from Thompson. That means I’m next. It’s like they passed me the torch.” He lifted his drink to his lips and watched her over the rim of the glass, waiting.

“Oh.”

“But see, I knew what I was going for. I knew the story from way back, so I bought another pair of antlers at a flea market and I switched them. I dropped these out the window and picked them up on my way out. They’ll never know. Isn’t that awesome? It’s the perfect crime.”

“Who’s Herman Hemingway?”

His face fell a little bit. “You’re an undergrad, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. I’m a philosophy major.”

“It’s a good thing you’re cute.” He reached out and chucked her chin. He got out of his testicle pose and set down his drink. “I’m going to the bathroom.” He stalked off.

She watched him disappear around the corner. Then she found her purse, scooted out of the booth, and walked out the door without looking back.

I finished my whiskey and looked at the time. I laid a ten dollar bill on the table and walked over to where the antlers sat in their canvas bag. I looked around and made my decision.

I slung the bag over my shoulder and walked out at a calm and leisurely pace. I caught the MAX train back home and put the antlers into my trunk. I was already packing to leave. The trunk moved with me to California, where I hung them on my wall.

I don’t know if his story was true. I don’t know if I stole a talisman of talent, of suicide, or of bullshit.

But I believe they are good luck. And so they are.

Links:

https://twitter.com/MegElison

www.facebook.com/meg.elison

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7793962.Meg_Elison

http://www.amazon.com/Meg-Elison/e/B00I1SI8TI/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_2

http://paganmeghan.wordpress.com/

I'm a Goodreads Author!

My oh my, I just received an email that I'm now listed on Goodreads as an official author! With my very own author page!

I feel kind of further validated as a writer...my "author photo" is taken by Tamara Locke

 

Since I was a contributor of Thrones of Desire, I qualified for an author page, and after emailing the Goodreads moderators, TA-DAAA!!!!! Despite the unfruitful queries of my last novel, this boosts my spirit.

I've also been receiving feedback on the draft summary of my new novel, which I will now state, is a New Adult fantasy BDSM-themed Little Red Riding Hood-inspired story. I spent the last day taking notes on the symbolisms within the story, derived from the original tale, and am now organizing the plot. I'm happy to say I'm receiving a handful of positive comments, though of course there are always going to be naysayers sprinkled into the bunch. Perhaps I shall dedicate another blog post to the feedback.

New Blog Layout

I've been absent from this blog for quite a while, due to that terrible miscarriage of the intended agent representation of my middle-grade fantasy novel. I've been suffering writer's block for the past several months. I never knew it could feel so terrible. Never before in my life had I ever sat before a computer screen or a notebook for hours, and be at loss for producing anything.

But I'm back! Just last week, an idea for a New Adult novel came to me with full force. I'm astounded--after spending months floundering in frustration, I've spent a whole week feeling elated and writing notes to plan out this new novel. I've been fleshing out characters, their motivations, drawing on BDSM and fetishes and my experience of being tied up and suspended (yes, you read that right! Wow, a lot has happened since I last updated this blog) and am now in the middle of building the story world and incorporating steampunk elements.

This is hopefully my 4th novel I will be able to complete an entire draft of. For now, here is one image that alludes to what my novel is about.

Do you like my blog layout too? It's been dramatically altered to reflect the sensibilities of this new novel too. :)

Caliber Magazine's Website is Currently Down

Currently, Caliber Magazine's website and blog (calibermag.org) is down. One of my fellow bloggers has been sending out job applications with Caliber's website on her resume. Meanwhile, I have included a link to my author archive in my more recent queries. However, over winter break for the past few weeks, a malware has apparently corrupted many of our files.

Therefore, if anyone is trying to visit our website, and is getting a malware warning, we're sorry for the current technical difficulties! Our tech team is currently trying to fix everything so that we all get back up in time for the spring semester and for the release of our newest issue!

And here is an apology kitty, as posted on Caliber Magazine's Facebook page.

Blog Tour: Seven Point Eight by Marie Harbon

This is my first blog tour post. Eee! So excited!
Today, I have the honor to host author Marie Harbon's debut sci-fi novel Seven Point Eight, the first in a five-part chronicle in which five characters seek the answers to the purpose of the universe and and question their existence. The characters are the talented and exotic Tahra Mamoun, PhD physicist Dr. Paul Eldridge, shrewd womanizer and businessman Max Richardson, compassionate geneticist Ava, and artsy musician Sam.

The series promises to be an intriguing exploration of the sciences, particularly quantum physics and biology, as some of the characters are heavily involved in research. But as this is the first book, there was more emphasis on character relationships, particularly between Tahra Mamoun and her benefactor Max Richardson, who takes her out of her life in the Middle East to educate her in the sciences in exchange for her intelligence for a career that would benefit his own. This was an intriguing read, with much dynamic intensity between the characters, and opens up with a particularly fascinating lecture given by Dr. Paul Eldridge:

Author Marie Harbon

“Today you have ridden a photon, where we
discovered that time is only relative to the speed of the
observer and, as we travel closer to the speed of light, time
slows down. If we were to journey to the star, Sirius, which is
eight light years away, at close to 186,000 miles per second,
we would return home to find everyone much older than
ourselves. Einstein also attempted to draw together space,
time, matter, gravitation and electromagnetism into one unified
theory, but this eludes him and it remains incomplete”.
“This brings us to the world of quantum weirdness;
where the universe exists as an infinite number of possibilities,
having no precise location or being until something happens to
lock one of those possibilities into place. This is known as
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle and it was postulated in
1927. In his double-slit experiment, a photon particle behaved
as if it passed through both slits at the same time, but, when it
was observed closely, it chose a definite slit. He concluded that
when we observe something, we turn quantum possibilities
into reality. Maybe it also means we can be in two places at
once!...I conclude this lecture with more questions; where is
quantum theory taking us? Will our reality be further shattered,
our quantum experiences breaking the bottom of the proverbial
pail? Will the world change beyond recognition because of
this? What applications will we find for this new knowledge?
And where, if any place whatsoever, is there room for God?

Once in a million chance. Harbon's book will be free from 16th April - 19th April on the Kindle Store. So what are you waiting for? Go and get your free copy on there during those three days!


And here is a quiz to see which character from Six Point Seven you are most like:

1. What interests you in life?
a. Exploring and being a part of something bigger
b. Science, technology
c. Music, art, creative self-expression
d. Nice house, stylish cars and fine clothes
e. Making a difference, doing something fantastic to benefit others

2. If you’re attracted to someone, how would you pursue them?
a. Pull out all the stops and use all your powers of seduction
b. The natural approach; strike up conversation and see where it goes
c. The romantic approach; write or sing a beautiful song
d. Splash out on gifts and fine dining
e. I must admit, I’ve been hurt before so I’m quite wary on an emotional level

3. What are your key strengths?
a. Courage, passion, determination
b. Intelligence, ability to solve problems
c. Creative and artistic
d. Leadership, persistence, cool headedness
e. Cooperation, compassion

4. Which ability would you prefer to be gifted with?
a. To see any place or time in the world
b. Intellectual genius
c. To speak with the dead
d. To be able to make a lot of money easily
e. Surprise me!

5. What is the purpose of special abilities?
a. To yield power over others
b. Success and recognition
c. They’re just a curse
d. To make money
e. To help others

6. What would others say are your key faults?
a. Can be manipulative and controlling
b. Not thinking things through properly, hasty
c. Can be cocky at times, a loner
d. Possessive, too obsessed with things
e. Too trusting at times

 MOSTLY A

You’re a feisty and passionate individual just like Tahra, who’ll stop at nothing to get what you want.
There’s an almost rebellious determination inside of you yet you love wholeheartedly and this brings out your sweeter side. Your downside is the need to exert control over others, try to be more sensitive.

MOSTLY B

Intellectually, you’re strong and will go far in the world of technology and science, like Paul. There is a naturalness and spontaneity about you and you generally get on well with others. However, you need to think your decisions through more carefully and look at the longer term repercussions.

MOSTLY C

You’re a romantic and artistic soul, just like Sam. Ideally, you’d like to get on with creating beautiful art or music but the Universe has other ideas. Deep down, you’re very sure of yourself but generally don’t blend well with others, preferring to beat your own drum.

MOSTLY D

You have your feet firmly planted in the material world, just like Max. Your status, lifestyle and the things you own are important to you but at times, you can cling too hard to these. In life, maybe you need to broaden your horizons and see that money and security aren’t everything.

MOSTLY E

Like Ava, you are a gentle soul who’d like to contribute something meaningful to the world, but you’re not sure how you fit in. Because you’re a genuine person deep down, you often believe others are the same but unfortunately, they can take advantage. However, you’re a credit to the world and your time will come!

Taste Book Trailer and Excerpt Reveal

It looks like this week will be a week of book tours on my blog, something I'm doing for the first time! I am hosting author Kate Evangelista to promote her paranormal fantasy book, Taste. Here, below, is a summary:

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

Author Kate Evangelista

 

And just who is Kate Evangelista, you ask? Well, when Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.

Author Website: www.kateevangelista.com

Twitter: @KateEvangelista

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Evangelista/165693410143202

Find Taste on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13484226-taste

Crescent Moon Press page for Taste: http://crescentmoonpress.com/books/Taste.html

Here is the book trailer:

Song Credits: "Hunger" © Noelle Pico.

Full Download available at http://sheisnoelle.bandcamp.com

And now, an excerpt of Taste.

I mentally stomped on the intimidation their perfection brought into my mind and said, “Excuse me.”

The group froze, startled by my words. The girls had their brows raised and the boys stopped mid-speech, mouths agape. They stared at me with eyes the shade of onyx stones.

I smiled and gave them a little wave.

The boy a step ahead of the rest recovered first. His stunning features went from shocked surprise to intense interest. He reminded me of a hawk eyeing its prey. I gulped.

“A Day Student,” he said, his eyes insolent and excited.

Something about the way he said “Day Student” made my stomach flip. “Excuse me?”

They snickered. The boys looked at each other while the girls continued to stare, muffling their laughter by delicate hands. I seemed to be the butt of some joke. 

“You broke the rule.” The boy’s grin turned predatory.

The students formed a loose semi-circle in front of me. My gaze darted from face to face. Hunger filled their eyes. The image of lions about to chase down a gazelle came to mind. I mentally shook my head. I was in the mountains not the Serengeti for crying out loud.

I took a small step back and cleared my throat. “Can any of you give me a ride back to the dorms?”

The boy wagged his forefinger like a metronome. “Ah, that’s unfortunate for you.”

One of the girls pinched the bridge of her nose. “Eli, you can’t possibly—”

“It’s forbidden, Eli,” another boy interrupted, pronouncing the word “forbidden” like a curse.

The nervous murmur at the pit of my stomach grew louder. Six against one. Not good odds. Instinct told me to cut my losses and run. Bad enough I faced expulsion, now it seemed like weird, beautiful people who’d suddenly appeared on campus wanted to beat me up. No, scratch that. Judging from the way they studied me, beating me up wouldn’t satisfy them. Something more primal prowled behind their looks.

I definitely wasn’t going down without a fight. Years of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat classes had me prepared. While other children from rich and important families got bodyguards, I got defense training. But I think my father meant for my skills to go up against potential kidnappers, not against other students who may or may not be crazy. Oh God! Maybe I stepped into a parallel universe or something when I reentered Barinkoff.

“None of the students are supposed to be on campus,” I said. Then, realizing my mistake, I added, “Okay, I know I’m not supposed to be here either. If one of you gives me a ride back to the dorms, I won’t say anything about all this. Let’s pretend this never happened. I didn’t see you, you didn’t see me.”

“We’re not ordinary students,” Eli answered. “We’re the Night Students.”

He’d said “Night Students” like the words were capitalized. I didn’t know Barinkoff held classes at night. What was going on here?

Eli smiled with just one side of his mouth and said to the group, “She’s right, no one will have to know. We’re the only ones here. And it’s been so long, don’t you agree?”

The rest of them nodded reluctantly.

“What’s been so long?” I challenged. I fisted my hands, ready to put them up if any of them so much as twitched my way.

“Since the taste of real flesh passed through my lips,” Eli said. He came forward and took a whiff of me then laughed when I cringed.

“Flesh.” Yep, parallel universe.

“Yes,” he said. “And yours smells so fresh.”

Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and yanked me back before I could wrap my mind around the meaning behind Eli’s words. In a blink, I found myself behind someone tall. Someone really tall. And quite broad. And very male.

I realized he wore the same clothes Eli and the other boys did. Not good. He was one of them. Although… I cocked my head, raking my gaze over him. He seemed born to wear the uniform, like he was the pattern everyone else was cut from. My eyes wandered to long, layered, blue-black hair tied at the nape by a silk ribbon. Even in dim light, his hair possessed a sheen akin to mercury.

I looked down. The boy’s long fingers were wrapped around my wrist like a cuff. His fevered touch felt hotter than human standards, hot enough to make me sweat like I was standing beside a radiator but not hot enough to burn.

“I must be mistaken, Eli,” the boy who held my arm said in a monotone. “Correct me. Did I hear you say you wanted to taste the flesh of this girl?”

A hush descended on us. It had the hairs at the back of my neck rising. How was it possible for the atmosphere to switch from threatening to dangerous? Unable to help myself, I peeked around the new guy’s bulk. Eli and his friends bowed. They all had their right hands on their chests.

“Demitri, I’m sure you misheard me,” Eli said.

So the guy standing between me and the person who said he’d wanted to taste me was named Demitri. I like the sound of his name. Demitri. So strong, yet rolls off the tongue. Definite yum factor.

“So, you imply I made a mistake?” Demitri demanded.

“No!” Eli lifted his gaze. “I did no such thing. I simply wanted to show the girl the consequences of breaking curfew.”

“Hey!” I yelled. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”

Demitri ignored my protest and continued to address Eli. “So, you threatened to taste her flesh.” His fingers tightened their grip around my wrist. “In the interest of investigating this matter further, I invoke the Silence.”

All six students gasped, passing surprised glances at one another.

Before I could ask about what was going on, Demitri yanked me down the hall toward the library. But why there? Oh, maybe we were getting my things. No, wait, he couldn’t have known about that. Everything was too confusing now.

Eli and the others didn’t try to stop us when we passed them. Demitri’s cold command must have carried power. Handsome and powerful, never a bad combination on a guy.

We reached the heavy double doors in seconds. He jerked one open effortlessly. I’d needed all my strength just to squeeze through that same door earlier. To him, the thick wood might as well have been cardboard. I raised an eyebrow and mentally listed the benefits of going to gym class.

“Why are we here?” I asked after my curiosity overpowered my worry. I’d almost forgotten how frightened I’d been right before Demitri showed up. I wasn’t above accepting help from strangers. Especially from gorgeous dark-haired strangers with hot hands and wide shoulders.

Demitri kept going, tugging me along, snaking his way deeper into the library. I had to take two steps for every stride his legs made. I tried to stay directly behind him, praying we didn’t slam into anything.

He stopped suddenly and I collided with him. It felt like slamming into a wall.

“Hey,” I said, momentarily stunned. “A little warning would be nice!”

He faced me, and I gasped. His eyes resembled a starless night, deep and endless. Their intensity drilled through me without pity, seeming to expose all my secrets. I felt naked and flustered beneath his gaze.

“You could have died back there,” he warned.

A lump of panic rebuilt itself in my throat.