mmmMMMonday . . . New Mexico, GRL, and A Picture of Penis!

Before take- off!

CAUTION!! The following is the TRUE tale of two people's journey to New Mexico.  And what happened at the Gay Romance Literature retreat.  No names have been changed because they're are no innocent! YOU WERE WARNED! Article by Wt and Julie Prater

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY                                                   
      "So before we began what was to be a 25 hour journey to GRL, there was of course a lot of very last minute packing.  In a few hours we were due in Memphis to pick up the third for our cross country journey, Miss Allison Cassatta. (Miss Cassatta could not be reached to confirm or deny this story).  And just fyi, although we were traveling to New Mexico this tale does not include any aliens or space ships although if we had been abducted it would have been a faster journey.  As it was we encountered two major traffic jams (just before we got to Memphis and just after we left) that cost us 3 hours of driving time. We stopped at Denny’s (a Prater tradition since that is where we met) in two different states, Oklahoma and Arkansas.  There were few memories that we had that were more traumatizing than Julie Waking to see a giant cross and the giant guy on the horse that tried to wrangle her from which she had to be saved by Will." ---Julie

Captured!

Saved!

                                                                            

      "Upon arrival to the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel we were impressed  by it’s grandeur.  For a fairly inexpensive hotel it was very posh. And overall incredibly friendly and helpful.  The first person I saw was Eden Winters searching frantically for her packages at the conciege station. While Julie unloaded the car and had our bags delivered up to the room and Allison too pooped to talk nearly crawled to her room, I stalked the lobby looking for other people from last year's GRL.  As I saw Kate McMurray standing in line and started meeting up with people from the previous year, I heard movement behind me. Xara X Xanakas had already put down her cup and was ready for the oncoming battle. Head up, arms open, she assumed attack pose." ---Wt

     "Well, the first thing I heard was an unnatural noise, something like a squee of joy, and then at the speed of light, he was running across the lobby at her. They embrace seemed to last forever, i couldn't tell if he was attacked her or giving her Heimlich backwards. And da same thing with Poppy Dennison. I was scared, so scared." --- General Onlooker

     "I was just excited to see them all. I realize the same thing kept happening over and over again with shorter hugs as I encountered people from the previous year especially my writing Family: Poppy Dennison, Michelle L Montgomery, Cherie Noel, Xara, L.C. Chase, M J O'Shea, Eden and so many others.  And it does need to be mentioned that Missy Welsh you were missed!" ---Wt

     "He was flying around, meeting up with various people he had been chatting with online such as Sara York (who gave lots of free books) Ellis Carrington, and Edmond Manning.  We were so hungry that when he stopped for a moment, I plead for food. He asked about places and we ended up as Tiwa eating with Xara, Zach Sweets and his partner Neil, K-lee Klein, Adara, Shae Conner, Piper Vaughn and Sue.  The food at Tiwa was awesome, particularly the egg rolls and coconut sauce.

     During dinner William proposed to K-lee because she needed a "conventional" husband. And since we believe in poly relationships, she became the third wive, behind Julie and Xara. (Because, of course, Will had married Xara at the last convention so that was still in effect.)  He even got them a ring (pop) each in their next adventure.

     J. P. Barnaby showed up during dinner to say hi and ask for a small favor: Could anyone drive her to Wal-Mart?  Will, in his usual nature, volunteered me. So the five of us (Will, J.P., Shae, Adara and I) went on a little excursion to wal-mart for candy and picture frames."---Julie

    "We got back to the hotel, and Julie and I took much needed showers and then went to early registration! Getting checked in was done with a quickness, which amazed everyone. Many kudos to the volunteers and organizers for speeding up last years process. The only thing I missed was my t-shirt!

All the swag.

      At some point a black hole occurred and a few hours disappeared because the next thing we remember we were at Fusion505 with a large group of GRLers and eating not so great food. However it did give us the opportunity to hang out with KC Burn and her husband Alex and talk to Elisa who hosts the Rainbow Awards. And of course get to know Adara a little better, which is only right, with her being a fellow Nashvillian.  After a long day that had actually started Tuesday morning we finally headed to the room and crashed after hanging out with William Cooper and Anel Viz, our roommates, ever so briefly." ---Wt

THURSDAY

     "Thursday morning came too soon, as I headed down to the main room to get the prime swag ahead of Julie. Within the first half hour or so of being there, I lost my phone in my abundant swag wrangling fervor. Luckily Julie was there to save the day and hawked the registration table until it was turned in. Some of the memorable swag was: Christopher Koehler’s giant blue bags, B A Tortuga had some awesome squishy bulls, Kiernan Kelly had some kickass nude playing cards, Vicktor Alexander's notebooks were awesome and of course, Joyee Flynn's pecker checkers. "--Wt

Bottom Corner, Wt!

 "All the publishers had awesome giveaway items, cups and calendars, and such. There were some yummy book sales. So of course Will started yoinking them up asap. I noticed from across the room that Kiernan Kelly grabbed Will and took him over to the Torquere table and showed him a piece of swag.  Much squeeing and bouncing occurred at this point. It turns out that his name was on one of the cards announcing his first published short story, Two Tiny Secrets. The swag room was so awesome (six bags of swag!) that I was late for the newbie meet and great and was just in time to be advised that it was rude to hop in and out of the various sessions.  At which point is when Will wondered off." ---Julie

Blinged out!

"I escaped when I got a text from Lissa Kasey asking where I was. So I joined her and Xara for another meal at Tiwa, and then we all went to the Musa spotlight to learn more about that publishing company. I got to talk and hang out with Elizabeth Silver, Kelly and Carrie Mand.  Meanwhile, Julie went and pimped the hell out of her badge." ---Wt

     "Next was the Red Hot Pictionary. So various audience member were picked, and we had to draw a picture of the word they received based on an exerpt from the book Unconventional Love. When it was Devon Rhodes’ turn to pick someone, Will got chosen. What followed was nothing short of a laugh riot.

The Unconventional Writer's and Julie!

     As the panelists, the authors of the book sat there (Carol Lynne, Jambrea Jo Jones, T.A. Chase, Amber Kell,  and Stephanie Hecht, and Devon Rhodes),Will attempted to draw his word. The first part of the drawing appeared to be a candy corn and next to it a rocket, I thought it was a dildo vs. a butt plug but nope, foreskin. After the audience laughed for about five minutes, Will then read the exerpt, which was even funnier. There is video out there of Will reading the exerpt if you would like to search for it, it isn't hard to find." ---Julie

     "Then we went to the Resplendence Q and A. And hung out with Xara, Lissa, Zach and his honey. Afterwords, we all wanted non-hotel food. So we ended up traversing out to Cervesas for lunch. There were 7 of us (K-lee had joined us at that point). The restaurant was very good, but the thing that amazed us were the decorations. (Pictures coming soon). Then we rushed back to the hotel and were only a few minutes late for the opening ceremonies which MLR hosted. I sat with AJ Kelton, and Brandi (Will's roomates from the previous year) while Will floated like a butterfly around the room talking to everyone and anyone." ---Julie

     "To finish up that night, we celebrated at the Gentlemans Juke Joint, where we sat with Keirnan Kelly and her husband and watched the mediocre strippers that didn't really strip (or dance with the guys much). Cat Grant stopped by and hung out with us a bit, and I won some books by Barry Brennessel (OMG! So cute!) Apparently, we left before the best dancing started. According to Adara and her video phone, Damon Suede and Jared took the stage and burned it down, SO DAMN HOT!" ---Wt

 COMING TOMORROW . . . .

PART TWO: THE JOURNEY INTO THE CITY, THE WORSE DANCING EVER, 

AND THE FINAL FAREWELL!

More to come! The journey into the city!

The power of the Triad and Poppy . . . a mmmMMMonday interview with Poppy Dennison!

Just for reading this interview, and commenting on it, you are entered to possibly win one or two FREE books. SO DO IT! And you'll be glad you did!

Wt - This is Wt Prater, and i'm here today interviewing Poppy Dennison. Thanks for being here.

PD - Thanks for having me!

Wt - So, apparently today is bad 80's movie, as I'm currently watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. What's your guilty pleasure?

PD -  As far as 80's movies are concerned, I'm a John Hughes girl. Give me the Molly Ringwald movies any day and I'm curled up and happy. Sixteen Candles...*happy sigh* That moment when Jake and Sam are leaning across the table. Gets me every single time! Oh, and when she walks out and he’s leaning against the car. Gah! I’m revealing my age here, aren’t I? Those movies are the ones I watched during my impressionable tween years and have always seemed the most romantic to me.

Outside of 80's movies, I'm normally curled up reading the newest paranormal romance I can find with a huge mug of coffee by my side.

Wt - What book(s) are you currently reading?

PD - I'm a huge Mary Calmes fan and just finished a reread of her Matter of Time series in preparation for the newest one coming out. Love those books. Jory is an amazing character. I try to keep up with a few other paranormal series, including the Anita Blake books and the Southern Vampires by Charlaine Harris. Unfortunately, I haven't been reading a lot lately because I'm in the middle of writing 3 of my own! I think that’s a pretty valid excuse though, don’t you?

Wt -  Tell us about your current projects.

PD - I've just submitted a novella with a sick werewolf and the nurse who takes care of him. It was such a fun story to write and the main character really tested me! Andrew is a feisty bit of goods and finds himself in over his head with shapeshifters. He doesn’t even know they exist! I'm hoping to have good news on it soon.

 I'm currently writing a vampire christmas short that has me giggling at every turn. What happens when a vampire falls for a television cooking show host? I’m having a blast writing it and love stories where I can play up the humor. Funny paranormal books aren’t around a lot, but I’m hoping my fans enjoy my twist on this one.

And I can't leave out Soul Magic, the third and final book in the Triad series. This book really packs a punch and I have a feeling I'm going to be in big trouble with my readers when it comes out! It’s very challenging for me to write, because I know it’s the last time I’ll be venturing into this world (well, at least for a while anyway!). This one features more of Simon and Gray, and wraps up the big “whodunit” of the series. And yes, for the fans who are asking me, it does feature Cormac in a romantic role!

Wt - For you is there a difference in writing novels and short stories? And how so?

PD - In a lot of ways, they are very similar for me. The process, in fact, is exactly the same. Both start with a major idea, usually a scene that is clear to me. It plays in my head like a movie and I have to write it down. Then I build the story around it. The difference between novels and shorter stories comes in the subplots. When I'm working on something like Soul Magic, the plotting becomes much more intricate and time consuming. I have more characters to deal with, and more threads to keep moving forward.  In a novella or short story, I have to limit the amount of subplots because I simply don't have the word count available to fully delve into them. I can’t introduce as many characters, either.

Wt -  Speaking of Soul Magic, how's the Triad doing? I was checking out reviews on Mind Magic, and it seems it's doing a little better in reviews than Body Magic.

PD -  Body Magic seems to be doing very well. The series is doing much better than I could ever have imagined. It's hard to come on the scene as a newbie and have a book that people really connect with, but my readers seem to really enjoy Gray, Simon, and the rest of the pack. I'm thrilled with the response!
 

Wt - In planning the Triad, how much did you plan out ahead?

PD - Triad was originally one book, so I had a pretty good idea of where it was going from the beginning idea. In fact, I knew the ending of book three before I knew anything about the middle of the series because it was supposed to be the ending of book one! I have a notebook full of notes on the series. Characters and plot points and romance, oh my! As I'm writing the third book, I keep referring back to those notes to make sure I keep my original intention in mind. The series is really about Simon's journey, and I hope that as the other characters appear around him, my readers see how they all impact him and his growth as a person, a mage, and a mate.
 

Wt - Well, I love the first one, and i know the second one came out Sept. 20. Do you have date for the third one?

PD - I'm hoping to have the third book out in April 2013, as close to a year from the original release of Mind Magic as I can. I like the symmetry of it. I have a few shorter pieces scheduled for release in the meantime, so I’m hoping my fans don’t yell too loudly about the long wait.

Wt - And these are available through Dreamspinner Press. When you deciding which house to go through, why did you ultimately decide on DSP?

PD - I did quite a bit of research on several different publishers in the genre. Ultimately, word of mouth helped make my decision for me. Every author I spoke with who had published with Dreamspinner loved the team and the process. I'm so thankful I decided to go with them. Elizabeth North is amazing to work with, and the editing team has really saved my bacon a few times. It's been an amazing experience.

Wt - Besides online promotion, are there events that you attend to promote sales? AKA do you spend much time at conventions and such?

PD - I haven't attended any events yet. Last year, I attended GayRomLit in New Orleans as a reader (which is where I met you, Will! *g*). I will be at GayRomLit in Albuquerque this month, but honestly, I'm so much of a fangirl that I don't consider that event promoting sales at all! For me, it’s all about connecting with friends, and if they happen to buy a book afterwards, that’s a bonus. I will be attending Olde City, New Blood, a paranormal convention in St. Augustine, Fl next year that will be more sales oriented. Heck, who am I kidding. I'll be fangirling my way through that convention as well!

Wt - And I noticed you are a fan of blog hopping. Have you found that to be useful in finding new authors and new followers?

PD - Absolutely. As both an author and a reader, the more involved I am in the genre, the more I learn. I find other authors to read, those who share my interests, and have made some amazing friends in the process. I think the best way to find new authors and followers is to be sincerely interested in what’s going on in the genre. There’s a lot to keep up with, but with so many social media options available, everyone can find a niche where they fit in. Blog hops are a great tool for that purpose. It’s a bit of the Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon game. I might not know an author, but they know a friend of mine, and we connect by both doing a blog hop.

Wt - Any new faves?

PD - I'm a huge fan of Jeremy Pack. His new book, To Touch the Stars, blew my mind. Your readers are probably familiar with Jeremy from his interview here. He’s a true gem in this genre, and has wit and wisdom that I admire greatly. As to blogs, I follow the Chicks & Dicks blog because they tend to touch on issues as both a writer and reader that I care about. It’s not all about promotion. I don’t think you can go into any of the social media aspects only thinking about selling another book. How boring would that be? I like interacting with other fans and readers and learning from my fellow authors.
 

Wt -  Do you do NaNo?

PD - I don't do NaNo, but am considering it this year. I'm going to hit up Kiernan Kelly in Albuquerque for some advice. Shall I hit you up as well, Will?

Wt - Please do it! More inspiration aka ass-kicking!

PD - I'm definitely considering it! I need to check the NaNo rules because I've technically just started writing Soul Magic so I'm not sure it will count. Either way, I could use the daily challenge practice and I’m very interested in the community aspect of NaNo. I’ve thought about it for the past couple years, but the timing never seems to be right.

Wt - So, are there any questions you wish i had asked and/or any questions you never want to be asked again?

PD - I must say that I'm still kind of a newbie at this whole interview gig, so there aren't any questions that I've gotten tired of...yet! LOL. Other than that, I think you covered things well. Thanks so much for having me!

Wt - Well, What can I say . . .you are still one of my biggest inspirations!

PD - *hugs* Thank you so much Wt. I don't think of myself as an inspiration. I'm just thrilled to be writing stories that I love, and hope to be able to continue doing this for years to come! And I plan on you being right there with me so get to work! I can’t wait to see you this week in Albuquerque. 


Poppy Dennison developed an obsession with things that go bump in the night in her early years after a barn door flew off its hinges and nearly squashed her. Convinced it was a ghost trying to get her attention, she started looking for other strange and mysterious happenings around her. Not satisfied with what she found, Poppy has traveled to Greece, Malaysia and England to find inspiration for the burly bears and silver foxes that melt her butter. Her love of paranormal continues to flourish nearly thirty years later, and she writes steamy love stories about the very things that used to keep her up all night. If her childhood ghost is lucky, maybe one day she’ll give him his own happily ever after.
 

Do the Hop, Get FREE Stuff, and Learn About First Loves!

This is my first entry for the TRR GLBT Madness Hop! This hop will last four days, from the 27th to the 30th. Please join us in supporting all the blogs that are included! As for Just Write and SO Gay, today we are focusing on our First Loves of Book! And just for commenting on this blog, you could recieve a copy of my first story, which has never been published! Exercising His Options is a story of a closed minded man named Enver Mann who takes a journey that blows his mind, and opens up his options.This story is so hot you will not want to read it in public. And you can WIN YOUR FREE COPY before the masses get it!  ***CLICK ON THE LINK AT THE END OF ARTICLE TO GO TO THE NEXT BLOG INCLUDED IN THIS HOP***

 

       So today, on my blog I thought I would talk about first loves. Not in humans, because that would take a novel (hey, cool idea, huh?). i want to talk about first loves in books. Two years ago, I didn't know that there was a M/M catergory. I was searching quite desparately in all the books I was reading to find GLBT characters, trying to read between the lines and see if Ron was really in love with Harry (the Dumbledore secret, WHAT?) and hoping and praying Jacob was really in love with any of his pack rather than Bella (I think that would have made the story more interesting), and so forth. I was almost hard up enough to start digging through Fan Fic to find the kind of stuff that I really wanted to read.         

     And then a friend suggested I attend GRL Gay Rom Lit, and at first, I blew it off thinking I didn't need another convention to add to my roster. I was already going to 6 or 7 a year. However, I went to their website and read about it. I was hooked. I registered within a week, but I could see one small problem: of the hundred and seventy-ish authors that were attending, I was familar with one or two of the names. And I mean, familar as in I had seen, but never read. So, I did what any rational bibliophile would do: I made a list of ALL the authors and started stalking them.

     I wore out Facebook, GoodReads, and google search finding every story that this group had published. I would describe this experience as a step toward Heaven. Finding so many authors that wrote what I wanted to read, OMG many times over. And we won't even talk about how much money went into this venture.  I am still exploring many of these authors a year later. And I've added tons of authors to my list. But one name stands out above and beyond all the others. Because it was my first love. Now I have loved many authors since then, but one's first love always holds a special place.  Any one who knows me knows this is the first author I recommend to any one looking to explore this genre. That author, whom I adore above all others, is J P Barnaby. 

      I began my exploration of Barnaby's Little Boy Lost series with Enlightened, the first of the six book series. This book started with "My name is Brian Patrick McAllister, and I am going to hell." And caught me immediately. I grew up in the south, Tennessee, so I understood being condemned by the church. But reading Brian's story, he gave me hope. Not because his story is so unlike mine, but because his story was exactly mine. Finding love, and having that love become your salvation. Now, I don't want to spoil these books for anyone who hasn't read them, but they take the reader on a journey unlike anything I've read before or since. The plots may be somewhat predictable, but the emotions are not. They are the most realistic fiction I've ever read.  Now keep in mind with your first love, you don't notice the imperfections you just see the overall arc of the relationship.  And this describes my relationship with this book.

     Unlike most books where I have felt sympathy for the character, this book and all the others that follow it I felt with the characters. (Spoiler) When Jamie is "gay bashed" in the second book, his road to recovery is realistic and heartfelt and inspirational to me. He fights and falls down with such truth that following his journey is better than watching an edisode of Queer as Folk or Noah's Ark. I loved the characters in these books, not for their strengths but for their obvious humanity. As the third book and Brian's journey continues, the audience gets to see a big city from a small town's point of view. Even through fear of the unknown, we get to see the search for true love prevail and meet new characters that are fleshed out and idealistic but grounded.

     Whether the reader has never read M/M before, or has read tons, this series will open up a newness to the genre that is much needed. I have given copies of these books to my wife to read as well. Because in my humble opinion one hasn't read M/M done well until they have read these books. Thank you to J P Barnaby and the Little Boy Lost series for setting an incredible standard of impecible fiction.  And for being my first love. I will always remember you.