Tags: gay pride and prejudice | Ryan Field | same sex marriage | readers questions

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Friday, May 15, 2009

Food and Romance...

In both books, AN OFFICER AND HIS GENTLEMAN and PRETTY MAN, I wrote a few scenes that combined food with romance. There are no kinky sex food scenes in either book, because the stories didn't call for that. The food scenes were emotional and romantic, not sexy. But I've been amazed at how many readers have either commented on the food and romance angle, or bought the book just because there are scenes that combine romance and food. In PRETTY MAN I wrote about cupcakes and chocolate, but in AN OFFICER AND HIS GENTLEMAN I went into great depth about food because the main character's profession is in the food industry. Below is an excerpt from a food scene in "An Officer and his..." that some readers have commented on with various blog posts. So I thought I'd share it here.

Chance was usually awake by five each morning and down in the kitchen by five-thirty. This was his creative cooking time. Sometimes he baked large blueberry muffins with buttery golden tops; other times he prepared rich loaves of pound cake, or puffy glazed cinnamon rolls, or delicate foccacia bread. Each morning he cooked something special for the day, a recipe he’d designed and created himself that he displayed magnificently in a massive wooden bowl lined with a black and white striped cloth at the end of the deli counter.

At first, Dan had been completely against the idea of having a “special” for each day of the week; his idea of running a market was to put out the basics (cans of baked beans and ketchup) and collect the money. But when he saw how the customers flocked to the black and white striped cloth and were willing to pay twenty dollars for one of Chance’s pound cakes, or four dollars for one of his blueberry muffins, he shut his mouth. Half the time he couldn’t even pronounce the specials, like when Chance baked loaves of bread and topped them with olive tappenaude; but the people knew and they bought whatever he cooked. And by the end of the day the wooden bowl was always empty. It was rumored there were people who only went to Dan’s market to see what the special for the day was. And it was always something they couldn’t get anywhere else but there.

That day he whistled on his way down the back stairs. He’d been so inspired by his dream that he decided to create an original Buffalo chicken spread, something hot and spicy you could either spread on a cracker as an appetizer, spread on a sour dough roll for lunch, or even place on a bed of baby greens for a light supper…the possibilities were endless. He’d done Buffalo chicken wings before; he’d even created a special Buffalo chicken calzone; but never a hot, spicy spread. He decided to use two extra, special ingredients: Marscapone cheese and just a hint of capers. He liked to layer different flavors, to combine an overall effect, which would add a delicate, pleasant under taste to an original recipe. With blueberry muffins he always added a hint of lime; no one knew, but the combination created a taste sensation that people couldn’t resist. The special ingredient didn’t have to be exotic and expensive either. With his remarkable Mac and Cheese special, the two ingredients that made it taste exotic were nothing more than mustard powder and nutmeg.

Tags: An Officer and His Gentleman | Food and Romance | Ryan Field | Amazon.com

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Saturday, April 25, 2009

LASTING LUST: KINKY COUPLES IN LOVE...RELEASE DAY

My new anthology, LASTING LUST: KINKY COUPLES IN LOVE, was just released by ravenous romance today. All the authors who contributed were wonderful and professional to work with, and their stories are fantastic. There's something for everyone in this book, with a few gay stories, and one that involves a unique relationship with a hot TV soap star and the transgender he falls in love with.

Tags: Lasting Lust: Kinky Couples in Love | anthologies | ravenousromance.com | Ryan Field

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Since Sex and Taxes released on April 15th, I've been thinking more and more about how taxes are more or less inevitable.  Why not make them sexy?  I'm pleasantly surprised to see Sex and Taxes in this week's top 10 list.  "Barrel of Fun," makes me get little naughty shivers every time I picture what the characters do in the story.

Speaking of naughtiness, I drove from Tennessee to Iowa on Thursday of last week and then from Iowa back to Tennessee on Sunday.  22 hours of driving in four days was a bit much.

But Ravenous Romance audio books made the driving oh, so much better!

Of the three titles I played in the car, so far my favorite is by far Ryan Field's An Officer and His Gentle Man.  As much as I could allow myself to be on edge and wishing I could pull over while driving, I found myself cussing under my breath every time the GPS started talking to me.  I backtracked on the CD tract every time the GPS decided that taking the right exit was more important than the sexy male voice pumping through the speakers of my car.

Let me tell you, the canned voice on my GPS got on my nerves when it interrupted the dirty talk and naughty deeds between the two main characters!  I wasn't quite ready to disable the GPS, but I considered it.

Aural stimulation while driving is such fun.  :)  I'm pleased to be a part of these anthologies with such talented writers.

Tags: driving | arousal | aural stimulation | naughty | GLBT | Spanking | Sex and Taxes | An Officer and His Gentle Man | Barrel of Fun | gay | audio books | audiobooks | Lori Perkins | Ryan Field | Jen Bluekissed

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A Nice Review...

When it comes to reviews, you never know. Most of the time there's something to be learned from each reviewer that helps the writing process progress. Yes, as hard as it is, even the bad ones help...most of the time. In the past sixteen years, I've had good ones, marginally good ones, and some that weren't very nice. It comes with the territory; you take the good with the bad and smile.

But bless the person who wrote this.

Tags: reviews | An Offider and his Gentleman | Ryan Field | erotic romance

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Happy Launch Day for SEX AND TAXES...

The new anthology, SEX AND TAXES, was just released today. The timing couldn't have been better, and the stories are hot. I contributed a gay story to this that's about a sexy personal trainer who seeks help with his taxes from a nerdy accountant. But once they start working together, it turns out the nerdy accountant is interested in much more than just taxes. Below is the intro to the book. I'll post something from my story later this week.

It’s that time of the year again, when we try to make sense of every receipt, credit card charge, and explain how we spent so much on taxi cabs and dry cleaning. I am always fascinated by what I spent and how I spent it, but bored beyond belief at having to go through the process of tallying up these figures and explaining them to my accountant, who is another single woman like myself.
It takes me days to get my personal taxes in order because I daydream about anything but doing my taxes. I also daydream about some hot young accountant doing my taxes, and then about me doing some hot young accountant.
And that’s what inspired this anthology.
Believe it or not, I think the process of doing my taxes leads to erotic daydreams. And that’s the case with these ten stories about desperate taxpayers and the accountants who service them, as well as the IRS agents who take advantage of them, or allow themselves to be taken advantage of. There’s even a true bloodsucking accountant in the mix.
So we hope that after you’ve waited on that long line at he post office to send your taxes to the feds and the state (with your check enclosed), you’ll curl up with this nice ebook and think about what could have been. Or maybe start looking for a hot new accountant for next year (and send us a referral!).
Lori Perkins
April, 2009

Tags: Sex and Taxes | Lori Perkins | erotic romance anthology | ravenous romance | Ryan Field

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The Title Caught My Eye, February 28, 2009

I haven't read anything else by this author, but the title caught my eye and I decided to take a chance. I'm glad I did. The writing is excellent, the story kept me interested at all times, and I was not disappointed at all. It was perfect entertainment for a snowy weekend in the end of February, and it was a great way to escape from all of life's little problems.

In other news, I just bought myself a gift certificate from Ravenous to take advantage of the 'buy one, get the same amount free' deal.  Now I can start to make my way through all the luscious titles I've been drooling over by my fellow Ravenous authors.  There's a certain food related anthology I've been eyeing, just to start...

Tags: Ryan Field | ripping the bodice | reviews

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Tags: Short story | Bert and Betty | Ryan Field | writing

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I've had some excellent submissions for this. One is from a fresh new writing voice who comes across as romantic and masculine and funny all at once. This guy knows what he's doing!! He loves romance, and loves women and loves writing about love that can stand the tests of time. And there are still a few openings for other stories, too. When it comes to creative possibilities, the sky is the limit with this anthology. I've posted the same call here, too: http://www.ryan-field.blogspot.com.

Lasting Love

Editor: Ryan Field

Publisher RavenousRomance.com

Deadline: February 14, 2009

Romance author Ryan Field is editing an anthology titled, "Lasting Love," for ravenousromance.com that deals with couples who have been together a long time. Looking for short stories, or essays, that range from 2,000 - 5,000 words, about couples who have lasted. This could include married couples, or unmarried couples; just as long as they have been together for more than five years. Ages could range from couples who were high school sweethearts, now in their mid-twenties, to couples in their early fifties. This is mainly hetero, but a few same sex couple stories will be considered. The hotter the better, but the storyline and quality of writing has to be strong, and the characters have to be well developed and believable.
The romantic aspects of this are unlimited, and it's a chance to write about a topic that offers many creative possibilities.

Submission deadline is February 14, 2009. E-mail your completed stories to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it in MS Word format. Include all contact info on the first page of the ms, including pen name and real name. Payment: A pro rata share of a 38% e-book, 15% audiobook, and 50% subsidiary rights royalty. And an advance of 10.00.

About the Editor: Ryan Field is a 35 year old freelance writer who lives and works in both New Hope, PA and Los Angeles, CA. His work has appeared in many books and anthologies over the past fifteen years, published by Cleis Press, STARbooks Press, Alyson Books, and others including well known print magazines and e-books.

Tags: Call for Submission | Ryan Field | Lasting Love Anthology | Short Stories

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When you write a book, sometimes it's simple to envision the cover and sometimes it's hard. With PRETTY MAN, it wasn't that easy...for me. I had images of the main characters; images that would have worked with the plot; images that involved the setting. But when I clicked onto ravenous a few minutes ago to see the cover for the first time, my initial reaction was complete satisfaction. It's simple, erotic and the model looks exactly as I'd envisioned one of the main characters. Even the window he's standing near looks like it popped to life from the book.

I've been in many books over the years where I've been slightly disappointed by book covers (never really completely disappointed; just slightly), and had to wonder what the publisher was thinking when they chose these covers. But with PRETTY MAN, I was blown away instantly. And that doesn't happen often. It's perfect. It captures the erotic elements, and the expression the model's face portrays the romantic elements I worked hard to incorporate.

I'll be posting more about PRETTY MAN, and more about AN OFFICER AND HIS GENTLEMAN in the future, because there are a few interesting stories about setting and plot and character development I think readers might enjoy. But I wanted to get a post up about the cover tonight to thank the people who were involved in creating it. They did a great job!!  

Tags: PRETTY MAN | An Officer and His Gentleman | Ryan Field | Panamour

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Yesterday afternoon, while I was working on the "American Star" series that's loosely based on the reality TV show "American Idol", I received an e-mail letting me know that PRETTY MAN is being released on ravenous. I'm told we're shooting for the 17th, and I'm thinking all this bitter cold weather in the east is perfect timing for this book. One of my goals with PRETTY MAN was to incorporate a good old fashioned romance with some steamy, passionate scenes.

I'll write more about PRETTY MAN next week. But I thought it would be interesting to mention that if the title hadn't been PRETTY MAN, it would have been "You have Chocolate on your Tooth." And that's because part of the novel is set on wonderful, old Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, where there's a fictional book shop that sells fine French chocolates. It's not far from the real-life bakery, Magnolia, where I've personally waited in line many times for their out-of-this- world cupcakes. On a warm summer night, it's hard to find another place where there's a street as romantic and endearing as Bleecker Street in New York. People can smell the aroma of rich, creamy chocolates all the way up to the avenue, and this little book shop is where the main characters meet and fall in love. An antique sign hanging above the chocolate counter reads, in French, "“Vous avez de la chocolat sur votre dent.”

I haven't seen the cover for PRETTY MAN yet, but from what I've been told I'm going to like it a lot.

Tags: chocolate and sex | erotic romance | ravenousromance.com | Panamour | Ryan Field | PRETTY MAN

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In one of my favorite works by Edna St. Vincent Millay, there's a classic quote that reads:

And this quote is a lot like the journey I've experienced so far with ravenousromance.com. Until recently, I always worked in traditional publishing and journalism. I wrote erotic romances and non-erotic romances for many editors and publishers. I wrote short stories and pieces for magazines and other publications. Over the course of fifteen years, since I graduated from college with a BA in English Lit, I literally lost track of the list of books and publications I was in. It was always about supplying the editor with what he or she needed. But more than that, creating something that the reader would enjoy. I'll get into more of how I did this in future posts (there are stories about where I worked as an assistant editor and how I wrote that might surprise people), because when you're starting out as a writer money isn't something that comes easily.

Right now, in this first post, I'd rather discuss the whirwind of ravenousromance.com. When I was first approached about it, I wasn't sure I could do it. Even though I'd always been in at least ten books a year, I'd always had time to think and prepare and contemplate. Traditional print publishing moves along at a slow, even pace: you submit a short story for a romance anthology in March and it usually takes a year, if not more, for the book to be released. (Magazines work a little faster, but if you submit something for a Christmas issue it's usually done in late summer.) But I was used to things being done the old way; I knew the drill and had my comfort zones.

And then came ravenousromance.com. I'd done a few things for other e-publishers by then. One, because I think e-publishing is the future in all genres. And two, because I was curious about it. And to be honest, even though I'd heard a few negative things from other writers, I soon found that e-publishing in general was a wonderful, professional place to work. Every aspect was positive, from editorial to cover design to final product. So when ravenous approached me with ideas and concepts for a book, I basically jumped into it without thinking twice. I'd heard good things about the owners, and I really believed in what they were trying to accomplish. This all started late last spring, which is typically a dead time in traditional publishing. But that summer was the most exciting and intense I can ever remember as a writer. We started by brainstorming about the book, AN OFFICER AND HIS GENTLEMAN, then I wrote a detailed outline and we brainstormed again through phone calls and e-mails. I was shocked at how much I liked and appreciated the comments from the editors; we clicked on all levels and when they suggested changes, I liked the suggestions. When I came back with changes of my own, they liked my suggestions. It was almost too good to be true.

In the next post I'll get into the process of writing AN OFFICER AND HIS GENTLEMAN. It wasn't always easy, and I burned the candle at both ends because I had other publishing obligations that summer, but it turned out to be a great deal of intense fun in the end. My goal, always, has been to reach readers who like to escape to places they normally wouldn't go. But I also like to add quirks you don't normally see in erotic romance. A huge part of that goal is to please the reader, entertain the reader and hope and pray they enjoy what I've written. Without the wonderful readers, there would be no point to writing.

Tags: writing | An Officer and His Gentleman | Ryan Field | erotic romance

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