Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| Ryan Field |
| Thanks to some special people... |
| 2009.01.21 05:52:19 | |
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This won't be a long post. But I wanted to thank a few of my old blogging friends from back when I did interviews with bestgayblogs.com. It was a great gig and I loved and looked forward to the personal, in-depth interviews I did with bloggers from Maine to Africa. I met writers and actors and everyday people who were blogging for all kinds of reasons. I did interviews with celebrities I'm still in touch with to this day. And I liked getting in touch on a personal level, and I miss that feeling of really getting to know someone. But time moves on, and things change. Since I started this blog and www.ryan-field.blogspot.com I've had e-mails and some comments offering so much support I'm amazed. When I was first interviewing the bloggers back then, I never realized what a tight community this really is. And then I got to know some of them well, from reading their blogs and from listening to them speak about their blogging journey in a very up close and personal way. The interviews were always professional and smart; always on time and ready for the deadlines. I enjoyed that job, and when bestgayblogs was sold to the new company I was sorry to see my journey with them end. And now I'm feeling as if I'm getting in touch with old friends once again. And that's a great feeling. A special thanks to Ryan from here. He's my all time favorite blogger. I've learned a great deal about blogging from watching him. I promise my next post will be about books and publishing books and writing books. But every now and then you have to take time out to say thank you. And while I will focus on writing with this blog, I'm also going to add a few different things as well. Tags: Thanks | bloggers | writing
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Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| Inara Lavey |
| Writing Tip for the Day |
| 2009.01.20 03:04:03 | |
 Ever feel like this when you're trying to write? Don't worry, we all do. I think even the most prolific writer has bad days, when the words don't flow, dialogue is as clunky as the translated subtitles in a low budget Hong Kong flick, and we just KNOW we will NEVER finish this book/story/screenplay. The inner drama queen comes out, stomps around the house flinging a hand over the eyes like a Byronic hero, sulks in a corner with chocolate or a glass of wine (or both, if you have my inner drama queen, who prefers to make the most of her appearances). Don't worry. It does get better. Give yourself permission to have the occasional bad day/hour/10 minutes. Your time will vary and so will your word count. Let the drama queen have her chocolate and make florid proclamations now and again – she's less likely to want out on a regular basis. I do, however, caution you against letting the wallowing go on for TOO long. Don't be afraid to tell DQ to take a hike if she feels inclined to stick around after you're ready for her to leave the building. Set a limit that works within any deadline you might have and get back to work. Just don't beat yourself up for something that's part of the writing process. I'm sure even Stephen King has his off days. Now excuse me. I need to get my DQ a quesadilla. She's craving Mexican. Tags: drama queen | frustration | writing
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Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| C Margery Kempe |
| Sexy Music |
| 2009.01.19 22:02:10 | |
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"If music be the food of life, play on," urged Shakespeare's Duke Orsino, assuaging his sorrow over his thwarted love for Olivia with his court musicians. Music affects our whole body whether we're conscious of it or not. Of course, many of us use that influence deliberately to fuel the muse. When it comes to writing erotica, sexy music helps. Whether we're trying to get ourselves into the mood to write or to find the heart of a character, music can provide a short cut to the answers. I often find that a story gets attached to a certain singer or type of music. My last novel had a lot of drumming infused through it, musicians like Gabrielle Roth, Layne Redmond and Glen Velez, whom the urban shaman at its center would have responded to quite readily. When it comes to romance, there's a lot to choose from. I recently wrote a story for the upcoming AMBROSIA anthology edited by Jesse Blair Kensington and I found that the best spark came from the matchless pipes of Etta James. No one captures the exquisite pain of love and longing quite like James. Whether it's the plaintive heartbreak of "All I Could Do Was Cry" or the sublime joy of "At Last," James urges you to share every emotion as her voice glides over the notes effortlessly. I also like playful sexy music and one of the best in that realm is the amazing Tori Amos. Her music explores the sensual from so many different angles, taking on a wild array of personas who explore love, sex, heartbreak and joy from completely different points of view. I love the vulnerable and jaded narrator of "Leather" who sings, "I can scream as loud as your last one / but I can't claim innocence," and the urgent thrill of "Raspberry Swirl," with its admonition "if you want inside her, well / you better make her raspberry swirl." Sometimes you want to capture that sense of longing, however, and there's few songs that capture the mood better than Lucinda Williams' "Right in Time." The lyrics alone convey efficiently and explicitly that yearning for an absent lover, imagining his touch: I take off my watch and my earrings My bracelets and everything Lie on my back and moan at the ceiling Oh my baby But it's really Williams' voice when she moans that line, "Oh my baby," that nails the feeling perfectly. Her desire is tangible, the hunger practically leaps into your skin. Great stuff – oh yeah! Tags: music | inspiration | writing | Etta James | Tori Amos | Lucinda Williams
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Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| C Margery Kempe |
| Inspiration: Anais Nin |
| 2009.01.17 22:48:06 | |
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There are lots of great erotic classics that inspire me, from early practitioners like John Cleland and the Marquis de Sade, to more recent classic authors like Pauline Reage and Terry Southern. But the one writer who inspires me most is Anais Nin. I grew up in the Midwest in a family where touchy issues were avoided at all costs and silence was the rule of the day. When I wanted to find out about something, I always turned to books—too embarrassed to admit to my friends just how ignorant I was about things like sex. Like most kids I knew, I did a lot of bluffing that I knew more than I did. Delta of Venus was first. I can't remember anymore if I read her diaries first—they're so closely intertwined—but I do recall buying Delta because I was terrified that I would be stopped or carded or worse, that alarms would go off, blaring "she's buying a book about sex!" But it was the local mall book chain, so the clerk just rang up the purchase without a second look (it probably helped that I was tall). I devoured the book. It was so specific! It was one thing to read feminist handbooks about sexuality and quite another to read Nin's passionate words about how it really felt. I have written elsewhere about how she rescued me from relying on the ineptitude of teenage boys for experience and taught me to expect so much more. She also made me want to write about those feelings and to try to capture them in words, something I kept to myself—or a select audience—for many years until Lori Perkins announced the launch of Ravenous Romance and suddenly the penny dropped. Hey, somebody might want to read these stories just like I read Nin! Nin had an interesting and complicated life that included incest and bigamy, which show up in her stories, where she often seems to be examining and healing the eruptions of life. The very first story in Delta features both incest and rape which shocked me, but didn't stop me. I hungered for the vicarious experiences both of her characters in the erotica and of her own life in the diaries and novels. I loved how she used writing to transform herself from a banker's wife into an artist surrounded by like minds: writers, painters, dancers, filmmakers. Nin not only gave me the power to understand and explore my own sexuality, she also taught me the power of writing to transform. I had been raised to dream small, but her adventures helped me learn that I could expand my world if I were willing to dare to do so. I'm still learning that lesson, still finding roadblocks I create for myself. I have to remember her words: "Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living." Thank you, Anais. Tags: writing | inspiration | Anaïs Nin | erotic classics
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Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| Angela Cameron |
| Christening the Blog |
| 2009.01.17 06:45:43 | |
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Hello, Ravenous Readers! Before I begin posting other items, I just wanted to take a moment to thank all those who’ve purchased my books here on Ravenous Romance. I’m excited to see Michael going up through the bestseller lists. Soon, there will be even more novels to read in the Blood & Sex series. I can’t wait to see the covers for them. The first one is so perfect. Also, on Inauguration Day (Jan. 20) Power Plays: A Sex and Politics Anthology releases. It’s edited by the fantastic Jamaica Layne, and I am lucky enough to have a story included. Of course it’s on the naughty political theme, but with my paranormal spin. I think you’ll like how this werewolf pack handles their power struggles. Now, tell me something about yourself. Comment and tell me who you are. Feel free to ask questions about writing. I might feature your question and answer on the blog. I look forward to getting to know you all! Check back soon. I’ll be adding new posts often. Thanks for reading! Tags: welcome | writing | questions | new blog | first post | Angela Cameron
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Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| Lilah Rune |
| Where do I find my ideas? |
| 2009.01.16 22:20:38 | |
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Where do I find my ideas? Everywhere! I jump off on tangents, one after the other. Just there, up above, I accidentally typed "w-e-r-e" instead of "w-h-e-r-e" in everywhere. (Of course I went back and fixed it.) But my first thought wasn't were, as in was, past tense, we were, I was, but were, as in were-wolf, were-bear. Pronounced "where". I guess that's why I typed it originally. You might be wondering what this has to do with finding ideas. So, the tangent hopping had me visualizing hopping from log, to log, to log. Where might such a thing happen? Where are there logs? Who would be hopping from log to log? (Besides a frog...) Perhaps a contest for the strongest, most agile, muscular man in a female dominated society.... Where women rule and men are just physical labor.... But what if a ruler in this land falls in love with a man, a were-man, who is really something else when he isn't with her? What could he be? What if she values his counsel, and actually heeded his advice, but she would be publicly hanged if found out? But she cannot possibly give up his touch. His caresses. His tongue lashings. Who would have such a tongue? Perhaps a snake; a pronged tongue to lick her most sensitive places. And who wouldn't listen to counsel when being lavished this way? Perhaps he is a spy to win back man's place in society.... To put women back in bondage... What if she is the lynch-pin to the undoing of all woman-kind? This is starting to sound like an erotic version of the Garden of Eden. I just need an apple. Loads of stories used apples, even Snow White... All that from a typo. And I don't even think there's much there... yet.... Hmmmm. Typo. Type O. I'm type O. I wonder if that would be the Cristal among vampires? Excuse me, I have some tangents to follow.... Please join me in my virtual imagination by leaving a comment, question, or thought. Tags: ravenous romance | writing | inspiration | erotic romance | sex | writers | vampires | blood | ideas | apples | typo | virtual
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Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| Ryan Field |
| My Candle burns at both ends... |
| 2009.01.15 20:35:30 | |
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In one of my favorite works by Edna St. Vincent Millay, there's a classic quote that reads: It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - It gives a lovely light." 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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Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| C Margery Kempe |
| Time Management |
| 2009.01.15 19:59:23 | |
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One of the best essays I've ever read about writing came from the amazing Octavia Butler. Her piece, "Furor Scribendi" offered the following advice: "First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not...Forget talent. If you have it, fine. Use it. If you don't have it, it doesn't matter. As habit is more dependable than inspiration, continued learning is more dependable than talent... Finally, don't worry about imagination. You have all the imagination you need...Persist." Everyone thinks they might want to be a writer—I know, I teach creative writing—but the only ones who become writers are those who actually persist in the process. It seems obvious, but people who dream of writing seldom consider the height of that hurdle. Writing takes time. Revision takes time as well (and that's where the real magic happens). If you don't find the time, you will never write. I always have students who can make magic with words, fill pages with interesting characters and sparkling dialogue. As long as they have an assignment due, they turn out amazing work. However, when I run into them after the semester's over and ask about their writing, they inevitably say, "I just don't have time." Let me share my situation: I have a full time job. Under my own name, I write short stories, novels, plays and academic papers, as well as three blogs, one of which is a serial novel. I write under a couple of pseudonyms as well (like this one). People often seem to be amazed at my output, but it comes down to one thing: time management. I don't watch a lot of television. I don't do much in the way of cleaning at home. I do think carefully about the structure of my day. I have to have play time built into it, but I give myself limits: "all right, half an hour on Facebook and then back to work." Your schedule should never feel onerous, but you need to have one. Don't forget rewards when you have finished something; reveling in that satisfaction makes it possible to return to work with new enthusiasm. Deadlines are essential. If you don't have one given to you, make your own. Put a calendar in your workspace and keep those dates religiously. Just ask yourself: do you want to be a writer? Writers write, dreamers dream. Get to work and tell the stories only you can write. Your readers will thank you. Tags: writing | inspiration | time management
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Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| Inara Lavey |
| Conversation with my Muse |
| 2009.01.15 09:14:03 | |
This is my Muse (and yes, her picture has changed - she's a mercurial sort!). You will note she has a glass of wine in one hand. This is not unusual. Muse (we'll just call her Zin for her favorite varietal) is very fond of wine. But I digress. Zin and I used to hang out a lot together. When we were kids, she and I were basically inseparable. Zin got me through some rough times by entertaining me endlessly with stories and characters (sometimes when I should have been paying attention in class). We wrote a lot of stories together and usually got A's in creative writing, even when several teachers told us to 'try and write something a bit less morbid next time.' Zin and I LOVED horror. Then puberty hit and we discovered sex. Ooh, boy. I have notebooks full of stories, partial novels and little vignettes of all genres, all of them with some pretty steamy sex scenes considering my lack of actual experience at the time. I would scribble endlessly in notebooks and on my IBM Selectric (please don't try and figure out how many years ago that was... it's not kind) at work when I wasn't actualy working, and Zin sat on the edge of my desk and provided inspiration. Then Zin left me for periods of time. Took off like some moll on the lam, leaving me with months and sometimes years when the writing didn't happen. She'd show back up at the damndest times, usually in the middle of the night, pounding on the door with some sob story about how I had to hide her or they'd drill her full of holes... Zin has always been a drama queen. When I started writing for Ravenous Romance, Zin had been gone for a while. I'd gotten my first mystery novel published, true...but that was after 15 years of intermittent visits and lots of rewrites. She was notably absent for several years. And then...all of a sudden, Zin showed up at the door again and I wrote SUCCUBUSTED in a few days, with the same giddy, words-won't-stop-flowing feeling I used to have when we were writing sexy vignettes involving Han Solo and some lucky girl pulled out of my imagination. I started on Ripping the Bodice, my first novel for Ravenous. Zin was there at my side almost every day (she took off a couple of days for Napa) and the word output was amazing. And I had fun writing it. It was like old times. Me and Zin together, giggling and imagining all sorts of fun, exciting and rather naughty scenarios. I decided to get Zin tipsy the other night and talk to her. "So. What's the deal here? You ditch me for months, sometimes years on end, and suddenly you're a full time roomie again. I'm not complaining, mind you, but what gives?" "Well..." Zin takes a thoughtful sip of wine (okay, she guzzled it, but I'm trying to be polite here) before answering. "You're writing about sex and romance again. I like sex." "So when I was working those horror screenplays, you left me to it because they weren't sexy enough?" Zin looks offended. "Hey, I was there with you part of the time. But you had other writing partners for those. I didn't think you needed me." Awww... "Jeez, Zin, I ALways need you." Mollifed, Zin replies, "Well, I guess that's true. But you sure didn't act like it. And besides, you're not whining about all the other stuff you have to do these days. You were a real whiny bitch there for a while. Now you're just having fun like you used to. I like the 'no whiny bitch' thing. And did I mention I like sex?" "So...you'll stick around for a while this time?" "Sure! You've got 7 more books to write for Ravenous...and I'll bet I can help you come up with some more good ideas! Lots of sex!" Holding out her empty glass. "Fill her up, barkeep!" Zin's hanging out in the living room with me now, demanding a movie. We've been working hard, so it's a night off with Tropic Thunder. I think she's earned it.
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Ravenous Romance Author Blog
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| Lisa Lane |
| Welcome to My Blog! |
| 2009.01.15 05:59:46 | |
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First and foremost, I would like to thank Ravenous Romance’s staff for all of their hard work and amazing talent. I am proud to be a part of this fantastic venture, and I know that this is only the beginning.
I came to Ravenous Romance by accident. I was, and still am, an avid reader of Lori Perkins’s blog, and when I saw her open call for short stories for an anthology titled Sex and Shoes, I knew that it was an opportunity that I could not pass up. I had only written a small amount of romance and erotica, my genres of choice being science fiction, literature, and horror, but I realized upon writing “My Two Size 10’s” just how much I enjoyed writing about romance, sensuality, and sex. When Ms. Perkins put out another call, this time for the Men in Shorts anthology, I knew that I needed to contribute to that one, as well ... and then came the 12 Days of Christmas anthology, to which I ended up contributing yet another short story, "Two Turtle Doves." I was hooked.
I signed up to write an original sci-fi novel (Pandora’s Hope, release date still TBA), when I realized that I had a trilogy that would mesh perfectly with Ravenous Romance’s style. The Darkness and the Night had been a work in progress for several years, based on a novel I wrote with my twin sister nearly twenty years ago. The series had some romantic and erotic elements, but I knew the books were not yet hot and seductive enough to live up to the Ravenous Romance name. After some initial work, I sent in the first installment to Ms. Perkins. With her help and direction, I was able to take the work to the next level, adding a sense of depth and sensuality that had been lacking in previous drafts. Ms. Perkins also came up with the subtitle, Blood and Coffee, which I absolutely love.
I am currently redrafting the second installment of The Darkness and the Night, which I have tentatively titled, Blood and Shadow. I am confident that those of you who liked Blood and Coffee will love Blood and Shadow. I have numerous twists and surprises in store, and I am grateful to the muses for their dedication to the quality and depth of this particular work. I know already that this book is going to be even better than the first, and I cannot wait to share the finished product with you.
I am also currently at the tail-end of writing a 5000+ word short story that serves as a prequel to The Darkness and the Night trilogy, but also stands alone, for those who have not yet begun to read the series. I have received numerous requests for additional stories following various characters in Blood and Coffee, and after much consideration, I decided to write about stepmother and witch, Spring Collins. I am very happy with how the story is unfolding, and I hope to be able to share that with you, as well, in one of RR’s upcoming anthologies.
More soon … and happy reading! Tags: writing | The Darkness and the Night | Blood and Coffee | Blood and Shadow | Lori Perkins | first post
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