Maia's Blog - Just add coffee

Book BIN! - Take a Chance on Me

2012-01-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

My friend and critique partner, Kate Davies, has a new PRINT book out! It's her first single title in print and I'm so excited for her! Here's the info:

Take a Chance on Me by Kate Davies

SamhainPublishing

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/take-chance-p-6685.html

Accept no substitute…for love.

The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

Jessica Martin is determined to earn a permanent teaching position at Summit High School. That means hard work, dedication, andeven volunteering extra time to direct the school’s Shakespeare play. Whichleaves no room for romance—especially with a co-worker. She didn't factor inthe school's sexy security officer and the delicious fantasies he inspires.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Former cop Tom Cameron likes his job. Or he did, until the new substitutebusted his orderly life right open. Now, he can’t seem to avoid her—desertedhallways, empty theaters, classrooms after dark—but he’s got too many skeletonsin his closet to risk his heart again. Asking her out to distract her from theplay’s, well, drama is a friendly gesture. Nothing more.

The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

Their chemistry could melt down the science lab, and before long they’reburning up the sheets off-campus. And uncovering raw emotions—a stark reminderthat love isn’t in their curricula. When a troubled student goes over the edge,though, the need to stop a tragedy brings them right back where theystarted—face to face with fate.

Warning: This book contains sexy encounters in classrooms,inappropriate use of school facilities, backstage shenanigans, and illicitactivities on a ferryboat.

Doesn't it sound fabulous? I already know it is because I got to read it before it even went to the publisher. ;-D So why not get yourself a copy RIGHT NOW? You'll be glad you did!

Rose & Thorn Release Day Extra!

2011-12-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

It's release day! *happy dances* And you don't even have to go out in the cold to buy yourself a copy. Isn't that convenient? ;-) Just pop on over to Torquere Books and you can buy it right now! Whee!

Here, as promised, is a scene you won't find between the covers of the book. I hope you like it!

ROSE & THORN by Maia Strong
Torquere Press, December 28, 2011

"There's a new fellow in town for auditions," said Jasper.

His sister, Jade, looked at him with one eyebrow raised in challenge. "There's a hundred new fellows in town, and all for Rose and Thorns auditions," she reminded him. "And I only care about them if they're bringing their business to my pub."

It was in that very pub that the two of them currently sat. It was past closing time, and they were the only ones there. Even the boy who swept the floors had long since finished up and gone to bed.

Jasper shook his head and persevered. "No, I mean, I think this fellow's got potential, you know?"

Her reply was cautious. "What makes you say that?"

"Just something about him. He's got a presence."

"He'd be a damned poor actor if he didn't."

"No, no. There's an air about him that feels like the mountains."

Jade sighed with a weariness that was only partially due to long hours on her feet tending to customers. "You and your mountains."

"They're your mountains, too."

She shook her head. "We live here now, boyo. You need to let go of the past."

"I have!" he protested.

She turned on her seat and leaned an arm on the wooden bar. Her keen eyes regarded him closely. "Have you? Jasper, you're my little brother and you know I want you to be happy. I'm just worried about you, is all."

He knew what she meant. There was no way he couldn't. He looked away. "I'm fine."

"I'm sure you are." Her tone belied the words.

The empty bar room was quiet around them. The few lanterns that were still lit glowed warmly. The darkness beyond the windows was absolute. They might have been the only people left in the world.

It was Jade who finally broke the silence, her voice soft and kind. "I just don't want you getting your heart broken again. You open it up so quickly, and you hurt so much when someone disappoints you like that."

He met her gaze once more, and this time he held if fast. "I'll be careful. I promise."

Letting that subject go, Jade chose another. "And what about the job? If you don't get it? How will you be then?"

"I can handle it," he said firmly. "I'm an actor. I'm used to rejection. I know how not to take it personally." He gave her a little smile, which she returned.

"All right," she relented. "Maybe I'm worried about you for no good reason. You're a grown man, and I should mind my own business."

Jasper reached out and took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "You're family, and don't you dare."

They both chuckled at that.

"In that case, off to bed with you, young man!" scolded Jade, a twinkle of mirth in her bright blue eyes. "You need your sleep. You may well be starting a new job in the morning, and they're going to want your best work."

Grinning, Jasper called her on her contractions. "First, you say I won't get it, and now you say I will?"

She made a dismissive noise and waved a hand at him. "Since when does logic apply to theater, or to me, for that matter? Now off you go!"

He hopped off the bar stool and stood up especially straight. "Yes, ma'am!" Letting his amusement go, he reached out and hugged her. "Thanks, sis."

She returned the embrace warmly. "I'm always here for you, Jasper."

"I know."

*****

I hope I've managed to pique your curiosity. Why not pop over to Torquere's site and pick up a copy for yourself. And while you're at it, pick up a second one for a friend!

Happy (almost) New Year!

Rose & Thorn Excerpt!

2011-12-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I promised a steamy excerpt that'll warm you up. Here it is. ;-)

ROSE & THORN by Maia Strong
Torquere Press, December 2001

Clad in only undertunic and drawers, he padded softly to the brazier. The scent of maple syrup and cinnamon had begun to permeate the air of the closed-up room, making it smell sweetly delectable. His cock grew semi-hard as he inhaled the sweet aroma; he'd always been a sucker for all kinds of sweet sensations.

Jasper carefully dipped his little finger into the cauldron and licked the drizzle of syrup from it. It was warm enough and utterly delicious. He was ready to wake his sleeping lover.

Eamon lay on his side, face half buried in the pillow. The bed was narrow, but not so narrow that the two of them couldn't manage what Jasper intended. Jasper smiled, thinking ahead, and his cock grew fully hard. He crouched by the head of the bed and pushed dark brown hair from Eamon's flushed cheek.

"Wake up, boyo," he murmured. "It's time for that dessert I promised you."

Eamon mumbled something as he had before and batted a hand out around his face as if swatting at a pestering fly. Jasper's smile widened. He'd found Eamon sexy, funny, talented, and smart. This simple, sleepy gesture made him endearing, too.

"Come on, sleepyhead," he tried again, a little louder this time. As he spoke, he trailed one hand down Eamon's bare arm, across his belly, and along the waistband of his breeches. The combination of words and actions finally roused a waking response.

Eamon opened one eye, took a moment to focus, and smiled. "I am so glad it's you," he said softly.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mm-hmm. Of all the possibilities, you're by far the best one."

Jasper grinned. "Thank you."

Eamon inhaled deeply. "What's that smell I smell? It's... mmm." He let the breath out in a sigh.

"Dessert. It's ready for you if you're ready for it." Jasper rose and took a step back in one fluid motion.

Eamon pushed himself up into a sitting position. He blinked drowsily and focused on Jasper once more. "I see you're ready." He looked pointedly at where Jasper's drawers were tented out.

"Very." Jasper grinned.

"So what's for dessert?"

"You."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, making Jasper think of the arch mother figure he'd played while they were singing earlier that night.

"And me."

"Uh-huh."

"And something both sweet and hot. Do you have a towel I could borrow?"

"Huh? Sure." Taken by surprise by the change of subject, Eamon immediately dropped the expression he had adopted and pointed to the foot of the bed. "Hanging on the rails, there's one."

Jasper took it and used it to safely move the little cauldron from the brazier to the table.

"So what is it?" Eamon asked again. He rose and steadied himself with the bedpost before taking the few steps to where Jasper was carefully stirring the concoction with a wooden spoon. Jasper ran his index finger along the back of the coated spoon, testing again for temperature and deeming it ideal. He repeated the gesture and held up his finger, offering it to Eamon.

"Taste."

Smiling with a double hunger, Eamon took the offered finger in his mouth and sucked the sweet liquid from it. "Mmm! Maple!" He licked his lips.

"Spiced with cinnamon and cloves. I recommend you finish undressing," advised Jasper. "This stuff sticks. You have paid for laundry service, I trust." He smiled mischievously.

"It's included in the price of the room."

"That's good. Now, about those breeches?" He looked down at the clothing in question and back up into Eamon's eyes -- dove gray in the lamplight.

Eamon hurried to undo his flies and nearly fell trying to get out of his pants too quickly. Jasper laughed and steadied him. "Don't hurt yourself. That would take all the fun out of this."

"Not if you kissed it and made it better," Eamon responded.

Jasper laughed again. "You're quick on your feet."

"But hopefully not in bed." Eamon grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

"That, too, would take all the fun out of this," joked Jasper.

Finally, Eamon managed to get his breeches and drawers off, leaving them in a pile on the floor. Jasper shook his head and ignored the clutter in favor of the nearly perfect naked man standing before him.

He looked Eamon over with a keen eye, taking in details he'd glossed over at their first coupling and in their rushed bath this morning.

Eamon was slim, but his shoulders were broad and square. He had the suppleness and flexibility of the fighter and dancer that he was. His arms didn't bulge with muscles, but instead were smoothly sculpted by hard work and training -- sinewy and strong, the kind of muscles that only fully showed themselves when they were being used.

Jasper liked that, liked his men lithe and lean, but not too lean. Eamon could use a little bulking up, in his opinion. He was too much like a starving student, which was so far from the truth as to be almost laughable. Jasper had seen the man eat, and he was very good at it. It was part of why Jasper had thought of tonight's dessert. But first, it was Jasper's turn to dine.

*****

Check in tomorrow for a special release day extra!

Rose & Thorn Cover Art and Blurb!

2011-12-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone! I hope you're all having a joyful holiday season and that you gave and got all sorts of lovely presents!

Release day is nearly here for my m/m/f novel Rose & Thorn! I thought I'd share a few presents, myself. Things like...cover art!

I really love the colours, don't you? And the text is super-cool, the way it looks all rose-viney. :-)

And a blurb!

Eamon Quinn is an actor with designs on a position with Rose & Thorn Theatrics. As a new university graduate, he's up to the acting challenge. He's not so sure he's up to facing life in the big city. That is, until he finds a friend in Jasper Davison. Jasper is intrigued by Eamon, sure that he's a fellow mountain-born soul, which is something Jasper's been missing in coastal Yanuk. When both men are hired by Rose & Thorn, the kindred spirits soon become lovers--and catch the eye of the company's head apprentice, HJ Greenhills.

Bad luck plagues the theatre--accidents, injuries, and a sudden death--leading to rumors of a curse. Weaving sexual energy with Druid magic, Eamon and Jasper seek the truth behind the rumors. But confirming the curse is only the first hurdle. They need to figure out who cast it and how to end it before it causes more harm. Even together, the two men aren't strong enough. Druid magic works best in threes, and so they seek HJ's help to lift the curse. The three put their bodies and energies together to call up the magic they need to try and set things right.

Tomorrow, I'll be posting an excerpt to whet your appetite further! It should warm you up nicely if you're having a cold, cold winter. ;-)

"The Speech You've Been Waiting For"

2011-12-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

It's 30 minutes you will not regret spending. I promise you.

Or if you'd rather read it (or the embedded video doesn't work for some reason), the full text (and video) can be found here.

Exquisite!

2011-12-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

You must read this article RIGHT NOW. Anyone who believes in "libraries, books, words, ideas" cannot help but be moved by this wonderful collection of anonymous art. I know what I'm doing first the next time I go to Edinburgh: I'm going all over town to see these Mysterious Paper Sculptures.

Good night, NaNoWriMo.

2011-11-30T22:25:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't say it's been a blast this time around, but it hasn't sucked like last year, so I'll take that as another win for 2011.

My novel isn't done yet, but it is over 50K...for the moment. Somehow I think it's going to end up under that once it's finished and then edited. But that's okay. I'll probably like it better that way.

Anyway, see you next year! (Because I am a glutton for punishment--and meaningless, arbitrary, self-imposed deadlines, apparently.)

Victories

2011-11-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

NaNoWriMo is a series of victories. Committing to do it is the first one. Sticking with it for 30 days is another. Reaching 50K is yet another. Actually finishing a manuscript is another still. In six years of NaNoing (and six years of winning, ;-D ), I have only finished a full manuscript first draft on one occasion within the 30 days, and that was the first year I participated (2006). That book's been published: The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing. My second NaNovel (drafted in 2007) has at last found a home and a publisher and will be coming out around the New Year: Rose & Thorn. Those are two more victories.

Last year, the greatest victory for me was making 50K. It was like pulling teeth! It was a misery! Not that I don't love the book and its characters. Don't get me wrong on that. It was just that I think I had a combination of burn-out (It was the third book in that particular universe, three NaNoWriMos in a row.), and some sort of fifth-year slump. A friend experienced the latter this year, so there may be something to that theory.

This year, the challenge was that, while I love the idea behind this year's story, I don't feel like I'm telling it very well. It's tough to stay motivated when you feel like your book is clunky and awkward. I had to remind myself that the goal was to get it out there, not make it The Next Great Novel (TM) right off the bat. So that's what I've done. I've gotten it out there. It's not done yet, and it won't be done by midnight on Wednesday. But it is getting there. And I think, once I am finished, and I've literally cut and pasted it into a better order of events, and then edited the hell out of it, that it's going to be a pretty damn fine book. Whether the final products is still over 50K words... Well, that remains to be seen.

Has anyone else been NaNoing this year (or in past years) and want to share your experiences? I'd love to hear it in the comments!

When Pantsers Plot

2011-11-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

This is a topic that's been heavy on me of late. I am apantser. Always have been. But this year for NaNoWriMo, I had a plot before Ihad anything else. I didn't know any characters' names or much about the worlditself when I started. I only knew that it was sort of like the present, onlynot; and that there had to be a psychic working with the police. To me, this isutterly backwards. My usual m.o. is characters=>world=>plot. This wholeplot=>world + characters thing is downright freaky and wrong. As a result,my writing this NaNo has been sporadic. I'm still reaching my daily goalaveraged over the month, but it's coming as 3K or 5K one day, and <1K otherdays. Why? Simple. It's because I know how the book ends and as a result, I'mbored. Nothing is as fun when you know how it ends! I've never been one to skipto the end of a book to see how it comes out, so writing as if I had done justthat is incredibly challenging.

I'm finding that the days when I'm getting the most verbiagewritten, the days that are at times almost easy, are the days when I'm writingcharacter-based scenes that I didn't plan ahead in any way. I'm making newdiscoveries and digging into these characters whose names I didn't even knowuntil less than a month ago. At the same time, they are giving me insight intothe world they live in, which is incredibly helpful because, dude, what is thisworld, you know? I still don't even have a name for the city! It's downrightnuts. They're letting me in on the technology, the legal structure, thesociety—because like I said, it's here and now, only it's not quite. It's alittle bit left of here and a little more ahead of now. Think MaxHeadroom, only less prophetic. (Seriously, that show got way too manythings right, and they're not the good things.) What did they say on thatshow's credits? A week from next Sunday? Something like that.

So I keep plugging away. I have every expectation that I'llreach 50K before the end of the month. I suspect, though, that this manuscriptwill need more rewriting and editing than any of my previous NaNovels because Ican already see where I'm missing including details that would make the worldricher and more complete. But that's not what this month is about. This monthis about getting words and story out onto the page. Finesse is not part of theequation. That's what December is for. Or January. Or February... Oh, hell.I'll see you in the spring. Maybe.

Can't comment?

2011-10-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

I was informed that some folks have been unable to comment here due to some glitch that wouldn't show them the word verification they needed to type in. I have turned that requirement off temporarily. Please, if you've had this problem, comment on this post to let me know and tell me in that post what browser you were using at the time. I'm wondering if it's a browser issue or something else entirely.

Many thanks!

Announcements!

2011-10-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, one announcement. My novel Client Privilges is currently out of print (as of 1 Oct). My apologies for not warning you (in case you wanted it but hadn't picked it up yet). I've been so crazy busy lately that I failed to be on top of this impending event. I'm hoping to make the book available again in the near future, and I'll be sure to let you know when that happens. Thanks!

Collaboration

2011-09-27T14:12:00.001-07:00

I really enjoy collaborative writing, although I don't get to do it very often these days. Whether that collaboration means crafting a story from beginning to end with a co-author or trading it back and forth round-robin style without a communal clue as to where it's going, I like it. I started doing it back in grade school, in fact. Of course, then it took the form of "I wrote myself into a corner. Here. Write me out of it" along with the handing over of pencil-scribble-covered pages. Usually, it worked. Fresh eyes and a fresh imagination can always see something new. And I would naturally return the favour upon request. That's what partners are for. Writing is so often a solo gig, and sometimes it can get lonely. Sure, all those voices in your head can keep you hopping, but sometimes they clam up, and sometimes you need a break from those fictional people. Having a co-author to turn to, whether it's a means of getting you unstuck when you can't figure out how to get out of the mess you've gotten your characters into, or it's someone to bounce ideas around with until you collectively decide what happens next, can be an invaluable thing. I'm hoping I have the chance to do a bit of co-writing soon. It's going to take an alignment of the stars to make it happen, I fear, but I've got this really big magnet I've been dying to try out, so I'll see if I can't do something about that and the laws of physics be damned.

Getting to "The End"

2011-09-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest parts of writing, for me, is finishing a book. It's not so bad with short stories, but novels and novellas? That's another story (so to speak). Starting a story, staring at a blank screen and wondering what to write, is not my problem. Getting through the middle to the climax of a book can be challenging, but is rarely insurmountable. Finishing a manuscript, writing that wrap-up that comes after you've had so much fun writing the climax, which is (let's be honest) the fun part, is the tough bit for me. Sure there are things that need to be tied up, sorted out, and whatnot, but *sigh* I was having so much fun before. The only thing that keeps me pressing forward in that moment where I just want to revert to my lazy nature and say in the words of Maxine the Scottish Tart "Och, I can't be bothered" is knowing that once it's done, I can walk away for a while and do my superiority dance. It looks something like this [dancing] I finished! I finished! I finished! [/dancing] That's what I was doing late last week when I completed the first draft of last year's NaNoWriMo novel. (Don't judge me. It's not November yet. ;-P ) I know I still need to do serious work on the last chapter before I even go back to the beginning to edit it into draft #2, but IT'S DONE, and this makes me happy.

How about you? Whether you write professionally, or you write fanfic on LiveJournal, or you write for yourself and don't share it with anyone else, what's the toughest part of the writing process for you?

Hey! I almost forgot! Thank you to those who've "Liked" my Facebook Page, Maia Strong, Author. If you haven't yet, please pop over, take a look, and if you like it, "Like" it!

Help an actor out?

2011-08-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Jalyn Green surgery fund

On August 13th, moments before the final bows of the season, one of our amazing actors took a hard fall. Not knowing the extent of the damage, Jalyn Green continued onto the stage and limped through his final two scenes of Antony and Cleopatra.

After the show, we sent him to the hospital. The prognosis: a broken fibula that required surgery. The surgery went very well and he is now resting while the plate and pins set in his bone.

Like many actors, Jalyn does not have insurance and works in the service industry. Accidents like this are all of our greatest fear, especially in tough financial times.

GreenStage has created the Jalyn Green Surgery Fund to help this fine young actor with his expenses from the surgery and his anticipated income loss, as he is unable to work for the next few weeks.

Anything you can give is a help and we thank you on his behalf.

Jalyn is shown here as the Soothsayer wtih McKenna Turner in Antony and Cleopatra. Photo by Melizabethe Photogrphy

I don't know Jalyn well, but I've met him a few times and he's a good guy. He's also a wonderful actor and he needs our help. Please click the link up above or right down here and donate whatever you can spare to help him out. Times are tough enough, and when unexpected expenses occur it can be devastating. Just a few moments of your time and a few dollars out of your pocket can make a huge difference here. Skip that latte for one day and donate the $3-$4 to the Jalyn Green Surgery Fund. Please. Every penny helps.

News update

2011-08-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

I mentioned recently that I signed the contract for my m/m/f novel Rose & Thorn with Torquere Press. Now, here's a wee bit of blurbage so you can get an idea what the book is about.

Eamon Quinn is an actor with designs on a position with Rose & Thorn Theatrics. As a new university graduate, he's up to the acting challenge, but he's not so sure he's up to facing life in the big city. Fortunately, he quickly finds a friend in Jasper Davison. Jasper is intrigued by Eamon, sure that he's a fellow mountain-born soul, and that's something Jasper's been missing in coastal Yanuk. When both men are hired by Rose & Thorn, the kindred spirits soon become lovers--and catch the eye of the company's head apprentice, troupe musician, and animal wrangler, the pretty and precocious HJ Greenhills.

Bad luck plagues the theatre--accidents, injuries, and a sudden death--leading to rumors of a curse. Weaving sexual energy with Druid magic, Eamon and Jasper seek the truth behind the rumors. But confirming the curse is only the first hurdle. They need figure out who cast it and how to end it before it causes more harm. Even together, the two men aren't strong enough. Druid magic works best in threes, and so they seek HJ's help to lift the curse. The three put their bodies and energies together to call up the magic they need to set things right.

I don't have a release date yet, but I'll let you know when I do.

Also, don't foreget to head over to Facebook, search "Maia Strong, Author" and "like" my page. (I still need some more likes before I get a proper url.)

First Chapter - Preview

2011-08-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

The first chapter of False Dawn is online, hosted by the lovely D. Renee Bagby. Go take a read!

Guest Blogging with NNN

2011-07-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Check it out! I'm guest blogging with Nine Naughty Novelists today. Come learn about my writing process--or lack of one! ;-D I'll be checking in throughout the day to answer any questions folks might have, so do stop by and say hello.

Guest Blogger Maia Strong - Symbiosis

Officially Official!

2011-07-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am happy to officially announce that Torquere Press will be publishing my m/m/f fantasy novel Rose & Thorn! This book just happens to be the second NaNoWriMo novel that I wrote (the first being The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing) and I am so happy that it has at last found a home!

What a great way to start the weekend!

New sale!

2011-07-20T09:12:00.001-07:00

I finally sold my m/m/f fantasy novel! I don't have the contract in-hand yet, but they offered, and I accepted. More details to follow once it's all signed and official.

Maia Strong Now on Facebook

2011-07-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

Stop the presses! It's true. I have created an author page on Facebook. Maia Strong, Author. I'd put a fancy "Like" button on my website, but hell if I can figure out how. I keep hitting "get code" and I get nothing that I can see. I'm not a technidiot, but clearly I'm out of the loop on this one. If I figure it out, I'll let you know, although by then I hope you'll already have followed that handy link I put in right up there ::points:: and already "Liked" the page. :-)

Holmes/Watson fanfic? FTW!?

2011-07-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yes. I have indulged in some fanfic. In a universe I've never ficced in before. I have a reason. My friend methylviolet10b wrote a wonderful Holmes/Watson (ACD-verse) fic as a part of the Holmestice Fic Exchange. Her fic, Doors, can be found at this link. It involves closets. And an orgy. And stuff. It's very good and if you have any interest at all in Holmes/Watson fanfic, you should go read it. And her other stuff. (There's a multi-part fic that has quite the delicious baddy in it. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's called Transposition.)

My point? She asked me to write a follow-up fic. Specifically, she asked for Victorian closet smut. (I'll give you a moment to ponder. Done?) I had to oblige. No, really. I had to. How could I resist a request like that? Simple: I couldn't. So now that the authors of the Holmestic fics have been revealed, I can post the follow-up. I hope you like it.

The Request: Holmes/WatsonVictorian Closet Smut; ACD -verse

Mild spoilers: Doors by methylviolet10b

Rating: NC-17for Victorian m/m sex

Beta’d by therecipient, methylviolet10b. (Which seems unfair, but at least she didn’t haveto work very hard at it.)

Warnings: 1) It’sbeen years since I read any ACD canon. 2) Any other warning is implicit in therating. ;-)

Length: 1400

Closets

by Maia Strong

In this private journal, I have already noted the details of twoparticular cases which had little in common on the surface. I refer, of course,to the Adventure of the Amateur Mendicant Society and the Affair ofEx-President Murillo’s Papers. More particularly, I refer to those cases’closets.

It is not unusual, in the course of our workingtogether, that Holmes and I are required to travel. Moreover, it is a notinfrequent occurrence on those occasions that we share overnight lodgings. Itis only fiscally practical to share a single room at any given hotel or inn. Itis a rare treat, however, when such accommodation affords the luxury of a built-incloset. Aside from being a conveniently out-of-the way place to store extrabedding and to properly hang one’s attire at the end of a long and busy day,they have the additional benefit of being far sturdier and more practicablethan an armoire.

I was not born an aficionado of cupboards, wardrobes,and other forms of cabinetry. However, those two aforementioned cases,coinciding as they did with such notable shifts in the relationship betweenHolmes and myself, have caused me to become something of a connoisseur.

Upon the occasion of which I write now, Holmes and Iwere staying in a largish country hotel of modern construction. The architect wasclearly influenced by the style of Inigo Jones and felt the need, therefore,for theatrical touches such spiralling staircases, white-railed balconies, andIonic columns. For reasons less apparent but in my opinion more pleasing, hedesigned inset closets in even the smallest of guest rooms—for surely the oneHolmes and I occupied on that particular occasion could not have been smallerwithout being considered a closet in its own right.

I examined the closet in our room as I unpacked my bagand Holmes’. Holmes was impatient to get onto the case and went ahead to meetwith local constabulary. Scotland Yard had alerted them to our impendingarrival, and Holmes went to confirm it. I need not go into specifics on eitherthe closet or the case. Suffice to say, the former was sturdily built andcomfortable enough for my intended purposes. I smiled to myself and went tojoin Holmes and attend to the latter.

~~~

The fire was in Holmes’ eye. I’ve seen it often overour years together, whether in the course of a particularly compelling case orin our private doings. Now, the former bled into the latter. The excitement ofthe chase and subsequent capture of our target had set both our hearts racing.Indeed, I could see the pulse pounding in his neck even at the distance fromwhich I now regarded him. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as well; the chasehad been quite literal and had required a good deal of swift footwork andphysical exertion to conclude.

I had another sort of physical exertion on my mind aswe returned to our hotel in the darkest hours of the night, and I could seefrom the glance Holmes shot me on our way up one of those spiralling staircasesthat his mind was on similar thoughts.

I have known Holmes go without speaking for days at atime when absorbed by a particularly puzzling case. It is my belief that hismind becomes so full of activity that words become an unnecessary distractionto him. Such it was with our love-making on many occasions, including the nightin question.

Once the door to our little room was locked behind us,all decorum vanished in a heartbeat. His hands were on my shoulders, slippingmy overcoat from my shoulders and dropping it to the floor. The room itselfafforded minimal space for manoeuvring, and yet it felt too big to me. I wantedno space between or around Holmes and myself and it seemed even in the confinesof that hotel room that there was too much. I tugged him towards the closetthat I had inspected earlier even as I unbuttoned his waistcoat and proceededto work my way down the buttons of his shirt.

Holmes did not protest, following willingly to mychosen location for our coupling. We shed our clothing in the short distance. ThenI pulled him into the narrow closet and closed the slatted folding door behindus.

The darkness within was nearly absolute, but neitherof us needed light to find our way around one another’s bodies. Holmes’ lipswere upon mine in the moment the door was shut, his kisses hard and urgent. Ireturned them with ardour, my hands reaching up to lace into his hair. Igrasped the fine strands and held him tight against me.

I could feel the heat and hardness of his passion,equal to my own, where our bodies pressed together along their length. I rolledmy hips against it. A muffled sound of pleasure escaped between our mouths, butI could not tell you which of us made the noise.

His hands, that had until that moment grasped me sotightly at the shoulders, slipped downward to cup my buttocks. His fingers werelong, lithe, and strong and they dug into my flesh with great skill. The soundthat escaped this time was definitely drawn from my throat.

I felt Holmes chuckle deep in his narrow chest andbrought my arms around him. I ran my hands down his sides and around his back. Ishifted my kisses from his lips to his jaw, rough and unshaven at such a latehour, and then to his trapezius and supraclavicular fossa. He tilted his headback and to the side, affording me greater access to what I knew to be aparticularly susceptible area. He shivered under my touch and suddenly pressedhis hips so hard against my own that I was forced back against the wall. I wasbarely aware of the hard plaster against my back, so overwhelmed was I by thefeel of Holmes’ body pinning me there.

We moved against one another and I became glad of thearchitectural support as my climax neared. Blood rushed in my ears, drowningout the soft sounds of pleasure now emanating from us both. Holmes stillkneaded my gluteal muscles, fingers honed by years of violin digging in morepowerfully than any Turkish bath’s masseur. And when one of those lissom fingerspressed against my anus, I could not hold back another moment.

My body stiffened in the moment before release took meand shook me to my core. I felt the pulse of Holmes’ orgasm even while in thehaze of my own. His hands ceased their movements, as did mine, and we simplygrasped one another’s posteriors and pressed our erections together. A tinyshift of Holmes’ shaft against mine sent shockwaves through my alreadyheightened senses, and I gasped his name. I was barely aware of his gentleshushing as the last of my orgasm slowly ebbed and sense returned to my addledbrain.

As I returned to coherence, I was again glad of thewall at my back and the support of Holmes’ hands holding me tightly, as Ibelieve my legs would not have held me on their own. I felt the wetness betweenour bellies, slick and warm proof of our mutual spent passions. Iopened eyes that I was unaware I had shut and met Holmes’ penetrating gaze mereinches from my own. My pupils had adjusted and I found there was just enoughlight to see his eyes clearly. There was warmth in their depths, and mirth, andmore than anything there was love. I hoped my own returned the same. I feltthat surely, with as much deep affection as I felt for him, it must showplainly to the man who was both my lover and the keenest detective in London. Society forced usto keep so much hidden, but in these most personal and private moments, all ourmasks were obliterated. I smiled and saw a mirroring expression on his face.

Still without a word between us, he opened the closetdoor and, taking my hand in his, led me out of that deep darkness into a dim,predawn light that seemed to me like the warmest sun of summer.

Revisiting

2011-06-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

So, that f/f novel that I wrote very quickly and sent to beta came back from first-round, got edited (and expanded to ~52K so yay that) and is with another beta. I'm hoping I'll get it back this week, or maybe Monday. I really want to get it turned around and subbed as soon as possible. Assuming it's worth subbing. I wrote the draft of the synopsis yesterday. ... I hate writing synopses. But you know that already. I hope the book is better than the synopsis, because, dude, seriously. You know what I mean?

Also, I just started to re-read my YA novel. I finally put it into a font that won't make your eyes bleed. (I guess it's been long enough since I finished the first draft that the main character is willing to let go on that point.) It's really good, IMO, and I don't even feel like I'm bragging because I don't feel like I wrote it. I just channeled the 13-year-old in my head. She's the one who wrote it; I just typed it and clarified a few small points. I think I'm going to ask the YA book club that I'm in to read it. I'd love to hear what they think, get their feedback on it. Then I have to decide whether to sub it somewhere or just self-pub through amazon.com. I really don't know.

Okay. That's it. Summer was yesterday. It was gorgeous. I look forward to it again next year. :-P

Free Preview

2011-06-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

Curious to see something other than a steamy snippet? Well, you'll find the first chapter of my latest release, Compass Hearts, right here. Enjoy!

That was interesting...

2011-06-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

I finished the manuscript I mentioned recently. It's not quite a novel (~900 words short, d'oh!). It's gone to beta (on which I've asked for a ridiculously quick turn-around). And it's a prime example of what you can accomplish when you get out of your own way. (It also helps to have an arbitrary, semi-self-imposed deadline, but that's another post.) See, I started this particular story in the spring of 2008. I know, I know. No need to tell me how lame I am; I am fully aware. But you see, I was trying to make the story something it wasn't, and so every time I revisited it, I kept getting stuck at roughly the same place.

Cue the arbitrary, semi-self-imposed deadline...

I looked at what I had--and promptly cut 3200 words off the end of it because THEY JUST DIDN'T MATTER. And roughly three weeks later I have a completed almost-novel. (I tried to tip it over the 50K mark, I really did. But the story was having none of it.) I also have a nifty (IMO) new culture and some seriously steamy (IMO) f/f goodness. Now to see what my beleaguered betas have to say. Which reminds me, another friend offered to beta this one. I should see if she was serious. The more the merrier, right?

Oh no she isn't!

2011-05-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

Oh no! She is! She's writing about women! *gasp* What can I say? When characters finally start talking to me, I have to listen, and this time the characters are women. Don't worry, though. There are a couple of fellows in my head who have started to chat a bit, too. They're just a lot less forthcoming than the ladies, so I'm afraid they have to wait a little while. Frankly, I'm glad the two pairs aren't fighting for my attention. The gents are being just that, gentlemen, and waiting patiently on the back burner in my brain. It makes for a much saner me. Or should I say much less insane me? That's probably more accurate.

So here's a question for you. Presumably you're here because you love to read m/m stories. But do you dabble in other romantic pairings (or groupings), or are you strictly "Boys Only"?

A Matter of Tense

2011-05-10T09:02:00.001-07:00

I've been experiencing an odd phenomenon. Characters are talking to me in first person and (get this) present tense. Think about that. First person. Okay, not so very strange. But present tense? Who does that? I have noticed it's a trend in YA literature, and indeed the 13-year-old girl in my brain told me her story that way. (Note to self, start shopping that manuscript.) But those are stories told from the POV of teens, and there's a large enough part of me that still remembers middle and high schools (gods help me) that this makes sense to me. Show me a teen who isn't living in the moment, and I'll show you a teen who has deeper issues than getting their homework done or whether or not to go to the dance. But adults? That's a different animal all together. Of course that's how we experience life, but fictional characters don't have to. They can have the luxury of having their end, or their destination, or what have you be a known quantity from the beginning. In fact, a lot of times that's preferable from the writer's point of view. This whole present tense thing has got me utterly puzzled.

On the other hand, at least one of the voices in my head is finally talking and making sense, so I guess I should be glad for small favours, right? Let's hope he gets chatty today at the coffee shop because I have two hours to fill there and it'll be awfully lonely if he clams up on me.

Struggling for Inspiration

2011-04-26T09:24:00.001-07:00

I've been creatively uninspired for months now. Aside from one adapted short story, I've produced nothing of worth since last November. None of my usual tricks seem to be working to refresh the creative well, either. I blame the weather. No, seriously. So far this year, we have had a single day where the temperature topped 60F--and I wasn't even here to see it. Okay, I was coming home from a visit to one of my dearest friends who happens to live in NYC, and we did have a couple of reasonably sunny days while I was there, but it doesn't appear to have been enough. Funny thing is, I'm not a sunshiney person. I like the rain. I like the overcast skies. But, frankly, even I am fed up with them. I'd swear it's still winter here, except the crocuses are done blooming and the cherry trees are finishing up, too. Theoretically, that means it's spring.

::glances outside::

Yeah. Not so much.

Usually, a change of geography will jump start my creative brain. I figured I'd be all over my computer on the flight home, or at least once I got home. Again, not so much. So I must force myself back to the grind, which shouldn't be such a trial because I enjoy writing...when I'm actually writing.

If you have any tips or tricks that work for you, I'd love to hear them. I can't control the sun and my vacation has yielded nothing but happy memories and a few photographs. What do you find helps you out when you're stuck on the slow boat to meh?

Release Day - Compass Hearts!

2011-04-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

That's right! Compass Hearts released today from Torquere! Woot-woot! I'm so excited that this little novella has finally found a home and can now go out to readers who, I hope, will love it as much as I do. It's been a long road for this one, originally written as an anthology submission in 2007. Four years old and it's finally leaving the nest. *teary-eyed* But seriously, I very much hope you like this story. There are sexy college boys and cold winter nights. Put those elements together and what's not to like, right? ;-)

As the fourth son of merchant parents, Matthew Morgan has always been superfluous. The only guidance he ever received was to behave and stay out of the way. Now, at a university half a world away from home, he must discover who he is and what he wants. Too bad he's never made a decision in his life.

When Ash Thearon meets Matthew, the handsome fellow student he's been ogling all quarter, he finds him sweet, sexy, and more than a little puzzling. To solve that puzzle, he must first collect all the pieces, which is easier said than done. The new friends quickly become lovers, but Matthew's sheltered life has taught him only how to follow. Ash wants the give and take of an equal, and Matthew's tendency to try too hard to please others leaves Ash wondering how to teach him independence without losing him.

I think of this as a "quiet" romance. I'm not sure I can define that adequately outside of my own brain, but see if you don't agree with me when you read it. 'Cause you're going to read it, right? I sure hope so. And to make it easier for you, here's a handy link so you can buy it now! :-)

Oh, and there's a bonus scene available either at the above link or over on my website.

Happy release day, everyone!

One Day More!

2011-04-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

No, not until a new revival of Les Miserables, until Compass Hearts releases from Torquere!

And, to whet your appetites for sexy college boys, here's an excerpt for you.

***

He barely recognized his own voiceas he went on. "The human body is... fascinating." There was aquestion, an invitation, underlying his statement. He hoped Ash would hear itand understand. Despite this sudden swell of bravery, he knew he couldn't saythat out loud.

A slow smile spread across Ash'sface. Matthew grinned back, guessing his message had gotten through. His guesswas confirmed when Ash asked, "Have you ever had a live model?"

"No." Matthew's cockstrained at his breeches. He yearned to draw Ash, see him stripped and posed.He couldn't remember ever wanting anything so much or so urgently in his life.

Then reality crashed down on him.His face fell. "My materials are at my apartment." In the time ittook to get there and back, the moment would be beyond lost. And there was noway he was taking Ash back to his flat. He didn't want Ash to see it. It was sounbearably grim, lacking in any charm or comfort, especially when compared toAsh's quirky and inviting room upstairs.

"What do you need?" Ashasked.

"Charcoal pencils, largishpaper."

"I have that."

"You do?" Matthew perkedup at this spark of hope. It was almost too good to believe. "How?Why?"

"Botany class. We do a lot ofplant sketching. I not only have charcoal pencils, I have pressed pigmentpencils."

Matthew's eyes lit up and Ashgrinned and grabbed his hand. "Come on." Ash pulled him to his feetand toward the stairs.

Matthew's practical side asserteditself and, still clinging to sense, he asked, "What about ourbooks?"

"No one will bother them. Comeon!" He practically dragged Matthew from the parlor. By the time theirfeet hit the stairs, though, Matthew was plenty willing to follow him up.

Inside the cozy comfort of thelittle attic room, Ash went immediately to the window seat. He opened it andfished around inside, coming up a moment later with a large tablet and a tinbox. "Here." He handed the box to Matthew who opened it and looked inwonder at the myriad colored pencils within.

"Where did you getthese?" he asked, awed and envious.

"Some of them I bought intown. Some of them my dad gave me before I came here." Ash flipped throughthe tablet of his botany drawings, Matthew looking over his shoulder. Theplants were barely recognizable, and then only because he'd labeled them."They're awful, I know," said Ash. He pulled a disgusted face."It's all right to say so."

"I just have onequestion," said Matthew.

"Yes?" Ash turned andlooked up at him. "What?"

"Are you actually passing botany?"

Ash burst out laughing. "Allright, Master Critical." He flipped to a blank sheet and shoved the tabletat Matthew. "Let's see you do better."

"That much I canguarantee."

"I've never been an artist'smodel." Ash's eyes looked deep blue in the lantern light and his voice washusky. "Tell me what to do."

Matthew swallowed hard once. Theheat and tightness in his groin were intense, and he was glad for the tablet heheld in front of him. What was he thinking? He'd never get through this! Panicbegan to rise in him, quelling his arousal. No.I want to do this, damn it!Steeling himself and taking control of his fear, he said with as much authorityas he could muster, "Strip."

***

And tomorrow I'll have an "author bonus" scene to post both here and over at my website. It will give you a little insight into a lesser-seen character of the novella. I'll also have a buy link so you can be the first on your block to rush out, so to speak, and get a copy. ;-D

It's almost here!

2011-03-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Release day, that is! This Saturday, 2 April, my next novella will be coming out from Torquere, Compass Hearts.

How do you define yourself when others have always done it for you? Half a world from home, Matthew must find the answer before his loses the one man who may truly love him.

As the fourth son of merchant parents, Matthew Morgan has always been superfluous. The only guidance he ever received was to behave himself and stay out of the way. Now, at a new university half a world away from home, he must discover who he is and what he wants. The only trouble is, he's never made a decision in his life.

When Ash Thearon meets Matthew -- the handsome fellow student he's been ogling all quarter -- he finds him sweet, sexy, and more than a little puzzling. To solve that puzzle, he must first collect all the pieces -- something more easily said than done.

The new friends quickly become lovers, but Matthew's sheltered life has taught him only how to follow another's lead. Ash wants more than that; he wants the give and take of an equal. Matthew's tendency to try too hard to please others leaves Ash wondering how to teach him independence without losing him.

And I must give a shout out to Alessia Brio for the gorgeous cover art!

Year of Reading Youthfully - Epilogue

2011-03-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

So, if you've been following my YoRY posts, there may be one question as yet left unanswered in your mind: Why is the author of erotic m/m fiction reading young adult novels?

Am I right? ... I thought so.

The simple answer is: Because I like YA fiction. And it's true. I don't like all of it, but I don't like all of any category of books. What I have found lately, though, in returning to the realm of YA, is that a lot of it is, quite frankly, better written than "grown-up" fiction. That's not to say "adult" fiction, with all of its sundry connotations, but books written with non-children as their target audience, whether erotic or otherwise. With a few notable exceptions (::cough::twilight::cough::), we seem to expect more of young adults and children as readers than we do of adults. I'm sure there are many sides to that discussion, and I'm not going to cover them all here because no one person can sum up the whole of literature. That's just a silly idea. But in my experience over the past few years, I've found that I've tossed aside a goodly number of adult-targeted books of a variety of genres because they bored me or they irritated me. (I've tossed aside a couple of YAs for these reasons, too, just so you know.) Either the story was far too simplistic or predictable, or the characters weren't interesting or even likable. In one case (an erotic romance), the title character was, frankly, a loathsome person and I saw no reason to give a damn whether he lived or died. Another book (technically a mystery), which I unfortunately finished because it was for a book club, was utter shit. Award-winning, gods know why, because it was GARBAGE. (On the up side of finishing it, one does like to be fully knowledgeable about one's subject when eviscerating it with friends.)

The books I have continued to read and finish (or intend to finish) for my own enjoyment have a high expectation of the reader. Boneshaker and The Ark, for example, are both books that expect a certain level of attention, comprehension, and retention from their readers, and that makes me more interested and excited to actually read them. They make me think while at the same time providing me with an escape and entertainment. Maybe that's why I've been diggin' on the YA so much. It takes a lot to get a teenager to sit down and focus on something that isn't a video game, or a TV show or movie, or any one of far too many means of social media and electronic communication. We're all moving too fast these days, and it seems to me the current teen/tween generation are taking the brunt of it. So, to get one of them to sit down, slow down, and read tens of thousands of words on a single subject... Well, you'd better be damned good at what you do to make that happen.

So there it is, for what it's worth. And now if you'll excuse me, I have a stack of books awaiting my attention. :-D

Defying Definition - YoRY Part 7

2011-03-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so that heading's not entirely true. The last two books from my Year of Reading Youthfully aren't hard to categorize on their own, they simply don't belong in any of the previous categories, nor do they fit together in one.

First, there's Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner, which is essentially your basic contemporary YA fiction. I picked this book up at Powell's in Portland, OR, because of the title and because the staff recommendation card said it was "the raunchiest book I've read...on this floor." "This floor" being the one that houses the Children's, Middle Readers, and Young Adult books. I thought at the time that with a title like that and a recommendation like that, it must be worth checking out. So I read the back and promptly put it in my basket. Here's what the back of the book says:
"Shakespeare has always hated his name. His parents bestowed it on him as some kind of sick joke when he was born, and since then his life has been one embarrassing incident after another. But Shakespeare will have the last laugh. He is chronicling every mortifying detail in his memoir, the writing project each senior at Shakespeare's high school must complete. And he is doing it brilliantly. For as much as he hates his name, Shakespeare is a good writer. And, just maybe, a prizewinning memoir will bring him respect, admiration, and a girlfriend . . . or at least a prom date."

So, you see why I couldn't resist. And it's written in two styles, although both are the voice of the title character, Shakespeare Shapiro. (His more popular younger brother is name Gandhi, by the way.) The narrative goes back and forth between his daily life, written in first person, present tense which seems to be a popular format these days with YA books, and the assignments he is given for his senior writing project, i.e. his memoir. In both, however, he tends to cast himself as the hapless victim. Now, lest that sound too irritating for you, it is done with such good humour and honesty that I never once got fed up with his "poor me" point of view. Fact: His little brother is cooler and more popular. Fact: His parents are nut-jobs, well-meaning as they might be. But also fact: His life is put in perspective when he gets to know another student in his memoir class and discovers just how normal and lucky his life really is in comparison to some. Yes, the boy can learn!

A friend gave me Jake Wizner's second book, Castration Celebration!, for Solstice, and I'm looking forward to reading it!

Second, there is The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, which is magical realism. I picked up this book by accident. See, I went to the library to put a hold on Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (which is flipping awesome, by the way. Go read it!). I wasn't paying very close attention and I put a hold on The Boneshaker first. I was going to cancel that hold until I read the book blurb and I thought, "Well, that sounds cool!"

I was right.

Here's what Goodreads says:
"Thirteen-year-old Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automata—self-operating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrive in her small Missouri town with a mysterious vehicle under a tarp and an uncanny ability to make Natalie’s half-built automaton move, she feels in her gut that something about this caravan of healers is a bit off. Her uneasiness leads her to investigate the intricate maze of the medicine show, where she discovers a horrible truth and realizes that only she has the power to set things right."

It's set in a little town in the flat middle of the U.S. in 1914. Near a crossroads where once thriving, now ghost-, town stands. In short: mysterious illness; traveling medicine show; clockwork automata with no source of power; and a bicycle no one can ride. Oh, and you know who you're likely to meet at a crossroads, don't you? Better be sure you know what you're doing before you make a deal with him.

I love magical realism! I wouldn't be completely hooked on Jack Flanders if I didn't. The Boneshaker is about a regular 13-year-old girl dealing with extraordinary events that turn her ordinary world on its ear. Of course, it's not that simple, but I don't want to spoil things for you. Natalie is bold and brave and foolhardy and vulnerable and absolutely real. The author totally nailed the voice of the character and immediately drew me into her world and her story. (Unlike The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, which is garbage. Don't waste your time. It jumped the shark in the first paragraph.)

So there you have it. My Year of Reading Youthfully. Of course, I'm still grooving on my YA novels. I have three new ones from NZ to read, you know! Plus the new Wizner I mentioned above, and the others I've mentioned in previous posts. So it's not like I'm stopping just because a year is up (and has been for a while now), it's just that I can only keep so much information in my memory for so long. And now it's here for you to read. I hope you check out some, or indeed all, of the books I've talked about. You'll find them worth your while and you might rediscover something in yourself while you're at it.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you around again soon. After all, I have a book coming out in less than a fortnight! ;-)

YA Books from NZ!

2011-03-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

The books I ordered from NZ arrived today! Yay! Very excited to have the rest of the Blood of the Lamb trilogy and Banquo's Son to read. But first I really should finish the books I'm already reading.

I Haz Art!

2011-03-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Cover art, that is! Check out the pretty while I try to infuse enough caffeine into my blood to get me past this stupid Daylight Savings time change. *yawn*

That's nice to wake up to, though. Isn't it? Counting down until my 2 April release date!

YA Lit of New Zealand - YoYR Part 6

2011-03-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

Last time I mentioned that I'd read some YA books by New Zealand authors. Sadly, only two so far, but three more are on their way from Wellington to me at this very moment. Woot! Two of those books are #2 & 3 in The Blood of the Lamb Trilogy. The first book, The Crossing, is one I picked up in a Whitcoull's Bookstore on Cashel Mall in Christchurch. (OT: Please consider donating to NZ Red Cross (2011 Earthquake Appeal) or NZ SPCA (Canterbury SPCA Earthquake Appeal) or any other charitable organization you like to the help with Chch earthquake recovery efforts.)

The Crossing (Blood of the Lamb Book #1) by Mandy Hager. I'm not sure how to sum this one up for you and I don't really like the blurb behind that link there. Hmm... Ah! This one from the Whitcoull's website is better:
"The Crossing is the first book in a stunning new trilogy that follows the fate of Maryam and her unlikely companions - Joseph, Ruth, and Lazarus. This is fast, suspenseful drama underpinned by a powerful and moving story about love and loss. The people of Onewere, a small island in the Pacific, know that they are special - chosen to survive the deadly event that consumed the Earth. Now, from the rotting cruise ship Star of the Sea, the elite control the population - manipulating old texts to set themselves up as living 'gods'. But what the people of Onewere don't know is this: the leaders will stop at nothing to meet their own blood-thirsty needs. When Maryam crosses from child to woman, she must leave everything she has ever known and make a crossing of another kind. But life inside the ship is not as she had dreamed, and she is faced with the unthinkable: obey the leaders and very likely die, or turn her back on every belief she once held dear."

Even better is the cover quote from renowned NZ Children's Lit author Margaret Mahy (who I'll talk about in a minute): "Like '1984' for teenagers - direct, passionate and powerful". Just think about that for a minute and if it doesn't make you go "Whoa" you're not reading right. Read it again. ... Got it now? Yeah. That's what I'm talking about.

This book covers all sorts of issues from religious hypocrisy to forced breeding. In short, not your usual YA fare. It does it in such a skilled fashion that I had some seriously visceral reactions to some of the scenes, although no scene crossed the line, if you know what I mean. The young characters learn a lot in this first book and it's a helluva a way to grow up too fast. The world they live in is harsh and tightly controlled. Strict lines are drawn and you're damned, pretty much literally, if you dare to so much as question them. This isn't YA for the timid reader and I love that about it. When the U.S. is caught up in the pablum that is Twilight-mania (Yes, I said it and I stand behind it.), NZ is putting out truly amazing books for teens. Well-written and with powerful and empowering (Gods, I hate that word, but there you have it.) themes. The heroine, Maryam, has to reassess her entire world in the face of newly-discovered truth. She has to redefine who she is without the labels and locks that others have put on her. I can't wait for the other two books to arrive in my mailbox so I can read the rest! (The third book coming is Banquo's Son. The first in a trilogy about Fleance. You know, the only boy in Shakespeare's Macbeth who doesn't snuff it at the hands Mackers or his henchmen. I should've bought it when I was there but, damn, books are pricey in NZ, and this one was heavy, too. I didn't want to haul around it in my already stuffed luggage. So now I'm paying shipping instead of tax, and I have to wait. D'oh!)

The other book I picked up while in Chch was Kaitangata Twitch by Margaret Mahy. The clerk who helped me at the bookstore was astonished that I'd never heard of her. All I could really offer was the fact that I was an ignorant American. :-( If it's not American or English, we don't get it in our bookstores/libraries. Hell, we don't even get Canadian lit unless we go looking for it--in Canada. Anywho, I discovered this (or rather my hubby did) on our flight from Sydney, Aus, to Christchurch, NZ. They've made a TV series out of it and there were, allegedly, a few half-hour eps available in-flight. Sadly, I couldn't get any of them to work. (I got to watch Cosi instead, though, so I'm not bitter.)

This book is what I would call magical realism. Here's what the Whitcoull's site (linked above) says:
"Kaitangata is an island with a rocky fist punching skywards. Kaitangata seems to have a will of its own, and a voice, although only Meredith can hear it...'What we need is a powerful enchantress,' Meredith cried. 'Someone who could put a spell on Marriott.' As she spoke, a strange thought came into her head, running round and round inside her like a mouse on a pet-shop wheel. It was not a thought she could share, for it had a wickedness hidden in it and Meredith did not want anyone to know just how wicked she could be, even if it was only in her dreams. Can Meredith save the island from an unscrupulous developer? How could the dreamer of the family succeed where grown-ups have failed? Only Kaitangata can tell..."

They call it "a spellbinding supernatural thriller", and that's a fair categorization, too. The fantastical lives hand-in-hand with the everyday. This book is about the power of the Earth itself and one girl's connection to it. It reminds me a little of The Dark is Rising Sequence. Natural elements beyond "ordinary" reality that have a direct effect on "ordinary" and not-so-ordinary people. I love when a character is faced with something so powerful that she can't quite wrap her head around it and yet she embraces the challenge and achieves more than she thinks she can. This is an awesome lesson for anyone at any age.

Last installment coming next time. I'll talk a little more about magical realism and what happens when you don't pay attention to what you reserve at the library, and "the raunchiest book" on the Children's Books floor of Powell's in Portland.

International Sex Worker Rights Day

2011-03-04T14:43:00.001-08:00

Did you know that March 3 was International Sex Worker Rights Day? Nor did I until I saw a link on Babeland's Facebook page and followed it to this Babeland Blog Post. I wish I had known. I'd've prepared an interview with Micah Hartshorn, one of the heroes from my novel Client Privileges. For those who haven't met Micah, he is a sex worker or, in the simpler parlance of his culture, a professional whore. In the city of Korpi, the Whores' Guild is like any other professional Guild. Think of it as a union, a union with rules that must be followed but which also protects its members' health, safety, and livelihood. I'm sure he would have a great deal to say about how our culture should decriminalize and destigmatize his chosen profession. He could talk about the rights his government gives him through the Guild, like the right to refuse service to any client; or the benefits it provides, like quarterly heath screenings and free birth control for men and women. He could talk about industry-standard pricing structures, seniority, and job security. But when it comes down to it, he'd probably rather talk about the work itself--as long as it didn't violate client privacy regulations. But, in lieu of all that, maybe you should just go read, or re-read, the book. I'm sure Micah wouldn't mind. ;-)

Upcoming New Release

2011-03-01T12:12:00.001-08:00

I have a release date for my latest novella! Compass Hearts will be available from Torquere Press on 2 April! To whet your appetites, here is an (unedited) excerpt from the book.

****

Compass Hearts by Maia Strong

He barely recognized his own voice as he went on. "The human body is...fascinating." There was a question, an invitation, underlying his statement. He hoped Ash would hear it and understand. Despite this sudden swell of bravery, he knew he couldn't say that out loud.

A slow smile spread across Ash's face. Matthew grinned back, guessing his message had gotten through. His guess was confirmed when Ash asked, "Have you ever had a live model?"

"No." Matthew's cock strained at his breeches. He yearned to draw Ash, see him stripped and posed. He couldn't remember ever wanting anything so much or so urgently in his life.

Then reality crashed down on him. His face fell. "My materials are at my apartment." In the time it took to get there and back, the moment would be beyond lost. And there was no way he was taking Ash back to his flat. He didn't want Ash to see it. It was so unbearably grim, lacking in any charm or comfort, especially when compared to Ash's quirky and inviting room upstairs.

"What do you need?" Ash asked.

"Charcoal pencils, largish paper."

"I have that."

"You do?" Matthew perked up at this spark of hope. It was almost too good to believe. "How? Why?"

"Botany class. We do a lot of plant sketching. I not only have charcoal pencils, I have pressed pigment pencils."

Matthew's eyes lit up and Ash grinned and grabbed his hand. "Come on." Ash pulled him to his feet and toward the stairs.

Matthew's practical side asserted itself and, still clinging to sense, he asked, "What about our books?"

"No one will bother them. Come on!" He practically dragged Matthew from the parlor. By the time their feet hit the stairs, though, Matthew was plenty willing to follow him up.

Inside the cozy comfort of the little attic room, Ash went immediately to the window seat. He opened it and fished around inside, coming up a moment later with a large tablet and a tin box. "Here." He handed the box to Matthew who opened it and looked in wonder at the myriad colored pencils within.

"Where did you get these?" he asked, awed and envious.

"Some of them I bought in town. Some of them my dad gave me before I came here." Ash flipped through the tablet of his Botany drawings, Matthew looking over his shoulder. The plants were barely recognizable, and then only because he'd labeled them. "They're awful, I know," said Ash. He pulled a disgusted face. "It's all right to say so."

"I just have one question," said Matthew.

"Yes?" Ash turned and looked up at him. "What?"

"Are you actually passing Botany?"

Ash burst out laughing. "All right, Master Critical." He flipped to a blank sheet and shoved the tablet at Matthew. "Let's see you do better."

"That much I can guarantee."

"I've never been an artist's model." Ash's eyes looked deep blue in the lantern light and his voice was husky. "Tell me what to do."

Matthew swallowed hard once. The heat and tightness in his groin were intense and he was glad for the tablet he held in front of him. What was he thinking? He'd never get through this! Panic began to rise in him, quelling his arousal. No. I want to do this, damn it! Steeling himself and taking control of his fear, he said with as much authority as he could muster, "Strip."

****

Hopefully that's piqued your interest. ;-) I should have a cover to share with you next time I'm here, so keep your eyes peeled for that, too!

Counting down to chat!

2011-02-23T17:06:00.001-08:00

Less than 48 hours until I'm chatting at Coffee Time Romance & More's Erotic E-loop Yahoo Group. (Whew! That's a mouthful!) Haven't joined the group yet? Well, what are you waiting for? Hop to it!

Caffeinated Fantasy: Chat with Maia Strong
25 February 10-12 PST (1-3 EST)

Excerpts! Prizes! Fun!

Be there.

Kate Davies' New Release!

2011-02-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

Check it out, check it out! Kate Davies' latest, Take a Chance on Me, released today! You need to go read all about it on her blog right now. I just went and got my copy over at Samhain's Bookstore, and you totally need to do the same! And BONUS, it's on sale. So get yourselves on over to the Samhain site and pick it up. You'll be glad you did!

LGBTQ YA Fiction - YoRY Part 5

2011-02-18T17:02:00.001-08:00

Last time I mentioned Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. Here's part of what it says on Goodreads:
The story's narrator is Paul, who, like most teenagers, is preoccupied with love and its attendant feelings. However, Paul is gay. He has "always known it," and his kindergarten teacher confirmed it on Paul's report card: "Paul is definitely gay and has very good sense of self." But in high school, things are a bit more complicated. No, it's not what you're thinking. The world in which Paul lives is utterly devoid of homophobia. It's Paul's love life that's complicated. See, Paul finds himself crazy about a new boy, Noah, but is leery of letting his ex-boyfriend, Kyle, know it. Then there's Paul's best friend, Joni, who is dating Chuck, whom everyone hates -- especially Infinite Darlene, the drag queen who serves as both homecoming queen and star quarterback at Paul's high school, which gives a whole new meaning to the term "progressive."

So you see why I likened it to the fairy tales I talked about in YoRY Part 4. I would love this to be every high school (and it reminds me a little of the high school setting for the musical "Zanna Don't!") but that's not gonna happen anytime soon, sadly. Thank goodness that David Levithan imagined it and shared it!

Another queer-themed YA novel I read was Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I actually read this one first, and it inspired me to read Leviathan's other title. (He has several, but I've only read the one, hence my use of the singular.) Again, from Goodreads:
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

I loved this book beyond all reasoning and for a number of different reasons: Each author took a single Will Grayson and wrote from his point of view. Each chapter alternated between the two Will Graysons, so you got each unique point of view and insight into each Will Grayson's life in entirely different voices. I love straight WG's best friend, the enormous and gay Tiny. And I less-than-love gay WG's friend, whose name I am sorry to say I do not remember. And yet, as much as I less-than-loved her, I could see why the character behaved in the way she did. But still... ::shakes head:: I don't want to spoil it for you.

It had been a long time since I'd read any LGBTQ YA--at least that I can remember. I know I read and loved Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden back in the early '90s, but I can't think of another specifically gay-themed YA novel I'd read since. Plenty of adult books I've read have queer themes and characters--and not just the erotic romance books, either--but not so much with the Young Adult. What I love about both Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Boy Meets Boy is that they are written for boys. Or at least they are about boys. Historically, women have gotten less flack for being gay than men have. (Notably, gay male sex was a crime punishable by hard labor and imprisonment in Britain far too long, while there was no law against gay female sex. Okay, it was because of the ignorant belief that women couldn't have sex (as the law defined it?) with each other, but still. It's easier for a tom-boy of a girl to fly under the radar, you know? At least in my pre-teen and teen world, this was the case.) There are loads of YA and Middle Readers books about boys, but until recently, not so many that gave a positive image of and for gay male teens. I love this trend! When I was at Powell's in Portland last November, there was an entire endcap display in the YA section devoted to LGBTQ YA books. I picked up a new one that I haven't read yet called How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, about which I know nothing beyond what you'll find behind that link and the fact that I got it from that endcap.

What about you? Do you have any LGBTQ YA recommendations to offer? I'd love to hear them!

Next, and probably the penultimate YoRY post, will be about the YA lit of New Zealand. Which reminds me, I have a book to look for. I'm crossing my fingers that it's finally available in the US, or at least in Canada. It was too much to pay for and too heavy to pack flying home from NZ last May. I've been impatiently waiting for a North American edition ever since. Wish me luck!

Expectations?

2011-02-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

I've had some interesting feedback lately that brings a question to mind. That question is: Do readers have different expectations for ebooks and print books? It's clear from my small experience that publishers certainly do. For better or worse, I don't know. I do find it interesting. The top-most discrepancy between the two seems to be the amount of "white space on the page". Ebooks tend to have more white space on the page than print books (which I find silly, as it really comes down to formatting, IMO). Case in point, I'm reading a print techno-thriller and an ebook cozy mystery. All genres aside, I will say that there's a helluva a lot more text per page in the print book, and yet it's far more compelling than the less text-heavy ebook. I'm not trying to slam the medium, mind you, I just wonder where this notion came from. Do readers have different expectations for the different media, or is this something that's been manufactured, or simply misinterpreted, by publishers? My only expectation for any book I choose to read, particularly any book I choose to purchase rather than borrow from the library, is that it live up to its potential.

What do you think? Have you even thought about it? Am I over-thinking it? (I suspect the last is the case. LOL)

Fairy Tales - YoRY Part 4

2011-02-07T15:31:00.000-08:00

I my previous Year of Reading Youthfully post, I mentioned fairy tales. Specifically, I mentioned The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. (Many people may know it by the movie, which I have not seen so I won't get into.) Another fairy tale I read over the year was I, Coriander by Sally Gardner. Both were for the YA Lit book club I'm in, otherwise I don't think I would have gotten around to ...Despereaux. It just wasn't so much on my radar. (Another book with a fairy tale vibe that I read on my own was Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. But that one falls into LGBT YA, so I'll get to it later.)

A little background on each:

The Tale of Despereaux (from Goodreads.com): The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

I, Coriander (also from Goodreads.com - This is, in fact, the beginning of the book.): It is night, and I have lit the first of seven candles to write my story by. My name is Coriander Hobie, and I have a great many things to tell–of silver shoes that tempted me and an alligator most rare; of London, the home of my childhood, and another, stranger land, one that I thought only existed in dreams; and of an ebony box whose treasure only now am I beginning to understand. The box was once my mother’s, but its secrets were meant for me.
This being my story and a fairy tale besides, I will start once upon a time . . .

So, we know the latter is a fairy tale because it says so right one the first page, and we can assume that former is also a fairy tale because it has talking mice and princesses. Are we all agreed? Good.

There was a lot of discussion over both of these books, and some complaints about I, Coriander's portrayal of the beautiful, mistreated heroine and the handsome prince of the fairies, and the evil hag who does everything to keep them apart. Does the heroine have to be so pretty? Must the prince be handsome? Why is the evil one also physically ugly? Well, I say, because it's a fairy tale and that's the way fairy tales work. Simple answer? Yes. Valid answer? Yes. Honestly, those questions never even occurred to me while I was reading it. I was far more engaged in the story, itself: the setting (London during the Interregnum, and the land of the fairies); the characters (strong-willed heroine; steadfast, shy step-sister; father and allies to her father; mother and her mysterious past; quirky ally in fairy-land; evil queen; tormented prince); and the different sorts of magic that existed in both worlds. I was wrapped up in the tale, and thoughts of what this was telling young girls about what can and can't be, what they should and shouldn't look like or expect out of life never crossed my mind. It's a fairy tale, from "Once upon a time" to the end.

As for Despereaux, well, I enjoyed it, but it didn't touch me particularly. I think it was oversold, to be honest. I love talking animals. Princesses and dungeons and soup are all entertaining things, but to be honest the love of Despereaux for the Princess Pea, while charming and sweet, wasn't particularly meaningful to me. Roscuro's part of the tale was sad and dark, as was Miggery Sow's, but they didn't especially move me. I can appreciate the book on an academic level, but not so much on a personal one. It was a lovely story, well-written, and worthy of its awards and accolades. But yeah. I think the problem was the heightened expectations I had going in. And that's something it's very hard to overcome.

Fairy tales serve a purpose. They elaborate the human condition in a fantastical yet accessible way. They provide the opportunity to adventure, to be bigger and better than we are in real life. They can teach lessons about how one should behave, how one should treat others, about chivalry and honesty and all sorts of laudable qualities. The bad guys always lose and the good guys always win (which make them a little like Doc Savage novels, but that's another subject entirely). In the end, though, they are entertainment, to be taken for whatever value you personally place upon them. Me, I'm more inclined to dig on a fairy tale set during the Interregnum, just because that's who I am. I mean, how often do you see that, right? Crazy! And yet it worked!

Do you have any fairy tales you particularly love or hate? Tell me about them!
How about books, YA or not, set during the rule of the whack-job Cromwell (anyone who bans theatre is irredeemable, IMO) and his intolerant round-heads? Let's hear 'em!

(That reminds me, have you read Witch Child by Celia Rees? I'd talk about that, but I read it a few years ago. Starts in England (early into the Restoration, I think), but the heroine flees to America to escape being executed for witchcraft like her grandmother was. The catch? The people she travels with and goes to live with are Puritans, and she really is a witch.)

Fun with grammar

2011-02-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

I still say good grammar costs nothing, but I have to also say that I love what this guy has to say:

Five big things grammar Nazis get wrong.

Or watch it here:

For anyone wondering, I will get back to my Year of Reading Youthfully very soon.

And don't forget to come chat with me on 25 Feb 10 - 12 PST on Coffee Time Romance's Erotic E-loop!

Chat with me!

2011-01-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

I've gone and done it. I've scheduled a chat. I haven't done one of these since The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing first came out, and I'd actually forgotten about that one when I signed up for this one. This is a Coffee Time Romance & More event to be held on their Erotic E-loop Yahoo Group. So if you haven't joined that group yet, now's the time to do it!

What: Caffeinated Fantasy, Chat with Maia Strong
Where: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/karendevinkaren/
When: Friday 25 February 10am - 12noon PST (1 - 3pm EST.)
Why: Because it's fun to socialize! And because I'm going to be giving away three fabulous coffee mugs, each of which has one of my beautiful book covers on it. How cool is that? Plus, I'll have a new book to plug and maybe by then I'll have a release date. Who knows? We'll find out together. :-)

I look forward to seeing you there. We'll chat. We'll drink coffee. We'll have fun!

Book BIN Tuesday!

2011-01-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

I'm totally stealing Kate Davies's shtick by using her Book B(uy) I(t) N(ow) Tuesday, but I think she'll forgive me. See, my friend Boyd Morrison's book The Ark comes out in mass market paperback today and I'm super excited to get a copy. (Love the guy, but I just couldn't afford the hardcover price, you know? And I can say that here because I told him the same thing. LOL)

Here's the blurb from Barnes & Noble.com:

When brilliant archaeologist Dilara Kenner is contacted by Sam Watson, an old family friend who says that he has crucial information about her missing father, Dilara abandons her Peruvian dig and rushes to Los Angeles to meet him. But at the airport, Sam speaks instead of Noah’s Ark—the artifact her father had long been searching for—and the possible death of billions. Before Sam can explain, he collapses. With his dying breath, he urges Dilara to find Tyler Locke—a man she’s never heard of.

Two days later Dilara manages to track down former combat engineer Tyler Locke on an oil rig off Newfoundland. Her helicopter transport goes down well short of the oil rig’s landing pad and Dilara and those aboard nearly drown. No sooner is Dilara safely on the rig than she convinces Tyler the crash was no accident. Tyler agrees to help her uncover the secret behind Noah's Ark and, more important, her father's disappearance.

As the picture begins to come into focus, they realize they have just seven days to find the Ark before its secret is used to wipe out civilization once again.

Tell me that doesn't sound like an awesome ride! Woo-hoo! So why don't you all pop out to your local bookstore and Buy It Now? I know I'm going to!

Udates to MaiaStrong.com

2011-01-21T11:09:00.000-08:00

I just updated some links over on my website's Bookshelf. Samhain Publishing has been doing a huge amount of shifting about and redesigning, and now that they seem to be all settled in, I've updated the links for The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing (ebook and print) and the follow-up freebie, Wand'ring Home. Everything else should still link up just fine, but if you find otherwise, do let me know.

Newbery Winners - YoRY Part 3

2011-01-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

I mentioned Newbery books in my last Year of Reading Youthfully post. Two of the five in The Dark is Rising Sequence are Newbery Winners. Other winners that I read over the past year are: Whittington by Alan Armstrong; The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo; and When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, which was the 2010 Newbery Mystery winner. These are all more Middle Readers than Young Adult, IMO, but that's irrelevant. They're all excellent reads. More on ...Despereaux when I talk about fairy tales in a later post.

Here's what the Newbery Site lists as #1 on its criteria for determining awards:
"1. The Medal shall be awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year. There are no limitations as to the character of the book considered except that it be original work. Honor books may be named. These shall be books that are also truly distinguished."

You might notice that they use "distinguished" twice. They're not being sloppy or redundant. Pulitzer prize-winning novels can be awful to read, wonderful to read, or anywhere in between. Newberys, in my extensive experience, are always wonderful to read. This group or committee or whoever they are know what they're doing. You pick up Newbery book and you will never be disappointed. You'll like some more than others, of course, but none of them will suck.

We had a program at my elementary school where you could read a Newbery book and then discuss it with the school librarian. He'd take notes in purple pen and you'd get a star or something for every Newbery book you read. Maybe there was some special award every ten books or something. I don't remember. Clearly that wasn't the big motivation for me. I just loved reading.

Whittington and ...Despereaux are both centered around animals, and in both cases those animals not only interact with humans, but talk to them as equally sentient beings. It surprised me a little in Whittington when the farm animals began working to help one of the children learn to read because the book didn't start out with the premise that the cross-species communication included humans. But it flowed so naturally within the story that I got over my surprise immediately. ...Despereaux, on the other hand, says straight away that it is a fairy tale, so the whole mouse-human conversations were to be expected. What I love in both of these books is that everyone has something to learn from someone else. Whether it's animals learning from other animals, humans learning from animals, animals learning from humans, or humans learning from humans. No one is infallible and no one is perfect. There are prejudices and nobility to be found whatever the species. I love that. In real life, humans can't figure that lesson out amongst themselves, and yet here are humans and animals alike all learning it.

When You Reach Me isn't a fairy tale and it doesn't have talking animals. I'm not sure that I would call it a mystery, as Newbery does. More likely I'd dub it sci-fi, although it does present a fascinating puzzle for the heroine to solve, so I suppose calling it a mystery is fair. It has it all, really. From time-travel theory to very real, non-theoretical relationships among kids stuck between being children and being young adults. Our main kid-cast are all about 13 years old, including the narrator, Miranda. (Do we all remember what a challenge that time was in our lives? I do. It didn't suck, but it sure as hell wasn't easy, either.) It was the accuracy and honesty of this book that struck me hardest. So much of the scenario is outside of my personal experience (I didn't grow up in New York with a single mom who was auditioning for $20,000 Pyramid.), but the universality of the relationships amongst the kids and between the kids and adults... That stuff I connected with immediately. It didn't hurt that Miranda frequently mentions "her book". The book she always brings to school for silent reading. That book, too, is a Newbery winner. And it has not only time travel but space travel, too. The heroine of it is also about 13 years old. Her name is Meg. Have you guessed it? It's A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Oddly enough, I didn't reread that book this past year. I may have to remedy that.

Guest Post at Donuts & Desires

2011-01-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I answered some fun questions for Giselle Renarde's blog, Donuts and Desires, back in October, and then totally forgot about it until she emailed to say my answers were up. Go check it out, and check out the rest of her blog, too, because it's cool. :-)

Quick Six TNG with Maia Strong

When the Dark comes rising... YoRY Part 2

2010-12-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

I told you how I began rereading The Dark is Rising Sequence about a year ago. Well, with Solstice (and the setting for book two) nearly upon us, I figured I'd expound a bit more. Not that I sat down and read all five books in a row; I read other stuff in between and didn't finish rereading book five, Silver on the Tree, until August or so. But let's stick to Susan Cooper for the moment. Two of the five books in the sequence are Newbery Award winners, which says a great deal about their quality. And that's not my opinion, that's fact. You don't win a Newbery without damned good reason, and The Dark is Rising (book 2) and The Grey King (book 4) have damned good reason. If you don't know what a Newbery Award is, well, I'm very sorry to hear it. Click this link to be taken to ALA's page of Newbery goodness. You might find you've read something on the list and didn't even realize it. I mean, it has been awarded since 1922, so chances are good. I read two other winners over the course of this year, including last year's mystery category winner, but I'll get to those another day.

I'm still pondering on the brilliance of Susan Cooper's YA twist on King Arthur's story. Although, that's not really accurate on my part. It's not about Arthur, per se, but about the mythology, truth, and artifacts related to Britain's greatest king. (Yes, I believe he was real. And I believe that, barring intervention from Doctor Who and his TARDIS, we'll never know how much of the story that's been passed is fact and how much fiction. Except Lancelot. He's pure French fiction.) It's the consequences of Arthur's actions in his own time, and how they affect things and, more importantly, people in the present day of the books that are the action of the story. More than even that, it's about the greatest and last battle of the Light against the Dark. Great battles have been fought over the millennia, but this one is for all the marbles, as the saying goes. There are difficult choices facing the adults and even more facing the children who are our heroes throughout the sequence. Children and adults alike are fallible and human; even those who are more than human make mistakes and must face the consequences. I think this has to have had a profound influence on me as a kid that persists to this day: I don't believe in easy wins for fictional characters. If there is no sacrifice, it cheapens the gains. You know what I mean? I'm all for a happily ever after (HEA), but I don't want it to be too easy and I don't want it to be a guarantee. And, really, I don't have to have an HEA as long as the ending is the right one for the story. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, for example, is a book with hard choices and sacrifices, and while it doesn't exactly have a happy ending, it has the right ending. I love that book. I should reread it more often. It's not like it takes very long.

Do you prefer your books to have a guaranteed HEA, or are you content with the right ending, whether it's happy or not?

2010 - My Year of Reading Youthfully, Part 1

2010-12-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

About this time last year, I began to reread one of my all-time favourite book series, or, more accurately in this case, my favourite book sequence. And if that doesn't give it away, I will: Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Sequence. Don't ask me why it's a "sequence" and not a "series"; I do not know. Nor do I care. The point is, these are some of the best books ever written, and the fact that they are YA books makes that all the more impressive. Okay. So. My point? My point:

I began with the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone, shortly before Winter Solstice so that when the Solstice arrived I could be on Book 2, The Dark is Rising, which takes place over about one week starting on Solstice Eve. And thus began my Year of Reading Youthfully. I was burnt out on "grown-up" books. They were too long, the print too small, too poorly written, too depressing, and basically just too damned tedious. YA, on the other hand, offered solace. They are generally quick reads (I did not reread the Harry Potter series this year.), with relatively large print, heavy but not too heavy subject matter, and always well-written (I chose well.) It helps that I'm in a book club specifically for YA literature. I don't feel I need an excuse to read kids' books, but some adults can be, shall we say, shy about their chosen reading material, and so the book club was an excuse for them to read YA books.

For those of you who haven't read The Dark is Rising Sequence... What is wrong with you!? Okay, okay. Just kidding. ... Sort of. It's a fantastical retelling of Arthurian legend that ranges across the English and Welsh countrysides. From the Holy Grail to Arthur's Seat, three ordinary kids and two quite extraordinary ones must battle the Dark, on the side of the Light, to do nothing less than save the world from eternal evil. ... Yes. These are kids' books, and they are brilliant. I first read them in elementary school, and have reread them several times over the years. They never lose anything in the retelling, and indeed, gain much as I get older and my life experience changes. These books taught me that there is always something worth fighting for, and you have to fight for it when you recognize it, even though, win or lose, that fight will come with a price.

TheLostLand.com - Official Susan Cooper Website that I discovered just this minute. (Hey, gimme a break! The first time I read any of her books, there was no internet, so why would I go looking for this until I wanted to share with you?)

I'll be posting more in the weeks to come about the other YA books I've read over the past year. Check back and see what I think about NZ kids' lit, YA GLBTQ, and old-fashioned modern-written fairy tales!

Got a favourite kids' or YA book you would recommend? Let me know!

From NaNoWriMo to Haggis Hunting

2010-11-30T18:56:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing that NaNoWriMo and The Haggis Hunt only overlap by one day.

I'm just sayin'.

One Day Only: SALE!

2010-11-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

All Romance eBooks is having a 50%-off sale TODAY ONLY! So if, you know, you wanted to buy some awesome m/m titles by a certain someone, or some kick-ass contemporary m/f titles by a certain someone else, you should totally go pick them up for HALF-PRICE TODAY!

NaNoWriMo Winner!

2010-11-25T12:14:00.001-08:00

I've managed to do it again. For the fifth year in a row, I've won NaNoWriMo! Of course, as was the case in all the previous years, the book isn't actually done yet. If the previous two in this series are any indication, I have about another 30 - 35K before the end. But, hey, that's fine by me! I'll be taking today off and picking up again on Friday. We'll see how close I can get to finished by the 30th.

I hope everyone one in the U.S. is enjoying their Thanksgiving! And for those in other locales, you can be thankful that it's almost the weekend, right? ;-D

I'm sorry, but what season is this?

2010-11-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

I know there are places in North America where snow in mid- to late-November is commonplace. Places were people don't blink when, days before Thanksgiving, the temperature and the snow fall. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. And yet, here I sit, while outside my living room window, the wind blows about the snow that fell today, making it look as though it is still snowing. Now, it didn't snow all day, nor did it snow terribly heavily, but any snow when it is still technically autumn, is more than a little mind-bending. And this was enough to accumulate on the trees, cars, and sidewalks, and even the street out front has got some left from this morning and a fresh coating over that. Weird. Weird, weird, weird.

On the positive side, I didn't have anywhere I had to go, plenty to do inside my house, and cozy kitties to keep me company. I'll be going out tonight for my friend's birthday, though. Fortunately she only lives a few miles away.

Also on the positive side, the weather gave me a great excuse to sit on my butt and pound out today's word count for NaNoWriMo. It's not even 5:00 and the laundry's done and I've written 2500 words on my NaNovel. And the show sure has been pretty to look at. And yet... IT'S NOVEMBER, NOT JANUARY!

Okay. I'm over it now. Or I will be. Eventually. When it melts.

Just...weird.

ETA: I take it back. We're not going out tonight to celebrate my friend's b-day. The hill is, naturally, slicker than snot, and I won't ask the hubs to go driving on that. He could handle it. It's the idiots and the unlucky I fear.

Official: New Contract!

2010-11-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

Now that both the company rep and I have signed the contract, I can annouce my good news. I sold another novella to Torquere Press!

Compass Hearts is set in the same world as, well, everything published so far except False Dawn. Here's a little blurbage to, I hope, pique your interest.

As the fourth son of merchant parents, Matthew Morgan has always been superfluous. The only guidance he ever received was to behave himself and to stay out of the way. Now, at a new university half a world away from home, he must discover who he is and what he wants. The only trouble is, he's never made a decision in his life.

When Ash Thearon meets Matthew--the handsome fellow student he's been ogling all quarter--he finds him sweet, sexy, and more than a little puzzling. To solve that puzzle, he must first collect all the pieces--something more easily said than done.

The new friends quickly become lovers, but Matthew's limited life experience has taught him only how to follow another's lead. Ash wants more than that; he wants the give and take of an equal. As the lovers' holiday of Afan Valen approaches, Matthew's tendency to try too hard to please others leaves Ash wondering how to teach him independence without losing him.

So, does that make you curious? I certainly hope so! I'll update again when I have more news, and I will, of course, be having a party. I just have to get a release date before I can properly plan.

NaNoWriMo has commenced!

2010-11-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Technically, it commenced yesterday. I, however, wrote not a word yesterday, so I began today. I managed to reach my one-day word-count goal by lunch, and I just moments ago reached that same goal for today. I am now 33 words over my personal goal of 2K/day. Woot! I can only hope the rest of the months goes as well.

My brain scares me.

2010-10-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

You know you're bored when you're doing random websearches that eventually lead your brain to the following:

Someone should make a steampunk Borg!

At which point you (you guessed it) websearch it and find this picture.

And you proceed to think:

Well, it's pretty good. The arm looks smashing! But it could be better if he did more with the clothing part of the costume and added the right Borg-ish make-up.

. . .

I have a very scary brain sometimes.

Friday Halloween Quizzage

2010-10-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a particularaly silly quiz with a particularly silly result for Halloween. (Although it occurs to me that this isn't too far off what I look like in my Witch costume for Macbeth.)

Quiz! Which Hollywood Starlet Are You Best Suited To Dress-Up As This Halloween?

Lady Gaga

Your style is daring, to say the least. It shocks those around you. This Halloween, try to let loose, leave your lonely studio for just one night, and have fun with friends.

Fun quizzes, surveys & blog quizzes by

Autumn Traditions

2010-10-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Autumn has struck here with a vengeance. Lots of wind and rain--and the small power outages that tend to come with the wind and the rain. I love autumn, though. I love the wacky weather. I love the colours that the leaves turn. There are a couple of streets near me where the trees all look like flavours of jam. There's apricot and plum and golden raspberry peach. Makes me hungry for a PB&J just looking at them. Halloween decorations are appearing in people's yards, too. I put mine out Saturday--just before the weather hit. I haven't done that the past two years because I haven't been home on Halloween, and I've missed the ritual digging out of the big plastic bin and the unpacking of the decorations.

Another autumn tradition I enjoy is roasting pumpkins. I'll do that next week. It makes the whole house smell pumpkiny good! I'm a freak for autumn foods, you see. Last night it was butternut squash enchiladas. Last week it was pasta with mushroom sauce. The week before was sweet potato and chick pea stew. Mmmm! The flavours of fall!

Let's not forget the tradition of watching Kenneth Branagh's Henry V on St. Crispin's Day. (That was yesterday, in case you didn't know. This year is the 595th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt.)

And last but far from least, there's the autumn--or more specifically November--tradition of NaNoWriMo. I'm participating again this year. This is year five for me. I've "won" every year, but this time I'm not so sure I'll make it. I'm even less prepared than usual, I'm afraid. We'll see. I am a competitive person, even when I'm just competing with myself, so perhaps I'll bring in another one. ::fingers crossed::

So, what about you? What autumnal traditions do you most enjoy?

Novella Submission

2010-10-23T16:53:00.001-07:00

Submitted a novella to Torquere Press yesterday. It's a great book, if I say so myself, and it deserves some love (by someone besides me and my beta readers). It's in the same universe as all my other stories except False Dawn. Cross your fingers for me, please.

Monday Quizzage

2010-10-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

Clearly, it is a productive Monday in my world.

Created by Oatmeal

Really, though, I have three manuscripts...wait... ::thinking hard:: ...four manuscripts out with beta readers right now. And I'm making mental notes for NaNoWriMo, which fast approacheth.

And laundry. There is always laundry on Monday.

Keep trying!

2010-09-10T20:33:00.001-07:00

Some of you who are participating in the Torquere Lucky 7 Scavenger Hunt may have had trouble getting to my website to hunt down the card there last night or this morning. Seems there was a bit of server troubled that's been worked, at least out for the moment. There may be a brief outage in the near future, but that will come with warning that I will do my best to pass on to you.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Lucky 7 Contest

2010-09-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

The contest is underway! Have you popped over to Torquere's contest page to check out the nifty gifties? There are free books, weekly gift baskets, and even a Nook ebook reader! Dude? How cool is that? There are links there to all the authors who are pariticipating in the scavenger hunt, too, so go check it out! Start gathering those cards and maybe you'll be one of the lucky winners!

Torquere's Lucky 7 Anniversary Festivities!

2010-08-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hey there, gang! It's Torquere's 7th Anniversary and we're all celebrating! I'll be participating in the scavenger hunt and there are some seriously cool prizes to be won! Just check out the official press release below. Yeah. Right there. ::points:: Check it out!

ETA: I believe that the contest link (below) won't be active/up-to-date until tomorrow. So if you click through and it doesn't look quite right, just give it until 1 September. Then...a-hunting we will go, a-hunting we will go, heigh-ho the derry-o a-hunting we will go!

Torquere Press Celebrates 7th Anniversary!

Seven years?! No, we can hardly believe it either. Seven years of bringing readers the best, the sexiest, the most romantic GLBT fiction. And to celebrate, we're giving away prizes -- great themed gift baskets, gift certificates for free books every day, and a scavenger hunt that will give readers a chance to collect a deck of cards that will win big - -a Nook from Barnes & Noble!

Readers will get the chance to "collect cards" by visiting each participating author's website, blog, or Facebook page. By collecting all the cards and filling in the form, players have the chance to win free books daily, a gift basket once each week, (including BDSM, werewolf and ménage themed baskets), and be entered in the grand prize drawing for the Nook.

We'll also be having random sales via our blog, GLBT Romance, Facebook, and Twitter:

With bestselling GLBT romance authors like Chris Owen, Tory Temple, Kiernan Kelly, P.D.Singer, Sean Michael, and B.A. Tortuga, you'll have a blast playing along. Just log onto Torquere Press website http://www.torquerepress.com/contest/index.html
Check out the contest page, and start hunting!

So, ya feel lucky, dude? Let's play!

Return of Friday Quizzage!

2010-08-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

At least for this week. Knicked this from a friend of mine. It's quite a positive result to start off my weekend.

You are the World

Completion, Good Reward.

The World is the final card of the Major Arcana, and as such represents saturnian energies, time, and completion.

The World card pictures a dancer in a Yoni (sometimes made of laurel leaves). The Yoni symbolizes the great Mother, the cervix through which everything is born, and also the doorway to the next life after death. It is indicative of a complete circle. Everything is finally coming together, successfully and at last. You will get that Ph.D. you've been working for years to complete, graduate at long last, marry after a long engagement, or finish that huge project. This card is not for little ends, but for big ones, important ones, ones that come with well earned cheers and acknowledgements. Your hard work, knowledge, wisdom, patience, etc, will absolutely pay-off; you've done everything right.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

If only it were all true. ::sigh::

Happy weekend!

iPod as Prophet?

2010-08-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

x-posted from Slash & Burn

I had my iPod on shuffle the other day. You know shuffle. That setting that supposedly randomizes all the music on your iPod and plays whateverthehell randomness that the algorithms choose? Yeah, that. Well, this past weekend, my iPod "randomly" shuffled between Blue Öyster Cult's "Club Ninja" in order and a witchy-themed playlist I have, with the occasional smattering of tunes by my favorite Scottish rock band, Runrig. The conclusion reached by me and the friend riding in the car with me at the time? Either it was telling me to go back to my old m/m Star Trek fanfiction, or I need to write some short stories in the universe where my GLBT paranormal novels are set. On one hand, I love that fanfiction, but I have a very hard time convincing myself to write anything these days that couldn't potentially be published. On the other hand, considering that the aforementioned paranormal novels aren't yet contracted, let alone published, and that I only submitted the first one to a publisher a couple of weeks ago, this short story collection idea seems a little...what's the word? Ambitious? Optimistic? Nuts? Maybe all of the above and then some. And yet this is precisely what I did. I wrote the first short story (and I do mean short – only 4200 words, give or take) that was uppermost in my mind. I have solid ideas for two more, and thoughts of two more after that. All of which makes me wonder: Just how random is the iPod shuffle function? Was it just a wacky algorithm or was it tuned into something greater? The world may never know... [cue Twilight Zone theme...] ;-)

It's the waiting that kills me

2010-08-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

It's almost time for me to follow up on a manuscript I sent off in early June.

It'll be 12 weeks (if I'm lucky) before I hear back on another manuscript I sent off this week.

I have two manuscripts out with beta readers. One due back by Labor Day. The others...who knows?

At least once rehearsals start for my next show, I'll have some distraction. In the meantime, I wait.

Cue Inigo Montoya.

False Dawn Blog Party - WINNERS!

2010-07-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hey there! My week has been nuts, and it's only Wednesday. Oy! However, I have managed to get my act together enough to use my handy-dandy random winner generator to pick winners from this past weekend's new release blog party!

The winner of the coffee mug with the awesome book cover on it is from over on the TQ Social LJ:

foggynite!

The winner of the free download of False Dawn is from right here on the blog:

Erika!

If you would each be so kind as to contact me at "maia at maiastrong dot com" (with all the necessary conversions to make that a real email address, of course) I can arrange prize delivery.

Foggynight, I will just need a mailing address for you. And, Erika, I need an email address and your preferred format for your ebook.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who came out party it up at the space barbecue!

False Dawn - Author Extra!

2010-07-26T12:04:00.001-07:00

Where did the weekend go? And on top of that, where did this morning go!? (Okay, I know where this morning went. It went to making two apple pies for the freezer. And there are still apples left for a nice crumble.)

It's the last day of my space barbecue and I've had great fun! I hope you have, too. To celebrate, I have the author extra I wrote especially for Release Day. Just because some lines got crossed and the book actually came out Saturday doesn't mean we can't keep the party going through today. Right? Right!

And along those lines, here's that Release Day Author Extra I mentioned. Hope you like it!

False Dawn by Maia Strong
Available from Torquere Press

EARLY NEWS HOUR THEME MUSIC RUNS AS TITLE TEXT AND GRAPHICS GIVE WAY TO:

SHOT OF MALE NEWS ANCHOR SEATED BEHIND DESK

IMAGE OF ENGINEER DAYAN ANDRUS, DRESSED IN STANDARD ENGINEERING COVERALLS, APPEARS IN UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF SCREEN

NEWS ANCHOR: Good morning. Here’s the early news. Our lead story, a senior engineer has vanished into thin air. Yoshiko Didier reports.

CUT TO FEMALE REPORTER STANDING IN CORRIDOR OUTSIDE DOOR MARKED “SECURE AREA -- AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY -- CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR ACCESS”

DIDIER: Thank you, Steven. I’m standing outside Section 4 of Sector AP-10 on Aconcagua Deck. It’s beyond here that Senior Engineer Dayan Andrus supposedly disappeared over forty hours ago.

DIDIER CONT. [IRONIC TONE]: Of course, we can’t access the area directly without authorization due to the security precautions around the File Room, and that authorization has not been forthcoming. But is it just the sensitivity of what’s behind this door that’s keeping us out?

SCHEMATIC APPEARS ON-SCREEN

DIDIER: What you’re looking at here is the schematic for the section behind me. You’ll note the lack of doors and internal access hatches. There aren’t even ventilation ducts in the area of the alleged disappearance.

CAMERA RETURNS TO DIDIER LOOKING SKEPTICAL; SCHEMATIC SHRINKS TO UPPER LEFT CORNER OF SCREEN

DIDIER: Security claims to have no leads in the case. Judging by the obvious inaccessibility of the location, one might not be surprised. But can Lažna Zora’s vaunted security force really be so in the dark as that? Or could there be more here than meets the eye? I believe there’s more to this story than we’re being told. Could this disappearance be a case of experimentation gone wrong? Might Engineer Andrus have been the subject, knowing or unknowing, of new technology designed to transport a human being from one location to another instantaneously?

IMAGE OF SCHEMATIC IS REPLACED BY PICTURE OF DARK-HAIRED MAN IN ENGINEERING COVERALLS

DIDIER CONT.: I spoke earlier today with the Assistant Chief Engineer Alan Zamyatin who assured me, quite emphatically, that no one in Engineering was performing any experiments along these lines. He denounced such ideas as, and I quote, “ridiculous” and “absurd science-fiction”. Doth the gentleman protest too much? Chief Engineer Johnston was unavailable for comment.

IMAGE DISAPPEARS AND CAMERA RE-CENTERS ON REPORTER

DIDIER CONT.: Given such vehement denial of even the possibility of this new technology, one is forced to wonder what we aren’t being told. Whatever happened here, whatever Engineering’s involvement, or not, in the alleged disappearance, it seems highly unlikely that Security would be completely ignorant of that department’s activities--whether those activities are “secret” or not. Yet, if they aren’t ignorant? I, for one, don’t like to consider the alternatives. This is Yoshiko Didier reporting.

END REMOTE FEED

*****

Remember, just comment to be entered to win one of two FABULOUS PRIZES! You have until midnight Pacific Time tonight to enter! I'll announce the winners in the next couple of days. :-D

False Dawn - Excerpt 2

2010-07-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a rather steamier excerpt than the previous one, so you might not want to read this if you're at work. Unless, of course, you work somewhere totally cool and awesome.

False Dawn by Maia Strong
Available from Torquere Press

"Hi!" Galen barely got the greeting out before Dayan was through the doorway and on him.

Dayan grasped him by his broad shoulders and pulled him into a searing kiss. Startled but willing, Galen opened his mouth to Dayan's searching tongue, and Dayan took full advantage. He swept his tongue along Galen's teeth and tickled the roof of Galen’s mouth, reveling in the taste and feeling, the warmth and the wetness.

When at last they came up for breath, both men were panting. Galen's brown eyes were nearly all pupil, and Dayan was more than ready to fall into them. He'd waited all damned day to show his lover just how proud he was of that promotion.

"Congratulations, Detective," he said, his voice a husky purr of desire.

"I take it you don't want to go out to celebrate." Galen's expression and tone were wry.

Dayan returned the look with a lascivious, one-sided grin. "What do you think?" He pressed his hard, aching cock against Galen's thigh, just below the hip joint, and rolled a little from one side to the other. Galen groaned and leaned in for another devouring kiss. Dayan happily obliged.

Again, they only parted when they had to stop for air. Gasping, Galen smiled broadly. Dayan loved that wide mouth, those straight, white teeth, and dove in for more before either of them properly caught their breath. His head felt light, but whether from lack of oxygen or overload of lust, he didn't know. Didn't care.

Dayan pushed against his lover until they were brought up short by the couch that stood against the outer bulkhead. Dayan released him again and gave him enough of a shove that Galen lost his balance and sat heavily. Without a pause, Dayan straddled him where he sat and began to undo the buttons on his new dress shirt--as much an indication of his new rank as the badge that glinted at Dayan from his belt.

The release of each button was followed by a kiss, a nip, a bite, of Galen's dark, smooth, muscled chest. When Dayan reached the waistband of Galen's tailored black trousers, he tugged the shirt tails up and out, found the last button, and, bent double over his lover's lap, placed a kiss over Galen's navel. He alternately circled it with the tip of his tongue, flicking at the little indentation, and sucked a mouthful of flesh around it. Galen squirmed and shook, just as Dayan knew he would.

Dayan sat up straight, one hand on the clasp of Galen's belt, the other fondling his lover's balls through the taut fabric of his slacks. The outline of his erection was hard pressed just to the left of the fly, but Dayan held off from grasping it. He's been anticipating this all day; he had to take a little revenge and make his lover wait a bit, too.

He leaned in and whispered in Galen's ear. "Is there anything you particularly want tonight?" A gentle squeeze on his sac that made Galen gasp and groan.

"Any…requests?" A tender nibble at the shell of his ear. "Or do you trust me…" Nip. "…to make you…" Nuzzle. "…scream?"

Galen's breath came in short gasps, and Dayan knew he had him. They'd played this game many times, and Galen had never once turned down that particular offer. He looked up into Dayan's gaze and grinned, equal parts defiance and fervor.

"Dare you."

False Dawn - Review!

2010-07-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

Okay. So. Much to my surprise, I discovered that False Dawn is available for purchase as off...YESTERDAY! (The wrong book cover is on that page, FYI. I'll be emailing about it shortly. Although the cover that is there intrigues me and I plan to go find out what that book is about shortly, too. :-D )

The review that's posted is rockin'! I'm now going to be happy dancing all through cycle class this morning. ::bounce, bounce::

I'll be back after class to party some more!

False Dawn - Space Barbecue!

2010-07-24T14:42:00.001-07:00

It's SATURDAY and the weather here in deep space is perfect for a backyard barbecue in the hydroponics bay! I've got the plasma grill going and there are burgers (bothy synthesized proteins and real beef!) ready to go on it. Pour yourself a space beer or mix up a space cocktail and make yourselves at home. The UV rays are strictly monitored so there's no need for sunscreen, and on of the best things about barbecuing in deep space... no bugs!

Our hero, Galen, is a big fan of chili cheese dogs and fries, while his hubby is more into broiled salmon and rice pilaf. Me, I'm happy either way. ;-) I think at this bbq, Galen would toss a big T-bone on the grill and Dayan will probably go for some lovely fish cooked in a foil packet with lemon slices and dill. I'm just having a burger, with cheddar cheese of course!

Usually at a summer barbecue I like to bring the fabulous and simple orzo salad I got off of Space Food Network. It's just orzo, arugula, dried cherries, crumbled myzithra cheese, and a little olive oil and lemon juice, and S&P.

While I'm opening the beers, tell me, what do you like to bring to a potluck or barbecue? Do you have your "usual" or do you like to mix it up?

False Dawn - Excerpt!

2010-07-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

I said I would be posting an excerpt very shortly, so here it is, and would you believe it's only PG13 due to the language? What the hell??

False Dawn by Maia Strong
Available from Torquere Press 26 July 2010

Galen tossed and turned in his bed. Usually it felt too small for two people but tonight, lacking Dayan's warm, solid presence beside him, it was like an ocean of space. He should be used to the absence. They worked opposing shifts often enough that it wasn't uncommon for each to spend a sleep period alone. Several, in fact. On nights like that, he would fall asleep safe in the knowledge that his husband was out doing his job and would come home at the end of his shift.

But not tonight. Tonight he didn't know where Dayan was. He didn't know when or how they would find him. Didn't know if they could.

No. They had to. Losing Dayan forever wasn't an option.

Damn it! They must be missing a clue.

Well, duh. He rolled over, disgusted with himself. Of course they were missing a clue. If they weren't, they'd have solved the case by now and he wouldn't be complaining about how the stupid little bed was too big without his husband to share it.

The afternoon's investigations had left them no further along than the morning's. No one had seen anything. No one knew anything they hadn't already disclosed. No one could explain how a full grown adult male could disappear in a corridor that had no doors, no interior ports, and no access hatches. And the ship's chief engineer assured him and Flint quite soundly that there was no experimental new technology that could teleport anyone or make them invisible or shift them between dimensions or any other "science-fiction nonsense" like that.

"Fuck this!" Giving up sleep for a lost cause, Galen threw off the covers and sat up. "Lights to half."

Dull gray light filled the bedroom, enhancing rather than dispelling its cramped dimensions. There wasn't even satisfactory room to pace. He briefly considered taking a mild sedative; there were some in the bathroom's medicine cabinet. What time was it? He looked at the clock in the wall over the bed.

Blue numbers glowed softly. 02:54.

Okay, so the tranq option was out. He had to be up too soon. He should have taken something hours ago if he was going to go that route. Damn.

He wanted a drink.

Galen made a noise of disgust and shook his head. "Not an option," he said aloud to the empty room. He had to get a grip. Getting wasted--again--wasn't going to do him or Dayan any good.

He padded barefoot into the small living room, the light level adjusting automatically as he went from one room to the next. "Play live video. News feed." He sat heavily on the sofa as the wall holograph of the early a.m. news report was projected. The farm report, which covered all hydroponics and livestock updates, was on. He almost smiled. Who needed a tranquilizer when they had the farm report?

Unfortunately, it was just wrapping up. And the next news at the top of the hour was coverage of Dayan's disappearance. Galen watched with growing anger as the news reader's report got increasingly hyperbolic and sensationalist. Barely veiled suggestions that Engineering was tinkering with secret teleportation technology and an experiment that had gone bad. The woman went on to imply that Security was either complicit in the public deception or they were Engineering's unwitting victims. Either way, it made the force look bad. Incompetent at best, and, at worst, a bunch of conspiring liars.

"Video off!" ordered Galen more forcefully than necessary. The projection shimmered and vanished.

"This is bullshit." He needed to get back to work. Find the clue that eluded him. Find his husband.

Decision made, he rose from the sofa, grabbed a quick shower and shave, and dressed. His presence at the station at this hour would raise some eyebrows, but no one would challenge him. The security scuttlebutt network was almost as fast as the ship's computer core. By now it was a given that everyone in the department knew Galen's husband was missing.

He clipped the PG that Flint had requisitioned yesterday to his belt and headed out.

*****

Remember, comment to be entered to win and tune in for more fun as the weekend progresses!

False Dawn Party Time!

2010-07-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

We're kicking of a pre-release online space barbecue today! Woo-hoo! and hailing frequencies open!
False Dawn is an m/m erotic romance detective story (Could I have more qualifiers on that genre, please? I don't think there are enough.) set in deep space (Ah! There we go. Thanks for that.) aboard the generational starship Lažna Zora. Police Detective Galen Traub and his partner must find a missing person, and that person just happens to be Galen's husband, Dayan. Dun-dun-dunnnnn!

To celebrate, I'll be partying the weekend away starting TODAY because all weekends should really start on Friday, don't you agree?

To get things going, I'll be posting an excerpt very shortly. Then, later in the weekend, we'll be grilling up the burgers over our specially designed plasma energy barbecue, toasting the marshmallows over the engine core, and swigging back the space beer!

And of course there will be prizes! Just comment on any of this weekend's party posts and you'll be entered to win either a fabulous coffee mug with the gorgeous cover of False Dawn emblazoned on the side, or a free download of the ebook itself! Wheee!

But wait! There's more! Ask me all your questions about this ridiculously subgenred novella and I'll answer them for you in a special Q&A post on Sunday! So hit me with your whos, whats, wheres, and hows; your whithers, whethers, whences; your wherefores and your big old side orders of whys, and I'll do my level best to come up with at least vaguely coherent answers. (And a bonus contest entry to the first person to recognize that list I just gave you. It's not 100% accurate, but it's close enough for those in the know to know. You know? ;-) )

Now, Party ON!

Tick-tock, tick-tock

2010-07-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

The clock is ticking down to release day and that means it's almost Party Time! The spiffy prize I ordered has arrived and some lucky someone will win it! And another lucky someone will win a free download. Woot!

Watch this space...

I Write Like...

2010-07-14T11:54:00.001-07:00

This site was posted to a list I'm on and naturally I had to waste a few minutes playing with it. I Write Like... You simply paste in a few paragraphs of your own work and it analyses it and tells you who you write like. Here are my results.

For my blog posts, I got...

I write like
Vladimir Nabokov

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

For the unpublished novella that I plugged in, I got...

I write like
Isaac Asimov

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

And for everything else I plugged in (and remember I was procrastinating and wasting time, so I plugged in more than a few), I got...

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I find this last hysterically funny since I have never read anything by Stephen King. Oh wait, I take that back. I've read a stage adaptation of his novel Misery. But that's it.

Okay. Enough amusement for now. Time to make some lunch and get back to work.

Good politics! Who knew they were out there?

2010-07-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

You know I try not to get political around here, but as a raging liberal (sometimes literally raging) and a writer of gay erotica, sometimes I have to. This time, there's good news!

See, there's this hateful bullshit of a thing here in the US called "The Defense of Marriage Act". It was basically spearheaded and put in place by bigoted, fearful, and hateful people and it banned (note the past tense because the happy is coming) gay marriage at the federal level, which is a big problem for the few states that have legal same-sex marriage. Well, today, at long freaking last, the "Federal gay marriage ban is ruled unconstitutional". We've had, and continue to have, problems with lawmakers allowing their personal prejudices, and the prejudices of people with a lot of money to spend to back their hate, to make law. What these people tend to forget is that we in the US have this nifty document. It's called THE CONSTITUTION and it says stuff about "all men [being] created equal" and the right to "the pursuit of happiness" and such. We also have this other nifty document called THE BILL OF RIGHTS. Have I read the whole thing? Either of them? Well, no. I admit that parts of it just get a bit dry for me. Point is, there are those who have and who focus specifically on Constitutional Law. I have great respect for these people, and I love it when one of them can prove, from that brilliant source material, that someone else's bigoted opinion is just that: opinion. Not something upon which a law can or should be based. Opinions, belief systems, and what have you, have no place in the legal process, and this judge just called bullshit. I now proceed to happy dance. ::happy dances::

There's another interesting posting about it here: Federal Court Holds DOMA Unconstitutional I don't know anything about the site, but that article makes for interesting reading.

Score one for the good guys!

ETA: I'm skimming the Constitution (I said it gets dry in parts) and just came across this:
Article IV, Section 2: The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
I'm no law student, but I would guess this relates (in part) to the whole you're-married-in-state-A-therefore-your-marriage-is-legally-recognized-in-states-B-through-Z thing.

Gearing up to party!

2010-07-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Edits are in and prizes are confirmed! I'm so jazzed about this next release I can't even tell you! I've said many times that my first literary love is fantasy, and it is. But coming very, very close on its heels is sci-fi. I am not joking when I say that I read Asimov's Foundation Trilogy when I was in sixth grade. Did I understand its full depth and meaning? HELL NO! But I read it and I enjoyed it (and one of these years I'll read it again and maybe I'll get a few more of the layers ;-) ). Yes, folks, I grew up on a diet of J.R.R. Tolkien, Andre Norton, Isaac Asimov, Susan Cooper, William Sleator, and Ray Bradbury. Sure, I read some Judy Bloom...but I didn't like it. And I never read Beverly Cleary. :-P So the fact that I have a space opera coming out is very exciting!

So, the details on the party:
Dates: 23-26 July
Theme: Sci-fi Summer Barbecue! (I have no idea what that means, but we'll figure it out.)
Prizes: A fabulous False Dawn coffee mug (since my characters drink a lot of coffee when they can get it) and a free download of the book!
There will be an excerpt one of those days, and extra scene on release day. There might even be a character interview. We'll see if I can pin anyone down on that. They are very busy people, these characters.

Check back as the date approaches! Standard rules apply: post a comment to be entered to win. It's that simple!

See you soon!

Next steps taken

2010-07-01T14:41:00.001-07:00

I sent the proofed manuscript for False Dawn back to my editor today. Despite the stupid summer cold, I found the brain cells to read it one more time and make the tiny tweaks it needed to make it extra-fabulous.

I spent much of yesterday (when I was much lighter on brain power) making things on Vistaprint. Can you say "blog party prize"? I knew you could! ;-)

Busy, busy

2010-06-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

I got my admin doc back to my editor, including an extra scene written especially for release day for False Dawn, and now I'm going through the edits from the FLE (that's Final Line Editor, in case you don't know the term). We're in the home stretch now!

I'm thinking of throwing a blog party to celebrate the new release. I mean, we all like to celebrate, right? And every new release deserves a party! Since release day is 26 July, which is high summer here in the northern hemisphere, I'm thinking a barbecue is in order. So, with that in mind, check back for a long-weekend barbecue! There'll be burgers and grilled veggies. Maybe we'll even throw a pizza on the coals, who knows? And s'mores. There must be s'mores. And maybe a prize or two. ;-)

Cover art!

2010-06-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

New cover arrived today! Whee! It is made of awesome and I *heart* it!

See? Is it not gorgeous? :D :D ::happy dances::

Gaining momentum

2010-05-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Finished up my edits on False Dawn, my novella that's coming out from Torquere this July. Finished up the cover art form, too. Good thing, since I'm going on vacation very soon. It's great to get this ball rolling again, I must say! What I hate most about writing isn't the writing, or the editing, or the submitting manuscripts to publishers (even though I complain every time about having to write a godsdamned synopsis). It's the waiting. Waiting to hear if they want the book. Waiting for edits. Waiting for the cover art. Waiting for release day. Have I told you I'm an instant gratification junkie? I'm sure I have. Inigo Montoya said it best when he said, "I hate waiting." But now edits are in, form is in. It's out of my hands and...I wait. Ah well. At least the view is good from here. :)

It's Official!

2010-04-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

I'm so jazzed about this I can't even type! No, really. My fingers aren't typing right now, it's a figment of your imaginations. The following, however, is entirely REAL:

KATE DAVIES HAS WON THE RT REVIEWERS' CHOICE BEST BOOK AWARD FOR SMALL PRESS ROMANCE FOR HER FABULOUS BOOK LESSONS LEARNED!!

Whee! Woo-hoo! Huzzah! Huge, HUGE congratulations, my dear, on your well-deserved win! And congratulations to the winners of all the other categories, too! You'll find them all on that RT link above. Go check it out, and then READ A WINNER!

Easter Egg Hunt!

2010-03-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

LASR's Easter Egg Hunt is on! Go check out their site to see all the fantastic prizes you could win!

Easter Egg Hunt Approaches

2010-03-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

I'm taking part in the Easter Egg Hunt being put on by the fabulous folks at The Long and Short of It. It's starting at the end of March and there will be fabulous prizes to be won! Check out their website for more information, and get ready to go hunting!

Blog Party Winner!

2010-02-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

Here it is. The moment you've all been waiting for. The winner of the free ecopy of I Put a Spell on You, contaning not only my short story, Play Music, Play Magic, but EIGHT MORE fabulous m/m/f stories, is...

WildePet!

Woo-hoo! Email me at maiastrong (at) maiastrong [dot] com and I'll get that sent out to you right away.

Thanks to everyone who came to party with me! I look forward to partying with you again this summer when my novella, False Dawn, is realeased!

Party Day Three - Release Day!

2010-02-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

Woo-hoo! Today's the day! Play Music, Play Magic is officially released. Oh yeah, and there are other fabulous stories in this magic-themed anthology, I Put a Spell on You. As a special release day bonus, I have a "missing scene". (I can't call it a "deleted scene" because, well, it wasn't deleted; it was written later. I know, I know. Semantics. Shut up and get on with it, Maia!)

Okay, here it is. Another little taste to get you excited for the whole story!

*****

Rhys awoke with a smile on his face. Perhaps he’d been dreaming of Isaac. Yawning, he reached out under the covers, knowing that his husband’s side of the bed would have long since gone cold. As early as Isaac rose, Rhys slept late. It was now well past dawn and the sheets were chilly to his touch.

He sat up and pushed back the covers, shivering at the change of temperature. Finding his soft-soled house shoes nearby, he slipped them over his bare feet and clambered over the bed to the edge of the sleeping loft, the soft cotton flannel of his loose pants tugging against the wool of the blankets. He climbed down the ladder to the main room of the little house.

Smile still on his face, whether from forgotten dreams or a sense of what the day would bring, he went into the kitchen. On the table was a note from Isaac. Every day, as regular and reliable as the bells in the cathedral tower, he left one there.

Rhys’s smile widened as he read the single scrawled sentence. Then he set the note back on the table, placed a clean mug for tea beside it, and went to heat water. He would wash, breakfast, and set to work—and spend the day in anticipation of the sweet promise in his husband’s love note.

*****

Don't forget, you have until midnight PST tonight to comment on any blog party post to be entered to win a copy of I Put a Spell on You including Play Music, Play Magic. I'll announce the winner here tomorrow, so remember to swing by and see if you've won!

Party Day Two - Music!

2010-02-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

In Play Music, Play Magic, Wand'ring Minstrel Noula Tuomi uses music to weave a magical web around herself and her lovers. A lot of writers, me included, like to write with a soundtrack in the background. It doesn't always manifest in the end product. One of the tenderest sex scenes I've ever written was written to a soundtrack of '80s hair metal, while a light BDSM scene was written to a mix of Dar Williams songs. Yes, my brain can be a very strange place to live.

Music can have a profound effect on one's mood, but it isn't always the effect one might expect. So my question to you is, what music puts you "in the mood"? You know the mood I mean. ;-)

And don't forget, your comments are your entries to win an ebook. And guess what? It's not just Play Music, Play Magic, but the whole I Put a Spell on You anthology!

Party Day One - Excerpt!

2010-02-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome, one and all! We're partying here for the next three days in celebration of my new release, Play Music, Play Magic, part of the Torquere anthology I Put a Spell on You. This story is in the same universe as my first two books, but in a town we've only heard of in passing before. This is only a short visit to the small coastal city of Yanto (one extra entry into the drawing for the first person who can guess where that name came from), Kanbec. In this tale, you'll meet Isaac Fisher and his husband Rhys Silverthorn, and their dear friend, Wand'ring Minstrel Noula Tuomi.

Isaac and Rhys are delighted when Noula Tuomi arrives in town. Noula and Isaac have been close friends and lovers for many years, and when Rhys became a part of Isaac's life, she embraced him and his relationship to her old friend without hesitation. Now, the three share company and comfort whenever she's in town. As with every visit, Isaac hopes that she'll decide stay. But Noula is a Wand'ring Minstrel. Some Minstrels do retire and some do settle down, but will Noula? And will it be this time? Each of the trio privately ponders this question, but even these heavy thoughts can't detract from their enjoyment of one another and the magic that Noula brings.

Here's a nibble to whet your appetite.

*****

Putting such heavy thoughts aside, Rhys let himself relax into the music.

He didn't know the song she played, but it hardly mattered. Noula's music was… enchanting. The notes intertwined like a tapestry growing on the loom of a master weaver. Complex, subtle, haunting. Beautiful. He'd listened closely to every Wand'ring Minstrel he had ever come across -- here in Yanto, back in Western Zephren, and everywhere in between -- and no one he had heard could do what Noula could do. And with such a deceptively simple instrument as a recorder.

Simple. There was nothing simple about what was happening. Colors and light that had nothing to do with the candle lanterns began to swirl slowly around the edges of his vision. Rhys sighed and leaned into his husband, resting his head on Isaac's strong shoulder. Isaac reached an arm around him, kissed him on the top of his head. For that suspended moment, everything was perfect in Rhys' world.

Subtly, the tone of the music changed. Where before it had buoyed him on pillows of flannel stuffed with the softest down, now it grew sleeker and less cozy, and yet no less welcoming. He floated on the melody, rich as silk, spicy as cinnamon, and exotic as the island paradise Noula had spoken of earlier. The music flowed over his skin and into his blood, warming it from within. The heat grew and centered itself quite deliciously in his groin, and he grew hard.

Isaac's arm around him squeezed a little tighter, and Rhys opened eyes he hadn't realized had fallen shut. The colors he had seen in the room had continued behind his eyelids, and now, as he opened them, those swirls and eddies of rainbow light were there with him in the room again, too. He turned his head and looked deep into his husband's jet-black eyes, sparkling like obsidian with every flicker of light. He didn't have to look down or reach out a hand to know that Isaac felt what he felt. Craved what he craved.

Together, they turned and looked at Noula. She played on, but a knowing and eager twinkle was in her eyes.

Wordless and as one, the three of them rose from the table and headed for the ladder to the sleeping loft. Noula played the men up, bringing the tune to a suspended end as they reached the top. Pocketing her recorder, she climbed up after them, humming as she went.

*****

If you liked that, you'll love what comes next! Too bad you have to wait until Wednesday to find out what that is. ;->

Remember, comment on this or any post during the blog party to be entered to win a free copy of Play Music, Play Magic!

Resurfacing

2010-02-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

This blog has been sorely neglected of late, and for that I apologize. I've been scattering my energy, and therefore my focus, in too many directions lately and when that happens, something inevitably falls through the cracks. But there is hope! In fact there is...

A BLOG PARTY FOR MY NEW RELEASE!

That's right. My short story, Play Music, Play Magic, is coming out in the anthology I Put a Spell on You from Torquere on 24 February. (Holy crap! That's WEDNESDAY! *eep!*) So check in Monday through Wednesday this week for an excerpt (just one - it's a short story, after all), perhaps a visit with the characters, and a bonus scene on release day. And, of course, there will be a CONTEST. Just leave a comment on any of the party posts and you'll be entered to win a free download of Play Music, Play Magic.

I'm looking foward to partying with you guys!

Sunday Quizzage

2010-01-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

Because I missed Friday, and don't want to wait.

Which File Extension are You?

Pantser goodness

2010-01-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

It's moments like this that make me love that I'm a panster and not a plotter. Okay, it can be a bit trying at times when your characters don't do what you intended them to do, but it's so wonderful when they do something completely unexpected. I can't help but grin right now. Yay for spontineity!

Guest Blog on NNN

2010-01-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Check out my post over on Nine Naughty Novelists. Stop by, say hi, hang out. I'll be in and out today, replying to any comments. There's even an excerpt... ;-)

Guest Blogging

2010-01-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

FYI, I'll be guest blogging at Nine Naughty Novelists tomorrow. Stop by and check it out!

Oh! and the antho that was coming out this Wednesday? Yeah. Well... Rescheduled until 24 February. Ah well! More time to plan a party, right? :-D

Quick Update

2010-01-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Just a quick FYI to anyone reading that I've turned on a couple of comment moderation settings. I hate to do it, but the spammers are clearly bored right now and I'm sick of having to delete their shit from my blog. So please bare with me and jump through the new hoops because I do love to hear from real people with real comments. Thanks!

Happy New Year + Quizzage!

2010-01-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year's Eve! Around here, we celebrated "2010: The Year We Make Contact" (thank you Arthur C. Clarke) with space-themed costumes, music, and movies. All in all, it was a very fun evening!

I looked for a good New Year quiz for today, but failed utterly. So instead, here's a quiz that seems reasonably appropriate to the day--at least for me. And if you stayed up to ring in the new year, you might find it appropriate, too.

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic

At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung

You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping

Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

Spammers and Pirates

2009-12-31T13:25:00.000-08:00

Spammers are just stupid. What makes them think they can comment on something (with their for-shit grammar and spelling and their link to their illegal activities) and I won't find it and delete it? Seriously. Stupid.

Pirates (not the cool kind that fight global warming and worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster, those are the good pirates) are evil and should have their hard drives melted down for slag. If I could find a way to embed code into my ebooks that fried the hard drive of anyone who illegally downloaded it, I would. But I'm a writer, not a programmer.

New Anthology Cover!

2009-12-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

Check it out! I got the cover art for the upcoming anthology from Torquere Press.

My short story, Play Music, Play Magic, will be in this anthology that comes out on 13 January 2010. This is a magic-themed (obviously), m/m/f anthology and I'm totally jazzed to see all the other stories in it! I'll have a bit of a blog party leading up to it, so check back for that.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun New Year's Eve!

Friday Quizzage Holiday Edition 2

2009-12-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

There is exactly one sentence in here that is true. I'll leave it to your imagination to guess which one. ;-D Frankly, I find this hilarious!

You are Brightly Optimistic

During the holidays, you're the one who has a bit of cheer for everyone.

Even when things get hectic and chaotic, you keep on smiling.

You believe it's important to have a spirit of generosity and gratitude all the time... but especially this time of year.

You get more satisfaction from giving than receiving. You're always going out of your way to improve someone's day a little.

The Christmas Tree Test

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

Gone international!

2009-12-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

And I don't mean Canada and the UK. Apparently, my lastest book, Clien t Privileges, is available in France (scroll down) and my first book, The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing, is available in India.

How much do I love Google Alerts? Seriously. HOW MUCH? :-D

Maia's Blog - Just add coffee

Book BIN! - Take a Chance on Me

Rose & Thorn Release Day Extra!

Rose & Thorn Excerpt!

Rose & Thorn Cover Art and Blurb!

"The Speech You've Been Waiting For"

Exquisite!

Good night, NaNoWriMo.

Victories

When Pantsers Plot

Can't comment?

Announcements!

Collaboration

Getting to "The End"

Help an actor out?

Jalyn Green surgery fund

News update

First Chapter - Preview

Guest Blogging with NNN

Officially Official!

New sale!

Maia Strong Now on Facebook

Holmes/Watson fanfic? FTW!?

Revisiting

Free Preview

That was interesting...

Oh no she isn't!

A Matter of Tense

Struggling for Inspiration

Release Day - Compass Hearts!

One Day More!

It's almost here!

Year of Reading Youthfully - Epilogue

Defying Definition - YoRY Part 7

YA Books from NZ!

I Haz Art!

YA Lit of New Zealand - YoYR Part 6

International Sex Worker Rights Day

Upcoming New Release

Counting down to chat!

Kate Davies' New Release!

LGBTQ YA Fiction - YoRY Part 5

Expectations?

Fairy Tales - YoRY Part 4

Fun with grammar

Chat with me!

Book BIN Tuesday!

Udates to MaiaStrong.com

Newbery Winners - YoRY Part 3

Guest Post at Donuts & Desires

When the Dark comes rising... YoRY Part 2

2010 - My Year of Reading Youthfully, Part 1

From NaNoWriMo to Haggis Hunting

One Day Only: SALE!

NaNoWriMo Winner!

I'm sorry, but *what* season is this?

Official: New Contract!

NaNoWriMo has commenced!

My brain scares me.

Friday Halloween Quizzage

Autumn Traditions

Novella Submission

Monday Quizzage

Keep trying!

Lucky 7 Contest

Torquere's Lucky 7 Anniversary Festivities!

Return of Friday Quizzage!

You are the World

iPod as Prophet?

It's the waiting that kills me

False Dawn Blog Party - WINNERS!

False Dawn - Author Extra!

False Dawn - Excerpt 2

False Dawn - Review!

False Dawn - Space Barbecue!

False Dawn - Excerpt!

False Dawn Party Time!

Tick-tock, tick-tock

I Write Like...

Good politics! Who knew they were out there?

I'm sorry, but what season is this?