Welcome Gentle Readers

This blog tends to wander from its main purpose -- updates on my fiction. I do have updates and excerpts of my work. But I also write about my obsessions -- food, friends and pop culture and my weird life in Los Angeles. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Spring in LA and Me Without a Net Gun

Updates

This was a productive week. On the publishing front, we have one title that will soon be a proof, the last step before publishing. As soon as we get galleys back, we’ll be publishing two more titles. We have scripts for the film shorts. I found a costume designer for Gift of Surrender that is reasonable, and we have a hair stylist who can do the hair pieces. We even found a suitable location, I believe. The other two shorts are in the audition stage. And we’ve made some progress on the big film project, The Privateers. It seems I am doing Yaoi Con with the voice actor who did Rik Heron on the website for A Soldier’s Choice. And I may be doing a panel with him at Dragon*Con and a separate panel with Richard Hatch on writing sex scenes in Science Fiction. Those have not been confirmed. And I actually began working on the sequel to A Soldier’s Choice. I should be posting excerpts in the next week or two. I’m loving being with the characters again.

Springtime
It is spring in Los Angeles. And while it is not nearly the same as springtime in Paris, there are certainly lovely things to behold. The flowers here are bold in their spring colors. There are vibrant reds and yellows and purples bursting from gardens. The air smells like honeysuckle or night blooming jasmine. It never ceases to surprise me how pretty LA is in the spring. And then there are the half-naked men. One doesn’t have to be near the beach to see them jobbing or skating down the street. Jon often jokes that I need a net gun as I watch those male lovelies pass by. You see, even when they are walking, most are faster than me. Forget about catching them when they are jogging or skating. Once in a while, a situation will arise where a tall, lithe young thing will stop to do his stretches and, heaven help me, bend over to touch his toes. I’m certain he knew I was ogling him. But even when stationary, these boys would be hard to handle without an effective projectile restraining device. To my delight, Mythbusters episode 77 featured a net gun. They were trying to catch pigeons. Don’t ask. It was a little loud for pigeons, but the net did deploy consistently. However, it was really big and unwieldy. I need something easy to conceal, or the boys won’t come near me. Yes, I have an entirely warped mind, I know. But this all a part of how I appreciate the beauty of spring. And speaking of the local cute critters, we found there is a wacky squirrel on this block. He’s got quite a pretty, bushy tale and is kind of bizarre like our squirrel in Playa. Each week, there is something to make me feel more at home.

Month of Fun
This week begins the month of May. Since I turned 40 a while back, I keep the month of May as a month-long celebration called the Month of Fun. I do something for myself each of those 31 days to celebrate my birthday. I encourage everyone to do the same. It doesn’t have to cost lots of money, just a little treat. I have desserts I wouldn’t usually have. I make sure I enjoy a couple of sunsets. I’m lucky that May is a big movie premier month. I will count Spiderman 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End as my treats. I’ll get a manicure and a massage at some point. I do that sort of thing. Do the same in your birthday month.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

I began the weekend filled with melancholy. My e-mail is filled with the details for this year’s Marche du Cannes and the Cannes Film Festival. We were planning on attending this year, but the fates in filmmaking, and condo conversion conspired against us. I am really missing the singular loveliness of Paris in the springtime (cliché, perhaps, but true). I even find the city beautiful in the rain. I really miss the food and the light in that city. I even miss the subways with commuters who could give New Yorkers a run for their money. I miss the TVG train with its lovely baguette sandwiches and beautiful countryside complete with the world’s prettiest and happiest cows. And of course, I miss Cannes with its lazy cafes and beautiful sea and sky. I am running out of herb de Provence (and Thyme and Tarragon and Basil) purchased there. I need a fix! Ah well, I shall have a chocolate truffle and remember.

Many things are happening at once. I’ve been researching costumes and hair and locations for the Gift of Surrender short. It looks like everything will be in place for a June shoot. I’ll start a photo blog of the process as soon as we start costume construction. I’ll also post the script as soon as it’s finalized.

Major spoilers ahead for those who haven’t read A Soldier’s Choice! And an excerpt from the bonus chapter follows.

I haven’t been online very much with Jon on the PC working on the various titles and promotional materials. I’m online to check e-mail and look at artwork of half naked men (for Sybaritic Press business only). So, my spare time is spent with pen in hand working on the sequel to A Soldier’s Choice. Of course, I have no title yet. I’ve had to do some research before starting. I always research before I begin a new novel. Even romances need a basis in reality, in my opinion. I needed to know about the current state of military food since it is one of Vincent’s obsessions. Of course, there is a website dedicated to military cooking , but I needed first hand information from those who have had to eat it. I found some accommodating ex-soldiers willing to share their thoughts (the internet is a wonderful thing). I was surprised by the information I found. The website reveals a great deal of thought and effort amongst those who prepare troop meals. And there was as much praise for the quality and variety of meals as there was criticism of the same. That information caused me to re-think one of the main threads of the novel. Why do villains always have to be complicated?

The timeline of the novel encompasses from the January after A Soldier’s Choice ends through the end of Bobby’s first mission as a fully trained Altered soldier. There is much in the way of angst along with my usual twisted humor and numerous hot scenes. My beloved soldiers are besieged by all manner of being both well-meaning and not. I have my characters sketched out and the entire plot dancing in my head. I’m off in a moment to finish the first chapter.

And now, here is an excerpt from the bonus chapter of A Soldier’s Choice. The boys realize that Christmas is a mere few days away at the end of their adventures in the novel. Shopping proves dangerous from the attentions of amorous females and abundant mistletoe. The boys have to use their best military skills to keep away unwanted lips. This scene is after they return home.

We were keyed up from the Mistletoe op even after a big, tasty chicken dinner. Sometimes it’s hard to turn off the adrenaline after being on alert for hours. We used the energy to decorate the tree and the house. There was something calming about weaving the string of tiny lights along the trunk of the tree then matching symmetry and color while gently hanging the delicate ornaments on the slender tree branches. Vincent also fastened ornaments along the garland on the mantle and around the doorframe. We picked glass ornaments in deeps reds and green and gold. The candles were also deep red or green. The whole place looked festive and inviting, but not gaudy. With the fire going, our home made me feel warm and happy inside. The Grevens felt the same way. The young men both had soft expressions full of wonder. Vincent hugged me close.

“Thank you for making this home for us,” he murmured.

“Yeah,” Bobby said softly. “This mean a lot.”

I motioned for the younger Greven to join us and hugged them both. Some deadly weapons we were. Then, I smiled. My heart felt fuller than I could ever remember. I also felt very right.

My lover was very quiet for what remained of the evening as we reclined entwined on the sofa, but I said nothing until Bobby went to take a shower before bed.

“You’re troubled by something,” I said quietly.

“I feel like a jerk,” Vincent replied glumly.

“Why?” I asked stifling a chuckle.

“I don’t like smelling anyone else on you,” he admitted. “It pisses me off even though I know there was no help for it. I mean I know you can smell them on me, but you aren’t pissed off about it.”

“I’m not happy about anyone touching you,” I replied, kissing his temple. “But I can’t say that I’m pissed off. I don’t know how people keep from touching you. Must be the scowl.”

Vincent snorted.

“ I do know how we can get past this intrusion, and I know we’ll enjoy it.”

“How?” Vincent asked, peeking at me through that fringe of blonde hair.

“We shower together, and you take every trace of them away. Then, you re-claim me in bed,” I said softly against his temple. “And I do the same.”

That got his attention. He shifted in my arms to really look at me. His eyes had a very wicked glint in them.

“And every time this happens...”

“We reclaim each other,” I said softly.

He smiled at me. It was a very wicked smile. “I really like this plan, Colonel. Will you write a report about that?”

“Brat,” I muttered, swatting his ass.

“Yeah, we’ll see,” he said. “I’m claiming you first.”

“Like that’s a surprise.”

Vincent was very serious about obliterating any trace of another’s touch on my skin. He was very gentle but extremely thorough spreading thick lather over my face then rinsing it off. I laughed when he lavished the same attention on my body. I believe he wanted to clean any area on my body those women were even thinking about touching. Still I enjoyed the thorough exploration and gladly returned the treatment on his lithe, elegant muscles and smooth, tawny skin.

The meticulous shower was not the end of my lover’s reclamation. He even had me brush my teeth and extra long time and gargle with a stronger solution of mouthwash even though I insisted that no tongue had breached my lips. Once I was cleansed of all evidence of the incursions on my person, I was dragged across the livingroom and shoved onto the bed. Thank goodness that Bobby had retired to his bedroom. I really don’t think Vincent cared what his brother saw. I’d never seen him that intent on having me.

What I didn’t expect from my lover was being straddled and my wrists tied to the headboard. I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me, but I was still startled. Vincent sensed that, and gently caressed my face and body until I calmed.

“I saw you like this once, but you still had pants on” he murmured as he ran his hands gently over my torso. “Do you remember?”

“Yes, my one and only undercover op,” I murmured vaguely, lost in his touch.

“I couldn’t figure out why the target did that to you,” Vincent said with a frown.

I arched into his touch with a moan. “Do you know now?”

“Yes,” he replied. His voice had quite an edge to it. “Now, I really want to kill him. I tried before, but because he had hurt you.”

“I hurt him pretty good, believe me,” I moaned in reply. “He didn’t get what he wanted, love. Forget him...reclaim me...please, Vincent...”

He was driving me absolutely crazy. Thankfully, I got through. Vincent finally kissed me, deeply and possessively. The kiss was almost rough in its intensity, but his hands were gentle. He caressed my face lovingly once he pulled free of the kiss. His fingers ran over my forehead then down my cheeks, his eyes intent upon me. I wondered what he was thinking before he kissed me again. Then, I couldn’t think at all. My focus narrowed to his lips and his hands on me.

All of Vincent’s considerable focus was unleashed on my captive body. He used all his knowledge to arouse me quickly. He stroked, and licked and sucked me until I was writhing wantonly beneath him.

“Now, love...please...”

“Say it, Rik. I need to hear it...” he rasped, positioning himself between my legs.

“Yours, love...I am yours...” I moaned before he pushed into me.

Lord, how he could fill me and move me with the lithe, strong body. No one else could make me feel the way Vincent did, wanted and needed, possessed and loved. My gaze locked with his as he had me. I let him see all that I was feeling as the power arced between us.

“God, Rik...I love you...”

I came then, in a near blinding flash. I felt my lover follow, gasping my name in that helpless way I couldn’t get enough of hearing.

I was barely aware of anything when I felt my wrists being freed. My arms wrapped around Vincent of their own accord, and he snuggled closer to me. For a while I couldn’t speak. I simply held him, breathing in his scent. Some time passed before I could form thought coherent enough to voice.

“Have you reclaimed what is yours?” I asked while stroking his back.

“Hmmm, yeah...”

I smiled at the contentment in his voice.

“How long have you wanted me that way?” I asked softly.

“Since the night of the rescue. I’m embarrassed considering what was done to you,” He replied against my shoulder. “It’s the only way I thought I could have you.”

“Hey, what you wanted and what he wanted were two vastly different things,” I replied reassuringly. “And that tact may have worked just fine. I’m no saint.”

Vincent looked up at me then. His eyes were glittering with mischief. “I know you aren’t. You want to tie me up or hold me down. That’s why you always have me by the hair or pressed against a door.”

I actually blushed under that gaze. “I spent a long time wanting to contain you. It’s a hard habit to break.”

Vincent rose up on his knees. He held the robe belt in his hand. “Do it, then. Take me.”

“So soon? You are insatiable.”

“You keep saying that, but you never complain,” he smiled. “That’s why I didn’t suck you off. I wanted you to do me.”

“Very considerate,” I murmured dryly, snatching the bathrobe belt. “Don’t lie down. I want to be able to touch all of you that I can.”

I maneuvered around on the mattress until I was kneeling behind Vincent. I gently took his wrists in hand then quickly tied them at the small of his back. The first thing I did was nuzzle the skin between his shoulder blades then lick down the length of his spine.

“You have the most beautiful back,” I murmured against his skin.

Vincent tried to reply, but the sounds turned into a gasp when I nipped the flesh along one of his hips. I was really enjoying this. My mercurial lover was contained and compliant. I grasped his forearms to keep him still while I explored the smooth tawny planes of that elegant back to my heart’s content.

“Please...Rik...” He murmured after a long while.

He had been so patient. It was time to give him what he needed. I took him from behind, so I could press my face against the nape of his neck. He didn’t mind the press of our bodies against his bound wrists. In fact, he pushed back against me to have me deeper within him while I stroked his erection. We didn’t last long. I didn’t care. It was the second time in an hour that I came so hard, I couldn’t see. The energy surge sizzled along our nerve endings, exhausting us both. It took almost every bit of will I had left to untie Vincent and maneuver our lax bodies under the blankets.

“Such a freak, getting off on my back,” He murmured with a sleepy smile.

“Pot, kettle, brat,” I replied with a soft chuckle.

“I am yours,” Vincent sighed.

“I know, love.”

Well, I’m going back to my notepad.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Blogging from the Edge

I've posted a legnthy and crazy blog on the Sybpress Blog 'Notes from the Edge.' It's some rambling insanity about my lurid work history in LA and what I'm doing when I'm not an author, publisher or movie mogul. Ha! You can read all about it by following the link.

Meanwhile, I'll be blogging here tomorrow!

Sunday, April 15, 2007

New Novel and New Film Shorts

Welcome new folks to the blog. I'm seeing more and more far flung addresses on my statcounter. The people who find me through google searches, I hope you aren't too weirded out by what you discover. Those looking for info on Playa del Rey Condos, sorry I wan't more informative on the topic. I'm none to pleased with the condo situation in LA as it caused two months of insanity with the two tiered move. Though I am happy to report that the LA city council approved much higher moving fees for those whose palces are converted to condos and they closed the loophole that allowed the company who took our building to avoid paying the moving fee. Doesn't help us, but it won't happen again. For those who find me from Asia and the Middle East, happy reading and I'm willing to try to cut through the confusion I'm certain my ramblings cause.


I've taken to writing lists for everything. I've had to do it to make sure I don't forget small but important things while trying to get the big things done. I'll make sure I get to meetings for various projects, but I'll completely forget there is absolutely no food in the house. We just finished buying cleaning supplies for the new place. I don't know how many times I've left a market since moving here and realized I hadn't bought a broom. The key to list though is to not leave them at home when you go out and to actually pull them out and look at them while running errands. It's been that kind of crazy. I'll detail some of the mayhem on the Sybpress Blog as it has to do with book publishing. I'll be sure to post a link for
that blog here later.


All in all, save for the recording session with Travis, I have not been a happy publisher of late. In recent days I've questioned the sageness of even opening the business to more authors. However, I had a very pleasant task of meeting the actors who will bring Nikulainen and Sarianna alive in the film short for Gift of Surrender. Brent is very blonde and pretty and lanky and graceful. He's also willing to have his eyebrows shaped and his hair weaved for such a short film. While Lisa is a stunning dark haired beauty with a great deal of sparkle to her personality. She, too, was looking forward to the big romance hair weave -- and the cape.
Both have very nice voices. Brent is soft spoken and even seems a little shy like my Nikulainen. And Lisa has a lovely voice to go with her lovely 26 in waist figure (I could just slap her for that, but she's also very sweet). They looked fabulous together and were excited about the book. I gave them their own copies to study though I declined to post-it note the love scenes. It will be several weeks before we actually shoot something. That's how long it will take to work out the locations, the construction of the sets and have the costumes made. Though it is only a five minute film when finished, the amount of planning is almost the same as a full length feature. In fact, taking time to really plan and shop around makes the film cheaper to shoot.

And while thses characters are coming to life, my soldier boys are continuing their exciting lives in the sequel to A Soldier's Choice. I've worked the plot for the book out in my head. Now it's a matter of finding the time to write it. That's not that difficult. We only have one PC right now and Jon has dibs on it to do the layout and covers for the three novels in the Sybaritic pipeline. He's on for hours, so I can't really work on anything but cooking or my writing. There really is a limit to how much CSI: Miami I can watch. I'm hoping to have the novel done by June or July. I'll be posting excerpts here for sure.
Now, I'm off to the movies. My brain needs a break and I believe that Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters is just the ticket for that.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Crossovers

It looks my film life and my author life are going to crossover. We are doing R&D on creating five minute shorts from a couple of the novels. I've just finished a 5 page script for a scene from Gift of Surrender. This would be filmed along with two scenes from romance scripts that we were marketing. They do not have novels written yet. It's a project we've been trying to pitch for more years than I care to think about. They are historical or fantasy romances for the direct to DVD market. The folks currently looking to fund this want a proof of concept short. That is, a five minute or so short that shows what thefilm will look and feel like production value wise. I don't mind doing them. I think they would help drive book sales. And, I enjoyed hearing the voices for A Soldier's Choice so much that I'd really enjoy seeing the characters from one of my novels. We have a potential actor for Nikulainen and I think I have a Sarianna. We'll have to see how they look in an audition.

And yes, I am considering a short for A Soldier's Choice as well.