Torquere Press is pleased to announce a new Single Shot line beginning in 2006 -- Birthstones.
Birthstones will be a sexy, sensual homoerotic series with a birthstone theme completely and solely interpreted by the author (i.e. Using the stone itself, the color of the stone, the mystical meaning of the stone, the area the stone is mined, use your imagination). I'm looking for unique takes on the theme, on interesting characters, hot sex, and attention to relationship.
Guidelines:
- Homoerotica, please. Heterosexual stories will not be considered- 10,000-15,000 words- a flat fee of $28US upon publication- exclusive electronic 2 year contract (your print rights are your own)
The available stones/months are:
January/Garnet -- deadline October 1, 2005February/Amethyst -- deadline November 1, 2005March/Aquamarine -- deadline December 1, 2005May/Emerald -- deadline February 1, 2006June/Pearls -- deadline March 1, 2006
Please email questions and submissions to:submissions@torquerepress.com with Birthstones in the title.
SA ClementsSingle Shots EditorTorquere Presswww.torquerepress.com/
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Yeehaw
Rode Hard and Put Away Wet is finally available from Suspect Thoughts! http://www.suspectthoughtspress.com/pressrode.htm
I have a short story in it, titled Sweethearts of the Rodeo, about a pair of rodeo princess candiates. Nice and smutty and hopefully fairly authentic cowgirl ;) (The editors thoguht so).
I eagerly await my trib copies. (Someday I'll write about how long it took me to connect trib with its word origin. Duh) Go buy it :D Right now it's 12.00 on the website, as opposed to 16.95. :D
I have a short story in it, titled Sweethearts of the Rodeo, about a pair of rodeo princess candiates. Nice and smutty and hopefully fairly authentic cowgirl ;) (The editors thoguht so).
I eagerly await my trib copies. (Someday I'll write about how long it took me to connect trib with its word origin. Duh) Go buy it :D Right now it's 12.00 on the website, as opposed to 16.95. :D
Friday, July 22, 2005
Close
Getting close to getting Peacock done. Oh yes I am. Then editing, book reviews and other various deadlines... ack
Friday, July 15, 2005
Trying to sort out
I have so many ideas. So many snippets of stories. I have a deadline to meet right now, and I'm pretty confident I will, but from there I'm not sure where to go.
I would love to get out from under the day job. So I have to decide if I want to concentrate on getting more pub creds or doing longer stories that will start to really bring in royalties...
I'm not a good decision maker. I fret and fuss.
But something is bound to break soon, so I need a *plan* darn it.
I would love to get out from under the day job. So I have to decide if I want to concentrate on getting more pub creds or doing longer stories that will start to really bring in royalties...
I'm not a good decision maker. I fret and fuss.
But something is bound to break soon, so I need a *plan* darn it.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Hats and other oddities
My new straw cowboy hat looked better on my neice than it does on me...
I won Best Original Content in the Logical Lust Flash Fiction contest. No link yet, as they just notified. They said it will be up at the end of the month. Go me/ Not bad for 250 words.
I won Best Original Content in the Logical Lust Flash Fiction contest. No link yet, as they just notified. They said it will be up at the end of the month. Go me/ Not bad for 250 words.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
from the ERWA Blog circle
an Excerpt from Ally Blue
Title: Forgotten Song Genre:
Contemporary, Non-traditional sexualities
Author: Ally Blue
Author URL: http://www.allyblue.com/
Release date: "soon"
Publisher: Loose Id Publisher URL: http://www.loose-id.com/
The sun was in my eyes when I woke the next morning. I pulled the pillow over my head and tried to remember why the hell I was on the floor. Then I heard the toilet flush, and everything came back. I sat up just as the bathroom door opened.
“Hi,” I said as Eric shuffled back to the bed and plopped down. “How are you feeling?”
He shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Little bit of a headache, but it’s not too bad. I look like I got hit by a train though.”
I grinned. He did look banged up. A big, ugly black and purple bruise spread from under the bandage on the left side of his forehead to cover part of his cheek, and his eye was swollen. The blood on the bandage had dried to a deep reddish brown.
“That is a nasty bruise, isn’t it? But at least the cut’s stopped bleeding.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Hey, Ben, would it be okay if I use your shower?”
“Oh, sure, there’s clean towels in there on the shelf.”
“Thanks.” He stood and stretched and my brain promptly stopped working. Jesus, his body was perfect. Okay, nearly perfect. I got a better look at the scars this time, and my mouth went dry. A long, thin pink line, obviously from some kind of surgery, started just under his ribs and ran down the middle of his abdomen until it disappeared under the edge of his underwear. Several small round scars dotted his belly, and one larger than the rest puckered the skin on one side of his ribcage. But the one that caught the eye cut a long, wide, jagged path halfway across his stomach. I couldn’t even imagine what could’ve made a scar like that, or the amount of pain that must’ve gone with it.
“Did you get a good enough look?” Eric’s voice dripped with anger, and I realized I was staring.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well. Not too pretty, are they?” I looked up at his face and caught a glimpse of a hurt so deep that it made me ache to see it. Then the tough-guy mask was back in place and the pain was gone like it had never been there. I knew what I’d seen, though, and I swore to myself right then to help him heal whatever wounds he still had.
Title: Forgotten Song Genre:
Contemporary, Non-traditional sexualities
Author: Ally Blue
Author URL: http://www.allyblue.com/
Release date: "soon"
Publisher: Loose Id Publisher URL: http://www.loose-id.com/
The sun was in my eyes when I woke the next morning. I pulled the pillow over my head and tried to remember why the hell I was on the floor. Then I heard the toilet flush, and everything came back. I sat up just as the bathroom door opened.
“Hi,” I said as Eric shuffled back to the bed and plopped down. “How are you feeling?”
He shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Little bit of a headache, but it’s not too bad. I look like I got hit by a train though.”
I grinned. He did look banged up. A big, ugly black and purple bruise spread from under the bandage on the left side of his forehead to cover part of his cheek, and his eye was swollen. The blood on the bandage had dried to a deep reddish brown.
“That is a nasty bruise, isn’t it? But at least the cut’s stopped bleeding.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Hey, Ben, would it be okay if I use your shower?”
“Oh, sure, there’s clean towels in there on the shelf.”
“Thanks.” He stood and stretched and my brain promptly stopped working. Jesus, his body was perfect. Okay, nearly perfect. I got a better look at the scars this time, and my mouth went dry. A long, thin pink line, obviously from some kind of surgery, started just under his ribs and ran down the middle of his abdomen until it disappeared under the edge of his underwear. Several small round scars dotted his belly, and one larger than the rest puckered the skin on one side of his ribcage. But the one that caught the eye cut a long, wide, jagged path halfway across his stomach. I couldn’t even imagine what could’ve made a scar like that, or the amount of pain that must’ve gone with it.
“Did you get a good enough look?” Eric’s voice dripped with anger, and I realized I was staring.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well. Not too pretty, are they?” I looked up at his face and caught a glimpse of a hurt so deep that it made me ache to see it. Then the tough-guy mask was back in place and the pain was gone like it had never been there. I knew what I’d seen, though, and I swore to myself right then to help him heal whatever wounds he still had.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
up on the soapbox once more - an editorial
I work in a library. Bear with me, I can see your eyes glazing over, but there is a point here.
I am not a librarian. I have not earned the right to call myself that by going to grad school and having my brain replaced with that of an alien. I am what they (and by they I do mean the librarians, no offense to any present) call a "para"professional. Meaning since I did not go and learn how to catalog my fabric scraps I am not a professional at my job, even though not one "professional" librarian in my library can check out a book. Yay for double standards.
What does this have to do with writing? Specifically with writing erotic romance and erotica?
The same double standard applies. If you like sex, you'e somehow less literary. If your erotic (note...erotic) books have a lot of racy, raunchy scenes, you're less than acceptable in polite company, you don't rate a review on the big dogs' sites, and other people who purport to be erotica writers call your work less than complimentary things. (Like oh, trash, wretched, too light on plot, despite the fact that your test readers found it angsty enough to *cry* over it.)
So what is it? Is it latent puritanism? Is it just that some people should be writing traditional romance rather than erotica, but have found that the addition of gay love pushes them out of that market? Or do I have a fundamental misunderstanding of erotic?
No, not all of my favorite erotic readings are explicit. But I don't see why expicitness, as long as it's well done, can't be literate.
I am not a librarian. I have not earned the right to call myself that by going to grad school and having my brain replaced with that of an alien. I am what they (and by they I do mean the librarians, no offense to any present) call a "para"professional. Meaning since I did not go and learn how to catalog my fabric scraps I am not a professional at my job, even though not one "professional" librarian in my library can check out a book. Yay for double standards.
What does this have to do with writing? Specifically with writing erotic romance and erotica?
The same double standard applies. If you like sex, you'e somehow less literary. If your erotic (note...erotic) books have a lot of racy, raunchy scenes, you're less than acceptable in polite company, you don't rate a review on the big dogs' sites, and other people who purport to be erotica writers call your work less than complimentary things. (Like oh, trash, wretched, too light on plot, despite the fact that your test readers found it angsty enough to *cry* over it.)
So what is it? Is it latent puritanism? Is it just that some people should be writing traditional romance rather than erotica, but have found that the addition of gay love pushes them out of that market? Or do I have a fundamental misunderstanding of erotic?
No, not all of my favorite erotic readings are explicit. But I don't see why expicitness, as long as it's well done, can't be literate.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
One More down
Finished my new novella for the Torquere Press Turn of the Screw line, called Masque, and it's off to edits tomorrow. Go me for hitting my deadline.
I like it, even if I think it needs a little more detail here and there. Luckily the editor on this one knows my style well enough to help me out.
I have another deadline looming, and naturally those are not the characters talking...
I like it, even if I think it needs a little more detail here and there. Luckily the editor on this one knows my style well enough to help me out.
I have another deadline looming, and naturally those are not the characters talking...
Monday, June 27, 2005
In it for the love
What is it about making your first sale that makes a writer suddenly have stars in their eyes? There was a time when I would take any kind of pub credit, even if it was non-paying. (Okay, I still do, but bear with me.) I know a lot of writers who did the same thing. We all started out in this very small community called gay erotica at the same time, all mucking away at making a name for ourselves, insanely grateful if anyone would look twice at us.
So where did that joy go? When did it get to be a game of "I was robbed!" and "They don't pay enough."? Sure, I'd love to quit my dayjob and go full time writing. Who wouldn't? But when did writing for the love stop being a priority?
Or maybe for some people it was never one to begin with.
I, for one, am grateful to the small presses, websites, and e-zines that have given me my start. And I will continue to send them my writing, because I feel like they're the ones who are really changing the face of erotic romance today.
If I can get big money somewhere, that's great. But there's still enough love in me to support the people who helped me get there, and be proud of what *they* do for *me*.
So where did that joy go? When did it get to be a game of "I was robbed!" and "They don't pay enough."? Sure, I'd love to quit my dayjob and go full time writing. Who wouldn't? But when did writing for the love stop being a priority?
Or maybe for some people it was never one to begin with.
I, for one, am grateful to the small presses, websites, and e-zines that have given me my start. And I will continue to send them my writing, because I feel like they're the ones who are really changing the face of erotic romance today.
If I can get big money somewhere, that's great. But there's still enough love in me to support the people who helped me get there, and be proud of what *they* do for *me*.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Dog Days of Summer
As summer blisters into July and August, our thoughts turn to...dogs? Well dog days anyway. So what better way to celebrate those long, hot days and lazy summer nights than with a little contest? Author Julia Talbot has a great love for dogs as characters in their own right, and in two of her releases from Torquere Press they play a big roll.
So in honor of the heat, and the love of wagging tails and drooling tongues she's giving away a copy of each. Jumping Into Things is a double novella featuring a pair of brothers who both find love in unexpected places. Jed and Ross are as rugged as the Western Colorado landscape they come from,and just and stubborn. Good thing their new loves are patient men.
Love Dot Com is a Torquere Single Shot, longer than a short story, shorter than a novel, about two computer geeks who find love and companionship online.
Register to win one of these ebooks by emailing Julia at juliatalbot@gmail.com . Put Contest entry in the subject line and give her your name, email address and a statement that you are over 18.
Sign up to win today!(Must be 18 to enter. Winner will be chosen by random drawing August 15, 2005)
As summer blisters into July and August, our thoughts turn to...dogs? Well dog days anyway. So what better way to celebrate those long, hot days and lazy summer nights than with a little contest? Author Julia Talbot has a great love for dogs as characters in their own right, and in two of her releases from Torquere Press they play a big roll.
So in honor of the heat, and the love of wagging tails and drooling tongues she's giving away a copy of each. Jumping Into Things is a double novella featuring a pair of brothers who both find love in unexpected places. Jed and Ross are as rugged as the Western Colorado landscape they come from,and just and stubborn. Good thing their new loves are patient men.
Love Dot Com is a Torquere Single Shot, longer than a short story, shorter than a novel, about two computer geeks who find love and companionship online.
Register to win one of these ebooks by emailing Julia at juliatalbot@gmail.com . Put Contest entry in the subject line and give her your name, email address and a statement that you are over 18.
Sign up to win today!(Must be 18 to enter. Winner will be chosen by random drawing August 15, 2005)
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Monday, June 13, 2005
Saturday, June 11, 2005
ERWF Memeber press release
ERWF Press Release from Member Fiona Glass Want the chance to win a $20 cash prize, *and* read a good book? Then why not pop along to Fiona's website
( http://www.tavaran.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fionaglass/news.htm ) for details of the free treasure-hunt competition she's running to coincide with the launch of her e-book from Torquere Press? 'One Degree of Separation' is a collection of eight poignant gay love stories featuring men from all walks of life - journalists and gypsies, humans, vampires and aliens, even a prisoner or two - all of whom have fallen in love. All you need to do is answer the five simple questions on the site, email your answers to Fiona by 15 June 2005 and all correct entries received by that date will be entered into a prize draw, the winner to receive a $20 cash prize! Of course there's always a catch and in this case you need to have read the book before you can answer the questions. But as it's available from Torquere Press ( http://www.torquerepress.com ) for only $4.95, and as it's a really great read, that doesn't seem like too much of a hardship! Good luck, have fun, and no cheating!
( http://www.tavaran.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fionaglass/news.htm ) for details of the free treasure-hunt competition she's running to coincide with the launch of her e-book from Torquere Press? 'One Degree of Separation' is a collection of eight poignant gay love stories featuring men from all walks of life - journalists and gypsies, humans, vampires and aliens, even a prisoner or two - all of whom have fallen in love. All you need to do is answer the five simple questions on the site, email your answers to Fiona by 15 June 2005 and all correct entries received by that date will be entered into a prize draw, the winner to receive a $20 cash prize! Of course there's always a catch
Monday, June 06, 2005
look! my own press release
ERWF Press Release from Member Julia Talbot
Author Julia Talbot's greatest passions run to food, hats, history and cowboys. Two of the four are represented in her new releases for June 2005. From Torquere Press comes a Screwdriver imprint novel titled Post Obsessions, a Georgian era tale of lust and need that begins with a series of steamy letters and ends with an abiding love. Something about powdered wigs and tight pants makes that era one to really sink your erotic sweet tooth into. Maybe it's the intrigue. Or maybe it just feeds the men who aren't afraid to wear make-up fetish.
The cowboy obsession comes out in short story featured in Rode Hard and Put Away Wet, an anthology of lesbian cowboy tales from Suspect Thoughts Press. Edited by Rakelle Valencia and Sacchi Green, the anthology is sure to please anyone who likes their women rough and tough and unafraid of hard work. Julia's story, titled Sweethearts of the Rodeo, is all about vicious competition in the world of a rodeo princess.
Both books have scheduled release dates of June 15, 2005. Post Obsessions will be available in ebook format for $2.99. Rode Hard will come out in trade paperback for $16.95. Help Julia feed the food and hat collections and check them out!
Author Julia Talbot's greatest passions run to food, hats, history and cowboys. Two of the four are represented in her new releases for June 2005. From Torquere Press comes a Screwdriver imprint novel titled Post Obsessions, a Georgian era tale of lust and need that begins with a series of steamy letters and ends with an abiding love. Something about powdered wigs and tight pants makes that era one to really sink your erotic sweet tooth into. Maybe it's the intrigue. Or maybe it just feeds the men who aren't afraid to wear make-up fetish.
The cowboy obsession comes out in short story featured in Rode Hard and Put Away Wet, an anthology of lesbian cowboy tales from Suspect Thoughts Press. Edited by Rakelle Valencia and Sacchi Green, the anthology is sure to please anyone who likes their women rough and tough and unafraid of hard work. Julia's story, titled Sweethearts of the Rodeo, is all about vicious competition in the world of a rodeo princess.
Both books have scheduled release dates of June 15, 2005. Post Obsessions will be available in ebook format for $2.99. Rode Hard will come out in trade paperback for $16.95. Help Julia feed the food and hat collections and check them out!
From the Erotic Romance Writer's Forum
A press release for the blog circle there. Written by Emily Veinglory.
ERWF Press Release: ‘Dark Erotica’ is not a phrase that immediately makes a lot of sense. After all erotica is ‘come hither’ and dark implies ‘run, run for your lives!’ However on some strange and visceral level there is a peculiar similarity between lust and fear, And there is no doubt that a blending of the two is easily found from the ‘holy dread’ described in the classic poem ‘Kubla Khan’ to Anita Blake’s love triangle with a werewolf and a vampire lord. Logical Lust, an e-publisher of diverse erotica, is the last to mine this rich seam. ‘Eternally Noir’ is a dark erotica anthology including sixteen stories including a startling variety of ideas and sexualities. The stories range from openly amusing to genuinely spooky and are, in my entirely biased opinion, well worth the $3.95: http://www.eternallyerotic.com/eternallynoir.html
ERWF Press Release: ‘Dark Erotica’ is not a phrase that immediately makes a lot of sense. After all erotica is ‘come hither’ and dark implies ‘run, run for your lives!’ However on some strange and visceral level there is a peculiar similarity between lust and fear, And there is no doubt that a blending of the two is easily found from the ‘holy dread’ described in the classic poem ‘Kubla Khan’ to Anita Blake’s love triangle with a werewolf and a vampire lord. Logical Lust, an e-publisher of diverse erotica, is the last to mine this rich seam. ‘Eternally Noir’ is a dark erotica anthology including sixteen stories including a startling variety of ideas and sexualities. The stories range from openly amusing to genuinely spooky and are, in my entirely biased opinion, well worth the $3.95: http://www.eternallyerotic.com/eternallynoir.html
Saturday, June 04, 2005
bites nails
about a million contests just came due and we should be hearing soon. Apparently Rode Hard from Suspect Thoughts is not due out until the 15th. POKES them.
Also on the 15th, I have a Screwdriver coming out from Torquere called Post Obsessions.
Ack.
Deadlines loom.
Also on the 15th, I have a Screwdriver coming out from Torquere called Post Obsessions.
Ack.
Deadlines loom.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
New Stuff
Not so much from me, though I am blazing along on a couple of new stories and have sent out submissions on two anthologies.
But the contest entires are up for the DIY contest at Torquere Press, and there's some blazing stories about folks taking themselves in hand, if you get me. Find them here: http://www.torquerepress.com/contest/index.html
What else? I got another new hat, this one a simple straw roper cowboy hat, the kind so popular right now with the skinny, belly baring girls, but it looks fab on me too...
But the contest entires are up for the DIY contest at Torquere Press, and there's some blazing stories about folks taking themselves in hand, if you get me. Find them here: http://www.torquerepress.com/contest/index.html
What else? I got another new hat, this one a simple straw roper cowboy hat, the kind so popular right now with the skinny, belly baring girls, but it looks fab on me too...
Friday, May 20, 2005
ramble ramble
So.
Yeah.
Okay, so I'm waiting impatiently for Suspect Thoughts Press to put out Rode Hard and Put Away Wet, a lesbian cowboy compilation that I have a story in. Why you ask? It's print! And I'm in it! And I get copies!
Ahem.
I also got a new hat. Embroidered straw with wooden cherries. It's horrid. I love it. If I ever find my @#&% camera, I'll put up a picture.
tomorrow there's an author chat over at Torquere Press. http://www.torquerepress.com/chatschedule.html
It's not me, it's a lady named Will Okati, but I hope to hop in if anyone wants to come say hi.
Yeah.
Okay, so I'm waiting impatiently for Suspect Thoughts Press to put out Rode Hard and Put Away Wet, a lesbian cowboy compilation that I have a story in. Why you ask? It's print! And I'm in it! And I get copies!
Ahem.
I also got a new hat. Embroidered straw with wooden cherries. It's horrid. I love it. If I ever find my @#&% camera, I'll put up a picture.
tomorrow there's an author chat over at Torquere Press. http://www.torquerepress.com/chatschedule.html
It's not me, it's a lady named Will Okati, but I hope to hop in if anyone wants to come say hi.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
New Stuff
Yep. New Stuff over at Torquere Press. http://www.torquerepress.com
A new Screwdriver novel, Wheel of Fortune, about a scribe and a young mute in Renaissance Venice.
And a new Single Shot. Thrust and Riposte, about early 1800s fencers
A new Screwdriver novel, Wheel of Fortune, about a scribe and a young mute in Renaissance Venice.
And a new Single Shot. Thrust and Riposte, about early 1800s fencers
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Just a note
First post in a new blog! Ahem. Yes, well, I love journals, and I decided I needed one I could link to my writing website. So welcome. This is where I ramble about the writing.
Too start off, how about http://www.justusroux.com/guest_writers.htm where if you can find my story Cold Weather Survival Guide.
Too start off, how about http://www.justusroux.com/guest_writers.htm where if you can find my story Cold Weather Survival Guide.
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