Art is subjective

I have this love-hate relationship with "art"

I think it's not the thing itself I have an issue with. I love to look at art, read it, listen to it. All kinds. I love to make dolls and stitch things and write things. With me it's more the definition. I have been called a crafter and a storyteller rather than an artist. My "crafts" are not fine art, I'm told, and my writing is too colloquial and too down home...

I wonder what people would think if they knew Shakespeare's critics and contemporaries called him a writer for the unwashed masses...

Hey, I'm no Shakespeare, but just because I don't have a MFA doesn't mean I can't make things and ask people to pay money for them.

I recently read a comment on a blog, posted anonymously of course, where the commenter complained that she had spent years studying art, knew how to put something together "correctly" and yet people were putting crap up on Etsy and selling it...

So what, I wonder, gives her the right to decide what's crap?

Well, I guess the same thing that makes other people not buy her "art"

Really, it's because art is subjective. Sure, most people can agree that Michelangelo is art, but not everyone loves him. I once stood in front of Botticelli's Birth of Venus in the Uffizi museum in Florence, silently crying my eyes out at my perceived perfection, and had someone tell me they couldn't stand one more boring painting. They had museum burnout.

We had a complete difference of subjective opinion there.

So what makes art to you? Does it have to be studied? Spontaneous? Performance? Tell!

sidelined

man, I have the attention span of a gnat on crack

newsletter got sidelined, but I'm on it, I swear

right now I'm doing data entry and watching Andrew Zimmern

working on a newsletter

yep, working on newsletter for Yahoo group, thanks to BA, who was doing one last night and making me feel guilty.

Will probably post here, too

obstacles and inspiration

so, this past week was full of obstacles to writing.

I find lack of time due to my day job (publishing, which is a joy, but busy) and stress to be the biggest obstacles to my personal writing time. I laugh hysterically, in fact, when people say I went into publishing so I could put my writing first. I write 75% less now than when I worked at a library and could leave my job at the office.

Stress is big, too, though. Someone broke into my car last week and stole all of the electronics, creating expensive havoc. This? Gives me stress. Especially since they did it in broad daylight *IN MY YARD*. Then someone hacked a paypal button, stealing money that goes to a gay charity, essentially.

Nice.

A life of crime must be way easier than writing.

So I decided that I need to revisit my inspiration. Travel. Cowboys. Cowboy hats on dashboards. I love the ching ching sound at the beginning of a fiddle riff. I love Tim McGraw. I love Venice at sunset, when all of the buildings are reflected in the water, and everything is quieting down a little. I love steak and pizza and a good, hard workout. I like a man in Wranglers, hot and sweaty and a little wild. I love the mountains in the summer and fall, when Texas is just too hot.

So what are your obstacles and inspirations?

it's been a rough week

so it's no wonder I didn't get to promo my new title here until now!

It's called Pictures of You, and it's a m/m/f menage--

Actually, it's a m/m, m/f then m/m/f

*g*

here's the blurb

Ryan and Shreve share an apartment that has it all for such an old building. An open floor plan, a huge shower, and a picture window in the bedroom. When Ryan notices he and Shreve are being spied on by the attractive female photographer across the way, he decides it's time to get friendly with the neighbors. Real friendly. And he sets out to get Shreve to jump on board with the plan.

Leanne has no idea the boys know she's watching. They inspire her to pick up her camera for the first time since a disastrous showing of her work, and they make her hot, but she's not sure she wants to meet her subjects. Maybe she can apply what they teach her to her own personal life, though, and make everything picture perfect.


here's the link :D

have I missed anything?

*g* Still working on new stories, y'all. I am not dead. My publisher alter ego is just the busy one right now!

Hugs to all

Julia

Collected stories at Changeling

Hey y'all!

My Pack Mentality books have been re-released at Changeling as a collection

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1329

that's one low price now for all 4 stories, and there's m/m/f, m/f, and m/m in the stories. Something for everyone who likes werewolves (and the occasional werebear and were-whatevers)

woo!

bloggers

I've always wanted to be one of those bloggers who has neat stuff to say. Who can post every day and make it all sparkly and shit.

I am not that person. I get busy. I forget that I have a blog. I promise content and I disappear for weeks...

Sigh.

I want to be sparkly. I do!

changed the blurb on the Highwayman

hey y'all. a reviewer (who was very sweet) brought up the fact that the High-Class Highwayman blurb didn't reflect the erotic content. I change it up a little bit.

When Julian is forced to turn to crime after he loses his inheritance, he decides that he can do better than the incompetent highwayman who tries to waylay him one dark night. That's how the High-Class Highwayman comes into his own, and he does very well for himself, at least until Griffen Michalis comes along.

Griffen is far better versed in the criminal underworld than Julian, and he has no interest in the legitimate, and rather modest, fortune that is rightfully Julian's. Being a Lord would cause him too much trouble. Griffen has far more planned for Julian than one night of excitement on the high road and Julian finds that being with Griffen is not just about mind-blowing sexual games, but danger as well.

buy it here!

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2592

New Book out from Torquere!

The High-Class Highwayman is out! Woo!

When Julian is forced to turn to crime after he loses his inheritance, he decides that he can do better than the incompetent highwayman who tries to waylay him one dark night. That's how the High-Class Highwayman comes into his own, and he does very well for himself, at least until Griffen Michalis comes along.

Griffen is far better versed in the criminal underworld than Julian, and he has no interest in the legitimate, and rather modest, fortune that is rightfully Julian's. Being a Lord would cause him too much trouble. Can he convince Julian that he's giving the money back, and that he wants something far more than one night of excitement on the high road?


Buy it here!

Coming this weekend

Saturday I have a High Ball coming out at Torquere Press!

It's called The High-Class Highwayman, and it's a historical romp set in 1780s England.

Julian is an impoverished Lord who has to turn to crime to pay his bills when his father leaves the family fortune to a bastard son. Griffen knows he's not really Julian's long lost brother, and he's happy to give the fortune back. The two begin a game of cat and mouse, of dominance and control, which Julian revels in... Until they get caught. Will the highwayman be around to save his lover when Griffen truly needs help?

new book from Changeling Press

Hey y'all!

I have a new book out from Changeling Press! It's the sequel to Wolf 101, and it's called Mystic U: Midterms

Danny, Lee and Heather are back, and not everyone is thrilled about their relationship at Mystic U and in the small town of Wolf Creek...

here's a link :

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1345

and here's an excerpt -- not really work safe :D

---

They pulled up at the little frame house that sat on the edge of town, fields of snow-tinged green out there. Spring was really getting on them. It was kind of glorious, what with the mountains still covered in white and all. Maybe he was turning into something of a country boy after all. Or at least a nature lover coexisting with a city boy.
Lee led the way, and the door was unlocked, just like always. No one locked their door in Wolf Creek. Well, until they got inside. Then Lee locked the door and pulled the laundry basket out of Danny’s arms, tossing it to the floor.
“Hold on, babe. If I don’t start the laundry now it will never get done tonight.” Danny put a hand on Lee’s chest, holding the big guy off.
“You can wait five minutes. That’s all it will take for our first orgasm.” Lee brushed his hand aside, pulling Danny up against his chest and kissing him hard.
Oh. Maybe Lee was right. His cock went hard in a heartbeat, just pushing against the fly of his jeans. Damn. Lee could kiss. Toothy, hard enough to press Danny’s lips against his teeth, the kiss made him moan and start to hump, his hips grinding against Lee’s.
An answering hardness met his, Lee hot and ready, even through their clothes. The clothes started to come off seconds after that, Lee’s big hands easing off his shirt, then opening his jeans. “You’re damned good at that, babe.”
“Uh-huh.” Lee grinned at him, eyes twinkling. “You know what you’re best at?”
“Sucking?” Shit, he didn’t need Lee to tell him that. It seemed impossible that he’d given his first blowjob last semester. He’d learned to love it since then, to love the taste and feel of Lee between his lips, on his tongue.
“Bingo. Wanna?” Stroking Danny’s lower lip, Lee raised one brow, waiting.
“Hell, yes.” Danny sank to his knees, knowing it wouldn’t take long for both of them to come this way. He opened Lee’s jeans and pulled that amazing, thick cock out, licking his lips.
Moaning a little, Lee pulled him forward, pressing the head against his lips. Danny opened up and took him in, sucking at the loose skin just underneath, then pressing his tongue to the slit.
Fuck, yes. The first taste made Danny’s hips rock, his cock pushing up toward the hand he moved down to meet it. It all came together in the most amazing circle of pleasure, his mouth, Lee’s cock. His hand, his cock. Perfect

new book at Torquere

woo! Purple Pen diaries - yummy little mystery about a writer and a security guy :>

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2546

here's a wee excerpt ---

"Mr. Tyler?"

Shit. Well, at least it was tall, dark and hotter than hell who'd detained me.

"Yes?" I pasted on a smile, which made him chuckle. The sound was low and sensual, and went straight to my cock.

"I was going to invite you up to the windows bar and grill thing for dessert."

I stared. I couldn't help it. Surely it wasn't my good looks, though I managed to do all right for myself. If he was a fan, though, I wasn't above taking advantage of it to keep him around a bit longer.

"Sure. Can we escape now, though?"

"You bet." He laughed again, and it made me want to push him down and hump him. It had been a long time since I'd had such a visceral reaction to someone. I liked it.

We worked our way through the crowd, heading toward the stairs. We'd gone up three decks before either of us spoke.

"I like your books," Marc finally said, glancing over. "You must have sisters, to be able to write a guy pretending to be a girl and make it convincing."

"Sisters? What makes you think it's not my skills as a Lothario? I could be married, or engaged or something."

"Your bio says, 'Confirmed bachelor Brandt Tyler'. I figured that meant you were queer."

I sputtered with laughter. I couldn't help it. Most people were not nearly that direct. "I am. Maybe that's how I get the girly thing."

He paused on a landing, looking me over carefully. So carefully that it made my cock twitch. "Nah. You're not that in touch with your feminine side."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Devereaux grinned, eyes crinkling up at the corners. "I'm all for you being one hundred percent male."

"Oh, good." I started climbing again, feeling the need to sit down somewhere, preferably under a booth where I could hide my rising cock. "So, what do you do, Mr.--"

"Marc. Call me Marc."


---

go check it out!

I know, I suck

Miss Promo I am not...

Let's see, what all is new?

Not a heck of a lot. I'm behind on all of my deadlines. :( Sighs

still, I'm working on it!

lots of things

Lord, I'm behind. I have Sips out, both a Charity Sip called If Wishes were Horses and a Halloween Sip called The Zed Word. The first is about cowboys, the second is about zombies, and they're both at www.torquerebooks.com

I'm in the Care and Feeding of Demons anth, also at Torquere. My demon convinces his demon hunter to have sex the old-fashioned way. He tells him he needs it to become human...

I'm not sure I mentioned my new title at Changeling Press, either! Called Wolf 101, it's part of a new series about a paranormal college called Mystic U. It's a hot menage, and it's a lot of fun

okay, off to Tweet

way behind

Sorry about the non-posting. Real life gets me behind

My book The Fire Inside, came out sometime this month. It was a serial on Turn of the Screw over at Torquere and is now an ebook. It's got psychics, firestarters, boys with guns, and lots of hot stuff...

blurb:

Nick is just a working man, trying to get his job done. When a routine job goes sour, though, he knows just who to blame; the guy who threw himself in front of Nick's car. Ty.

Ty's in trouble, and he's hoping Nick will help him. He's not sure what forces brought them together, but he knows they're meant to be, and he's willing to use his talent for generating heat to keep Nick at his side, ready for more of his special gifts. And ready to defend him from anyone who wants to hurt him. Will these two be overcome by the fire inside?

Buy link

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2084

Read the amazing review by CB Potts

http://www.torquerepress.com/fiction/fireinside.html#review

There we go!

What else? Oh, yeah. I got a great interview from Rainbow Reviews, and it's up here:

http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1623

You should go check it out, and check out everything else over there. The RR folks are very good to us m/m writers and readers

OKay, going to catch up on other stuff!

Later!

New release from Torquere

Well, actually, a re-release.

I had a story I just loved out in the Play Ball anthology, called Hitting Streak. It was about ex-baseball pro Jose, who was injured and could no longer play, and the guy who wants to take him out. Dave. It's available now as part of a pair of stories in a Sip. It's called Two Games, and I share space in it with my bud, BA Tortuga.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2017

Check it out!

duuuude

man, it's going to be scorching this week. 99 for a high most days. makes me want tea by the gallon and lots of fans. How do y'all beat the heat?

blinnks and yawns

working on highwaymen

need coffee, stat

Chef on Chef! A new Spice it Up

Hey y'all!

Got a new release from Torquere. It's a novelette, and it's called Chef on Chef

buy it here ! And today use md2009 as a coupon code for 15% off

Here's the blurb:

Kierny Sullivan is a celebrity chef whose career has already peaked. Tyler Sullivan is more the next big thing. As an up and coming chef, Tyler was Kierny's protégé, and lover. When Tyler used Kierny to get ahead of the game, though, things went horribly wrong, and the animosity between them survives every attempt at reconciliation.

Then they get an offer to do a show together that neither one of them can refuse, and Tyler has a new scheme. He wants Kierny back in the worst way, and will stop at nothing to get the big-name chef back, including just telling the truth. Can Kierny and Tyler work out a deal?

and here's the snippet!

"You're a cynical bastard."

"I am." Kierny smiled, but it was more barracuda than happy puppy. "You helped make me that way."

"Oh, bullshit." Tyler exploded into motion, pacing back and forth, hands waving. "You fucking expected me to betray you, every moment of every day. Shit, you dared me to. You were a goddamned self-fulfilling prophecy."

He finally got the reaction he wanted. Both perfectly shaped eyebrows went up, and Kierny's mouth fell open. "Wait. Can you be… Are you blaming this on me?"

"This meeting? No. Our breaking it off? No. Some of the events that led up to both? Yes." Tyler was too honest to blame it all on Kierny. He really was.

"I cannot believe you think for one moment that I. That you. Oh!"

God, that was cute. Kierny was all red-faced, looking like he was going to start stomping the floor, or maybe punching Tyler in the gut. Now was the time to move in.

"So, why did you come?"

"What?"

Keeping Kierny off guard was the only way to go. He had to keep those green eyes wide, had to keep the man from getting a handle on the situation.

"Why did you come to my house, if you think I'm the root of all evil?"

"To let you know that, naturally. All done now." Turning on his heel, Kierny made for the door.

Tyler caught one muscular bicep. "No." No way was Kierny getting away. It was crazy; the world felt upside down, but Tyler was going to hold on and make the man give them both what they wanted.

Staring at his hand, cheeks hot, Kierny murmured, "No?"

Reeling the man in was easier than Tyler expected. "No. You knew what I wanted when you showed up. You can't deny it. So, I say you stay."

The muscles under his hand tensed, but Kierny didn't pull away. This close, Tyler could smell the man, and Kierny smelled like cinnamon and cloves, mixed with smoke and male musk.

Fuck, it was a good thing.