Oh, the trials and tribulations

Picture a gray-haired woman, exhausted, head thrown back and the back of her hand at her brow. Sighing. Gasping even!

Yup, that’d be me.

Okay, got that picture firmly entrenched. Read on.

Now, here’s an example of an IM shared between co-authors:

J1: <--Jenna!
But I don’t know anything about pony boys

J2: <--Jude!
What’s to know, guys with horse attire being trained like horses. Oh and don’t forget the sex.

J1: Ewww!

J2: What ewww, it’s great gay sex with one fellow whinnying instead of groaning.

J1: Yeah, I guess you’re right. What about cops. We could do cops and have one of them being kidnapped and the other one has to do some kinky something to rescue the guy. They’re lovers you see.

J2: Oh, that sounds cool. Kinky, you got something in mind?

J1: Uh, well no, but I’m sure we can come up with something…lol

J2: I’m sure we can. *G* A little exhibitionism maybe, how about the free guy has to show off or the guy who was captured gets strung up outside city hall on Monday morning.. naked and in some kind of bondage gear.

J1: Oh! That works

J2: You got a city in mind or do we want to create one of our own? This is a shorter one, might be an idea to not even mention a name unless we need to

J1: I agree. Four chapters, remember that.

J2: Grrr yeah, I remember…LOL

The conversation goes on, suggesting, rejecting, revamping ideas until the rough plot is sorted out and then I get the inevitable:

J1: Okay, do you want to start this thing?

With little more than a rough idea of where we’re going with this, but one hell of a bunch of ideas floating around in both Jenna’s and my minds, the story begins. I’ll write, usually around 2500 words, but sometimes it’s 4000 or more. It all depends on how the story flows for me. When I’m feeling like it’s a push, I’ll send it to Jenna, with ideas on where to go from where I left off, or just a simple… ‘Your baby now, have fun’

This isn’t the first time I’ve written with someone else, but it is the first time I’ve felt so comfortable doing it. It’s taken time, but it’s definitely been worth. The first book Jenna and I tackled together, and I’m sure she’ll correct me if I’m wrong, was Feral Heat, the first of our Untamed Hearts Series. From the information I still have stored on my computer, we began working on this one in March of 08. The series, which we thought was done at three books, is apparently well liked enough that our publisher asked us to do one more so the books could all be put into print. We’ve sent off the fourth book and I do hope you like horses.

To me, that’s a huge accomplishment. The first two e-books, Feral Heat and Bear Combustion have been combined into, Untamed Hearts Vol 1, and is available now at Total E-Bound. I am totally jazzed about it.

It’s taken time, and it hasn’t always been simple dream up an idea and bingo off we go. If it was, everyone would do this. Jenna and I were good friends before we even thought of writing together. She’d edited quite a bit of my work and I’d done the same for her. We knew the strength and weaknesses. We knew the professionalism and dedication to improving the skills each of us has. We also know that we have lives outside of writing and make great efforts to make sure we don’t pressure each other more than necessary. I’ve had eye surgeries and Jenna has had a very ill husband who needed a great deal of care. We worked when we could, we let up when it was important to do so. Our friendship came first.

Perks of co-authoring:

1. Someone to bounce ideas off

2. Built in editor. She writes some, I edit hers, then add my bit. She does the fixes I’ve suggested, then edits mine and adds her bit. Finally, we both do an edit, then we send the MS to our editors

3. There are times when a story just flies. There are times when it flies then falters. When you’re writing with a partner, you can hand it off and be fairly sure it’ll fly again.

4.Honest feedback. When you’re working alone, you can ask for comments from friends, and you’ll most likely get some nice remarks. But, if the writer has a vested interest, royalties, he or she is going to be much harder on the MS. They want their work to be as perfect as you want yours to be.

5. We all have our strong points when it comes to writing. If you chose wisely, your co-author’s talents will compliment yours. I write hot sex. Jenna has this awesome ability to create a twist at the end of a story that is simply astounding.

Disadvantages of co-authoring:

1. Royalties, and this might very well not be a disadvantage. You cut any royalties in half. But, you also may very well garner a following which drives the numbers up, so it could very well be one heck of a perk.

2. Schedules. There are times when one of you may not be available for a project. Family always comes first, so when you see this really cool call for submissions, but one of you has a wedding in Zimbabwe to attend, it’s not going to happen unless you want to tackle it solo, and that’s always an option.

3. Hmm, I honestly can’t think of a 3.

Let’s see, Jenna showed off a couple of our covers, so I’ll show off a couple of others. I hope you enjoy.

Phaze Rocks, Slippery When Wet Series

Book #1 Wanted Dead or Alive

Dan Radisson has been released from Corcoran State Prison and never intends to go back. He's working his twelve steps, minding his own business, and trying to resume some degree of normality living in the home of his sister and her family.

Trey Wallace knows what he likes and isn't afraid to go after it. When he meets Dan at an AA meeting he sees exactly what he wants, but questions whether the newly freed man is ready to dive into the type of sexual relationship Trey has in mind.

Dan's ready for the sex, but not so sure about life on the outside. When he stumbles upon a homicide and runs from the scene in the same way he did in the past, suddenly he's a wanted man. Dan must either solve the crime or risk returning to the place he dreads the most--the prison that changed his life.

_ _ _ _ _

"This is an excellent mystery with suspense and eroticism that keeps it fast moving." ~ Dee, The Romance Studio

~ Read excerpt or buy now

* * * *

Book #2, Living on a Prayer

Logan White is released from prison after serving eight years on Corcoran prison for his part in a B &E where a man was killed. Enter Reverend Shane Grayson, a gay man of the cloth who helps find Logan a job, but that turns into a horror story. Can the two lovers find a way to be together or will the underbelly of society win this battle?

Fallen Angel Reviews - Livin' on a Prayer makes you truly walk in someone else's shoes, giving a little taste of what it must be like.

~ Read excerpt or buy NOW

* * * *

Book #3 Never Say Goodbye

Damien Hall has never done an honest day's work in his life. On his own from a young age, his street wiles got him by until he ended up in Corcoran State Prison, found guilty of theft. Five years later, he's moved in with a man who only wants him for one thing, nightly hot sex. But he's off the streets, and Damien thinks the trade-off is worth it.

Travis Slater wrangles horses for a living, and wants to wrangle Damien in his off hours. He sees potential in the man who suffers from extremely low self esteem, and quickly falls in love with him. He hopes to take Damien and leave, knowing they can make their own way in the world.

Damien isn't so sure, and is terrified at the thought of being homeless again. When his employer admits the real reason Damien was hired, it's decision time. Do what's easy or do what's right? Only Damien can decide.

_ _ _ _ _

Number One on the Top Twenty Bestseller List for Phaze in June, 2009.

"This book gets a 4 (recommended to buy) for being such a good story in such a short package. Don’t let this one pass you by!" ~ Acquanetta Ferguson, the San Diego Examiner

~ Read excerpt or buy now

* * * *

Book #4, I'd Die For You

Snake Thompson is out of Corcoran and looking for revenge. He meets and falls for Abel, a lusty blond guy who winds up quitting his job and tagging along. Can the two of them find the truth and clear Snake's name, or will drugs and money send them both to the grave?

Top ten list at Phaze for July 2009

Read excerpt or buy now

That's my bit on co-authoring. I think if you chose who you want to write with, the experience can be nothing less than amazing for anyone who is serious about it. Pick the wrong person and it can be exactly the opposite. Go into it with your eyes open. Possibly try a shorter piece first and get out if the feeling isn't what you want. Always, be honest.

I'd really love to hear from others who have tried this.

Covers, Covers, oh those sexy, naughty COVERS!

by Jude Mason

Having been around for a little while, I've had an amazing assortment of covers. Some work, some...not so much. I realize that not all artists are gifted equally, the same as authors, teachers, painters,welders, anyone. But, there are some covers that really would be better off left... anywhere but on the cover of a book.

My first novel, Who Races-Who Wins, was published a good number of years ago, and as I was never consulted about the cover art, I truly was aghast when I got this first one. The publisher, who I won't name, chose this cover for me herself. Now, this was a fetish book, but the cover didn't convey the fetish properly, and to be really honest, I couldn't figure out what it even was for the longest time. I also cried when I saw it. This was my first venture into the real world of publishing and I had such high hopes for this book. The genre was femdom, the fetish: pony boys. Okay, so the woman had a bit in her mouth, but for crying out loud, it wasn't supposed to be her, it was supposed to be the guy. I was told hunky men on covers didn't sell. "Say what?" I was flabbergasted.

I did a little ranting, a little crying, some begging and was finally give the cover you see to the left. It was closer, sort of. Okay, so it wasn't really. Still had the woman in the rigging, no man in sight and it just didn't fit the content.

I got email about it. Nasty email saying the cover was misleading. Hell, I agreed. I'd asked if I could find some artwork for it, or have someone design a cover for me... anything for the right cover! Nope, this was it. So, I was literally stuck with the wrong cover. The contract was binding and I lived with this for several years.

It was a learning experience and one I haven't repeated.

I do realize many authors don't get to chose their covers. I completely understand that cover artists are busy and there's only so much they have time to do. But, I also realize it's up to me to do all I can to get my books out there looking the very best they can be. These are MY BOOKS.

Since then, I've had some amazing covers, created by some of the finest cover artists there are. In my opinion, anyway. There is a gift to designing a cover. The picture has to tell its own story. It has to draw the reader to it. After all, it's the first thing a buyer sees. If they dislike the cover, they're likely going to find something more attractive, more along the lines of what they're looking for. Yes? Well, sure they are.

Now, check out this next cover. What would you think the content of the book is about? Spanking, definitely. Spanking a man... well Hell yeah! He's gorgeous... and again, those are my hand prints, got it? He likely doesn't look like all the men in the book, but he doesn't have to. He's fit, he's facing the right way and there are hand prints where they need to be.

The rest, well you'll have to open the book to find out. Oh yeah, there are authors names to check out. If you recognize any of them, that's awesome. The editors name is there too, strategically place right under his bum... cheeky Keta. But, it's the man you're looking at that's interesting. And it's what the book is all about, so this is an awesome book put out by Nobel Romance. Other covers! Oh yeah, lots of them.

Let's check out the series Jenna mentioned yesterday. She and I put together a quartet of books based on Bon Jovi's 'Slippery When Wet' Album. (You gotta love that as a title for an erotic series!) She wrote two books and I wrote two. The covers were designed by Phaze's, Michelle Lee and I think she did an amazing job.

Now, I'm prejudice, I know it, but aren't these covers cool. The handcuffs mean something and by the look of who he's being cuffed, it's not for play. This is 'your arrested and going to jail' handcuffing. The shower scenes, well when you read the books you'll get the full meaning of them, but even before you do, you understand that something is going to happen to four men in the shower, in prison. At least that's what I got from them, and that's what Jenna and I planned.

Each cover gives a peek into what the book is about. That's what they're meant to do. When they hit the mark, as the one to the left does, it's an amazing thing. You know this is going to be about animals and a sexy man or two. You know it's going to be hot, just looking at the guy and you know there are going to be cougars, at least, in the book. All of that is correct.

Also, from looking at the background, you can guess the stories are going to take place outside, in the wilderness. Yup, they do and all that comes from a quick look at the cover. Pretty damn cool, don'tcha think? Jenna and I were gobsmacked when we got this one... in a very good way.

Thank you, Total E-Bound cover artist April Martinez. She's an amazing artist and has done several of my covers.

Now, if the cover misses the mark, readers feel cheated, at least that's what I've been told by several. The covers entice them to pick the book up. If the cover is a lie, as the first book of mine was, it's cheating the reader into buying something they're not looking for.

I've been incredibly lucky with my publishers now and the cover artists I've worked with. I try to give them credit when I receive a new cover and I'd love for you to check mine out. Here's
a link to my cover art gallery.

GALLERY

Sigh, just saying that is huge. I am one very lucky woman. What's your take on covers? Do you think they're important or not? Would you pick up a book with a cover you find distasteful?

Hugs

Fangirl Squee

By Jenna Byrnes

I have to admit, getting new cover art is still one of the biggest thrills in this business for me. I can usually be found on various Yahoo Loops showing off the new cover while the book is still sometimes months away from release. There's something about seeing a beautiful book with my name on it that just makes me want to squee like a fangirl at Monkees concert.


Um, did I say Monkees? I meant Blink-182. Yeah, that's it.

As Lisabet mentioned yesterday, some publishers give the author more leeway than others. Most allow the author to fill out a form with their vision spelled out in a paragraph or two. Some even allow the author to send links to stock photos they'd like to see used. I've done it both ways, and I gotta tell you, looking through stock photos is tons of work. I've spent hours searching for the perfect thing and sometimes never finding it. But when I do--man, oh man, is that a great feeling.

Jude Mason and I chose the various photos for our Slippery When Wet series and Michelle Lee at Phaze put them together for us in a manner we were both extremely pleased with.

(See all four covers here)

Alessia Brio at Phaze did a super job on my Streets of Fire series with some minimal input from me- I loved the New York skyline, the heart shaped cuffs, and I chose three different men in various white shirts for each of the three covers. I think these came out great, even if they suffer from the chopped head syndrome. (Which actually doesn't bother me. Sometimes when the physical description of the character doesn't match the picture, it's better to chop off the head and go with a sexy torso.) I love these covers, and the one below is my favorite. I chose it for the cover of the print version, coming this month from Phaze. (You can see it in the sidebar to the right on this blog.)

(See all three covers here.)

Jax Cassidy at Phaze caught the feel of my novella, Play it Again, Sam, with the sepia tinted cover she created. This story is about two men who spend their afternoons hiding away in a run down movie theater, one working and one simply watching Casablanca, over and over again. Jax got what I was going for, and I was very happy with the cover.

I didn't have any say in the Noble Romance anthology Spank Me Once cover, but I have no complaints. What's to complain about? LOL This one generated quite a bit of buzz online. I guess you can see why. Artist Fiona Jayde definitely 'got' the concept of this book!


Total E-Bound has never done me wrong on a cover. I'm continually impressed with the quality of their work. April Martinez did my Cattle Valley covers and I think they captured the spirit of my little Cattle Valley lesbian tales quite nicely. I'm very happy with them, as I am with all my TEB covers. Quality stuff.



I'm pretty easy going when it comes to covers, but of course I like some of mine more than others. If you think I'm going to tell you which ones I don't care for, think again. I know who butters my bread. *G*

In other people's books, a cover might influence me when I know nothing about the author. But if the book is by an author I enjoy, the cover doesn't matter. Jude Mason could release a blank white page with black text that read, "Book by Jude Mason" and I'd snatch it up. *grin* I know a good thing when I see it.

There are Villains, and then there are...

by Jude Mason

As others have hinted at, when I first began writing, I had no idea villains were such an important aspect of story telling. I figured writing romance and erotica, all I really had to do well was write about sex!

Okay, so after my first book was published, I realized I needed to do some work on my bad guys. It wasn't easy and I still suck at those really cool ones you don't realize are bad until the end of the story. Mine are all so obvious it's painful. But, maybe that's all right too. You get your cliche' bad dude and it's easy for the reader to hate him. Here's a little snippet from Livin' on a Prayer, one of the Slippery When Wet series':

"Mr. Santino?" Logan reached across the man's desk to shake hands with one of the fattest men he'd ever met. He'd called and Santino had told him to come right over. Apparently, Shane had told the man about him and the job was still open.

"And you're Logan White; Reverend Grayson spoke highly of you."

"Call me Logan, please. I really need the job; I hope Reverend Grayson explained I need to start as soon as possible."

"Sit down," he said and lowered his bulk into the office chair. The office itself was small, a filing cabinet and the desk with the two chairs was about all there was room for. Santino filled his side of the room, and more. Balding and in his late forties, at least, he had a dour look that made Logan slightly uncomfortable for some reason. "Yes, Shane told me you were new in town and money was tight. He also told me you're fresh out of COR."

Logan's stomach lurched, but he sat down opposite the big man. Here it comes—the excuses and reasons why he couldn't hire an ex-con. Logan readied himself for the disappointment.

"Yes, I've been out for about two weeks, maybe a little longer now."

"Any trouble inside?"

An unusual question, he thought, but replied, "No, nothing. I did my time and got out."

"And you want to start right away?" Santino shuffled through a folder, sorting out a set of papers.

"Yeah, the money I had is about gone. I either find work soon or I'll be out on the streets." The confession came hard.

"Can you have these papers filled out by tomorrow morning? You can start then."

"Really?" Logan asked, shocked, glad, confused, but most of all just happy to have a chance. "I mean, yes, I'll have the paperwork back to you first thing and what time would you like me here?"

Santino laughed, a loud belly laugh that rocked his chair, threatening to break it. "Well, we don't do a breakfast so get here at no earlier than ten. Chef can show you were you'll be stationed and where things go.

"One thing, you mind your own business and whatever goes on at Zarah's stays in Zarah's. Got it?" There was a threatening tone to that last remark and Logan wondered what the deal was, but agreed. He really had no choice.

You get right from this little bit of description and dialogue that Mr. Santino isn't a nice man. If I'd made him blond, blue eyed and smiling, he'd have been a better villain, in some ways, but that's my shortcoming.

I'm also very, very fond of strong women who take care of villains. Roses was one, but let's take a look at something from Cat's Claw instead. The villains in this book were a family of hillbilly poachers, the Baxter's, who are so damn obvious it was impossible to make them anything but.

Ahead, the window slammed shut. Both of them ducked a little lower into the weeds. Looking toward the house, she saw the front door swing open and a tall, slightly over-weight man strode onto the veranda. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and at first, Morgan didn't think he was the one—too ordinary looking. Dark-haired and bearded, he looked a little like a bear. But when he reached behind himself back into the house and brought out a rifle, she knew he wasn't just somebody living in Tommy's house, it was him.

A gentle push against her haunch reminded her of how dangerous their position was. Less than twenty-five meters from the house, if they made the wrong move, this man, Tommy, might very well see them.

She watched Joshua ease through the long grass and weeds, moving in a winding path toward the house. She followed his lead, but not his path, and zigzagged forward, always keeping the man in her sight. A thistle caught at her hide, something dug between the pads on her left paw and she bit back a yowl of pain. The journey took too much time. She was afraid the man would go back inside before they got close enough to charge.

Joshua bolted. He'd managed to get a little closer then she had, and took the opportunity to rush the man first. She was right behind him, her cougar scream making the hair on her own neck stand up.

"Christ!" the man screamed. He had just enough time to raise the rifle to his shoulder. But before he could aim, or pull the trigger, Joshua was on him. The man hit the floor with a loud thump, but somehow managed to keep his hold on the gun.

Cat claws ripped through cloth and soft human skin. Cat teeth sank into tasty human flesh. Ear splitting screams tore at them. As Joshua raised his head to scream his triumph, she joined him. Straddling the man's flailing arm, she took hold of the gun with her teeth and flung it off the porch.

"No! Get away!" His pleas came fast, furious, and made little sense to either of them in their rage. "Help! Help me!" The call echoed through the night, unheard and unheeded.

There's no mystery, no waiting until the last few paragraphs to drag out Mr. Ugly, as soon as you see this man, you know he's bad news. Perhaps it's just one more style of writing. Perhaps I still have a lot to learn when it comes to plotting (this I have no doubt). Perhaps I just need to stick to my ubur sexy guys with kink and leave the mystery writing with those sneaky villains to others.

Here's a question for you readers. Do you like to know who your villains are before the end of the story? Do you like to have time to hate him, wish the hero would figure it out? Or do you like that shock when he's revealed, mere paragraphs from the end? I'd love to know.

Location, Location, Location...

By Jenna Byrnes

Hey to everyone out there in Grip-land! This is my first official 'Jenna' post but I feel like I know you already. *sly grin* This week our topic is 'setting the scene', which is a part of creating a book or story that I really enjoy, so let's get right to it.

Sometimes, my plot or characters are all that matter. I've written a few stories where the location was never named. Usually in novels, the setting matters so I pick a spot from the wide variety of places I have traveled...home--> Walmart--> grocery store.

Okay, I have traveled a bit more than that, but not much. That's where the beauty of the internet kicks in. When I was a kid, I'd have had to drag my rear to the library to research the kind of stuff that can now be found online. Jude and I are in the middle of a Phaze Rocks series called Slippery When Wet-- all the heroes in these novellas have recently been released from Corcoran State Prison in California. I promise you, I've never been inside COR. But I have half a dozen sites bookmarked which gave us tons of great insider information.

In our Untamed Hearts shifter series, Jude and I created an undisclosed location, near a small village we made up, somewhere in the north. This works because shifters are other-worldly, and don't necessarily need to be located in California or Chicago (two of my location favorites!)

For our Kindred Spirits series, Jude secured this picture (with sexual favors, I think) and I fell in love with it. It made the cover of the series, with an eerie glow added by the cover artist, to fit our ghostly theme. In the reviews we've recieved on Ethan's Choice so far, people don't know if Whiskers' Seaside Inn is a real place or not, but they love the homey feel we've given it. Jude and I love to hear that, it's exactly what we were after.

Sometimes, when I don't want to focus on a lot of research, I'll make up a town. I do that often if I don't want readers to get bogged down in a location they're familiar with, and spend half the book thinking, "Hey, Main Street never intersects Whazzup Aveune!"

I've been to Seattle and have used that as the backdrop for a couple books. I like Chicago for when I need a big city where lots of things could happen.

At the end of the month I have a story in TEB's Pleasure Bound anthology and I had to pick a vacation spot. I chose Hawaii, and borrowed a tourist guide book from someone who used to live there. That, with the internet, gave me lots of tidbits to toss into the story. The added benefit was me, walking around for a month, saying "Howzit, bra?" like Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Bottom line for me, location isn't the first thing I think about when planning a story, unless it's for a themed call. But I do like to use a variety of places, and thanks to the internet, I think I get away with it reasonably well. Aloha. *g*