Make the Yuletide Gay!

If you’re like me, you’re eager to read holiday-themed romances this time of year. Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza, I love them all. So I thought I’d bring the holiday stories to me! Make the Yuletide Gay is a holiday extravaganza featuring giveaways, holiday recipes and plenty of hot man-on-man action.

For the next few weeks, a variety of authors will be guest blogging at my website, so visit often for festive reading suggestions, contests and more. I'm starting things off with a giveaway of my Hanukkah book, Eight Nights.

December. Already?

When I got an email reminder that it was my day to post, I first whispered a quick thank you to automatic reminders, and then I skimmed through my Slash & Burn posts for the year, looking for inspiration. At first, it was my intention to share my attempts at creating cover art for a freebie I wrote for the Goodreads.com M/M Romance group, but then I noticed the post I wrote back in July. It summarized what I’d accomplished in the first half of the year, and a couple of WiPs I’d hoped to finish before year end.

Oops. Those WiPs are still in the To Do pile.

Shortly after I wrote that post last summer, I broke my foot. It still aches if I do too much, but I’m finally, a little bit, getting back into running. Yes, they really do go hand in hand. I tried to force the writing, but even with nothing better to do with my foot propped up for weeks, I simply couldn’t focus. While I did manage to keep up with my obligations on the weekly installments for my freebie story, actual productiveness towards any publishing goals… well, let’s just leave it at nonexistent.

I’m ready to resume now. I have been for a while now, but with the increase in physical activity in November, I can keep my mind focused while sitting still too. After I post this, I’m dragging the Hubby out for a hike/walk despite the 37 degree morning. We’re getting ready to try snowshoeing as soon as the snow hits. I refuse to give in to the annual winter urge to hibernate. I’ve already had my writing break. Granted, it was unscheduled and certainly not anticipated, but I refuse to take another so soon. Hopefully, when I post here on the first Sunday of January, I’ll be sharing download links that make that freebie on Goodreads available to anyone and, with some luck and dedication, an announcement on one of those WiPs being in the hands of an acquisition team.

I promise to try my hardest, dear Readers. I can’t let winter win again this year.

Ciao,
Pia Veleno

PS Bound By Love is now available in audio format, and Fallen will be on the first day of the new year. Both are available to order through Silver Publishing by clicking HERE.

PSS Have a great holiday season, and may Santa bring you big, uh, packages to unwrap. ;-)

New Nook Listings

Two more of my M/M titles were added to Nook in recent weeks. They're both currently marked 17 percent off, making them $4.97 each. One of them also happens to be a Christmas story, so perhaps it would make a nice stocking stuffer for a fellow M/M enabler this holiday season.

Get in the holiday spirit with Sagittarius Blues:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sagittarius-blues-katrina-strauss/1029260674

Or warm up with the hot tent action in Off the Beaten Path:


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/off-the-beaten-path-katrina-strauss/1018735126

New Story!

I'm still plugging away on a new, full-length novel, but in the meantime I have a new short story published by Torquere Press!

Stephen Parker's days are as predictable and boring as the tax law he practices. His heart broken by his longtime lover, Stephen is just going through the motions and burying himself in his work. But a chance encounter with Xavier Dumont, a mysterious -- and dead sexy -- younger man, leads to a steamy night that will expand Stephen’s horizons in ways he never imagined.

The City of Counts

This is my first paranormal, and first published short story. It was a really enjoyable challenge to tell a compelling romance with engaging characters in a short story format. Needless to say, I hope I was successful!

p.s. You can also buy from All Romance Ebooks.

Well, it's been a long holiday weekend here in the States. This is the weekend that kicks off the frenzy of eating and shopping and buying that doesn't end until January 2 (AFTER the New Year's sales are over).

I have participated in plenty of eating and shopping this weekend. Now I'm getting emails in my inbox about early Cyber Monday sales. While I type this, I have two other tabs open that are awaiting my click to complete the sale. I try not to let myself get caught up in it, but the holiday season is definitely upon us.

Stay safe out there, lovelies. And remember, January 1 is the perfect time to renew that gym membership. Eat all the cookies you can!

When Stories Grow

I just finished writing a holiday story for MLR Press called Deepest Night. It takes place in my new celtic rock band world (Bran's Visions) and, again, discovered that the more stories I write, the harder a time I have writing short.

I keep swearing to myself that *this time* I'll keep the story under control. This time I'll make sure it stays at 2K, 5K, 8K, whatever the requested or originally estimated word count is.

But I failed - again. I told my editor I thought Deepest Night would come in at 7-8K. The first draft went in at 9.2K. After my editor read it, I added a chapter so it came in at a little over 12K.

The problem?

I've had to embrace the truth - I'm very much a ROMANCE writer. I want my characters to meet, fall in love, then get it on. I read great stories where the characters manage to (believably) fall into bed asap but somehow I don't seem to be able to write them. I'm not sure if it's just against my nature or what but it always seems to trip me up.

In the case of Deepest Night, the characters have no existing history with each other. One of them has gone through a lot in the last four years and is slow to trust. The other is determined to respect boundaries and hangs back. It would not be believable for them to just have a personality transplant and fall into bed. It was hell just getting them to the point they would kiss!

Sigh. I'm very greatful that my editor tolerates me!

(Oh, and yes, I DO know there are a ton of 'band' series out there. Oh well, this band appeared in my brain and I can't let it go. The next story is a novel called Music of the Heart and I'm working on it now. You'll have to guess whose story it is!)

Cool Paper toys

Yes, Halloween is over, HOWEVER, this is one of the coolest sites for printable paper toys EVER:

Paper Toys You want haunted mansions, creepy castles and coffin candy boxes?  It's your place. If you're into crafting, it's a totally fun place for the darker side of toys.

Oh, and Happy Turkey Day -- I don't know what Harleys and Hot Guys have to do Thanksgiving, but I'm thankful for both



Thanksgiving Pictures Comments - Photobucket

In Which I Mention Pie As Often As Possible

Hey, it's that Wednesday before Thanksgiving again when I'm supposed to blog. Before I get to that, I have an announcement.
CONTEST!
If you haven't already visited my website (or one of the others participating) to join in the Men Under the Mistletoe Scavenger Hunt, you still have time. All you have to do is read the excerpts (hey, good m/m fic is what we love around here, right?) answer a few questions on the entry form and you could win $100 USD gift card to the ebook retailer of your choice. You can buy a Kindle for that!Or pie.

Check back here on the Slash and Burn blog December 7 for a visit from all the authors in the anthology, Josh Lanyon, Harper Fox, Ava March and me.

So yeah, in the US it's Thanksgiving. Or as comedian Lewis Black calls it, Christmas Halftime. (between Halloween and Christmas). I have mixed feelings about Thanksgiving. There's all that pressure on eating and family (like none of us have issues there) and there the whole celebration of eating one particular animal and the bizarre ritual pardoning of one. I think I like the way Anya describes it in "Pangs" (the Buffy Thanksgiving episode from season four), "In order to commemorate a past event, you kill and eat an animal. It's a ritual sacrifice. With pie."

I do have a Thanksgiving scene in Regularly Scheduled Life (oh the family stress) and one in Bad Boyfriend which you can read for yourself on December 6, but that's toward the end of the book, so I can't really excerpt it (though it does mention pie).

Despite all my mixed feelings about Thanksgiving, I never have a problem with stopping to be grateful for what I have. In no particular order, this is what I've been grateful for in the four and a half hours I've been conscious today.

Readers
Hey, if I didn't have readers, no one would be over here bothering to read what I'm thankful for anyway. Thank you so much for liking the stories I tell.

Editors
If my editors weren't awesome, I wouldn't have readers. (See above)

My wife

The fact that I can call the woman I've been in love with for twenty-five years my wife and it means something in our home state of New York

Writer friends
Man. Writing is a lonely slog. Having people who get your brand of insanity helps a lot.

Friends who aren't writers
Sometimes it's good to talk to people who aren't all wrapped up in your tiny little fictional world. Perspective is a good thing.

Twitter
How I get a good fix of those friends.

Life
A pain-free, functioning body and mind and the current ability to afford to keep it that way

Tea
*insert a choir back up as I speak that word with reverence*

That totally awesome Buffy Thanksgiving episode "Pangs" which I watch while I bake pies to take to my parents

Parents who are not only cool with but proud of a lesbian daughter who writes gay erotica (as long as she brings the Snickers pie)

I'm going to go be grateful for some more tea now. I've got more words to write and pies to bake. Oh, and one more thing:

Thanks for reading.

When Pantsers Plot

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

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

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

2 days to Sparks

In two days my next book comes out. Sparks will be on cyber shelves on Nov. 23, 2011. Very excited to welcome Bernie and Tomas to the world. (grin) Sparks will be available at Dreamspinner Press on Nov 23 here.

Here is the blurb for the book.

Sparks
By: Talia Carmichael
Dreamspinner Press
Release. Date: November 23, 2011
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Something in Common - Book 2
Format: E-Book

Bernie Jenkins knows longing for Tomas is futile. The strong, sexy man sees him as nothing but an obligation, a burden he took on out of pity. He even calls Bernie “kid.” Bernie knows all about burdens and how they can consume you, so he pushes away feelings for Tomas.

Tomas Rodriguez likes Bernie. He’s a buddy, a friend. No matter what anyone says, there is nothing going on between them… or so he believes until Bernie surprises him one night at a club. Tomas realizes there’s more to the clumsy geek than he ever knew, but being attracted to someone isn’t the same as acting on it. For that to change, Bernie will have to take a chance and allow Tomas into his heart.

Buy here from Dreamspinner Press on Nov. 23, 2011/ Read excerpt

Talia Carmichael
http://taliacarmichael.com/
Fill Your Cravings

Blog: http://taliacarmichael.com/blog

Let's Get It On

I was in the mood to talk about some of the romantic scenes I've seen in movies lately, but I'll tell you, I don't know. Maybe my idea of what constitutes a good love scene is weird. The times I find myself breathless in movies, the times I've had to fan myself recently while watching television don't seem to be times when I'm expected to feel that way. There are a log of graphic, explicit movies, and I've watched my share of porn. I like porn, it's cool. It enables me to get the geography straight when I'm writing a sex scene and it's good for those days when you just can seem to drink enough coffee to stay awake. *nods off*

But romance, now. That's different. For romance I've got to have my head and my heart involved. It's got to wake up my whole body.

My gut positively clenched when I was watching this Sing Off group, Pentatonics cover Marvin Gay. Likewise, my heart fluttered like mad with slashy yearning when White Collar hottie Neil Caffrey tied Agent Peter Burke's tie. (Although sadly, I couldn't find a video clip.)

One of my favorite romantic scenes ever takes place on the dance floor in Baz Luhrmann's film Strictly Ballroom, when the DJ cues up a Paso Doble and our hero Scott slides across the floor to a newly energized, newly confident Fran and winds up on his knees at her feet. ZOMG.

My heart burst from my chest the first time I ever saw that, then went up in FLAMES.



And who could forget Brian and Justin's Prom Dance. I won't. Nor will I ever, ever forget what came after, even though this clip doesn't include it. Damn you QAF. My heart can't stand the strain.



When I write there are times when I hold back. Either the characters are naturally reticent, or they're reluctant to be emotional around intimacy. Some people are like that and I write about them too. They recognize who they are, and they often write to tell me how I hit all the right notes for them. Still others clamor for more overt demonstrations of love from the same characters.

What moves me is when there's an intense emotional bond driving the physical connection between bodies. Not every character in my books is going to have that. I daresay there are plenty of characters in real life who are simply enjoying their libidos while they're waiting for their hearts to engage.

Lately it seems like I've written a lot of guys who are intimidated by romance or who are afraid to show their soft underbellies to the men they love. To that end, I've written two shamelessly romantic holiday stories. One for Christmas, and one with a Hanukkah theme.

I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I've enjoyed writing them. They represent my very best and brightest hopes for lovers everywhere. Find your special someone, and get out there and snog like there's no tomorrow.

Since I thought I'd give myself a quick refresher regarding what romance means to me I wanted to share it here, with you...And this, wow. The best screen kiss I've seen in a long time. (and lucky me, I watched a ton of them.) Hold on to your socks, because they're about to be blown off.

Probably my favorite screen kiss ever:



If you need me... I'll be at my computer.

Recommended Retro 80s Gay Movies

Netflix boasts several LGBT titles in its streaming catalog. Two selections that stand out are both coming-of-age retro-80s movies. Written by gay GenXers, these movies capture autobiographical experiences from what is now informed adult perspectives:

The Curiosity of Chance

Edge of Seventeen

Each coming out story has its angsty moments, but nothing that will have you wanting to drive off a cliff. Both also capture what the 80s was all about (particularly Edge of Seventeen, which includes those finer, oft-forgotten details of the decade). It doesn't hurt that the lead characters in each are New Wavers and look like the kind of guys I stalked in the high school hallway.

The Curiosity of Chance is a bit campier and touches somewhat on Chance's discovery of drag. It doesn't include any sexually explicit content, so might be a good intro to these themes for a younger person. Edge of Seventeen is a bit more serious, and includes light drug use and sexual situations. Eric's gradual transformation from wanna-be into all-out New Waver is amazing, realistic, and something I could relate to. (Not to mention H-O-T!) I totally recommend both movies. Totally!

Ahhh, it's been a three-day weekend here in the States, and I must say that I'd be quite happy if all weekends were three days long.

I had a story come out this month for Torquere Press' Birthstone line, titled Teaching Topaz. This little story is actually a sequel to a novel I wrote for Torquere called Keeping Karma, if you haven't read that one, check them both out. Here's a bit from Teaching Topaz...


Alex twirled some pasta around his fork and took a bite before responding. “Speaking of cats,” Alex mused. “Amy Lin was holding this little black one today. Know anything about that?”

Dylan wiped his mouth and took a long pull from his beer bottle. “Maybe.” His eyes twinkled. Alex recognized the mischievous look. “He was cute, right?”

“He was cute.” Alex stopped eating altogether and leaned back in his chair. “What were you thinking, though? We can’t have a cat here while Karma’s still around.”

The ferret heard her name from inside the cupboard and came slinking out with a plastic lid firmly clamped in her teeth. She crossed the kitchen floor with it and dropped it under the table.

Dylan reached down and picked her up. “Come here, you.”

Friend. Friend. Dylan play. Dylan.

“She wants to play.” Alex watched them together and smiled slightly. He had kept his talent a secret from Dylan for months, and when Alex had finally revealed what he could do, Dylan hadn’t believed him. It had taken a lot of discussion and demonstration to convince Dylan that Alex could not only understand animals, but hear what they were thinking. Sometimes Alex thought that Dylan still doubted him, but who could blame him? Talking to animals was something you only saw in stupid movies like Dr. Doolittle.

In any case, Alex didn’t really talk to them. Animals couldn’t understand him; it seemed to be just a one-way communication. He could hear what they were thinking, but not one animal had ever responded to Alex’s thoughts in kind.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
“She always wants to play.” Dylan stroked Karma’s sleek white fur. “Or sleep.”

“Sleeping more and more, these days.” He watched as Karma lay in the crook of Dylan’s arm and blinked her eyes slowly. “So, about the cat.” It wasn’t like Dylan to avoid a subject, but he clearly was. “I can’t bring him home.”


There are many more animal shenanigans, plus some hot man-on-man action with a uniformed officer, in Teaching Topaz at Torquere Press.

Happy Sunday!

Monkey Brain

That what I've heard several yoga instructors call it. Not just mine, but the general state of a mind that is leaping from branch to branch of ideas, just to check out a different view. The instructors also mentioned techniques for occupying that monkey brain for improving focus and meditation, but my brain was too busy monkeying around to remember what they said. See, as soon as you say monkey brain to me, I leap from a punchline in the movie Clue (Mrs. Peacock made one fatal error) to the serving of monkey brains in Temple of Doom, to images of them all scampering around in my head, to an infinite bunch of them hammering away at their version of Hamlet. By the time I've sorted through all that, meditation time is over.

All of this is a long way of saying my problems with the wife book and the mistress books is still ongoing, though I'm really getting emotionally attached to Dylan, so much so that I kind of want to slug Aaron for being mean to him. But even as I set the (is it the elephant brain that's focused?) mind on them, there go those monkeys frolicking with plot bunnies in one giant metaphoric orgy of distractions.

In spite of all that, I'm going to grab some focus here and let you know what's coming up. Starting November 15, check my website for a contest I'm running with the three other authors in the Carina Press M/M Holiday Anthology Men Under the Mistletoe, Josh Lanyon, Harper Fox and Ava March. We've got a big prize for our scavenger hunt and will be visiting each other's blogs to do guest posts. The anthology (and the stories separately) release the first week of December. My story "The Christmas Proposition" is very smutty is full of fun for the season. (And yeah, smutty. Exactly how wrong is it that I got the idea for the book while at my grandmother's funeral?)

Then on December 7, you can finally get your hands on Bad Boyfriend, which is about Eli, who was introduced in Bad Company. Eli was an awesome character to write and I think I hooked him up with the right hero. They really steamed my glasses, anyway.

Finally, if anyone missed this awesome post about saying to hell with the monkey brain and all those other excuses for not finishing a book, you have to go read it.

Don't forget the contest beginning November 15.

Quickie Post

Between NaNoWriMo and edits for my m/m/f novel that comes out around the new year, plus my show closing this weekend, I'm crazy busy. Therefore I will leave you with this link to a cool blog I recently discovered. You may already know it: Hot Guys Reading Books. Mostly photos with brief explantions of location, reading material, etc. Enjoy!