Leta Blake Recommends Kit Brisby’s ROGUE MAGIC! Check it out! #gay #romance

I’m thrilled to welcome Kit Brisby today to talk about her excellent book Rogue Magic! It was one of my favorite books I beta read last year and I highly recommend it!

Let’s get started:

1. Rogue Magic is deeply romantic, but more than that it’s a wonderful but never heavy-handed allegory for persecution based on religion, race, or any other human quality that might go against the values of the established culture. Was this intentional on your part?

 

Persecution based on religion, race, and countless other identities has existed for centuries. It’s a common theme in stories, and I don’t think I was doing anything revolutionary here! When I wrote this book, the political climate in the United States hadn’t quite reached its current fever pitch. I’ll be honest – I hoped that by the time the book was released, our nation might be entering a time of healing under the leadership of the first female president.

But that’s another story entirely.

Ultimately, I believe #ownvoices is incredibly important, and while ROGUE MAGIC might be read as an allegory about what marginalized people face today, I urge readers to seek stories written by members of those populations. I’m a queer white woman with anxiety. I can speak to those experiences, but I can’t begin to speak to the lived experiences of people of color, Muslims, and other marginalized people. I’m touched that readers have drawn parallels but a direct parallel was not my intention.

 

2. Do you remember the first moment this story came alive in your mind? The point of inspiration? Can you tell us a bit about it and how it made you feel inside?

 

The opening scene was always the foundation of this book. The act of sacrifice and the immediate consequences. The mix of confusion and fear and empathy. I get a little squiggly feeling in my stomach over that scene, and it’s that kind of excitement/inspiration that fuels me as a writer as the story unfolds.

 
3. Was there a point with this story when you felt like it was too much, or that you’d never be able to complete it satisfactorily? What got you through that time and led you to persevere?
I’m always very excited for the first 15,000 words of a new draft. Then I enter the “despair and whining” phase until I’ve got about 15% left. I stick to a fairly stern drafting schedule that gets me through the agony of the “I’ll never finish this garbage” doldrums. Revisions and line edits can be rough, but in this case I had amazing guidance. That always makes the hard work more gratifying.

 

4. Many authors write with music playing or use songs to drive inspiration and channel emotion. Is there a particular song (or songs) that will forever be attached to Rogue Magic or its characters for you?

 

I listen to moody Google Play Radio stations when I’m writing. I also listen to short, curated playlists that help me get into characters’ headspaces. The Shins played a large part in ROGUE MAGIC’s playlist, along with a little Belle and Sebastian. I have a feeling that was more Levi’s influence than Byron’s.

 

5. You have an annual star chart you use to track your writing and edits. I found it deeply inspiring and started doing a similar one for myself. Do you want to briefly explain it?

 

I’m deeply inspired by author V.E. Schwab. She popularized the “star chart” method and uses monthly calendars. Her productivity is amazing, and she’s very transparent with her fans about the amount of labor that goes into producing a book. Using a star chart to tracking drafting is particularly motivating, but I’ve found a lot of value in visualizing revisions, which aren’t nearly as sexy as cranking out brand new words. (But they’re so much more important!) I use a year calendar from NeuYear.net to track my book-related work.

 

6. What is the one thing you hope readers take away from Rogue Magic and what is the one thing you are most proud of when it comes to the book?

 

I hope readers enjoy themselves as the story unfolds. I’ve found great comfort and escape in books throughout my life, and it’s truly the greatest honor to offer that to others.

*

Thank you, Kit! Congratulations on the release of Rogue Magic! 

My Favorite Reads of 2016! A Hodge-Podge of Excellence and Entertainment! #bookrecs

The rules for this list were simple: books I read in 2016, loved like whoa or found edifying in an important way, and (most importantly) didn’t beta read or edit.

Click on the book cover to purchase!

Seraphina & Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

These fantasy books featuring dragons and a wonderful, diverse cast of characters, including trans and gay characters, as well as a polyamorous end-game were simply wonderful. Highly recommended. I’d love to see more in this fascinating and well-drawn universe. My top reads of the year.

 

For Darkness Shows the Stars & Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

These fantasy books featured post-apocalyptic reimagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Baroness Orczy and Otto Penzler’s The Scarlet Pimpernel respectively. Unique world-building with descriptions that “roll film” before your eyes, these stories were addictive, new, and yet familiar all at once. Highly recommended. I’d love to see more in this universe, especially since a few threads are left dangling at the end of the second book. 

Backwards to Oregon by Jae

I both loved this book and found it frustrating, yet it’s making my Favorites of 2016 list. How’s that possible? I bought it expecting a lesbian Western and quickly realized that it was a trans Western more than anything else. Luke Hamilton is clearly a transman and I loved the aspect of the book that dealt with how stunted Luke’s life had to be to keep his secret. But, again, it’s advertised as a lesbian Western, and it consistently calls Luke “she” when written from Luke’s own point of view. Which, well, really made me uncomfortable. I started to replace the ‘she’ with ‘he’ in my mind just to ease the cognitive dissonance. I wish that the author would edit this book to reflect Luke as a transman, removing the female pronouns, because it was, otherwise, an excellent, well-researched, very engaging read that’d I’d highly recommend. It’s a shame that it’s so good and yet this issue makes it deeply uncomfortable at times. Or maybe that’s a good thing, too. It certainly made me think.

Rorschach Blots by RoughDraftHero

This book is short and you can pay whatever you like for it (including nothing at all) over at Smashwords. I can’t recall what made me pick it up. It’d been in my TBR for a long time, but this year I finally got around to it. I will say that this book is pretty problematic in that it covers a teacher and student getting involved in deeply inappropriate ways. It wasn’t even wildly well-written, but, dude, it’s free-ish, so let’s get our priorities in order here. It smacked of repurposed fan fiction, but I’m down with that, and maybe it wasn’t even and it just had that feel. BUT it’s on my Favorites of 2016 list for a reason and that is the really fascinating psychological stuff going on when you’ve got a young, uneducated, fledgling dom trying to assert himself over an older, not entirely educated sub who is resisting every step of the way because, duh, he’s the dom’s teacher. I’d probably sell a kidney to see a sequel to this book, to be honest. Okay, not a kidney. But I’d make statements like, “I’d sell a kidney” and hope the author would just simply deliver for me despite no kidneys being sold. Recommended if you enjoy twisted set ups with odd pay-offs and lots of spanking.

Blue on Black by Carole Cummings

Fantasy-Western with angry men who are desperately attracted to each other? Yes, please. Fascinating world-building with several unexpected twists that I didn’t see coming? Double heck-yeah! I’m always excited when a book surprises me, because, to be honest, it doesn’t happen a lot. So I was pleased as punch when I got to say, “Now, what? Didn’t see that coming!” while reading this book. I’m a sucker for fantasy books and this one was my cuppa all the way. Broody men with high-stakes and a mystery that kept me curious until the end. Recommended!

The Mystery of Nevermore by C.S. Poe

I adored this mystery by C.S. Poe. It had hints of Adrien English without all the almost unbearable angst. If you enjoy acerbic characters who are sexy while solving mysteries and who just can’t keep themselves out of trouble, then you’ll enjoy this one, too. This book felt like an old friend. It has the vibe of a cozy mystery despite being set in bustling New York City. Maybe it’s because of the heaps of snow? Regardless, this is a lovely read and I recommend it.

 

Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton

I’ll just admit up front that I have a certain weakness for a younger/older book where the older character is the more flamboyant, over-the-top, dramatic one, and the younger character is steady and steadfast. This absorbing read hit that button hard and fast, and I loved it. Easily one of my all-time favorite Christmas reads, I lost track of time while reading this one and ended up staying up until 3:30 am. Not even on purpose! I was so absorbed, I didn’t even know what time it was! Highly recommended. Very cute. Loved it. Would read again.

“I might have missed a great book.” Flight by Leta Blake #gay #fairytale

“The story was fanciful and in some places kind of bizarre but I enjoyed it immensely. I did not read the blurbs about it before I read it so I had no idea what to expect. I think if I had, that I might have missed a great book.

via Amazon.com: Amazon Customer’s review of Flight.

Previously released as Love’s Nest in 2013.

There’s no greater mystery in the kingdom than where Prince Mateo’s sisters disappear to each night. The king is determined to discover where they go and issues a challenge to all the nobles to help him learn their secret. Hoping to protect them, Mateo hides beneath a magic cloak and follows his sisters to an enchanted world of fairies and lusty delights.

Ópalo has waited years to finally meet his human lover. Fairies are bound by fate, and Ópalo is eager to embrace his, and plans a future with Mateo. But while Mateo soon succumbs to the pleasures of the flesh, he refuses to surrender his heart so easily.

As their worlds collide, Ópalo has to risk everything to win his man forever.

A Call for Help! #marketing #outsidethebox #fantasy finding an audience | @Darrah_Glass

“I didn’t set out to create something problematic, yet somehow I ended up with a very long story divided into four books with teenage main characters who have lots of graphic sex in a historical setting featuring a non-historical version of slavery as a prominent fantasy element.Despite their ages, it’s definitely not  a YA book.

Despite the detailed 1900 setting, it’s not entirely historical because, hello, there are slaves. Because there are slaves, it’s a fantasy, but it’s certainly not classical fantasy with magic or dragons.  And despite the presence of slaves, it’s not a BDSM story.  All of these things are marketing problems.Of course, none of this seemed like it would be an issue while I was writing the books.”

via finding an audience | Darrah Glass.

Darrah is really hopeful she can strike up a dialogue with other authors who have successfully navigated the marketing of something that is quite outside any prescribed box. If you’ve got information or advice, click on through!

free ebook: A Superior Slave Ganymede Quartet Book 0.5 | @Darrah_Glass #mmromance #gay

“I’m pleased to share the first story in the Ganymede Quartet, a gay coming-of-age historical fantasy. The fantasy aspect involves a version of Gilded Age New York City that is quite recognizable except that slavery exists in a form that differs in significant ways from historical slavery.

There are four books in the main series thus Quartet and there will be several side stories in addition to this one. While this is not required reading to enjoy the series, it’s FREE, and it offers an in-depth introduction to one of the main characters.”

via free ebook: A Superior Slave Ganymede Quartet Book 0.5 | Darrah Glass.

I beta read the books in the series and absolutely loved them! The entire series is one of my all-time favorite reading experiences. I adore Darrah’s writing style and her characters! The depth of emotion that I felt in just reading this short, the loss, the excitement and anticipation, the anxiety for the outcome were overwhelming. It was intense and delightful. In this free short book, you get to meet Martin, the slave who goes forward into the rest of the four main books. It’s available for FREE on Smashwords and for .99 on Amazon. (Hopefully it will be free on Amazon before long too, too. But unfortunately Amazon hasn’t price-matched yet.) Coming soon to Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and more.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Smashwords

PRE-ORDER THE FIRST FULL-LENGTH BOOK OF THE SERIES! A MOST PERSONAL PROPERTY! ON AMAZON!

Curious About My Other Books? 30% Off Our Gay Fairy Tales Through End of January! #ARe #sale #ebook #gay #mmromance

This was a wonderful fairy tale, witty and whimsical, sexy and silly, surprisingly touching at times, laugh-out-loud funny at others, and when the plot really got rolling, a complete page-turner. — Amelia Gormley’s review

30% off at ARe through the end of January! Click through to buy!
Cursed as an infant with a lack of physical and emotional gravity, Prince Efrosin can’t keep his feet on the ground or his head out of the clouds. Laughing his way through life, he’s never been weighed down by love and lust.
Then one fateful day, his tenuous tie to the earth is severed and he blows away on the wind. He’s rescued by Dmitri, a handsome young woodsman who suffers from a mysterious curse of his own, and the two strangers are irresistibly drawn together. Experiencing sex and love for the first time, they dive into a delightfully sensual and passionate affair.
But the evil witch who cursed them is planning her ultimate revenge. Efrosin and Dmitri must fight to find their fairy tale ending and live happily ever after.

Beautifully told with heartwarming and likeable characters that really live and breathe off of the written page, Ascending Hearts is a story not to be missed! If you are a fan of fantasy/fairytale romances then this book is definitely one to be considered. — Gabbi’s review

Get 30% off at ARe through the end of January! Click through to buy!
Rumors of treasure have long sent fortune hunters clambering up a magic beanstalk to a mysterious castle in the clouds. Survivors told of an evil giant who guards the gold with savage strength. No sane man would dare risk the climb—but Jack has nothing left to lose. Shunned for his evil red hair and abandoned by his cruel lover, he’s desperate to escape his life.
Rion isn’t a giant, only a man bearing the burden of protecting his family’s legacy. It’s a lonely existence, but he’s duty bound. Then Jack appears, and Rion’s world changes. After a blazing confrontation, undeniable lust sparks. Isolated in the clouds, Jack and Rion give in to their desire and growing connection. Soon they must protect the treasure—and each other—from a new threat. And they have everything to lose.
A Romantica® erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

This is the best rendition of the 12 dancing princesses fairy tale I’ve read. It’s very suspenseful and the storytelling is beautiful. [I’ts a] great romance with interesting characters. This is a must read for fairy tale lovers and those that like a hero struggling to get his love returned. — Cynthia’s review

30% off at ARe through the end of January! Click through to buy!
There’s no greater mystery in the kingdom than how Prince Mateo’s sisters wear out their shoes each night while locked away in their chambers. Using old magic, Mateo discovers their secret and follows them through a portal to an enchanted world of fairies and lusty delights. Ópalo has waited years for his male human, and he knows Mateo is his destiny. Mateo soon succumbs to the pleasures of the flesh, but as their worlds collide, Ópalo has to risk everything to win his man forever.

My books are not a PSA #bdsm #unpopularopinions #50SoG

My books are not a PSA #bdsm #unpopularopinions #50SoG.

Can we get an AMEN! Preach it, sister!

 

I Forgot What I Loved Most About Reading (And Writing) Until Now

Ever since I started writing seriously, I have had a hard time achieving the above referenced state. Even when reading a really excellent book, I tend to find myself picking at the seams of it, trying to figure out just how they wrote it, trying to glean insight into their success from the characters, to the set-up, to the execution, and trying to learn from other author’s mistakes and triumphs. It has been, sadly, an incredibly long time since I read a book where I just let go, and went with the experience, where I might’ve seen the mistakes or trouble marks in my peripheral vision and instead of zooming in to study them with my magnifying glass, I just said, “Screw it,” and lost myself to the world of the book again.

Anyway, I don’t know if you guys noticed that I didn’t make any posts aside from Writer Wednesday last week. But, if you did, the reason is this–I fell into two books and lost myself in them fully. I forgot about the rest of the world while I was reading. I fell in love with the characters to the extent that my heart aches now that the books are over, because I won’t be able to spend more time with them now. I’ve actually started at the beginning of the first one so that I can read them both all over again.

Are these books perfect? No. But they are wonderful. They are inspirational. They made me remember why I love to read and why I love to write. They reminded me of what I love to write, and of the kinds of characters and worlds I want to spend my time building and exploring. These books are on the list of things that I’m most happy to have had come into my life.

BOOK ONE

BOOK TWO

You can buy them at Blind Eye Books or Amazon. They come in e-book and print.

I don’t know what to say about them that won’t possibly spoil the books. I suppose, for the most part, they were a brimming full cup of my very favorite cuppa. I could pick at them, tell you what parts caught my attention in my peripheral vision as I read, because it is so easy to pull things apart, but I won’t. I love them too much to do that. So, I guess I just want to say that I give these books an enthusiastic five-freaking-stars and encourage you to read them, too.

The blurb for Book One:

Kiram Kir-Zaki may be considered a mechanist prodigy among his own people, but when he becomes the first Haldiim ever admitted to the prestigious Sagrada Academy, he is thrown into a world where power, superstition and swordplay outweigh even the most scholarly of achievements. But when the intimidation from his Cadeleonian classmates turns bloody, Kiram unexpectedly finds himself befriended by Javier Tornesal, the leader of a group of cardsharps, duelists and lotharios who call themselves Hellions. However Javier is a dangerous friend to have. Wielder of the White Hell and sole heir of a dukedom, he is surrounded by rumors of forbidden seductions, murder and damnation. His enemies are many and any one of his secrets could not only end his life but Kiram’s as well.

This review by the Jessewave site does a great job praising the book. For what it’s worth, I knew who the baddie was almost from the beginning, but I’ve read plenty of reviews where the reader said the baddie came as a surprise, so…maybe it won’t be obvious to everyone else. The baddie, though, and the revelation of that person, is so incredibly unimportant in the scheme of the experience of the books, that I don’t think you’ll care either way.

And thank you, Ginn Hale, for writing these books. I’m more fired up about writing than I have been in a long time thanks to you.

So, hi! Been awhile. I can’t say that I’m entirely thrilled to be back posting again, because I’d rather there were nine more books in this series that I could lose myself in instead. But, since there aren’t…hi! I’m back! 🙂 Now, you go disappear yourself in those books for awhile and get back to me. We can talk about our feelings over ice cream and shared book love.