My first book (part 1)

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Delilah Night

We recently excavated our storage closet.  Among outgrown baby clothes and tax returns from four years ago I stumbled across the magnum opus of my primary school writing career-The Last Unicorn.

Here is the first half of the book I wrote, edited, illustrated and TYPED on an actual TYPEWRITER because I’m old.  I’ve decided to share it with you because it’s just so damn bad.

All spelling and grammar errors are as written.

DSC_0641Once upon a time there were millions and trillions of Unicorns.  There was a greedy king who wanted everything including every single Unicorn! Finally one day the king said “I Have It! I Know How To Get Those Unicorns To Work For Me, Me, Me!”

DSC_0642All his subjects asked, “What?”

He said, “I shall call my Magicians, Hingle, Mingle, Shingle, and Bingle to put a spell over Uniland. But there is one problem. The King, Queen, Prince and Princess Unicorns cannot be captured because of their special qualities.  But I want them never-the-less.  My Magicians can take their powers away ay.”

DSC_0643But in Uniland they were setting up a plan to move because of the king, but that meant going past the castle wall.

When they did, they all got captured, all but one, the princess.

DSC_0644The princess started to cry. “My Mama, oh my Papa, oh my poor brother, oh my dear Unicorns. Oh me, oh my, what am I going to do?”

After a long time she stopped crying and said, “I will find the exact place that the king has put all the Unicorns.”

DSC_0645One day the princess said, “I think I have found the place that all the Unicorns are hidden.”  But she was very very wrong. She looked everywhere but never found them because they were on Disappearing Island.

Tune in tomorrow to find out the stunning conclusion to The Last Unicorn…

Filed under: Published, Writing | Tagged: , , , | 6 Comments »

New Arrival

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Delilah Night

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I got back from Bali to find my contributor’s copies of Nine-to-Five Fantasies (ed. Alison Tyler) in my mailbox.  I’ve been so wrapped up in end of year insanity that I totally lost track of the calendar, and the package was a welcome surprise.

Since moving to Singapore in 2010 I’ve become a devotee of the e-book.  Prior to my conversion, I’d always been someone who carried around multiple books (because what if I finish my book before I get home?).  I am very bad at returning library books on time, and I like owning books, so over the years my home library began to overtake my apartment.  Marrying a fellow book nerd did not help the matter.  Nor did spawning two excuses to buy tons of kid’s books children.  Moving halfway around the world to where books are twice as expensive and I worry about how we will eventually transport all of our crap back to the US was the impetus for the switch.  Now I have over 100 books on my phone alone (over 1k in my digital library), and all I need to worry about is my battery dying mid-read.

That said, there is something so amazing about holding a physical book that you contributed to.  Seeing it on your bookcase.  Seeing it in a bookstore (I’ve not seen any in bookstore in Singapore, but I’ve seen Irresistible on the shelves in the US and in New Zealand).  I may buy digital, but my heart still belongs to the physical book.

I walked around with a stupid grin on my face for hours.

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In which I’m immature (NSFW image)

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Delilah Night

I got you a present from Bali….

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I stumbled across this in Monkey Forest, and as it’s not really appropriate for my more family friendly haunts on the internet, I’m sharing it with you.

 

You’re welcome.

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2014 in review

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Delilah Night

2014 was only the second year in which I have felt like I could legitimately call myself a professional author.  Inspired by Lynn’s far more impressive year in review post, I decided to do my own.

2014

This year I wrote four new short stories and edited a story from 2012 that’s been sitting on my hard drive.

Two stories that had been accepted in 2013 were published this year

I created my official Goodreads author page and added my books to it.

Ghost Novel Progress (aka That Damn Novel I STILL haven’t finished yet)

I’m pretty disappointed that in 2014 I only made it through chapters 3-6 (and I hope to update this at the end of December with several more chapters–7 is mostly written, and I have outlines for most of the novel’s chapters).

My goal had been to finish the entire first draft and it didn’t happen.  Part of this is that my time management sucks and I own that.  I’ve also been afraid to suck, which I talked about in this post.  I’m starting to work past that anxiety so I can make forward progress.  I’m also learning that it’s okay if the story doesn’t always get written in perfect order.  These may seem like obvious things, but they’ve become personal hang-ups.

The ghost novel was first written for a Literotica Halloween short story contest over a decade ago.  (Sidenote-Delilah Night wasn’t the name I used there, and I have since deleted that account and the related stories from Lit.)  The characters have been haunting me since–no pun intended.  This is the third or fourth time I’ve tried to write it as a novel in the past 10+ years.  I always seem to hit a point where I (a) am frustrated with my slow progress (b) freeze because I refuse to move on until I’m completely happy with the existing chapter or (c) I write myself into a corner and can’t figure my way out.  So I put down the metaphorical pen and move on with other projects both writing and otherwise.

I’ve wondered if this is the wrong first novel to try to write professionally–perhaps there’s too much baggage associated with it?  However, I’ve let some people read what I’ve written thus far in this attempt and they’ve encouraged me to keep going.  At this point, I’m my own biggest obstacle.  Part of me feels like finishing this book in particular—regardless of whether in the end the book is publishable, or ever sells a copy, or needs to be burned because it sucks—the act of successfully taking a novel from writing to publication once will allow me to do it again without needing a multi-year process.  Also, this book needs to get out of my head so I can focus on the other books I’m dreaming up.

When I see writers like Lynn, Alison, Sommer, etc doing as many projects in a year as they do I feel intimidated.  Just how do they do that?  I’m sure, though, that the answer is experience will bring improvement.

How do I think I did?

I had hoped to write more stories this year, but I am really happy with where my skills are today versus a year ago.  I’m learning to identify and short circuit some bad habits (ex.–characters begin to do things instead of just doing them).  My start to finish speed on short stories has improved.  I’ve made a number of friends online this year within the community.

Overall, I’m pleased with 2014.

2015

Goals for 2015

I said it before, but I’m saying it again–by the end of 2015, I want AT MINIMUM a full first draft of the Ghost Novel

I would like to write around 10 short stories.  I haven’t been good about writing stories without a specific call in mind, but I’m hoping to do so even when there’s no call out that speaks to me.

I want to look at where I am a year from now and to know viscerally that I am better at my craft then than I am today.

Filed under: acceptance, In Progress, novel, process, Published, Submitted, Writing | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments »

A bunch of lovely authors…

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Delilah Night

lovely blog awardThe very lovely Lace Winter nominated me for the “One Lovely Blog Award.”  I’m going to accept-and use this opportunity to heed Alison’s call to arms

What if we promoted each other in little surprise ways like this—posting covers, pimping stories, sharing the wealth. Read a book you liked? Put up the cover and a link. Discover an author you think is fabulous—give an unexpected shout out, an unplanned review.–Alison Tyler

I’m going to tell you about 15 authors I love.  If I tag you, carry on the award or not as is right for you 🙂

The rules of the award state that I must thank Lace for nominating me.  Thank you, sweetie.  But more than that, thank you for becoming a friend over the past few months.  I’m so glad to have met you–and hopefully I’ll meet you in person one of these days.

The award also says I need to share 7 things about myself my readers don’t know.  I don’t often talk about my non-writing life here, so I thought that would be fun to do.

about me

1-I suffer from pinterest addiction.  I’ve yet to try something worthy of a Pinterest FAIL blog, but my ambitions almost got the better of me with Ms. 6’s birthday party earlier this month.

IMG_9445Pinterest Success!

2-I don’t speak Mandarin.  However, both of my girls are learning it, so I’ve picked up a few words here and there.  Today when my aircon repair guy was on the phone with my landlord I could make out the words I, you, can’t, this one/that one, and because.  Which is just enough knowledge to make me panic–hearing “can’t” over and over from a repair man when my air conditioning isn’t working and it’s in the 90’s was freaking me out.  Other words in my vocabularly include the words for “I don’t want to,” which my three year old whines ALL THE TIME.

3-For all that I’m an expat and have traveled all over the place now, the truth is that I never flew on an airplane before I was 20 years old.  I was TERRIFIED the first time.  Now it’s old hat.

4-I told my husband I was buying the new Taylor Swift album for Ms. 6’s birthday, but mostly I bought it for me.  He saw right through it.  Kind of the same way he saw through it when I  bought tickets “for her” to Taylor Swift concert earlier this year.

5-I spent my childhood wanting to be Kristy from The Baby-Sitter’s Club book series.

6-If I had a better voice and less stage fright I would love to be a Broadway star.

7-I picked a bad partner the first time I had sex.  He invited me to his room to WATCH ANIME and I was naive enough to think that’s what it meant.  When I realized he had other ideas I decided “eh, why not?” and we had sex.  After it was over, we realize that I’d bled.  My reaction was to sigh because I didn’t have a pad in my purse.  HIS response was to say “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to bleed--I could’ve put a trash bag down or something so you wouldn’t stain my sheets.”  Like I said–I did not pick a good partner.  But I did get a good story out of it, so there’s that?

Now we get to the good stuff–I’m going to tell you about some of my favorite authors.

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1–My very first story acceptance was from Rachel Kramer Bussel.  She has a new collection of essays out called Sex and Cupcakes.  It’s currently sitting on my Kindle waiting for me to get through this insane week so I can dive in.

2–The next editor to accept my work was Alison Tyler.  If you’ve read my blog you know I LOVE her work.  She has a number of recent releases–including a story in Filthy Housewives, edited by Violet Blue.  My favorite novellas from Alison are Those Girls and Those Boys–Sandy is one of my favorite fictional Doms.

3-I have to say that Sandy is ONE of my favorite fictional Doms because I just got a sneak peek at Tamsin Flowers‘ new project Alchemy xii, and given the chance, I don’t know if I could pick between Alison’s Sandy and Tamsin’s Harry.  I’ll post a review a little closer to the release date.  Tamsin also wrote Zombie Erotoclypse, which contains “Peeping Zom”-which contains the only Paul Revere reference I’ve ever seen in an erotica story.  I have a degree in History, so I think we should all take a page from Tamsin’s book and throw in clever lines like that one.  If you like your zombie erotica aurally, check out Rose Caraway reading “Red Hot Zombie Cock” on the Kiss Me Quick Podcast.

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4-Speaking of Rose Caraway, have you read The Sexy Librarian’s Big Book of Erotica?  It’s my current pick for best erotica anthology this year.

5-Pillow Talk is a collaborative effort brought to us by Tamsin Flowers, Malin James and Jade A. Waters.  It’s so great to see a conversation between fellow erotica authors on topics like how their writing has evolved to be more selective about which details to include in a story and which to leave to a reader’s imagination.

6-Malin James‘ blog should be required reading for anyone interested in sex.  Her recent post “Ownership: On Sexuality & Feminine Relations” really resonated with me.

7-Jade A. Waters is a new author to me, but I’m looking forward to reading more of her work, including her story in the upcoming Lynn Townsend anthology Among the Stars.  I really enjoy hearing her opinions in Pillow Talk and on Twitter.

8-Lynn Townsend caught my attention with “Full Frontal Neighbor” in  The Sexy Librarian’s Big Book of Erotica.  I subsequently read her novel Roll, which I loved.  I’m eagerly awaiting the publication of Blues in early 2015.  Lynn recently edited her first anthology and Among the Stars is going to be so awesome.

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9-I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Sommer Marsden.  I started reading Sommer’s work because she came so highly recommended by Alison.  I quickly became a huge fan of her clever twist endings.  Her new book is The Mighty Quinn, also on my kindle.  (Have I mentioned how crazy this week is? CRAZY busy).  I also loved her story “The New Girl” in Skirting the Issue  , “Appetizer” in The Sexy Librarian’s Big Book of Erotica, and I’m looking forward to seeing her story in Coming Together: For the Holidays.

10-Janine Ashbless grabbed my attention with her story “Three Legs in the Evening” in The Sexy Librarian’s Big Book of Erotica because I’m a Greek Mythology fangirl.  One of my daughter has a middle name pulled from Greek Mythology.  I’m super excited to read her new release Cover Him with Darkness.

11-Delilah Devlin edits some seriously hot anthologies with alpha males.  I  loved her antho Cowboy Lust, .  I’m currently reading Hot Highlanders and Wild Warriors .  If you prefer Firemen, she also just released Five Alarm Alphas .

12-I’m a sucker for erotic fairy tales, and Kristina Wright has edited A Princess Bound,  Fairy Tale Lust, and Lustfully Ever After.

13-Lace Winter (who tagged me for this post) is not yet a published author, but I’m certain she will be soon.  She’s been posting excerpts from her WIP, and I can’t wait to read the whole thing.

14-I know Sophia Valenti‘s work from Alison’s anthologies, and her story “A Lesson in Lust” in Skirting the Issue is one of my favorite F/F stories.

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I’m going to leave  #15 empty—tell me who I should be reading that I haven’t discovered yet.

Filed under: BDSM, book reviews, LGBT, Writing | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments »

Why I write interracial romance

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Delilah Night

The next two stories that I have coming out have something in common–they both feature Indian/Caucasian interracial relationships.

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The reason I write Indian/Caucasian romance is fairly straightforward–that’s one of my wedding photos above.  When I write an interracial relationship, my preference is to write one that looks like my own (unless there’s reason to do otherwise, as in the ghost novel).

The few times I’ve seen an Indian/White romance (particularly an Indian man with a Caucasian woman) have primarily been historical pieces set in India during the British reign.  That’s the subcontinent equivalent to the Native American man/White woman bodice rippers I stole from my mom in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  Exotic male either kidnaps or serves as an antidote to the white female’s humdrum life.  James Cameron’s Titanic movie does this only within social class instead of color, as do many of the billionaire man/regular girl stories.  But in all of these scenarios, the man is exotic because of his skin color or his social class or whatever.

You almost never see an interracial couple where one partner is Indian and the other white treated matter of factly in media.  I loved Smash for many reasons (including because I’m a giant Broadway nerd), but one of them was that the Dev/Karen couple of season 1 existed.  Dev’s Indian-ness was not portrayed as exotic.  Yes, there was one Bollywood inspired number, but Raza Jaffrey’s Broadway claim to fame was that he was the male lead in Bombay Dreams, so I’m giving that a pass.  The Mindy/Danny relationship on the Mindy Project is another I’m aware of, although we haven’t gotten into the show as it’s not Netflix yet.

I want to read (and by extension write) relationships where my characters are in an interracial relationship, but where the story is about the couple instead of fetishizing the culture/skin color of one of the partners.  Obviously skin color and culture will impact that character;s day to day life, but there are ways to do so that round out a character’s personality without reducing them to stereotypes or constant racial cues. (I’m looking at you Ann M. Martin with the unending use of creamy skin or softy accented voice when referencing the Kishi family.)

I was inspired to write this because of the hashtag #WeNeedDiverseRomance, which I encourage you to go read.  Then let’s create a more diverse body of literature together.  Let’s have broad notions of what interracial looks like.  Let’s have older characters.  Let’s have characters who aren’t the image of perfection.  Let’s have characters with disabilities.  Let’s try to have the messy and complex reality of life reflected in our writing.

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Other Days

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Delilah Night

Other Days

I’m very proud to announce that Other Days has been published.  The story I excerpted the other day, “The Choices that Damn Us” is included in this anthology.  Available now on Amazon US/US in kindle form (book form in a week or so) and in paperback on createspace.  Kobo, smashwords and other formats in early 2015 (due to some Amazon rules).

Obviously I’m proud of my story, but I want to take a moment to tell you about my friend Jessica’s story “Lessons Learned.”  If you have ever wondered who the real Jack the Ripper was, you’ll want to read this one. I love the build of dramatic tension throughout and the ending gave me chills.

Here’s an excerpt of “Lesson Learned”

“Come on, Polly,” I overheard Ellen try to convince Mary Ann to go back to the lodging house, and remembered seeing the nickname in the files. Mary Ann was drunk and refused to go. I heard her tell Ellen she’d earned her doss money three times over already that night (and then spent it all at the Frying Pan) and was certain that with her new bonnet, she’d make it again.

Ellen gave up and walked away. I went cold. The bonnet. The new bonnet. Would she be out here at all if it weren’t for me and that bonnet? I felt dizzy, like the whole world was spinning around me. Leaning against a cool brick wall, I tried to catch my breath.

“Jules? Julie! You there?” A cacophony of voices shouting my name in my ear brought me back to my senses.

“Uh…yeah. Yes, I’m here.” I shook my head to wake myself out of the stupor.

“We’ve been trying to talk to you for over a minute already,” Tom’s worried voice crackled over the earpiece. “What’s going on?”

“Are you still trailing her?” Martin asked apprehensively.

I looked around for Mary Ann, but she must already have turned up Whitechapel High Street; I couldn’t see her anymore. I ran around the corner and trotted as quickly as I could in these damned heeled-boots up Whitechapel Street past Garden Street and St. Mary’s. Still no sign of her. I turned left in a panic up the short bit of road called Baker’s Row and then right onto Buck’s Row (as Durward was known then) and everything was still and empty.

“I see you, Jules,” came Martin’s voice in my ear, clearly relieved. “What happened?”

Out of breath and lungs stinging like fire, I just shook my head and threw my hands in the air in response, knowing Martin would be able to see everything through his goggles. I didn’t know what had happened. I hadn’t seen anything. Hadn’t heard anything. I turned in a full circle, looking everywhere. My chest and throat felt tight with fear and frustration. I just wanted to cry. Had I missed some clue as I’d dashed along Whitechapel Street? Or maybe Mary Ann had turned up Thomas or Court Street instead of Baker’s Row? Or perhaps Jack already had her before I’d gotten myself together, back when I realized about the bonnet. I didn’t know her, but she was a living, breathing person, and I no longer wanted to find her killer—I wanted her to live.

Here’s the full Table of contents

  • Habejari’s Break by Kimber Camacho
  • House Call by Brandon Nolta
  • Deja View by Tim Koch
  • Affaire de Coeur by Susanne Hülsmann
  • A Fair Trade by Johannes Svensson
  • Escape Velocity by Melissa Swanepoel
  • Fire in the Bones by Marguerite Croft
  • Lesson Learned by Jessica Augustsson
  • Glass and Mirrors by Sharon A. Brown
  • Man, and None by Brandon Nolta
  • The Grande Complication by Christopher Reynaga
  • Contraband by Susan Hülsmann
  • The Karelian Egg by Robert Young
  • The Choices that Damn Us by Delilah Night
  • The Mer-Bell by Kimber Camacho
  • A Bird in the Hand by Johannes Svensson
  • Crux of a Faded Soul by Jennifer Silverwood

Edited to Add…Buy it here

Filed under: book reviews, LGBT, novel, Published, Writing | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

WIP-Choices

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Delilah Night

This week I submitted a story unlike anything I’ve ever written before.  It was the first non-erotic piece of fiction I’ve written since high school or my early college years, which pushed me pretty far outside of my comfort zone.  While my novel has two distinct stories happening in different time periods, there are clear time lines and what has happened in the past can’t be changed.  “Choices” has multiple timelines and the past can be changed…at least once.  It went through many iterations before my editor and I found a way to tell the story that worked, instead of being a bunch of random scenes, making it a story that went through a very different writing process than my work typically does.  Finally, it was a different experience for me in that it was the first time I’ve been asked to write a story for a specific anthology rather than submitting to an open call for submissions.

The story was inspired by a fairly unlikely source–the movie Kate and Leopold. It occurred to me that the only real difference between Leopold and someone diagnosed with mental health issues in the real world is unbearable hotness.  Why else would you believe his story?  What would happen if I started swearing that I was from the future?  I would most likely end up medicated and/or committed.  But what if that happened AND I was right?  What then? Thus “Choices” was born.

kate-and-leopoldI think we can all agree I wouldn’t get a commercial

You will hopefully be seeing “Choices” in print before the end of the year–more information as I have it.  Today, though, you’ll get a sneak peek

Temporal Authority Central Processing Center – Admiral David Smithson’s office

“Do you know why you’re here?” The admiral raised an eyebrow at Commander Jenna Robinson.

“Because my fourth request for a starship captaincy was the charm?” At least, she hoped that was why she’d been called in.

He glared at her. “Try again. You took Charlotte Donnelly into custody today, didn’t you?”

Uh oh. Should’ve known he’d find out.

“Yes. I removed her before she could splinter the timeline.”

“Commander. The guidelines clearly state you can’t interfere with your own lineage until you are at least 10 generations removed. You are four generations—”

“Five.”

“Commander!” She’d witnessed volcanic explosions with less heat than his eyes were emitting.

Jenna ground her teeth. “Sorry. Sir. But can the record state that if I hadn’t interfered, I wouldn’t be standing here to have this argument with you—”

Smithson cut her off. “Let’s go see your granny. Her records are now designated OEO.”

Our eyes only.

“Yes. Sir.”

 

I do want to state up front that I don’t mean to make light of mental health issues.  I have bipolar disorder and I know all too well that medication can be the thing that makes it possible to live instead of barely survive your day to day life.  However, one of my deepest fears is losing the line between fiction and reality; of one day needing more help than medication can give me.  So, in some way, taking someone who has been considered beyond help and validating that they were right and the world was wrong I’m also attempting to defang that fear.  Sort of.

At any rate, this has been an at times painful learning process, and I hope it won’t be the last time I publish something non-erotic.

Filed under: acceptance, In Progress, process, Submitted, Writing | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Book Review: Roll by Lynn Townsend

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Delilah Night

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“Full Frontal Neighbor” in The Sexy Librarian’s Big Book of Erotica (my review here) put Lynn Townsend on my map.  I wanted to read more by Lynn, so I picked up her novel Roll.

From the farms of Tennessee, Beau Watkins had it all in high school; the cute girl, the popular, jock lifestyle, a loving family. As a rising freshman at an out-of-state college, he’s determined to find out who he really is behind the fake it ’til you make it attitude. He joins Rainbow Connection, the gay student alliance, hoping to find himself. Instead, he finds Vin Reyes. Raised by his grandparents and the heir to a prosperous company, Vin has been out of the closet since he figured out what that meant. He has it all: fashionable clothing, fancy cars, huge houses, and a real party lifestyle, even a bodyguard. Most of all, he has a secret.

Uncomfortable with Vin’s generosity, Beau fights his growing attraction for the president of Rainbow Connection, chasing instead a series of shallow affairs. Vin’s never been denied anything that he wants, though, and now he wants Beau. But it’s not until an old rival puts Beau in the hospital that Vin realizes that Beau means more to him than a simple love affair. Can the two of them bridge the gap between their worlds and roll with the all the punches life will throw at them (goodreads description)

Before I get into Beau and Vin, I need to share that over the course of the book I  fell for Ann-Marie.  She’s another member of Rainbow Connection that becomes one of Beau’s closest friends.  She’s funny, she’s brassy, and oh my god the speech she gives about why she wants to be a teacher just made me fall all that much harder for her.  Ann-Marie has joined my ever growing list of fictional crushes.  We should make #fictionalcrushes a thing–tag me (@Delilah_Night) if you tweet yours.

Roll is a romance.  You see the attraction between Beau and Vin from both points of view.  This can be frustrating at times as the reader sees all the missed signals and understand the depth of emotion long before they do.

While we get to know and love Vin (when we don’t want to smack him for drinking rather than dealing with his shit), this story is primarily Beau’s.  Beau is a sweetheart, but not a pushover. Over the course of the novel, it’s Beau who comes out to himself, to his friends, and to his family.  He’s a college freshman, so there’s also the experience of trying to build community in a new city,  and shedding who you were in high school so that you can become who you’re going to be as an adult.  Beau also has his first sexual encounters in Roll.  In many ways, it is his coming of age novel.

Vin, for his part, at first glance is a rich playboy who drinks as much as he wants to instead of perhaps the limits of what could be considered wise.  Over the course of the book, though, what could have been a superficial character shows the depth of his feelings.  We also learn what events in his past influenced who he is and how he copes with things.  The book ends with a cliffhanger that seems to indicate (to me) that the next story will center a bit more on him.  I look forward to that, and the revelations I hope we’ll learn.

As a couple they deal with not just the ordinary struggles, but their massive class disparity as well.  I’m really grateful that Lynn has her characters confront it head on, rather than just have the “poor” partner accept gifts like it’s no big deal.  My husband and I had a class disparity (although nothing this massive) and it is something that does affect the power dynamic (even if it’s only in your head) and can expose insecurities.  It was refreshing to not see it swept under the rug.

Lynn peppers her world with memorable secondary characters like Hector (who makes terrible puns on his name, but in a way this is disarming and endearing), the aforementioned Ann-Marie, and Shannon (Ann-Marie’s girlfriend who speaks fluent sarcasm).  Beau’s scenes with his mother and his Aunt Lucy were written with such poignancy that even though I didn’t know them as well as other characters, I could feel the depth of their history with and love for Beau.

I should give a heads up that there is some anti-gay violence in the book that reminds me exactly how liberal a part of the country I’m from.  If anything, Lynn’s recent encouter online reminds us that while momentum is gathering big picture (such as in the area of Marriage Equality), the day to day experience of being LGBT still involves bigotry and violence.

I really enjoyed Roll, and I think the best indication of that is how impatient I am for the sequel Blues to come out (March 25, 2015).

***Full Disclosure–My story “Love is a Virus” (excerpt here) is in Lynn’s upcoming anthology Among the Stars.  However, this is an unbiased review.***

Filed under: book reviews, LGBT | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »

WIP–Santa’s Elf

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Delilah Night

The end of the year is insane for my family.  Although right now we are more preoccupied with birthdays and Halloween, the focus will soon shift to Christmas.  Since I left childhood behind, Christmas became more of a chore and a hassle.  Then I had children.  Christmas is now still something of a hassle–if you ever want to test your marriage, try putting together a tricycle on Christmas Eve with your spouse–but it is also magical all over again for me.

One of the things I love about Christmas with little kids is the belief in Santa.  Sometimes I use this belief for evil–such as threatening to call Santa to report bad behavior when they’re on my last nerve.  But most of the time Santa is reminds me of that time in my life when magic was real.  When I truly believed that good people would be on the Nice list, mean people would be on the Naughty list, and that Santa would dispense justice accordingly.

The idea of Santa’s Naughty and Nice lists inspired a story that recently found a home.  I’m pleased to announce that “New on the Naughty List” will appear in Coming Together: For the Holidays.

For the Holidays

Lucy the Elf has her first fieldwork assignment.  Is Matthew a Naughty sexual deviant or a Nice guy on the wrong list?

Typically I’d tease a sex scene, but I really love the set-up and world-building of this story.  My plan is to write more stories set in this world and eventually release an anthology.

Lucy cleared her throat.

“What?” Kendra snapped.

“I have a Naughty that can’t be video verified,” Lucy said cautiously.

“So? Base it on their history on your list.”

“It’s a new Naughty. I think we need to arrange for someone to do a physical verification.”

Kendra heaved a sigh and rubbed her temples. “Take Blitzen. Go down and do the verification yourself, but get it done today. I don’t have to remind you it’s the 23rd.” She made a shooing motion at Lucy. “Give the rest of your list to Andrew; he was bragging that he’d finished his. That’ll shut him up.” She returned to her work.

Lucy stammered, “But I’ve never done a field assignment. I’m—”

“Are you kidding me?” Kendra’s head whipped up. “You’re going to bitch about a field assignment on the twenty-third? The twenty-third? Get your ass down there, do the verification and get back here!”

Reindeer Complex was buzzing with activity. Prancer’s handlers were counting reps as he did something resembling push-ups. Cupid was screaming at her elves for putting decaf coffee in her bucket.

Blitzen’s stall was the only one without a crowd outside the entrance. Lucy peeked in to see the reindeer sprawled on the floor, watching Star Wars. There was a bag of potato chips half-hidden under some hay.

Lucy knocked. “Blitzen?”

Blitzen grunted, but didn’t look up from Leia’s pleas to help her.

“I have to go South and verify a new Naughty? The video system isn’t working? Kendra suggested that you give me a ride? To Boston? I know it’s the twenty-third, but it’s a new Naughty.”

A long-suffering sigh was his only response.

Lucy knew she couldn’t screw up her first field assignment. “Please, Blitzen?”

Dancer’s voice erupted from the stall opposite Blitzen. “These bells are tarnished! How is that acceptable? Does no one care about standards anymore?”

Blitzen’s ears flattened at the increasingly shrill noise. “Fine. At least I’ll have a valid excuse for getting out of here.”

Blitzen explained how to ride reindeer-back and then they were off. Lucy’s emotions swung betwixt excitement and terror. This field assignment could mean big things for her career if she was able to verify a Naughty.

Coming Together: For the Holidays is a charity anthology for StandUp for Kids, an organization trying to end Youth Homelessness in the US.  Publication will be this December.  I’ll let you know when I have more information.

*****Edited to add***** Apparently I posted an excerpt of this story last November, which you can read here.  The elf’s name was originally Gemma, as in that excerpt.  I have a story coming out with a protagonist named Jenna, which is why I changed the elf’s name to Lucy.

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