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New Release: Strange Shifters

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Delilah Night

Strange Shifters is now available in print and digital versions!

My story “A Reindeer by Any Other Name” is included in this anthology. If you liked “New on the Naughty List” from Coming Together: For the Holidays last year, you’ll want to read “Reindeer.” It’s the story of what Blitzen was up to while Lucy the Elf was seeing whether Matthew belonged on the Naughty or Nice list.

“Going home for Christmas?” I asked.

Nik shrugged. “My parents are Hindu, so we didn’t do the whole ‘Christmas’ thing.”

He just gave the most sacred word at the Pole air quotes. Is this love?

“I’m waiting for the twenty-sixth, y’know? Back to normal,” Nik continued. “You?”

“Yeah, I’m going to spend the holiday with my family. I’m over it, but they’re really into Christmas. I’m the weird one,” I replied. Really into Christmas was an understatement. The lives of Santa’s team revolved around Christmas. It dictated everything from whether we could fly to the strength of our magic. Every day on the calendar was all about how many days were left until Christmas.

“Good thing I’ve always found weird synonymous with sexy,” Nik said.

Intending to share a friendly kiss, my lips brushed his. He responded by taking possession of my mouth, and pulled me tight against him. I met his hunger with my own, until we reluctantly broke apart. Much more of that and we’d be naked in the middle of Newbury Street in minutes.

I’m sharing pages with so many awesome writers. I can’t wait to read the rest of the anthology.

Introduction: The Animal Inside…

Bored in Heaven Daniel Burnell
A Hand Outstretched Elizabeth L. Brooks
Gator Tail Leigh Ellwood
Mine Emma Whitehall
Small Change Adrik Kemp
Moonlight Ride Marie Piper
Water & Fire Jaap Boekestein
Circus Nickie Jamison
The Storyteller Tony Haynes
The Dive Lukas Scott
A Reindeer by Any Other Name Delilah Night
Tar Pit Triage Lily Malone
Valkyrie Nickie Jamison
Champ Margot McGuire
Woman without a Shadow Bruce Meyer
Rezoned T.B. Bond
Mouse Games Lynn Townsend
Snowbound Lisabet Sarai

I have FIVE free pdf copies of Strange Shifters available to anyone willing to write a review (amazon, goodread–or cross posted). You do *not* need to review my story.

Also, I am making New on the Naughty List available for free through Dec 1, 2015. Read Lucy’s story, then buy Strange Shifters to catch up with Blitzen. Or vice versa.

Filed under: Published, Writing | Tagged: A Reindeer By Any Other Name, Blitzen the Reindeer, delilah night, Erotic Romance, free story, Lucy the Elf, m/m romance, male/male erotic romance, New On the Naughty List, new publication, paranormal romance, shape shifters, Strange Shifters | Leave a comment »

Beta Reading Tips

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Delilah Night

Two years ago I wrote about how beta readers make you a better writer. At the time I was lucky enough to have beta readers, but had not yet been asked to be a beta reader.

This year I have been fortunate to serve as a beta reader for Tamsin Flowers’s excellent erotic serial Alchemy xii. I’ve also had the opportunity to beta read for Lynn Townsend and Jessica Augustsson. In my non-fiction life, I’ve been lucky enough to look over several close friend’s work as well. What I’ve learned is that serving as a beta reader also makes you a better writer. I am constantly impressed by the twists and turns of these talented author’s minds. I’ve had the chance to read Tamsin and Lynn writing dramatically different voices and I aspire to write in other voices the way that they do.

Beta Reading is a skill–finding the balance between “OHMYGOD I LOVE THIS” (which all three of the authors I’ve mentioned will tell you I say regularly) and “this needs work” is tricky. Too much praise and not enough criticism is great for the ego, but not for improving the work. Too much criticism and not enough support can really hurt (I speak from experience) and will also not improve the work. It can also be difficult to respect an author’s unique voice, even when you might phrase or sequence things differently.

If you are asked to beta read, I have a few tips for you. These tips reflect both what I have found most helpful from betas as an author and as a beta reader for others.

Be honest. Never say you love something you hate.
That said, if you hate a work, tell the author that you aren’t a good fit as a beta for this story as opposed to ripping it (and them) to shreds.
Be aware of your baggage. In the September chapter of Alchemy xii, Beth is injured and needs surgery on a kidney. My first email to Tamsin was something like “that was so shocking and risky and and and.” She was surprised by the vehemence of my reaction, so I went back and re-read. What I realized is that I was reacting so dramatically to a kidney injury because someone very close to me had a serious kidney issue and I find kidney injuries very traumatic because of that. I explained my baggage and suggested that she take her other betas advice more seriously and disregard mine when it came to this part of the story.
Be enthusiastic about what you love. Whether it was Jessica’s twist ending, or Tamsin’s gorgeous phrases, or Lynn’s crazy-erotic sex scene, I make a point of saying “this works!” Beta reading isn’t just about pointing out flaws. You need to tell your author what is working, too.
Point out flaws gently. I’ve mentioned before that one of my consistent flaws is to say that someone began to do something. Lynn said that if your sentence is “He began to walk across the room,” unless it is immediately followed by “but tripped over the cat,” I need to lose the word “began.”
Ensure that you do point out areas for improvement. As I said above, while a rave review is great for the ego, it doesn’t help you improve your work–and all of our work can always use a tweak. Make sure that you balance the positive with areas for improvement.
If there is a word that is repeated, point it out. I have found a paragraph where I used the word nipples something like four times in five consecutive sentences. A beta highlighted the word and suggested I use some synonyms or refine the paragraph to eliminate repetition.
Mention their filler words. We all have filler words we rely on–just, almost, very, quite, began to. If you catch a running filler word (something that’s showing up over and over) highlight or otherwise mention it.
Give general feedback. Comments throughout the work are helpful. But so is a summary in the email where you’re returning the story with comments is also useful. Overall, this (it’s a good rough draft, I really like the core relationship, I laughed like crazy). Specifics like character development, setting (if relevant), and flow. Areas that could use refinement (Your MC’s voice seems to change mid-story–you may want to look at that to ensure that they are consistent).
Pay attention to what the author asks you about. If they want feedback on the relationship, don’t spend the bulk of your time talking about the setting.

Authors and betas–what other tips would you add to this?

Filed under: process, Writing | Tagged: beta reader tips, beta reading, delilah night | 1 Comment »

Public Reading

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Delilah Night

A few months ago I was incredibly flattered to be asked to share my work at “Kink Dot: An Evening of Alternative Queer Erotica” here in Singapore.

I’m reading from my story “Love is a Virus,” which was first published in Coming Together: Among the Stars, edited by Lynn Townsend. Partially this is because I’ve not published nearly as much m/m or f/f fiction as I’d like to, and partially because my favorite kink is to play with power dynamics. It’s a theme I’ve visited a number of times in my work (published and that which is under contract) including boss/employee, teacher/student, Doctor/Patient. Without giving too much away about Love is a Virus, I also really enjoy establishing and then subverting a power dynamic.

I love a good beating, but the interplay of power turns me on like nothing else…

For the next week, to celebrate my first public reading, enjoy Love is a Virus for free.

Filed under: process, Writing | Tagged: delilah night, Love is a Virus, Reading | Leave a comment »

Guest Post: Lynn Townsend

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Delilah Night

Lynn Townsend is one of my favorite authors, beta readers, and friends (not in that order). Her new book, Classic is the third installment of the Rainbow Connections series. I can’t wait to read the conclusion of Vin and Beau’s story, and to see one of my favorite #fictionalcrush characters, Ann-Marie.

(My review of book 1, Roll is here)

Hi everyone! Thanks so much to Delilah for hosting me here on her blog. This Delilah, as opposed to yesterday’s Delilah (as opposed to my EDITOR, Deelylah… seriously, I go from having an overabundance of Elizabeth’s in my life to quite a number of Delilahs!) and I met… I think it was when I did Rose Caraway’s Sexy Librarian’s… or it might have been when I sent out a call for Coming Together: Among the Stars… anyway, Delilah and I have become fast internet friends — she lives VERY far away… and is one of my favorite internet peeps. So, thanks to Delilah again, and it’s lovely to be able to chat with her readers and fans. Thanks for having me.

One of my favorite writers is quoted as saying, “When a man writes a romance, the woman dies. When a woman writes one, it ends all tidy and sweet.”

The Rainbow Connection, a series of novels I have been writing for the last four years, is a romance. Admittedly, it is a gay romance, and until very recently, the likelihood of it ending in legal wedding was up for debate. But it was always meant to end happily.

The truth is, I was inspired to write what started as a short story and grew into a series of novels (three have been, or will be soon, published. One that’s being written, and one — maybe two? — that are in preliminary planning…) from an event that took place shortly before another wedding, many years ago. I had a tumultuous affair planned, for characters who took on a life of their own, ripped my control right out of my hands, and took me on a ride that I’ll never forget.

So, when I offer forth this little short story, I say to you, this is not a true spoiler. You always knew we were going this way. The road has been long, it has been winding, and it has had a great many bumps in it. But you knew the destination when you got in the car with me…

These books were always meant to be a romance, and a romance often needs a good wedding…

The Rainbow Connections Series (with links to purchase)

Book 1-Roll (Torquere, Amazon)

Book 2-Blues (Tourquere, Amazon)

Buy Classic (Book 3) from Torquere (New in print!)

A short story, in parts….

Wedding March, Part Four

by Lynn Townsend

Part One, Wedding March is hosted at VL Locey’s blog, Thoughts from a Yodeling Goatherder.

Part Two, Wedding March is hosted on EM Lynley’s blog

Part Three, Wedding March is hosted on Delilah Devlin’s blog

Vin was quite convinced that he gained fifteen pounds just walking in the door at Ty & Knots’s Cake and Bakery. The air was absolutely pungent with sugar and chocolate, cream frosting and fondant. And then — oh, dear God in Heaven — Aglaia led them over to the tasting station. The owners, Tyler Shaw and Sonya Knots, were on top of their game. Two full tables were loaded with tiny cake squares, each labeled, and then dozens of tiny dishes of frosting samples with itty bitty spatulas to spread each kind of icing on whichever sort of cake.

Find your perfect flavor, a banner read, hanging over the samples. As Vin understood it, the wait for a Ty & Knots cake, off the street, was over nine months, but Aglaia held special commissions open for her clients. Because of course she did.

Mexican themed round wedding cake with modeling chocolate carnations and piped buttercream frosting cascading dot design in many colors by Wicked Goodies

After they tried every possible combination — and a few of them more than once, and oh, sweet lord, was Vin going to have to work out, later. His knee ached just thinking about it. But worth it, oh, so worth it — they came to the mutual conclusion that neither of them was going to speak to the other ever again in their entire lives.

Because they couldn’t decide between salted caramel and chocolate or pumpkin walnut with cream cheese.

“It’s astonishin’ to me,” Beau said in Vin’s ear, “how we’ve managed t’ live together for near on six years an’ I never realized what an ornery cuss you was.”

“Careful, babe,” Vin said, “your dixie’s showing.”

“You know,” Sonya suggested, “you don’t have to have just one cake. It’s very popular these days, especially when we’re talking about a reception of your size, to have several smaller cakes. You can have one largish cake, for the cutting ceremony, and then smaller, themed cakes scattered around at set-ups all around the room. And we’ll put one of each of your favorites on the sides of your main display cake, so neither of you feels the lack?”

“So what do we put as the main cake?” Beau asked. He had a smut of raspberry white chocolate filling on the side of his mouth and Vin was resisting the urge to lick it off. Not that Sonya probably hadn’t seen that behavior before. Vin was just trying to adult. Look at him, adulting all over the place today. Responsible, respectable business owner. That was him. He was reminded suddenly of the couple he’d spotted boning up against the back of one of his art displays, the late end of a show that hadn’t done particularly well, and smirked. He hadn’t interrupted them because he was just nice like that. But he had watched them, because he wasn’t that nice.

“Second favorite?” Sonya suggested.

Vin eyed the plates of cake cubes and groaned. He wasn’t sure he could go through another round of tasting.

“Don’t worry,” Aglaia said, pulling up her tablet. “I wrote them all down while you were tasting the first time. I think I got your general preferences.”

“You’re a genius and I love you,” Vin said, expressively.

“No, no, you love him,” Aglaia said. “You merely worship me.”

“And we should get one that’s red velvet and cream cheese,” Beau added, loftily ignoring this display of adoration and life-long devotion between his fiancee and his wedding planner.

“Why?” Vin made a face. “Red velvet is old-lady cake.”

Beau snorted. “Because it’s Ann-Marie’s favorite, and she has put up with God knows how much shit from both of us for the last several years and we owe her. Also, because I love you, I won’t tell her you said that.”

Vin made a face and decided not to argue, because if he did argue, and lord knows he was tempted to, it might become general knowledge that he had no freaking clue what Mila’s favorite kind of cake was. He wasn’t as good with the people thing as Beau was; he probably never would be. Note to self, he thought, ask Mila what kind of cake she likes. Because it was Aglaia, and it was Ty & Knots’s Cake, and he could always call one or the other on the sly, later, and have an extra ordered for his sister. Because, of course he could.

This story will end on my own blog, Paid by the Weird and the story in its entirety will be hosted there on Monday…

*******

Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn’s interests include geek comedy music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot.

*******

Find Lynn on Social Media

Filed under: books (non-review posts), Guest Post, LGBT | Tagged: Blog Tour, Classic, delilah night, Lynn Townsend, Wedding March by Lynn Townsend | Leave a comment »

Acceptance! Strange Shifters

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Delilah Night

My illness in April of this year derailed a lot of plans, both personally and professionally. After my professional hiatus, the first story I (re)wrote when I got back on the proverbial horse centered around one of my favorite secondary characters to date; Blitzen the nerdy shape-shifting reindeer.

This morning I received wonderful news; my story “A Reindeer By Any Other Name” has been accepted into the upcoming anthology Strange Shifters, edited by Lynn Townsend, which will be published Halloween 2015.

Proceeds from Strange Shifters will go to Bat World Sanctuary

I chose this particular charity because I love bats. They’re part of our circle of life, they eat bugs, and they’re like miniature flying foxes. Bat World Sanctuary cares for injured bats and homes ones that cannot return to the wild, as well as helping to spread awareness, prevent deforestation, and other bat-saving efforts.–Lynn Townsend

You can read an excerpt from “A Reindeer By Any Other Name” here.

Filed under: acceptance, Writing | Tagged: A Reindeer By Any Other Name, Blitzen, delilah night, Lynn Townsend, October 2015, Santa, story acceptance, Strange Shifters | 1 Comment »

A Pirate’s Life For Me…

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Delilah Night

Siem Reap has been submitted. Everyone send good thoughts–if accepted, it will be my first solo publication, and I’m so excited by the prospect.

So what’s next?

I’ve decided to take my pirate story, Plunder (not currently published) and extend it. Brianna (Bree) and William are one of my favorite couples, and I think you guys would enjoy seeing more of them than a 5k story.

Here is a draft of our introduction to Brianna, who is being picked up from finishing school to go back to her beloved ship, the Maya. The Headmistress of the school speaks first. (Keep in mind that this is a very rough draft that I wrote two days ago–there has been no editing, and the final opening will likely look very different.)

The woman sniffed. “I have a letter for her father. You should know, Miss Northerly, that I take no credit for how you’ve turned out. You arrived a hoyden, and much to my dismay, you are leaving one. You are my great failure.”

Bree grinned widely. “I take that as the very greatest of compliments, Mrs. Lingstrom.” She swept into a deep curtsey. Once upright again, she lifted her skirts and did a little sailor’s jig. “Fair weather to you, and may I never darken your doorstep again. Let’s go, Marcus.”

With that, Brianna Northerly turned her back on a dismal four years of enforced femininity and strode out to the waiting carriage.

Marcus shook his head at her behavior. “So much for turnin’ ye into a lady.”

“A lady will do you no good on the ship. A solid deckhand, on the other hand, will,” Bree retorted as she climbed into the carriage.

Marcus spoke to the driver before climbing in after her. “Lass,” he began.

She interrupted him. “I’m so glad Father changed his mind! Was it you? Was it all my letters? What convinced him?”

Her companion swallowed hard. “Ye don’t know, do ye?”

A feeling of foreboding settled like a storm cloud in the pit of Bree’s stomach. “What don’t I know, Marcus?”

“I’m taking you to be wed.”

“What?”

Filed under: In Progress, Writing | Tagged: delilah night, excerpt, in process writing, Novella, Plunder | Leave a comment »

Review: Heat Wave: Burlington by Lynn Townsend

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Delilah Night

Heat Wave: Burlington is a novella by Lynn Townsend, one of eighteen Heat Wave novella being released by JMS Books over the course of July and August.

Brandon Russo is having another hot, boring day at work. Scott Seay is a photographer on the trail of Champy, the lake monster said to live in Lake Champlain. Their paths intersect when Scott is knocked off his bike and Brandon is the good Samaritan who helps Scott get medical attention. An attraction sparks instantly.

I really enjoyed this fast, sweet read.

Scott (a photographer who has an open mind about things like Champy) and Brandon (working at his aunt’s storage facility) are both very likeable characters. They interact and banter well, and their attraction is believable. Alison (Brandon’s older sister and a nurse) is a great secondary character.

The setting (the storage facility, for the most part) is not one I’ve run into before in erotica, but it works surprisingly well. This is a running theme for me when it comes to Lynn’s stories–another one of my favorites of hers, Holidays Hours (from Coming Together: For the Holidays) takes place in a convenience store. She has the ability to take a unconventional setting and make it the backdrop for a sweet love story.

My only real complaint is that it’s such a short read. I’m greedy, and I like Lynn’s stories, so I always want more.

Pick up your copy on Kindle for 3.99 (also available as an e-book from other e-tailers)

Filed under: book reviews, LGBT | Tagged: book review, delilah night, Erotic Romance, Heat Wave: Burlington, JMS Books, Lynn Townsend | Leave a comment »

Peek at a WIP

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Delilah Night

Apparently having fearless hair has bled over into my professional life. Or at least the positive mindset that came about because of dyeing my hair. I’m well into the edits for the Siem Reap novella. Here’s the set up for and a flashback scene from early in Meg and RJ’s relationship while they’re having sex in the present day.

“Do you remember the first time you came on my tits?” Meg’s voice was husky.

RJ could barely manage words. “After the costume party. Your first year. You wore a Little Red Riding Hood costume.”

***

The sexy costume was so different from the quiet Meg he usually knew. He’d felt like the big, bad wolf as he’d fantasized about pushing her into a dark corner and doing all sorts of wicked deeds to her. When they were dancing, she’d rubbed herself against his rod, adding fuel to the fire. The second her bedroom door was shut, she was on her knees, dress pushed down to her waist, eager to free him from the black jeans. She’d sucked him so well, RJ had forgotten that he was still wearing the Batman mask when he started to come. She’d popped off at just the right moment for him to shoot his load all over her breasts.

***

Filed under: In Progress, Writing | Tagged: delilah night, Novella, Siem Reap, WIP. Capturing the Moment | Leave a comment »

Fearless Hair

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Delilah Night

Ever since I first saw a bottle of Manic Panic hair dye in the early 90’s, I wanted to dye my hair. I wanted a bright blue streak. I wanted to dye my hair crazy colors. I wanted to use my hair as a canvas.

So why not do it? For a number of years I couldn’t because my workplaces didn’t allow “unnatural” looking hair. The rest of the time? Fear. Mostly I was afraid of people looking at me.

As someone who isn’t thin, I’ve learned toxic messages. I’m supposed to fade into the background and not call attention to myself. That if people looked at me, they would only do so with the worst intentions. Neon hair pulls focus, and I was afraid of it. I’ve gained confidence over the years–I’m well aware of my great legs (see my twitter icon), I rock sexy librarian glasses, and I’m generally at peace with myself. Which is not to say I’m comfortable as the center of attention.

As someone who often feels like a fake in my upper middle class life, I wanted to fit in. I feel like a fake because I grew up poor and I’m the first person to go to university in my family. My mom is a single mom and I’ve never met my dad. However, I’m educated and well spoken, so people assume I have a background similar to the one I currently am lucky enough to have. I have cultivated a very proper exterior, which means I’ve done nothing more daring than blonde streaks in my hair as an adult.

I don’t hide that I’m queer, but as someone in a marital relationship with a person of the opposite sex I pass as straight. I use a pseudonym for my erotica. I don’t draw attention to myself as a whole.

About three weeks ago my hair started falling out in clumps. It’s always been thin and fine and not particularly voluminous. So when I looked into the mirror and saw the glint of my own scalp peering out at me between increasingly spare strands of hair, and when someone I was skyping with asked me if I’d gotten fades shaved into the sides of my hair I felt more exposed and vulnerable than ever. Now, not only had I committed the cardinal sin of daring to be fat in public, but I was even less attractive than before. Fear took over because I had no real options other than to wait the hair loss out–it’s a very common side effect of severe medical trauma called telogen effluvium and the only real solution is time.

I realize that this was all taking place in my head, but that doesn’t make it any less real.

I’ve cried so much this month. Granted that’s partially because blood work showed that I have severe deficiencies in a number of vitamins and hormones. Off kilter hormones are a bitch, and among other things will make you weepy. But it’s also because despite the fact that I’ve never loved my hair, I never wanted to have it fall out. But along with the tears I’ve felt a growing rage. Mostly at myself.

How dare I have let myself get ruled by fear like this? For what purpose? Did I really almost die without ever having done something I’ve always wanted to do because I was scared? And now I’m being ruled by fear that people are staring at my thinning hair?

I have zero fucks left to give.

If they’re staring, let’s give them something to look at.

Let me do what I’ve always wanted to.

My colorist warned me that stripping the color from my hair to bleach it could make it break. Well, there is no better time to be blasé about that possibility than when it’s already falling out. Luckily, given a lighter bleach and toner, it was as healthy as it was when I walked in the door. With the addition of color, it looked even better.

Today I smiled one of the biggest smiles to cross my face in the past almost four months. My husband thinks it’s sexy, my daughters think it’s cool (Ms. 3 kept trying to force the cat to see my hair, which makes me glad that “her” cat is extremely easy going), and I feel like I’ve given all the hair related tears of the last month the middle finger.

To be fair, there’s part of me that’s a little concerned about what happens when I have to go be a parent at school. Singapore is super conservative (once my colorist realized exactly how crazy I wanted to go, he was thrilled because he rarely gets to do so here). Will the vice principal take me seriously when I’m complaining about a boy bullying Ms. 6?

But that’s a small voice, and once that will quiet with time.

The hormonal stuff and vitamin stuff are harder to deal with. Like regrowing the hair that fell out, it will take time to resolve. I’m taking supplementary vitamin and hormone therapy and we’ll repeat the blood work in a few months.

What has gotten me down the most about this, apart from feeling unattractive about my hair–the outward issue–is that every time I think I’ve put my illness behind me, some new side effect rears its head. The septic shock and threat of death were over in April. The crappy immune system, the lost muscle tone, the lost core strength, all of those were starting to resolve and were things I could actually fix. Each week I swam I saw muscle tone returning to my legs. I was ready to move on. Then I got blindsided by the hair loss, which was the motivating factor behind getting blood work done. Having gotten the blood work done, I now have the new host of issues to deal with. While it’s good to have a label to apply to the problems that were already present, it also feels like I’ve been dropped back at the starting line of the world’s longest marathon all over again.

I’m not actively worrying about this, but I also know that if my hormone and cortisol levels don’t improve in two months, I could be looking at a round of tests to see if my adrenal gland has stopped functioning properly. So while it’s not something I’m obsessing over, I’m wary of what might be next in the unending list of what happens after you almost die from septic shock.

The hormone I’m deficient in is what controls the female sex drive. Which is a cruel joke for nature to play on an erotica author.

As I said in my last entry, I’m coping with a lot of personal, medical drama. I’m going to cycle between present and absent on social media, and between productive and unproductive when it comes to writing. I appreciate you guys sticking around while I deal with this. Unfortunately this is one of those things that will resolve over a long period of time.

But at least I have cool hair.

Filed under: Body Image, Disability, Medical, Random, Writing | Tagged: body image issues, cosmic hair, delilah night, sepsis recovery, septic shock, telogen effluvium | 4 Comments »

Blitzen

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Delilah Night

If you’ve read my currently free story, “New on the Naughty List” you’ll have met one of my favorite characters, Blitzen the Reindeer.

Blitzen is nerdy and sardonic and I appreciate that about him. Which is why, every since writing “New on the Naughty List,” I wanted to write his story.

Here’s a snippet of the story I just submitted to an anthology

Good deeds never go unpunished. I agreed to fly Elf Girl to Boston on Christmas Eve eve instead of carbing up on chips and hay in my stall, and what did I get? This lump of coal of a comic book store. What self-respecting employee would comingle Star Trek and Star Wars merchandise like they were the same fandom?

The holiday shoppers seemed unperturbed as they browsed, with one exception. A tall Indian man seemed to be taking in the entire store with a baleful stare. His navy pea coat was open just enough to afford a glimpse of a shirt with the telltale MIT logo. His gaze met and held mine. I looked away first, glad relieved dark skin wouldn’t betray the blush burning my cheeks.

Focusing on the display instead of the eye candy, I began separating the miniature tricorders and light sabers.

“See anything you like?” I looked over to see Mr. Gorgeous smiling at me.

Reminding myself that he was probably straight, I gestured toward the shelf. “I see blasphemy.”

Brown eyes glittered with amusement. “And you’ll help them see the error of their ways? One man alone against the kind of ignorance that would allow a Tribble to molest Yoda like that?”

I freed Yoda from hirsute clutches. “Traumatized, you are.”

Snorting with laughter, he offered his hand. “I’m Nik.”

“Rob.” Blitzen didn’t tend to go over well in the human world. “Is that an Enterprise-shaped pizza cutter?” At least I could take that home.

“Yes, like the one at my apartment. Want to come see it? Unless you have a boyfriend? Or other plans?”

Not straight. Hot, nerdy, and not straight.

“No boyfriend at the moment. I’m waiting for a coworker, but I have no idea when her meeting will be over.”

Nik’s lips curved. “That makes it my lucky day, then. Want to go get coffee? Maybe I’ll get even luckier.”

For the record, you can buy the Enterprise pizza cutter from Think Geek here. Yes, I have one.

Filed under: Submitted, Writing | Tagged: Blitzen, delilah night, New On the Naughty List, submitted story | 2 Comments »

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