Leta Blake

author. human. working hard to become stellar at life.

Leta

All Ze Gay Music Videos!

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Steve Grand’s All American Boy.

So, Steve Grand has made quite the sensation lately by being one of the first out gay men in mainstream country music. His music video for the song All American Boy was self-produced and resonating with thousands of people, gay and straight, around the world. This video is worth watching if for no other reason than Steve Grand is amazing looking and has his shirt off a lot. BUT it’s also a really beautiful story. So, watch it. (Also, can we please be so grateful that the guy at the end wasn’t a big dick about it all? Such a relief.)

[youtube=http://youtu.be/pjiyjYCwNyY]

Anyway, this has me remembering other music videos featuring gay men.

First up, Jay Brannan, of course.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/EaMixtNVO8M]

Young Love by Eli Lieb. Which, honestly, eeeeee!
[youtube=http://youtu.be/0jPba9WJCzE]

Know of any others? Hit me in the comments!

So Easy

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I am so easy. I literally saw this picture and was so drawn in by the charisma of whoever this person is that sought out more info on him, discovered he is a singer-songwriter of some nice, cliche music, and I’m in like Flynn.

Some dude who goes by Mikky Ekko even though he has a perfectly good name that his mama gave him.

One of his cliche songs that I’m not listening to because I’m so easy.

Oh, and Happy 4th to my fellow Americans! 🙂 Hope you’re enjoying a day of hot dogs, family, sun, sparklers and fun!

Writer Wednesday: Painting Rain by Dev Bentham

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Today we have Dev Bentham’s latest Painting in the Rain! I want to acknowledge that I owe Dev an apology. This was supposed to go up last Wednesday, but I was traveling and despite assuring her it would indeed go up, I completely spaced on it and failed to do so. I’m sorry, Dev, and I hope that putting it up this week makes up for it a little bit.

PaintingRain

What are your names? And tell us a little about yourselves?
Mike Malone: “Hey, how’s it going? I’m a social worker, here in Bayport for a summer job working with at-risk kids. Until I met Gabe, I was having a hard time being here. I guess when I applied, I thought a small town on the Oregon coast would be more gay-friendly than the little Northern Wisconsin town where I grew up.”
Gabe Thompson: “I was born here so the small town attitudes don’t surprise me. As an artist, I guess I’m used to being an outcast. But it’s been hard on my son, Trevor. He’s still angry that a couple years ago I divorced his mother and came out.”

How did you meet?
Mike: “Like Gabe said, Trevor’s one pissed off kid. He’s been acting out enough to have his parents enroll him in my program.”
Gabe: “Right. Mike’s my son’s supervisor, which is a little awkward, to say the least. We met when Mike came over to talk about Trevor’s behavior—he’s turned into an adolescent Casanova, probably in reaction to me.”

Was it love at first sight?
Mike: “It was something at first sight. He took my breath away.”
Gabe: “There I was, talking with my son’s social worker and all I could focus on was Mike’s eyes. I couldn’t believe this gorgeous young man was interested in a middle aged guy like me.”
Mike: “Oh come on, I’m older than I look. There’s less than ten years between us. Besides, thirty-five isn’t exactly over the hill.”
Gabe: “It’s damned close. But I’m glad that doesn’t faze you.”

What do you believe is your worst or most frustrating quality? What about his?
Mike: “I think Gabe doesn’t give himself enough credit. He’s a very accomplished artist—you should see his work. He’s really good. I think my worst quality is that I’m overly cautious, or at least I was with Evan. The poor kid deserved better from me.”
Gabe: “You can’t blame yourself. What happened to Evan wasn’t your fault. The thing that frustrates me most about myself is that I’ve tried hard to be a good father and I think I’ve failed.”
Mike: “I don’t know about that—I think you’re a great dad. But I’ll agree with you that the thing that drives me most nuts about you is Trevor. The kid’s a terror.”
Gabe: “He used to be a fun to be around.”
Mike: “I’ll have to take your word on that.”

What is your best quality? What about his?
Gabe: “Mike’s a solidly good guy. He’s great with the kids, even Trevor, and he’s so very sane.”
Mike: “Thank you. That’s nice of you to say. But she also asked about your best quality. Are you trying to be modest?”
Gabe: “Hardly. But I like thinking about you more than about myself. I think my best quality might be persistence. I’ve stuck it out here for fifteen years in order to be a father to my son. That’s got to be worth something.”
Mike: “It is. And I think Trevor will appreciate it down the road. I’d have to say that your best quality is your imagination. I love your house because it’s like walking inside your brain—all those whimsical creatures everywhere. It’s enchanting. As for my best quality, I don’t know, maybe that I care. I really want life to be better for those kids. Not just the gay ones, but maybe especially them.”

If you could have one wish come true, what would it be and why?
Gabe: “That Mike would stay here on the coast.”
Mike: “Yeah. There’s a job opening up here. I’d like to get it and be able to stick around.”

***

Now let’s talk to Dev!

What makes your current offering a different and compelling read?
This is my first dual third person narrative story. In the past I’ve written from one character’s point of view—either in close third (Moving in Rhythm and August Ice) or in first (the Tarnished Souls series). While I love the more literary narrative styles that those points of view offer, I really enjoyed getting into the heads of both characters. This book is also more wildly romantic than any I’ve done before, perhaps because it’s in a more standard romance format or because it’s set on the Oregon coast, an area I find deeply romantic.
This is also the first story I’ve written that has a kid at the center and I’m delighted that came out on Fathers’ Day. I can’t imagine a more perfect timing for the release.

What is the most rewarding aspect of writing and/or publishing? The most terrifying/frustrating?
I love hearing from people who’ve enjoyed my books. One of my goals for publishing was to have people outside my circle of friends read my work. Now that that is happening, it’s both the most rewarding and the most terrifying aspect of writing—that people I’ve never met will either love or hate the stories I write.

What was your favorite thing about writing these characters?
I love how different these men are from each other. Mike’s a Midwestern kid, just out of graduate school and ready to start his real life. Gabe’s nine years older, an art school dropout who’s spent the past fifteen years compromising himself because of an experimental one-night stand that made him a father. Their experiences couldn’t be more different and yet they’re both aching for the same kind of whole-hearted relationship.

Lastly, provide us with covers, blurbs, buy links, and where you can be found on the web! 🙂

Amber Allure
Amazon
aRe

Find Dev on the web at www.devbentham.com or email her at devbentham@yahoo.com and follow her on twitter at @DevBentham.

Each Character Is His Own Self

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600full-river-viiperi
I wonder if I made this guy a character if he’d be willing to discuss his feelings about and motivations for having this cat on his head? I hope it’s not anything we’d need to consider fading to black over. *shudder*

I’ve been writing for a long time now and almost every character I’ve written has been more than happy to share everything about their sex lives in rather graphic ways. That’s why I write erotica and romantica. My characters have always liked to overshare.

Until one of my more recent books! My latest character is quite shy and very vanilla. While he’ll tell me a little about the sex he’s having, it’s not nearly so graphic or wild as some of the other characters I’ve written. He’ll go into it some, but when pushed he just sort of clams up. So, I haven’t pushed him much and just let the scenes stand as they do. They aren’t fade to black for the most part, but they are not nearly the same degree of graphic that I usual end up writing.

My friend asked me why this was the case and wondered if I was trying to tone things down. The reason is the character. I’m not trying to tone my writing down, not at all. It’s just this particular character has a lot of reluctance and so I don’t push him. It’s a good reminder that our characters aren’t entirely of our design. They don’t do what we say or what we want. They are their own creatures.

I had another character who was pleased as punch to tell me all about the sex he was having but when it came to his emotions and motivations? He wasn’t interested in sharing. Which, uh, made things quite difficult let me tell you. It also made for a lot of rewrites. *shakes character hard*

What about you? Every had an experience of a character not giving you information that others have spat out willingly?

Sacrilege

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I have been thinking about this video for days, including while replying to my post about being an ally. It’s fascinating and so well done. Be sure to watch to the end.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/62820182]

Managing Expectations: Stalking Dreams & LHNB & Stalking Novel

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stalking-dreams-web-copy First off, wow! I’m so happy with the response to Stalking Dreams! I am thrilled that so many people read the story and enjoyed the offering. I’m happy, especially, with the generosity of readers and the enthusiasm with which they greeted the story. I’m even happier that so many folks are looking forward to the novel set in the same universe and I absolutely can’t wait to get in the trenches to finish it. So, thank you, readers! You made this girl happy!

Now, regarding the novels that will be set in this universe. I wanted to take this opportunity set clear expectations because, as was evident with Stalking Dreams, when readers are expecting one thing and are delivered something else, there is an element of possible dissatisfaction. (Side note: I definitely learned a lot about readers’ expectations for this event, which will be good should I choose to participate next year.)

In the comments for Stalking Dreams, some people mentioned that they believed it to be the first few chapters of the novel that I couldn’t finish in time to submit to the event. In actuality, the first novel is set before Stalking Dreams and will cover the beginning of River & Shane’s relationship, the trauma of being stalked, and learning to trust someone again. It will also explore the mystery of River’s stalker’s identity and there will be an in-novel resolution to many of the initial problems.

The second book in this universe will, indeed, as speculated, cover the events of Reed’s wedding and will resolve the issue of River’s stalker’s identity once and for all. Stalking Dreams fits smack in the middle of these two novels and was intended to stand alone there. There’s no doubt that the presentation of these stories, in terms of order, is problematic, but, as I mentioned elsewhere, given my responsibilities (full-time day job, motherhood, wifeliness, friendships) in addition to my writing, there was simply no way to have the first novel completed by the LHNB deadline.

In addition, several people mentioned wanting to see Kelly Maybedog’s (yay, Kelly! so grateful for you, lady!) written prompt play out exactly as it was written. I cannot promise this. I do intend to employ the prompt to the best of my ability, but hopefully readers will be generous (as they were with Stalking Dreams) and give the muse a little leeway in terms of how the actual beginning of River & Shane’s relationship takes place.

All in all, I’m incredibly in love with this universe, and I’m hopeful that when the time comes, some of you readers will fall in love with it, too. Thank you again for your generosity, your time, and your confidence in me. May this year bring me much writing time. May I write like the wind. May the books pour forth without too much wrangling. And may the force be with me.

Thank you all! You’re the best!

Objectified Scotsman

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This made me think of that Tumblr blog where they have a weekly romance cover of an objectified Scotsman. Love that kind of thing!

20130411-185023.jpg

Hiding in Plain Sight

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I’ve been thinking about my prior post regarding being in the closet about my writing. I realized that a lot of my life I’ve played a game of hiding in plain sight.

My father is a very demanding, critical person and most of my childhood I spent basically trying to be out of his line of vision. I had an older brother who was an athlete, so that made my goal of invisibility pretty easy. He got all the attention, all the criticism, and my father’s pretty sexist, so of course his focus was on his boy. It worked out well for me. I got to be a dreamer and avoided the whip (symbolic, not literal).

It worked in school, too. I was pretty enough and charming enough to go right under teachers’ radars. I didn’t shine and I didn’t fail. I perfected being overlooked. Teachers never remembered me from year to year. I got very good at not being memorable.

It worked in my culture. I was versed enough in Bible Belt stuff to know the “right” answers and good enough with words and language to say what someone wanted to hear without telling a lie. Someone would ask where I went to church and I’d say, “I grew up at First Pres downtown.” They assumed I still went there, and I didn’t lie about my church attendance.

I admit, I’m so used to hiding in plain sight that it has only just occurred to me that at times this might be the wrong thing to do. Not just cowardly, but actually wrong.

But I’ll tell you what, it’s damn safe.

It’s kept me safe for a long time.

So, yeah, that’s something to think about. It’s a habit and it’s been very adaptive for me. I wouldn’t be a writer now if I hadn’t been so good at hiding in plain sight. Then again…believing that you’re never going to be accepted for who you really are kind of sucks. Before I die, I’d like to live in the open.

I’m old enough now to give some thought as to how I should go about doing that.

Stalking Universe Thoughts

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For the record, before making my decision that I can’t turn my back on 90s Coming of Age Novel again, I did have a read through the first half of the first draft of Stalking Novel the other night. I have to say, I’m relatively pleased. The pacing is off and will need worked out, but I knew that was a problem from the beginning and I’m basically fine with making those changes.

All in all, though, I’m happy. The characters remain likable, in my opinion, if not downright lovable, and that’s half the battle right there. I’m always more comfortable working out plot related issues when the characters really come alive for me and I feel them in my heart. It’s the books where the characters aren’t sparking off the page, where I can’t seem to wrap my heart and head around who they are that really become problematic in the editing, I think.

So, I’m happy with Stalking Novel. I feel like it will still happen this year, I hope, despite putting 90s Coming of Age Novel ahead of it. The characters of Stalking Universe are not at all upset with me for putting them on hold, so that’s another indication that I’m making the right choice.

In other news, I’ve really got to find a better place to work on writing. My set-up right now is sort of untenable and it’s probably not even physically healthy. I’ve got to figure that out sooner rather than later. Also, I need a lock on that damn door.

90’s Coming of Age Novel? You’re It, Baby.

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So, here’s the thing. I’m not a monogamous writer. I’ve always got between eight and twelve works going at any particular time. Eventually, a time comes when I choose one to focus on and make it happen for real, for better or worse. The others drift along during that time, and I come back to them when I get the current favorite in the can. Sometimes that focus shifts back and forth for awhile, but eventually I do focus on one book until it is finished.

One book has been the book of my heart but also the book “least-likely-to” for quite a long time. Almost ten years in fact. At first, it was because there was simply no place to even begin to imagine submitting it to for publication. It’s a m/m coming of age novel featuring a lot of graphic sex. When I first started writing it, I was told time and again, “This would be a great Young Adult book if you took out most of the sex.” I was told, “This isn’t really publishable because it’s not a typical romance formula and people don’t want that.” I was told, “This is too long, no one wants to read a book this long.” I’ve been told many things over the years about this book by many, many, many people. Some of those people had incredibly helpful comments and the book is so much better for their input. Some other people’s comments mainly just stymied the book’s development because they led me to believe the book would never have a place in the world.

I still sometimes think this book won’t ever have a place in the world.

This brings us to my situation currently. Every year for the last three years I’ve gone to NYC to sit on my friend’s sofa in Brooklyn to work on 90s Coming of Age Novel for a week. Every year for the last three years, I’ve thought, “This is it! The final push! I can do this thing!” And every year the edits needed on the first half of the first draft have been extensive enough to preclude me ever getting to the second half of the first draft. (Yes, I have a completed first draft, but it needs work.) I’m finally incredibly and immensely satisified with the the first half of the book and am ready to focus on the second half.

Cue the Goodreads Love Has No Boundaries Event. I chose a prompt about a young man who has a history of being stalked by a stranger. I’d intended to write a short story for the event, but, holy smokes, it took off like wildfire and before I knew it, I had half a novel written. A novel I knew I’d have no way of finishing before the event deadline. So, I went back and wrote a short story set in the universe of the novel. It doesn’t fit the prompt exactly and that disappointed some people, but I knew I couldn’t get the book done in time. I didn’t want to return the prompt unfulfilled just because I knew there was no way I could get the novel done, so I compromised the best that I could. I’m happy to say that the prompter was satisfied, I believe.

All in all, I was very happy with how that story was received and people expressed a great deal of interest in the novel based on the prompt. That thrills me! The idea that there are a few people out there who are eagerly awaiting River’s full story really gets my heart going and makes me feel a bit verklempt! In the wake of this, I looked at 90s Coming of Age Novel and I said to it, “Baby, maybe you’ve got to wait a little longer. I think I need to write this book instead. It’s got an audience, you see, and we all know that the biggest problem with you is that…you don’t.”

So, I resigned myself to the fact that it still wasn’t 90s Coming of Age Novel’s time. It was apparently Stalker Universe’s time, and I told myself that I was okay with that. It was the smart move. It was the wise choice. It made the most sense. Why keep readers waiting? This was obviously the right decision to make. It still seems like the right decision to make.

But here’s the thing.

I can’t do it. I was driving back to the office after my lunch break and I felt like my heart was going to break. 90s Coming of Age Novel, Peter, Adam, Leslie, Daniel, Minty, Renee, and Barry were all just there looking at me with this betrayal on their face. They’ve been so patient, you see. They’ve let me take a really long time with them. They’ve waited while I had a baby and wrote nothing for three years. They’ve waited while I wrote fanfiction and they’ve waited while I wrote fairy tales and they’ve waited while I wrote half a post-apocalyptic novel, and while I wrote half of six other books, and four short stories, and, damn it, now I wanted them to wait again.

BUT YOU PROMISED!

They sat there in my head staring at me, but you promised, and yeah. I can’t do it to them. I can’t go to NYC and work on Stalking Universe when I’ve asked them to wait so many years. I promised them at the beginning of the year that this was their year. I promised them that 2013 was it and they wouldn’t have to wait anymore. No more being patient. No more waiting for just one more thing to come before them.

So, okay, 90s Coming of Age Novel. Okay, baby, this is it. Next week, it’s me, you, and NYC again. Don’t fail me. I’m counting on you to come through for me. If I’m making this choice, you’ve got to play your part, too.

Let’s do this thing.

Writer Wednesday: Bread, Salt and Wine by Dev Bentham

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Today we’re talking with Dev Bentham’s characters in her new book, Bread, Salt and Wine!

DB_BreadSaltandWine

What are your names? And tell us a little about yourselves?
I’m George Zajac, L’Ouest’s new catering chef. It’s a second career for me. A few years ago I traded on Wall Street and had an apartment overlooking Central Park. That all went to shit, which is what it is. In Los Angeles no one really knows me and it’s better that way. There is this waiter, Kenny Marks, who… well, I like his company. I’m too messed up to get involved anyone, but I keep thinking maybe he’d go for a friends with benefits kind of thing.

How did you meet? Was it love at first sight?
We work together. And hell no, it wasn’t love at first sight. I don’t do relationships. Can’t. But Kenny’s a great guy. He’s smart and funny, sexy as hell, makes me feel good when I’m around him. But no, it’s not love.

What do you believe is your worst or most frustrating quality? What about his?
Ah shit, do I have to talk about this? Let me just say, I’ve got issues. Sexual issues. Let’s leave it at that. As for Kenny, the thing that frustrates me most about him is that he’s so out there. I mean, you wouldn’t need to spend two second with him to know he’s gay. Which is okay for him, but I don’t want anyone making assumptions about me because they’ve seen me with him. I don’t need to shout out to the whole world that I’m gay, okay? I mean, it’s none of their business, right?

What is your best quality? What about his?
My best quality? I don’t know, I’m good cook I guess.
Kenny, he’s the bravest man I’ve ever met.

If you could have one wish come true, what would it be and why?
That the nightmares would stop and I could be with someone like Kenny without breaking into a sweat or needing him to—that we could just be together like normal people. Like, well, lovers.

BUY BREAD, SALT AND WINE

***

Now, let’s talk to the author!

Dev, what other book/series would you compare your current offering to?

This is the fourth, and last, book in my Tarnished Souls series. Each story in the series highlights a particular Jewish holiday. They are all stand-alone novels, independent in that you can start anywhere in the series but linked by characters who float between books. For example, Kenny showed up as a childhood friend of the main character in Learning from Isaac and George employed the protagonist in Sacred Hearts and yet none of that history is important for understanding Bread, Salt and Wine.

What’s next for you?
What’s immediately next is that I have another story coming out next week from Amber Allure, Painting in the Rain, a novella set on the Oregon Coast. The story I’m working on right now involves a small town veterinarian, a big city artist and a bunch of dogs.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?
George had a terrible childhood. He wonders if perhaps some wounds never heal. And while George is a fictional character, far too many of us are wandering around with our own bleeding hearts. Thinking about that makes me sad.

***

Blurb:
Some wounds never heal. George Zajac grew up in a religious family with a father who beat “the swish” out of him. Now he’s a troubled man. At thirty-eight he moves across the country to start a new life in Los Angeles, working as the catering chef for a prestigious French Restaurant. Kenny Marks, a writer who’s currently waiting tables, is everything George cannot be—flamboyant, proud and sexually confident. Enthralled by Kenny, and against his own better judgment, George agrees to a date. Sparks fly. The sex is better than good. But even after the two get close, George remains crippled by humiliating sexual hang-ups. Still haunted by his childhood, he lingers in the closet and can’t commit to a relationship with Kenny. Love is the great healer, but is it enough? George’s emotional scars could drive Kenny away, and with him, George’s last chance at happiness.

BUY THE BOOK
Loose Id
Amazon

Find Dev on the web at www.devbentham.com, email her at devbentham@yahoo.com and follow her on twitter at @DevBentham.

New Cover! Love’s Nest!

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Cover by Dar Albert.
Cover by Dar Albert.

I’m happy to present the cover for the upcoming fairy tale in Keira’s and my series! It’s a tale based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses and will clock in at over twice the length of the first two tales in the series. We’re hoping it will be out later this summer. We’re awfully excited and hope you love the cover as much as we do!

Hardbacks & Paperbacks Priced Lower Than EBooks

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Wow, so this is new. Recently, I’ve been confronted with the option to pay between $2 and $5 less for actual physical books than their ebook versions. And it’s not just books, either. It’s true of CDs as well. And, wow, I’m surprised at how hard the choice is.

Not for CDs. That’s easy. I get the option of ripping the mp3s and having a hard copy with pretty pictures. I’ll take the CD, thanks.

But the book! Oh, man, I feel like such an anti-hipster asshole saying this. But, here we go. I really love reading on my e-readers at night for one ridiculously lazy reason. I don’t have to get out of bed to turn out the lights. I know right? Yeah. I know.

But it’s true.

Books vs E-Books

Books vs E-Books infographic

 

So, here I am trying to decide–do I buy this lovely hardback book for $5 less than the e-book? Or do I get the e-book because I’m more likely to actually read it due to the fact that I do 99% of my reading in bed before going to sleep and…I don’t have to get out of bed and turn out the light? Or roll over to the other side of the bed, reach really far, and turn off the bedside lamp?

Holy crap! I’m lazy!

So, I guess I’ll get the hardcover. But, wow, I actually had to think about it.

What do you all think is behind this new movement of pricing the physical objects (CDs, books) lower than the e-book? Do you choose the physical or e-book version when presented with this choice?

Stalking Dreams – by Leta Blake, a FREE Love Has No Boundaries Story

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stalking-dreams-web-copy
Cover by Dar Albert!

I’m excited to announce that my FREE story for the Love Has No Boundaries event is now available! You can read it HERE!

I was so inspired by the prompt at Goodreads for a story about a young man who had dealt with being stalked by a stranger and the resultant issues that might bring up for him that I’ve already written 45k words of a corresponding full length novel and have a plan for a full length sequel, too. I hope to have the first novel done and out by the end of the year, if luck is on my side. And the plan is to have the sequel available in 2014.

I’m very happy with this short story. I feel like it accomplishes a lot and leaves the reader wanting to know more about the situation and these characters. At least, I hope that’s true because see above about the upcoming novels based in this universe!

Thank you to everyone who reads it. I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to spread the word! It will also be available for free download to ereaders very soon and I will post about that when it happens. In the meantime….

STALKING DREAMS BY LETA BLAKE