The Universe Knocked

Last night, on my way home from work I stopped off at my local liquor store for a bottle of scotch. The manager, Frank, and I had become friends over the years and discussed all manner of things from the weather, new liquors, to the uncertain habit of some whiskey distillers to use “flavored” oak casks to create new versions of their product.

We also talk about my writing.

I haven’t published anything in a loooong time. But a few things are still up and kicking in the Internet archives including Not Having Sex of which I am inordinately proud. Frank asked for the website again and it reminded me…

A year ago last week I wrote a short story on spec for a compilation of stories about sexy villains. It was accepted a few months later. A few months after that I received my contract. The next month I sent it back… and then, nothing.

So much nothing I put the prospect of publishing again out of my head. I’d had hoped that selling something would light a fire under my writing but my day job world had exploded and I no longer had the energy to focus on my writing life.

Then last night, after mentioning the story to Frank I went home, picked up my mail, and like magic there was my contract and a check!

My erotic writing has been on life support a long time, so many things have happened, changed, and shifted in my life, that I don’t know where to place my feet. It isn’t that I haven’t been writing, but I haven’t been telling stories. My current writing style is more therapy than craft.   

I’m not sure where I’m going with this. I’ve come to the bend in the road. I do feel, once again, the need to place my thoughts out for the world to see, to explore sex, relationships, and writing. But I am no longer who I was. We never are – we are, as a wise man said, “the sum of our experiences”, and I do not yet know where they are leading me.

~ Licks!   

Love & Lovers

A lover and I parted ways last week.

It was sudden in the way things are sudden when you’ve know they were going to happen for so long you forgot it was possible. We’ve been friends for a long time, and lovers on and off over the years, but over the last eight months we’ve grown closer than ever before. Close enough that losing this aspect of him is like losing a part of me. We both have stressful demanding day jobs and found surcease from the woes of our daily lives during our weekly visits. The thought of surviving the next few months without the joy we found together makes my heart ache.

We talked last night, my friend and I. Talked about where we were, where we were going, and about what we share and how much we will both miss it. Our relationship was uncomplicated in the way lovers can be – caring and being cared for without the extra stress of day-to-day existence. We love, but are not in love. Now that he is moving on our relationship is about to get complicated as we work our way from lovers back to friends. Because we became so close over the last year our friendship is taking on a different flavor – one worth holding onto.

But it is an adjustment. One that has me sad, wistful, and grateful for the time we have spent together even as my body and heart crave more.

Last night he asked me if he’d hurt me. I didn’t think so; at least not in the way the phrase is usually meant. I hurt, but not because he hurt me. I hurt because I’ll miss that part of him terribly. We’ve known all along this was temporary. As much joy as we have together there has always been something missing. Something one of us would go off in search of one day. And he has. I sent my love and my blessing after him.

~ Licks my loves

365 Days of Writing

Welcome to 2013 – the year of writing.

Yesterday, in a fit of resolution making, I decided I would write every day for a year. I know it isn’t on par with Charla Muller’s decision to have sex with her husband every day for a year, but so it goes. No husband.

So, 364 days to go.

Today is day two – and the rules are very simple. I have to write 800 words or for 20 minutes every day. The 20 minutes is for those days when I have to focus on editing rather than putting words on the page. The two are also my default for free writes – my Write or Die is set on 800 words/20 minutes – so this is something I do often just not often enough.

It also doesn’t matter if it is journaling, blogging, or writing sex, just that I get my ass in a chair and write. 

Licks!   

Ass (firmly) Back in Chair

There is nothing like an unintentional hiatus.

I really didn’t mean to be gone so long, but the new day job ate me up and spit me out. I’ve been slowly coming up for air – nudging a few stories to see if they were still alive but mostly hiding under the blankets conserving my energies for the next day of work.

Then I got a huge dose of adrenalin.

An erotic fantasy short I wrote several months ago was accepted for publication. There are still hoops to jump so I won’t say any more until everything is signed, sealed, and a publication date on the horizon. It was the first new story I’d written with all my newly gained macro and micro story structure.

Thank you Larry Brooks and Randy Ingermansom, my wonderful critique partner and my 11^th hour editor!!!  

Of course I woke up this morning crazily motivated – and succeeded in doing more damage to my person than writing (thank god the knife was dull and slid around the tougher tissue of the vein – really didn’t think I could inflict so much bodily harm while loading the dishwasher) but the darkness is past and I’m here, ass in chair, writing.

Mostly writing thank yous to all the people who have helped me over the past several months stay sane, and making the first unsteady steps on my next project.

I truly believe – “Writers Write”

Funny the things that can get in the way of that even when you know the best thing for moving forward is simply getting your ass in the chair. I used to be good at getting my ass in my chair, but then there were health issues – I wrote through several years of them but I wasn’t writing well – then the wrong job – then the right job with a rather steep learning curve – and here we are.

Gotta get back to the new project, ass firmly back in chair.

Licks!

Emma

It's been awhile...

Hello out there...

Sometimes when I write a blog I feel like I'm sending my voice out into a dark empty cavern or deep space where "no one can hear you scream".

I went away to write a novel - and the novel swallowed me whole and spit me out a wiser woman than the one who blithely thought she knew what she was doing. I didn't. Novels are not short stories, or blog posts, and it took me awhile to figure out the structure. Thank goodness for all the resources not only at RWA and Rose City Romance Writers but though out the web (I'll confess more later).

They were great, but my learning curve was a bit of a bitch.

So I'm back - sent out my first new short story in ages to be rejected, or not. And I'm thinking about sex, stories, and sirens these days. Trying to get back into the writing/blogging/researching mode and I have no idea what will happen next - but where would be the fun if we knew.

~ Emma

NaNo - Day 16

Yep - I'm behind.

Several days behind... lovely cold I've had. One of the ones where you are so disguising that you worry your snot will cover the keyboard and you can't type because of the tissue that you are constantly holding to your nose.

I'm behind - but I'm also in love.

In my previous life I was a project manager. There are all sorts of tools out there for managing products and I am now officially in love with Scrivener. I now am the proud owner of Scrivener 2.0 and spent the morning avoiding NaNo and moving two of my projects to it.

Yesterday was the key moment - I was writing a scene that takes place in a oak forest and having trouble imagining what it would look like. So, I went and found a picture I liked - saved it to the Scrivener background, moved to full screen, and made my page translucent - it was like writing on the forest. Everything was there - the light through the trees,  the mossy ground, the gentle rise to the ancient oak tree, and suddenly the words came and I wasn't frustrated with my lack of imagination.

My hope is by playing with my new toy... sorry tool... I'll be able to catch up. Besides keeping all my research materials and text in one place.

Yep - a geek in love. Such a sad sad thing.

Licks!

NaNoWri Mo – Day 4

If you are following you know there were no stats last night… because I suck!

No, actually there was a really good reason. My brain simply told me “Not today love, I’ve got a headache”. ;-)

But today is a new day! And I can’t let my Region down –

We moved from 14^th to 11^th and I can’t help but want us make it into the top 10. Little Portland Oregon is with the likes of Melbourne, Toronto, The Twin Cities, and Chi Town. At the top is “all of Germany” (way to stack the deck guys) Seattle, Holland & Belgium (can you say stacking!), and London. We may never catch them – but it is fun to watch the stats.

I am an obsessive stats watcher –

What I need to be is an obsessive writer.

But yesterday served a purpose of it’s own. I got to watch National Geographic’s 2008 documentary on new archeological research being done around Stonehenge and read more of Ellis Davidson’s book on Northern European myths and symbols. They both gave me some intriguing ideas that will filter down into my novel….

What I really need to do now is turn off all the distractions and keep writing - because the only way to get better at it is to keep doing it. 

That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.

 Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Kind of like Sisyphus (image above) - I'm sure that boulder got easier as time went on.

Licks!

NaNoWriMo – Day 3

Not really how I expected to spend the morning…. But I suppose the bills have to be paid, the house picked up, not to mention garbage and recycling taken out... and yes phone call to the Mother. 

How incredibly mundane!

The plan today is the same – but I admit that there maybe a little wrinkle to my plan – it is absolutely gorgeous outside and I want to go out and play. 65 and sunny with a lovely brisk wind in November is amazing and not to be wasted.

Of course have Mac will travel…

Mmmm… that is a thought.  

I find it interesting that I can do the 3-Day Novel and write 10k a day and right now I’m struggling to write 3k. But then I’m not walking away from my life – rather writing and living at the same time – with all the interruptions that engenders.

Funny how life get in the way of art! Or smut!

But really, there are so many things to day to distract me, and they are things that actually need to get done. Okay, deep breath and onward…

Licks!

Day 2 Stats!!!

It was hard to finish the goals today since I’m also listening to returns… But my day is done!!!!!! Whoop!!!!!

So to the stats… 3,007 new words – 43,762 to go – 14.25% completed.

I have to say thank you to all my new friends at Rose City Romance Writers for their wonderful welcome today. I needed something good to happen and like magic they showed up and made my day.

Now back to the election returns….

Licks!

NaNoWriMo - Day 2

Started this morning with the edits I should have done last night on “The Song’s Ending” – but can’t complain since I’m almost one day up out of the starting gate.

So, Day 2 – the plan is to write until I’ve hit my 3k goal then I can run errands, get rid of the pumpkin that is growing a sparkly white beard, and clean the cat box. My poor cat! But the cause is good.

My plan is to take everything I’ve learned in the last year of writing and take it to the next level. The next level you ask? Well that is an interesting thing – what I want to do is write 5+ days week, 3k when I don’t work, 1.5k when I do (okay 1,667 for NaNoWriMo).

Not a bad idea – we’ll see if I succeed.

Oh, and once this is done I promise I’ll post more of Emma’s Erotic Sketches! Promise!!!

Licks! 

Stats - Day 1

Day 1 was a good day.

3,231 words written - 46,769 to go - 6.91% complete. 

FYI - this is novel only, not counting blogs or editing work. ;-)

Licks!

NaMoWriMo 2010

National Novel Writing Month has commenced… I know it is supposed to be all about writing a novel – but I’m working on one right now and rather than start a new one I’m going to work on finishing my rough draft.

NaMoWriMo is all about writing 50,000 words in 30 days.

Which breaks down to 1,666.666… words per day.

I probably need more that that to finish my story – but it will be a good push through to the middle – and I’m hoping to overshoot and finish it because I have two short stories that I want to write on spec for a couple of collections – they are due on the 15^th of Dec.

The day has not started out auspiciously – I received a very nice rejection and my quarterly revenue statement (which was pathetic – so if you happen to have purchased Hunting for Possibilities and have your statement I would love a copy of the statement – send to emma.greer at Comcast.net) so not a very happy note to start on.

But I didn’t start down this path thinking it was easy. Nothing worth having is easy. So, onward.

I’ll also be posting my trials and tribulations here! So you can all share the pain with me.

For those who are interested – I’ll be using Write or Die by Dr. Wicked and Scrivener by Literature and Latte. Scrivener has been a lifesaver – organizing and researching a novel is not like working on a novella and Scrivener is helping. If I publish this thing I’ll owe them both a debt of gratitude!!!

Into the Breach!

Licks!

Last Day of the 3 Quarter

And it sucks!

I had three short stories out on spec. All of which were supposed to have decision made before October 1st.

One: “The Bridge” the publisher pulled the plug on the project because…

“While many of the stories we received were incredibly well written, sexy and moving, we unfortunately didn't receive enough amazing stories to fill all seven books.”

So, “The Bridge” needs a new home, again.

Two: “The Rites”, didn’t make the cut but it was a long shot anyways. I dragged it down from a 4k story to a 3k story – which made it better in a lot of ways – nothing like severely limited word count to keep things tight – but there were many things that could have used more text to explain them. Sex and a complicated world both take time.

Three: “The Reunion” – haven’t heard yet but don’t imagine that is good… the editor on that project is usually very timely.

Hmmm… I’m starting to see a pattern in my naming conventions – but really I also have stories titled “Just His Mouth” and “3 AM” which break the mold… oh, and they need to find homes too.

This is the hard part that I don’t talk about here much. The grind that makes me doubt myself. Each of these stories was written for a specific collection on spec – and didn’t make it – then two were re-edited/written and sent out some place new where I hoped they would find a home.

Right now I’m in the process of redoing “Just His Mouth”, “3 AM”, “The Bridge” and “The Song’s Ending” all in the hope I can make them better, send them out into the world, and find homes for my orphans.

And don’t forget the novel I’m working on.

If the pain of these shorter pieces not finding homes is awful, just think how horrid the rejections on that are going to feel.

Okay, time to let the pain go… maybe do some yoga, have some breakfast, and get back to work. After all nothing worth having is easy… is it?

Licks!

Sometimes it is so hard!

I find it difficult to let go of my children.

I keep wanting to hang on for one more read thru, one more edit. Check one more word to make sure it is the right one. Play with the title one last time.

They are so vulnerable when they go off to the editors. Like delicate wisps of thought. Easily lost or misplaced.

Today I send off yet another short story into the grown up world. A slice of Hell.

I have a bit of a fascination with Hell and have a novel in the planning stages that I’ve wanted to write for several years. I just don’t feel I have the chops yet, but I’m getting them. This story is part of the path that will get me there.

Poor little thing.

Here’s hoping that it will be well received… and maybe I’ll drop one of the scenes I didn’t use into the blog… now there is a rather delicious thought!

Licks!

When Things Get Personal

Hopefully no one is actually counting blog posts.

If they are I should explain.

Something wondrous has entered my life, quietly on padded feet. Just as quietly he has turned my life upside down.

I don’t like to talk about it.

I’m afraid rather than my brutal honesty you are stuck with poetic glances that side step the truth of the situation.

The blog has fallen on hard times. I know I’ve been away a lot. It’s been difficult to keep my tone light and breezy. For several months I couldn’t write abot sex… that was awkward. Then I could but I didn’t want to as I watched my private life filter into my writing.

It used to do that all the time – I’d pull from my dates, my lovers, my relationships – but now I didn’t want to. It felt like a betrayal of a trust.

Every man I’ve dated since I started writing erotica has known what they were getting into. All were curious… Some even dated me because of it…

This was different.

I’ve met someone who took the time to know me. He didn’t assume or create an idealized image that only vaguely resembled me. He didn’t pick the parts he liked and try to change those he didn’t. He lets me be nothing more, nothing less than myself. I hope I do the same.

We aren’t perfect, my love and I, but we are honest.

That’s where I’ve been. What I’ve been up to and the journey I’ve embarked on.

If, like my friend Jeff, you are worried about me walking away from the sex – don’t! I’ve found my balance again and as we speak am working on a piece that takes place in Hell. And another about a man who equates women to flowers… he like the orchids best. I just had to push myself farther into my imagination rather than culling straight from my life. It took awhile.

I’ve also started my first full length novel. We’ll see how it goes.

For now, thank you for not deserting me, all the best!

Licks!

Countdown!

The 3-Day Novel Contest is almost upon us.

Last year was the first year I participated and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my creative life. I’m wise enough to know that this year will be different – but I still want to try. Get the house clean, the kitchen stocked, and get ready to hunker down and write for 72 hours and produce a novel.

But before I can do that… I need to finish the final draft of the new short story – pleasure, pain, torment, women in leather, and a very bad man. And get a first draft of the rewrite of The Turquoise Box – which has taken on a life of its own and is making me worried.

Oh, and research… must get research for the 3-Day Novel story…. Sigh!

11 day 9 hours 50 minutes and counting…

Licks!

Back up!

Thanks to my wonderful editor at Ravenous Romance – I am back up and Hunting for Possibilities is once again available on the site.

After the hack it took nearly three days to get the site up, and another week to stabilize it (although there are still some bumps). I’ve never been one for S&M – I admit I like my bondage lite – but I would love to get the folks responsible for this little act of vandalism into the dungeon of my mind and see just how creative I could get.

Oh, well… I’ll have to leave that as one of my fantasies since the to-do list is simply too long.

Currently still working on the story about a Djinn, a girl, and a box (sounds like the beginning of a bad joke) but just think about the possibilities of a lover made of smokeless fire.

Hmmm…

Or rather ummm…

Licks!

Still on a Reading kick…

I think research is a writer’s best procrastination tool.
At least I can’t think of anything more fun than curling up with some of my new favorite authors.

I will, however, have to expand my mythological/paranormal research beyond the realm of the internet since I just saw one of my “borrowed” characters – a demon named Raum – in someone else’s book.

Sigh, it is such a small wiki-world.

Research is a girl’s best friend, right after her vibrator, and her imagination.

I’ve been reading and reading, and I’m fascinated by the growing trend of Urban Fantasy books that are tied to a specific geography. Storm Born and Thorn Queen take place in Arizona, The Graywalker Series by Kat Richardson and the  Succubus Blues series by Richelle Mead take place in Seattle, Vicki Pettersson’s Sign of the Zodiac are in the city of sin Las Vegas and Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom stories take place in another version of my home town… Portland, Oregon.

I’ve started all the series but I haven’t caught up with all of them yet – and some are much better structured than the others (Mead’s Storm Born/Thorn Queen and Richardson’s Poltergeist are among the best plotted that I’ve read so far). What I love about them all is their use of place and the richness of their descriptions.

Oh, and the fact that there isn’t a whiny woman among them. Damaged yes, but survivors.

You gotta love that!

I should probably get back to the actual writing part of the program today. It is so tempting to curl up with the cat and a book…

Oh, and Erastes has inspired me to get my library on Goodreads… so you can find my bookshelves there but it is a work in progress.

And, since we are catching up, Ravenous Romance is back on line, however I don’t appear to exist yet but I’m hoping they will have the website back to 100% soon.

If you didn’t hear… they were maliciously hacked over the weekend. Haven’t yet heard why they were targeted but the attack was bad enough to take them down for three days. So, good thoughts out to all of them… and what I wouldn’t give for a little magic to punish the perpetrators… or maybe a nice kick though a doorway into to Hell.

Licks!

Oh, my lovelies!!!

It began as a tale of woe…

On Wednesday the 28th of July I received a quarterly statement for my story Hunting for Possibilities that I sold to Ravenous Romance back in March.

I didn’t know it had been published.

…and I’d sold a whopping 2 copies.

You can imagine my frustration and embarassment… the email had gone astray and I had no idea my poor paranormal erotic piece was sitting out there all alone.

I’ve been in sales and marketing too long to think that “if you build it they will come”.

So, I immediately posted the existence of the story on various blogs and social media tools, then wrote up a to-do list for marketing my story, and by Sunday evening – with the help of all of my friends and readers – was the #1 seller in the Fantastica category and #6 overall.

Thank you!

Thank you all!!!

But this is just the beginning. If you believe in me and love the stories I tell help keep the momentum going… nothing is as powerful as word of mouth.

I’ll have more information on publications, events, and flash fiction as they happen.

Licks!

Whoop!!!!! Hunting for Possibilities Published

Greetings lovely ones!

My first paranormal erotic short story has been published by Ravenous Romance!

Always hunting for her next fix, Ti spends her life feeding off the sexual energy of humanity, and nothing gives her a better fix than sex. Although she's sampled many different types of men, one type has always eluded her - the one who would be able to stay. While out hunting one night, her world is turned upside down when a sexy stranger provides her the feast of her life and the possibility of something more...

Escape to a world of danger and pleasure with Emma Greer's sizzling tale of succubus love and lust!

You can find the story here
 
Licks!