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!

Tipping Points

The geek in me is having a ball thinking about different tipping points to write about for Clean Sheets’ new erotica contest The Tipping Point of Lust.

But then, I just love Clean Sheets!

But tipping points… those moments when something moves from a like to a love, a want to a need, from dream to desire. What “tips”? What changes? In another post I talked about how desire doesn’t come out of nowhere – we have to see before we want.

So where is that moment?

Once I stood next to a man, watching an amazing thunderstorm that was trapped in the valley, and felt an emotional shift. We were co-workers, had been taking small steps to becoming friends, but in that moment – standing very close to each other, without touching, watching the lightning strike the city I knew. The shift had been made and we would become lovers. It was an almost tangible change in the air.

But what about smaller tips?

• The kiss that is just a whisper of what is possible that then drowns you – spiraling out from your lips and flames into lust.
• The moment when you find out your new lover has a nearly unquenchable oral fixation.
• What if your partner’s nipples are his/her tipping points? Those lovely “on” switches that when flipped can make them come.
• When the sound of his voice is all it takes to make you dripping wet.
• What about that point where we tip into orgasm. That breathless moment where sensations become unbearable and you push forward, not out of desire but out of blinding need.  

And…

I think I’ve found my story…. But there are more out there. More tipping points…events small and large that take us into new territory…what are yours?

Licks!