The Next Big Thing Blog Hop - Irresistible

I’ve been tagged by the marvelous Ava March to participate in the Next Big Thing blog hop (click HERE to check out her post). The idea is to answer 10 questions about your current WIP (work in process). There’s no giveaway or anything-it’s just a spot of fun to talk about what’s in process or coming soon. So here I go.

1. What is the working title of your book?

Irresistible

2. Where did the idea for the story come from for the book?

Just my head. I’ve been wanting to write a story about a love affair between a lord and his butler for a few years and it’s hard to write such a story as a contemporary so I went back to my first love of historicals. I’ve found my voice is generally more suited to contemporaries but I’m happy to be writing this story.

3. What is the genre of the book?

Regency-set M/M erotic romance

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters for a movie rendition?

I honestly can’t think of a single actor who would be good for Lord Christian, but this picture above has inspired me and this is what he looks like in my head. As for James Harrington, my butler and MC, I picture a more ruggedly handsome type, Hugh Jackman from Kate and Leopold or Dylan McDermott.

5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

I don’t really do these very well. So I think I will skip this question. Sorry!

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?

A publisher

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your book?

I am still working on it. I’ve probably been working on it about a month now but I often write on different stories at once.

8. What other books would you compare this to within your genre?

I try not to compare myself and my books with others.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I already answered this above for number 2

10. What else about the reader might pique the reader’s interest?

Oh heavens, I don’t know. Maybe knowing that during the day Harrington is the employee who must know his place but at night he can drive Lord Christian to nearly unbearable levels of ecstasy.   

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Not sure who else to tag. So, I will try to tag my old friend, Devon Rhodes, though I haven’t talked to her in ages!

The M/M Meme I Was Tagged For

The too kind, EH (http://erotichorizon.blogspot.com/) tagged me for this M/M Meme

Rules:

1. Answer all the questions below in either the comments here or post it on your own site. If you post it on your own site you have to come back and give the link here so I/Kris can mosey on over and see if you have a sticky beak.

2. You have to tag two other people once you’re done and pester them relentlessly until they do the meme too.

3. Instead of a meme image thing you have to post a cookie, preferably a twofer. It is an m/m meme after all. ;)

Questions:

1. How long have you been reading GLBTQ fiction? Three or so years

2. What was the first book you read in this genre? Without Reservations by J.L. Langley

3. Are you 'out' as a reader? Yes. It’s hard not to admit to reading it since I write it. That being said there are always family members and friends who are “unaware”.

4. Ebooks, print or both? 90% ebooks. Even authors I previously read in paperback if the book is available for my Kindle I read it there.

5. Do you buy direct from publishers or from secondary sellers? Usually the publisher because as I am an author myself I know the author makes more from books sold directly from the publisher.

6. Prove you're a Book Slut. How many books would you say you buy a week? I used to buy many, many more than I do, but I can’t buy that many anymore because I don’t have much time to read as I am always writing. I’d say nowadays I probably buy about 5 a month.

7. Are you a cover, blurb or excerpt buyer? I’m actually an author buyer for the most part. Once I like an author I buy all their books regardless of the cover, blurb or excerpt. If I don’t know the author, I read the blurb if the cover has attracted me. I rarely read the excerpt before buying.

8. Yeah, you read reviews, but do you actually take notice of them? I do, but I don’t let a bad review of a book prevent me from buying it especially if it is an author I enjoy or I know the things mentioned in the review won’t bother me or I am aware I never agree with that particular reviewer. Generally I make up my own mind as to whether I will buy a book and rarely let the review influence me overmuch one way or the other.

9. Who's your fave publisher? Amber Allure, of course, lol.

10. What about authors? Your top two only!! Well like everyone else I have more than two but since I like to follow rules when I can I will mention only two. Grrrr. J.L. Langley and Ally Blue

11. Is there a sub-genre you particularly dis/like? I'm not too fond of BDSM or sci-fi, but there are exceptions to even that as I love J.L. Langley’s Sci-Fi books. I prefer contemporaries but can’t really say I will refuse to read any subgenre.

12. Short or long?? *rolls eyes* And, no, I'm not talking about cocks. I like shorter length really. Both as a writer and a reader. I like to be able to read many books so a 200,000 tome makes my eyes glaze over, sorry.

13. Anything turn you off about m/m or is all just glorious smut to you? I hate anything to do with bodily fluids other than come. I have had the extreme displeasure of reading a book with details I found too gruesome to stomach. I am also not fond of fisting in books and will skip over any scene that involves it.

14. Finish this sentence. You know it's m/m twu wuv when...you’ll kiss the guy first thing in the morning even though he has morning breath. What the hell? Weird question. I think you are trying to go with M/M clichés but everything in writing has been done before and to death.

15. What trope or theme are you heartily sick of in m/m romance? Sneak ménages. I want to know if there is a ménage scene even if it’s just one time with the best friend or the guy helping you in the dressing room or whatever and not be surprised by my two in love guys getting it on with a surprise third. At least then if I know I can make up my mind whether to read it or not.

16. If you could choose any 3 characters for a m/m/m who would they be? Aiden from My Fair Captain by J. L. Langley, Keaton Reynolds from Without Reservations by J. L. Langley, and Lord Oliver from Bound by Deception by Ava March. As you can tell I like the pretty boys.

17. What new GLBTQ release are you most hanging out for right now? Can I say my own in December? No? Um, the next book by A.M. Riley. Forget its name, but that’s the one. One of my favorite authors definitely.

18. What GLBTQ book has completely blown you away this year?
The Elegant Corpse by A.M. Riley

19. What do you think we'll see more of in m/m romance in 2010? Vampires, BDSM, werewolves, historicals, and mystery/suspense.

20. Don't you agree that author Josh Lanyon should kill off arsehole character Jake Riordan? No I am waiting for the asshole (sorry I am American and it’s an ass not an arse) to redeem himself. I believe in redemption.

Tag:

Ava March - http://avamarch.blogspot.com/

Devon Rhodes - http://devonrhodes.blogspot.com/

Changing Gears On a Story

So I was reading a fellow writer's blog this morning (http://devonrhodes.blogspot.com) where she mentioned that she is changing the characters/direction of a story she had started for submission for a holiday themed story. In fact, Devon instant messaged me last night while I was on line to ask me what I thought.

Originally, she had thought to make this holiday story the romance of one of her secondary characters from her soon-to-be published story, Remarkable Restraint. But as she got into writing it and the character (Andy) she decided Andy deserved more to his story then the short little holiday romance she was writing. Ultimately, as I read in her blog today, she has decided to take Andy out of the holiday story and make it two other new characters so she can give them their cute little tale and concentrate more fully on Andy's HEA in the future.

I had a similar experience recently. When I began The Best Gift (my own holiday themed story), it was NOT a holiday themed story. Dustin and Malcolm were supposed to be the heroes in Ticket to Ride (my song-titled themed story for Amber Quill). But as I was beginning their story it simply didn't feel right for the characters. What I had happening to Malcolm was not working in my opinion.

And then, I saw the Nelson Brothers (Ricky's sons) at the airport and got an idea for Chad Storm, a singer of a formerly famous rock band, and the murder of his ex-boyfriend, and the cop, Jack, who catches the case. They seemed much better for Ticket to Ride and so I wrote their story for that title (and am getting SO close to having it finished).

But this left poor Dustin and Malcolm out in the cold. My dear CP, Ava March, liked this couple and encouraged me to come up with something new for them, not just abandon them to the trash bin, and thus The Best Gift, my holiday story, was born.

So, I am a firm believer, as writers, we should write what feels like it fits to us. I could have forced Dusty and Malcolm into Ticket to Ride but I think it would have sucked.

If something isn't working, ask yourself why. Is there something you could do to make it work? Change the story? Change the characters? Change the Point of View in the scene? Change the setting? Change your characters from a hero and heroine to a hero and a hero (like I will be soon)? Don't abandon all hope when something isn't quite working.