De-blog

Every now and then, I remember I'm supposed to let my readers old and new know what I've been up to, what's on the horizon and all that jazz. Well, this is going to be a short (but hopefully informative) post. :D (OK, not that  short. I don't really do short.) We're midway through 2019 - the first year in many (since 2013) when I haven't already written at least one novel, and I'm OK with that. I realised a couple of years back that I'd somehow ended up on the book factory line, which isn't a bad thing, as it comes from readers actively asking for more. For instance, I wrote Checking Him Out in 2014, and enough people wanted Noah and Matty's story, so I published  Taking Him On in 2015 (and Checking In because people wanted more of Sol and Adam too), and then there was Jesse and Leigh's story, The Making of Us , which I released in 2017. During those three years, I also co-wrote the Seeds of Tyrone series with Raine O'T...

This probably isn't going to be the kind of post you're expecting, and, in fact, it has relatively little to do with M/M Romance per se. Had I reached a particular point in my writing life ten years earlier, this blog post may well have been titled 'My love-hate relationship with YA Fantasy'. I can write in both genres incidentally, although perhaps not as well as other authors. I am (or I was) most comfortable writing contemporary realist fiction, so even when I'm attempting to write within other genres, the outcome is somewhat of a crossover. Contemporary fiction is broad and not that descriptive as genre titles go. Indeed, it is not really a genre at all—it doesn't even have an entry in Wikipedia! :o It is, in effect, a catchall for any fictional story set in our time and space, and which doesn't fit neatly in any other genre. Anyway, that's what I write. Wrote? I don't know. I'm still hopeful for a present participle... that...

But I have news! I submitted a story for Upstaged —the upcoming anthology from Supposed Crimes —and it was accepted! Woohoo! :) It was nerve-racking, I won’t lie. It’s the first time I’ve submitted a story anywhere since my first novel. This writing malarkey never gets any easier. I’ll post more about the anthology nearer publication time. Anyway, it’s WIPpet Wednesday. I’m allegedly writing  No Filter  for CampNaNoWriMo . I haven’t managed much writing, but it’s coming along slowly. Brief story info: No Filter  is a crossover novella of the Hiding Behind The Couch and Checking Him Out series(es), featuring Libby (and others) from HBTC, and Matty (and others) from CHO. This week’s snippet is from Libby’s point of view; it follows from last week’s snippet , where Libby was scheming. Note (and also a spoiler for anyone reading HBTC who hasn’t got as far as Season Six): Josh and George are Libby’s foster/adoptive parents. Highlight to read. WIPpet maths fo...

I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks because of workload, which hasn’t lessened any, if I’m honest. Uni work, publishing…there are not enough hours in the day/days in the week! Still, it’s WIPpet Wednesday. :) Brief story info: No Filter  is a crossover novella of the Hiding Behind The Couch and Checking Him Out series(es), featuring Libby (and others) from HBTC, and Matty (and others) from CHO. This week’s snippet is from Libby’s point of view; this is the start of chapter two (the previous snippets were from chapter one). WIPpet maths for 4th April: 4x4=16 paragraphs. And the WIPpet Snippet: Libby jiggled her leg impatiently to the FaceTime bleeps. It never took Poppy this long to pick up. In fact, Libby was quite sure if she added up all the seconds of waiting from all of their calls in the two years since they’d become friends, it wouldn’t come close to the hours she’d been waiting this time. She gave up. And called again. On and on it rang. “Come on…come...

It’s been a funny old week so far. I have so much uni work to do, and I’m…not doing any of it. But I now have four stories on the go, including this one, which I haven’t written any more of since this time last week. :/ It’ll come to me, I’m sure. On the plus side, I’ve done quite a bit of work on Tabula Rasa , which is currently 78k, but it wasn’t quite going where I hoped. I think I’ve pulled it back on track. I also ‘accidentally’ made a start on the story after Goth of Christmas Past , all because of a comment about ‘mansplaining’.  Lastly (but not leastly), I’ve written the first few pages of a story for an anthology call , although whether I can write to the remit is another matter, as I’m not good at shorties (as in, I can’t keep to the word limit). I’m giving it my best shot, though—I’ve been mulling the idea for quite some time! That story is tentatively titled Oh No She Didn’t! So, on to the WIPpet… Brief story info: No Filter  is a crossover novella of the ...

Quickly flying in to post this (a day late). I’m mid-assignment, mid-editing, mid-grading, mid-everything except writing  No Filter , but I’m still snipping from it today. Brief story info: No Filter is a crossover novella of the Hiding Behind The Couch and Checking Him Out series(es), featuring Libby (and others) from HBTC, and Matty (and others) from CHO. This week’s snippet comes a few paragraphs after last week’s, where Matty had typed an email to Libby (whom he met in Hiding Out ) and is waiting for Noah (his other half) to proofread it before he sends it. WIPpet maths for 8th March: 8 question marks. I know, it’s pants, but my brain refuses to cooperate further. And the WIPpet Snippet: “Yeah, it’s [Matty’s email] OK,” Noah said, nodding and still looking at the screen. “Who’s Libby?” Matty stopped mid-stretch, with his left foot behind his head. “You’re kidding me.” Noah peered up through his eyebrows. “Nope. Oh, wait, is she the girl who…came to…that sho...

It’s so cold here!  Well, for England, at least. It’s been snowing and everything! Brrr. Anyway, there’s my very British opening. :D I haven’t had much time for anything beyond editing for the past couple of weeks, but I did get a bit more writing done on No Filter , which is what I’m snipping from today. Brief story info: No Filter is a crossover novella of the Hiding Behind The Couch and Checking Him Out series(es), featuring Libby (and others) from HBTC, and Matty (and others) from CHO. This week’s snippet continues from last week’s, where Matty had typed an email to Libby (whom he met in Hiding Out ) and is waiting for Noah (his other half) to proofread it before he sends it. WIPpet maths for 28th February: 2 paragraphs for this last day of the second month (not very complex, I know). And the WIPpet Snippet: They’d done the whole ‘don’t be a stranger’ thing and made promises to write or call, and Matty had thought about doing it lots of times, but between thi...

Another crazy-busy week, but not in a bad way. :) It does mean I missed my Monday blog post yet again, although the way I’ve been ranting, it’s probably for the best. Anyway, I’ve finally re-opened No Filter today, and the first thing I did was change it from first- to third-person. Why? Well, a couple of days ago, I put up a FB status about omniscient narration, which a few people responded to (including some, erm, helpful explanations of what omniscient narration is and is not). I’m OK with any kind of narration—even head-hopping—if it suits the story. But readers generally have their favourites, and there will always be someone who isn’t happy with how the story is told. Well, they can always write their own story if they so wish. Thanks to Bonita for reminding me that, in the end, “we need to satisfy that voice inside that tells us our choice is the right one!” So, third-person it is. :) Brief story info: No Filter is a crossover novella of the Hiding Behind The Couc...

I haven’t posted to  Rainbow Snippets  in such a long time—busy life, in short—but I decided to join in today to celebrate Trans Awareness Week. I’ll be honest: there are very few trans characters in my stories, and for no good reason, but I’ve become aware of it over the past couple of years, and I’m working on changing that. :) Anyway, here’s a snippet from The Making of Us featuring Jazz—one of the officers of (MC) Jesse’s university’s LGBT+ society. * * * * * Most of the members identified as gay or lesbian; there were a couple of trans students—Jazz being the only one I knew well, because we’d been at Weight Watchers together the previous year. I’d lost six kilos, and I was pretty sure I’d put them all back on again in a matter of weeks. Jazz had lost around twenty kilos and kept the weight off, and she looked amazing. Well, she’d looked amazing before, but now, she was more confident and less self-conscious, and she got to wear clothes that accentuated her cur...

Another Snippet from No Filter - a  Checking Him Out / Hiding Behind The Couch crossover (the first being Hiding Out ), featuring Matty (CHO) and Libby (HBTC). Brief background: Libby and Matty first met in  Hiding Out , when Libby was fifteen and Matty was an undergrad dance student. No Filter   is a year later; it’s a very early work in progress, and it’s a friendship story, not a romance. This snippet is from Matty’s point of view. Noah is Matty’s SO. “Pew.” “Huh?” “Pew, pew!” Noah peered over the top of my phone and held up his apple. “Want me to put it on top of my head?” I grinned. “Yeah. I can boomerang it.” I turned the banana side on and got ready to launch. “Maybe not.” Taking a huge bite out of the apple, Noah went back to reading off my phone. * * * * * Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sen...

I've just finished re-reading The WAG and The Scoundrel (Gray Fisher #1) in preparation for writing Tabula Rasa (Gray Fisher #2) - or, at least, making a good start on it - during July's CampNaNoWriMo . It led to a startling discovery (which I mentioned in my RainbowSnippets post on Saturday ): I'd accidentally situated characters from two different stories in different series in the same place at exactly the same time! Eek! On one level, that's rather fun, particularly as the location in question is a close approximation to Watergate Bay in Cornwall (pictured, with Newquay in the distance), which is quite possibly my favourite place to be. I say 'possibly' because I'm no longer sure if it's the real version or my fictional one that I love most - a point I'll come back to shortly. So, my first response was 'how cool!' and it gave me lots to ponder. Would the characters have noticed each other? What would have happened if they had?...

Snippet #2 from No Filter - another Checking Him Out / Hiding Behind The Couch crossover (the first being Hiding Out ), featuring Matty (CHO) and Libby (HBTC). I should say deliberate  cross-over, as today, I realised I’d accidentally (or maybe not?) put characters from both series in exactly the same place at the same time—even though they live 250 miles apart—although they don’t interact. I wonder if they even noticed each other? Hmm. (For those who are curious, it was in  The WAG and The Scoundrel and The Making Of Us ) Brief background: Libby and Matty first met in  Hiding Out , when Libby was fifteen and Matty was an undergrad dance student. No Filter   is a year later; it’s a very early work in progress, and it’s a friendship story, not a romance. Now I’ve figured out where it fits in the timeline of both series, I sort of know what I’m doing. Possibly. This snippet is from Matty’s point of view. Noah is Matty’s SO. “Did you want me?” A ba...

Brief explanation: I’ve switched back to snipping from The Making Of Us for a couple of weeks, as the book is out on Tuesday June 20th. :) Preorder Links: Beaten Track [Paperback] • Beaten Track [eBook] • Amazon [Kindle Edition] • Smashwords [eBook] • Barnes and Noble [eBook] • Kobo [eBook] You can read previous snippets  here . The Making Of Us  is first-person, told from Jesse’s perspective. ‘Sarah’ (referred to in this snippet) is the uni LGBT+ society president. I’ve edited to keep it free of major spoilers. Here’s the snippet: “That’s what I meant before,” Leigh said. “You’re not what Sarah thinks queer looks like.” “That’s ridiculous.” I meant Sarah’s attitude, not what Leigh was saying, because now they’d spelled it out for me, I could see for myself. “I’m too introverted for this,” I joked. Kind of joked. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life sharing personal information with strangers who didn’t need to know. “Yep.” Leigh turned...

The Making Of Us (Checking Him Out #4) June 20, 2017 Available to preorder - http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/themakingofus Beaten Track [Paperback] Beaten Track [eBook - various formats] Amazon [Kindle Edition] Smashwords [eBook - various formats] Barnes and Noble [eBook] Kobo

Brief explanation: I’m switching back to snipping from The Making Of Us for a couple of weeks, as the book is out on June 20th. :) Preorder Links: Beaten Track [Paperback] • Beaten Track [eBook] • Amazon [Kindle Edition] • Smashwords [eBook] • Barnes and Noble [eBook] • Kobo [eBook] You can read previous snippets  here . The cover’s also changed slightly since I last snipped. The Making Of Us  is first-person, told from Jesse’s perspective. In this scene, Jesse is sitting with Leigh on Leigh’s bed, and they’re having a deep conversation about Leigh’s family. Jesse’s ‘dream come true’ is in this snippet, which I posted a while back . Here’s the snippet: “My feet probably stink. Sorry.” I leaned down and sniffed the one closest to me. “They don’t,” I assured them, as what I’d dreamed of—was it only three weeks ago?—became reality without me really thinking about what I was doing. “That feels nice.” Leigh sighed and smiled, looking a bit dopey. ...

The Making Of Us (Checking Him Out #4) June 20, 2017 Available to preorder - http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/themakingofus Beaten Track [Paperback] Beaten Track [eBook - various formats] Amazon [Kindle Edition] Smashwords [eBook - various formats] Barnes and Noble [eBook] Kobo

The Making Of Us (Checking Him Out #4) June 20, 2017 Available to preorder - http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/themakingofus Beaten Track [Paperback] Beaten Track [eBook - various formats] Amazon [Kindle Edition] Smashwords [eBook - various formats] Barnes and Noble [eBook] Kobo

The Making Of Us (Checking Him Out #4) June 20, 2017 Available to preorder - http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/themakingofus Beaten Track [Paperback] Beaten Track [eBook - various formats] Amazon [Kindle Edition] Smashwords [eBook - various formats] Barnes and Noble [eBook] Kobo

I’m not supposed to be writing this, but some characters are very chatty! In fact, I wasn’t supposed to be writing (or working) at all today, but, erm, I already made a cover. :D So, here it is: snippet #1 from No Filter - another Checking Him Out / Hiding Behind The Couch crossover (the first being Hiding Out ), featuring Matty (CHO) and Libby (HBTC). Brief background: Libby and Matty first met in  Hiding Out , when Libby was fifteen and Matty was an undergrad dance student. No Filter   is a year later, and it’s a friendship story, not a romance. Now I’ve got to figure out where in the timeline of both series this falls… This snippet is from Matty’s point of view. I couldn’t believe I’d left it so long to get in touch, but we all do it—say stuff like ‘don’t be a stranger’ and make all these promises to write or call. But time flies by, and before you know it, it’s been too long, and you think ‘I must email whoever later’ and then forget about it again. O...

Brief explanation: The Making Of Us  is available to preorder! It’s currently with my editor. :) Preorder Links: Beaten Track [Paperback] • Beaten Track [eBook] • Amazon [Kindle Edition] • Smashwords [eBook] • Barnes and Noble [eBook] • Kobo [eBook] You can read previous snippets others here . The Making Of Us  is the fourth book in the Checking Him Out series , but it’s a stand-alone story about friendship, love and romance—LGBTQIA, with the emphasis on the B, Q and I. The main characters are Jesse and Leigh, who first appeared in Taking Him On (Book Two), which is Noah and Matty’s story. The Making Of Us  is first-person, told from Jesse’s perspective. Here’s the snippet: I wasn’t in the least surprised—if they hadn’t moved first, I would have—when Leigh cupped the back of my neck and pulled me down into a long, deep kiss that rapidly reached fever heat. The soft stretchy fabric of their top bunched beneath my palms as I smoothed their...