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Cheyenne Blue: Editing the Amateur Anthology
Sunday, June 29th, 2014

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to get the job of editing an anthology of local writing.  I was living in Ireland at the time, and the town where I lived received a modest grant from the Arts Council to fund the project.  It was simultaneously one of the most enjoyable and frustrating times in my writing career.

This was local writing in the rawest sense.  People turned in memoir, short stories, poems, and excerpts from longer works.  The standard ranged from extremely good professional writers, down to the wanna-bes who churned out a story over their morning porridge.  The contributors’ ages ranged from 93 down to 7.

Then there was the politics.  There were certain people I had to include: the lady who wrote the obituaries for the local paper, the librarian’s kids, a publican from one of the 28 pubs in town who wrote a long and vitriolic rant about people chucking up their black pints on his carpet.

People submitted their work, and I chose… Well, some I chose were the best, some were written by local characters that were expected to contribute, some were badly written memoirs, but they told a valuable story of local life.  Just when I’d finally got it sorted (or so I thought), people wandered up to me in the street, or in the pub and slip a tatty piece of paper covered in illegible writing into my hand. “For the local book,” they’d say.  One lady rang me to dictate her story over the phone for me to type.

The editing part was as much tact as bluntness, as much smoke and mirrors as substance—seeing what I could change that would never be noticed.  I soon learned that, for the most part, people didn’t want or care about edits. “Ah, sure, I didn’t bother reading it back; that’s what you’re here for.”

There were a few arguments, a few noses out of joint, and a few overrides of my choices by the bigwigs in the Arts Council, all for political reasons.  But there were a few who did seem to care very much, and they were as delightful to work with, as keen and enthusiastic as any professional.

The book was a quiet success.  We sold hundreds at the launch in a local pub which was attended by half the town.  People bought the book as Christmas presents, for their granny, for all their relatives, “for posterity”.  And everyone thanked me, everyone bought me a pint of Guinness, so that I had pints to call on for weeks afterward.

It was a great experience.  It was editing, of course it was, but it was also PR, HR, politicking, child care, elder care, social work, public speaking, stenography, computer repair, IT help desk, alcoholic, and cook.

Right now, I’m in the throes of editing my second anthology.  After 14 years as an erotica writer, and a contributory to anthologies, I’ve finally bitten the bullet.  “Forbidden Fruit: stories of unwise lesbian desire” will be published by Ladylit in late August.   I can’t wait!

As for the editing experience—well it couldn’t be further removed from the local writing experience.  There are 17 wonderful stories in “Forbidden Fruit”, written by professionals and a couple of extremely talented new writers.  It’s a great experience, being trusted with another’s story, and when the story is an excellent piece of writing to start with, editing is what it should be: a fine-tune, one that maintains the author’s voice and the story they want to tell.

Look out for “Forbidden Fruit: stories of unwise lesbian desire” at the end of August  2014.  It’s going to be a cracker!

None of the contributors to “Forbidden Fruit” asked me to watch their kids while they nipped around to Maeve’s to use the printer.  That’s a good thing.  But hey… none of them have bought me a pint of Guinness either!

Cheyenne Blue’s erotica has appeared in over 90 anthologies including Best Women’s Erotica, Cowboy Lust, Best Lesbian Romance, Lesbian Lust, and Frenzy:60 Stories of Sudden Sex. She lives and writes by the beach in Queensland, Australia. Visit her website at http://www.cheyenneblue.com

Call for Submissions: In Vikings’ Arms
Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

Update! New Deadline!

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In Vikings’ Arms (tentative title)
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Publisher: Cleis Press
Deadline: July 15, 2014 August 10, 2014
For publication in 2015.

IN VIKINGS’ ARMS is open to all authors.

Editor/Author Delilah Devlin is looking for historically-themed stories—centered around the Northmen—for a romantic erotica anthology tentatively entitled IN VIKINGS’ ARMS: Erotic Romance for Women.

Let your fantasies run wild to a time when men wearing bear shirts and conical helms captured fierce maiden’s hearts! Don’t feel you have to restrict your imaginings to any particular era or region—dream about the Rus who served in the Byzantine Varangian Guard; the Northmen bent on plunder for wealth and slaves; Vikings who traded with civilizations as far-flung as Persia; and those intrepid men who settled northern Europe (remember, they founded the city of Dublin!), Iceland, Greenland, and even North America. A few time-travel stories may be considered. And light paranormal is also acceptable.

Delilah will be looking for stories rich in sensory detail that explore women’s forbidden desires. For example, a Viking enters a British keep seeking gold and a comely slave. The lady’s journey might lead her on a rough sea voyage in a longboat to a cold foreign land. He’s expecting a servant; she’s determined to make the best of her plight, and despite his fierce appearance and rough ways, she seduces him… Imagine what happens next…

IN VIKINGS’ ARMS will seek stories to satisfy the reader who craves the romantic idea of that hard but questing man while exploring stories set in the Dark Ages. Traditional themes/tropes can be used, but writers are encouraged to create tales that surprise. Delilah seeks unique stories from authors with strong voices, and above all, she’s looking to be seduced by tales filled with vivid imagery and passion.

Published authors with an established historical world may use that setting for their original short story.

Keeping in mind that this volume is targeted at women, the editor seeks mainly hetero stories, but will consider bisexual or lesbian encounters and polyamorous relationships. This is erotic romance, so don’t hold back on the heat. Stories can be vanilla or filled with kink, but don’t miss describing the connection between strong-willed individuals learning to trust and love one another. Keep in mind there must be a romantic element with a happy-for-now or happy-ever-after ending. Strong plots, engaging characters, and unique twists are the ultimate goal. Please no reprints. These must be original stories.

How to submit: Prepare your 2,500 to 5,000 words story in a double-spaced, Arial, 12 point, black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, NOT.docx) OR rich text format. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) is required.

In your document at the top left of the page, include your legal name (and pseudonym, if applicable), mailing address, and 50 words or less bio in the third person, and send to invikingsarms@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Authors may submit up to 2 stories. Delilah hopes to respond with decisions in November 2014. The publisher has final approval over the stories included in the manuscript.

Payment will be $50.00 USD and two copies of the published book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their work, although the editor requests the courtesy of authors not republishing their work until at least 6 months after the publication of this anthology.

Ms. Devlin has published over a hundred twenty stories in multiple sub-genres and lengths with Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Grand Central, Kensington, Kindle, Montlake Romance, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing. In Fall 2011, she debuted her first anthology with Cleis Press, GIRLS WHO BITE. Since then, she published SHE SHIFTERS, COWBOY LUST, SMOKIN’ HOT FIREFIGHTERS, HIGH OCTANE HEROES, and COWBOY HEAT. HOT HIGHLANDERS AND WILD KNIGHTS releases in Fall 2014.

Direct any questions you have regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at invikingsarms@gmail.com.

Elle James: The Melting Pot of Writing (Contest)
Thursday, May 1st, 2014

The joy of being a writer is having the flexibility to write those things that you enjoy writing. I love to write cowboys, cops, military heroes, comedies, suspense and paranormal romances. As a reader, I love to read all of these genres and hope that other readers will follow me no matter what genre I write. It’s exciting to wake up into a new world every day. And isn’t that why we read? To escape into another world, to be someone else and to overcome someone else’s obstacles and find love if even for a moment?

I love writing paranormals because I can make up the rules of my world and the magic that happens within it. I especially love a magical family whose members come together to help each other out. Each of the sisters have their own power relative to their position on the pentagram. Deme’s is the power of earth. She can shake it, grow it and manipulate plants. Her lover Cal is mortal, but an alpha hero willing to go up against any paranormal entity to protect the one he loves.

I started my witch series bringing all five of the sisters together in Chicago in THE WITCH’S INITIATION. They came to find one of their sisters who had disappeared. The first book was Deme Chattox’s story. The subsequent Nocturne Cravings have been Deme and Cal’s continued forays into policing the paranormals in Chicago. THE WITCH’S DESIRE takes them from Chicago to New York City. I chose to take them to NYC because I built that city as a den of paranormal activity and creatures in my demon series out with Nocturne Cravings. They even bump into some of the characters from that series.

As an author and a reader, I like to revisit characters from previous books. It makes them more of a community and, after all, we grow to love these characters as we read them and become part of their lives.

Do you like to revisit characters from previous books? Are you okay with two series colliding?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a download of TARZAN & JANINE,
a book coauthored by Elle James and Delilah Devlin!

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THE WITCH’S DESIRE
Harlequin Nocturne Cravings
The third book in Elle James’s Witch series
by Elle James aka Myla Jackson
Amazon | Nook | Kobo

Demons, darkness and desire…

The only time Demi Chattox, a witch, gets to see her lover, special agent Cal Black, is when they’re chasing down demons. When they’re tasked with escorting a VIP—a Very Important Paranormal—to a summit meeting in New York, it seems like the perfect assignment. A few days away from the job…in a Manhattan hotel…just the two of them…

But there’s a storm ravaging New York, and a vampire who doesn’t want this particular VIP to make it to the summit. As Demi and Cal race to complete their assignment, they’re driven by their sense of duty—and by their desperate need to find some time alone.

Elle James’s Bio: Elle James spent twenty years livin’ and lovin’ in South Texas, ranching horses, cattle, goats, ostriches and emus. A former IT professional, Elle is proud to be writing full-time, penning intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edge of their seats. She has 39 works with Harlequin, self published works under pen name Elle James, over 40 works with other publishers including Samhain, Elloras’ Cave, Kensington and Avon and 18 works self-published under pen name Myla Jackson. Now living in northwest Arkansas, she isn’t wrangling cattle, she’s wrangling her muses, a malti-poo and yorkie. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

Social Media:

ELLE JAMES Website| Blog| Facebook| Twitter | GoodReads

Cheyenne Blue — Writing on the Move: Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Sunday, April 27th, 2014

For the last three weeks, I’ve had to do something I haven’t done in years.  Five days a week, I sit on a commuter train for two hours in each direction, heading down from Rural Paradise to Big Dirty City. Two hours each way. Plus driving to the station time, parking the car time, running under the underpass time, running back under the underpass because I realize I left the lights on time. Friends are rather horrified at how long my day has become.  Certainly there are downsides.  The local pizza shop has done rather too well out of us.  I’ve forgotten what the house looks like in daylight.  It’s costing a stonking lot of money in train fares.

But, there are upsides, the biggest of which is writing time.

My favorite place to write has always been when I’m moving.  Planes are the best.  Nifty little fold down desk in front of you, inspirational view, and someone coming by every hour offering free drinks.

Trains come a close second though.  No desk, unfortunately no drinks unless I sneak a cup of coffee on with me, and the free wifi only lasts long enough to scroll through my emails and see that access to my website is still banned under Queensland Rail’s T&C “no adult websites”.

I’m rather amazed at how productive I can be.  On my 2 hour journey, I generally get a solid 1.5 hours of writing time each way before the train gets too crowded, and I can’t type comfortably.  That’s 3 hours uninterrupted writing time a day.  Or about 5000 words on a good day, when I’ve planned out my work.

I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot more than I used to get written a day.

Right now, I’m working on a story for my own current call for submissions: a lesbian erotica collection with the theme of “Forbidden Fruit”.  You can see the CFS at http://www.cheyenneblue.com/#/archives/556 (Writers! Wander over, take a look! I’d love for you to submit!).  I’ve finished and submitted another couple of stories, written blog posts (including this one), I’m working on a novella, which for me is a shift, as for the last 14 years I’ve written short stories.

You can see some of my recent work in these anthologies:

“Perk of the Job” in XOXO Sweet and Sexy Romance edited by Kristina Wright (Cleis Press). A hotly romantic story of a veterinary nurse and her Staffy dog, both of whom have a crush on Mel’s boss. Written on a plane between Denver and Montreal.

“Cowboy Downtime” in “Cowboy Heat” edited by Delilah Devlin (Cleis Press) – Cowboys relax at a polocrosse game in the Australian outback.  He plays defence; she plays attack.  Who will come out the winner?  Written in the car on the Bruce Highway, Queensland.

“My Name is Bond” My upcoming story in “Bossy” edited by Harper Bliss:  A radiologist plays doctor to the real doctor at a radiology clinic.  This hot and loving story was written on Queensland Rail.

And of course, there’s this endless source of entertainment when writing on the train:

Laptop: $450

Commuter pass: $120

The look on the face of the woman next to me as I write “He buried his face in her wet $&*#*!!!*”

Thank you, Delilah, for kindly hosting me on your blog.

Cheyenne Blue has been peddling her erotic short stories for the last 14 years and has over 90 short stories in various anthologies.  See her work in “Best Women’s Erotica”, “Best Lesbian Erotica”, “Cowboy Heat”, “Cowboy Lust” and many many more.  She lives by the beach in Queensland Australia, and writes on planes, trains and automobiles.

 

Cheyenne Blue

________________________

Erotica by Cheyenne Blue
http://www.cheyenneblue.com
Twitter: @iamcheyenneblue
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3338016.Cheyenne_Blue

Ready for NaNoWriMo?
Tuesday, October 29th, 2013

2013-Participant-Facebook-Cover

I can’t believe it’s almost November! Where did the year go? And all you writers out there know what November is, right? It’s National Novel Writing Month!

According to NaNoWriMo’s website: “National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel. Here’s a little more about how it all works.

I love the annual challenge. When I’m dragging my feet about writing those darn words, and letting my confidence sag at the thought of writing a long story, I remind myself about what I learn every year in NaNoWriMo—50,000 words a month is doable. I like breaking it down by day: 50,000 words in 30 days is just 1667 words a day. That doesn’t sound so insurmountable now, right?

I’ve already updated my NaNo page. Yes, if you join the NaNo challenge, you set up a page on their website. I love seeing the NaNo-meter increase every day. And I love seeing my friends’ progress too! If you’re thinking of joining the challenge, be sure to add me. My NaNo name is DelilahDevlin.

Are you joining the challenge? If so, let me know your NaNo name!

Call for Submissions: Hot Highlanders and Wild Knights–Extended!
Thursday, October 24th, 2013

Hot Highlanders and Wild Knights
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Publisher: Cleis Press
Deadline: June 14, 2013 December 31, 2013

HOT HIGHLANDERS AND WILD KNIGHTS is open to all authors.

Editor/Author Delilah Devlin is looking for historically-themed stories—of knights and men in kilts—for a romantic erotica anthology tentatively entitled HOT HIGHLANDERS AND WILD KNIGHTS: Erotic Romance for Women. Read the rest of this entry »

Lynn Crain: Using Your Hometown As Setting
Monday, September 23rd, 2013

Using Your Hometown As Setting

First, a big thank you to Delilah for having me here. I’m Lynn Crain and I love to talk about my hometown. Both of them.

I’m sure that has you curious but first a little background. My home is a small town in southern Nevada. It’s one of those artsy places that gets really hot in the summer. I’ve lived there since I was a kid and never thought I’d leave for any reason. Sure, I’d been begging my husband for years to take me to a place that had seasons. I was tired of just having two: hot and cold. I kid you not. There is very little time where the climate is beautiful where I live.

There are very hot southwest summers where temperature soars to over a hundred on any given day. In the winter the wind can chill you to your bones. It seems that there is a month where spring and fall should be when it’s absolutely beautiful but not much more than that. Yet in the winter it is a mecca for older folks who no longer like living in harsher climates.

Yet, it is a wonderful place to set a series. And I have but it’s on a back burner for the moment. Why? Because in May of 2011, I got my wish to move somewhere that has four seasons. Count them. Spring, summer, fall and winter. There’s snow on the ground at least some of the time. The place gets barren and I get to see the spring bringing forth life after the cold winter. The summer has rain and while it is hot, it’s a different hot. Fall is a congruence of color that I can watch outside my window. What girl could ask for more? It was what I wished for…right?

Well, sort of, as I really wanted to stay closer to home. We moved to the interesting city of Vienna, Austria. The move was hard on me to say the least. I had to get used to a different language, a different lifestyle and living in a flat. I had to get used to a husband who traveled a lot and being alone a lot.

At first, I sulked. I didn’t like it here and I would tell anyone who would listen. The people are stoic and sometimes rude here. I got a dog and people started noticing me suddenly. There was weirdness all around and I was flustered and frustrated by my new life. So I did what any red-blooded American writer would do…I started a series about my new hometown…as a way of self-preservation. I figured if I learned more about my new home, it would become easier to live here. And it has in many ways.

Still, there are some rules when using your own hometown as a place to set a novel or even a series. Here are a few guidelines to help you on your way:

Decide if you’re writing a stand-alone novel or a series of books.

This will help you in planning your strategy for plotting and writing. If it’s a stand-alone book, there’s usually no problem as you continue to work it like you would any other story. With a series, especially in romance, you need to have something that links them be it characters or place. In my case, I’ve chosen Vienna as the basis for a short series of romance books. Romance books are unique as far as series goes as they don’t necessarily follow the same characters throughout the series. Usually, the next book is about a new couple. Again, that couple or situation or setting needs to be linked to the first book in the series in a manner that will be repeated through the entire series. Also, decide on the series title if you can at this stage. Most of the time, I know what the series will be called before I finish the first book. The series set in Nevada is called the Nevada Night series whereas the books set here in Vienna are all part of the A Taste of Vienna series because all of them take place in or very close to the city.

One thing to note, science fiction and fantasy series are usually about the same characters with the addition of new characters to make the story fresh. Many involve a quest or a search for something that the characters need or want to make life pleasant. Many are called to the quest not because they want to be but because of circumstance. This is what makes these genres very different from romance as far as series goes.

Do your research even though you know about the place you live in.

There is nothing I hate worse than to see a series set in Las Vegas where they get nothing right. I’ve lived in that area for over 40 years and some things remain the same after all this time. If you are going to use real places and real historical people, make sure you get them correct. I remember reading a book about Vegas where the person was describing the Strip and they had every hotel on the wrong side of the road. I did this for Vienna as well. I did a lot of historical research and current research into customs, how people live and what they do. Yet, I wrote the first story from the perspective of an American experiencing it for the first time. Why? I wanted to get that awe and wonder factor in my character. Sure, some of it is opinion but a lot of it was based upon actual experiences from the first year of living in the city. I used the Christkindlemarkts and the Adventmarkts because they were some of the things I love about the city during the holiday season. I collaborated with native Austrians to get the feel and the setting right. There will always be something you don’t know about where you live. It’s those obscure little facts that readers love. Use them to your advantage.

Define your characters.

Whether doing a single book or a series, whether using your hometown as a setting or not, you have to know your characters. When I wrote the series about southern Nevada, I wrote about what I knew and have a very unique character. She is an off-road racer in a field dominated by men. I could do this because I had a brother and a son who were well-known in their class of off-road racing. They were willing to let me in on secrets and other aspects of racing that only insiders knew.

When I started my series in Vienna, I knew the setup was completely different. I knew I wanted at least one of the main characters in each book to be American, the others were up for grabs. In the first book, A Viennese Christmas, they are both Americans who work for the UN. In the second book, to be released in November, the heroine is American and the hero is Greek. This city has a plethora of foreigners who live and work here. I have to do my research very carefully because I don’t necessarily have an insider’s view but again, I have an American view of someone living here.

Find inspiration.

Sure, sometimes it’s hard to find inspiration if you’ve been in the same town for 40 years. But take a good look at where you live. Does it give off the small town vibe? Mine does. It’s a small town who touts the fact that gambling is illegal inside its city limits. Only town in Nevada to have that moniker. That in itself makes my hometown unique. It also has a renaissance faire, an art show called Art in the Park that has an estimated 50k a year visiting, is the town that built Hoover Dam and a host of other interesting tidbits. All this in a town of only fifteen thousand people.

In Vienna, all I have to do is to look out my office window and think about how it was here a couple hundred years ago. This place oozes history from Roman times to today. I love going to Carnuntum, the site of a Roman gladiator school to rival Rome. I love going to the palaces and the museums and all the other places close to this city of nearly two million. Yet, things happen here that don’t happen elsewhere in the world. It’s a UN city with lots of dignitaries running around, it’s a city known for music, has a palace to rival Versailles and has taken a pact of neutrality. It is prime fodder for a series, be it mine or someone else’s, but I plan on giving it a shot.

Brainstorm with your critique group or writing partner or even good friends.

Once you have some of the basics down like setting and characters, do some plot planning before you start to write. This is easiest done in a brainstorming session with your writing buddies or whoever supports you while you write. I usually put the basics down and maybe a chapter or two then present it to my group and ask if they think this will even work. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes a maybe and sometimes a no way. I get honest and great feedback from my group, which allows me to make a decision and move forward, no matter what the decision. After all, a writer needs to write.

Start writing.

This is above and beyond the general proposal mentioned in number six. This is where you plant your butt to the chair and put in the time to get out a good story. I say good because it’s rare that someone will have an excellent first draft. The idea is to get it down on paper, or in most of our cases, on-screen and then start the finessing part of making it great. I agree 100% with Nora Roberts when she says, and this is me paraphrasing it, to get your story down on paper first and worry about the rest later.

Submission.

Once your book is complete and you’ve dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s, check it one more time to make sure your setting is as correct as possible. Again, readers will let you know if something doesn’t sound right or if they know it to be absolutely wrong.

Whether this book is for submission to a traditional publishers, large or small, or even if you’re going to self-publish, you want it to be the best it can be. Either way, you will have one more chance to verify facts and again, do so just to be sure. It never hurts.

Then start writing that next book because the faster you get the next one out, the better.

Those are my basic guidelines for using your hometown as the setting for your next novel. Hopefully, I’ve helped some of you…and don’t hesitate to email if you have any questions…good luck with your story!

Lynn

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A Viennese Christmas

A Taste of Vienna Book 1

Amanda Kranz, alone in Vienna, Austria at Christmas, meets sexy, historian Henry Jager, who convinces her true love is real and within her grasp. Read the rest of this entry »