the food porn chronicles

Oh, Lee, you sexy, sexy beast.

Currently working on the sequel to See Right Through. Remember Lee, Sam and Devin's tall, athletic neighbor? No? Read the novella. It's free.

So, yeah. Working on the story now. Have finally figured out how most of it's going to happen, and I'm making a concerted effort to get it finished soonish. But there's an issue.

Bacon. Strawberry cream frosting. Peach eclairs. Chocolate ganache cupcakes. Chipotle chocolate crisps. In other words: Food porn.

In the (as of now, unnamed) sequel, Lee starts a new job at a bakery. It's a food porn romance. Just planning what my characters do at work makes me stop what I'm doing to search online for recipes and then I get lost updating my own recipe collection. Like this morning, I just thought, hm, for breakfast (for his love interest) Lee will be making bacon cinnamon rolls (or cinnamon roll pancakes with applewood smoked bacon on the side), fluffly scrambled eggs and strawberry-pomegranate tea.

This guy has to fall in love with him. I think I'm in love with him. And I realize writing this story is going to constantly make me hungry. Especially for sweets. How did I get myself into this? Now I'm wondering if I should include recipes in the book. Pictures. That would require lots and lots of testing. Help?!

Title suggestions (and recipes) are welcome.

friends and inspiration

I think as far back as my first attempt at novel writing (age 14, 1996 for those keeping track), I've always used my friends for inspiration for my characters and the situations in my books. That first book had some teen pregnancy, back stabbing, two week relationships, violence, kidnapping, secret videotaping, you know, because high school was boring that way. (Hey, at least 60 percent of that story was fiction.) Now, I've gotten a lot more subtle about writing people I know and things I've seen and heard into my stories. (Yes, I said I'm subtle. Don't let anyone tell you different.;-) )

The second book in my Savannah series is coming along well. It's a lot different than I expected it to be. Longer, for one thing. After I finished See Right Through in June, I thought the sequel would be done by August and I'd be well on my way to finishing the third story by now. Well, Derrick, one of my main characters, has a lot more to say to me than I'd anticipated. Apparently, he didn't feel my plans for a novella length story were doing him justice. Especially since he's quite slowly working his way towards the fun and sexy Lee, who featured prominently as one of Sam's friends in the first story. Let's see, See Right Through was a shade over 24,000 words. So far, the sequel is a little over 35,000 words and I think it'll reach 60-70,000 when it's done. It's been a while since I've written something that length (Hooked was 50,000 words), but I'm excited about the story I'm telling.

This story is different for me partly because I'm telling the people I've based the characters on that I'm writing about them. For some, their influence will be obvious to anyone who knows them, for others, the references are more subtle and something only they would notice. One of the people I'm using as inspiration for Lee is Cody.

Cute, right? I did create the basics of the character before I got to know Cody, but as I learn more about him, the more I realize he is quite like the way I'm developing Lee in the story. Now, he has nothing to worry about. I'm not actually planning to put his life story in my book. But he shares some great similarities with my character and I'm looking forward to drawing on that more. Plus (and here's the exciting part) if I'm lucky, Cody will agree to be on the cover for the sequel. Granted, I'm still trying to talk him into it, but I'm hoping he'll grant me the honor of agreeing once he sees the final picture.

first look at Taking Advantage

It's been a little while since I've posted a work in progress quote, but today seems as good a time as any. This one is from Taking Advantage. This excerpt's a little lengthier than some of my other WIP excerpts, but I've got the first chapter finished, so why not? Leave a comment if you're feeling inspired.

Sam James pulled his black Lexus into the first empty space he saw and killed the engine. He slouched down in the soft leather seat and stared straight ahead at the brick wall. The night was fucked. He didn't have to check the incessant beep from the cell phone in his pocket to know his plans were blown. But he had to know why Chris was blowing him off for the third time in a week. Flipping open his phone, he dialed into his voicemail and sighed as the automated voice recited the date and time of the call. He frowned as Chris's breathless voice filled his ear.

“Hey, Sam, I'm so sorry, but I don't think I can make it tonight. I'm kind of in the middle of something.” There was a long pause, then muffled words before Chris continued. “Yeah, I just really can't tonight. But if you want to maybe do something really late, I might be up for dinner. Call me at this line.” Sam lost track of the garble of numbers his friend spat out before the voicemail cut him off. He thought about playing the message back, but he knew the gist without hearing it a second time.

In the middle of something. Chris had met someone somewhere between the front door of his corner apartment and the twenty minute drive to Prism. He was in the middle of his new friend, getting to know him in the biblical sense.

I might be up for dinner. Can't sleep over, but I intend to make the most of tonight. Will be hungry later from all of the energy expended.

The rest of the call may as well be sorry my personal life's more exciting than yours, better luck next time, getting me to spare you a few minutes.

It was just as well. Chris Tanner spent half his time being too involved in his myriad projects to even give a call back and the other half rescheduling his constant flow of admirers. Sam knew if he had convinced him to hang out, they would've spent the bulk of the night politely telling any guy who approached the table neither of them was available. Not that he'd been getting much interest since his last attempt at a relationship had dissolved. That little fact was probably why he was itching to get out of the house. All work and no play made Sam a dull boy. A dull, horny, cranky boy who needed attention from warm hands, a willing mouth and a tight ass, no complications on the side.

A sharp laugh drew his attention. Two boys crossed in front of his car dressed in skin hugging jeans and sleeveless t-shirts snug enough to show off every contour of their gym hardened bodies. They were boys. Neither of them looked old enough to even get into the club, let alone know what to do if a man approached them. One of them tossed a smile in his direction before they continued around the building's faded red brick corner and into the club.

What the hell was he doing? Cruising the club on a Sunday night, just as he had ten years ago, when he was finally old enough to get in without using that laughable fake ID. There had to be a point where a man his age could just dig out the black book, call an old number and say, “Hey, I got an itch and you scratch pretty well, from what I remember.” And yet, there was no one Sam could think of who he'd mind getting back into bed with, even if it was just for a convenient fuck. All of his exes seemed to come with reams of drama he had to shake off whenever he left their beds. Getting involved again — even temporarily — would involve the kind of energy he wasn't up to expending just to get his rocks off. Getting drunk and searching the club for an easy lay was the only game plan now that Chris had ditched him. He just wished he didn't feel like a lonely old man doing it.

sticky and sweet

I'm working on some short stories right now. I would be working on the book I mentioned a while ago, but the muse has decided to be stubborn about a future plot point I disagree with. Until I beat her into submission, we're not working on that one.

I'm kind of excited about this one short where the main character owns a bakery. It means I can make all kinds of inappropriate references to cream filling and licking cream and putting things in a hot oven. Hm. Maybe that's only hot to dessert addicts. Oh well. It's a light, fun kind of piece.

Speaking of light fun, I also have a short story that's looking for a home. It's rather light on the romance and heavy on the erotic, so I'm not quite sure where it'll end up, but I'll figure something out soon.

production

Something must be in the water because that new story I talked about before? I'm almost finished with chapter 1. I almost never write almost 3,000 words in a day anymore, but today is special. I hope I can keep it up because I'm in love with these characters already.

On that other front, I'm just waiting on feedback from my (very busy!) friend before I bite the bullet and send Hooked off to a publisher. And then I'll cross my fingers and try not to worry myself to death until I hear back from them (probably in March). At least I have a new project to keep me occupied/motivated until I hear the fate of my other story.

sizzle

Well, color me surprised. There I was, bitching about how I couldn't finish the damn book (been working on the same two scenes for two weeks) and then BOOM! my muse decided she wanted to finish the book. Around 3:45 this morning, my masterpiece came to an end. After a couple of hours of rereading, I've already edited through the first third of chapter two. That puts me...about six months behind schedule. :-p No, I didn't expect it to take this long, but I know I've got it all right.

And that sex scene I was worried I was getting all wrong? Possibly the hottest thing I've ever written. I don't know if it's the Wonka Chocolate Waterfall bars I was popping all night or because my muse was bored with torturing me, but it's finally DONE. And I (mostly) love it. And the editing is going so well I want to pinch myself. Or, just finish and get it sent somewhere. I'm so excited I can't wait for people to read it. I have to stop myself from self-publishing just so I can get it into people's hands.

Plus! (yes, there is a plus) I have the idea for my next one already. Good December? Why, yes.

calculated insecurity

Fuck. The book I'm reading is the one I thought I was writing. No, really. The original short story concept that I was supposed to be turning into a novel is already a book. The basic premises of our stories is the same. I know it's a romance and there's nothing new under the sun, but some of it is kind of specific. It's freaky. Either I'm picking up brainwaves from other writers or I wasn't meant to write that story.

I'm so glad I decided to change the premise a bit before expanding it into a novel. Lord knows I could easily be accused of plagiarism, though I had the idea in May and didn't start reading this book until last week. It's not like I could prove I hadn't read the other book before writing mine. And now that I'm 75% of the way through it? I have so much more writing to do.

Not to make mine more like this one. Not story-wise. I feel like the story doesn't POP the way I want it to. What do I mean?

Picture this:

A peach, just big enough to cradle in your palm. The texture of the skin is soft, smooth, yielding at the slightest touch. It's so ripe the smell hits your nose before you can lift it close. It's sharp and pungent, inviting. The first bite allows juice to burst into your mouth, flooding it with sweetness as tender flesh tumbles over your questing tongue. Juice dribbles down your chin and over your hand, leaving a sticky trail.

Or this:

You're holding a relatively large peach. It smells sweet and ripe. It's soft. When you bite into it, it's juicy and falls apart in your hand.

See, here's my issue. That first paragraph is what all the description in my story should be like. The second paragraph is what most of it is currently like. Fine, because this is a first draft. But coming across a book that is strikingly similar to my original idea (or, my unoriginal, beginning premise before I changed it), but written so well I'm almost jealous and can barely put it down, makes me realize how much work I'm going to have to do to get my story to where I want it to be when I submit it. That's my little neurotic worry for today. And the rest of this month until I can finish this last chapter and get my baby into second draft overhaul mode.

awaiting climax

Oh, so tired.

I think I'm just being silly now. I want it to be perfect so badly, I've written this scene in my head three times. The ending of the book keeps changing. And every time I try to write it, I think of more I want to change. I suppose I just don't like writing the end. Or the beginning, for that matter. I know I can get all the ups and down and in betweens perfect, it's just hooking people from the start and leaving them satisfied at the end that gives me issues. And I'm never sure I've done just that for the majority of readers.

I know, I should write for me. But me isn't sure it's perfect either, so now what?

Eh. I've called someone to come uh...help inspire me. Right. Inspire. Perhaps I'll be so relaxed, I'll be able to write further on the new book I've got on the back burner after I finish this one. One can only hope.

hard times

So sex and romance and love and changing the world with our Very Special Connection and...all right. Here's the deal. The past few days I've been trying to do something different with my main characters. In a few books I've read (most recently, The Tower and the Tears and Collision Course), there comes a moment when the reader can actually perceive a marked change in the interaction (feelings) between the two characters. Sometimes it's small - a relaxing of boundaries, perhaps - or sometimes it's the moment one or both characters fall in love. It's not often that it can be pinpointed to one exact moment, even more rare that this moment can be written into a sex scene, so doing it well is of concern for me. Basically, I'm trying to show a change between when the characters are having sex merely to spend their lust and doing so as an expression of their love.

Yes, it sounds cheesy. No, it does not have to be written that way. But tell that to my muse.

I've rewritten parts of this scene so many times I've lost count. Not that thinking about two sexy guys sharing hot, sweaty manlove is a laborious task, but I'd like to finish the chapter (last of the book) already. I wish I had some gay male friends who could read it for me and tell me if what I have is too cheesy or right on target. Right now I'm trying to determine that alone and I don't know if I'm being too hard on myself or if my instincts are correct and I need to keep plugging away at it.

Dang it. Maybe writing out my concerns here will help me sort it out in my head and on paper. Certainly, ignoring my blog isn't helping resolve the issue.

into the home stretch

I broke out the calculating machine last night and punched in some number thingies. Holy crap, I'm about 65 percent of the way through this book. Real life got in the way for the first half or so, but I'm excited because I have the last fourish chapters planned out pretty well. It should be easy going from here. *waits for anvil drop* I hope it'll be finished (as in, written and edited and sent off to the publisher) in the next month. Yay.

In the meantime, a little quotage to whet the appetite.

as seen in the twitterverse:

Running a hand through his hair, Carlos said, “You're going to be the death of me.” “You'll die smiling,” Michael retorted.

and today's quote:

Tread carefully was going to become his daily mantra—right up there with 'one day at a time' and 'don't beg.'

I think it needs to be said, I'm kind of in love with this book so far. I love the characters and (more importantly) my lone reader likes the story/characters as well. I'm also debating another story starring one of the main character's friends. Probably not going to happen, but it's nice to think about.

rough

Oh, wait. With all that's been going on in the past few weeks, I haven't been doing my work in progress tweet thing. Oops. Did I mention my main characters finally did the deed? It was almost as good for me as it was for them. Of course, then I was faced with a dilemma. Would my MC's love interest be shy the morning after or decide he couldn't get enough?

Michael smiled. “If you think making it rough was a deterrent, you have a lot to learn about me.”

Let's just say I'm leaning away from shy.

warming up

I'm finally getting the scene with their first kiss right. At least, I hope I've finally gotten it right. Here is a (slightly longer) version of the quote I just posted on Twitter.

There was no mistaking how he felt. And when Michael stopped laughing and looked down into his eyes, there was no way he could confuse how his roommate felt about it.

there is finally sexytimes!

For those of you keeping score, that means if you buy this book, you have to be patient until Chapter 3 before things get interesting. By that I mean I'm a fan of the slow-building romance. But, oh! I have another quote I've already set loose in the twitterverse:

“I knew they grew 'em tall in Iowa, but I had no idea they grew 'em so...big.”

A low laugh was his response.

I can't wait until people can read more.

dirty dirty

Characters are doing hot, dirty things to one another. No, the story hasn't advanced that far. The muse and I like to write things out of sequence. Still, fun stuff. I also wrote far too much conversation about nipples today. Yeah. Here is my work in progress tweet from today:

“Stop it. I told you not to put your hand there.” A pause. “No, really. I'm not ready for—” Panting. “Go slower,” Michael whispered.

fantasy

Oh happy day! Finally finished chapter one! I love when I get past that hurdle. And I posted another (brief) excerpt on Twitter. This one gives a little more info on what the crux of the story will be.

That was the real fantasy. That Carlos, however charming and attractive, could make this straight man beg for him.

Tells a lot in a few words. Hopefully, finishing the first chapter is the beginning of a good writing streak. I have high hopes for this one.

Personal Service

Added a little more to the story this morning (again, too long for twitter). If there are any readers (esp. gay men) out there who want to share their perspective, feel free.

Carlos's breathing deepened. Became panting. Turned into moaning as David did something sweet with his fingers at that tight spot just behind his balls.

Substitute

I'm trying this new thing on the twittermachine where I post a little something from my work in progress. Hopefully, this will not only get people interested in what I'm writing, I can motivate myself to write something worth quoting every day. Here is the quote from last night (longer than the character limit twitter allows):

Licking his lips, Carlos opened his eyes. Michael was gone. David was looking up at him, a satisfied smirk on his wet lips. No, he wasn't the same, not even close. And close enough for the moment was never going to be enough.