A Real-Life Peek Into the Half Moon Pack's World -- Photos From My Trip to the Great Smoky Mountains

Last week I returned from a trip to Half Moon Pack territory -- aka the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. 

While I was there I had big plans to take all these amazing photos to show you all the gorgeous real-life place that inspired me to write my best-selling Half Moon Shifters Series. Mission accomplished. Well, kinda...

My camera inexplicably stopped working while in the Smokies. So mostly, my husband and I ended up snapping photos with his dying cellphone while on a hike. While I don't expect to win any photography awards anytime soon, here are some photos from my time in the beautiful Smokies.

First of all, here's a snapshot from our drive through the Smoky Mountains (on our way to the cabin or something). I love driving on roads that are pretty much covered by the forest canopy, so it feels like you're going through a green tunnel.

A hiking trail through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is actually the most visited national park in the United States -- for good reason!

It was a rainy day when we went on that hike, and pouring down most of the time, so I picked up an umbrella from the visitors' center before embarking on the hike. (You know, so that what it took my hair about 5 minutes to go absolutely crazy from the rain instead of 5 seconds.)

A peek into the forest.

A waterfall we encountered on our hike. It was actually bigger than it looks in this photo.

This has absolutely nothing to do with Jack and Mandy's world, and they're certainly not native to the Great  Smoky Mountains, but while at the aquarium I got to see an arapaima (it's the long fish with the orange-y scales). I've sort of had a little bit of an obsession with this South American fish ever since I watched an episode of River Monsters about it (because yeah, I'm the kind of person who's seen every episode of River Monsters ever, lol). So I thought this was pretty cool!

Now, I know what you're wondering at this point -- where are all the pictures of the sexy werewolves? The shape-shifting park rangers? Well, I regret to inform you that werewolves are very stealthy and probably don't spend a lot of time hanging around the public trails where I was stomping around in the rain. I did encounter a park ranger in the woods, but he didn't show any signs of being able to transform into a black bear. Sadly. However, here's the Lonely Alpha cover, which affords a pretty lovely view of Jack, if I do say so myself:

 

So, those are the photos I actually took. If you want to see the sort of spectacular photography that captures the true splendor of the Smokies (like I wanted to show you), check out my Smoky Mountains pinterest board. You won't regret taking a look -- the images are simply breathtaking! Ah, if only my camera hadn't crapped out...

P.S. I'll be revealing the cover of True Alpha, the second book in the Half Moon Shifters Series, very soon. My newsletter subscribers will get to see it a day before everyone else, in the June edition of my newsletter. And the cover will be dropping a huge hint about what's in store for the Half Moon Pack! ;) If you'd like to subscribe so you can be among the first to know, you can do so here.

Six Sentence Sunday - Whiskey Dreams

Slowly, recklessly, stupidly, he drew John close. Close enough that he could see bright flecks in his grey eyes, truly silver in the moonlight. John’s lips were parted – in surprise, or perhaps desire? Brom hardly dared to hope for the latter, until the tip of John’s tongue peeked pink and wet from between them, tracing the edge of his lower lip. Licking it, like he wanted what Brom was about to do. With a last rush of whiskey-scented breath, Brom pressed his mouth against John’s.

If you liked that, it may interest you to know that Whiskey Dreams is currently a free read, available for free download here at All Romance and here at Smashwords. ;) More retailers coming soon.

The Song that Inspired Haunted Passions

Note: Today's post is a day late because I've been traveling, but I promise to make it up next week -- next Wednesday, I'm going to blog about my trip to Half Moon Pack territory (aka, The Great Smoky Mountains). I need time to get photos together though, so for today...

Haunted Passions is my only book that was inspired by a song (in addition to being inspired by a classic story -- I guess there was just a whole lot of inspiration going around when I wrote it). That song is 'Closure' by Chevelle. If you haven't heard it (you should listen, it's a great song), or just want to hear it again, here's the music video:

I don't know if it seems a little strange that a modern rock song inspired a story set in historical America shortly after the Revolutionary War, but it did. The way my stories are born usually goes like this: I get a 'seed' of a story in my head -- a scene that grips me, featuring characters I know some basic things about. I let it stay in the back of my mind and it sort of ripens for a while (days, weeks, months or longer) until eventually it just explodes into a more fleshed-out story that demands to be told. The 'seed' of Haunted Passions was John's (attempted) suicide scene. I could see him standing out there alone in the dark with the gun while Brom and Katrina were in the farmhouse at the party, and I knew they were my versions of classic Sleepy Hollow characters, and about the love triangle and the engagement, aka, why John was planning to go through with the suicide. But I left that idea in my mind, untouched, for probably almost a year.

Then, one day I was listening to 'Closure' (a song I love by a band I love). The 'seed' scene came into my mind really, really vividly and I had to write it. Had to. So stayed up 'till the wee hours of the morning writing the opening scene of the book -- details from the rest of the story were also whirling through my mind, but eventually I made myself go to bed and woke  up to continue on... Well, obviously I finished and Haunted Passions is now a published novel.

Probably everyone who listens to a song perceives it a little differently, and no one really knows what was going on in the writer's head when they penned the lyrics (certainly, the song isn't about what Haunted Passions is about). But to me, 'Closure' gave me a strong feeling of John's sense of loss and resignation that permeates that opening scene. So strong I think I would have crumbled into tiny pieces if I hadn't written it down.


I think music can be one of the most inspiring and emotionally evocative forces...ever. So it's probably no surprise that I felt so strongly about a scene, and ultimately, book that was inspired by a song. And wow, am I glad that Chevelle wrote and performed 'Closure'. I don't know if Haunted Passions would exist if it weren't for that, and the idea makes me sad because I probably put more passion (excuse the pun) into Haunted Passions than any of my other books (not that I don't get totally obsessed with every single one) and I'm too in love with the characters to tolerate the thought of them not existing. 


If you'd like to read the opening scene of Haunted Passions, you can do so here at my website.

In other relevant news, Haunted Passions recently received a kick-ass 5 star review from Hearts of Fire Reviews. I couldn't resist sharing because this review has probably made me happier than any other review I've ever received. If you'd like, you can read it here.

Also, Haunted Passions is now available here in the Apple iBooks store. There was a delay with distribution to this venue, but it has been resolved. Soon, Haunted Passions will also be available from B&N for Nook.

Hop Against Homophobia - My Experiences With Homophobia

***Congrats to Foretta, the randomly selected winner of my Hop Against Homophobia giveaway. And thank you to all who participated!***


I was not raised to believe that homosexuality is okay. That was a conclusion I had to reach on my own after shaking off the misguided and sometimes vitriolic views I'd been bombarded with, from many directions, during my formative years. I'm sure there are many people reading this / participating in this blog hop who also grew up surrounded by similar sentiments. But for those who haven't experienced that, I guess all this might sound a little weird. But I wanted to share about my own experience with homophobia in my Hop Against Homophobia post, so here goes...

Just sayin': This is just a brief account of my experience and the thoughts I had at the time. I'm not trying to drag religion into it, but I couldn't explain without mentioning it (since religion is, sadly, often used as an excuse for asinine homophobic behavior).

Even as a child, it made me uncomfortable to hear people depreciate or rant about homosexuals. Getting all worked up about other people's sexual orientations just seemed so mean and unfair and like such a...burden. I mean, I was also raised to be religious, and many of the people I knew were also at least vaguely religious, so when people would bash homosexuality (often stating that it was morally wrong) I'd sometimes point out that according to the morals of their religion, it's wrong to judge, and you're supposed to treat others as they're supposed to be treated.


Of course, people would usually agree. Which always left me wondering what the hell being 'against' homosexuality like they were was even about. I mean, according to them (in words anyway, not always necessarily in practice), you're not supposed to judge people for being homosexual, and you're not supposed to treat them any differently, so then what are you supposed to do -- how does your disapproval manifest in any acceptable way or matter at all, and if it doesn't, what the point? 


I mean, what are you supposed to do, carry around a secret disapproval, a hidden disdain that you fume inwardly about? No, that's not right, and you'll give yourself a freakin' ulcer worrying about all the gay love in the world. So I didn't do it. I didn't try to force myself to be offended by other people's sexuality. Obviously -- if I was against homosexuality, I wouldn't write M/M romance. In retrospect, I see that they never really stood a chance of getting me to embrace their phobia -- I'm an INFJ, ffs, it's not in my nature.


And I adore romance. Seeing people in love makes me happy, no matter their sexual orientation. I can't imagine hating them for it. And when it comes to fiction, I love reading and writing love stories, period. Not just heterosexual love stories. And the notion of trying to deprive people of love just because they share the same gender as their partner just seems...beyond ridiculous. Love is special; everyone has a right to pursue it and others shouldn't try to stop it.


I could rant for a long time about how morally deranged and hurtful homophobia is and how it's not compatible with the belief systems people often try to use to justify it, but I know I don't need to try to convince the people are participating in this hop.


Anyway, just being surrounded by people (as I often find myself) who will try to make you feel ashamed and perverted (seriously) for not sharing their disdain is stressful. I can only imagine how terrible it would be to actually be homosexual and have to deal with people who feel its their right to judge your sexuality. I'm currently living in an area of the American South where bigotry and prejudices of all sorts are sadly common. Homophobia is only one such issue, but it's probably the one that has the least amount of people who are willing to speak out against it. So, that's why I'm glad to be able to participate in this blog hop.


I grew up often surrounded by homophobia. I am not a homosexual, but I'm proud to have rejected the senseless discrimination, which has allowed me to embrace two of the most important tenets of the better views I was also raised to accept -- treating others as I would like to be treated, and not judging them.


What about you -- has homophobia been a constant presence in your life / childhood? Or were you raised in a more accepting environment? Either way, how did it make you feel? 


:) And now for the prizes I'm offering...

1) Okay, this first one is for everyone. My M/M romance Whiskey Dreams is currently available for free download in all ebook formats from All Romance and Smashwords. If you pick up a copy, I hope you enjoy it.

The war that won the country its independence also lost many of the men who fought to achieve it, including Brom's lover. Years later, he still feels as if he left half of himself on the battlefield. When a new schoolmaster comes to Sleepy Hollow, a spark and a whiskey-flavored kiss ignite feelings he thought were long dead. But in order to be with John, he'll have to let the past be the past, or risk letting it destroy his opportunity to start over. And even then, loving another man is a dangerous endeavor. 

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2) Now, this prize will be awarded to a random commenter who answers the question I asked above in bold letters. The prize includes an ebook copy (in the format of the winner's choice) of my novel Haunted Passions, which is the sequel to Whiskey Dreams and a $10 Starbucks gift card. This is so that while the winner is reading about all the sexiness that occurs in Sleepy Hollow, they can enjoy a cup of delicious coffee, which is guaranteed to make the reading experience 100% more delicious. (^_~) (Also, I was in the throes of a severe coffee craving when I decided to give this away.)

                              

  A winner will be randomly selected, contacted and announced on 5/21. Remember, you must answer the question in bold letters and include your e-mail address to be eligible to win. The gift card is only valid the US or Canada (sorry to my international friends, wish it wasn't so).                             

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P.S. I'm also part of another Hop Against Homophobia post at the Sex Scheming Geniuses blog -- a writing blog that's a joint effort between me and two other erotic romance / M/M authors. We're giving away a huge (and delightfully naughty) prize package, so be sure to stop by: www.sexscheminggeniuses.blogspot.com

Writers - More Likely to Give a Damn

In order to write good fiction, especially good romance, you have to be able to (mentally) put yourself in someone else's shoes. You have to imagine exactly how things -- things said, things done, etc -- will make characters feel and react. Characters' emotions are integral to a good romance. Without emotion, readers won't connect with your characters, won't care much about your story. So, many writers spend a good deal of time imagining how things will make others feel. And it's not like you just shut that off when you stop writing. I think many writers spend more time than the average person considering how their own actions and words will affect others in real life, too.


So, IMO, this means that writers in general are probably more likely to give a damn about the way people are treated and about things they perceive to be wrong or unfair / social causes. Considering how one's words / actions will affect others also generally causes one to treat others more nicely...


And I've met a lot of nice writers. When I went to RT last month, I met so many nice people, I was actually surprised. Seeing as how I was going for the first time and had literally never met anyone there in real life before (just a couple social media connections) I'd thought it might be a challenge to meet nice people to spend time with. That wasn't the case at all. Most of the people I met were delightful and treated others well. 


Of course, there are always exceptions -- there are sour apples in every bunch, and at one point I encountered a group of nasty, mean-spirited attendees in an elevator. I glimpsed at their badges and saw that they were aspiring authors though, so for all I know, they were maniacs who spend their time writing Axis alliance fanfiction. Okay, probably not... But they were an exception to the rule when it came to the sort of writers I met.


Anyway, what's the point of this post? To invite you to something I (and a lot of other authors) give a damn about. Tomorrow is International Day Against Homophobia, and the starting day of the Hop Against Homophobia (which runs 5/17 - 5/20). There are about 250 participating authors. Here on my blog I'll be talking about homophobia (which is something I think is really unfair) and sharing some of my own experience. I'll also be giving away some awesome prizes (if I do say so myself). Hope to see you here! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - Whiskey Dreams

“This is Sleepy Hollow, isn’t it?” the stranger asked, his full lips curving in a hint of a nervous smile as he continued to meet Brom’s eyes. His eyes were the most extraordinary shade of grey, and banished all thoughts of dullness or drabness that Brom had ever associated with the color. Their hue was reminiscent of a stormy sky, and looking into them made Brom feel as if he were standing in an open field as lightning streaked overhead – his skin shimmered with nervous energy, causing the hair on his arms to stand on end, and he felt as if he might at any moment be utterly struck with something electrifying and all-consuming. Lust hummed through his veins, like metal begging for the touch of lightning.

     “It is,” Brom said, employing significant effort to remove his gaze from the man’s eyes, lest he notice Brom was staring and somehow sense the instant, alarming attraction that was broiling beneath Brom’s skin. “Are you passing through?”

Note: Whiskey Dreams is my new free read and can be downloaded for free at All Romance and Smashwords.

Living in the Past -- Modern Discrimination Against Gays

I love reading and writing historical romances, including historical M/M romances. Something most historical M/M romances contain is the element of taboo, or danger, involved in homosexual relationships. Usually, there are harsh consequences for same-gender love in the worlds historical characters inhabit. This can make for interesting conflict in the story, but it's also sad because, well, it was reality. For example, check out this court record from the famous 'Old Bailey' criminal courthouse in London. (Old Bailey has organized their court case records into an easily searchable electronic database -- it's one of my favorite resources for historical research.)

Reference Number: t17260420-64
Offences: Sexual Offences > sodomy; Sexual Offences > sodomy
Verdicts: Guilty
Punishments: Death

Related Material: Ordinary's Account, 9th May 1726, Associated Records
Corrections: Add a correction
Actions: Cite this text | Print-friendly version

 If you want to read the whole case, you can do so here.
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t17260420-64&div=t17260420-64&terms=sodomy#highlight


But a quick summary is this -- in the year of 1726 a man is found guilty of having sex with another male in a 'molly house' for gay men. He's sentenced to death for this 'heinous and detestable sin', as the record calls it. Furthermore, the record states that the man is a single father of a 13 year old girl (as his wife had died years before). What happened to her, I have no idea. If you simply search Old Bailey's court records for 'sodomy', you can find more cases like this, where people who've committed no 'crimes' other than homosexual sex are actually put to death for it. Sadly, these are all the real stories of real people and they didn't triumph over all the asshattery like a hero in a novel might -- they died.


This seems insane to us nowadays -- certainly no modern day Englishman or American has to worry about being sentenced to death by a court for having sex with someone of the same gender. And yet, we're still living in a period of history during which societal views on gay rights are evolving -- too slowly, in my opinion. Things have certainly improved, but we haven't reached true equality yet. All the talk about North Carolina banning gay marriage yesterday is what prompted me to write this post. As someone currently living in the American South, I'm not at all surprised by what happened in NC. But I don't agree with it. I think people are spending way to much time getting their panties in a twist over other people's private lives.


I don't like people judging my marriage -- I mean, who would? I got married at a young age and many people -- mostly complete strangers who notice my wedding ring -- have said some really jackass things to me about my decision (you'd be amazed at how many people feel the need to share their unsolicited opinions). When that happens I just tell them that if I cared about their opinion of my marriage, I would have consulted them before getting married. But homosexual people can't do that -- at least, not in all states, because jerks like that really are able to prevent them from getting married -- and that's a shame because nobody deserves to have their personal, romantic lives dictated by high-handed strangers.


But, I guess the upside of what I'm trying to say is this -- we're living in a historical transition right now. I think that someday, hopefully not too far in the future, people will look back at us in 2012 and think 'wow, thank God society got its head out of its ass and realized that all people deserve to be happy with the person of their choosing'. And just like we wonder 'what was wrong with them' about the people who put others to death for simply being homosexual, they'll wonder what was wrong with us for trying to dictate who people can love. And just like the first instance, there will be no good answer.


What about you -- how did the events in NC yesterday make you feel?


P.S. Today a friend shared a youtube video with me that I thought really fit the theme of this post called 'It Could Happen to You'. It's a strong example of modern day discrimination against homosexuals, but I think it deserves a warning: it's extremely sad.

Release Day: Whiskey Dreams -- New Free Read

The war that won the country its independence also lost many of the men who fought to achieve it, including Brom's lover. Years later, he still feels as if he left half of himself on the battlefield. When a new schoolmaster comes to Sleepy Hollow, a spark and a whiskey-flavored kiss ignite feelings he thought were long dead. But in order to be with John, he'll have to let the past be the past, or risk letting it destroy his opportunity to start over. And even then, loving another man is a dangerous endeavor. 

Prequel to the novel Haunted Passions. Both books are stand-alone titles and can be read in any order. 


Whiskey Dreams release day is finally here. :) And for a limited time, Whiskey Dreams is available for free. Currently, you can download it for free from:

 All Romance eBooks

  Smashwords

I'm excited to have a new free read available -- it's been a while since I've released a new one. Of course, to make up for that fact, Whiskey Dreams is a novella, not a short story like my past free reads. If you download a copy, I hope you enjoy it! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - Haunted Passions

Once he wed Katrina, what reason could Brom possibly have to seek John’s company? John swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat, deeply conscious of the chasm that had reopened inside him at the thought of losing Brom to marital bliss. How could he, a young and virtually penniless male schoolteacher, possibly compete with such an institution, with a bride as beautiful and sweet as an angel? He couldn't, and he didn’t want to. Well, a part of him did want to, but when he thought of Katrina, he felt like a wicked bastard for even considering it. The truth was, he loved them both, and the only honorable thing to do was to step back, stanch his bleeding heart and leave them alone. 

What It's Really Like to Write Full-Time (Dispelling Myths About Working from Home)

So, with this being my writing blog and all, you're probably aware that I'm an author. And you probably just assumed -- quite correctly -- that I work from a swanky office in some vastly fashionable metropolitan neighborhood, where I have my own assistant/bagel-fetcher who makes sure I don't have a care in the world to bother me or impede my creative process as I pour forth the literary brilliance onto my computer. (Okay, I know the author stereotype is someone sitting around in their pajamas all day, but allow me a moment of fantasy here...)

Oh, wait, no...I work from home, like most authors (not in my pajamas!). (Last year I quit doing my other job so I could write full-time.) With the opposite of an assistant -- a toddler who sort of destroys most of what he can get his hands on (but looks very cute while doing so). Every once in a while I'll see a blog post an author wrote about what it's like to write full-time and work from home, and I'll always read it, sympathize and giggle. A conversation I recently had with someone prompted me to make my own blog post about what it's like to be a full-time writer.

So today, I'm going to dispel a few myths about what it's really like, with the help of a few good memes...

Myth #1: Working from home = goofing off all day. Books magically write themselves while you chuckle at memes and watch your way through entire seasons of old sitcoms on Netflix.


Truth: Actually, I probably don't need to explain that books don't, in fact, write themselves while the 'writer' watches TV. But it's surprising how many people actually seem to think this, and are even willing to say it to my face.

Myth #2: Since you don't have a boss to boss you around and make you stick to a mean old schedule, you're always free, just waiting around to do anything anyone wants you to do. (Translation: Your time has no value.)


Truth: If what you want me to do is to let you take me out so you can buy me coffee and chocolate and a flying pony while you tell me how much you admire my work ethic (you know, actually working significantly more than 40 hours per week without a boss to make me do it) and recognize that virtually no one in the freakin' world acknowledges or appreciates this, then hell yes, I'm free anytime day or night! But if it's pretty much anything else, you know, my work won't get done if I don't stay home and actually do it.

Myth #3:  You have the desire / time to abandon your beliefs and convert to a new religion instead of finishing up that chapter you're working on.


Truth: As much as I sort of admire the crazy fortitude you display by going door-to-door converting in my neighborhood, I'm not actually interested. And if you don't accept my polite refusal, I shall read you the steaming hot gay sex scene I just wrote.

Myth #4: "If you work at something you love, you'll never work a day in your life."


Truth: Actually, you'll work your ass off because you love that 'something'. You'll love it, and there's probably nothing else in the world you'd rather do, but make no mistake -- it's very hard work.

Myth #5: Since you're working from home, it's not a 'real job'.


Truth: My response to this statement is not appropriate to verbalize on my blog.

Myth #6: Being a full-time writer is not the most awesome job in the world.


Truth: It is the most awesome job in the world, at least so far as I'm concerned.  I wouldn't trade it for anything and that makes putting up with all the crazy crap some people say to me worth it. :)