Hearts On Our Sleeves

FYI: Sound of Obedience Update

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:52:09 GMT

I was informed that there were some hypens that shouldn't have been in it, splitting words (like Mis-tress). That's in the process of being fixed currently. If you bought the Amazon version of the story expect an update in the next 24 hours or so.

That's all!

*goes back to work*

ETA: The Smashwords edition is also being updated--hopefully it will be up within the day too! :D

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Oops! Novel Monday... a day late. #^^#

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:41:36 GMT

Sorry, everyone! I got busy yesterday and forgot to post Chapter 2 of Fitting In. Here it is, a day late. I'll do my best not to be late in the future.

Fitting In
By Meyari McFarland

Chapter Two: Boarding Ship

Cadfael did his best not to whimper as Gwen walked down the gangplank, leaving him and Annie onboard the Wave Dancer. She'd stayed until the very last instant, one arm around Cadfael's shoulder to protect him from the sailors surrounding him. Annie, of course, had clambered up the rigging to chatter with the sailors getting everything ready to go. If it weren't for Gwen waving goodbye to him from the dock Cadfael would have already run for his cabin so that none of the women could get close to him.

"Drop sails," Captain Ula called. "Release the moorings!"

"Aye-aye, Cap'n!" one sailor called out directly behind Cadfael.

He hadn't realized that she was so close to him because he'd been so focused on watching the sailors in front of him and to the side so he jumped and whirled to stare at her. She grinned back at him, wagging her eyebrows as if she found his fright amusing. As Cadfael curled inward on himself, clutching his shawl tighter to his chest, the sailor laughed and clambered up the rigging. Everywhere Cadfael looked there were other women staring at him, glancing at him from the corners of their eyes or just grinning with that look that said they were looking forward to getting a taste of him.

"Caddie!" Anwyn called. "Heads up!"

"What?" Cadfael asked.

A rope swung right past his nose, nearly smacking him. It did briefly tangle with his kilts but the sailors on the deck caught it and pulled it away from him, four of them hauling on the rope at once. Cadfael shuddered and edged around them, heading for the cabin that Gwen had said would be his. He had to stop twice for sailors running towards the bow or stern, and once he had to duck for the boom swinging around as they tacked to catch the wind. Eventually he made it to the door to his cabin, heart pounding and breath coming entirely too fast. The further they got from shore, the more Wave Dancer rocked, making Cadfael's stomach warn of impending upset.

"Heh, already heading inside?" one of the sailors asked. "Need company?"

"No!" Cadfael snapped at her. "Leave me alone!"

Find the rest of the chapter here.

Find The Rest of this Story:

On Amazon, Smashwords, iBookstore, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Diesel eBook Store and finally Sony Reader eBook Store for $5.99.

Also available as a 5″x8″ Trade Paper Back for $18.99 via CreateSpace: here, Amazon: here and Barnes and Noble here.

Or you can just wait and I'll post the rest week by week. ;)

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Sound of Obedience is now available!

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:08:26 GMT

Sound of Obedience

A generation ago America passed a law allowing a bankrupt person's debts to be bought by rich Masters. The debt slaves then belonged to their Masters for the duration of the debt. Cain, a debt slave with the soul of a Master, was bought by the Master of Tucker Industries, Dave.

In each other they found what they had always been looking for. Cain found the perfect submissive while Dave found the perfect Master. Their private relationship has to remain their secret, requiring them to reverse the natural roles while in public.

That's difficult enough but when the mysterious terrorist Black attacks a party they're attending, Cain is injured and Dave has to protect his lover and secret Master. The party and its aftermath test their relationship, their acting abilities and their lives. Has Cain trained his lover and Master to play his public role well enough that they can both survive?

Find this book:

On Amazon (cover #1), Smashwords (cover #2), Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Deisel eBook Store and finally Sony Reader eBook Store for $3.99.

Also available in 5″x8″ Trade Paper Back (with cover #1) for $6.99 via CreateSpace here! You can also buy it on Amazon here, iBookstore, and Barnes and Noble here!

Special Edition

There will not be a special edition of Hide and Seek due to the amount of time it takes to generate each one. I will be offering signed copies later in the summer for those who are interested. Check back later for an announcement of when the signed copies will be open for order.

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Have some covers! cheers

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:40:33 GMT

I have two new covers to share! :D

First the cover for my next story, Sound of Obedience:

And second, the cover for my next story, The Hole Inside:

Both are erotica, though (hopefully obviously) Sound of Obedience is much more hardcore than The Hole Inside.

I'm so looking forward to getting these out for everyone to read! :D

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Novel Monday: Fitting In

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:01:36 GMT

I've decided to share Fitting In here. It is still for sale on Amazon, Smashwords, iBookstore, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Diesel eBook Store and finally Sony Reader eBook Store for $5.99. It's also available as 5″x8″ Trade Paper Back for $18.99 via CreateSpace: here. You can also buy it on Amazon here and Barnes and Noble here.

However, if you want to read the story for free, I will be putting up a chapter every Monday so all you have to do is be patient and you'll be able to read the whole thing over time. I hope everyone enjoys the story--feel free to leave comments and let me know what you thought!

Fitting In
By Meyari McFarland

Ntombi Naming Conventions
Prefix - Meaning

ash - female high rank relative
ish - female high rank non-relative
osh - female same rank relative
oosh - female same rank non relative
ush - female low rank relative
uush - female low rank non relative
vla - male high rank relative
vli - male high rank non relative
vlo - male same rank relative
vloo - male same rank non relative
vlu - male low rank relative
vluu - male low rank non relative

Suffix - Meaning

bli - adored, beloved, practically perfect
bra - strong approval
slo - fond of, worth cultivating them
vsa - mild disapproval, shrug-worthy
vyu - some disapproval, not worth the effort
zi - absolute disapproval, horrible person
wu - neutral, no opinion either way

To designate whether they're in-group or out-group:

m - add to end of suffix for in-group
q - add to end of suffix for out-group

Example:

Vli'Aravel'ziq = male high rank non relative named Aravel who is a horrible person that I hate
Vlu'Umar'slom = low rank male relative named Umar who I'm fond of and who is part of my family

Chapter One: Unexpected Journey

"You can’t be serious,” Cadfael said, staring at his father in horror. "I'll spend the whole trip throwing up!"

His embroidery dropped into his lap, unnoticed for a moment. Cadfael's father Deverell chuckled at him, sitting down in a rustle of petticoats and bright blue kilt. The early morning sun brightened Deverell's sandy brown hair to a color reminiscent of gold. For the room to be so cheerful felt like a terrible betrayal, given the horrible news his father had delivered.

“Quite serious, dear boy,” his father said, patting his shoulder fondly. “I'm sure you won't get that sick. It would be quite the adventure for you to travel all the way to Ntombi. You should get out and see more of the world. As a member of the Dana Clan it is expected that you travel and interact with people. How in the Tripartate Goddesses’ names do you expect to attract a wife if you stay inside all the time?”

Cadfael shuddered. He wouldn't go near that one with a ten-foot barge poll. "I don't want to find a wife if it means that I have to travel all over the world with her, Deverell. I don't want to go out and interact with people, especially people that I don't know. I like it here at home."

That wasn't strictly true. Cadfael had never felt comfortable with his family's expectation that he be as wild and ad-venturous as his twin sister Anwyn. While she had gladly started traveling on the Dana Clan trading ships after their ninth birthday, Cadfael resisted going anywhere even after he was old enough to travel widely at fourteen. It was so much more comfortable in their warehouse turned home where he knew all the stairways and hallways, nooks and crannies.

"Like it or not, you will go," Deverell said.

Read the rest of the chapter over here.

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Free Fiction Friday: Fight Smarter

Fri, 10 May 2013 19:44:17 GMT

Today's Free Fiction Friday story is Fight Smarter, the sequel to The City of the Ladies. It's the second short story in my Muirin verse. Hope everyone enjoys it!

Price: $2.99 (approx 50 pages, 7800 words)

On the matriarchal world of Muirin, thirteen-year-old Gavin of the Dana Clan was painfully aware that he was being groomed for a powerful position in the family despite his gender. He wasn't sure that he wanted it until he caught his younger sister Gwen helping their little sister Anwyn through the back hallways of the Dana Clan House, both of them injured and covered with blood.

Anwyn's injuries and how she got them threatened to destroy the fragile peace their mother had brokered. The other powerful clans in Aingeal barely supported the Dana against their rivals the Delbhana after Anwyn's adventure in the city of the Ladies. Between the threats the Delbhana posed and the rising violence Anwyn's rival Siobhan had visited upon her, though, Gavin saw an opportunity.

If he could ride the tides of the confrontation correctly, Gavin thought that he could beat back the Delbhana and save his little sister's life. If he failed everyone in the Dana Clan would pay the price, starting with Gavin himself.

(This story is appropriate for young adults and adults. It contains off-screen bullying resulting in severe injuries, matriarchal societies and one thirteen-year-old boy who takes on a very angry adult who's trying to hide things. This is the second in my series of planned stories following Anwyn and her rather unconventional family.)

Find this story:
On Amazon, Smashwords, iBookstore, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Diesel eBook Store and finally Sony Reader eBook Store.

Now Available in 5"x8" Trade Paper Back for $5.99 via CreateSpace: here! You can also buy it on Amazon here!

Fight Smarter

"You know you're not supposed to get in fights right now."

Gavin looked up from his job of sorting invoices, absently smoothing his kilt over his knees. His younger sister Gwen's voice carried along the back hallway that ran past his little office. There was only one person she could be talking to about fighting: Anwyn.

Of the entire clan, his little sisters Gwen and Anwyn were the ones most likely to get into a brawl, so when Gwen slowly hobbled into sight a moment later it wasn't a surprise that she was with Anwyn. What did surprise him was that Gwen was supporting Anwyn with an arm around her waist. It was clear Anwyn resented it from the way she tried to lean away from Gwen.

Both of them were filthy, covered in mud from the cobblestone streets. More worrisome, they both had blood on their clothes. Being covered in mud from a fight was normal enough for girls of the Dana family. Well, fights were common all over Aingeal, but even more common for Dana's combative women. What was unusual was the amount of physical damage Anwyn had taken. Normally she won her fights easily.

Anwyn was cradling her ribs as if a few might be broken, but the scattered bruises and scrapes showing from under her short sleeved tunic and calf-length pants didn't appear to be too serious. Unfortunately, her ankle wasn't supporting her weight properly; it was swollen to the point that the laces of her sandal were cutting into the purpling flesh. Gwen actually appeared far more seriously wounded, given all the blood on her, but she moved easily enough that the blood soaking her vest and shirt had to be someone else's.

"I didn't start it," Anwyn protested, full of seven year old petulance at being told that she taken the wrong tack yet again. "Siobhan started it! She was picking on the other kids. I just made her stop. Besides you hit her too, Gwen."

"Well, yeah," Gwen snorted. "She had you down, Annie."

"I would have gotten up," Anwyn grumbled, her cheeks going as red as Gwen's bloody shirt. "As soon as I got her off my ankle I would have been fine. I didn't need your help then and I don't need help now."

Find the rest of the story here.

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Free Fiction Friday: Inina's Blessings of Joy

Fri, 03 May 2013 21:19:34 GMT

Today's free story is Inina's Blessings of Joy, my latest story to be released.

Description:
It was a day of celebration.

Valerian's intent had been to enjoy the Festival of the Goddess Inina's Blessings to the world with his daughters and young son. It was a day of joy, a day to celebrate family and loved ones both there and gone on to Inina's arms.

However evil intent lurked inside one heart, tainting the festival with his anger and resentment. Valerian stood between Mayolo and his daughter, between Mayolo and Faustine, his daughter's best friend, arranging their hand fasting as a way of saving Faustine and her mother from Mayolo's abuse.

The village stood beside Valerian and his family but as the day progressed, Mayolo reached out to attack Valerian in the most painful way possible. Only Inina's blessings on his soul could save his family from Mayolo's dark magic.

Find This Story:

On Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Deisel eBook Store and finally Sony Reader eBook Store for $3.99.

Now Available in 5″x8″ Trade Paper Back for $6.99 via CreateSpace: here!

Inina's Blessings of Joy

1. Home

VALERIAN SMILED as he sucked on his finger. The cinnamon and sugar that coated the tip slid over his tongue. His daughters Aliberta and Calida's cooking always pleased. They had learned much from their mother before her untimely death four years ago, birthing his beloved son Lucius.

To his joy, they continued to learn as they took over the maintenance of the household, crafting hearty meals full of peppers and spices, as well as desserts that delighted the tongue with mango, honey and Calida's favorite cinnamon.

"Papa, stay out of the sauce!" Aliberta huffed at him.

When he reached another finger to sample the sauce a second time he was left with a sticky spot on the back of his hand redolent of honey and hot peppers from their friend Faustine's spoon. Both Aliberta and Calida gasped as if Faustine had committed an unforgivable crime by striking him lightly but Valerian laughed. Faustine had always been bold and assertive, unafraid to face challenges directly.

"It's too tasty to stay away from," Valerian said, grinning as his daughters rolled their eyes. "It's a compliment to your cooking, my dear."

"Papa," Calida sighed while rolling her eyes. "That's not a compliment. You're in the way. You could help by keeping Lucius busy."

"Please!" Aliberta agreed.

Lucius ran around the corner of the house and into the outdoor cooking area, waving his arms in excitement. He dashed around the three girls and then squealed when Valerian caught him by the waist and blew a raspberry on his cheek. He tasted in equal measure of mango and mud, prompting Valerian to splutter and hold Lucius slightly away from his body.

"This cannot be my son," Valerian said, grinning at the way Lucius squealed and laughed at the swinging motion. "I'm quite certain that my son would not be this messy when there's a party to enjoy this afternoon."

"Hugs Papa!" Lucius said, waving sticky fingers at Valerian.

Valerian caught the fingers of one of Lucius' hand in his lips, pretending to nibble on them. They tasted even more strongly of mango, with the addition of honey, which might explain why Lucius was running about that way. Treats instead of more filling food would make the boy as energetic as Haraldr on a hunt.

Find the rest of the story on my WP site. Thank you and I hope you enjoy reading!

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Crack of Doom (Original Fic)

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:29:00 GMT

Heh, I finally got around to writing something for last week's writing prompt on erotic_fic(just before I post the new one tomorrow) and the ficlet took off on me and grew into a proper fic. Hope everyone likes it!

Story Title: Crack of Doom
Author Name: me_ya_ri
Rating: R
Warning / Themes: AU (our current world but with slavery and open BDSM), whipping, sex clubs, no overt sex on screen.
Word Count: Approx 1530 words
Summary: When Mistress Betsy, a little round African-American Mistress from out of town, shows up at his favorite club, Chadrick can't resist the opportunity to play with her for a night. A whipping at her expert hand is something that he's dreamed about for ages.
Feedback: Yes please! :D

Find the story over here.

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loud cheers Inina's Blessings of Joy is now available!

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:07:52 GMT

Description:
It was a day of celebration.

Valerian's intent had been to enjoy the Festival of the Goddess Inina's Blessings to the world with his daughters and young son. It was a day of joy, a day to celebrate family and loved ones both there and gone on to Inina's arms.

However evil intent lurked inside one heart, tainting the festival with his anger and resentment. Valerian stood between Mayolo and his daughter, between Mayolo and Faustine, his daughter's best friend, arranging their hand fasting as a way of saving Faustine and her mother from Mayolo's abuse.

The village stood beside Valerian and his family but as the day progressed, Mayolo reached out to attack Valerian in the most painful way possible. Only Inina's blessings on his soul could save his family from Mayolo's dark magic.

You can find this story on Amazon and on Smashwords for $3.99 and on CreateSpace as a 5" x 8" 110 page TPB for $6.99. It will be coming soon to other retailers.

I hope that you read and enjoy! :D

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I realized something this morning.

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:13:33 GMT

On the way to work I was listening to the Hobbit (yes, still, three days later I’m still listening to it on repeat) and I realized something.

Normally, say over the last several years, when I listened to music it made me picture stories in my head. Those stories have, pretty much exclusively, been fanfiction up until recently. At first Superman Returns, then Smallville, later the Batboys with occasion diversions into other fandoms on a whim.

I don’t do that anymore.

Well, I can’t say that music doesn’t inspire stories. It does. Lots and lots and lots of them. But they’re not fanfic. They’re original stories.

I don’t think about Superman or Batman anymore. I don’t ponder Jason and Tim and Dick and Damian, Steph and Cass. I don’t dream up AUs for them to occupy, situations for them to deal with.

As much as I love the characters, and I still do (though only up until the DCnU—after that, no go), their hold on my imagination is fading rapidly.

The DCnU was such a painful mess for me that I think it killed my DC muse. I’m not sure at this moment that I’m going to get back to writing them. I don’t know if I’ll ever finish the stories I have started. I hate the thought of leaving them unfinished but I just have no interest at all in working on them.

*sighs*

There is no joy in fanfic for me right now.

But there’s SO MUCH JOY in my own stories! Seriously, even when the story’s being hugely frustrating (as the most recent one was) it’s a ton of fun. Writing my characters and developing my worlds is seriously happy-making for me. Sharing them by self publishing the stories is challenging and technically difficult (especially when I can’t properly type ‘McFarland’ on the Amazon KDP entry form *grumble-growl*) but it’s still a joy.

*shrugs*

I kind of just want to squee for hours about my characters and their worlds. (So you know, if you have questions, do ask! I’ll happily babble at you about them. :D)

I miss the Batboys and their world but… I just don’t want to write them right now.

Sorry!

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Free Fiction Friday: The City of the Ladies

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:46:39 GMT

Today for Free Fiction Friday I decided to go with my first published story The City of the Ladies!

Description:
On the matriarchal world of Muirin, seven-year-old Anwyn of the Dana Clan had no interest in going to the Delbhana Clan's big party. Her arch-rival Siobhan would be there and Anwyn had promised not to pick a fight with her, no matter how tempting it was to break the older girl's nose. When Anwyn's efforts to protect her twin brother Cadfael from Siobhan's bullying failed, she was ready to fight even if it would get her in trouble with her mother and aunts.

But an escalating series of near-fights between Anwyn and Siobhan led to a dare that Anwyn couldn't turn down, not after Siobhan failed so miserably at it. Accepting the challenge was the only thing that honor and pride would allow her to do, as well as the only way she had to protect her twin from Siobhan's bullying. So Anwyn marched off to the City of the Ladies, that alien fortress of crystal and silence in the middle of the river. What she found there was worth all the teasing and fights that had lead up to the challenge: the mysterious Ladies themselves at the heart of the City that the Delbhana Clan wanted everyone to forget.

You can find this story on Amazon, Smashwords, iBookstore, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Diesel eBook Store and finally Sony Reader eBook Store.

It's also available as a 6"x9" Trade Paper Back for $5.99 via CreateSpace: here, or you can also buy it on Amazon here. If you're interested in getting one of the very limited Special Editions ($15 + shipping) please contact me. I have a handful left.

I hope you enjoy the story!

The City of the Ladies

"Why do we have to go to their stupid park?" Anwyn demanded for the fourth time.

"Annie," Mother said in her second most seriously warning tone of voice. "Quit it."

"But why?" Anwyn insisted. "You hate the Delbhana Clan, Mother! I hate them. The whole family hates them. Why do we have to go to celebrate some big park they set up?"

She waved her hands at her Uncles who were busy packing carts full of baskets with food, blankets and several big tents so that they wouldn't all be sunburned by the end of the day. Mother groaned, rubbing her forehead before glaring down at Anwyn. She had that expression that said 'I'm glad that you're a smart girl but do you have be so smart right now?' All around them Anwyn's aunts shouted orders and hefted the things that her uncles couldn't lift. It was like loading a ship before it sailed only they were going out of the city to the new park that Siobhan's stupid grandmother had ordered built.

If it was any other family besides Siobhan’s family, Anwyn would have gone willingly. The chance to get away from her lessons and training would be wonderful. But it wasn't. Siobhan was a brat and a horrible bully. Anwyn knew that this was going to be horrible, even if her mother refused to admit it. As Anwyn and her mother glared at each other, Anwyn's oldest sister, Gwen, tugged at her sleeve, trying to get her to come along with the other kids in the family to their cart. Anwyn shrugged her off.

"Okay, let's go over this for the fourth and final time. Mind, the only reason you're getting another run-through is this is part of your business lessons, girl," Mother said. This time the glare was serious enough that Anwyn knew she couldn't get away with asking anything else or else her butt would be spanked so hard that she wouldn't sit down for days. "The Delbhana Clan are bragging about the new park. It's stupid. We all know it's stupid. Frankly, the whole damned city knows that it's stupid. The park is going to flood and wash away as soon as the spring rains make the river rise. But they're making it out to be a big deal and saying they gave the city a huge present. All they did was block the flow of the river and hide the City of the Ladies behind their stupid dirt mounds. Us attending is pure politics."

"I got that part," Anwyn said impatiently. "It's a big whoopa-whoopa party and the Delbhana are spending tons of money on it. Why are we going though? We don't need to go to their stupid party, Mother! Why are we playing their game?"

"We're going because anything the Delbhana can do, we can do better," Mother declared grouchily enough that Anwyn actually felt a tiny bit better about having to play nicely with Siobhan. "They make a park and have an opening celebration? Fine. Lovely. We'll throw a party to beat all the parties ever held and we'll hold it smack in the middle of their stupid park. Show them how it's really done. The Dana do parties better than any other clan in the whole damn country!"

Mother waved a fist at the sky as if she was getting ready to hit the Tripartate Goddesses themselves and to challenge the Ladies in their own city. Anwyn grinned at her until Cadfael ran over, carrying a little basket full of napkins. He shoved it into Anwyn's arms and stuck his tongue out at Anwyn when she squawked. Before she could give it back to him Cadfael ran off to help carry other things for their uncles. He completely ignored Anwyn's angry glare. Anwyn would never understand how her twin could be so different from her. There were things to understand and do but all he cared about was getting petted for helping the grown-ups with the stupid party that they shouldn't be going to anyway.

Then Mother grinned as she ruffled Anwyn's flaming red curls. "No more questions, girl. We have a party to put on and you're going to help whether you like it or not."

"I don't mind helping," Anwyn spluttered as she tried to knock her mother's hand away without dropping the basket full of napkins. "I just don't want to deal with Siobhan!"

Read the rest of the story over here.

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New Cover! cheers

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:12:18 GMT

I've got the cover for my next story, Inina's Blessings of Joy! *happy dance*

Neme did such good work on this one. *happy sigh* I hope to have the story out and ready for people to read in the next few days. I've got final proofreading and formatting to do but once that's done I'll release it to Amazon, Smashwords and CreateSpace.

The cover blurb says:
"It was a day of celebration.

Valerian's intent had been to enjoy the Festival of the Goddess Inina's Blessings to the world with his daughters and young son. It was a day of joy, a day to celebrate family and loved ones both there and gone on to Inina's arms.

However evil intent lurked inside one heart, tainting the festival with his anger and resentment. Valerian stood between Mayolo and his daughter, between Mayolo and Faustine, his daughter's best friend, arranging their hand fasting as a way of saving Faustine and her mother from Mayolo's abuse.

The village stood beside Valerian and his family but as the day progressed, Mayolo reached out to attack Valerian in the most painful way possible. Only Inina's blessings on his soul could save his family from Mayolo's dark magic."

Why are cover blurbs the hardest thing to write? Seriously, I flail over these darn things. *sigh*

(Price tag for this one will be $6.99 for the TPB and $3.99 for the ebook as it's a very short novel, rather than a short story.)

*more happy dance*

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Yay! sniffle

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:01:12 GMT

I finished the edit of Artifacts of Awareness! :) It ended up at 107,207 words with 37 chapters. I had a final chapter but when I read it over it was junk, adding nothing to the story I was telling. So that’s gone and good riddance to it.

*sniffles again*

Not too bad considering that I’m definitely sick. Stupid cold!

That said, I’d REALLY like someone to give this one a read-over for me. I’m pretty happy with the form and plot but I don’t know if I managed to convey everything well.

Anyone want to read a 107K Fantasy adventure/slavefic/erotica novel?

There’s slavery, obviously given that the main character is a slave through most of the novel, PTSD with auditory flashbacks (again for the main character), fighting, violence, assassination attempts, het sex, gay sex, threesomes (all three are guys), immortal magical artifacts with personalities, and one hell of a lot of swearing. Kennet, the POV character, has a serious potty mouth.

I’m basically looking for someone to tell me how it worked, any places where they got confused or bored and if it flows well. Proofing for commas, grammar, etc is fine but not mandatory.

So… anyone interested in getting the first read on this one?

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Free Fiction Friday: Sensory Alterations

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:50:10 GMT

For this week's Free Fiction Friday story I thought I'd go with my latest story: Sensory Alterations

Description:
When Tinesha left her Seattle suburban home to join the space station building program it was with a sense of excitement. She hoped for adventure and something greater to dedicate herself to. Helping humanity expand into outer space seemed like a worthy path for her life, one that she'd be able to follow for years, maybe decades.

But once she was on the station and had begun to help constructing it, Tinesha found that she was having a harder time adjusting to life in space than she expected. It wasn't the work that gave her trouble or her fellow construction workers in space.

No, the problem was that she couldn't adjust to the sensory differences in her environment. Just as Tinesha was about to give up and go back home, her new friend Kalila suggested a way that Tinesha could cope with the station. Taking her up on the suggestion opened up a whole new world for Tinesha. More importantly, it opened up a possibility between them that Tinesha would never have dared to hope for.

Find the ebook on Amazon and Smashwords and the 5" x 8" TBP on CreateSpace. (Coming soon in both formats to other retailers.)

No warnings apply but there are themes of loneliness, lesbianism, culture shock and hints of bullying in the past. Should be appropriate for audiences Teen and above.

Sensory Alterations

IT WAS THE SMELLS that made it impossible to adjust to her new life on the space station. Tinesha had had high hopes when she joined the station building program. A new life in a new place with adventure and excitement were just what she'd been hoping for. She took all the tests and passed with flying colors, even the physical tests that made her sweat worse than weeding the garden behind her family's home in the middle of August.

The trip from her home outside of Seattle to the training center had been a medley of stale air, bland food and the smell of too many bodies crammed into too small a space. Once at the training center, Tinesha had gladly thrown herself into the many things she needed to learn. She'd noticed that the center smelled of antiseptic and new plastics instead of rain or moss or even other people.

It was scrubbed so clean so often that there were no smells of anything else left. That made sense given that they wanted all the recruits to be as healthy as possible before shipping out to the stations under construction in orbit between Mars and Earth. It had been a minor irritant, that lack of the moist smell of rain clouds moving in, the absence of musty earth and moss. Tinesha would deal with it for the chance to do something totally new.

By the time they arrived at their assigned station, Tinesha had grown aware of a deep hunger for smells that she couldn't find in her environment. There were no green growing things smelling of pollen and damp earth. All the plants were grown hydroponically and she wasn't assigned to tending them. The food came wrapped in plastic, perfectly balanced and nutritious but the smells of it were off, bland, wan compared to what she was used to. Even the air made the back of her nose itch for the lack of dust.

"I don't think I can do this," Tinesha murmured as she sniffed the air in hope of something more than metal, the plastic wrap over her lunch tray and the scent of her deodorant.

"Can't do what?" Riyad asked as he settled into the seat opposite Tinesha. "The food? Granted, this is worse than normal. I think they bleached it while they cooked it or something."

His sister Kalila sat next to Tinesha, nose wrinkled as she pulled the plastic off her tray of food. They had both been on the station for several years, since construction began.

Find the rest of the story here.

I hope you read and enjoy! :D

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Sensory Alterations is now Available!

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:29:15 GMT

When Tinesha left her Seattle suburban home to join the space station building program it was with a sense of excitement. She hoped for adventure and something greater to dedicate herself to. Helping humanity expand into outer space seemed like a worthy path for her life, one that she'd be able to follow for years, maybe decades.

But once she was on the station and had begun to help constructing it, Tinesha found that she was having a harder time adjusting to life in space than she expected. It wasn't the work that gave her trouble or her fellow construction workers in space.

No, the problem was that she couldn't adjust to the sensory differences in her environment. Just as Tinesha was about to give up and go back home, her new friend Kalila suggested a way that Tinesha could cope with the station. Taking her up on the suggestion opened up a whole new world for Tinesha. More importantly, it opened up a possibility between them that Tinesha would never have dared to hope for.

Find the ebook for $2.99 on Amazon and Smashwords and the 5" x 8" TBP for $5.99 on CreateSpace. (Coming soon in both formats to other retailers.)

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Special Edition #3: Fitting In is now CLOSED!

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:40:00 GMT

Sorry to those who might have been thinking about jumping in at the last minute but the Special Edition for Fitting In is now closed. Orders for the bags will be going out shortly.

Thank you very much to those who joined the preorder! I'll get your goodies to you as quickly as possible. :D

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New Cover Art! cheers

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:35:38 GMT

I'm getting ready to release my next short story, this time more or less unrelated to the Matriarchies of Muirin series, and I thought I'd share the cover art. Because once again it's beautiful! I love Neme's work so very much (and as always you can find more of her gorgeous art at mgnemesi.deviantart.com or on her site dreamchasing.altervista.org.

I always feel a little bad about covering Neme's beautiful art with writing. *laughs at myself*

The story (Sensory Alterations) should be out by the end of the week for those looking forward to reading it. :D

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Reminder: Special Edition #3: Fitting In Closes Today!

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:26:55 GMT

Just a quick reminder before I go to work: Special Edition #3: Fitting In closes today! Please make sure that you contact me if you're interested in getting it and if you already signed up, please be sure to pay for it today.

Thank you very much!

*dashes off to work*

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Just updated my WP Store

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:24:22 GMT

I realized that I didn’t have a store page for Hide and Seek. Now I do. It’s available on most of the major retailers now, both as an ebook ($2.99) and a 5″ x 8″ TPB (64 pages, $5.99).

Just in time to get my next story up. *whines a little*

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Free Fiction Friday: Hide and Seek

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 02:18:09 GMT

Hey everyone! I'm doing a new thing over on my WP blog. My plan is to put up a story (or a chapter of a book) that I've published every Friday. I'll leave it up for people to read and enjoy for one week. The next Friday I'll take it down and put something else up.

Everything will still be available for purchase. I just wanted to share with those who can't afford to buy right now. *shy smile*

Anyway, the first story is up. It's Hide and Seek, my latest Matriarchies of Muirin short story.

I hope you'll check it out and that you enjoy it if you do read it.

Thank you to everyone for your support!

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Reminder!

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:04:15 GMT

Special Edition #3: Fitting In is still open but only until Monday, 4/15/13 so if you're interested in getting it please act soon.

I need payment by the 15th if at all possible so that I can start the order process for the book bags that come with this special edition. Those who have signed up, please pay soon.

Please and thank you!

That said, I'm hard at work on the next full length novel, which will be a smuttier one filled with action. That's going to be set in a different world, i.e. Tindiere, home of Secrets of the Artificer Mages.

It's a side story dedicated to Juraj's first love's life that runs concurrent to Secrets. No worries about having read Secrets because Artifacts of Awareness is completely separate from Juraj's story.

And I have to say I'm loving it like crazy. I forgot what a stubborn, ill-tempered, utterly damaged person the main character (Kennet) is. XD I sort of wrote to the ID on this one. Kennet hits practically all my literary kinks.

Anyway, off to work time for me!

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Quick Reminder: Special Edition #3: Fitting In is still open!

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:24:47 GMT

Just a quick reminder that the Special Edition of Fitting In is still available over here for $30 + Shipping anywhere in the world.

There won't be special editions on the short stories in the future, just the novels (and probably the anthologies I intend to put out) so this is a good chance to get not just the book, but also hand-stamped and lettered goodies from me, an origami crane AND a canvas book bag with a special version of Fitting In's cover printed on it.

Please check it out if you're interested and goodnight to all! :D

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Yay!!!! Hide and Seek has gone live! :D

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 19:07:05 GMT

Hide and Seek has gone live! *cheers*

It's up on CreateSpace as a TPB for $5.99 and on Smashwords for $2.99 as an ebook.

It should be up on Amazon as an ebook tomorrow at the lastest (it's still under review there). When it goes live there I'll let everyone know.

I'm planning on offering signed copies of Hide and Seek for those who want the TPB but it won't be a full special edition. I'll probably also wait and offer a grouped set of signed copies towards the end of May. By that point I should have three or four to offer at once. Cuts down on shipping for people who buy and on constant trips to the post office for me. ;)

Anyway, just wanted to squee about finally getting this one up for people to read. *cheers and flails once more about Neme's beautiful cover for the story*

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Movie Meta-thingie Almost-Rant, Not-Quite Rec-Review

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 21:41:09 GMT

FYI, this is a meta-thingie that you could call a rec or maybe a review. It's basically me working out my thoughts about an anime I watched while at Sakuracon last week.

Which anime? Children Who Chase Lost Voices, directed by Makota Shinkai.

Be aware, I had some fairly major issues with the anime but it has some strong good points to go with its equally strong bad points. Hopefully the rambling below will be coherent. Under a cut to save everyone from my babbling--assume that there are lots of spoilers under the cut, please.
( Read more... )
Anyway, that's my meta-thingie almost-rant, not-quite rec-review of Children Who Chase Lost Voices. I would give it a 6/10, mostly on the strength of the visuals and the characters themselves. The plot's messed up but if you go into with a clear understanding that it's not exactly the story that's promised on the cover.

Back to work for me!

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Dashes in to cheer

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:43:51 GMT

I got my latest story done! *cheers*

Sound of Obedience ended up at 14,436 words for the first draft, with the last 2765 being written today. I’m really happy with the growth one of the two main characters shows in the story. Gabe (the sub) went from reluctant and nervous to being confident and happily in control of himself by the end.

And it should be even better once I edit it and expand it a bit. I think it’ll probably end up between 15K and 18K. Projected release will be the end of May.

What I’ve got coming right now is:

1) Hide and Seek (should be released this weekend on POD and ebook): another Muirin short story set when everyone’s still kids. It’s got some awesome gay characters falling in love and getting engaged and kids being kids. Projected price is $2.99 ebook / $5.99 TPB.

2) Sensory Alterations (should be released the week of April 15th, late): my lesbian SF story with the romance between the Muslim and African American girls I was cooing over a while back. Projected price is $2.99 ebook / $5.99 TPB.

3) Inina’s Blessings of Joy (Should be released the last week of April/first week of May): Fantasy story set in the same world as Secrets of the Artificer Mages but with completely different characters. Again, projected price is $2.99 ebook / $5.99 TPB.

4) Sound of Obedience (should be released middle of May): Smut/action/romance story set in my Debts to Recover ‘verse with an establish gay male pairing with some fun role swaps. The Dom is smaller and a debt slave to the sub, who is a rich, powerful master and very well built physically (think Tom Welling during later Smallville). Because what’s not to love about size differences, power swaps and BDSM on a societal level? XD And yes, once again, the projected price is $2.99 ebook / $5.99 TPB.

5) The Hole Inside (should be released last week of May): Set in my very first world, the one with the Tormal Dragons. A blooming romance between two young men who’ve known each other for years where one (the protagonist) has fairly severe PTSD and anxiety attacks and the other is madly in love with him if pretty bad about expressing it. This is the one that’s rather more personal than normal. Projected price remains about $2.99 ebook / $5.99 TPB.

I hope to get another couple of short stories ready for the middle and end of June but I may focus on getting another book out by the end of June instead. We’ll see. That’s a weekend project, planning the next book.

Anyway, lunch is over so it’s back to work for me. :D

*dashes away happily*

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Hearts On Our Sleeves

FYI: Sound of Obedience Update

Oops! Novel Monday... a day late. #^^#

Sound of Obedience is now available!

Have some covers! *cheers*

Novel Monday: Fitting In

Free Fiction Friday: Fight Smarter

Free Fiction Friday: Inina's Blessings of Joy

Crack of Doom (Original Fic)

*loud cheers* Inina's Blessings of Joy is now available!

I realized something this morning.

Free Fiction Friday: The City of the Ladies

New Cover! *cheers*

Yay! *sniffle*

Free Fiction Friday: Sensory Alterations

Sensory Alterations is now Available!

Special Edition #3: Fitting In is now CLOSED!

New Cover Art! *cheers*

Reminder: Special Edition #3: Fitting In Closes Today!

Just updated my WP Store

Free Fiction Friday: Hide and Seek

Reminder!

Quick Reminder: Special Edition #3: Fitting In is still open!

Yay!!!! Hide and Seek has gone live! :D

Movie Meta-thingie Almost-Rant, Not-Quite Rec-Review

*Dashes in to cheer*

Have some covers! cheers

loud cheers Inina's Blessings of Joy is now available!

New Cover! cheers

Yay! sniffle

New Cover Art! cheers

Dashes in to cheer