Via Lara Zielinsky, just found out that the Year's Best Lesbian Fiction '08 anthology (Bedazzled Ink), which include my story Words Like Candy Conversation Hearts was named as one of the Golden Crown Literary Society's Best Non-Erotic Anthologies! Whoo-hoo!
Where the Girls Are was a Lambda Literary Finalist, and Coming Together: Against the Odds (I believe) won an EPIC Award for best anthology, so anthologies I'm in are on a roll this year. Yay!
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Violet Blue rocks!
I'm a feminist, and I watch porn.
I'm an adult. I don't need to have the world sanitized for my protection. It's bad enough when the government, Steven Jobs from Apple, and religious folk play the nanny. Now I have to endure the meddling of feminists* too?
*I'm not sure how they can call themselves feminists when they're trying to control my access to porn. It's misogynistic.
Violet Blue started Our Porn, Ourselves, to defend women's right to watch, enjoy, use, and produce sexually explicit material. Visit her site, and show your support for a woman's right to sexual self-determination.
I'm an adult. I don't need to have the world sanitized for my protection. It's bad enough when the government, Steven Jobs from Apple, and religious folk play the nanny. Now I have to endure the meddling of feminists* too?
*I'm not sure how they can call themselves feminists when they're trying to control my access to porn. It's misogynistic.
Violet Blue started Our Porn, Ourselves, to defend women's right to watch, enjoy, use, and produce sexually explicit material. Visit her site, and show your support for a woman's right to sexual self-determination.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Busy Month
I traveled a lot this month. Mid-month, I was in New Orleans for Saints and Sinners.
I've been reflecting on my Saints and Sinners experience for a couple weeks because it was not as fulfilling of an experience as it has been in the past. The same issue arises every year, and it bothers me every year, but this time I can't set it aside.
There's an erotica panel every year at Saints and Sinners, with the same three people on it every time. They invite one new person to join them, but truly, it is their panel. It's not that those panelists aren't qualified, but they say the same things every year, and what they say is, "I don't read erotica because it doesn't interest me." My other favorite quote from two years ago was, "I don't read erotica because I only read good writing." This from erotica writers. I'm used to those slams from literary writers by now (and had to endure them during two master classes this time) but don't give much credence to the ignorant pronouncements of anyone who hasn't read my work before judging it. However, it appalls me to hear it from the erotica panel. Can you imagine the outcry if someone at a mystery panel said, "Genre novels are crap compared to literary novels, so I wouldn't be caught dead reading a mystery novel even though I write them?"
Further disappointment came from the erotica reading, which featured the same writers who sat on the erotica panel. Why not spread some of the love? How about maybe inviting writers who had stories in one of the Lambda Literary Award finalist anthologies in the erotica category, or an editor of one of those nominated anthologies? But no. Hell, they couldn't even be bothered to put those anthologies out on the bookstore table. Not one of them. So I came away a bit frustrated.
I'll go to Saints and Sinners next year, and I'll continue to contribute (quite a big check, actually), but for once, I'd like to come away with positive feelings about how erotica is handled.
I've been reflecting on my Saints and Sinners experience for a couple weeks because it was not as fulfilling of an experience as it has been in the past. The same issue arises every year, and it bothers me every year, but this time I can't set it aside.
There's an erotica panel every year at Saints and Sinners, with the same three people on it every time. They invite one new person to join them, but truly, it is their panel. It's not that those panelists aren't qualified, but they say the same things every year, and what they say is, "I don't read erotica because it doesn't interest me." My other favorite quote from two years ago was, "I don't read erotica because I only read good writing." This from erotica writers. I'm used to those slams from literary writers by now (and had to endure them during two master classes this time) but don't give much credence to the ignorant pronouncements of anyone who hasn't read my work before judging it. However, it appalls me to hear it from the erotica panel. Can you imagine the outcry if someone at a mystery panel said, "Genre novels are crap compared to literary novels, so I wouldn't be caught dead reading a mystery novel even though I write them?"
Further disappointment came from the erotica reading, which featured the same writers who sat on the erotica panel. Why not spread some of the love? How about maybe inviting writers who had stories in one of the Lambda Literary Award finalist anthologies in the erotica category, or an editor of one of those nominated anthologies? But no. Hell, they couldn't even be bothered to put those anthologies out on the bookstore table. Not one of them. So I came away a bit frustrated.
I'll go to Saints and Sinners next year, and I'll continue to contribute (quite a big check, actually), but for once, I'd like to come away with positive feelings about how erotica is handled.
Monday, May 24, 2010
This Week on Oh Get A Grip
This week on Oh Get A Grip, my imagination turns to the story of Onan, and why it may just be a huge misunderstanding. That's right - we're talking about solo sex.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Heart Eater
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tonight! Lambda Literary Finalist Reading in Los Angeles
Come hear me read- because watching me read is really boring.
Lambda Finalist Reading (LA)
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 7:30pm
Skylight Books
1818 N. Vermont
Los Angeles, CA
View Map
Lambda Literary has partnered with libraries, bookstores, and festivals across the country to celebrate finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards. All readings are free and open to the public.
Featuring: @Jim Morrison, @Dexter Flowers, @Stacie Cassarino, @Ariel Schrag, @Dayle A. Dermatis and @Kathleen Brandean.
Hosted by @Noel Alumit and @Tony Valenzuela.
http://www.skylightbooks.com/http://www.lambdaliterary.org/readers/events/04/02/lambda-finalist-reading/
Lambda Finalist Reading (LA)
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 7:30pm
Skylight Books
1818 N. Vermont
Los Angeles, CA
View Map
Lambda Literary has partnered with libraries, bookstores, and festivals across the country to celebrate finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards. All readings are free and open to the public.
Featuring: @Jim Morrison, @Dexter Flowers, @Stacie Cassarino, @Ariel Schrag, @Dayle A. Dermatis and @Kathleen Brandean.
Hosted by @Noel Alumit and @Tony Valenzuela.
http://www.skylightbooks.com/http://www.lambdaliterary.org/readers/events/04/02/lambda-finalist-reading/
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
At Lot Of Stuff Coming Up
Monday (I think it's Monday) May 10th, I'll be at Skylight Books in Los Feliz for the Lambda Literary Awards Finalist's reading series. No, I didn't enter my novel (complicated tale behind that) but I'll read from my short story Don't Fuck With Country Girls that appears in Where the Girls Are.
Then that Thursday I head to New Orleans for Saints and Sinners GLBT Literary Festival. So looking forward to that. Hope to meet Cecelia Tan from Circlet Press for the first time. Planning to hang mostly with Mel Spencer and DL King, although I'm also looking forward to a few moments with Jeff Mann, Sean Meriweather, Steve Berman, Trebor Healey, Greg Herren ... I wonder how I'll ever make it to the classes. But this is my once a year chance to enjoy their company.
I have a bunch of stuff out on submissions. I can't remember ever having this many stories out at the same time. Why I don't feel as if I'm writing, I have no idea. But if something sells (okay, one already did. sent back the contract yesterday. but it's for a different pen name.) I'll keep you posted.
Then that Thursday I head to New Orleans for Saints and Sinners GLBT Literary Festival. So looking forward to that. Hope to meet Cecelia Tan from Circlet Press for the first time. Planning to hang mostly with Mel Spencer and DL King, although I'm also looking forward to a few moments with Jeff Mann, Sean Meriweather, Steve Berman, Trebor Healey, Greg Herren ... I wonder how I'll ever make it to the classes. But this is my once a year chance to enjoy their company.
I have a bunch of stuff out on submissions. I can't remember ever having this many stories out at the same time. Why I don't feel as if I'm writing, I have no idea. But if something sells (okay, one already did. sent back the contract yesterday. but it's for a different pen name.) I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Send a Big Yohoo Out To The Army!
Thanks for visiting my site, Army dudes!
According to Bling, Usaisc stands for USAISC: United States Army Information Systems Command
From my blog traffic site:
Headquarters, Usaisc (164.66.192.21) [Label IP Address]
Anniston, Alabama, United States, 0 returning visits
Date Time Type WebPage
22nd April 2010 10:00:58 Page View washingtondc.craigslist.org/forums/?act=su&handle=MoodIndigo
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/
22nd April 2010 10:01:02 Page View No referring link
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/?zx=5cace5b2c8706ed9
22nd April 2010 10:01:44 Page View washingtondc.craigslist.org/forums/?act=su&handle=MoodIndigo
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/
Which means they're spying on either the bisexual or queer forums on Craigslist and following threads. Or someone there is goofing off at work. Tsk tsk, soldier.
According to Bling, Usaisc stands for USAISC: United States Army Information Systems Command
From my blog traffic site:
Headquarters, Usaisc (164.66.192.21) [Label IP Address]
Anniston, Alabama, United States, 0 returning visits
Date Time Type WebPage
22nd April 2010 10:00:58 Page View washingtondc.craigslist.org/forums/?act=su&handle=MoodIndigo
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/
22nd April 2010 10:01:02 Page View No referring link
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/?zx=5cace5b2c8706ed9
22nd April 2010 10:01:44 Page View washingtondc.craigslist.org/forums/?act=su&handle=MoodIndigo
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/
Which means they're spying on either the bisexual or queer forums on Craigslist and following threads. Or someone there is goofing off at work. Tsk tsk, soldier.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Something You Never Suspected About Me
On Oh Get A Grip today, I dissect a few scenes from the movie Strictly Ballroom, and confess to a past you'd never suspect.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Twitter Smut
I've been on Twitter for a while. I try to post a short story every day. The 140 character limit is daunting.
Tonight, Stan Kent (of Shoe Leather fame, and host of the monthly In the Flesh erotica reading series here in LA), DL King (writer, editor, and the creator of Erotica Revealed), Jeremy Edwards (writer), and I attempted to co-write a story on Twitter.
There were advantages, such as being able to tell the story in more than one Tweet. But it was an experiment, so we had a few problems. Once we hit our stride, the flow improved, but it's still hard to write when you're taking turns. You can't plan anything, because by the time it's your turn, the story is in a different place. You have to build on what came before. It was exhausting. But fun. Stan is going to read it (eep) in front of an audience at this month's In the Flesh.
We're not the first writers to try using Twitter for collaborative writing. As artists, we're driven to explore mediums, and we learn from the ideas of others. So I call it a success.
Tonight, Stan Kent (of Shoe Leather fame, and host of the monthly In the Flesh erotica reading series here in LA), DL King (writer, editor, and the creator of Erotica Revealed), Jeremy Edwards (writer), and I attempted to co-write a story on Twitter.
There were advantages, such as being able to tell the story in more than one Tweet. But it was an experiment, so we had a few problems. Once we hit our stride, the flow improved, but it's still hard to write when you're taking turns. You can't plan anything, because by the time it's your turn, the story is in a different place. You have to build on what came before. It was exhausting. But fun. Stan is going to read it (eep) in front of an audience at this month's In the Flesh.
We're not the first writers to try using Twitter for collaborative writing. As artists, we're driven to explore mediums, and we learn from the ideas of others. So I call it a success.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Wrong Turns
Somewhere along the way in my short story, I took a wrong turn. It only came apparent when I couldn't write the final scene.
I've written a lot of smut. You'd think by now that I could bring it on home with three humpy, horny vampires primed to jump in the sack and shoot like the fountains of the Bellagio. But no. I couldn't get into it. And I don't mean in a sexual way. I just couldn't type the words.
Every story is a path. It leads somewhere. I thought I'd led my characters to the bedroom, but instead, we were all looking at a dead stop and couldn't figure out how to get around it. Some writers might blast through the wall and make it happen. I retrace my steps. Some paths are false ones. I have to figure out where the misstep happened and get on the right path.
The problem, I finally figured out, was that several thousand words into the story, I switched gears. This short story is part of a connected universe of short stories and novellas. My mind slipped into novella mode, which brings in too much story, too much plot, and way too much talking. Nothing kills short story erotica like characters yakking away when they should be, to put it politely, fucking their brains out.
Oh, how I hate to delete several thousand words. There are writers who tell you to save it, to squirrel away that bit and maybe use it later, but to me, every word has to flow organically through the characters, and trying to force a scene to match up to words written for another situation and other characters doesn't work. So I just erase it. Several days of work, obliterated.
But I was back on the right track. How can I be so sure, considering that I was fooled before? Everything fell into place. It wasn't the sex scene I expected, but it was the right one. And best of all, it effortlessly flowed to the ending sentence I'd hoped for but refused to force. That's how I know.
I've written a lot of smut. You'd think by now that I could bring it on home with three humpy, horny vampires primed to jump in the sack and shoot like the fountains of the Bellagio. But no. I couldn't get into it. And I don't mean in a sexual way. I just couldn't type the words.
Every story is a path. It leads somewhere. I thought I'd led my characters to the bedroom, but instead, we were all looking at a dead stop and couldn't figure out how to get around it. Some writers might blast through the wall and make it happen. I retrace my steps. Some paths are false ones. I have to figure out where the misstep happened and get on the right path.
The problem, I finally figured out, was that several thousand words into the story, I switched gears. This short story is part of a connected universe of short stories and novellas. My mind slipped into novella mode, which brings in too much story, too much plot, and way too much talking. Nothing kills short story erotica like characters yakking away when they should be, to put it politely, fucking their brains out.
Oh, how I hate to delete several thousand words. There are writers who tell you to save it, to squirrel away that bit and maybe use it later, but to me, every word has to flow organically through the characters, and trying to force a scene to match up to words written for another situation and other characters doesn't work. So I just erase it. Several days of work, obliterated.
But I was back on the right track. How can I be so sure, considering that I was fooled before? Everything fell into place. It wasn't the sex scene I expected, but it was the right one. And best of all, it effortlessly flowed to the ending sentence I'd hoped for but refused to force. That's how I know.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Greg Herren on Oh Get a grip Today
Greg Herren is the guest blogger on Oh Get a Grip today.
It was my week to pick the theme. I chose Writing WHERE You Know. Writers are often admonished to write what they know (a mistake, I believe) but nothing infuriates a local more than reading a story where the writer got their hometown all wrong. Greg has seen a lot of that. He lives in New Orleans, and many of his stories are set there. His off-the-record tales of editors who tried to "correct" his localisms are as frustrating as they are funny. But writers who don't bother to do their research and get NOLA wrong drive him nuts.
I can understand that. I'm not a native of Los Angeles, but I love my city. So many times I see this casual disdain for LA in stories by people who don't have a clue about the real thing, so they attack the stereotypical LA. The problem with that - aside from ignorance and sloppy writing - is that the LA they're attacking doesn't really exist. Not that LA lacks real problems. So write about those. And fer chrissakes, stop using reality TV and Melrose Place as primary research tools.
It was my week to pick the theme. I chose Writing WHERE You Know. Writers are often admonished to write what they know (a mistake, I believe) but nothing infuriates a local more than reading a story where the writer got their hometown all wrong. Greg has seen a lot of that. He lives in New Orleans, and many of his stories are set there. His off-the-record tales of editors who tried to "correct" his localisms are as frustrating as they are funny. But writers who don't bother to do their research and get NOLA wrong drive him nuts.
I can understand that. I'm not a native of Los Angeles, but I love my city. So many times I see this casual disdain for LA in stories by people who don't have a clue about the real thing, so they attack the stereotypical LA. The problem with that - aside from ignorance and sloppy writing - is that the LA they're attacking doesn't really exist. Not that LA lacks real problems. So write about those. And fer chrissakes, stop using reality TV and Melrose Place as primary research tools.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Let's See How This Works
The dreaded synopsis.
I write book reviews which often include a synopsis. I have no problem writing them for other books. So why can't I seem to write a synopsis for my work? I have no idea.
I'm trying a new approach. As I edited my latest MS, I stapled the chapters and wrote a one line summary of that chapter on the first page. Theoretically, if I string those together, they should form the bones of synopsis. (My last chapter summary is "J&E finally get it on.") It's pure action though. No character detail. So it has to be fleshed out. But I'll report back to you if this helps me write a coherent synopsis.
I write book reviews which often include a synopsis. I have no problem writing them for other books. So why can't I seem to write a synopsis for my work? I have no idea.
I'm trying a new approach. As I edited my latest MS, I stapled the chapters and wrote a one line summary of that chapter on the first page. Theoretically, if I string those together, they should form the bones of synopsis. (My last chapter summary is "J&E finally get it on.") It's pure action though. No character detail. So it has to be fleshed out. But I'll report back to you if this helps me write a coherent synopsis.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Coming Together Against the Odds
Forgot to mention that Coming Together Against the Odds won the EPIC Award for Best Erotica anthology.
Mixed feelings. This line of anthologies for a cause (all proceeds for Against the Odds went to Autism Speaks) is a great idea.
But...
BEGIN RANT
I'm so over EPIC. Getting southern here for a moment, but Bless Their Hearts, the membership consists mostly of romance writers, and they make sure the other genres know it. The obsession with RWA on the EPIC lists is annoying as hell to those of us who don't write romance and aren't desperate for RWA's attention/recognition. Plus there's one very dominant queen bee member. I delete her many daily emails (she's an expert on every subject that comes up, so she has to reply to everything) unread and cringe whenever I see her name. Plus I'm irritated that they use the contest fees to pay for their conference. That's just wrong. No one should have to contribute another writer's vacation because the poor dear couldn't afford it otherwise. This is probably my last year dealing with them. I've lost my patience.
END RANT
On the other hand - Saints and Sinners is only a couple months away!
Mixed feelings. This line of anthologies for a cause (all proceeds for Against the Odds went to Autism Speaks) is a great idea.
But...
BEGIN RANT
I'm so over EPIC. Getting southern here for a moment, but Bless Their Hearts, the membership consists mostly of romance writers, and they make sure the other genres know it. The obsession with RWA on the EPIC lists is annoying as hell to those of us who don't write romance and aren't desperate for RWA's attention/recognition. Plus there's one very dominant queen bee member. I delete her many daily emails (she's an expert on every subject that comes up, so she has to reply to everything) unread and cringe whenever I see her name. Plus I'm irritated that they use the contest fees to pay for their conference. That's just wrong. No one should have to contribute another writer's vacation because the poor dear couldn't afford it otherwise. This is probably my last year dealing with them. I've lost my patience.
END RANT
On the other hand - Saints and Sinners is only a couple months away!
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Some Things
I've been working on a novel, so my blogging suffers.
New post up on Oh Get A Grip.
A nice mention of my story in Best of Best Women's Erotica 2.
I'll try to get back on schedule soon.
New post up on Oh Get A Grip.
A nice mention of my story in Best of Best Women's Erotica 2.
I'll try to get back on schedule soon.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Oh Get A Grip
Next week, I join the staff of Oh Get A Grip. The staff is Lisabet Sarai, Devon Rhodes, Michelle Houston, C. Sanchez-Garcia, and Ashley Lister, with a guest blogger every Saturday. Lisabet and Ashley are fellow reviewers of literary erotica on Erotica Revealed.
Helen Madden (Cynical Woman) is leaving OGG, unfortunately. I've known Helen for years. She's a wonderful person, a bundle of energy, and a fantastic writer. She is active in the Erotica Readers and Writers Association's Storytime critique list, does a weekly podcast of her original stories, draws a comic strip, and writes too. Amazing. I hate the euphemism "leaving to seek other opportunities," because that's corporate speak for fired. Helen definitely wasn't fired. But she's got so much going on that the weekly commitment got to be too much, and she wants to be free to, yes, pursue other opportunities. Hopefully this means she'll have more time to write. I'm a fan as well as a friend.
Helen had Friday, but people are shuffling days, so I'll be posting on Tuesdays.
If you would like to see any topics covered, let me know, as I'm supposed to help come up with ideas as well as writing my weekly article. Stop by and see what everyone is talking about on Oh Get a Grip.
Helen Madden (Cynical Woman) is leaving OGG, unfortunately. I've known Helen for years. She's a wonderful person, a bundle of energy, and a fantastic writer. She is active in the Erotica Readers and Writers Association's Storytime critique list, does a weekly podcast of her original stories, draws a comic strip, and writes too. Amazing. I hate the euphemism "leaving to seek other opportunities," because that's corporate speak for fired. Helen definitely wasn't fired. But she's got so much going on that the weekly commitment got to be too much, and she wants to be free to, yes, pursue other opportunities. Hopefully this means she'll have more time to write. I'm a fan as well as a friend.
Helen had Friday, but people are shuffling days, so I'll be posting on Tuesdays.
If you would like to see any topics covered, let me know, as I'm supposed to help come up with ideas as well as writing my weekly article. Stop by and see what everyone is talking about on Oh Get a Grip.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Best of Best Women's Erotica
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
You're Stuck at Home and Bored Out of Your Skull
Daytime TV sucks, you're sick of the inside of your house, and you really didn't want to have mini raviolis for lunch.
Have you been to Erotica_Readers.Com? Taken a gander lately at Publish and Be Damned? Oh Get a Grip? Joe.My.God? Glitter For Brains? Lambda Literary? Checked out The Animal Art of Sarah Higdon? Read a Craigs List forum? Checked the live webcam for London? Watched Torchwood or Bring Human on Hulu?
Or you could read a book.
Have you been to Erotica_Readers.Com? Taken a gander lately at Publish and Be Damned? Oh Get a Grip? Joe.My.God? Glitter For Brains? Lambda Literary? Checked out The Animal Art of Sarah Higdon? Read a Craigs List forum? Checked the live webcam for London? Watched Torchwood or Bring Human on Hulu?
Or you could read a book.
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