Vote for me!
Category: Writing and Poetry

The Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll is open through the end of the month (despite what it says on the poll's webpage--there was a glitch in the system that kept people from voting early on, so they extended the voting period). Anyone who enjoyed Discreet Young Gentleman, feel free to vote for it here!

For your vote to count, you have to provide an email address, then click on a link they send you to confirm.

If you like zombie short stories (hey, who doesn't?), my short story "Of Cabbages and King" (available for your reading pleasure at The Harrow), is also nominated. Check it out, and if you like it, vote for it here.

Voting remains open until midnight, January 31 (doesn't say which time zone, so try to vote early).

Thanks for your support!

5:00 AM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

It Ain't Safe Out There (Part 1)
Category: Life

Two cautionary tales from the media:

Thomas Montgomery was 47 and married, but in cyberspace he claimed to be an 18-year-old soldier on his way to Iraq. She (name withheld by authorities) was 40, using pictures of her own daughter to pose as a teen so that she could flirt with men online. Things got ugly when the woman, who lives in West Virginia, sent a package to Montgomery's house, including photos, lingerie, and a set of custom-made dog tags...and his wife intercepted it. Wife contacted the poor young girl (as she thought), telling her she'd been fooled and sending a family portrait as proof.

The West Virginian woman was curious to know more, so she used info from her chats with Montgomery to track down one of his coworkers, 22-year-old Brian Barrett, to see if she could find out what Montgomery's wife was saying about her. Soon, she was deep in correspondence with both Barrett and Montgomery, who failed to break contact even after being busted by the missus. She knew the truth about Montgomery's real identity, but he and Barrett continued to think she was a hot 18-year-old chick.

Montgomery, it is believed, got jealous--jealous enough to put on a ski mask and camouflage, take a .30 caliber rifle, and blow Barrett away at close range. (Carolyn Thompson, Associated Press, in today's Indy Star)

Details magazine has another warning in the January/February issue: seems there's a new rash of internet vigilantes, who are putting up fake ads on places like Craigslist, posing as women offering kinky encounters: "it drives me krazy 2 get tit fucked, cuffed, ass spanked with welts and bruises"  (note: the article only mentions het ads, but it's only a matter of time before someone trolls for gays the same way, if it isn't happening already).

These guys get dozens, even hundreds of replies--many containing real names, phone numbers, photos (including cock shots)--which the vigilantes then post publicly online to humiliate the men who've been foolish enough to give their personal info. Sometimes they go further: contacting the bosses of men who use company email accounts to respond to the sex ads, emailing the wives of married men.

Why? "Accountability," says Michael Crook, one of these self-appointed marshals of the cyberfrontier (to borrow a lovely phrase from the author, Ian Daly). The article suggests other motives, including a good ol' fashioned desire to stir up trouble--which could, of course, blow up some day in a spectacular manner: Crook and others like him are receiving death threats, and as example #1 shows above, people really do get killed over internet madness.

What to do? People aren't going to stop using the net to hook up, either for online or real-life encounters. But for chrissakes, folks--be careful out there. Don't ever give personal info to people you don't know. Before you hit send, think about how you'd feel if what you just wrote was out there for everyone to see.

Meeting strangers is always risky, but you can take a few steps to protect yourself, especially from fraudulent ads like the above. If you're trying to meet someone in person, keep the initial cybercontact to a minimum (preferably from an anonymous email account, and never from your work email), and arrange to meet in public so you can check each other out. Should the other person insist on phone contact first, ask for their number, and call from a pay phone or an unlisted cell phone.

If all you want is cybersex or internet flirtation, make it all up. Set up a free email account at Hotmail, Yahoo, or the like, using an entirely fake profile (be whoever you want to be!), and use it only for these encounters. Do not, ever, give traceable information about your real life--keep a notebook, if you need to, to keep track of your imaginary biography. A truly dedicated hacker might still be able to hunt you down through ISP wizardry, but any barrier you put up between you and the weirdos is going to filter some of them out.

Protect yourself! It gets weird out there.

(Next: How to Be Anonymous)

4:33 AM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Anti-gay at eBay
Current mood: pissed off

When does a person cross the line from private citizen to public figure?

A friend of mine--who knows what an avid eBayer I am--alerted me last night to a story he'd found on a gay gossip message board. Seems that eBay CEO Meg Whitman was featured in an article in Monday's New York Times, detailing her efforts to raise money for former Massachusetts Governor--and gay rights opponent--Mitt Romney, who is making a bid for the White House in 2008. Here's her quote:

3:55 PM - 11 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Plug for WOoGI (Writers of Genre fiction, Indiana)
Current mood: awake
Category: Writing and Poetry

If you live in Indiana and write genre fiction, WOoGI is a great resource--I'm proud to be a charter member. Founded a couple of months ago by Rebecca Longster, the group meets once a month. We share resources, know-how, and news about our work; encourage each other's efforts; and enjoy the pleasure of meeting fellow writers face-to-face. The group thus far includes writers of mystery, horror, SF/F and romance (sometimes in combination). All are welcome: unpublished, traditionally published, self-published.

Usual meeting time is 1:30 pm on the first Saturday of the month, usual meeting place is the West Lafayette Public Library. There are also regional meetings in Indianapolis and West Lafayette--the next Indy meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 16, 7 pm, at the cafe in the Clearwater Barnes and Noble (3748 E. 82 St.).

The website (still in need of updating, but will soon include a blog where members can post current news and info) is here. And here is Rebecca's lovely flyer for the next general meeting:

Currently reading : Voices from Stalingrad (Voices from) By Jonathan Bastable Release date: 30 September, 2006

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Thanks, Dad
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Writing and Poetry

When you're an author, people ask about your influences: what inspires you? Formed your character? Made you a writer? My biggest influences were easy to figure, I used to think. My mother, with her love of books and liberal sensibility. J.R.R. Tolkien, whose Lord of the Rings gave me not only a world to escape to when things got rough, but taught me something about perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds. L.M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle showed me that people can live their lives on their own terms and still find happiness. A not-famous-enough book called The Perilous Gard, by Elizabeth Marie Pope gave a terrific lesson, right at the end of the book, in keeping your integrity in the face of an almost irresistible temptation to cheat to get what you want.

Then I came across a particular cd compilation the other day, and realized that there was something else that cast a shadow forward onto my writing, way back when I could barely spell out my first words. Music. Specifically, my father's music.

Now my Dad, he listened to what the guy in The Blues Brothers called both types of music: country and western. But his records were filled with stories, stories that gripped me by the hair and made me the writer—and maybe even the person—I am today. Songs that began: Out in the West Texas town of El Paso. A young cowboy named Billy Joe grew restless on the farm. Kawliga was a wooden Indian, standing by the door.

What did I learn? That if you make stupid mistakes, you pay for them. That whether you're a hot-headed Texas cowboy or a desolate Indian named Running Bear, true love is more important than life itself. I learned you'll live a much longer life if you listen to your mother: when she tells you don't take your guns to town, for Christ's sake, listen. And speaking of mothers, Mrs. Johnson, too, gets credit for providing a valuable lesson in standing up for yourself when she took on the Harper Valley PTA. In a mini skirt, no less.

Oh, my Mom listened to some great stuff: Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra. Those people could sing, but they couldn't tell a story for a damn. People who need people? Name names, dear: give me Kawliga pining for an Indian maid, and I am there. Strangers in the Night had potential, but when it turned out neither one of them had a gun, I lost interest.

No, it was my father's records that first gave me the essential building blocks I use today: honor, justice, tragedy--and yeah, always--romance. You know, the stuff stories are made of. Dad's been gone for nearly ten years now, and I've often wondered what he'd think of my writing. Listening to his music again makes me believe maybe he'd understand, after all.

The cd, by the way, is called Country Classics: Great Story Songs. Highly recommended.

Currently listening : Classic Country: Great Story Songs By Various Artists Release date: 08 January, 2002

6:12 PM - 0 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

I'm not the only one who gets good reviews
Current mood: chipper
Category: Life

So, I checked out Rate My Professors to see what students were saying about my better half, who is a professor of anthropology at IUPUI.


The prof at work

Turns out I don't get the best reviews in the family after all:

5:02 AM - 1 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Last Sunday at A Different Light
Current mood: cheerful

Subtitle: Marlys's Great L.A. Adventure (yeah, that's what the "M" stands for--I'll never give up the "J" willingly, but if you're sneaky enough, you can find out)

Sunday, December 3 in West Hollywood. The drive up from my brother's house in Murrieta was uneventful, apart from a few major slowdowns (on Sunday? damn, doesn't the traffic ever lighten up in So Cal?). My mother, who was acting as my driver and photographer (thanks, Ma!) and I found a too-good-to-be-true parking spot about a block from the bookstore, and since we had almost an hour to kill, found a bakery and had a snack.

Then we wandered over to A Different Light. The poster Ken at Seventh Window had made for the signing looked great, so we took a picture:


The event was a blast. A very nice woman, Margaret, was waiting when I got there to have me sign a book for her. She had wonderful things to say about The Price of Temptation, and was looking forward to Discreet Young Gentleman. Okay, I basked. Money is nice when it happens, but the best reward for writing is hearing that someone really connected with your work. Thank you, Margaret! I'm only sorry I didn't realize I'd be reading Sunday night (my fault--I should have asked Billy at ADL what the plan was), or I would have asked you to stick around.

I signed a stack of books that had been pre-sold through the ADL web page (you'll be able to tell where your copy was in the stack by the clarity of the signature), chatted with Joel the store manager and Vladimir his able assistant. They set up a table and some chairs, and I read a couple of excerpts from DYG. I'm getting better at speaking in public, but I still read too fast...


There were some nice questions from people in the audience, then I got to meet some terrific people:

Michael Shinafelt, the journalist who interviewed me for the December Blade. He's also the sex columnist for Men magazine, and one of the funniest guys I know.


Sean Platter (see also his web page here), the artist who does the covers for my books. Sean's very busy these days--right now he's exhibiting over at Antebellum, so if you're in the L.A. area you can check out his work in person.


And speaking of Sean's covers, remember this?


These are a couple of the shots Sean used for reference when he created the cover for The Price of Temptation:



The models are Luca DiCorso and his boyfriend Drew, and I was pleased to meet them both at the bookstore, along with their friend James. Luca, who was Men Magazine's Man of the Year for 2005, is busy with fashion modeling and his Naked Yoga studios these days, while Drew is working on a screenplay. I'm happy to report that they are both just as nice as they are gorgeous. Here's a picture of me with Luca, and I'm kicking myself that I didn't get one with Drew as well (although if you scroll back up to the photo of Michael above, you can see half of him on the right).

I also got to meet gay erotic romance author James Buchanan, and he, Michael and I went out for a drink at the Abbey afterwards. The evening was a pleasure all around...until my mom and I went to find my brother's car.

And it wasn't there. Remember that too-good-to-be-true parking space? Yeah, it really wasn't true. We barely had time to debate whether it had been stolen or towed when we noticed parking enforcement officers on the other side of the street. They told us we'd needed a permit to park there, and gave us the phone number and address of the lot where the car likely ended up. I made a point to be nice about it, even apologetic--it was my mistake, after all--which paid off a few minutes later when we were sitting at the bus stop across the street. The parking officers stopped and picked us up, and actually gave us a ride to the tow lot.

Which just added to the impression I'd already got earlier: everybody's nice in L.A.

6:20 AM - 10 Comments - 12 Kudos - Add Comment

Music that makes me sweat
Category: Music

On this day of thanks, let me express my gratitude to my husband, whose gift of a 1-gig mp3 player along with a gym membership makes working out tolerable. I'll even overlook the fact that he then got himself a 30-gig video iPod, because he took the time and effort to load mine with a couple hundred of my favorite songs. Thanks, babe! Not that the hours on the stationary bike exactly fly by, but the music both distracts me and gives me a beat to move to. (Anybody else do the Cascades hill workout on a Life Cycle bike?)

Here are some of my favorites to work out to:

Elvis Costello. I've been in awe of this guy's smart, wry pop songs since I was--what?--sixteen? So when he tells me to pump it up, I most certainly do. "Oliver's Army" and "Radio Radio" are other great workout songs.

"I Wanna Be Sedated"--the Ramones. At my age, my max heart rate is supposed to be 177. Yeah, right. Just like the "speed limit" on that flat stretch of I-65 between Indy and West Lafayette is supposed to be 75. If the song lasted two minutes and two seconds, the bike would be auto-dialing 911.

"Blister in the Sun"--Violent Femmes. For when I can't find "I Wanna Be Sedated" (not that I'm complaining, dear...but you know, yours supports playlists...).

"Amish Paradise." Okay, maybe I'm uncool, and maybe I'm the only person over 15 who admits to having Weird Al on their mp3 player--but even if I'm approaching total exhaustion, sweat pouring into my eyes and breath coming in gasps, I'm still going to laugh out loud when Al sings "tonight we're gonna party like it's 1699."

"The House is Haunted by the Echo of Your Last Goodbye"--Marc Almond. My favorite torch singer tears up the scenery and gets me over the top of the hills.

Speaking of hills...Kate Bush, "Running Up That Hill." And "Experiment IV." And almost anything else of hers that's fast-paced enough.

"Losing My Religion"--REM. Once, I was convinced that this was Michael Stipes telling us he wished he had the guts to come out (said too much...haven't said enough...hint of the century...flaming fantasies...etc.). Then he did come out, and I decided, nah, too obvious. It's still a lushly pretty song, and can really keep the legs moving. "Stand" works too, mostly because I can picture Chris Elliott on the bike next to me, flinging newspapers. (Bonus points if you get that.)

"It'll Chew You Up and Spit You Out"--Concrete Blonde. Looking forward to my upcoming visit to L.A., of course!

"Rock Lobster"--B52s. One of my favorite dance songs is also great to bike to, even I do have to fight the urge to get off the machine and hit the floor during the "down...down..." bit.

The Cure. Jesus. Just about anything: "Let's Go to Bed," "Love Cats," "Friday I'm in Love," "Boys Don't Cry," "Hot Hot Hot," "Just Like Heaven." Et cetera.

Okay, I wanted to give proper credit to David Bowie, New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, Corky and the Juice Pigs, Julie Brown, and a whole bunch more...but right now we're going to go see For Your Consideration, and then I have to roast a turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. What gets you through your workouts? Post here or message me--I'm always up for more recommendations. Thanks!

6:52 AM - 3 Comments - 3 Kudos - Add Comment

No Shirts, No Service
Category: News and Politics

Boy, was my face red. It's embarrassing, on a personal level, to recommend a business to your publisher, and then have them refuse to work with him.

Ken at Seventh Window wanted to print up some bookmarks for Discreet Young Gentleman, and because I spend allllll of my time online, I looked around and found what looked like a decent deal: My1Stop.com. Except, when Ken submitted the order, it was refused. The email, which came from customer service representative Greg Schroeder, referred to this policy:

6:44 AM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Update
Category: Life

All right, it's true: I'm doing NaNo. Fifty thousand words in a month? Yes, it's crazy...and thousands of people manage to do it each year, so why not me? If nothing else, I'm hoping it will jumpstart my new book. But if blogging becomes scarce this month, you'll know why.

In the meantime, check out my piece on the story behind the story of Discreet Young Gentleman over at Backstory. It does contain a slight spoiler for the book, so if you want to read it cold, don't click!

Other news: I have two signings scheduled for next month:

A Different Light Bookstore in West Hollywood, CA at 7:00 pm on Sunday, December 3.

Out Word Bound Bookstore in Indianapolis, IN at 2:00 pm on Saturday, December 9th.

I also wanted to say hi to my WOoGI friends--that's the new organization for Writers Of Genre fiction in Indiana (don't ask me where the other "o" comes from--I think Rebecca stole it). Any Hoosiers who write genre and can make it to West Lafayette for monthly meetings are welcome to join! Our next meeting is Saturday, December 30 at 2 pm at the West Lafayette Public Library.

Okay, I'm only at 1,036 words for the day--got to get cracking!

Currently listening : Staring at the Sea: The Singles By The Cure Release date: 25 October, 1990

2:48 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment