Okay, well...signed and sealed. It looks like the new romantic comedy mystery novel Somebody Killed His Editor has found a home at Samhain Publishing . I just signed the contract and I'll be popping...there and I sent the proposal for SKHE along, and well...there you have it. Samhain looks like a great outfit. I couldn't be more excited. We're looking at a probable release date of June 2009. 

...things about him to the reader. If he truly doesn't have any friends, that tells the reader something too. So what's your feeling on friends as secondary characters? Anybody else working on something where a best friend is getting more than a cameo? Anybody read any m/m fiction lately that deals with this really well? For my part, I'd point you in the direction of Lee Benoit's work. Benoit...

...that comes to mind for me is Clear Cut by Alexa Snow. Logger vs. Environmentalist. You have natural deep conflict right there. And I think it's obvious what the message or theme of that book is, but Snow does a really crack job--IMO--of having the characters arguing two sides. Getting each other to take a little turn on the other side of the fence for a moment. I really enjoyed that story.

...about and wanted to announce right away is a spec novel that I'll be writing for Blind Eye Books. Nikki Kimberling  kimnik     made this announcement yesterday . Details will be forthcoming. Spec fiction is a change of pace for me, and I'm really looking forward to the challenge. No title to the project yet, although Return to the Valley of No Return has been courageously suggested...

I wasn't sure if that was the right title or if this is strictly theme, but this is what I want to talk about so on we march. Can people change? Their personality? Just their behavior? Is complete change...like Max, I think it would take a determined effort to treat people kindly and to keep yourself humble. But I think it can be done with conscious effort. That's just my opinion, though. What's yours?

Okay so big pet peeve here...when someone writes a child, please write them as a child and not just an adult in a two foot high body. It's frustrating and jarring to me as a reader. I may not be perfect...she's coming back. Even worse than little kid bodies harboring adults, is little kid bodies harboring adults that serve as little more in the story than matchmakers. Ugh. Is it just me? Am I wrong

 So Part Two of  kimnik 's   (Nikki Kimberling's) experiment in terror -- I mean, sample scene of passionate lovemaking -- is now up on her Live Journal .  This is where I gently suggest where she may have gone astray in her literary effort. And point out alternatives -- besides giving up writing.

...with someone they love, they're vulnerable. Which means it's a great time to insert romantic and heart-felt dialogue. Every sex scene should have a point—beyond the obvious one. It should signal some change, some development in the romantic relationship between our two protags." (MAN, OH, MAN! Writing M/M Fiction for Kinks and Ca$h by Josh Lanyon pg. 207) So you mean that I can't just distract...

...things that gets better the more you do? Character building, I should think, either way. Well I guess it's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap. And since I'm singing show tunes at you, I definitely just need to press the send button now. Oh and I'm taking Robert Mitchum back, cuz I need to feel all kick ass right now. I love my Bob, I do, but it might be time to retire him.

... there's a funny and a smile/laugh. Tension is relieved momentarily, but as a reader, you're even more eager to read on to the next part. And take special notice of what that next part is. If it's a M/M mystery, I can almost guarantee you we're moving on to something related to the crime (external).I use Lanyon 'cause, well, he wrote MOM so duh, but also b/c I think most people who might read this...