Calen (BK 1 My Soul To Keep Series) by Rie McGaha

Calen (BK 1 My Soul To Keep Series) by Rie McGaha
A love so deep, even time stands still...

Show Your Love For Abused/Abandoned Animals!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

MISTER MAY: RUSS ALLEN


Meet Mr. Russ Allen, the most interesting man in the world! When I read Russ's bio that beer commercial came to mind. lol I met Russ when he contacted me about being a reviewer for The Pagan & The Pen Book Reviews. I've had occasion to chat a little with Russ from time to time and he always has a wonderful tale to tell, so I have invited him to be Mr. May. So please help me welcome him to Men In The Spotlight.

1-First off, Russ, tell me a little about yourself.

I am a New England Yankee, retired after years as a religious professional in Connecticut, West Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania, and now live on Cape Cod.  I am married and have two children and five grandchildren.  My academic background includes a BA and two Master’s Degrees.  I am currently involved in writing short stories and reviews, gardening, and volunteering in a program that rescues marine mammals.

2-In order for people to understand how truly remarkable you are, do you mind revealing your age?  I am 67.

3-That is amazing. And I think it's so great you work to save marine mammals. You are also a cross-country skier. How long have you been doing this? That is a very physical activity, I admire the fact you are still so active.

My wife and I began cross-country skiing in the mid-1970's while living near Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as a way of surviving the long winters, and have continued off and on, depending on where we lived.  Nowadays we usually take a week in mid-winter to ski in New Hampshire.

4-What other activities do you enjoy?

Walking on the beach, swimming, reading and researching, my part-time job, some traveling [we went to Alaska last September], and being with our kids and grandkids.

5-How long have you and your wife been married? Since June 1968, coming up on 43 years.

6-Wow! That's a rarity these days. What is your secret to a long happy marriage?

First, love and a sense of friendship – long-term spouses are often best friends.  Second, a commitment both to each other and to being married.  Third, flexibility and adaptability, even more so once retired, coupled with the ability to respond to whatever life throws at you.  Fourth, avoiding temptation and rejecting it when it comes along.  Fifth, understanding, patience, a sense of humor, mutual-supportiveness, and a willingness not to take oneself too seriously.  Finally, but perhaps first as well, always putting the other before oneself.

7-Definitely wise words to live by. You have an extensive educational background. What would you say to a young person about the importance of college in today's world?

First, the obvious – better educated usually means better employed and more money, and the things money can buy.  Second, an educated electorate is essential to a democracy; without it, stupidity rules.  Third, God gave us brains so we can use them, rather than letting others decide what is true for us.  But maybe most of all, at least for me, having the ability to explore, question, research, learn, and apply my knowledge is one of the real joys of my life.

8-Great answer. I absolutely agree. You've been reviewing for P&P for quite a while now, and choose to review GLBT. You are obviously heterosexual, what is the draw to this particular genre?

My interest in sexuality is rooted in my interest in humanity.  Sexuality is an essential component in the human condition, thus it is something I have and continue to explore, study, and experience.  That is another value I see in marriage: It supplies a safe context within which two people can be intimate and grow closer physically, as well as emotionally and spiritually.

However, sexuality is too big a topic to be considered in and of itself, so we artificially break it up into manageable quantities.  “Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender,” as well as Heterosexual and sub-groups like transsexuals, are categories within the larger entity of Sexuality.  Actually, it is unfortunate that these have been grouped together, and then separated from Heterosexual or Straight, for such divisions are both unnecessary and prejudicial. Think of it this way: Gay and straight men both engage in similar sexual activities, yet one is often considered non-normal and the other normal.

But back to the question you ask:  My interest is in sexuality, has been in personal and professional contexts [e.g. pre-marital counseling], which in turn has required a categorization of the topic to make its consideration manageable.  I have chosen to review GLBT stories and books for you in part because you asked me to, in part because others are not, and because at this moment it is a topic of interest to me.  My goal is to explore how writers deal with these expressions of Sexuality; in time my focus will change and I will move on to another facet of this genre, or to another and very different topic.

9-I recently read a short erotica piece you wrote and I have to tell you, I was disturbed by the subject matter, and that's unusual for me. I've always said nothing bothers me anymore. Ha! Your story did. Would you mind sharing what led you to write this? 

You are referring to a story I wrote for a web group about incest, exploring the development of a sexual relationship between a father and his teenage son.  Incest is a taboo subject, as is gay or lesbian sex for some, bestiality for others.  Yet few who condemn it, or are discomforted by it, have any real certainty as to whether a loving and healthy sexual relationship can and should exist within the members of a family, especially when the participants are otherwise considered sexually and emotionally mature.  That is why I wrote that piece, not to promote or condone such a relationship, but to explore in the context of a fictional story the nature of such a physical connection.

Granted, the story is also about a young man’s struggle with his sexual orientation, and his father’s own latent homosexuality.  Would it have been different had that not been a factor?  What if the two were mother and son, father and daughter, or even mother and daughter?  Would a story about incest have been more acceptable had the sex been hetero-, bi- or lesbian, and not gay?

To be clear, I do not believe that a physical sexual relationship should exist where there is no love, where its purpose is abuse or domination, or one partner is exploiting the other.  Wherever a physical sexual relationship is emotionally, physically, mentally, or developmentally destructive, it should be avoided, and if necessary, socially and legally banned.

However, reality and history clearly states that moral, social, and legal prohibitions and punishments have been inappropriately applied at times, as for instance to gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual activity, pre-marital or consensual sex, prostitution, adultery, and incest, while marital rape, virtual sexual slavery, child abuse, non-consensual intercourse, and other morally reprehensible forms of sexual activity are often ignored or even approved by society.

My story was an effort to lift incest out of the taboo category, not to promote that form of sex, but in an effort to see if incest can fit the definition for an appropriate expression of human sexuality. If it does, then it is unjust to rule it illegal, unethical, or wrong, in cases where its participants are expressing their mature loving and committed relationship.  Such sexual activity should have no onus attached to it, whether the partners are blood relatives, of different races, or of the same sexual orientation.

10-Now a few fun questions:

Red or black?  Red.

Day or night? Day.

Leather or lace? Leather.

Kissing or holding hands? Holding Hands.

Coffee or tea? Tea.

Chocolate bunnies or marshmallow Peeps? Chocolate bunnies.

Thank you for being Mister May, Russ. I appreciate your candor and the reviews you write for The Pagan & The Pen Book Reviews.

Friday, April 1, 2011

MISTER APRIL: LEILAND DALE



Leiland, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. I've been reading about you on the web, so before I get to the questions, tell me a little about yourself.
Initially, I began reading Harlequin Romance and Silhouette Desire but later transitioned to Silhouette Nocturne. But after reading the first M/M erotic romance, tons of M/M material soon followed. As an avid reader I decided one day to take a stab at writing a book. These days, when not writing something new, I can be found reading a steamy romance (shifters are a fave!), taking my pet dog for a walk or watching movies such as A Walk to Remember.

Most people who recognize your name associate it with male erotica. Why did you choose this genre?
My interest in the genre stems from a fundamental fact that I am gay. But it goes beyond this. I have found m/m fiction offers a broader spectrum than other genres. One big factor that attracts me is the storylines. My original interest began with Harlequin romances. Although I enjoyed them, I found many of the storylines predictable. I was able to guess the plot of some books simply by reading the blurb. I find m/m fiction offers greater variety and piqued my interest much more than other genres.

What is your favorite book? Why?
Well, actually I have a favorite book and a favorite series – both for the same reasons.  Wes and Toren by J.M. Colail and Andrew Grey’s Love Means series.  Like everyone else, I enjoy an occasional vacation from reality and will pick up a story that allows me to get away from everyday life.  But these two stories stand out the most for me because of their realism.  The authors have kept the books so close to reality, they read like true stories. So I am able to completely engross myself in the story and feel and see everything as if I was a part of it far more intensely than a getaway fiction.

You moved into the role of publisher a while back. Why did you want to make that leap?
Several reasons. As an author, there were several areas where I felt there could be change. Researching, I found most publishers took a larger chunk of royalties than what they should. I also found most publishers take so long to give a reply – regardless of whether they accept or decline the submission.  After reading other author’s comments about their experiences with some publishers, I realized there were few, if any, publishers out there who actually focused on the author and their needs. I wanted to change that – make a difference.

You have some very talented people working for you. How long did it take to get the right staff, or was that by trial and error?
Yes I do :)
Since opening our doors, we’ve gone through several staff changes all in an effort to make improvements where needed.  We’ve been lucky in some departments, while others have been through trial and error. We’re still making changes and are learning as we grow. We are always receptive to corrections and suggestions that improve the quality of the products and services we offer. 

Now that Silver Publishing is coming up on its first birthday, how do you feel about your progress? Have you lived up to your own expectations?
I’m proud to say we will be celebrating our first anniversary as a full service publisher on June 1, 2011 and that we have exceeded our expectations.

When you began as a publisher, did you have certain goals for five, ten or fifteen years down the road?
Our goal has always been to be recognized as the publisher for the author.  I expect us to grow over the next few years.  But ultimately, it’s not the growth that matters most to us, it’s the goal to ultimately be there for the author.

Do you envision reaching your five-year goal before/after that time, or do you feel you're on track?
Based on the current performance in such a short period of time, we’ll meet our five-year goal much quicker than we expected. Not only will we meet our goal, I’m certain we will exceed it before this time.

As a publisher, do you depend on your staff and go with their decisions, or do you have to have the final say on every book before it's published?
I have a handful of staff that I respect to make good decisions. However, there are times when I’ve overridden their decisions because I may know additional information, which may ultimately affect the expected outcome.

I noticed that one of your titles is in Spanish. Is this a trend?

Silver Publishing publishes Spanish books as well. We have a handful of translators that do the translations for us. 

Are you still writing, or does publishing limit your writing time?
I’m still writing but publishing does limit my time immensely. I’m currently working on making a few changes in staff and responsibilities to allow me to delegate some tasks to allow for more writing time.

Now, for everyone out there, when a book is submitted to Silver Publishing, do you personally read them, or do you have an acquisitions editor? And how does an author impress the acquisitions department enough to get a contract?
Submissions are currently handled by our Editor-in-Chief, and she reviews all submissions.  Honestly, an author impresses our EIC by providing a detailed synopsis, which provides a well-rounded picture of the manuscript and captures the author’s enthusiasm for the piece. If an author submits their work with only a two or three line summary, this shows a lack of interest in their submission.  And if they aren’t interested in their own story, it’s a bit difficult to inspire any sort of excitement on our part.

Are you looking for any particular genre, or manuscript length at this time? Any submission calls for 4th of July or Halloween?
We currently have a call for submissions with a Father’s Day theme, as well as holiday submissions for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Thank you so much for joining me, Mr. Dale. Is there anything you would like to add?
Yes, since this is publishing in April, I want my birthday wish to be granted.  A large sexy man with a beautiful smile and nice a$$ who brings me sparkly gifts.

LOL Well, there you have it. Any single guys out there that meet Mr. Dale's requirements, he's looking for a very special birthday surprise! (But he is a Taurus, guys so beware!) That's hilarious. Thank you so much for being Mister April, and I hope you have a great birthday. After all, turning 21 is a big deal! LOLOLOLOL

Leiland's Links:



Paul's D'Marco 

Matt D'Marco has happily settled in his routine for years. Now with a pending divorce, recently promoted Matt's life is about to take an entirely new direction. Matt's first case as detective turns out to be a challenge. Desperation sets in when all leads in the child serial killer case leave the police department empty handed. Paul Whittington, psychic and medium, may be the only solution in finding a break in the case.

Matt and Paul are forced to work together. But when a work relationship turns into something more, it challenges everything Matt's known about himself, his life, and desires. Then, a turn in the case could put everything at risk. In the end, can Paul win over Matt's resistance and claim him as his own?

When The Bluebird Calls 

Devon Reid, veterinarian, had a partner of 2 years, a beautiful house, and a fantastic job. Then, life as he knew it, changed.

Six months ago, he became his mother's sole caretaker when her cancer returned. With his constant absence from home, his relationship ends leaving him alone in one of the most emotionally draining points in his life. When his mother passes, he is lonely and loses his zest for life.

With his emotions and life in turmoil, Devon decides it's time to make a change. Leaving the city life behind and taking a job in a small town in Montana, was just what the doctor ordered. Then, he meets the hunky ranch foreman, Greg Elliot.

Greg has lived most of his life on a ranch. Living in a small town didn't offer many prospects for a relationship, until he meets the new veterinarian in town.

While they try to resist the obvious mutual attraction, a fateful call during the night changes it all.

What is a city boy to do when a small town cowboy ropes him in?


 Un Corazon Amante (Hart of the Mountain)

Durante siete a os, Jasper Elliot se sinti traicionado y solo, cuando su hermano se march de casa.Cuando un visitante inesperado se presenta y le descubre la verdadera razon por la que su hermano le dej, Jasper se enfrenta a una decisi n que cambiar el curso de su vida. Al llegar al Rancho Mountain Hart, no solo no van las cosas de la manera que l esperaba, sino que tambi n encuentra lo que cre a inalcanzable. 

Seth Hart ten a un secreto que le hab a dejado profundas cicatrices. Para mantener su secreto a salvo, nunca sal a con nadie y siempre aseguraba no involucrar a su coraz n. Con la llegada de Jasper, las resoluciones de Seth vuelan por la ventana. La atracci n instant nea que Seth siente por Jasper es excitante pero tambi n le da miedo. Justo cuando las cosas empiezan a ir mejor de lo que nunca pod a esperar Seth, su pasado les alcanza.



  BUY LEILAND'S BOOKS HERE

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

MISTER MARCH: G.R. BRETZ



Welcome to the Spotlight, Glenn. I'm thrilled you could join me today.

Hi Rie, Thanks for inviting me.

Before we get down to business here, I just want to say thank you for agreeing to this interview. I'd also like to mention that I had the real pleasure of sharing a spot in the anthology, Cocked & Fully Loaded (Noble Romance Publishing) with GR Bretz and I've been in love ever since!

Ah shucks, color me flattered.

First, tell everyone what genre you write and why you decided to be a writer.

My two novels and two short stories have all been in the erotic romance genre. I decided to write for the same reason I decided to drink and do drugs. I needed to escape from reality.

LOL I'm glad your sense of humor hasn't suffered! Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote? What was it, have you recently reread it and what do you think of it?

I definitely remember the first thing I ever wrote. It was my epic spec-fic trilogy. It spanned fourteen centuries and fifteen hundred pages, single-spaced. Of course, it was un-publishable, as most first novels are.

My first serious attempt at publishing something was Absinthe Eyes & Other Lies, which was published by Noble Romance. It’s a dark and decadent look at alcoholism and insanity; an art eats artist sort of thing.

What is a typical writing day like for you?

There is no typical writing day for me. My days are as unique as snowflakes and frequently as insubstantial.

You recently told me you've gone into another genre or area of writing, what exactly is it you're doing and why the switch?

I’ve been writing short stories for the spec-fic market. I think a writer’s best chance at success, and personal satisfaction, is to write what they most love reading. For me, that’s spec-fic and especially short stories. I enjoy the challenge of telling a complete story in five or six thousand words.

Is writing your career or do you have a wicked day job that keeps you from your muse?

Sadly, I have a wicked day job. My muse is the love of my life, but she doesn’t pay the bills. I don’t mind supporting her. Hopefully, someday she’ll do the same for me.

Writing can be a pretty cushy job and done in your pj's. How cushy is it for you?

Physically, it’s very cushy. However, much of what I write is very dark and has to do with characters dealing with their worst fears and insecurities. So, it does leave me drained on an emotional level.

If you suddenly could never write again, what would you do? Do you have a fall back job?

I suppose if I couldn’t write anymore, I’d read even more and listen to a lot of sad music.

You've written some pretty provocative pieces. What's your inspiration behind these stories?

There’s a bit of me in every male lead I write. It tends to be that part of me that I keep hidden from the world. In life, you have to filter your thoughts and words for the sake of others. Fiction gives you the freedom to be spontaneous and carefree.

My favorite style of writing is first person, present tense. I want the reader to experience the story exactly as the character does. It can be very emotionally intense.

Is there any genre that makes you uncomfortable to write?

As a rule, I don’t like writing a lot of graphic sex scenes, although some stories do require it. Ideally, I’d like to be the final judge as to how much sex is in a story and how graphically that sex is portrayed. The reality is that I frequently wind up adding more sex scenes to please the publishers.

I've heard you say (quite often) that you drink Absinthe. I never have, so would you please share with us what it is and how you drink it?

Absinthe is a very potent alcoholic drink, which can cause hallucinations. It tastes like liquid licorice and kicks like a mule. It’s very effective at releasing inhibitions and putting me in the right frame of mind for writing. Absinthe is nectar for the imaginations.

I've heard you're not supposed to let it touch your lips. What else has never touched your lips?

I’ve heard that too, but I don’t believe it. The only thing I love more than the taste of absinthe lingering on my lips is the taste of absinthe lingering on the lips of a beautiful woman.

As to the second part of the question, there are a great many things that have never touched my lips.

You told me you moved to Florida for the sun, sex, and fun? How is it?

Lately it seems like there’s too much of the first one and not nearly enough of the other two.

Now that you're Mister March, do you think you'll be doing more centerfolds?

I think I’ll pass on that.

Thank you so much for chatting with me today, Glenn, it's been a real pleasure. Is there anything else you'd like people to know?

I suppose this is the part where I should be plugging my previous books. They’re all available at Noble Romance Publishing. I particularly recommend Absinthe Eyes & Other Lies. It’s very unique and received many great reviews.

I would like to leave you with a short, beautiful poem guaranteed to touch the heart of any romance reader or writer. I wish it were mine, but it was written 750 years ago, in ancient Persia.

Quatrain
Jaleel al-Din Rumi

The tender words we said to one another
Are stored in a secret part of heaven
One day like rain they will fall and spread
And our mystery will grow green over the world.


Very sweet, Mr. March. And I have to agree with those reviews of Absinthe Eyes & Other Lies. It's a very compelling read, as is Mr. Bretz's contribution to Winter Kisses Anthology, A Schrödinger Christmas – Holly.


Absinthe Eyes

When a legend lingers for centuries there’s usually a bit of truth to it. For two hundred years people have whispered about the green fairy that lives in bottles of absinthe. Drink up. If you’re lucky you may see her. If you’re very lucky you may catch her. No one should ever be that lucky. Ask David, Vincent and Richard; three men with a few things in common. They have found inspiration. They have met the Muse. They have taken Dahlia to their hearts and to their beds. It cost them their sanity and their lives. If Stephen isn’t very careful he’s going to be number four.


Gunmetal Blue

Meet Blue—an ex-Confederate cavalry officer living off his wits and his guns in Reconstruction era Texas—and Sally—a young woman stuck in a loveless marriage to a man who only married her for her family name. When Sally's stage is attacked by robbers, Blue comes to her rescue. Together, they make their way across the Lone Star state. But when they reach a crossroads, the direction they choose will change the course of their lives forever.

Trill Song

Liwa is a young woman with a mission. She means to end the war that has drained her society of its best and brightest for centuries. When Liwa was seven, the Healer fled the village in fear of her life. She left her six year old son, Temo, in Liwa’s care.

Now Temo has come of age and Liwa is determined to keep him from being sent to war. Her efforts incur the wrath of the ruling Elders. Liwa must come to terms with her conflicted feelings for Temo, as the two of them fight their way north in search of the legendary Andrigorn valley and the one person who can help Liwa end the war: Temo’s mother.


A Schrodinger Christmas - Holly

She’s the girl who lives in his dreams, but she’s so much more than that. She’s the girl he was supposed to meet, twice. She’s the path he didn’t take, twice. That was forty years ago and you just can’t go back, except in dreams.

But it’s Christmas day. Miracles have been known to happen. Who knows? The third time just might be the charm.

BUY LINK

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

MISTER FEBRUARY: WILLIAM MALTESE


Welcome to the Spotlight, Mr. William Maltese. I'm thrilled you could join me today.

As am I, Miss Rie McGaha, happy as all hell to be here.

Before we get to the questions, I want to thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Well, hey: your wish is always my command. Well, most of the time. Then, again, well, maybe, some of the time.

I am such a fan and admire all the things you've done in your life.

You just might want to re-think that one, Hon, because even I admit to having done some things in my life that, well…

It's amazing how much one can squeeze out of life when one puts his or her mind to it!

Squeeze what out of what, you say? Oh, right! Well, as a true believer that variety IS the spice of life, I’ve genuinely tried to do my share of squeezing, in my time, both of life and…

First of all, tell everyone a little about yourself…besides being an award-winning author, world traveler, wine connoisseur, man-about-town, artist, and chocolateer?

Hey, what else is there left to tell?

In that, yes…

I am an award-winning author (although I’m trying my best to remember just what awards those might be).

I have written at least enough books so that Wildside/Borgo Press just released its 303-page reference tome, DRAQUALIAN SILK: A COLLECTOR’S AND BIBLIOGRAPHICAL GUIDE TO THE BOOKS OF WILLIAM MALTESE 1969-2010, just so people can sort out the 180 books I’ve had published in the last four decades.

Certainly, I’ve literally (and literarily) circumnavigated the globeon more than one occasion.

Since there is a whole WILLIAM MALTESE WINE TASTER’S GUIDE series being published by Wildside/Borgo Press, I’m definitely a wine connoisseur; if it says that on the cover of a book, it HAS to be Gospel, right?

A man-about-town? Well, it has been said that I’ve been known to get around, up and down (sometimes upside-down), in and out, high and wide.

As for my “being” an artist, I prefer to call myself “someone who appreciates art”, rather than someone who considers himself an artist, per se; although, I have done a few pieces (I refer to artwork, here) that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to have hanging around the house. Of course, if we’re talking my literary artistry, that’s undeniable and undeniably something else again.

Definitely, as a chocolateer (not to confuse me with Ben Hur who was a charioteer), I can rave on to you, or to anyone, about the benefits of chowing down on “healthy” Xocai® chocolate (having included it in the recipes of my two published cookbooks [THE GLUTEN FREE WAYMY WAY (with Adrienne Milligan), and BACK OF THE BOAT COOKING (with Bonnie Clark)], and will include it within the recipes of both additional cookbooks for which I’m presently officially contracted (THE GOURMET DIET and THE GOURMET HUCKLEBERRY). Not to mention my mentioning it in several of my novels, even going so far as to having the vampire Gregory, in my mainstream WILLIAM MALTESE’S FLICKER: #1 BOOK OF ANSWERS, turn to it while weaning himself off blood. My Xocai® advocacy, though, isn’t so much because I’m an admitted bona-fide distributor of that “healthy” chocolate (although I am), as much as it is because it’s a means for me to access the chocolate at wholesale prices for my own greedy consumption.


I have a degree in Marketing/Advertising, but my skills at selling are really piss-poor. That’s probably why I’ve spent my whole life writingnot sellingeating Xocai® chocolatenot doing all that well marketing it, either.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

Well, certainly, I thought myself “a writer” from a very early agepossibly from as soon as I “could” write.

I think typewriter and paper might well have popped out of the womb with me. Although, the earliest recollection of a story I actually wrote is “The Spider with the Human Mind” when I was in grammar school.

Later, I was as member of my high-school writing club, and garnered notoriety by writing about baby sacrifices and cannibalism on the island of Martinique before that island’s Mt. Pele blew it’s top and killed a lot of people; not to mention my decidedly high-brow haiku, “Irenē, in a bikini, looks like a wienie. Hot dog!”

After a bit of treasure hunting in South America (no treasure found, just a bad case of crotch-rot), between my junior and senior years in university, I published my “Ransom of the Inca” in “Argosy” magazine.

While I was still serving my three-year enlistment in the U.S. Army, I got “National Geographic Magazine” interested in the possibility of my doing a piece and pictures for them on Korea-at-the-time (this AFTER the Korean War for those who keep insisting I look too young to have fought in that War-that-was-officially-a-Conflict).

But, all of that wasn’t really me out to establish my credentials as a writer; it was merely me fiddling around while always assuming I’d eventually take on something other than writing books as a way of earning my living.

Any suspicion that I might actually write full-time, and end up supporting myself that way, didn’t “hit” me until really very late in the game…after university, after the military, after the summer I decided to spend relaxing before embarking upon what I always assumed and planned would be my career in advertising. I needed, at the very least, the viable fact of my first two published books from Greenleaf, and that publisher’s follow-up requests for more…more…more…yes, please, more books, and thank-you-very-much…to have me finally thinking that writing, professionally, yes, just might be the life for me.

Do you remember your first published piece?

My first published piece was “Ransom of the Inca” for “Argosy” magazine. My first published book was ADONIS, for Greenleaf Press; although the first book I actually sold was FIVE ROADS TO TLEN, which Greenleaf published directly after ADONIS.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day is likely only typical until noon, beginning with my getting out of bed (yes, for all who want to know, I DO sleep in the nude, even in winter), shit, shower, shave (not necessarily in that order)…take my blood-glucose (not because I have diabetes, but because there’s a history of Type II in my family, and I want to make sure that Xocai® chocolate continues to keep me safe from sugar overdoses)…hang upside down for fifteen minutes to reverse at least some of the effects gravity has had on my spine, during the previous day (actually, I may just suffer vampire-syndrome)…take half an aspirin (have to keep the veins unclotted)…take a couple of salmon-oil pills (have to keep the cholesterol low)…eat a piece (or two, or three) of Xocai®…read my email and take care of answering that. After which, I tackle whomever…I mean “whatever” needs to be done on Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, or wherever.

After noon, anything can happen…including a drink (hey, I am a wine connoisseur, remember!)…heading on out for lunch (hey, I am a gourmand, remember!)…and, maybe, if I’m lucky, I may even get a bit of writing done (hey, I am a writer, remember!)…or, (zzzzzzzzz!) manage to plow through some proofing chores (God save me from proofing!).

At around five p.m., or later, depending upon if I’m on a roll, as far as my writing goes, I usually call it a day. Hey, “it”, you’re a “day”! After which, it’s either have a quiet meal and a glass (or two or three or…) of wine at home, or go out for some gourmet dining and glass (or two or three or…) of wine (I’m lucky to know several other gourmands and wine connoisseurs, other than just me).

If I’m back from the night out early enough, I’ll watch some television, during which I’ll likely drop off to sleep on the couch, waking up after midnight and dragging my sorry ass (after trying to remember to always brush my teeth), to bed.

I know you've posed for paintings.

Hmmmmm. I wonder how you know that.

How did that come about?

My wondering how you know I posed for paintings, or you knowing I posed for paintings, or my having posed for paintings?

More specifically, what made you decide to bare it all?

Way back when, at a time in my life when some people actually agreed that I didn’t look all that bad with my clothes dropped (you’ll find fewer and fewer of these people, if any, in this day and age, by the way), I was asked by a publisher if I would mind providing it with some nude shots of moi to use by way of promoting several of my published books of erotica, everyone in the publisher’s advertising department figuring that male nudity, especially the male nudity of an author who didn’t look all that bad with his pants dropped, might actually sell some of that author’s (aka “my”) books. Albeit reluctantly, I agreed to some tentative black-and-white preliminary “test” shots, with all claim to the product and negatives, with no obligation to proceed onward to color photos if I didn’t like what I saw.

To make a long story short, I got cold feet (maybe because I was stark naked, at the time, and a good many additional parts of my anatomy were, likewise, cold?), and I confiscated the initial B&W photos/negatives, and nixed any color shoot. So, the incriminatory B&W photos w/negatives ended up at the bottom of a very deep-dark trunk, tucked away in the far corner of a very dim and cluttered attic, never to see the light of day until years later when I came across them while searching out some old manuscripts a publisher was dying for me (suddenly famous) to dig out to be considered for publication.

I took a look at the disinterred pictures, and, in retrospect, decided they didn’t look nearly as bad as I remembered them. At which point, my rampant narcissism checked in, where it somehow hadn’t the first time around, and I was convinced that the only reason I’d never been the male Dora Mar of the artwork, inspiring the likes of Picasso to paint masterpieces, was because the real Dora got to Picasso before I did, and/or I’d never been enamored enough by any artist, man or woman (or vice versa) to play his or her muse.

Without any artist spontaneously volunteering to immortalize me on canvas, I set out to build my own collection of self-aggrandizing artwork, ARTISTS “DO” author WILLIAM MALTESE, based entirely upon personal interpretations of various artists as regarded one picture from that original grouping of B&W prints resurrected from their attic burial. That why, today, you can ferret out, if you dig deep enough…

…the naked me in two Diego Tolomelli stained-glass panels (as St. Bartholomew being flayed alive, and as The Vampyre Draqual “Becoming”).

…a painting by Rick Chris with me as “St. Sebastian of the West”, tied to a stake and shot full of arrows.

… two works by “mikesbliss” (a portrait of me against a strikingly blood-red backdrop, and me, as vampire.

… two pieces (as angel; as devil) by Ismael Álvarez Vélez.

… a tattooed punk me, with hard-on, and dangling tennis shoes tied to my balls, by “the artist Drub”.

…and a whole lot more. 

What genre(s) do you write? Did you pick them or did they pick you?

There isn’t a genre I probably don’t write, or haven’t written…

… gay, straight, bi.

… mystery (my Stud Draqual mystery A SLIP TO DIE FOR and THAI DIEDseries).

…romance (three Harlequin SuperRomances and my DARE TO LOVE IN OZ, all by Willa Lambert).


…men’s adventures (THE GOMORRAH CONJURATIONS).

...bondage and discipline (LOVE HURTS).

…crime and punishment (THE FAG IS NOT FOR BURNING).

…historical (ARDENNIAN BOY, with Wayne Gunn; GRIT with Jardonn Smith).

…horror (SUCKS! FIRST OF THE DRAQUAL VAMPYRE CHRONICLES).

…fantasy (WILLIAM MALTESE’S FLICKER: #1 BOOK OF ANSWERS).

…saga (Seven-Continent series for MLR Press).

…satire (CATALYTIC QUOTES: SOME HEARD THROUGH A TIME WARP).

…thriller (BLOOD-RED RESOLUTION).

…sci-fi (BOND-SHATTERING).

… play (MURDER BY METEORITE).

… movie script (THE MOONSTONE MURDERS).

…even a children’s book (DOG ON A SURFBOARD AND THE REST OF THE ADVENTURE).

Most recently, as you very well know, you having teamed up with me to do WILLIAM MALTESE’S WINE TASTER’S GUIDE: OKLAHOMA, I’ve ventured into a series of wine books, beginning with the Spokane/Pullman WA wine region, and soon, written along with AB Gayle, one on the Pinot G wines of Australia’s Mornington Peninsula).

As well, I’ve launched those previously mentioned cookbooks.

As for whom picked what, or vice versa, it has always been my desire to write all different genres, if just because continually writing just one can, and eventually does, every time, bore me to tears; so, I guess, I’ve just always been on the outlook for anything (or anyone) new to take on. So, whenever something (a genre, for instance) makes itself available, I jump at the chance.

What do your family and friends think about your career?

I always had super support from my parents (now, dead) who merely wanted to provide me with whatever the tools and wherewithal I needed to do whatever I wanted to do with my life. The only complaint I really ever heard from either of them was from my mother who, before I started writing Harlequin SuperRomances, and my children’s book, complained that she just wished I’d oblige her by writing at least one book she could, one day, pull out and show to her friends who would, after all, have been more than a little shocked by the story lines of my earliest efforts, like DOG-COLLAR BOYS and POP ‘N’ SWAP.

As for friends, gay, straight, and bi, they’ve all been accepting.

You and I often have some pretty interesting conversations, and the other day we got to talking about what is and isn't accepted material. We began talking about M/M vs. F/F genre, M/M/M vs. F/F/F and M/F/F stories. You had some very interesting insights. Could you tell everyone your thoughts on writing the GLBT genre?

Hmmmm. I probably should have jotted down those insights of mine, at the time I had them (my memory not what it used to be; not that it was ever the best).

I do know that in my early days of writing all kinds of erotica, I had more than one publisher tell me that m/m sex was okayfor gay readers; f/f sex was okayfor straight male readers who always enjoyed a bit of gal-on-gal action, not threatened by it (women readers, by the way, weren’t even considered a viable demographic as far as being readers/buyers of erotica, at the time); even m/f/f was okay; BUT, please, please, please, NOT (they would say, every time I triedand I DID try) any sex between two men and a woman. The ongoing belief (one, also, concurrently prevalent in the U.S. military at the time as I can bear personal witness) was that there was no such “animal” as a bisexual; therefore, there was no one really interested in buying a book about any such weird and strange anomaly.

Thank God, publishers, in this day and age, have become a little more enlightened; even suddenly realizing women like man-on-man sex, just as much as men have always been turned on by woman-on-woman.

Then, again, I can’t tell you how many complaints I get from gay readers of my Stud Draqual Mystery Series who can’t entertain even the possibility that Stud is bisexual; they insist he’s a closeted gay who this author should, especially in this day and age, “out”, instead of continually letting him turn down, at least so far, every cock on the block, to climb into bed with…gasp!...pussy.

In fact, Lambda Literary Awards, this year, allow any bisexual book to be nominated in two categories, not just one, for the entry price, just because there has been such a dearth of bisexual literature published.

You are very candid about being bisexual. How much does this play into your writing, and do you think it has ever prevented you from accomplishing anything in your life because of other people's attitudes?

Knowing there were, indeed, men and women who went to bed not only the opposite sex, but with their same sex, even back when so few others seemed to believe it could, would, or did happen, I’ve tried to include bisexuality in my writing whenever I can. Sometimes, once I was “established”, bisexuality was allowed to sneak in through the cracks, since most of my early manuscripts often arrived at the publishers and, undergoing very little editing, if any, were soon off to the printer; shortly thereafter, on the book stands. Certainly, now that other people are catching up to me in realizing the existence of bisexuality, I’ve been more freely able to incorporate it in my books, like my THE GOMORRHA CONJURATIONS, BLOOD-RED RESOLUTION, THE FAG IS NOT FOR BURNING); mainly aimed at straight readers, since, for some reason, gay men readers still balk at the inclusion of cunt in their reading material.

You would think, what with the large and every-expanding women readership of m/m books, these days, not to mention all of the women now writing m/m fiction, that gay men would be more accepting of male-male-female sexual liaisons than they used to be; but, I don’t see it happening.

As far as my bisexuality having ever prevented me from accomplishing anything in my life, because of other people’s attitudes, I’ve actually found quite the opposite to be true. From the get-go, I found it genuinely advantageous for me to have had the experiences of my bisexuality that allowed me to write successful straight and gay erotica, not to mention straight mainstream, in that, having done so allows me entre and free movement within both straight and gay communities. Possibly because I know the difference between a toilet and finger bowl, between a regular knife and a fish knife, have a college degree, served honorably through my enlistment in the U.S. Army, and have never, I guess, really “looked” like a dirty old man (until recently), I’ve managed to fit into, and be accepted by, most of the straight world, without too much difficulty. What’s more, I feel that I would have missed out on a whole lot of enjoyable life experiences if I’d been excluded from it, or had excluded myself from intermingling with those members of that sexual orientation that’s still in the majority.

While we were chatting, you had an opinion about the difference between men and women when it comes to dating. Would you mind sharing that with us?

Well, while two guys, dating, can certainly enjoy the same things as a guy and a gal, dating (a good meal, a night out on the town, attending symphony, opera, theater, or movie), it has been my personal observation and experience that sex is more easily accomplished between two guys than between a guy and gal.

A woman seems to need a whole lot more lead-in just to get into bed for sex than does any gay or bi man. Females still seem to embrace the long held philosophy of, “Save yourself only for your husband.” Something about no guy ever wanting the “cow” if he has 24/7 free access to the “milk”.

Then, there’s this usual preference of women for long and lengthy foreplay, before (dinner, dates, candy, flowers), and once in bed (touchy-feely), even before sex. A guy is just more likely to begin any male-male relationship with fast-and-furious fucking (and prefer beginning any male-female relationship the same way), letting friendship and/or any deeper emotional bonding follow after.

Valentine's Day is coming up this month. You and I are dating, okay; we’re FWB and doing what on this day dedicated to lovers?

Since you’re female, and I’ve verified with you that our mutual definition of FWB (Friends with Benefits includes being “Fuck Buddies”), we’ve obviously already progressed through the initial phases of heterosexual courtship and screwed…

So, we preface our special Valentine’s Day by boarding a plane for an international first-class flight that has us in Rome on Valentine’s Day eve and checked into the Hassler Suite with its 1730 square feet of spectacular from-the-terrace views of the city. Our room is filled to overflowing with flowers, including orchids of which I’m particularly fond. We test out the bed with some heated sex, then freshen up for a dinner of pheasant ravioli with truffles in the Hassler’s chic rooftop Imàgo restaurant, where we receive a personal stop-by from the chef who wants to be sure we’re enjoying our meal and the service. Back in our room, we’ll enjoy chilled Veuve Clicquot champagne from Baccarat flutes. After which, we’ll strip down, go to bed, where I’ll provide you with whatever your desired quota of foreplay before we screw ourselves into blissful exhaustion.

We greet our official Valentine’s Day morning with vigorous Fuck-Buddy sex, with follow-up sex during our mutually shared shower. We have a breakfast of cappuccino and cornetto at Tazza d’Oro. Then, there’s a morning of sightseeing some of Rome’s most romantic spots: The Pincio Hill, The Aventine Hill, Villa Celimontana, Via Appia amid Roman ruins, Via Giulia, Piazza Navona.

At the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, we lunch at Frontoni by indulging its do-it-yourself pizza sandwiches, choosing our favorite toppings from a selection of meats, vegetables, cheeses and sauces (my recommending to you the greasy coppa, smoked mozzarella and tomato), containing pizza breads folded and heated in the oven; all washed down with Trebbiana d’Abruzzo.

Then to Via Conciliazione, and into St. Peters, where, I’ve had a contact at the Vaticam Museum arrange for you and me to have private access…not to the Pope but…to the usually locked rooms, not accessed by the average tourist or layman, that houses the Vatican’s collection of still-frowned-upon superb antique Greek and Roman erotic statuary, depicting men and women, men and men, women and women, men and men and women, men and women and women, in one form of copulation or another.

Sexually aroused, we go back to our hotel suite for more sex, another shower w/sex, and some fine dining at Sapori del Lord Byron, including some of the finest Italian food Rome has to offer, while we’re surrounded by a décor that’s romantically white-lattice and bold Italian colors, accompanied by bushels of freshly cut flowers.

By moonlight, we toss our traditional coins into the Trevi Fountain, return to our hotel, our bed, and sex.

The day after, beginning with sex, showers and more sex, breakfast, and packing, we check out of the hotel to begin our extended road trip through all of Italy to research and write WILLIAM MALTESE’S WINE TASTER’S GUIDE: ITALY (with Rie McGaha), and WILLIAM MALTESE’S GOURMET ITALY (with Rie McGaha).

WOW! How long does it take to get a passport? Even for a cynic like me who thinks Valentine's Day is just a ploy by the greeting card company to make money off people who think they only have to show "love" once a year, that just made my day! (BTW--I'm not much on the foreplay, I'm more of a just-get-to-it-give-me-mine kinda gal). Where were we? Oh yeah, the interview is over, darn it! Thank you so much for chatting with me today, William, it's been a real pleasure. Is there anything else you'd like people to know?

Suddenly, as always, I’m hungry, horny, and hoping for…some fine wine.

Friday, December 31, 2010

MISTER JANUARY: ED WILLIAMS



Rie: First off, let me say thank you, thank you, thank you for being Mister January, Ed. If anyone can pull Mister January, it's you! Ed and I are old friends but we haven't spoken much lately. As with everyone, we get busy, we have our families and lives and then the holidays showed up again…whew! Anyway, Ed, as always, is the epitome of the southern gentleman and he always makes me laugh.


Ed, I recently read that your book Sex, Dead Dogs, and Me is being revived at Champagne Books. What's that all about?

Ed: Rie, first off, thanks for havin' me, it's always fun to play online with you! Sex, Dead Dogs, and Me, it's funny. It's my very first book and was published in hardback back in 1998. First thing I've ever written in my life, and it ended up being published through a series of fluke-type events that can only be described as Forrest Gump-like. After it was published, it actually starting selling. After initially appearing in three bookstores in Macon, Georgia, it ended up being stocked nationally in the Books A Million stores and all over the southeast in the Barnes and Nobles. It literally, and literarily, got me out there, all the speaking gigs and articles and subsequent books came from it.



Fast forward to the present. SDDAM has been officially out of print for years as the small Texas publisher who initially put it out closed up shop. Even at that, copies still sell on Amazon and other outlets sometimes for fairly significant bucks. Seeing that, Ellen and I talked about potentially offering it again in the current digital formats, so that's what we've decided to do. I'm pleased to announce that Sex, Dead Dogs, and Me will be released by Champagne Books in January of 2011!

Rie: Last year you wrote a book called ChristmaSin and the reviews were varied. What do reviews mean to you?

Ed: I think they express one person's opinion about your work, and that's fine. I knew ChristmaSin' was going to be interpreted differently by the people who've read it. It's written in the first person - I'm actually narrating it as a sixteen year old boy back in my hometown of Juliette, Georgia (its one claim to fame is it's where the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed). I took actual events that happened there years ago and weaved them into a pretty real rural Southern Christmas story. Since the book was written using the dialect and slang of the time and featured some adult language and events like cockfights, I knew it wasn't the typical Christmas story. As a result, I expected the reviews to be mixed and I'm glad they were, I really don't want to be everyone's cup of homogenized tea.

Rie: I read you have been the guest speaker at the Kiwanis International, Rotary International, and the American Advertising Federation. How did that come about?

Ed: After SDDAM got popular, I was asked to appear on the Georgia Public Radio program Cover to Cover. I didn't realize it at the time, but that program is really popular, has been for years. My hour long stint on it garnered lots of call-in interest, I was told afterwards we drew more callers and listeners than they'd ever enjoyed before. A few days after the program aired I got a call from the Georgia Kiwanis Organization, and they invited me to speak to a luncheon meeting they were having at their upcoming statewide conference on Jekyll Island. I agreed to do it, thinking I'd get a night or two of free lodging on Jekyll in exchange for a talk in front of maybe forty or fifty people. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was going to be speaking to a group of almost five hundred people! I just about crapped in my pants when I learned that, but I somehow managed to survive it. After that, I began getting invites from other groups, and my speaking activities just kinda went from there.

Rie: Is public speaking difficult for you, or do you imagine everyone in their underwear and just go for it?

Ed: I always get a little nervous, but I have a bit that I do that sets the tone and is kinda in line with my wild literary persona. I always get up there and tell the audience that there's always one woman in every crowd that I wish I could do the mattress tango with, and that I'm looking at her right now! For some reason everyone laughs, and afterwards I usually get one or two questions from folks wanting to know who it is!

Rie: You've been called the "literary Hank Williams, Jr." What a compliment! How do you feel about that title?

Ed: I love it! Bocephus is an all-time favorite of mine, and to be compared in any way with him is a total honor. I could listen to him for hours, and I love how he separates his public persona from his personal life, there's an art to doing that.

Rie: You refer to yourself as a Southern Outlaw. What does this mean?

Ed: I write kinda wild material, Southern humor but humor as it actually happened. I don't clean up the language and situations much, and I'm not trying to be everyone's favorite writer. I'm one of those types who'd rather stay true to the story than bland them down for more general consumption. I guess that pretty well sums up what I mean when I call myself a Southern Outlaw writer.

Rie: You and your friends, Ray and Hugh are members of The Brotherhood. Can anyone join? Is there an application? Are there dues?

Ed: Ray Pippin and Hugh Foskey are my two best friends. Ray and I literally grew up together, Hugh we met at Georgia College and State University back in 1976. Collectively we're known as "The Brotherhood." We've had some helluva good times and some wild fun together - believe me, I haven't written about half of it yet! Since Hugh was our last member and was inducted back in 1976, I guess you could say that we have a very tight membership, we joke about being the most exclusive social organization in the world!

Rie: You are one of the biggest flirts I've ever known. How does your SO feel about that? (I personally love it!)

Ed: I love women, appreciate women, and have always been that way. I guess I've never seen what was wrong with telling a pretty lady she's a pretty lady, and no one is pointing a gun telling anyone that they have to flirt back. So darlin', I am what I am, and those close to me recognize that. They also recognize that there's a difference in my public and private personas, too.

Rie: Christmas 2010 is over (and 2011 will be here in a flash). How did your family celebrate the holidays? And what will you be doing for New Year's Eve?

Ed: Just low keying it. Ray, Hugh, and met over at the IHOP (our lake home on Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville, we're only about four miles from Flannery O'Connor's Andulusia, imagine that) for our annual Christmas celebration, and I enjoyed the usual one with my family.

New Year's Eve, I'm not sure what I'll be doing yet, but there are already a couple of wonderful possibilities! Ask me this question again in about a week!

Rie: This will post on New Year's Day, are you hung over?

Ed: Glisrae asada aeaagwrjhbkbwasd  badklajrfea.

Rie: Ha! Ha! Ed, thank you so much for being here. I look forward to interviewing you again when that new book comes out! Please, tell everyone where they can find you on the web.

Ed: Rie, you know I love ya to death, and anyone wanting to find out more about me can do so by clicking these links:

www.ed-williams.com 
www.christmasinthebook.com
www.twitter.com/ELW3 


                                                             


                       


Author Bio:
Ed was born June 19, 1956, to Ed and Barbara Williams in Forsyth, Georgia. He was raised in Juliette and is a proud product of the Monroe County public school system. He graduated from Mary Persons High School in 1974, obtained an Associate's degree from Gordon College in 1976, a BBA from Georgia College and State University in 1978, and an MBA in 1991 from the same university. Ed is married to Debbie, his wife of 29 years, and has two children, Alison (26) and Will (Ed IV - 23). He and his family currently reside in Macon, Georgia.