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| "Angina!" |
Read an excerpt below:
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Lisa Henry
I'm a writer. I write m/m erotica. Kind of dark stuff, even though in real life I like rainbows and puppies and kittens. Not all at once though. That would be overwhelming.
Currently reading
Whatever The Cost
Skybound
The Magpie Lord
The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal
Teahouse
Reblogged from The Fangirl: Author E. Llewellyn calls a reviewer a "black baboon" on facebook.
Reblogged from The Fangirl:
She deleted this post, but is continuing to rant on her facebook, and pointed all of her fans/followers toward the reviewer.
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King of Dublin Blog Tour
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Hi everyone!
The King of Dublin blog tour kicks off on the 24th. Follow me and Heidi around, leave a comment somewhere, and you could win one of each of our backlist titles, and also an Irish-related thingummy. I can't be more specific, as I haven't seen the thungummy. But I'm sure it's very nice.
February 24, 2014 - Sid Love
February 24, 2014 - Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews
February 25, 2014 - Book Reviews & More by Kathy
February 26, 2014 - Mama Kitty Book Reviews - Spotlight Stop
February 26, 2014 - Twlib Reviews
February 27, 2014 - The Saucy Wenches Book Club - Spotlight Stop
February 27, 2014 - Prism Book Alliance
February 28, 2014 - Steamy Guys After Dark
February 28, 2014 - The Jeep Diva - Spotlight Stop
March 3, 2014 - The Fiction Vixen
March 4, 2014 - The Novel Approach
March 4, 2014 - Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Release the Kraken! Interview with M. Caspian
Today on the blog I’m talking to the very talented M. Caspian, author of one of my favourite m/m tentacle reads, KRAKEN. Thanks for stopping by, M.
You’re welcome. Thank you for having me. But before you ask any questions, I have to thank you, Lisa. You had no reason to pick up my book, and I’m so grateful that you did. I don’t even know how you saw it. Once you reviewed it, BAM: it went on 40 to-read lists. And thank you everyone who read it, even if you decided tentacles weren’t for you. I’ve been overwhelmed by the book’s reception by readers. I’m very thankful and happy.
Hey. Fresh non-con m/m tent-sex? As soon as that hit my radar, I was all over it! I’ll start with an incredibly unfair question: why tentacles? And I only ask this because I’m not sure of the reasons I like it so much myself. Only that I do. I definitely do. Is it the dub-con factor? The weird Other/alien factor? Or does it tap into something older than that: humanity’s primal fear of the monsters in the deep and the dark?
When I was a child I had a bed with storage drawers underneath it. I was convinced there was an octopus living in those drawers. It was my deepest fear. I made my mom check every night, but of course she wouldn’t pull all the drawers out at the same time, so I knew the octopus was simply playing Scooby Doors with her. Waiting. Biding its time.
Because I was afraid, I had to know more. Sheer terror made me learn about octopuses, and cephalopods in general. It’s that sense of the abject, you know? You want to look away, but you have to keep watching. Much as with YouTube videos of people s.l.o.w.l.y removing nose pore strips.
I think interesting things come from juxtaposition. What we wish for, and what we fear, at the same time. That’s why love and hate together are so powerful. Love and indifference: meh, no big deal. Tentacled creatures are both very different and very similar to us, simultaneously. When you watch an octopus work out a puzzle, its intelligence seems very human, but when you see it watching you back, you also realize it’s utterly alien. And octopuses are solitary, whereas human are inherently social.
I guess I was just thinking about tentaclesex fics where the tentacle monster is just like a human, which kind of overlooks that they are not only a completely different species, but a different phylum! There would be a distinct difficulty in creating empathy between an octopus and a human. One is utterly individual, yet good at mimicry and camouflage, and collects and keeps things it finds pleasing. The other creates social connections as a matter of survival and uses the exposure of vulnerabilities, and sharing, as a way of creating emotional closeness. It’s a recipe for disaster, relationship wise.
Saying that, I don’t want to overthink things, here. I mean, it’s horror tentacle porn. There’s the . . . length aspect. Tentacles: getting into places other appendages just don’t reach, since 1624. It should be oozy fun with the occasional shudder. Which is why writing Cy and Will was so enjoyable.
Coincidence? Yes.
It’s funny how we don’t like coincidences in fiction. When the hero on the run in the apocalypse just happens to find that truck with the keys still inside, or the one house in town not looted for supplies -- well, you might as well get the creaky mechanism rolling and lower the god from the machine onto the stage, because I'm done. Which is funny, because coincidences happen all the time in real life.
I think it’s because fiction has an obligation to make more sense than reality.
Lately my co-writer J.A. Rock and I have moved on from fighting about Australian versus American English. Now we’re doing this thing where I pick characters from our books and name them after her close family members. Whose names I don’t know.
Seriously.
So far I’ve managed to do this four times. I’ve named characters after her brother, her cousin, her father, and a dog she had when she was a kid. Best part of that? The character I named after her dog is a dog character.
So, while I try and figure out if I’m just psychic or am developing a combination of godlike and/or superhero powers, I’m also just going to enjoy the ride.
Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, this is why the dedication in When All The World Sleeps reads: To the real Kenny. Because we feel bad.
Me, for naming such a terrible character after you. And J.A., for not telling me a lot sooner.
I think that means she's a worse person than me, right?
EDITED TO ADD: Make it five times. Picked another cousin today!
The State of Play
I'm not usually one of those people who writes down the things she has achieved during the year. Mostly because that takes a level of organisation that I just don't have. Also, I can't find a pen. Ever.
But here's how things stand for me at the end of 2013:
Books Published: 2 (All with J.A. Rock)
Also The Naughty Boy, but that was a short.
So let's call it two and a half. And while we're at it, thanks to everyone who made this happen for The Boy Who Belonged:
Review: Kraken by M. Caspian
Oh FML. I just wrote out a whole review and then deleted it by mistake.
I think these were the important points:
You guys, read this book. It's proper horror creepy. Same vibe as Soulless.
I thought I knew was I was getting into -- a smutty piece of fluff with a man who is molested by a tentacle monster but it's okay because he likes it in the end. That is not this book. This book is creepy. I said that, right? It's the word I keep coming back to.
It has the following elements:
1. A monster. See title. Check.
2. An isolated location. An island. Check.
3. Creepy locals. You know those assholes know exactly what's going on, but you don't know whose side they're on. Check.
4. A guy who wanders into the middle of everything and happens to be the next chosen sacrifice. Check.
But that's not all this book has got. It's got a fantastic sense of place -- the descriptions of the landscapes weren't just visual, they were visceral. The island has it's own history, of both its people and its industries. And the atmosphere just gets creepier and creepier, like the rolling fog in a 1940's gothic film. The details here are fantastic. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say -- the birds! Oh my god, the birds! There are so many layers here, that I will definitely be rereading it, and at a slower pace this time so I don't miss a thing.
Read this book, you guys. It's currently FREE on Smashwords, which must be a terrible mistake, because M. Caspian deserves some cash for this effort. And it's not short either - it's novel length.
Also read this book because I want to talk to someone about how awesome it was.
"Arse". Brought to you by Mark Cooper.
I'm so excited! Mark Cooper versus America is out on January 28, and JA Rock and I have a cover to show you:
Mark Cooper is angry, homesick, and about to take his stepdad’s dubious advice and rush Prescott College’s biggest party fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi. Greek life is as foreign to Aussie transplant Mark as Pennsylvania’s snowstorms and bear sightings. So, when the fraternity extends Mark a bid, Mark vows to get himself kicked out by the end of pledge period. But then he’s drawn into Alpha Delt’s feud with a neighboring fraternity.
Studious Deacon Holt is disappointed to learn Mark’s pledging Alpha Delt, his fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa’s sworn enemy. Mark is too beautiful for Deacon to pass up an invitation for sex, but beyond sex, Deacon’s not sure. He wants a relationship, but a difficult family situation prevents him from pursuing anything beyond his studies.
Mark and Deacon’s affair heats up as the war between their fraternities escalates. They explore kinks they didn’t know they had while keeping their liaison a secret from their brothers. But what Romeo and Juliet didn’t teach these star-crossed lovers is how to move beyond sex and into a place where they share more than a bed. That’s something they’ll have to figure out on their own—if the friction between their houses, and between Mark and America, doesn’t tear them apart.
Is it wrong that the thing I'm most proud about in this book is the fact that we get to use the word "arse" instead of "ass"? Because ass, as we all know, is the incorrect word. Right, JA?
Anyway, Mark Cooper versus America is a really fun book. We had heaps of fun writing it, and I hope you'll have heaps of fun reading it. I think Mark is one of my favourite characters, and not just because he says "arse", but because he's fun, he's fearless, and he's stubborn. That stubbornness isn't always a good thing, or a smart thing, but he's also eighteen, and who didn't do some dumb things at eighteen?
I know I did!
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REBLOGGED: British Library uploads a million archival images for free for anyone to use, remix and repurpose.
Reblogged from AnnaMatsuyama:
Please repost and share the good news!
We have released over a million images onto Flickr Commons for anyone to use, remix and repurpose. These images were taken from the pages of 17th, 18th and 19th century books digitised by Microsoft who then generously gifted the scanned images to us, allowing us to release them back into the Public Domain. The images themselves cover a startling mix of subjects: There are maps, geological diagrams, beautiful illustrations, comical satire, illuminated and decorative letters, colourful illustrations, landscapes, wall-paintings and so much more that even we are not aware of.
Link to the article http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digital-scholarship/2013/12/a-million-first-steps.html
Link to the images http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary
"The Coming of Father Christmas" by MANNING, Eliza F.
The Boy Who Belonged is here! Read an excerpt!
The Boy Who Belonged is now live on the Loose Id site, and should be available at third party retailers very soon! And the book that started it all, The Good Boy, is currently on sale at Loose Id as well.
And here are the opening few pages of The Boy Who Belonged, setting the scene for the return of one of our favourite characters from The Good Boy. This guy:
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Interview with Kate Sherwood
Hi everyone! Today on the blog I’m hosting the very talented Kate Sherwood, author of the wonderful Dark Horse series, and the upcoming releases The Fall and Riding Tall. Kate, welcome to the blog!
I’ll start with what is becoming my standard question to ask visiting authors. When you look out the window, what can you see? (I ask this because I get very excited if people answer “snow”. Because I live in the tropics, and it’s hot, and snow is incredibly exotic to me!) So, what’s outside your window?
I do see snow! Not too much of it right now – we had at least a couple feet last week, but it’s been warm enough to melt most of that. Other than the snow… trees, and then the lake. It’s a pretty excellent view.
I'm shivering just thinking about it! I totally have this image of you living somewhere in wilds of Canada, surrounded by horses and hot men. Is any of this at all accurate?
I am guest posting at Brandon Shire's blog!
Today I am over at Brandon Shire's blog, talking about m/m sci-fi, the weird inspirations behind Dark Space, and how the aliens will solve all our problems...or not.
See you there!
King of Dublin - coming February 24
The King of Dublin, the post-apocalyptic story I wrote with the wonderful Heidi Belleau, is coming from Riptide on February 24, 2014. This one is so much fun...if your definition of fun is dub-con, non-con, heartbreak and bloodshed. I know mine is!
Twenty years after a deadly pandemic ravaged the world, Darragh Fergus Anluan and the people of his village have carved out a hard but simple life in the Irish countryside. But with winter comes sickness, and Darragh must travel to Dublin in search of medicine. What he finds there is a ruined city ruled by a madman, where scavenging is punishable by death . . . or conscription.
Ciaran Daly came to Ireland with aid and optimism, but instead was enslaved by the so-called King of Dublin. After months of abuse from the king and his men, he has no reason to believe this newcomer will be any different. Except Ciaran finds himself increasingly drawn to Darragh, whose brutish looks mask how sweet and gentle he really is.
The tenderness Darragh feels for the king’s treasured pet is treason, but it’s hardly the only betrayal brewing in this rotten kingdom. Rebellions and rival gangs threaten the king’s power, but not nearly as much as Darragh and Ciaran—whose only hope for freedom is the fall of the king.
King of Dublin is available for pre-order from Riptide!
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Giving Thanks
A few days ago I had my first Thanksgiving, courtesy of J.A. Rock. I took her to see crocodiles, and she made me a pumpkin pie. That sounds fair to me!
We Australians don't have Thanksgiving, and the idea of actually listing the things we should be thankful for sounds a little strange. In the spirit of the season I'm going to give it a try, but I might not be very good at it. So here, without further ado, are the things I am thankful for:
1. Banrock Station Moscato. Two bottles of this and one chance remark later, and it turns out you've planned an awesomely hot and creepy m/m story that will be OMG! SO GOOD! Seriously, I cannot wait to start writing this!
2. Kangaroos that punch ducks. I mean, all kangaroos are pretty cool, but have you ever seen one punch a duck? I think that kangaroo is my soulmate.
3. Pumpkin pie. How good is that stuff? I don't even like pumpkin that much, not even in scones, but pumpkin pie? More, please!
4. Banrock Station Moscato. Yes, I know I already mentioned it, but there was quite a lot of it, okay? And maybe if I mention it a few more times, they'll send me some for free. Hello? Banrock Station, hello?
5. And, naturally, my brilliant co-author J.A. Rock, without whom nothing on this list would have happened.
For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you had a great time with the people you love, and if anyone wants to send me any leftover pumpkin pie, I'd certainly appreciate it.
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BDSM week at Boys In Our Books, and some news!
Hi everyone!
Today I am over at Boys In Our Books, talking about BDSM, YKINMK, and other acronyms. Actually, that's a lie. It's just those two. Anyway, head on over if you want to talk about kink, trust, and the eternal question: what's with those hats that leather men wear?
In other exciting news, only a week until JA Rock and I actually meet! How exciting is that? Pretty exciting. I mean, it must be. I've used the word "exciting" four times in this paragraph already. That's the sort of shit a line editor would pick up on right away, you know.
And speaking of line editors, wow, it's a busy few weeks coming up. Here's a list of the stuff I have to edit:
When All The World Sleeps - with JA Rock
Mark Cooper Versus America - with JA Rock
King of Dublin - with Heidi Belleau
The more I look at that list, the more terrifying it appears. Oh, did I totally mention I got a contract from Riptide for Sweetwater? Yeah, that happened.
Wyoming Territory, 1870. Elijah Carter is caught between two very different men, between revenge and despair, in a boom town teetering on the edge of a bust.
Contains rough BDSM, cheap whiskey, and handsome cowboys. Mmmm...
And, naturally, a shitload of angst.
Review: His Roommate's Pleasure, but Lana McGregor
I feel ripped off.
I expected shallow smut and plenty of sex.
Well, I got plenty of sex, but there's nothing shallow about this. It's a fun, sweet, and emotionally charged read as Adam and Josh embark on a D/s relationship.
They're college boys. They make mistakes. They miss cues and they say stupid things. And the whole time I was reading I kept saying to my kindle, "Please don't mess it up! Please get your shit together."
Read this. It has more depth than you think.