Not Just Another Blog Post

Over the past couple of years, when one of my books was released, I tried to get out there and do what I’ve seen other authors do. Lately, however, I’ve been doing even more of it: posts on my personal blog, guest posts, and even author interviews. By emulating the writers I’ve befriended in the various Facebook groups I belong to, I quickly came to realize that writing a book is hard. Promoting it is even harder.

         Promo makes me feel like I’m a little kid again, hand up in the air jumping up and down in my seat after the teacher asked a question. Except in this case -- instead of saying, “Ooo, ooo! I know, I know! Pick me, pick meeeeeeeee!” -- it’s like I’m telling the world, “Hey! Look at me, damnit! I’m here!”

         And that’s a bit tough to swallow believe it or not.

         For someone who came from a generation of “children should be seen and not heard,” this promo thing sometimes feels like I’m calling too much attention to myself. Frankly, it also sucks the energy out of me and makes me feel…well, frankly…cheap.

         But I’ve been called cheap before. I’ll leave you to ponder on the where, when, and why.

         As a writer, promo is part of the package. The just-released work might stand alone just fine but it doesn’t hit the bestseller list or sell millions of copies by magic and hoping alone. Though one can certainly dream.

         Publishers certainly do their share. After all, it’s in their best interest. They’ve invested in you. They certainly don’t want to waste their time. We as authors, however, must talk the talk and walk the walk. We need to get out there, meet readers, and share our passion because these are our stories, our words, our babies. No matter how much work and advertising a publisher is willing to do, in the end, it’s the author who must continue to help sell the book by spreading the word. Singers and actors do it so why not us? Besides, to keep getting royalties we gotta hustle. We don’t get paid until those books start moving.

         Sadly, none of this is learned -- or realized -- until that proverbial lightbulb goes off over our heads. People can tell you anything they want about their growth, the things they’ve learned regarding promo; you’ll either digest it or you won’t. In most cases, none of us retain life lessons or experiences the first time around. It’s almost like we have to fuck up then keep fucking up in order to get it right.

         And so, with -- hopefully! -- a bit more experience under my belt, I continue to pimp “The Rosas of Spanish Harlem.”

         Since it was released this past January, I’ve been doing what I think is my fair amount of promo. Once again I’m writing blog posts and doing author interviews. This time, the difference is that I don’t feel nearly as self-conscious. Maybe I’m just getting used to it, though I must confess I’ve been feeling a bit drained mentally and physically. After all, there’s but so many spins I can put on a post to make each one read in a unique and fresh way. I guess it’s like an actor on stage who’s got the same part performance after performance.

         And it makes me wonder. How do they keep it fresh? How do they keep from phoning it in, as it were? How do they, who know how the story will end, keep that element of surprise?

         I’d been wondering what else I might do, how else might I be able to spread the word about “Rosas” when I was asked to join BearTalk, a private group created to help represent a faction of gay culture that doesn’t usually appear in the m/m genre. Even in the gay community -- at least here in Fort Lauderdale -- bears are sometimes looked down upon or joked about. I guess it’s not acceptable amongst certain circles to be hairy, to be a little chunky, or to be a bit rough and tumble.

         When I was first asked to join BearTalk, I thought, well, aside from me being a bear (or maybe I’m a bearcub?) I can’t exactly talk about my work from that angle. I have age differences and multicultural characters but never a bear hath crossed the picture. And then I remembered. William, the man who falls in love with Tracy in “Rosas,” is a muscle bear!

         Then it hit me. One of the reasons I’ve been having a hard time putting a new spin on the posts is because I’ve been approaching them from the same angle. Can you say duuuuuuuh?

         Perhaps it’s because the story is told in first-person or maybe it’s because of some other reason. Whatever the case, and I’m not sure why -- or if other authors do the same -- I always seem to get stuck looking at promo from the perspective of the character I either identify with, or most see as the lead. Not exactly a good way to promo considering I’m supposed to be writing a romance. After all, it takes two to go down that path whether they want to or not.

         And there are other characters in the story.

         Now, thanks to Kayla Jameth and Deanna Wadsworth, I think I’ll be able to remember I can approach a promo post from the perspective of almost any character. And if I don’t, I hope they’ll give me a swift mental kick in the ass as a reminder.

         Yes, “The Rosas of Spanish Harlem,” is about an 18-year-old crossdresser hellbent on losing his virginity. Yes, Tracy experiences some extremely gritty sexual encounters. Yes, this petite blond twink gets in way over his head. However, the story is about more than that. It’s about finding, believing, and standing up for yourself. It’s also about living your life the way you want, as opposed to living it for someone else or the way they think you should live it. It’s also about being comfortable in your own skin and being okay with the decisions you make.

         For William Rosa -- the beefy, muscular man Tracy couldn’t have anticipated -- it’s about all of the above and more. It’s about living your life so the only person from whom you need to seek approval is yourself because, hopefully, the person you fall in love with will accept you as you are; flaws included.

         Here’s Tracy’s first impression upon meeting William.

         The gruff, simian-looking man who stood before me was in his late twenties. He looked oddly familiar in a plain white T-shirt untucked from gray work pants. If this was Angel’s brother, he looked nothing like him. This one had deep-set eyes, wide lips, and a five-o’clock shadow though it was barely noon. His hairy forearms were thick, his pants stretched by muscled legs, and tufts of hair curled and peeked through the neck of his T-shirt.

         I know the story was labeled as porn noir by my publisher, which might make some people uncomfortable. It’s certainly not for the squeamish! However, if you’d like to try something off the beaten path, why not give “The Rosas of Spanish Harlem” a go? If nothing else, it’ll whet your appetite.

BLURB:

It's the summer of 1977 and sex is on Tracy McCarthy's mind. He's now 18 and hell-bent on losing his virginity when he spots Angel on the beach. After discovering restroom sex -- and meeting the handsome Latino Angel Rosa again -- Angel invites Tracy up to Spanish Harlem for more.

When Tracy makes the long trek by subway up to Spanish Harlem, he's exposed to a vibrantly different way of living; one filled with spicy foods, rhythmic music, and sexually-charged men. Along the way, however, the waif-like, cross-dressing young man also discovers that on the path to finding what he seeks, dark and disturbing dangers lurk -- in the minds of men, walking the streets, and in the hallways of Spanish Harlem tenements.

Growing up always contains surprises but will Tracy like the ones he finds on the way?

http://www.loose-id.com/The-Rosas-of-Spanish-Harlem.aspx

BearTalk

My friend Deanna Wadsworth and I were talking about how bears don't seem to get their fair share of m/m lovin'. Originally Deanna was going to do a guest blog about bears and promo her new story "Accidentally Beautiful " the sequel to "Bear It All." But the more we talked about it, the more we decided that bears deserve more than a foot note. They deserve their own post.

So BearTalk was born, a multiple blog even from Feb. 27th through March 3.

Currently Deanna Wadsworth, Silvia Violet, and I are taking part. Several other m/m authors have been queried about being part of this. If anyone does want to join, either contact me or Deanna. Leaving a comment below is sufficient.

Come join in the fun!

Hop Against Homophobia

I joined the blog hop Hop Against Homophobia today.  Currently there are 51 participants. I'm sure that by the time May rolls around that number will have more than doubled.

Every one of the blog participants will be providing a m/m themed gift. I intend to offer a copy of "Alexios' Fate". I'm sure many of the other authors will be doing the same.

This will be a good chance for everyone to find out more about the International Day Against Homophobia, get to know more authors and win some books. Hope to see everyone there!

http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.com/

Final Edits Are Done

I just sent in the final round of edits. It was harder to hit send this time than it was with the previous rounds. It's final this time. No more chances to get it right. I couldn't find anything else I wanted to change, but I kept looking almost up until my deadline.

My editor, Olivia, has been wonderful. She has helped me turn a novella into a novel that I love.

Next up... Line edits. I'm not sure what to expect there, but I'm looking forward to it.

Scheduled release date is April 13th.

Greek Lexicon for Alexios' Fate

Cast of Characters

Prince Alexios of Dicaea: A prince of Dicaea

     Αλεξιος, a derivative of Αλεξις, which meant "helper" or "defender", derived from Greek αλεξω (alexo) "to defend, to help."

King Demetrios of Dicaea: Alexios’ father and king of Dicaea

     Δημητριος, derived from the name of the Greek goddess Demeter.

Galen: Alexios’ slave

     Γαληνος means "calm" from Greek γαληνη (galene).

King Lykos of Aenus: Visiting king of Aenus

     Λυκος, means "wolf.”

King Philon of Doriscus: Visiting king of Doriscus

     Φιλων, derived from φιλεω (phileo) "to love.”

King Theocritus of Abdara: Visiting king of Abdara

     Θεοκριτος, means "judge of god.”

King Andronikos of Maroneia: Visiting king of Maroneia

     Ανδρονικος means "victory of a man.”

Cyrus: The prophet known as the Voice of Apollo, traveling with King Lykos to Delphi

     Κυρος (Kyros), the Greek form of the Persian name Kūrush, which may mean "far sighted" or "young."

Phoebus Apollo: The Greek god of the sun, also known as the Lord of Light

     Απολλων

Muses: nine goddesses, who embody the arts and inspire the creation of song, theater, writing, traditional music, and dance.

     Calliope: The muse of epic poetry, pictured with a writing tablet.

     Clio: The muse of history, pictured with scrolls.

     Erato: The muse of love poetry, pictured with a cithara (lyre).

     Euterpe: The muse of song and elegiac poetry, pictured with an aulos (flute).

     Melpomene: The muse of tragedy, picture with a tragic mask.

     Polyhymnia: The muse of hymns, pictured veiled.

     Terpsichore: The muse of dance, pictured with a lyre.

     Thalia: The muse of comedy, pictured with a comic mask.

     Urania: The muse of astronomy, pictured with a globe and compass.

Ippos: Means horse, Poseidon’s sacred animal.

Taurus: Means bull, Zeus’ sacred animal.

Halys: a faun/pan, one of Pan's descendants.

Greek Lexicon

Agora, meaning "gathering place" or "assembly", was the central place for athletic, artistic, spiritual, and political life of the Greek city-state. During early times, freemen gathered here for military duty or to hear the decrees of the ruling kings or council. Later, the agora became a market place as well. The Roman equivalent word is forum.

 Amphora (plural: amphorae or amphoras): a vase-shaped ceramic container with two handles on either side of a long narrow neck.  Most taper to a pointed base to allow them to be stored upright by embedding them in sand or soft ground.  In kitchens and shops, racks held the amphorae.

Chiton: a form of clothing worn by men and women in Ancient Greece. Also known as the tunica. The Doric chiton was simple, without sleeves. The cloth was pinned at the shoulders by fibulae for women and only over the left shoulder if the man was doing something strenuous. The fabric was gathered at the waist by a zone or girdle. The women's chiton fell to the floor, the men's to just under their knees. Male slaves wore a much briefer garment.

Greek Warrior Kit: The richer upper-class warriors had a bronze breastplate of the bell or muscled variety, a bronze helmet with cheekplates, a shield, as well as greaves and other armor. Most warriors carried a spear and short sword. Many warriors used javelins, especially when in chariots. Bows were more commonly used to defend the walls of a city, being considered cowardly on the field of battle.

Hiereus (plural: hierei): the word for "priest".

 Hubris means extreme haughtiness, pride or arrogance. Most commonly used to describe the actions of those who challenged the gods or their laws, especially in Greek tragedy, resulting in the protagonist's fall. Hubris was considered the greatest crime of ancient Greek society. The person performs some act of folly due to their overweening pride, usually resulting in their downfall or some fatal retribution (Nemesis).

Iamos was the son of Evadne and Apollo. Evadne, one of Poseidon's daughters, was raised by a local king. Ashamed to be with child, Evadne exposed the child at birth in a patch of violets. Her stepfather discovered the child was the son of a god and made her go reclaim the baby. The boy was named Iamos (from ίον, "violet"). When Iamos grew up, he invoked Poseidon and Apollo, asking them to reveal his destiny. Apollo gave him the gift of prophecy and sent him to Olympia to found the Iamidae line of priests.

Laws of xenia, a specific code of guest-friendship, dictated how to care for a guest. Zeus was the guardian of strangers and the enforcer of xenia.

Ienai means go, start or begin.

 Mentoring or Pederasty in ancient Greece was a social custom likely originating as a rite of passage associated with entering military training and the religion of Zeus at a boy's coming of age. As such, it was likely a rite of passage. The practice was central to the homosocial Greek culture, which included athletic and artistic nudity, delayed marriage for aristocrats, symposia, and the social seclusion/exclusion of women.

The practice almost certainly involved sexual activity between the mentor and the young man, usually in his teens or early twenties. The extent would vary with local custom and individual inclination. The mentor, being older and socially superior, was the "penetrative" partner. In the case of mentoring, this almost exclusively referred to intercrural sex, where the penis penetrates between the thighs of the youth.

The erômenos, or "beloved", is the passive or subordinate partner. The youth would be of an age when an aristocrat began his formal military training, around fifteen to seventeen and extending up until the youth was in his twenties, or in some cases even thirty.

The mentor, or erastes, courted the young man with gifts. He was expected to show that his interest wasn't merely sexual. The youth was not to submit too easily. If more than one man courted him, he was expected to show discretion and pick the nobler man.

Nereus was a minor sea god associated with the Aegean Sea. He had fifty daughters, the Nereids, and a son, Nerites. His daughter Thetis is Achilles' mother. Another daughter, Amphitrite, was Poseidon's queen. Nerites was the charioteer and beloved of Poseidon. (Poseidon's wife and lover were siblings.) Nerites was turned into a shellfish for his hubris after challenging Helios to a chariot race and losing.

Omphalos, also known as the Navel of the World, is a carved stone erected at Delphi as part of the temple complex to Apollo. The stone was placed where the two eagles sent by Zeus to fly from the ends of the world to find the center, or the navel, met.

The Navel was guarded by Python for his mother Gaia. Apollo slew Python, the serpent, and took Delphi, making the oracular site his own. This is an example of the earlier earth deities, frequently female, being overthrown by the new sky deities, usually male. The place name Pytho was given to site where Python was slain.

Polis: city/city-state

Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi, was a mantic priestess at the Temple of Apollo. The title derived from the place name Pytho.  The post was often shared amongst a triad of priestesses. The women varied from learned aristocrats to unlettered peasants. The Pythia gave her prophecies while perched atop a tripod.

The oracle only functioned during the nine warmest months of the year while Apollo resided in Delphi. He returned each year during the spring on the 7^th day of Vysios, his birthday. The Pythia was required to undergo monthly purification rites on the 7^th day of each month thereafter.

Stoas were covered walkways or porticos open to the public. They often had small stores down one side of the building with an open portico lining the other side, offering shelter to shoppers and anyone else who was in the agora.

 Theos: the Greek word for "deity, god"

 A trireme (from Latin triremis, literally "three-oarer") was a type of galley, a warship that was used on the Mediterranean. The vessel was named for the three rows of oars on each side, manned with one man per oar. The three tiers of oars required careful coordination and much practice so as not to tangle in one another. The Greek ships were manned by freemen/warriors unlike the galleys of the Romans. As a ship it was fast and agile, and became the dominant warship in the Mediterranean. They also had one large square sail, a bronze clad prow with a pair of eyes painted on both sides. The eyes were intended to see that the ship stayed on course and to ward off any evil.

Greek Days of the Week:

The Greeks adopted the Babylonian seven-day planetary week. They substituted the names of their own gods: Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Chronos. Sunday is quite literally sun-day. Monday is moon-day.

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Greek	hemera heli(o)u	hemera selenes	hemera Areos	hemera Hermu	hemera Dios	hemera Aphrodites	hemera Khronu

Mythos

Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite vied for a golden apple inscribed with "For the fairest." Zeus refused to be drawn into the contest and sent the goddesses to Paris to judge. After each goddess attempted to bribe him, the foolish prince chose Aphrodite in exchange for the most beautiful woman in the world as his wife.

The fall of Troy was orchestrated by Hera and Athena as retribution for Paris' choice of Aphrodite as "the fairest." Aphrodite's gift, Helen of Troy, couldn't have been more suited to the task of bringing Troy down if she had been chosen for that purpose.

Due to her beauty, Helen had been courted by all the eligible rulers of the Greek city-states. She was abducted by Theseus and rescued by the remainder of her suitors. The kings all then swore to protect her and the husband she chose from further abductions. She wed Menelaus, Agamemnon's brother. When Paris abducted her from her husband, the Greeks had a holy reason for war. Paris had broken Zeus' laws of hospitality. Plus by her abduction, all the kings of the Greek city-states were held by their oath to retrieve her.

Agamemnon need only remind everyone of their oath and Paris' impious behavior. A huge armada was launched, but the winds were unfavorable. Informed he would have to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to receive favorable winds, Agamemnon sent word that his wife Clytemnestra should bring their daughter to be wed to Achilles.

Iphigenia is portrayed as a girl who went to her death bravely once she knew what her fate was. Clytemnestra was not as accepting. When Agamemnon returned from Troy, triumphant, she slew him in his bath for his hubris and the murder of their daughter. The Fates did not punish her because she was not blood related to her husband.

***

Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, was abducted by Hades and taken into the Underworld to be his queen. Demeter petitioned Zeus for the return of their daughter. Even though Persephone was Zeus' daughter, marriage by abduction was common, even for the gods. When Zeus did not demand his brother return Persephone, Demeter used her attributes to coerce him.

Demeter, the goddess of grains, fertility, and harvest, refused to let any plants grow. Soon animals and people were dying. The humans petitioned the gods to succor them. Zeus was forced to go to his brother Hades and ask for Persephone's return.

Persephone had been pining for her mother and the open air. She wouldn't eat and had become pale.

Hades didn't want to give up his queen. Before he returned Persephone, Hades pressed her to eat something. She ate six pomegranate seeds. When Zeus discovered that she had accepted Hades' hospitality, he had no choice but to decree she remain with her husband for six months out of the year.

Demeter was not pleased, but could do nothing further. So for six months out of the year, the earth is fruitful and green, but for the other six months Demeter mourns her daughter and the earth does likewise.

***

Ganymede was a beautiful young man who caught Zeus' eye. Zeus took the form of an eagle and abducted the boy, taking him back to Mount Olympus. Ganymede was given immortality, unfading youth, and was made Zeus' cupbearer.

Zeus gave the boy's father the gift of horses "such as carry the immortals." His father was pleased by the gift as well as the boy's new station as Zeus' cupbearer and erômenos. Hera was jealous of her rival for Zeus' affections; the only one Zeus ever showed any attachment to. However, even the queen of the gods had to respect the relationship. She never tried to punish Ganymede like she did with all of Zeus' other lovers.

The story of Ganymede and Zeus illustrates the institution of pederasty and gives it divine validation.

***

Cassiopeia, the queen of Ethiopia, bragged that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than all the Nereids, the sea nymph daughters of the minor sea god Nereus. Poseidon's queen was one of the Nereids, Amphitrite. Poseidon became angry and sent a sea monster to destroy the kingdom. In an effort to save their kingdom, they consulted an oracle who told them they must sacrifice their daughter to the sea monster.

Andromeda was chained to a rock near the sea and left to her fate. Perseus was traveling through Ethiopia at the time. He saw Andromeda's plight and slew the sea monster. He carried her off and married her.

Poseidon was not pleased that Cassiopeia had not been punished. He could do nothing about Perseus who was one of Zeus' sons, so instead he tied Cassiopeia to a chair that was frequently used for torture and placed her in the sky as a constellation that spends half its time upside down.

***

The queen of Thebes, Niobe, had fourteen children, seven boys and seven girls. She boasted unwisely that she had more children than Leto, who only had Apollo and Artemis. Before she could repent of her hubris, Apollo and Artemis slew her children with arrows. In her grief, she turned to stone and the rock still weeps for her lost children.

Inspiration for Secondary Characters

I take a lot of inspiration for my stories and characters from photographs. And Halys, a secondary character in Alexios' Fate, is no different. Halys is a demigod, a pan. He is dusky hued with darker zebra-like markings and horn buds hidden in his curls. A classic faun with a twist.

He is one of Apollo's slaves who knows what he wants and pursues the god himself. He gives Apollo an insight into Alexios' and Galen's relationship that he would have otherwise not understood.

Here's an unedited excerpt from Alexios' Fate featuring Halys.

Apollo awoke before the dawn. He needed to be at his personal shrine to receive the prayers of his devotes as they performed their monthly purification rites.

He reached through the sumptuous blankets and furs for Halys only to find the slave missing from his bed. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. A rapid sweep of the dimly lit chamber failed to yield the demigod. Bronze lamps on either side of the bed did little to banish the stygian shadows in the corners.

Just as he considered summoning another slave, Halys entered the room. The aroma of porridge laced with nuts and honey filled the air. Apricots and figs filled a small bowel and a kylix of ambrosia balanced beside them on the tray.

Halys nudged the door closed with his hip and Apollo recalled all the skills those supple hips demonstrated the night before.

"I hoped to return before you rose."

"I just now awoke. What do you have for me?"

Halys broke into a pleased smile as he crossed the room. He placed the tray on a small table near the bed and offered Apollo the ambrosia.

When Apollo finished breaking his fast, Halys brought a woolen robe trimmed in red and gold scrollwork. The slave draped the folds over Apollo's shoulders and settled the sacred laurel wreath like a halo on his head. Halys knelt at his feet and laced his golden sandals, dark fingers straying over his calves and ankles.

With an indulgent smile, Apollo lightly cuffed his slave. The creature grew more and more forward. Unless something changed, Halys was dangerously close to becoming a spoiled pet.

"I will return in a while."

"Yes, master. Do you wish anything upon your return?" That mischievous smile again.

"Do you think of nothing else?"

"Not while I'm in your presence."

Shaking his head at the daring demigod, Apollo strode from the room.