Thoughts that keep a writer up nights...

With apologies to Will:


To write or not to write, that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous critics
Or to take pen against a sea of reviews
And by opposing, end them. To dream, to mark,
No more. And by ‘to mark’ we mean to end
The heart-ache of the thousand critical words
That books are heir to, ‘tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To dream, to write
To write perhaps to glory! Ay, there’s the rub!
For in that glorious writing what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mid-list coil
Must give us pause: where’s the respect
That makes us glorious for so long life?
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time
The reviewer’s wrongs, the proud reader’s incredulity,
The pangs of despised love, the royalty delays,
The insolence of booksellers and the spurns
That writers of their books must take
When she herself might her quietus make
With a sharp-tongued quip? Why would authors bear,
To grunt and sweat with weary fingers
But for the dread of fixed obscurity,
The too-familiar country from whose bourn
No writer returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather write within the lines
Than fly to genres that we know not of.
Thus paychecks do make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought
And great novels of pith and moment,
With this regard, their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action.

It isn't just "smut" anymore!

The Power of Smut

Many people—particularly people in the publishing world—tend to view erotica or erotic romance as a…shall we say….less than worthy literary pursuit. Whether you’re reading it or writing it, it’s viewed as empty, mindless, titillating entertainment for the masses. And, granted…I do believe there is some erotica and porn that falls into that category. However, to slot all erotica and erotic romance into that category is a gross misjudgment.

I firmly believe that literature—ANY literature—has the power to have a huge impact on the reader. Whenever you lose yourself in another world, in another character or set of characters…you are, in effect, taking on their experiences. Living their life. Sharing in their struggle. And that can have profound implications.

I know it did for me! I grew up in a very devout, and in some ways, strict home environment. Particularly when it came to matters of sexuality, I had allll kinds of hang-ups over what was right, acceptable, good or sinful. There were words that, all on their own, seemed to have the power to consign me to hell! Imagine that. A mere set of 4 letters that, if uttered aloud, had the power to land me among fire and brimstone for eternity. Many of these issues and fears spilled over into my marriage, making my sexual life…a challenge, to say the least. But then, for a variety of reasons, I started to expand my reading horizons. I began reading romance…and then I began writing it. And THEN I began to read and write EROTIC romance. And the doors began to swing open.

Those “evil” words began to lose their power over me. I began to see and accept that there wasn’t just ONE way to interact sexually. I began to expand my own sexual horizong (much to my hubby's approval! lol) And the more I read, and the more I wrote, and the more I EXPERIENCED other sexualities—even if it was vicariously—I began to identify with these “people”. I began to realize that sexuality in ALL its forms is good and fun, and that what any one person—or group of people—do consensually behind closed doors in the privacy of their own home, or their own club, or their own community for that matter, is perfectly acceptable! And it’s none of my damn business! In fact, I attended a Gay Pride parade this year for the first time, and it was an absolute blast! A celebration of sexual diversity and acceptance that I found refreshing and exciting.

Whether or not they’re going to hell for it? Well, I don’t believe in that anymore, but that’s a topic for another blog.

My point is that it isn’t “just smut” anymore. Whether it’s tales of homosexual or bisexual exploration, of the BDSM community or even of transgender adventures…the more stories of “deviant” sexuality that we read about, the more REAL these people and their issues become. And the less likely we are to judge and be afraid of them. It’s much harder to hate Josh, a twenty-seven-year-old rock star who loves music and kids and is struggling to accept his own attraction to another man, than it is to hate a group of faceless, formless, “homos”.

Not only is erotica a way for women to validate and explore their OWN sexuality…But I firmly believe it can be a way to promote tolerance and understanding for people of all sexual persuasions and in all walks of life.

Has anyone else found their views and/or opinions affected or changed through books? Not even necessarily erotica, but through any form of fiction? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

Calling On Your Life Experiences

Real life can sometimes be the pits. There are schedules, telephone calls, emails, bosses, co-workers, relatives, kids. Wow. So much to do, so little time.

All those things that make you holler out, "Calgon, take me away!" can also be gems when it comes to your writing. Have a boss you can't stand? Make him the villain in your book and kill him. Is your sister a nag? Give her monster kids who destroy whatever they touch. Do you have a friend who always brags about everything she has? Have her invest all her money in a company that goes under. Ah, yes, revenge is sweet.

Too mean, you say? Okay, how about the special friend who can't seem to get a fair break? Give her the hero and let her live happily ever after. Do you have the best brother in the world? Let him find his dream job. Are your parents wonderful? They bought the winning lottery ticket!

Do I use real experience in my books, you ask? Of course. I doubt if there's an author who hasn't drawn on something from her/his life and used it in a book. Do I use real people? Yes and no. I borrow from a person's life, but rarely pattern a character exactly after a real person. I want to keep my friends. :-)

You can add the good in with the bad. It's your book, your story. Call on all your life experiences, or those of the people close to you, and use them. Add your own personal touch. Real life may be stranger than fiction, but it can also be glorious.

Lynn

Writers Write

How many times have we heard it? Writers write. Every day.

When you go to conferences or read “how-to” books, this phrase appears and is repeated and enunciated as if this is the missing line from the Sermon on the Mount.

A huge part of my soul rebels when I hear this. Lawyers don’t try cases every day. They get weekends. Teachers (some of the hardest working people I know) get holidays and summers away from students.

What is it about writers that we don’t get a day off?

When we read tales of other famous writers and how they accomplished their greatness, it seems inevitable that the words “he wrote every day, including holidays” crop up. Arrgh. What happened to the lazy (but successful) writers in this world?

I’ve come to the conclusion that very few exist.

So after years of thinking I’m never going to follow in the footsteps of the great and prolific, I had a little revelation. I don’t physically plant my backside in the chair every day. I can’t. I have a day job and a life that sometimes takes precedence. That’s the way it works. But even when I’m at my most stressed and busy (or maybe because I’m at my most stressed and busy) my mind is working…crafting stories, fine-tuning dialogue or just wandering to create the next wickedly hot sex scene I need to write.

But—and this is a huge but—having said this, we can’t use this as an excuse not to actually put the words on paper. I know dozens of “writers” who’ve never actually written a word. They research or craft plot lines or take classes on how to write. They like to say they are writers but getting the words to fill the screen can be hard work, and it’s not for the faint hearted.

So, while I’m not convinced that writers have to write every day, I do believe we have to write. That’s the compulsion in our brains that drives us to share our stories. When I’m particularly stressed, I find spending thirty minutes at my computer, working on my next werewolf tale, gives me a little peace.

And it reminds me what I really love…and that’s to write.

Have you found a particular schedule that works for you?

The Keeper Trilogy - a series close to my heart.

I'm going to be taking a short vacation soon and I can feel my excitement building. Why? Because I'm heading to the Black Hills in South Dakota. I've wanted to return for a long time and the reason is because the beautiful backdrop of the rolling mountains' spiritual vista was the reason my western romantic Keeper Series became a series in the first place.

The very first story I'd ever written was Keeper of the Spirit, a western romance story about Tyler Wilkins, a man who thought he'd lost everything until a young woman named Emma Sanders whirled into his life and made him realize that deep abiding love can happen twice in a lifetime. The mysticism of an old Indian brave...a forgotten evil that lurks in Emma's past...one tragic hour in their lives, will all combine to lead them to a future filled with trust and understanding, and the discovery of peace and love that a man and woman can share.

You know, when I wrote Keeper of the Spirit it wasn't because I had visions of getting this "story of my heart" into publication. Emma and Tyler's story was embedded in my brain and simply needed to be put on paper. I come from a long, long line of readers and most of them love sweet western romances. So I wrote the story not just for myself but for my mom and my sister. It was their steady brow-beating to try and publish Spirit that started my career as an author. In restrospect, it's very honest to say my sucess is due to them and their never ending support! Keeper of the Spirit ended up garnering great reviews and awards. It's received Recommended Reads, 5-Star Reviews and even won the 2006 Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award!

Okay, so now I've got a book published but I had no clue in what direction I would go next. That was only until we'd taken a family vacation to the Black Hills. Once there, something came over me. Who would have guessed that the Sioux's Paha Sapas (Lakota for Black Hills), the Crazy Horse Memorial, and the teeming herds of buffalo would touch my heart in such an unforgettable way? I think Cole Wilkins' story (Tyler's youngest brother) was already forming somewhere deep inside me and I didn't even realize it. I remember walking through a gift shop at Crazy Horse and paging through reference books. In that short thirty minutes I'd come across a fact not once but twice. It was a reference to a rumor that Crazy Horse himself might have fathered a daughter that he never recognized. As in the famous words of Emeril... BAMM! Shortly after, I found myself sitting on the deck, looking out at the partially carved Crazy Horse memorial and the words and sentences started flying through my brain. Why not try writing a sequel? After all, Tyler had two brothers, one of which never wanted to leave the ranch in northern Minnesota. What would it take to get this guy a life? Ah, I knew then. It would be a beautiful Sioux maiden who he would love to eternity. Needless to say I couldn't get home fast enough.

Once home I sunk my teeth into Keeper of the Dream and I couldn't let go. Hours of research went into Cole and August Moon's story. As I delved deeper and deeper, I felt indelibly drawn to the Sioux's plight at the end of the nineteenth century. Real life characters such as Chiefs Crazy Horse, Big Foot, and Sitting Bull grew larger in my mind. They were good men who were unfortunate enough to be caught up in the final battles of the great Plains people, misunderstood because their one goal was to continue to live as their forefathers had. Actual events that took place in their lives were woven into Keeper of the Dream and once again I was a published author with accolades attached to this story.

Ah, Cole Wilkins. Quiet and brooding, loyal to a fault, yet suddenly filled with an unamed urge to discover something more in his life. He leaves the family ranch in northern Minnesota and meets a young Indian woman—one who tries to steal from him, who tests his patience to the extreme. A woman who is the mysterious figure that haunts his darkest dreams. Cole finds himself not only in the midst of a nationwide battle to assimilate her people, but also discovers love as he begins to understand his fateful dream.

August Moon leads a small group of fugitive Sioux, the last holdouts of a dying nation. She fights her growing love for Cole, but not because of ancestry. Instead, a fated vision from her childhood, her loyalty to the Sioux way and the misunderstandings of two diverse cultures prevent her from seeking a life with the man who has touched her very soul. But destiny cannot be altered. No one person from her past, nor anyone she would ever meet, would have such a profound impact on her life.

So now I began to think about Trevor Wilkins, the middle brother. Shouldn't he have a story also? Plus, I really found that I was having a hard time letting go of this entire family. Afterall, it was like they'd moved into my home, occupying my days and walking through my dreams at night. I began to formulate a story in my mind, one that was a bit different from the others. Let's fast forward a few years and think about Trevor, a confirmed bachelor who loves his women (and there are many) and who also discovers that though he loves his family to a fault, he much prefers the city life, being single, and responsible for no one but himself. Well you can bet I decided to mess with him a bit! And not with his normal style of preening women who were born with silver spoons in their mouths. Nope, I wasn't going to do it. How about a slightly weathered widow with five children. Yup, I figured it would be great fun to see how I was going to work this all out and still have Trevor retain his sanity.

So at times with tongue in cheek, a little humor and of course some tears, Keeper of the Heart, was born. I'm so very proud of this last story in the Keeper Series. It was nominated for the 2007 Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Small Press Romance, Honorable Mention Winner of the 2007 Best Western Romance by Loves Western Romances Review Site, and has received numerous 5 Star awards. My confirmed bachelor at the age of thirty-nine, Trevor Wilkins had everything he needed or desired—a lavish lifestyle with only himself to answer to, easy money at his disposal and an exciting life racing the Wilkins family horses. He will leave married life to his two brothers. That is until Claire Holcomb and her five wonderfully impish children blindside him.

Claire will never trust another man and never give her heart away again. Her ogre of a husband is finally gone. Penniless and widowed with five hungry children, she is determined to meet life on her own terms no matter how hard the journey becomes. Beside, she is past the age where any man would look twice at her.Trevor doesn't think so. And when she runs he will follow her because suddenly a life with Claire and her five urchins is the only thing to make his world complete.

Okay, okay. So you're thinking, "What about Ruby Storm and these sweet romances? I thought she wrote erotic romance?" Well, everyone, I do. I surrrrrreeee do because I like to diversify and come on, let's face it, erotic romance is fun!

But I have to say, these three brothers and the loves of their lives will always, always hold a special place in my heart. I think it's because historical western romance has always been my favorite genre to read. I cut my teeth on it. And it's probably safe to say that Tyler, Cole and Trevor are as partially responsible for me and my writing career and my mom and my sister were. Well...I guess I'll never forsake them. And as strange as it sounds, those three books sit on my nightstand and everynight I pick one of them up simply to say goodnight!

So who knows? I can feel the excitement building, I can't sleep because my mind is churning with new ideas. How much do you want to bet that something is going to happen to me in a few weeks? Whether it's visiting a museum or simply looking out over the beautiful landscape of the Black Hills, I'm really thinking I'll be working hard on a story when I get back.

Happy Labor Day to all of you! To all those on the Gulf Coast, please be safe over the next few days. My prayers are with you all!

Hugs, Ruby

CREATIVE SEX

What’s the most creative sex scene you’ve ever written or read? I’m wondering because I was recently mulling over all the different sex scenes in my new contemporary ménage, KABANA HEAT, which just released at Samhain Publishing on August 5th. There’s sex on a Hawaiian beach, swimming pool sex, standard bed sex, Jacuzzi sex, lagoon sex, car sex, and even sunroof sex. Yeah, can you picture that? Sunroof sex. Sooo in addition to the ones in KABANA HEAT, I’ve started a list with places my characters have had sex, but I thought it would be fun to see just how many more creative sex scenes/books we can come up with. Here’s some from my backlist to get it rolling…

Watching/being watched through a one-way mirror
On a mechanical bull
While floating in a cloud
On a levitating bed
While eating a hot fudge sundae
Using a banana/food/M&Ms
While riding on a horse
In a cave
In a cabin
In a lighthouse
In a hot spring
On a boulder
In a hot tub
Against the wall
On a park bench
On a bed of roses
On stairs
On the floor
In a meadow
Under the stars while sprawled over a log
In a jail cell while handcuffed to the bars
In a barn
In a tree-house
In a boxer ring
On another planet
In a ghost town
On a lounge chair
On/in a tanning-bed-like structure
Against/up in a tree

Tell us about some of the most creative sex locations in books you’ve written and/or read. What’s the title(s), and who’s the author? As many as you can think of, any author, any publisher, any genre. Let’s see just how much creative sex we can have...er, I mean, come up with. ;)



Titania Ladley is a multi-published author writing for Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, and Red Sage. Her newest book, KABANA HEAT (Samhain), a contemporary ménage set in Hawaii, released August 5, 2008. Don’t miss this HOT love story! Please visit her at http://www.titanialadley.com/ or http://www.roxanablaze.com/ ( her other naughty half) for more.

Musical Inspiration... or Silence Is Golden?

Have you ever noticed how many authors are inspired by music? As a reader I love hearing what goes on in the heads of my favorite writers when they create the books I love. Does silence let the characters voices be heard? Or does the muse need music to soothe the savage soul? Does the story need rock n roll? The clash of heavy metal? Classical or celtic? Or perhaps even rap?
As a writer I've discovered that each story has different needs and sometimes changes dramatically along the way to reflect the way the story is progressing. I've discovered that silence rarely works for me - I need the background noise to tune out everyday distractions. As to the music well, Believe In The Magic was written primarily to the haunting sounds of Enya and Clannad. Finding The Magic was totally different and was written to Daniel Powter and James Blunt. My work in progress, the 3rd of the Shifting Magic series is being written to Coldplay's Viva La Vida.
Something else I've discovered? It has to be LOUD. Yes, I think my family hates me :)
Do you enjoy hearing what inspires your favorite authors? Are you a writer who has found inspiration in music? Or is silence golden? Whether a writer or a reader, have you ever been surprised as to what music has made a story flow?