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You know you want to try it. You know you want to make it like the Jedness' likeness. You know, Hell's "Scimitar of Lurv." You know it's going to be the funnest thing to do while you're bored.
I dare ya.
I'm going to offer a workshop on pornigami at RWA next year, what d'ya say? And yeah, these would make fantastic napkin placements for an important dinner! :D
Oh, NSFW. I think.
Two new reviews of VIRTUALLY HERS:
Mrs. Giggles
and
Babbling About Books
Very cool! Thank you to these sites for taking the time to review my ebook.
***************
I've also been getting some wonderful emails from happy readers who enjoyed VHers and Jed's antics. I even received one asking about Jed's "scimitar of love." Yes, some reader wants me to send her a pic of Jed's penis. It made me laugh. Another was happy Jed finally got an emotional punch, after all these years. Many were intrigued by the appearance of a certain missing couple. And a few asked where to buy a certain toy.
So, many, many thanks for the emails. They made this author very pleased.
And yes, I definitely have a pic of Jed's penis. I'm just waiting for enough requests to show "it." Bwahahaha.
P/S Virtually Hers was #2 this weekend! Hoppity-hoppity-bounce! And oh, you can now download VHERS onto your Kindle too!
They say patience is a virtue. I tell you, they lied. Patience will eat the soul up, torture you with happy smileys, then spit your spoonful of hope out like a very naughty angry child.
But I digress. I'm not a bitter person, dwelling on pain and trauma. I'm a very, very happy uberauthor who wants to share her joy with her GlowGirls. This is my thank you to all of you who have given me support and encouragement in my darkest moments.
I've been good. I've been PATIENT. But now I'm going to kick Patience to the curb and shake my bootie. Why? Because it's a month a way, friends.
This is for those who like spoilers and clues. Oh, yes, this is the ultimate teaser, heh heh. This is the (very short) beginning excerpt of VOne at the back of VHers.
Hey, what can I say. MORE BIRTHMONTH gifts for GLow readers ;-). Below the cut (click below), you'll find out why I asked, between JED and ALEX, who would win a fight. Note that I've taken out some spoilers for VIRTUALLY HERS from the conversation because, you know, half the fun is in not knowing everything. But I know you're going to debate and let me know the outcome of this scene ;-). Can't wait.
To read excerpt, click on the "No Need etc." link below. SAFE for work.
“He’s been at this for two hours now. Go talk to him,” Dr. Kirkland said.
Alex Diamond looked down from the observation center, its Plexy glass muting the sounds coming from the workout area. He watched as his friend, Jed, methodically disposed four “assailants,” using more force than necessary and not adhering to the usual protocol of a practice session. In short, he was pounding the shit out of whoever was unfortunate enough to be on today’s workout list. A number of them had been curious enough to try to take on one of the commandos in the elite “Virus” team. A few of them, he noted, had heard that Jed was on a rampage and was wise enough not to show up.
“You have to do something,” Dr. Kirkland continued, a note of desperation entering his voice as Alex continued his silence. “That’s his fourth group. The injury list is growing.”
“He seems to be taking care of himself,” Alex observed, although he understood what Dr. K meant.
“I don’t want to see my Medic rooms filled with unnecessary patients, Alex. He broke Carrington’s arm. He knocked Jackson out. It’s time for someone to intervene before he really does someone serious damage. He won’t listen to me.”
“What makes you think he’d listen to me?” Alex murmured, not taking his eyes off his friend. “He might not be in the mood to talk, you know. ***SPOILER TAKEN OUT*** the probable cause of his current state of misery.”
He was amused at the choking sound coming from Dr. Kirkland, and even though he didn’t turn his head, he could imagine the good doctor’s stare of incredulity. Jed’s current mood was the talk of Center and misery wasn’t the word used to describe it.
“There’s a reason and he knows it’s valid. Besides, anger doesn’t solve the current crisis,” Dr. Kirkland observed, “and I doubt you want me to send T. to him. She’d likely just taunt him to fight her too.”
That brought Alex’s attention sharply onto Dr. Kirkland. There was no way he would allow T. to fight Jed, but that was exactly what she’d do because T., being who she was, would want to take on Jed at his current vulnerable condition. And Jed was vulnerable right now, ***SPOILER TAKEN OUT***.
“You haven’t asked her to go down there,” he stated, just to make sure.
Dr. Kirkland shook his head. “She’s my next choice if you refused. You’re his closest friend, Alex. All those years you were out in the cold, he’d protected you and taken care of your personal business, as well as making sure Center ran smoothly enough that the Committee listened to him to give you time alone outside.”
“So you’re saying it’s time to pay him back?” Alex asked, a bit more harshly than he’d intended. His friend, after all, had finally tricked him into returning to Center by using bait in the form of a woman named T.
Dr. Kirkland shook his head again as he gave Alex a long look. “I’m saying it’s time to be a friend,” he replied.
Jed looked up when he walked into the training room, finishing off an “opponent” with a back kick. He straightened, then after a moment, lifted his hand, palm out, and wiggled his fingers, beckoning him in mocking challenge.
“I’ve been sent here to talk to you,” Alex said calmly. He hadn’t seen Jed in this kind of rage in a long time.
“Not going to happen. Fight me or get out.”
“We’re running out of bodies.”
“Then you ought to stay and give me a bit of a challenge,” Jed lashed back. “Why hesitate? You’ve wanted to since you returned.”
It was true. Jed’s manipulation these past few months had seriously tempted him to punch the daylights out of his friend. Or attempted to, anyway. Alex took several steps forward, gave a sideway glance at the remaining operatives in the room, and issued an order. “Get out.”
A few picked up the injured and started to leave. A few strayed behind, reluctant to miss out on what could be the greatest duel at COMCEN. It wasn’t everyday that two of the top Viruses went all out at each other. Shahrukh and Sullivan’s swordfights were events to behold, but to have Number One against Number Nine? That was like taking picks for a game of fantasy death match.
When the door closed on the last one, Alex said, “You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”
“And you’re an expert at not blaming yourself, of course.”
Damn him. He would bring his own past out to bait him. “You haven’t lost her.”
“I’m not mourning her,” Jed said. “Come, let’s start this. I have a dictionary to read in an hour or so. I’ll be sure to pick out the right words for you then. Mourning more befits you than me.”
His demeanor had turned bored but Alex wasn’t fooled. It was Jed at his deadliest, when he could slash open wounds with words and actions. Everything he was throwing at Alex was meant to eviscerate his good intention not to fight him. He understood that too well—the need to hurt so he could be hurt back. Sympathy only angered Jed right now, as it did for Alex all those years ago, when he'd lost his wife.
He shook his head. “I’m trying to be your friend.”
Jed’s smile was nasty. “Trying? Let’s do better than that, shall we?”
And he leapt forward for the first strike.
Look, look! Oct is almost here ;-).
Jed time is coming! This is the new Virtually Hers cover. Hope y'all like it!
VHers edits. Are. Done.
I'm feeling very empty and satisfied. More about Vhers' story later. I just wanted to make an announcement because I'm too tired to yell out YAHOOoooo! Tomorrow, I merge all the files and send to my editor. Yay!
Tonight, I'll be a Writerspace Chatroom from 9pm EST for hours and hours of chattery and funnation.
Please drop by if you can.
URL: www.writerspace.com
Click on the chatroom icon/link on the top. Then you will see three rooms. I'll be at the Chatters Lounge. If not, just look at the guest list and check for GENNITA. That's me, you know, unless it's someone posing as me. Enter chatroom after giving yourself a name and dressing in any color gown you want. No coming in nekkid.
We'll have fun! We'll even have a visit from Jed. :::Gasp!::: Shades of J.R. Ward. But hey, why let only one author's characters escape into reality? Mine can so be real too! Jed will come in. Nekkid. Or not ;-). He really doesn't care. He does want to kiss Lady Zannah, though. Now, for that alone, y'all need to show up at the chat. Bwahaha.
Isn't he beauuuuutiful? Oh yeah, I want a button like this one!
Thank you, Lady Zannah! Mwah!
You're in luck! Here's your pot of gold with your favorite IRISH COMMANDO, His Jedness.
Sorry, Lady Zannah, Chapter Eight didn't have a hint of Number Eight in it. Lots of Armando, though ;-).
*******************************
“Where were you exactly?” Jed asked.
Armando shrugged again in answer and hooked a thumb in his black leather belt, bracing his weight so Helen could lean on his arm. “I was having one of my weird blind attacks while I was walking on the floor above this one. I didn’t have far too run. What about you two? Why were you here at this time?”
“Just done with debriefing,” Jed replied, studying Armando closely. Blind attacks meant the younger man was in pain. “I thought the attacks were getting rarer.”
Armando ignored his comment, and instead cocked a dark eyebrow at Helen. “Debriefing with Hell? Fascinating.”
Jed said nothing, waiting for Eight Ball as well as Armando, staring intently at the younger man, looking for clues. Armando was in one of his moods. It was in the bored tone of in his voice, the little furrow in his brow, which he knew appeared when the younger man had another migraine attack. When his own schedule was a little lighter, he was going to resume training him, but for now, it was up to Heath. Right at this moment, he just wanted to get to the bottom of what just happened. He watched as Armando took Helen’s hand in his, looking deeply into her eyes.
“How’s the chosen one’s hypothalamus doing?” Armando continued.
Most people paused, smiled politely, looked puzzled, or frowned whenever Armando asked one of his offbeat questions. But Helen wasn’t anyone. Jed had had many months of looking into those hazel eyes on the screen and knew every nuance in their expression. He had seen that barely discernible calculating look entering those hazel eyes before, many times, while being tested during training. He blinked. She was in GEM mode.
“It’s functioning,” she said. “How’s yours?”
“Mine haven’t been tricked by drugs lately,” Armando mocked. “My neuro-hormones haven’t been over-producing but all this sexy talk might start the process.”
“I’m beginning to realize that certain drugs have a habit of tricking the user for longer than they think, Armando,” Helen said, the careless casualness in her voice catching Jed’s attention. For two people who had just collided with the floor, these two were acting way too calmly. “Are you so sure there’s nothing wrong with your limbic system?”
She’d obviously paid attention to all the doctors and scientists at the group debriefings, Jed noted, slightly amused such mundane talk would include the hypothalamus and brain stem. During the ones he’d attended when the first version of the SYMBIOS serum was introduced, he’d sat through hours of lectures about how the drug could, would, and should affect the hypothalamus, the part of the brain in control of body temperature, hunger, thirst, emotions, and—he slid another glance at Helen—sexual activity.
Nothing new. Except he didn’t like the way those two were standing so closely together, as if they were having a private communication. He pushed away the sudden urge to interrupt. Something else was happening here and he wasn’t going to let his personal feelings come between him and finding the answer.
Jed looked at Armando again. Helen’s problem had been pinpointed. Sort of. But what about Armando? The man admitted to migraine and periods of blindness that lasted up to an hour. None of the scientists and doctors had come up with an explanation. Almost the same drug, but different effect. What else wasn’t he telling them?
“Location confirmed, yo,” Eight Ball’s surfer lingo added another odd touch to the ongoing conversation. “Agent Chang’s location was exactly right above where you and Hell were standing four feet back from your current location. Using Agent Sullivan’s words, dudes, woo-woo simpatico shit.”
Armando looked surprised for a moment, then burst out laughing. Helen grinned.
“Thank you for your diagnosis, Eight Ball,” Jed said wryly. He needed to talk to the COMCEN supercomputer programmer one of these days about Eight Ball’s choice of persona…when he found a slot of free time. “Make two copies of both recordings and send one to my quarters and the other to Dr. Kirkland’s. Send a message to him that we need him at his office now.”
“Affirmative.”
“It’s late, isn’t it?” Helen asked. “What if he isn’t there? Aren’t we supposed to be going to dine with the admiral?”
“You’re limping,” Jed pointed out, “and I thought we’d all compare our hypothalamuses and limbic systems at Dr. Kirkland’s office. I’ll just have to cancel my meeting with the admiral till later.”
“But I’m hungry,” Helen said.
“Brains for dinner. Yum,” Armando murmured. “I think I should carry her the rest of the way, Jed, what do you think?”
Jed looked at the younger man. The inscrutable Asian face was firmly on, revealing nothing, but a male challenge was universal. He could say no and therefore show his hand, that Helen was his weakness.
He looked at Helen. She was still too quiet. Either she was still processing what had happened or she was using NOPAIN to nettle him. It didn’t matter. There were other ways to win a pissing contest.
His gaze traveled lower on her body and he knew from the slight twitch of her leg that she was affected by it. His gaze slid back up leisurely to meet hers.
“By all means,” he said softly.
********************
...in his own unique way ;-). I thought I would tease those who are thinking about His Jedness. He says: "Happy Leap Year Day."
No, I mean, I thought I would let His Jedness TEASE YOU! Don't read if you don't like spoilers....
*************************
Jed watched everything Helen did from his quarters as he put on his sensor suit. Her sensitivity must be bothering her more than she realized. First, she’d forgotten to check whether the micro-eye in her room was blinking, signaling that she was being watched. Second, she’d assumed that the brain entrainment machine couldn’t be controlled from the outside.
Elena, Elena.
Putting the wireless control pad on the cart that supported the BE machine, he wheeled it to the room off the side of his office, a smaller version of the CAVE. Unlike Helen’s training room, though, he had multiple control panels that he could use to enhance the virtual reality experience that the CAVE provided. He even had the Portal, the VR chair that enabled immersive virtual reality, here. Whereas the CAVE was all physical, with the participants moving around, the Portal was all mental. The former prepared TIRVVR in the latter.
Jed turned on a side screen, changing the channels to Helen’s quarters. He waited till she lay back and closed her eyes. Reaching for the control pad by his side, he readjusted the timer.
There would be no alarm to wake you up, Elena. Not till I say so.
He turned up the temperature in Helen’s room. Then he put on the tabs and ear buds that connected him to the BE machine and flipped the synchronization button. Soon their brain waves would be in sync as she went deeper in theta wave, the level that enabled remote-viewing.
Flipping on another switch, the room plunged into deep darkness. He checked the BEM. Not quite there yet. As soon as they were close to sync, he would start the brainwave management.
He settled back, letting the sound wash over him as he relaxed. This was a new way to sexually imprint, he supposed. He’d first seduced her in virtual reality. She’d then seduced him when she invaded his dreams. After that, he’d gone to her.
He let his mind wander back to the night before. Elena naked and aroused, begging. The unique taste of her. The urgency of her release. It felt so damn good to be finally inside her instead of virtual touching.
Fucking was so much better when it was real.
Jed smiled wryly as he watched the screen. His eyes half-closed as his body relaxed. She must be feeling the warmth because she just kicked the light sheet off her, revealing beautiful bare legs. Legs that he recalled holding apart. The feminine heat between them when he’d used his mouth to pleasure her. He felt himself getting aroused.
He turned the volume higher as the brain entrainment machine continued feeding them the cycle he’d chosen, between theta and REM. That was the level when she had been in when she’d unexpected took in the images in his dreams as her own. He hadn’t been too shocked by the experience. Unconscious telepathy happened all the time among family members and lovers. The question was, in her sensitive state, would she now inadvertently take in the images and feelings of his private fantasy?
Conjuring an image of a naked Elena came easily. He’d like those strong legs around him again, this time with her moving in rhythm to his thrusts. He watched with interest as Helen’s legs parted tantalizingly, seemingly responding to the sexy visual in his head.
Mental trigger had begun.
The sound waves seemed to recede into the background as Jed gave in to total relaxation, focusing on only one thing—that sexual need he’d been building up for Helen Roston. He’d always been turned on when she started undressing herself by the poolside. In response, on the screen, Helen put a restless hand on her shirt, as if it was bothering her.
Was there some kind of telepathy compounded by their brain wave syncing?
He did enjoy it so much when he’d gone to her. “But now it’s your turn, Elena,” Jed whispered.
**************
See? No elevators here. Would Helen "go to" him? Heh, heh. Any comments?
All links work!!!!
KIRKLAND FILES
Only the Commando Profiles are ready. Go down to the bottom and click on GLOW, Kirkland, COS and you'll get profiles and info. The rest, you'll have to wait!
What do you guys think? Proof-read for me too because I'm not good with website reading (words jump around). Let me know what interested you and what didn't. Are the pictures showing up? Is the stethoscope too vague a clue for you to CLICK ON????!
In other words, NEED. INPUT!
Thank you, Tara. Once again, you've done so much. WOW!
VIRTUALLY HERS EXCERPT
by Gennita Low
Copyright @ 2007
All Rights Reserved
*****************
“Wait!”
Jed kept walking. He hadn’t planned on Elena getting up so soon. She was supposed to rest after accepting his hypnotic suggestion. Usually, it took quiet time for the subconscious to absorb everything. Did he fail? It sometimes took a few sessions to embed successfully, but he’d thought he’d managed to lead Elena along to the right point.
He frowned. For selfish reasons he hadn’t exercised his usual patience with her. And that odd sensation that told him when she was near—what was that? His frown deepened. He had felt it earlier while on the ship too, but she wasn’t anywhere near that location.
He ignored the open curiosity from the others in the office area at the sight of them. No doubt the swelling on his face had something to do with it. He pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. Elena packed quite a punch in her swing.
“I’m getting tired of going after you. Are you such a fucking coward,” she demanded, as she fell into step beside him, “that you won’t face me and answer my questions?”
His lips quirked. But he did want her to chase him around. He’d wanted her to keep thinking about him. “I thought we had an appointment later,” he reminded her. He had other things in mind besides talking, of course. “I have two more meetings today.”
“That was before…before what you did.” She grabbed his arm hard, then deliberately stepped in front of him, halting his progress toward the elevator. “I want to talk now.”
Her words told him a lot. First, that she knew and comprehended what had happened besides their sexual encounter. He wasn’t surprised that she’d caught on because she was a strong woman mentally—one of the strongest he’d met, actually—and had continually resisted him.
It wasn’t until the breakthrough with the brain entrainment machine, when she’d somehow entered his dreams, that he’d found a chink in her armor. He would use that subconscious desire to seek him out even in her sleep against her. It was new territory for a jaded operative like him. Seduction had never been this intriguing. Now, he wondered whether he’d possibly not pushed hard enough. Sexual imprintment, after all, meant sexually bonding with a target repeatedly, and he had just started.
He almost smiled again. Not hard enough? The growing constriction in his pants reminded him how hard she’d gotten, and was now making, him. Without even trying. Damn, but he wanted her.
He moved to the side. She countered, blocking his path again.
He considered the idea of pushing her through one of the adjoining doors in the hallway and showing her exactly what he had in mind. Talk wasn’t the top priority. His earlier session with her had left him hard and wanting, needing the real touch of her instead of all that virtual shit floating in his head. But his job had to come first.
Even now, with her standing inches away from him, the faint scent of her fragrance teased him with thoughts of using his tongue to find its source. He hadn’t been so easily aroused in a long time.
He studied her angry eyes. Some things one couldn’t find out in virtual reality—her eyes changed to a muted green when she was emotional. Would they change color when he was buried inside her?
That thought made him even more aroused. This sexual need for her. Maybe he’d mistakenly imprinted himself instead. His lips finally quirked with suppressed humor.
“It’s not funny!”
Her other hand reached up to shove him. At that moment the elevator door opened. Jed neatly caught the free hand, twisted his body sideways and pulled her along with him into the empty carriage. He pressed the floor he wanted and the doors slid shut. Noting that she wasn’t putting up much of a fight, he typed the code onto the pad, deactivating the microeye. He supposed he could test whether his hard work paid off.
Her eyes widened when he moved her captured hand down to the bulge in front of his pants. “Five minutes,” he said, then pressed forward, pushing her against the wall, holding her hand tightly as she reflexively cupped him. She gasped as he bit her neck, ignoring the numbness in his jaw where she'd punched him. “Starting now. I’ll just show you your answers.”
************
Hopefully, you like? Comments?
Heading to Charleston for the Low Country Workshop this Friday, folks! I'll be driving and without my usual roadtrip buddy, sniff*. I'm also going to so miss my little Jiggle Low. He's been a shadow and actually likes to climb on top of me to sleep ;-P. So much so, that he's become an argument between me and the S.O. because well, the bad puppy thinks I'm his and no males are allowed to sleep close by. It amuses me no end.
So poor Jiggle Low is going to be without his momsie for the weekend. Sigh. Only I can get so darn connected to a furbaby.
His Jedness, in one scene, had to be in one country while Hell was working in another. This is the first time he'd ever kept wondering (I call it worrying, but he keeps saying it's wondering) about another operative's safety. It's all about his actions, that Jed, because he uses those big words from that dictionary of his to obsfucate the truth. ;-) He would disagree, of course.
I received an email yesterday which complained that Jed isn't a loving kind of character. I'm not sure how to respond to that. Going to have to sit on this and brood about it. There are many words I'd use to describe His Jedness but "loving" wouldn't be one of them.
The email went on to say that that since the hero is so "unlovingable," (is this word in Jed's dictionary?), then the romance between my heroine and him is also unacceptable. I wanted to pound out a quick reply to say, "Whoa...I haven't even gotten to the romance yet, dear reader!" But I stopped myself.
Part of my dilemma is a pseudo-rule I set for myself about fan/reader mail. Without a specific question, I will not write an explanation or defense of my story or my characters. A reader has the right to his/her opinion, and even the worst criticism is part of the writing for the public process.
For example, remember that hate-mail from that librarian dude who wrote that my book was trash? I know I gave a tongue-in-cheek reply saying that he must have wandered into the wrong aisle, but I also tacked on the suggestion that he returned the book, since he hated it so much. It was only when he replied several times after that to add that I should be ashamed of myself for writing his equivalent of excrement and that in future, I shouldn't write books like VHis anymore, and that if I don't follow his advice, my writing career will be a nothing, that I took offense. Yeah, hate the book, fine, but don't tell me what I can or cannot write.
So this reader feels VHis is a failed romance because Jed is "unlovingable" and doesn't "communicate his love." Then she tacked on, "The hero sucks so better luck next time." Argghhhhhhhhh.
Jiggle Low tells me what he thinks by his actions. The bad boy still lifts his legs and pees to mark his dominance. Unacceptable. Especially when he does it to the pillow on which someone else has slept. Totally unromantic. But he's communicating his feelings to me. There are different ways to communicate love. Just saying.
I need some sexy veges. They always put me in my Zen place.
Wow! You girls were passionate yesterday ;-)! Talking about the extinction of the alpha male brought up your dander, eh? Tressa even threatened with her vibrator against wimpy males! LOL.
So I conducted an interview with a few "characters" and characters in my life.
Me: Ranger Buddy, what do you think of Alpha males going out of fashion?
RB: Going out of fashion? Like how?
Me: You know, not a trend any longer. For example, you see guys with eyeliner more and more now, instead of just a rock band fetish. Or guys who know more about decor and fashion than their girlfriends. We kind of call them Beta Males.
RB (smiling): Betamax? Didn't it lose to the Alphamax way back when?
Me: Haha, very funny. So, are you going to give a comment about the passing of the Alpha Male?
RB (giving me a very nice view of his biceps): Can an eyeliner do this? Can he carry you bundles of shingles without you asking? Can a purse make you mad about men in general?
Me: I guess not.
*****
Me: Hey, Rick Harden, I've been told you're the quinessential Alpha male. What do you say when people say you are an egostistical son-of-a-bitch?
RH (giving me a long look): What's your point?
Me: Umm, your highhandedness. Your "my way or the highway" attitude. Your...you know, namesake, Dick Hard-On, the whole Uber-Alpha male stupidity. It grates some people. They think you're insufferable.
RH: Again, what's your point?
***********
Me: Roofer One (the one who makes up words and gets bashed by his wife all the time), spell ALPHA.
Roofer One: Wha...???
************
Me: Roofer Two (Walrus Man), are you an Alpha Man?
Roofer Two (in between long drags of his cigarette): I. Am. Sparta.
Me: **coughcough**
*************
Me: Hawk, babe, sorry to interrupt you...
Hawk (not looking up): This better be good.
Me: I mean, can you umm, stop kissing Amber for a minute?
Hawk (looking up): Why? You've seen us do other more intimate things.
Me: Ahem, well, you got a point. Ahem. Anyway, I need an answer to a quick question.
Hawk (back to kissing Amber)
Me: HAWK!
Hawk (releasing Amber and sighing): It'd better be a life or death question. What is it?
Me: Uh, is the Alpha Male out of style with women?
Hawk (giving me a look and then pulling Amber right back into his arms): Go away. I'm busy. (Resumes very Alpha behavior on Amber)
*********
Me: Say, Jiggle Low, are you an Alpha Dog?
Jiggle (nipping me and then running to nip Lilah): Yip, yip, yip!
Me: What do Alphas do that make women hate them so much?
Jiggle lifts his leg and marks his territory.
Me: Ah. Shit...where's the damn paper towel?
***************
Me: Ahem. EH...HEM!
Jed: (looking up from his dictionary and cocking his head)
Me (sing songy): Ahem!
Jed: (lifting an eyebrow) (Waiting)
Me: Why do people think you're so damn Uber-Alpha?
Jed: (blinks. His lips curve slightly. His light eyes glitter...I think with amusement....)
Me: It's that damn 'silent' thing, isn't it? That makes you Alpha or something.
Jed (softly): Nah. Come closer and you'll find out yourself.
Me (running away): Yip, yip, yip, yip, yip!
************
And there you have it, impromptu but definitely informative. ;-)
I'm still feeling numb about yesterday. I'm very hard on myself, especially when things don't go right, and it seems things haven't gone right a lot lately. But I can't let myself be affected too negatively by things I can't control.
As Ranger Buddy would say, Suck It Up.
I'm going to try to stop moping and worrying. Things I can control as a writer:
1) writing a good story
2) entertaining my readers
3) promoting wisely and generously
4) look for opportunities
5) keep on writing
Writing Jed's story has been the challenge of my life. He, of all my protagonists, is the most internal and least approachable. With Rick Harden, at least, there's the self-loathing that softened him for some hard lessons. However, Jed is an assassin and his work makes him compartmentalize his emotions and his real self. And that's why, with his story, I have to go back to his past, relive it, and see how this man became the person he is.
Easy to explain. Hard to execute!
But I have been loving the rollercoaster ride of euphoria and depression this man's been giving me for over a year now. And as a character, he's taught me to look hard at myself (as he does to himself) and be dispassionate about certain things. By dispassionate, he doesn't mean,being unfeeling or disrespectful. This man has passion in spades. It's just that he keeps it under control and doesn't allow it to rule him.
Dispassionate, if you look in Jed's battered little dictionary, means "not affected by personal or emotional involvement," the ability to stand in mayhem and still appear to be at a distance, and to take care of what's important first so everything falls back into place and proceed as planned.
I shall work to be dispassionate about this setback and put my head down and continue my writing. It is important to finish Jed's quest. He is, in some respects, my crown jewel, the one that I keep polishing so everything is reflected back in their brilliance--romance, the power of love, adventure, high tech noir.
In the meantime, I hope to entertain you here in my blogs and Yahoogroup. I've heard of authors giving away electronic versions of their stories, so I'm going to look into this for the next project. How it works and whether it works--I have no idea. Maybe you can advice me on this if you've done it before. Would you, as a reader, download a book in chapters? Would you read it? It's not a novella ;-). Big Bad Wolf is at least 90,000 words. At least. I haven't reread it in a while.
And is that good promotion, I ask myself. I feel that I owe you (my readers and friends) something for your patience between now and the end of next year. I also feel that a book such as BBW would be a nice bridge over the River Momentum, if you get what I mean.
However, it's also a risk. BBW was written by an earlier version of Gennita Low ;-). I pitched it to an editor during my first RWA when I didn't even have a story and had no idea what a pitch was. All I knew was the advice the other writers standing in line told me: "Write what you know and a different type of story."
Well, I thought...I know roofing and I bet the editor had never heard of a roofer as a heroine before. Ahem. So, I pitched. About a roofer girl and a spy. The editor loved it--so different, she enthused. She wanted to see the first three chapters. Gulp. The rest was history. I went home and wrote that story pronto.
Big Bad Wolf was my first time entry into the RWA Golden Heart Contest for unpublished writers. It was my first attempt to be professional (of course, I broke like a thousand rules doing that) about my writing. To my surprise, it was one of the finaling entries in 1999.
So, as you can see, I hold this story fondly in my heart. But again, dispassionately speaking, is it good enough as a promotional tool? Oh, I have no doubt there would be many a snicker about the roofer-heroine as a Mary Sue for the author. There is a certain discomfort in that because Jaymee, the heroine, does many things a petite roofer would do. ;-) She also lives in Florida, not very far from where I am, in fact. Lastly, she spouts Florida hurricane codes like someone you know would.
Sigh. It's a gamble, isn't it?
Looking up at the five things I've stated that I can control as a writer, this IS an opportunity to showcase the very beginning of COMCEN (with some rewriting, of course...you don't think I'm going to let this loose into the wild AS IS, do you?!). Those who are into his Jedness would definitely get their fix...just a little. Those who are curious as to exactly what happened would get some questions answered. It all sounds pretty good, doesn't it? ;-) I'm making myself excited just thinking about it, LOL.
But I'm a contracted author. I have to be careful what I give away and how I do it. In my heart, I want to keep my readers happy and also share with them something I think they'd enjoy. How I go about doing it--and that means talking to agent, editor and publisher about the benefits of electronic promotion--will need some figuring out.
You know what? Jed would be pleased with this very dispassionate post.
Ha.
The Malaysian Abroad article about me was supposedly going to be up today. I couldn't find it.
Romance Reviews Today was going to post a review of VIRTUALLY HIS yesterday. The reviewer brought up something interesting that I never considered. She said Virtually His wasn't a romance, or rather, there was no romance in the story. But the review isn't up at their site yet, so I can't bring that up for discussion.
The review itself was very well written and recommended Virtually His. I liked it that the reviewer relayed what worked and didn't work for her, so readers can see the different elements of the story. I knew there would be lots of hate generated from the techy stuff, but never ever did it cross my mind that I wasn't writing a romance. It's not romantic, yeah. Well, it's book one and the start of a very strange relationship, so there can't be too much "I want you, I love you, you are mine" declarations.
Oh well. More tomorrow if the article is up by then. I'd love to hear your thoughts whether you consider VHIS a romance. Not whether it's romantic, which is a different creature entirely. Also, were the clues to the trainer that vague to the reader not familiar with the COS commandos? I'm biased, of course; I thought with all the eye colors I kept throwing out, and the revelation of the monitor's eyes at the end, it's pretty obvious that the trainer/monitor was no other than Jed McNeil himself.
The review ends with a question, wondering how the author (me) was going to handle the disclosure of Jed as the trainer.
Ah. Well. I can disclose that no problem. Courtesy from Lauren Dane, there will be lots of this:
(AND AIMEE, HE IS MINE MINE MINE, so you can't have him!!!! Not after this short video! Heh.)
Yup. And nope, it's not going to be romantic sex either. Solly. Jed doesn't do romantic sex. ;-P And if you think the sex between Stefan (Jed) and Sia-Sia was a bit much in The Protector, what with the use of the drug and chains, I'm afraid to think what you're going to think about Jed and Helen's sexual scenes. Because in Book Two, there's no reason to hold back. Right? Ahem. RIGHT?
MAY 07
