My Life

Writer & Reader Expectations and Some Ramblings About Romance

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It's funny, when I set out to write Exposed I was worried about a few things. One, that I would weird people out by using a great Welsh word as a safeword. Two, that my usual readers would find it too lighthearted, compared to my usual stuff. Three, that Emyr calling Greg "Daddy" would bother people. That's what I expected.... and then the unexpected happened: it never once occurred to me that I'd be reading reviews with the words "BDSM", "Dom", or "sub" in them. What's up with that? Did I market the book wrong? I never tagged it as BDSM, never mentioned any kind of D/s relationship, said that it was a little kinky, and told folks it was just a cute love story. What happened?

Just reader expectations, I believe, and ones that I couldn't predict because I don't know what they are. I was just saying to a friend that I have a distinct disadvantage when it comes to writing books that readers include in a genre I didn't even know existed until after I published my first book.

The B/l (or Daddy/lg or Daddy/lb) relationships I've witnessed in my life were just sweet, loving, and devoted... really nurturing things (with some really silly play ...and, yes, occasional spanking thrown in for good measure) and I set out to capture that lovely fondness I've admired so much. (And I often mentally hug Greg and Emyr for really getting there!)

But, there were reader expectations with the words "Daddy kink", (something I tagged it for just as a warning) that I did not know about. And... now I know (and knowing is half the battle! GI Joe... ahem sorry, I'm on cold meds)

So, anyway, next book I write, I'll see if I can word the blurb a little more clearly to reflect what the book is actually about (or maybe not about?)

Which brings me to Romance in general...

Folks reading Caged keep saying "this isn't really a Romance" to which I sit there, scratching my head, wondering where they got the idea that it was a Romance. It has romantic elements, for sure. Life does in general, doesn't it? But Caged? A Romance? Max? A Romance? I don't even know if Exposed is a Romance. I keep squinting at definitions and wondering what this whole Romance thing is about (disclaimer: I'm aromantic1). It feels far more nebulous a genre than what I read: Has robots? Sci-fi. Has dragons? Fantasy. Has robot dragons? Sci-fi/fantasy. thumbs up

With Romance, well... the requirements seem to depend on who you talk to.

I did read two books that are considered Romance when I was younger. One was called Sea Star: Private Life of Anne Bonny which was pretty rapey if I recall, and the other one was about um... the wild west? I think? Maybe about a doomed love triangle? Also rapey. So, my young adolescent self drew the conclusion that "Romance Novels" equated "rapey". However, another thing they both had in common was a lot more plot circling around love and sex than I had ever previously read before.

Hey, all my books have plots that focus primarily on the relationship between the protagonists. So... Romance?

And... Novelist Walter Scott defined the literary fiction form of romance as "a fictitious narrative in prose or verse; the interest of which turns upon marvellous and uncommon incidents." 2

My characters certainly encounter uncommon incidents. So... Romance?

Also from Wikipedia:

According to the Romance Writers of America, the main plot of a romance novel must revolve about the two people as they develop romantic love for each other and work to build a relationship. Both the conflict and the climax of the novel should be directly related to that core theme of developing a romantic relationship, although the novel can also contain subplots that do not specifically relate to the main characters' romantic love.

Furthermore, a romance novel must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Some romance novel authors and readers believe the genre has additional restrictions, from plot considerations (such as the protagonists' meeting early on in the story), to avoiding themes (such as adultery). Other disagreements have centered on the firm requirement for a happy ending; some readers admit stories without a happy ending, if the focus of the story is on the romantic love between the two main characters (e.g., Romeo and Juliet). While the majority of romance novels meet the stricter criteria, there are also many books widely considered to be romance novels that deviate from these rules. Therefore, the general definition, as embraced by the RWA and publishers, includes only the focus on a developing romantic relationship and an optimistic ending.

All of my books, including Devil (if you look at it the way I do), focus on the relationships of the MCs and have HFN/HEAs.... So... Romance?

I think, maybe, in the end, that my books are Romance books, but only to folks who don't have too rigid expectations. When it comes to meeting more stringent do's/don'ts and customary story development... I will definitely fall short, because I just don't know what those expectations are. But that's a-ok! Despite the fact that I write and will continue to write entirely for myself, plenty of other people do enjoy my books, and that is absolutely amazing.

And... for those of you who have actually made it this far in my ramblings, you get a special something because I'm in a great mood today :)

1I'm the kind of aromantic who'd actually like to feel deeply about someone, hence my exploration of love in my books. Heh, it's like I'm finding love through writing :)

2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_novel

Post-pub update and Happy St. Patty’s! 🍀

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Quick break to write a real blog post for once.

Exposed is out and doing better than I thought. :D I was stupidly nervous for this one because I wasn't sure anyone would like it, but I was wrong, like usual. What is it about writing that makes me so nervous? It's probably the reason I do it.

There are the usual complaints about my stories but I managed to introduce a new one with Exposed. So, it goes: not enough plot, too much plot, not realistic enough, too realistic, creepy, too boring, too much sex, too kinky, not kinky enough, and now... too fluffy. I never thought I'd live to see the day. grin I wrote fluffy!

And then there's the politics... authors shouldn't mix politics and romance ;)

The rest of the stuff I always just chalk up to different personal experiences. Like, for this one, I've only got working knowledge of touring in Canada and talked logistics with folks who are responsible for a band out of the UK. I'm not really familiar with how tours work for US bands (though, actually I am better versed now than I was when I started writing Exposed... thanks, Mötley Crüe).

I'm also used to my familial connections with fame and what sort of stuff they encounter in Canada and the UK versus the US... and there's also a sort of easy, non-pestering, polite attitude Montrealers have towards actors/musicians. Like, you run into famous people all the time here, and no one makes a big deal. Folks like touring/filming here because of that.

What's fun about writing contemporary stories is I get to use stuff I know rather than just making up shit in Fantasy/Paranormal/Science Fiction (not that I don't like making fantasy shit up). So, Exposed is a hodgepodge of different things. Some of the places in the book are places I've been that have good memories attached to them... like that particular chiringuito in Torremolinos (and the boxes of wine!), the hotel with the crazy carpets and the barely functional ice machine I nearly sliced myself open on in Munich, the scene kids outside the hotel in Nice, and of course everything about Montreal. I modelled Greg's workplace after the software place I worked at forever.

Little details came from winters spent lying on the beach listening to my parents' Brit paparazzi friend tell his sleazy stories, from friends who've made the hard decision to cancel shows due to political climate, from the very real concerns about personal safety while travelling to the States right now, from my own practical knowledge (Greg owns the same camera as me) and, you know, personal kinks.

The thing from Greg's past is an exaggerated version of something from my own past mixed with an interesting case study I read last summer. Tam is modelled after an old coworker, Rose is modelled after an ex-tour-manager-turned-travel-agent I know (though he regrets the career change heh), Barrie looks like this old lush I know who hangs out in an expat bar and talks to anyone who'll listen about his days in the theatre. And Emyr? Well heh, Emyr is a bunch of different people. Physically, he's sort of based on an actor, mixed in with an ex of mine, a singer in a band my best friend was crazy about twenty years ago (oh god has it been that long?), and this beautiful guy I knew long ago who loved wearing heels. But... in the course of writing this, Emyr really became his own person, and I love him for that. He's just so full of life and I needed someone like that to write about.

All in all, I'm happy.

Post publishing is always such a relief for me. It means that the story no longer lives in its entirety in my head and I can let it go and move on to the next book...

...which is a vampire story! So far I'm having a great time with these guys. It's definitely not romantic. It's on the dark end of the scale... horror-ish. I've already done the cover for it and it's freaky heh. I'll probably show it to my newsletter subscribers later this month when I post about the Exposed paperback giveaway happening soon.

And finally: today is the day that everyone out there with a drop of Irish blood (hey I'm, like, quarter Irish) goes around making sure that everyone knows it.
So, Happy St. Patty's! I'll be celebrating with some Guinness later but for now it's back to work... Here, I'll leave you with a little St. Patty's day history here in Montreal:

St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in Montreal as far back as 1759, after the Conquest, by Irish soldiers of the Montreal Garrison. In 1817, the beginning of the Irish community here, the observance of St. Patrick's day was marked by special dinners and the celebration of religious services. Read More

New Painting – James Keziah Delaney (Tom Hardy) from Taboo

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Over the holidays I picked up a bunch of great new photoshop brushes from Kyle T. Webster (https://www.kylebrush.com/) and I've only just now got to use them. I just finished my latest book and it's sitting with beta readers so I had time to paint :)

Here's James Delaney from Taboo, my current favourite show. If you haven't seen it, I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes dark and violent historical fiction.

Tom Hardy as James Keziah Delaney (Taboo)

 

You see me as I am. All of those that I gather are damned. It's just part of a company policy of mine.
—James Keziah Delaney

Enter to win a signed paperback of Max or Kestrel’s Talon!

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Max ☞ Enter Here Kestrel's Talon ☞ Enter Here

Giveaways end Feb. 17 (US, Canada, UK only)

Caged narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo

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Audiobook reviewed at Kimmers' Erotic Book Banter

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Caged: Love and Treachery on the High Seas
Length: 13 Hours and 55 Minutes.
Tags: M/M; Gay; Menage; M/M/M; Fantasy; Pirates; First Time; BDSM; Historical Fantasy; Enemies to Lovers

Whispersynced - if you own the Amazon kindle version, get the audible copy for $1.99 US

The narrator, Michael Ferraiuolo, is a new narrator to me and I can say for certain that he’s snared another fan.

Ferraiuolo captures each character so distinctly it’s absolutely amazing to hear him perform!

I am completely smitten with his voice for Tom. As I finished a chapter with “Tom’s” voice I went back and listened to it again. Michael’s accent for Tom is perfect and embodies each of his characteristics, bringing Tom to life. I could catch all of the different inflections in his voice...when Tom is mocking Jon you can even hear the humor. And Tom’s interactions with Baltsaros are titillating, edgy and kept me wanting more.

Read the rest of the review

Taboo Tuesday at Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter: Win a copy of Max in audio

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Taboo Tuesday at Kimmers' Erotic Book Banter features Max narrated by the very talented Nick J. Russo! Enter the giveaway today for a chance to win a copy :)

Missing ARe books by me? Don’t despair!

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If you bought a book/books by me through ARe and no longer have access, please email me: bey.deckard@gmail.com

All Romance eBooks (ARe) is taking the money and running…

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The gist is this:

ARe is closing its doors as of midnight, December 31st. If you're an author who is owed money, ARe is only going to pay 10¢ for every dollar owed. If you're a reader, your library will no longer be available to download after December 31. Readers are also reporting that their ARe "eBook Bucks" are frozen and unusable.

This is not a drill. Get your content out of there now.

As a consequence, I've thrown all my books back into Kindle Unlimited (as ARe was my only other reliable source for royalties).

Fuck you, 2016. Fuck you straight to hell.

KEBB Blog-iversary Giveaway FINALE – eBooks, Signed Paperbacks, Amazon giftcards, oh my!

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On this last day of Kimmer's Erotic Book Banter Blogiversary there are two HUGE prizes. Go check it out. :)

 

 

Guest Post: The Birth of Hope by Eliza Blackwood

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I had the extreme pleasure of working on the cover for this lovely debut novel by Eliza Blackwood and invited her to share her story.

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tboh
Eliza Blackwood

Hope-cover-finaldraftMy debut novel, The Birth of Hope, is really close to my heart because it’s kind of my celebration of survival. After six long years in an abusive relationship, I came through to the other side. There were many days when I wasn’t sure if I’d live or not, and some days, I wanted to die. I wrote this book as a way to heal, not knowing if I would even publish it. Once I was finished, I’d found such healing in the story that I wanted to share that hope with others. It is my wish, with all of my being, that if you’re in an abusive relationship, you will find hope in this story and find the strength to get out and find a new life.

giveawayFor a chance to win a signed paperback of The Birth of Hope, comment on this Facebook post with your favorite book and then share the post. https://www.facebook.com/ElizaBlackwoodAuthor/posts/1722315074762632

Praise for The Birth of Hope:

“It was an experience. It was a lesson in friendship. It was beautiful.” —Maria

“The Birth of Hope is a touching love letter to the power of friendship and sisterhood. It manages to be heartwarming, funny, and inspiring without ever becoming superfluous, strained, or contrived. Her characters are relatable and I believe most readers - women especially but certainly not exclusively - will find something that resonates with their own experience in life and relationships. As Sophie and Felise meet and their friendship begins to blossom, readers are treated to an aspirational roadmap to what we all often feel we want and need from our friends but struggle to achieve or maintain, and in this respect I believe The Birth of Hope would be an excellent selection for a book club, or for friends to read and discuss together. It is fiction, but there is a great deal of material to digest within that can inform a journey to building stronger, healthier relationships in our real, day to day lives. It's difficult to believe that this is Blackwood's debut as a novelist, as the quality of her writing bears an edge that tends to only come with experience.” —Kelley

“The characters in the story can inspire others to take that first step in reclaiming their lives. Finding strength to leave a bad relationship is difficult, and learning to trust and love again can be even harder. One of the many revelations from Eliza’s novel: Friendship can make the difference; one act of kindness can help someone living in the darkness of shame walk back into the warm sunshine of renewed possibilities.” —Connie

About The Birth of Hope:

Once a fun-loving, free-spirited young woman, Sophie Menger has become an echo of her former self. She’s trapped in an abusive relationship, and her mind and spirit are so broken she doesn’t feel like a person anymore. Sometimes, it seems as if her only purpose is to serve and service her controlling husband. No matter how well Sophie "performs," the abuse continues to escalate. He has threatened to kill her many times over the years, and she’s terrified he will actually make good on his threats one day. Just as she sees a glimmer of light at the end of her dark tunnel, things turn ugly. Will Sophie make it out alive?

Felise Greyson’s life is in shambles. Eight weeks after her husband is imprisoned for embezzlement, she’s stuck in a dead-end job, struggling to pay her bills, friendless, and alone—and now, the unthinkable, she’s pregnant. She never wanted to have children and is panic-stricken by the thought of being a single mother. Feeling utterly helpless, she prays for something—anything—to happen to get her out of this mess. Will Felise be able to embrace motherhood and live up to her beloved late mother's example?

In Eliza Blackwood’s novel, The Birth of Hope, two women must leave the past behind and find happiness amid the chaos of a broken marriage, an abusive husband, and a new baby. Friendship proves to be the ultimate healer – that, and Hope.

Trigger warnings: This book depicts emotional/verbal abuse, physical abuse, and threatened sexual abuse. Infertility is also addressed, and strong language is used.

Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M9E7GK6
Amazon (CA): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01M9E7GK6
Amazon (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M9E7GK6
Smashwords (ePub): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/674011
All Romance Ebooks (ePub, mobi, PDF): https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebirthofhope-2158642-149.html

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Wondering which retailer pays me the most?

#1 is Payhip. Not a retailer, but an online shop that I've set up myself. This is where I make the most return on my books.

Then after that it gets a little complicated, but these are the three best choices:

At Eden Books*, I make 70% royalties for all titles.

At Smashwords, I make 60% royalties for all titles.

At Amazon, for books OVER $2.99 (USD) I make 70% royalties and for books UNDER $2.99 I make 35%

So... if the book is under $2.99, buy from Eden Books or Smashwords.

If the books is over $2.99, buy from Eden Books or Amazon.

But best of all, buy from my Payhip store :)

Questions? Contact Me!

*Not all my titles are available at Eden yet as of 25/09/23 - I'm working on it.

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