Another new review of FAEWOLF at NightOwlReviews: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5153

The convention in LA was loads of fun. I spoke on six panels in three days, got to see a couple old friends and meet new people too.

I’m working hard on editing right now. I have way too many first drafts and not enough completed works. I need to finish Faewolf two and then return to a couple of other projects.

Here’s my speaking schedule, though I will be hanging out at the convention until Monday:

• Anthropology of Fictional Worlds: Fri. 1:30 PM
• Women in Science Fiction: Fri 3:00 PM (with GOH Tananarive Due)
• Writing Erotic Fantasy and Science Fiction: Fri. 9:00 PM
• Blurring the Lines: Sat 10:00 AM
• Beyond the First Draft (Editing, or What to Expect of the Second Draft): Sun 1:00 PM

I will have copies of FAEWOLF with me and may find an opportunity to read as well.

Let me know if you’ll be there!

You can read it at: Underground Truth – Researching the Supernatural in a Paranormal Romance

And their review of Faewolf can be found HERE.

I am awed to find out that Faewolf has been chosen as a Jury’s Choice Finalist in The Rainbow Awards (For LGBT Ficiton and Non-Fiction). I had no idea we were even in the running!

For a list of Finalists and more information about The Rainbow Awards see: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/849846.html

“This is such a sexy story about a shapeshifter and a Native American. I like the way the authors use nature and her elements to bring these two men closer. The beautiful descriptions of the forests and beach draw the reader in while the heat between Brian and Kiya keep you reading.”

For the complete review see:

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/faewolf.html

We’d love to hear from you.

DMA

Faewolves, like werewolves, can walk among men. What happens when Kiya White Cloud, a young gay college student in Santa Cruz, wants one of these men enough to risk his heart–and his life? Finding out will be full of desire, adventure and romance. [Warning: explicit sex, dubious consent, and rough scenes.]

We are thrilled at how well the book is doing. Most readers at AllRomanceBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Fictionwise have given the novel 5 out of five in their ratings.

Book Wenches gave Faewolf a great review:

“…. In their novel Faewolf, D.M. Atkins and Chris Taylor give readers a story that focuses a spotlight on the plight of wolves in North America while at the same time telling us a story of magic and danger and love. This is a very readable tale that mixes Lakota spirituality with paranormal elements to give us a unique and entertaining whole.

The authors handle the paranormal element in such a way as to make it feel slightly more realistic than your usual werewolf fare …. an interesting touch that underlined the mystical nature of the creatures in question.”

“The love scenes between Brian and Kiya are sensual enough to singe the pages of the book.”

The complete review can be found here: http://www.bookwenches.com/october09reviews.htm

Literary Nymphs also gave FAEWOLF a glowing review:

“Faewolf, the first book in a series by these two authors, is an exceptionally good story. Authors D.M. Atkins and Chris Taylor take a theme millions of readers are familiar with and turns it around with the introduction of faewolves – creatures who are part fae and part wolf. Their story of two young men, each searching for something, will take the reader on an interesting journey.”

The complete review can be found here: http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/2009/07/faewolf.html?zx=17d71c29f8c6398

FAEWOLF (and free excerpts from the novel) is available in several sites in multiple ebook formats and trade paperback:

Ebooks are listed at $5.99, available in multiple formats and can be found at: Circlet Press, AllRomanceBooks, Smashwords, Scribd, Fictionwise, and Amazon Kindle.

Trade paperbacks are listed at $14.95 and can be found at: Create Space and Amazon.

I love writing. Yet, I will admit to enjoying writing the first draft and re-reading the finished product better than all the hard work in the middle. Rewriting/editing also requires a kind of flexible but strong ego that can be hard to muster some days. I need to be flexible and discerning enough to be able to see where the story needs to improve, the writing tightened or expanded, etc. and strong enough to believe “I’m good and know I can do this.” I have to be able to see my mistakes but not be daunted by them, and, instead, get excited about improving on what I’ve already done.

I also have a number of solo works that are currently on my “to do list.” I need to start carving out time for both the editing and the solo work. I love co-authoring, yet there are stories I can probably only tell on my own. It’s hard to balance so many projects needing my attention, especially when my ability to pay attention has been hampered. There are, of course, real-world stuff outside my control that impact all this and have increased my tendency lately to just want to escape into reading instead of editing.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Reading is actually an important part of writing. I read a lot of non-fiction, for example, that provides a lot of the material that goes into my fiction. And I read other people’s fiction both for the fun of it and for the examples of what to do (and not do) in my own work.

Someone else’s well written story can make me yearn to write that well. But the ego thing comes back into play here. Sometimes good writing by someone else can do the opposite of inspire but leave me feeling hopelessly unfit to write. I have to have a strong enough ego to work past the insecurity around my own shortcomings and try to improve them.

The trick for me can be how to get me to go back to it rather than throw my hands up in disgust at my own work. I have had days where comments from readers who like my work made a difference in whether or not I could keep writing that day. Even weirder, sometimes reading badly done fiction by someone else helps too. It can inspire, the “I can do this better” mentality that gets me back at the keyboard. Other times, just telling someone about the story I have not finished can remind me of the things I liked about the story and get me to go back to it.

Not sure if this post was for you or me. Am I procrastinating editing or getting myself psyched to do it? Both? As long as it works, eh?

On the positive side of the scale today… Received another royalty check from books I wrote over a decade ago. Non-fiction doesn’t usually have that long a sales life. It can become outdated quickly. Yet, my first book continues to sell. The publisher closed it’s doors a couple years ago, but the corporation that owned it keeps selling the stock and I still get those checks.

I write for me, I edit for readers. Writing is as much a compulsion as a talent for me, so back to that editing so I can share what I’ve written with others.

1. Father went to college
2. Father finished college
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
6. Were the same or higher social class than your high school teachers
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home. [My mom read constantly but books usually came from the library. She had some, but not a lot. I started collecting used books as a teen.]
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children’s books by a parent
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. [I'm "white," but I'm from a working class background and am queer, so not really. It was kind of mixed.]
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
16. Went to a private high school
17. Went to summer camp [Does twice on scholarship for a week to a church camp count?]
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18 [Ugly hand-me-downs that never fit donated by the church. I got a "new" pair of jeans, my first pair, for my 13th birthday.]
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child
23. Had a phone in your room before you turned 18
24. You and your family lived in a single family house
25. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
26. You had your own room as a child
27. Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school
29. Owned (an investment) in high school or college
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up [Mom used to take us on free days etc.]
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family. [We had two small wall heaters and used to fight over the right to stand in front of them. Dad constantly complained about the cost.]
35. I am for the most part healthy and have no significant disability.
36. I have been born into a gender which I am comfortable with.
37. My sexuality is viewed positively in the media and by the majority of my society.
38. My sexuality is not visible to others just by looking at me. [My hair is buzzed again, so no. But this one varies over time and by location.]
39. My peer group is represented positively in the media and embraced positively by the majority of society.
40. My ethnic group is represented positively in the media and rarely stigmatized or stereotyped. [If this means race, then yes. If it includes class and other factors, then no.]
41. The language spoken by teachers in school was the same language as that I spoke with my family at home.
42. My parents and teachers took it for granted that I would attend university.
43. Any money I earned at part-time jobs before I turned 18 was mine to keep or put towards my education. [I was never required to share it, but I often ended up doing so.]
44. I know what my family’s genetic history is.
45. When people see me with my parents, they assume we’re related.
46. I graduated from college or university with (almost) no debt.
47. During college or university, I could use income from part-time jobs to supplement my spending money (rather than for tuition, books, or living expenses).