What to say…
Today is the release of Lashings of Sauce, an anthology which I am proud to be part of since I am sharing pages with the likes of Jo Myles, Charlie Cochrane, JL Merrow, Clare London and Jordan Castillo Price. It celebrates what it is to be, not just British but, European in this year of commemoration and festivity.
So, as my title proclaims, what should I write about? To be honest I’m still slightly in awe of all the names my story nestles in amongst and the insightful, witty blog posts that will undoubtedly be out there to promote this release. Which reminds me, I used the word amongst in my story. It’s a word I have used for too many years to stop myself writing it naturally, but on the read through I edited it out, changing it to among to bring it in line with what I had come to expect publishers would want. Amongst is an old fashioned word apparently and not one that would be immediately recognised by English speakers worldwide, one that would jar them from the reading experience, much like leant (leaned) or dreamt (dreamed). Imagine my joy when I was told since it was a British publication, celebrating all things British, I could use the word amongst.
Hah, there was my subject matter for my blog, the difference between UK and US English. Imagine my horror when I opened my Google Reader on Monday to find Jo Myles had done a blog post on that exact subject! Back to square one then…and preventing the use of my favourite line from my briefly sketched out plan: “I’m all for having your lead character pound his boyfriend’s arse, but having him pound his boyfriend’s donkey is just all sorts of wrong.” (aka the difference between arse and ass)
Why don’t I just tell you about my contribution to the anthology?
It’s called Waiting for a Spark and it’s set in our teeming metropolis.
Ooh, London. Bright lights, big city. The West End. Soho. Chinatown. Big Ben. The streets formerly roamed by Jack the Ripper.
Is it a theatre story, all greasepaint and glitz? Or werewolves changing beneath a full moon reflected in the dark glistening water of the Thames? Maybe lust and unbridled passion in the Houses of Parliament? Or 19thC bobbies tracking a notorious killer?
All very exciting, yes?
Nope. To be honest that part of London that you all know is tiny in comparison to the rest of it. The meandering outer boroughs where one town slides easily into the next is where this story is really set. Towns where people are getting on with lives which are humdrum in comparison to the images living in London conjures up.
And that is what my story is about. Everyday, mundane things. The bus ride to work in the mornings where you break the routine by fantasising about the gorgeous man that always sits near the back of the bus. Or running out of milk on a Sunday evening after all the shops have closed, except one. Of how, even inadvertently, we can all be just a little bit racist. Sometimes in thought, word, deed or just in the things we don’t say and the assumptions we make.
Yes, I know. Two things have happened. I’ve mentioned racism and most of you have decided not to read this story. It’ll be one you skip, after all you don’t have to read every story in an anthology, right? The second thing that has happened is that all of you that have seen Avenue Q are now humming a little song. I wish I could find a decent copy to link you all to but You Tube is awash with crackly camera phone copies of this song. I thought at this point about putting in the Racist Rap by Doc Brown but it wasn’t really appropriate for the sentiment my story is trying to portray.
*slaps forehead* But of course, Doc Brown has done other comedy raps and one that goes back to where I started this blog post. A celebration of all things British. And what can be more British than a nice cup of tea.
(Probably not safe for work. Contains swearing.)
PRICE: $6.99
GENRE: Anthology • Contemporary • Erotic Romance • Fiction • Gay • Historical • Lesbian • Transgender
LENGTH: 77,891 words
We Brits love our sauce, whether it's what we lash on our food, read on our seaside postcards, or write in our stories. Come and enjoy a buffet of tasty LGBTQ treats!
From marriages to reunions, via practical jokes and football matches, to weresloths and possibly the oddest Tarts and Vicars party in the world, join us as we celebrate the UK Meet in the best way we know: telling the story.
As a follow-up to the critically acclaimed British Flash and Tea and Crumpet anthologies, our talented writers bring you sixteen stories about gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and genderqueer characters enjoying what Britain and mainland Europe have to offer, with their wonderfully diverse range of cultures and landscapes and some incredibly colourful and quirky people.
Contributors include: Tam Ames, Becky Black, Anne Brooke, Charlie Cochrane, Rebecca Cohen, Lillian Francis, Elin Gregory, Clare London, Sandra Lindsey, JL Merrow, Emily Moreton, Josephine Myles, Zahra Owens, Jordan Castillo Price, Elyan Smith and Robbie Whyte. Edited by: UK MAT (UK Meet Acquisitions Team: Alex Beecroft, Charlie Cochrane, Clare London, JL Merrow and Josephine Myles).
This anthology is a souvenir of the 2012 UK Meet, an occasion for GLBTQ supporters to get together in a relaxed setting to celebrate and chat about the fiction community they love. Funds from the sale of this anthology will go towards future UK Meets, to which all are welcome. Please visit the website for details, or contact UK MAT through the publisher.
LENGTH: 77,891 words
We Brits love our sauce, whether it's what we lash on our food, read on our seaside postcards, or write in our stories. Come and enjoy a buffet of tasty LGBTQ treats!
From marriages to reunions, via practical jokes and football matches, to weresloths and possibly the oddest Tarts and Vicars party in the world, join us as we celebrate the UK Meet in the best way we know: telling the story.
As a follow-up to the critically acclaimed British Flash and Tea and Crumpet anthologies, our talented writers bring you sixteen stories about gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and genderqueer characters enjoying what Britain and mainland Europe have to offer, with their wonderfully diverse range of cultures and landscapes and some incredibly colourful and quirky people.
Contributors include: Tam Ames, Becky Black, Anne Brooke, Charlie Cochrane, Rebecca Cohen, Lillian Francis, Elin Gregory, Clare London, Sandra Lindsey, JL Merrow, Emily Moreton, Josephine Myles, Zahra Owens, Jordan Castillo Price, Elyan Smith and Robbie Whyte. Edited by: UK MAT (UK Meet Acquisitions Team: Alex Beecroft, Charlie Cochrane, Clare London, JL Merrow and Josephine Myles).
This anthology is a souvenir of the 2012 UK Meet, an occasion for GLBTQ supporters to get together in a relaxed setting to celebrate and chat about the fiction community they love. Funds from the sale of this anthology will go towards future UK Meets, to which all are welcome. Please visit the website for details, or contact UK MAT through the publisher.
JSYK I really liked this story. So happy you made it into the antho :D
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