Read Around the Rainbow - Retellings

It's that time of the month when a group of like-minded authors discuss the chosen topic of the month. #readaroundtherainbow. And yes, it does appear that I'm here two months in a row. Shocker!

The topic this month is retelling. But what is a retelling? 

Mark Twain quote: “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.” 

If we accept this quote from Mark Twain, then everything is a retelling. Or to paraphrase that comedy legend, Eric Morecombe, I'm using all of the same ideas, just not necessarily in the same order. And yes, that is a valid argument but it's not what we're going for. 

As more and more classic reads fall out of copyright, then an influx of books about that character by new authors become available. You only need to look at the number of new Sherlock Holmes stories that have flooded the market in recent years. But again, I'm not here to discuss the morally grey area of riding on a dead author’s coat tails, especially since I'm not 100% certain where I sit in this particular argument. 

The purpose of these posts are to discuss direct reworkings of other authors' stories. By this I'm talking about taking the plot and certain character traits and changing it up. How do we do that? Oh let me count the ways: 

• Genderbend the characters. 
• Make it contemporary. Or set it in the future. 
• Or add vampires, witches, werewolves, zombies.

Alternatively the option is there to use the characters before you but in a totally different way. 

• Take two random side characters and give them their own story. 
• Rewrite fairy tales or bring the the Gods of Myths and Legend to life and settle them on our mortal plane. 

Which of these takes do I prefer as a reader? Probably the last one. But let's consider them all. 

If it's a classic book and you're going to make it queer, then quite often you'll need to genderbend one of the leads. This is done effectively in Anyta Sunday's Love, Austen series, where she writes Jane Austen novels with male leads and in a contemporary setting but loosely follows the plot and various traits of the characters. The first book in the series is a retelling of Emma, with misunderstandings and an oblivious MC, just as you'd expect. Of course, a retelling of a story with two male leads often just requires removing the obligatory female love interest. Where these style of stories sometimes fail for me, is when the author sticks too closely to the source material. These can then be bland and predictable without any flair. Maybe those stories need Twain's kaleidoscope twisting a bit more. 

Adding the supernatural. Recently Rebecca Cohen has been retelling her own Crofton series but putting a supernatural twist on it. I'm thoroughly enjoying the darker versions of familiar characters as vampires and fey.

Giving side characters their own story. Well, don't we all do that as soon as we write a series but obviously in this case the characters aren't our own. The first work that came to mind is actually a play not a book, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard. Stoppard takes these two characters and creates the story of what they are doing while they aren't on stage in the main play. I must admit that I struggled with applying this concept to gay romance until I remembered the swashbuckling, evil doings of The Henchmen of Zelda by KJ Charles. Telling the tale from the morally dubious pov of the henchmen of the ‘tache-twirling bad guy, certainly puts a new spin on a classic Victorian pulp novel. A Romance with a capital R it is not, but it’s a cracking read, especially if you cast Rupert as the ever gorgeous Douglas Fairbanks Jr. 

So, we come to my favourite type of retelling, fairy tales and myths. Whether it’s Clare London’s take on Little Red Riding Hood in her new Christmas story, or Eli Easton’s Beauty and the Beast retelling, ‘Billy & the Beast. Or maybe it’s the more complex world of Greek gods and demi-gods who walk the Earth, falling in love, and fighting for humanity in Sam Burns & WM Fawkes Lords of the Underworld/Sons of Olympus series. Why do I like this type of story so much? It’s hard to say. Maybe it’s because the source material goes back hundreds or even thousands of years, that we’re far removed from the word of mouth origins. Maybe it’s because the source material is somewhat dark and yet favourite authors turn them into Romances with that capital R and multi book series full of action and swoon-worthy heroes. 

Have I written any retellings? Well, yes, but none that you’ll find for sale. Back in my fanfic days I turned both Around the World in 80 days and The 39 Steps into stories from my fandom of choice. But I know that several of my fellow RATRs have turned their hand to a retelling or two. Check out their posts to find out. 

Nell Iris - Read Around the Rainbow: Retellings

Ofelia Grand - Read Around the Rainbow | Retellings

Fiona Glass - Read Around the Rainbow: retellings

Ellie Thomas - Read Around the Rainbow: Retellings

K. L. Noone - read around the rainbow: retellings

Addison Albright - READ AROUND THE RAINBOW :: Retellings #RAtR

Read Around the Rainbow - After The End

It's that time of the month when a group of like-minded authors discuss the chosen topic of the month. #readaroundtherainbow

This month the topic is After the End. End of what? End of Days, maybe? Zombies, meteors, divine smite. Well, no. Maybe I should reword the first sentence. This month the topic is After 'The End'. 

That's right. What happens after I type The End on a story?

Can we go back to the Zombies? Please? I'll happily write an entire dissertation on dystopian and supernatural romance, despite not having written either.

What do I do after typing The End? With a couple of years of writers block under my belt, I'd probably heave a sigh of relief and do a happy dance. But after that, it's off for content edits and proofing, while I kick back my heels and have a nice cup of tea. My go to is a Rainforest Rooibos, gently steeped, in a glass mug so I can admire the pale orange hue of the tea. I know, I'm procrastinating again. 

Do you see a pattern? For me the post-writing portion of being an author is 90% procrastination and 10% panicked flailing. 

Let's assume the edits are all done. I don't mind edits, so no faffing about there, but what else do I need to do?

Cover - Now I might already have this.  Sometimes the cover inspires the story. But if I don't have one then this is the perfect time for procrastination. Trawling for cover models or backgrounds. Fall down a rabbit hole of images and ideas. If I'm designing my own cover then I get obsessed with colours and fonts, even placement of text. 

Here's four versions of the cover for Calamine & Christmas Cake. And the final cover. 

 

Synopsis - Ha, I don't have to do these anymore. The advantage of self-publishing. Synopsis writing is the worst. 

Blurb - Summarise a 70k story in a couple of paragraphs. Make it interesting. Make it punchy. But encapsulate the essence of the tale, and the voices of the characters. My blurbs are always too long. I have to send them away to get them trimmed, and make them snappy. 

Tagline - You thought a two paragraph summary was hard, how about 15 or so words. 

Formatting - No chance for procrastination here. Set steps. Follow them to the letter. Hope for no intruptions. Upload. 

Promo graphics - These are fun to do when I can decide what quotes to use. And I can lose several hours playing about in Canva. But they're the only part of marketing I do enjoy. I don't want to even talk about the rest of it. 

So, in summary, play about on Canva or Procreate, throw some words at my besties and ask them to whip them into a workable blurb and tagline, play on Canva again. Simple. I don't know what I was complaining about. 

Check out the posts from the rest if the group, where hopefully they'll have something more constructive to say 😆.

Ally Lester - #RAtR: After THE END

Nell Iris - Read Around the Rainbow: After "The End"

Ofelia Grand - Read Around the Rainbow | After The End

Fiona Glass - Read Around the Rainbow - After The End

Ellie Thomas - "Read Around the Rainbow: After ""The End"""

Addison Albright - "READ AROUND THE RAINBOW ~ After ""The End"" #RAtR"

K. L. Noone - "read around the rainbow: after ""the end"""

Read Around the Rainbow - Summer Reads

It's that time again when the Read Around the Rainbow group get together to discuss the topic of the month. 

This month we've chosen a slightly less contentious topic - Summer Reads. Does anybody else read that and immediately burst into song in the style of Summer Breeze by The Isley Brothers. 🎵 Summer reads make feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind. 🎶 No, just me. 

🎶 Oh, summer, summer reads 🎶 

But do they make me feel fine? Well, honestly, no. It's not that they don't make me feel fine, I just don't register them at all when picking a new read. There's lists a plenty whenever a new season/event/holiday period arrives. I'll often check out lists of Christmas reads, definitely hit the Pride lists like a boss, maybe even a Halloween list or two. But beach reads just don't appeal. 

Maybe I associate them with chick-lit (nothing wrong with chick-lit if that's your jam, I read enough Queer Romance that is probably the equivalent). Maybe it's because although I love a holiday near the sea I don't really have a 'beach holiday'. No lounging on a beach towel, sipping cocktails and getting a tan for me. 

Lists for Queer 🎵 Summer Reads 🎵 do exist. A quick Google search provided half a dozen of them. So why do they not register on my radar? I actively search out Christmas/Winter stories in December, so why not Summer stories come July?

Maybe it's because I don't write them. Or I don't write what I expect them to be. No sun, sea, and sand. No budgie smugglers or pina coladas (and they always start me off on a different song).

I have written a novella set around Midsummer, which is the first day of summer, so I guess that counts. 

“Come and honour the Oak King.”

The countdown to the company solstice picnic is one of Shawn’s favourite times of the year. The scents of sage, mint, basil, sunflower, and lavender fill the air as the workshop mixes up the final batch of Litha, their solstice soap. It’s celebration time! This year, Shawn has an extra spring in his step, and it’s all for the new buyer, Tim. Shawn’s fine having a crush on the gorgeous new straight guy. Until he isn’t.

As the clock ticks down to Picnic-Day, Shawn’s confidence and Tim’s sexuality become mired in doubt and second guesses. It’s a minefield of embarrassed glances and missed opportunities. Seems like they’ll never get together…

To cap it all, Shawn’s drawn Tim in the secret solstice gifting. What to get for the quiet man who turns Shawn’s legs to jelly and has the best underwear hanging from the washing line in his garden? And will that tempting rainbow of colour be forever seared onto Shawn’s brain?

Just Hanging Out is a 72 page novella, available at Amazon and on Kindle Unlimited. 

* miscommunication 

* crushing on the straight guy

* inappropriate presents 

* Midsummer

* company picnic

* British characters and location 

Check out my fellow RAtR authors on this subject. 

Ally Lester - #RAtR: Seasonal Reads, yes or no?

Nell Iris - Read Around the Rainbow: Summer Reads

Ofelia Grand - Read Around the Rainbow | Seasonal Reads

Ellie Thomas - Read Around the Rainbow: Summer and Seasonal Reads

Addison Albright - Read Around the Rainbow ~ Summer/Seasonal Reads #RAtR

Fiona Glass - Read Around the Rainbow: What Makes a Summer Read?

Read Around the Rainbow - A.I. vs. Me

It's that time again when the Read Around the Rainbow group get together to discuss the topic of the month. It comes around so fast!

Often we decide on a topic and any gossip in the group chat is just that. But this topic has had the group chat buzzing away. 

That's hardly a surprise, AI is a contentious topic among most creatives and educators. This time last year, if you'd mentioned AI, most of the outcry would have come from artists. I follow as many artists as authors on the blue birdy app these days and they been making noise about AI for ages. 

But with the launch of ChatGPT in November 22 suddenly our words are under threat. From the current Hollywood writers strike to the problems faced by educators with AI written papers. It's writing copy on blogs, copy that will be picked up by other AI searches and regurgitated back to us. 

But authors will be fine, yes? No. Amazon is already selling books written by AI. AI that can take our written words and use them against us. And that's all without mentioning the ethics and legality of data mining. Or how AI can marginalise and deny minorities.

So, we decided to conduct an experiment. Write 300 words (or thereabouts), then feed the same parameters into an AI writing program and compare the results.

The Great AI Experiment. 

Write a 400-word gay romance story in past tense, first person point-of-view, about a meetcute where two men meet in a London market. The narrator is a market trader who sells bric-a-brac, the other man is a nurse browsing his stall. Nurse seems plain until the sun comes out and hits him just right. Include at least 150 words of dialogue.

Sample 1

I stood behind my market stall, surrounded by an assortment of bric-a-brac. The London market buzzed with activity, shoppers meandering through the stalls, searching for hidden treasures. It was a typical day until he walked into my life.

A man in a plain white shirt and trousers wandered over to my stall. His eyes flickered with curiosity as he examined the trinkets displayed before him. There was something unassuming about him, but I couldn't help but feel drawn to his presence.

"Can I help you find anything in particular?" I asked, breaking the silence.

He looked up, his eyes meeting mine. "Oh, no, thank you. I'm just browsing. You have quite an interesting collection here."

I smiled, appreciating his polite response. "I try to offer a little bit of everything. Let me know if anything catches your eye."

He continued to peruse the items on display, occasionally picking up an item and inspecting it. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, casting a dull light over the market. But then, as if on cue, a ray of sunlight broke through, illuminating his face.

The sudden burst of light transformed him. His plain features were bathed in a warm glow, his eyes sparkling like two jewels. It was as if the sun itself had chosen him, highlighting his true beauty for the world to see.

I couldn't help but comment on the transformation. "You know, I never noticed it before, but the sunlight brings out something extraordinary in you."

He chuckled, a hint of blush coloring his cheeks. "Well, I suppose I have the sun to thank for that."

We continued to chat, our conversation flowing effortlessly like an old friendship rekindled. He shared stories of his work as a nurse, the challenges and rewards he faced, while I regaled him with tales of the curious items I had collected over the years. Our dialogue danced between lighthearted banter and genuine moments of connection.

As the afternoon sun began to wane, he thanked me for the pleasant conversation. "I should be on my way, but it was lovely talking to you. Your stall brightened my day."

I couldn't let him go so easily. "Wait, before you leave, let me give you something as a token of our meeting."

I reached under the stall and retrieved a small, intricately designed pendant. I placed it gently in his hand, our fingers brushing for a fleeting moment. "May this pendant bring you the same radiance that the sun bestowed upon you today."

His eyes widened in surprise and gratitude. "Thank you. I'll cherish it."

We exchanged smiles, an unspoken connection lingering in the air between us. As he turned to leave, I couldn't resist but ask, "Would you like to meet again? Maybe for a cup of tea or a stroll in the park?"

His smile brightened, mirroring the sunlight that had transformed him earlier. "I would love that. Here, let me give you my number."

As he walked away, I watched him blend into the crowd, the pendant glimmering in the sunlight. Our unexpected encounter in the London market had kindled a flame of curiosity and possibility. And as the market continued its lively symphony, I couldn't help but look forward to the next chapter of our story, guided by the warmth of the sun and the serendipity of connection.

Sample 2

I swear there was nothing special about the guy browsing the bric a brac and ‘maybe someday’ antiques on my stall at Chatsworth Road market. A dishevelled, dishwater blond in an olive green puffa jacket with dark circles under his eyes. Nothing remarkable. 

Then the cloud that had been threatening rain for the last half hour shifted and a shaft of sunlight hit him. 

Just. 

Right.

I could almost hear the choir of heavenly angels as it bathed him in a warm glow. Honest. No word of a lie. Skin a healthy olive tone that spoke of a Mediterranean heritage somewhere in his lineage. Far, far back if his hair was any indication. What I’d taken for dishwater blond was threaded with varying shades of yellow and gold that the sun caught just right, glinting and gleaming. Catching my attention like a magpie with shiny shit. And in that moment I wanted to pluck that man and line my nest with him. 

My nest being the small double in my pokey flat filled with more stock than furniture and pluck… well, you get the analogy I’m sure. 

Between blinks, a halo of rainbow colours had appeared, refracted from beads of moisture that clung to the silk fine strands. 

He was stunning. Despite the drab lumpy coat. And the pinch between his eyebrows. The worried twist of his lips.

Damn, I was staring. And creeping him out if that expression was any indication. So I plastered on my winning smile and cranked up cheeky chappy market trader to the max. 

“That desperate to get to the market that you didn’t have time to dry your hair?” I blurted. That wasn’t what I’d intended to say. And rather than cover my embarrassment I only made it worse. Especially when I channelled my Nan—my Mum couldn’t have given a shit—and tacked on, “You’ll catch your death coming out in this weather with wet hair.”

His snort of laughter seemed to catch him by surprise and he lifted a hand to his lips as though to try to keep it in. Too late. The inelegant sound had already escaped to the ether, catching me square in the chest as it did so. 

“Ah, yes. Desperate to see what tat you had on your stall today.” 

I knew sarcasm when I heard it and that was dripping in it. It also had a refinement to it that screamed posh schools and money, or at least the outward appearance of such, tempered by the softness of a honeyed accent. Greece or one of the islands thereabout, maybe.

Hang on. He’d been to my stall before? I didn’t recall seeing him. And surely I’d remember such a stunning creature. I narrowed my eyes, desperate to place him. The cloud shifted again, hiding the sun once more and from one blink to the next the guy returned to plain and ordinary. Easy to miss. 

I squinted hard. There it was, that shine that seemed to be just under the surface. Dulled somehow, but still there just waiting to be discovered. And now I knew, well, I couldn’t really un-see it. 

Unaware of my inner turmoil he gestured to his hair. “That’s an old wives tale. You can’t get ill going out with wet hair. Unless it’s below freezing, of course.” He ran long, strong looking fingers through his hair and I swear the strands glowed a little as they passed through. “My last patient projectile vomited on me. I had to shower before I left the hospital.”

Night shift. That explained dark smudges and the general air of exhaustion. “Doctor?”

“Nurse.” He gave a self-deprecating smile. “Not as glamorous.”

I wanted to soothe that expression. Slap down whoever had caused it to appear. “Just as important, but more caring and lower paid.”

“I doubt my father would agree with you. He’s a consultant. With an office in Harley Street.”

Dad needed a slap. And it was time to change the subject. “So, which item of my tat takes your fancy.”

He grinned and indicated to a hideous side table. 

🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖

Which is the AI? 

I'd like to think that anyone who has read even one of my stories would pick mine out of the two. 

But before I confirm your suspicions there's a few points I'd like to discuss. 

I had to play about with prompt to get anywhere vaguely similar to my piece. The first try had no dialogue whatsoever. You had to ask it to add dialogue. When I didn't specify the type of market trader AI became unnaturally obsessed with fruit and veg. 

"...Your stall has such a lovely array of fresh produce."

I chuckled. "Well, thank you. I take pride in offering the best. Any particular fruit or vegetable catching your eye?"

He pondered for a moment before pointing at a bunch of ripe strawberries. "Those strawberries look delicious. Are they as sweet as they appear?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, they're fantastic. The juiciest and sweetest strawberries you'll ever taste. Here, let me get you a sample."

And don't even get me started on the bunch of strawberries. Bunch? Really?

Adding bric a brac to the prompt help bring the two samples on a more even keel. But the AI version, while readable, has no author voice. It's bland and generic, somewhat flowery and uses too many unnecessary words. It's also unrealistic in the way the characters act. No nurse coming off a night shift would have the energy to wander a market all day. Nor would a stall holder leave their stall to do the same. 

Each AI version of the scene had a version of:

We continued to chat, our conversation flowing effortlessly like an old friendship rekindled. He shared stories of his work as a nurse, the challenges and rewards he faced, while I regaled him with tales of the curious items I had collected over the years. Our dialogue danced between lighthearted banter and genuine moments of connection.

Curious, a completely different prompt was tried, this one a 1940's historical gay romance set in Wales. But yep, that passage more or less turned up again. 

By now I'm guessing you know which is mine. But just in case you're unsure. 

Sample 1 was AI

Sample 2 was Me

So that's my Two Pennies' Worth on AI complete with links for your perusal. I'll leave you with one more thought provoking article before I send you off to my colleagues. I asked an AI to write LGBTQ Fiction. 

Check out my fellow RAtR authors who I'm sure will have strong opinions on this subject. I'm looking forward to reading their snippets. 

AL Lester - #ReadAroundtheRainbow: AI Versus the Writer

Nell Iris - Read Around the Rainbow: AI vs Me

Ofelia Grand - Read Around the Rainbow | A.I. vs. Me

Fiona Glass - Read Around the Rainbow: Can AI write an LGBT romance story?

Ellie Thomas - Read Around the Rainbow: AI vs Me

Holly Day - Read Around the Rainbow | A.I. vs. Me

Addison Albright - READ AROUND THE RAINBOW ~ A.I. vs. Me #RAtR

Read Around the Rainbow - Blurbs

It's that time of the month when the Read Around the Rainbow group of queer authors/authors of queer romance get together to discuss the topic of the month. 

It's been a while since I've taken part in one of these. Either the topic hasn't been something I can contribute to or RL has been kicking butt (mostly the latter). But today I find myself with a spare hour and the subject is something no author can really avoid - Blurbs.

Love them, hate them, but you can't ignore them. A blurb is a necessary part of the book writing process. 

When I wrote for publishers there was often a house style. And each were different (I've written for 5 publishers before going fully self pub). Some points that were required:

A paragraph from each pov character then a paragraph to round things up. 

End the final paragraph on a question.

Don't end the final paragraph on a question. 

No spoilers.

Set word count.

Write it in 1st person (even though the book's in 3rd) 

Write it in 3rd person (even if the book's in 1st)

So much conflicting information I never knew if I was coming or going.  Then they'd ask for a short blurb and a tag line. Each required to do a different job, but with a connecting theme. I hated blurb writing and always left it until last. I certainly wouldn't dream of writing the blurb before the book! In fact, the very thought gives me hives. 

Now I'm self-publishing the restrictions on blurbs are only set by my own ideas, but I have a tendency to blather on, so I'll often send the blurb to my beta for trimming or a complete rewrite.

Take Theory Unproven. The tagline is above, a perfect length to fit a graphic and catch attention on Social Media. But what of the blurb?

Short

Working with elephants in their natural habitat has always been Eric Phillips dream. Getting what he’s always desired introduces him to Tyaan Bouwer, the bush pilot that flies in his supplies, and Eric discovers the allure of South Africa goes beyond the wildlife and the scenery.

But in an area where bushveld prejudices and hatred bleed across the borders, realising their love will be a hard fought battle. Keeping hold of it might just kill them.

Long

An unexpected job offer finds zoologist Eric Phillips transported from the elephant house at a zoo just outside London to the wildlife reserves in the South African bushveld. Being able to work with his own herd of elephants, and analysing their behaviour, more than makes up for the remote nature of the research station. The one bright spot on the horizon, quite literally if the sun hits it at the right angle, is the silver freight plane that brings his supplies and half an hour in the company of Tyaan, the gorgeous but taciturn pilot.

With wide open spaces and clear skies, Tyaan Bouwer is never be happier than when he’s flying over the bushveld, the landscape beneath him a changing vista of colour and texture. It’s that view and the freedom to be able to climb in his plane and fly that’s kept him in the small town where he was born and raised. South Africa might be a rainbow nation but in the northern regions where neighbouring countries are far from liberal minded, prejudices and hatred bleed across the borders. Tyaan’s not in the closet, not really. Get him to the city and with his strong, silent routine he can pull a guy without even trying. He’s fine with that as long as they don’t press him into trying to see them again. It’s not like he wants a relationship. And just maybe when he gets home he’s hovering in the doorway of that closet, but he’s never met anyone worth taking the risk for.

The day he’s sent to Limpopo to collect Eric that all changes. He tries to bury the feelings of want that Eric conjures in him, but he can’t resist the bonds of friendship that forms between them.

As a zoologist Eric likes to think that he’s adept at anticipating how a creature will react in any given situation, and they don’t come any more beautiful and skittish than Tyaan. Despite Tyaan’s jittery behaviour Eric has a theory they could be good together but when things go catastrophically wrong it appears their relationship will remain a theory unproven.

The long blurb gives far more information but it's unlikely to hold a reader's attention. The shorter blurb is more punchy. It hints at Eric's profession as well as implies that he's not a South African native. It states Tyaan's profession and hints at homophobia, danger and angst. 

Of course the longer blurb answers one of the commonly asked reader questions: 'What does the title mean?'

As a reader I have to confess I don't place as much importance on blurbs as I probably should. My attraction to a book is based on:

Author 

Cover

Genre - I'm more likely to read a blurb for an historical or urban fantasy. If I see the words mpreg, daddy/little, or puppy/kitten then I'm probably not even reading the blurb unless it's one of those on my author autobuy list. 

Friends recommendation

Blurb

Rating on GR/Amazon 

TikTok - that's a lie. TikTok doesn't even make it to my list. I'm not even on TikTok. 😄

But what should a blurb do? That's a tough one. 

Do you want a feel for the style or the author's voice? That's not really something I look for, author's voice can take some getting used to and can be off putting in such a short piece. 

A list of tropes? Sometimes this can be more effective than a longwinded precis. And it can avoid unwanted surprises. I'm not going to be happy if I'm reading a shifter book and mpreg crops up with no warning, and I'd expect a mention of kink (if not the exact kink) to appear if the kink makes a strong appearance. 

I guess I'm looking for a feel for the story, the type of genre, and a sense of the characters. But let's be honest, by the time I get to the blurb I'm probably already 75% invested.

So there we have it, conclusive proof that, for me, blurbs are more or less a waste of time 🤪

Check out my fellow RAtR authors who I'm sure will have more insightful opinions than I do. 

Nell Iris  - Read Around the Rainbow: On Writing Blurbs

Fiona Glass - Read Around the Rainbow: Writing Blurbs

Amy Spector - Read Around the Rainbow • Thoughts on Writing Blurbs #RAtR

Ellie Thomas - Read Around the Rainbow: How Do You Feel About Blurbs?

Holly Day - Read Around the Rainbow | How Do You Feel About Blurbs?

Addison Albright - READ AROUND THE RAINBOW ~ On Writing Blurbs #RAtR

RatR - Favourite m/m romance with autumnal coloured covers

It's that time of the month when the Read Around the Rainbow group of queer authors/authors of queer romance get together to discuss the topic of the month.  

This month we're looking at favourite queer romances with autumnal coloured covers.

First up I've picked The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper. Gorgeous story. Double bisexual awakening. Slow burn. Kids who act and talk like kids. 

It took losing nearly everything, to discover what they can’t live without.

A few excruciating minutes pinned under a burning beam cost Ryan Ward his job as a firefighter, the easy camaraderie of his coworkers, his current girlfriend, and damn near cost him his left leg. Giving up, though, wasn’t an option. He fought and won the battle back to health, over a painful year. Now, choosing a new profession, going back to school, and renting a room from the college groundskeeper should be simple.

Until he realizes he’s falling in love with his housemate, and things take a turn for the complicated.

John Barrett knows about loss. After moving twice to stay in touch with his kids, he could only watch as his ex-wife whisked them away to California. Offering Ryan a room seems better than rattling around his empty house alone. But as casual friendship moves to something more, and emotions heat up, the big old house feels like tight quarters.

It’s nothing they can't learn to navigate, until life adds in unhappy teen kids, difficult family members, and mysterious deaths on campus. Rebuilding will be far from easy, even for two guys willing to open their minds, and hearts.

I'm cheating for the next book and picking a whole series, all with autumnal coloured covers.

The Bristol Collection Series by Josephine Myles (Junk/Stuff/Scrap). I miss getting new stories from Jo Myles' so much. But luckily there's a comprehensive backlist that lends itself to rereading. Especially this series of connected stories, set in Bristol and all involving recycling or hoarding in some way. They're very British in tone and humour with themes of opposites attract and coming out.

I loved Mas from Stuff so much I gave him a tiny guest appearance in New Lease of Life (with Jo's permission, of course). So it's his blurb I'll share with you.

When Mr. Glad Rags meets Mr. Riches, the result is flaming fun.

Tobias “Mas” Maslin doesn’t need much. A place of his own, weekends of clubbing, a rich boyfriend for love and support. Too bad his latest sugar daddy candidate turns out to be married with kids. Mas wants to be special, not someone’s dirty little secret.

When he loses his job and his flat on the same day, his worlds starts unraveling…until he stumbles across a vintage clothing shop. Now to convince the reclusive, eccentric owner he’s in dire need of a salesman.

Perry Cavendish-Fiennes set up Cabbages and Kinks solely to annoy his controlling father. Truth be told, he’d rather spend every spare moment on his true passion, art. When Mas comes flaming into his life talking nineteen to the dozen, he finds himself offering him a job and a place to live.

He should have listened to his instincts. The shop is already financially on the brink, and Mas’s flirting makes him feel things he’s never felt for a man. Yet Mas seems convinced they can make a go of it—in the shop, and together.

Warning: Contains an eccentric, bumbling Englishman, a gobby drama queen, fantastic retro clothing, scary fairies, exes springing out of the woodwork, and a well-aimed glass of bubbly. Written in brilliantly British English.

And finally, Tournament of Losers by Megan Derr. A gorgeous story of a noble, a commoner, and a challenge. A perfect fairytale.

All Rath wants is a quiet, peaceful life. Unfortunately, his father brings him too much trouble—and too many debts to pay—for that to ever be possible. When the local crime lord drags Rath out of bed and tells him he has three days to pay his father's latest debt, Rath doesn't know what to do. There's no way to come up with so much money in so little time.

Then a friend poses an idea just ridiculous enough to work: enter the Tournament of Losers, where every seventy-five years, peasants compete for the chance to marry into the noble and royal houses. All competitors are given a stipend to live on for the duration of the tournament—funds enough to cover his father's debt.

All he has to do is win the first few rounds, collect his stipend, and then it's back to trying to live a quiet life…  

Incidentally I too have a cover with autumnal colours. Theory Unproven. 

* Grumpy bush pilot⁠             

* Adorable Elephants⁠

* Ray of Sunshine Zoologist⁠

* The Bushveld⁠

* Hurt/Comfort 

* Injury and recovery

* Fiesty best friend 

Check out the posts from the rest of the RatR crew. 

AL Lester: #RAtR: Favourite M|M books clothed in autumnal covers

Nell Iris: Read Around the Rainbow: Favorite Autumn-Colored M/M Romance Books

Ofelia Grand: Read Around the Rainbow | Favourite MM Romance Reads with Yellow/Orange/Red covers

Amy Spector: Read Around the Rainbow • F#&k, Marry, or Kill! With Covers!

Ellie Thomas: Read Around the Rainbow: Favourite MM Romance Reads with Autumnal Covers

Holly Day: Read Around the Rainbow | Favourite MM Romance Reads with Yellow, Orange, and Red covers

Addison: WEBRING ~ Read Around the Rainbow ~ Fave M/M Romance with Fall-Colored Covers ~ #RAtR

Read Around the Rainbow - What are your top three non-romance reads?

I'm a member of Read around the Rainbow, a rag tag collection of authors who are part of or who write about all letters of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. Each month we'll be posing a question or subject up for discussion. This month the question posed is 'What are your top three non-romance reads?'

I nearly ducked out of this one but I missed last month (because I write in pretty much total silence) and I don't like to skip two in a row. 

"But why would you duck out?" I hear you cry. "You love reading. You regularly smash 250 books a year on the GR challenge."

So true, imaginary reader.

But my issue is twofold. I have a terrible memory. I can't remember my favourite book of this year without scrolling through my GR reviews (it's why I never do one of those top ten reads lists in December), so I'm certainly not remembering my favourite book from 30 years ago because I didn't have GRs back then. What I did have was a reference book of best crime stories and I worked my way through that, reading the recommended stories and devouring the authors that I enjoyed. So, late teens, early twenties me would have said my favourite books were hardboiled crime novels - I loved Chandler and Hammett; or early 20th century British sleuths, especially Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey and Ngaio Marsh's Roderick Alleyn. I guess I should pick my first read from this amazing reference book (I'd recommend this if I could only remember the damn title). 

As such my first pick is The Daughter of Time (Inspector Alan Grant #5) by Josephine Tey. 

Tey uses the device of having her main detective laid up in hospital and, bored out of his skull, he decides to try and solve a centuries old murder, that of the Princes in the Tower and the subsequent vilification of Richard III. Sounds boring, yeah? But it's not. It's a brilliantly written piece of storytelling by a writer at the height of her craft (this was Tey's last book before her death), thought provoking and entertaining. It doesn't claim to be anything but fiction, and I'm sure historians by their hundreds have disproved Tey's ascertains, but it certainly shines a light on the way that history can be rewritten by the victors.

There, I have pulled a book from the annuls of (my) history. I could go back further, but we'd be looking at Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Willard Price's animal adventure books. Or a few years earlier, Enid Blyton. 

My other problem is that for the last decade it's rare that I read any novels that aren't queer romance or at the very least has a romance as a secondary story line. 

But of course I don't just read queer romance, my second genre of choice, although it's more a medium than a genre, is comics. So I've got to pick a comic for my list, right. But I read so many, which could I possibly chose?

The X-Men run from the last few years? An epic (in the large sense rather than amazing) story at the hands of Jonathan Hickman, but with so many different writers, and maybe not all of them understand Hickman's vision, hell I don't always understand it. There's good, bad, and ugly comics under that umbrella, some runs I read in their entirety, other's I gave up on straight away. 

Or the Spider-Man Clone Saga from the mid 90's. It's a run I'm currently reading and it's not always very good. It's iconic, not always for the best reasons, but it gave us two of my favourite Spider-Man characters, Scarlett Spider and Kaine. 

Or let's ignore the Big Two and go to Boom Comics. 

Once and Future (by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora (Illustrator), Tamra Bonvillain (Colourist)) is an excellent read, combining Arthurian legend and the mess that is modern day Britain in a mad tale of monsters, wizards, kings and bloated politicians, a chain smoking monster hunting granny and her very confused grandson. It's 3 issues from the very end and I'm waiting to read the final arc but it's brilliant so far, visually exciting, and I can't wait to read again from the very beginning. 

For my final pick I'm going to chose something that I've read more recently, but what should it be. When I read away from queer romance these days I tend to pick something historical. I've recently started reading Edward Marston and his Home Front Detective series, set in London during WWI, which started with A Bespoke Murder. I really enjoyed Ruso and the Demented Doctor (Medicus Investigations 2) by R.S. Downie and will pick up anything of that ilk to try. 

Possibly my favourite series in this style and the one I'm going to add as my third book is Under the Eagle by Simon Scarrow. Let's be honest, these books have their detractors, and I don't know enough about Roman history to comment. I had my moments of WTF but the story is fun and action packed, the main characters are likeable and wouldn't be out of place in a age gap, grumpy/sunshine queer historical romance or on the pages of AO3. Even the tag line sounds queer: They're in it for Rome and they're in it together. 

So, they are my picks. If you were expecting highbrow and studious reasons, then you've come to the wrong place. But let's see what my fellow authors have come up with. 

Nell Iris: Read Around the Rainbow: Top 3 Non-Romance Reads

Ofelia Grand: Read Around the Rainbow | What are your top three non-romance reads?

Fiona Glass: Read Around the Rainbow: My Top 3 Non-Romance Books

Amy Spector: Read Around the Rainbow • Top 3 Non-Romantic Reads #RAtR

Ellie Thomas: Read Around the Rainbow: What are your top three top non-romance reads

KL Noone: Read Around the Rainbow: top three non-romance reads

Addison Albright: WEBRING ~ Read Around the Rainbow ~ Top 3 Fave Non-Romance Books ~ #RAtR

Read Around the Rainbow - Do you write about where you live?

 I'm a member of Read around the Rainbow, a rag tag collection of authors who are part of or who write about all letters of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. Each month we'll be posing a question or subject up for discussion. This month the question posed is 'Do you set your books in the place you live (or have lived) in?'

My answer is, as always, suitably vague. Sometimes, but only in the broadest terms, or not at all. Helpful, yes? No, not at all. I don't blame you if your response is "Whatever do you mean?"

Let's try and clarify. 

I live in the UK. South East to be more precise. And some of my books are set in and around that area. 

Waiting for a Spark is set the closest to home, in fact the Polish shop that Jerome visits when he runs out of milk is 5 minutes walk away. I used it myself, when I ran out of milk, and more recently when I couldn't get a bottle of Advocaat in the supermarket (I can't put the Christmas Tree up without a snowball). They do a gorgeous poppy seed cheesecake. 

Also set in the vicinity, although a few more miles out, is New Lease of Life. And yet the books couldn't be more different in tone as to the type of people that populate the pages. If Pip ran out of milk, he'd go without until he could order in a food delivery, and Colby, well he's far less likely to run out of milk and would stop off at Waitrose on his way home. Colby might have been a council estate lad but he's got money now, and Pip, well, he's the entitled elite, public schools, Royal Ascot, and Henley Regatta. He probably never had to wonder how the milk got in the fridge, it was just magically there. And then his accident happened and he just didn't care about milk (or food at all, really) to worry if it wasn't there. One city (and the outskirts), such a variety of people. 

In my Village Love series I made up my own village, based on all the villages in the South Downs that I've visited or driven through over the years. Look on a map, you won't find Slopy Bottom on any of them, but if you drive that corner of England you'll pass through any number that could be Slopy Bottom. The sights, the sounds, even the smells. 

Check out the posts from the other members of the RatR crew. 

Nell Iris: Read Around the Rainbow: Setting Books Where You Live

Ofelia Grand: Read Around the Rainbow | Do You Set Your Stories in the Place You Live?

Fiona Glass: Read Around the Rainbow: Setting Books Where You Live

Amy Spector: Read Around the Rainbow • Setting Books in Your Hometown #RAtR

Holly Day: Read Around the Rainbow | Do you set your books in the place you live?

KL Noone: Read Around the Rainbow: setting stories where you live?

Addison Albright: READ AROUND THE RAINBOW ~ WebRing ~ Have I set books where I've lived? ~ #RAtR

Read around the Rainbow - My (dream) Writing Shack

I'm a member of Read around the Rainbow, a rag tag collection of authors who are part of or who write about all letters of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. Each month we'll be posing a question or subject up for discussion. As this is the first post, this month's topic is an easy one: Our ideal writing shack.  

For me this answer has two parts. First there’s the shack itself. Then there’s the shack’s location. 

The Shack

Beach hut in style. I'm talking British seaside beach hut, although probably more Sandbanks (very expensive and exclusive beachfront location in Dorset) than Margate (think Kiss me Quick hats, candy floss, and coach parties of tourists scoffing fish and chips and puking on the Mary Rose). Plenty of wood with the outside painted a pleasing pastel colour scheme in blue or green. Lots of sanded weathered beech on the inside. Bi-folding doors to let in lots of natural light and open up the cabin to the outside. 

Inside I’d need:

A desk to write at. 

A small kitchen area with facilities for hot drinks, a fridge stocked with health snacks and salads (*cough* chocolate *cough*), and a cold water tap (no need for hot water or a sink, I’ve no plans to do any washing up). 

A bookcase full of non-fiction for research purposes and a large cosy chair to curl up in and research/read. 

Pull down ladder leads up to a mezzanine floor with a thick comfy bedroll perfect for napping and star-gazing/cloud watching through the skylight. (Did I forget to mention the skylight? Oops, my bad.)

Then maybe a hanging egg chair out the front and a hot tub off to the side, because I need to soothe those sore writers’ muscles somehow and my own personal masseur seems a bit of an extravagance. 

The Location

For anyone who has read my bio this should come as no surprise. 

My ideal location for my writing shack would be on the coast. Ideally with steps leading down to the beach and sea but elevated so I get the full benefit of the view. 

Last year I went on holiday to Hayle on the northern coast of Cornwall. I'd love my writing shack to be up on the dunes there. 

 

Check out the posts from the other members of the RatR crew. 

AL Lester: Read Around the Rainbow: What's Your Ideal Writing Shack?

Nell Iris: Read Around the Rainbow: My Ideal Writing Shack

Ofelia Grand:  Read Around the Rainbow | Your Ideal Writing Shack

Fiona Glass

Amy Spector: Read Around the Rainbow: The Perfect Writing Shack? Coming Soon & Book Anniversary!

Ellie Thomas:  Read Around the Rainbow: My Ideal Writing Shack

Addison Albright: WEBRING ~ Read Around the Rainbow ~ What/Where is your ideal writing shack?