Cedric Gives Relationship Advice. Book Giveaway.

Today is the big day!  I hope all of you are having a brilliant Valentine's Day.  Your personal love god, Cedric MacKinnon, is here to answer your most fevered prayers.  Today I'll be sharing a few saucy tidbits, and if you leave me a comment with your Top Ten Most Shag-able Characters of Sci fi and Fantasy at the end of this post, you can enter to win a free ecopy of my story, My Fearful Symmetry.  Kindle, Nook or your choice of format offered on All Romance.

So to set things rolling, I want share a few letters from readers.

Dear Mr. MacKinnon,


I was pleased to discover that you are an adept of the ancient arts since I’m looking for some advice this Valentine’s Day. This is the first Valentine’s Day I’ll be celebrating with my wife, Sarah, with whom I have been in love for over three hundred years. It’s a long story.

Sarah and I are very much in love, and we have traveled quite a journey to find our way back to each other after oh so very long. My wife likes to joke and say she and I are a pair. A pair of what, I ask. Just a pair, she says.

“Like a pair of socks?” I say.
“Yes,” she says. “We’re a pair of socks. We go everywhere together and spend our nights knotted up.”

As the nocturnal type, I can only see my beloved at night, but that works quite well for us. Our romantic life is great—or whatever word expresses better than great (I haven’t a thesaurus handy)—but I would like to make this Valentine’s Day a special one and I’m open to any tips (for the bedroom or otherwise) that might help me make this a night to remember for my beautiful wife. She has suffered in the past, and now she deserves all the best life can give her.

I appreciate your time and look forward to your response.

Yours Most Sincerely,

 James J. Wentworth, Ph.D.

Professor of English Literature

Salem State University

My response: 
Dear Dr.Wentworth,

It sounds like you both are the monagamous type, so I won't suggest employing the service of an Immortyl courtesan to spice things up.  I'm always up for a threesome.  My advice is to provide all those things your beloved Sarah loves best.  Buy her a really knockout gift, something she's always wanted.  Take her to a luxury hotel and pamper her with a spa treament.  Have an intimate dinner in your room and play some music that has special signifigance to both of you.  Slow dance with her.  Tell her all of the reasons that have made you stay by her side for 300 years.  When you retire to the bedroom, make sure its been stocked with champagne and an assortment of toys and yummy massage oils.  Do as I do with my lovers.  Worship her with your body--become her slave for one night.  Stimulate all of those places that will set her humming.  Cater to her every need and you'll be surprised how she'll reciprocate.  If that doesn't work, you know where to find me.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Your Bad, Bad Boy,

Cedric MacKinnon

You can learn more about James and his lovely wife at these links:
Her dear and Loving Husband on Amazon
Her Dear and Loving Husband on B&N
Author Meredith Allard's website
Meredith Allard on Twitter







Another reader writes:

Dear Cedric,
I've been with my boyfriend for sixth months, and while we click despite some very obvious differences, there is one issue we just can't work out on our own. We're a pretty unconventional couple. He's a vampire, and I'm not. In fact, I'm what most people would call a vampire hunter. (I dislike the term hunter. I don't actually hunt them. I just slay them if they try to kill me and my friends, y'know?)
 The problem we're having involves my stakes. As in the sharp, pointy kind. I carry them with me at all times, and my boyfriend takes personal offense to that. He thinks I don't trust him. I've explained a million billion times they're not for him, but he keeps trying to get me to leave them at home when we go out at night.

Am I being insensitive? Should I really not trust him because he is urging me to be defenseless when I leave the house?

Thanks,
 L, Confused in Florida

My response:

Dear L,

I can see why the boyfriend might be a wee bit upset, but since I also slay naughty vampires, I know how important it is to keep your weapon of choice close at hand.  I use a katana myself.  It might help to remind him that he's a vampire and always armed and dangerous, and your stake simply levels the playing field.  Your stake is like his fangs and vampire powers.  He should be flattered that you don't think him a sparkly, wussy-ass vamp.  Tell him to grow up and get over it.  If all else fails, hire the services of a male vampire courtesan and have a blissful threesome. 

Your Hot and Bothered Boy,

Cedric MacKinnon

L's alter-ego Jazz Sexton is an active blogger and offers editing services:
http://wordsmadefresh.com/
http://www.jazzsexton.com/
.

Cedric's Top Ten Most Shag-able

Fantasy and Sci Fi Characters of Film and TV

10. Spike- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
A bad vampire boy after my own heart. 

9.  Han Solo- Star Wars
Anyone who can get into Princes Leia's gold bikini pants has got to be special.

8. Catwoman- Batman
Every blessed incarnation with favorite nods to Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt. Grrrr...

7. Capt. Malcolm Reynolds- Firefly
I like his sense of justice--rob from the rich and nefarious and take your percentage off the top.

6. Mr. Sulu- Star Trek
Who can forget the bare-torso swordfight? 

5.  Princess Leia- Star Wars
The gold bikini.  Need I say more?

4. Arwen- Lord of the Rings
I hear elves have special powers.

3. Aragorn- Lord of the Rings
I'm still waiting for the King to come.

2. River Song- Dr. Who
I just love a bad girl.

1. Capt. Jack Harkness- Torchwood
The coat.  The man inside.  Immortal and bisexual.  The perfect combination in my book. 

Now, I'd like to share a little excerpt from my newest adventure Servant of the Goddess. Keep in mind this is told from Mia's POV.

Sudden shouts battled against the sound of the wind. I peered down the block. Teen-formed Immortyls, sewer rats, closed a circle around a tall male, who held his hands high above his head. From the direction of the wind, I couldn’t yet ascertain this stranger as mortal or Immortyl. Best to investigate. I ran toward the disturbance, wrapping my fingers around the Glock strapped to my hip.



A shrill whistle split the air. Two of the sewer rats lunged for the stranger. He crouched and pirouetted on one leg, letting loose a rapid succession of kicks that knocked his attackers sprawling onto the sidewalk. A rat named Tommy growled and launched himself at the stranger. To my amazement, the stranger leapt high into the air and hovered there for a moment like a falcon before lashing out with both feet. Tommy’s head snapped backward, and he flattened against the pavement. The remaining rats hung back.


The slender figure of a boy maybe eighteen or nineteen touched down and crouched again, poised to strike. No mortal could perform such maneuvers with this speed and agility, not to mention almost ballet-like grace. The Immortyl’s face betrayed raw emotion, indicating he was new to the blood, probably not much older than his form suggested. Eamon, the rat pack leader, drew and aimed a pistol at him. The stranger raised his hands above his head once more.


I gave a sharp whistle for Eamon to stand down. “What’s going on here?”


Eamon lowered the gun and spit on the ground. His forever-twelve-year-old face scrunched up. “We found this one skulking about,” he said. Even after a century and half in New York his speech still gave away his Dublin origins. “Says he’s come from the chief elder’s house.”


The wind kicked up harder. Long, auburn hair whipped about the newcomer’s face. He shivered, hugging an Indian-styled shirt around him. Traces of black kohl and sienna rouge clung to his eyes and mouth, as if he’d scrubbed the paint off in a hurry. The make-up and impractical clothing pointed to origins more exotic than the russet hair and milky complexion suggested. His story sounded plausible. However, the odds that this kid had escaped the chief elder’s compound near Calcutta and made it all the way to New York on his own were unlikely. No slave had ever left there of his own accord.


Kurt had stood trial at the chief elder’s court for inciting rebellion. He’d told me that the chief, Kalidasa, employed state-of-the-art security, as well as vampire-eating tigers. The place was a veritable fortress. Still, there was always a first time, and this newcomer had held his own against Eamon’s band.


I had to admire the kid for standing up to Eamon and his thugs.


The pack leader and I didn’t care much for one another, but he’d fought for Kurt in our recent war with a rival elder. For political reasons, I forced myself to take a civil tone with him. “Did you bother to ask his business before you ordered an attack?” I called to the newcomer, “You--come here.”


The boy lowered his hands and slinked forward. I’d never seen a man move quite like this, with delicacy just brushing the feminine, yet suggesting coiled up, sinewy strength like a jungle cat. Instinct prompted my hand to reach for the Glock concealed on my hip. The kid had danger scrawled all over him in big garish letters.


“Is this true?” I asked.


“I ran away from court,” the boy replied, his speech tinged with a Scottish burr. “I’m seeking refuge here.”


The plaintive tone struck a chord in me. I sized him up again. His winsome looks didn’t belong to the usual brand of vampire assassin, but to a household slave chosen for his decorative value. Still, his swift feet could kill if given the chance. Wouldn’t it be just like Giulietta to send death in such an appealing guise?


“Kurt’s counselor, Chase Powers, can vouch for me,” he continued. “Take me to him.”


“You know Chase?”


“We met in India during Kurt’s trial. He said I’d be welcome here. Please Miss. You have to believe me. I’ve come such a long way and got nowhere else to go.” Desperation filled the spooky, green eyes. They almost glowed, more like a cat’s than a man’s. “There’s probably a bounty offered for my return by now.”


“What did you do?”


“It’s not what I did. It’s what I am.” He held out his hands. Henna tattoos snaked around the wrists and tops, elaborate whirls and spirals. “The marks of my order. I’m an adept of the ancient arts.”


He was an adept? I’d always imagined these temple devotees and de facto courtesans as Indian in origin. I gave the boy a closer look. His clothing had seen better days, but the sinuous way he moved made them a fashion statement. You couldn’t deny the perfection of feature and figure required of his order. He stood out from Eamon’s mangy lot like an emerald in a box of Cracker Jacks.

Sexy Cedric Discusses Courtesans

Today, my lovelies, I will begin discussing courtesans.  People say,  "A male courtesan? Surely, such a thing never existed in history." Well my darlings, I'm here to set you straight.  Wait, let me choose another word.  I'm here to enlighten you. 

Cedric portrait by Arlie Adams

During the Renaissance the Italian word "cortigiana", came to refer to "the ruler's mistress” and later evolved to mean a well-educated, trained artist of dance and singing who provided companionship to wealthy, powerful, or upper-class men. The English word courtesan was derived from the French "courtisane" during the 16th century.

Veronica Franco, Venetian poet and courtesan

 However, the art of the courtesan is much older and not restricted to women. Many ancient cultures had some version of a courtesan. In ancient Greece, the Hetaera was a woman of education and some freedom. When a woman married in ancient Greece, she was expected to breed and raise children, living a cloistered life. In contrast, a Hetaera could live a public life, own property and even take part in political discourse. One of the most famous of these women was named Aspasia, the companion of Pericles. There is some evidence pointing to a small number of women servicing other women with lesbian companionship,So, just what is a courtesan? Many people will say a prostitute. True, sex is a large part of the trade, but throughout history, courtesans were often well educated in many subjects and talented performing artists, like yours truly. The word courtesan originally meant a female courtier, one in attendance to a king or other powerful noble. Often, they were entrusted with secrets and employed as political operatives.

Ancient Greece has a reputation for prizing homosexual relationships, but this wasn’t without restrictions. For two grown men to have relations was generally frowned upon, instead Greek men sought the companionship of adolescent boys. Both art and literature of the time show that the erômenos (beloved) was a teen ranging from 13 to 20, or in some cases up to 30. Most evidence indicates that to be an eligible candidate, a youth would be of an age when an aristocrat began his formal military training.

There was widespread male prostitution, as certain acts, such as oral or anal sex, were looked upon as unseemly for upper-class Greeks to ask of an erômenos of their own class. In many ancient cultures, it was considered taboo for a man or youth of status to be “passive” in intercourse. The sanctioned act was to employ the thighs, not penetration, and the boy wasn’t supposed to ever feel arousal. It is likely however, that this recommendation wasn’t strictly adhered to. The life of a common prostitute in ancient Greece was stigmatized, and it became illegal for a free youth to sell sex. Indeed, men who later in life were exposed as former prostitutes could be stripped of rank. Can any of these be called a courtesan? Not by my definition, but some male entertainers who provided companionship could be properly referred to as courtesans.

This system of institutionalized pederasty is certainly repugnant by today’s standards. Many of these youths weren’t consenting and accounts often reveal that the objects of affection resented being used by their older lovers.

Alexander the Great flouted expectations of what male relationships were supposed to be. His boyhood friend, Haphaestion, remained his lover into adulthood. Alexander was gifted a young Persian named Bagoas. Bagoas had been made a eunuch in his childhood and became a favorite of Darius III, emperor of Persia. When Darius was murdered by his generals during Alexander's invasion of Persia in 330 BCE, one of the conspirators, Nabarzanes, gave Bagoas to Alexander as a gift. Apparently Bagoas was quite persuasive with Alexander. The historian Quintus Curtius Rufus, who wrote a biography of Alexander in the 1st or 2nd Century CE, says that it was Bagoas' pleas that saved Nabarzanes from being killed by Alexander for regicide. Curtius referred to the boy as "Bagoas, an eunuch exceptional in beauty and in the very flower of boyhood, with whom Darius was intimate and with whom Alexander would later be intimate." Bagoas is the hero of Mary Renault’s historical novel, The Persian Boy and a character in her Funeral Games.

Alexander Battling Darius III

Throughout history, we see examples of courtesans attached to temple service. Babylonian women before marriage were required to go to the temple of Ishtar and sell themselves to a man for sexual intercourse, but these women weren’t courtesans. There are other examples of such practices in temples of Aphrodite and Astarte, but these indicate more of a rite involving one-time sex rather than an ongoing relationship that characterizes the art of a courtesan.

The devidasi of India were pre-pubescent and young adolescent girls from villages forced into a ritual marriage to a deity or a temple. They were trained in music, dancer and spiritual rituals. They worked in the temple as spiritual guides, dancers. Originally, the devidasi were celibate, but they later were expected to sexually service male devotees. In the past, some celebrated devidasi attracted the attentions of powerful men and became their companions. A few of them even exercised political influence. However, there are still young women forced to become devidasi, despite the Indian government’s work to end the practice.

It seems, my dear, that this subject is a much more involved than I anticipated, and so I’ve decided to dedicate a portion of my upcoming Saturday posts to discussing different types of courtesans.

Until next time!

Your passionate and loving boy,

Cedric

*All images are in the public domain, excepting Cedric's portrait by Arlie Adams, owned by the author, and the bookcover by Linda Houle of L&L Dremaspell which is allowed to author for publication purposes.

Sexy Cedric talks about Gods and Goddesses of Love

Cedric portrait by Arlie Adams 

Greetings my darlings! Welcome to day two of my Valentine’s Day feature. Being a devotee of the Great Mother in her fierce form of Kali, I thought I’d talk about some gods and goddesses of love and their importance in mythology. Instead of starting with the more familiar Greco-Roman myths, let’s take a look at an older mythos, that of India.


Kama is the Indian god of erotic love and believed to be the forerunner of the Greek Eros and Roman Cupid. Like, Eros, he carries a bow and arrow (to my authoress’ delight, he’s often depicted riding upon a parrot). Like Eros, he takes the form of a beautiful young man. The goddess Parvati, the consort of Shiva, is looked upon by many as the epitome of loving devotion and sensual beauty. Here is a tale that involves both.

Lord Shiva was set away from the celestial kingdom by Indra and the other gods to do penance after killing Daksha, the father of his dead wife Sati. Once Shiva’s anger passed he fell into a deep sorrow and went into a trance, motionless and meditative. He no longer took any interest in the world and creation was unraveling. Demons (Ashuras) were gaining power, and the gods called upon Uma/Parvati, the reincarnation of Sati, Shiva’s dead wife, for help. From her birth Parvati knew she was destined to marry Shiva and conceive a son, who would defeat the demons. She lovingly tended the oblivious god, but still he would not stir. Parvati enlisted Kama to rouse Shiva from his meditation by shooting one of his flower-tipped arrows from his sugarcane bow. Shiva, startled from his slumber, opened his third eye of destruction and incinerated Kama into ash, but when the lord of creation and destruction looked upon the lovely Parvati, he was moved to embrace her as his own. Shiva and Parvati eternally dance together across the cosmos. In the great scheme of things, this symbolizes the cosmic dance of the divine feminine and masculine principles. In other words, all of us need to understand that we embody both of these sets of attributes and understand them to be spiritually healthy. Now, lest you think poor Kama was left a pile of ash, Rati, the love god’s consort, entreated Lord Shiva to restore her husband to life. Shiva relented and Kama was brought to life as a formless spirit, visible only to his wife, Rati.


Other Indian Deities associated with love:

Radha- the wife of Krishna and the personification of divine love.
Sarasvati -Inventor of the Sanskrit language. Goddess of sensual love, creativity, beauty, art, music, learning, science and teaching


Now, let’s move on to the Greco-Roman myths. Most of you are probably familiar with Venus/Aphrodite the goddess of love, beauty and sexual passion. She is often depicted as rising from the sea on a half-shell or even minus her arms (Venus De Milo indeed had arms at one time). In one account, Aphrodite was born out of the sea foam after Cronus cut of the genitals of Uranus and threw them into the ocean, but in another she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione the mother goddess. Ouch on the first one. Her personality was often vain and demanding. (Not unlike the queen of the Immortyls, Giulietta, if I may say). Aphrodite caused much mischief among the gods. (See the judgment of Paris) This lady got around and cheated on her husband Haephesteus with Ares, Adonis and Hermes. (Hmm, reminds me of another Immortyl woman I know.) She became the archetypal mother-in-law when her son, Eros, fell for the mortal girl Psyche.

Eros is the god of sexual desire in Greek mythology and called Cupid by the Romans.  Although he's often depicted as a baby, he's truly represented as a youth.  As an eternally 19 year-old male, I can tell you why this is.  Who is randier than a boy in his teens?

Lovely, isn't he?  No, I didn't model for the statue.  He's more in Kurt's line.

In some stories, Eros is the son of Aphrodite, but others name his as one of the original gods.  In one of the tales, he is sent by his mother Aphrodite to make a beautiful mortal girl anmed Psyche fall in loive with some horrible beast.  Instead of shooting the fair lass, he falls upon one of his own arrows and is pierced through the heart, thus falling in love.  After much trial and tribulation brought on by jealous Mum Aphrodite, the young couple get together and symbolizes the union of soulful and erotic love.

Other Greek and Roman Gods associated with Love and Sex:

Priapus was the Roman god of male potency. If you take too much Viagra and get an unquenchable stiffy, you suffer from priapism.

Hymen was the Greek god of marriage. He always pops out at the appropriate moment.

Hermaphroditus (The son of Aphrodite and Hermes, depicted often with female breasts and male genitals) He’s been called the god of bisexuality--my kind of bloke.

Satyrs were half man and half goat, known for chasing nymphs. A man with compulsive sexual behavior is suffering from Satyriasis.

Dionysus is the wine god, but he is also associated with orgiastic excess, joy and divine ecstasy. If you’ve indulged too much, you know what I mean.


The Norse goddess of love, beauty and fertility Freyja is somewhat akin to Aphrodite. She also is associated with war and death and receives into her hall the half of warriors who die in battle but don’t go to Odin’s hall, Valhalla. There is some conjecture as to whether she and the Goddess Frigg are actually two faces of one Germanic fertility goddess. She was revered as a supernatural figure in Scandinavia into the 19th century. The name Freyja means, “the lady”, related to the German word Frau. Many things named after her were renamed for the Virgin Mary when Scandinavia was Christianized.


Love Deities of Various Cultures:
Ishtar was the Babylonian goddess of love, procreation and war.

Inanna came from the Mesopotamian region and was also a goddess of love and war. Although a virgin, she is the goddess of sex and procreation.

Ashtart was a Semitic goddess of sex, maternity and fertility.
The Egyptians had Hathor and Isis. Hathor was often depicted as a cow. She is the goddess of childbirth and the patron of lovers. Isis was the goddess of magic, fertility and motherhood. Both of these Goddesses are sometimes shown wearing cow’s horn with a solar disc between them.

Indians revere the cow as the ultimate symbol of motherhood, so I guess this brings us full circle.

In closing, my darlings, love as you see fit to love! It’s divine madness.

*All images used aside from Cedric's portrait are in the public domain.

Sexy Cedric’s Tips for a Memorable Valentine’s Day

For some time, Cedric has been clamoring to take over the blog.  You can't keep the boy down, I guess.  Seeing that Valentine's Day is coming, I decided to let him "have a go", as he would say.  This is the first of his posts.  They will continue through Tuesday the 14th.  Then, he'll be blogging every Saturday. 

I’m often asked, Cedric, what is the secret to your success as a lover? Well, I’m not permitted to divulge all of the tantric secrets of an adept of the ancient arts (Immortyl courtesan), but I can share a few tidbits that will make your Valentine’s Day an erotic adventure.

1. Look and smell your very best! Now, I understand, that not everyone is gifted with my degree of fabulousness, but it never hurts to take a few extra moments to make yourself as attractive as possible and become a feast for the senses.  Personal hygiene should go without saying, but you’d be surprised how many ignore this fact. Everyone wants to shag a dirty boy, but no one wants a smelly one. This goes for the ladies as well. After a good shower, (showering together is always fun) use a nice moisturizing preparation to make the skin irresistible to touch. Depending on your lover’s preferences, deal with unwanted hair. You’d be surprised how shaving or waxing certain areas will win an enthusiastic response. Yes, gentlemen, I’m speaking to you as well. Less is more to a lot of us. That perfume or cologne that hasn’t been used since the first date might be once more utilized. Make sure you hair is just a little short of coiffed and isn’t stiff with product. It looks and feels more inviting to muss that way. Once both partners are nice and relaxed, they should don their most enticing attire. Ladies, you know what I mean, but a lot of your gentlemen don’t get it. A little fashion sense goes a long way.  Don’t forget that what goes underneath is especially important. If your partner still doesn’t comprehend, go shopping.  Surprise him with a gift of new duds, if you must.

2. Going out is fun, but I suggest staying in and having an intimate meal together. (The authoress will share her menu on Monday.) Of course, this boy prefers making reservations, but if one isn’t talented in the culinary sphere, there are take away options beyond MacDonald’s and pizza. Choose something light and exotic. No one feels sexy when stuffed like a Christmas turkey. Yet, do have a decadent dessert. I’ve a weakness for mousse au chocolat with whipped cream. You can do all sorts of fun things with it. Libations are important. Now, we vampires prefer ours mixed with warmed blood, (adepts of the ancient arts like me also use special herbs to enhance the experience) but mortals are less adventurous, so perhaps some good champagne or a special wine. It loosens the inhibitions and makes all parties more playful. If you don’t imbibe, have some lovely virgin cocktails. No comments about lovely virgins, please. Light the candles and use the best china and crystal. Set a little soft music to play. If you are musically talented, like yours truly, you can serenade your lover. Now is not the time for “All Along the Watchtower”, but a soothing love ballad. Not Barry Manilow if you can help it. Indulge in some stimulating conversation.  Concentrate on you lover's interests.  Playful banter is encouraged, not heavy-duty debate.  Gifts may be exchanged. Depending on the finances, these can range from a single rose to a diamond bracelet or sports car. Don’t call me unless it’s the latter.

3. The boudoir should be uncluttered and inviting. Fresh sheets are a must. We adepts of the ancient arts perfume the sheets, but that isn’t necessary. A lightly scented candle does as nicely, not the heavily perfumed variety sold at many shops. Those just make one gag, and this is not the night for gagging, if you get my drift. Undressing is a ritual that has great significance in my profession. You can strip for your partner, or let him or her do the honors. Just take it slow and make it an event. It’s time to show that lingerie or the fruits of those weeks you’ve spent in the gym. Have massage oils and lubricants at hand. Use them with abandon. Maybe share a juicy fantasy or read an erotic tale together.  Exotic dance can set the pulse higher, but do practice first. The aim is not to look like a reject from Dancing with the Stars. It’s time to play now. Hopefully, all participants are relaxed and uninhibited by this point. Too many lovers never bother to ask his or her partner about fantasies and preferences. It’s amazing how simply talking about these things can really light a fire. But be cautious, approach this with respect and taste. Don’t gross out or frighten your partner. This topic can be discussed in advance. As a courtesan, it was my business to find out as much as I could about the lover I’d be entertaining.  I'd approach his servants or question other courtesans prior to the encounter. With advance knowledge, one can plan enticements and obtain props if necessary. Think of lovemaking as mutual exploration and adult playtime. If all parties are comfortable, push the boundaries a little. This is a special night. I’m not going to write a sex manual here. There are many informative texts on the subject from the spiritual to the scientific. Educate yourself and your lover(s). You’ll be pleased with the results.

Here are some interesting links:
Text of The Kama Sutra
Tantric Sex
http://www.indiavacationpackages.com/erotic-sculptures/


My post schedule:
Sunday: Love Gods and Goddesses
Monday:  Courtesans
Tuesday: Prize giveaway of My Fearful Symmetry ebook, My Top Ten Most Shag-able Sci fi and Fantasy Characters, and an excerpt from my latest adventure, Servant of the Goddess!
Follow me on Facebook

Until next time!

Your Naughty Boy,

Cedric MacKinnon

Author Nikki Andrews: Idea into Story

Today, my guest blogger is Nikki Andrews.

 

Idea into Story

So I’m sitting in a bookstore with a pile of my books in front of me. This is one of the fun parts of my job: getting to meet and talk with readers and potential readers of my work. They often give me fresh insight into the novels I thought I knew inside out, and their enthusiasm provides an antidote to those awful moments when I sit at the computer and watch the cursor blink.


I give a little talk and open the floor for questions. Inevitably, someone wants to know, “Where do you get your ideas?”


By now, having done this for a few years, I have a stock answer. “Ideas are everywhere,” I tell them. “Everyone and everything has a story. Ideas can pop up out of things I notice: An abandoned shoe on the library steps became a lovely little story about a girl who gets to meet her favorite literary characters. A hole in the ice on my pond led me into the mind of an alien observer. Or they show up in dreams: I have literally laughed myself awake at some tiny scene in my sleeping mind. Once I woke up with the sentence ‘Derek Daley interviews Sir Bernie’ running around in my head, and it took me days to figure out what to do with it. Or they come directly from real life: I want to tell a story about some of the characters I’ve met as a picture framer, or take revenge on someone who done me wrong.” Then I add, “By the way, I have a t-shirt that says ‘never piss off a writer.’”


That usually gets a laugh. Someone might ask what happened with Derek and Sir Bernie, and then the conversation moves on. But every now and then I see one or two people—often a child—still chewing over the idea thing, and it makes me think harder.


Anyone can notice a hole in the ice. “Oh look, a hole in the ice.” Probably most people will go one step further and think, “I wonder how it got there.” The human brain is really good at asking questions and proposing solutions. Maybe somebody came along with an ice ax and a fishing pole. Or a meteorite fell out of the sky. Or we have a family of otters at play. Maybe there’s a hot spot under the water that melted the ice from below—which, in fact, turned out to be the case.


There could be myriad stories that come from that hole in the ice. But how did MY story about the alien observer come about? Ah, that’s the real question those people are chewing over. They don’t need to know where ideas come from, because everyone gets ideas; they’re asking how a writer turns Idea into Story. And the answer to that is different for every writer and every story.


A writer teaches herself to be observant, first of all. A turn of phrase, a striking image, a scrap of dialogue, can lead to a story. A writer asks questions: the journalistic who, what, when why and how, and most importantly—what if? A writer puts ideas together. (The human brain is also very good at combining things.)How a story germ grows and takes shape depends on the compost around it, if I may combine metaphors from two of my favorite writers. Two paragraphs above, I dropped a clue about the compost around my hole in the ice: just a few nights earlier the Geminid meteor showers had streaked through the December sky. And because I love science fiction, my mind was primed for the big question—what if, among the meteors, there was a tiny, alien space ship?


From that moment, the path was laid at my feet. Not that it was a straight path, of course. There were turns and double-backs, side trails that petered out, quests for more information. Other paths joined mine, and I had to beat the junctures smooth. I had to make straight the highway, level the mountains and raise the valleys. Finally, after all the writing, rewriting, fallowing, starting over—Idea became Story.


Ideas come because we look for them. Stories grow because we work on them. We nurture them like children, lead them and follow their lead, teach them and learn from them. Just as no two children turn out alike, no two writers, starting at the same place, will write the same story.


If I’m very lucky, a few of my audience will be amenable to an experiment. I hand out pens and paper, and distribute folded sheets with a few words. Some people are nervous, some self-conscious, even outwardly hostile. But when I look at a clock and say “Go” I can seeds growing before my eyes.


Let the excitement begin.


If you would like to read “Probe,” the story that emerged from the hole in the ice, please visit my website, http://www.nikkiandrewsbooks.com/.

 

Nikki Andrews has earned a living as a picture framer, receptionist, and stable hand, but in her real life she is an author and editor. She has published a mystery, Framed, with L&L Dreamspell, and two science fiction novels, Chicken Bones and A Windswept Star, with AuthorHouse. When she is not defenestrating her computer, she is working on two sequels to Framed as well the final novel in the Chicken Bones series. Several of her short stories have been published as well. In addition to writing, she works as an editor, both freelance and on the staff of two publishers. She is a member of Talespinners and the New Hampshire Writers Project, and lives near a waterfall with her wonderful husband, a cat, and assorted wildlife.

An artist and his model are discovered dead and coyote-gnawed in a remote snowy field. The New Hampshire State Police declare it a murder-suicide. But where did his last painting disappear to? What happened to her jewelry? Who is the true guilty party?
Brush & Bevel owner Ginny Brent has more reason than most to doubt the police. After all, she was Jerry Berger’s mentor and agent. When the lost painting reappears at her art gallery ten years later, Ginny seek answers. She knows Jerry didn’t kill himself or Abby Bingham, the model pictured among the trees in Jerry’s painting. Can she discover who did?


Ginny’s loyal staffers, Sue Bradley and Elsie Kimball, employ their own methods to find the truth. Elsie follows her exuberant young bird-dog into the forest and through frog-infested puddles to a pile of glacial erratics that might be the setting for the painting. Is that important? Sue cleans years of smoke and grease from the canvas and puzzles over the strange markings revealed under the gunk. What could they possibly mean?
In between worrying about the array of sharp cutlery at the neighboring Chowdah Bowl, fulfilling the sometimes whimsical needs of their clients, and planning to frame and unveil “The Lady in the Wood,” the three women learn that art is not the only thing that can be framed.

Free ebook Vampire News is out!

Here's a free ebook you can download called Vampire News!



Bertena Varney and Stavros have compiled a book of the great news of vampire events of 2011 They created an awesome timeline with book covers, reviews of book, interview of authors, and essays about movies, television shows and more from various authors and bloggers as well websites to learn more about vampire news.

Bertena and Stavros have decided to offer the book for free so that they can all allow more readers to learn about the vampire world.

For your free PDF go to:  http://bitemereallyhard.com/
Pub/Book Info:


Vampire News


Authors: Bertena Varney, MA & Stavros


Copyright 2012 Bertena Varney and the Lure of the Vampire Publications


Published by Crazy Duck Press


Vampire News Network Copyright 2012 Stavros


Cover Models: Katalina Parrish & Jean-Paul de Jager




Description: A Collection of Vampire News from 2011.

Happy Birthday Elijah Wood

Happy 31^st Birthday Elijah Wood!

I have a schoolgirl crush.  No maybe an obsession would be a better term.  Today, I take a moment to gush about the diminutive actor with the big blue eyes.  I’ve been a fan for a long time, and coming from a theatrical background, I’m pretty picky about my actors.  I will not fixate on a pretty face without talent.  This face is mucho talented (and mucho pretty, which never hurts).  

 AP Image from Wilfred

The first performance in which Elijah Wood made an impact on me was in the excellent Barry Levinson film, Avalon.  I love this movie about a Jewish immigrant (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and his family making their way in Baltimore.  It has so many quotable lines, including my family’s Thanksgiving favorite delivered by the great character actor Lou Jacobi, “You couldn’t even wait to carve the toikey?”  Little Elijah lights up the screen in a memorable scene where his teacher enforces the difference between can and may.  It’s adorable and just so funny.  It’s a wonderful film.  If you haven’t seen it, you must.

Then there is The Good Son.  How many of us were rooting for Wendy Crewson to let sociopath demon seed Macaulay Culkin fall over the cliff in order to save Elijah?

Of course, being the big fantasy geek that I am, the movies that solidified my Elijah fandom were the three Lord of the Rings films.  Frodo is a thankless role in a lot of ways.  Aragorn is the heroic reluctant leader, Legolas is the glamour boy and Gandalf is just plain badass.  Much of Frodo’s struggle is an internal one, battling the insidious evil the ring exercises over the bearer, but Elijah Wood brings a maturity and sensitivity to the role that is light years beyond the capabilities of most eighteen-year-old actors.  I still feel the films’ acting performance were unfairly passed over by the Academy Awards and other award entities.  Mr. Wood had my vote.

If you haven't seen Wilfred yet, do. It's really out there, and that's why I love it.  It's always a blast to see Mr. Wood playing against his sweetness and light.

Mr. Wood has made memorable appearances in films such as Sin City, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Everything is Illuminated, but  to end my tribute today, I have to mention a movie close to my heart.  I’m a big Avian enthusiast.  I keep six exotic birds, including a Timneh African Grey parrot.  Yes, I am the crazy old bird lady who writes slightly kinky vampire novels.  My husband used to joke that if Elijah Wood ever played a bird I’d be beside myself.  You can imagine his reaction the day I read about Happy Feet going into production.  A tap dancing penguin?  And a vocal tribute to Freddie Mercury by the late Brittany Murphy?  What’s not to love?

Interviewers always ask me who would be my choice to play my conflicted Immortyl hero, Kurt Eisen.  Well then I have to admit where I got the inspiration for Kurt’s beautiful eyes in the first place.

Happy Birthday Mr. Wood!  I’m counting the days until the release of The Hobbit.