The cute! Let me show it to you!

My friend Kim Dare's mom is made of awesome. Let me show you why. She made me an adorable Christmas elf doll for me! Then she decided that the elf doll (who still needs a name) might be lonely on her trip to the States from Wales, so she crocheted her a Welsh elf in traditional Welsh costume right down the the leek! Since my Gram was from Wales, I've had a lot of Welsh dolls over the years - this one is my favorite! :)



After she made these dolls, she made one for Kim. A little BDSM elf doll. His name is Switchy and he's adorable! Go here and take a peek - and also be in awe of her mom! She clearly rocks!

You Know What's Awesome?

A writer who gives up all of her royalties on a novel to help a wonderful and much needed charity.

The charity is called ALSO Out Youth. They strive to end all forms of violence, harassment and discrimination based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Their mission is to enhance self-esteem, promote healthy dialogue, and increase awareness of sexual minority issues.

ALSO Out Youth provides many direct services, including peer support services, social activities, educational programs and workshops, advocacy, and referrals for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning youth ages 13 to 21, their families and friends, and the community.

See what I mean? An amazing charity!

And the author in question is my equally amazing friend, Kim Dare. She'll be sending all royalties from her November release, Touching Wood to ALSO Out Youth. I hope you'll consider helping by purchasing a copy of her book.

Here's the Blurb:

It’s been quite a while since Ross and his master, Harry, have had time to go down into their basement play room and have some fun together. That’s about to change.

Everyone knows that touching wood can bring a person luck and Ross needs all the luck he can get tonight. Failing to touch wood isn’t an option—but when a man is bound and helpless it isn’t necessarily easy to succeed either.

I got a nifty award!

The lovely Lisabet Sarai gave me the Versatile Blogger Award! The rules are that I need to pick some people and we all have to list things about us that few people know. So...here we go.

Ten Bron-Type Surprises.

1. I haven't worn nail polish since I came across a cadaver wearing the same color.

2. Over the last 15 years, I've placed 42 cats and 3 dogs in adoptive homes.

3. I used to make themed wedding and bridal party dresses including medieval and western...there was fringe involved. Also, instituted the use of the "bitch fee" for some of those people.

4. I keep lip balm in 9 separate places in my house and car (purse, dashboard, next to the couch, bedside stand, desk, medicine cabinet, sewing machine cabinet, coffee table and bookshelf) and almost all get used every day.

5. I was once paid to read Tarot cards at a convention.

6. I haven't worn pantyhose since high school graduation.

7. I've been in eleven car accidents, but only one was my fault.

8. I made my own drum, and I like to play in drum circles.

9. Sister Rosine made me stand up and tell the class that I was the "Bride of Satan" because I wore bright red nail polish and matching sweater one day. She was way old school. And also batshit crazy.

10. Once had an entire subway car full of New Yorkers cheer for me. It was a banner day...

Okay, now I'm going to nominate my versatile bloggers, and hopefully, they'll play along and share some little known facts about themselves.

Chaos Chris
Erotic Romance Reader Janna
Brynn Paulin
Jennifer Armintrout
Dakota Rebel
Mia Watts
Jessica Jarman
Kris Norris
Kim Dare

Someone and Something Really Special

Almost two year ago, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting someone really special, my friend Kim. A lot of you may know Kim as one of the hardest working writers in erotic romance. Since August of 2008, she's had 26 books published by Total-e-bound, 4 freebie stories, also with TEB and three (soon to be four) with Resplendence Publishing. Not only is she prolific, she writes damn good stories with amazing characters.

In addition, to being one of my favorite writers and people, she's also one of the kindest people I've ever met. She's wickedly funny and I consider myself lucky to call her a friend.

She's doing something really special this month that I'd like to share with you. All of the proceeds from her newest release, Gay Friendly, (web site and third party sales) are going to support an amazing charity - Ty Hafan - a childrens' hospice in near her home in Wales. This organization provides respite and end of life care for children under the age of nineteen.

I believe the death of a child is the single most agonizing experience a parent can have. And how awful is it to be a child and know that you might not make it to your next birthday? Ty Hafan supports these kids and their families.

Like I mentioned earlier, all of the proceeds for Kim's latest release are going to a good cause, so head over to TEB and pick up your very own copy.

Gay Friendly by Kim Dare

Book nine in the G-A-Y Series

Ellis thought a gay friendly hotel sounded nice. He didn't realise just how friendly the men there would be...

Ellis is gay and out - technically at least. Unfortunately the only other gay man he's acquainted with is his cousin Harry. When he suddenly gets the chance to visit a gay friendly hotel with his cousin, in exchange for paying his share of the petrol money, he assumes the impromptu holiday will be a nice gentle way to ease his way into gay society before he starts university in September.

Dominant Mitchell Thompson has fond memories of the hotel where he came out almost two decades ago. He returns there every year, and always finds it to be exactly the same unashamedly kinky hook-up party it has always been. When he stumbles across a sweet little novice who's obviously way out of his depth at the resort, his trip down memory lane suddenly becomes far more interesting.

Bits of randomness for the beginning of April

I'm so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open today. Too many late nights in a row and getting up waaaaaaaaaaay too early. Blech. But it's almost Spring Break and I'll be able to sleep in as late as I want. YAY!

Here's another great thing. The lovely Fran Lee interviewed me in her column for the Salt Lake City Examiner! You can read the interview here. I'd love it if you stopped by and left me a comment. :)

One last thing before I go tackle the rest of my day. Are you looking for something good to read, but don't have a lot of time? I'd like to recommend Kim Dare's latest, Gaydar. I loved the characters, the story and especially the dialogue. It's brand new this week at TEB.

Here's the blurb, if you'd like to take a peek.

Find a gay man in a gay bar. Matt's sure that should be a lot easier than it actually is.

Matt's having a run of bad luck - one that's lasted ever since he stepped out of the closet. An uncanny ability to home in on the only straight guy in a bar room full of gay men really isn't doing his sex life any favours. A knack for picking complete jerks whenever he does stumble upon a genuinely gay man isn't helping either.

But, this time everything is going to be different. This time Matt's absolutely sure his gaydar has guided him towards a completely sane, entirely gay man - which is why he's arranged to meet him in the gents' room in five minutes.

What could possibly go wrong?

Something Old, Something New

A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of the interior of the church in Wales where my Grandparents got married on my facebook account. The lovely Kim Dare was sweet enough to track down the name of the church, location and a current picture! As you can see, not much has changed in the last 67 years.

My Grandparents met at a dance hall in Cardiff, Wales. My Gram was working as a domestic and my Grandpa was stationed in South Wales with the United States Army. They married in June of 1942 and in 1945, my Gram moved from her home in Pengam to a tiny little town in Michigan to be with my Grandpa.

I just think it's wonderful that the church is still standing (and in fabulous condition) and I thought I'd share those pictures as well as some other period pictures of my Grandparents. (Many thanks to D. Wayne Hankins for the current photo of St. David's)

St. David's in Fleur-de-lys, Wales - 1942

St. David's, Fleur-de-lys, Wales, present day.

Harold and Ruby's wedding portrait. I almost wore that wedding dress when I got married. It fit perfectly, except for the unfortunate fact that I was a few inches taller than my Gram. When I tried it on, I remember being surprised that there was no train. She laughed and told me that everything was rationed - especially luxury items. Being in my early twenties and caught up with wedding drama, I told her that I could imagine that a train on a wedding gown was a luxury. But she said that most young women didn't even get a wedding dress - if they were lucky, they got a nice suit. It definitely put some perspective on my wedding planning.

The wedding party. The couple to the left also got married that day. The young girl next to my Gram is her younger sister Dilys.
My Gram, Ruby Green.
My Grandpa, Harold Bartz.

Introducing...

The Writer's Evolution Blog!

I hope you'll join Brynn Paulin, Dakota Rebel, Kim Dare, Andrea Dickinson, Editors Michele and Christine and me as we look at the issues writers face from the perspective of the different levels of the publishing world. We've got editors, veterans, mid-range, rookie and slush pile surfer all weighing in on different topics, so we hope you'll stop by and say hi. Today, our slush pile surfer, Andrea is up!

Introducing...Kim Dare!

I'd like to introduce one of Total-e-bound's newest authors, Kim Dare. Kim is 25 years old and lives in the UK, in a small town in South Wales. Over the last few months, she's contracted numerous books with TEB and she's got more in the works. Kim is an absolute delight and I'm thrilled to be able to help her celebrate her first ever release day with an interview and a peek into her writing space. Congratulations, Kim - I wish you much success now and with all of your future books!

What's a typical day (and night) like in the life of Kim Dare?

There's no such thing as typical really. One day it's non stop fellatio, other days it's all about the leather and the whips, and then there are the ménages that crop up now and again - just in case anyone is getting bored with the one-on-one action. On the other hand if you want to know about the things that actually go on outside my head, the answer is far less interesting. I'm fortunate at the moment, in that I'm able to devote most of my energy to my writing. I write best at night, so I try to be sensible and spend the days editing and re-writing stories, before getting stuck into whichever first draft I'm working on in the evening.

You primarily write M/M and BDSM. What draws you to these subgenres?

Unlike most m/m writers I know, the very first erotic romances I wrote were about two men. I didn't get into writing anything involving a woman until about a year later. I'm not sure what drew me to the m/m in the first place. As far as I remember, the characters I wanted to write about at that time just happened to like guys more than girls. I didn't think about it too much, I just went wherever those characters took me. I had so much fun writing about them, it went on from there.

As for the BDSM elements of my stories, I never set out to write them either. Although, I soon realised that even if the characters aren't kinky when I start writing them, then by the end of chapter one they'll all be whispering in my ear that they've always wanted to try such and such. Looking back, I think I first fell in love with this type of story when I saw the intensity and honesty of characters reactions to the different kinks they indulge in. Now, even more than that, I love the way the characters react to each other, the trust they need to put in their partners, regardless of whether they are dominant or submissive, and the depth of connection that builds between them still fascinates me. I have tried writing vanilla once or twice, but the characters pouted so much I had to give in and let them do whatever they wanted, so I’ve stuck to BDSM, in all it’s different forms, ever since.

Having had the privilege of reading advanced copies of many of your books,I find your characters to be absolutely fascinating. How do you go about character creation?

It usually starts with a little snippet of conversation. I'll get a phrase in my head and I'll start wondering who said it, and who they said it to. The characters grow from there. I like to get to know them as I write, so I don't sit down and think about them too much before I start the story. I'll admit that quite a few of them have shocked the hell out of me half way through the book, revealing aspects of their characters that I didn't even know existed until I saw the words appearing on the screen as I typed.

How did your writing path evolve?

I’ve always wanted to write. Two years ago I made a commitment to myself that I would write every day – and I would actually finish some of the dozens of stories I’d started. For the first time I stopped trying to write something I thought other people would like to read and I wrote what I wanted to write. At the time I didn’t even know there were publishers out there who would accept m/m erotic romances, but they were the stories in my head and so I wrote them down. Earlier this year I stumbled upon a few e-publishers who were actually publishing what I was writing, so I decided to take some time out of a degree I was studying for and see if I could send something off. And here I am.

What type of research do you do for your books?

I have a few different websites that I seek out if I need some specific information on some weird and wonderful new kink one of my characters has taken a fancy for. But, strangely enough it’s the innocent questions that are often the hardest ones to find the answers for. How long does it taken an elevator to reach the fifteenth floor? What does a software engineer actually do?

From what or where do you derive the most inspiration for your stories?

From random things usually. Little phrases or snippet’s of overheard conversation. That and the complete certainty that whoever wrote what I’m watching on TV got it all wrong – there should always have been a happy ending – and quite often the guy should have ended up with his best friend and not the girl.

Tell us about your upcoming releases?

The Gift is out today – a seasonal release as part of Total-e-bound’s Christmas Spirit’s collection. The next one to come out will be Secret Service in February – another seasonal release as part of Total-e-bound’s My Secret Valentine collection. That’s quickly followed by Whispers – my first m/f title, which is part of Total-e-bound’s Night of the Senses BDSM anthology.

What are you working on at the moment?

I have two BDSM series starting with Total-e-bound next year – Collared starts with Turquoise and Leather in March. And Perfect Timing starts with You First in April. I’ve got lots more titles to come in each of the series so I’m currently finishing those off and editing them up. I’m also working on the first title in a new series that’s still very much a work in progress.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like least?

I like lots of things, like that first moment when an idea arrives in my head and I know something exists now that didn’t exist a moment before. I like looking at a blank screen when I start a new project and knowing that anything could happen next – and in my stories it frequently does…

I like it when a character comes to life as I write about them, or when they do something entirely unexpected and I only find out about it as I type it in to the computer. And I like being able to write a world where I know good guys will get to live happily ever after in the end.

What I don’t like? The never being able to tell if a story is any good until someone else reads it – it’s just not possible to tell with something you’ve written yourself, and every single story takes a leap of faith before you share it with the real world.

What would you do if you weren’t a writer?

Even if I wasn’t writing any stories down, I can’t imagine not spending all my time making up stories in my head. So, my ideal would probably be a nice quiet job where I could sit and daydream about the characters that live inside my brain without too many people interrupting me and actually trying to get me to do any work.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

Reading – although I’ve been so focused on my writing I’ve barely read anything anyone else has written for months! Crafts – particularly blackwork and patchwork. Visiting different places when the opportunity arises. I’ve also really enjoyed studying a whole variety of subjects over the last few years – mostly with The Open University.

kOf all of the characters you’ve created, who is your favourite and why?

I tend to fall in love with whichever character I’m writing at the time, but there is one character that always makes me smile no matter what – Eric Jordan from Turquoise and Leather. He’s in way over his head as soon as he meets the dominant George McAllister, but he just doesn’t seem to realise that. He talks away at nineteen to the dozen, throwing himself into everything he does without any hesitation or thought of the consequences.

He’s a natural submissive too, but he hasn’t quite caught up with the fact that submitting to a dominant man means you don’t get to have your own way all the time. All that said, he also proves himself quite capable of running rings around George – at the end of the book you just know he’s going to drive the older man insane, and they’ll both enjoy every minute of it.

Do you find it difficult to keep love/sex scenes fresh and interesting?

I do find there are times when I find myself going back to stories I’ve written before and checking that I’m not writing the same scene over again with too few differences. The thing is, no matter what you do – there are certain things that damn near everyone does when they have sex. The most interesting bits to write, and read about, are those that are unique to each character – their individual preferences and psychology. Everyone might do the same thing, but they can easily think different things or do things for different reasons, so I try to look for those differences.

What genre of books least appeals to you and why?

I never have been able to enjoy reading anything with an unhappy ending. I can live with crying in the middle of a book if I have to, but I have to know I’ll be smiling at the end or I don’t want to read it. Apart from that, I’ll read anything that’s good.

Do you listen to music when you write or do you need quiet? If you listen to music – what kind?

I don’t have music on, but I do a lot of my writing in the middle of the living room while other people are watching TV or playing games on the computer, so there’s usually a bit of background noise of one sort or another. The only thing I really need silence for is editing – that’s when I retreat to my writing room.

When I do listen to music I go for lyrics first and foremost and I usually end up listening to either country music or songs from the musicals. Although, at the moment, it’s Christmas carols and nothing else until January – I’ve always loved anything to do with Christmas, so I make the most of it throughout December.

What makes a man sexy?

Being who he really is. I’ve never have one idea of sexy in my head. Anything can be sexy if the man is the right man. Dominant, submissive, tall or short, rich or poor, it’s all about someone who is confident in being an individual. Spending your whole life trying to be something you’re not is one thing that doesn’t scream sexy to me.

For my characters, I tend to write people who are perfect for the person they are going to live happily ever after with at the end – and that’s far sexier to me than someone who is generically perfect.

Do your family and friends know you write erotic romance – if so, how have they reacted?

My family do know and they’ve been incredibly supportive of my writing – even after they found out exactly what I write, lol. I haven’t told many of my friends – although that might well change now that I’ve actually got something on sale!

What’s your favourite food?

No one favourite, but I’m very basic when it comes to food. Sausage dinners. Fish and chips. Ham sandwiches. Mixed Grills. Crisps (what you’d call chips in America). And chocolate of course. And you can’t beat cawl (a welsh soup recipe) followed by Welsh Cakes.

Do you have any bad habits?

I’m a bit (completely) obsessive. I’ve never worked out how to do anything by halves, so I tend to throw myself into a project and work myself to the point of exhaustion before I remember to take a break and just relax now and again.

If you were stranded on a desert isle, what five things would you want to have with you?

A lap top (a solar powered one that reacts well to salt water, obviously). I get a bit weird if I don’t get story ideas out of my head on a pretty regular basis, and being dyslexic means my spelling and my hand writing are both appalling if I try to do anything with pen and paper so the lap top has to go wherever I go.

After that luxury, I’m a pretty practical person. John “Lofty” Wiseman’s “The SAS Survival Handbook” has a whole chapter on surviving on a desert island, so that should prove useful to take along with me.

Apart from that, someone, or a few someones, who are good at coping in a crisis would be nice to have along side me too.

Do you have any pet peeves?

Prejudices and intentional cruelty have always made my skin crawl.

What do you like about where you live?

I like that I live in the same town where I was born – somewhere I and my family have roots and a sense of history. I like living in a valley, where the geography seems to wrap around the town and keep it safe. I like living in a house that’s just old enough to have the sort of character a house can only have when it’s been around a while. I like living in the middle of a town, but only needing to walk five minutes to be in the middle of the countryside.

If you could travel back in time, would you? If so, what time period would you visit and why?

I love the idea of going back to see how things really were, but I’m sure I would hate it if I ever actually did. As much as I would like to write a series of stories set in an historical era, I still think History is probably best viewed through rose tinted glasses, and from the comfort of a present day where, in some countries at least, there’s a degree of freedom, equality and (never to be underestimated) in-door plumbing.

That's it for my interview with Kim, please check out her blog and website and her very first release at TEB!